The “Borgo Dialogues,” organized by the Vatican-run Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, began on Sept. 20 and will continue until Sept. 23 in New York, in conjunction with the U.N. meeting.

According to a news release, the gathering will focus on the question “What are we building, for whom, and who will inherit it?” The invitation-only meetings include leaders in business, finance, academia, faith, healthcare, sports, civil society, and international institutions.

“The Borgo Dialogues represent an invitation to courageous leadership rooted in listening, encounter and shared responsibility,” Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the Laudato Si’ Center and founder of the Borgo Dialogues, said in a statement.

“At a moment when many institutions face growing fragmentation and distrust, we need spaces where leaders can engage difficult questions honestly, build trust across differences and commit themselves to actions that uphold human dignity and advance the common good,” he said.

The Borgo Dialogues initiative began in June with a meeting at the Vatican. It is inspired by papal teachings contained in Pope Francis’ encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti and Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

According to the news release, the main focus of the talks is AI and work transformation, healthcare and human dignity, sustainable development, systems-level change across industries, and the evolving responsibilities of leaders navigating an increasingly interconnected world.

The news release states there is a shared commitment to designing technologies, institutions, and systems that recognize the inherent dignity of each person, with a focus on those who are most vulnerable.

“The world’s most urgent challenges require relationships that rise above institutions and ideologies,” said Father Daniel G. Groody, CSC, a member of the Laudato Si’ Center’s General Council.

“The Borgo Dialogues create a distinctive environment where intellectual rigor, moral purpose and practical leadership come together, helping diverse leaders transform reflection into responsibility and ideas into action,” said Groody, who is also the vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame.

The inaugural Borgo Dialogues were held in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, Vatican State, from June 17–19. It included more than 80 participants. The Laudato Si’ Center is expected to present proposals to the World Economic Forum based on the discussions.

The 81st U.N. General Assembly began on Sept. 8 in New York. General debate meetings begin on Sept. 22 and end on Sept. 28.

She received the honor at the 26th edition of the Master of Polish Speech (Mistrz Mowy Polskiej) Social Program awards ceremony in Ostrowiec, Poland. The prestigious award was decided by a nationwide poll in Poland, with the winner selected by text votes.

Among those in attendance were Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and Ostrowiec Mayor Artur Łakomiec.

The award “Master of Polish Speech Vox Populi” was established in 2000 as a nationwide initiative to promote the Polish language and culture. Wolińska-Riedi, who joined EWTN News as a Vatican correspondent in 2024, described the award as recognition of the valuable contributions of Poles living in the diaspora.

“I did not think they would think about me,” Wolińska-Riedi told EWTN News. “Usually, the winners are important and very famous actors and journalists from Poland, hosts of different Polish programs, and scientists and so on. To be recognized after having spent so many years abroad in Rome as a journalist was an honor.”

Wolińska-Riedi joined the EWTN News Vatican Bureau after spending more than 20 years living and working inside Vatican City. After completing her doctorate in Church studies from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, she continued to serve there as the Polish correspondent in Italy for Telewizja Polska, the oldest and largest Polish television network. She has also translated works from Polish to Italian and Latin for the Roman Rota, the Church’s highest court of appeals.

While living in Vatican City, where she is also a citizen by marriage, she developed a close friendship with St. John Paul II, who was Polish.

Speaking to EWTN News, she acknowledged the challenges of staying connected to her native Poland while living and working abroad in another language. She also said that while receiving the award was a profound honor, her greatest honor is being a proud mother of two daughters who speak Polish.

“My two daughters have grown up really with the Polish language, and Iʼm very proud of it,” she said.

For six consecutive years, municipal authorities have barred the march from gathering in Zurich’s city center, citing security risks posed by the threat of hostile counterprotesters. Organizers pointed out that municipal officials routinely permit other demonstrations in the heart of the city, applying a clear double standard to the pro-life witness.

Similar to previous years, the Sept. 19 event faced opposition. One group of roughly 200 masked protesters on bicycles attempted to disrupt the event by setting off firecrackers, overturning trash bins onto the roadway, and attempting to block the route.​

Swiss police maintained control of the situation by shielding marchers, conducting identity checks, and using two water cannons to disperse protesters. The Zurich March for Life proceeded without any reported injuries to participants.

While organizers estimated about 2,200 advocates, police counted more than 1,000 participants.

The fact that security was maintained in Oerlikon shows that law enforcement can manage counterprotests, undermining the cityʼs justification for keeping the march out of central Zurich, according to observers. ​

Restrictions prompt legal challenge

Speaking previously to CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, Beatrice Gall, president of the Swiss March for Life, pointed out that municipal officials routinely allow other groups permits to hold demonstrations in Zurich city center yet relocate the Zurich March for Life to the city outskirts. This results in reduced visibility and logistical issues, Gall said.

By restricting the march to the commercial and residential district of Oerlikon, city officials argue they are minimizing potential public order disruptions and protecting urban infrastructure.

Critics argue that authorities are effectively rewarding the violence of counterprotesters by allowing hostile agitators to veto a peaceful groupʼs constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and free expression.

To challenge this policy, organizers have launched a public petition and initiated legal proceedings against the City of Zurich, demanding equal access to the city center and insisting that police maintain law and order without suppressing peaceful pro-life voices.

Breaking the silence

Speaking to EWTN News, Gall described the current social climate surrounding abortion in Switzerland as “one of silence.”

“There is no public debate and no objective examination of the facts; instead, people remain silent about the high abortion rates, the suffering this causes many people, and the consequences thereof,” Gall said.

She noted that since Switzerland introduced its 12-week deadline regulation in 2002, at least 200,000 abortions have taken place. Estimating that five or more people are affected per procedure, including fathers and extended family, Gall stressed that over 1 million Swiss citizens carry the impact, making public awareness vital. This further justified the march in the city center so that greater “communication, dialogue, and discussions with people can begin.”

Pushing back against opponents and media outlets attempting to portray the pro-life movement as regressive, Gall rejected the stereotype. “Advocating for human life is not backward — it’s forward-looking!” she asserted, pointing to a “new wave of interest and strong commitment” among the younger generation.

Gall stressed that a mother’s womb should be “the safest place in the world, not the most dangerous,” calling on men to support their partners rather than leaving them isolated or pressuring them into abortion. “Even if you’re surprised by the pregnancy, be there for your partner and your child,” Gall urged. “They need you, even before birth.”

Call for responsibility and dialogue

Nicolas Kolly, a Swiss People’s Party national councilor and former member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, addressed participants, encouraging society to “give a voice to those who do not yet have one,” and summarized his core message simply as “Protect life.”

He also urged comprehensive support for women facing difficult pregnancies, arguing that offering viable alternatives must be a societal duty. Furthermore, Kolly stressed paternal duty, stating that a man’s priority is “to take responsibility. To support. To listen. To protect.” Ultimately, Kolly framed maternal assistance and child protection as inseparable priorities, concluding that “these two ideas must go hand in hand: the protection of the child and the support of the mother.”

Among those who addressed the crowd was also Jonas Streule, regional director of ProLife Europe in Switzerland. Speaking to EWTN News, Streule acknowledged the broader hurdles facing pro-life advocacy in Switzerland, pointing specifically to distorted social media stereotypes that damage public perception.

“What people associate with the word ‘pro-life’ comes from screaming videos in the TikTok world of short clips,” Streule said. “That is not what actually happens when you engage in pro-life work.”

Turning to ProLife Europe’s outreach on university campuses, Streule explained that the organization prioritizes personal encounters over hostility. “Abortion is a severe matter, and it deserves to be touched face to face, in a loving way,” he noted, stressing that compassion and clarity go hand in hand.

According to Streule, few students he encounters actively view abortion as desirable. Instead, the primary challenge lies in helping young people realize they can play an active role in building a culture that supports life.

“We rarely leave a conversation without having made someone think about an opinion they simply adopted from the dominant culture,” Streule said. He added that across numerous Swiss campus outreaches, he has “never once received a bad word from the person I was talking to.”

For Streule, direct street outreach serves as a vital bridge to those personal conversations. By creating spaces for face-to-face dialogue, he said, he believes advocates can break through online misconceptions, encourage people to reconsider deep-seated assumptions, and foster genuine reflection on the value of human life.

The pontiff made these remarks during a private audience with a delegation from the Federation of Capuchin Poor Clare Nuns of Italy on Sept. 21. The Capuchin Poor Clares, a branch of the Poor Clares, was founded in 1535 by the Spanish nun Blessed Maria Lorenza Longo.

Addressing the lack of vocations to their order and throughout Italy, Leo encouraged them not to give in to hopelessness and to renew their commitment to their spiritual values.

“The numerical decline of communities, and the fear of losing their autonomy that may result from it, should neither trouble you nor deprive you of hope,” Leo said. “Rather, it should encourage a renewal of your way of life and an even greater commitment to the spiritual accompaniment of those who knock on the doors of your monasteries.”

Leo also explained to them the true origins of vocations, stating that vocations do not come from campaigns but from “prayer, familiarity with the Gospel, silence, acceptance of oneself with one’s imperfections, and a sense of belonging.”

The pope also encouraged the nuns to prioritize ongoing formation, fostering deep communion with the Church in a society dominated by noise.

“Be formed, and form others, in a cloistered life lived in a spirit of deep communion among yourselves and with the Church; in a silence that, within a society dominated by haste and noise, awakens the need for times and spaces to stop, discern, and reflect,” he said.

Coming from schools and parishes throughout Rome, the children will join the pontiff in the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign organized by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

They will also be spiritually united with children, families, schools, and Christian communities around the world in an event marking the beginning of the global week during which the prayer initiative is observed.

During that week, any diocese, parish, religious community, school, or family anywhere in the world can participate. The week concludes on Oct. 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Inspired by the message of Fátima

The 2026 campaign is inspired by the message received by the children at Fátima: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of ACN International and prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, said in particular that “the Immaculate Heart of Mary represents a life completely open to the Holy Spirit and presents Mary as a model of faith, love, and prayer.”

According to ACN, “the initiative takes on special significance at a time when millions of people are facing war, violence, persecution, poverty, and uncertainty.” For this reason, the prayer campaign “seeks to be a simple yet universal sign of trust and hope: children of different languages, cultures, and countries united in the same prayer for peace.”

The origins: Padre Pio and Venezuela 20 years ago

The “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative began in Venezuela in 2005. Today it has become a worldwide prayer movement involving children, families, parishes, schools, and Church groups on every continent, inspired by the words of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, who said that “when 1 million children pray the rosary, the world will change.”

ACN said the invitation is not limited to children and that praying an entire rosary is not required: “Even a single decade prayed with faith can become part of this global chain of prayer.”

The pontifical foundation also provides prayer materials in several languages and asks participants to register so that the network of children joining the prayer in different countries can be displayed on a map.

The initiative is organized in collaboration with the Shrine of Fátima, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, and the World Apostolate of Fátima. This year, World Rosary Day is also joining the campaign for the first time.

Bolivia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Paraguay

The prayers of Pope Leo XIV and the children of Rome will be joined by prayer gatherings planned in locations around the world, “from the Bolivian Amazon to parishes in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and many other places affected by war, poverty, or instability,” ACN said.

In war-torn Sudan, Father Franck Mandozi of the Kosti Pastoral Region confirmed that children from several parishes and schools will take part. From the Tsimané Indigenous community in the Bolivian Amazon, Sister Patricia Alejandra Botello López said they will pray in both their local language and Spanish.

Children from St. Christopher Parish in the Archdiocese of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will gather on Sunday, Oct. 4, to pray with their pastor, Father Charles Mafurutu, who in the following weeks will travel to other communities.

In Paraguay, Radio Pa’i Puku plans to promote the initiative through its broadcasts and will carry a live transmission of the rosary prayed by children at St. Eugene de Mazenod Parish.

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.

As the Holy See Press Office announced on Sept. 21, the pontiff will meet with authorities, interfaith leaders, workers, and Catholic communities during his visit.

A motto has been chosen for each of the countries he will visit in November.

According to the announcement, the pope will begin his journey by departing Rome on Nov. 6 at 7:50 a.m. Rome time and arriving at 4:30 p.m. local time the same day at the Carrasco/General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport in Uruguay. From there, he will travel to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.

Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV is set to be the first pope to visit Uruguay since St. John Paul II in 1988. He will remain there from Nov. 6–8.

At 5:30 p.m. local time on Nov. 6, Leo will attend an official welcome ceremony at the Plaza Independencia, Montevideo’s largest public square. Following the ceremony, he will meet with and address authorities and the diplomatic corps.

At 6:15 p.m., the pope will pay a courtesy visit to the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, at his residence at the Edificio José Artigas.

Leo will then celebrate vespers at 7:10 p.m. with clergy and religious at the
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Sts. Philip and
James.

The next day, Nov. 7, Leo is scheduled to travel from Montevideo to Paysandú in the morning. He will then celebrate Mass at the Parque París Londres at 10 a.m.

The pope will then return to Montevideo the same day for evening meetings with the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Catholic University of Uruguay.

At 7 p.m., Leo will lead a prayer vigil at the Centenary Stadium, which hosted the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.

On Nov. 8, Leo’s final day in Uruguay, he will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Florida at 10 a.m. before departing for Argentina at 3:30 p.m.

Argentina

Pope Leo XIV will be the first pope to visit Argentina since 1987. He will remain there from Nov. 8–11.

The pontiff will land at the Jorge Newbery Airpark at 4:30 p.m. After visiting a war monument and attending an official welcome ceremony, he will meet with Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, in the evening and then address the country’s civil leaders and diplomatic corps.

On Nov. 9, Leo will travel to Claypole in the morning to visit the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione de Claypole, Argentina’s largest institution dedicated to caring for people with disabilities. He will then celebrate Mass at the  Monumento de los Españoles at 11:30 a.m.

The pope will then meet in the afternoon with the work community at the Catholic University of Argentina and then with interfaith leaders at the Palacio San Martín.

At 6:45 p.m., Leo will celebrate vespers with the bishops and the synodal teams at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. He will have dinner with the bishops afterward.

On Nov. 10, the pope will travel to Córdoba to celebrate Mass at the Military Aviation School. He will then meet with clergy and religious at the Cathedral of Córdoba before traveling back to Buenos Aires for a youth vigil at 8:15 p.m.

On the morning of Nov. 11, Leo will celebrate his final Mass in Argentina at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. He will then depart Buenos Aires at 2 p.m. to arrive in Lima, Peru, at 5:30 p.m.

Peru

Returning to the land where he served for two decades as a missionary and a bishop, Leo will visit Peru from Nov. 11–17.

After landing in Lima on Nov. 11, the pope will meet in the evening with the president of Peru, Keiko Fujimori, and address the country’s diplomatic corps.

He will meet in Lima on the morning of Nov. 12 with the bishops of Peru before leading midmorning prayer with clergy and religious at 10:20 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of Lima. Following the service, he will meet the faithful in the cathedral square and address them on the challenges of the Peruvian people.

In the evening, he will hold a prayer vigil with young people at the Estadio Monumental “U” in Lima before dinner with the bishops at the nunciature.

On Nov. 13 at 7:40 a.m., the pope will depart Lima for Chiclayo, where he served as diocesan bishop from 2015 to 2023. He is scheduled to arrive in Chiclayo at 9:10 a.m. and celebrate Mass near the Pampas de Pimentel at 10:30 a.m.

After a private visit to a chapel dedicated to St. Oscar Romero, Leo will meet in the evening with the synodal teams at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace. Afterward, he will meet with the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University before having supper with priests of the Diocese of Chiclayo.

On Nov. 14 at 8 a.m., the pope will crown a statue of the Virgin Mary at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Chiclayo. He will then depart for Santa Cruz de Succhabamba to celebrate Mass there at 11 a.m. He will then return to Chiclayo that evening to lead a prayer service for the closing of the jubilee year of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, who served as archbishop of Lima from 1579–1606.

On Nov. 15, Leo will travel from Chiclayo to Cusco. He will meet in the morning with the faithful at the Saqsaywaman National Park before leading the Angelus in the square of the Cusco Cathedral. In the afternoon, he will travel from Cusco to Pucallpa and meet with representatives of the Amazonian peoples. He will then celebrate Mass at the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali before traveling to the Callao Naval Air Base that evening.

On Nov. 16, the final day of his apostolic journey, Leo will visit a shelter run by nuns for elderly people in the morning before celebrating the final Mass of his trip at the Las Palmas Air Base.

He is scheduled to depart Callao Naval Air Base at 1:45 p.m. and arrive in Rome on Nov. 17 at 10:25 a.m. local time.

Surprisingly little is known for certain about Matthew’s life, even though his Gospel is so crucial for the Church. The manner of Matthew’s calling by Jesus is well known — Matthew was a Jew but worked as a tax collector for the Romans in Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee, making him a pariah among his own people. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, Matthew gave up his presumably materialistic life as a tax collector to follow the Lord.

Jesus’ calling of Matthew led some religious authorities of the Jewish community to wonder: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” To which Jesus responded: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes, however, that no further reference is made to Matthew in the Gospels, except in the list of the apostles, and “of Matthew’s subsequent career we have only inaccurate or legendary data.” It appears though, according to a number of other ancient sources, that he evangelized for at least a decade and a half in Asia.

Matthew’s earthly body is purported to lie in the crypt beneath the cathedral of Salerno, Italy. In the crypt, a bronze St. Matthew made by Michelangelo Naccherino in 1606 sits above the altar. The saint is shown writing the Gospel with a book resting on his left knee and a pen in his right hand. At his left side, an angel hands him an inkwell as he writes.

Alfano I, the archbishop of Salerno from 1058–1085, completed the crypt in 1081 and placed Matthew’s body in the sepulcher. The renovation in the early 17th century was carried out by architects Domenico and his son Giulio Cesare Fontana.

According to legend, St. Matthew’s intercession helped to protect the city in 1544 from the dreaded pirate Ariadeno Barbarossa, supreme commander of the Turkish military fleet, when a storm that had been prayed for by devotees to St. Matthew in Salerno blew Barbarossa’s fleet away from the city.

Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox churches celebrate St. Matthew on Nov. 16 along with St. Fulvianus, a prince who is recorded in some traditions as converting from paganism after Matthew’s martyrdom.

Pope Benedict said in 2006 that “in the figure of Matthew, the Gospels present to us a true and proper paradox: those who seem to be the farthest from holiness can even become a model of the acceptance of God’s mercy and offer a glimpse of its marvelous effects in their own lives."

This story was first published on Sept. 21, 2023, and has been updated.

The special relic is put on display during regular expositions every 50 years, as well as on extraordinary occasions — the most recent being in 2023 — but it has never before been brought before a pope.

Pope Leo XIV will be able to view it on Sept. 25, when it is displayed at the conclusion of the youth vigil at a soccer stadium in a suburb north of Paris, part of the packed schedule for his trip to France.

More than 80,000 French young people have registered for the prayer vigil at the Stade de France, and according to Father Guy-Emmanuel Cariot, former rector of the basilica of Argenteuil, Leo is the first pope to see the tunic since the time of St. Peter.

That may be an exaggeration, but it is true that there has never before been an extraordinary exposition of the relic during a papal journey and in the presence of a pontiff. That will happen during this trip, in part because only 3.7 miles separate the basilica of Argenteuil from the Stade de France.

The tunic will travel those nearly four miles under extremely tight security measures, made even stricter by memories of the theft of the tunic in 1983, when the relic disappeared for a couple of months. For that reason, the route the tunic will take is being kept confidential. It is known, however, that there will be surveillance both on the ground and from above to ensure that the transfer takes place discreetly and under optimal security conditions.

The tunic has been kept in Argenteuil for more than 1,200 years and is one of several relics of Christ’s passion preserved in France. The Crown of Thorns is kept at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, while the Holy Headcloth of Jesus is preserved in Cahors.

As for the Holy Tunic itself, it was mentioned in Gregory of Tours’ sixth-century work “Liber in Gloria Martyrum Beatorum” (“The Glory of the Martyrs and the Blessed”). The book notes that Jesus’ seamless tunic was kept in Galata, in a church dedicated to the holy archangels, about 120 miles from Constantinople. The seventh-century “Chronicle of Fredegar,” however, locates the tunic in Zafad, not far from Jerusalem.

The tunic later came into the possession of the Byzantine Empress Irene, who gave it to Charlemagne in the year 800 on the occasion of his coronation as the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne in turn donated it to the monastery of Argenteuil, whose abbess was his daughter Theodrada. The “Charta Hugonis” of 1156 notes that the tunic had long been kept in the basilica of Argenteuil.

Over the centuries, the tunic was hidden to protect it from the Normans and later from the Huguenots. During the French Revolution, in order to save it from anticlerical persecution, Father Ozot, pastor of Argenteuil, had it cut into pieces and hidden. It was eventually reassembled, although some portions were lost.

Other pieces of the tunic are preserved elsewhere. One example is the so-called “Tunic of Trier” in Germany, which has appeared in historical records since 1072 and is believed to be one of the relics brought back from the Holy Land by St. Helena. However, scholars have been unable to determine its origin and age because of its poor state of preservation and the extensive repairs it has undergone over the centuries.

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

National Migration Week will begin on Monday, Sept. 21, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 27, the day the Catholic Church observes the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

On its website, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that in solidarity with the pontiff, it will adopt the theme “Even One of These Little Ones,” the same theme chosen by Leo XIV for the global observance.

In his message, Leo XIV explains that this theme “draws our attention to the minors directly involved in the experience of migration and flight, to the care owed to them, and to the Lord’s promise that “whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.’”

The chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, Bishop Brendan Cahill, noted that the Catholic Church, “in this country and beyond has a long, inspiring history of caring for migrant and refugee children.”

In the United States, this history spans “from the days of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and her sisters sheltering many orphaned immigrant children when few others looked their way to today’s diocesan charities providing them and their families with vital support,” he noted.

The Italian saint and her sisters arrived in New York in 1889, where they encountered a very harsh pastoral reality among European immigrants. Yet, despite the difficulties, the sisters managed to open an orphanage, a home for themselves, and a school for the children.

Cahill expressed his gratitude to law enforcement officers, social workers, pastoral staff, and caregivers who look after the safety and well-being of migrant and refugee minors.

However, he added, “[a]s we see protections for this population being undermined in various ways, including prolonged stays in detention and decreased access to legal representation, we urge governments and communities to ensure a high level of care rooted in their God-given human dignity.”

“This requires promoting family unity and reunification whenever possible,” he said.

Therefore, the USCCB invited the nation’s Catholics amid “heightened social tensions regarding immigration” to reflect “on how our faith is calling us to respond to this most vulnerable group.”

Toward this end, the bishops’ conference is encouraging “dioceses, parishes, schools, and organizations nationwide to mark this observance with prayer, educational programs, pastoral outreach and support for migration-related ministries.”

For its part, the USCCB’s Secretariat of Migration will host a webinar on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET featuring “several expert panelists who will highlight some of the key implications of this yearʼs theme."

“These experts will shed light on both the international and domestic dynamics facing children in the context of migration,” the bishops’ conference explained.

Those interested in participating in the webinar may register at this link.

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.

The event is an international prayer initiative that aims to bring together families, parishes, schools, religious communities, and individuals from around the world in response to Pope Leo XIV’s call for the Church to pray the rosary for peace.

The Global Rosary for Peace is organized by Holy Cross Family Ministries and is part of its efforts to strengthen family prayer and encourage the faithful to pray the rosary. The initiative received the pope’s blessing last year and over 67,000 people prayed the rosary live during the first global event.

Father Fred Jenga, CSC, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM), told EWTN News that the first Global Rosary for Peace was created due to several global crises taking place and the need for prayer.

“There is always some kind of global crisis that is going on that really calls us to pray more,” he said. “Last year it was all the conflicts that were everywhere. Some of them have sort of died down a little bit but we still have more going on as well in this very year that we are in. So we are just picking up from where we left off. So that we invite people again to pray more.”

Currently, over 95,000 people have signed up to take part in this year’s live, global rosary.

HCFM was founded by Venerable Patrick Peyton, an Irish-born Catholic priest who was known as the “rosary priest” and for his famous phrase “a family that prays together stays together.”

With this at the core of its ministry, HCFM desires to “bring God back into the life of families because we know when God is at the center of the families, especially through prayer, regular prayer, God changes the chemistry in those families because God is love, God is kindness,” Jenga explained.

“God created our families. And they will be restless and weak and all over the place until they allow [God] to be the center,” he said.

Jenga also spoke about the importance of praying the rosary specifically.

“When we pray the rosary on a family level, the heart of the rosary is the mysteries of the rosary, and those mysteries speak to every human season that you can think about,” he shared. “We go through joy, we go through sorrow, we go through mission, we go through celebration or glory. So there you have a set of mysteries that you can pray with through any season that youʼre talking about.”

The priest also pointed out that when we look at the saints, nearly all of them share two characteristics: a love for the Eucharist and a love for the rosary.

“So, in their path to sanctity, these are the two rails that they ran on. And if we also desire the same kind of sanctity and strength in our families, right there is really a formula for us that we can be able to employ to help ourselves as a family and also to help ourselves as individuals,” Jenga said.

He added: “We’re at a time of need in our world right now. There are too many conflicts that are going on and we need a favor for global peace, and the rosary is one of those prayers that weʼre turning to because even throughout history, every time there was a global crisis, the Church, even our Blessed Mother, if she appeared, she asked us to pray the rosary.”

For those who participate in the Global Rosary for Peace, Jenga said he hopes they are “able to renew their belief in the power of prayer.”

“Secondly, this can be a jumping-off point for them to get started, in smaller ways, praying in their own families and for the needs in their families, but also keep praying for our world at this time.”

To take part and register for the Global Rosary of Peace visit https://hcfm.org/pray-for-peace/.

Much of the public will only be aware of the beginning and the end of such controversies — when a clergyman is accused of a misdeed and when he is ultimately either found guilty of it or cleared of any wrongdoing.

But U.S. dioceses have complex and at times lengthy ways of addressing such allegations — processes that ensure both a full treatment of the alleged misconduct and the rights of priests to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

‘The smoke of truth’

Monsignor William King, JCD, serves as an assistant professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America. His academic expertise includes the study of both canon and civil law as well as the study of “temporal goods” such as Church finance and corporate structure.

King told EWTN News that bishops who receive allegations of wrongdoing against priests must first determine if there is sufficient credibility to the allegations, a principle he said in canon law is known as “fumus veritatis,” or “the smoke of truth.”

“It’s not proof [of the allegations] in any way,” King said, “but if there’s sufficient suspicion that it might be truth, then the bishop would accept that allegation” and launch what is known as a “prior investigation” meant to gather facts.

Amid the start of the process, King said, a bishop may or may not remove the priest from ministry if he “felt that it was necessary for any of several reasons.” After that he would appoint an investigator, who may or may not be a priest, to lead the inquiry.

“That person is bound to secrecy so as to protect the reputation of the priest, and any of the accusers and witnesses,” King said.

Such an investigator has “pretty broad powers” to ask questions of, and seek evidence from, those connected to the case. After that process, he or she would bring the results to the bishop.

The prelate would likely then speak to his canon law experts. He may also talk with mental health experts and could potentially order the priest to submit to a psychological assessment. “That’s not uncommon, and depending on the nature of the allegations, it might be appropriate,” King said.

After the fact-finding and consultation process, the bishop will decide whether or not to move forward with a criminal or penal process. In some cases, the ordinary may opt instead for a “penal remedy.“

“It could be a warning or rebuke, or a ‘penal precept’ — a formal document that prohibits the priest from undertaking certain actions or doing certain things,” King said. A precept, he said, can be used even in cases where no crime is committed, to ensure that the actions that led to the controversy are not repeated.

If a penal process is instigated, the preferred method for most bishops is to convene a tribunal; in some cases, a prelate may opt for a less formal “administrative process.” Either option involves the calling of witnesses, testimony from both the accuser and the accused, and the collection of additional evidence.

Tribunals are usually overseen by three judges, King said; they must be priests, and "they would typically be brought in from other dioceses.”

Tribunals are meant to determine both whether a priest committed a crime, King said, as well as whether or not the crime itself is “fully imputable” to the priest.

Sexual abuse allegations: Rome must be notified

The process is largely the same whether the allegations involve claims of administrative or professional misconduct or if they involve accusations of sexual abuse, King said.

However, allegations against a priest of abuse of a minor are “reserved to the Holy See,” he said. In those cases, following the results of a preliminary investigation, a bishop is obligated to send a summary of the case, including the evidence, to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, specifically its special disciplinary section.

“[The dicastery] will review that and instruct the bishop as to what type of process should be followed — administrative or judicial,” King said.

“When the bishop sends the initial dossier or file over, most of the time he will make a recommendation” as to which process should be followed, King said. A bishop in certain cases may recommend “no process, or another remedy or way of addressing the situation.”

The dicastery “will take that into consideration. But ultimately, they make the determination, and the bishop is bound to follow their direction,” King said.

The Vatican can approve or reject a diocese’s decision if the matter is reserved to Rome, King said. In all other cases, it is resolved domestically either via administrative process or tribunal.

A priest, King said, can appeal a diocese’s decision to the Roman Rota if he wishes.

After reciting the Angelus on Sept. 20, the pope said: “With great concern, I am following the humanitarian crisis unfolding in certain areas of Somalia, where acts of violence and extreme weather events are exacerbating the already precarious living conditions of the population, particularly of women and children.”

“I hope for the generous involvement of the international community, so that our brothers and sisters may not lack the necessary assistance,” he added.

According to UNICEF, about 4.8 million people in Somalia need urgent humanitarian assistance, including some 3 million children. The U.N. agency has also warned that about 1.9 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition, including nearly half a million experiencing severe acute malnutrition.

The pope also used his remarks after the Angelus to emphasize the importance of historical memory.

He sent his blessing to residents of Pescantina, near Verona, who gathered Sunday at a monument honoring those who were deported and held prisoner during World War II.

Leo said the commemoration should serve “to emphasize that we must not forget, but rather learn from history so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past.”

God’s plans are greater than human calculations

Before the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the day’s Gospel account of the laborers called to work in the vineyard, some for the entire day, others for only a few hours and still others near the end of the day.

Drawing on the prophet Isaiah, Leo said that God’s ways exceed human expectations.

“God’s plans are infinitely greater — and, let us say, more ‘human’ — than those that we men and women, marked by sin, can conceive or bring to fruition,” he said.

The pope recalled Isaiah’s invitation to turn away from sin and return to the Lord, saying “the prophet’s call, which is more relevant than ever, is that we abandon our warped ways and return to the Lord, who is mercy and forgiveness.”

Turning to the Gospel parable, Leo said its central moment comes when the vineyard owner pays the workers. Although he keeps the agreement made with those hired first, the owner also gives the same payment to those who arrived later.

“Jesus’ parables describe the newness of what God has in store for us; yet they also reveal the resistance we generally offer to a more generous justice and greater love,” the pope said.

Leo drew particular attention to the landowner’s instruction that the workers be paid “beginning with the last and then going to the first.”

“The negative reaction of those who had worked all day, then, could easily have been avoided; it was intentional, however, because the revelation of God’s goodness is for everyone, not just for a few,” he said.

The pope said the parable also challenges those who see themselves as having earned their place or accomplishments.

“God has different ways and fresh ideas even for those who consider themselves to be first and believe they have earned what they have, that they deserved the results they have achieved,” he said.

Leo concluded that God’s mercy moves beyond calculations based solely on merit and reward.

“Instead, we all gain joy, wisdom, and a better future when the law of love interrupts that of calculation, when the experience of mercy broadens that of merit, and when the gift of peace suspends rivalries and brings us closer together in gratitude,” he said.

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

These Churches have preserved their own liturgical languages, spiritualities, disciplines, and forms of ecclesiastical organization. Some celebrate the liturgy in Arabic, Syriac, Geʼez, Coptic, Armenian, or Church Slavonic. Others maintain traditions that date back to the early communities founded by the apostles.

All of them are in full communion with the pope, the successor of St. Peter and head of the worldwide Catholic Church.

One Church, many traditions

The Eastern Catholic Churches stem from five major liturgical traditions: Alexandrian, Antiochene, Armenian, Chaldean, and Byzantine. Each possesses its own theological, spiritual, and cultural heritage, developed over centuries within vastly different historical contexts.

Among them are well-known Churches such as the Maronite Church of Lebanon, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Syro-Malabar Church of India, and the Coptic Catholic Church of Egypt. Many exist as minorities in countries where Islam or Orthodox Churches predominate, and several have endured persecution, war, or mass emigration.

Governance through synods

One of the most distinctive characteristics of these Churches is their internal organization. Unlike the practice often found in the Latin Church, many Eastern Churches operate through a robust synodal system.

Each Church is structured around a synod of bishops, which serves as the primary governing body. This body legislates on numerous aspects of ecclesial life, makes pastoral decisions, and participates in the election of new bishops. In patriarchal and major archiepiscopal Churches, the synod even elects the patriarch or major archbishop, an election that must subsequently be recognized or confirmed in accordance with norms established by Rome.

Pope Leo XIV has recently reformed the canon law governing Eastern patriarchal Churches to address a legal gap that hindered the resolution of internal conflicts. Through a motu proprio the pontiff granted greater autonomy to the bishops, enabling them to convene a synod independently of the patriarch and to seek his removal with a two-thirds majority vote, a measure that remains subject to the popeʼs final approval.

The 23 Eastern Churches

Alexandrian tradition

Coptic Catholic Church

The Coptic Catholic Church has its roots in the ancient Church of Alexandria, founded according to tradition by St. Mark the Evangelist. It is primarily present in Egypt and uses the Alexandrian rite in the Coptic and Arabic languages.

It entered into full communion with Rome in the 18th century and is headed by the Coptic patriarch of Alexandria. Interestingly, the Coptic language used in the liturgy represents the final historical stage of the language of ancient pharaonic Egypt, making this Church the direct heir to a cultural tradition spanning more than 3,000 years.

Ethiopian Catholic Church

The Ethiopian Catholic Church arose from communities of the Ge’ez tradition that reestablished full communion with the Holy See. It is present primarily in Ethiopia and celebrates the liturgy according to the Ethiopian Alexandrian rite, which is characterized by strong biblical symbolism and numerous distinctive traditions.

It primarily uses the Ge’ez language in its liturgy and is distinguished by the integration of African cultural elements into ecclesial life. An interesting feature is that many of its celebrations include traditional instruments such as drums and sistrums, a practice uncommon in other Catholic Churches.

Eritrean Catholic Church

Established as a “sui iuris” metropolitan church in 2015 by Pope Francis, the Eritrean Catholic Church brings together Catholics of the Alexandrian tradition in Eritrea. It shares the use of the Ge’ez rite with the Ethiopian Church, although it possesses its own hierarchy.

It represents a significant portion of the countryʼs Catholics and is notable for the vitality of its vocations and its strong Eastern liturgical identity. It is one of the youngest Eastern Catholic Churches from an institutional standpoint, even though its Christian roots date back to the early centuries.

Armenian Tradition

Armenian Catholic Church

The Armenian Catholic Church follows the liturgical and spiritual tradition of the Armenian people, the first kingdom to officially adopt Christianity in the year 301. It gradually entered into communion with Rome starting in the Middle Ages and is currently led by the patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians.

Its liturgy, traditionally celebrated in Classical Armenian, preserves unique elements derived from ancient Armenian traditions. A notable feature is the use of a curtain that is drawn and opened at specific moments during the liturgy, a custom inherited from early Christianity.

Antiochene Tradition (West Syriac)

Maronite Church

The Maronite Church is the only Eastern Catholic Church that has never broken communion with Rome. Its origins trace back to the communities gathered around St. Maron in Syria and Lebanon.

It is headed by the Maronite patriarch of Antioch and follows the West Antiochene rite, retaining the liturgical use of Syriac alongside Arabic and other modern languages. Many liturgical texts contain words in Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, giving its celebrations a particularly evocative character.

Syriac Catholic Church

The Syriac Catholic Church originated from groups within the Syriac Orthodox Church that entered into communion with Rome during the 17th and 18th centuries. It preserves the spiritual and liturgical heritage of the ancient Syriac tradition of Antioch.

It is headed by the patriarch of Antioch of the Syriacs and celebrates the liturgy in West Syriac and in the vernacular languages ​​of its faithful. Its hymns and prayers retain very ancient expressions of Semitic Christianity that have scarcely changed since the early centuries.

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church traces its origins to the Christian community of Kerala, India, which is historically linked to the West Syriac tradition. In 1930, a group led by Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios entered into communion with Rome.

Today, it is a major archiepiscopal church that combines the Antiochene liturgical heritage with Indian cultural traditions. During certain important celebrations, the faithful participate in processions featuring ceremonial umbrellas and floral decorations characteristic of Indian culture.

Chaldean tradition (East Syriac)

Chaldean Catholic Church

The Chaldean Catholic Church originates from the ancient Church of the East and has its primary historical center in Mesopotamia, particularly in present-day Iraq. It entered into communion with Rome during the 16th and 17th centuries and is led by the patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans.

It employs the Chaldean rite and preserves the liturgical use of Eastern Aramaic, a language closely related to the one spoken by Jesus. Its communities maintain some of the oldest Christian traditions in the world, in territories evangelized as early as the first centuries.

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is one of the largest Eastern Catholic Churches. It traces its roots to the so-called St. Thomas Christians of India, who, according to tradition, were evangelized by the apostle.

It follows the East Syriac liturgical tradition and has been raised to the rank of a major archiepiscopal church. It currently has millions of faithful, both in India and in the diaspora. It is the second-largest Eastern Catholic Church in the world, surpassed only by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Byzantine tradition

Albanian Catholic Church

The Albanian Catholic Church of the Byzantine rite is a small Eastern Catholic Church found primarily in Albania. It arose from communities that adopted the Byzantine tradition while maintaining communion with Rome.

Although small in number, it stands as an important testament to the religious diversity of the Balkans. Its history was marked by severe religious persecution under the Albanian communist regime, one of the harshest of the 20th century.

Belarusian Catholic Church

The Belarusian Catholic Church follows the Slavic Byzantine tradition and traces its origins to the Union of Brest of 1596. Over the centuries, it endured persecution and long periods of institutional disappearance.

Today, it exists primarily in small communities both within and outside Belarus. For decades, it survived mainly thanks to groups of emigrants scattered across Europe and the Americas.

Byzantine-Slavic Rite Catholics in Bulgaria

The Byzantine-Slavic Rite Catholic community in Bulgaria emerged in the 19th century, when a group of Bulgarian Christians sought communion with Rome while retaining the Byzantine-Slavic liturgical and spiritual tradition. A pivotal moment occurred in 1861 with the reception of Archimandrite Joseph Sokolsky into the Catholic Church and his episcopal consecration by Pope Pius IX.

Today, Byzantine-Slavic Rite Catholics in Bulgaria comprise the Eparchy of St. John XXIII of Sofia, established in 2019 when the former apostolic exarchate was raised to the rank of eparchy. They preserve the Byzantine-Slavic liturgical tradition, celebrating the Divine Liturgy primarily in Bulgarian and Church Slavonic.

At the same time, the Catholic Church in Bulgaria also includes the Latin dioceses of Sofia and Plovdiv-Nikópolis. Thus, Bulgaria is a particularly interesting example of the coexistence of Latin and Byzantine-Slavic traditions within the same jurisdiction.

Greek Catholic Church

The Greek Catholic Church consists of communities of the Byzantine tradition located in Greece that are historically linked to communion with Rome. It preserves the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and other forms characteristic of the Byzantine heritage.

Situated in a country where the vast majority of Christians belong to the Orthodox Church, it constitutes a small but significant minority.

Hungarian Greek Catholic Church

The Hungarian Greek Catholic Church arose from Byzantine-rite communities established in the Kingdom of Hungary. It uses Hungarian in its liturgy and was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan “sui iuris” Church in 2015.

It was one of the first Eastern Churches to widely introduce a modern language, Hungarian, into its liturgical celebrations.

Italo-Albanian Church

The Italo-Albanian Church brings together communities of Albanian origin established in southern Italy and Sicily between the 15th and 16th centuries. It faithfully preserves the Byzantine tradition and has never lost communion with Rome.

The Monastery of Grottaferrata, founded in 1004 near Rome, remains the only territorial Byzantine monastery in Italy today.

Macedonian Greek Catholic Church

The Macedonian Greek Catholic Church is composed of the Byzantine-rite Catholics of North Macedonia. It originated from movements seeking union with Rome during the 19th and 20th centuries. It is one of the smallest Eastern Catholic Churches.

Melkite Greek Catholic Church

The Melkite Greek Catholic Church originated in 1724 following a schism within the Patriarchate of Antioch. It has a significant presence around the world, including in Lebanon, Syria, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, and Palestine.

Its patriarch holds the title of Melkite patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem. It is the only Catholic Church whose patriarch simultaneously holds these three great historical patriarchal titles of the East.

Romanian Greek Catholic Church

The Romanian Greek Catholic Church arose through the union of part of the Romanian Orthodox Church with Rome in the late 17th century. It suffered severe persecution under the communist regime, which declared it illegal shortly after coming to power in 1948 until its demise in 1989. Seven of its bishops, who died during the communist persecution, were beatified by Pope Francis in 2019.

Russian Greek Catholic Church

This Church of the Byzantine Rite consists of small communities that preserve the Russian liturgical tradition in communion with the Holy See. It originated in the early 20th century and endured terrible Soviet persecution. Currently, it lacks a fully developed hierarchy, and many of its faithful live in the diaspora.

Ruthenian Church

The Ruthenian Church has its roots in the Union of Uzhhorod of 1646 and is historically linked to the peoples of the Carpathians. It is present primarily in Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States. In North America, it developed such a strong distinct identity that it has its own metropolitan see in Pittsburgh.

Slovak Greek Catholic Church

The Slovak Greek Catholic Church shares its origins with the Ruthenian tradition and was restored following the communist persecutions of the 20th century.

In 2008, it was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan “sui iuris” church. Among its best-known martyrs are Bishops Pavel Peter Gojdič and Vasiľ Hopko, canonized for their fidelity during the communist persecution.

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is the largest of all the Eastern Catholic Churches. It originated with the Union of Brest in 1596 and endured intense persecution during the Soviet era.

It is led by a major archbishop based in Kyiv and has millions of faithful worldwide. For more than 40 years of communist persecution, it was the largest underground Catholic Church in the world.

Croatian and Serbian Greek Catholic Church (Eparchy of Križevci)

The Eparchy of Križevci brings together Catholics of the Byzantine tradition from Croatia, Serbia, and other territories of the former Yugoslavia. Established in 1777, it serves the faithful of diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.

Services in its parishes are celebrated in Croatian, Church Slavonic, Ruthenian, and other local languages, reflecting the cultural diversity of the Balkans.

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.

Rmeich, Ain Ebel, Debel, and other border towns continue to be home to families who have chosen not to leave their land despite the dangers and hardships they face.

In support of these communities, a prayer walk will take place Sept. 26 from Byblos to Annaya, home to the shrine of St. Charbel, carrying the intentions of Christians who continue to remain in the south, turning the journey into an act of solidarity and hope.

Anthony Jarjour, a native of Rmeich and organizer of the initiative, told ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, that “the goal of the walk is to unite our prayers and offer them for the Christians who remain steadfast in the south.”

“Sometimes we feel that the state has abandoned us and that some people are unaware that families are still living there, in the border villages, safeguarding the country’s borders simply through their continued presence,” he said.

This is not the first time Jarjour has organized a pilgrimage of this kind. Last year, he walked approximately 112 miles from Rmeich to Annaya, offering the journey for those who had died in traffic accidents.

This year, because of road closures, he will begin his own journey Tuesday, Sept. 22, from Tyre, covering approximately 93 miles before reaching Annaya on Saturday to take part in the conclusion of the pilgrimage.

Explaining why Annaya was chosen as the final destination, Jarjour said: “I have a personal experience with St. Charbel, and I felt his presence during the previous walk. I believe he always protects us through Our Lord Jesus. As for Annaya, it needs no introduction.”

He said the pilgrimage is being organized in cooperation with several organizations and local authorities, including the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya and the municipalities of Byblos and Annaya. Lebanon’s Civil Defense and Red Cross will provide support and assistance along the route.

Jarjour has served his hometown of Rmeich and other communities along the border through volunteer work with the Red Cross, Caritas, and Civil Defense, taking part in field operations and helping residents during difficult circumstances.

However, he wanted to add a spiritual dimension to that service. Through the pilgrimage, he seeks to turn every step into a prayer for peace and for those who continue to remain in southern Lebanon.

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

“You and those who came before you have taught our children, tended to the sick, welcomed immigrants, accompanied the dying, consoled the brokenhearted, and proclaimed Christ where no one else was willing to go,” the archbishop told the major superiors on Sept. 18 in Florissant, Missouri.

“For that, the Church gives thanks. But gratitude alone is not enough. The Church also looks to you with hope,” he said.

The archbishop spoke at the 2026 National Assembly of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, the theme of which was “250 Years of Freedom: Daughters of the Church from One Generation to the Next.”

The council comprises major superiors and vicars from 112 religious communities around the U.S. The group describes its national assembly as “the springboard for collaboration, participation, and dialogue among members,” which “promotes unity among the major superiors that gives witness to the joy of religious life.”

Addressing the gathering as the keynote speaker, Lori acknowledged the assembly’s recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

The U.S. has been instrumental in advancing religious freedom and human dignity across the world, the archbishop argued. He noted that most histories of the founding of the U.S. focus on the Founding Fathers such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others.

But “the American experiment would have looked very different” without the contributions of “thousands and thousands of women religious,” he said.

“Who welcomed wave after wave of immigrants? Who cared for the victims of epidemics when others fled? Who taught generations of children not simply arithmetic and grammar, but honesty, sacrifice, discipline, and love of God?” he said.

Women religious “changed the nation because they first allowed Christ to change them,” the archbishop said. He noted the “paradox” in which those who take vows of poverty “enriched countless communities” and those who “renounced worldly ambition” often “exercised the greatest influence upon society.”

“The world struggles to understand this paradox,” Lori said. “The Gospel does not.”

Women religious have historically both upheld the ideals of America while challenging it when it “falls short of the Gospel,” Lori said.

He cited the witness of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s “evangelical poverty” as she carried out the founding of schools, hospitals, and orphanages around the world.

And he further pointed to the work of Servant of God Sister Mary Thea Bowman, praising her for her “profoundly Catholic way” of confronting racism while evangelizing about the love of Christ.

Urging the women religious to pursue “an ever-new embrace of the heart of your vocation,” Lori told the assembly: “The world needs women who have been seized by Christ.”

“It needs women whose lives bear unmistakable witness to the truth that God is real, that holiness is possible, that sacrifice is fruitful, and that love poured out in communion with Christ can transform the world,” he said.

The holy day for Jews involves fasting and atonement and is held in late September or early October. In 2026 it begins at sunset on Sept. 20 and ends by nightfall on Sept. 21.

In a video message released Sept. 18, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bishop Joseph Bambera, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ ecumenical committee, noted that the Jewish holiday “invites a searching examination of the year that has passed and a commitment to the year ahead.”

“At the heart of this observance is the recognition that our relationships with God and with one another call us continually to reflection, repentance, and renewal to consider how we can live more faithfully and more generously,” he said.

The relationship between Catholics and Jews, Bambera said, is “not simply a matter of dialogue” but rather is “rooted in the deep spiritual bonds” between the two ancient religions.

He noted the shared patrimony between the two faiths as well as the scriptural texts that both share. Building “genuine friendship and understanding” between the two religions “matters so deeply,” he said.

Bambera further noted the need to “reject antisemitism in all its forms.” Catholics, he said, are called to oppose that form of hatred as well as to deepen their understanding of Judaism and Jewish people.

The prelate cited the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate, which in part decried the practice of antisemitism “at any time and by anyone” and which stressed the links between the ancient Jewish faith and the origins of Christianity.

Interreligious dialogue “is not merely an exchange of ideas” but rather “creates friendships, builds trust, and helps us recognize our responsibilities toward one another,” Bambera said.

The bishop concluded the video by wishing Jewish viewers “Gmar Chatima Tov,” a traditional greeting during the Yom Kippur season.

Drafted by a group of more than 30 pastors from around the U.S., the Declaration for Life with Christian Leaders supports pro-life legislation, condemns chemical abortion, and affirms the dignity of unborn children from conception. The four-page declaration has been signed by 100 faith leaders from Missouri as well as 50,000 citizens.

“This Declaration for Life, written by pastors, is calling on everyday Christians across America to stand for life and confront the scourge of chemical abortion,” Hawley stated.

“It is the first duty of the Church to defend human dignity where it is denied,” the declaration says.

Tony Perkins, who heads the Family Research Council, a national Christian political advocacy group, has been outspoken in his support of the declaration, criticizing the Republican Party’s recent silence on abortion.

“There are Republican members of Congress and state leaders who continue to champion the unborn, but the Republican Party has gone all but silent on the issue of life,” Perkins stated. “The strong pro-life language that was a part of the GOP platform for decades was removed, and little is said about abortion.”

“We are called to defend the defenseless and speak for those whose voices have been silenced,” Perkins said.

South Korean bishops oppose abortion pill

South Korean Catholic bishops are opposing the government’s expansion of abortion pill use, calling it a "disregard for life.”

In response to South Korea’s announcement that it will allow the use of abortion pills through nine weeks of pregnancy, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (CBCK) released a statement opposing the move.

“The CBCK voices deep concerns as this measure would only institutionalize abortion in an ‘orderly’ manner, without changing its fundamental nature, while allowing a disregard for life to be more deeply rooted in our society,” the bishops stated.

“We eagerly ask the government and the National Assembly to deeply contemplate this and choose a path that both protects life while practically helping women,” the bishops continued.

Students for Life launches campus campaign showing human cost of abortion

A fall campaign titled “Abortion Victims: Every Abortion Has a Human Cost” by the pro-life group Students for Life of America (SFLA) will span 150 college campuses across the United States.

Educational displays will highlight the victims of abortion and what abortion procedures look like.

The campaign began Sept. 8, near the one-year anniversary of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10, 2025.

“The goal is to continue his legacy of bringing the fight for free speech and the sanctity of life to college campuses across the nation,” the group said.

“So many people are harmed by abortion, most notably preborn children,” said SFLA Vice President of Field Programs Reagan Barklage. “Millions of children lose their lives every year at the hands of physicians betraying their oath to uphold life, and so many others experience forced abortions in trafficking and abuse. This tour tells their stories — and why we must act to keep others from suffering the same fate.”

EPA to test drinking water for pharmaceuticals

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new study of drinking water that will screen for pharmaceutical pollutants.

Pro-life groups have been calling on the EPA to test for water pollution caused by abortion drugs. The EPA had previously said it would investigate.

Missourians split on abortion, poll finds

An August poll found narrow margins in public opinion on an amendment that would protect unborn children in Missouri.

In November, Missourians can vote on whether to repeal a 2024 pro-abortion amendment. In its place, a new amendment would protect unborn babies except those conceived by rape or incest, or in medical emergencies.

The Missouri polls found that 44% opposed the pro-life amendment and 43% supported it, while 13% were unsure.

The poll by SLU/YouGov was conducted Aug. 13–24 and had a margin of error of about 4 percentage points.

When polled in February, 50% of Missourians were in favor of reinstating the pro-life amendment.

California passes bill requiring community colleges to provide abortions

A California bill that would require community colleges to provide medical abortions is heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

The bill, which the California Senate passed with a 61-17 vote, would require community colleges with medical centers to offer chemical abortion drugs beginning Jan. 1, 2029. Newsom, a Democrat, is expected to sign the bill.

Wisconsin bishops denounce Planned Parenthood lawsuit seeking to overturn abortion safeguards

Wisconsin bishops are opposing a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to overturn laws protecting women and unborn children.

The lawsuit, filed in Dane County, argues that two Wisconsin laws violate the state constitution. One law requires a 24-hour wait period between requesting an abortion and receiving one; the other law maintains that only licensed physicians can provide abortions.

Abortion in Wisconsin is legal up to 20 weeks after fertilization.

“These commonsense laws provide critical protection and medical safeguards for Wisconsin’s women and their children,” the statement by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference read. “The suit aims to eliminate these laws not for patient safety, but for profit and expediency. No woman should be rushed into an abortion. When human life is on the line, every moment counts.”

Idaho Supreme Court adjusts abortion amendment language following lawsuit

The Idaho Supreme Court overwrote a pro-abortion group’s objection to amendment language in a recent decision.

The court approved revised ballot statements for Proposition 1, an abortion amendment set to be voted on this November that would create a “right” to abortion.

The decision approves a clarification of the meaning of fetal viability and adds a more specific description of how a yes vote would be in support of “codifying a statutory reproductive right to freedom and privacy.”

Idahoans United for Women and Families, a pro-abortion group advocating for the abortion amendment, had filed a lawsuit over the language and objected to the newly revised statements.

In a statement issued at the end of their 2026 second plenary assembly held at Our Lady and St. Kizito Pastoral Centre in the Diocese of Osogbo, the bishops urged stakeholders to work toward elections that are “free, fair and credible.”

“We announce that 8 December 2026 will be observed as a special national day for prayer and fasting for the success of the elections,” the bishops said in the statement following their Sept. 10–18 plenary assembly.

They encouraged eligible voters to participate in the elections and elect leaders who are qualified to serve while urging citizens to make their choices according to their consciences.

“We encourage eligible voters to come out en masse to vote qualified people into offices and in line with their good consciences,” the bishops said in the statement that their president, Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, signed.

The CBCN also urged Nigerians to familiarize themselves with its pastoral letter on the forthcoming elections and follow the provisions and guidelines contained in the document.

As part of preparations for the polls, the bishops called on dioceses and parishes across the country to organize civic education and voter mobilization activities alongside end-of-month fasting and prayer.

They further encouraged the faithful to participate in rosary processions from October to December, linking the spiritual activities with preparations for the elections.

The bishops also addressed the role of technology and artificial intelligence (AI), urging politicians and other users to deploy emerging technologies responsibly and ethically, particularly in the context of the forthcoming elections.

“As a vehicle for evangelization, we enjoin all to use it to transform data into knowledge and insights for greater value,” they said while calling on political actors to exercise responsibility in their use of technology and AI.

The bishops said technology is closely linked to human freedom and autonomy but cautioned that its use must remain guided by ethical considerations.

“Technology is not inherently evil or antagonistic to humanity, but it is never neutral,” they said, referencing Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

They also raised concern over what they described as the growing challenge of neo-paganism in Nigeria, particularly among young people, which they attributed partly to economic hardship, cultural revival, and inadequate Christian formation.

The bishops observed that modern forms of neo-paganism spread rapidly through internet culture, media, and books, and called on pastoral agents to make greater use of digital platforms in evangelization and catechesis.

“We encourage pastoral agents to intentionally incorporate the use of digital spaces, social media, and online catechesis in teaching the truth of the Gospel,” they said.

They also called for what they described as healthy inculturation that respects positive elements of African cultural heritage while maintaining the foundational teachings of Christianity.

On education, the bishops described access to quality education as essential for human development and the peaceful integration of Nigeria’s diverse communities and cultures.

They said the Catholic Church remains committed to education and ready to collaborate with the government in providing quality learning opportunities while urging authorities to fulfill their constitutional responsibility to fund education.

“We, therefore, urge governments to embrace their constitutional responsibility of funding education,” they said, adding that children in public, private, and mission schools should have access to free education, particularly at primary and secondary levels.

They further called for policies that promote the development of the human person and contribute to the country’s overall development.

The bishops also expressed concern over a bill before the National Assembly that, according to them, could affect churches, mosques, schools, and humanitarian organizations involved in assisting vulnerable and conflict-affected communities.

They said provisions requiring the registration of foreign aid resources and giving authorities powers to supervise their use could create challenges for organizations providing critical assistance.

The bishops particularly raised concern about provisions that would allow authorities to deny or refuse renewal of an organization’s registration if its activities are considered not to be in the “national interest,” arguing that such provisions could give government officials broad discretionary powers.

They further said the proposed legislation could create additional bureaucracy, duplicate existing regulations, and increase government control over civic organizations.

“Non-profit organizations and Incorporated Trustees including churches, mosques, other religious bodies, and humanitarian groups are already strictly regulated by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and some other extant laws,” they said.

The bishops consequently called on the National Assembly and the federal government not to proceed with the bill, citing concerns over freedom of association, religion, thought, and conscience as well as its potential implications for the wider development of Nigerians.

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

Sansone, 27, was born and raised in a Catholic family. He and his five siblings grew up in St. Louis, where their faith played an important role in their daily lives.

“Catholicism was ingrained in just about every aspect of my childhood and my life growing up,” Sansone told EWTN News in an interview. “We were taught from a very young age that faith was extremely important. It came right before family and then two before hard work.”

He added: “We had a little prayer corner in every house that weʼve lived in that had a picture of Jesus and then right underneath was a kneeler and then a bunch of little pamphlets — prayer cards or funerals of loved ones, and things like that.”

Sansone was taught hard work on his family’s 170-acre soy, corn, and wheat farm located on his great-grandfather’s land. It was here that he learned about farm life.

Fast forward to 2024 and Sansone’s mother and sisters were watching Season 2 of “Farmer Wants a Wife,” a reality dating series that follows farmers as they search for love among a group of women willing to leave city life behind for a chance at a relationship and life on the farm. The show combines romance with the realities of rural life, as the farmers and contestants get to know one another with the possibility of building a future together.

“They were constantly telling me to come watch it and see an episode and things like that and I just kept saying, ‘No, not interested,’” he recalled.

Then Sansone received a direct message (DM) on Instagram from the creators of the show. After thinking about it and speaking to his family about it, he decided to take part in the show.

“Realistically, the motivation for me to actually entertain that DM and to ultimately go on the show was, hey, this is a fun, random, once in a lifetime thing. I can make the most of it … and perhaps even find a wife,” he said.

Despite Sansone not finding a wife on the show, he reflected that it “reinforced his faith.”

“There were no Catholics in my group. I was the only one … I think what it really did is reinforced my faith a little bit because we would have these faith-based conversations on the show and we would have conversations about our beliefs and things like that and it kind of forced me to reconcile with myself what I actually did believe. So I would say that in doing that it reinforced my faith,” he shared.

Coming off the show and once it aired, Sansone began to gain a following on social media. He explained that he came to the realization one day that he “didn’t do anything to earn it.”

“All of this kind of fame and publicity, I would say in air quotes, is not something that I earned,” he said. “So, my way of paying back that opportunity, that was obviously a gift from God, was to use my platform to promote my faith.”

Sansone, who goes by @notjohnsansone on Instagram, has 109,000 followers on the platform and uses his growing social media platform to share approachable Catholic content, often drawing from his own experiences to encourage others in their faith. His posts touch on Catholic teachings, prayer, and the realities of striving for holiness while acknowledging the imperfections and struggles of everyday life.

Instagram post

“The social media world is not the friendliest spot for that type of thing,” he said. “So, my way of doing it and my strategy is more so kind of to subtly incorporate that into everyday things and make it a relatable thing that people who donʼt understand the faith or maybe didnʼt grow up in it, itʼs something for them to relate to.”

Thanks to his content creating, Sansone admitted that it has “forced me to improve my faith” and has “strengthened it.”

“Iʼve met a lot of interesting people through it [social media]. People who are much stronger in their faith, know a lot more about the Catholic Church and her history,” he added. “And in being around them, I think Iʼve forced myself to kind of become better at my faith.”

Sansone’s content creation recently took him to Peoria, Illinois, ahead of the beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen alongside a large group of other Catholic content creators. He called the experience “incredible” and that he also “learned a lot about my faith and it kind of made me realize how far I needed to go still.”

Reflecting on Sheen’s life and how his legacy can inspire Catholic content creators, Sansone said: “I think what was great about him is that a lot of his messages were, yes, based in the Catholic faith, but they were more relatable to an everyday person. You didnʼt have to be Catholic to utilize his messages and apply them to your own life. I feel like thatʼs one important thing that a lot of Catholic content creators can do. Itʼs what I try to do.”

As for what he hopes viewers of his content take away from it, Sansone emphasized that he wants “people to understand Catholicism for what it really is.”

These are the words of Sarah Taylor, a Catholic mother of three whose 9-year-old son, Reid, was excluded from parish activities because of his autism.

“As a mother, it was heartbreaking to see my child denied opportunities to participate in the very community where we sought belonging, acceptance, and spiritual growth,” Taylor told EWTN News.

Reid was asked to leave sacramental preparation classes and Vacation Bible School because the parish couldn’t accommodate his special needs. His mother described this as “devastating” — but she decided to do something about it.

“In the days that followed, I felt a wide range of emotions — sadness, frustration, disappointment, and a fierce determination to advocate for greater inclusion of individuals with disabilities within the Catholic Church,” Taylor said. “My husband and I knew that something needed to change, not only for our son, but for other families who might face similar barriers.”

Taylor reached out to her home diocese of Baton Rouge, who put them in contact with the All Are Welcome ministry. Through the ministry, she and her family found genuine, “life-changing” acceptance.

“We were welcomed not despite Reidʼs autism, but with an understanding that his differences are part of who he is,” Taylor said. “That sense of acceptance was life-changing for our entire family.”

“The ministry has also strengthened our faith journey in unexpected ways,” Taylor said. “During a time when we felt hurt and disconnected from the Church, the kindness, compassion, and support we received reminded us of what it truly means to be the body of Christ. Through the ministry, we experienced the love and inclusion that Jesus demonstrated throughout his ministry.”

An estimated 1 in 4 people have a disability, according to 2022 CDC data. About 3.2% of children — 1 in 31 children — have autism. But ministries designed for inclusivity can be hard to find.

Jodi Devore, who has three children with autism, founded All Are Welcome along with another Catholic mom, Edda Dupaquier, after having similar experiences. The Catholic special needs support ministry began as a backyard rosary group and has since expanded throughout the diocese.

“As we prayed and shared our stories, we realized we all carried the same desire,” Devore said of the backyard rosary group. “We didnʼt want a ministry beside the Church — we wanted our families to fully belong within the Church. We wanted our children to know Christ, receive the sacraments, build genuine friendships, and participate fully in parish life alongside everyone else.

“As we prayed and shared our stories, we realized we all carried the same desire,” Devore said of the backyard rosary group. “We didnʼt want a ministry beside the Church — we wanted our families to fully belong within the Church. We wanted our children to know Christ, receive the sacraments, build genuine friendships, and participate fully in parish life alongside everyone else.

The ministry has had a powerful impact on the diocese.

“Weʼve watched families return to Mass after years away. Children have received sacraments,” Devore said. “Parents who once felt alone have found a community that truly understands them. Most importantly, weʼve witnessed families rediscover that they have a place in the life of the Catholic Church.”

“Our hope has always been simple: that every individual with special and exceptional needs — and every parent, sibling, and caregiver who walks beside them — would know they are not just welcome in the Church, but that they are an essential part of the body of Christ,” Devore said.

Running to the altar: Sensory-friendly Masses

Mass is a key area where families with children with disabilities can feel excluded — but it’s one of the most important parts of being Catholic. Sensory-friendly Masses — designed for people with special needs like autism — are “one of the most meaningful parts of our ministry,” according to Devore.

These Masses feature lower lighting, softer music, and shorter and more literal homilies.

“Families know they can move around as needed without fear of judgment,” Devore explained. “Most importantly, everyone gets Jesus.”

Before and after Mass, the environment is full of excitement and beauty, according to Devore.

“Children and adults with disabilities often run to the altar with joy. They arenʼt afraid. They arenʼt worried about doing something wrong. Theyʼre simply drawn to Christ,” Devore said. “Every time I see it, Iʼm reminded thatʼs what the Church should feel like — a place where people are free to run toward Jesus.”

Attending Mass can be incredibly challenging for families with children with special needs.

“For many families, Sunday morning isnʼt as simple as getting everyone dressed and going to Mass,” Devore said. “Sometimes the clothes are too itchy. The smell of incense can be overwhelming. The music may be painfully loud. Sitting still for an hour can feel impossible. A child may need to move, vocalize, or leave the pew altogether.”

“As a parent, youʼre doing everything you can to help your child, but at the same time youʼre painfully aware of every glance, every stare, and every whispered comment around you,” Devore said.

“What hurts most isnʼt the noise or the outbursts. Itʼs the feeling that you and your child, your family, donʼt belong in the very place where you should feel most at home,” Devore said.

Taylor explained how children with autism may behave differently during Mass, but that doesn’t make them any less reverent.

“As a mother of a child with autism, my hope is that every member of the Catholic Church understands how important it is to welcome individuals with disabilities into the Mass — not just occasionally, but as a natural and expected part of parish life,” Taylor said.

“A child may wear noise-canceling headphones to manage the sounds of a crowded church,” Taylor said. “They may flap their hands when they are excited, rock back and forth for comfort, stim during the homily, or carry a beloved dinosaur up with them when they receive Communion. These behaviors are not distractions; they are part of how that child experiences and navigates the world. They do not lessen the reverence of their worship or the sincerity of their faith.”

“The Catholic Church is meant to be a home for everyone,” Taylor continued. “When individuals with disabilities are present at Mass, they are not interrupting the community — they are enriching it. Their presence reminds us that Godʼs love is not reserved for those who fit a certain mold. It is for all of his children.”

“What matters most is not whether a child sits perfectly still, remains silent, or follows every social expectation,” Taylor said. “What matters is that they are there. They are present. They are experiencing Jesus in the way they are able. They are witnessing the miracle of the Eucharist and participating in the life of the Church.”

“Our differences are not obstacles to Godʼs love; they are reflections of the beautiful diversity of his creation,” Taylor said. “If we truly believe that every person is made in the image and likeness of God, then every person deserves to be welcomed, valued, and embraced within our faith communities. A child with headphones, flapping hands, or a dinosaur in hand belongs at the Lordʼs table just as much as anyone else. And the Church is stronger, more compassionate, and more Christ-like because they are there.”

“These children of ours, they make the ground holy,” said Dupaquier, who helps lead the ministry alongside Devore and Deacon Randall Waguespack. “And they make us better people with more virtues, with more patience, with more understanding — capable of loving in ways that we weren’t sure that we could love.”

Coming home: Communities transformed

The ministry has helped bring families back into the Church; most importantly, it has made the Church feel like home.

Devore and her family experienced feeling “like outsiders in our own Church.”

“Not because people were intentionally unkind, but because many simply didnʼt understand what they were seeing,” Devore explained. “Over time, that judgment becomes exhausting, and for many families, it leads them to quietly stop coming.”

But Devore said the ministry has given her “hope.”

“Iʼve watched parishioners grow in understanding, volunteers embrace these families with incredible love, and parents finally take a deep breath because they know they donʼt have to apologize for their child simply being who God created them to be,” Devore said.

The All Are Welcome ministry hosts family retreats, support groups, and helps support persons with disabilities in participating in the liturgy, not only through sensory-friendly Masses but also through active lay participation.

“Weʼre also passionate about meaningful participation in the liturgy. Individuals with disabilities serve as altar servers, proclaim the readings when theyʼre able, bring forward the gifts, and participate in the Mass in visible and meaningful ways. They arenʼt simply attending church — theyʼre helping lead the worship of the Church,” Devore said.

Through the ministry, Devore has seen transformation not only of families but also of parishes.

“The greatest transformation weʼve witnessed isnʼt just that families return to Mass. Itʼs that they begin to believe they belong there,” Devore said.

“Parishioners begin seeing gifts instead of limitations. Entire parish communities are transformed because they discover that these families arenʼt guests in the Church — theyʼre an essential part of it,” Devore said.

“Weʼve seen families return to Mass after years away,” Devore said. “Weʼve celebrated children receiving the Eucharist when their parents once thought it might never happen. Weʼve watched parish communities discover the incredible gifts these individuals bring to the Church.”

“Our greatest hope is that one day no family will wonder whether thereʼs a place for them in the Catholic Church,” Devore said. “We want every individual, regardless of ability, to know Christ, receive the sacraments, discover their God-given gifts, and live a life rooted in faith.”

Understanding disability: Seeing as Christ sees

Devore and Taylor encouraged people to be accepting of people with special needs, sharing what they believe is most important for others to understand about disability.

“Families affected by disability often face barriers that many people never think about,” Devore said.

“I would want people to understand that no two children with disabilities are alike,” Taylor said. “My son may communicate differently, process information differently, or respond to situations in ways that others do not immediately understand, but those differences do not diminish his value, his intelligence, or his desire to belong. Like every child, he wants to be accepted, included, and loved for who he is.”

It’s not about big gestures, but more about the small moments, according to Taylor. “Simple acts of patience, understanding, and inclusion can make an enormous difference for our families,” she said.

But acceptance is also about how other people “see.”

“Perhaps most importantly, I would want people to move beyond seeing the disability and instead see the child: see their unique gifts, their personality, their sense of humor, their faith, their kindness, and their potential,” Taylor said.

“I would simply ask people to see one another through the eyes of Christ,” Devore said. “If you see a child making unexpected noises at Mass, an adult who communicates differently, or a family that seems overwhelmed, donʼt assume they donʼt care or donʼt want to be there.”

“More often than not, theyʼre doing everything they can just to be present,” Devore continued. “A smile. An invitation. Sitting beside them instead of moving away. Those simple acts of kindness can change someoneʼs entire experience of the Church.”

Addressing a new Vatican document commemorating the 60th anniversary of Vatican II’s Nostra Aetate — which discourages “defensive entrenchment” and single-minded proselytism — Barron clarified the distinction between aggressive pushiness and authentic Christian proclamation.

“In a way, I wish we would drop the word ‘proselytizing’ because it’s used now in so many different ways,” he said.

Recalling a conversation with Pope Francis during an ad limina visit, Barron noted that the pope defined proselytism as “obnoxious evangelization” — a browbeating, overbearing approach.

While supporting respectful dialogue, Barron insisted that sharing the faith remains nonnegotiable.

“We are really good at stressing how kind, respectful, and tolerant we should be. That’s great, and I’m all in favor of it. But we also announce Jesus — in a friendly way, in a nonthreatening way,” he said.

Expressing a desire for Church documents to place greater emphasis on proclamation, he added: “The Church is not a debating society. ... We are here to proclaim a word in love. It’s the truth in love. But by God, it’s the truth, and I think that’s obviously worth emphasizing.”

Advising the White House on religious freedom

The Word on Fire founder also responded to critics questioning his involvement with the Trump administration following his appointment to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Clarifying his position, Barron pushed back against claims that his participation represents a political endorsement. “I’m not a member of the Trump administration!” he said. “The president invited me to be around the table to discuss issues about religious liberty so that policy in that regard could be better formulated. Why would I say no to that?”

Comparing his role to that of legendary Notre Dame president Father Theodore Hesburgh — who served on numerous presidential commissions across multiple administrations — Barron noted: “If Joe Biden had invited me to be on a commission considering issues of religious liberty, I would have said, ‘Sure!’ ... It’s not in any way a compromise or siding with one party.”

Advocating for Jimmy Lai and religious liberty in China

Turning to international affairs, Barron stressed his long-standing advocacy for imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon and democracy activist Jimmy Lai. While noting he was unsure if his public advocacy influenced his appointment to USCIRF, the bishop made his intentions clear regarding his new watchdog role.

“For years now, I’ve been advocating on behalf of Jimmy Lai. I think it’s outrageous the way he’s been treated,” Barron said. “If Jimmy Lai isn’t brought up in the commission, I would certainly bring him up.”

When asked about the Vatican’s controversial agreement with Beijing regarding the appointment of bishops, Barron hesitated on the specifics of current Vatican diplomacy while pointing to a proven historical model: “I’m a John Paul II man, and the way he dealt with communism, I think, is the right way to deal with it.”

Legacy of Fulton Sheen and resurgence of communism

Looking ahead to the upcoming beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen in St. Louis, Barron praised the pioneering Catholic broadcaster as a model for modern evangelists — highlighting both Sheen’s holiness as the “saint of the Holy Hour” and his courage in identifying ideological threats.

Barron noted that Sheen’s bold stance against communism in the mid-20th century carries striking relevance for contemporary culture. “The fact that Sheen took on communism back in the 1940s and ’50s, when he correctly discerned it was threat No. 1 ... well, it’s back,” the bishop observed. “It’s back in institutional form in different places around the world, but also in our own country.”

Explaining why Sheen’s critique remains essential today, Barron added: “What he noticed about communism was its deep antipathy toward God, the things of the spirit and the moral order, and he knew this was deeply disruptive to the values of the West. That’s a message that still needs to be heard.”

Modern culture and empathy

Concluding the conversation, Barron reflected on a recent article he penned regarding the limitations of empathy when elevated above all other virtues in public and ecclesial life.

“Empathy is a good thing — to feel with somebody else. ... However, there is a hierarchy of values, and empathy is not at the top. At the top of the hierarchy for a Christian has to be love,” Barron explicated, drawing on St. Thomas Aquinas’ definition of love as “willing the good of the other.”

“To love is not to spare the feelings of someone; to love is to will the good of the other. ... We don’t say, ‘God is empathy’; we say, ‘God is love.’”

Watch the full interview below:

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

Jeremiah Robinson from Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, was charged with making terroristic threats, which is a Class D felony that carries up to seven years in prison. He was charged on Sept. 16, according to a news release from the St. Louis prosecuting attorney’s office.

Brecht Mulvihill, executive director of communications for the archdiocese, expressed gratitude to law enforcement in a statement to EWTN News and said the archdiocese is praying for an end to hatred and threats of violence.

“First, we wish to extend our gratitude to the law enforcement officers who responded immediately to this incident, especially to the Shrewsbury Police Department,” Mulvihill said.

“The safety and wellbeing of the men and women who serve the Church are of the utmost importance, and we pray for an end to the hatred and threats of violence that have become so regrettably prevalent on social media,” he said.

Prosecutors alleged that Robinson posted a video on TikTok on Sept. 15 in which he said he was two minutes away from the archdiocese and that God had instructed him to use no discernment and that “everyone who walks into that church is guilty and to kill them.”

According to the prosecutors, Robinson posted a second video in the parking lot and turned his phone to show archdiocesan offices and said his directions were to leave no one breathing.

The news release states that the FBI’s national operations center contacted the Shrewsbury Police Department about the video.

It states the building was evacuated. The building was searched for bombs, which included the use of bomb-sniffing dogs, but there was nothing found.

Robinson is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond, according to prosecutors.

“Take this all of you and drink from it: For this is the chalice…” Father Brent Bowman prayed at the altar, followed by a six-second pause while celebrating Mass for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Hopkins, Minnesota, on Sept. 14.

He continued the consecration prayer through tears and then sobbed for nearly one minute at the altar, struggling to raise the chalice. He continued to cry as he raised the chalice and was weeping as he knelt before the blood of Christ after the consecration.

Instagram post

Bowman’s emotional response to the consecration was captured on video because the parish livestreams its daily Masses on YouTube and it spread across social media platforms, with many viewers wondering what prompted the reaction.

In his statement, he explained that he did not witness what the Church considers a “Eucharistic miracle,” such as when the accidents of the bread and wine apparently change in some way along with the substance. Rather, he said, “I had a private spiritual experience” during the Mass.

“During the consecration prayer over the wine at the altar, as I spoke the words, I was given what I believe to be internal knowledge of the power of these words being spoken and the reality of their effect to the point that I had difficulty speaking,” Bowman said in his statement.

“With each word, I became more physically overwhelmed as seen in the video,” he said. “At the same time, I was given sensory knowledge of the weight of God’s power coming down upon the altar, and I felt the heaviness of Jesus’s substantial presence in the chalice in my hands.”

“The chalice became too heavy to hold as I felt it pulled down to rest upon the altar,” Bowman said. “I felt my hands fixed to the chalice of the Precious Blood, and I could not physically move it. Attempting to elevate the Precious Blood, which I was not able to do for a period of time, I believe I was given grace to understand more deeply the bittersweetness of Our Lord’s Passion and how much blood Christ shed for the immense weight of all our sins.”

“I believe I experienced this weight in the chalice,” he said. “This spiritual experience emotionally and physically overwhelmed me as evident in the Mass recording.”

Bowman noted that spiritual experiences are “completely unmerited gifts and signs of God’s abundant love for all his people” but “not necessarily signs of any person’s holiness.”

“I pray this brief testimony moves all our hearts to contemplate more deeply the mysteries of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and the Precious Blood,” he said.

Although Bowman did not experience a “Eucharistic miracle” in the sense of the bread or the wine altering its appearance, God does perform a miracle at every Mass during consecration, known as transubstantiation.

When the priest consecrates the Eucharist, the “substance” of bread and wine does not remain, but instead the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ even though it maintains the physical appearance and chemical structure of bread and wine.

“The presence of Christʼs true body and blood in this sacrament cannot be detected by sense, nor understanding, but by faith alone, which rests upon Divine authority,” St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in the “Summa Theologica.”

St. Cyril of Alexandria, a patriarch and doctor of the Church, wrote about the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist in a sermon about the Last Supper, written in the early 400s: “Do not doubt that this is true, since Himself plainly says, ‘This is My body’ [and] ‘This is My blood,’ but rather receive in faith the Saviorʼs word; for He, being the Truth, cannot lie.”

“For the words of God are of course true, and in no manner whatsoever can they be false: for even though we understand not in what way God works acts such as these, yet He Himself knows the way of His works,” Cyril wrote.

The archbishop’s pastoral letter, “Uniting for Our Sacred Waters,” was released this month as fears of declining water reservoirs increased in New Mexico.

It also comes shortly after Pope Leo XIV issued a prayer intention for the care of water. The Holy Father described clean water as a “blessing” but noted that 25% of the world’s population lacks safe drinking water.

“Entire communities and nations need our action and our prayer for the care of water for the blessed relief,” the pope said.

The NASA Earth Observatory revealed this summer that the Elephant Butte Reservoir, the state’s largest, had shrunk to just 1.4% capacity, its lowest since 1971, driven by persistent drought conditions and early snowmelt.

Wester in the pastoral letter urged Catholics to recognize the deep connection between water and the Catholic faith.

“We bless ourselves with water when entering and leaving our churches,” he wrote. “Just as we share and celebrate the word of Christ, we share and celebrate the sacredness of water.”

“Together, let us reflect on our kinship with our waters and how we are responsible for protecting, conserving, and restoring them,” he said.

The archbishop cited Pope Francis’ warnings in Laudato Si’ about water scarcity and a potential “acute water shortage” across the world. Wester said human society must make “moral choices” that “equitably protect people, waters, lands, and wildlife.”

He lamented what he described as the “squander[ing]” of water in New Mexico, specifically the depletion of groundwater supplies there, as well as contamination of aquifers by local military activity and nuclear weapons laboratories.

Water, the archbishop said, is “an oasis for the good of all.” God teaches that humans should both share and steward such a resource, he wrote.

The archbishop urged authorities to hold those accountable who pollute waterways and to protect water sources from future pollution. “[E]ach of us,” meanwhile, “can pay attention, pray, and act in our personal, spiritual, and political lives.”

He urged Catholics to “consider what water means to you and to envision a better future for our sacred waters — and everyone who shares in them as God’s gift.”

This is not the first environmental warning the archbishop has issued. In May he warned the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration to stop expanding production of plutonium pits, with the prelate describing nuclear weapons as “immoral” and “genocidal.”

In June, meanwhile, he similarly warned the Arms Control Association about the concept of a “just” nuclear war and lamented the lack of momentum toward nuclear disarmament.

Wester is among the Church leaders — along with Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle; Archbishop Peter Nakamura of Nagasaki, Japan; and Bishop Alexis Shirahama of Hiroshima, Japan — who have formed a coalition of prelates called the Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons.

The bishops and archbishops all oversee dioceses or archdioceses with deep connections to nuclear technology. The Manhattan Project developed the first nuclear weapons just outside of Santa Fe in the 1940s, while Seattle is home to the largest stockpile of deployed nuclear weapons in the world.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki, meanwhile, were the first and to-date only places where nuclear weapons were used in acts of war.

A large audience gathered Sept. 16 at the Basilica of St. Mary Queen of Apostles in Rome for the conference, titled “Father Gabriele Amorth: The Living Legacy for the Church and Our Time.”

Amorth died in Rome on Sept. 16, 2016. The Italian Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana, the Society of St. Paul, and the International Association of Exorcists organized the event in his memory.

Speakers included Father Francesco Bamonte, vice president of the International Association of Exorcists; Father Marcello Lanza, an exorcist in the Diocese of Acerra and a scholar of Amorth’s life; Father Aldo Buonaiuto, an exorcist and coordinator of the anti-cult service of the Pope John XXIII Community; and Father Stefano Stimamiglio, director of Famiglia Cristiana. Annachiara Valle, Famiglia Cristiana’s Vatican correspondent, moderated the discussion.

The speakers portrayed Amorth as a priest who dedicated his life to the ministry of exorcism but whose thought and example also shed light on broader dimensions of spirituality and faith. The conference explored not only his ministry but also his profound humanity and a spirituality that approached mysticism.

Bamonte reviewed the principal stages of Amorth’s life and ministry. Cardinal Ugo Poletti appointed the Pauline priest an exorcist of the Diocese of Rome in 1985. Amorth trained under Venerable Father Candido Amantini, a Passionist priest and renowned exorcist at Rome’s Scala Santa.

Amorth’s dedication to the ministry led him to establish the International Association of Exorcists in 1994. He served as its president until 2000.

Formation was particularly important to Amorth. He sought to provide firm theological criteria and prevent people’s suffering and vulnerability from being exploited through occult practices. Bamonte also emphasized Amorth’s attentiveness to those who suffered and his understanding of exorcism as an “act of charity.”

Lanza examined the relationship among theology, mysticism, and spiritual discernment in Amorth’s life and ministry.

Buonaiuto drew a parallel between Amorth and Father Oreste Benzi, founder of the Pope John XXIII Community. He described them as two priests who “certainly did not know diplomacy” and who addressed directly the issue closest to their hearts: the suffering of others.

Stimamiglio focused on Amorth’s ability to communicate simply and without technical language. Amorth did not reject journalism but believed it should be as clear as possible and remain close to the truth — an approach inspired by Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Society of St. Paul — and ultimately point toward the truth of the Gospel and of Christ.

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

During a Sept. 18 audience with approximately 50 members of the Leo XIV International Study Center, the pope described Christian humanism as “a vision open to the Creator” that fosters fraternal relationships. He said Catholic social teaching emerged from that same humanist tradition.

“The Church’s social doctrine also emerged from this matrix,” Leo said in the Vatican’s Consistory Hall. “Its analysis of Christian revelation in the context of modern social, labor, economic, and cultural issues would not have been possible without the contribution of the laity, men and women alike, who grappled with the great issues of their time.”

“At their side were those men and women religious who embodied a Church forging ahead in new directions,” he said, quoting his apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te.

The research, educational, and cultural institution was founded within the Order of St. Augustine in October 2025 and is dedicated to studying the life and magisterium of Pope Leo XIV.

“The epochal change we are now undergoing makes even more necessary a constant interaction between the faithful and the Church’s magisterium, between ordinary citizens and experts, between individuals and institutions,” the pope said.

During the audience, Leo encouraged the center’s members to promote formation directed toward public engagement and service to society.

“At the cost of swimming against the tide, your mission of hope consists of promoting, in Italy and throughout the world, formation for public and political life conceived as a service to the common good, responsibility towards the community, and the building of relationships based on solidarity, justice, and peace,” he said.

Established as an organization in Italy’s “third sector” in December 2025, the center seeks to promote reflection on Catholic social teaching and its application to contemporary challenges.

A civilization of love

Leo expressed his appreciation for the Augustinian initiative, stressing “the importance of reflection and critical thinking in building a civilization of love, to which the social doctrine of the Church has much to offer.”

The pope also praised the center’s commitment to dialogue with universities, academic institutions, public bodies, civil society organizations, ecclesial institutions, and networks of associations in an effort to foster cooperation and exchange at both the national and international levels.

In that context, he highlighted its collaboration with the Theological Faculty of Central Italy and the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum.

“The key lies in walking together, always, without closing the door to encounter even with those who are different and seem to think, speak, or act differently,” he said.

A humanism open to peace

Leo also emphasized the symbolic significance of Florence as the home of the new study center.

The choice of the city, he explained, is “an invitation to draw inspiration from the values of humanism, a vision open to the Creator and, for that very reason, one that builds fraternal relationships.”

“It is not wars, but the weaving of peace and just balances that produces civilization, with the active participation of all the social and cultural components of an open society,” he said.

Political formation as an answer to resignation

Leo expressed his hope that the center would foster dialogue and prepare new generations to participate in public life.

“May your study center promote this exercise, which requires pioneers and facilitators, especially when forms of mistrust and resignation threaten to prevail,” he said.

The pope called the center’s work “the opposite of resignation” and urged it to promote public and political service grounded in responsibility for the community and the common good.

St. Augustine and love as a force for renewal

In the final part of his address, Leo underscored the relevance of Augustinian thought to the challenges facing the contemporary world.

Augustinian reflection, he said, has “much to offer in this regard within today’s international context, for an understanding of love as the principle of renewal in personal, economic, and political life.”

“Love binds in order to liberate, unites in order to generate, and commits in order to build,” he said.

The pope also cited his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas: “We view history in the light of the crucified and risen Lord … We do not consider the present as a predetermined fate, but an opportunity for personal and collective conversion.”

Finally, he encouraged the center’s members to become witnesses to God’s quiet action in history.

“Yes, be experts in God’s newness: not that which dazzles with speed and efficiency, but that which he works silently, freeing the old world from its dead ends and opening up paths along which we may journey together, toward his city,” he said.

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

The Fabbrica di San Pietro — the Vatican institution responsible for maintaining St. Peter’s — announced the project’s completion on Sept. 17. The announcement described the project as necessary to conserve “one of the most significant decorative achievements of early seventeenth-century Rome.” The Italian Mannerist painter Cristofano Roncalli (also known as “Il Pomarancio”) created the mosaics between 1601 and 1604.

The Clementine Chapel, distinct from another of the same name in the Vatican Grottoes, contains the Altar of St. Gregory the Great (where he is buried), the monument to Pope Pius VII, the Altar of the Lie, and the Altar of the Transfiguration.

The restoration included preliminary inspections of the mosaics, cleaning and dust removal, removal of incompatible materials, and efflorescence treatment.

The Clementine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Clement VIII, who reigned from 1592–1605. It was begun and designed by the renowned Italian artist Michelangelo Buonarroti, who also designed the main dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Italian architect Giacomo della Porta completed the chapel’s dome in 1580, 20 years before the jubilee year of 1600.

The mosaics were restored as St. Peter’s Basilica marked the 400th anniversary of its consecration. In February, the Vatican announced that it will open new parts of the basilica — including the full terrace — and roll out a “SmartPass” digital entry system.

The basilica, which replaced an earlier Constantinian basilica, was consecrated by Pope Urban VIII on Nov. 18, 1626.

Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, the new permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N., made these remarks on Sept. 17, delivering his first address since being appointed by Pope Leo XIV in July. He delivered the address in New York at the Global Conference on Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech.

In his address, El-Kassis reaffirmed the Holy See’s position that all human beings possess inviolable human dignity that cannot be diminished. He also warned against threats to this dignity, including hate speech.

“Hate speech — whether directed against individuals or communities on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, nationality, or any other characteristic — contradicts the commandment to love one’s neighbor, poisons public discourse, inflames division, and too often prepares the ground for violence and persecution,” El-Kassis stated in his remarks.

El-Kassis also affirmed the Holy See’s recognition of the right to freedom of expression, provided that one be mindful of the responsibilities that accompany this freedom.

The archbishop also cited Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, reminding those present that the “first contribution we can make toward a more humane civilization is to be mindful of our words.”

“Pope Leo XIV insists, ‘… Disarmed and disarming communication allows us to share a different view of the world and to act in a manner consistent with our human dignity,’” El-Kassis concluded.

Discussing the administration’s efforts in an interview with EWTN News White House correspondent Owen Jensen, White House Faith Office Director Jenny Korn emphasized the importance of having “a White House Faith Office that the president put in the West Wing as a direct report to him to work on policy that affects religious institutions and people of faith in their daily lives.”

The list of accomplishments covers 25 categories, including the protection of religious liberty, defending houses of worship, securing conscience rights, ending the weaponization of government, expanding school choice, upholding parental rights, restoring biological truth, and defending life.

Among the most recent items, Korn highlighted the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) guidance to all federal departments and agencies, directing them to protect religious liberty in all programs, policies, and practices.

That guidance includes lifting restrictions that prevented federally-funded faith-based organizations from including prayer and the religious aspect as part of their programs.

“We canʼt take away those rights. We canʼt take your faith out. Your faith is the part of the whole reason why you are serving the community,” Korn said.

The White House listed several “victories” tied to conscience rights, including strengthening protections for healthcare providers who object to abortion, sterilization, or assisted suicide.

Among other measures, the Department of Health and Human Services has rescinded previous departmental guidance that could force pharmacists to stock and dispense abortion pills in violation of pharmacists’ religious beliefs.

The report also touts that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has conducted terminations and overseen resignations following an anti-Catholic memo authored by the FBI during the Biden administration.

In addition, the White House notes that the Department of Justice’s Weaponization Working Group released a report on how that department, under the previous administration, collaborated with pro-abortion groups to target pro-lifers and weaponize the FACE Act against pro-life defendants.

The Department of Justice has subsequently restricted “the misuse of the FACE Act against pro-life advocates, dismissing several cases aimed at persecuting pro-life Americans.”

Defending life

Nonetheless, pro-life leaders have also given some critical reviews during Trump’s second term.

While there has been praise for measures that include conscience protections and restrictions on abortion-related funding overseas, they have criticized the administration’s failure to sufficiently regulate abortion pills and completely defund Planned Parenthood, in addition to the administration’s support for in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The White House list indicates that the “Food and Drug Administration is conducting a review of the abortion drug mifepristone.” Korn said she has not had a specific conversation with Trump on where he stands on the abortion drug mifepristone.

IVF expansion on victories list

The list glaringly counts Trump’s expansion of IVF as a “victory,” stating Trump “took action to lower costs and expand access to IVF and high-quality fertility care.”

The Catholic Church strongly opposes the practice. “Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus), are gravely immoral,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church states.

Addressing this issue, Korn said the “president is very pro-family. And so we want to be able to make sure that we are allowing Americans to be able to grow their family.”

“But we understand the nuances and we understand thereʼs some disagreements,” she acknowledged. Korn emphasized that “Catholics are at the table” as the administration’s policy deliberations continue and that she expects many additional favorable outcomes for people of faith during the rest of the president’s term.

The Church Appointments (Repeal of Discriminatory Provision) Bill would allow Catholic and Jewish prime ministers to provide advice to the monarch on Church of England appointments, which is part of the prime minister’s role.

According to the U.K. government, amendments were brought into law in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to remove restrictions on Catholic and Jewish people in public life, but the restriction related to advising on Church appointments was left in place.

Up until recently there have been no Catholic or Jewish prime ministers, but Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who came to power on July 20, is a Catholic and has had to transfer this responsibility to the lord chancellor.

Inquiry into police collusion in death of Catholic father in Ireland concludes

An inquiry in Ireland has found that four Royal Ulster Constabulary officers “did not collude” with attackers who assaulted a 25-year-old Catholic father of three in 1997 in County Armagh, according to a report in RTÉ.

The inquiry into the murder of Robert Hamill found however that there were “multiple police failings in the investigation, including a tip-off to a suspect to destroy the clothing he wore that night.”

Hamill was walking home with friends when he was assaulted by a large crowd. To date, no one has been convicted of the murder.

Vatican official urges Asian Catholic digital missionaries to be ‘responsible’

In her plenary address at the Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly 2026 in Manila, Philippines, on Sept. 11, Natasa Govekar, director of the Theological-Pastoral Department of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, said that Christian influencers online should treat their efforts “as a responsibility rather than a measure of status.”

According to LiCAS.news, Govekar said that “every Christian should be aware of his or her potential influence, regardless of the size of an online following, while responsibility grows as audiences expand.”

Govekar also said digital evangelization “should move away from individual-centered influence and toward communion, shared mission, and witness.” She warned against treating Christian communication as a form of marketing, saying: “We are not advertising, but communicating to live the life that was given to us.”

Archbishop says states should renounce nuclear weapons

At the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sept. 15 in Vienna, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the secretary for relations with states and international organizations, called for the responsible use of nuclear technology, which he said is “inseparable from the commitments and responsibilities that accompany it.”

His comments were made while marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.

According to a report in Vatican News, Gallagher highlighted the Holy See’s “longstanding commitment—as one of the IAEA’s original signatories seventy years ago—based on the conviction that a technology with such vast potential as nuclear energy ‘must be guided by sound ethical principles, be used for the service of peace and integral human development, and be protected from any destructive use.’”

The archbishop urged “sound ethical principles” on nuclear energy, saying that nuclear technology may be used to benefit humanity, but its development should not “lead to the acquisition of nuclear weapons, protecting facilities in wartime, and applying artificial intelligence with an awareness of the associated risks and sound safety standards.”

Missing Zimbabwean priest found dead at Harare hospital mortuary

The Archdiocese of Harare in Zimbabwe announced the death of Father Regis Chikuni days after appealing for prayers and assistance in locating the priest.

According to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, the archdiocese said Chikuni was found deceased at the mortuary of Parirenyatwa Hospital and relesed a death notice on Sept. 9.

Chikuni is believed to have been involved in a hit-and-run road accident in Harare while attempting to cross the road. He reportedly had no identification with him at the time of the accident, making it difficult for authorities to establish his identity. Police are expected to issue an official statement on the circumstances surrounding his death.

Archbishop of Westminster issues statement urging 2-state solution in Holy Land

The archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Archbishop Richard Moth, issued a statement on Sept. 15 condemning violence in the Holy Land, stating that the two-state solution should “remain the goal of all people of good will.”

“The Church in England and Wales has a particular concern about the Holy Land. With the encouragement of the Holy See and the support of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, we have organized the Holy Land Co-ordination, an annual pilgrimage of bishops from around the world to support Christians in the region through presence, prayer, pilgrimage and persuasion,” he said.

“However, violence continues to engulf the Holy Land, pushing people apart while undermining hopes for peaceful co-existence in a two-state solution. It has also led to a polarisation of views and even despair, which make the necessary bridge building for forgiveness and reconciliation so much more difficult.”

The archbishop called violence a “stain on humanity,” and cited both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, who have called for “the international community to work toward advancing the two-state solution, for a just and lasting peace.”

Syrian town revives its distinctive traditions for feast of the Holy Cross

This year’s feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Maaloula, Syria, drew thousands of residents, returning families, and visitors, bringing what local clergy described as a renewed sense of life to the historic Christian town, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported.

Father Fadi Barqil, superior of the Melkite Catholic Monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, said preparations began nearly a month before the feast. Residents carried a cross to the mountaintop on Sept. 12 and illuminated it, while the eve of the feast included evening prayer, traditional processions, and the lighting of fires on the mountains. On the feast itself, processions moved through the town with banners, poetry, dabke (a traditional folk dance), and visits to homes followed by a communal meal.

Barqil stressed that the religious meaning of the celebration must remain at its center, warning against reducing the feast to its outward customs. He also encouraged Maaloula’s families to continue returning, visiting their homes and keeping them illuminated, saying their presence is what restores the town’s spirit.

Bishops in Australia seek married couples’ input for support programs

The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s Commission for Life, Family, and Public Engagement announced funding for a research project that responds to concerns raised in the late Pope Francis’ 2016 apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love).

“Pope Francis had a particular concern for the newly married,” Auxiliary Bishop Tony Percy of Sydney said. “He recognised that as a Church we have tended to focus on preparation for marriage and then, after the wedding, have more or less left couples to fend for themselves.”

The bishops want to hear from married couples so they are funding a professional survey, which has already collected 440 responses. “We hope to reach 1,000 respondents over September for best research results,” project manager Jessica George said.

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) agreed to a legal settlement with Jessica Bates, who was represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). It affirms the department will not consider her religious beliefs when evaluating her application for a certification to adopt children and will not attempt to regulate her speech about gender and sexuality.

“Every child deserves a loving home, and children suffer when the government excludes people of faith from foster care because of the state’s own ideological crusade,” ADF Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse said in a statement following the Sept. 9 settlement.

“Oregon officials turned Jessica away just because of her common-sense belief that parents should help children become comfortable with who they are instead of pushing them down a path of confusion and medicalization,” he said. “We believe this settlement is a win-win that protects constitutional rights and puts children’s interests first.”

In September 2022, the ODHS denied Bates’ application because she would not comply with a state policy that requires applicants to agree they will “respect, accept and support the … sexual orientation, gender identity [and] gender expression … of a child or young adult” who is placed in the home, which ADF has characterized as a “gender ideology mandate.”

Bates sued ODHS in March 2023, arguing that the policy violated her First Amendment rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion. The lawsuit stated she told the certification officer she would love any child as her own but would not facilitate a child’s gender transition through hormone therapy, use pronouns inconsistent with a child’s biological sex, or encourage gender expression inconsistent with the child’s biological sex or same-sex attraction.

A federal district court initially ruled in favor of ODHS in December 2023, but an appellate panel of judges ruled in July 2025 that ODHS likely violated her constitutional rights and blocked the department from enforcing the rules against her while the lawsuit continued.

Legal settlement

Per the legal agreement, ODHS will allow Bates to apply for a certification and will not consider her religious views in any way.

It states ODHS will not deny the application “because of her religious beliefs that sexual activity should occur only within the confines of a marriage between one man and one woman, and a person should identify and seek to live consistent with his or her biological sex.”

The settlement adds that this extends to her “desire to respectfully speak about, live out, parent, and make day-to-day caregiving decisions consistent with these sincerely held religious beliefs.”

Under the agreement, ODHS also cannot require her to “agree to use prescribed words or language, including chosen pronouns, to express views about sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression inconsistent with her religious beliefs described above as a condition of certification.”

“[The] ODHS may not enforce any per se standard, rule, or policy that precludes Bates from being considered for any particular placement, based in whole or in part based on her religious belief,” the settlement agreement states.

It further prohibits ODHS from disqualifying Bates from consideration for any particular child placement based on her religious beliefs.

Yet, the settlement does not prevent ODHS from “deciding a child’s placement based on its individualized consideration of the child’s needs and of a foster parent’s concerns or limitations (including where religiously motivated) on their ability or willingness to meet the child’s specific needs, including with regard to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.”

The Oregon attorney general’s office referred EWTN News to the Oregon Department of Human Services for comment. The department did not respond to a request for comment.

In a Sept. 16 statement, the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym) expressed its indignation and sadness over the crime as well as its solidarity with the Diocese of Huejutla, Hidalgo, to which De la Cruz belonged

According to the bishops' conference, the priest’s murder took place on Sept. 15. The newspaper El Universal reported that the body of De la Cruz was found with gunshot wounds along a stretch of the Tolago-Tetlapaya highway in the Lolotla district of Hidalgo.

“We stand in fraternal solidarity with José Hiraís Acosta Beltrán, bishop of Huejutla, his priests, consecrated religious, and the entire people of God of this local Church,” the CEM stated while “calling upon the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to clarify the facts and ensure that justice is served swiftly.”

The Mexican bishops also prayed “for the eternal rest of Father Román,” asking God “to grant strength and comfort to his family, friends, parishioners, and all those who shared in his ministry and his life.”

The CEM statement joins that of Acosta, who urged against speculating about the crime “to allow the relevant authorities to conduct the investigation and report on the tragedy.”

At the same time, the bishop of Huejutla denounced “the alarming situation of violence going on in our country.”

The prelate asked the faithful to work to build “a culture of peace and reconciliation, seeking the eradication of violence, and not to lose respect for the life of any person.”

“Let us allow God, in his infinite goodness, to help us root out from the human heart every destructive sentiment of resentment, vengeance, and hatred that threatens the most precious gift he has bestowed upon us: life,” he emphasized.

According to the Catholic Multimedia Center, 28 incidents of violence against Church members, including the murders of four priests, have been recorded during Claudia Sheinbaum’s term as president of Mexico so far.

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.

The embassy made the announcement following a meeting between U.S. Chargé dʼAffaires Mike Hammer and the director of Caritas Cuba, Carmen María Nodal Martínez.

In a post on X, the embassy stated that the additional aid will be directed to the provinces of Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, and Pinar del Rio.

Collaboration between the U.S. government and the Catholic Church in Cuba began in November 2025, when the bishops announced they had received an offer of $3 million in aid for those affected by Hurricane Melissa.

This initial humanitarian assistance began arriving in January 2026, and since then, the United States has made further offers of aid, which have been distributed by Caritas Cuba without the involvement of the Cuban communist regime.

On Feb. 5, the U.S. State Department announced a new shipment of humanitarian aid worth $6 million, “following the successful collaboration” with the Catholic Church in Cuba in distributing the initial $3 million in aid.

On May 13, the State Department announced its intention to provide $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Cuba, $60 million of which would be distributed through Caritas.

The first shipment of this aid package arrived in late July.

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.

Popcak told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, why he felt compelled to add a Catholic voice to this headline-making conversation.

“I created it because Catholics aren’t immune from either physical or emotional illness, and, as Catholics, we have a unique, holistic perspective on healing that encourages us to use the medical, psychological, relational, and spiritual tools available to us to promote our healing and well-being."

Popcak emphasized the need for a faithful voice in a conversation that affects approximately 1 in 7 new mothers.

“As much as we might like to think otherwise, people of faith are just as affected by mental-health problems as anybody else,” Popcak emphasized.

“Research really does show that faith plays a protective element ... but we are still afflicted with these things. Being able to respond to this in a way that is reflective of our Catholic faith and the Catholic view of the person I thought was important.”

Breaking the stigma of guilt

A central focus of the e-book is addressing the unique layer of spiritual guilt that Catholic mothers often experience when struggling with mental health post-childbirth.

Popcak explained that many Catholic mothers internalize their symptoms as a personal or spiritual failing, incorrectly believing their distress signals a lack of gratitude for their child or a weak prayer life.

“These feelings are not the mom,” Popcak said during an interview on EWTN Radio. “They are the illness attacking your feelings. ... You’re not failing any more than you would be failing if you had the flu. You didn’t make yourself get postpartum depression either. It’s your body’s reaction to the normal crash of hormones that occurs after birth, plus a lot of other factors.”

The book opens with an urgent disclaimer encouraging mothers experiencing severe crisis or self-harm thoughts to seek immediate medical intervention, reminding them that “these feelings are not you; they are the illness talking.”

Distinguishing ‘baby blues’ from clinical needs

During the broadcast, Popcak outlined the critical differences between common short-term mood shifts — often referred to as the “baby blues” — and clinical postpartum depression or psychosis. While the “baby blues” typically peak around day five post-delivery and resolve within two weeks, symptoms lasting longer require professional medical evaluation.

Popcak advocated for routine screening at OB-GYN and pediatric visits, comparing mental health checkups to baseline physical assessments.

“When we go to the doctor, even if we’re not feeling lightheaded, they take our blood pressure,” Popcak noted. “A postpartum depression screening tool takes about four minutes to complete. ... It should be just as standard as getting your blood pressure taken.”

He also emphasized that treatment should address both physical and psychological dimensions, recommending psychological counseling alongside medical treatments like SSRIs (common prescription medications for depression and anxiety) to help mothers develop coping strategies and process underlying stressors.

Self-sacrifice vs. self-destruction

Addressing spiritual questions surrounding maternal sacrifice, Popcak distinguished between healthy, Christlike self-giving and harmful self-neglect.

“There is a difference between self-sacrifice and self-destruction,” Popcak warned, urging husbands and extended family to step up support for new mothers. “God gives us our body to work for the good of others. In a sense, it’s a tool, but it can only do the job it was created to do if we take care of it. ... It’s not irresponsible or selfish or self-indulgent for the carpenter to sharpen his saw.”

The new e-book is available as a free public service download for mothers, families, and pastoral care providers. 

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

Nearly 600,000 people registered for the open-air papal Mass at the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées before sign-ups closed on Sept. 16, according to Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris. Registration was encouraged but not required. The huge response forced organizers to expand the security perimeter well beyond the original footprint.

“You responded in great numbers to the Holy Fatherʼs invitation to come and pray with him,” Ulrich said in a statement.

Demand built fast: When registration opened Aug. 10, more than 200,000 people signed up for the Paris Mass in the first few hours. All 80,000 places for the youth vigil at the Stade de France on Sept. 25 were claimed within hours. Nearly 300,000 registrations were recorded across both Paris events in the first 24 hours, according to Zenit.

Gen. Hervé Wattecamps, the general coordinator appointed by the Archdiocese of Paris, told French media that 8,000 new registrations were arriving daily in the final stretch.

The diocese has set up a gigantic overflow zone for people to gather, running from the Place de lʼÉtoile along Avenue de la Grande-Armée toward Porte Maillot.

The official papal visit site confirms the Mass is still scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sept. 26. The gates will open at 9 a.m., and Pope Leo is expected to arrive at the Champs-Élysées at 1:45 p.m. local time.

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, president of the bishops' conference, told reporters that the level of interest showed France “resists secularization,” citing what he called a “new momentum of neophytes and catechumens.”

Passing the plate to pay the bill

The French bishops' conference (CEF) has put the total cost of Pope Leoʼs Sept. 25–28 visit at 27 million euros (about $31 million), well above early estimates.

A national fundraising campaign was launched in summer and has raised 5.5 million euros so far, leaving a shortfall of 21.5 million euros. The bishops' conference said the campaign will continue throughout the visit.

The French state is providing security forces and public services but no direct financial support or funding.

Instead, according to Vatican News, funding sources include corporate sponsorships, the sale of merchandise, and donations from the faithful through the bishops' conference website pape-france.fr.

The funding model contrasts with the financing of World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul: South Koreaʼs Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is leading a cross-agency government support task force alongside the Church-led local organizing committee. In France, prelates are passing the plate.

Beyond Paris, a European legacy

Outside the capital, the apostolic visit includes two stops: Lourdes and Metz.

In Lourdes, the pope will celebrate Mass at the Marian shrine on Sept. 27. He will also meet privately with seven survivors of abuse, according to Vatican News.

The visit closes Sept. 28 with a Mass in Metz, a historic town in Lorraine in northeastern France that changed hands between France and Germany through three wars and two annexations.

Archbishop Philippe Ballot of Metz told Vatican News: “The border is no longer a place of separation, but a place of encounter.”

Pope Leo will speak at the Robert Schuman Centre, named after the Catholic statesman Pope Francis declared venerable in 2021.

Parolin expressed his concerns about AI on the sidelines of the conference “Faith and Reason in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” held Sept. 16 in Rome at the Palazzo Montecitorio, the seat of the Italian Parliament.

As originally reported by Vatican News, Parolin also delivered a keynote address at the conference, focusing on both the potential and the threats of AI. In his address, he thanked Italian President Sergio Mattarella for his recent appeal for greater collaboration among states on AI governance and said he hoped nations would respond.

“My concern is that there are countries which, in fact, want to go it alone,” Parolin said in his address. “Let us stop and genuinely reflect on what the consequences of artificial intelligence and its use might be.”

‘I try to put a little heart into my homilies’

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines, Parolin stated that he did not use AI to draft his homilies, preferring to “put a little heart” into them.

“Artificial intelligence is all head and no heart. I try to put a little heart into my homilies,” Parolin said to the journalists.

“Today artificial intelligence is imposing itself, because when you open your computer and read something, it already gives you a summary.”

His discouragement of using AI to draft homilies echoes that of Pope Leo XIV. During a Q&A session with priests of the Diocese of Rome in February, he warned priests against this practice.

Holy See diplomacy in Russia-Ukraine conflict

Parolin also responded to journalists’ questions about the Holy See’s advocacy of Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. He expressed hope that it would reach a peaceful resolution.

“The diplomacy of the Holy See, the diplomacy of sowing, does not produce a harvest. So we hope that, by continuing to sow, one day, when God wills it, we may also reap,” Parolin said.

His comments follow recent interventions by the Holy See in pursuing a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, traveled to Russia from Aug. 25–27 to meet with its leaders to discuss potential resolutions to the war.

Cahill’s appointment, announced by the Vatican on Sept. 17, makes him the successor to then-bishop Ronald Hicks, who led the diocese from 2020 to 2026. The pontiff appointed Hicks as archbishop of New York in December 2025.

According to the Vatican announcement, Cahill was born in Coral Gables, Florida, on Nov. 28, 1963. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas on May 19, 1990.

Before his ordination, Cahill earned degrees in psychology, African American studies, and dogmatic theology. He studied at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Xavier University in Louisiana, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

After his ordination, Cahill served as a parish priest in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston for four years before returning to St. Mary’s Seminary as a faculty member. He was promoted to rector of the seminary in 2001.

After a period of service in the archdiocesan curia, Pope Francis appointed Cahill as the third bishop of Victoria. He received episcopal consecration on June 29, 2015, from the then-archbishop of Galveston-Houston, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo.

In 2025, Cahill was appointed chair of the Committee on Migration for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Preserving Assisi combines ultra-high-resolution photography, 3D surveying, immersive virtual tours, and a digital archive to create an unparalleled record of the basilica and its history.

The new digital platform was developed by Haltadefinizione, part of the Gruppo Panini Cultura, and in collaboration with the General Custody of the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis.

Preserving Assisi aims to offer a new way to explore and understand the famous site. It also aims to provide the opportunity for a digital version of the basilica to be created so that a detailed record of its architecture, paintings, and surfaces can be used for future research and support documentation, monitoring, and conservation over time.

The inspiration for the project came from an extensive photographic campaign commissioned by Franco Cosimo Panini Editore. The campaign was called “Mirabilia Italiae” and it was dedicated to the systematic documentation of Italy’s major monuments. Around 2,000 photographs were produced.

On Sept. 26, 1997, an earthquake hit the Umbria and Marche regions of Italy, which resulted in the collapse of sections of the upper basilica. Providentially, hours before the earthquake struck, photographs were taken for the “Mirabilia Italiae” of those very sections that then collapsed. These photographs ended up playing a major role and serving as key references in the reconstruction and restoration of the basilica.

The experience became one of the driving factors behind the Preserving Assisi digital platform in that it not only serves as a way to document the basilica’s past but also provides knowledge for its future preservation.

“Over the past thirty years, the technologies we use to document cultural heritage have changed radically, but our purpose has remained the same: to organize and preserve knowledge so that it can be studied, shared and passed on to future generations,” Lucia Panini, co-founder of Gruppo Panini Cultura, said in a press release.

The project has captured over 27,000 photographs, resulting in 12 terabytes (TB) of data and 98 completed digital assets, including gigapixel images and 360-degree panoramas.

One of the most significant results from the project so far is the gigapixel image of Pietro Lorenzetti’s Crucifixion painting. Measuring 101,627 by 78,170 pixels, it contains nearly 8 billion pixels.

“Preserving Assisi is one of the most complex projects we have undertaken in our 20 years of work,” Luca Ponzio, founder and CEO of Haltadefinizione, said. “It brings together, within a single digital environment, a range of tools and multimedia content designed to present, document, and support the study of the Basilica of St. Francis.”

He added: “It is a project that will continue to grow over time through new acquisitions, further research, and new ways of exploring the site.”

Friar Marco Moroni, custos of the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis in Assisi, said: “Preserving Assisi is a project that fills us with great enthusiasm. The experience of the 1997 Assisi earthquake made us even more aware of the importance of creating a photographic record of the highest possible quality to safeguard and enhance this extraordinary artistic heritage, together with its profound significance as an expression of faith.”

He added: “This documentation will allow future restoration work to be undertaken with an extraordinary level of knowledge and precision, while also opening up these artistic and spiritual treasures to audiences around the world in the finest possible detail.”

The project is supported by the National Committee for the Celebration of the Eighth Centenary of the Death of Saint Francis of Assisi, together with the Umbria Region and the City of Assisi in collaboration with the University of Florence.

Bishop John Dolan of Phoenix, Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares, and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego took part in a Sept. 9 ribbon‑cutting ceremony marking the opening.

“The people formed here will carry what they learned beyond these walls and into their parishes, their families and communities; into the lives of those who need their care, whether through priestly ministry or mental health services,” Dolan said at the event.

“This work is ultimately about accompanying people and helping them recognize they are cherished, made in God’s image and likeness — and that can never be annulled — and they are not alone,” he said.

The 3,132-square-foot education center will support both Nazareth Seminary and the Photina Center for Catholic Counseling. The center will offer in‑person courses for the University of Mary’s Catholic anthropology certificate, limited master’s‑level counseling courses, and professional development resources.

The Photina Center will support the work of the mental health ministry, including its program to place counselors in the diocese’s Catholic schools.

The center takes its name from St. Photina, whom Eastern Christian tradition identifies as the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well in John’s Gospel. Photina means “light” to reflect the center’s goal to illuminate paths of hope and healing.

University of St. Thomas to host archbishop emeritus of Assisi for event honoring St. Francis

The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota will welcome Archbishop Emeritus Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi for a day of prayer and reflection during its St. Francis celebration on Sept. 18.

The event will include public veneration of sacred relics of St. Carlo Acutis, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Clare of Assisi, and a lecture by the archbishop.

The unveiling of the sacred relics and the opening of veneration will take place in the campus’ Chapel of St. Basil, where Mass will also be celebrated for attendees.

Following the day of prayer, Sorrentino’s lecture will explore how St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Creatures” (“Canticle of the Sun”) serves as a summary of the saint’s life.

The school said the hymn is not simply a tribute to nature or an early example of Italian but a witness to St. Francis’ “love for God carried at length to the full extent of the created universe.”

Bridgeport Diocese launches kids education series starring animated Bishop Caggiano

The Diocese of Bridgeport is launching an educational series led by an animated Bishop Frank Caggiano to teach young children about the Catholic faith.

“Bishop Frank Teaches the Faith” is a weekly series from the diocese’s Institute for Catholic Formation. The series will include weekly two- to three-minute episodes that introduce young children and families to different topics of the Catholic faith.

“Every generation of the Church is called to find new and creative ways to proclaim the Gospel,” Caggiano said in a Sept. 15 statement.

“Our children are growing up in a world shaped by digital media, and we have an extraordinary opportunity to enter that world with them and introduce them more deeply to Jesus Christ and the beauty of our Catholic faith,” he said.

Each episode pairs animation and storytelling with Caggiano’s own voice. According to the diocese, the goal is to help kids recognize that the faith is an invitation into a relationship with Jesus Christ and a way of living each day.

“Anything we can do to help parents raise faith-filled children is a win,” said Patrick Donovan, executive director of the Institute for Catholic Formation.

“Our hope is that these short episodes will spark conversations at home, reinforce what children are learning in their parishes and schools, and, most importantly, help them grow closer to Jesus,” he said.

The series will launch on Sept. 18 with the release of the first 10 episodes, which will be available online. Following the initial release, episodes will become available every Friday.

Loyola University Maryland expands aid with guarantees for early decision, Catholic grads

Loyola University Maryland is introducing two financial aid guarantees for early decision students and graduates of Catholic high schools entering in fall 2027.

The university is guaranteeing at least $40,000 annually in Loyola-funded scholarships and grants for students admitted through early decision and eligible graduates of Catholic high schools.

“These new commitments reflect Loyolaʼs desire to make an exceptional Jesuit education more accessible while providing students and families with greater clarity about affordability earlier in the college search process,” said Terrence M. Sawyer, president of Loyola, in a statement.

"We want families to have confidence that a Loyola education can be financially within reach,” he said.

Loyola’s early decision commitment guarantees at least $40,000 a year in Loyola‑funded aid for students admitted in November or January. The schools’ Catholic high school commitment will similarly guarantee eligible graduates of Catholic high schools in the U.S. and abroad $40,000 annually.

In anticipation of Xiʼs visit to Washington on Sept. 24, Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai’s son, met with leaders to advocate for his father. He joined a Sept. 16 congressional hearing led by Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey.

“Jimmy Lai is not being imprisoned because he committed any act of violence whatsoever,” Smith, co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said.

“His son has emphasized that his father has never, never advocated violence. Rather, Jimmy Lai used his voice, his newspaper, and his public platform to support freedom and democracy,” he said.

Smith said he introduced legislation Sept. 16 that would require the State Department to quickly assess any death in custody of a Hong Kong political prisoner and impose sanctions on officials found responsible. He titled the bill the “Jimmy Lai Hong Kong Political Prisoner Accountability Act of 2026.”

At the hearing, Sebastien Lai offered testimony along with Steve Yates, a research fellow on China and national security policy, and Mark Clifford, president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation.

“I want to thank America, President Trump, who has been a true champion of my fatherʼs, his administration, and the senators and members of both parties whose support has never wavered and only gotten stronger. That is moral courage, and my family does not take it for granted,” Sebastien Lai said.

“By the end of this year my father will have spent six years in a maximum-security prison in solitary. At 78, he is the oldest political prisoner in Hong Kong. With a 20-year sentence looming over him, if he’s not freed soon, he will most likely die in prison,” he said.

“My sister Claire was to testify beside me today. A few weeks ago, she was diagnosed with cancer,” he said.

“I was with her in London last week as she began chemotherapy. My father learned of his own daughterʼs diagnosis from a maximum-security prison. He cannot hold her hand. She wants nothing more than to have him with her for this fight,“ he said.

“We hope the Chinese authorities will consider what compassionate release would mean for her, and for a 78-year-old man who has already suffered enough,” he said.

“America understands, in its bones, that freedom dies with the last man willing to defend it and that the cost of not standing up for liberty is not felt until it is too late,“ he said.

The appeal to Xi “is simple," Sebastien Lai said. “My father poses no threat. His imprisonment makes him a symbol of injustice; his death in prison would be a disgrace. Let Jimmy Lai come home to his family and let him sit beside his daughter in her hardest moment.”

America understands, in its bones, that freedom dies with the last man willing to defend it and that the cost of not standing up for liberty is not felt until it is too late.”

Sebastien Lai

Son of imprisoned Hong Kong media publisher and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai

Clifford, of the Washington‑based advocacy group promoting human rights in Hong Kong, spoke on behalf of his friend Jimmy Lai and to remind “people that Jimmy is just one of hundreds of political prisoners being held in often appalling conditions.”

“Iʼd like to emphasize the release of Jimmy Lai would be something President Trump, Republicans and Democrats, indeed, freedom-loving people around the world would applaud,” Clifford said. “It would be a unifying event at the time when the world really needs it.”

Yates said Jimmy Lai’s case is “a test of character, of Xi Jinping’s leadership, of the president’s relationship with his counterpart, and of whether there remains any credible basis for the assumptions on which American policy toward Hong Kong was long constructed.”

The case is “a litmus test of whether there remains any reason to believe there is a future in Xi Jinping’s China for the kind of man Jimmy Lai is: a child of God, a lover of the real China, and, it may fairly be said, one of China’s greatest entrepreneurs,” Yates said.

Lai’s health ‘is going to get worse’

At a subsequent event, Sebastien Lai spoke at a press conference at Georgetown University about his father.

Trump has previously met with Xi about Jimmy Lai’s case, which did not end with his release, but Sebastian Lai said he does not believe “it is a lost cause.” He said he hopes Trump raises his father’s case “again and again.”

Sebastian Lai detailed his father’s health, which “hasnʼt gotten any better” while in solitary confinement.

“He now has heart issues. His nails fall off. His teeth are rotting. During the summer, he bleeds all over his body because [of] his rashes,” he said.

His health was especially worrisome recently because “Hong Kong just had a record summer,” Sebastien Lai said. “The heat traps in there and essentially bakes in itself. So weʼre very, very worried.”

Caoilfhionn Gallagher, human rights lawyer and leader of the international legal team representing Jimmy Lai, further laid out the urgency of the case.

“It’s very clear that if someone is detained in solitary confinement for an extended period of time, there is a direct ramification for their mortality,” she said.

“The risk to prisoners detained in solitary confinement is particularly heightened if they’re elderly or diabetic, and Jimmy Lai is both. So this couldn’t be a more urgent and timely discussion,” she said.

Gallagher also noted the broader human rights issues and lack of democracy in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong “has become a place where you can be thrown in prison for singing the wrong song, or not singing the right song, or wearing the wrong T-shirt, printing the wrong newspaper. And I think Jimmy Laiʼs case is hugely important in itself because of who he is,” Gallagher said.

“Heʼs probably the worldʼs most famous political prisoner at the moment. His case is hugely important, but we think part of why theyʼve gone for Jimmy Lai is because by getting the biggest fish of all, it sends the message to the small fry across Hong Kong,” Gallagher said.

"It makes very clear that their message is keep silent or youʼll be next,” Gallagher said.

Xi’s visit to the U.S. offers “a particular opportunity to shine a light on this issue,” she said.

Dinorah Figuera, who leads the opposition delegation, arrived in Venezuela on Sept. 13 and before national and international media explained that once this weekʼs discussions conclude, the country could expect an announcement regarding the agreements reached.

Meanwhile, Jorge Millán, who is also part of the opposition delegation, stated that they would continue “pursuing a Supreme Court of Justice with honorable, independent, and impartial judges capable of providing Venezuela with an upstanding judicial system after so many years. At the end of the cycle [of talks], we will present clear and verifiable objectives.”

He also stated that this round of negotiations would also address the status of political parties, political guarantees, and “the dismantling of the repressive apparatus” established by Chavismo (the socialist government established by President Hugo Chávez and continued by President Nicolás Maduro) for over two decades. The state of freedom of expression in Venezuela will also be one of the items on the agenda.

“The foundation for achieving a full democracy requires creating the conditions for elections to be held in Venezuela as soon as possible, as quickly as possible. We are laying the groundwork to reach those important areas that will enable all Venezuelans to elect our leaders very soon, with the speed we desire but also allowing for the time this will take,” Millán added.

Concerns and proposals from the Catholic Church

Last week, Cardinals Baltazar Porras and Diego Padrón, together with Bishop Emeritus Ramón Ovidio Pérez Morales, once again spoke out regarding the political and social situation in Venezuela. The prelates had previously raised their voices at the start of negotiations, offering to serve as guarantors of the process.

On this occasion, they addressed the state of “indeterminacy, confusion, and uncertainty” prevailing in the country, offering “certain opinions, judgments, and proposals” that seek to “open the way” to help overcome the current crisis and achieve solid institutional stability and the national common good.

Following the capture and extradition of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by U.S. forces on Jan. 3, the prelates noted that “changes have occurred, yet neither the desired and expected change nor a shift toward the structuring and functioning of the country in line with the preamble and fundamental principles of the 1999 Constitution is perceptible.”

The cardinals and the bishop cite as examples of this lack of change that there are still political prisoners and a climate of repression as well as a state monopoly on the media and the continued centralization of power. Although these issues have been placed on the negotiating tableʼs agenda, the prelates maintain that these talks “operate within a framework of limited scope and authority.”

In this regard, they pointed out that the state is operating on “shaky and legally undefined ground,” while the executive branch is “illegitimate regarding both its origins and its exercise of power.” Consequently, they emphasized the urgent need to call for elections soon.

Oil deals with few details

A few weeks ago, the Trump administration and the Chavista regime signed a massive energy deal granting the United States effective control over approximately one-third of Venezuelan oil, some 65 billion barrels of proven reserves.

Beyond the economic aspects, the agreement has sparked particular controversy by including Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt López as an intermediary. He has been the subject of several investigations regarding alleged corruption, inflated prices in electricity contracts, and money laundering linked to the oil sector.

Within Venezuela, Betancourt is singled out as one of the key figures responsible for the serious deterioration of the electrical grid, which has led to daily, hourslong blackouts across the country for years, severely impacting the populationʼs daily lives and even resulting in loss of life due to various causes.

While acknowledging they are not experts in the field, Porras, Padrón, and Pérez Morales call for greater transparency in the negotiations and recommend “prudence and a gradual approach regarding commitments.” This, they state, reflects the prevailing sentiment among the Venezuelan people, who are concerned about the fate and use of the “vast sums of money” the state is set to receive.

Greater emphasis on the need to call elections

In light of the foregoing, the cardinals and the bishop underscored the priority of allowing the sovereign people of Venezuela to have a “a defined and clear mandate” regarding the nation’s future, a step that would also offer a sure path toward “encounter, social reconciliation, and peace.”

“God has given us this country as a setting in which to build a ‘new society,’ the ideal of the civilization of love. We Venezuelans, through our own efforts and by invoking divine assistance, must keep hope alive and continue working on this compelling task, striving to reap its fruits of peace, freedom, justice, and fraternity,” the prelates stated.

Delcy Rodríguez in New York?

According to a Sept. 14 Bloomberg report, Venezuelaʼs interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, is considering a trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, which takes place next week.

If the trip goes ahead, Rodríguez would be in the same city where Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are in U.S. custody. When asked about a possible meeting with the Chavista leader, President Donald Trump simply replied: “Maybe, maybe.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that an in-person meeting “probably will happen” if the presence of the interim regimeʼs president is confirmed.

Rodríguezʼs presence on U.S. soil would mark a milestone in relations between Washington and Caracas, following more than two decades of tension and discord.

Within Venezuela, the growing rapprochement between the U.S. government and the remnants of Chavismo is fueling concern and uncertainty regarding the possibility of real political change.

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.

Barron, who already serves as a member of the domestically focused Religious Liberty Commission, was appointed to the position by President Donald Trump. The Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, bishop was selected for the post alongside former U.S. Domestic Policy Council Director Joe Grogan and former missionary Andrew Brunson.

In a statement to EWTN News on Sept. 16, Barron said he was “honored” to accept Trump’s invitation to serve on the commission.

The bishop noted that the commission itself is “strictly bi-partisan” with its members “chosen by leaders of both major political parties.”

He highlighted the numerous Catholics who have served on the commission over the years, including Princeton Professor Robert George, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon, Jesuit Father Thomas Reese, Archbishop Charles Chaput, and Bishop William Murphy.

“I feel privileged to join their company,” Barron said.

An independent agency in the legislative branch, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom monitors global religious liberty issues and recommends policy to the U.S. government to advance religious liberty around the world.

It regularly publishes briefs on countries it identifies as consistent violators of religious liberty. It also advocates for those suffering from religious persecution, such as this week when it urged Trump to push for the release of religious prisoners in China and for the end of religious persecution by the Chinese government.

The appointments on Sept. 16 came shortly after Trump asked Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of famed late Southern Baptist evangelist Billy Graham, to serve as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

The bishops said in a Sept. 16 announcement that the conference’s administrative committee also met with “representatives from a variety of tech firms and specialists” who work with AI.

Bishops’ spokeswoman Chieko Noguchi said the meeting “focused on ways to keep any system of Artificial Intelligence at the service of humanity” as well as “the urgent need to address the real and present dangers such technology presents.”

The meeting came amid warnings from numerous AI leaders of the risks posed by AI systems, which are undergoing rapid advancement and which critics say could one day threaten humanity with extinction if they become advanced enough.

In an apparent reference to those warnings, Noguchi in the press release referred to “recent events” she said “have only emphasized the great need for action by everyone involved.”

The bishops aimed to use the conversations to “help to identify ways the Church can contribute to the moral foundation of AI models and steps the companies can take to protect against misuse of their inventions and to guarantee human oversight of the technology.”

Following the meetings, the bishops’ administrative committee launched a task force aimed at “preserving human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence.” San Jose, California, Bishop Oscar Cantù will serve as task force chair, the bishops said.

“Over a dozen” bishops traveled to Capitol Hill after the meetings to press Congress for strong safety standards on artificial intelligence and to “support legislation to protect children online.”

Noguchi said the bishops and AI leaders also discussed “how the Church and industry can work together toward the goal of ensuring that technology is used in ways that keep it human-centered” while respecting human dignity and benefiting both the rich and the poor.

Church leaders have repeatedly called for meaningful AI oversight as the technology has progressed from a computer-based novelty to an embedded part of the global economy and of modern life.

Pope Leo XIV in May published his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, in which the Holy Father warned that AI “tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise, and access to data.”

“In practice … technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise it, finance it, regulate it, and use it,” the pope wrote.

In August, meanwhile, the pope warned that decisions affecting human life are increasingly being entrusted to machines and called for safeguards governing artificial intelligence and other digital technologies.

Earlier this month the U.S. bishops acknowledged the “widespread concern” that AI will lead to “higher unemployment and to fewer jobs that can support a family.” The technology must be “carefully developed” to serve the common good, they said.

Also earlier this month Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States, noted the “perception that we need a moral voice” on the topic of AI.

“Not everything which is possible to be done should be done. Not everything that technology offers should be taken. This is a moral choice,” the archbishop said.

Here are seven lessons he shared throughout his life:

1. “Satan is always active. He has been the tempter from the beginning.”

In a June 2004 interview with Italian Vatican expert Sandro Magister, Amorth discussed the state of Satanism and the devil’s influence on contemporary culture.

“In general terms, Satan is always active. He has been the tempter from the beginning. He does everything he can to make man sin, and whenever evil is committed, he is behind it — though it remains clear that man freely chooses his own actions. But there is also an extraordinary form of action by the evil one: diabolical possession,” he said at the time.

2. “The world is under the power of the devil.”

In the book “The Last Exorcist,” co-authored with Vatican expert Paolo Rodari, Amorth stated that “the world is under the power of the devil. And alongside Satan are many of his prophets — people whom the Bible calls false prophets. False because they lead to lies rather than the truth.”

“These people exist both outside and within the Church. They are easily recognizable: They claim to speak on behalf of the Church, yet they speak on behalf of the world. They demand that the Church assume the roles of the world, and in doing so, they confuse the faithful and steer the Church into waters that are not its own. They are the waters of the evil one,” he added.

3. “Satan attacks the pope above all.”

In his book “The Last Exorcist,” Amorth also noted that “Satan attacks the pope above all. His hatred for the successor of Peter is fierce. I have experienced this in my exorcisms.”

“After the pope, Satan attacks cardinals, bishops, and all priests and religious. It is only natural for this to be the case. No one should be scandalized by it. Priests and religious are called to a fierce spiritual battle.”

4. Invoking St. John Paul II is effective against the devil.

In May 2011, Amorth told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that St. John Paul II had become, in recent years, “a powerful intercessor in the fight against the devil.”

“I have asked the devil more than once: ‘Why are you so afraid of John Paul II?’ And I received two different answers, both interesting. The first was: ‘Because he dismantled my plans.’ And I believe that refers to the fall of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe — the collapse of communism.”

“Another answer the devil gave me was: ‘Because he snatched many young people from my hands.’ There are many young people who converted thanks to John Paul II. Perhaps some were already Christians but not practicing, and then, through John Paul II, they returned to the practice of the faith,” he explained.

5. The devil “wants the death of the Church because she is the mother of the saints.”

Amorth addressed the smear campaign against then-Pope Benedict XVI, whom some accused of covering up sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy, when in reality it was he who established the zero-tolerance policy. The exorcist denounced at the time that the devil “uses” priests to cast blame on the entire Church.

“The devil has it in for the Church; he wants the death of the Church because she is the mother of the saints. He fights the Church through men of the Church, but he cannot prevail against the Church itself,” he noted.

The experienced exorcist also stated that “the devil tempts men of the Church, so it should not surprise us if even priests — who possess every divine aid, such as prayer and the sacraments — fall into temptation. They, too, live in the world and can fall just like men of the world.”

6. The most effective intercessor of all is the Virgin Mary.

In May 2002, when asked about the most effective intercessor of all, Amorth told ACI Prensa that “of course, the Virgin is the most effective. And especially when you invoke her as Mary!”

“I once asked Satan: ‘But why are you more afraid when I invoke Our Lady than when I invoke Jesus Christ?’ He answered: ‘Because it humiliates me more to be defeated by a human creature than to be defeated by him.’”

7. The devil is in “everything that denies God.”

Speaking to the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio, Amorth recounted an occasion when a cardinal told him: “Be honest, the devil doesn’t exist.” The priest replied: “You ought to read a book that will be very useful to you: the Gospel.”

Furthermore, the exorcist described the devil as being present in “everything that denies God,” such as “abortion, divorce, homosexuality, satanic rock music, or programs featuring violence and sex on television.”

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.

“Today, in the face of those who foment divisions and stir up conflicts, believers of different traditions — and above all their leaders — while remaining aware of their irreducible differences, are called to seek, with clarity and hope, the conditions necessary for peaceful coexistence,” states a new joint note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

The document, titled “A Journey of Hope: Sixty Years of Interreligious Dialogue and Fraternity in the Light of the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate,” was published Sept. 16. Pope Leo XIV approved the note at an audience with the prefects and secretaries of the three dicasteries on June 22 and ordered its publication.

The text reviews the teaching of successive popes on interreligious relations, looks back at the path traveled since Nostra Aetate was promulgated in 1965, and turns to the challenges facing dialogue today.

“In stark contrast to those rigid attitudes that seek to resolve conflicts by force, it is time to promote a new ethic of dialogue: a culture of complexity, flexibility, and friendship,” the document states. “It is no longer a matter of fearing or keeping one’s distance from the ‘other believer’ — another civilization, another way of thinking — but of daring the encounter.”

One of the document’s proposals is to give greater recognition to concrete initiatives undertaken by local Churches.

“At the same time, greater appreciation must be given to the concrete initiatives undertaken by the local Churches, which are on the front lines,” the note states. “It is they who, at the local level, develop the most creative and courageous forms of encounter: dialogue commissions, joint projects, educational or humanitarian initiatives, and shared celebrations.”

By gathering and sharing those experiences, the document says, “the universal Church can enrich her life while also identifying and guiding new pastoral paths.”

At the same time, the Vatican note stresses that dialogue does not mean abandoning claims to religious truth.

“It is not, therefore, a matter of renouncing the truth but of proclaiming it in a manner befitting the Gospel: with esteem, listening, and charity,” the document states.

The note says achieving genuine dialogue requires “a genuine shift in mindset,” defined as “abandoning the logic of defensiveness, hostility, or conquest in order to adopt an attitude that is open, benevolent, and courageous.”

It also calls for a renewed pedagogy of dialogue, beginning with formation in seminaries, theological institutes, and pastoral programs.

“It is no longer sufficient to proclaim the importance of dialogue; it must now be lived, providing the faithful with the tools to participate in it in an informed, critical, and serene manner,” the document states.

The note points to knowledge of religions, the history of interreligious relations, guidelines for dialogue, religious literacy, and an understanding of contemporary cultural and geopolitical issues as important elements of such formation.

In its conclusion, the document underscores the importance it assigns to interreligious fraternity amid contemporary conflicts and social challenges.

“Fraternity among believers of different religious traditions is not merely an ideal, but a moral, spiritual, and social imperative,” it states.

“Faced with contemporary challenges — religious extremism, global migration, secularization, and ecological and social crises — religions are called to transform the world and society so that they may become fraternal expressions of God’s will.”

“This commitment necessarily involves a renewed education in dialogue, especially among younger generations, to overcome fears and prejudices and to foster a genuine culture of encounter,” the note concludes.

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

Holy Family School, attached to Gaza’s only Catholic church, Holy Family Parish, welcomed approximately 1,000 students back to school on Sept. 15, according to the Catholic aid group Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Holy Family’s parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, told a visiting delegation from ACN that he hopes the reopening of the school “will bring some sense of normality” to the students and their families, “even though nothing is normal in Gaza.”

“There is almost nowhere in Gaza that has not been destroyed, destruction is all around,” Romanelli said, “but we have worked hard to make the school a clean environment, where the children — who have been through so much — can feel safe.”

The ACN delegation was in Gaza to assess local needs during the ongoing war with Israel, according to the aid group.

The majority of the 1,000 students at the school are Muslim, according to George Akroush, director of the project development office of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Christian students make up about 13% of the student population.

“For the first time, all Christian students in Gaza will be studying together in one Christian school,” Akroush told ACN. “This creates a strong sense of community and shows that the Church remains close to them, accompanying them in the midst of all they are going through.”

Previously, five Christian schools served Gaza: three Catholic, one evangelical Protestant, and one Orthodox.

Romanelli said he hopes the reopened school will be “like a light in the darkness for the local community that has experienced so much suffering.”

“Everyone in Gaza is carrying so much trauma,” he said, telling ACN the school is incorporating a psychosocial support program “that will be an important part of what we do with the children” as well as the teachers, many of whom “are so traumatized, and it is almost as if they are not the same people who we knew before the start of the war.”

He said he hopes that when Gazans, who have begun returning to the devastated region, see the “students coming in their uniforms to the school, it shows them that there is a future,” he added.

The priest said he takes families to the beach on Sundays after Mass, “even though the water in the beach is filled with rubble — everywhere in Gaza is filled with rubble,” because “we want to have some time of recreation for the families.”

“The needs in Gaza are enormous,” he continued, saying the students have asked him to keep the school open for after-school activities because “we have nothing to do and nowhere to go.”

Auxiliary Bishop Josef Graf of Regensburg told the Catholic Sunday newspaper of the Diocese of Bolzano-Brixen in an interview published Sept. 15 that he personally believes the Church could open the door to so-called “viri probati” — men of proven faith who are married.

“I personally believe the Church could afford ‘viri probati.’ It could grant ordination to ‘proven men’ with a marriage and a family,” Graf said.

The German prelate pointed out that the Diocese of Regensburg had several married priests — former Protestant pastors who converted to Catholicism and were ordained with Romeʼs permission while continuing to live in marriage and family.

“We also recognize the priestly ordination of the Orthodox churches and of the Eastern Catholic churches of the Byzantine rite. These have married priests alongside the monastic state,” Graf said. “I could well imagine the Church taking the path of ‘viri probati.’ But the priest shortage would probably not be eliminated by it.”

Celibacy ‘not indispensable’

Graf, 69, who served as seminary spiritual director for 26 years before his episcopal appointment in 2015, affirmed the value of priestly celibacy but said it is not a prerequisite for ordination.

“I still believe that the celibacy of the priest has not only a great tradition in the Catholic Church but is also a charism that is helpful in the exercise of priestly ministry,” he said.

Celibacy, when lived honestly, Graf added, will always involve renunciation of sexual intimacy, and “the lifelong partnership of marriage, of having oneʼs own children.”

“Celibacy, as an expression of following Christ, will always also involve the way of the cross. However, the unmarried state of the priest would not be a ‘conditio sine qua non’ — an indispensable prerequisite — for receiving priestly ordination,” he said.

The celibacy lived by ordained men and women in the Latin Church is rooted in the example of Christ, who lived unmarried. It enables the priest to serve his community with undivided attention and functions as an eschatological sign pointing to the fullness of communion with God, in which “they neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Mt 22:30). Pope Paul VI described celibacy in Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (1967) as the object and outward sign of a complete and generous self-giving to the mystery of Christ.

Womenʼs ordination rejected

Graf firmly rejected calls for the ordination of women, a demand raised by Germanyʼs Synodal Way process.

“I believe that is not possible. Already because we have a different tradition,” he said. “If a pope were to break with this tradition, it would at present lead to a split in the Church.”

Asked whether tradition was the only argument against it, Graf replied: “Not at all. In my view there are still very weighty theological reasons for the sacrament of ordination being reserved to men. Listing them here would require too much space.”

The Catholic Church holds that only men can be validly ordained to the priesthood, a teaching declared as definitive by St. John Paul II in his 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis. The teaching applies analogously to the diaconate and the episcopate.

Ordination numbers and ‘crisis of faith’

Germany ordained 30 men to the priesthood in 2026, up from 25 the previous year. Eleven of the countryʼs 27 dioceses and archdioceses had no new priest this year. Regensburg had one. In 1966, there were 447 ordinations across Germany.

Graf attributed the decline primarily to secularization and anti-Church sentiment rather than celibacy.

“When I entered the seminary in 1977, it was practically an honor for a village and even more for my parents. Today it is unfortunately different. The priestly vocation is a contested profession — the abuse scandal being the key word,” he said.

He also pointed to the experience of Germanyʼs Protestant churches as evidence that abolishing celibacy does not solve the underlying problem.

“All our Catholic hot-button issues like celibacy and womenʼs ordination have long been settled by the Protestant church in Germany. Yet it now also suffers from personnel shortages and ongoing membership losses,” Graf said.

“I say that with no ‘schadenfreude,’ certainly not. But one can see that the root of the problems lies elsewhere. It is the decline of faith.”

Fulda plenary ahead

Grafʼs public remarks were made less than two weeks before Germanyʼs bishops convene for their autumn plenary in Fulda from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1. The agenda under new conference president Bishop Heiner Wilmer includes surrogacy, assisted suicide, organ donation, artificial intelligence, and sexual abuse.

Wilmer, the bishop of Münster and a member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, was elected president of the German Bishops' Conference in February. In an interview with Vatican News published Sept. 16, he called for renewal.

“We need not be afraid of renewal,” Wilmer said. “Nor need we be afraid of the spirit of the times, which shows us how to proclaim the Gospel well today.”

Wilmer argued that a synodal Church is essential for Europe. “Europe urgently needs a synodal Church, because Europe is becoming ever more complex, ever more fragmented. The danger is that Europe falls apart, descends into petty statism, and there are skirmishes,” he said.

The statutes for Germanyʼs planned Synodal Conference — a controversial, permanent body that would give laypeople a formal advisory role alongside bishops — remain pending approval from the Holy See. Wilmer submitted the text to the Vatican on March 31. The conferenceʼs inaugural meeting, originally planned for November in Stuttgart, has been postponed until Romeʼs response is finalized.

This story was first published in two parts by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Their argument is not that technological innovation should be resisted but that decisions affecting jobs, wages, and working conditions should not be left solely to corporate executives or automated systems. Instead, they point to collective bargaining, social dialogue, and human oversight as safeguards for workers’ dignity and rights.

Liz Shuler, president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), said protecting workers requires confronting a model in which executives make far-reaching technological decisions without worker input.

“Right now, we have CEOs who want to play God to make decisions that affect hundreds of millions of working people without our input and consent,” Shuler said.

Shuler made the remarks at a Sept. 11 Vatican press conference held in connection with the Fourth Fratelli Tutti Synodal Meeting, a Sept. 10–12 gathering in Rome focused on dialogue between the Global North and South on social and environmental issues. The press conference brought together labor and Church leaders to discuss, among other questions, the impact of artificial intelligence on workers and the need for social dialogue. Other speakers included Bishop Daniel Flores, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Cardinal Jaime Spengler; and labor leader Gerardo Martínez.

For Shuler, social dialogue is essential to ensuring that AI is developed and deployed with human dignity in mind. She compared the current technological transition to the introduction of electricity during the second industrial revolution.

“Electricity was a new technology that was raw and revolutionary and dangerous, and companies were racing to make profits and people were suffering,” she said.

Shuler linked that history to Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed the relationship between labor and capital. It was “workers organizing together in a union who stood up to demand safety from the government, from power companies, and negotiated to make sure electricity was installed and used responsibly to benefit everyone,” she said.

She also pointed to the partnership between the AFL-CIO and Microsoft as an example of how organized labor can seek a formal role in the development and introduction of AI.

Shuler said the agreement “guarantees workers a voice in the development of AI” and “puts into writing our workers’ right to form a union.”

Martínez similarly argued that worker protections need not come at the expense of technological innovation. He summarized the labor movement’s approach in three principles: “Not resisting innovation, not accepting exclusion, and negotiating transition.”

Under that approach, unions do not reject technological advances but insist that automated systems should not independently determine fundamental working conditions.

“We cannot accept that an algorithm decides by itself about employment, salary, and rights that correspond to a worker,” Martínez said.

He said the objective should be integration rather than a confrontation between workers and technology: “The challenge is not technology against work. The challenge is technology with worthy work, productivity, distribution, and development with social justice.”

Flores connected the issue of worker participation to Catholic social teaching, particularly the principle of subsidiarity and the importance of allowing communities affected by technological change to express their concerns.

“From the Catholic point of view, history is not always a matter of what the powerful decide, that there are other things that move history,” Flores said. “One of them is social friendship, and a sense of justice, and a sense of what is right.”

Those themes also figure prominently in Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, which addresses the protection of human dignity amid the development of artificial intelligence.

Spengler cited the encyclical’s call to each generation to shape technological and social change in accordance with human dignity: “Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted, and fraternity is made possible.”

Taken together, the speakers presented worker participation as a central question in the development of AI. Their proposed safeguards include collective bargaining, negotiated technological transitions, human oversight, and cooperation among unions, employers, international organizations, and faith communities — with the aim of ensuring that innovation serves workers rather than leaving consequential employment decisions to algorithms alone.

The pontiff held a private audience at the Vatican on Sept. 16 with participants in the conference “The 21st Century: A New Time of Martyrs?” held at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome from Sept. 15–16.

The conference, organized by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, discussed the ecumenical initiative “Commission for New Martyrs — Witnesses of the Faith” established by Pope Francis in 2023 to document the deaths of Christians of all denominations who have been killed for their faith since 2000.

Among the cases discussed was that of Sister Dorothy Stang, an American nun who was killed in Brazil in 2005 while serving the local population in the Amazon.

Christian witnesses propose a faith lived out daily, not an ideology

In his address, Pope Leo praised the dicastery’s work cataloging the lives of Christians killed for their faith and explained that their example can teach believers today to present the faith not as an ideology but as a way of life.

“The evangelizing strength of the new witnesses to the faith represents one of the Church’s greatest resources for proclaiming the Gospel in today’s world,” Leo said. “The witnesses to the faith do not propose an ideology but show a faith lived out in everyday life.”

He also explained the significance of those Christians to Catholics, saying they “are brothers and sisters who, in different geographical, historical, and political contexts, have given their life for the Gospel.”

The pope also said that daily holiness — the holiness next door — can help Christians explain and defend their faith in arguments.

“In indifferent cultural contexts, “holiness next door” and quiet heroism become powerful arguments, capable of speaking to everyone, even the most skeptical.”

Muslims in West Bank are tired of violence against Christians

Speakers at the conference included Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem.

Pizzaballa, who delivered a speech on the suffering of Christians amid ongoing wars in the Holy Land, recounted his experience of explaining that suffering to Muslim students in Palestine.

“I agreed to meet with young people from the local university [in Palestine] who insisted I come,” Pizzaballa recounted. “I had never experienced that before and was afraid. About 600 students were there, all Muslims. During the discussion, I expected political questions about the war. Instead, all the questions were about life, faith, and Christianity.”

“When I said that Christianity rejects violence …, they stood up and applauded, saying they, too, are tired of living in a system of violence.”

The blood of the martyrs comes before theological disagreements among Christians

Semeraro, in his address, discussed the progress of the “Commission for New Martyrs — Witnesses of the Faith” initiative and emphasized the need to prioritize the sacrifice of Christians for the faith over theological debates.

“The blood of the martyrs comes before our theological dialogues,” Semeraro said. “Where our Christian confessions still have wounds that need to be healed, the martyrs tell us that what is essential is already shared: the confession of Christ, even unto the gift of oneʼs life. This is called the ‘ecumenism of blood.’"

Sister Dorothy Stang and the impact of 9/11 on Christian persecution

Among the Christians mentioned at the conference was Sister Dorothy Stang, an American nun who was murdered in Brazil in 2005 for defending the land rights of the Indigenous peoples. In 2025, she became the first U.S. woman to be included in a permanent memorial in Rome for modern Christian martyrs.

Sister Nicoletta Spezzati, a consultor for the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, described Stang as a “woman of contemplative prayer” who understood that “the predatory devastation of the planet is not simply a moral offense but humanityʼs rebellion against the Creator.”

Marcia Goodman, a niece of Stang, added that her life was rooted in the belief in a sustainable environment for all people.

“It’s especially powerful that Dorothy, a woman, is being recognized as a modern martyr,” Goodman told EWTN News. “She led her life in the belief that all people matter and therefore deserve a place to call home.”

Besides Stang, the impact of the U.S. terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, on Christian persecution in Europe was also noted. Father Roberto Regoli, president of the Joseph Ratzinger Foundation, described those attacks as a precursor to a new scale of Christian persecution internationally.

“Twenty-five years ago, on Sept. 11, we remember the attacks on the Twin Towers. We remember the airplane that struck the Pentagon in Washington. From those years onward, there was an escalation of conflicts at the international level,” Regoli said.

“In the face of secularism, social difficulties, psychological difficulties, and religious tensions, there are men and women — religious and laypeople — who remain where they are. And perhaps this is itself a form of testimony: to remain in oneʼs place,” Regoli added.

Elias Turk contributed to this report.

“Conflict, which at times degenerates into violence, is the result of the power of sin and the way it conditions mindsets and actions at every level, causing destruction and death,” he said during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

He underscored the need to “be ever more open to the logic of reciprocity, sharing, and care, as is also the case amongst the various members of the human body.”

The pontiff thus continued his catechetical series dedicated to Gaudium et Spes, the pastoral constitution on the Church and its role in the modern world, approved by the Second Vatican Council on Dec. 7, 1965.

According to Pope Leo, the message of the document, which considers “the growing interdependence of men” as “one of the salient features of the modern world,” is especially urgent today.

Risk of delegating important decisions to algorithms

Although the development of communications technology, social media, and artificial intelligence is opening up new possibilities and helping to break down “barriers and distances,” the pope observed that human relationships “are tending to become less and less personal, more virtual.”

From this perspective, he also warned of the risk of “becoming accustomed to delegating to algorithms decisions that are the sole preserve of the human conscience.”

“Ensuring that social relationships have real substance and personal depth is, in this regard, the contribution that the Christian community seeks to offer,” he told the hundreds of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square to hear his teaching.

The pope also recalled that the pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes offers a concise definition of the common good, understood as “the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment.”

At the same time, he noted that the document recognizes the interdependence of peoples and states that “every social group must take account of the needs and legitimate aspirations of other groups, and even of the general welfare of the entire human family.”

Respect for human dignity

Building on this approach, the council fathers identified several “practical and particularly urgent consequences,” including respect for the human person.

The pope recalled that Gaudium et Spes states: “Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than free and responsible persons; all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed.”

Likewise, the pope said that the second consequence of this message is “respect and love for adversaries or for those who think and act in ways different from our own.”

Third, Pope Leo emphasized that the fundamental equality of all human beings gives rise to the demand for social justice. In this regard, he urged people to “overcome the individualistic mindset” and adopt “an attitude of responsibility and participation.”

“The future of humanity depends on each person’s commitment to collaborate with God and with their brothers and sisters in building a more humane world,” the pope concluded.

At the end of the general audience, Leo XIV offered a special greeting to various groups of pilgrims and expressed his “deep appreciation” for the apostolate carried out by prison chaplains.

“May you always be a living presence of the Gospel and of Christian hope,” the Holy Father said, also thanking them for the assistance they provide both to him and to the Secretariat of State in the spiritual care of prisoners who write to the pope each day to share their personal struggles and wounds.

Among those present, Leo XIV also greeted participants in a pharmaceutical care course, encouraging them to combine scientific expertise with human closeness and an integral vision of the person.

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.