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From Baptist pastor to Catholic priest: A unique journey to priesthood
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0500

Jan 17, 2026 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Father Travis Moger has been a Catholic priest for just nine months, and his journey to ordination was a unique one. A former Baptist pastor and Navy chaplain, he was ordained in May 2025 in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, seven years after he, his wife, and his son entered the Catholic Church.

“I didn’t come into the Church in order to be a priest; God used prayer to draw me to the Catholic Church,” Moger told EWTN News reporter Julia Convery.

During a military campaign as a Navy chaplain, Moger; his wife, Amelia; and his son, Mark, all separately began to feel the call toward Catholicism. While Moger was away, his wife had begun attending RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, which is now called OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults).

Father Thomas Falkenthal, Moger’s former Navy chaplain supervisor, witnessed the seeds being planted in Moger’s heart.

“He was connecting with the liturgy. The Catholic Mass was certainly far from his tradition. I could tell it was touching him,” Falkenthal shared with Convery.

“He didn’t realize it, but all the way back home in the United States his wife, Amelia, was going to RCIA and preparing to join the Catholic Church. So when he came home from that deployment, they both had something to share with each other. Now I think that’s an amazing movement of the Spirit to keep that couple so close," Falkenthal said.

“It was definitely a God thing definitely to draw her towards the Catholic Church,” Moger added.

After a five-year journey of study and conversion, Moger, his wife, and his son were received into the Catholic Church on Easter Sunday 2018.

“I entered the Church not knowing if there would be a path to the priesthood for me,” Moger shared.

Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston explained that Pope Francis eventually granted Moger a dispensation from the usual requirement of celibacy for the Catholic priesthood, allowing him to be ordained a priest.

The bishop also pointed out that he believes having a desire for a family is a trait that makes a good priest.

“When I was a vocations director, I always looked for would this man make a good husband and father? If he would, then he’d probably make a good priest,” Brennan said.

Moger also highlighted this trait as one that allows him to have a unique perspective into his now-spiritual fatherhood.

“There’s something about being able to bring a child into the world and then nurture them and you’re fully invested in another person. And I think that experience does inform the way you look at spiritual fatherhood and the way you look at God’s fatherhood,” Moger said.

Moger’s son, Mark, told EWTN News that his father’s newly found spiritual fatherhood has brought a “deeper spirituality” into their family.

Maddy Cordle, Moger’s daughter, added: “I’ve had the privilege of watching his conversion from the beginning — same with my mom and my brother —and I just got to watch how it brought them so much closer to each other in their marriage, together as a family, but also really, really strengthened their relationship with God.”

“To him there’s nothing more important than the impoverished and the cast aside. That’s his charism and you’ll see it throughout his ministry,” Mark added.

Despite his unconventional journey to the priesthood, Moger sees it as the result of saying “yes” to God.

“God honors it when we start moving in the direction that he’s leading us, trusting that he’s going to work it out,” he said.

Former U.S. ambassador to Holy See weighs in on Vatican diplomacy in Venezuela, U.S.
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0500

Jan 17, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Francis Rooney, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, said Pope Leo XIV’s papacy marks a period of opportunity for the Church in the U.S. in an interview this week with “EWTN News In Depth.”

The former diplomat and congressman highlighted Leo’s measured approach to diplomacy in light of U.S. involvement in Venezuela. “He’s always calm, he’s always careful, and he’s very judicious in his comments," Rooney said in a report that aired Jan. 16.

“The Holy See has a long tradition of intervening in hostage situations and situations of marginalized people or people under great stress and change, like a regime change,” Rooney said.

The Vatican’s move to host opposition leader María Corina Machado this week, he said, likely had diplomatic intentions to strengthen her standing.

“I think it’s predictable that [Pope Leo XIV] would want to shore up her position on the international stage as well as he can,” Rooney said. “So a pre-Trump meeting with the Holy Father is a global expression of her importance right now.”

Reacting to a speech by Pope Leo to diplomats at the Vatican, during which the Holy Father lamented that “peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good,” Rooney pointed out that while Leo does not do so in the same manner as Pope Francis, “he speaks very clearly and says a lot of the same things.”

“[Leo’s] willing to call out bad activities by world leaders. He’s willing to call out the actions of Trump undermining the post-World War II order and creating potential consequences of bad actions by other people like North Korea, Russia, China,” he said, adding: “He’s not at all like Pope Francis. He’s calm, deliberate.”

Rooney served as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See from 2005 to 2008. He was a Republican member of the U.S. House from Florida from 2017 to 2021.

“The Church has a love-hate relationship with the United States. They resent our power, but they love our money, and they love our number of Catholics in the United States,” he said. “So this is an opportunity for Pope Leo to close that gap, earn more respect for the United States for the important role it plays in the Church, and also in Latin America.”

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, on Jan. 12. Rooney, whose congressional Florida district included Fort Myers and Naples, speculated the closed meeting likely revolved around immigration.

“We have Alligator Alcatraz down here near where we live, and a lot of migrants are being kicked out of the country who have no criminal record,” Rooney said. “I think most Americans would agree that we need workers. If theyve been living here a long time, some of their kids have gone to school with our kids, they should be able to stay and have an orderly rational plan for citizenship like President George W. Bush tried to accomplish but didn’t get it done.”

“On the other hand, if they’re criminals, they should go. I don’t think anybody would argue that we shouldn’t police the border and have a strong border,” he said, concluding that Coakley and the president likely “spoke about that a great deal.”

U.S. bishops say multimillion-dollar Eucharistic revival bore spiritual fruit
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Jan 17, 2026 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Catholic clergy and lay people reported a stronger devotion to the Eucharist after the National Eucharistic Revival.

This week, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released the report for the National Eucharistic Revival Impact Study. Done in collaboration with the National Eucharistic Congress corporation and Vinea Research, the study surveyed nearly 2,500 lay Catholics, clergy, and Church staff during the summer and fall of 2025.

The online survey asked questions about revival promotion, participation, and impact one year after the initial National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress. The price tag of the Eucharistic congress was more than $10 million, organizers said.

“Never in my tenure of working for the Church have I seen such deep impact,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress, in a press release. “The fruits of the National Eucharistic Revival are real, lasting, and will continue to shape the life of the American Church for years to come.”

The revival, sponsored by the USCCB, launched in June 2022 with the mission to “renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the holy Eucharist.”

The three-year initiative, which concluded in 2025, included the 10th National Eucharistic Congress and the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in 2024 and 2025.

In a Jan. 16 interview on “EWTN News In Depth,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens, chair of the National Eucharistic Congress, said he was “extremely heartened” by the results of the study.

“I had a sense that the revival had a big impact on people and especially on our Church,” he said. “But it was great to see that confirmed by the data and to see some of the actual statistics.”

Impact on clergy members

Of 249 clergy members of priests and deacons surveyed, 49% reported feeling “more encouraged’ since the revival began. Specifically, 38% said they feel “somewhat more encouraged” and 11% said they feel “significantly more encouraged.”

Nearly half, 48%, said they feel “more comfortable encouraging others to share their faith.”

The research found the revival “refocused clergy on the Eucharist,” with the majority reporting changes to their pastoral approach since 2021. The report found that 70% of clergy reported a stronger “focus on the Eucharist in teaching [and] ministry,” and 69% said they have a stronger “emphasis on evangelization and outreach.”

Clergy also reported personal advancements with their relationship with the Eucharist. More than half (51%) said their “time spent in personal adoration” is stronger now than it was in 2021.

“I was so grateful when I saw that priests found it encouraging. They were encouraged by this opportunity to focus on the Eucharist,” Cozzens said. “I know so much more preaching and encouragement about Eucharistic devotion happened in our parishes during this time.”

“If our priests are encouraged and they’re drawing closer to Jesus in the Eucharist, that’s going to help our people so much, and it’s going to help our Church so much,” he said.

Impact on lay Catholics

Among 1,758 of the lay Catholics surveyed, 874 were labeled as “national participants” who attended the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, National Eucharistic Congress, or both.

“We wanted Catholics to come together and to experience more deeply a profound love for Jesus in the Eucharist, and then from that, to be sent out on mission,” Cozzens said. The study “showed that anyone who attended one of our National Eucharistic Pilgrimages or National Eucharistic Congress said they were 50% more likely to do outreach, to share their faith, to do some act of service.”

“I think the thing that most stood out to me is that we accomplished our goal,” he said. “Our goal was really to bring about a missionary conversion of Catholics.”

Another 425 of lay Catholics were “local participants” who took part in local processions, small groups, and revival-specific Holy Hours. Most (83%) of the laypeople surveyed who participated at the national or local level said their “overall level of faith” is stronger now than it was in 2021.

The other 459 laypeople surveyed were “nonparticipating contacts” who did not participate in any revival activities. Most came from the USCCB’s newsletter distribution list and they were aware of the revival but not involved. Even though they did not directly participate, 79% reported their “overall level of faith” was stronger following the revival.

When asked to compare their faith practices with those in 2021, lay Catholics overwhelmingly reported praying more, attending adoration more frequently, and going to confession more often.

The research took a deeper look at how lay Catholics’ faith evolved, examining the changes in the level of “importance” of faith-related activities over the last three years. The greatest growth in importance was observed in volunteering and spending time in Eucharistic adoration.

In 2021, 57% of lay national participants reported “spending quiet time in Eucharistic adoration” was “very important” or “extremely important” to them. Following the revival, the number had jumped to 76%. There was also an increase for local participants with a rise from 65% to 82%. Among those who did not directly participate, there was the largest increase from 49% to 69%.

Continuing to spread the ‘fire’

The bishops have confirmed that the country’s second National Eucharistic Congress of the 21st century will take place in 2029.

“As we continue to strengthen the core of our faith and those people who are committed, and they begin to draw closer to Jesus from Eucharist, what the study showed is that they get on fire, and then they start to spread that fire,” he said.

“It’s the way Jesus worked himself. Jesus certainly did preach to crowds, but most of the time he spent with his 12 apostles and with those people who were with him. Because if he could convert and strengthen them, then they could go out and convert the world,” he said.

“I think that’s really the goal of the whole Eucharistic movement that we have now is strengthening those people so that they can become the witnesses that we’re called to be,” he said.

Abortions hit record high in England and Wales
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 08:16:00 -0500

Jan 17, 2026 / 08:16 am (CNA).

Abortions in England and Wales hit a record high as use of the abortion pill continues to rise.

The number of abortions jumped 11% from 2022 to 2023, going from 250,000 to 270,000 according to figures from the Department of Health.

Almost 90% of these abortions were done via abortion pills, and most were performed on very young unborn children, usually aged two to nine weeks. Surgical abortions have been decreasing for the past two decades, according to the Department of Health

The abortion rate is estimated to be at 12.3 per 1,000 women in 2023, almost doubling the 2013 rate, which was 7.1 per 1,000 women. About 40% of women who had abortions in 2023 in England and Wales had already had an abortion in the past.

Pregnancy support line takes 1.3 million calls in 2025

Heartbeat International’s pregnancy support helpline broke records with 1.3 million calls in 2025, according to a recent report by the group.

The Option Line tripled the number of calls it received in 2025 --- calls which, more than 90% of the time, come from men and women who are at risk for abortion, according to the organization.

Via its High Risk Response Network, Option Line helps connect those in need to local pregnancy help centers for prompt telecare consultations, as well as in-person visits. According to Heartbeat International, 9 out of ten callers show up for virtual consultation appointments, and three in four callers show up for pregnancy help appointments after they call.

Gov. Newsom rejects abortionist extradition request

California Gov. Gavin Newsom refused to extradite a California abortionist who allegedly provided abortion pills to a man who coerced his girlfriend into having an abortion.

Newsom on Wednesday rejected Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s indictment for abortionist Remy Coeytaux, who was charged with criminal abortion in Louisiana after Rosalie Markezich’s boyfriend allegedly ordered abortion pills from him and forced her to take them. Newsom said in a statement that he would “never be complicit with Trump’s war on women.” 

South Carolina lawmakers introduce bill to ban coerced abortion 

South Carolina lawmakers introduced several pro-life bills at the start of this year’s legislative session, including a bill to protect women from coerced abortions. 

The bill would make it a crime to coerce a woman into having an abortion, with penalties up to one year in prison and $5,000 in fines, or higher if she is a minor or if the perpetrator is the father of the child.

This bill was among several other newly-introduced pro-life bills, including a bill to protect unborn children after conception. The Life Begins at Conception Act, sponsored by Sen Matt. Leber (R-District 41), would protect unborn children after conception unless they were conceived by rape or incest. Legislators also introduced a bill that would ban chemical abortion pills.

Lawmakers also introduced a bill to classify abortion drugs as a controlled substance. This bill, if passed, would make possession without a prescription a felony, while exempting pregnant women from prosecution.

Another bill would make it a felony to pay for or reimburse the cost of an abortion for a South Carolina resident and would criminalize donating to organizations who fund women crossing state lines for abortions. Another bill would permanently bar abortion clinics from receiving Medicaid funds for any services, codifying a 2017 executive order. 

‘We only want treatment’: Catholics caught in Bangladesh-India visa crisis
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Jan 17, 2026 / 08:00 am (CNA).

For decades, India was the most affordable and trusted destination for Bangladeshis seeking medical treatment abroad. Among them were thousands of Catholics who relied on Indian hospitals — many run by Christian institutions — for lifesaving care. But following political unrest in Bangladesh in July–August 2024 and the subsequent strain in relations with New Delhi, tightened Indian visa policies have sharply reduced access, leaving Catholic patients and families struggling both medically and emotionally.

An average of 3.6 million Bangladeshis used to travel to India annually for tourism, medical treatment, and business. Since Aug. 5, 2024, however, the number of Bangladeshi travelers — especially medical patients — has dropped dramatically, largely due to stricter visa procedures.

“I wanted to go to India for treatment of my heart disease, but I did not get a medical visa,” said Mita Corraya, a Catholic from Dhaka. “My cousin recovered after receiving treatment at Christian Medical College Vellore. Sadly, I was not given a visa.”

Corraya told EWTN News that she is now receiving similar treatment in Dhaka, but at a much higher cost. “So far, my treatment has cost nearly 1 million taka [about $8,101]. If I had been able to go to India, it would have cost around 500,000 taka [about half],” she said.

Cancer patients among the most affected

The visa complications have hit cancer patients particularly hard. Rina Gomes, a Catholic from Tejgaon parish in Dhaka, said she has been unable to return to India for follow-up care for breast cancer.

“I went to India for treatment in May 2024,” Gomes said. “Now I cannot go back. The political relationship between India and Bangladesh has become worse, and ordinary people are suffering. This should be stopped.”

Bangladesh ranks 10th globally among countries whose citizens seek medical treatment abroad. According to health sector data, 51% of Bangladeshi patients travel to India, followed by Thailand and Singapore at 20% each. Smaller numbers go to the United Kingdom (3%), Japan and Malaysia (2%), and China and the United Arab Emirates (1%).

More than half of Bangladeshi patients traveling abroad go primarily for diagnosis and medical checkups. Among those seeking treatment, heart disease, kidney ailments, cancer, and cataract surgeries are the most common reasons.

‘People are suffering because of politics’

“Previously, many patients traveled to India on tourist visas and consulted doctors,” said Dr. Edward Pallab Rozario, a Catholic Bangladeshi family medicine specialist and certified diabetologist as well as a children, skin, VD, sex, and burn physician. “Now they must apply for medical visas. About 80% receive approval, but 20% do not.”

Rosario explained that Indian hospitals remain popular because of their affordability and patient-centered approach. “Patients tell us Indian doctors spend time with them and listen carefully. The cost is also lower. That is why people still want to go, despite the difficulties.”

Beyond medical care, visa restrictions have strained family relationships within Bangladesh’s small Catholic community, which has long-standing cross-border ties with India.

A Telugu Catholic living in Dhaka, who requested anonymity, told EWTN News that members of his family live in Andhra Pradesh. “One of my sisters married there, and two studied there. We used to visit once a year, but now we cannot get tourist visas.”

“My mother has become ill because she has not seen her daughters for more than a year,” he said.

He also described the distressing case of a Christian student who failed to obtain a visa extension in India and attempted to cross the border irregularly. The student was arrested and jailed by Indian authorities. “Community leaders are working for his release,” he said.

He urged both governments to improve relations. “People are suffering because of politics. This should not happen.”

Trade tensions deepen uncertainty

The strain in bilateral relations has extended beyond visas into trade, further impacting livelihoods in Bangladesh.

Following political changes on Aug. 5, 2024, India imposed trade restrictions. On April 8, it canceled transshipment facilities that allowed Bangladesh to export goods to third countries via Indian airports. India later imposed phased restrictions on Bangladeshi exports through land ports, affecting garments, processed food, jute products, cotton-yarn waste, plastic goods, and wooden furniture.

Bangladesh responded by halting yarn imports from India through land ports on April 15.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh exported goods worth $760 million to India during the first five months of the current fiscal year (July–November), compared with $810 million in the same period last year — a decline of 6.68%.

Exports of processed food products dropped by 13%, while jute and jute products fell by 37%.

‘Economics should not be mixed with politics’

Economists warn that continued restrictions could further weaken Bangladesh’s export capacity.

Khandaker Golam Moazzem, research director at the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), told EWTN News that Bangladesh has limited export markets, making India strategically important.

“Even after Bangladesh restricted yarn imports, imports from India increased,” he said. “But after India imposed restrictions, Bangladeshi exports declined. Economics should not always be mixed with political issues.”

Kamruzzaman Kamal, director of marketing at PRAN-RFL Group, Bangladesh’s largest processed food exporter, said rising logistics costs have reduced profitability. “There are additional costs at land ports, and many products are no longer viable,” he told EWTN News. “We want initiatives to strengthen bilateral relations and reopen land ports.”

Hope for dialogue

Despite the current strain, business leaders in India have described the trade crisis as temporary. Economists on both sides argue that dialogue is essential — not only to revive trade but also to reduce the human cost borne by patients and families.

For Bangladesh’s Catholic minority, the crisis is deeply personal.

“We do not want conflict,” Corraya said quietly. “We only want treatment, dignity, and the chance to live.”

As war and division spread, Europe’s churches renew call for prayer and unity
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Jan 17, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) issued an appeal to Christians across Europe to pray for peace during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed Jan. 18–25.

In a letter addressed to Catholic bishops across the continent, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius linked this call to prayer with the recent updating of the Charta Oecumenica, the key ecumenical charter for cooperation and unity among Christian churches in Europe, formally signed in Rome on Nov. 5, 2025.

The Lithuanian prelate said that “this unity among the baptized in Christ is a powerful instrument of peace throughout the world,” especially in a “war-torn world.”

What is the Charta Oecumenica?

The Charta Oecumenica was first adopted in 2001 as a roadmap for deeper cooperation among Christian communities in Europe. The 2025 revision, concluded after a three-year process led by a joint working group of the CCEE and the Conference of European Churches (CEC), reflects modern European realities concerning migration and secularization to rising societal prejudices.

The CEC is a fellowship of Orthodox, Protestant, and Anglican churches from the nations of Europe.

The revised document encourages churches to broaden mutual understanding and to witness together the Gospel in a continent shaped by cultural diversity, secular pressures, and geopolitical tensions.

Grušas’ appeal touches upon recent remarks by Pope Leo XIV during his audience with Christian leaders following the Charta’s signing. The pope observed that Christians today “often feel increasingly like a minority” in some contexts and urged greater fraternity and openness “amid the clamor of violence and war, whose echoes resound throughout the continent.” His message highlighted the urgency of ecumenical cooperation not as an abstract ideal but as a witness to peace and reconciliation.

For Grušas, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is not only about cohesion among churches but also about fostering peace “among all parties in conflict with one another.”

He invited the faithful to entrust this shared intention to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Europe, and the patron saints of Europe, highlighting prayer as the foundation for spiritual and societal transformation.

Mercy as a practical response to conflict

The archbishop’s announcement comes at a significant moment for the Church in Europe. His archdiocese is preparing to host the sixth World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM 6) from June 7–12, an international Catholic gathering focused on the theme “Building a City of Mercy.”

The congress, drawing thousands of faithful, clergy, and laypeople from around the globe, aims to deepen understanding of divine mercy and its role in addressing the spiritual and humanitarian needs of the modern world. It encourages Catholics to become “builders of a culture of mercy” in their families, communities, and societies.

CUA professor launches AI marketplace in line with Catholic social teaching
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Jan 17, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

An artificial intelligence (AI) marketplace launched by a business professor at The Catholic University of America seeks to offer products and services in a venue consistent with the social teachings of the Catholic Church — it is called Almma AI.

Lucas Wall, who teaches finance at the university and has led several entrepreneurial ventures, began building Almma AI in mid-2023. The marketplace facilitates transactions for AI-related products, allowing people to upload their creations to be purchased or, in some cases, used for no charge.

The types of products that can be offered on the marketplace include Large Language Models (LLMs) — similar to ChatGPT and Grok — along with AI prompts, personas, assistants, agents, and plugins.

Although other marketplaces exist, Wall told EWTN News that Almma AI is designed to ensure the average person can “benefit from this new revolution that is coming” by selling or purchasing products in the marketplace.

“With most technological revolutions and changes, there are only a handful of people who make fortunes,” Wall said.

Almma’s mission statement is “AI profits for all,” and Wall said it is meant to “help people monetize their knowledge.” He said the marketplace can “build bridges across cultures” because people anywhere can access it, and “allows people to make solutions for their neighbors or for their parishes.”

Almma does not exclusively offer Catholic-related products, but it does block the sale of anything that is immoral or could provoke sin, which Wall said was another major contrast with other AI marketplaces.

“I want to be part of the group of people who help innovation meet morality,” he said.

Among the examples of problems within larger AI companies, he noted, are the development of artificial romantic chatbots and the creation of erotica and artificial pornographic images and videos. He also expressed concern about AI consultation in end-of-life care.

“I refuse to believe we don’t have enough imagination as a Catholic community and the courage to build something better,” Wall said.

AI and Catholic social teaching

Wall said the development of Almma AI was “responding to the call of Pope Francis that he very clearly outlined in [the 2025 doctrinal note] Antiqua et Nova” and also took inspiration from Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum.

In Antiqua et Nova, the Vatican holds that the development of AI should spur us to “a renewed appreciation of all that is human.” It teaches that AI should be used to serve the common good, promote human development, and not simply be used for individual or corporate gain.

That note builds on the framework provided in Rerum Novarum, which expressed Catholic social teaching in the wake of the industrial revolution. At the time, Pope Leo XIII emphasized a need to seek the common good and safeguard the dignity of work when many laborers faced poor working conditions.

“Wages ought not to be insufficient to support a frugal and well-behaved wage-earner,” Leo XIII writes. “... If a workman’s wages be sufficient to enable him comfortably to support himself, his wife, and his children, he will find it easy, if he be a sensible man, to practice thrift, and he will not fail, by cutting down expenses, to put by some little savings and thus secure a modest source of income.”

Wall said Almma AI follows those guidelines by “trying to help people earn a decent living and keeping their dignity.” He added: “If you want to monetize a skill, we have the tools for you.”

When the current pontiff Leo XIV chose the name “Leo,” he said he did so to honor Leo XIII, who “addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution.” He chose the name, in part, because AI developments pose “new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor,” Leo XIV explained.

Leo XIV has spoken at length about AI. This includes warnings about anti-human ideologies, the threat to human connections and interactions, and concern about the displacement of workers. However, he has also highlighted the potential benefits of AI if used to advance humanity and uphold the dignity of the human person.

Wall welcomed continued guidance from the Vatican, saying the Church has “moral foundations … beyond what anyone in secular society can point at.” He expressed hope that Leo XIV will author a document similar to Rerum Novarum that addresses the changes AI is bringing about to the global economy

“I pray daily for it,” Wall said.

Trump to negotiate with Congress over pro-life protections in health plan
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:29:58 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 18:29 pm (CNA).

U.S. bishops and Catholic pro-life organizations will be watching to see if President Donald Trump’s health care plan includes pro-life language.

Trump has faced criticism over the past week from pro-life activists after he urged Republican lawmakers to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment when negotiating extensions for health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act.

Trump’s health plan, outlined in a four-point memo, will be negotiated with Congress over whether to include the strongest possible pro-life protections and prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. The Hyde Amendment, long included in federal spending bills, prevents tax dollars from being used on elective abortions.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has urged Congress to uphold the Hyde Amendment amid the negotiations, saying: “Authentic health care upholds the dignity of all human life, and health care policy must not violate this dignity.”

Health initiatives

The White House published a one-page memo that details some of the president’s priorities for the health care plan, although details have yet to be released. There was no mention of the Hyde Amendment in the 827-word memo.

According to the White House, the plan focuses on four issues: lowering drug prices, lowering insurance premiums, holding big insurance companies accountable, and maximizing price transparency.

“You’re going to get a better deal and better care,” Trump said in a video message. He urged the Republican-controlled Congress to take swift action to draft and pass legislation to achieve these goals.

To lower drug prices, the memo states Congress should allow more medicine to be sold over the counter and codify the administration’s recent deals with drug companies that require them to sell medicine in the United States at rates that are comparable to other developed countries.

According to the memo, the plan would lower health care premiums by providing health care subsidies directly to Americans rather than to insurance companies and support a cost-sharing reduction program to lower the most common Affordable Care Act premiums by more than 10%.

The plan would seek to hold insurance companies accountable by forcing insurance companies to publish rate and coverage comparisons in “plain English” that is easier to comprehend and by requiring them to publish the percentage of their revenues that are paid out in claims compared with overhead costs and advertise the percentage of insurance claims they reject.

According to the White House, the plan would improve transparency by requiring that insurance companies prominently display their pricing and fees to prevent surprise medical bills.

“Instead of putting the needs of big corporations and special interests first, our plan finally puts you first and puts more money in your pocket,” Trump said. “The government is going to pay the money directly to you. It goes to you, and then you take the money and buy your own health care.”

Catholic Health Association reacts

At least one Catholic health group has welcomed some of the priorities included in the plan. The Catholic Health Association of the United States generally aligns with Church teaching but has faced criticism for its stances on issues such as abortion.

Sister Mary Haddad, RSM, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, which represents numerous Catholic hospitals, said in a statement that the organization welcomes the initiative.

“We welcome the administration’s engagement in the vital work of expanding access to quality, affordable health care,” she said. “Ensuring that individuals and families can obtain the care they need is central to the mission of Catholic health care.”

Haddad asked Congress and the administration to advance a bipartisan deal on the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which narrowly passed in the House with broad support from Democrats and only a little support from Republicans. A key point of contention was the Hyde Amendment, which was not included in the House-passed version and could complicate the Senate negotiations.

“Renewing them would immediately ease financial pressures on households while helping ensure people maintain their health coverage,” Haddad said. “We will continue to work with the administration and with Congress to strengthen health care access for communities across the country.”

NYPD increasing presence at churches after incidents at Staten Island Catholic parishes
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 17:40:00 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 17:40 pm (CNA).

The New York Police Department (NYPD) says it will increase officer presence at local churches after several crimes committed at Catholic parishes on Staten Island.

Several Catholic churches on Staten Island have been vandalized or attacked in recent weeks, including a robbery and a violent incident during a morning Mass in which two police officers were injured.

State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton called for increased police presence at churches in the area after the incidents. At a Jan. 15 press conference, local leaders including NYPD Staten Island Borough Commander Melissa Eger said police presence would be heightened at churches across the borough.

Eger said at the press conference that none of the incidents indicated that the Catholic churches had been targeted due to religion, describing the crimes as “acts ... of opportunism and theft" as well as one incident involving a mentally ill person.

“That said, any incident, especially a disruption of service that occurs at any house of worship, generates serious concern from our community and we know that,” the commander said.

Scarcella-Spanton said at the press event that “nobody should feel unsafe where they are praying.”

Addressing the Catholic community, she said: “I just want you to know that we stand with you.”

“We’re going to be making sure that this issue is highlighted, because I think it’s important to bring light to the fact that this has happened now four times,” the state senator said.

Also at the press conference was Father Jacob Thumma, the pastor of both St. Ann’s Church and St. Sylvester’s Church, both of which were the site of recent criminal incidents.

Referring to the incident at St. Ann’s on Jan. 9 where a man violently disrupted morning Mass and injured two responding officers, Thumma said the altercation “highlights an urgent societal concern — the need for enhanced services and compassionate care for those suffering from mental illness.“

“We must continue to invest in mental health resources that support families [and] provide timely interventions before crises occur,” the priest said.

He further called on the public “to join us in prayer for the individual involved in this incident, that he may receive the healing he needs, [as well as for] for the injured police officers and their families.”

Dutch conservative activist and Catholic convert barred from entering the UK
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 17:10:00 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 17:10 pm (CNA).

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

Dutch conservative activist and Catholic convert barred from entering UK

Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a 28-year-old Dutch lawyer, activist, and Catholic convert, announced on X that her Electronic Travel Authorization was revoked as of Jan. 13 and she may not enter the U.K. The U.K. government said her “presence in the U.K. is not conducive to the public good” and that she may not appeal it. The notice came just days after she accused Britian’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer of allowing “the ongoing rape and killing of British girls by migrant rape gangs” and criticized Starmer for threatening to block X in the name of “safety.”

Vlaardingerbroek was received into the Catholic Church, along with her father, in April 2023 in London by Father Benedict Kiely, a priest in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. 

Sydney Archdiocese wades into ‘globalize the intifada’ debate 

The Archdiocese of Sydney has waded into the debate surrounding an inquiry by the New South Wales government into a law banning phrases such as “globalize the intifada” in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack in December 2025.

The archdiocese pushed back against the prospect of hate speech laws, according to a Catholic Weekly report on Tuesday, writing in a submission regarding the inquiry: “Our first response to bad speech should be better speech … Engaging in respectful civil discourse should be possible without the threat of arrest and prosecution.”

The submission continued: “The better way to protect against hateful rhetoric is to educate people in civil discourse and positive human behavior.”

Maronite warning over land purchases in Lebanon

Lebanon’s Maronite League has issued a sharp warning over what it describes as an organized effort to purchase land in several key districts, including Baabda, Jezzine, Zahle, and the coastal Chouf, according to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.

In a statement from Beirut, the league stressed that land in Lebanon is not merely a commercial asset but a core element of historical and cultural identity, particularly for the country’s Christian presence. The council cautioned that unregulated or distress-driven land sales could undermine Lebanon’s delicate demographic balance and erode long-standing communal roots. It called for clear legal safeguards to prevent indiscriminate transactions. 

The league urged Christian youth to engage with state institutions despite long-standing governance challenges, reaffirmed its support for President  Joseph Aoun, and reiterated its position that all weapons must remain exclusively in the hands of the state to preserve sovereignty and stability.

Bishop Chami calls for prayer and fasting amid regional turmoil

Against the backdrop of escalating instability across the Middle East, Bishop Jean-Marie Chami, Melkite Catholic patriarchal vicar for Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan, has issued a spiritual appeal for peace. Addressing both believers and people of goodwill, he called for fasting, prayer, and extended periods of Eucharistic adoration, ACI MENA reported.

Acknowledging widespread feelings of helplessness in the face of violence and uncertainty, the bishop emphasized that faith remains a powerful response when human solutions falter. He encouraged a 40-day spiritual commitment as a preparation for Lent, offered specifically for unity among peoples and healing for a wounded humanity.

Christian schools in Jerusalem suspend classes amid permit crisis

Christian educational institutions in Jerusalem have suspended classes in an unprecedented move highlighting mounting pressure on faith-based schooling in the city, ACI MENA reported.

Fourteen schools affiliated with the Christian Educational Institutions Secretariat, along with several independent schools, halted operations after Israeli authorities restricted teacher access permits. School leaders warn that the measures threaten their ability to continue a centuries-old educational mission that has served students of all backgrounds. According to the schools, more than 170 teachers and staff have been affected, preventing the start of the second academic term. Church officials stress that these schools are not only academic centers but also vital pillars of Jerusalem’s cultural and social fabric, and caution that continued restrictions risk undermining the city’s pluralistic character.

Ethiopian Catholic eparchy celebrates 10th anniversary 

The Eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie, the youngest ecclesiastical jurisdiction within the Ethiopian Catholic Church, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Despite ongoing instability in the region, Eparch Lisane-Christos described the milestone, which comes along with the construction of the eparchy’s first cathedral, as “a sign of a new era of grace,” according to a report from Fides News Agency. “While the foundation stone will be laid during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie, the construction of the cathedral is a long-term project that will require ongoing support after the festivities end,” he said. 

Backlash ensues over Egypt holiday policy that excludes Catholics, Protestants

The Egyptian minister of labor is facing backlash after announcing his decision to grant five paid holidays to Orthodox Christians in Egypt but only three to Catholics and Protestants in the country.

“The Catholic Church in Egypt follows with great concern the recent government decision regarding holidays for Christian citizens,” said Bishop Ibrahim Ishaq, patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church, according to a  Manassa News report.

The bishop further emphasized his “deep regret at the lack of full equality among Christian denominations, especially regarding the celebrations of the Catholic Church’s children.” The bishop noted he is in talks with the Egyptian government to change the policy to include Catholics and Protestants. 

Church in Sri Lanka ‘making significant contribution to rekindling hope’ after cyclone

The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is providing hope for people affected by Cyclone Ditwah and flooding that swept through the country late last year, Fides News Agency reported.

“The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is making a significant contribution to rekindling hope,” said Father Basil Rohan Fernando, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Colombo, in the report.

“The Catholic community in Sri Lanka has become involved and is committed to a single goal: to instill new hope,” he continued. “We have assumed a special responsibility; namely, to keep hope alive. This is being done by supporting many people with material, financial, but also spiritual, psychological, and social assistance, as was the case during the Christmas season and continues to be the case today.”

Vice President Vance, House Speaker Johnson to speak at 2026 March for Life
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 16:40:29 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 16:40 pm (CNA).

Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to speak at the 2026 March for Life Rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23.

Vance, who is the nation’s second Catholic vice president, will join Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, among other speakers at the 53rd annual pro-life event, organizers said.

“Vice President Vance is grateful to the tens of thousands of Americans who travel to the National Mall each year to speak out in support of life and looks forward to joining them for the second consecutive year,” a spokesperson for the vice president told EWTN News.

Vance will be attending and speaking at the event for the second time as vice president. He spoke at the March for Life in 2025 where he delivered his first public remarks in the leadership position.

Addressing the crowd at the 2025 march, Vance said becoming a father helped to solidify his convictions that “an unborn life is worthy of protection.”

“You remind us that the March for Life is not a single event that takes place on a frigid January day,” he said to the crowd. “The March for Life is the work of the pro-life movement every day from this point forward,” he said.

“We will be back next year,” he said.

While President Donald Trump will not be attending the 2026 March for Life in person, he told EWTN News’ White House correspondent Owen Jensen on Jan. 16 he will address the crowd through a “beautiful” prerecorded message.

“And they’re going to play it,” he said. “And those are great people. I want to tell you they’re great people,” Trump said about attendees.

While the president will deliver the virtual message, the Trump administration is receiving backlash from pro-life activists following his claim that Republicans need to be “ flexible” with the Hyde Amendment and the reinstatement of funds to Planned Parenthood.

When asked about the Hyde Amendment, Trump said “you’re going to hear about it” in the message.

Vance is set to deliver his remarks at the pre-march rally at 11 a.m. on Jan. 23. The March for Life is scheduled to begin after the rally.

Bishop Fernandes praises religious worker visa rule change, says work still to be done
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:35:00 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, expressed gratitude that the Department of Homeland Security is easing visa restrictions for religious workers and called for passage of a bill to address visa backlogs.

“This rule change provides some much-needed relief!” Fernandes said in a statement released Jan. 15. “We take comfort in knowing that sacramental and pastoral care will not be disrupted in our parishes, schools, hospitals, and prison ministries.”

Under the rule, religious workers in the country on R-1 visas would no longer be required to reside outside of the U.S. for a full year if they reach their statutory five-year maximum period of stay before completing their green card applications.

Fernandes said 21 priests and 13 sisters who hold R-1 visas and work within the diocese would have been affected in the absence of the rule change.

“While R-1 religious workers are still required to depart the U.S., the rule establishes that there is no longer a minimum period of time they must reside and be physically present outside the U.S. before they seek readmission in R-1 status,” according to a DHS statement about the Jan. 16 publication of the rule in the Federal Register.

Legislative fix

Fernandes said: “I encourage all of the faithful to press for a permanent legislative fix and to support the Religious Workforce Protection Act.” The bill, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, would extend R-1 nonimmigrant visa status beyond the usual five-year limit and waive the one-year foreign residency requirement for those who left the U.S., allowing them to stay and serve their communities while waiting for green cards. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, introduced a House version of the bill.

Fernandes thanked Carey; Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, for their efforts to support the legislation. Moreno, he said, “intervened personally to work for the rule change.”

“The impact of our international priests and religious across the United States is pivotal in helping us build a civilization of love, assisting in the growth of the virtues of solidarity and fraternity, and providing the sacramental and pastoral needs of our people, an increasingly diverse group from around the world,” Fernandes said. “I urge you to continue to push for the passage of the Religious Workforce Protection Act with your representatives and ask for your continued prayers for all clergy and religious throughout our diocese and around the world, while offering prayers of gratitude for our civic leaders and for our priests and religious who continue to serve the members of our community.”

Kaine introduced the measure in April 2025 with support from Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jim Risch, R-Idaho. The bill would modify rules to allow religious workers to bypass a requirement to be strictly tied to their original job while waiting for green cards.

“Faith communities across America — including my own parish in Richmond — depend on foreign religious workers and suffer greatly when these dedicated members of their congregations are forced to leave the country due to no fault of their own,” Kaine said. “This interim final rule from DHS is a step in the right direction and will reduce hardships to temples, churches, mosques, and other religious communities throughout the U.S.”

“Now it’s time for Congress to take the next step and pass the Kaine-Collins-Risch Religious Workforce Protection Act to further streamline the bureaucratic process for foreign-born pastors, priests, rabbis, nuns, imams, and other religious workers to continue their work here in the United States,” he added.

“I joined Sens. Kaine and Risch in introducing the Religious Workforce Protection Act when I noticed Maine parishes where I attend Mass were losing their priests because their R-1 visas expired while their EB-4 applications were still pending. I saw this issue creating a real crisis in our state. We urged the previous administration to fix this issue, but the problem went unaddressed — until today,” Collins said. “We will continue working to pass our legislation to provide full and lasting relief to religious workers and the communities they serve in Maine and across the country.”

“Idaho’s religious communities and their beloved clergy are central to our right to worship. That’s why I proudly introduced the Religious Workforce Protection Act,” Risch said. “The Trump administration’s action aligns with our efforts to ensure Idaho’s religious workers can stay in the U.S. and continue serving their congregations while their visas are processed. I will continue working with Sens. Collins and Kaine to pass our legislation and ensure none of Idaho’s religious workers face the threat of leaving the communities they love and serve so faithfully.”

Christian symbols in public buildings on trial before European Court of Human Rights
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:05:44 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 14:05 pm (CNA).

The European Court of Human Rights is examining a case that seeks to remove Christian symbols, including icons and religious artwork, from public buildings in Greece.

The case began when two atheists asked for the removal of Christian icons displayed in Greek courtrooms during hearings involving religious matters, claiming the icons were discriminatory, compromised judicial objectivity, and violated their rights to a fair trial and to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Greek courts rejected the requests.

ADF International has intervened in the case, known as Union of Atheists v. Greece, arguing that removing religious symbols in public spaces is a misinterpretation of religious freedom.

The group pointed out in a press release that the European Court of Human Rights ruled previously in a case in Italy that the presence of a crucifix in state classrooms does not “amount to indoctrination or interfere with the right of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion.”

Adina Portaru, senior counsel at ADF International, said: “The display of religious symbols in public spaces is in no way incompatible with human rights law. Public spaces should not be stripped of crosses, icons, or other symbols with religious, cultural, and historical significance in the name of pluralism.”

“The court has repeatedly affirmed that religious symbols, particularly those forming a country’s heritage, do not violate freedom of religion or the right to a fair trial.”

ADF International emphasized that any principle of state neutrality must not equate to hostility toward Christianity, pointing out its deep social, cultural, and historical role in Greece.

“The European Convention on Human Rights robustly protects freedom of religion. Culturally rooted religious symbols or artwork, such as centuries-old Orthodox Christian icons, do not impose a belief on anyone nor direct judicial decision-making,” Portaru said.

ADF’s legal brief stressed that the European Court’s case law grants states a wide margin of appreciation in matters of religion in public life, arguing that a religious image alone does not restrict freedom of belief or undermine trial fairness, and that no right exists to be free from offense caused by religious imagery.

According to ADF: “Across Europe, there exists a long-standing practice of displaying religious symbols, including crucifixes, in Italian state institutions, religious artwork in historic court buildings in Austria and Spain, or crosses in every government office across Bavaria, Germany, while in France courts have recognized that religious imagery is permissible in public buildings where it serves a cultural or historical purpose.”

The European Court of Human Rights will now review the case as well as third-party interventions before issuing a decision.

EWTN launches unified Catholic news brand: CNA and ACI Group become EWTN News
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 13:31:43 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 13:31 pm (CNA).

The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) has rolled out a major rebrand of its EWTN News services, bringing multiple outlets and coverage brands under “one global news organization” committed to coherently covering the Catholic Church both regionally and globally.

In a Jan. 15 press release, EWTN — which was launched as a Catholic television network in 1981 by Mother Angelica, PCPA — announced that it was bringing Catholic News Agency and its affiliated international outlets under “a single, unified identity.”

Catholic News Agency was originally founded in 2004 in Denver; it was acquired by EWTN in 2014. In addition, the regional, language-based outlets of the Association of Catholic Information (ACI) Group, also acquired by EWTN in 2014, are in the process of being fully integrated into the EWTN News brand.

The new, unified EWTN News brand is accompanied by a new digital platform, EWTNNews.com. Initially launched in English, reflecting the U.S. roots of EWTN’s global Catholic news operation, the platform will soon expand with a Spanish-language edition and will continue integrating coverage in five additional languages to serve audiences worldwide.

EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw said the move “reflects both who we are and who we are called to be: one global news organization, rooted in the teachings of the Church and committed to serving the faithful with accuracy, integrity, and conviction.”

EWTN News President Montse Alvarado said the rebrand is “not simply about a new name or a new website — it reflects a deeper alignment of mission, editorial vision, and operations.”

“By uniting our global news teams under the EWTN News brand and launching a new platform, we are enhancing how we create and deliver content, embracing evolving forms of storytelling, and answering the Holy Father’s call to serve the truth with charity and courage,” Alvarado said.

Ken Oliver-Méndez, the editor-in-chief of the English service of EWTN News, said the media outlet “has been preparing for this moment for several years.”

“Fully integrating our work under EWTN News signals a mature, unified newsroom,” he said.

EWTNNews.com is now live, with traffic from catholicnewsagency.com being gradually redirected over the coming days. The transition will be completed by Jan. 24, the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists.

The new EWTNNews.com includes features reflecting EWTN’s ongoing technological transformation. A redesigned Watch section showcases a digital-first approach to news production and storytelling. Updated design elements also underscore a growing commitment to the audience experience.

In addition, new devotional features, such as daily readings, further integrate news consumption with prayer and catechesis.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News is the global, multilingual news service of the EWTN Global Catholic Network. With language teams based in the United States, Peru, the Vatican, Kenya, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Iraq, along with correspondents throughout the world, EWTN News delivers coverage in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, and Arabic, serving Catholic audiences worldwide.

Among the digital and print platforms EWTN News operates are ChurchPOP and The National Catholic Register, a nearly 100-year-old biweekly newspaper with a robust digital presence. EWTN News also produces television news programs such as “EWTN News Nightly,” “EWTN Noticias,” “EWTN News In Depth,” “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” and “Vaticano.”

‘Our Lady of Arabia’ in Kuwait elevated to minor basilica in presence of Cardinal Parolin
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 13:30:00 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived in Kuwait on Thursday for a visit of both ecclesial and diplomatic significance and on Friday presided over a ceremony formally proclaiming the Church of Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi a minor basilica.

Granting this title to the church underscores closer ties between Kuwait and the Holy See.

The basilica is called to serve as a model of prayer, liturgical life, and ecclesial communion, and to become a pilgrimage destination for Catholics throughout the Gulf region as well as a symbol of dialogue and mutual respect. On designated days, the faithful may also receive a plenary indulgence in the basilica under the conditions established by the Church.

During his stay, Parolin, the Holy See’s chief diplomat, is holding bilateral meetings with Kuwaiti officials aimed at strengthening relations of friendship and cooperation between the Vatican and the Arab country.

Kuwait was the first Gulf state to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See, in 1968, and it hosts an apostolic nunciature on its territory. Over the years, the country has earned Vatican appreciation for its respect for religious diversity and peaceful coexistence.

‘Mother Church’ of Catholics in the country

In the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, the elevation of this church to the rank of minor basilica marks a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church.

The decision was announced in a statement issued in June 2025 by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. This is the first time such a title has been granted to a church in the Arabian Peninsula, highlighting the historical, spiritual, and pastoral importance of Our Lady of Arabia and giving it broader symbolic significance for the faithful of the region.

The church traces its origins to the mid-20th century, when it began on a small plot of land dedicated to foreign workers in the country. Over time, it became a central reference point for the Catholic community in Kuwait.

While construction of the first small church dates back to 1948, the current building was completed in 1957 as a donation from the Kuwait Oil Company.

Since then, the church has welcomed generations of believers from many nationalities, firmly establishing its role as the “mother church” of Catholics in the country.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, EWTN News’ Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.

Becket report finds increases in support for religious liberty in the public square
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:54:56 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 11:54 am (CNA).

Annual research by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty found that Catholics in America today feel more accepted as people of faith in society than in past years.

The annual Religious Freedom Index (RFI) by the Becket Fund was released on Jan. 16 and explores American attitudes on the First Amendment, specifically religious freedom and tolerance.

An online poll surveyed 1,002 U.S. adults. The survey screened a sample that is representative by gender, age, ethnicity, race, and region matching U.S. Census figures, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%, researchers said.

In 2024, about 54% of Catholics reported they felt accepted as people of faith, specifically 19% said they feel “completely” accepted and 35% said they felt “a good amount” accepted. Becket found that in 2025, these numbers increased, with 22% feeling “completely” accepted and 37% said “a good amount.”

“It’s heartening to see a growing number of Catholics report feeling fully accepted by their fellow Americans,” said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket. “Our nation is strongest when believers can participate in public life without fear of being bullied for their faith.”

Seal of confession

The report examined American attitudes about religious liberty and specific cases on religious freedom in the nation.

The percentage of Americans who believe the First Amendment right to the freedom to exercise religion should “definitely” or “somewhat” protect priests from breaking the seal of confession, even if someone confesses something indicating child abuse or neglect, is 61%. This was compared with 39% (20% somewhat not or 19% definitely not) who said the First Amendment does not protect the seal of confession in such instances.

The research noted that 77% of Americans reported they either “completely” or “mostly” accept school choice for religious schools.

In regard to specific U.S. Supreme Court cases regarding education, most Americans surveyed agreed with the rulings. The research found there was a four-point rise from 69% in 2024 to 73% in 2025 in those who support parents’ decision to opt their children out of content they believe is inappropriate.

When asked specifically about the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which parents sued a Maryland public school district for not allowing them to opt their elementary-aged children out of LGBTQ-themed storybooks that conflicted with their religious beliefs, 62% of Americans said they support the Supreme Court’s decision.

The report found a five-point increase from 2020 to 2025 in Americans who agree that religious freedom is inherently public and that Americans should be free to share their faith in public spaces, such as at school, work, or on social media, with an increase from 52% to 55%.

The report found that the younger generations especially reported an increased “vision of religious liberty” in the public square. Gen Z scored the highest in areas including “religious sharing” and “religion in action.” Of the group, 60% accepted and supported the freedom to express or share religious beliefs with others, compared with 52% of all Americans.

French bishops condemn euthanasia bill ahead of Senate debate
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:00:00 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 11:00 am (CNA).

French Catholic bishops have issued a public statement urging lawmakers to reject a proposed law that would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in France. The warning comes days before the French Senate is scheduled to debate the “end of life” bill between Jan. 20 and Jan. 26.

The bill, which was already passed by the National Assembly in May 2025, would establish a new “right to die” for gravely ill adults, but France’s bishops argue it would threaten the most fragile and undermine the respect due to every human life.

The pro-euthanasia legislation was adopted by France’ s lower house on May 27, 2025, with 305 votes in favor and 199 against.

It would allow any French resident over 18 suffering from a serious and incurable condition that is life-threatening, advanced, or terminal to seek medical help to end his or her life. Eligible patients must be experiencing constant, unbearable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be relieved, though psychological suffering alone would not qualify.

A particularly contentious provision in the euthanasia law is a new offense of “obstructing aid-in-dying.” Lawmakers amended the bill to mirror France’s existing penalties for blocking access to abortion. Anyone who prevents or dissuades a patient from exercising the right to euthanasia could face up to two years in prison and a 30,000-euro (approximately $35,000) fine.

This clause has alarmed Catholic institutions, which fear it targets hospitals or care homes that refuse to participate in intentional life-ending procedures.

Bishops cite ethical risks and gaps in end-of-life care

French bishops reaffirmed their “profound respect” for those facing end-of-life suffering along with the pain, fear of dependence, and loneliness they face, while stressing that “these fears are real.”

They called for human, fraternal, medical, and social responses, not legislation that permits intentional killing. They warned that integrating euthanasia into medical care would alter the “nature of our social contract” by blurring ethical boundaries and presenting assisted death as a form of treatment.

The bishops also pointed to persistent gaps in France’s palliative care system, noting that nearly a quarter of palliative care needs remain unmet, leaving many patients without adequate pain relief, accompaniment, or human presence. They argued that claims that “people die badly in France” stem not from the absence of assisted dying but from unequal access to care and insufficient enforcement of existing end-of-life laws.

According to the bishops, medical advances now allow most severe pain to be effectively managed, yet access to such care varies widely by region. Rather than offering death as a legal option, they insisted, France must first ensure equitable, effective access to palliative care, support, and solidarity for all those approaching the end of life.

Threat to Catholic hospitals and conscience rights

In an op-ed published by various French Catholic leaders and religious figures, concern is expressed over the bill’s lack of protection for institutional conscience rights. The proposed law stipulates that “the head of the facility or service is required to permit” the practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide. This means a Catholic hospital could be legally compelled to let an outside physician come in to administer a lethal injection to a patient, even though it directly contradicts the institution’s mission to heal and comfort.

Catholic health care congregations have decried this obligation as an assault on religious freedom. Their arguments rest on their congregations’ historical commitment to caring for people until their natural death — they cannot participate in euthanasia without betraying their core Catholic beliefs.

Across Europe, even countries with legal euthanasia, such as the Netherlands, maintain at least some protections for conscience. No European law currently in force goes as far as the French proposal in punishing institutions that uphold a pro-life stance. This comparative context bolsters various arguments that the bill before the French Senate is among the most permissive in the world and would set a troubling precedent.

As the French Senate analyzes the euthanasia bill on Jan. 20, French Catholics are being encouraged to pray, to contact their legislators, and to “not remain silent” in defense of life. The French Bishops’ Conference has even provided letter templates and posters with the slogan “DISONS NON,” “Let’s say NO,” with regard to euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Nigeria accounts for 72% of Christian killings worldwide, new report finds
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:11:48 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 10:11 am (CNA).

More Christians were killed in Nigeria last year than anywhere else in the world combined, a new report has found, placing the country at the center of a growing global persecution crisis.

Of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith worldwide, 3,490 were in Nigeria, according to Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026.

Open Doors is a Netherlands-based international Christian mission that tracks global persecution and supports persecuted Christians worldwide. The organization’s annual World Watch List ranks 50 countries by the severity of persecution faced by active Christians.

The new report also shows a global increase of 8 million Christians facing high levels of persecution and discrimination between October 2024 and September 2025, bringing the total to 388 million.

Speaking at the report’s launch, Henrietta Blyth, CEO at Open Doors UK & Ireland, said: “Nigeria is in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that represents a deathtrap for Christians,” while expressing relief that people are finally talking about what’s going on in the country.

In recent months the situation in Nigeria has been back in the spotlight after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to go “guns a-blazing” into the country and subsequently launched strikes on militants linked to the Islamic State group in the northwest of the country.

While both the U.S. and Nigerian governments cooperated on the strikes, Trump has accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from jihadist attacks, with some allies and campaign figures describing the situation as a “ genocide.”

The Nigerian government is reluctant to address the religious aspect for fear of being designated a “country of particular concern,” which could “enable the Trump administration and other international governments to take measures including an embargo,” according to John Samuel, an expert on sub-Saharan Africa for Open Doors.

Asked how the U.K. government should respond to the situation, the U.K.’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief, David Smith, told EWTN News: “We need to be critical friends. We need to be able to speak to our Nigerian counterparts, encouraging and enable them to speak truth. It’s a multilayered conflict in central Nigeria, with many causes, including religious persecution.”

Speaking at Portcullis House, London, he told the room of 110 members of Parliament: “We have to be that voice that speaks on these horrendous stories. No one should live in fear because of their faith or belief. The minimum we can do is speak up, and I urge you to that.”

Pope Leo XIV addressed the Nigeria crisis in November 2025, acknowledging that “Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered” in the country. He told journalists at Castel Gandolfo that “many Christians have died” and called on the government to “promote authentic religious freedom.” The pope’s comments came after Trump designated Nigeria a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations.

The reasons for persecution in Nigeria are multifaceted and vary between regions. Ethnic Fulani herders have moved from the north to Nigeria’s middle belt, where they “are causing a massive problem,” according to John Samuel.

“They are moving to the area where they can find more resources for their cattle, like grazing land, and that naturally could cause a conflict between the predominantly Christian farming community and the herders who are predominantly ethnic Fulanis and Muslims.”

However, he warned “the least reported and the wrongly reported violence, but causing a massive problem, is the violence in the Middle Belt or north central of Nigeria by Fulani militants. That is the oversimplified one always,” he said, adding that “now there is an emergence of an Islamic militant Fulani.”

Christians are 2.7 times more likely to be targeted and killed in attacks from the Fulani than Muslims, according to the Netherlands-based Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa. Some have suggested this is because Christian faith leaders can fetch higher ransoms if they are kidnapped.

There are also groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), who “have openly stated their ideology” and “want to establish an Islamic caliphate based on a radical Islamic ideology… They have a YouTube channel these days and they brag about killing infidels.”

Blyth told EWTN News: “The U.K. government still has a lot of influence. They’re involved in security talks, trade talks, aid talks, diplomacy talks. All of these provide an opportunity to talk about freedom of religion or belief.”

“People should keep talking about the Christians in sub-Saharan Africa, because every day we are attacked,” shared Pastor Barnabas from Nigeria in a video that was shown. “We want people to spread this news to everybody, that they should keep talking about it, so that we will be saved.”

Italian diocese to award $58K to international ‘economy of fraternity’ prize winners
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:26:41 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 09:26 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Assisi in Italy will award 50,000 euros ($58,000) to the winner of the 2026 edition of the “Francis of Assisi and Carlo Acutis for an Economy of Fraternity” award.

Inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter Laudato Si’, the former archbishop of Assisi, Domenico Sorrentino, instituted the award in 2020 on the day of St. Carlo Acutis’ Oct. 10 beatification.

In addition to the 50,000-euro ($58,000) prize money, award winners also receive an icon with the images of Sts. Francis and Carlo Acutis and are symbolically vested with the “cloak of Francis” by the bishop of Assisi during a ceremony to be held in May at the Sanctuary of the Renunciation.

Monsignor Anthony J. Figueiredo, director of international affairs and relics custodian for the Diocese of Assisi, said the prize is not simply a “payout” but a way of recognizing grassroots projects that support a just and “generative” economic model that restores dignity to the poor and vulnerable.

“The whole point of this award is really to encourage new initiatives from the bottom up so people, who are often discarded on the margins of society, can become the protagonists,” he told EWTN News.

“With the help of those in business, those in the Church, those in the municipality, they then are able to produce something where they earn,” he continued. “It’s a wonderful initiative that was born in the heart of Pope Francis and his emphasis on an economy of fraternity."

More than 160 projects from across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania have been submitted to the Diocese of Assisi since the award’s establishment nearly six years ago.

“Initially, a lot of the projects were coming from Europe but, with time, they have come from quite obscure and poor places,” Figueiredo said.

Last year, “Project Hope,” an initiative led by Caritas Goa in India, won the diocesan prize for its work in supporting disadvantaged women and youth gain financial independence. Caritas Goa provided services including specialized crafts training as well as partnerships with local businesses.

Previous awardees have come from Brazil, Chad, the Philippines, and Italy.

“In a world today that is full of bad news of war, violence, and division, this award points to the goodness from the bottom up, and that gives us joy and hope in going forward in this world,” Figueiredo said.

Individuals and organizations from around the world have until Feb. 28 to submit an online application for the sixth edition of the award.

Mexico’s Cardinal Aguiar: Pope Leo XIV would like to visit Mexico ‘soon’
Fri, 16 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Jan 16, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The primatial archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, has invited Pope Leo XIV to visit the country. The cardinal extended the invitation during their Jan. 14 meeting at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, shortly before the Wednesday general audience.

According to a statement released later by the Archdiocese of Mexico, during the audience Aguiar renewed the invitation he had first extended to the pope a few days after the conclave for him to travel to the country.

“In response, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude and his desire and interest in visiting our country soon to entrust his pontificate to Our Lady of Guadalupe,” the press release indicated.

In addition, Aguiar shared with Pope Leo XIV the progress and development of the synodal process underway in the Mexican diocese.

In this context, the pontiff expressed his gratitude for the work of the religious communities, pastoral workers, and laypeople, and encouraged them to continue strengthening this path of listening, discernment, and pastoral co-responsibility.

During the meeting, the Holy Father expressed his joy at the pilgrimage that the archdiocese will make Saturday, Jan. 17, to the Guadalupe Basilica at the beginning of the pilgrimage season to the sacred shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Tepeyac.

The cardinal was accompanied by Francisco Javier Acero Pérez, OAR, auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese. The communications office of the primatial archdiocese of Mexico invited all the faithful to join in prayer for the Holy Father and for the fruits of the synodal journey that the Mexican Church continues to undertake.

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

St. Peter’s Holy Door to be sealed Jan. 16
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:42:00 -0500

Jan 15, 2026 / 17:42 pm (CNA).

With the final sealing on Jan. 16 of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy See will complete the closing — which includes the actual masonry work — of the four Holy Doors of the papal basilicas following the Jubilee of Hope.

The concluding rite of closing the Holy Door of St. Mary Major Basilica took place Jan. 13. St. John Lateran Basilica’s was closed Jan. 14 and the Holy Door of St. Paul Outside the Walls was closed Jan. 15.

The Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica will be sealed shut on Jan. 16.

The so-called “sanpietrini,” the staff of the Fabric of St. Peter — comprising carpenters, cabinetmakers, and electricians — who normally handle the maintenance of the basilica, will repeat the process they have already carried out in the other three basilicas: They will erect a brick wall inside the church to permanently seal the Holy Door.

In addition, the traditional metal capsule (“capsis”), a bronze box, will be inserted into the wall of the church. It will contain the official closing document, the coins minted during the jubilee year, and the keys to the Holy Door.

These elements serve as material and symbolic testimony of the holy year, which, as the pope emphasized in the Jan. 6 ceremony in which he closed the great doors of the Vatican basilica, has concluded on the calendar but not in the spiritual life of the Catholic Church.

In all the papal basilicas, the official document of closing the Holy Door has been deposited along with the key to the door and several pontifical medals from the last sealing, during the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016 to the present day.

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.

Republican senators urge more regulations on abortion pill in Senate hearing
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:10:57 -0500

Jan 15, 2026 / 17:10 pm (CNA).

As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues its review of the abortion pill mifepristone, Republican lawmakers are repeating calls for stronger federal regulations of the drug.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, chaired by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, held a hearing about the drugs Jan. 14. Republican lawmakers called for stricter rules, while Democratic lawmakers advocated for easy access to the drugs.

Cassidy, who is a medical doctor, urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary to complete the safety review of mifepristone promised during their confirmation hearings.

“Republican members of this committee and many other senators expect an answer,” Cassidy said. “At an absolute minimum, the previous in-person safeguards must be restored immediately.”

Cassidy expressed concern about the deregulation of mifepristone under former President Barack Obama in 2016 and former President Joe Biden in 2023 and said they have made women less safe.

In 2016, the FDA lowered the number of mandatory in-person doctor visits needed to obtain mifepristone from three to one and then fully eliminated required in-person visits in 2023. In 2016, the FDA stopped requiring doctors to report adverse events and ended rules requiring mifepristone to be dispensed by a physician and taken in a doctor’s office. Another 2016 rule change ended the mandatory follow-up visit and another 2023 rule change authorized delivery of the drug through the mail.

“It’s only through a proper medical examination that a doctor can determine a baby’s gestational age, ensure a woman does not have an ectopic pregnancy, and be sure the abortion will not jeopardize future fertility,” Cassidy said. “I’m a doctor, and if the first rule is do no harm, the way things work today has the potential to do a lot of harm.”

Speaking to “EWTN News Nightly” prior to the hearing, Cassidy said: “There’s some women at higher risk for complications … and the doctor interviewing her would be able to see that.”

He said President Donald Trump’s administration should suspend the use of mifepristone or at least reimpose previous safeguards.

An HHS spokesperson said the department “is conducting a study of reported adverse events associated with mifepristone to assess whether the FDA’s risk mitigation program continues to provide appropriate protections for women.”

“The FDA’s scientific review process is thorough and takes the time necessary to ensure decisions are grounded in gold-standard science,” the spokesperson said. “Dr. Makary is upholding that standard as part of the Department’s commitment to rigorous, evidence-based review.”

Dr. Monique Chireau Wubbenhorst, a practicing OB-GYN and research assistant for Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics and Culture, testified to the committee about potential harms of mifepristone and the added risks caused by the deregulation.

“The different risks that are associated with abortion are bleeding, infection, hemorrhage, [and a] need for transfusion,” she said, adding that taking abortion drugs while having an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening.

Apart from the medical risks, Wubbenhorst also said the lack of oversight exacerbates problems with human trafficking, child sex abuse, and domestic violence: “Abusers have been known to force abortion pills down women’s throats, put them in their drinks, and insert them into their bodies,” she said.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told senators the deregulation of the Biden administration was a “purely political” decision, as opposed to a medical one, and she spoke about women in her state being coerced into taking mifepristone and cases of adverse events that she blames on the deregulation.

“A few examples from Louisiana include a woman who was coerced to abort her wanted baby, multiple [examples] of that, by partners or parents, a pregnant woman who took pills … mailed to her at 20 weeks’ gestation and ended up in the emergency room while her baby was left in a dumpster, [and regarding] another 20-week-old pregnancy, the baby was found recovered in a toilet,” she said.

Last year, Murrill sued the FDA over the deregulation after a resident, Rosalie Markezich, said her boyfriend forced her to take an abortion pill that was obtained through the mail.

Democratic lawmakers rejected calls for stricter regulations, with ranking member Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, saying the meeting is “not about the safety of a drug” and pointed to medical groups like the American Medical Association vouching for its safety.

“It is about the ongoing effort of my friends in the Republican Party to deny the women of this country the basic right to control their own bodies,” Sanders said. “That is what this hearing is about.”

Nisha Verma, an OB-GYN and fellow at Physicians for Reproductive Health, testified that the drugs are safe for women and can help women recovering from a miscarriage. She said her patients who suffer from miscarriages “are at risk” because of restrictions in certain states.

“My patients are at risk because of restrictions on abortion and cuts to Medicaid,” she said. “They are at risk because of decreased funding to clinics that provide preventative care and cancer screenings and fears about whether they can safely go to the hospital based on their immigration status.”

Kennedy ordered a review of mifepristone last year, and the federal government has yet to reestablish any safeguards on the drug. Rather, the FDA approved a generic version of mifepristone in October, sparking backlash from Republican lawmakers and pro-life organizations.

U.S. is working with Catholic Church to get post-hurricane aid to Cuba, Rubio says
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:57:47 -0500

Jan 15, 2026 / 15:57 pm (CNA).

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. government is working with the Catholic Church to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba after a late-October hurricane.

“The U.S. is sending the first humanitarian shipment to Cuba to help people in need as they continue to recover from Hurricane Melissa,” Rubio said in a Jan. 14 post on X. “We are working with the Catholic Church and partners to ensure aid reaches the Cuban people directly — not the illegitimate regime.”

U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Brian Burch also reposted the message.

“The Trump administration stands with the Cuban people,” Rubio added.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 28, 2025. The storm’s high winds left a path of destruction and affected millions across the Caribbean, including Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. Floodwaters and damaged water systems created conditions for disease outbreaks in Cuba, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The State Department said Jan. 14 the Trump administration “is following through on our commitment to deliver $3 million in much-needed disaster relief to the Cuban people” with the first of a series of direct humanitarian aid shipments to Cuba.

The next aid shipment is set to be delivered from Miami on Jan. 16 and could reach an estimated 6,000 Cuban families in the “hardest-hit provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Granma, and Guantanamo,” according to a State Department press release.

The statement said the State Department is “working closely” with the Catholic Church on delivering the assistance “without regime interference.”

Aid will take the form of food kits, including rice, beans, oil, and sugar; hygiene and water treatment kits; kitchen sets with pots and cooking utensils; and other household items such as sheets and blankets, solar lanterns, and more, the State Department said.

Catholic nongovernmental organizations in Cuba play a significant role in providing humanitarian aid on the island, with Caritas Cuba functioning as “the largest independent nongovernmental organization on the island, with more than 40 staff and a network of some 12,000 volunteers,” according to Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which works in partnership with Caritas Cuba.

Caritas Cuba provides emergency response and humanitarian aid as well as programs for HIV and AIDS, elderly people, human development, and other educational programs, according to its website.

Working in tandem with Caritas, CRS Cuba has distributed more than $32 million in medical emergency supplies for hospitals, elderly homes, and victims of natural disasters since 1993. CRS provides emergency shelter support, food assistance, clean drinking water, home repair, and assistance to farmers and small businesses recovering from natural disasters.

Archbishop Gallagher: Surrogacy is a ‘new form of colonialism’
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:37:45 -0500

Jan 15, 2026 / 13:37 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations of the Holy See, described the practice of surrogacy as a “new form of colonialism” in which the interests of adults prevail over the rights of children.

The Italian Embassy to the Holy See hosted the Jan. 13 event “A Common Front for Human Dignity: Preventing the Commodification of Women and Children in Surrogacy” with the aim of fostering international debate on this practice and raising awareness of its ethical, legal, and social implications.

The event, held at the Borromeo Palace in Rome, is part of an awareness campaign promoted by the Italian Ministry for Family, Birth Rate, and Equal Opportunities together with the Holy See at the United Nations.

In his address, Gallagher stated that surrogacy is an issue that concerns all of humanity and therefore urged a united front to stop “the commodification of women and children.”

The Vatican official emphasized that this practice “exploits bodies and takes any meaning out of relationships,” reducing the person to a mere product, as Pope Francis has denounced. He also noted that Pope Leo XIV recently warned that surrogacy sacrifices the rights of children.

During his address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, the pontiff denounced that “by turning gestation into a negotiable service, the dignity of both is violated: that of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and that of the mother, by exploiting her body and the generative process and altering the original relational vocation of the family.”

In this context, Gallagher warned that surrogacy — although presented as “an act of generosity” — reduces the person to an “object of transaction.”

“It’s the sale of a child, handed over to the buyers by virtue of a contract that places the interests of the adults at the center, and not those of the children,” he said emphatically.

He also stated that it reduces women’s bodies to a “mere reproductive instrument,” affecting the social conception of motherhood and human dignity.

After recalling that feminist groups also reject surrogacy, Gallagher emphasized that it is “a new form of colonialism” that exploits the most vulnerable people and pointed out that women’s consent is often the result of “financial pressures.”

Finally, the Vatican official argued for the “total abolition” of surrogacy and expressed its opposition to the creation of an international regulatory framework, which, in his view, would lead to “more children destined to be sold.”

The event also included speeches by the Italian ambassador to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto; the dean of the diplomatic corps to the Holy See and ambassador of Cyprus, George Poulides; and Italian Minister for Family, Natality, and Equal Opportunities Eugenia Roccella.

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.

Mosaic bearing Pope Leo XIV’s portrait readied for St. Paul Outside the Walls
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:54:40 -0500

Jan 15, 2026 / 12:54 pm (CNA).

A mosaic bearing the official portrait of Pope Leo XIV was presented to the pontiff on Jan. 14. The mosaic will be placed in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica at the request of the basilica’s archpriest, Cardinal James Michael Harvey.

The artwork, which, according to ancient tradition, is created upon the election of each pope, was made in the Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of St. Peter, where the basilica’s mosaics are currently being conserved through restoration work and where artwork is also produced for sale to the public.

Thanks to the skill and experience of its mosaic artists, who still use ancient technical and artistic methods, mosaics are produced that are inspired by masterpieces of sacred and secular art.

The mosaic “tondo” — from the Italian word meaning “round” — of the Holy Father is 54 inches in diameter and was made with glass enamels and gold on a metal structure, according to the Vatican.

The mosaic is composed of more than 15,000 tesserae — the small pieces used to create the mosaic — including some that date back to the 19th century. These pieces were created using the ancient technique of cut mosaic and have been fixed with the traditional oil-based stucco of the Vatican tradition.

The mosaic will be placed in the space next to the portrait of Pope Francis, in the right nave of the papal basilica, at an approximate height of 43 feet.

The work is based on a pictorial sketch by the Italian artist Rodolfo Papa, an oil painting on canvas that will be preserved in the Fabric of St. Peter in the Vatican.

Also participating in the presentation were Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, and Harvey along with the abbot of the Benedictine monastery of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Donato Ogliari.

At the end of the presentation, the Holy Father invited all those present to join him in a moment of prayer.

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

UPDATE: Ohio moves to close nursing home amid ‘widespread care failures’ after purchase from Catholic nuns
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Jan 15, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The attorney general of Ohio is moving to shut down a nursing home after a congregation of Catholic nuns sold it, amid reports that the facility’s “shockingly poor care” is placing elderly residents in “clear and present danger.”

House of Loreto, a nursing facility formerly run by the sisters of the Congregation of the Divine Spirit, has allegedly committed “widespread care failures,” Attorney General Dave Yost’s office said in a Jan. 13 press release.

The sisters were involved with the home from 1957, when then-Youngstown Bishop Emmet Walsh asked for the religious to run the facility. The current facility opened in 1963.

The Youngstown Diocese said in March 2025 that the home had been acquired by Hari Group LLC, a company based out of Ohio. In its press release announcing the sale the diocese did not note any troubles experienced by House of Loreto at the time. A diocesan spokesman said on Jan. 15 that the home was no longer under Catholic control after the sale.

In a court order request filed on Jan. 12, Yost’s office said that state inspectors have observed a “rapid deterioration of care” at the facility, with the filing claiming that “shockingly poor care” was putting residents in “real and present danger.”

Among the problems alleged by inspectors include the lack of a director of nursing, leaving the facility “spinning out of control” with repeated resident falls, improper medicine administration, denial of pain medication, and other alleged mismanagement issues.

The facility is “so dysfunctional” that the government “lacks any confidence that the current leadership ... will be able to right the ship,” the court filing says.

The attorney general’s office said it is trying to get the facility shut down and “relocate residents to safer facilities.”

In a statement to EWTN News, the Youngstown Diocese said it was “deeply saddened” at the imminent closure of the facility.

Youngstown Bishop David Bonnar in the statement said the sisters “poured their lives into creating a home where the elderly were cherished and protected.”

“Their ministry at the House of Loreto was a profound witness to the Gospel,” the prelate said. “It is painful to see their legacy overshadowed by the serious concerns that have emerged under the new ownership.”

The facility said it takes its name from the Holy House of Loreto in Italy, said to be the home at which the Annunciation occurred and the Word was made flesh.

The nursing home said it seeks to foster “an environment where seniors can experience the same love and respect they would find in their own homes —truly standing on the threshold of heaven as they navigate life’s later chapters.”

Correction: This story originally identified the House of Loreto as a "Catholic-run" facility based on information from the facility's website. The home is actually no longer under Catholic ownership. This story was updated on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Cardinal Pizzaballa: There is a longing for justice and human dignity in Iran
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 20:49:42 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 20:49 pm (CNA).

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, called for finding peaceful solutions to the events unfolding in Iran, where he sees the population’s yearning to live in “peace, justice, and dignity.”

On Dec. 28, 2025, protests erupted in the capital, Tehran, as Iranians demonstrated against rising prices of basic goods such as chicken and cooking oil, due to inflation. In the following days, the demonstrations spread to more than 180 cities.

These protests are considered the most severe that the Islamic Republic has faced since it came to power in 1979. However, authorities have responded with a crackdown that has resulted in more than 2,500 deaths, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Speaking to Vatican News, Pizzaballa said he sees in Iran “the yearning of the entire Iranian population, but also of us, for peace, justice, and dignity; and however much the authorities, politics, may want to draw a line, there is always a red line that cannot be crossed,” which is the people’s demand for a decent life.

“Where this is lacking, sooner or later this need explodes; that is what we are seeing there. I hope that peaceful solutions will be found, that things will not degenerate into violence, but surely no one can ignore the yearning for life and justice that is an integral part of every person’s conscience,” he said in a Jan. 13 statement.

During the interview, the Italian cardinal also addressed the situation in Gaza, noting that it “hasn’t changed much” because, although there is no longer a war, “there are still targeted bombings.”

“There is more food than before, but there is a shortage of medicine. People are dying not only from the cold but also from lack of medical care,” he said. “Everything is still very uncertain. There is much to be done, but it is clear that the situation remains one of total devastation.”

Pizzaballa explained that the conflict in the Middle East is affecting the faithful of the patriarchate in various ways, including those in Jordan, where the war is having both an emotional and economic impact.

Finally, the cardinal shared his experience at the recent extraordinary consistory. He said there was a “very positive atmosphere” and that it was important “because it was the first consistory in a long time.”

“The topics discussed didn’t produce anything sensational, but that wasn’t the goal. The goal was to initiate dialogue, get to know each other, and better define some methods for working together,” he said.

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

Trump administration restores Title X funding to Planned Parenthood
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 20:46:00 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 20:46 pm (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied knowledge of reports that his administration has restored millions of taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood.

According to Jan. 13 report in Politico, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last month restored Title X funding to Planned Parenthood. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Monday dropped a lawsuit against the administration related to this funding.

Planned Parenthood and some other clinics will be able to submit reimbursement receipts to the government for low-income patients who received birth control and other non-abortion services, according to the Politico report.

While the funding won’t directly cover abortion — the Hyde Amendment prevents the federal government from doing so — the funding will subsidize an organization that performs hundreds of thousands of abortions yearly. 

When asked about the report on Wednesday, Trump told reporters: “I don’t know anything about that.”

“I have not heard that,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added.

The issue immediately stirred controversy in the pro-life movement. Many pro-lifers have spoken out against the move, calling on the administration to fully defund Planned Parenthood. Others have defended the Trump administration, saying it was their best legal option.

Live Action and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), two organizations that advocate for legal protections for unborn children, have been urging the Trump administration to completely defund Planned Parenthood.

“The Trump administration has quietly restored millions of dollars in Title X grants to Planned Parenthood that it had withheld since March of 2025,” said Lila Rose, founder of Live Action, in a statement shared with EWTN News. “PP kills 1,102 babies daily with your taxpaying dollars. We must fully defund abortion corporation Planned Parenthood!”

While the first Trump administration enacted a “Protect Life Rule” that stopped abortions from using Title X funding, the second administration has not yet done so.

SBA urged the administration to “immediately reinstate” this rule.

“The Protect Life Rule from the 1st Trump admin stopped Big Abortion businesses from using Title X taxpayer $$ as a slush fund. Biden canceled it,” read a statement shared with EWTN News. “The Trump admin must immediately reinstate it.”

Members of the country’s pro-life movement are set to rally at the annual March for Life on Jan. 23 in Washington, D.C. Leading voices in the movement have been calling for the complete defunding of Planned Parenthood and renewed safety restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone. Though the administration ordered a review of the pill months ago, the review has not been completed. In fact, the administration recently approved a generic form of the abortion drug mifepristone.

Multistate lawsuit challenges ‘gender conditions’ tied to HHS funding
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:55:28 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 17:55 pm (CNA).

Twelve states filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Jan. 13, seeking to block what they call unlawful “gender conditions" imposed on billions of dollars in federal health, education, and research grants.

The plaintiff states — New York, Oregon, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington — challenge HHS’ requirement that grant recipients certify compliance with Title IX “including the requirements set forth in Presidential Executive Order 14168” effective Oct. 1, 2025.

The executive order, issued by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, and titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” defines sex as binary and immutable, grounded in reproductive biology, and directs agencies to reject interpretations recognizing gender identity.

The complaint alleges the conditions violate the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), exceed statutory authority, and infringe on constitutional protections.

The complaint states: “The Gender Conditions acknowledge, and require recipients to acknowledge, ‘that [the Title IX] certification reflects a change in the government’s position.’”

It argues this imposes a “novel and ambiguous funding condition” on over $300 billion in annual grants, making funding contingent on adopting the EO’s definitions, which plaintiffs say exclude transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender-diverse individuals.

Recipients must certify compliance, according to the complaint, with violations risking funding termination and liability under the False Claims Act or criminal statutes.

The complaint alleges HHS bypassed notice-and-comment rulemaking, treating the conditions as a legislative rule altering Title IX. They claim this reverses prior policy recognizing gender identity protections consistent with existing case law and earlier HHS guidance.

The plaintiffs are seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions against enforcement and argue the conditions are arbitrary, exceed authority, lack unambiguous notice, and risk irreparable harm to state programs and transgender communities.

House Republican budget plan would permanently defund Planned Parenthood
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:19:13 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 16:19 pm (CNA).

House Republican lawmakers unveiled a framework that outlines their budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, which includes permanently defunding large abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.

The Republican Study Committee, which is the largest Republican-aligned caucus in the House, published the framework on Jan. 13. The document is a starting point for crafting the budget but does not include any of the specific language that will ultimately be included in the bill.

According to the framework, House Republican leaders intend to “extend and make permanent” the temporary freeze on federal funds for abortion providers, which was included in the tax overhaul that President Donald Trump signed into law last July.

That bill included a one-year freeze on Medicaid reimbursements for organizations that provide abortions on a large scale. Although existing law had already blocked direct taxpayer funds for elective abortions, the change in law expanded the ban to include non-abortive services that are offered by organizations that perform abortions on a large scale.

If that provision is not extended or made permanent in the next fiscal year, Planned Parenthood would again be eligible for Medicaid reimbursements for its non-abortive services.

Many Republicans had initially hoped to implement a more long-term freeze on reimbursements for Planned Parenthood in last year’s bill, but that effort failed. The original House proposal last year planned a 10-year freeze, but it was reduced to only one year following negotiations and compromise.

A spokesperson for National Right to Life said the organization is “excited” by the framework, adding that “this proposal would benefit countless American families while also protecting unborn Americans by extending the current defunding of major abortion providers.”

“Taxpayer dollars should not be used to subsidize abortion providers, and we are encouraged to see this principle reflected in the reconciliation framework,” the spokesperson said.

The ongoing one-year freeze already had a major impact on Planned Parenthood. Nearly 70 Planned Parenthood facilities closed last year, caused in part by the revenue stemming from those provisions in the tax overhaul.

Republicans hold a narrow five-seat majority in the House and a six-seat majority in the Senate, which means a small number of Republicans defecting could ultimately sink certain provisions.

The framework for the budget proposal also suggests an extension on the long-standing ban on direct federal funding for elective abortions, which has been included in federal budgets since 1976.

It also extends a ban on funds for “gender transition/mutilation procedures,” which was included in the tax overhaul.

According to the framework, both of these rules would apply to Medicaid reimbursements and tax credits provided through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. According to the Republican Study Committee, the rules would save taxpayers about $2.9 billion in federal spending costs.

The framework for the budget priorities comes about one week after President Donald Trump asked Republicans to be “flexible” on language related to taxpayer-funded abortion in relation to negotiations surrounding extensions to health care subsidies in the Affordable Care Act.

Trump’s comments prompted criticism from some pro-life leaders, including Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

In an Oval Office press conference Jan. 14, Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said they didn’t know anything about HHS funds being released to Planned Parenthood in December.

Veteran EWTN executive appointed to Communications Commission post with Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:35:12 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

Edwin Lopez, who for more than two decades has served as EWTN’s regional manager for Asia-Pacific, has been appointed as the new executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Social Communications.

Lopez’s appointment was announced during a recollection of CBCP personnel and volunteers in Manila. He is the first married layman to serve in the role.

In this capacity, Lopez, who will continue in his long-standing Asia-Pacific management role at EWTN, will serve as the CBCP commission’s primary operational and coordinating leader, turning the bishops’ pastoral goals into practical projects and activities.

Commenting on the appointment, EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw celebrated the fact that “Edwin will continue in his leadership role at EWTN while also supporting the CBCP in this important responsibility, further strengthening the Church’s communications at a critical time.”

“We are proud that he has been asked to place his experience and expertise at the service of Church leaders in this new capacity,” Warsaw continued, noting that Lopez is “a strong advocate for the Church in Asia and the Philippines who has served EWTN faithfully for more than 25 years, and his leadership continues to be an extraordinary gift to both the Catholic Church and our global mission.”

For his part, Lopez told CNA: “I hope to contribute what over 25 years in social communications across the Asia Pacific region has taught me: Digital tools can broaden contact and strengthen connection, but they cannot replace relational communion.”

“God did not merely send a message, he sent himself — in person. When we confuse means and end, we deepen the crisis of intimacy; when communion remains the end, even AI and digital media become faithful servants that lead people back to relationships, communities, and the Eucharist,” Lopez emphasized.

Lopez succeeds Father Ildefonso “Ilde” Dimaano, who was tapped by CBCP president Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa to serve as his spokesperson.

Lopez is also a professor in the philosophy and theology department of San Carlos Seminary in Makati City. He holds graduate degrees in business administration, international management, and development communication.

Vatican prosecutor steps aside as London property trial appeal moves forward
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:45:00 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 11:45 am (CNA).

The Vatican’s Court of Cassation has cleared the way for the appeal phase of the Secretariat of State funds trial — commonly tied in headlines to Cardinal Angelo Becciu — rejecting last-ditch procedural challenges and accepting the recusal of Vatican Promoter of Justice Alessandro Diddi from the case.

In two separate rulings — one brief and another running eight pages — the court closed the remaining disputes that had stalled the appeal proceedings over the Holy See’s investment in a luxury property on Sloane Avenue in London.

The Cassation decisions mean the appeal will proceed without Diddi, and they also uphold the appeal court’s earlier finding that the promoter’s office filed its own appeal improperly and outside required procedures and deadlines. As a result, the appeal phase will now focus primarily on defense appeals — which could at most lead to reduced sentences or even acquittals for some defendants.

The appeal trial is scheduled to resume Feb. 3.

What the Cassation court decided

The case reached the Court of Cassation after a series of procedural clashes in the appeal court, including:

— defense motions seeking Diddi’s recusal following intercepted communications suggesting contacts with individuals involved in the wider case;

— defense arguments that the promoter’s appeal was inadmissible because it failed to follow procedural rules and timelines; and

— a countermove from the promoter’s office seeking to challenge the appeal court itself — effectively attempting to halt proceedings by disputing the court’s authority to declare the promoter’s appeal inadmissible.

The Vatican’s Court of Cassation accepted Diddi’s decision to abstain from the case, a move that effectively ends the push to force a formal ruling against him. In its more detailed ruling, the court reaffirmed that the promoter’s appeal was filed incorrectly and that the appeal court acted properly in declaring it inadmissible.

The court is presided over by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, with Cardinals Matteo Zuppi, Augusto Paolo Lojudice, and Mauro Gambetti among the judges, alongside other members of the panel.

Background: London deal and first verdicts

The broader trial centers on Vatican financial management tied to the Secretariat of State and its London real estate investment. Vatican prosecutors argued that intermediaries worked together to extract money from the Holy See as control of the property shifted between financiers.

Becciu — the first cardinal tried by a Vatican civil tribunal following a decision by Pope Francis — was convicted in the first-instance verdict and sentenced to five years and six months in prison on charges including embezzlement and fraud. Other defendants received prison sentences as well, including Enrico Crasso (seven years), Raffaele Mincione (five years and six months), Cecilia Marogna (three years and nine months), and Gianluigi Torzi (six years). In total, first-instance convictions amounted to about 37 years of prison time, along with an order to confiscate 166 million euros ($193.6 million), though several defendants were acquitted on some counts.

The appeal phase has unfolded in a changed Vatican context after the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, who has signaled he intends to let Vatican justice proceed without the kinds of papal interventions that marked earlier stages of the case.

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

Manila’s feast of the Black Nazarene draws 9.6 million devotees
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:15:00 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 11:15 am (CNA).

More than 9.6 million Catholics joined the annual feast of the Black Nazarene, one of Asia’s biggest religious events, seeking miracles and hope on Jan. 9 in the Philippines.

In a fiery homily at the fiesta Mass, Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr. of the Diocese of Balanga called on politicians implicated in infrastructure corruption to resign, declaring “shame on you” as devotees braved a record-breaking 30-hour procession through Manila’s streets.

This year’s Traslacion — the procession of the glass-encased image of Jesus Nazareno — lasted 30 hours, 50 minutes, and 1 second, from Jan. 9–10, the longest procession ever, according to Police Major Hazel Asilo, spokesperson of the National Capital Region Police Office. Last year’s procession lasted 20 hours and 45 minutes and drew about 8.1 million devotees.

“I look at the Nazarene, who carried the cross for us to save us. That’s how we should be — to be tough amid all situations and not to give up,” Maria Christine Rey, a mother of four young children, told CNA.

John Quilaquil, a college student, said the event was transformative despite his suffering from the flu, chronic joint pain, and a severe cold. “This traslacion [Spanish for ‘movement’] is very special to me. Aside from this being the longest traslacion in history, I have a lot of new experiences to cherish in my entire life,” he said, describing how he pulled the carriage rope and climbed behind the cross.

Political corruption condemned

Sescon celebrated the Mass at the Quirino Grandstand before the procession began. In his homily, he called on officials implicated in flood-control projects and infrastructure corruption — purportedly costing taxpayers billions of dollars — to step down. Most projects were considered “ghosts”; either they never materialized or were shoddily built.

“In our country today, some people refuse to step down despite having done bad things or become deadweights or made the poor suffer, even though the country is drowning in floods,” Sescon said. “Shame on you. Please step down for the people’s sake.”

The Metro Manila police deployed over 18,000 personnel to ensure public safety amid the massive crowds. Authorities said four deaths were recorded during the event. Church officials clarified that the photojournalist who passed away on Jan. 9 while covering the event was not considered a casualty of the religious activity, citing a preexisting medical condition.

Cardinal’s message of humility

Before Jan. 9, a nine-day novena of Masses offered by various bishops from the region was prayed. On Jan. 4, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula presided over the fifth novena Mass before traveling to Rome to participate in the first extraordinary consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV.

In his homily, Advincula appealed to devotees’ humility and selfless actions. “Let us ask for this most precious grace — humility and a pure love and devotion that are not about ourselves, but about God,” he said. “True devotion is knowing how to give without needing recognition, knowing how to serve without looking to be praised, and knowing how to love without expecting anything in return.”

Legacy of devotion

The annual religious procession marks the arrival in 1606 of a wooden statue from Mexico depicting a dark-skinned, suffering Christ. Augustinian Recollect missionaries landed ashore on May 31, bringing religious images including the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, showing Christ carrying his cross en route to crucifixion.

The Black Nazarene is a life-size statue sculpted from mesquite wood now enshrined in the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno, popularly known as Quiapo Church. Over decades, it has become one of the most popular objects of devotion for Catholics in the archipelago nation of 116 million people.

“Through the years, the devotion has not waned in its intensity and passion — folk Catholics still experience a profound personal encounter with the image of Christ,” said Father Benigno P. Beltran, a Divine Word missionary.

The main attraction is “traslacion,” a reenactment of the 1787 solemn transfer of the image from its original shrine in Bagumbayan, the present Rizal Park, to Quiapo Church.

Millions of Filipinos joined the procession from Quirino Grandstand along the streets of the Quiapo district during the four-mile journey. Devotees walked barefoot, usually wearing maroon shirts, the color of the Nazarene image. The theme was “He Must Go Up, and I Also Go Down” (cf. John 3:30).

The image returned to its home on the morning of Jan. 10, concluding what is now officially the longest traslacion in the feast’s history. The nine-day novena from Dec. 31 until Jan. 10 was attended by over 9,640,290 devotees, according to Church officials.

Testament of faith

Father Ramon Jade Licuanan, rector and parish priest of the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno, said the feast is a devotion born of suffering, faith, and hope. Many believe the image has miraculous power, making it a beacon of hope.

“Many can relate to the image of the Nazarene: a God who is united in our suffering so that we can be saved from the hardship, pain, and fire that we go through in life,” explained Father Daniel Franklin E. Pilario, CM, president of Adamson University, Manila.

“Some educated people look down on this religiosity as fanaticism or superstition. Others call it ‘opium of the masses.’ Listening to the people who are there, I call it everyday resistance,” he added.

UPDATE: Homeland Security Department says rule will address religious worker visa backlog
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:25:42 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 10:25 am (CNA).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is addressing a religious worker visa backlog with rules that will reduce wait times and disruptions in ministry for faith-based communities.

“Under the leadership of Secretary [Kristi] Noem, DHS is committed to protecting and preserving freedom and expression of religion. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure religious organizations can continue delivering the services that Americans depend on,” a DHS spokesperson said in a press release Wednesday. “Pastors, priests, nuns, and rabbis are essential to the social and moral fabric of this country. We remain committed to finding ways to support and empower these organizations in their critical work.”

Under the rule expected to be issued Jan. 16, religious workers in the country on R-1 visas would no longer be required to reside outside of the U.S. for a full year if they reach their statutory five-year maximum period of stay before completing their green card applications.

“While R-1 religious workers are still required to depart the U.S., the rule establishes that there is no longer a minimum period of time they must reside and be physically present outside the U.S. before they seek readmission in R-1 status,” DHS said.

The rule is set to be published Jan. 16 in the Federal Register, which posted an unpublished version of the interim rule.

DHS acknowledged the significant demand for visas within the EB-4 category “has exceeded the supply for many years,” citing 2023 changes implemented by President Joe Biden’s State Department. “By eliminating the one-year foreign residency requirement, USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] is reducing the time religious organizations are left without their trusted clergy and non-ministerial religious workers,” according to a DHS statement.

The interim rule is effective immediately upon publication Jan. 16, DHS said. 

“We are tremendously grateful for the administration’s work to address certain challenges facing foreign-born religious workers, their employers, and the American communities they serve. The value of the Religious Worker Visa Program and our appreciation for the efforts undertaken to support it cannot be overstated,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) President Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop Brendan Cahill, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, said in a statement.

“This targeted change is a truly significant step that will help facilitate essential religious services for Catholics and other people of faith throughout the United States by minimizing disruptions to cherished ministries,” the bishops said, adding that they are still continuing to urge Congress to enact the Religious Workforce Protection Act “in order to provide the full extent of the relief needed.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a press conference in December 2025 that the government would reveal its plan “early next month” for religious worker visas that would avoid giving preference to one denomination over another. Rubio noted that the plan would not favor one religion over another and that there would be “country-specific requirements depending on the country they’re coming from.” 

“I think we’re going to get to a good place,” Rubio said at the time. “We don’t have it ready yet. All this takes time to put together, but we’re moving quickly. I think we’ll have something positive about that at some point next month, hopefully in the early part of next month.”

Visas for religious workers allow foreign nationals to work for a U.S. religious organization, through the temporary R-1 visa or a Green Card EB-4 visa, which requires at least two years of membership in the same denomination and a job offer from a qualifying nonprofit religious group.

Rubio had also said in August the administration was working to create a “standalone process” for religious workers, separate from other competing applicants to the employment-based fourth preference (EB-4) category of visas that became severely backlogged after an unprecedented influx in unaccompanied minor applicants — most of which the USCIS has since alleged were fraudulent — who were added to the already-tight category under the Biden administration.

In November 2025, a Catholic diocese in New Jersey dropped a lawsuit filed against the Biden administration’s State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and USCIS, citing knowledge of a solution with national implications.

Since the issue of the backlogged visas started, multiple U.S. dioceses have called for a solution. Priests in the Archdiocese of Boston who are in the U.S. on visas were urged to avoid international travel amid the Trump administration’s immigration policies and deportations.

Priests and other Church leaders have expressed fear of having to leave their ministries and return to their home countries, then endure lengthy wait times before coming back. Church officials have warned that a continuing backlog could lead to significant priest shortages in the United States.

“We are grateful for the administration’s attention to this important issue for the Church and value the opportunity for ongoing dialogue to address these challenges so the faithful can have access to the sacraments and other essential ministries,” a spokesperson for the USCCB told CNA.

This story was updated at 2:20 p.m. ET on Jan. 14, 2026, with a statement from the USCCB.

Bishop Cozzens after Annunciation shooting: ‘God’s answer to evil is the cross’
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:21:53 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 09:21 am (CNA).

Just miles from Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis — the site of a deadly school shooting during the summer of 2025 — a bishop this week led the local Catholic community in a reflection on how to heal and to bring grief before God.

In a presentation on Jan. 13 at St. John the Baptist Church in New Brighton, Minnesota, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, encouraged the community to pour out their pain to God in faith.

Bookended by Mass and adoration, the presentation, “A Wounded Church: Finding Peace and Healing,” was streamed online.

During the talk, Cozzens discussed how to reconcile faith in God with horror that takes place in a Catholic church, such as the Aug. 27 shooting, which claimed the lives of two children and injured many others.

He noted that God “doesn’t will evil” but that he brings good out of it “always.”

“We were not made for death; we were made instead for eternal life,” he said. “But this is also why trite answers won’t help us when it comes to facing the problem of evil.”

“Jesus was wounded by evil,” Cozzens continued. “We know that, but we also know that Jesus allowed his wounds to become a place of grace, or of life.”

“It’s one of the great mysteries of our faith that Jesus still has his wounds when he rises from the dead,” he pointed out.

Cozzens, who served as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis from 2013 to 2021, shared some of his personal struggles with faith that he dealt with as the local Church confronted years of sexual abuse by Catholic leaders.

The bishop talked about the importance of bringing struggles to God in prayer.

In that place of pouring out his struggles, Cozzens has found that “that’s the place where God has to speak.”

“The real thing that’s bothering me — that’s the only place his word can meet me,” Cozzens said.

“It’s actually after pouring out my feelings that then I can receive the truth of what God wants to say to me,” he said. “Because now I’ve opened up the wound and that place is ready, and I see it, and he can speak to it.”

In response to the problem of evil, Cozzens said: “There’s not a simple answer, but there is an answer.”

“God’s answer to evil is the cross,” he said.

Over 45,000 youths to make pilgrimage to Christ the King monument in Mexico
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the Cristero War, also known as the Cristiada, more than 45,000 young people from all over Mexico will participate on Jan. 31 in the National Youth March to the monument to Christ the King on Cubilete Hill in Guanajuato state.

The organizers announced at a Jan. 12 press conference that the activities will begin on the evening of Friday, Jan. 30, with Cubifest, a youth gathering that will take place in the small town of Aguas Buenas and will continue throughout the night. The event will feature performances by nationally known bands.

At dawn on Saturday, a Holy Hour will be held, followed by the official start of the ascent to the Christ the King monument atop the hill.

The day will culminate with the celebration of Holy Mass celebrated by the apostolic nuncio to Mexico, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, and concelebrated by the archbishop of León, Jaime Calderón Calderón, along with other bishops and priests.

The 2026 edition of the youth pilgrimage coincides with the centenary of the beginning of the Cristero War, one of the most significant episodes in the religious and social history of Mexico.

The conflict originated after the so-called “Calles Law” went into force on July 31, 1926, which tightened restrictions against the Church and led to the Mexican bishops deciding to suspend public worship.

These provisions resulted in a spontaneous armed uprising of Catholics in different regions of the country. The conflict formally ended on June 21, 1929, although the persecution and killings of those who had participated in the Cristero War continued for several more years.

Current persecution

During the press conference, leaders of the Witness and Hope group, responsible for organizing the annual march, stated that one of the purposes of this year’s event is to denounce what they described as a “subtle but growing censorship” against Catholic expression.

They cited attacks on churches, the increase in the number of priests murdered in recent years, and “attempts at reforms that seek to limit religious life” as signs of this censorship.

“We raise our voices against a reality that deeply wounds the soul of Mexico. We are living in times when there is an attempt to silence faith, to silence pastors, and to relegate Christ to the private sphere, as if faith were an obstacle in public life,” they stated.

The organizers noted that this is a form of persecution in which, although the authorities “don’t wear a uniform or carry a rifle, they inflict wounds with the same contempt as in the past.”

“Mexico is not experiencing true secularism,” they said. “It is experiencing a climate that seeks to uproot the presence of Christianity from the social, cultural, and political life of our country.”

They emphasized that the march does not seek to rekindle an armed conflict but rather to demand respect and freedom to proclaim Christ peacefully, “with the cross, the rosary, and prayer as instruments of peace.”

A form of ‘resistance’

In a statement to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Rubén Loya, a member of Witness and Hope, said that rather than commemorating a war, the march seeks to remember “the beginning of the Cristero resistance.”

He explained that while war involves armed conflict, “resistance goes far beyond that,” as it includes the testimony of thousands of martyrs who lost their lives for their faith, as well as that of the families who remained in their homes “praying and reciting the rosary for the end of the war.”

He also remembered the priests who continued to celebrate Mass clandestinely during the persecution as an expression of fidelity and hope.

Loya said the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Cristero War aims to be a call for peace and unity, “not as a milestone [marking the beginning] of war but as a moment in which we as a Church come together again and find the transcendent meaning of what we do.”

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

Pope Leo XIV urges making time ‘to speak with God’
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 06:20:55 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 06:20 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV urged Christians on Wednesday to set aside time in their daily lives to speak with God in prayer and warned about the harm to one’s relationship with him when this is ignored.

“Time dedicated to prayer, meditation, and reflection cannot be lacking in the Christian’s day and week,” the pontiff said during the catechesis at his general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Jan. 14.

The pope devoted the second week of his series of teachings on the documents of the Second Vatican Council to a closer examination of the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum dedicated to divine revelation.

Pointing to the document, he highlighted listening and dialogue with God as foundations of a Christian life.

“From this perspective, the first attitude to cultivate is listening, so that the divine Word may penetrate our minds and our hearts; at the same time, we are required to speak with God, not to communicate to him what he already knows but to reveal ourselves to ourselves,” Leo said.

The Holy Father also drew on the human experience of friendship to warn about the dangers of neglecting one’s spiritual life: “Our experience tells us that friendships can come to an end through a dramatic gesture of rupture, or because of a series of daily acts of neglect that erode the relationship until it is lost.”

“If Jesus calls us to be friends, let us not leave this call unheeded. Let us welcome it, let us take care of this relationship, and we will discover that friendship with God is our salvation,” he said.

The pope insisted that this living relationship with God is cultivated above all through prayer, understood as an authentic friendship with the Lord.

This experience, he explained, is achieved first of all in liturgical and community prayer, “in which we do not decide what to hear from the Word of God, but it is he himself who speaks to us through the Church.” It is also achieved in personal prayer, which takes place “in the interiority of the heart and mind,” and which should form part of every believer’s day and week.

‘Only when we speak with God can we also speak about him’

The pontiff stressed that only from a personal relationship with God is it possible to bear authentic witness to the faith: “Only when we speak with God can we also speak about him.”

Referring to the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum, promulgated by St. Paul VI in 1965, Leo emphasized that Christian revelation is grounded in a living and personal dialogue between God and humanity. Through this dialogue, God reveals himself as an ally who invites each person into a true relationship of friendship.

The pope noted that divine revelation has a profoundly dialogical character, proper to the experience of friendship: It does not tolerate silence but is nourished by the exchange of true words capable of creating communion.

Leo XIV also distinguished between “words” and “chatter,” explaining that the latter remains on the surface and does not create authentic relationships. In genuine relationships, he said, words do not serve merely to exchange information but to reveal who we are and to establish a deep bond with the other.

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

Greenland Catholics ‘do not wish to become Americans’ amid U.S. efforts at acquisition
Wed, 14 Jan 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Jan 14, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Greenlandic Catholics are reportedly expressing opposition to United States plans to acquire the territory, while Nordic Catholic leaders are waiting to see how the situation develops amid potential U.S. military intervention.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled repeatedly that he wants the U.S. to annex Greenland in some form, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt describing the matter as a “national security priority.”

Utilizing the military to that end “is always an option,” Leavitt said on Jan. 6.

The apparent threat of military action on Greenland touched off a global controversy, with U.S. advocates praising the White House’s ambitions and critics decrying it as an aggressive power move.

Trump on Jan. 11 indicated again that the effort was motivated by security concerns. “If we don’t [acquire Greenland], Russia or China will, and that’s not going to happen when I‘m president,” he told reporters on Air Force One.

‘Too early to make any definitive statements’

A sparsely populated landmass home to about 55,000 permanent residents, Greenland is among the least Catholic territories in the West, with the vast majority of Greenlanders belonging to the Lutheran church.

Catholics in the area are served by the Diocese of Copenhagen, located approximately 2,000 miles east of Nuuk, the most populous city on the island. Though mostly self-administered, the region falls under the authority of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Sister Anna Mirijam Kaschner, CPS, the secretary-general of the Nordic Bishops‘ Conference, told CNA that the bishops — who serve Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland — will be holding a plenary meeting in March.

“By then we expect to have a clearer understanding of the situation,” she said. “It is very likely that the matter will be discussed at that time.”

It is “too early to make any definitive statements,” Kaschner said, though she added that there is some consternation already among Greenland’s small Catholic population, which is almost entirely concentrated in a single parish, Christ the King Church in Nuuk.

“Parishioners in Greenland have expressed concern about the situation involving the United States,” she said. “According to the parish priest, many have said that Greenland is their land, their country, and their home, and that they do not wish to become Americans.”

That sentiment has been echoed by political leaders in Greenland, a territory that has developed a distinct identity quite apart from its North American geography and its European administration.

A Jan. 9 joint statement from the country’s major political parties said bluntly: “We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes — we want to be Greenlanders.”

“The future of our country is for the Greenlandic people themselves to decide,” the leaders said, vowing to “independently decide what our country’s future should look like — without pressure, without delays, and without interference from others.”

The territory’s leaders have considerable latitude for self-governance, particularly after a self-rule law in 2009 established local control of the legal system and law enforcement, among other jurisdictions. Greenland is also permitted to seek full independence from Denmark if its people desire to do so.

With Catholic representation on the island sparse, the Church’s role in any future deliberation may be limited. Still, Kaschner said, Church leaders in Europe may develop a stance on the issue in the near future.

“Generally, Catholic leaders in the Nordic countries handle issues like this with caution, stressing respect for local people, existing sovereignty, and the dignity of affected communities,” she said.

Ahead of a clearer picture of the international dispute, she said, “there’s no single official stance beyond a focus on the well-being and wishes of Greenland’s people.”

Supreme Court reviews transgender athlete bans
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:45:52 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 18:45 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether to uphold state laws banning transgender athletes from competing on women’s sports teams, and Catholic athletes outside the court said they hope justices keep the laws on the books.

Mary Pennefather, captain of the women’s basketball team for Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, said: “If these court cases are allowed to happen, then say goodbye to all women’s sports, because then all the transgender athletes will just come and play in the women’s sports and get their national champion championships and NCAA titles from there.”

Standing among her teammates outside the Supreme Court, Pennefather said: “I can work as hard as I can to be good at my sport, and a man can come in and work half as hard, and he will always be bigger, faster, and stronger than me. It totally goes against God’s natural law. He made humans male and female. And now you have these people coming in here and saying, ‘That’s not right,’ that men could be women and vice versa … it’s totally disrupted and disordered, and it’s a breakdown of the family.”

The court heard more than three hours of arguments regarding two cases originating from Idaho and West Virginia in which lower courts upheld challenges by transgender athletes to statewide bans under the U.S. Constitution and federal anti-discrimination law. Supreme Court justices including Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch appeared to back the bans at several points during the oral arguments.

The challenges were brought by two transgender athletes: 15-year-old West Virginia high school student Becky Pepper-Jackson, and Boise State University student Lindsey Hecox of Idaho, who had attempted to withdraw the case but was ultimately denied.

Bishops weigh in

U.S. bishops submitted an amicus brief in support for the petitioners in Idaho v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., stating that if Catholic schools were forced to allow transgender athletes in women’s sports, they would need to halt all athletic programs or stop accepting funding “because allowing such competition would undermine fundamental Catholic teachings regarding the immutable, God-given differences between the sexes.”

Idaho and West Virginia both have laws that ban transgender athletes from competing on sports teams at public schools and universities that do not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. There are 25 other states that have such laws.

“There are an awful lot of female athletes who are strongly opposed to participation by trans athletes in competitions with them,” Alito said at one point during the oral arguments. He then asked whether girls who express these opinions should be regarded as “bigots.” He added: “Are they deluded in thinking that they are subjected to unfair competition?” He also questioned whether transgender athletes hold an unfair advantage over biological women in sports at other points during the hearing.

Alito further insisted that a definition of sex is necessary in order to prove that transgender athletes are being discriminated against, stating: “How can a court determine whether there’s discrimination on the basis of sex without knowing what sex means for equal protection purposes?” Alito posed this question in response to ACLU lawyers’ position that a definition of sex is not legally necessary.

Kavanaugh emphasized the importance of Title IX and sex-based distinctions, stating: “One of the great successes in America over the last 50 years has been the growth of women and girls’ sports. And it’s inspiring.”

He said allowing transgender people to compete in women’s sports would “undermine or reverse that amazing success and create unfairness.”

“For the individual girl who does not make the team or doesn’t get on the stand for the medal or doesn’t make all-league,” he said, “there’s a harm there, and I think we can’t sweep that aside.”

Gorsuch said “bottom line, sports are assigned by sex because sex is what matters in sports,” adding that separation based on sex “is the fairest and the safest and the most administrable way to assign sports teams.”

“It’s been widely accepted for many decades because it’s necessary for fair competition because, where sports are concerned, men and women are obviously not the same,” he said during the hearing. “If Idaho can’t enforce a sex-based line here in sports, where nobody disputes that biological differences matter, then no line based on biological sex can survive constitutional scrutiny.”

“The court should uphold the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act and reverse,” he concluded.

Outside the court, Matt Sharp, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, highlighted the importance of the court “protecting fairness in women’s sports.”

“If young women are made spectators in their own sports,” Sharp said, “we know they’re going to lose medals, they’re going to lose scholarships, they’re going to have their privacy violated.”

Steve Ward, a board-certified internal medicine physician with Do No Harm, said: “I think this issue is representative of a much deeper concern that I have about the medical profession,” he said. “We’re here to support women’s sports, and that’s certainly important, but to my mind, we really have to think more carefully about what this means for the future of science and scientific research.”

Ward emphasized the importance of scientific research based on “objective and fixed” reality. “All of these great great scientists of the past understood that, that the world could be studied because they had a Judeo-Christian worldview understanding that we live in a world that you can approach and you can make objective observations, perform the scientific method and so forth and reach some type of a conclusion that you can repeat and move forward with, develop technologies and all sorts of things,” he said, adding: “If we discard all of that history in favor of psychological categories, then you really can no longer do science at all, and you have to throw that away.”

Jimmy Lai’s daughter provides latest update on her father: ‘It is very much about saving his life’
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:03:00 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 18:03 pm (CNA).

Catholic human rights advocate Jimmy Lai is still dealing with deteriorating health as pre-sentencing mitigation hearings began on Jan. 12 in Hong Kong.

Lai was found guilty on Dec. 15 of multiple violations of China’s national security laws. The verdict brought an end to several years of what advocates have described as a politically motivated show trial.

Pre-sentencing mitigation hearings began for the 78-year-old who is facing up to life in prison. His health was at the forefront of the conversation between the prosecution and defense attorneys.

“Even the prosecution admits he has health issues and very substantial ones,” Jimmy Lai’s daughter Claire told CNA in a Jan. 12 interview. “They don’t deny it. They say: ‘He has health issues, but it's OK. It will be managed by the CSD’” (Correctional Service Department).

“There is significant data showing how the CSD fails to manage people who are especially diabetic and of his age," Claire said. "The life expectancy of Hong Kong males is 83. He is not far from that, and we are obviously extremely, extremely worried.”

Jimmy’s health has declined as “the conditions in which he's kept have progressively gotten worse,” Claire said.

“My father has been kept in solitary confinement since December 2020, with the exception of the one week when he was on bail because he was at home. He has been kept continuously in solitary confinement the entire time. There's no sign that any of this will change."

“When he's moved around, whether it's to go to court or to go to the showers, he is covered from head to toe in a thick black cloth, so no one sees him and he doesn't get to see anyone,” she said.

“He does not have any access to sunlight. There should be a window in his cell, which is smaller than most, which should lead outside and give him some access. In his case, it is deliberately sealed,” she said.

Claire said Jimmy “has one hour of exercise a day.” She added: “At the start of his incarceration, it was outdoors. And since then, they have covered the sky so he doesn't get fresh air and he doesn't get sunlight. The only light he gets is a reflection from a distant mirror in the corridor, if you can even call it [light].”

“The only social interaction he really gets is when family visits. Our family visits only add up to about 24 hours a year, if even that,” Claire said. “We are very worried that it will continue to be the case. Especially with the new prison rules.”

Claire detailed the prison rules which changed last summer to make family visits “more discretionary on the part of the CSD” and made aspects including pastoral visits “a lot more stringent.”

Faith continues to ‘protect’ Jimmy

In a subsequent interview with “EWTN News Nightly,” Claire highlighted her father’s Catholic faith and said it is what “protects his mind and his soul.”

While Jimmy’s “physical body is breaking down,” he continues to “read the Gospel every morning,” Claire said. He spends his time “praying and drawing the crucifixion and the Blessed Mother.”

“On the issue of the Eucharist, I know the government has said that he receives it regularly,” Claire said. But, “he receives it extremely intermittently. To be precise, he received it in the last two and a half years, a total of 11 times. As a Catholic, that is not acceptable. We should at least receive it 52 times a year."

Hope for a release

The only hope for a release is resolution on “a political level,” Claire said.

“It was very clear from the start that this was something that would be resolved leader to leader,” she said. "It isn't something that can be resolved in the once-extremely promising but now-highly compromised Hong Kong legal system.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom has planned a visit to China, and President Donald Trump is expected to go in the coming months.

Claire said: “We hope that our father continues to be brought up and that this is something that can be resolved on a political level because that is the only way to save my father's life.”

Nicaraguan researcher urges religious freedom commission to refocus attention on abuses
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:58:57 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 17:58 pm (CNA).

Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer and Catholic researcher, urged the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to “return your eyes to Nicaragua.”

“In Nicaragua, praying in public is considered a crime,” Molina said at a Jan. 13 hearing in Washington, D.C.

USCIRF heard testimony about freedom of religion or belief violations against Christians following the release of the 2025 USCIRF Annual Report. Witnesses recounted their experiences with religious freedom violations in Nicaragua, China, Nigeria, Algeria, Vietnam, Egypt, Burma, Eritrea, and Pakistan.

In Nicaragua, Molina said, “the measures that must be taken need to be more aggressive. Sanction the army. Impose direct economic sanctions. Bring [President] Daniel Ortega and [his wife, Vice President] Rosario Murillo and their collaborators before international justice and prosecute them for crimes against humanity. This year has proven that it is possible.”

Molina has conducted a study, “ Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church,” to show “the horrors done” at the hands of the dictators. Molina said since April 2018 she has documented 19,836 attacks “perpetrated by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo in Nicaragua against priests, nuns, and laypeople.”

“In Nicaragua, altar boys … are harassed and monitored by the national Nicaraguan police and forced to sign documents whose contents they do not understand. Their parents are harassed and threatened with imprisonment if they speak to the media,” she said.

The Nicaraguan dictatorship “prohibits the entry of Bibles into Nicaragua and also controls the workshops where the images that Catholics use for veneration are made,” she said.

Nicaraguan Catholics are as “afraid as when the disciples of Jesus were afraid after his killing,” Molina said.

In Nicaragua, “the lack of religious freedom has profoundly limited the pastoral work of priests,” she said. “They are literally forced to be careful about how to proceed when they preach for fear of being in prison or exiled.”

Ortega and Murillo have “arbitrarily closed 13 universities and institutes,” she said. “With hatred, they have shut down centers for young people who were studying to become priests, and 304 priests and nuns have been exiled from Nicaragua. They are being expelled or prevented from entering the country.”

Due to the lack of priests now, “there are dioceses in Nicaragua that are surviving only with 30-40% of their priests,” Molina said. “As a consequence, communities in the interior of Nicaragua see their religious practices limited. They can no longer go to confession regularly.”

She added: “It is with urgency that we need to stop the criminals or they will continue to advance, which will eventually reach us in the United States.”

U.S. leadership

“At a time when Christians abroad face attacks simply for their faith, U.S. leadership is critical now more than ever,” Commission Chair Vicky Hartzler said during the Jan. 13 hearing.

Hartzler said in an interview after the hearing: “We want to have more countries designated as countries of particular concern, as special watch lists, that entity is of particular concern. We work tirelessly, constantly visiting with people on the ground, the countries hearing their stories.”

“We are very thankful the president designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern and is starting to take action to help people there,” she said. “But there are many other countries who are repressing their people, and we need to act on those countries as well. The United States has a tremendous amount of influence and opportunity to make a difference, and we should use our voice and our spot in the world to be able to help others.”

The commission also heard from U.S. representatives and senators who shared their support for the mission of USCIRF and legislation to protect religious freedom in the U.S. and abroad.

“The United States is a Christian nation,” said Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia. “We have a unique duty to defend Christians wherever they are being persecuted, and I will never stop fighting for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Rep. Mark Alford, R-Missouri, said China under Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party “does not hide its actions.” He added: “Officials openly tell religious leaders that loyalty to the party is more important than loyalty to God Almighty.” He touted legislation to reinforce China’s designation as a country of particular concern.

Hartzler said: “Religious leaders and laypersons, including Jimmy Lai, faced furious charges of fraud and subversion. In recent years, the government has demolished churches and removed crosses from public view.”

Grace Drexel testified about her father, Pastor Ezra Jin, who is imprisoned in China.

Jin “was arrested by the Chinese authorities, along with 27 other pastors and church leaders from Zion Church; 18 total remained imprisoned,” she said. The October “crackdown represents the largest takedown of an independent Christian population in China since the Cultural Revolution.”

“I urge this commission to recognize that what is happening in China is not merely a domestic matter but a global threat to religious freedom and human dignity,” Drexel said. “If the international community remains silent, we signal acceptance and impunity for such traveling of universal human rights. And unfortunately, what happens in China does not stay in China.”

First Catholic school in Finland: The dream of Helsinki’s only Catholic bishop
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:16:10 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 17:16 pm (CNA).

A “dream” that could soon become a reality is how the bishop of Helsinki, Raimo Goyarrola, described the founding of the first Catholic school in Finland, where the Catholic Church practically disappeared after the state adopted Lutheranism in the 16th century as a consequence of the Protestant Reformation.

Placing his trust in God’s hands and in providence, Goyarrola plans to open the school in August on the second floor of a Lutheran church dedicated to St. James the Apostle and located on the island of Lauttasaari, just three miles from the Finnish capital. His intention, “if the finances allow,” is to acquire the building within three years.

Starting with 12 children, like the apostles

The school will initially offer grades 1 through 3 and will begin as a home schooling model, a form of education recognized by the state. The Catholic character of the school will be reflected in its educational approach, in holistic formation based on Christian values, and in the celebrations of the main feasts of the liturgical calendar.

Although it will be open to children of any faith, the main challenge — as the bishop explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner — is to gather a sufficient number of students from Catholic families. “I am praying to start out with 12 children, like the apostles,” he explained.

“I’m excited, even though it’s a bit of a marathon, because in Finland you have to obtain many permits; it’s a country that operates on a lot of bureaucracy,” said Goyarrola, a Spaniard who is the pastor of a small Catholic community in a nation deeply marked by Lutheranism.

‘I trust in God, and this will move forward’

When Pope Francis entrusted him with leading the Diocese of Helsinki in 2023, the Basque bishop who, before arriving in cold Finland, served for four years in Seville in southern Spain, began compiling a “long list” of the needs of God’s people in Finland.

Among the first projects, he told ACI Prensa, was the construction of a Catholic school. “It’s something I’ve had in my heart for a long time. I transformed the needs into dreams, and little by little we are moving forward with faith. I trust in God, and this will go forward,” he said with a smile.

The prelate affirmed that “in life, you have to be courageous and pioneering” and that he will not stop despite the difficulties. “You have to be all in,” Goyarrola, who is a member of Opus Dei and holds a degree in medicine and surgery, emphasized.

“We already have two excellent teachers with extensive experience. We also have the classroom, the tables, the chairs — we have everything ready, so now we just need to find the children, and I hope it will start in August,” he said.

There are approximately 20,000 Catholics in Finland, which has a population of about 5.5 million. However, the Catholic Church in the country is growing year after year, not only due to the arrival of immigrants and refugees but also because of the increase in baptisms of children and the growing number of adults converting from other Christian denominations.

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

On his dying day, renowned cartoonist’s faith in Christ made public
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:36:58 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 15:36 pm (CNA).

Scott Adams, the creator of the long-running “Dilbert” comic strip whose art satirized the typical American workplace, died on Jan. 13 at 68 years old after a battle with cancer.

Adams, who became known later in his career for espousing conservative and at times controversial political views, revealed in May 2025 that he was suffering from prostate cancer. The disease spread in the coming months, with Adams passing away after a short stay in hospice.

On Jan. 13, shortly after his death, Adams’ X account posted a “final message” from the renowned cartoonist in which he recalled that many of his Christian friends had urged him to convert to Christianity.

“I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, and I look forward to spending an eternity with him,” Adams declared in the message, adding that he hoped he was “still qualified for entry” into heaven upon his death.

“I had an amazing life. I gave it everything I had,” he wrote in the statement. “If you got any benefits from my work, I’m asking you to pay it forward as best you can. That is the legacy I want.”

Adams had previously announced his intent to convert on Jan. 1, admitting that “any skepticism I have about reality would certainly be instantly answered if I wake up in heaven.”

Born June 8, 1957, in Windham, New York, Adams began drawing from a young age. His work at the Pacific Bell Telephone Company in the 1980s and 1990s inspired many of the humorous office stereotypes portrayed in “Dilbert.”

A send-up of many of the tropes that continue to define U.S. office work, “Dilbert” became wildly popular into the 2000s and eventually included a brief television series.

Later in his career he launched the video talk series “Real Coffee With Scott Adams,” which he continued until just several days before his death.

In his final message released after his death, Adams told his fans: “Be useful.”

“And please know,” he added, “I loved you all to the end.”

New York senator pushes for more church security after crimes, vandalism at Catholic parishes
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:55:02 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 14:55 pm (CNA).

A state senator in New York is pushing for increased security after multiple crimes at Catholic parishes.

Several Catholic churches on Staten Island have been vandalized or attacked in recent weeks in what State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton described as “vile” acts of defacement and theft.

St. Sylvester’s Church was defaced with human feces on Christmas Day, according to local news reports, with camera footage capturing the vandal committing the act during the morning Christmas Mass.

Father Jacob Thumma told local media that the perpetrator “[looked] like he may be a homeless or disturbed person.”

“I feel sorry for him and wonder why he did that on the joyful day of Christmas,” the priest said at the time.

At. St. Roch’s Roman Catholic Church on Dec. 28, meanwhile, a criminal broke into the church rectory and reportedly stole a towel.

At St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church in the Dongan Hills neighborhood, an assailant reportedly interrupted a 7 a.m. Mass by breaking an angel statue, snatching the missal and a cross from the altar, tearing down flowers, and damaging the sanctuary’s marble floor.

Two responding police officers were reportedly injured during the incident.

‘Nobody should feel unsafe where they pray’

Scarcella-Spanton said in an interview Jan. 13 she has reached out to the churches and the local police precinct regarding the attacks, which have occurred within her district.

The senator said it does not appear as if the incidents were coordinated. “It does seem as if they were unique incidents and not an organized effort,” she said.

Still, “we want a meeting with the police precinct and with clergy,” she said, “just to see if there’s anything we can do to help them.”

Scarcella-Spanton pointed to the New York government’s Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program, which distributes government grants to protect vulnerable institutions. Houses of worship are able to access those funds, she said.

“This is for security, whether it’s people or cameras — just in any way, shape, or form,” she said.

The senator said the attack on St. Ann’s particularly affected her.

“I grew up in Dongan Hills where St. Ann’s is,” she said. “My kids went to preschool there. I went there for CCD.”

“I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for people” during the attack, she said.

In her statement, Scarcella-Spanton said she was “extremely troubled” by the incidents.

“Church is a place of peace and reflection; nobody should feel unsafe where they pray,” she said.

Archbishop Hebda calls for hope, healing as community suffers ‘heaviness’ after shooting
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:11:00 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 13:11 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis described a pervasive “heaviness” in the community over federal agents’ deadly shooting of a U.S. citizen.

In his pastoral reflection on Jan. 12, the archbishop said he was on retreat with regional bishops last week when the shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official occurred.

“I find myself Googling ‘Minneapolis’ every few hours to learn of the latest developments in a situation that truly tears at the heart,” he wrote, noting that some parishes with large Latino populations are seeing fewer than 50% of usual congregants at recent Masses.

“I hope that you might think about contacting any of our parishes serving immigrant communities to see how you might support them in their ministry,” Hebda wrote.

During the retreat, he said he prayed for consolation for the Good family, wisdom for political leaders, prudence and safety for law enforcement, temperance among protesters, healing for those wounded by political divisions (especially young people), and courage for immigrants living in fear of deportation.

Hebda said he also prayed for parish priests, deacons, educators, and others who are navigating these tensions while striving to “bring the light of the Gospel and the balm of Jesus’ love into these difficult situations.”

After the shooting last week, Hebda in a statement pleaded for “all people of goodwill to join me in prayer for the person who was killed, for their loved ones, and for our community.”

“We continue to be at a time in this country when we need to lower the temperature of rhetoric, stop fear-filled speculation, and start seeing all people as created in the image and likeness of God,” he said.

Good was behind the wheel of her SUV when she was killed. Dueling narratives emerged, with the president and Homeland Security secretary saying the ICE officer’s actions were justified against an “act of domestic terrorism,” while Democratic officials said the administration is lying and urged the public to review videos of the shooting themselves.

In his Jan. 12 letter, the prelate noted the “providential” timing of the Church’s psalm response at this past Sunday’s Mass: “The Lord will bless his people with peace” (Psalm 29), adding: “I am confident that the Lord keeps his promises, but I am hoping that he won’t keep us waiting too long. Maybe I should be praying for patience.”

To address the ongoing wounds, the archdiocese hosted Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston on Monday evening for a public presentation titled “A Wounded Church: Finding Peace and Healing,” originally intended to address the shooting that occurred during the all-school Mass at Annunciation Church in August 2025. The event began with a Mass and concluded with Eucharistic adoration.

“How providential that the evening event, planned months ago, would have been scheduled to coincide with this challenging time,” Hebda remarked in his letter. Cozzens also led a morning of recollection for archdiocesan staff on Jan. 13 on the same theme.

The archbishop urged the faithful to support immigrant parishes facing sharp declines in attendance since early December.

“A number of parishioners expressed to me their concerns about how the parishes will be able to continue their excellent ministry and outreach to the needy if Mass attendance (and offertory) remains low,” he wrote. “I am confident that it would be a shot in the arm for them if you could join them some weekend.”

Hebda also requested continued prayers for Father Greg Schaffer, an archdiocesan priest serving at a mission parish in Venezuela. Amid heightened dangers following the Trump administration’s military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, the U.S. State Department has warned of risks for Americans, prompting the archbishop to ask for prayers for Schaffer.

Daniel Payne contributed to this story.

Angola among African countries Pope Leo XIV to visit; dates being finalized
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:41:00 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 12:41 pm (CNA).

Angola is one of the countries Pope Leo XIV plans to visit in what will be his first pastoral trip to the continent of Africa as pontiff, the apostolic nuncio in the southern African nation has announced.

Addressing journalists during a press conference on Tuesday, Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel confirmed that the Holy Father had accepted invitations from both the Catholic bishops of Angola and the country’s President João Lourenço, adding that the timelines and itinerary of the visit and program are still being finalized.

“At this moment, we are preparing the plan and program for Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Africa. We do not yet have details on the exact date or program, but these will be communicated as soon as they are defined,” Dubiel said.

The native of Poland’s Diocese of Przemyśl invited all Angolan citizens to prepare for this significant event.

“I hope that the Holy Father’s visit will be an opportunity to rediscover the values that have shaped the Angolan people and to share these values with the diverse communities that live and work around the world,” said the Vatican diplomat in Angola, who also represents the Holy Father in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Also speaking at the press conference was the president of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, who called upon Angolans to participate in the committees that will be established to prepare for the papal visit.

“Each of these committees should give their best in the preparation, promotion, and realization of all tasks assigned,” Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba of Angola’s Saurimo Archdiocese said.

Imbamba thanked Pope Leo XIV for accepting the invitation to visit Angola.

Archbishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias of Angola’s Archdiocese of Luanda described the planned papal trip as a “moment of great human and spiritual comfort,” occurring during a special period in the history of Christianity and in the year marking the “grand jubilee of Luanda — 450 years as a city, 450 years celebrating the faith.”

Dias emphasized that the visit places Angola on the path of evangelization and universality.

He went on to thank the Angolan government for “opening the doors” and for accepting to collaborate with faith-based leaders to facilitate the papal visit.

In December 2025, Pope Leo XIV reportedly indicated that he would visit Africa in 2026, naming Algeria as a possible initial destination. Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon were also mentioned as potential stops.

Pope Leo is the first pontiff in modern history with firsthand knowledge of Africa. Unlike his predecessors, he has already been to eastern, western, southern, northern, and central Africa in person.

As he began his papacy following his May 2025 election, the American-born member of the Order of St. Augustine had already visited Kenya at least half a dozen times, the regional vicar of the order in the east African nation told ACI Africa — the last visit to the country having taken place in December 2024.

In a May 12, 2025, interview, Father Robert Karanja Ireri, superior of the Order of St. Augustine in Kenya, recalled that Pope Leo XIV had visited the neighboring Tanzania, confirming the country’s Daily News report that he had visited the East African nation multiple times.

Karanja also confirmed that Pope Leo XIV visited Algeria in North Africa.

Some members of the Augustinian Sisters of the Mercy of Jesus in South Africa recalled their interaction with Pope Leo XIV, then Father Robert Francis Prevost, when he visited the southern African nation.

According to the Nigeria Catholic Network’s May 10 report, Pope Leo would not be “a stranger to Nigeria, as records show that he has visited the country on at least nine occasions between 2001 and 2016.”

In his capacity as Augustinian prior general, Prevost presided over the inauguration of the Augustinian University in the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, in 2009.

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

Czech bishop declares Year of Reconciliation 80 years after World War II expulsions
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:11:00 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 12:11 pm (CNA).

Eighty years after the expulsion of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia, a Czech bishop has declared a local Year of Reconciliation to address wounds that remain from World War II and its aftermath.

Bishop Stanislav Přibyl of Litoměřice announced the initiative in a pastoral letter dated Dec. 31, 2025, following the end of the Jubilee of Hope on Jan. 6. The year marks two anniversaries on Jan. 13: the 1866 healing of Magdalena Kade and the 1946 founding of Ackermann-Gemeinde, a Catholic reconciliation group established by expelled Germans.

“The end of World War II brought not just joy and relief but also reckoning with people and the past,” Přibyl wrote in his letter. The war’s aftermath caused displacement and resettlement of populations across Central Europe, leaving lasting scars on the region.

After Nazi Germany annexed the Sudetenland in 1938 and established the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the majority-German region became part of the Reich. Following Germany’s defeat, Czechoslovakia expelled approximately 3 million ethnic Germans between 1945 and 1946, primarily from the Sudetenland region that now forms part of the Diocese of Litoměřice.

The bishop acknowledged that the question of whether the expulsions were justified remains a matter for historical debate. However, the displacement remains visible in demolished houses without owners and in churches that are abandoned or slowly being rebuilt.

Confronting collective guilt

The bishop emphasized that collective guilt, anger, and desire for revenge accompanied the displacement, along with “the sudden acquisition of property without work and closer ties to the place.” Some departing Germans were robbed, raped, or humiliated, a few committed suicide, and there were several massacres, Přibyl wrote.

Following a meeting of the diocese’s priests’ council in November, Přibyl declared the local jubilee of forgiveness and reconciliation. Monthly gatherings will take place in locations where the deportation was particularly cruel, including Terezín (Theresienstadt), which hosted a Nazi transit camp during World War II.

The events will include Christian-Jewish prayer services and Masses of reconciliation. The bishop hopes for “an ecumenical and interfaith spirit” at these gatherings, welcoming Christians, Jews, and Heimatsleute — Germans with deep historical ties to the region.

The press office of the Diocese of Litoměřice told CNA that the jubilee is local and invitations were not sent out broadly. “This is not politics or a revision of history, although historians partake in the preparation,” the press office said.

Heinrich Rüdiger, military attaché from the German embassy to the Czech Republic, joined the first event at Filipov on Jan. 13 marking the anniversary of the healing miracle.

Ackermann-Gemeinde’s reconciliation work

The Ackermann-Gemeinde was founded in Munich on Jan. 13, 1946 — the feast day of the Marian apparition at Filipov — by expelled Sudeten German Catholics who sought reconciliation with the Czech people despite their own suffering. The organization took its name from “Der Ackermann aus Böhmen” (“The Plowman from Bohemia”), a medieval German literary work from Bohemia symbolizing the deep cultural roots of Germans in the region.

The organization has worked for decades on cross-border partnerships, supporting the restoration of damaged churches and cemeteries in the Czech Republic and advocating for human rights. Since 1991, Ackermann-Gemeinde has maintained an office in Prague.

Filipov shrine

Filipov, a Marian sanctuary in northern Bohemia near the German border, is sometimes called “the Czech Lourdes.” On Jan. 13, 1866, Magdalena Kade, bedridden with severe illnesses, received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who told her: “My daughter, now you are healed.”

Kade immediately recovered, and Bishop Augustin Pavel Wahala of Litoměřice initiated a commission that recognized the healing and its supernatural character. Between 1870 and 1885, a neo-Romanesque church was built at the site, which Pope Leo XIII elevated to a minor basilica and dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians.

The Redemptorist order took custody of the shrine in 1884 and continues to care for pilgrims. Přibyl is himself a Redemptorist.

Opening old wounds to heal

“You might think that we should stop this reconciliation, as it has been 80 years, it is like taking corpses out of graves,” the bishop wrote in his letter. However, he argued that old wounds must be opened to be healed.

The reconciliation effort “may not be definitive, but an important step towards the healing process that our region still needs so much,” the bishop said. He noted that in some places, reconciliation is only beginning.

“Although we did not do wrong to our neighbors 80 years ago, we still live from the life-giving movement of forgiveness, as we pray in the prayer that Our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us: ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,’” Přibyl wrote.

The bishop concluded: “Prejudices survive and the reluctance to talk about them or to admit that we have all sinned is still here.”

The reconciliation initiative follows recent Czech-Polish-German efforts to address the war’s legacy. In November 2025, Polish and German bishops signed a new declaration in Wrocław marking the 60th anniversary of historic 1965 reconciliation letters.

Dozens of Charlotte priests query Vatican over bishop’s move to abolish altar rails, kneelers
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:41:00 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 11:41 am (CNA).

Reacting to Bishop Michael Martin’s Dec. 17, 2025, pastoral letter announcing the impending abolishment of altar rails and kneelers in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, 31 of the diocese’s priests have signed a letter to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Legislative Texts containing a set of questions, or “dubia,” related to the matter.

According to The Pillar, which obtained a leaked copy of the diocesan priests’ letter last week, the priests directly question “whether a diocesan bishop may prohibit the use of kneelers to assist members of the faithful who, of their own accord, wish to receive holy Communion kneeling.”

In December, Martin issued a pastoral letter saying that by Jan. 16, the use of altar rails, kneelers, and “prie-dieus” (movable kneelers) will no longer be permitted in the diocese, and any “temporary or movable fixtures used for kneeling for the reception of Communion” must be removed.

In his pastoral letter, Martin said while an “individual member of the faithful” is free to kneel to receive and should not be denied Communion, the “normative posture for all the faithful in the United States is standing,” per guidelines from the U.S. bishops.

“The faithful who feel compelled to kneel to receive the Eucharist as is their individual right should also prayerfully consider the blessing of communal witness that is realized when we share a common posture,” he wrote.

In their letter to the Vatican, the diocesan priests specifically question the bishop’s actions to impede the faithful from kneeling at built-in altar rails when that is the norm for a parish, a practice the bishop has insisted upon when he celebrates Mass at such churches in the diocese, according to Brian Williams, an advocate for Charlotte’s Traditional Latin Mass community.

When Martin concelebrated a Mass with several other bishops last summer at a parish whose commmunicants usually receive at temporary kneelers, per the bishop’s direction, according to Williams, Communion was distributed in front of the kneelers to discourage parishioners from kneeling.

“Since an altar rail is a common and traditional ‘structure and ornamentation’ that marks off the sanctuary from the body of the church within the Roman rite, it is asked whether a diocesan bishop has the legitimate authority to prohibit the erection of altar rails within churches or other sacred places in his diocese,” the diocese’s priests query in their letter, as reported by The Pillar.

A priest in the Charlotte Diocese who wished to remain anonymous due to an alleged “atmosphere of fear, retaliation, and mistrust” told CNA that the actual number of the dubia’s supporters is “well north” of the 31, or a quarter of all priests in the diocese, who actually signed it.

“Certain priests have prudentially decided to withhold their signature,” he told CNA.

According to a social media post by the Traditional Latin Mass community in Charlotte: “Several diocesan sources in Charlotte have confirmed that the actual support for the dubia is closer to 50% of priests, nearly double the number of signers.”

In his December pastoral letter, Martin also specified norms for extraordinary ministers, prohibited the practice of intinction (when the consecrated bread is dipped into the wine before being placed on the tongue), and encouraged the reception of Communion under both kinds — the bread and the wine — which he says fell out of practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2025, a draft of a letter detailing several other of Martin’s intended reforms of traditional practices in the diocese was leaked. In that letter, the bishop said that because “there is no mention in the conciliar documents, the reform of the liturgy, or current liturgical documents concerning the use of altar rails or kneelers for the distribution of holy Communion, they are not to be employed in the Diocese of Charlotte.”

The diocesan priests’ Jan. 5 letter to the Vatican manifests that “both the leaked letter from this past summer and the pastoral letter of Dec. 17 have caused a great deal of concern amongst the priests and faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, especially in those parishes that have allowed the faithful to use an altar rail or prie-dieu for the reception of holy Communion.”

The diocesan priests’ letter also addresses issues from Martin’s leaked May letter in which the prelate suggested that certain liturgical practices and elements such as the use of Latin, ornately decorated vestments, certain prayers, and altar ornaments will be prohibited because they are not in accord with changes made after the Second Vatican Council.

Asked about the Jan. 5 letter containing the dubia, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Charlotte told CNA that the bishop “has not ‘restricted kneeling.’”

In a Jan. 8 statement to CNA, Martin stated: “My brother priests are always welcome to ask questions and seek clarification about the application of liturgical norms. To be clear, the only modifications that have been made since the Diocese of Charlotte last updated its liturgical norms in 2011 involve the distribution of holy Communion, as spelled out in my letter to the faithful in December.”

Apparently referring to the leaked May letter, Martin continued: “Questions arising from the internal and confidential conversations of the Presbyteral Council are premature and lack substance, since no definitive action has taken place outside of the December 2025 letter. The norms highlighted in the letter keep our diocese aligned with the broader norms of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the universal Church.”

Order of Malta seeks greater UN role as hospital in Bethlehem faces operational constraints
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:11:00 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 11:11 am (CNA).

The Order of Malta’s Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem is facing severe operational constraints and its mobile clinics remain unable to reach Bedouin villages in the West Bank due to movement restrictions and violence, the order’s grand master told diplomats Jan. 10.

Fra’ John Dunlap said in his annual address to the diplomatic corps that the 900-year-old Catholic order is committed to help reconstruction efforts in Gaza City led by Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, and other partners.

Middle East operations central

The ties to the Middle East are central to the order’s mission, particularly in Lebanon and the Holy Land, Dunlap told the diplomatic corps accredited to the order at the Magistral Villa on Rome’s Aventine Hill.

He expressed concern about restrictions on movement, violence, and persistent shortages of essential services in the West Bank, citing the operational challenges facing Holy Family Hospital and the inability of mobile clinics to reach Bedouin communities.

Latin America remains a region of paramount importance, Dunlap said, announcing a regional conference of the Order of Malta for the Americas in Buenos Aires in autumn 2026 to streamline regional humanitarian initiatives.

Africa continues to receive substantial investment through specialized programs of Ordre de Malte France and Malteser International, with newly established relations with Gambia and Burundi yielding rapid progress, he said.

Ukraine constituted a major focus, with Dunlap calling for hostilities to cease and full protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. The order expressed readiness to support dialogue initiatives “in full respect of its principles of neutrality and impartiality.”

UN status sought

The order aspires to attain “enhanced status” within the United Nations that more accurately reflects the nature and breadth of its worldwide activities, Dunlap concluded.

The order currently holds permanent observer status at the U.N. and maintains diplomatic relations with 115 countries.

Ambassador Antoine Zanga of Cameroon, dean of the diplomatic corps, praised the order’s “humanitarian diplomacy” in his response speech and invited Dunlap to continue promoting “charity, solidarity, peace, and defense of international humanitarian law in a world where the rules are fading.”

Dunlap described 2025 as a year of exceptional intensity, marked by the jubilee, the death of Pope Francis, and the election of Pope Leo XIV, which “profoundly resonated across both the life of the universal Church and the broader international community.”

“The order is truly the institution of the Gospel, which it follows as Jesus taught it through his apostles,” Bolivian Ambassador Teresa Susana Subieta Serrano shared with CNA after the speech of the grand master. She noted that the grand master mentioned Latin America as a region of paramount importance for the order.

“We recognize many good things that the order is doing. I am also the special envoy of my country to Africa, so I appreciate the particular mention of this continent. My intention is to do projects in Africa together with the order,” Slovenian Ambassador Franc But told CNA.

UPDATE: National Catholic Partnership on Disability wins service award from Catholic historians
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:41:06 -0500

Jan 13, 2026 / 10:41 am (CNA).

CHICAGO — A Catholic nonprofit that helps parishes and schools provide faith formation and catechesis for people with disabilities was selected to win the 2026 award for service to Catholic studies from the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA).

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) was presented the award during a panel discussion about the historical and modern interactions between the Church and Catholics with disabilities at the annual ACHA meeting in Chicago on Jan. 8.

During the discussion, panelists highlighted the ongoing efforts to make Catholic parish and school life more welcoming to members of the faithful who have disabilities and also spoke about persistent struggles to ensure that inclusivity is comprehensive throughout the Church.

“Though this recognition of our mission and ministry was very unexpected, it is both energizing and affirming,” Charleen Katra, executive director of NCPD, told CNA in a statement.

Katra said the award helps bring attention to the NCPD’s efforts to ensure Catholics with disabilities receive access to their baptismal rights: “To be educated in the faith; to live a sacramental life; and to respond to God’s call.”

“Persons with disabilities have unique gifts that bless the Church,” she said. “Thank you for blessing NCPD with this honor. We gratefully accept it on behalf of Catholics living with disabilities, and their families, who seek meaningful participation in the Church!”

Mary Dunn, outgoing ACHA president, said NCPD was selected because of its efforts to “promote real belonging” for those with disabilities and said “the lines between history and practice are always thin.”

Katra, who has a background in special education, said in the panel discussion that she first became involved in special religious education when she tutored a child with an intellectual disability named Brandon, who needed catechesis to prepare for the sacraments.

She said there are “a lot of different ways” to learn about God. Brandon needed multisensory learning that included a lot of visuals, which was not a learning experience offered at the parish at that time. In her current role, she helps provide training and resources to parishes to make sure Catholics with disabilities have access to a learning experience that fits their needs.

Although many parishes have incorporated these options into their catechesis, Katra said she still hears from families whose needs are not met by the Church. In some cases, she warned, families will leave the Catholic Church altogether if those needs are not met: “The Church can’t not look at this.”

“What happens?” she said. “They go somewhere else that will meet their needs or their loved one’s needs.”

“No one should not feel at home in the house of the Lord,” she added.

Tasha Taylor, the associate director of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Special Religious Development ministry, said 15% of children in American public schools receive some form of special education, which highlights the need for greater inclusion.

“We’re all made in the image of God,” she said. “... I need my brothers and sisters with disabilities. We are incomplete without each other.”

The ACHA gave out two other awards during its 2026 annual meeting.

The Excellence in Teaching award was presented to Harvard ecclesiastical history professor Kevin Madigan. The Lifetime of Distinguished Scholarship Award was given to Yale history and religious studies professor Carlos Eire.

Correction: This story originally wrongly attributed quotes from Tasha Taylor, the associate director of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Special Religious Development ministry. The story was updated on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. EST.