Holy Family and All Saints Catholic Church Witham

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.

Pope Leo to beatify Guatemalan martyr and Italian religious who founded a new congregation
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:34:00 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 12:34 pm (CNA).

On Jan. 22, Pope Leo XIV approved the decree recognizing the martyrdom of Servant of God Augusto Ramírez Monasterio, a Franciscan priest murdered in Guatemala in 1983, and the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Maria Ignazia Isacchi, foundress of the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Asola in Italy.

Murdered in the street during the Guatemalan Civil War

Monasterio was last seen trying to escape his killers on one of the busiest streets in downtown Guatemala City. With his hands tied, he was crying out for help while dodging traffic going in the opposite direction. His desperate efforts were in vain: He was struck by eight bullets.

The future blessed thus joined the long list of priests murdered — apparently at the hands of Guatemalan security forces — during the 1960–1996 civil war that pitted the official security forces against the Catholic clergy, Marxist guerrillas, political dissidents, and the poor.

His murder was the culmination of months of persecution, death threats, and torture for refusing to break the seal of confession after hearing the confession of Fidel Coroy, a catechist and member of the Kaqchikel Maya people known for his involvement in peasant organizations such as the Committee of Peasant Unity and the Guerrilla Army of the Poor.

Accounts following Ramírez’s murder revealed that he had been tortured by his military captors, who stripped him naked and hung him by his wrists, subjecting him to beatings and burns and breaking several of his ribs.

At the time of his death, Ramírez was the superior of the Franciscans and a priest at St. Francis the Great Parish in the city of Antigua, known for its colonial churches. He was remembered as an exemplary priest and for his service to and protection of the poor of Guatemala.

Devotion of Maria Ignazia to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Following Thursday morning’s audience with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the pope also approved the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Maria Ignazia Isacchi, founder of the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Asola, Italy.

As highlighted by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Isacchi distinguished herself by a profound life of prayer and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, demonstrating heroic virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and dedicating her life to educational services and to those in need. Her reputation for holiness remains alive within the congregation she founded.

Miracle attributed to her intercession

In 1950, at age 23, Sister Maria Assunta became seriously ill with tuberculosis and did not respond to medical treatment. After a novena of prayer invoking Isacchi and a medal with her image was placed on Sister Maria Assunta, she experienced a sudden and complete recovery from Sept. 27–29, 1950. The healing was medically confirmed and considered miraculous, becoming one of the steps toward Isacchi’s beatification. Maria Assunta lived to be 92 years old, passing away in 2018.

New venerables

The Holy Father has also recognized the heroic virtues of Servant of God Maria Tecla Antonia Relucenti, co-founder of the Congregation of the Pious Sisters Workers of the Immaculate Conception in Italy.

The pope recognized the heroic virtues of Italians Servant of God Crocifissa Militerni, a religious sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, and Servant of God Nerino Cobianchi, a lay member of the faithful and father of a family.

Pope Leo XIV also recognized on Jan. 22 the heroic virtues of Maria Immaculata of the Blessed Trinity, a Brazilian Discalced Carmelite and a key figure in the founding of the Carmel of the Holy Family in Pouso Alegre, Brazil, in 1943.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Christian identity vital amid aggressive secularization, ecumenism expert says
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:04:00 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 12:04 pm (CNA).

Ecumenical dialogue is especially important in a time when Christian belief and practice are on the decline, said one Catholic expert during the Jan. 18–25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“What is happening today is that the secularization [of society] is incredibly strong … and the temptation among Christian traditions is to step back,” Father Philip Goyret, an ecclesiology professor at Rome’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, told EWTN News.

“But if [Christians] step back, we lose our identity, and we cannot be united,” he said. “That is a serious concern.”

Goyret said it is evident that the theological principles of “unity” and “communion” have become important policies of Leo’s pontificate, as summarized in his papal motto, “In Illo uno unum” (“In the one Christ we are one”).

“Leo, from the very beginning, has said that he wants to be the pope of unity, and that is extremely linked with ecumenism,” he added.

When Leo first stepped out onto the Loggia of Blessings of St. Peter’s Basilica in May last year, he said humanity needs God and stressed the need for a “united Church” in Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, without fear, united hand in hand with God and among ourselves, let us move forward,” the pope said in his May 8 address. “We are disciples of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light.”

Two months after his election, Pope Leo shed further light on his desire to forge the belief, identity, and mission of the Church.

“I believe very strongly in Jesus Christ and believe that that’s my priority, because I’m the bishop of Rome and successor of Peter, and the pope needs to help people understand, especially Christians, Catholics, that this is who we are,” the pope told the Catholic website Crux in July 2025.

Noting the Holy Father’s particular emphasis on Christian identity and witness as key to advancing ecumenical relations among churches, Goyret said Leo’s predecessors have also shown commitment to promoting unity among the faithful through different approaches.

Pope Francis placed great attention to engaging in dialogue with Eastern and Orthodox Churches, while Pope Benedict XVI is recognized for his 2009 apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, which structurally supported Anglicans seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.

“Pope Francis presented himself as ‘bishop of Rome,’ and that’s very significant because that title is the way that Eastern non-Catholic Christians understand the Petrine ministry,” he said, recalling the late pope’s first urbi et orbi address in 2013. “It was an invitation for dialogue.”

By focusing on the Vatican II documents Unitatis Redintegratio (Restoration of Unity) and Lumen Gentium (Light of the Nations), Goyret said Pope Benedict’s approach to ecumenical dialogue encouraged academic study and the faithful living of Christian traditions.

“If you dig and dig into these different traditions, you will eventually discover the Church as Jesus Christ wished it,” he said.

Speaking on the theme of the 2026 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, “One Body, One Spirit,” Goyret said there is a great need for Christians to be united in prayer and hope to strengthen faith in God in a secularized world.

“Pope Leo said that we have to pray in this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” he said. “The Church needs our prayers especially because the unity of the Church is a gift of God.”

“We don’t build it ourselves through negotiation. It’s not diplomatic and it’s not political,” he added. “If we want to restore unity to the Church, we have to ask God for it.”

‘I saw my baby:’ After traumatic chemical abortion, woman calls for safety regulations
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:34:00 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 11:34 am (CNA).

At around 10 weeks, an unborn baby is about the size of a gummy bear. Some mothers may find this out from pregnancy apps or conversations with friends.

Dora Esparza, an abortion drug survivor, found out when she saw her own child in the bathroom after she endured a chemical abortion.

Esparza almost died due to complications from the abortion drug. She made the decision to get an abortion with her boyfriend but quickly regretted it.

Many women have successfully reversed chemical abortions before taking the second pill by taking progesterone. But when Esparza told medical staff at the abortion clinic, they told her that her baby would be born with severe problems if she tried to keep it. So, she took the second pill.

“I saw my baby. No one warned me that that was even a possibility,” Esparza told reporters on Thursday. “Two weeks later, I almost died.” 

Amid claims of being the most pro-life president in history, President Donald Trump’s administration has yet to push through a promised review of the abortion drug mifepristone.

Though many studies have come out showing the danger that unrestricted chemical abortions pose to women, the Trump administration approved a generic version of the drug, further contributing to its spread.

“The push to normalize mail-order abortion drugs is so dangerous and so dishonest,” Esparza said. “Abortion drugs distributed to me in person at a facility almost killed me. How much more dangerous are they when they’re shipped through the mail with no ultrasound, no information of gestational age, no follow-up appointment, and no real accountability?”

Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of SBA Pro-Life America, said the Trump administration has the power to implement safety restrictions.

“The bottom line is, just as the policy that we seek was instituted in the Trump 1 [his first administration], it could be instituted today or tomorrow while they study,” Dannenfelser told reporters on Thursday.

“The only response that we have been given is: ‘It’s important to abide by scientific guidelines and we are going to study it,’” she said. “We’ve also heard, through a Bloomberg story, that there is a strong desire to wait until after midterms, which is a political, nonscientific reason to fail to do this study.” 

Dannenfelser said she hopes the Trump administration will announce a change in the abortion pill policy Jan. 23 at the March for Life.

“What an incredible thing it would be to address the most urgent and consequential issue in the pro-life movement right now — and that would be the reinstitution of Trump’s policy from his first administration.

“It would give states back their sovereignty,” she said. “States would be allowed to enforce their laws because as you should know by now, the abortion rate has gone way up, over a million, at least, as far as we can track. Abortion rates are going up in pro-life states.”

Chemical abortion drugs can be easily transported across state lines, stockpiled, or even slipped into women’s drinks.

Multiple cases have been reported where the father of the unborn child has allegedly coerced or poisoned the mother with the abortion drug.

Dr. Ingrid Skop, a spokesperson for the Charlotte Lozier Institute and an OB-GYN, said the traumatic harm of the abortion drug shows a “lack of informed consent.”

“The pregnancy centers I work with have received frequent frantic calls from girls and women encountering the recognizable body of their child in the toilet about the size of a gummy bear at 10 weeks’ gestation,” Skop said. “What should she do now? Flush him? Bury him? The emotional harms of this experience can’t be quantified.”

“What these women experience and the trauma that follows demonstrate clearly they are not receiving adequate informed consent,” Skop said. “Many are genuinely shocked by the degree of pain, bleeding, and emotional distress they endure — proof that abortion drugs are being sold to women without honest counseling about what they actually do.”

“This lack of informed consent is made worse by the FDA’s deregulation of these abortion drugs,” she continued. “Today, no in-person exam or labs are required, no ultrasound is mandated, no physician must be present, no follow-up is considered necessary, and there is no federal requirement for complication reporting unless it results in a woman’s death.” 

Ahead of March for Life, Trump vows to ‘always be a voice for the voiceless’
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:04:00 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 11:04 am (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump this week said he would “always be a voice for the voiceless” and vowed to “never tire in fighting to protect the intrinsic dignity of every child, born and unborn,” delivering bold promises just ahead of the March for Life 2026.

The president’s message, published on Jan. 22, came on National Sanctity of Human Life Day, an observance first declared by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and pronounced by every Republican president since then.

In his message — delivered just hours before the 53rd annual March for Life — the president said the U.S. in marking the date “uphold[s] the eternal truth that every human being is created in the holy image and likeness of God, blessed with infinite worth and boundless potential.”

Urging Americans to take part in “honoring the dignity of every human life,” including unborn life, the president also called on Americans to offer support for women with unplanned pregnancies and to support both foster care and adoption “so every child can have a loving home.”

The president further urged Americans “to listen to the sound of silence caused by a generation lost to us and then to raise their voices for all affected by abortion, both seen and unseen.”

Pro-life activists have criticized the Trump administration after Trump indicated a willingness to allow for federal taxpayer funding of abortion, a practice largely outlawed. Trump asked Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment during negotiations about extending health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act.

The Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal tax money from being spent on abortion, has been included in spending bills since 1976, shortly after Roe v. Wade was decided.

In his message the Republican president touted what he said has been his “decisive action to protect the unborn” while in office.

He pointed to his reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy in January 2025 as well as his pardoning of nearly two dozen pro-life activists that same month after they had been targeted by the U.S. Department of Justice for protesting at abortion clinics.

‘The antidote to abortion is love,’ Cardinal O’Malley says ahead of March for Life
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:34:00 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 10:34 am (CNA).

Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley said life is a “precious gift from a loving God” ahead of the 2026 annual March for Life.

O’Malley, archbishop emeritus of Boston, celebrated Mass on Jan. 23 before the March for Life, concluding the annual National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

“I know that many of you are tired and have made many sacrifices to be here,” O’Malley said. “I assure you, you could not be doing anything more important than being here today. And your presence is not by accident. The Lord in his providence has brought all of us here today.”

The Mass featured prayers for the pro-life movement and provided a moment to strengthen commitment to defending human life ahead of the march.

“Abortion is the greatest moral crisis faced by our country and by our world. It’s a matter of life and death in a very grand scale," O’Malley said. “It’s been a joy and a privilege for me to be at every March for Life here in Washington for the past 53 years.”

“It’s such a joy to be with you here today in this March for Life. This is a pilgrimage for life, and it begins with prayer, here in Mary’s shrine. I thank God for all of you,” he said.

‘Life Is a gift’

O’Malley spoke about the 2026 March for Life theme: “Life Is a Gift.”

“What a powerful theme,” O’Malley said. “Sadly, life is not always seen as a gift. For some, it seems a burden or a curse.”

The cardinal detailed a recent poll that found “for the very first time in the history of our nation, the majority of Americans say they do not want to have children.” O’Malley called it “an alarming statistic.”

“Life is a gift, a gift given by a loving God,” he said. “Life is beautiful, especially when it is received with gratitude and love.”

We must “love as God loves,” O’Malley said. “We must love first, forgive first, give first. That’s why we’re here in this Mass for life.”

“We’re here because life is a gift. God has given us this precious gift. We must be grateful and express our gratitude by proclaiming the gospel of life,” he said.

Future of the pro-life movement

O’Malley, who has been active in the pro-life movement for decades, said the opposition once believed the pro-life advocates would “die off,” but “we’re still here, proclaiming the gospel of life.”

“Our mission is not a political crusade. It’s a response to God’s command to love and to care for each other. And God bless us, the crowd is getting younger and younger. You are beautiful,” he said.

To end abortion, “our task is not to judge others but to bring healing,” O’Malley said. We must be “gentle” like Jesus was with “the Samaritan woman, the poor, the tax collector, the adulterous woman, the good thief,” he said.

“Our task is to build a society that takes care of everybody, where every person counts, where every life is important. Political polarization, racism, economic injustice will only continue to fuel abortion in a post-Roe v. Wade world,” O’Malley said.

“Our world is wracked by divisions and violence. Pope Leo is inviting us to be messengers of unity and of peace. But we do not want to get in the way of the message,” O’Malley said.

“Together, we can protect and nurture that gift of life. We must look for opportunities to be apostles of life, building a civilization of love and ethic of care,” he said.

“The antidote to abortion is love. Love manifests in community, compassion, and solidarity. Life is a gift. Every person is a gift. Every person counts. All are important. Our mission is to work so that no child be left behind. Every baby will be welcomed, loved, cared for, nurtured, and protected,” he said.

“Thank God for the gift of life. Thank God for love. Thank God for you,” O’Malley concluded.

EWTN News’ coverage of the 2026 March for Life can be found here.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Pope Leo XIV to visit 5 Rome parishes during Lent
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:04:00 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 10:04 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will visit five Catholic parishes of Rome in February and March, in continuity with his predecessors, the Diocese of Rome announced Friday.

The visits, which will take place on Sundays during the penitential season of Lent, will include the celebration of Mass.

The pope will also meet with Rome’s priests for the second time on Feb. 19 at the Vatican. His first encounter with priests of the diocese took place one month into his pontificate.

The pope is not only the head of the universal Catholic Church, he is also the bishop of the Diocese of Rome, though he does not manage the diocese like a typical diocesan bishop. A cardinal vicar general, vice regent (deputy), and auxiliary bishops are responsible for the ordinary running of the diocese.

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general of Rome, said last year there were 8,020 priests and deacons in the diocese, of whom 809 were permanent Rome diocesan priests, and most of the remaining were part of religious communities or doing advanced studies.

The first parishes selected for papal visits in 2026 are located in each of the five sectors of the diocese: north, south, east, west, and center. Leo reinstated the central sector in November 2025 after Pope Francis had eliminated it the year prior.

Pope Leo’s predecessors also visited parishes in the Diocese of Rome during their papacies.

John Paul II managed  to visit 317 of 333 parishes throughout his long pontificate. During his final years, when he was too ill to travel to them, he invited the remaining 16 parishes to come to the Vatican.

Pope Francis in his 12 years as pope made  20-some pastoral visits to parishes in Rome, mostly concentrated in the city’s outskirts, part of his great attention to the peripheries, which was also reflected in his visits to many of the city’s prisons and charitable entities.

Sisters of Life amp up young Catholics at Life Fest ahead of March for Life 2026
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:34:41 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 09:34 am (CNA).

Young Catholics who traveled from across the country for the March for Life started their day singing and praying with the Sisters of Life early Friday morning.

Life Fest 2026 participants gathered at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, to get energized, sing songs, and receive the sacraments before heading to the National Mall for the March for Life 2026.

The event, organized by the Sisters of Life and Knights of Columbus, began at 6 a.m. with music, pro-life testimonies, and chances to go to confession and venerate the relics of numerous saints. Several nuns played music as a part of the All the Living Band alongside Father Isaiah Marie Hofmann, CFR, while participants in the crowd sang along and clapped.

The crowd included everyone from young children to elderly people, Sisters of Life, Dominican brothers and priests, and the Knights of Columbus, who sponsored the event.

Students from Lansing Catholic High School in Lansing, Michigan, waited in a line to venerate relics of St. Carlos Acutis and St. John Paul II.

The event featured pro-life testimony from women and families who experienced crisis pregnancies and chose life, including the Schachle family, whose son Michael McGivny Schachle, who helped make his namesake a “blessed” through the miracle of his birth.

Schachle’s parents, Michelle and Daniel, gave their testimony while he stood alongside them on stage.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Vatican rejects claims of widespread worker discontent after internal survey
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:50:18 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 06:50 am (CNA).

The Holy See’s labor office is pushing back on claims of widespread worker dissatisfaction after an internal survey by the Association of Vatican Lay Employees (ADLV) alleged distrust of leadership and instances of workplace bullying.

In an interview with the official Vatican News outlet, Monsignor Marco Sprizzi, president of the Office of Labor of the Apostolic See (ULSA), said his office “always has its doors open” and stressed that its mission is to ensure “there are no situations in which employees’ rights are not respected or are violated in any way.”

“It doesn’t seem to me that the discontent is widespread,” Sprizzi said, noting that the survey sample was “very small,” amounting to “less than 5% of employees.”

According to the report, 250 people responded to the survey, with about 80% of respondents belonging to the ADLV. The Holy See has around 4,200 workers, though Vatican News estimated the overall figure at more than 6,000 when including retirees.

Sprizzi added that even a single complaint must be taken seriously. “We listen to everyone. We are a structure of dialogue,” he said.

New statutes, broader representation

Sprizzi also pointed to new statutes for ULSA approved in December 2025 by Pope Leo XIV, which he said strengthen the office’s mission of unity, representativeness, and the promotion of labor rights in line with the Church’s social teaching.

“Rowing in the same direction does not mean reducing the protection of workers but promoting it in a spirit of dialogue and mutual trust,” he said.

Sprizzi said ULSA remains in constant contact with employees, Vatican administrations, and the ADLV, describing the relationship as marked by “constructive and frequent” discussions. He said technical working groups and commissions have been created to examine solutions to specific situations “in the interest of everyone: the employees and also the Holy See.”

‘More positive’ overall — but wages still a concern

Against perceptions of general dissatisfaction, Sprizzi said that, in his experience, “the most widespread feeling is rather positive.”

He cited the Vatican’s decision during the COVID-19 pandemic not to lay off employees or reduce salaries despite financial difficulties. He also pointed to employee family services such as a daycare center and summer camp, as well as recent measures by Pope Leo XIV aimed at improving accessibility for persons with disabilities.

At the same time, Sprizzi acknowledged areas that still need improvement, including aligning salary levels more closely with actual responsibilities. “In some cases the necessary adjustments have not been made, but we are working on it to do justice to those who have a right to it,” he said.

Harassment claims: ‘I am not aware of any case’

Asked about allegations of workplace harassment referenced in the survey, Sprizzi said: “Personally, I am not aware of any case.” He noted that legal mechanisms exist to report abuse and said that if such situations were present, “the first to intervene would be the Holy Father.”

“One thing is rumors, another is verifying the truth,” he said, adding that the moral demands of justice in the world of work have been a priority of the Church since Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XIII.

A path of dialogue

Sprizzi insisted the Vatican’s approach is dialogue rather than conflict, saying those who work for the Holy See share a common mission.

“We are like an orchestra in which each instrument must contribute to harmony,” he said, adding that ULSA aims to strengthen dialogue with workers — individually and through their associations — and to serve as a bridge with Vatican employers.

“The goal is for this dialogue to be increasingly constructive and serene, rooted in the light of the Gospel and the social magisterium of the Church, in a spirit of ecclesial communion and effective respect for workers’ rights,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Archbishop Gänswein: With Pope Leo, ‘normality’ is returning to the Vatican
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:27:56 -0500

Jan 23, 2026 / 06:27 am (CNA).

Archbishop Georg Gänswein says last year’s change of popes has brought a “whole new positive dimension” to the Vatican.

“Above all, there has been a change for the better in the atmosphere” with Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican’s nuncio to the Baltic states and Pope Benedict XVI’s former secretary told Rudolf Gehrig of EWTN News during a Jan. 20 interview in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Gänswein said he met Leo twice last year, most recently in mid-December.

“Both meetings went very, very well. And the intervening period has made it very clear to me that — to put it somewhat idiosyncratically — normality is slowly returning,” he said, calling it a sign for him that “faith and the Holy Spirit are indeed at work.”

“I used the term normalization. For me, it is important to see that Pope Leo has simply emphasized some matters that are not new but which have been completely overlooked in recent years.”

Gänswein has been nuncio to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, based out of Vilnius, since 2024. The archbishop’s diplomatic post follows 17 years as the personal secretary of Pope Benedict XVI and 11 years as the Vatican’s prefect of the Papal Household.

The nuncio, originally from Germany, also praised Leo’s “clear line when it comes to proclaiming the faith,” which he does “joyfully and convincingly.”

“When you read his catechesis or sermons, you can sense that this is a man who lives and proclaims the faith with an Augustinian spirit,” Gänswein said.

German Synodal Way

The archbishop also addressed the Synodal Way in Germany, also known as the Synodal Path, which is set to hold its sixth and final assembly starting Jan. 29.

Gänswein expressed concern that the process will lead to deeper division in society and the Church, and underlined that any possible reforms must always adhere to established Church teaching.

“Anyone who has followed the events surrounding the Synodal Path from the beginning to the present day can see one important thing, namely that a number of the demands of the Synodal Path lead away from the faith,” he said.

“There is no doubt that there is indeed a need to change and reform certain things here and there. I agree with that,” the nuncio said. “However, what has been shown so far on the Synodal Path is, for me, clear evidence that this is not about a return to a deepening of the faith but about a watering down of the faith.”

He said any changes cannot differ from the Catholic Church’s position on morality, ethics, the sacramental structure of the Church, or the official authority of bishops.

“I can only hope and pray that this wrong path will simply come to an end soon,” he added.

Thousands attend Catholic March for Life vigil with goal ‘to make abortion unthinkable’
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 22:17:25 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 22:17 pm (CNA).

Thousands of young Catholics gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 22, to worship at a vigil Mass on the eve of the March for Life.

“Our goal is not only to make abortion illegal,” Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, Bishop James D. Conley said during the homily. “Our goal is to make abortion unthinkable.”

More than 5,000 people — many of them high school or college students — filled the upper church of the basilica to attend the Mass. Following Mass, many worshippers prayed at the National Holy Hour for Life, which was held in the crypt of the basilica during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which included praying the luminous mysteries of the rosary.

The Jan. 22 service marked the 47th straight National Prayer Vigil for Life held at the basilica, which it began hosting in 1979 — six years after the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. The Thursday night event marked the fourth post-Roe vigil.

The first reading came from Isaiah 49, in which the prophet wrote: “Before birth the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”

In his homily, Conley referred back to that reading a few times and expressed joy at the number of young people who attended the vigil with the goal to “build a culture of life and a civilization of love, where babies are protected in their mothers’ wombs and women are loved, heard, and cared for when they find themselves faced with very difficult and life-changing decisions.”

The bishop noted that there are many threats to the dignity of the human person prevalent in society, including euthanasia, gun violence, the death penalty, the suffering of the poor and of migrants, racism, and a lack of access to health care and education.

“But our brothers and sisters in the womb are the most vulnerable and the most voiceless,” he said, noting that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has labeled the issue its preeminent priority in terms of political concerns.

Even after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Conley noted there are still over 1 million abortions annually. Yet, he expressed hope that the young people in front of him “are the pro-life generation” and will help bring an end to abortion in the United States.

“I firmly believe that 50 years from now when my generation will have gone to God, your grandchildren will ask you: ‘Is it true, that when you were my age, they put children to death in the womb?’” Conley said.

Conley was the main celebrant of the Mass, but it was concelebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington; Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Boston; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States; and other archbishops, bishops, and priests.

Pierre, at the start of Mass, read aloud a note offered by Pope Leo XIV to attendees of the vigil in which the pontiff assured participants of his “spiritual closeness” as they gather “for this eloquent public witness to affirm that the protection of the right to life [is the] ... indispensable foundation of every other human right.”

According to the note, Leo told participants they are “fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters” and bestowed an apostolic blessing on them.

Many attendees traveled from other parts of the country to worship at the Jan. 22 vigil and attend the Jan. 23 March for Life.

Miriam Ware, 16, flew from Idaho with a local group called Teens for Life and told EWTN she has become “very interested in becoming a pro-life advocate.”

She said she has attended the Idaho March for Life, but this is the first time she has come to the national March for Life in Washington, D.C., and enjoys seeing “how united we are” as a pro-life movement: “Just to see everyone here is awesome.”

Gus Buell, a Catholic high school junior from Traverse City, Michigan, told EWTN that he arrived on Thursday after a 13-hour bus ride and will be attending the March for Life for the first time on Friday.

He said the march helps build up the Catholic and pro-life community, and he commented on the large number of young people active in the faith and the movement, saying “kids are finally starting to be inspired” and many are “trusting God more than they trust themselves.”

The March for Life drew about 150,000 people last year. The 53rd March for Life is on Friday, Jan. 23. The March for Life rally will be held on the National Mall from 11 a.m. until about 1 p.m., after which attendees will march past the U.S. Capitol and conclude in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Will your state vote on abortion in 2026?
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:30:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 18:30 pm (CNA).

The abortion issue will likely be on the ballot in several states this November.

EWTN News took a look at which states have abortion-related measures in the works or on the ballot. 

Four states might vote to create a right to abortion this November. Only one state has a measure to protect life.

Virginian lawmakers add abortion to the ballot

This November, Virginians will consider an amendment to enshrine a fundamental right to abortion in the state constitution. The amendment, if passed, could jeopardize already-existing laws protecting unborn children as well as Virginia’s parental notification law.

The proposed abortion amendment would create a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.”

Virginia lawmakers approved the amendment for a second time earlier this month, guaranteeing that it will be on the ballot. Virginia Catholic bishops promptly condemned the amendment, saying they “will fight” against its passage.

Virginia protects life after 28 weeks of pregnancy, meaning that abortion is legal until the end of the second trimester and after in cases of serious risk to the woman’s health or life.

Nevada looks to confirm abortion amendment

Nevada is close to approving an abortion amendment that would recognize a right to abortion.

The amendment would establish a “fundamental right” to an abortion, “without interference by state or local governments” up to viability, and up to birth for the sake of the health or life of the pregnant mother.

In Nevada, the state constitution can be amended only after two affirmative public votes in consecutive even-year elections. About 64% of Nevadans voted in favor of the amendment in 2024, so a 2026 passage would enshrine the amendment. 

Abortion since the 1990s has been legal until the 24th week of pregnancy in Nevada. In addition to reinforcing pro-abortion laws, the new amendment could block other state laws including the parental notification requirement for minors seeking abortions.

Idaho gathers signatures for abortion ballot measure

In Idaho, a measure to create a right to abortion may appear on the November ballot.

Campaigners are gathering signatures for the measure to legalize abortion until viability, when the baby can survive outside of the womb.

The measure guarantees “a right to make and carry out reproductive decisions, including a right to abortion up to fetus viability.”

Idaho law protects unborn children at all stages of pregnancy, with exceptions if the mother’s life is at risk.

Oregon measure could reinforce pro-abortion laws

A measure to affirm a right to abortion in Oregon may be on the November ballot.

The measure states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged … on account of sex.”

If passed, it would also affirm a right to contraception, in vitro fertilization, medical “gender transition,” and same-sex marriage. The measure would repeal a vestigial code in the constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

Oregon does not protect life at any stage of pregnancy, and the state funds abortion.

Potential ballot measure could repeal Missouri abortion amendment

In November, Missourians will have the opportunity to repeal a 2024 amendment that created a right to abortion in the state constitution. 

If passed, the measure would repeal the state’s constitutional right to abortion and allow for laws to regulate abortion. It would also codify parental consent for minors seeking abortion and prohibit gender transition procedures for minors.

The amendment would not protect unborn children younger than 12 weeks in cases of rape or incest. 

Abortion laws have been in flux in Missouri as the 2024 amendment was enforced amid legal challenges.

Blocked from the ballot: Montana’s push for personhood 

A Montana measure defining unborn children as persons is not on the ballot this year, despite efforts to pass it.

Despite Montana voters’ move to approve a right to abortion in 2024, lawmakers came close to approving the subsequent pro-life measure, which would have stipulated that the word “person” applies “to all members of mankind at any stage of development, beginning at the stage of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency.”

The amendment would have required that “no cause of action may arise as a consequence of harm caused to an unborn baby by an unintentional act of its mother.”

The measure narrowly failed to pass in both the Montana House of Representatives and the state Senate in early 2025, receiving just less than the two-thirds majority needed for a measure to be added to the Montana ballot.

Virtual march for life looks to ‘flood’ social media with pro-life message
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

As thousands gather for the March for Life — the largest annual pro-life event in the U.S. — supporters at home can “march” by sharing the pro-life message on social media.

The March Online for the Preborn encourages pro-lifers to post videos of an unborn baby as part of a “global statement for life,” according to a press release shared with EWTN News.

The goal? To get unborn babies trending.

“We know that thousands attend the annual March in D.C. but thousands more around the world can’t make it but still wish to make an impact,” Rachelle Mainse, a spokeswoman for the campaign, told EWTN News.

The campaign by Baby Life Begins invites social media users to post a specific video of an unborn baby in the womb.

“Every year there is a new March Online video that shares a strategic, powerful truth about the preborn that the world needs to hear,” Mainse explained.

“When pro-life advocates and organizations from around the world ‘march together,’ sharing this same video to their platforms, it’s effective in making a big statement online for life.”

“We want people to be scrolling their newsfeed and see it flooded with this same video,” she said.

The campaign is also meant to encourage people to speak up for life.

“We hope that this encourages many in their stand for life no matter where they live or what generation [they are],” said Robert Seemuth, founder and director of Baby Life Begins. “Knowing that you can be a voice for life brings encouragement; coaching how to do it shows it’s possible.”

“Part of the mission of Baby Life Begins is to equip the everyday person to be a voice for life,” Mainse said. “Being a part of the online march may be the first time someone is using their social media to be a voice for life.”

“Courage is imparted when you realize you can post to your God-given circle of friends a post about the sanctity of life that is professionally made,” Seemuth continued. “Fear is reduced when you know thousands of others are sharing the same post.”

“Pro-life work can feel lonely at times — so to feel the support of the global community is huge,” Mainse said.

“Through the internet we can march with advocates all around the world making a unified statement for life online,” Mainse said. “We have heard from people in Australia, Northern Ireland, and different parts of the States joining! Everyone can participate!”

One in 4 women have had an abortion, Mainse noted. “Chances are they have someone around them that has been affected by abortion or will face that choice,” she said.

“It is so important that everyone becomes a voice for the preborn — whether their circle of influence is thousands or just a few. Every voice matters and every person matters in the fight for life.”

“We hope this will inspire them to keep using their social media to share about the preborn,” Mainse added. “It is a powerful medium that changes hearts and lives.”

Poll: Only 37% of Americans identify as pro-life, but 67% want limits on abortion
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:30:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

A new poll released one day before the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., found that fewer than 4 in 10 Americans identify as “pro-life” rather than “pro-choice,” but more than two-thirds of Americans still support some limits on abortion.

The survey, released on Jan. 22, was conducted by The Marist Poll at Marist University and was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. Pollsters surveyed 1,408 adults from Jan. 12–13.

When respondents were asked whether they identified as either “pro-life” or “pro-choice,” only 37% subscribed to the label “pro-life” and 62% called themselves “pro-choice,” with just 1% of respondents saying they are unsure.

According to the poll, 44% of Catholics identified as pro-life and 55% identified as pro-choice, but practicing Catholics were far more likely to be pro-life.

The pollsters found that 58% of Catholics who identified as practicing were pro-life, compared with 41% who said they were pro-choice. Only 31% of nonpracticing Catholics said they were pro-life, compared with 68% who said they were pro-choice.

However, the poll also found that the “pro-choice” label does not normally translate to abortion without any limits. Rather, about one-third of Americans find themselves somewhere in the middle.

According to the poll, only 32% of Americans believe that abortion should be available at any time in pregnancy, up to the moment of birth.

Meanwhile, 37% believe most abortions should be illegal, with 6% saying it should not be legal in any circumstance, 10% saying it should only be allowed to save the mother’s life, and 21% only supporting abortion when the mother’s life is at risk or when the unborn child is conceived through rape or incest.

Twenty percent of those surveyed said abortion should be legal through the first trimester and 10% said it should be legal through the second trimester. Overall, 67% want at least some limits and 57% want restrictions at least by the end of the first trimester.

The poll also found that 59% of Americans believe an in-person visit with a doctor should be required to obtain chemical abortion drugs, which federal law does not currently require. Just 40% said it should not be required.

A small majority, 54%, oppose using taxpayer money to fund abortion in the United States, while 45% support it. About 69% of adults oppose using tax money to fund abortions overseas and 29% support it.

About 63% support conscience protections for health care workers, saying they should not have to participate in an abortion if they oppose it, and 36% do not support them. About 84% said they support the work of pregnancy resource centers, which do not perform abortions, and just 15% said they oppose it.

“Despite the publicly heated debates about abortion, there remains a consensus of opinion on this issue among Americans,” Barbara L. Carvalho, the director of the Marist Poll, said in a statement.

“Americans believe abortion should be limited yet include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” she said. “Despite the changes in practice that have occurred since the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision, public opinion has remained consistent.”

Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said in a statement that the poll shows “a majority of Americans support legal restrictions on abortion” and “a growing majority support pregnancy resource centers, which provide assistance to mothers and their children in their time of greatest need.”

“The Knights have supported vulnerable women and their children since our founding by Blessed Michael McGivney more than 140 years ago, and our commitment has never wavered. And now, we’re guided by the encouraging words of Pope Leo XIV, who recently mentioned in his ‘State of the World’ address, ‘life is a priceless gift’ and that, as Catholics, we have a ‘fundamental ethical imperative’ to ‘welcome and fully care for unborn life,’” he said. “The Knights of Columbus’ mission will continue to be guided by these principles until abortion becomes unthinkable.”

Pope Leo XIV sends message to March for Life 2026
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV addressed the 2026 March for Life on Jan. 22, sending participants “warm greetings” and urging them to bring about a society that “safeguards the sanctity of human life.”

The Holy Father’s message was published ahead of the March for Life being held in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23. This is set to be the 53rd year the annual pro-life observance has drawn hundreds of thousands of people to the nation’s capital.

Stressing that the protection of the right to life “constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right,” Leo said that society “is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it.”

“In this regard,” Leo continued, “I would encourage you, especially the young people, to continue striving to ensure that life is respected in all of its stages through appropriate efforts at every level of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders.”

The pope prayed that Jesus would “accompany you ... as you courageously and peacefully march on behalf of unborn children.” Such advocacy, the pope said, is “fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters.”

The pope extended an apostolic blessing to the march, saying he entrusted the advocates “to the intercession of Mary Immaculate,” the patron saint of the U.S.

The first pope from the United States of America, Pope Leo XIV — then Robert Prevost — was reportedly a marcher during at least one of the event’s earliest years.

Several other popes have addressed the U.S. March for Life in various forms such as via social media, though Leo’s message appears to be the first official letter directly from a pope and bearing his signature.

In 2023 Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Christophe Pierre expressed Pope Francis’ gratitude for “the faithful witness shown publicly over the years by all who promote and defend the right to life of the most innocent and vulnerable members of our human family.” Pope Benedict XVI sent a similar letter in 2013.

Francis also tweeted in support of the march, as did Benedict XVI.

EWTN News’ coverage of the 2026 March for Life can be found here.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

March for Life 2026
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Thousands of pro-lifers are gathering in Washington, D.C., for the 53rd annual March for Life. Follow here for live updates on the march.

• Thousands are gathering for the 53rd National March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 23. Vice President JD Vance says: “Take heart of how far we’ve come but don’t lose sight of why we march. ”

• The crowd will depart from the National Mall at 1 p.m. ET for the march and will make its way to the ending point at the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Live Action urges HHS to take abortion pill off market after undercover investigation
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:59:16 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 15:59 pm (CNA).

Live Action has sent an urgent memo to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him to take the chemical abortion drug mifepristone off the market after an investigative report revealed extensive noncompliance with safety regulations.

The leading pro-life organization showcased a new investigative video at a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday morning about Planned Parenthood’s routine violations of safety regulations in its distribution of the chemical abortion drug.

The investigative video and accompanying letter show Planned Parenthood’s failure to consistently confirm the gestational age of unborn children before distributing chemical abortion pills, as well as its failure to screen for ectopic pregnancy, placing pregnant women at risk of severe hemorrhaging and even death.

“We’re here to call on the administration and the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] to remove these lethal drugs from the market,” Live Action President Lila Rose said at the press conference. “They don’t belong on our market; they don’t belong flooding the homes of American families, destroying the lives of American children and harming and sometimes killing American women.”

Chemical abortion drugs “were illegally fast-tracked under the Clinton administration,” Rose said. “There have been regulations that have been stripped away over the years, and now we are dealing with mass death on demand being sent via our postal mail system, and it must end.”

“Mifepristone, used as an abortive agent, should no longer be allowed in the United States if our FDA wants to do its job in protecting the American people and protecting American children,” she said.

Live Action’s letter, sent to Kennedy as well as FDA Commissioner Marty Makary immediately following the Capitol Hill briefing, states that about 7.5 million unborn babies have died as a result of the chemical abortion drug since its approval in 2000.

The group’s investigation found several instances of Planned Parenthood staff failing to verify gestational age or provide ultrasounds before distribution of the chemical abortion drug. The abortion giant also dispensed the pills without screening or follow-up care, and staff were also recorded in multiple instances “minimizing potential risks and treating key safeguards as optional or secondary in the provision of abortion pills.”

The Live Action letter also reveals that Planned Parenthood staff repeatedly failed to check Rh status and were caught sending abortion pills to fraudulent addresses in order to circumvent parental notice. Staff also failed to require a medical history before distributing the drugs or to provide transparent information about symptoms, downplaying the amount of bleeding that could occur when taking the drug as well as symptoms that mimic labor.

“Planned Parenthood even says that taking the abortion pill is safer for the mother than ‘carrying to term,’” the letter states.

Live Action cited research by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) in its letter, which found that “10.93% of women experienced sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days of taking mifepristone — an adverse event rate at least 22 times higher than the ‘less than 0.5%’ rate reported in the FDA‑approved clinical trials.”

EPPC President Ryan Anderson also delivered remarks at the press conference, urging the Trump administration to review his organization’s report, stating “FDA data is decades old” and is based on clinical studies with “an ideal parent under ideal conditions.”

“Our data is from the real world,” he said.

Several members of Congress attended the briefing, including Reps. Michael Cloud, R-Texas; Mark Harris, R-North Carolina; Troy Downing, R-Montana; Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas; and Andy Biggs, R-Arizona.

Other speakers included abortion pill reversal protocol developer George Delgado and former Planned Parenthood clinic director Mayra Rodríguez.

“Today’s press conference and the release of this investigative video make clear that this issue warrants immediate and thorough review and action,” the letter stated. “Live Action requests that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration reevaluate the approval and current regulatory status of mifepristone, strengthen transparency and data collection, and remove this dangerous drug from the market.”

Pro-life legislative action ramps up ahead of March for Life
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:05:04 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 15:05 pm (CNA).

Legislation supporting pregnant and parenting college students, as well as pro-life pregnancy centers that serve them, is moving through Congress this week as the 2026 March for Life gets underway.

The U.S. House passed legislation that would allow states to use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and other federal grant funds for pregnancy resource centers. The House passed the measure ( HR 6945) by a vote of 215 to 209 on Jan. 21. A Senate vote is possible next week.

Bill cosponsor Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said: “In a pro-abortion culture of denial that dismisses unborn babies and trivializes the harm suffered by women, pregnancy centers affirm the breathtaking miracle of unborn life and the truth that women deserve better than abortion.”

Another measure scheduled for legislative action includes a bill ( HR 6359) sponsored by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, that would require U.S. colleges receiving federal student aid to provide students with information about how to choose to carry pregnancies without sacrificing their education.

“This is an opportunity for the GOP to expose Democrats’ extremist views on abortion to the American people as well as love them both — mother and preborn child,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, in a statement.

Newly introduced bills include a measure by Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, that would make it a crime to transport a minor across state lines to receive an abortion.

“Parents should not be kept in the dark if their kids cross state lines to receive an abortion. I’m proud to help introduce the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, which would take important steps to protect vulnerable minors and support parents,” Kennedy said in statement Jan. 21.

The bill would protect victims of child abuse as well as human trafficking, Kennedy said.

Sens. Ashley Moody, R-Florida; Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana; Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota; Steve Daines, R-Montana; Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska; James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; and Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, said they would cosponsor the measure.

A House version ( HR 4964) was introduced by Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, in August 2025. Taylor welcomed the introduction of the Senate measure and said: “This bill will hold all parties accountable and ensure children are not taken advantage of. As states like California and Illinois promote abortions for all and keep parents in the dark about their child’s health, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act will put parents back in the equation and protect the lives of both the child and the unborn.”

Lankford introduced a bill ( SB 6) on Jan. 15 that would set requirements for health care providers to provide care to babies born alive during botched abortions.

The bill says health care professionals must exercise “the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other children born alive at the same gestational age” and that they must be immediately admitted to a hospital. If a health care professional is found guilty of failing to provide lifesaving care, he or she could face criminal penalties, up to five years in prison, or both under the measure.

“No child should be denied medical care simply because they are ‘unwanted.’ Today, if an abortion procedure fails and a child is born alive, doctors can just ignore the crying baby on the table and watch them slowly die of neglect. That’s not an abortion, that’s infanticide,” Lankford said in a statement.

March for Life’s Jennie Bradley Lichter: ‘A lot of work to do’ amid political climate
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:30:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

In her first year leading the March for Life, the organization’s president is reminding the pro-life movement that they “still have a lot of work to do” in the current political climate, three and a half years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Taking down the Roe regime of abortion-on-demand across the country was incredibly important,” Jennie Bradley Lichter, who became president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund in February 2025, told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”

“But there are still way too many abortions happening in this country,” she said. “So that’s the No. 1 reason why we’re still marching.”

Tens of thousands of pro-life activists are expected to gather in Washington, D.C., for the 53rd March for Life on Friday, Jan. 23. The march, which drew out about 150,000 people last year, has been held annually since Jan. 22, 1974, one year after Roe v. Wade was decided.

The speakers will include Lichter, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Rep. Chris Smith, among others. President Donald Trump provided a prerecorded message to the marchers, which will be played during the pre-march rally.

Lichter said in the interview that the annual march “accomplishes three really important things for the movement that cannot be accomplished any other way.”

The first, she said, is “forming young people for pro-life mission,” noting that many attendees are “teenagers and with college students and people in their 20s.” Second, she said, it is “also a really important moment of refreshment and being reenergized, and a lot of people have shared that with me this year.”

Third, Lichter said, is “the public witness impact of having this many people gathered in the heart of our nation’s capital.”

“When you stand at the March for Life, you have the Capitol dome behind the stage, and then the Washington Monument behind the marchers,” she said. “You are right in the heart of the most powerful and important city in the world, and the city shuts down every year on the day of the March for Life.”

“The Lord gives us a chance to show the nation what we’re made of, year after year,” she added. “It’s so powerful.”

Political climate

As pro-life advocates gather in Washington, D.C., 30 states and the nation’s capital still permit abortion up to the 22nd week or later, with nine states allowing elective abortion through nine months until the moment of birth.

In 13 states, nearly all abortions are illegal and in four states, most abortions are illegal after six weeks’ gestation. Two states prohibit abortion after 12 weeks, and one prohibits abortion after 18 weeks.

At the federal level, Lichter expressed some concern stemming from the Trump administration, which was mostly focused on his comment that asked Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment during negotiations about extending health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act.

The Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal tax money from being spent on abortion, has been included in spending bills since 1976, shortly after Roe v. Wade was decided.

“The response to the comment about being flexible on Hyde was swift and strong from everyone,” Lichter said, referring to criticism of the comments that came from the pro-life movement.

“The truth is, we’re not going to be flexible on Hyde,” she said. “We can’t be flexible with an issue that implicates human life — the preeminent issue — abortion.”

“The Hyde Amendment is Pro-Life 101,” Lichter said. “It’s a baseline policy that has been in place for 50 years and that every pro-life politician knows is just at the very heart of what it means to be a pro-life lawmaker. So of course, we’re not going to be flexible on Hyde.”

Lichter noted that some people think abortion “might be a losing issue in the midterms” for Republicans in November, but she believes “that’s completely wrong” and “misreads the electorate.”

“There’s no data, no examples to support the idea that pro-life politicians have been losing elections since [the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade],” she said.

“They just haven’t been,” she said. “And there’s a lot of counter examples, of course, of really strong pro-life politicians who have put life at the center of their work, who have continued to win reelection.”

The March for Life rally will be held on the National Mall from 11 a.m. until about 1 p.m., after which attendees will march past the U.S. Capitol and conclude in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Department of Health and Human Services takes action to ‘enforce conscience rights’
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced policy actions to “affirm the dignity of life consistent with the Hyde Amendment.”

The enforcement “holds a state accountable for limiting the rights of conscientious objectors in a manner that violates federal law,” said Paula Stannard, director of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR), in a Jan. 21 press release.

“To receive the benefits of Illinois’ liability shield, Illinois forces providers with conscience objections to refer patients for abortion — compelling them to participate in the very procedure they oppose,” she said.

The actions include a Notice of Violation from OCR to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker; Kwame Raoul, Illinois’ attorney general; and Mario Treto, secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. HHS’ notice said the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HCRCA) violates law as it relates to abortion.

According to HHS, the state “engaged in impermissible discrimination when it amended the HCRCA to require providers with a conscience objection to certain services to counsel patients about, refer patients for, and/or make arrangements for, the performance of or referral for, such services.”

OCR reported the state is in violation of the Weldon and Coats-Snowe Amendments, which are federal protection laws prohibiting government entities from discriminating against health care workers, institutions, or insurance plans that refuse to provide, pay for, or refer abortions.

The “enforcement action holds a state accountable for limiting the rights of conscientious objectors in a manner that violates federal law,” Stannard said.

Other ‘comprehensive actions’

OCR also announced other actions the agency said would advance the rights of physicians, facilities, and health care personnel “to live out their professions without compromising their conscience regarding abortion and the dignity of human life.”

To “educate the public” on the matter, OCR released a nationwide “ Dear Colleague Letter” summarizing federal health care protection statutes, including laws specific to abortion, sterilization, and assisted suicide.

The letter highlighted the statutes that prohibit government discrimination against individuals and institutions that decline to participate in services, generally based on religious beliefs or moral convictions.

OCR also released three public notices describing how the actions align with the Trump administration’s presidential action, Enforcing the Hyde Amendment. The notices “describe OCR deregulatory actions that repudiate or rescind Biden-era documents that are outdated or inconsistent with the law.”

The announcement of the policy actions “builds on HHS’ recent efforts to safeguard conscience rights more broadly including investigations to protect health care workers, support whistleblowers, and reinforce adherence to religious and conscience exemptions in the Vaccines for Children Program,” according to the HHS statement.

John Allen Jr., author and longtime Vatican reporter, dies at 61
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:30:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 12:30 pm (CNA).

John Allen Jr., the prolific author and longtime Vatican reporter hailed for his insightful coverage of the Holy See across multiple pontificates, died on Jan. 22 at 61 years old.

Allen passed away in Rome after a long struggle with cancer, EWTN News confirmed.

Born Jan. 20, 1965, Allen grew up in Hays, Kansas, and received a philosophy degree from Fort Hays State University, after which he obtained a master’s in religious studies from the University of Kansas.

After several years teaching journalism at Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles, Allen joined the staff of the National Catholic Reporter, where he worked as a writer and a Vatican correspondent from 1997 to 2014.

In 2014 he joined the Catholic outlet Crux, which launched that year as a project of the Boston Globe. The newspaper transferred ownership of Crux to its staff in 2016, with Allen serving as its editor until his death.

He is survived by his wife, Elise, Crux’s senior Rome correspondent.

Praised by journalists and media figures for his years of coverage of the Holy See, he was described variously as “the most authoritative writer on Vatican affairs in the English language” and “the best Anglophone Vatican reporter ever.”

He was also the author of multiple books, including two biographies of Pope Benedict XVI as well as a profile of Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Francis X. Rocca, the Vatican editor for EWTN News who knew Allen for two decades, said he “changed the way journalists cover the Vatican and the Catholic Church, enriching and enlivening what had been a stodgy beat.”

“He brought an insider feel and an unprecedented level of detail and nuance to his reports, drawing on his tireless engagement not only with cardinals and bishops, but with the mostly anonymous officials who make the Vatican and other Church institutions run,” Rocca said.

He was also “very effective on the air, a master of the thoughtful soundbite, which in his case was not an oxymoron,” Rocca added.

“His legacy includes the many younger journalists for whom he played the role of mentor over the years,” he said.

Crux notes that Allen’s work was “admired across ideological divides,” with his writing having appeared in a broad variety of outlets throughout his life, including the New York Times, NPR, and numerous others.

Known for years among newsmakers and leaders at the Vatican, Allen’s outsized reputation in Holy See media was perhaps best underscored in 2008, when he was offered the chance to ask Pope Benedict XVI the first question while flying aboard the papal plane to the United States.

“Holy Father,” the Vatican spokesman said at the time, “this man needs no introduction.”

5 things to know about ‘Seeking Beauty’ and its host, David Henrie
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

Catholic figures gathered in Los Angeles on Jan. 16 for the premiere of “Seeking Beauty,” the first original series from EWTN Studios airing exclusively on the network’s brand-new streaming platform, EWTN+.

Here are five things to know about the new series and its host, actor David Henrie.

What is ‘Seeking Beauty’?

“Seeking Beauty” is 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.

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.

Where can I watch it?

“Seeking Beauty” is available to watch exclusively on EWTN+, a free digital streaming platform that offers faith-based content. EWTN+ is available on RokuTV, GoogleTV, AppleTV, AmazonFireTV, and on EWTN.com.

Where does ‘Seeking Beauty’ take place?

The first season of “Seeking Beauty” takes place in several cities across Italy including Vatican City, Rome, Milan, Florence, and Venice.

Who is David Henrie?

Henrie is best known for his breakout role as Justin Russo on Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place.” He grew up in a Catholic household with Italian heritage; however, Henrie’s early adult years were marked by what he has described as a relativistic and agnostic period. He has also spoken about how the successes of early fame left him feeling unfulfilled and searching for deeper meaning.

Henrie’s return to the Catholic faith was a profound personal transformation that he says began around age 21 or 22.

A significant influence came while working on the movie “Little Boy,” where conversations with Catholic cast members Kevin James and Eduardo Verástegui, as well as a visit to St. Michael Abbey in Orange County, California — including his first confession since childhood — played a pivotal role in rediscovering his faith.

Since then, Henrie has embraced his faith publicly and personally, integrating his beliefs into his family life, creative projects, and charity work, including serving as a brand ambassador for Cross Catholic Outreach and participating in mission trips that reflect his commitment to living out his faith. He is married and has three children.

Will there be another season of ‘Seeking Beauty’?

Yes! The second season of the series was filmed in Spain and is scheduled to premiere this fall.

Open Doors: Nicaraguan Christians ‘increasingly silenced’ by dictatorship
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:30:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Open Doors, an international organization dedicated to supporting Christians who suffer discrimination and persecution around the world, noted in its 2026 report that Christians in Nicaragua “are being increasingly silenced” under the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo.

Earlier this month, Open Doors published its report titled “ World Watch List 2026,” which lists the 50 countries in the world where Christians suffer the most persecution because of their faith. Nicaragua is ranked 32nd.

“Believers who raise their voices against the government over issues including human rights violations have faced surveillance, intimidation, and imprisonment. Some even face exile and loss of citizenship,” the report states.

Meanwhile, “churches and other Christian institutions (e.g. schools and charities) are deemed a threat to the regime. They have had assets seized, activities disrupted and banned, and buildings vandalized. Rather than be seen as a valuable part of the country’s fabric, many Christians are viewed as ‘destabilizing agents,’” the text continues.

Open Doors also points out: “This growing suffocation of Christian freedoms goes back to 2018, when nationwide protests broke out against the government. This worsened following elections in 2021 and constitutional reform in 2025. Both have been used to make legal changes to further justify the crackdown on dissenting voices — and that includes further silencing the church.”

As the largest Christian community in Nicaragua, “ Catholics are a primary target for the regime. Clergy face imprisonment, exile, house arrest, travel bans, and legal threats,” the report states.

In fact, as Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report “ Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church,” told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, earlier this month, between 2018 and the end of 2025 a total of 43 properties had been confiscated from the Church, and the dictatorship has carried out 1,030 attacks against Catholics in addition to having banned 18,808 processions.

The newspaper Confidencial published at the end of 2025 a detailed report explaining how, between 2022 and 2025, the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship confiscated 39 properties belonging to the Catholic Church, properties that are now being used for purposes other than those for which they were originally intended.

Molina also said that according to the running count there are “304 priests and nuns who no longer exercise their pastoral ministry in Nicaragua, 172 men and 132 women.”

Four bishops have been exiled from the country: Silvio Báez, auxiliary bishop of Managua, who celebrates Mass on Sundays at St. Agnes Parish in Miami; Bishop Isidoro Mora, bishop of Siuna; Rolando Álvarez, bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí; and Carlos Enrique Herrera, bishop of Jinotega and president of the Nicaraguan Bishops’ Conference. The other five Nicaraguan bishops still remain in the country.

Open Doors reports that “anyone who speaks out against the government is especially vulnerable, and that includes Christians from other denominations (e.g. Pentecostals and Baptists). Some also face pressure to show political loyalty to avoid further repercussions.”

“Those who preach the Gospel without censorship — proclaiming Jesus’ love and the freedom the Holy Spirit brings — are exactly the ones they want to silence,” says Pastora, a Christian quoted by Open Doors in its report.

“The situation in Nicaragua has changed very little. Even though the country fell two places from last year’s World Watch List, persecution remains difficult,” the report notes.

“Believers — especially pastors and church leaders — now face more suffocating surveillance, threats to restrict or shut down church activities, and constant interference in their ministries,” Open Doors explains.

In March 2025, the Nicaraguan newspaper Mosaico CSI reported that the dictatorship is monitoring priests, checking their cellphones, and demanding weekly reports on their activities, in addition to restricting their freedom of movement.

“For the priests who remain in Nicaragua, homilies must be entirely theological. They cannot speak about issues related to the social doctrine of the Church or offer social criticism,” the newspaper stated.

Open Doors also notes that “persecution is present throughout the country” but is more intense in “Bluefields, Chinandega, Estelí, Granada, Jinotega, Jinotepe, León, Masaya, Managua, Matagalpa, the South Atlantic Autonomous Region, and Rivas.”

Open Doors explains that in view of this situation, the organization aims to “strengthen the church in Nicaragua amid persecution, through livelihood support, legal assistance, persecution-survival training, and leadership care.”

The organization also offers a prayer for persecuted Christians in Nicaragua:

Heavenly Father, give our sisters and brothers wisdom, courage, and protection as they follow you in an increasingly hostile environment. Encourage those who’ve suffered loss and pain for their faith, provide for them, and heal their wounds. Soften the hearts of the regime and touch the hearts of the authorities as they monitor Christians. In these difficult times, strengthen your church in Nicaragua and shine brightly through them. Amen.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Greenland’s only Catholic priest: ‘We’re not just minerals or a military position’
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 11:00 am (CNA).

In Greenland, the world’s largest island, glaciers spill toward the sea from a vast ice cap — and in the middle of that extreme landscape, a tiny Catholic community gathers around the territory’s only priest.

Father Tomaž Majcen, a Conventual Franciscan from Slovenia, has served in Greenland since 2023. Based in Nuuk, the capital, he celebrates daily Mass at Christ the King Church — the island’s only Catholic parish — and frequently travels to outlying towns to visit Catholics scattered across the territory.

“In total there are about 800 Catholics,” Majcen told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. Most are immigrants from a wide range of countries, though a small number are local Greenlanders, he said.

In the coldest months, temperatures can plunge well below minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit). Majcen, who also enjoys watching the northern lights, said the hardships of climate and distance shape parish life — but recent global attention has brought a different kind of strain.

The small Catholic community, like much of the wider population, has reacted with a mix of unease and sadness to recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting possible annexation or control of Greenland. The island sits in a strategically sensitive region, including along potential routes for intercontinental missiles in a hypothetical conflict between Washington and Moscow.

“Yes, there is a lot of uneasiness, though it is quiet,” Majcen said. “People here are not dramatic; they are reserved. But fear doesn’t always shout — often it whispers.”

“Some ask me what I think will happen,” he continued. “Others simply say: ‘This doesn’t feel right.’”

Majcen said what troubles him most is the way Greenland is sometimes discussed in faraway political debates.

“Greenland is spoken of as if it were an object, not a home,” he said. “As a priest I listen to people and I sense how these kinds of statements make them feel small and invisible. From Nuuk these threats may seem far away, but their emotional impact is real.”

Greenland’s strategic importance has grown as polar navigation becomes more feasible and as Arctic sea routes could shorten travel between Europe and Asia in coming decades. But Majcen warned that geopolitical talk often overlooks the people who live there.

“When these kinds of words appear in the media, they create noise, confusion, and anxiety among ordinary people,” he said. “Life in Greenland is usually quiet, centered on family, work, the weather, and community. Suddenly we hear strong words about ‘taking control’ or ‘annexation,’ spoken very far away, without knowing our people.”

“What alarms me most is how easily human dignity can be forgotten,” he added. “Political debates focus on territory, resources, and strategy but rarely on the heart of the people.”

Greenland has about 57,000 inhabitants, and around 95% belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. In his conversations with parishioners — often “at the foot of the altar,” he said — Majcen hears worries that go beyond politics.

“Some people ask me: ‘Do we matter? Will our voice be heard? Are we just a bargaining chip?’” he said. “These questions touch something very deep. As a priest, I see how uncertainty weakens trust and generates anxiety.”

Majcen noted that even before Greenland drew renewed international attention, the island faced serious social challenges, including high rates of suicide and alcoholism. In that context, he said, the Church’s mission includes offering steadiness and hope.

“The uncertainty weakens trust and generates anxiety,” he said, stressing the need for the “tenderness of the Gospel,” which “reminds us that each person has a face, a name, and a story.”

“Greenland is a home,” he said. “It is the home of families, children, elders, traditions, and hopes. We are not just a piece of land, an empty space on a map, nor only ice, minerals, or a military position.”

From that conviction, he urged a posture of respect toward Greenlanders in any discussion of the island’s future.

“No future can be built in Greenland without Greenlanders,” Majcen said. “Listening is more important than speaking. Respect is more important than power.”

Greenland is also central to the climate debate, as warming accelerates ice melt. Majcen pointed to a recent decision by the self-governing Greenlandic government to prohibit new hydrocarbon exploration, despite significant unexploited reserves of oil and gas beneath the ground. The choice reflected both economic realities — extraction costs are extremely high — and environmental concerns, he said, alongside priorities such as protecting nature, fishing, tourism, and expanding sustainable energy, including hydropower.

For Majcen, care for Greenland’s environment is not only a political issue but also a matter of faith.

“Our fragile Arctic environment is one of God’s most impressive — and most vulnerable — masterpieces,” he said. “Caring for it is also a way of respecting those of us who live here.”

Majcen also welcomed an ecumenical response from the country’s Lutheran majority. According to the World Council of Churches, Paneeraq Siegstad Munk, the Lutheran bishop for Greenland, encouraged parishes to respond to tensions by praying each Sunday for the Kingdom of Denmark and the Greenlandic government.

Majcen said the initiative reflects a shared Christian concern for peace.

“As Christians, even from different traditions, we share a common concern for peace and human dignity,” he said. “In moments like this, ecumenical unity is not a theory but a reality. Prayer helps society breathe more calmly.”

His hope for Greenland’s future, he said, is “simple and deep”: “That Greenland can grow in peace, with dignity and respect for itself. That young people feel proud of who they are. And that fear does not have the last word.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Why the Church dedicates a week of prayer for Christian unity
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Friar Nelson Medina, a Colombian Dominican priest who holds a doctorate in fundamental theology, explained why it is important for the Catholic Church to celebrate and promote a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18–25), which in 2026 has the theme “One Body, One Spirit.”

“There are two reasons, one theological and one biblical, both extremely important. The theological reason is that the fruit of sin is always division, and therefore the victory over sin is always unity around the truth and love in Christ,” the priest emphasized in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

“Then we have a biblical reason, which is that Christ Our Lord, as appears in chapter 17 of the Gospel according to St. John, prayed precisely for this intention. It is clear that it was from the depths of his heart, precisely in the hours leading up to his sorrowful passion and therefore to our redemption,” Medina emphasized.

“So it is something that God wants, it is a common objective for the Church, and it is an initiative to which we should all unite.”

Regarding the theme of this year’s week of prayer — “One Body, One Spirit” — the friar emphasized that “it is very interesting to see the Church from this dual perspective ... When we speak of unity in the Spirit, we are talking about that working [of the Spirit] which is interior, because the Spirit precisely comes into our hearts, as Romans 5:5 says.”

“But then the unity of the body is also necessary, that is, a unity that is visible. It’s not just that we have general charity towards other people; it’s that it is visibly evident that we believe in the same God, that we believe in the same Scripture, and that we celebrate the same sacraments with a common understanding and truth,” the Dominican priest pointed out.

What is the aim of Christian unity?

On this point, Medina emphasized “the ecumenism of theology; serious theological study is truly indispensable, especially to avoid superficiality. Sometimes people think that for there to be ecumenism, it’s enough for us to simply get together, share a meal, and take a nice picture with people smiling. That’s not the case.”

The Dominican priest explained that this unity helps address serious issues such as “gender ideology, the disregard for the dignity of human life with euthanasia, and all pro-life issues. It is necessary that, together with other Christians, and even with people of other religious beliefs, when appropriate, we understand that we are on the same side.”

“And we shouldn’t underestimate this effort for the causes of defending life, ecology, and justice because in this collaborative work, prejudices are often broken down and doors are opened,” he emphasized.

Regarding the work of priests, Medina continued, this unity among Christians is also important, because “we priests have quite a lot of work to do, because I think we move between two extremes ... on the one hand, parishes where nothing is done [for Christian unity], apart from perhaps putting up a poster on the parish bulletin board; nothing else is done. And others where a lot is done, but sometimes causing confusion.”

“And this, too, we must warn against as a danger. For example, I learned of a case where some religious invited Anglicans to attend, and then everyone started receiving Communion, as if full Eucharistic unity had already been achieved,” he recalled.

That, the Dominican priest lamented, “which should have been a very beautiful ceremony, ended up being a source of scandal for many people.”

Medina noted that “formation is needed. It is a noble ideal, a pressing and unavoidable task for the Church, but it must, of course, have very clear parameters and guidelines from our pastors so that it does not end up being a fleeting enthusiasm, but also so that it does not produce this type of doctrinal or liturgical confusion.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Fact check: Are there more Gen Z Catholics than Protestants?
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Multiple news reports have said the number of Generation Z Catholics is surging in the United States.

ZENIT, an international Catholic news service, and Magisterium AI, a Catholic artificial intelligence agency, cited data from the 2023 Cooperative Election Study (CES) finding there are more Gen Z adults who identify as Catholic than those who identify as Protestant.

Claim: Among Gen Z, those born roughly between 1997 and 2012, Catholics outnumber Protestants for the first time in the United States.

The CES report found that in 2023 the group was made up of 21% Catholics, compared with 19% Protestants. But other researchers dispute the data based on its sampling methods.

EWTN News finds: There are likely still more Protestant young adults than Catholics, although available quantitative and anecdotal data on the question is not decisive.

“Overall, from looking at the broader context of our surveys, it seems clear that Catholics are more like 14-16% of Gen Z adults rather than 21%,” Brian Schaffner, co-director of CES said.

The breakdown: The Religion and Public Life research team at Pew Research Center told EWTN News that Pew surveys “find that among the youngest adults in the U.S., there are more Protestants than Catholics.”

“In fact, in our recent Religious Landscape Study, we found that among the youngest adults (those born between 2000-06 and who were roughly between the ages of 18 and 24 when the survey was conducted), there are about twice as many Protestants as Catholics,” the researchers said. “Within this age group, 28% are Protestant and 14% are Catholic.”

The team also noted its research found “that Catholics are not more numerous among young adults than among older adults.” Rather, “young adults as a whole are far less religious than older adults.”

“When it comes to Catholicism, far more young people have switched out than in,” according to Pew’s “ Religion Holds Steady in America” report. “Overall, 12% of today’s youngest adults have switched out of Catholicism. Meanwhile, 1% of adults ages 18 to 24 have switched into Catholicism, meaning that they identify as Catholic today after having been raised in another religion or no religion.”

Data variations

If Pew researchers found there are more Protestants than Catholics within young age groups, why is the CES data different?

“It is true that the 2023 CES shows that 21% of Gen Z American adults identify as Catholic compared to 19% who say Protestant,” Schaffner said.

“That said, I would note that once we account for sampling error, we can't be confident that the Catholic figure is actually larger than the Protestant figure. More importantly, it is quite clear that the 2023 figure is an outlier for our data.”

In 2022, 20% of Gen Z respondents identified as Protestant and 14% as Catholic. Based on the data and previous years’ findings, Schaffner said, “It seems pretty clear from looking at that context that the 2023 figure for Catholics is almost certainly too high.”

Ryan Burge, religion and politics researcher and professor at the John C. Danforth Center at Washington University, said there is “reason to doubt” the data due to “aberrations” in the 2023 CES, according to his article “ Is Catholicism Surging Among Younger Folks?”

“If you compare the 2023 data to that collected in 2022 from the oldest three generations (Silent, Boomers, Gen X), there’s not a big difference,” Burge said. “It’s a point or two off, which is just the nature of survey data.”

But, when examining millennials and Gen Z, the data is “definitely beyond the typical variation that exists in this type of work,” he said. “In 2022, 16% of millennials were Catholic — it’s 20% in the 2023 data. Among Gen Z, 15% were Catholic compared to 21% in 2023.”

“The 2023 CES data is a lot more Catholic than it ‘should’ be,” Burge said.

“For instance, about 16% of people born in 1990 were Catholic in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2023, that percentage is five points higher. That same gap exists for people born throughout the 1990s and even into the 2000s.”

Burge also noted other aberrations among the 2023 findings. The CES information reported the number of people who “never” or “seldom” attend Mass in 2023 dropped from 41% in 2022 to 38% in 2023, while the weekly attendees rose from 29% to 34%.

“Weekly attendance doesn’t just jump five points in one year,” Burge said.

There was also a large jump in 2023 in the share of Catholics who identify as “born-again” or “evangelical.” From 2008 through 2022 there was a steady increase in the number who identified as such, usually only changing by one or two percent points each year, but from 2022 to 2023 there was a nine-point increase.

Number of young Catholics may still be increasing

While the CES data has been questioned, it does not mean there are not increases in the number of Gen Z adults drawn to the faith.

EWTN News has previously found that several college campuses across the country witnessed a notable rise in baptisms and confirmations among students in 2025. Catholic evangelists told EWTN News that the growth reflects a deepening desire among young adults for certainty, stability, and faith.

The Cardinal Newman Society also found using National Catholic Educational Association and Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) data that there has been an increase in students at Catholic colleges, with an increase of 75%. In 1970, the data showed there were 411,111 students enrolled in Catholic colleges; in 2022 there were 717,197.

In a press release, the Cardinal Newman Society highlighted some of the undergraduate enrollment at Newman Guide Recommended Catholic colleges for the 2025-26 academic year.

At Ave Maria University, there was a record undergraduate enrollment of 1,342 and a record incoming freshman class. Benedictine College has 2,250 undergraduate students, an increase of 22% over the last 10 years. The Cardinal Newman Society also reported that The Catholic University of America has increased undergraduate enrollment by 11% in the last five years.

Update: This story was updated at 10:25 a.m. Jan. 22 to add comments by Brian Schaffner.

First meeting with Pope Leo XIV marks new chapter for Church in Africa
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has described the first official audience between Pope Leo XIV and the leadership of the Church in Africa as a “very important meeting” that marks a new phase in relations between the African continent and the Holy See.

In an interview with Vatican News following the Jan. 17 audience, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo explained that although Pope Leo XIV has previously encountered individual African bishops, the audience represented the first formal engagement with the SECAM leadership under the new pontificate. 

The meeting, initially scheduled for Dec. 18, 2025, was postponed due to the pope’s apostolic trip to Turkey.

The SECAM delegation included Ambongo and SECAM First Vice President Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of Nigeria’s Diocese of Yola, Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba of the Archdiocese of Saurimo in Angola, who is the second vice president of SECAM, and Father Rafael Simbine, SECAM secretary-general.

“It was really an important meeting,” Ambongo said, adding that the audience “was first to establish an official contact with the new pontiff since his election.”

He said the audience also provided an opportunity for SECAM leaders to brief the pope on the outcomes of their 2025 Plenary Assembly that was held in Kigali, Rwanda. 

The assembly, which took place just months after Pope Leo XIV’s election, focused on the theme “Christ, Source of Hope, Reconciliation, and Peace.”

According to Ambongo, the theme was chosen in response to the persistent crises affecting many African nations, particularly in the Great Lakes region.

“Africa is a continent marked by multiple crises. This theme helped us analyze in depth our mission as pastors in a continent characterized by suffering and instability,” the Congolese member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin said.

Reflecting on the condition of the Church amid Africa’s social, political, and security challenges, Ambongo insisted that the Catholic Church remains vibrant and close to the people.

Citing the late Pope Francis’ oft-repeated reminder that the Church does not belong to any political camp but stands with the people, he emphasized that African pastors continue to accompany communities enduring hardship and violence.

“The African Church is dynamic, radiant,” he said, recalling Pope Benedict XVI’s description of Africa as “the spiritual lung of humanity.”

At the same time, Ambongo acknowledged that the Church inevitably shares in the suffering of its people, particularly in conflict zones.

The SECAM president also addressed growing anticipation around Pope Leo’s expressed intention to make Africa the destination of a future apostolic journey.

Such a visit, he said, would be both pastoral and prophetic, strengthening the faith of Catholics while offering hope to societies weighed down by conflict and poverty.

“When the pope comes to a country in crisis, it is to give hope. His voice comforts the people, confirms them in their commitment, and helps them not to be discouraged,” he said.

Ambongo added: “The prophetic word of the universal Shepherd comforts the people, strengthens their commitment, and encourages them not to lose heart. Even if things are going badly today, Christian hope tells us to hold on.”

According to the cardinal, the Holy Father also helps guide people toward the pursuit of harmonious coexistence and peace, especially in African countries experiencing crises.

Weighing in on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he serves as bishop of the Kinshasa Archdiocese, Ambongo lamented the ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the country and its devastating impact on ordinary citizens.

He criticized the heavy investment in war and armament, saying such resources could instead be used for education, health care, and development.

“For more than a year now, the Church has been advocating dialogue. No solution will come from weapons but from sitting around a table where everyone can express their concerns,” the prelate explained.

He cited ongoing initiatives such as the Washington and Doha processes, which are steps in the right direction but remain insufficient.

The cardinal underscored the need for inclusive dialogue among the government, the opposition (armed and unarmed), and civil society in order to create the conditions for lasting peace and to bring an end to the suffering of the Congolese people.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa. It has been adapted by EWTN News English.

Top Islamist leader promises Christians no Sharia ahead of Bangladesh election
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).

As Bangladesh heads toward a crucial general election on Feb. 12, the country’s largest Islamist party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has offered an unusual assurance to religious minorities, pledging that it would not impose Islamic Sharia law if it comes to power.

Shafiqur Rahman, the leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, made the promise during a meeting on Jan. 14 with Christian leaders in Dhaka, according to participants in the discussion. The statement has sparked debate across the country, where Jamaat’s Islamist ideology and past positions appear to stand in tension with the pledge.

“He promised that they will not run the country under Sharia law,” said Martha Das, general secretary of the National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh, who was part of a 20-member Christian delegation that met Rahman.

She told EWTN News that Christian leaders also raised concerns about the possible introduction of blasphemy laws and the safety and social security of religious minorities.

Rahman assured them that existing laws would remain in place and that no additional legislation targeting religious minorities would be introduced.

Christian leaders described the meeting as an effort to seek clarity and accountability ahead of the election. “We recorded the assurances,” Das said, adding that the community intends to hold Jamaat publicly responsible if it reverses its position in the future.

At the same time, Christian leaders stressed that their community does not support Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. “We never support the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party,” said one Christian leader who did not want to be named. “But before the election, it is a better opportunity to talk with candidates about safeguards for our future.”

Mixed reactions

The statement has generated widespread discussion in Bangladesh, where Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has long been associated with calls for governance based on Islamic principles. Some analysts see the pledge as a tactical move aimed at broadening the party’s appeal among minority voters and the international community, while others argue that Jamaat has shown signs of gradual ideological adjustment in recent years.

A senior Catholic priest in Dhaka, who requested anonymity, cautiously welcomed the statement. “If Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami keeps its word, it is very good,” he told EWTN News. “But it remains to be seen whether this is a genuine commitment or a political strategy.”

The priest suggested that Jamaat may be attempting to present itself as more moderate to Western countries ahead of the elections. “Developed countries generally view Islamic Sharia negatively,” he said. “So Jamaat may be making such statements to gain international acceptance.”

Critics, however, point to apparent contradictions between Jamaat’s pledge and its broader political record. The party has not nominated any female candidates for the upcoming election, and previous remarks by its leaders about limiting women’s working hours have drawn criticism from civil society groups.

Election promises under scrutiny

Political analysts also caution against taking election-time promises at face value. “Sitting with people of different religions and communities before elections is definitely an election move,” said Professor Sayeed Ferdous, associate vice chancellor of Bangladesh Open University. “When leaders say we will do this or we will not do that — whether it is Sharia law or minority security — these must be considered election promises.”

Ferdous noted that Bangladesh’s political history is filled with unfulfilled preelection commitments. “Many parties have made similar promises in the past to attract votes but did not keep them later,” he said.

Another analyst, Mahbub Ullah, echoed that view, suggesting Jamaat is trying to soften its image. “They are talking a lot of soft talk ahead of the elections to appear acceptable to everyone,” he said. “It is not unusual to adopt such a strategy to change public perception of the party.”

Rift within Islamist coalition

The controversy has also exposed divisions within Islamist politics. Earlier this month, the Islamic Movement Bangladesh announced its withdrawal from the 11-party electoral alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami and declared it would contest 268 seats independently.

At a press briefing in Dhaka on Jan. 16, Islamic Movement spokesperson Gazi Ataur Rahman accused Jamaat of abandoning its ideological roots. “Jamaat has deviated from the Sharia law of Allah for power,” he said. “They consider power to be the only important thing.”

Rahman added that Jamaat’s traditional slogan — “We want the law of Allah, we want the rule of honest people” — has been forgotten, disappointing many grassroots supporters. “We believe it is not possible to establish peace under the existing law of the country,” he said. “We want Sharia law.”

As Bangladesh approaches election day, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s assurances to minorities have raised expectations — and skepticism — about whether political pragmatism or ideological transformation is driving the party’s message.

Pope Leo XIV to French Catholic media: Keep the heart of communication in an age of AI
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:45:28 -0500

Jan 22, 2026 / 04:45 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV urged Catholic journalists to double down on truth, human connection, and the voices of the vulnerable as artificial intelligence reshapes the communications landscape.

In a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on the pope’s behalf, Leo addressed the Fédération des Médias Catholiques ahead of its Saint François de Sales gathering in Lourdes, scheduled for Jan. 21–23.

“To face this era marked — including in the world of communications — by the rise of artificial intelligence, we urgently need to return to what matters most: matters of the heart, the centrality of good relationships, and the ability to connect with others without excluding anyone,” the pope’s message said. That call, he added, is answered by “the service to truth that Catholic media can offer everyone, including those who do not believe.”

The pope specifically encouraged Catholic communications professionals to be “sowers of good words” and to amplify voices “that courageously seek reconciliation,” helping to “disarm hearts filled with hatred and fanaticism” in a world he described as “fragmented and polarized.”

He also urged journalists to tune in to those most likely to be overlooked.

The message called on Catholic media to act like antennas, picking up and passing along “the experiences of the vulnerable, the marginalized, those who are alone — and those who need to discover the joy of feeling loved.”

Leo’s message also pointed to Father Jacques Hamel, the French priest murdered at the altar while celebrating Mass in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray on July 26, 2016. He was killed by two attackers who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group; both were later shot dead by police.

Noting that the federation has created an award in Hamel’s honor for journalists committed to peace and interreligious dialogue, the pope wrote that Hamel “was a witness to the faith, even to the point of death,” and believed deeply in dialogue and “patient, mutual listening.” He was convinced, the message said, that it is urgent “to know how to be close to others, without exception.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Nigerian government urged to secure release of 167 worshippers abducted from churches
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:26:25 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 16:26 pm (CNA).

Christin Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a U.K.-based human rights organization, has called on Nigerian authorities to “secure the release” of 167 worshippers reportedly abducted during coordinated attacks on three churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru local government area (LGA) of Kaduna state.

In a Tuesday, Jan. 20, report shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, CSW leadership condemned the mass abduction that reportedly took place on Jan. 18 while worshippers were attending Sunday church services.

According to the report, attempts by CSW Nigeria staff to access the community to verify the incident were blocked by the military, which reportedly cited standing orders barring entry into the area.

“CSW is highly concerned by the official efforts to obscure the abductions that took place in Kurmin Wali and to prevent residents from speaking to the press,” CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said in the report.

Thomas urged Nigerian authorities to “do everything in their power to secure the release of those abducted from Kurmin Wali on 18 January, as well as all other abductees currently held in terrorist captivity in Nigeria’s central and northern states.”

“The government of Nigeria at both state and federal levels must be transparent about the scale and severity of the security crisis the country is experiencing, and specifically about the asymmetry with which Christian communities are being targeted, in order to ensure an effective response to the terrorism that has blighted the lives of vulnerable citizens across central Nigeria for far too long,” Thomas said.

According to the CSW report, armed assailants believed to be Fulani militia stormed Kurmin Wali at around 9 a.m., arriving on foot and on motorcycles.

The attackers reportedly split into three groups, targeting the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim 1, and Haske Cherubim and Seraphim 2 churches.

Local sources told CSW that worshippers were rounded up and forced into nearby bushland. Elderly women and young children were later released, while 11 individuals managed to escape.

As of Jan. 20, CSW said 167 people remained in captivity.

The CSW report further indicated that the “Adara people of Kajuru LGA have been under sustained attack since their traditional ruler, the Agom Adara III, HRH Dr Maiwada Raphael Galadima, was abducted and murdered by Fulani assailants in 2018, despite payment of a ransom.”

“Kurmin Wali and surrounding communities have endured repeated attacks and abductions. For example, on Jan. 11, 2026, 21 people were abducted from the community and were only freed after paying around 7 million Naira (US$4,932) in ransom,” the report further indicated.

The report recounted that earlier, on Jan. 2, ECWA church leader Rev. Philip Adamu “was among four people abducted from Ungwan Danladi village in Kajuru LGA by assailants who spoke Fulfude, the Fulani language, and who called the community the following day, demanding ransoms of 20 million Naira [about $14,000] for Rev. Adamu, and 10 million Naira [about $7,000] for the other hostages.”

CSW described the repeated attacks as a failure of government responsibility, warning that rural communities are being driven deeper into poverty by ransom payments and forced displacement.

“While applauding the military successes recorded in the past few months, CSW condemns the repeated attacks on the vulnerable people in Kurmin Wali and surrounding communities,” said Rev. Yunusa Sabo Nmadu, the chief executive officer of CSW.

He urged the security agencies to “ensure the prompt release of those abducted and to enhance security for all other vulnerable areas.”

“We also call on the government to strengthen the local capacity of these villagers to serve as the first line of defense against terrorists who are increasingly emboldened by each unchallenged abduction,” Nmadu said.

The recent attacks come despite the Nigerian government’s designation of the Fulani militia and other armed groups as terrorist organizations in December 2025 under a new counterterrorism doctrine. CSW said the continued abductions raise serious concerns about the enforcement and protection of civilians.

Meanwhile, CSW reported that in neighboring Kogi state, 24 of 30 worshippers abducted in December 2025 have been released following the payment of a ransom, though six people remain in captivity and several others died while being held.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa. It has been adapted by EWTN News English.

Health spending bill would keep ban on tax-funded abortion
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:49:30 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 15:49 pm (CNA).

A federal health spending bill would impose a long-enforced ban on using taxpayer funds for elective abortion, known as the Hyde Amendment.

The U.S. House is set to consider the bill this week, which would fund the departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. Lawmakers would need to pass spending bills in both chambers and send them to the White House by Jan. 30 or the government could face another partial shutdown.

Republican President Donald Trump had asked his party to be “flexible” in its approach to the provision in a separate funding bill. According to a Jan. 19 news release from the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee, the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill includes the provision “protecting the lives of unborn children” known as the Hyde Amendment.

The Hyde Amendment, which is not permanent law, was first included as a rider in federal spending bills in 1976. It was included consistently since then although some recent legislation and budget proposals have sometimes excluded it. The provision would ban federal funds for abortion except when the unborn child is conceived through rape or incest or if the life of the mother is at risk.

Katie Glenn Daniel, director of legal affairs and policy counsel for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said the amendment is “a long-standing federal policy that’s been included for the last five decades and is popular with the American people.”

“Americans don’t want to pay for abortion on demand,” she said.

Many Democratic lawmakers have sought to eliminate the rider in recent years, saying it disproportionately limits abortion access for low-income women. Former President Joe Biden reversed his longtime support of the Hyde Amendment in the lead-up to the 2020 election and refused to include it in his spending proposals, saying: “If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone’s zip code.” But Republicans successfully negotiated the rider’s inclusion into spending bills.

In January 2025, Trump issued an executive order directing the government to enforce the Hyde Amendment. A year later, Trump urged Republicans to be “a little flexible on Hyde” when lawmakers were negotiating the extension of health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act. A White House spokesperson also said the president would work with Congress to ensure the strongest possible pro-life protections.

The House eventually passed the extension without the Hyde Amendment after 17 Republicans joined Democrats to support the bill. The Senate has not yet advanced the measure, where the question of whether to include the Hyde Amendment has been a point of contention between Republicans and Democrats.

In mid-January, Trump announced a plan to change how health care subsidies are disbursed. There was no mention of the Hyde Amendment in the White House’s 827-word memo.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has consistently lobbied for the inclusion of the Hyde Amendment in spending bills. On Jan. 14, the bishops sent a letter to Congress “to stress in the strongest possible terms that Hyde is essential for health care policy that protects human dignity.”

“Authentic health care and the protection of human life go hand in hand,” the letter said. “There can be no compromise on these two combined values.”

10,000 pro-lifers march in Paris for annual March for Life
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:55:03 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 14:55 pm (CNA).

Approximately 10,000 people — mainly a young and engaged crowd — gathered at Place Vauban in Paris for the annual March for Life on Jan. 18.

Each year, the march is held around Jan. 17 because on that date in 1975 abortion was first legalized under the Veil Act, named after the health minister at the time, Simone Veil.

This year’s march was held two years after France made history in 2024 by becoming the first and only country in the world to enshrine access to abortion directly in its constitution.

Paris’ March for Life has not been solely focused on abortion, with the debate over life issues becoming intensified in recent months. In March 2025, the French National Assembly approved a bill to legalize assisted dying for adults suffering from incurable, serious, and terminal illnesses, both physical and psychological.

Demonstrators at the march on Sunday protested the French government’s plans to legalize euthanasia.

“They say you can help people die. But the intention is to give death, and that is not our job. It cannot be our job,” said geriatric doctor Geneviève Bourgeois in an interview with EWTN News. “That’s not how you soothe people. There is suffering, but if you kill the sufferer, you don’t kill the suffering, you kill the patient.”

‘Life is a gift from God’

One of the most prominent Catholic voices in France is Bishop Dominique Rey, one of the few senior Church leaders to attend a March for Life.

“We must not touch life. Life is a gift from God,” Rey told EWTN News. “In the defense of life, we need freedom and the courage not to be afraid, even when some media are very opposed to the defense of life, liberty, and freedom.”

He continued: “In France, in Europe, and in the world, we need the courage of the Church to say that this is very important for the future of humanity and for the future of the Church: to be strongly engaged in the defense of life.”

Among those present at this year’s march was Emilie Quinson, who had three abortions earlier in her life. “What was very difficult for me was that I was not informed about what an abortion was, under what circumstances it would take place, or about its consequences,” she told EWTN News.

Today, she is a leading figure in the pro-life movement. “I got married, I have five wonderful children, and my daughter is here with me today,” she said. “I went through a long process of rebuilding and forgiveness, because for a woman who has had an abortion, the hardest thing is forgiveness — first forgiving herself, and then receiving God’s forgiveness.

‘History is a great teacher’: A Mexican bishop’s reflections on the Cristero War
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:03:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 14:03 pm (CNA).

As the centenary year of the Cristero War, also known as the Cristiada, begins, Auxiliary Bishop Pedro Mena of the Archdiocese of Yucatán in Mexico emphasized that “history is a great teacher.”

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Mena noted that when he was in elementary and high school, the Cristero War was not mentioned in Mexican history classes.

Mena, 70, emphasized that Christians, “from the perspective of our faith, must know the entire history” and “learn from this event,” acknowledging that “it will always be controversial; it has its virtues, its flaws, its excesses, but I believe we must learn from this event.”

Father Javier Olivera Ravas will also be giving a conference on “The Cristero Resistance” on Feb. 6 at the Foro Cine Colón in Mérida, Yucatán.

Addressing the theme accompanying the announcement for the conference — “Where There Is the Cross and Sacrifice, Glory Is Born” — Mena highlighted that as the early Church theologian Tertullian said, “‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed’ of new Christians.”

The prelate recalled that when Pope John Paul II visited San Juan de los Lagos in 1990, in the region known as the Altos de Jalisco — where the Cristeros had a very strong presence — “one thing that really struck me was that they placed in the square in front of the cathedral [the title] ‘Land of Martyrs.’”

According to Mena, the large number of vocations found in that region, and in other areas with a strong Cristero history, is explained by the fact that parents often take their children “to different places and say: ‘This is where such and such a martyr lived, this is where so-and-so martyr was the parish priest, this is where this layperson lived.’ In other words, from a young age, they were thinking about those who had given their lives for Christ.”

Church-state relations in Mexico

In the decades following the Cristero War — which officially took place from 1926 to 1929 — the government did not repeal the oppressive laws restricting religious freedom that had triggered the rebellion but rather simply ceased to enforce them.

Mena noted how, during Pope John Paul II’s first trip to Mexico in 1979, “there were those who protested because he was wearing his cassock, which was prohibited by the laws that were still in effect at the time.”

In 1992, the 1917 Constitution — the origin of many of the restrictions that would later trigger the Cristero War — was reformed, and the so-called “Calles Law” was replaced with the current “Law on Religious Associations and Public Worship.” In this way, relations between church and state were reestablished.

Nevertheless, the prelate acknowledged that the relationship between the Catholic Church and state can occasionally be “a little tense,” although “there are open channels through which we can dialogue” with the authorities.

Lessons from the Cristero War for today

For the auxiliary bishop of Yucatán, an important lesson that the Cristero uprising in Mexico taught, a century after it occurred, “is that we must always sit down and discern how we, as a Church, are responding.”

“The important thing right now is to understand this great event in depth, as much as possible, to sit down and discern it from the perspective of God’s word and our mission as a Church,” he said, pointing to an important concern: “Is the evangelization we are carrying out in the Church today creating mature Christians?”

Regarding the apostolate to young people today, who are immersed in social media, the prelate emphasized the importance of “making them think,” “engaging them in a dynamic where they feel challenged,” and “encouraging them to ask questions.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

New York backs off trying to force religious groups to pay for abortion after Supreme Court order
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:33:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 13:33 pm (CNA).

A coalition of religious groups that includes an order of Protestant nuns and two Catholic dioceses scored a major victory after the state of New York backed off trying to force the groups to cover abortion in their health insurance plans.

The state government in a Jan. 16 agreement agreed to drop its efforts to force abortion coverage onto the dioceses of Ogdensburg and Albany, along with two Catholic Charities groups and numerous other religious plaintiffs.

The concession came months after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the state court of appeals to review the long-running case in light of a major religious liberty victory at the high court in June 2025.

That victory, Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review, saw the Supreme Court unanimously affirm that the U.S. Constitution “ mandates government neutrality between religions” and that states may not impose unlawful “denominational preferences” between religious organizations.

In the Wisconsin case, the state had attempted to argue that a Catholic charity’s undertakings were not “primarily” religious and that the group thus did not qualify for a tax exemption. The New York government had adopted a similar argument, exempting religious groups from the abortion mandate only if they primarily employ members of their own faith.

In a press release celebrating the New York victory, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty — which represented the religious groups in their fight against the mandate — described the state’s effort as a “disgraceful campaign.”

“This victory confirms that the government cannot punish religious ministries for living out their faith by serving everyone,” attorney Lori Windham said.

In addition to the Protestant nuns and the Catholic groups, the plaintiffs included a Lutheran church, a Baptist church, and a Teresian nursing home.

The nuns, a contemplative order called the Sisters of St. Mary, are known for raising Cashmere goats at their cloister in Greenwich, New York.

Their sponsorship of a 4-H club and their leasing of the goats to local youth led the state to deny them the exemption to the abortion mandate, according to Becket. The religious exemption, Becket had argued, was “so narrow” that “Jesus himself would not qualify for it.”

Vatican weighing Trump invitation to join Gaza ‘Board of Peace’
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:03:12 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 13:03 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has received an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to participate in a proposed “Board of Peace” focused on Gaza and is currently evaluating how to respond, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Wednesday.

“We too have received the invitation to the Board of Peace for Gaza. The pope has received it and we are seeing what to do; we are looking into it in depth,” Parolin told reporters on Jan. 21, according to the official Vatican News outlet. “I think it is an issue that requires a bit of time to give an answer.”

The cardinal said Trump is “requesting the participation of various countries” and noted that, based on what he had read in the press, “Italy is also reflecting on whether to join or not.”

According to the report, the initiative aims to establish a Board of Peace to address global conflicts, with particular attention to the war in Gaza, as an entity independent of the United Nations. Participating countries would be asked to make a financial contribution that would grant them a permanent seat.

Several states have publicly announced their participation, including Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Egypt, and Israel, the report said.

Parolin ruled out a Vatican financial contribution and said the Holy See would be in a different position than other states.

“We are not even in a position to do that,” he said. “However, evidently we find ourselves in a different situation with respect to other countries, so it will be a different consideration, but I think the request will not be to participate financially.”

Asked about tensions between the United States and Europe, Parolin said “tensions are not healthy” and “create a climate that worsens the international situation, which is already serious.”

“I think what is important would be to eliminate tensions, discuss the points that are controversial, but without entering into polemics or generating tensions,” he said.

Parolin also underscored the importance of “respecting international law” when asked about remarks made by Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the U.S. president expressed a strong desire to acquire Greenland, according to the report.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Cardinal Ryś: Catholics and Jews must ‘listen to each other’ to combat hate
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:30:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 12:30 pm (CNA).

A prominent Polish cardinal and the country’s chief rabbi warned against silence in the face of hatred and called for peace at the central celebration of the 29th Day of Judaism in the Catholic Church in Poland on Jan. 15.

“Too much pain, too much tragedy, too much death. We pray for peace,” Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich said during the event in Płock, a city in central Poland where most of its prewar Jewish population of 9,000 was murdered or deported during the Nazi occupation.

Schudrich recalled the words of Holocaust survivor Marian Turski that “Auschwitz did not fall from the sky,” noting that the Shoah would not have happened without the silence of good people. He underlined the need to combat antisemitism and all forms of racism and hatred.

Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, the archbishop of Kraków and chairman of the Polish Bishops’ Conference’s Council for Religious Dialogue, called for Catholics and Jews to “listen to each other, because the other perspective is important for each side.”

“It is not the case” that the loss of Płock’s Jewish community “changes nothing in the community of citizens who lived together,” Ryś said, noting that the Day of Judaism — observed this year under the theme “Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16) — serves to remember them.

The cardinal added that “all Church documents since the Second Vatican Council” have demonstrated the connections between Christianity and “living Judaism.”

“The whole history of salvation boils down to this: God gathers people, and the evil one scatters them,” Ryś observed. “You will never be happy if you want to be happy alone.”

Israel’s ambassador to Poland, Yaakov Finkelstein; local Bishop Szymon Stułkowski; and Płock Mayor Andrzej Nowakowski also attended the Jan. 15 celebrations.

Events took place at multiple locations, including the Płock Cathedral, the Benedictine Abbey, and the Museum of Mazovian Jews, which is housed in a former synagogue. The day included joint prayers, a commemorative walk through sites linked to Płock’s Jewish history, and exhibitions including one titled “Some Were Neighbors: Choice, Human Behavior, and the Holocaust,” produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Sister Katarzyna Kowalska, co-chair of the Polish Council of Christians and Jews and vice president of the International Council of Christians and Jews, said the Church today calls the faithful to “sit down at one table” and explore important issues.

“We discussed memory, hope, and the promises made to the chosen people, in which we are also included and which we share in,” Kowalska said.

The Day of Judaism is traditionally observed on Jan. 17 in Poland’s liturgical calendar, coinciding with the eve of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Similar days of Jewish-Catholic remembrance and dialogue are celebrated by the Catholic Church in a number of European countries.

Thousands gather at Bangladesh Marian shrine where villagers were saved during 1971 war
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

Thousands of pilgrims gathered at a Marian shrine in northern Bangladesh on Jan. 16 to express gratitude to Mary for protecting villagers during the country’s 1971 War of Independence.

The annual pilgrimage at Nabai Battala village in the Rajshahi Diocese concluded a nine-day novena with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Sebastian Tudu of Dinajpur. The pilgrimage commemorates an incident during Bangladesh’s war for independence from Pakistan when Pakistani soldiers surrounded the village church but left without harming anyone inside.

“It is not like this that Mother Mary does not listen to anyone’s prayers,” Tudu said in his homily. “The people of Nabai Battala have already received the grace of Mother Mary. During the War of Independence in 1971, they trusted Mother Mary to save their lives. And Mother Mary has indeed protected the devotees in the arms of her love.”

Prayer amid danger

During the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971, Pakistani troops, aided by local Razakars — Bangladeshis who opposed independence — came to Nabai Battala village to capture freedom fighters. Villagers had agreed that if such an attack occurred, they would gather in the church when the bell rang and pray to Mary.

When more than 100 Pakistani soldiers arrived, villagers — both Christians and Hindus — took refuge in the church. The troops surrounded them and ordered some to pray, but the Hindus could not comply with the order. The soldiers then aimed their guns at the villagers.

No one fled. They continued praying, and for reasons unknown, the Pakistani troops departed without firing a shot. Since then, villagers have expressed their gratitude to Mary through annual prayers at the site.

Many of the Hindu villagers later converted to Christianity.

Official recognition

On Jan. 16, 2004, the then-bishop of Rajshahi, Paulinus Costa, declared Nabai Battala — an Indigenous-dominated area about 186 miles north of Dhaka — a pilgrimage site. The location has been celebrated annually with increasing solemnity since.

In 2019, new meditation scenes and statues were installed at 14 stations along the Way of the Cross and at the grotto of Mary, and a new pilgrimage altar was constructed.

Bishop Gervas Rozario formally designated Nabai Battala as a pilgrimage center of the Rajshahi Diocese in 2023.

Living faith

“Pilgrimage is essentially an expression of a Christian’s living faith — where the deep devotion, hope, and desire of the heart combine to create a yearning for the closeness and intimacy of God,” Tudu said. “From this yearning comes the celebration of communion, joy, and gratitude.”

He added that “the pilgrimage site of the protector Mother Mary of Nabai Battala is also a place of unique blessing. In this holy land, God continues to shower mercy on his devotees through the intercession of the protector Mother Mary.”

Costantina Hansda, a community leader and social activist from Nabai Battala, said the annual pilgrimage has been celebrated since 1971. “On that day, all our villagers were saved from the hands of the Pakistani army by praying to her intercession. Therefore, we perform this pilgrimage every year to thank and express our gratitude to Mother Mary.”

Answered prayers

A couple who traveled about 124 miles to the shrine told EWTN News they came to thank Mary for answering their prayers. Their 3-year-old son had cried inexplicably at night for an extended period, and doctors were unable to help.

“Last year we prayed to Mother Mary, and since then our son has not cried at night like previous years. He is fine now. That is why we came to thank Mother Mary,” the couple said.

They added: “Mother Mary is truly a mother who listens to her children and fulfills their prayers.”

On the night of Jan. 15, pilgrims from surrounding villages carried candles in procession to the shrine, participated in Eucharistic adoration, and went to confession in preparation for the feast day.

On the morning of Jan. 16, pilgrims gathered at the Way of the Cross before the Mass, which was attended by thousands of Marian devotees, priests, religious brothers, and sisters.

Vatican employees report distrust of managers, mistreatment in the workplace
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:30:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 11:30 am (CNA).

A survey of Vatican employees conducted by the Vatican Lay Employees Association (ADLV) found broad dissatisfaction with career advancement, widespread distrust of leadership, and significant reports of workplace mistreatment among respondents.

The poll — carried out between Dec. 15, 2025, and Jan. 7 and published on the ADLV website — is being described by the association as the first representative survey of staff working across Vatican offices and entities. The ADLV functions as an internal employee association, though it does not have formal union recognition in the Vatican’s legal system, where strikes are not permitted.

According to the ADLV, 250 people responded to the questionnaire, about 80% of whom are members of the association. The Holy See employs roughly 4,200 workers, though most are not affiliated with the ADLV — a limitation the group acknowledged while describing the sample as “limited, but significant.”

Among the most striking findings: 73.9% of respondents said they perceive a clear distance between Vatican leadership — typically office heads and superiors, many of them cardinals or bishops — and employees. Just 12.8% said they were satisfied on that point.

More than 71% of participants said superiors are not selected through transparent criteria or a clearly defined professional path, while 26% said it is not possible to maintain a free and sincere dialogue with direct managers.

Respondents also reported a strong sense of professional under-appreciation. About 75.9% said human resources are not appropriately placed, valued, or motivated, and 75.8% said the workplace does not reward initiative, merit, or experience gained through seniority.

More than half report mistreatment

The ADLV said more than 56% of respondents reported having experienced injustices or humiliating behavior from superiors — concerns the association argued merit urgent attention even though Vatican law does not formally define “mobbing,” or workplace bullying, as a specific offense.

In a related finding, 73.4% of respondents said they perceive favoritism, unequal treatment, and insecurity about the protection of their rights, including concerns connected to the pension system.

The survey also indicated major frustration with career progression: 73% reported a perceived “block” in professional advancement and pointed to the continued suspension of a biennial wage step that had previously been added to base salary and factored into pensions and end-of-service benefits (TFR). The ADLV noted that Pope Francis eliminated the benefit in 2021 as a cost-saving measure amid Holy See budget deficits.

Assessments of labor reforms over the past decade were largely negative in the survey: 68% said reforms have not produced concrete benefits but instead increased restrictions, and more than 79% said insufficient investment is being made in staff formation and training.

Calls for recognized representation and stable dialogue

The survey points to strong demand for officially recognized representative bodies with greater capacity to intervene in labor disputes. More than 71% of respondents said they would turn to the ADLV in the event of a workplace conflict, compared with about 10% who said they would go to the Vatican labor tribunal (ULSA).

Nearly 75% said direct dialogue between the ADLV and dicastery leadership is the most effective way to resolve problems.

Respondents also offered suggestions addressed to Pope Leo XIV, frequently urging that workers be given greater dignity, voice, and real protection through representation, transparency, dialogue, and respect for personal rights. The ADLV said Pope Leo’s election has raised expectations for change, pointing to what it called early positive signs — including prompt action involving the labor tribunal, authorization of a bonus linked to the conclave that had previously been removed, and indications of openness to a shared path of dialogue.

The ADLV said it contacted the Secretariat for the Economy, which oversees the Holy See’s Human Resources Office, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

How to be a Christian on social media: A priest offers his perspective
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 11:00 am (CNA).

During a time “marked by aggression, fragmentation, and polarization,” Argentine priest Father Gregorio Nadal has released a Spanish-language book, “How to Be Christians on Social Media: Human Relationships and Ethical Presence in the Digital World,” which offers perspective not only for believers but also for “anyone who wonders how to safeguard their own dignity and that of others” in an environment of screens, messages, and reactions.

Written from a Christian perspective, his work begins with a spiritual question: “How can we be Christians on social media?” and from there seeks to open a dialogue that is not limited to “within the Church” but is directed to a broader audience, Nadal explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News English.

To this end, Nadal offers “an invitation to examine what happens within us when we are connected, how the content we consume affects us, and what kind of people we are becoming as we browse social media, comment, read, or react.”

The inspiration for his work comes from two Church documents: the encyclical Fratelli Tutti by Pope Francis and a 2023 document from the Dicastery for Communication, “Towards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media.”

3 challenges of social media

Analyzing the current landscape of social media, Nadal identifies three significant challenges: The first is normalized aggression. “Fratelli Tutti pointed this out, stating that there is a verbal violence that has become commonplace” and that “it’s not just about what we write but also about what we read, share, and allow into our hearts.”

“This aggression ends up shaping our perspective, our patience, and our way of making connections with others, even when we don’t actively participate in it,” he warned.

The second major challenge, he explained, is the fragmentation of the heart. In this case, citing the dicastery’s document, the priest pointed out that “technology is not neutral: It shapes our inner lives. The pace of hyper-connectivity fragments attention, weakens silence (essential for listening to God), and hinders genuine, face-to-face interaction.”

“It’s not just about how much time we spend in front of a screen but about what this way of being connected does to us internally: What it agitates in us, what it empties us of, what it unsettles in us, and what it builds up in us,” he explained, because, ultimately, “what is at stake is inner unity.”

And as a third challenge, Nadal mentioned the immediate reaction: “Social media drives us to respond quickly, often from a place of hurt. The document expresses this clearly: The human style — and also the Christian style — cannot be reactive but reflective.”

This means that “when we react without discernment, our words become weapons, even when we ‘are right’ or ‘are defending our Christian values.’” Therefore, he said he considers it crucial to “recover the inner space between the stimulus and the response” in order to not lose our freedom.

Advice for young people

In this context, Nadal encouraged young people to ask themselves questions that will help them become freer, for example: “How do I enter social media and how do I leave afterward? What happens inside me when I read certain comments? What content makes me feel more agitated, sad, or angry? Am I the one making the choices, or am I often being swept along?”

He also advised them to protect “something very valuable today: their attention,” because “where your attention goes, there your life goes,” as the Gospel says: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Specifically, he encouraged them to “reclaim small screen-free spaces — true silence, uninterrupted conversations, walking, reading, being with others without being ‘half-present’” — clarifying that it’s not about “rejecting digital technology” but rather “protecting our inner selves, safeguarding our hearts so they don’t become scattered by a thousand stimuli and can inhabit life with greater presence and freedom.”

He also suggested “before writing or responding, pause for a moment”; because “that brief second, when anger or wounded pride flares up, is a crucial moment. That’s where we decide who we are going to be.”

“Freedom isn’t about saying everything but about being able to choose from where and why we speak,” he summarized.

‘Added value’ of being Christians on social media

The priest said the contribution that Catholics are called to make in the digital world is to humanize it, “not with speeches, but with their presence.”

“In an environment where hurt, sarcasm, and denigration are rampant, we Christians are called not to add to the noise or the mob mentality but to foster encounter, care, and respect,” he noted.

The “added value” of Catholics on social media, Nadal explained, “is not having more arguments but being good neighbors.” This will sometimes involve “respectfully defending someone who is being attacked or a truth of our Catholic faith”; at other times, “writing a private message of comfort”; and at other times, “not sharing something that is humiliating” or “choosing silence so as not to fuel a destructive dynamic.”

Digital evangelization should not be reduced to a mere strategy

Regarding digital evangelization, Nadal said he considers it a real and necessary possibility, provided that “it is not reduced to a strategy” because, as the dicastery document indicates, communication is, above all, presence, and “presence is neither improvised nor calculated: It is lived.”

Therefore, “evangelizing in the digital world is not about occupying spaces or increasing visibility but about learning to be present in a human and Christian way where much of life unfolds today.”

“Social media is currently one of the places where wounded people abound: individuals who are exposed, humiliated, attacked, or simply tired and lonely. Faced with this, the challenge is not to pass by indifferently, nor to observe from the sidelines with judgment or just as an onlooker, but to pause for a moment,” he proposed.

“In this sense, digital evangelization means choosing to be neighbors to one another, even on our screens: looking with compassion, carefully choosing our words, not reducing others to a single mistake or opinion, and asking ourselves who needs to be cared for in that specific interaction,” he explained.

“In an environment saturated with voices, perhaps the most eloquent thing is not a brilliant message but a genuine presence, capable of pausing in the face of suffering and opening spaces for encounter, even through a screen,” he noted.

Who is Father Gregorio Nadal?

Gregorio Agustín Nadal Zalazar was born on May 26, 1982, in Concepción del Uruguay, Argentina. He entered the Mary Mother of the Church diocesan seminary in 2002 and was ordained a priest on Sept. 24, 2009, in St. Joseph Cathedral in Gualeguaychú. He holds a diploma in vocational ministry from the Theological-Pastoral Institute in Colombia and completed a bachelor’s degree in theology with a specialization in pastoral studies at Argentine Catholic University.

He served as a formator at the diocesan seminary Mary Mother of the Church, completed the Seminary Formators course in Quito, Ecuador, offered by the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops’ Council, and the spiritual psychology course at the Catholic University of Córdoba, Argentina.

He is currently the pastor at the Immaculate Conception Basilica in Concepción del Uruguay, general secretary of the presbyteral council, a member of the diocesan team for the ongoing formation of the clergy, and recently appointed episcopal delegate for evangelization.

His Spanish-language publications include: “Remember Me: In Memory of Father Alcides,” “Dilexi Te, a Spiritual and Reading Guide to Pope Leo XIV’s Document,” “How to Be Christians on Social Media,” “The Grieving Soul: A Christian and Human Path Through Loss,” and coming soon: “The Soul in Search of Happiness” and “One Heartbeat on the Path of Love: A Journey to Easter.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV receives lambs on feast of St. Agnes
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:30:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 10:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday received a pair of lambs to be blessed for the feast day of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes — the first time a pope has welcomed lambs at the Vatican, part of a centuries-old tradition, since 2017.

The presentation took place in the 17th-century Urban VIII Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, where the lambs’ bleats punctuated the brief ceremony Jan. 21. The wool of the blessed lambs will be used to make pallia — narrow white vestments worn by metropolitan archbishops.

It was a tradition for the pope to bless the lambs every year on the feast of St. Agnes until Pope Francis discontinued the practice after 2017.

St. Agnes, who was killed in Rome in A.D. 304 at the age of 12 or 13 for being a Christian, is associated with the lamb as a symbol of her purity and because her name means “lamb” in Latin.

The lambs — carried in baskets dressed in white with red roses for St. Agnes’ virginity and martyrdom — were later blessed in the Mausoleum of Constantina, an ancient church close to the Minor Basilica of St. Agnes Outside the Walls, which is temporarily closed.

The Benedictine nuns of the Basilica of St. Cecilia will take over care of the lambs, shearing them during Holy Week, then weaving their wool into pallia, which the pope will bestow on new metropolitan archbishops on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The pallium is a narrow, circular band of white wool with pendants hanging down the front and the back. It is adorned with six small black crosses and three pins (called spinulae), which resemble both thorns and the nails used to crucify Jesus.

It is bestowed on the Latin-rite patriarch of Jerusalem and metropolitan archbishops — the diocesan archbishops of the primary city of an ecclesiastical province or region — as a symbol of communion, authority, and unity with the pope and his pastoral mission to be a shepherd for the people of God. The pope also wears the pallium over his chasuble when he is celebrating Mass.

Before the vestments are bestowed on the metropolitan archbishops, they are placed for a time in a spot near the tomb of St. Peter, under the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, to reinforce the bishop’s connection to Peter through apostolic succession.

Catholics remain the largest religious group across Latin America, Pew says
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA).

A Pew Research Center report found Catholics remain the largest religious group across Latin America despite increases in other religious identities.

The report, “Catholicism Has Declined in Latin America Over the Past Decade,” draws on a nationally representative face-to-face survey of 6,234 adults conducted from Jan. 22 to April 27, 2024, in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.

The analysis was produced by Pew Research Center as part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, which analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world.

The research released Jan. 21 found that Latin American adults are more religious than adults in many other countries Pew has also surveyed in recent years, especially in Europe where many adults have left Christianity since childhood.

Pew analyzed the changes in religion among adults in Latin America from 2013 to 2024. It found Latin Americans are about as likely to believe in God as they were a decade ago. Even among those who identify as religiously unaffiliated, most said they believe in God.

Of those surveyed, 97% of adults in Peru said they believe in God, 98% in Brazil, 94% in Mexico, 97% in Colombia, 90% in Argentina, and 89% in Chile.

Most adults are active in their faith, poll showed

Catholicism remains the largest religion in Latin America. In 2024, roughly half of Brazilians (46%) and Chileans (46%) identified as Catholic, and the majority of all adults in Peru (67%), Mexico (67%), Colombia (60%), and Argentina (58%) identified as such.

In those countries, most adults are active in their faith. In 2024, the majority of adults in Brazil (76%), Colombia (71%), and Peru (58%) said they pray “daily or more often.”

Since 2013–2014, the Catholic population in all six countries surveyed decreased. Colombia experienced the largest decline in Catholics, with a drop of 19 percentage points. Peru had the lowest drop with a 9-point decrease.

Former Catholics in Latin America tend to identify as either religiously unaffiliated or Protestant, while former Protestants tend to have become “nones.” As of 2024, there were more religiously unaffiliated adults than Protestants in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.

The report noted a reason for the decline of Catholicism and growth of religiously unaffiliated populations in Latin America is religious switching by adults who were raised Catholic but no longer identify with the religion. Across the six Latin American countries surveyed, around 20% or more adults said they were raised Catholic but have since left the religion.

The research found that Brazil is the only country surveyed where former Catholics are more likely to have become Protestant (13%) than to be religiously unaffiliated (7%). It also found that in Peru there is a roughly equal number of former Catholics who have become Protestants (9%) and “nones” (7%).

Pew also found that about half or more of adults surveyed in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru said religion is very important in their lives. Prayer is fairly common, as majorities of Brazilian, Colombian, and Peruvian adults said they pray at least once a day.

Hispanic Catholics in the U.S.

Similar to the religious changes in Latin America, fewer Hispanics in the United States identify as Catholic in 2024 (42%) than they did a decade ago (58%), according to Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study.

The number of Hispanics who are religiously unaffiliated has also increased in the U.S. since 2014, with about a quarter now describing their religious identity as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular.”

Of Hispanic adults in the U.S., 40% said religion is very important in their life, and 47% said they pray at least daily. A large majority (83%) also said they believe in God, according to a 2023 Pew Center survey.

Pope Leo XIV: In Christ, God shows us our true identity
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:05:34 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 08:05 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV said Wednesday that the grandeur of the Incarnation cannot be reduced to viewing Jesus as a mere messenger of “intellectual truths,” but must be received as God’s full embrace of the human condition — including Christ’s “true and integral humanity.”

Speaking at his general audience on Jan. 21 in the Paul VI Hall, the pope said that divine revelation is not primarily a set of abstract ideas but a living encounter in which God gives himself to humanity and invites a relationship of communion.

“We have seen that God reveals himself in a dialogue of covenant,” the pope said, “a relational knowledge, which not only communicates ideas, but shares a history and calls for communion in reciprocity.”

Continuing a catechesis cycle on Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Leo XIV emphasized that believers come to know God by entering into Jesus’ own relationship with the Father through the action of the Holy Spirit.

Wednesday's talk was part of a longer series on the documents of Vatican II which the pope began earlier this month.

“Jesus reveals the Father to us by involving us in his own relationship with Him,” he said.

The pontiff highlighted that in Christ, God not only discloses who he is, but also reveals who we are. “In Christ, God has communicated himself to us,” he said, and “he has manifested to us our true identity as his children.”

Leo XIV underlined that the integrity of Christ’s humanity is essential to understanding revelation: “God’s truth is not fully revealed where it takes something away from the human,” he said, adding that “the integrity of Jesus’ humanity does not diminish the fullness of the divine gift.”

The pope also stressed that salvation is not limited to the paschal mystery understood in isolation, but is bound up with Christ’s whole person and presence: the Lord “who becomes incarnate, is born, heals, teaches, suffers, dies, rises again and remains among us.”

Pointing to the believer’s confidence grounded in Christ, Leo XIV said that following Jesus “to the very end” leads to the certainty that nothing can separate humanity from God’s love, echoing St. Paul’s assurance: “If God is for us, who is against us?”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Catholics in Ireland reject ex-president’s claim that baptism violates children’s rights
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Former president of Ireland Mary McAleese, a lawyer and canon lawyer, recently said in an op-ed in the Irish Times that infant baptism denies children their human rights and is an act of control on the part of the Church.

Catholic clergy and laity in Ireland have pushed back on her claims, viewing it as an opportunity to share what baptism is really about.

Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, bishop of Waterford and Lismore, explained to EWTN News that infant baptism is commonplace in most Christian denominations and has been practiced in the Church since the first century.

“Jesus gives us a command to go and baptize. So the Church baptizes in obedience to an express command that is supported by the Bible. So to baptize infants into the body of Christ is something very good,” he said.

“If we were to say we will wait until a child is an adult to make such a decision, well, then, what other decisions would we deny taking for our children? Would we, for example, not give them good food? Will we show them the beauty of exercise and would we not give them good medical care? Would we wait until they could make their own decisions?”

Cullinan added: “One of the first things that the Catholic parent does to their child is to take his little hand or her little hand and make the sign of the cross. What a beautiful thing. Why do parents do it? Because they want their child to have a relationship with a living God throughout their life and lead them into eternal life.”

Father Owen Gorman, a parish priest in the Clogher Diocese, said the Church “encourages infant baptism out of love for souls, and so that the babies of Catholic parents would receive the best start in life, that they would be plunged into the mystery of Christ and that they would be filled with God’s life.”

He continued: “And that is a great good, and it is a great good that should not be postponed. The Church wants children to experience that immersion in Christ to be part of his body, so that they may have life and have it to the full.”

In her article, McAleese stated that baptismal promises made and renewed at confirmation are “fictitious” and that infant baptism ignores children’s later rights to freely decide for themselves their religious identity, to accept and embrace Church membership, or to change religion if that is their choice.

Mahon McCann is a doctoral student in ethics who was baptized into the Catholic faith on Easter Saturday 2025. He was raised as an atheist by parents who were baptized Catholic. He told EWTN News that it should be the choice of parents whether to baptize their children and continue the tradition they inherited.

“Infant baptism does not require an ‘opt-out’ unless you truly believe you were opted into something real in the first place,” he said. “To want some kind of formal procedure to ‘opt out’ is to implicitly accept the Church’s moral authority in the first place.”

Rather than doing this as an act of power and control as McAleese asserts, Gorman said the Church does it “as an act of love.”

“As a mother, she is loving her children, and she is wise in directing parents to bring the children to the grace of God and the saving waters of baptism from a young age. It is about providing that which is best for them, so it enables them to have the best life possible, as part of the body of Christ, the Church. So the Church desires it not out of a sense of wanting to control people or exert power over them but to give as a wise and provident mother,” he said.

McCann agreed and pointed to his own experience. “My parents simply ‘canceled their subscription to the Resurrection’ in their own minds and stopped going to Mass, etc., like many Catholics today. The Church can do nothing to legally compel you to pursue holiness.”

In her article, McAleese wrote that baptism “restricts children’s rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989, to which both Ireland and the Holy See — which governs the Catholic Church and is effectively the author of canon law — are state parties.”

McCann told EWTN News that rather than evaluating infant baptism through the lens of “rights,” we should ask: “Are human rights the proper ethical standard [by which] to evaluate Catholic moral theology?”

“The answer would be no,” he said. “Catholic moral theology is teleological, aims at the holiness of the person, and therefore whatever brings one to holiness is ‘good’ and whatever takes one away from holiness is ‘bad.’ Human rights ethics are not concerned with achieving holiness and therefore are not the right ethical framework to evaluate Catholic sacraments or practices.”

McCann explained that he didn’t fully understand infant baptism before becoming a Catholic but disagrees with the idea that it is like a legal contract between two parties.

“That is a very superficial modern understanding of the rite of baptism and really of tradition as such, he said.

“A tradition, by definition, is intergenerational — a tradition that isn’t passed on from one generation to another isn’t a tradition,” McCann said. “Infant baptism is primarily a decision of the parents, who are gifting their offspring membership into the life of the Church and the traditional Catholic way of life that leads to their salvation,” he said.

“The idea that babies and children should ‘consent’ to be part of a particular tradition is as ridiculous as saying that they should choose what language they are going to speak,” McCann said.

Pope Leo XIV highlights ‘valuable contribution’ of Neocatechumenal Way
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV received the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way — including Kiko Argüello, who along with the late Carmen Hernández founded the apostolate — and members of the international team, María Ascensión Romero and Father Mario Pezzi, in an audience at the Vatican on Monday.

In his Jan. 19 address, the Holy Father highlighted the missionary zeal of the families that make up this ecclesial movement of Catholic initiation, founded in Madrid, Spain, in 1964, which, as the pontiff recalled, invites people “to rediscover the meaning of baptism.”

He also praised their charism, as well as their evangelization and catechetical work, which, according to the Holy Father, represents “a valuable contribution to the life of the Church.”

In this context, he emphasized that the members of the Neocatechumenal Way have “rekindled the fire of the Gospel wherever it seemed to be dying out” and have accompanied many people and Christian communities in “rediscovering the beauty of knowing Jesus.”

He also emphasized that living the experience of the Neocatechumenal Way and carrying out its mission requires “inner vigilance and a wise critical capacity” to discern certain risks that are always lurking in spiritual and ecclesial life.”

Pope Leo XIV stressed that charisms “must always be placed at the service of the kingdom of God and the one Church of Christ.” In this regard, he noted that “no gift of God is more important than others — except for charity, which perfects and harmonizes all of them — and no ministry should become a reason to feel superior to our brothers and sisters or to exclude those who think differently.”

He therefore invited them to be witnesses of unity and reminded them: “Your mission is unique, but not exclusive; your charism is specific, but it bears fruit in communion with the other gifts present in the life of the Church; you do much good, but its purpose is to enable people to know Christ, always respecting each person’s life journey and conscience.”

The Holy Father also exhorted them to live their spirituality “without ever separating themselves from the rest of the ecclesial body, as a living part of the ordinary pastoral care of parishes and their various realities and in communion with your brothers and sisters and in particular with priests and bishops.”

“Continue forward with joy and humility, without closed-mindedness, as builders and witnesses of communion,” he counseled them.

At the end of his address, the Holy Father added that catechesis and various forms of pastoral action must always be free from constraint, rigidity, and moralism,” so that they do not give rise to “feelings of guilt and fear instead of inner liberation.”

Finally, Pope Leo thanked them for their commitment, witness, and service to the Church in the world.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

How to watch the March for Life 2026: EWTN’s live coverage
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Jan 21, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

With tens of thousands of pro-life Americans gathering for the 53rd annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 23, EWTN will provide live coverage of the event.

The yearly national pro-life event marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, drawing together thousands to protest abortion and advocate for life. This year’s theme is “Life Is a Gift,” which the March for Life official website says emphasizes the “unshakeable conviction that life is very good and worthy of protection, no matter the circumstances.”

Thursday, Jan. 22: March for Life prayer vigil

5 p.m. ET: EWTN’s National March for Life coverage kicks off before the march with a night of prayer at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The National Prayer Vigil for Life is held annually on the eve of the March for Life, bringing thousands of pilgrims across the nation together to pray for an end to abortion.

At 5 p.m. ET, EWTN will stream the opening Mass followed by the Holy Hour of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at 7 p.m. as pro-lifers pray and prepare for the upcoming march.

Friday, Jan. 23: March for Life

8 a.m. ET: The all-night prayer vigil will conclude with the closing Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the shrine, televised live by EWTN.

9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET: EWTN will air coverage of the March for Life, featuring a keynote by Sarah Hurm, a single mom of four who went through a chemical abortion reversal to save the life of her child.

JD Vance will speak for the second time at the annual event as vice president of the United States. Other speakers include Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana; Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey; and March for Life President Jennie Bradley Lichter. The march will also feature pro-life entrepreneurs including Shawnte Mallory, founder of Labir Love And Care, and Debbie Biskey, CEO of Options for Her, as well as student activist Elizabeth Pillsbury Oliver, a convert to Catholicism who heads Georgetown University’s Right to Life group.

Rev. Irinej Dobrijevic, a Serbian Orthodox bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America, and Cissie Graham Lynch, spokesperson for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, will also speak at the event.

In addition, the Christian band Sanctus Real will perform at the rally and the Friends of Club 21 choir — a chorus of young adults with Down syndrome — will perform the national anthem.

3 p.m. ET: EWTN will broadcast the second annual Life Fest Mass, sponsored by the Sisters of Life and the Knights of Columbus as part of the Life Fest Rally. The Life Fest Rally begins the evening before the march with live music from Matt Maher and other Christian bands.

Saturday: Walk for Life West Coast

2:30 p.m. PT: The 21st annual Walk for Life West Coast will begin with a rally followed by the walk. EWTN will livestream coverage of the walk.

5 p.m. PT: EWTN will televise highlights from One Life (Una Vida), a one-day event centered on witnessing human dignity with a focus on the pro-life issues as well as other issues such as human trafficking and homelessness. The coverage will be hosted by Astrid Bennett and Patricia Sandoval, along with EWTN producers, during the march.

8 p.m. PT: EWTN will televise a pro-life Mass from Los Angeles, concluding the weekend’s pro-life coverage.

Catholic Church provides pastoral care to victims of tragic train accident in Spain
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:07:00 -0500

Jan 20, 2026 / 17:07 pm (CNA).

Following a tragic train accident that occurred on Sunday evening, Jan. 18, in the Spanish town of Adamuz in the Córdoba province, the Catholic Church is providing pastoral care for those affected.

In addition to the help offered immediately after the accident by the local parish priest and the provision of diocesan resources by Bishop Jesús Fernández of Córdoba after he visited the scene of the accident on Monday morning, the diocese has assigned a team of three priests to the area.

The priests, Leopoldo Rivero, Francisco J. Granados, and Manuel Sánchez, will remain at the Poniente Sur Civic Center in Córdoba, the support center for the families of the victims, for as long as needed.

In a statement, the diocese emphasized the importance of a priestly presence in “a place where despair and uncertainty take their toll as people search for any indication as to the whereabouts of their loved ones.”

Rivero stated that with its presence, the Church is providing “the spiritual care so necessary at this time,” as rescue operations continue, given that many passengers are still missing and may be trapped in the wrecked train cars.

To date, authorities have confirmed the deaths of 41 people and the transfer of 152 injured people to hospitals, where they are receiving treatment, some of them still in very serious condition. At least 43 people remain missing.

Psychologists are referring “families who need [pastoral care] to the priests so that they can be with them, accompany them, and pray with them so that they feel warmth, closeness, and comfort,” Rivero added.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV meets FSSP leaders amid visitation, ‘Traditionis Custodes’ fallout
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:37:00 -0500

Jan 20, 2026 / 16:37 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV and leaders of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a community dedicated to the traditional Roman rite, held a “cordial half-hour meeting” on Monday, Jan. 19, at the apostolic palace.

The priestly fraternity said in a Jan. 20 statement that the Holy Father received in private audience its superior general, Minneapolis-born Father John Berg. Also present was Father Josef Bisig, a co-founder of the FSSP and its first superior general, who now serves as rector of the FSSP’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska.

The FSSP is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right founded in 1988 by priests who broke with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the Society of St. Pius X, precisely in order to remain fully under the Roman pontiff while preserving the older liturgy.

The FSSP’s leaders, who had requested the meeting, said in a cautiously worded statement that it was “an opportunity to present to the Holy Father in greater detail the foundation and history of the fraternity as well as the various forms of apostolate that it has been offering to the faithful for almost 38 years.”

They added that the papal audience also provided an “opportunity to evoke any misunderstandings and obstacles that the fraternity encounters in certain places and to answer questions from the supreme pontiff.”

The audience came at a sensitive time for the fraternity and for those who value the traditional form of the Latin rite as a whole following Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes that imposed sweeping restrictions on parishes and communities dedicated to the traditional Roman rite.

Due to Traditionis Custodes, the FSSP is currently undergoing an apostolic visitation initiated by the Holy See in late 2024. The visitation is part of a broader process of accompanying institutes formerly under the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei but that now, due to Traditionis Custodes, fall under the auspices of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Both the FSSP and the dicastery have both stressed that the apostolic visitation is not punitive but a normal exercise of oversight so the dicastery can “know who we are, how we are doing, and how we live so as to provide us with any help we may need.” The fraternity also underwent an apostolic visitation in 2014.

Although Pope Francis gave the FSSP a kind of protected but precarious niche, explicitly exempting it from some of the restrictions in a Feb. 11, 2022, decree, the priestly fraternity was still subjected to tighter structural control and scrutiny than under Benedict XVI. That decree arose from a prior private audience between Pope Francis and FSSP leaders.

Monday’s meeting was therefore significant, representing Leo XIV’s first clear, personal outreach to a leading traditional community and showing his willingness to listen to their concerns.

It also follows on the heels of the Holy Father granting Cardinal Raymond Burke the celebration of a pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica last October, along with the pope’s willingness to grant case-by-case exemptions to some traditional communities. The pope appears to be pursuing a policy of “pragmatic leniency” with such communities, neither willing to undo Francis’ liturgical changes but also not enforcing them with the same rigor.

Observers have therefore welcomed Monday’s meeting and are taking solace in the fact that the Church now has an American pope willing to listen to a fellow American superior general of a traditional order at a time when, according to one insider, “the waters are rough.” Berg also brings much experience to his role, having already served as the fraternity’s superior general from 2006 to 2018.

Like many traditional Roman rite communities and parishes, the FSSP is a flourishing community with several hundred priests and seminarians worldwide, a steady flow of vocations, and well-attended liturgies.

In its communique, the FSSP said Pope Leo XIV gave his blessing, “which he extended to all members of the fraternity.”

“The Fraternity of St. Peter is grateful to the Holy Father for offering this opportunity to meet with him,” the statement concluded, adding that it “encourages the faithful to continue to pray fervently during the 30 days novena of preparation for the renewal of its consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Feb. 11.”

‘Our embodied, sexed nature has been ordered for our salvation,’ former atheist says
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:07:00 -0500

Jan 20, 2026 / 16:07 pm (CNA).

“We have the good news that our culture needs to hear: that men and women are ordered to the good and made for amity for each other. Our embodied, sexed nature has been ordered for our salvation.”

So said Leah Sargeant, a former atheist and author who delivered the final keynote at a recent conference in Houston titled “The Beauty of Truth: Navigating Society Today as a Catholic Woman.”

At the conference, sponsored by the Catholic Women’s and Gender Studies program at the University of St. Thomas on Jan. 9–10, Sargeant suggested that our culture’s view of sexuality is premised on two lies. First, that “women’s equality is premised on being interchangeable with men,” and second, that “autonomy is foundational to a fully human life.”

To the first point, she noted that “it’s been common for people who advocate for women to minimize differences [between the sexes].”

Based on this lie, women, she said, are seen as “defective men.”

However, she continued, “the fundamental asymmetry between men and women is how we engender and bear children.”

It is based on this premise that the second lie, that individual autonomy is fundamental to being fully human, gets its strength, she said.

‘Forming a society open to dependency’

Sargeant said that when a woman is pregnant with another human being, the baby’s dependence and fragility does two things: It makes the baby’s life seem less valuable to those who believe autonomy is required to be fully human, and it makes the woman less-than when compared with a man, who never biologically has to enter into such a dependent relationship.

“The idea of having our lives upended by someone else [the baby’s] is a blow to women’s equality. This is the original argument for women’s access to abortion,” she said.

“The right to privacy wasn’t good enough because men always have the opportunity to abandon a child: that only required an act of cowardice. He could walk away, run, leave no forwarding address, and sever the connection. For a woman, she couldn’t divorce herself from her child by failing to step up: It would require outside, active, violent intervention in the form of poison or a scalpel.”

Women had to have what Sargeant called “an equality of vice” with men: namely, abortion. They had to “access to this cowardice as well or they could not be interchangeable with men and would lose political equality.”

Fundamentally, she concluded, both men and women must reject the lies of sameness and the “lie of autonomy” and be “radically dependent on God” and one another to live in the truth.

She quoted St. John Henry Newman, who wrote that “we cannot be our own masters. We are God’s property, by creation, by redemption, by regeneration … Independence was not made for man. It is an unnatural state that may do for a while, but will not do till the end.”

Sargeant reminded her listeners that we should not be afraid to “invite others into our lives or be ashamed to place demands on others.”

“We were always made to need each other,” she said. “We are not betraying ourselves when we expose ourselves as deeply human.”

Our task, she said, “is to give people reassurance that this truth is good,” reminding them that “hope doesn’t come from excesses of strength but in the midst of our frailty, and reminds us of how we are loved, and by whom.”

Sargeant's talk at the conference was based on her latest book, "The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto," which was released in October 2025.

100 years since the Cristero War in Mexico: What you should know
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:37:00 -0500

Jan 20, 2026 / 15:37 pm (CNA).

The Cristero War in Mexico, also known as the “Cristiada,” was not only an armed conflict but also a head-on clash between a state seeking forced secularization and a society that refused to renounce its Catholic identity. This bloody episode left a legacy of martyrs and a historical wound that has marked the complex relationship between the church and state in modern Mexico.

Background: The 1917 constitution

The conflict did not erupt overnight. Its roots lie in the 1917 Mexican Constitution, which incorporated anticlerical articles designed to subject the Church to the absolute control of the state.

Article 3 prohibited religious corporations and ministers of religion from operating primary schools. Article 5 banned the establishment of monastic orders and the taking of religious vows. Article 24 limited public worship to the interior of churches, always under government supervision. Article 27 stripped churches of their legal capacity to own property, transferring such property to the nation. Article 130 denied legal personality to churches, barred ministers of religion from participating in politics, and empowered individual states to limit the number of priests. These provisions formed the legal basis for the anticlerical enforcement that culminated in the “Calles Law,” which intensified the restrictions and sparked the Cristero War.

In 1926, President Plutarco Elías Calles escalated the situation with the “Law on Crimes and Offenses Related to Religious Worship and External Discipline,” also known as the “Law of Religious Tolerance” or simply the “Calles Law,” which amended the penal code by establishing severe penalties.

Among its harshest restrictions, the new law prohibited priests from wearing cassocks or any other religious symbols outside of churches, subjecting violators to fines and imprisonment. Priests who were not born in Mexico faced fines and deportation. The establishment of monastic orders or convents was banned, and existing convents were dissolved. Additionally, ministers of religion were forbidden from criticizing the fundamental laws of the country, the authorities in particular, or the government in general.

The Catholic Church’s response was drastic, unprecedented, and disciplined among all the Mexican archbishops and bishops: On July 31, 1926 — with the Holy See rejecting the “Calles Law” and “any act that could signify or be interpreted by the faithful as an acceptance of the law itself” — public worship was suspended throughout Mexico.

The outbreak

“It is indeed the suspension of religious services that may mark the beginning of the Cristero War, states the Franco-Mexican historian Jean Meyer in the opening pages of the first volume of his work “La Cristiada.”

Meyer quotes a letter from some Cristeros to their parish priest, who had been arrested by the authorities and urged the Cristeros to surrender: “Without your permission or command, we threw ourselves into this blessed struggle for our freedom, and without your permission or command, we will continue until we win or die.”

Thus, in different parts of the country, Catholic faithful spontaneously rose up in arms.

The willingness to engage in armed resistance against the government was not unanimous. “The bishops undoubtedly preached resistance,” Meyer notes, but at the same time, “they specified that they wanted no resistance other than passive and peaceful resistance.”

Although many prelates provided pastoral support to the Cristeros in some way, “the enemies of armed action were more numerous,” he points out.

Nor was the situation uniform among the priests. A list compiled by the Franco-Mexican historian indicates 100 “priests were actively hostile to the Cristeros,” while 40 were “actively favorable to the Cristeros.” Five priests are recorded as “combatants,” while 65 were considered “neutral.”

The number of priests “who abandoned rural parishes and priests from cities” totaled 3,500, while the priests “executed by the government” numbered 90.

It was “the people, ‘the Indian,’” who reacted, the historian says, and they did so “violently” because “the Church was more than just a building of piled-up stones, and popular sentiment had been struck to its very core, since the profane and the sacred are inextricably intertwined.”

“The people, the vast majority or many peasants — who were the ones who fought the guerrilla war most fiercely in the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Colima, and other central states — didn’t have much theology ... nor did they make many distinctions between things, but rather it was something, let’s say, of the heart and of religious feeling ..., of love for their faith,” that motivated them, the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal, Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Some key figures

It is difficult to compile a specific list of the key figures and those who lost their lives at the hands of the anticlerical federal troops, especially considering that the Mexican Bishops’ Conference estimates that there were “more than 200,000 martyrs who gave their lives defending their faith."

But to understand the magnitude of the Cristero War, it is necessary to identify some of the actors who spearheaded the movement, as well as the figures who embodied the spiritual resistance against federal persecution.

The Cristero resistance was coordinated by the National League for the Defense of Religious Liberty — known as “The League" — which, although it managed to secure 2 million signatures in an attempt to reform the 1917 Constitution (an effort that ultimately failed) and organized a relatively successful boycott, threw itself into war effort without being “prepared to face the situation," according to Meyer.

Blessed Anacleto González Flores, known as “Maestro Cleto” and also nicknamed the “Socrates of Guadalajara” in reference to his origin in the state of Jalisco, was a layman who led peaceful efforts to confront the persecution by the government and was martyred on April 1, 1927. He is the patron saint of the Mexican laity.

St. José Sánchez del Río, affectionately called Joselito (“dear little José”), was martyred at the age of 14. He joined the war assuring his mother that “it had never been so easy to gain heaven as now, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity.” He was captured, tortured, and killed. Before dying, he asked that this message be delivered to his parents: “Long live Christ the King, and we will see each other in heaven.”

The photograph of the execution of Blessed Father Miguel Agustín Pro on Nov. 23, 1927, shows the Jesuit priest with his arms outstretched in the form of a cross in front of the firing squad. It is one of the most powerful symbols of the brutal religious persecution suffered by Catholics during the first half of the 20th century.

Among those murdered out of hatred for the faith during the religious persecution unleashed by the federal government, six priests who were members of the Knights of Columbus stand out. This fraternity played a leading role, both economically and socially, in supporting religious freedom during that tragic period in Mexico, even to the point of offering their own lives.

The six priests, canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000, are Luis Bátis Sáinz, José María Robles Hurtado, Mateo Correa Magallanes, Miguel de la Mora de la Mora, Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán, and Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucero. All of them were canonized on May 21, 2000, along with 19 other Mexican martyrs, including St. Cristóbal Magallanes.

‘Agreements’ of 1929 and the end of hostilities?

Officially, the Cristero War ended on June 21, 1929, with the so-called “Agreements” between Mexican Archbishop Leopoldo Ruiz y Flores, as apostolic delegate of Pope Pius XI; the bishop of Tabasco, Pascual Díaz; and the then-president of the country, Emilio Portes Gil, successor to Plutarco Elías Calles.

However, the “Agreements” did not entail any changes to the 1917 Constitution or the “Calles Law” but rather established a “modus vivendi” in which the federal government committed to not applying the laws to persecute Catholics, while the bishops resumed religious services and the Cristeros laid down their arms.

But the persecution was far from over. Meyer writes that “for the Cristeros, the ‘modus vivendi’ (a way to peacefully coexist) very quickly became a sinister ‘modus moriendi’ (a way to die), suffered as a trial worse than the war itself and borne like a cross, an incomprehensible mystery which they underwent out of love for the pope and for Jesus Christ the King.”

Meyer notes that “all the former Cristeros say: ‘More people died after the “Agreements” than during the war.’”

“In the capital of the republic, the party line was to assure and repeat that everything was over, but in the records of the Ministry of War, there are reports of campaigns up to 1941 and the generals discussing the means of subduing the rebels, who were sometimes very dangerous, here and there,” Meyer writes in another part of the first volume of “La Cristiada.”

This period is commonly considered the “Second Cristero War,” but Meyer points out that “if the first stage (1926–29) of the Cristero War was already a war [fought by] the poor, the second was a war of the destitute, without resources, without support.”

Long road to religious freedom in Mexico

It would not be until 1992 — after two visits to Mexico by Pope John Paul II, in 1979 and 1990 — that relations between church and state would be formally reestablished in the country with a reformed 1917 Constitution and the new and current “Law on Religious Associations and Public Worship,” which allows for the recognition of the legal personality of the Catholic Church.

Only since 1992 has the Catholic Church been allowed to own churches in Mexico, but all those built before that year — including the Guadalupe Basilica (completed in 1976) — are the property of the nation.

However, current law still prohibits both religious associations and ministers of religion from owning or managing “radio or television stations or any type of telecommunications” as well as “managing any of the mass media.” In fact, the law only permits the publication of “printed materials of a religious nature.”

A call from the Mexican bishops on the centenary

In their most recent message to the faithful, the Mexican bishops called for “honoring the memory” of the “Cristero resistance.”

They warned that this centenary “cannot be a mere nostalgic commemoration. It must be an examination of conscience and a renewed commitment.”

“Our martyrs ask us today: Are we willing to defend our faith with the same radical commitment? Have we lost our sense of the sacred? Have we become complacent in a culture that wants to relegate faith to the private sphere?”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Reports of Christian casualties and arrests are emerging as mass protests continue in Iran
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:07:00 -0500

Jan 20, 2026 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

The ongoing protests in Iran are considered the largest in years, both in duration and geographic spread. Since erupting on Dec. 28, 2025, demonstrations have continued without interruption, expanding across the country’s north, south, east, and west. Large numbers of Iranians from diverse social and religious backgrounds have taken part, including Christian citizens.

Human rights and church reports indicate that some Christian participants have been killed, injured, or arrested by Iranian security forces. The overwhelming majority of Christians in the Holy Land are Eastern Orthodox or Catholic.

According to ARTICLE 18, a London-based nonprofit dedicated to the protection and promotion of religious freedom in Iran, seven Iranian Christians of Armenian origin were killed in recent days by security forces. Armenian media outlets, however, have so far confirmed only one victim by name: Ejmin Masihi, who was killed in the capital, Tehran, amid unconfirmed reports that three other Iranian Armenians were wounded.

In addition, one Christian reported that police opened fire on two of his nephews in the city of Shiraz. Both were transferred to a hospital for treatment.

Christians have played a notable humanitarian role during the protests. Hormoz Shariat, president of Iran Alive Ministries, told ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, that a number of Christians have been providing food and water to demonstrators.

Shariat recounted that a Christian couple prepared approximately 50 sandwiches, carrying them in backpacks along with bottles of water to distribute in the streets. He said other Christians have been treating injured protesters in their homes, away from the eyes of authorities, noting the case of one demonstrator who later converted to Christianity after learning that the nurse who stopped his bleeding was a Christian.

Concerns for the safety of Christians are mounting amid the tense security situation, particularly as churches in Iran, both official congregations and underground house churches, maintain spiritual ties outside the country.

Observers warn that any discussion of foreign political interference, or even allegations of it, could make Christians an easy target for accusations or a “scapegoat” within the broader security crackdown.

In this context, Barnabas Aid reported that at least 10 Christians were arrested in three different locations in Fars province in western Iran before Jan 4. Citing one pastor from an unregistered church, the organization reported: “Security forces raided the homes of several believers, accusing us of providing ideological fuel for the street protests. Our people remain confined to their homes, yet the raids continue relentlessly.”

Anxiety has intensified notably over the past week following the Iranian government’s complete shutdown of internet access, which has made it increasingly difficult to verify developments on the ground.

The blackout has further heightened fears of arbitrary arrests or extrajudicial killings under the cover of chaos, especially targeting Christians, who are considered among the most vulnerable groups during this sensitive period.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pro-life movement has mixed reaction after Trump’s first year of second term
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:37:00 -0500

Jan 20, 2026 / 14:37 pm (CNA).

Members of the pro-life movement have mixed thoughts on the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, noting many wins early into his presidency but a number of shortfalls as time has gone by.

Some wins include defunding Planned Parenthood, walking back some of President Joe Biden’s initiatives, and removing foreign aid funding for organizations that promote abortion. However, a lack of action on chemical abortions and weakened rhetoric surrounding taxpayer-funded abortions are causing concern.

A notable pro-life win was included in the tax overhaul bill signed by Trump in July, which cut off all Medicaid reimbursements for organizations that provide a large number of abortions, such as Planned Parenthood.

Amid funding cuts, nearly 70 Planned Parenthood affiliates shut down. The administration also initially cut off Title X family planning grants from the abortion giant, but those have resumed.

The president pardoned pro-life protesters convicted of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and blocked foreign aid from supporting organizations that promote abortion. He rescinded several policies from the Biden administration, including one that paid Pentagon workers to travel for abortions. He also established strong conscience protections for pro-life doctors.

“Right out the gate, we saw some progress on the pro-life issue,” Kelsey Pritchard, a spokesperson for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), told EWTN.

Yet, she cautioned: “We have also not seen progress in the one area that matters the most — and that’s on abortion drugs.”

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched a study into the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone in September 2025, but so far no action has been taken to curtail the drug. Rather, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) went in the opposite direction, approving a generic version of mifepristone later that same month.

Pritchard said that move was “the opposite of what they should have done,” and referred to the generic mifepristone as “a new kill pill to increase the number of abortions that are done in this country.”

She said Kennedy’s promised study has “absolutely been moving too slow” and added that there is no confirmation it even began or is taking place. SBA called for FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to be fired following allegations he was “slow-walking the report for political reasons,” she said.

Trump has said abortion should be regulated by the states, but Pritchard warned “those [pro-life] laws can’t be in effect at all, really, when mail-order abortion happens with the abortion drugs.”

“They’re allowing [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom and [New York Gov.] Kathy Hochul and their blue state friends to completely nullify the pro-life laws in states like Texas and Florida,” she said.

Joseph Meaney, a senior ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, similarly said “the delay in the promised review of the rushed process in which mifepristone was approved as an abortion drug by the FDA has frustrated pro-lifers.”

“When the FDA approved a second generic version of mifepristone, … it highlighted the lack of progress in fighting the leading means of doing abortions in the [United States],” he said.

Trump also began to waver on taxpayer-funded abortions early in 2026, asking Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment amid negotiations on extending health care subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Trump later unveiled “The Great Healthcare Plan” and said the White House intends to negotiate with Congress to ensure pro-life protections.

Pritchard called taxpayer-funded abortion “a very basic red line” and said it’s “concerning to see Republicans back away from something so basic.”

She warned Republicans to not take pro-life voters for granted in the upcoming midterms, saying “you’ll lose the elections and we won’t have the majority of Congress” without pro-life voters.

“You must remain the pro-life party or you will lose the midterms if you decide to bow to the pro-death Democrat agenda,” Pritchard said.

Meaney said there is “a widespread feeling that the second Trump administration has seemed to deprioritize issues important to the pro-life community,” adding he has “seen calls for pro-life groups to ‘flex their muscles’ and show that they cannot be taken for granted.”

However, he said the shortfalls “should not obscure the fact that the Trump administration has rolled back the Biden-era pro-abortion measures internationally and domestically.”

“It even achieved a temporary defunding of Planned Parenthood domestically in legislation,” he said. “The federal government no longer funds research on fetal tissues and defends the conscience rights of health care professionals and others robustly.”

Trump also signed an executive order that directed departments and agencies to boost access to and reduce the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The Catholic Church opposes IVF, which results in the destruction of human embryos, ending human lives.