The proposed changes are expected to allow Christians to address a range of personal status matters under their churches’ laws, including marriage, divorce, wills, and adoption. The council emphasized that the bill reflects agreement among the churches and now awaits completion of the legislative process.

In a statement issued Oct. 11, the council expressed appreciation to King Abdullah II, the prime minister, and Cabinet members for their attention to issues affecting Christians in Jordan.

The council said the Cabinet’s approval reflects the state’s commitment to protecting the rights of all citizens, respecting their religious traditions, and strengthening citizenship, justice, and equality under the rule of law.

It stressed that Christians are not a minority separate from society but an integral part of Jordan’s history, identity, and national development. They are partners in building the country, advancing its progress, and safeguarding its achievements, the council said.

The council also emphasized that shared citizenship provides the foundation for equal rights and responsibilities, national unity, and coexistence.

The statement concluded by praising the cooperation and agreement among the churches during the drafting process, which produced a unified legal framework for wills, inheritance, and adoption intended to meet Christian families’ needs and aspirations.

It urged both chambers of Parliament, the Senate and the House of Representatives, to fulfill their legislative role and approve the bill through the constitutional process so it can take effect.

Although the amendments would not establish full, automatic equality between men and women in inheritance, they would give parents greater scope to provide more equitably for sons and daughters through wills. The option of distributing an estate under the Islamic inheritance rules currently in use would remain available to those who prefer it.

The proposed amendments would also recognize the right to adopt, giving Christian families who wish to adopt the opportunity to welcome children deprived of family care and provide them with a stable home.

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.

The pontiff thanked “all those who have prayed for me in recent days” and expressed “particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and all the staff of the Gemelli University Hospital,” where he was treated.

“This experience has made me feel a special closeness to all those who are going through illness and experiencing poor health,” Leo said.

“Having overcome this delicate phase, as you know, I will now gradually resume my activities, always with Godʼs help and your prayers.”

The pope did not mention his planned trip to three countries in South America, scheduled for next month. The Vatican has announced no changes in that plan. The Vatican said last week that Leo had canceled all private audiences through Tuesday Oct. 20.

Sunday was the first time the Holy Father had spoken publicly since the operation. The appearance was eagerly awaited by Catholics around the world, who had anxiously followed each new official Vatican bulletin on his medical condition in recent days.

According to the official Vatican News outlet, 15,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square despite a morning of cloudy skies and intermittent rain in Rome. They were eager to see the pope recovering from surgery and to express their affection for him the day after his release from the hospital.

At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, the pontiff left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital following his first hospitalization since the beginning of his pontificate, during which surgeons removed a malignant tumor from his right lung. Leo XIV appeared to be in good condition and walked with a steady gait, greeting several patients without showing signs of fatigue.

Smiling, the pope stopped to shake hands and speak with patients in the hospital corridors. About 15 minutes after leaving the hospital, the car carrying him entered Vatican City through the Perugino Gate.

For now, the pontiff will remain in Rome rather than travel to Castel Gandolfo, where he usually spends periods of rest.

A response that exposes hypocrisy

During his reflection before the Angelus prayer, the pontiff discussed one of Jesus’ best-known teachings: “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Leo explained the context in which Jesus originally spoke the words, amid what the evangelist Matthew describes as “a situation of hostility towards Jesus.”

“The Pharisees gather together to see how they might catch him in his words,” the pope said, quoting the Gospel account. “They decide to send some people to question him on a controversial matter: ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’”

According to Leo XIV, “The Teacher’s response is astute, for it allows him to avoid the trap and exposes the hypocrisy of those who seek to put him to the test.”

The Gospel recounts how Jesus asks to see the coin used to pay the tax, a denarius. After receiving it, he delivers the familiar teaching: “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

“In Jesus, we contemplate a God who is not afraid of history but comes instead to dwell within it. His Kingdom does not abolish human roles and responsibilities,” the pontiff explained.

He emphasized, however, that Godʼs Kingdom “does, however, call us to live without compromise, free from selfish ambitions and unjust motives, seeking above all the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.”

Being truthful and free to do good

In this context, Leo XIV drew attention to the fact that Jesus’ questioners praised him despite their hostile intentions.

“In this regard, it is striking that those same people praise Jesus, even though their intentions are far from good,” he observed.

The pope recalled the words with which they addressed Jesus: “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.”

Drawing on this passage, Leo XIV invited the faithful to reflect on what it means to live an authentic Christian life.

“Dear friends, this is precisely what it means to ‘give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s’: to be truthful, free from servile fear or hypocrisy, free to do good,” he said.

“Let us pray to the Lord to help us live in this way. And let us entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.”

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. It has been updated at 6:20 am ET to include the pope’s remarks following the Angelus.

In a reflection shared Oct. 14 — during the month dedicated to the traditional Catholic prayer of the rosary —  Father David Obeng Paintsil, founder of the Global Rosary Network, recalled becoming trapped in his car while returning from a pastoral assignment 10 years ago.

Paintsil said he had led a three-day retreat at the invitation of another priest in a different diocese in Ghana. Before setting out on the return journey to his parish, he prayed the rosary and invited the Blessed Virgin Mary to accompany him.

After traveling for more than four hours, he heard an unusual noise from the car. He was about 15 minutes from his destination and stopped to investigate.

“I needed to stop and check what was happening,” the priest recalled during his reflection. “As soon as I parked the car and put off the engine, all that I saw was a huge fire. Boom! My car had caught fire.”

Paintsil said he tried to get out but found that the doors would not open and his seat belt remained locked.

“It was so intense. The doors of the car, as I tried to open them, were locked. My seat belt was locked. And I knew that was the end of my life,” he said.

Turning toward the passenger seat, he appealed to Our Lady, whom he had invited to accompany him, asking her to protect him.

Paintsil said that before he finished the prayer, the car doors opened and his seat belt was released, allowing him to get out.

The fire subsequently engulfed the car, he recalled, preventing him from retrieving his bag.

“Here I am. I have my life. And I said, well, God still has a mission for me to accomplish,” he said.

Reflecting on his devotion to the rosary, Paintsil said he had acquired it through family prayers and that the Lord had transformed his life in many ways.

“The rosary is really a wonderful prayer, a powerful prayer through which we can encounter God,” he said.

He encouraged others to pray the rosary, identifying it as a means of bringing people together in worship of God.

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

The rosary was held on the grounds of the Pontifical Urban University on Oct. 17, the eve of this year’s World Mission Sunday on Oct. 18.

Led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals and Grand Chancellor of the university, the rosary was recited in 13 languages across five mysteries representing Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.

The occasion also marked the 75th anniversary of the rosary’s establishment by Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, who was U.S. national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies from 1950 to 1966.

Sister Mary Teresa Baron, recently appointed president of the Pontifical Mission Societies, was not present during the rosary.

Several participants in the rosary explained how the faithful can support the Church’s missionaries beyond financial contributions.

Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, who serves as a secretary at the Dicastery for Evangelization, urged a focus on the Word of God.

“I am always a bit wary about monetizing mission,” Nwachukwu said to EWTN News. “So, I do not want to begin with money; I want to begin with the Word, because mission is all about bringing the Word of the Lord to the ends of the earth.”

At the same time, Nwachukwu indicated that supporting missionaries also means providing “the means to bring the Gospel to various places.” That support, he said, involves money.

“[Today] is also an occasion to tell people: please, be generous to missionaries,” Nwachukwu said.

Msgr. Thomas George Schluep, who also serves at the Dicastery for Evangelization, cited Pope Leo XIV’s message for World Mission Sunday as a reminder that unity in Christ precedes material support

“Pope Leo, in his message for this 100th Anniversary of World Mission Sunday, reminds us that we first must be one in Christ,” Schluep told EWTN News. “Our baptism calls us to be missionaries: to share that love with our families, our friends, our coworkers.”

Memories of missionaries, Pope Leo’s return from the hospital

Participants also shared personal anecdotes about missionaries and their impact on their faith journey.

Schluep shared his memory of Father Gerard Hammond, an American Maryknoll missionary priest known for his decades of humanitarian work in North and South Korea.

“I met him in Korea, where he had been serving since 1960 when he was ordained and sent on mission. He was celebrated by thousands of people in South Korea for bringing the faith to them over the course of 65 years,” Schluep said.

“In North Korea he could not speak of Christ, but his “apostolate of presence” and love for those suffering from tuberculosis was itself evangelization. He taught me a lot about the importance of being present to people, exactly where they are at in their lives, no matter the personal cost.”

Around the time the rosary was taking place, Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican after being hospitalized for surgery Oct. 13 at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Nwachukwu expressed happiness at his return and hoped that “the Lord will keep him quite long among us”.

“We are all praying for him. We love the Pope, and we love what he is doing.”

The contributions of Americans

Schluep, an American from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also noted the significant contributions of Americans, such as Blessed Fulton Sheen, to missionary work through the Pontifical Mission Societies.

“The American contribution to the missions historically has been enormous,” Schluep noted.

“It was a great joy to see Fulton Sheen beatified, who did so much to evangelize the United States, but also who traveled personally to so many missions around the world and did so much to raise funds for those missions.”

Schluep said he hoped the example of Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, would encourage renewed American support.

“The fact that the Holy Father understands American culture and missionary life in Peru can help him in his particular guidance for us, but now he is the Pope of the entire world, and he calls us to think also of the entire world and not just our country, our families, and especially ourselves,” Schluep said.

In an interview with Vatican News following the Holy Father’s Oct. 17 discharge from the Gemelli Hospital, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, who operated on Pope Leo on Oct. 13, said he expects Leo will be fully recovered and in shape to travel within the next “10 days or so.”

Calling him “an ideal patient,” Margaritora said that upon his discharge from the hospital Leo “was in entirely satisfactory clinical condition” with completely normal blood test results and heart function.

“The lung’s re-expansion after surgery is proceeding according to the usual timetable,” and “overall, his condition is good,” Margaritora added.

The surgeon indicated that the Holy Father’s lung adenocarcinoma was discovered during routine abdominal examinations, which underscores the importance of regular preventive checkups.

“In the Holy Father’s case, he had no respiratory symptoms and felt perfectly well,” the doctor noted.

The pope has “put his heart and soul” into his recovery, Margaritora said. “His determination to recover quickly has been effective in every respect” and “truly commendable,” he pointed out.

Illustrating the point, the doctor noted that on the second day after the operation, the medical staff found him arranging the chairs in the chapel himself. “Holy Father, we can do that,” Margaritora recounted. But Leo replied: “It doesn’t matter. I can do it, so I will.”

According to data from the website Domund100.es, produced by the Pontifical Mission Society of Spain, in 1925 the Church had 297 missionary dioceses, some of which encompassed entire countries.

There were 9,645,173 Catholics in these mission lands, representing 1.68% of the population. A century later, the number of Catholics in mission territories stands at 346,644,968, representing 8.6%.

This spread of the Gospel would not have been possible without the dedication of thousands of diocesan priests and men and women religious who answered the call to “go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation.”

A hundred years ago, missionaries numbered fewer than 10,000 priests, just over 2,300 male religious, and more than 20,000 female religious. Today, there are more than 100,000 priests, over 76,000 male religious, and more than 200,000 female religious in mission lands.

The Church’s evangelizing work has translated into concrete achievements. For instance, the number of parishes has grown from 627 to over 41,000 in a century.

Although there are no records from that time regarding schools or social institutions such as hospitals, orphanages, and care homes established by the Church in these regions, the comparison over the last 50 years speaks volumes: The number of schools rose from fewer than 50,000 to nearly 125,000, and social institutions increased from 12,000 to more than 26,000.

On average each day, over the last 100 years in mission territories, the Church has seen more than 9,000 people becoming Catholic, two priestly ordinations, five women taking vows as religious, and the construction of one parish church and three new schools.

1,133 missionary dioceses

Currently, the Pontifical Mission Societies support 1,133 missionary dioceses, those that following the initial proclamation of the Gospel do not yet possess sufficient resources of their own to sustain themselves and therefore depend on the Dicastery for Evangelization.

These dioceses, which account for one-third of the Catholic Church, are spread across 138 countries covering almost all of Africa and Asia (with the exception of the Philippines), Oceania (excluding Australia), and the Amazon basin in the Americas.

Given that two-thirds of the worldʼs population lives in these territories and considering the growth of the Catholic faith there, the face of the Church is gradually changing. Indeed, 22 out of every 100 Catholics are African, whereas 40 years ago African Catholics represented barely 7%.

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

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The 71-year-old pope had been admitted last Tuesday and underwent surgery just hours later to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The procedure, which lasted about an hour and a half, was performed using a video-assisted technique, while an intraoperative histological examination confirmed a diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

His discharge from the hospital was announced by the pontiff’s attending physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and the surgeon who performed the operation, Professor Stefano Margaritora.

As he left, the pope greeted the faithful gathered along the barriers. Daniele Franco, chairman of the board of the Gemelli University Hospital Foundation, was also there to welcome the pontiff upon his exit.

Before getting into the car, Leo greeted several members of the faithful who presented him with gifts. The pope did not stay in the papal suite on the hospitalʼs 10th floor, as it was undergoing renovation, but rather in adjacent rooms on the same floor.

Yesterday, the first postoperative images of the pope were released, showing Leo XIV presiding over Mass in a room at the Policlinico hospital that had been specially set up for the celebration. Beside the pope was his personal secretary, Monsignor Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga.

Around noon on Saturday, Oct. 17, the pope also celebrated Mass before leaving the Roman hospital, the Holy See Press Office reported.

In the days following the surgery, Leo XIV has resumed his work, meeting at the hospital on various occasions with Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, substitute for general affairs of the Secretariat of State; Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals; and Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome.

On Friday, the press office also reported on a telephone conversation between the pope and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sunday morning at noon, the pope will appear at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace for the customary recitation of the Angelus. It was only last Sunday that Leo XIV himself, at the conclusion of the Angelus prayer, announced the news of his imminent hospitalization and the associated surgery.

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.

According to the Fides report, the total number of priests rose from 406,996 to 407,421, representing an increase of 425 compared with the previous year. The Vatican agency noted that the data comes from the Statistical Yearbook of the Church and is current as of Dec. 31, 2024.

Africa recorded the largest increase with 1,676 more priests, followed by Asia with 1,065. The Americas also reversed the previous yearʼs downward trend, adding 199 priests.

In contrast, Europe lost 2,483 priests over the course of the year, while Oceania recorded a decrease of 32.

The overall increase is attributed to the growth in the number of diocesan priests, which reached 279,238, an increase of 496 compared with the previous count. Meanwhile, the number of religious order priests fell by 71, standing at 128,183.

Despite the increase in the number of priests, the number of Catholics per priest also rose, reaching 3,491 — an increase of 38 compared with the previous year. The average number of inhabitants per priest also climbed, reaching 16,104.

At 1.4 billion, Catholics are 18% of global population

Fides statistics further indicated that the global Catholic population reached 1,422,144,000 as of June 30, 2024, an increase of 16.69 million over the previous year. Based on these figures, Catholics represent 17.8% of the worldʼs population.

Africa saw the largest growth in the number of Catholics, with an increase of 7.58 million, followed by the Americas, with a rise of nearly 7 million. Asia added 968,000, Europe 911,000, and Oceania 239,000.

Number of seminarians worldwide decreases

While the number of priests is rising, the number of seminarians is decreasing. The number of major seminarians stood at 103,604 worldwide, a decrease of 2,891 from the previous year.

Africa was the only continent to record growth, with 786 additional seminarians, whereas Asia saw a decline of 2,733, Europe 701, the Americas 227, and Oceania 16.

The number of minor seminarians also decreased, falling to 94,041, which is 980 fewer than in the previous count. Africa reversed the previous yearʼs trend, adding 132, while Oceania recorded an increase of 20. In contrast, Europe lost 872, Asia 182, and the Americas 78.

Catholic Church’s educational and charitable work

Fides also compiles figures on the Churchʼs educational work around the world. Globally, the Church administers 75,448 kindergartens with over 7.4 million pupils; 103,666 primary schools attended by more than 36.3 million students; and 51,810 secondary schools with over 20.3 million students.

Joining them are nearly 2.7 million students in higher education centers and more than 4 million in university institutions affiliated with the Catholic Church.

In its healthcare and social assistance work, the Church manages 101,110 facilities worldwide. These include 5,397 hospitals, 13,646 dispensaries, 16,263 homes for the elderly, the chronically ill, and people with disabilities, 8,138 orphanages, 10,624 marriage counseling centers, and 3,194 social education or rehabilitation centers.

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

The line comes early in “TO GAZE: St. Clare of Assisi,” performed Oct. 16 and 17 at the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, a Catholic parish in Bukit Batok in western Singapore served by Franciscan friars.

Presented by CANA, a faith-based community and cultural hub in Singapore, and Saint Max, the production is part of the celebrations of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, which the worldwide Franciscan family has held to mark 800 years since Francis died in October 1226.

Actress Sharda Harrison wrote the script and plays the role of Clare; according to the organizers, she also directed the show. Fra Rowland Yeo, OFM, a Franciscan friar, plays St. Francis, and the productionʼs poster says all proceeds go to the development office of the Franciscan friars.

An organizer from CANA who asked not to be named said that after a year of jubilee celebrations for Francis, the play was a fitting way to close the celebration with “the precious legacy of St. Clare.” The group turned to Harrison, the organizer said, because she had portrayed St. Thérèse of Lisieux for them in 2024 in “St. Thérèse: The Little Way,” a play she also wrote and directed.

Asked what audiences should take home, the organizer answered with a question: “Why is poverty a privilege? ... Why is this crazy lady Clare so resolved to live it?”

The second and last performance falls on Oct. 17, the United Nations' International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Medieval marriage, modern ‘swiping’

In a city-state where Catholics live alongside Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Taoists, and others, the script reaches for references from everyday modern life. When Clareʼs father looks for a husband for her, suitors appear on a large screen: Guido, Bernardo, and Silvestro, “my fatherʼs favorite.” Clare asks the audience to vote. “In your time ... you swipe right if you like the boy, and you swipe left if you donʼt like the boy,” she says.

The comedy gives way to the turning point of her life. Clare describes Francis as a merchantʼs son “born into wealth just like me.” She says: “I realized that I had everything, but I wanted none of it.” She slips out of her family home on Palm Sunday night, has her hair cut before Francis, and faces her furious father: “I belong to Christ now, Father.”

It is not a one-woman show. Other actors play Clareʼs companions and the early friars, and Clare pulls women from the audience into the story, choosing them as “sisters” and giving them vows as her community grows.

‘The right to possess nothing’

Poverty runs through the script. Clare recalls that her mother, Ortolana, “saw God everywhere, especially in the poor,” and adds: “They were not hidden like today.”

“This is what it means to live in the privilege of poverty,” she says, “to be given the right to possess nothing.” The world, she tells them, “did not understand. Not even the Church.”

The title of the play echoes Clareʼs letters to St. Agnes of Prague, a princess who, in the playʼs words, “decided to give up everything to become a poor lady.”

In welcoming remarks before the curtain, Fra Michael DʼCruz, OFM, the Franciscan friar overseeing the event for the parish, quoted those letters and described how the two saints, Clare and Francis, worked together. “Francis was the voice; Clare was the quiet powerhouse of prayer,” he said.

Near the end, Clare looks back on a life of refusals. “Perhaps saying no was never the whole point,” she says. “I had to learn how to say yes, yes to Christ, yes to poverty.”

After the cast took their bow on opening night, Harrison dropped Clareʼs Italian accent to thank those present “for wanting to be here to listen to Clareʼs story,” promising “a bigger, grander farewell” for the last night.

St. Clare died in 1253 at San Damiano, near Assisi, Italy, her home “for the next 40 years,” as she says in the script.

The initiative, called “KI kindgerecht!” (“Child-friendly AI!”), also involves Germanyʼs biggest Protestant body and an association of childrenʼs websites.

“AI is already embedded in many digital applications,” said Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, who chairs the bishops' media commission, in a statement Oct. 14.

"With the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV gives the Church a clear mandate: In the age of artificial intelligence, we must defend human dignity — especially where children are easily exposed to danger."

The initiative “combines protection, participation, and responsibility, and makes clear that digital spaces must serve the good of the child,” he said.

Responsibility must not be “shifted onto parents alone,” Bätzing added. “Precisely because we know how vulnerable children are, we see it as our duty to act as advocates for this group in need of protection — in the digital space as well. Technology must serve the human person, not purely economic interests.”

The Church in Germany is working with academics, educators, and interested providers on a code of conduct for child-friendly interactive AI, built on five principles: safety by design, respect for childrenʼs rights, age-appropriate spaces for participation, data protection, and human review.

The bishops also said providers “must be obliged to comply with child-friendly standards” and called for lasting investment in media education so children, parents, and teachers can learn to use AI confidently.

Vatican sharpens focus

The German initiative comes as the Church globally wrestles with AI and the Vatican sharpens its own focus on minors online.

At its Sept. 28–Oct. 2 plenary assembly in Rome, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors examined how digital technologies, AI, and websites are used in the pastoral care of children and backed wider collaboration with international partners and Curia offices so that “the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of children remain at the heart of technological development and governance,” Vatican News reported.

In March, Pope Leo XIV warned: “We must not allow children to end up believing they can find in artificial intelligence chatbots their best friends or the oracle of all knowledge, dulling their intelligence and their capacity for relationships, and numbing their creativity and thinking.”

Receiving participants of a Rome conference on “The Dignity of Children and Adolescents in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” on Nov. 13, 2025, Leo also warned that “children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to manipulation through AI algorithms that can influence their decisions and preferences.”

In Magnifica Humanitas, the encyclical on artificial intelligence published May 25, the pope wrote that “online phenomena such as grooming, blackmail, and the sexual exploitation of minors are not uncommon, and are made more insidious by the use of fake profiles, algorithms that facilitate dangerous contact, and AI tools capable of manipulating images and videos.”

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Hunt pushed back, drawing applause when she said the Bible does address abortion, as one of the Ten Commandments is “Thou shalt not kill,” and that Catholics are insulted when it is suggested otherwise.

Following the exchange, Hunt told EWTN News she thinks Talarico was trying to appear as a “centrist” to undecided voters, or Republicans unhappy with the party, but she does not think he was convincing.

“While it’s important to look at the whole picture of a candidate when discerning who to vote for,” she said, “respect for human life must drive everything else,” she said.

Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson agreed, responding to the exchange on social media: “The right to life is the premier moral issue because all human rights depend upon the human person being alive. The right to life is the common ground for the morality of all issues considered in policies involving human dignity and the common good.”

“I’ve yet to see a candidate where I really have to think about it, where they’re pro-abortion but align with me on other issues,” Hunt added.

During the town hall, Talarico made a point of calling Pope Francis and Pope Leo “two of my favorite spiritual heroes” for being “consistently pro-life” on poverty, climate change, and war as well as abortion.

“I appreciate that he highlighted some of the social causes Catholics care about and mentioned the popes,” Hunt said. “But he was sidestepping. I thought it was a very politician-thing to do.”

Hunt said if she had the opportunity to push back more, she would have pressed him on how Catholics can trust he will do the right thing concerning climate change or the poor when he won’t defend the lives of the most vulnerable.

“If we can’t trust him to protect the most innocent among us, we can’t trust he’ll do anything he says,” Hunt explained.

Talarico went on to reframe abortion as “a public policy problem” rather than a  moral issue, saying both sides share the goal of fewer “unplanned or unwanted pregnancies,” to be achieved through “scientifically valid sex education” and access to contraception, the use of which is intrinsically wrong, the Church teaches.

“If I believed that abortion was murder or that it was against the 10 Commandments, then of course I would be against it, but we can just agree to disagree,” he said.

Susan Hanssen, a history professor at the University of Dallas, told EWTN News she was “shocked at how deceptive he (Talarico) is.”

“He lies to Christians about their own beliefs, and he does it very smoothly,” Hanssen said. “He tried to put the idea that abortion is murder into the category of debatable belief. No one in their right mind thinks that abortion kills anything but a baby human. It’s not a statement of religious belief, it’s just a statement of science and biology.”

In the aftermath of the exchange, the University of Dallas beamed about how Hunt handled the moment.

“Dr. Hunt demonstrated how to stand firmly in oneʼs faith while engaging respectfully with those who hold different views,” the University said, adding that she “exemplifies UDʼs mission to form leading citizens who bring their convictions into the public square with courage, clarity, and respect.”

Catholic commentator Kathryn Jean Lopez also praised Hunt’s participation, saying that in the exchange with Talarico she “demonstrated what it means to be a responsible Catholic engaged in our political life.”

The pope’s personal physician Dr. Luigi Carbone and surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora said Oct. 17 that “based on the blood tests and chest X-ray performed this morning, and after evaluating his clinical condition, the Holy Father has been deemed fit to be discharged.”

The Vatican also announced that Leo would celebrate Mass at the hospital on Saturday before being discharged, and lead his Angelus at the Vatican on Sunday.

Leo announced during his Sunday Angelus on Oct. 11 that he would undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule. Doctors confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma after his surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 13.

Since his surgery and hospitalization, doctors and the Vatican have confirmed that the pontiff’s postoperative recovery is “progressing normally.” On Friday, the Vatican released photos of the pope celebrating Mass at the hospital, the first photos since his hospitalization.

In his keynote speech, “Refugees and Migration in the U.K.: A Catholic Response to People Seeking Sanctuary,” Ryall underscored the important role those working for Catholic organizations play in helping to “turn generosity into something practical and sustainable,” according to an Oct. 13 report from Independent Catholic News.

Ryall further highlighted the importance of commitment to the preservation of human dignity and necessary reforms that should be made in the asylum system in the United Kingdom. The conference took place Oct. 5–7.

Priest in India arrested for molesting 5 minor boys

A Catholic priest in India has been arrested on charges of sexual assault against five minor boys.

Father Siprian Pinto of St. Vincent Ferrar Church at Valencia, Mangaluru, was arrested after one of the victims’ families filed a complaint at the Mangaluru South Police Station on Oct. 15, according to a report from The Hindu.

The victim alleged that Pinto touched him inappropriately on several occasions and that when he confided in four of his friends about the sexual assault, they said they experienced the same thing, the report said. The boy’s parents approached the bishop, who instructed them to file a complaint. An investigation is now underway, according to the report.

Maronite bishop appointed in Mexico

Father Milad Yaghi, a Lebanese priest serving in Houston, has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV as bishop of the Maronite Catholic community in Mexico, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Oct. 12.

Yaghi will serve in the Diocese of Our Lady of Martyrs of Lebanon in Mexico, and his episcopal ordination is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2027, in Harissa, Lebanon.

Yaghi was born in 1964 in the town of Shalifa Bekaa, Lebanon, and has served as a mentor for Christian youth in the country and as the personal secretary for the Maronite bishop of Our Lady of Lebanon in Los Angeles.

Father Elias Suleiman, superior general of the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries, expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV and to the Synod of the Maronite Bishops for choosing Yaghi to take care of the Mexican diocese.

Mauritius having ‘very difficult time’ amid violent unrest

Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône of the Diocese of Port-Louis in Mauritius has appealed for peace and nonviolence as the Indian Ocean island nation grapples with violent protests.

“I am a brother of Mauritius, a brother of the people of Rodrigues, and a brother and sister of everyone living in Mauritius, a country that is going through a very difficult time,” he said in a message on Oct. 13, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported.

“We are witnessing a situation of suffering and anger,” he said of the unrest following demonstrations that erupted last week over water shortages and living costs and escalated after police shot and injured a 27-year-old woman on Oct. 9.

“We must take this situation seriously and ensure that people remain safe,” Durhône said. “There are many people of goodwill working for peace. We are trying to bring everyone together so that peace can return to the country, a peace built on a commitment to non-violence.”

Caritas conference in Cyprus highlights global survey on migrant children

Caritas Italy and Caritas Cyprus hosted a three-day meeting in Nicosia on “Migration in the Eastern Mediterranean: Challenges, Responsibilities, and European Perspectives,” with protection of migrant children as one of the event’s central themes.

“We believe migration policies must be accompanied by safe and legal pathways, as well as effective systems for reception and integration. Here in Cyprus, the need to look beyond borders — and not only political ones — could not be more evident,” Paolo Valente, deputy director of Caritas Italy, said in an Oct. 7 press release.

Cecilia Nicoletti of Caritas Internationalis presented a global survey of 73 Caritas organizations on the topic of migrant children, which found “many are under 14 and are fleeing conflict, violence, persecution and the effects of climate change, at a time when the principle of non-refoulement is increasingly disregarded,” according to the release. The conference also included sessions on migration routes, integration, and global migration.

Asia-Pacific Augustinians hold congress on digital evangelization

The Asia-Pacific Augustinian Conference (APAC) held its Mission Congress 2026 Oct. 5–11 on evangelizing in the digital age, missionary identity, and “interior tourism.”

The congress took place at the pastoral center of the Archdiocese of Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, according to a Licas News report. Joseph Đinh Đức Đạo, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Xuân Lộc, called participants to view digital tools as “secondary to the interior disposition of the evangelizer,” the report said. “If you do not have Christ in your heart, you cannot preach and share Him.”

Father Augustine Huyn Tran, OAD, prior of the Discalced Augustinian Saigon Community, called for missionaries to stay rooted in their spiritual heritage while also using technology to serve their efforts to carry out real-life conversions.

During the opening Mass of the congress, Father Andrew Batayola, OSA, president of APAC, encouraged delegates to practice “interior tourism” by exploring the depths of their hearts through deliberate spiritual journey.

Chaldean Catholics gather in Rome for special Mass

Chaldean Catholics from Iraq and communities around the world gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica for a Mass celebrated by Patriarch Paul III Nona.

With Aramaic hymns, traditional clothing, and Chaldean flags, the celebration brought together believers from different countries,” ACI MENA reported Oct. 15. In his homily, Nona emphasized that true Christian unity comes through Christ while respecting each community’s identity and traditions.

Chaldeans came to the event from Australia, Canada, the United States, and several European countries, as well as from Iraq, Egypt, and Syria.

Tanzanians urged to pray for founding president’s canonization

Bishop Lazarus Vitalis Msimbe of Morogoro, Tanzania, has presented Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere as a role model for leaders, urging intensified prayers for the canonization of the country’s first president.

“Let us continue praying for Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere,” he said in a homily on Oct. 11, ACI Africa reported. “Twenty-seven years have passed since his death, but the process of declaring him a saint has already begun.”

Nyerere, whose cause was initiated in 2005, served as prime minister of Tanganyika from 1961 to 1962 and as its president from 1962 to 1964. Following the union that established Tanzania in 1964, he became the East African nation’s first president, serving until 1985. He died in 1999 at the age of 77.

“Some leaders, when defending a position and encountering opposition, eventually back down. However, Mwalimu Nyerere did not retreat from upholding the principles he believed were right and essential for the countryʼs development,” the bishop said.

UK bishops merge 3 dioceses

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has concluded its consultation process with three dioceses merged at the request of Pope Leo XIV and the Dicastery for Bishops.

“The priests and deacons of the three dioceses engaged positively and constructively with the discussions about the possibility of a unified diocese being established by the Holy Father,” the bishops said in the conclusion of the consultative report on the merging of the Leeds, Middlesbrough, and Hallam Dioceses, released Oct. 14.

Bishop Marcus Stock of Leeds said in the report that “the unification of the three dioceses would help to strengthen the mission of the local Church, support the work of evangelization more strategically, and provide greater opportunities to fulfill our responsibility to reach out to the poor and disadvantaged within our region.”

Season 6 of “The Chosen” will include six episodes — the first three of which will debut on Nov. 15 on Prime Video, followed by the release of a weekly episode through Dec. 6.

The season finale will be a stand-alone theatrical release on March 12, 2027.

“It was painful to shoot, and it’s painful to contemplate,” Dallas Jenkins, creator of the show, wrote on the show’s Instagram account.

He added: “But if there’s one thing I want you to take away from this season, it’s that Jesus chose this path. He even tells the apostles he could be rescued from it if he wanted. He chose surrender and humility and sacrifice. Knowing that should make this story a little less painful.”

“Season 5 was the powder keg. In Season Six, it explodes,” he concluded.

The trailer depicts the moments leading up to Jesus’ scourging and crucifixion. The episodes will depict the events from the perspective of those who were close to Jesus and those who took part in his condemnation — the Pharisees speak of justice, the Romans of peace, and Jesus’ followers see it as a murder.

In a press release earlier this year, Jenkins said: “Everyone knows the basics of this part of the story, but not everyone knows the ‘why’ of the crucifixion and the extraordinary events of these 24 hours. We realized this not only deserved a season of television but a standalone full-length theatrical event as well. We wrote and filmed all of it with this in mind.”

The show’s star, actor Jonathan Roumie, has spoken about his experience portraying Jesus’ passion and crucifixion.

In an interview with EWTN News at ChosenCon on Feb. 20 he said: “For the first few months afterwards going to Mass — and even thinking about it now — I just get weepy. I get emotional. It’s hard. It’s left an indelible impression on me — mentally and emotionally sharing even just a percentage, a micron of a percentage, of the Lord’s passion; playing it and reenacting it has left me absolutely humbled and moved.”

The new trailer already has over 1 million views on YouTube in the 24 hours since its release.

“Even if you have not been personally affected by the increased immigration enforcement in our region, many of those who sit alongside you in the pews have been affected, with some already having been detained,” wrote Brennan, whose diocese covers a large portion of the southern Central Valley.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have not announced any specific operations targeting California or its Central Valley. However, local media have reported a surge in enforcement in recent weeks.

In his pastoral letter, Brennan said pastors reported to him that “members of their congregations have been taken away abruptly and with little or no information coming from federal agents.” He said he has been in contact with priests and interfaith and advocacy partners about ways to “help, comfort and accompany our people” amid the reported surge.”

“It breaks my heart,” the bishop wrote. “... Many of those caught up in this recent immigration enforcement in our Valley are not strangers to us — they are family, neighbors, and parishioners who are being uprooted from the lives they have built over many years among us.”

‘Indiscriminate’ raids

Brennan noted that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted 216-5 to approve a special message that the bishops oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” during the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly. He then expressed concern that Central Valley raids appear to be indiscriminate.

“These people are valued and beloved, they are part of the fabric of our community,” he said. “It is frightening to them and disturbing to us that these current operations seem to have taken on an indiscriminate nature with little regard for the dignity of the human person.”

“Our Church teaches that every human person possesses an inherent dignity,” the bishop continued. “This dignity is not granted by governments, economic status, citizenship, or legal documentation. It is given by God.”

A spokesperson for DHS did not confirm any specific operation targeting California.

“For operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations,” the spokesperson said. “Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California.”

The spokesperson defended ongoing immigration enforcement: “To most Americans our ICE officers are heroes as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists.”

The spokesperson provided a list of five people they labeled as “public safety threats” arrested in California, which included people convicted of vehicular manslaughter, aggravated assault with a gun, burglary, homicide, and selling drugs.

Church ‘will not be silent’

In his pastoral letter, Brennan said the Church “will not be silent” and “will accompany our vulnerable neighbors in concrete, sustained ways.”

“We will strive to be a loving presence in our society for our brothers and sisters,” Brennan said.

“Our parishes will be present to them for healing and comfort,” he said. “Accompaniment might take the shape of walking with families through long and complicated legal proceedings, showing up at immigration court, organizing transportation and childcare, and refusing to let anyone face this situation alone. We will speak up for them and will encourage one another to see this work of justice as a part of our baptismal call.”

Accompaniment might take the shape of walking with families through long and complicated legal proceedings, showing up at immigration court, organizing transportation and childcare, and refusing to let anyone face this situation alone. We will speak up for them and will encourage one another to see this work of justice as a part of our baptismal call.”

Bishop Joseph Brennan

Diocese of Fresno, California

The bishop called for “real change and real reform,” saying “our country and our elected officials must do better,” calling for “tangible results that reflect meaningful and just immigration reform.”

“Until such reform is achieved, the dignity of our immigrant brothers and sisters must remain in the forefront of whatever shape our efforts might take,” he wrote. “In the midst of those efforts, to be sure, we are navigating in a chaotic and emotionally charged time. I encourage the faithful to pray for one another and to act out of a spirit of communion in all things, bridging divisions and treating one another peacefully and with compassion.”

“We are in this together,” Brennan wrote. “God bless you and those you love, always and in every way.”

According to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, a 16-year-old forced his way into the elementary school by shooting through locked doors before opening fire inside. The gunman killed three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, alongside a teacher before he was shot and killed at the scene by a bystander who had spotted him entering the building. A 7-year-old student and another teacher were rushed to a local hospital with critical injuries.

A teacher who was in a classroom on campus during the entire ordeal, Kathy Sheil Smith, spoke with CNN affiliate KPTV on Thursday night, saying of the students: “They were so afraid. The looks on their faces was really hard to see.” 

Speaking to what occurred on the ground, she saw the shooter enter the school from her classroom window. After alerting the main office, she moved her students to a corner of the classroom to shelter in place. “Some kids were praying; some kids were consoling other kids,” Smith said.

As shots were heard across the school, she said some teachers imagined they wouldn’t make it out alive.

“I’m sure that every teacher at the school thought, ‘Today is the day that I am going to die,’” she said through tears.

The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of pastoral care and community support across the state, with hundreds attending a candelight vigil Thursday night.

“We expect that our schools are safe places for our children and all who pass through their doors. When a tragedy like this occurs, it shakes us to our core,” wrote Bishop Thomas Hennen of the Diocese of Baker — which encompasses the city of Bend — in a letter offering his “heartfelt prayers for those whose lives were taken in the shooting.”

Acknowledging the overwhelming wave of emotions confronting the city, Hennen pointed to faith, solidarity, and action as the path forward.

“It is only natural that we would be flooded with emotions at a time like this — shock, grief, fear, confusion, anger,” Hennen wrote. “Even as more is known about what happened, there are no adequate answers for why this happened. We can only mourn, support each other, and pledge ourselves to doing everything in our power to prevent such tragedies in the future.”

The prelate said the entire “Catholic community of central and eastern Oregon mourns with the families of the victims, the Silver Rail community and the city of Bend.”

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, emergency responders transported surviving students and staff by bus to a nearby church, where families and guardians were reunified with their loved ones.

Speaking at an evening media briefing, Krantz noted that law enforcement notified all victim families and that an active, thorough investigation remains underway.

Local officials and state leaders emphasized the need for communal healing, counseling, and mutual support in the days ahead.

“In the coming days, there will be opportunities to gather, including a community vigil tonight, to mourn together, honor those affected and those lost, and begin the difficult process of healing,” Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said.

At the state level, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek confirmed that the Department of Emergency Management is actively coordinating resources to assist the local community.

“We must come together and support each other, neighbor to neighbor, Oregonian to Oregonian,” Kotek said.

Crisis counselors have also been mobilized across the school district to help students and families.

Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland also issued a statement, offering spiritual closeness to the grieving families and the broader community.

“No family should ever have to experience such fear and heartbreak. Please know that you are not alone,” Sample said. “I hold you close in prayer, and the Church stands with you in this time of sorrow.”

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

In November 2025, the charity faced a potential six-year debarment based on concerns DHS identified after a review of CCRGV’s administration of several federal programs, including the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s Emergency Food and Shelter program and its Shelter and Services Program.

CCRGV received approximately $16.2 million in federal grant awards from the DHS for fiscal year 2024, its last funded cycle before the program ended. The money came through FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program in two rounds: $7,421,965 in the April 2024 and an additional $8,788,186 that September, according to figures released by Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, whose district includes part of the Rio Grande Valley.

Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of CCRGV, said in February 2025, however, that the organization left much of the fiscal year 2024 money undrawn as the number of migrants arriving at its McAllen respite center fell to nearly zero after President Trump took office.

In an interview with EWTN News, Pimentel said that after DHS had reviewed the organization’s records, “there was a percentage of incorrect data” that had been entered by staff who were “inputting, registering, and taking down [immigrants’] information.”

She said that previously, a large influx of immigrant families “were arriving on a daily basis,” and “100% of them were brought to us by the U.S. Border Patrol.”

DHS told EWTN News that it had found “deficiencies in grant-related recordkeeping, data accuracy, and internal controls,” including missed deadlines and inaccuracies in migrant intake data.

In a statement she made concerning the matter last November, Pimentel said: “I take very seriously every single dollar entrusted to us,” adding that CCRGV was “committed to compliance with federal grant requirements” and would “work expeditiously with DHS to resolve this matter.”

Pimentel, a sister of the Missionaries of Jesus, said that after a meeting with DHS this past spring, the federal agency “notified us that the debarment was lifted as long as we proceeded to follow through with our commitment to report how we were using the funding in the future” in order “to make sure that those errors would not happen again.”

DHS said the matter was resolved this past May through an administrative agreement that remains in effect for 36 months and requires CCRGV to “maintain enhanced compliance and oversight measures.”

“Failure to comply may result in further administrative action, including suspension or debarment,” DHS said.

In its November 2025 letter to CCRGV obtained by Fox News, DHS Acting General Counsel Joseph Mazzarra told Pimentel that “regardless of whether these problems stem from gross mismanagement or an affirmative intent to facilitate lawlessness, this pattern must end.”

Pimentel told EWTN News that “the good thing about funding being restored is that we receive funding for many reasons, not just for immigrants,” including “for emergency assistance for our communities, one of the poorest areas in the United States.”

She said that though the flow of immigrants has stopped, the agency still materially aids many individuals and families in the Rio Grande Valley.

“No matter how limited we are in resources, even when we can barely make it,  we are still wanting to help our neighbor that is struggling,” Pimentel said. “Itʼs so important that you donʼt hold back from doing whatʼs good.”

The ballot measure, titled “Prohibit Government Closure of Places of Worship During Emergencies Amendment (2026),” would alter Section 18 of Article I of Wisconsin’s state constitution to include the sentence: “nor shall the state or a political subdivision of the state order the closure of or forbid gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency at the national, state, or local level, including an emergency related to public health.”

“Although the Wisconsin Catholic Conference did not take a position on the constitutional amendment, we discussed possible changes with the authors,” David Earleywine, executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, told EWTN News. Earleywine declined to elaborate on what changes were discussed.

“Religious liberty is the fundamental right to practice one’s faith openly without fear or coercion. Pope Leo XIV recently said that it is the ‘cornerstone of any just society,’” he said. “Freedom to gather for worship is only one important aspect of religious liberty and religious conduct, both of which extend beyond the four walls of a house of worship.”

The measure comes more than six years after the Diocese of Madison threatened to sue the local government of Dane County over its imposition of a 50-person cap on Mass attendance in 2020.

Bishop Donald Hying of Madison told EWTN News at the time that “as bishop, it is my duty to ensure that our sacraments are available to the Catholic faithful, while following best practices when it comes to public health.”

"Religious liberty enshrines freedom of conscience, the right to worship, and the right of religious organizations to serve the common good in the public square. A ballot initiative this fall speaks to that right,” Hying said in his Oct. 15 column in the Madison Catholic Herald.

Similarly, in an Oct. 2 video message on voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Hying addressed the ballot initiative, saying: "Thereʼs a ballot initiative in Wisconsin this year that speaks about the importance of the primacy for houses of worship to remain open during potential future pandemics.”

“We know that that right to worship, that religious liberty, is a foundational part of our Constitution but also our life as Christians,” Hying said. “The Mass for us is everything.”

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee declined requests for an interview or comment.

Chris Evans demanded that large companies should be legally required to root out exploitation in their supply chains.

In a paper released Thursday, Evans estimated that Australia imports about $17.4 billion (AU$25 billion) worth of goods each year that may have been produced with forced labor, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Oct. 16.

The Catholic Church in Australia has made the issue a priority. Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher set up an antislavery task force to lead the Churchʼs response to modern slavery in Australia, according to the archdiocese. The task force works on compliance with the Modern Slavery Act across the supply chains of Catholic schools, universities, welfare, and health and aged-care agencies as well as trains parish and agency staff to identify and support possible victims.

Speaking at a Sydney Catholic Business Network luncheon on Nov. 13, 2025, Evans praised the Catholic prelate.

He said the archbishop’s “leadership on this issue has been exemplary,” given his support for the Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network and his establishment of Domus 8.7.

“Through the Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network and Domus 8.7, the Catholic sector has become a national leader in implementing the Modern Slavery Act,” Evans said at the time.

Under the 2018 act, large Australian companies must report risks of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains but have no legal obligation to address them. Evans wants to close that gap as part of a planned overhaul of the law.

The federal government announced in July that it would introduce a criminal offense for companies that fail to prevent modern slavery along with civil penalties for businesses that breach existing reporting rules.

“The governmentʼs announcement sends a clear signal that modern slavery is a serious crime and must be treated that way,” Evans said.

His four-part proposal would place mandatory due-diligence obligations on large businesses and the federal government, set criminal penalties for serious wrongdoing, give victims the right to sue for compensation, and strengthen annual reporting.

“Australians donʼt want the clothes they wear or the food they eat to be made with forced labour,” Evans said. “They expect government and business to take responsibility and action.”

Business groups have pushed back. Minerals Council of Australia chief Tania Constable said there were better ways to address the issue than threatening executives with criminal penalties over other companies' actions, and the Business Council of Australia has also raised concerns, according to the Herald.

Pope Leo XIV has strongly spoken out against trafficking. In his message for the World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking on Feb. 8, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, the pope renewed “the Churchʼs urgent call to confront and bring an end to this grave crime against humanity.”

“Awareness enables us to identify the hidden mechanisms of exploitation in our neighborhoods and in digital spaces,” he wrote.

According to a Holy See statement, the pope expressed concern about Oleshky in the Kherson region, a city in the Russian-occupied portion of Ukraine where a severe humanitarian crisis is underway and where, according to the United Nations, 1,700 people are trapped in what have become ghost towns because of ongoing attacks. The pope sought a truce to enable the arrival of food and medical aid and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the population, and he reaffirmed the Holy Seeʼs commitment to dialogue and peace.

The conversation with the Russian president is the pope’s first reported direct communication with a head of state since undergoing lung cancer surgery Oct. 13. The statement issued by the Holy See Press Office was brief. It said: "Today, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with His Excellency Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.”

Besides calling for a ceasefire, the statement concluded by reaffirming “the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace.”

A Kremlin statement was more detailed. It said that, while expressing his sincere wishes for the popeʼs health and speedy recovery following his recent surgery, Putin emphasized “the importance of Russian-Vatican cooperation in promoting shared spiritual and moral values and protecting Christians and Christian holy sites in various regions of the world.” Both sides reaffirmed their interest in continuing dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

The Kremlin also said that, during an exchange of views on Ukraine, “Vladimir Putin thanked the pope for his willingness to contribute to resolving the conflict and for his ongoing humanitarian efforts.”

In addition, the Kremlin stated that, in response to the popeʼs concern for civilians in the Russian-held city of Oleshky in the Kherson region, Putin provided what it described as a detailed explanation of the responsibility of the Kyiv government for the areaʼs humanitarian situation. It added that Putin supported the Vaticanʼs intention to help create the conditions necessary to ensure public safety and organize the delivery of essential supplies. According to the Kremlin, cooperation toward that goal was agreed upon.

The Kremlin described the conversation as “constructive and conducted in a spirit of mutual respect.”

Pope initiated call, Parolin says

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told reporters it was Pope Leo who initiated the Oct. 16 phone call with Putin, according to the SIR news agency of the Italian bishops' conference. Parolin said he hopes that, in response to the popeʼs request, Putin will agree to implement the humanitarian measures. He added that Putinʼs willingness to take the call could be a positive sign.

The call followed visits in August to Russia by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher and later by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the popeʼs envoy for humanitarian affairs.

A source familiar with the organization of the Oct. 16 meeting said the conversation had been planned during Zuppiʼs trip to Russia at the end of September. This date coincided with the popeʼs hospital stay.

Leo XIV had previously spoken with Putin by telephone on June 4, 2025. According to Vatican News, that conversation focused on matters of mutual interest, with particular attention given to the war in Ukraine and prospects for peace. During the call, the pope urged Russia to make “a gesture fostering peace” and stressed “the importance of dialogue in establishing positive contacts between the parties and seeking solutions to the conflict.”

Putin visited the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican three times for meetings with Pope Francis.

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.

This story was updated at 4:10 p.m. ET on Oct. 16, 2026, to include comments from the Vatican secretary of state.

Running Oct. 16–22, the high-profile visit centers on the theme "Together in Prayer and Dialogue for Peace.”

Koovakad’s itinerary includes visits to London and Birmingham, featuring meetings with representatives from various faith traditions, including members of the Dharmic and Sikh communities.

The weeklong journey includes marking the 10th anniversary of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain and addressing seminarians to emphasize grassroots bridge-building.

The last official visit to the U.K. by the head of the Vaticanʼs Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue took place in 2013, when Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran undertook a similar high-profile journey to engage with faith communities in Britain.

As Pope Leo XIV recovers at Romeʼs Gemelli Hospital following a successful surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, high-profile diplomatic initiatives like Koovakad’s U.K. visit are vital for maintaining the Vaticanʼs active global engagement and reinforcing the Holy See’s continuous commitment to interfaith bridge-building and peace.

Speaking ahead of the trip, the cardinal stressed that interreligious dialogue remains a fundamental opportunity for Catholics to witness to their faith. He noted that fostering mutual understanding, respect, and enduring peace is a shared responsibility for all believers.

In a Oct. 14 letter, six Catholic leaders expressed concern over a June 18 legal opinion in which the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) reversed its long-standing interpretation of Olmstead v. L.C.

Olmstead v L.C. is a 1999 Supreme Court decision that ruled that unjustified institutional isolation of people with disabilities is a form of unlawful discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

In its June opinion, the OLC said that neither Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) nor Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act imposes a general legal obligation on states to provide services to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.

The OLC also said that the Supreme Court’s decision did not establish the broad integration mandate that the DOJ and most federal courts had understood it to require, and that the ADA does not require community placement whenever a treating professional considers it appropriate, an individual wants it, and community services can reasonably be provided.

The OLC opinion also argued that these factors are relevant but do not necessarily exhaust the justifications states may offer for institutional care. It stressed that the Supreme Court had not conclusively resolved which justifications are legally permissible.

The practical implication of the OLC’s interpretation is that it would give states greater latitude to maintain institutional care and narrow the legal basis for requiring states to expand or provide community-based alternatives.

The Catholic signatories to the letter described the OLC opinion as “deeply troubling” and urged Congress to “do everything in its power to affirm the rights of persons living with disabilities to flourish in their families and communities.”

“Congress must act to protect the programs, policies, and resources that persons with disabilities and their families rely on to thrive,” the letter stated.

The letter’s signatories include Archbishop Shelton Fabre, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop Edward Burns, chair of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth; Sister Mary Haddad, RSM, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States; Leo Zanchettin, board chair of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability; Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA; and Father Chris Kellerman, SJ, secretary of justice and ecology for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

The leaders grounded their appeal in Catholic teaching on the dignity and rights of people with disabilities. The 1978 “Pastoral Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities” states that the Church’s defense of the right to life “implies the defense of other rights that enable the disabled individual to achieve the fullest measure of personal development of which he or she is capable.” These include equal opportunities in education, employment, and housing as well as access to public accommodations, facilities, and services.

With this in mind, “institutionalization should be a last resort because it deprives persons of these rights and opportunities while also stripping communities of the presence and participation of such persons,” the letter declared.

The letter emphasized that parishes, schools, and social and health ministries across the country “are enriched and blessed by the opportunity to worship with, serve alongside, and learn from persons with disabilities.”

The signatories of the letter said that the path forward begins with the family, “which Church teaching regards as essential for persons to flourish.”

“In this vein, when the Supreme Court decided Olmstead in 1999, it recognized that most persons with disabilities can thrive with their families or in community-based settings, and that the government has an obligation to support them to the extent possible,” the letter stated. “As a result, Catholic hospitals, charities, schools, ministries, and parishes across the country work with public services to ensure persons with disabilities and their families have the resources they need to live healthy, vibrant, and productive lives.”

Therefore, the Catholic leaders called Olmstead v L.C. a “linchpin” of this system and warned that “without its civil rights framework, persons with disabilities, their families, and the community organizations that support them simply will not have access to the resources they need and deserve.”

The signatories expressed support for members of Congress who have already called on the administration to rescind the OLC opinion and encouraged other lawmakers to join the effort.

“Congress should do everything in its power to protect persons living with disabilities — including reaffirming that the ADA requires states and local governments to provide services to persons with disabilities in their communities when appropriate,” the letter stated.

“It is a terrible offense against human dignity to prevent bread from reaching any person or to destroy the means by which it is produced,” the pontiff wrote in a message published for World Food Day.

Still recovering from surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, Leo addressed his message to Qu Dongyu, director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). World Food Day, celebrated every year on Oct. 16 to highlight world hunger, also marks the organization’s founding in 1945.

‘World hunger remains due to lack of charity’

In his message, Leo lamented the challenge of world hunger and questioned how some can speak of technological innovation while food shortages persist.

“Hunger cannot be considered a statistical anomaly, for it is caused mainly by a lack of political will and collective charity,” Leo said.

“Today, people speak of innovation with great confidence,” Leo said. “However, this term is often used only in reference to the development of devices and algorithms, or the optimization of performance merely for the sake of financial gain.”

A new global food order

According to FAO’s annual report for 2025, an estimated 645 million people worldwide experienced hunger, mainly distributed across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. According to the same report, 35.5 million children were severely malnourished, and war remained the “primary driver of acute food insecurity and malnutrition.”

Leo also said that food shortages should never be “used as a weapon of war” and encouraged the United Nations to work toward a “new global food order” in which technology ensures food for all.

“Regular access to safe, adequate and sufficient food, in keeping with the dignity of every person, is a basic human right,” the pope wrote.

“A new global food order is essential — one in which technological innovation is unconditionally subordinated to respect for God-given human dignity and the universal common good.”

The pope’s remarks on world hunger follow his June visit to the headquarters of the World Food Programme in Rome, where he emphasized the need to focus on humanity to combat hunger worldwide.

In two photographs released by the Vatican, the first since his hospitalization, the Holy Father can be seen standing and wearing the green liturgical vestments used during this period of the liturgical year.

In one image, he appears with his hands joined in prayer; the other was taken during the consecration and shows the popeʼs secretary at his right side.

Vatican sources said that the pope distributed Communion during the Eucharistic celebration. In previous days, the Vatican had specified that the pontiff had only concelebrated Mass with his collaborators.

Members of the hospital’s medical and nursing staff, and gendarmes responsible for the pope’s security, were also present at the pope’s Mass on Friday.

“In his homily, the pope thanked all healthcare personnel — doctors, nurses and nursing assistants — for the work they carry out every day caring for the sick and for those in fragile conditions, and in particular for everything they have done and continue to do for him,” the statement released by the Holy See Press Office said.

In the medical bulletin released Friday, Oct. 16, the Vatican also confirmed that the pontiffʼs clinical condition continues to improve.

The statement published by the Holy See and prepared by the popeʼs personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and the surgeon who performed the operation, Stefano Margaritora, notes that the Holy Father “underwent blood tests and a chest X-ray, the results of which confirmed the steady improvement in his overall condition.”

Respiratory physiotherapy sessions also continued. The doctors further specified that his “favorable postoperative recovery allows him to carry out his normal daily activities with complete autonomy.”

Vatican sources also indicated that the pope will publicly lead the Angelus on Sunday, although it has not yet been determined whether it will be from the hospital or the Vatican.

All appointments on Leo XIV’s schedule through Oct. 20 have been canceled, though the Vatican has not ruled out the possibility that he could be discharged before then. For now, doctors have not changed the timeline for his release from the hospital, which is expected to be next Tuesday.

Letters from children hospitalized at Gemelli

On Friday, the pope also received several letters in his hospital room from young patients receiving treatment in the pediatric oncology department of the same hospital. In them, the children share their personal experiences and assure him of their prayers.

Among the letter writers was Angelo, a 7-year-old boy who has been hospitalized for 36 days and who found in writing a way to reach out to the pontiff.

The child, from Taurisano in the Italian province of Lecce, explained in his letter that he is also hospitalized on the 10th floor and has undergone head surgery. “My mom and I pray for you every night,” he wrote, before wishing him “a speedy recovery.” He included a drawing featuring a large yellow sun and several birds flying over a meadow.

‘Faith moves mountains’

Maria Graziela, the mother of Eleonora, also wanted to send a message of hope. Her daughter, who was treated in the hospitalʼs neurosurgery and oncology units, has now recovered.

“Faith moves mountains,” her mother wrote, expressing her conviction that “God has heard our prayers.” In her letter she added: “Pope Leo, our prayers are for you. May God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the guardian angels always protect you.”

‘It is difficult to depend on others’

The letter from Giorgia, an 18-year-old young woman, explained how illness transformed her way of understanding life. Passionate about travel and accustomed to relying on herself, she acknowledged that “it has been difficult to go from depending solely on my own strength to having to depend on others.”

However, the experience had also allowed her to discover the value of the care she has received, the love of her family and friends, and a new vocation. “If there is one thing I want to do in life, it is save other peopleʼs lives. I want to be like the doctors who are saving mine,” she said.

She concluded her letter by promising that “I pray to God that we may both be healed, and I ask you to pray with me,” and expressing her confidence that “better days will come.” The young woman ended by assuring Pope Leo that “we are united in prayer, for ourselves and for all those who are going through the same situation.”

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

Parolin, as reported by Ansa.it, spoke on the sidelines of the launch of the Iraqi Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two sovereign states.

The pontiff was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a lung nodule. Since his surgery, his doctors and the Vatican have confirmed that his postoperative recovery “is progressing normally.”

Parolin, who praised the pope for his “great serenity” on Monday, told reporters on Thursday that he imagined Leo’s Latin America trip would proceed but that it now depends on his doctors.

“[The trip] will depend on how things go,” Parolin said. “Let us wait until he leaves the hospital and, based on what the doctors tell us, see whether he will be able to travel. We must wait.”

Parolin also said that while predictions for the future of Leo’s pontificate were premature, his condition upon returning may require him to adjust his papacy.

“Based on all these elements, the pope will also adjust his pontificate if it becomes necessary to do so,” Parolin said.

“We need to see when he returns, in what condition he returns, and what the doctors will say.”

The pope’s postoperative recovery is expected to last one week, allowing him to resume audiences on Oct. 20.

In an Oct. 13 interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, Father Solomon Patrick Zaku, described the challenges facing evangelization in the West African nation and urged missionaries to draw strength from their faith in Christ.

“Even though we are facing challenges, those who want to go on a mission or those who want to preach the good news should not give up or be discouraged, but they should go,” he said.

Zaku spoke on the sidelines of a media chat organized by the Pontifical Mission Societies national office ahead of the centenary celebration of World Mission Sunday.

“In Nigeria today, we have the security challenge. Insecurity is almost in every part of this country,” he said.

“When people are going for mission animation, trying to go to places to preach the good news, they are afraid of what will happen in the next place because either on the road they can be attacked or in their places of worship they can experience attacks,” he added.

The national director also lamented restrictions that prevent Christians from acquiring land or building churches in certain locations, leaving some communities traveling long distances to worship.

“Church is supposed to be where people are living, but in many places, people don’t have a comfortable place to worship, and they have to go to a very far place,” he said.

Drawing on St. Paul’s teaching that nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ, Zaku encouraged prospective missionaries who fear for their safety because of reports of kidnappings and killings.

“Know that Jesus is with you,” he told missionaries serving in Nigeria. He assured them that anyone who dies bearing witness to Christ, even while preaching the good news, will “definitely receive his reward.”

Reflecting on the centenary of World Mission Sunday, the priest described the occasion as an opportunity to thank God for a century of prayer, financial contributions, and practical assistance to missionary territories. He credited Pontifical Missions Societies support with helping sustain the Church and education in Nigeria.

Zaku said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had directed that World Mission Sunday collections be sent to the Pontifical Missions Societies fund to support missionary territories beyond Nigeria.

“The Church in Nigeria, too, is not only a receiving Church but also a giving Church,” he said.

“My message to all Catholics and Nigerians in particular as we celebrate World Mission Sunday is for them to know that you are not alone, but we are together on this mission. We are praying for you,” he added.

In a separate interview at the same event, the national coordinator of Nigeria’s Young Missionary Movement, Peter Oluwasanmi Adubi, said the movement was strengthening missionary formation and catechesis to help young people understand that their Christian calling extends beyond attending church services.

“We try to intensify what we call the missionary communion, missionary catechesis, and all that, to make sure that they are not just young people like others; they are special people called to be missionaries through their life, through their actions, and through their prayer,” he said.

Adubi also emphasized that those who cannot travel to evangelize can support others who do.

“There is a saying that some give to the mission by going, while others go to the mission by giving. And without both, there is no mission,” he said.

Addressing concerns about social media and other distractions affecting young people’s commitment to their faith, he called on the Church to listen to them and provide opportunities for them to contribute their talents.

“Firstly, we encourage the Church to be a place where they listen to young people. Young people have enormous needs, and there are a lot of things that threaten them, especially when it comes to media,” he said.

Adubi called for a media team in each parish where young people can volunteer and participate in the Church’s mission. He said such opportunities could help them use their interest in digital technology to spread the Christian message.

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

Father Rafael Becerra, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in the San Antonio suburb of Helotes, Texas, explained to EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News: “We want to research, provide formation on, and raise awareness about the entire Guadalupan event.”

A retreat and a Guadalupan certificate program have been the first steps, Becerra said, confident that the project can grow and become “a Guadalupan center for the United States.”

Becerra, a priest of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, noted that the “Truth about Guadalupe” certificate program began on Oct. 5 as an effort to “prepare ourselves for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” which will be celebrated in 2031.

Assisting him in this project is Monsignor Eduardo Chávez, director of the Higher Institute of Guadalupan Studies in Mexico City and who is considered the leading expert on Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Chávez “is the one who teaches and gives this course via video,” he said, noting that the diploma program will conclude in April 2027.

The course is taught in English to around 60 students and in Spanish to nearly 90.

Alongside Chávez, Alberto Mata and Javier Fernández, both experienced in the study and dissemination of the Guadalupe event, are also participating as facilitators for the program.

The initial sessions “have been extraordinary,” noted Becerra, as the participants “are excited, want to keep learning, and above all are impressed by the greatness of the Virgin of Guadalupe and all the graces she has brought not only to Mexico but to humanity.”

Through the course, he said, they aim to “collaborate in this great process of preparation for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe” and to foster the development of “equipped persons who can then return to their parishes and replicate this diploma course in various parishes across San Antonio.”

Interested persons from Houston and Austin, Texas, have already contacted Becerra about the program, he said, so he hopes this will also serve as a “spearhead” that can be “replicated in the future in different places across the United States.”

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

“Tell your readership how important it is to be praying for the dioceses that are facing this, what I would describe as a very diabolical initiative,” Las Vegas Archbishop George Leo Thomas told EWTN News.

On Nov. 3, the public in three states will vote on referendums to establish a “right” to abortion: Nevada, Virginia, and Idaho. In Missouri, people will vote on a pro-life referendum that would repeal the state’s constitutional right to abortion.

Bishops in each state have advocated against abortion for months. In many cases, this includes statements on the referendums, flyers, and prayer cards at parishes, and asking priests to teach congregations about the sanctity of life. In some cases, it extends to calls for fasting and efforts to register voters and get them to the polls.

American bishops do not endorse political candidates. Yet, bishops have advocated for or against specific ballot initiatives when Church teachings, such as the sanctity of life, are implicated.

Nevada bishops wage ‘uphill battle’

The bishops in Nevada are waging what Thomas called “an uphill battle” to defeat a referendum to establish “a fundamental right to abortion” in the state constitution.

In Nevada, amendments need a majority vote via referendum in two consecutive elections. In the last statewide election in 2024, the referendum won support from 64% of voters. Another majority this year would complete the process.

Thomas said he and Diocese of Reno Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg have worked closely to align their messaging and strategy to defeat the amendment. This includes printed material offered to parishes, created by the Nevada Catholic Conference, and a planned full-page advertisement for newspapers in Las Vegas and Reno.

Both bishops wrote pastoral letters labeling the referendum dangerous. Thomas instructed priests in his archdiocese to read it aloud at Mass for Respect Life Sunday on Oct. 4.

“Unborn children have no voice and cannot defend themselves,” he wrote in the letter, available in both English and Spanish. “As Catholics, our faith requires us to protect the inherent dignity of every human life and to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Thomas said every priest is obligated to “very clearly and lucidly teach Catholic social and moral teaching in his community,” noting each life is created in the image of God “from conception until natural death.”

Although the referendum allows the state to restrict abortion access after fetal viability, which is the point at which a child can survive outside the womb, the proposal’s definition says this is determined by the “treating health care practitioner," who is often the abortion doctor. It states abortion access extends through the ninth month of pregnancy if needed to “protect the life or health” of the mother, but the measure does not separately define “health.”

Current Nevada law prohibits abortion 26 weeks after the woman’s last menstrual period. The archbishop said the referendum extends abortion rights through “potentially the ninth month of pregnancy,” though courts have not ruled on that interpretation.

The referendum would extend abortion access to “all individuals,” which Thomas argued would eliminate parental notification laws for minors who seek abortion. The referendum permits abortion by “a qualified health care practitioner” and does not specify a “physician.”

“It’s another very serious and damaging expansion of an already liberal law,” the archbishop said.

Virginia bishops push voter registration

The two dioceses in Virginia — Arlington and Richmond — are battling a similar referendum to enshrine “a fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” which includes “abortion care,” in their state constitution, which would be adopted with a majority vote.

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington and Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond penned a letter instructing Catholics of their “sacred duty to form our consciences prayerfully and correctly, and to vote NO” on the abortion referendum and a separate referendum that would enshrine same-sex marriage in the constitution, which was read aloud at parishes throughout the commonwealth.

Burbidge called Catholics to pray and fast ahead of the vote, and his diocese is operating the Catholics Vote No campaign and encouraging the diocesan faithful to sign on to a pledge to vote no on both referendums.

Amy McInerny, director of Respect Life at the Diocese of Arlington’s Office of Marriage, Family, and Respect Life, told EWTN News: “Some demons are only driven out by prayer and fasting,” citing Christ’s words in Matthew 17.

The dioceses, working through the Virginia Catholic Conference, published prayer cards for “protection from the extreme abortion amendment” and “an end to the grave evil of abortion” for parishes. They provided parishes with flyers about the referendum and abortion laws in the state, along with a flyer containing voter registration information.

“These two ballot questions are moral issues,” McInerny said.

Some parishes are actively registering Catholics to vote and holding voter registration drives. McInerny said there’s a strong effort to “turn out the vote,” and the Arlington Diocese encourages parishes to “check in with their homebound and those who are in nursing homes” and college students “who might need help to get absentee ballots.”

The referendum would allow some abortion restrictions in the third trimester, but not if abortion is necessary to protect “the life or physical or mental health.” It does not define this standard, leaving it to the discretion of the physician, who is often the abortion doctor. The legal right to abortion is extended to “every individual” and not just adults.

McInerny said the language essentially allows abortion “even for healthy babies, up until birth,” though courts have not ruled on that interpretation, and “will include minor girls,” which jeopardizes parental consent laws. She said it would create “a safe space for groomers and predators and traffickers who want to prey on our girls.”

Virginia law allows abortion access through the 26th week of pregnancy.

Idaho’s ‘most important issue’ until November

Diocese of Boise Bishop Peter Christensen is actively engaging with parish priests to ensure pro-life messaging is heard regularly at Mass throughout his diocese, which covers the entire state, ahead of its vote on an abortion referendum.

Unlike Virginia and Nevada, the referendum in Idaho would change state law rather than amend the constitution. It would supersede the current state law, which prohibits most abortion access, and create a right to “reproductive freedom,” which includes “abortion.”

“This is the most important issue for all of us until November,” Christian Welp, director of diocesan projects, told EWTN News.

Welp said the diocese provided a package to every priest offering guidelines on pro-life messaging in homilies and prayer intentions ahead of the vote. It includes prayer cards, which priests are asked to read at every daily and Sunday Mass. The bishop also wrote a letter, which was read aloud at Mass throughout the diocese.

“By coming together as a family in prayer, raising awareness, and taking meaningful action, we can make a powerful difference in responding to this anti-life, anti-family initiative by advocating for the protection of the most vulnerable members of our society,” Christensen wrote.

The referendum would allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at the point of fetal viability, which is determined by the physician, who is often the abortion doctor, but cannot restrict late-term abortion if there is a medical emergency. It would also extend abortion rights to “every person,” not just adults.

Welp said the referendum “allows for abortion up to viability, but then redefines viability,” saying the language could allow abortions “well into the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy.” He said the extension of this right to every person would include minors and effectively “does away with parental consent.”

“Even if youʼre pro-choice, this goes too far,” Welp said. “This is too extreme.”

Missouri seeks to reverse trend

Missouri is the only state in which voters will be presented with a pro-life referendum, which would repeal the state’s constitutional right to abortion that was adopted via referendum in 2024 with support from 51.6% of voters.

“It has been a major focus of all four dioceses and of all four bishops,” Kathleen Lavery, communications director of the Missouri Catholic Conference — which represents the state’s dioceses — told EWTN News.

Lavery said the dioceses are working toward “trying to pass [the] amendment.” The referendum itself would not ban abortions or set a week-based limit but rather allow lawmakers to pass laws to restrict it in most cases. It would only prevent laws that ban abortion in cases of incest or rape within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy or in medical emergencies at any point in pregnancy.

The conference provided printed material, signs, and palm cards for parishes, and a webpage to “help people educate themselves about the amendment,” she said. Speakers from diocesan Respect Life offices are speaking at the end of Mass and visiting Catholic events, such as Knights of Columbus gatherings.

All four bishops unified on the message early, putting out a joint statement that the dignity of the human person is “threatened by the pro-abortion amendment passed in 2024.” They called for Catholics “and all people of good will” to join in prayer and fasting for the referendum’s success.

“We have put together information for our priests as well to help them educate the faithful,” Lavery said.

She noted there are “get out the vote” efforts at the parish level and said: “This amendment’s really going to come down to which side can activate its base and get people to the polls.”

“I’m very cautiously optimistic,” Lavery said. “I think we have a very good chance of winning this.”

In an Oct. 14 message, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, said that while Americans might be feeling discouraged from voting because we live in “a time of deep political division,” such discouragement “is not a Christian virtue.”

Coakley emphasized that for citizens in a representative democracy, “participation in public life — including voting — is both a right and a responsibility.”

“I would ask all Catholics to put their faith before politics,” Coakley exhorted, as he called on the faithful to “judge candidates and elected officials by their actions, not merely their promises, and how those actions promote the common good.”

Meanwhile, the advocacy group CatholicVote on Oct. 15 issued voter guides for key races in seven states. The guides evaluate where the candidates in these races stand on abortion, religious freedom, school choice, gender ideology, judicial appointments, and immigration law enforcement.

“We have chosen seven states — a total of 24 races or ballot initiatives — where we know the Catholic turnout can be the make-or-break difference,” said CatholicVote Director of Political Operations Logan Church. The organization’s guides are targeted to specific races in the states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

In addition to state-specific information on candidates and issues, the CatholicVote effort includes links to help Catholics register to vote, request an absentee ballot, or find a polling place to vote. As CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt sees it, “if Christians do not take up their duty in political life, we will be governed by those whose values are antithetical to our own.”

At present, the group is urging Catholics to vote early, which “ensures your vote is counted because nothing keeps you away from the ballot box on Election Day.”

The latest USCCB midterms message, meanwhile, features a more general, blanket exhortation to Catholics to form their consciences and listen “to the Gospel call to love God and all our neighbors.”

“May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, bless our nation as we turn once more to elections, that we might respect the dignity of each person and promote the common good of all,” Coakley concluded.

“As you know, I have been unable to be among you during these days,” Pope Leo wrote in the Oct. 14 message to clergy members and Catholics. “I thank you warmly for your prayers and for the work you have done together. Your sharing of experiences and attentive listening are indeed a gift to the whole Church.”

The pope’s message was read at the conclusion of the conference “10 Years After Amoris Laetitia: Proclaiming the Gospel with Families Today,” a meeting examining the legacy of the apostolic exhortation and how to strengthen family participation in the Churchʼs mission.

“Entrusting each of you to the protection of the Holy Family of Nazareth, I ask you please to pray for me, as I pray for you,” he wrote.

The pope encouraged participants to bring the meetingʼs insights back to their bishops' conferences and dioceses, continue proclaiming the Gospel with families, and ensure families remain active participants in the life and mission of local Churches.

Leo’s homily delivered

At the closing Mass for the conference, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dean of the College of Cardinals, delivered a homily prepared by Pope Leo XIV saying: “The world has no future without strong families open to the gift of children and attentive to their education and growth.”

Families and faith communities should accompany people facing hardship with compassion rather than condemnation, the pope’s homily said.

“Those who are more vulnerable, or who are experiencing difficult circumstances and moments of crisis, will also find support and encouragement, surrounded by affection and shielded from judgment and prejudice. Let us remember that ‘as wounded as the family may be, it can always grow beginning with love,’” Tagle said, delivering the homily prepared by Pope Leo.

In a video posted on social media, a resident of Goiás calls the bishop a “representative of Satan” and a “demon,” and accuses him of engaging in politics during his sermons.

According to the priests, “these shameful attacks” are “baseless, filled with hatred, fueled by ideological prejudices, and distorted by uncivil ignorance.”

The 10 priests who signed the joint statement in defense of Guimarães are Fathers Hélio Cordeiro, Ary Ramos, Denis Rodrigues, Deusli Evangelista, Frederico Ornelas, Moacir Santana, Carlos Neves, Mário Vieira, Pablo Veleda, and Renato Silva.

In the video, the man appears wearing a cap bearing the slogan “Lula — Brazil happy again” and criticizes Guimarães’ pastoral work, linking him politically to former President Jair Bolsonaro.

“That Bishop Adair is a Satan — I say it and I repeat it — he is the devil’s representative here on earth,” the man says. In another part of the video, he states: “The guy just goes to church. He doesn’t preach the Gospel; all he talks about is communism.”

Without offering proof, the man also accuses the bishop of receiving money from businessman Daniel Vorcaro to engage in political activity favoring Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro who faces incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in an Oct. 25 runoff election for president.

“He must be getting money from Vorcaro to play politics for Bolsonaro,” the Lula supporter says.

Throughout the recording, the man urges the faithful to stop attending churches whose leaders, according to him, support Bolsonaro. “If you see a church where the leaders are Bolsonaristas — where their god is Bolsonaro — don’t get involved; get out as fast as you can,” he says.

The video also features criticism of Bolsonaro and members of his family, along with expressions of support for Lula and comments on labor rights, social programs, and the country’s past military dictatorship.

Statements by Bishop Guimarães

Guimarães has made statements touching upon politics and ideologies on various occasions within the context of reflections on Catholic participation in public life, freedom, and the use of faith for political ends.

In August 2025, during a “Desperta Brasil” (“Awaken Brazil”) Catholic event in Brasilia, Guimarães invoked the intercession of Our Lady of Aparecida for the country and mentioned communism during a blessing. Specifically, the bishop asked God to grant a blessing that “spares us from hunger, war, disease, and communism.”

On Jan. 15 of this year, in a video reflection, Guimarães criticized ideologies and dictatorial regimes. “It is impossible for us to be foolish enough to believe that ideology — that dictatorship — brings well-being to people. It brings hunger, misery, and suffering,” he said. He also criticized communism, fascism, and Nazism, stating that these regimes “stifle peopleʼs freedom.”

On Sept. 28, the bishop commented on the circulation of a false report regarding a supposed proposal to strip Our Lady of Aparecida of her title as patroness of Brazil. “Those who use Our Lady of Aparecida for personal gain — of whatever nature — will not fare well,” he said.

The false information linked the alleged proposal to Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who denied supporting any such initiative.

More recently, on Oct. 2, Guimarães urged Catholics to participate in the elections and examine the track records of the candidates. “If you cast a null vote or do not vote at all, you are empowering the worst politicians, because they benefit from your absence,” he said. The bishop also advised voters to consider the candidates' stances on abortion, family, and faith.

‘We live in a democratic country’

In the statement, the priests of Formosa also emphasized that political disagreements are part of democratic life but do not justify attacks on others' honor.

“We live in a democratic country; as such, and as citizens, we are free to disagree on partisan political issues,” they said. The priests also cited a phrase attributed to St. Augustine: “In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.”

As the priests explained, “partisan politics falls within the realm of the debatable; thus, the fact that we hold divergent positions in this arena does not necessarily make us enemies, let alone give us the right to attack anyone’s honor.”

In closing, the priests asked for the intercession of Our Lady of Aparecida for peace and reconciliation in Brazil.

“May the Virgin of Aparecida, Queen and Patroness of Brazil, intercede for our country and for all the Brazilian people, so that we may find and build paths of peace, justice, and reconciliation.”

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

The president said in a Truth Social post on Oct. 15 that while he still believes “streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan … many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device.” 

Trump said the execution of the convicted mass shooter will still take place by firing squad on Dec. 3 and the victims’ immediate families will still be allowed to attend.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell had announced Oct. 5 on X that Trump had approved Hasan’s execution. On Oct. 8, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview with Real Americaʼs Voice that the execution would be livestreamed from Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, where Hasan, a psychiatrist and former Army major, killed 14 people, including an unborn baby, and wounded 32 others in the terrorist attack.

The U.S. bishops have strongly opposed the decision to livestream the execution. Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, issued a joint statement with the Texas Catholic bishops Oct. 12 urging the president to reconsider the decision, which he characterized as “barbarically killing our adversaries.”

Broglio reiterated the Church’s revised position on capital punishment, saying “the dignity of the human person is at stake.”

In a social media post on Oct. 10, World Day Against the Death Penalty, Pope Leo XIV wrote: “The death penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the inviolability and dignity of the person.”

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated on Oct. 9 that plans to broadcast the execution live are unacceptable. “It is truly incomprehensible that anyone would want to resort to this method in this day and age,” he said.

Broglio also wrote that he was obliging “any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church.”

Bishop Daniel E. Garcia of the Diocese of Austin, which encompasses Fort Hood, said the public broadcast of Hasan’s execution “would make a spectacle of death.”

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote of his “shock and great sorrow” of the government’s decision to livestream the execution in an Oct. 9 statement.

Trump also faced backlash from members of both political parties concerning the decision.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, said in a social media post that “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do,” calling it “beyond disgusting.”

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, called the decision to broadcast the execution “disgusting” and “medieval.”

The Acton Institute, a faith-based think tank promoting free markets and limited government, held the “Communicating Truth in an Age of AI” convivium: a conversation among representatives of Catholic media and secular academia about the challenges AI poses to the communications industry.

Andreas Thonhauser, vice president and chief global officer at EWTN, and Jenn Lindsay, a communications professor at Rome’s John Cabot University and CEO of So Fare Films, led the discussion.

Among those present was Yurash Andrii Vasyliovych, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See.

Truth in the modern media era

Among the topics considered at the conference was the challenge of distinguishing truthful news from false information. In his opening remarks, Thonhauser, who joined EWTN in 2021, described the challenge as “cutting through the noise.”

“In the age of AI, communication is truth, which is not so easy when we think about it, about how much noise is already out there, and AI is a wonderful instrument to create even more of that kind of communication and to add to the noise,” Thonhauser said.

“AI might become a challenge for us, who are also the audience who are the recipients of communication,” Thonhauser added.

Lindsay said truth-telling is central to storytelling in film, even amid AI manipulation.

“Truth already has an odd status in documentary storytelling,” Lindsay said in her opening remarks. “In fact, it is the definition of documentary storytelling: the creative treatment of actuality.”

“We are already dealing with many layers of strategy and manipulation. AI intensifies the questioning of that, but it is nothing new.”

Optimism or pessimism in AI-driven future?

Another concern discussed at the conference was whether one ought to be optimistic or pessimistic in the age of AI.

Lindsay, who has taught at John Cabot since 2018, said she thought the world was “in a safer place” as individuals increasingly choose not to use AI to avoid effort, particularly students.

“I feel that we are in a safer place,” Lindsay said. “A year ago, I was super pessimistic because, as a university professor, the rate of cheating and plagiarism [with AI] was sky-high. I am happy to report that it is going down; it seems like its popularity is cooling with the younger ones.”

Thonhauser, in response, acknowledged AI’s many benefits for global development while noting that the human experience will still matter, citing Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

“AI is remarkable, and it is helping us greatly also in our work,” Thonhauser said. “I do agree with Pope Leo that it is not neutral, but what is ever neutral? It is up to us to regulate this so that it is helpful for the human being as such and for the future.”

“I really see that it will be important that the human element remains in communication and helps to guide us through what is relevant, what is meaningful, and ultimately also what is true.”

The bulletin, prepared by the pontiff’s personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and the surgeon who performed the operation, Stefano Margaritora, highlights that Leo XIV’s postoperative progress on the second day after surgery has been positive.

“The chest X-ray showed a good recovery of the operated lung,” the statement said.

The Vatican also reported that the Holy Father underwent routine follow-up examinations, including blood tests and a chest X-ray, “the results of which were normal.”

“He independently carried out his daily activities. The physical therapy session included full motor activity,” the medical note added.

Overall, “the postoperative course continues to progress regularly,” the physicians explained.

Earlier Thursday, the Vatican had already reported that Leo XIV spent a “good” second night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery Tuesday to remove a pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Also on Thursday, like the previous evening, the pontiff was able to spend a few minutes in the temporary chapel set up at the hospital to concelebrate Mass with one of his collaborators, according to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, speaking to journalists.

Bruni also said that the pope has continued working during his recovery. In fact, he received Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, deputy for general affairs of the Secretariat of State, this afternoon, according to Vatican sources.

As a sign that the Vatican’s ordinary activity continues despite the pontiff’s recovery, the Holy See on Thursday announced two new bishop appointments, signed by Leo XIV from the hospital.

They include the appointment of Italian priest Father Paolo Andreolli as bishop of Ponta de Pedras, Brazil, and Father Ignazio Ding Zuyao, “whom the Holy Father appointed bishop of Haimen (Jiangsu Province, China) on Aug. 24, 2026, after approving his candidacy within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.”

The Vatican is expected to soon announce whether the pope will preside over the public Angelus prayer from Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, as some of his predecessors did during periods of hospitalization.

Regarding the international trip the pontiff is scheduled to make to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6–17, Bruni referred to comments Leo XIV made during last Sunday’s Angelus address, when he announced that he would undergo surgery for a lung nodule.

The pope made explicit reference to his upcoming trip to Peru while greeting members of the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles present in St. Peter’s Square.

“Thank you for your prayers for the pastoral visit that I will make to Peru,” he said.

At that time, it was not yet publicly known that the pontiff was suffering from pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis was confirmed following surgery, during which the lower right lobe of his lung was removed.

Prayers for the pope

Following the call to pray for the pope’s recovery, the Vicariate of Rome has confirmed that this Sunday a special intention for the Holy Father will be offered in all the parishes of the Diocese of Rome during Mass. The initiative reflects the communion of the Church of Rome with its bishop and the spiritual support being offered to Leo XIV during this period of convalescence.

This atmosphere of prayer will be accompanied by another gesture of closeness later tonight. At 8 p.m. Rome time, Cardinal Angelo Comastri will lead a rosary invoking Mary Undoer of Knots at the Pontifical Parish of St. Anne in the Vatican.

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

Zuyao is the ninth Chinese bishop consecrated under Pope Leo XIV following procedures established by the provisional agreement between China and the Holy See governing bishop appointments. The pontiff appointed Zuyao bishop of Haimen on Aug. 24, having approved his candidacy under the agreement.

Zuyao’s consecration, announced by the Vatican on Thursday, also highlights a pattern in which the Vatican does not announce episcopal consecrations in China until the day they occur. He is also the 19th bishop to be selected under the Vatican-China deal.

However, some of the Chinese bishops Leo appointed were not immediately recognized by the Chinese government. Two of the bishops had already been consecrated and were part of the so-called underground Church — the Catholic community not officially recognized by Chinese authorities. The communist government later recognized both, thereby regularizing their ecclesiastical and civil status.

A decade of pastoral work

Zuyao was born in August 1986 in Qidong, Jiangsu Province, and was ordained to the priesthood on Oct. 27, 2011.

From 2001-2004, he studied at the Jiangsu Section of the Sheshan Seminary in Shanghai. He later attended Beijing Theological Seminary to study theology and philosophy and earned a bachelor’s degree.

After Zuyao’s ordination in 2011, he served as pastor in Haimenzhen, Linjiang, and Caojiazhen, all in the Diocese of Haimen. From 2023, he served as pastor of Qingnian Donglu Parish in Nantong until his appointment as a bishop.

The meeting marked the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia and discussion focused on the legacy of that controversial document.

As organizers announced on Monday, since Leo XIV could not “listen” to the assembly of bishops and lay experts as he had originally planned, he said he would review the documentation and conclusions of the meeting following his convalescence. What happens next will then be up to him.

“I will read the fruits of your work and discussions, and offer my reflections in due course,” the pope said in a brief message to participants read on Oct. 14.

The Oct. 7–14 meeting — whose participants were mainly the presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences — was organized in the same style as recent Synod on Synodality assemblies. Bishops and experts introduced the themes with speeches on the topic at hand, and small-group discussions alternated with plenary sessions.

While the themes for each session and keynotes have been made available online, plenary sessions and open interventions were held behind closed doors, and participants — abiding by Pope Leo’s call for “discretion and confidentiality” in his opening address — have declined to elaborate on the opinions expressed on various issues, especially the most controversial: the reception of holy Communion by divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.

The dominant discussion about Amoris Laetitia in the immediate aftermath of its publication and in the decade that followed was about the document’s “chapter 8,” about “irregular” relationships, and a footnote interpreted by some as giving access to Communion to divorced and civilly remarried people after a process of pastoral accompaniment and discernment.

Debate over Amoris Laetitia intensified after the bishops of the Buenos Aires Pastoral Region interpreted the document as allowing, following a process of accompanied pastoral discernment, access to the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist for some Catholics who are divorced and civilly remarried.

Chapter 8 and ‘irregular situations‘

This topic was among those discussed at the meeting on Oct. 12, which focused on accompanying families in the difficulties of life.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, whose Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life co-organized the gathering with the synod office, opened discussions on Oct. 12 urging participants to truthfully share their lived experience “avoiding any spirit of controversy.”

Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa, a consulter of the synod office and a meeting organizer, did not go into detail about what was said during a briefing for journalists Oct. 14 but described discussing “sensitive issues on which there are still differing perspectives and assessments.”

The environment, he added, was “constructive” and people clearly desired to listen before judging: “The approach is not one of opposition,” Costa said. “Of course, there are also different emphases and sensibilities.”

He said participants shared stories about how people were able to reexamine their lives in the light of the Gospel and take steps toward conversion.

This led, the priest continued, “to an emphasis on the importance of formation — of forming consciences — and of … continuing to deepen this relationship between pastoral experience and theological reflection.”

Julie Hanlon Rubio, a professor of Christian Social Ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California, made one of the most explicit references to the controversial passages of Amoris Laetitia in her speech the same day.

“Though the document is best remembered for the controversial Chapter 8,” she said, “it also offered a positive vision of marriage designed to correct the abstraction and negativity that many still associate with Church teaching and a praxis of accompaniment that has yet to be fully realized.”

Quoting from the exhortation, paragraphs 296 and 297, she said: “Francis told us, ‘No one can be condemned forever! It is not the logic of the Gospel!’ and this logic should be extended to ‘everyone.’”

In a footnote to this part, she wrote: “Today this surely includes divorced persons, single parent families, blended families, cohabiting couples, and persons identifying as LGBTQ.”

Continuity in Church teaching

But Pope Leo himself appeared to have had a different agenda for discussions — choosing to move beyond the idea of listening and welcoming to focus more on how the Church can concretely help young people in today’s society enter into the sacrament in the first place.

He also pointed out continuity in the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family from St. Paul VI to Pope Francis.

The first day of the meeting both the Holy Father and Dominican Sister Helen Alford, who was entrusted with the assembly’s opening meditation, argued that Amoris Laetitia was consistent with the Church teaching and practice that came before it.

Like an earlier document on the family by St. John Paul II, Amoris Laetitia was an innovative response to the challenge of following the moral law “when social situations are turbulent and changing quickly,” Alford said.

Pope Leo’s opening remarks also underlined the reality of marriage today and that “a growing distance has emerged between the ways in which sex and intimacy are lived and the Christian vision of marriage.”

“Young people continue to long for love, fidelity, and belonging, yet many find it difficult to embrace how such a vision of love can take shape in their own lives or to believe that a lifelong commitment is the condition for reaching what they desire,” the pontiff continued.

Though he could not celebrate the meeting’s closing Mass on Oct. 14 as planned, Pope Leo’s prepared homily was read by substitute celebrant Cardinal Luis Tagle.

The pope’s homily recalled the love of the Lord, saying that “is the love that Amoris Laetitia invites us to make the foundation of our families” and inviting Catholics to teach young people preparing for marriage about the importance of the virtues, especially chastity.

“Marriage preparation programs conscientiously developed for this purpose in parishes and pastoral areas are commendable. Yet such courses alone are insufficient, for they must be preceded and supported by an education in love that accompanies a person’s growth from childhood,” he said.

“The values of openness to life and respect for life, from conception to natural death, are also rooted in this charity, which is fundamental to our existence and to our life together as human beings,” the pontiff added, recalling that “Pope Francis stressed that ‘no union that is temporary or closed to the transmission of life can ensure the future of society’ (Amoris Laetitia, 52).”

“The world has no future without strong families open to the gift of children and attentive to their education and growth.”

At a press conference ahead of the Oct. 14-16 event, Pérez Villarreal, who is also an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico, noted that in commemorating the centennial of the religious conflict experienced in the country, known as the Cristiada or Cristero War, “rather than celebrating the tragic nature of this event, the violence, or the war, we commemorate the witness of faith of so many Mexicans.”

“Mexicans, primarily the laity, went to the defense of their faith, self-defense, and their ability and freedom to express what they believed,” he noted.

The prelate recalled that Mexican Catholics in the first half of the 20th century faced “a situation in which the law was clearly violating a fundamental right: the right to freedom of faith and religious expression.”

Amid rising tensions between the Church and the Mexican state, tensions that dated back to the second half of the 19th century, the armed uprising known as the Cristiada broke out in 1926, with Catholics from various parts of the country taking up arms against civil authorities.

The conflict arose in the context of the so-called “Calles Law,” which went into effect on July 31 of that year and severely restricted public worship and the religious life of Catholics.

Pérez Villarreal emphasized that with the colloquium, in which experts from Mexico and other countries are participating, “we are not seeking to vindicate any form of violence; rather, we want to delve deeper into the truth.”

Events like this, he noted, “help us view reality objectively rather than through the lens of ideology,” enabling us “to live in a freer Mexico.”

He further maintained that the conflict “was not an attack on the clergy; it was an attack on the religious freedom of an entire people,” and emphasized that this fundamental right is not one the state can decide to grant or not.

“Universal rights are not granted by the state; they are guaranteed by it,” he noted.

The event, organized by the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM by its Spanish acronym) in conjunction with the Pontifical University of Mexico (UPM by its Spanish acronym) and the Mexican Society of Ecclesiastical History, includes lectures at the Plaza Mariana of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and at the UPM auditorium in Mexico City.

Father Juan Carlos Casas García, director of the UPM’s Department of Ecclesiastical History and the CEM’s Department of History and Art, emphasized that the Catholic resistance “went beyond an armed uprising.”

He explained that there was “peaceful resistance by Catholics who found their rights violated by legislation that openly infringed upon religious freedom and the activities of the Catholic Church in our country.”

The aim of the colloquium, he noted, is “to complete and broaden the understanding of this chapter” of Mexican history, a history marked by “contrasts, with both light and shadows.”

The priest noted that, “while acknowledging that this is a painful period in our history, it is also a historical episode filled with testimonies of faith and fidelity that we cannot forget.”

The colloquium can be followed either in person or via the CEM’s social media and the Pontifical University of Mexico.

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

Massachusetts became the latest state in the U.S. to remove all restrictions on abortion when Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed the law on Aug. 10. It allows women to obtain abortions at any point in pregnancy for any reason.

Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), called the policy “shocking” and “horrendous” shortly after the law was signed. He described the measure as “an affront against the dignity of life.”

A pro-life coalition, meanwhile, is leading an effort to roll back the law, aiming to place the policy before voters on a statewide ballot and potentially suspend the law prior to that vote.

The Repeal 188 initiative is seeking up to 50,000 signatures to potentially roll back the law. The process — known as a “veto referendum” — requires advocates to collect signatures equal to at least 1.5% of votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election in order to put the repeal question on the 2028 statewide ballot.

If petitioners are able to collect signatures equal to 2% of the total number of those votes, meanwhile, they can suspend the law prior to the election. The effort says it needs 37,289 signatures to qualify for the ballot and 49,716 to suspend the law.

Steve Petrarca, a Massachusetts resident and a member of his parish’s pro-life committee, told EWTN News that “many” parishioners at his church were unaware of the effort. Petrarca himself is helping to gather signatures. 

He said advocates may aim to collect closer to 100,000 signatures in order to ensure they meet the threshold to suspend the law. A distribution requirement in Massachusetts means no more than 25% of signatures on a petition can come from any one single county in the state.

The abortion measure drew rebuke from the state’s Catholic bishops, who described it as “a radical measure which is gravely immoral.” The advocacy group CatholicVote, meanwhile, called for Healey — who identifies as Catholic — to be excommunicated.

“Healey is a Catholic in a state of grave sin. She has publicly and now legislatively cooperated in the destruction of innocent human life,” CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said.

In a video released amid the campaign, Massachusetts Citizens for Life President Myrna Flynn said signatories must be registered voters in the state and under state law can only sign petitions that are local to them.

“If we receive 50,000 signatures by October 23, Massachusetts voters — not activist politicians — will get to decide this very important issue in 2028,” she said.

Dr. Jeff McGovern, a pulmonologist, and Dr. Juanita Mora, spokesperson for the American Lung Association, appeared on “EWTN News Nightly” on Oct. 14 to discuss the Holy Father’s health following surgery. The Oct. 13 surgery involved the removal of the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

The most common type of lung cancer in both smokers and nonsmokers is non-small cell lung cancer, said McGovern, a CMA member. He said “treatments can be varying depending on the size” and can involve chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation in addition to the surgical removal of the lower part of the lung.

The type of ongoing treatment the pope receives will depend on the results of a pathology test, which will reveal the stage of the cancer and whether it is contained or has spread to other areas, McGovern said.

The pathology test “usually takes a couple of days,” or sometimes even longer, he said, but noted that because the patient is the Holy Father, “I would expect the pathology would be available a lot sooner than usual.”

“In the best of all possible worlds, if it is contained, then going forward, as far as treatment, itʼs a CT scan every six months and then after about two or three years, a year thereafter. And that would be the treatment, and that would be the ideal setting for the Holy Father,” he said.

Mora, a Catholic who is also from Chicago, Pope Leo’s hometown, said if the Holy Father’s pathology report reveals that the cancer has not spread, the survival rate is 80% to 90%. A spread would determine “whether he will get chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or whether he will need actual immunotherapy thatʼs geared exactly to the biomarkers of the tumor that turn positive.”

Mora said the Holy Father is “someone who is active,” playing tennis and staying in shape. “He’s a 71-year-old healthy, strong man. This is what Pope Leo has going for him,” she said.

“We know that heʼs going to be at higher risk for some viral respiratory infections,” she said. “So, it is important for him to get his COVID-19 vaccine, his flu vaccine, and his RSV vaccine for those that are eligible.”

In terms of travel, Mora said his doctors may determine he needs anticoagulation, or blood thinners, “so that heʼs at less risk of developing any clots, especially with the long flight that he has, [as well as] all the respiratory virus infections.”

By the numbers: Impact of lung cancer

“One person is diagnosed with lung cancer every 2.5 minutes,” Mora said. “In the United States, we lose 238,000 people a year due to lung cancer. And itʼs the No. 1 cause of mortality from cancer in both men and women in the United States.”

In addition to smoking, Mora highlighted several other causes of lung cancer, including radon gas, “a colorless, odorless gas that can seep in through cracks in our ground, in our home, or through cracks in walls,” ozone pollution, and particle contamination.

This story was updated at 9 a.m. ET on Oct. 15, 2026, to clarify that the most common type of lung cancer in both smokers and nonsmokers is non-small cell lung cancer, according to pulmonologist Jeff McGovern.

Bishop Brendan Cahill, who chairs the USCCB Committee on Migration, signed onto the five-page document along with NAE President Walter Kim, as part of a joint effort called the Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue on Immigration (ECDI).

“We write as Christian leaders who love our country and our immigrant neighbors,” they wrote in an Oct. 13 statement titled “A Call for Christian Compassion and Wisdom in the Immigration Debate.”

“As Catholic and evangelical Christians, we have doctrinal differences, but we are united in our conviction that God calls us to stand both with our fellow Americans who are experiencing economic and cultural anxieties and with our immigrant neighbors who are facing existential challenges,” they indicated.

According to a USCCB news release, ECDI timed the statement to correspond with an increase in reported detentions and deportations, as well as the ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of several countries, including Haitians and Syrians.

The document puts a “special focus” on children and families, citing Matt. 18:5, in which Christ says, “whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.”

Cahill and Kim emphasized all people, regardless of where they are born or their immigration status, are made in the image of God, adding: “This dignity comes from God, not government, and no earthly power may erase it.”

“The stranger is not merely a burden to bear,” they wrote. “Again and again, God has blessed his people through the outsider. From Ruth the Moabite to the present day, immigrants can bring renewal to congregations and communities that welcome them. We lament approaches that pit citizens against noncitizens.”

Both leaders said that they recognize the government’s responsibility to secure and manage borders, but that governments must also uphold religious liberty, protect the persecuted, and facilitate pathways for legal immigration.

Cahill and Kim encouraged “a better path forward,” which they argued would be consistent with all of those obligations.

“Catholic and evangelical Christians make up a large portion of our American citizenry,” the letter added. “Majorities of evangelicals and Catholics support immigration reform that would provide meaningful opportunities for longtime residents to regularize their status.”

According to the document, one element is secure borders and targeted immigration enforcement that protects family unity and prioritizes action against people who are a threat to public safety.

Other elements include limiting detentions of non-violent people, access to chaplains, and more legal pathways to permanent status for workers, family members, and humanitarian populations.

Cahill and Kim asked Christians to pray for their leaders as commanded in 1 Tim. 2:1-2, which reads: “First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.”

“Our promise of prayer extends to our law enforcement officers, our policymakers, our judges, and all in our communities who play an essential role in building up the common good,” they wrote.

“Every Christian deserves to know that he or she has been made a new creation in Christ and is a member of his Body — no matter what the particular circumstances of duty or residence,” the document points out.

The procession took about five hours for participants to cover the 3.6-kilometer (about 2.25 miles) route from the Belém Metropolitan Cathedral to Sanctuary Square located in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth.

The Círio’s Sunday program began at 6:00 a.m. with a Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Belém, Julio Akamine Endi, in front of the metropolitan cathedral. In his homily, he highlighted the significance of the procession as an expression of a shared journey toward Christ.

“The procession is very slow and takes a long time, but the pace is because we don’t want to leave anyone behind; we don’t want to abandon anyone along the way. We want everyone to reach Jesus Christ, to reach eternal life together,” he said.

“What kind of salvation is it where we leave others behind? We want to walk together, and this must also be reflected in our evangelizing and missionary work,” the archbishop continued.

In closing, he invoked the intercession of Our Lady of Nazareth so that the faithful might persevere on this journey: “May Our Lady of Nazareth, in whose honor we hold this most beautiful procession, help us to walk together toward the definitive Kingdom.”

Akamine also urged the faithful to care for others and to look after the salvation of their brothers and sisters, following Mary’s example.

“Let us ask Our Lady of Nazareth that we may know how to be submissive to God, just as she was, and that we may also care more, having zeal for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. We do not achieve this by seeking to claim a leading role that is not ours. The leading role always belongs to God. He is the Savior. He is the Savior of all. He is our Savior. And it is by obeying God that we actively collaborate in the salvation of humanity,” he noted.

Devotees fulfilling vows express their faith on the streets of Belém

After Mass, the image of Our Lady of Nazareth was placed on the “berlinda” (a ceremonial carriage) and taken in procession through the streets of Belém, pulled by a rope, one of the symbols of the Círio festival, that devotees strive to hold onto.

Along the route, devotees fulfilled their vows in various ways: walking on their knees, carrying heavy crosses or images of Our Lady, performing ballet, and even while blindfolded.

Among those fulfilling vows was 28-year-old Fabrício Corrêa, who traversed the route on his knees to honor a promise made for his motherʼs recovery. She was facing complications resulting from diabetes and was at risk of having one of her feet amputated.

“I am an Evangelical and asked God to heal her, but I also went to the basilica and asked Our Lady to intercede with Jesus so that he would grant this healing to my mother,” Corrêa told the website O Liberal.

According to him, a week later, the family received the news that the amputation would not be necessary. His mother lost only one of her toes, and Fabrício fulfilled the vow during this year’s Círio.

“I promised that if she interceded, I would fulfill that vow. I kept that to myself,” he said. His mother, a Catholic, did not know her son had made the vow and only learned of his participation in the Círio after the video went viral on social media.

Along the route, individuals and institutions also paid tribute to Our Lady of Nazareth. To help alleviate the heat, the fire department used water trucks, while volunteers distributed water to the pilgrims.

After the image arrived at Sanctuary Square, the program for the procession concluded with a Mass celebrated by the auxiliary bishop of Belém, Paulo Andreolli.

The Círio schedule of events continues throughout October with other pilgrimages and religious activities, leading up to the “Recírio”, which marks the conclusion of the festivities in honor of Our Lady of Nazareth.

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

At that time, Espaillat would become the youngest bishop in the United States. And he brought with him a passion for evangelization and the Blessed Sacrament, the likes of which would join an ever-growing movement, the National Eucharistic Revival, which was in its infancy.

About a year later, after photographing a priestly ordination at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a photographer friend of mine nudged me and asked if I was going to the Eucharistic procession in Times Square. To which I glanced at him and asked, “What procession?”

I was sitting on 51st Street with a sandwich and a cold cup of coffee, sorting photos and writing down a few thoughts. The procession wasn’t until late afternoon, and I was already pretty tired. I wasn’t planning to go. So I left it in God’s hands, which, once again, proved to be the best idea.

Hours later, I found myself in Father Duffy Square, surrounded by thousands of people praying before the Blessed Sacrament. And there at the center of it all was Espaillat, his energy and joy unmistakable. The atmosphere was electric.

In a place the world knows for its lights and spectacle, people had gathered to adore Christ. I’d nearly missed it because I was “tired.” Now I was standing in the middle of Times Square, trying to take in something utterly breathtaking.

And now, another invitation to follow him into the streets.

On Oct. 13, the Napa Institute returned to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for its annual Eucharistic procession.

And that same bishop, whose anointing filled the cathedral with laughter, and whose joy I encountered in Father Duffy Square, celebrated the 4 p.m. Mass and preached the homily. He was joined by Dominican Father Gregory Pine and Father John Burns, who led Eucharistic meditations before Mass. After Mass, the Eucharistic procession spilled from the cathedral onto the crowded city streets to bring the presence of Christ and the witness of faith of countless thousands made through Midtown.

Napa’s New York procession began in 2021. Its invitation simple: accompany Christ in the Blessed Sacrament through the city. It takes a faith nourished at the altar into the streets, where anyone passing by might encounter it.

Since then it’s been the inspiration of countless Eucharistic processions around the world. Even the National Eucharistic Revival that launched in June 2022 carried that same desire to renew Catholics’ relationship with Christ in the Eucharist.

In his homily, Espaillat preached about the people we too easily pass by. His homily was grounded in the day’s readings: Jesus at the Pharisee’s table and the cup polished outside while something remained wrong within. The remedy was almsgiving, a heart learning to give. He spoke of mercy made concrete, turning us toward the needs of another.

Near the end, he recalled Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis telling young people that they were a mystery to be encountered. Then he extended that invitation to babies, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, and inmates on death row.

“Young people are not a problem to be figured out. They are a mystery to be encountered!” he said.

And then came the challenge.

The bishop was asking us to look honestly at our own hearts, and he gave us somewhere to begin. Support a food pantry. Walk with someone who is lonely or anxious. Sit down with someone whose views differ from our own and have a Christ-like conversation. Give quietly, without announcing it on social media.

“Be kind. Give out of love, not out of obligation.”

The cathedral was standing room only. The Sisters of Life, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal and Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the Dominicans, and dozens of other religious filled the cathedral.

And above it all was an absolutely breathtaking sky, with New York’s rush hour below.

The afternoon concluded with Benediction, led by Espaillat.

Once dismissed as “Hughes’ Folly” for standing too far outside the city, St. Patrick’s now stands at its heart.

And the invitation reaches beyond its doors, into the places where we work, the people we pass, and the lives we too easily overlook.

In a city that stands as the worldʼs cultural capital, a new culture is emerging: the culture of Christ.

New generations of Catholics are forming new communities. Churches once quiet are now filled to capacity. And it’s no surprise when you realize that by bringing his Presence to the streets, grace overflows.

Christ is here. His love is for every person on these streets.

The culture of Christ begins there.

And, by his grace, it can begin again in us.

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

Morel Diplán had been appointed by Pope Leo as coadjutor archbishop of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Oct. 18, 2025, with the automatic right of succession.

As reported by the Vatican Press Office on Oct. 12 and by mandate of the Holy Father, the new archbishop of Santo Domingo also assumes the office of Military Ordinary of the Dominican Republic, a role previously held by Ozoria.

Ozoria offers Mass of thanksgiving

On Sunday, Oct. 11, Ozoria, now archbishop emeritus of Santo Domingo, offered a Mass of thanksgiving for his years of episcopal service. He spent 10 of those years serving the primatial see of the Americas, the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, erected in 1546, the first in the Western Hemisphere.

“I do not cease to be a bishop; I do not cease to be a priest; I am resigning from pastoral governance,” the prelate stated during the Mass in the Santo Domingo cathedral, concelebrated by Morel Diplán and other Dominican prelates, according to the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo.

“Every Eucharist is an act of thanksgiving to the Lord,” the archbishop emeritus said, highlighting that “the way to exercise the priesthood is in the manner of Jesus Christ, who gives life to the world through his death on the cross.”

New archbishop of Santo Domingo

Morel Diplán was born on Nov. 2, 1969, in Monte de la Jagua, Moca, in Espaillat Province. He was ordained a priest on June 24, 2000, for the Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic.

He has served as rector, vice rector, and professor at the seminary; vocations director; parish priest, vicar, and parish administrator; collaborator with various diocesan curia bodies; and professor and director of the School for the Permanent Diaconate in Santiago de los Caballeros.

On Dec. 14, 2016, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Santiago de los Caballeros. On Dec. 2, 2023, he was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of La Vega, and on Oct. 18, 2024, he was named bishop of the same diocese.

On Oct. 18, 2025, he was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Santo Domingo.

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

Ráez, who is not treating the pope, serves as the medical director and head of the Thoracic Oncology Program at the Memorial Cancer Institute in Florida.

The Vatican reported that the pope had “the lower lobe of the right lung removed using a video-assisted technique. The intraoperative histological examination has confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as was suspected from the preoperative tests.”

The most common lung tumor

“The Holy Father remained in the operating room for approximately 3 hours; the duration of the surgery was approximately 90 minutes. The surgery was a success and there were no complications,” the Holy See added.

Ráez explained that adenocarcinoma “is the most common tumor in the lung” and noted that “in general, lung cancers are more aggressive than those of the prostate or breast.”

However, he clarified that seriousness is not defined solely by the type of cancer, but that “the prognosis depends on the stage, that is, the size of the tumor and how far it has spread.”

‘Stage one or stage two’

The pope said during the Angelus prayer on Sunday, Oct. 11, that a nodule on his lung was detected “at a very early stage” and was “well localized.” Ráez speculated that the decision to operate could confirm that the cancer is not at an advanced stage.

“We assume that is the case because they subjected him to surgery. If it were metastatic, for example, stage three or stage four, which are advanced, most likely they would not have operated on him. An operation usually implies stage one or stage two,” he said.

Asked what will determine whether removal of part of the lung is sufficient or whether additional treatment will be required, Ráez highlighted the importance of the tumor size and the absence of metastases.

“If the tumor is larger than four centimeters, the surgery will not be enough and chemotherapy will be necessary. If the tumor is smaller than four centimeters, the surgery is sufficient and nothing else is done. A patient then moves to an observation phase with check-ups every six months,” he explained.

The recovery process

Regarding the chances of a cure, Ráez noted that, under optimal conditions and with a tumor smaller than four centimeters, the figures are favorable: “The chance of cure for early-stage lung cancer is 80 to 90%; it is not total because the cancer can come back.”

Regarding the physical recovery of Pope Leo XIV, who is 71 years old, Ráez expressed a favorable short-term prognosis. “Since he is a healthy man, the most likely thing is that he will be fine” in a few weeks, he stated.

He added that this surgery usually requires a hospital stay of two or three days in the United States and considered that, in the pontiff’s case, more days of hospitalization may have been planned as a precaution.

Regarding medical follow-up after discharge, the specialist stressed that the protocol does not end when one leaves the hospital. “For the next five years, control CT scans must be done every six months, until one is sure that the cancer has not returned and that he has been cured,” said Ráez, who has more than two decades of experience in hematology and medical oncology.

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

The medical report released by the Vatican was signed by his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the surgeon who led the operation.

The bulletin said the Holy Father underwent scheduled “blood tests and a chest X-ray” Wednesday morning.

“The results confirm a normal postoperative course: The values are within the expected range for the type of surgery performed,” the doctors said.

The bulletin also highlighted progress in his physical recovery.

“The Holy Father underwent respiratory physiotherapy and began walking around his room,” the doctors reported, referring to an activity considered essential to recovery after lung surgery.

The physicians also said the pontiff had resumed his normal diet.

“Recovery is proceeding as expected,” they said in the bulletin released by the Holy See, easing concerns that arose late Tuesday when the Vatican confirmed the cancer diagnosis.

A histological examination confirmed that the pope had pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

The first encouraging news came early Wednesday morning, following an anxious night. In a brief statement, the Vatican confirmed that the pope had spent a “peaceful night” and was continuing to recover from anesthesia in his room on the 10th floor of Romeʼs Gemelli Hospital.

A few hours later came confirmation that, despite his hospitalization, Leo remains able to carry out his responsibilities governing the Church.

At noon, the Holy See announced that the pontiff had accepted the resignation of Archbishop Bernard Bober from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Košice, Slovakia, and appointed Auxiliary Bishop Marek Forgáč of the same archdiocese as his successor.

He also appointed Bishop Wellington de Queiroz Vieira as the new metropolitan archbishop of Cuiabá, Brazil, transferring him from the Diocese of Cristalândia.

The popeʼs clinical progress will determine the course of his treatment over the coming weeks. Doctors continue to monitor his postoperative recovery closely before making decisions about the next stages of treatment and his schedule in the coming days.

For now, all his scheduled engagements remain canceled through next Tuesday.

Among the upcoming events awaiting confirmation is the Angelus on Sunday, Oct. 18. If his medical condition permits, the pope could lead the prayer from the hospital, a gesture that would be seen as an encouraging sign of his recovery.

Members of the popeʼs closest entourage, known in Vatican terminology as the papal household, remain at his side. They include his two personal secretaries, Peruvian Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga and Italian Father Marco Billeri.

A blessing from heaven

Meanwhile, Gemelli Hospital continues to receive expressions of affection and solidarity from faithful who have come from around the world.

Among them is Gina, a native of Lima, Peru, who was praying before the imposing statue of St. John Paul II in the courtyard of the Rome hospital.

For the past two years, she has cared for her husband, who has Parkinsonʼs disease. He is currently hospitalized at Gemelli after developing an infection.

For Gina, being in the same hospital as the pope is more than a coincidence. She considers it a “blessing from heaven” that helps her endure her suffering.

“It gives me strength to think that my husband is suffering as a patient just a few yards from the Holy Father. I know his suffering is not in vain because we offer it to God,” she told EWTN News.

For Gina, the circumstances have strengthened her faith and hope.

“That has given me more strength and more hope. Knowing that the pope is here helps me keep going,” she said.

She happened to return from Peru, where she had traveled to visit family, on Oct. 11, after leaving Rome on Aug. 28. Her return coincided with the news of the pontiffʼs impending surgery.

“My mother called me the next day and asked how my husband was doing. When I told her that the pope was in the same hospital, she burst into tears: ‘Blessed be God, blessed be God,’” Gina recalled.

She also described the excitement building in Peru ahead of Leoʼs planned visit.

“Choirs, folk groups, and many local residents are organizing to celebrate his arrival. Heʼs going to see the children he baptized, the children who have grown up and are now adults. People adore him,” she said.

Gina said she cannot imagine the pontiff having to cancel his planned trip to Latin America.

For now, however, the messages coming from the Vatican have been encouraging.

Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni emphasized that the tumor was “at an early stage” and that the nodule removed was “circumscribed and localized.”

The statement released after the operation used the term “radicality” to indicate that doctors believe the lesion was completely removed.

Specialists also believe that the loss of a lung lobe should not have significant consequences for the daily life of a patient in Leoʼs physical condition.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Oct. 14, Bruni referred to the popeʼs “desire” to proceed with his trip scheduled for early November.

“We have heard the popeʼs words about the trip, and therefore his intention, his desire, and also the fact that ... he wants to go,” the Vatican spokesman said.

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

The institutions listed in a pastoral letter and decree issued Oct. 12, include St. Winifred Secondary School, St. Winifred Nursery and Primary School, St. Thomas Hospital, the hospital chaplaincy, Subin Mind Care Center, and St. Winifred Parish, all located in Ihugh within the diocese.

The decree, which took effect immediately provides for the withdrawal of all diocesan personnel serving in the affected institutions, including priests, consecrated persons, catechists, pastoral workers, teachers, medical personnel, and administrative staff.

In the decree, Bishop William Amove Avenya directs that the personnel be reassigned or redeployed, adding that no one would be permitted to resume duties or exercise ministry on behalf of the diocese in Ihugh without his written authorization.

The decree states that the closure is “temporary in intent, though indefinite in duration,” and will remain in force until the bishop, in consultation with his advisers, determines that conditions for a safe return have been met.

According to the decree that he co-signed with the diocese’s chancellor, Father Marcellinus Wende, the decision to reopen the institutions will be communicated through a further decree.

The pastoral letter indicates that the closures follow repeated attacks, destruction of property, and other security incidents affecting Catholic institutions in Ihugh.

Among the incidents cited are the burning of student hostels at St. Winifred Secondary School on Oct. 28, and on OCt. 11, May 10 ,and May 15 of this year.

The diocese also cites repeated burglaries at St. Winifred Parish and criminal incidents at St. Thomas Hospital.

The letter further recalls disturbances during the hospital’s reopening on June 21, 2024, when members of the local community displayed placards and chanted slogans declaring that they no longer wanted Catholic religious sisters to work in Ihugh.

“These acts are identified as part of a systemic pattern of hostility and destruction directed at Church-owned properties,” Avenya says, adding that the incidents had left fear, loss, and uncertainty among those serving in and depending on the institutions.

The bishop said the diocese had pursued dialogue and reconciliation before deciding to suspend operations.

According to the letter, diocesan representatives met with members of the host community, engaged traditional rulers and elders, and presented their concerns to civil and security authorities. However, these efforts had not secured the peace and guarantees of safety required for the institutions to continue operating.

“The Church cannot, in conscience, continue to expose her priests, consecrated persons, teachers, technical medical personnel, students and patients to danger,” the bishop said.

Despite the closures, the bishop outlined measures to support those affected. Students at the secondary, primary, and nursery schools will be assisted, as far as possible, to continue their education at other Catholic schools within the diocese, with further details to be provided by the director of Catholic Education Services.

Patients receiving care at St. Thomas Hospital will be referred to other health facilities, with arrangements made for the proper handover of those requiring urgent medical attention.

The diocese has also pledged to treat affected staff with justice and charity, in accordance with Church teaching on the dignity of labour.

In the pastoral letter, Avenya called on the people of Ihugh, traditional rulers, youth leaders, government officials, and law enforcement agencies to work towards restoring peace and ensuring the protection of lives and property. He also urged authorities to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.

“We bear no ill will toward our brothers and sisters,” the bishop said, while condemning violence, arson, and destruction as contrary to the Gospel and the common good.

Avenya said a return to Ihugh would remain possible if there were genuine repentance, restitution, a firm commitment to peace and credible, lasting assurances of safety for Church personnel and property.

As part of its response, the bishop called on the faithful to pray for peace and reconciliation, further directing parishes to offer the Prayer of the Faithful and celebrate Holy Mass for peace. He also encouraged families to pray the rosary, and designated Friday, Oct. 23, as a day of prayer and fasting for reconciliation.

Avenya has been vocal about unprovoked attacks and the killing of innocent people in the country’s Benue State within his diocese.

In June last year, he painted a grim picture of nearly two decades of relentless violence, displacements, and suffering in one of Nigeria’s most troubled regions.

“For about 20 years, Benue State has witnessed serial killings, maiming, and ejection of thousands of indigenous people from their ancestral homelands, with their means of livelihood destroyed in the process,” the Nigerian bishop lamented in his statement titled, “A Cry of Anguish from the Benue Valley.”

He added, “Many of those forced out of their homes are living in the camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) under gravely dehumanizing conditions and are predominantly cared for by charities, while others are living with other people (mostly their relatives).”

Despite the grim picture, Avenya said, “What we need is peace, and this is not too much to ask for. The blame game has gone on for too long. It is time to act.”

This article was first published by ACI Africa, EWTN News’ sister service in Africa, and has been adapted for EWTN News English.

Weaver’s appointment makes her the first woman president in the universityʼs history, according to an Oct. 12 press release. She succeeds University of Dayton President Eric Spina and is set to begin the role on July 1, 2027.

“Darlene has an innate understanding of the University of Dayton, a deep belief in our Catholic, Marianist mission and a demonstrated ability to move important work forward,” Deborah Tobias, chair of the University of Dayton Board of Trustees and the presidential search advisory committee, said in the release.

“UD’s mission has never been more important,” Weaver said. “In a world shaped by technological change, social division and questions about the value of higher education, the University of Dayton has a distinctive role to play in serving the common good. We educate students not only for professional success, but for lives of meaning, responsibility and service. That is the promise of a Catholic, Marianist education, and it will guide the work ahead.”

Cleveland diocesan school launches ‘Pathways’ initiative for young men

Benedictine High School in Cleveland announced the start of Pathways, an initiative aimed at empowering young men to explore their passions while preparing for college.

“Rather than following a one-size-fits-all educational model, Pathways allows students to engage in meaningful, hands-on learning experiences aligned with their interests and future aspirations with concentrations in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), business-entrepreneurship, fine and performing arts and vocations,” the diocese said in an Oct. 6 press release.

Students will have the opportunity to continue exploring courses in fields already offered by the school, including STEM, business, entrepreneurship, and fine arts. “Launching with electives in computer repair, media production, construction and manufacturing, the vocations pathway will provide students with hands-on experiences, opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials and meaningful exposure to technical careers,” the release said.

Omaha Archdiocese announces pilot program for career, technical training

Archbishop Michael McGovern is launching a pilot program for technical vocational training at six Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska.

“Archbishop Michael McGovern is proud to announce this initiative to expand opportunities in Career and Technical Education in Catholic schools across Northeast Nebraska,” according to the program’s website. “This multi-year initiative is the first such effort by a diocesan school system in the United States and will begin with a pilot at six schools in 2027-2028.”

The program will feature “trade bootcamps” in fields such as auto repair, construction, and HVAC; career exploration days; and a “Lunch and Learn” series for women in technical areas.

Participating schools include Norfolk Catholic Junior and High School, St. Joseph Elementary School, Christ the King Catholic School, Skutt Catholic High School, All Saints Catholic School, and Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School.

“Career & Technical Education expands the ways students in Archdiocese of Omaha schools can discover their gifts, apply their knowledge in hands-on lessons, explore meaningful careers and prepare for life beyond high school,” the website said.

Hawley questioned whether the study is accurately measuring risks to women of the abortion drug, which since 2021 has been available by mail. The FDA halted in-person dispensing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic and formally modified the policy in 2023, continuing to allow abortion pills by mail.

He expressed concern that the study did not provide dates for what it called “relevant time periods” during which the drug’s effects were measured. He wrote that the study relies on Sentinel, a database of insurance claims and health records, but does not provide the time frame being analyzed. He expressed concern that data must include dates “after the Biden Administration gutted safety regulations in 2023.”

Hawley noted that Louisiana is challenging the FDA in a federal suit alleging the government did not adequately ascertain the drug’s safety before removing safeguards.

The senator asked Diamantas to provide answers in writing by Oct. 22.

Catholics join LDS Church in Idaho in opposing ballot measure expanding abortion access

The Diocese of Boise, Idaho, has joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) in a campaign opposing Proposition 1, an initiative that expands abortion access.

Last week, the diocese donated $300,000 to the political action committee Too Extreme for Idaho, to which the LDS church had already donated $1 million, according to the Idaho secretary of state.

Boise Bishop Peter F. Christensen in July and again in September urged Catholics to vote against the measure, which he called “too extreme” for the state, saying if passed, it “would remove nearly all protections for pre-born babies and put vulnerable women at risk.”

He emphasized that the measure, if passed, would undermine parental rights by no longer requiring parental consent for abortions as well as other medical procedures on minors and would remove the current legal requirement that only physicians perform abortions.

“Proposition 1 concerns matters of profound moral significance, particularly abortion, human dignity, freedom and the protection owed to unborn human life,” he wrote in September. “These questions cannot be separated from our Catholic faith simply because they appear on a ballot. The voting booth does not somehow stand outside our relationship with Christ.”

Fired teacher sues school in England for discriminating against her Christian faith

A teacher in England is suing after she was fired in March for telling a student who asked her about her views on abortion that she was pro-life.

Anita Meston, a 63-year-old who taught history at Biddick Academy in Washington, Sunderland, is suing the school for discriminating against her Christian faith, which she says is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

“If our national education system continues to claim to foster inclusion and tolerance, this must include tolerance of perspectives with which others disagree,” Meston said in a press release from Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal group representing her.

“In a free and just society, teachers should not be fired for honestly expressing their deeply held beliefs in response to questions in the classroom,” she said. “What happened to me is nothing short of censorship, and this precedent cannot be allowed to stand.”

Pro-abortion protesters block pro-life group at student fair in England

Protesters blocked the stall of the Pro-Life Society, a pro-life student group, at a student fair held at the University of Manchester in England on Sept. 25.

While the protesters, some of them members of Manchester Leftist Action, did not touch the stall, they held a banner in front of it that said “Destroy Pro-Life Soc.” They also collected money for and passed out leaflets on pro-abortion groups as well as links to an Instagram account called @stopmanchesterprolife, according to The Mancunion.

A Pro-Life Society spokesperson told The Mancunion the roughly four-hour blockade limited their free speech and prevented students from approaching the stall, adding that university staff’s requests for protesters to move were largely ineffective.

The society has faced campus opposition since its founding according to the report, including earlier protests and an unsuccessful disbandment petition.

A spokesperson for Manchester Leftist Action stated that, because the university would not act against what they described as “bigotry and dangerous pseudoscience,” they chose to counter the stall by engaging students and raising funds for abortion care. They said they would continue opposing the society’s efforts on campus.

With the midterms approaching on Nov. 3, the survey found Catholics favoring Democrats by 3 percentage points. Pew polled 5,062 adults, which included 3,917 registered voters from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 for its American Trends Panel. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.6 percentage points.

The survey found that Catholics favor Democratic House candidates by a narrow margin, 42% to 39%, though white Catholics and Hispanic Catholics differ significantly in their political preferences.

Among white Catholics, 50% said they plan to vote Republican and 32% Democratic, while 59% of Hispanic Catholics said they plan to vote Democratic and 19% Republican.

Catholic voter approval of Trump falls to 30%

The poll shows President Donald Trump’s approval rating plummeting among Catholics since he began his second term, with 30% approving of how he has handled his job as president and 67% disapproving. In January 2025, his approval was about 47% among Catholics.

About 18% of Hispanic Catholics approve of Trump’s presidency and 78% disapprove. Among white Catholics, about 39% approve and 59% disapprove.

Among all voters, the survey found 44% of registered voters favoring Democratic candidates for the House and 36% favoring the Republican candidate. It found 30% of voters approve of Trump’s job as president and 68% disapprove.

The poll found that white evangelical Protestants and white Catholics were more likely to support Republican House candidates in the Nov. 3 elections, while Black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics, atheists, agnostics, and people with no particular religion were more likely to support Democratic candidates.