“Persecuted and Forgotten?” outlines how Christians are being forced from their homes through conflict, extremism, and religiously motivated violence in 18 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America between August 2024 and June 2026.

According to research by ACN, 220 million Christians are directly exposed to persecution worldwide. The latest data from Pew Research Center indicates that anti-Christian harassment, ranging from verbal abuse to killings, occurred in 165 countries in 2023, up from 160 in 2021.

At the launch of the report in Portcullis House, London, John Pontifex, head of press for ACN UK, told EWTN News: “By virtue of our shared faith, we identify, inevitably, particularly strongly, with those of our brothers and sisters who suffer for their faith, and we recognize that itʼs an accident of birth that sees them in that situation of persecution and us in a situation of much greater liberty.”

He added: “There are Christians that suffer persecution in more countries than is the case with any other faith group. Up to 165 countries are those where Christians suffer from discrimination, oppression, or persecution. Thatʼs far more than any other religious group, so we need to share their story, and to tell people, our friends, our family, our parish, our [politicians].”

The report outlines how the persecution of Christians by authoritarian regimes has grown to unprecedented levels in countries where there is an anti-West sentiment.

Chinese authorities have intensified their oppression of Christians, as they aim to align religious doctrine more closely with communist principles. This has led to mass detentions, clergy being jailed on legal technicalities, churches closing, and online religious content being controlled.

The report tells of the persecution in Nicaragua, where the regime increased its crackdown on Christians, arresting and exiling clergy, preventing ordinations, seizing Church institutions, and preventing people entering the country with Bibles.

The report also outlines how the arrests of Christians doubled within 12 months in Iran, as crackdowns have intensified.

“Weʼre calling on all countries around the world and the U.N. to fully implement Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which enshrines religious freedom,” Pontifex said.

“Weʼre not calling for special treatment but simply calling for people to band together, to stop acts of oppression — be it people being kidnapped for their faith, be it people being forced from their jobs for reasons to do with their faith …  And indeed, for those who are unfairly tried and sentenced to life imprisonment, for crimes theyʼve not committed,” he said. “Like blasphemy laws, which are arbitrarily enforced. And then recognizing there are people who are often asked to pay the ultimate price. This should stop.”

Sub-Saharan Africa was one particular area of focus, listing Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as territories with the worst extremist attacks since the height of the Daesh (ISIS) violence in the Middle East.

The report outlines how jihadist violence in the Sahel region has led to militant groups now controlling 40% of the country.

“They often coerce villagers to follow Islamic customs, making women veil their faces in public and men grow beards. Those who refuse are expelled or even publicly executed. Where insurgents allow Christians to practice their faith, this is restricted to inside churches, and it cannot be taught to children,” Pontifex explained.

Speaking to the conference about the Christians suffering from this oppression, Caroline Hull, national director of ACN UK, said: “These are people just like you and me. If someone said, ‘Will you give up your faith or I will take your children?’
what would you do? If someone said, ‘Iʼll let you get out of prison if you turn your back on Jesus Christ’? These are fair questions to ask ourselves, and we need to remember that these are people just like us.”

In October 2025, receiving an ACN delegation, Pope Leo XIV declared that religious freedom is “a cornerstone of any just society for it safeguards the moral space in which conscience may be informed and exercised… Religious freedom, therefore, is not merely a legal right or a privilege to us granted by governments; it is a foundational condition that makes reconciliation possible.”

ACN is a Catholic charity founded to help Christians in need where they are persecuted, oppressed, or in pastoral need through support, charitable work, and generating awareness.

On Nov. 18, ACN will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its #RedWednesday campaign, which raises awareness about the persecution of Christians worldwide.

The full report is available to read here.

The survey was published on Oct. 26 by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), which is a research center at Georgetown University that produces social scientific studies about the Catholic Church.

It found significant differences among racial and ethnic categories, with Indigenous and Black Catholics reporting the highest levels of racial discrimination. Non-Hispanic white Catholics reported the lowest levels of racial discrimination.

The survey found that 75% of Indigenous Catholics reported experiences of racial discrimination in their lives. About 15% said they have experienced it in their parishes and 23% have experienced it in Catholic education.

It found that 66% of Black Catholics said they have experienced racial discrimination at some point in their lives, with 26% experiencing it in their parish communities and 26% experiencing it in Catholic education.

About 54% of Hispanic Catholics reported experiencing racial discrimination in their lives, with 15% saying they have experienced it in their parishes and 16% saying they have experienced it in Catholic education.

Among Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian Catholics, 54% said they have experienced racial discrimination in their lives, with 11% saying they experienced it in their parishes and 14% saying they have experienced it in Catholic education.

For white non-Hispanic Catholics, 29% reported they have experienced racial discrimination in their lives, with 6% saying they experienced it in their parishes and 7% saying they experienced it in Catholic education.

The largest category of respondents was white non-Hispanic Catholics, who made up 49% of those surveyed. About 24% of respondents were Hispanic; 16% were Black; 6% were Asian, Pacific Islander, or Native Hawaiian; 2% were Indigenous; 1% were another race; and 1% were mixed.

Ali Mumbach, research assistant for CARA, told EWTN News: “The findings from this report are very revealing about racism in the U.S. Catholic Church.”

“There is one group that experiences racial discrimination within the walls of the Catholic Church in the U.S. more than any other,” Mumbach said. “Black Catholics are the most likely to attend a parish that has merged (26%), have experienced racial discrimination in their parish (26%) as well as in Catholic education (26%). Twenty-six percent is 1 in 4 Black Catholics, compared to 1 in 10 adult Catholics in their parish or in Catholic education.”

“Based on the findings in this study, adult Catholics are generally in agreement with Church teachings that racism is a sin,” she said. “However, the reality of living out anti-racism within the Church seems to be a different story.”

A large majority of each racial and ethnic group said they believe implicit and explicit racism exist in their local communities to some degree. Implicit racism refers to forms of discrimination, such as unfair housing, access to education, and job opportunities. Explicit racism refers to forms of discrimination, such as verbal name calling, being denied services, and racial profiling.

The survey found that 17% of Catholics believe implicit racism exists “very much” in their local communities. It found that 33% believe it exists “somewhat,” 28% believe it exists “a little,” and 22% said it does not exist at all in their communities.

It found that 19% of Catholics said they believe explicit racism exists “very much” in their local communities, 32% said it exists “somewhat,” 27% said it exists “a little” and 22% said it does not exist at all.

White Catholics were the least likely to say explicit and implicit racism exists “very much” in their local communities. Black Catholics were the most likely to say those forms of racism exist “very much” in their communities.

Views about racism

The survey also asked respondents about their views on racism, which CARA said is derived from Church documents that condemn and define racism. A majority of each racial and ethnic group strongly or somewhat agreed with each statement.

It found 75% of Catholics strongly or somewhat agree it is sinful to “exclude, ridicule, mistreat, or unjustly discriminate against persons on the basis of their race or ethnicity.” It found that 19% neither agree nor disagree and 7% either strongly or somewhat disagree.

The survey found that 73% of Catholics strongly or somewhat agree racism can also come in the form of a sin of omission “when individuals, communities, and even churches remain silent and fail to act against racial injustice when it is encountered.” Another 20% neither agree nor disagree and 7% either strongly or somewhat disagree.

It found 67% of Catholics strongly or somewhat agree “racism can only end if we contend with the policies and institutional barriers that perpetuate and preserve the inequality — economic and social — that we still see all around us.” Another 24% neither agreed nor disagreed, and 9% either strongly or somewhat disagreed.

Venezuelan outfielder Jackson Chourio put on a great performance in the postseason with the Brewers. At the beginning of October in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, he got a ninth-inning, 2-and-2-count hit off the San Diego Padres' star closer, Mason Miller, driving in two runs for the Brewers and winning the game.

Chourio led the Brewers to their first World Series appearance since 1982. He spoke on Oct. 22 with Venezuelan journalist Mari Montes about how his relationship with God has played a vital role in his athletic career. “It’s thanks to him that I am here, and he fills me with so many blessings. How could I not believe?” he said, speaking to El Extrabase on camera.

The 22-year-old ballplayer hails from Maracaibo, one of the Venezuelan cities most devoted to the Blessed Virgin. There, every Nov. 18, the city celebrates Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, the patroness of both the city and the entire state of Zulia. This particular devotion is affectionately known as “la Chinita.”

“It means a great deal. All of us from Maracaibo believe. She is always in my prayers; I ask her for so much, that she grant me good health and continue to bestow so many blessings upon me,” Chourio said regarding the Virgin Chinita.

Another of the Brewers’ stars is catcher William Contreras, who was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. Immediately after the conclusion of the fourth game of the National League Championship Series in which Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers, Contreras knelt at home plate, looked toward to heaven, raised his arms, and exclaimed in a distinctly Venezuelan way: “Thank you, Papa God!”

“Throughout these playoffs, I’ve been talking a lot with God, asking him to keep me healthy for the games. This is going to be a huge dream for me and my family. I always go out there to give my best, and that’s what I’ve been talking about with him, asking him to guide me and help me,” Contreras told El Extrabase.

The catcher also shared that he is a devotee of the Virgin of Coromoto, the patroness of Venezuela. “She’s the one my mom mentions the most,” he said. Contreras also mentioned the health of Pope Leo XIV, expressing his joy that the Holy Father is recovering extraordinarily well from his recent surgery.

Antonio Senzatela, a Venezuelan pitcher for the Brewers, also mentioned that he thanks God every day for having gotten to this point in his career. “I am a man of deep faith; I’ve gone to church since I was a little boy, that’s what my mom and dad taught me,” he said.

“Life has taken things away from me. He has taken things away; my mom and dad are no longer with me but I have a wife who loves me and wonderful children. I feel grateful to God for everything he gives me. There are difficult moments, but he also gives me many moments to laugh and be happy,” he added.

Similarly, Néstor Corredor, a key member of the Brewers’ coaching staff, shared that, until recently, he “called himself an atheist.” The Venezuelan noted that he did not have a “complete faith” but that in recent years, he has sought to understand God’s presence in his life.

“Every time you wake up in the morning, you have to thank God, because he’s the one who allowed you to wake up. For me, every single day, the first words I speak before checking my phone, before talking to my wife, and before seeing my children, are directed to God. Knowing that he is listening, wherever it may be, and that when you surrender yourself to him, you will be blessed and in 2026, I have been quite blessed,” he remarked.

Corredor, Chourio, Contreras, and Senzatela were all part of the Venezuelan national team roster that won the World Baseball Classic title in March after defeating a U.S. team packed with superstars.

On the other side is Víctor Mesa Jr., a young Cuban outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. Before playing in his first World Series, Mesa reflected on his youth in Cuba, noting that faith is not a value that is typically instilled there.

“Since I arrived here I believe more. If I am here, it’s for a reason, I have always said that. That is one of my favorite sayings: Everything happens for a reason and thank God because look what more beautiful reason is this,” he commented.

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 U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a public comment on Oct. 22 to the Commerce Department, which houses the Census Bureau, asking it to entirely withdraw the proposed changes, which the bishops say “conflict with our fundamental belief in the equal dignity of every person, the obligations of a just society, and legal precedent.”

The bishops compared the proposal to the Three-Fifths Compromise, calling to mind a constitutional provision rooted in slavery that was later changed and counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for purposes of congressional representation. They pointed to potential harm to federally funded healthcare, anti-poverty, family support, and infrastructure programs if millions of people are excluded from the census count.

The proposed rule changes, published Sept. 10 and open to public comment until Nov. 2, would count only citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for apportionment, with the bureau stating that “illegal aliens (among others) should not be included in the apportionment count, as they are not true inhabitants, members of the body politic, or persons with a ‘usual residence’ in the United States due to their lack of a sufficient tie and allegiance to the United States.”

“Excluding from the census noncitizens without LPR status, including but not limited to members of the undocumented population, is effectively to deny they are ‘persons,’” the letter said.

The bishops called this change a “novel view,” challenging the Census Bureau’s interpretation of “usual residence,” which it says would generally be the place where a person lawfully spent the greatest number of days from Jan. 3 to April 1, consistent with tax records. The letter also notes some drafting ambiguity in the proposal about whether non-LPRs would be excluded from the census entirely or only from the apportionment base.

The bishops say relying on tax records without a clear methodology will be statistically impractical and risks inaccuracy, arguing that additional questions or new practices will become necessary to determine whether a person’s “usual residence” conforms with their legal immigration status. They cite research findings published by the U.S. Census Bureau showing “an adverse effect on response rate” when immigration status and citizenship questions are scrutinized.

They noted that every census since it began in 1790 has counted noncitizens, including those without permanent legal status.

The bishops also wrote that in addition to its primary purpose of determining the number of seats allotted to each state in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is determined by population, the census, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, produces data used to apportion federal funds to communities.

An undercount could severely harm the common good, the bishops argue, as programs that receive trillions in federal funding to provide healthcare, reduce poverty, support families, and provide crucial infrastructure utilized by all citizens will be impacted through excluding millions of persons from the apportionment count.

They note that Catholic ministries, which often operate at the government’s request to help implement programs guided by census data, would be hindered in their service to vulnerable populations if communities lose access to resources and if the data needed to understand local needs is less accurate.

The Census Bureau in the proposed rule change is also seeking to prohibit demographic questions concerning race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation on questionnaires used to count the population, supporting the change by citing privacy concerns, saying certain questions may make individuals more identifiable, and noting that fewer questions on the census questionnaire will increase the response rate. The bureau also argues such questions do not advance the core constitutional purpose of a census for apportionment of House seats.

The bishops suggest including a “prefer not to disclose” option rather than removing questions about race and ethnicity altogether, writing that “demographic data can help identify and address inequity” due to racism. They note that the bureau “does not even attempt to address how the proposed restrictions on the collection of demographic information could adversely impact” the support various communities receive based on their particular community’s needs, which demographic data collected on the census helps determine.

The U.S. Census Bureau did not immediately respond to EWTN News’ request for comment.

In an Oct. 23 statement, the USCCB noted that the award was announced by Bishop Óscar Cantú of San José, California, chair of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, during the 2026 annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry.

The conference, held Oct. 20–23 in Anaheim, California, brought together hundreds of leaders in Hispanic ministry from dioceses across the United States.

According to the statement, Cantú noted that Gomez “has advocated for the Hispanic community for decades. He has been a tireless champion for the Catholic Church and specifically for Hispanic Catholics, highlighting the gifts that they bring to the Church in the United States.”

“With the Encuentros Award, we wish to recognize his work and express our heartfelt appreciation for everything he has done across many years,” Cantú stated.

Gomez will receive the Encuentros Award during the U.S. bishops’ plenary assembly in November, which will take place in Baltimore.

The life of Archbishop José H. Gomez

Born in Monterrey in Nuevo León state in Mexico on Dec. 26, 1951, Gomez has three older sisters and one younger sister. His parents are Dr. José H. Gomez and Esperanza Velasco, according to a biography published by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

He was ordained a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei on Aug. 15, 1978, at the Shrine of Torreciudad in Spain.

Having studied accounting, philosophy, and theology, he earned a doctorate in theology from the University of Navarra in Spain.

He subsequently served as a priest in the Archdiocese of San Antonio and in what is now the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

In 2001, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Denver by Pope John Paul II. Four years later, again by the decision of the Polish saint, he became the archbishop of San Antonio.

In 2010, he was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Los Angeles by Pope Benedict XVI and installed as archbishop in March 2011.

He served as president of the USCCB from 2019 to 2022, becoming the first Hispanic and the first immigrant to assume leadership of the U.S. episcopate. Gomez is a naturalized American citizen.

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.

Vance, who is widely considered to be a frontrunner for the 2028 Republican nomination, told Arroyo on the latter’s “Arroyo Grande” podcast on Oct. 21 that he was not thinking intensively about the prospect of a presidential race amid the contentious 2026 midterms.

“As soon as the midterms are over … Iʼm going to have to think seriously about it,” Vance said. He noted that he and his wife have four small children “and that’s a consideration.”

Asked by Arroyo if he felt God calling him to mount a presidential run, he responded: “I feel God calling me to do as good of a job as I can.”

“I feel God calling me to try to promote the common good and the job that Iʼm doing right now,” he said. “And I think that when I actually sit down with my wife and with my pastor and with just my own internal deliberation — I think at that point Iʼll either hear God telling me to do something or to not do something.”

“I havenʼt felt God telling me Iʼve got to do one thing or another,” he said, though he admitted: “Maybe that’ll change.”

The vice president and Arroyo spoke in a wide-ranging interview that focused on politics, family, faith, and other issues. Vance said during the exchange that his faith “influences how [he thinks] about public policy.”

“I think that what my faith calls me to do is to be more charitable towards people,” he said. “It forces me to ask questions: ‘How can we raise up the least among us? How do we ensure that people have good access to jobs, even if it isnʼt always the perfect thing for a corporate bottom line?’

“It also tells me to protect the weak and the vulnerable — of course, I think starting with the unborn, but a lot of other people on top of that,” he continued.

“So I do think that while Iʼm an imperfect practitioner of my faith, I think the very best version of myself is that which listens to that voice in my head that I think ultimately comes from God.”

Asked by Arroyo about his “greatest regret,” Vance said: “Not having kids sooner.”

Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance were married in 2014 and welcomed their first child in 2017. “I had been dating Usha for three weeks, I knew I wanted to marry her, I knew I wanted to have kids with her, and we should have just started sooner,” he said.

“I always tell young couples, you always think youʼre going to check all these boxes and finances are going to be perfect, and then youʼre going to have kids,” he said. “Nobody looks back on their life and says, ‘I had two kids too early.’”

“During the days of the Holy Father’s upcoming apostolic journey to Latin America, several meetings are planned with people who are victims of abuse by members of the clergy and the Church,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.

The Vatican also explained that these meetings “reflect the Pope’s desire to express his closeness to those who have suffered, and continue to suffer, because of this violence.”

However, the Vatican did not specify the number of meetings or how they were to be conducted. Its statement, however, emphasized that the popeʼs objective is “to work with [abuse victims] in building paths of healing accessible to anyone in need, and to ensure that the Church is a safe and spiritually healthy place that lives and proclaims the Gospel.”

The announcement of these meetings is not unprecedented. During his September visit to France, the Holy See Press Office also confirmed in advance the pope’s intention to meet with abuse victims at the Lourdes shrine. However, during his June visit to Spain, the Vatican did not announce in advance the meeting the pope held with victims at the apostolic nunciature in Madrid. The meeting was held privately and made public afterward.

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 Lilly Endowment told EWTN News that archdioceses and church-related networks that minister to students on multiple college and university campuses are eligible to apply for grants through the initiative.

According to the grant page, the Lilly Endowment “intends to award grants of up to $7.5 million each to approximately 20 national and regional charitable organizations.”

Matt Zerrusen, Newman Ministry co-founder and chief innovative discipleship officer, told EWTN News that Newman Ministry is in the process of applying for the grant now.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity,” Zerrusen said. “There’s not many times where something like this opens up in campus ministry just because it’s been an overlooked part of ministry in the Church.”

Zerrusen expressed hope that other Catholic campus ministries like FOCUS, Saint Paul’s Outreach, and the Catholic Campus Ministry Association would apply for the program as well, calling for ministry organizations to unify their efforts.

“There’s so much competition in the Catholic world that itʼs like, ‘Well, hang on here. What are we doing?’” he said. “Weʼre both trying to solve the same problem.”

Pope Leo XIV appoints Catholic University of America professor to pontifical academy

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Gregory Doolan, the Monsignor John F. Wippel chair in Thomistic metaphysics at The Catholic University of America (CUA), to serve on the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.

“It is a great honor to have been named to the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas,” Doolan said in a CUA press release on Oct. 16. “The Academy brings together philosophers and theologians from around the world in conversation about Aquinas, and I am grateful for the opportunity both to learn from its members and to contribute my own work in Thomistic metaphysics, showing its enduring relevance in the 21st century.”

“My appointment by Pope Leo XIV has a fitting connection to The Catholic University of America, since another Leo, Leo XIII, founded the Academy in 1879 and also granted Catholic University its pontifical charter just a decade later,” he said.

St. Carlos Acutis’ mother gifts Franciscan University with first-class relic of her son

The mother of St. Carlo Acutis, Antonia Salzano, has given the president of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, a first-class relic of her son.

“Weʼre deeply grateful to Antonia for this extraordinary gift and for sharing her sonʼs witness with the Franciscan University community,” the university said in an Oct. 15 social media post announcing the gift to Father Dave Pivonka, TOR. The university said Salzano shared a message with the university: “Holiness is for everyone.”

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“Carlo became a saint not because he lived an extraordinary life by the worldʼs standards, but because he made Jesus the center of his ordinary life,” the university said. “His secret? The Eucharist. His motherʼs advice? Start small. Make time for prayer. Receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Love the people around you. And remember that you, too, are called to become a saint.”

Archbishop Sample urges ‘significant renewal of Catholic education’ in Portland, Oregon

Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, is calling for the revitalization of “mission passionate Catholic education” in his archdiocese.

“Would we call a Spanish-language immersion school successful if its graduates could barely understand Spanish?” Sample wrote in an Oct. 15 social media post. “We should take the mission of our Catholic schools just as seriously. Academic excellence matters. So does forming students who know Jesus Christ and can understand, articulate and live the faith.”

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“Therefore, I am calling for a significant and genuine renewal of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Portland, beginning in our Catholic elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools and eventually extending to the religious education and faith formation programs in our parishes,” he said.

Sample’s message comes as part of a wider mission renewal initiative in the archdiocese announced on Oct. 1.

The attacks come weeks after members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) urged parties involved in armed conflicts across the country to end hostilities and pursue dialogue, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

In a statement of condolence issued on Monday, Oct. 26, the General Assembly of the Holy Synod said it received “with profound sorrow” a report from the Arsi Eparchy about the deaths of faithful following “brutal and merciless attacks” in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia regional state.

“The horrific and appalling massacres, forced displacements, and physical and property damage inflicted upon our innocent Orthodox Christian faithful in the Arsi Eparchy and in various other parts of our country have continued unabated and have been worsening over time,” the synod said.

The Church leaders recounted that on Oct. 20 and Oct. 24, 14 of their faithful were killed at a place locally known as Gora Silingo, in Angada Kebele, Merti Woreda, and 46 others were killed at Tereta Chole Birbo in Sherka Woreda.

They added that the homes of 20 faithful were completely burned down and that more than 20 people sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment in hospitals. The synod recalled that numerous faithful have previously been killed in districts within the same zone.

The synod strongly condemned the attacks, saying they are “entirely unacceptable under the teachings of any religion and are incompatible with the human rights of all people.”

The killings, the Church leaders said, “violate the constitutional rights to religious freedom and to life, contradict both religious principles and the natural law of humanity, undermine our national values of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, and constitute inhumane acts that deserve unequivocal condemnation.”

The synod strongly urged the relevant government authorities to publicly condemn the attacks and uphold the constitutionally guaranteed rights to life and freedom of worship.

In addition to bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring the rule of law, the authorities were called upon to provide the necessary legal protections to prevent a recurrence.

“We call upon the government to provide the necessary protection to our faithful wherever they may be, so that they are not subjected to similar attacks,” the synod said.

It also urged the relevant security authorities to give the matter special attention, provide the necessary protection until the problem is resolved, and take effective measures to prevent further threats and attacks.

The Orthodox Church leaders extended their condolences to the families of the deceased and to all Ethiopians.

“We pray that God Almighty will grant rest to the souls of our brothers and sisters who lost their lives unjustly and bestow upon them the honor of martyrdom. The Holy Church continues to pray for them and wishes comfort and consolation to all those who mourn,” they said.

The General Assembly resolved that on Oct. 27 following the Divine Liturgy, memorial prayer services are to be conducted in all monasteries and churches of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church throughout the world.

The synod also resolved that an appointment be arranged for the General Assembly to meet and hold discussions with the relevant senior government official, after which “appropriate efforts shall be undertaken to achieve a lasting solution to this problem.”

Catholic bishops respond

In their statement dated Oct. 1, the CBCE members expressed sorrow over violence in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, and other regions, saying that war destroys lives, communities, and property and leaves hatred, resentment, and vengeance that can endure for generations.

“Rather than resolving differences, war serves only to deepen divisions and multiplies suffering,” the Catholic leaders said.

They highlighted the suffering of vulnerable people, particularly children, women, the elderly, and the sick, and appealed to Ethiopians to regard the lives and suffering of others as their own, saying that peace is a shared responsibility.

“It is our heartfelt prayer that all disputes may be settled through genuine dialogue and that all forms of conflict may cease,” the Catholic bishops said.

The CBCE members called for peace rooted in truth, justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

“Such a peace reflects the values of the Gospel, advances the common good, upholds the sacred dignity of the human person, and corresponds to the will of God for His people,” they said.

The CBCE members’ statement followed Pope Leo XIV’s Sept. 30 appeal for dialogue amid renewed hostilities in Tigray and the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions.

Ethiopia is facing renewed fighting nearly four years after the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement. Tensions between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) remain unresolved, including disputes over political power, regional autonomy, disarmament, and territory.

In September, the TPLF joined six other armed groups in an alliance reportedly seeking to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali’s government.

A Sept. 29 Al Jazeera report described intensified fighting between federal forces and the TPLF and its allies. Government forces and their allies claimed to have captured Alamata, a strategic town about 75 miles south of Mekelle, following days of fighting.

The report said fighting was continuing across Tigray, Amhara, and Afar, with TPLF forces also taking Erebti in Afar.

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

“There is no such thing as a holy war: Only peace is holy,” Leo said in his message. “War can never be waged in the name of God.”

The pontiff, originally scheduled to travel to Assisi for the gathering, canceled his trip on his doctors’ advice, as he continues to recover from thoracic surgery performed on Oct. 13. The Vatican announced the cancellation on Oct. 23, adding that he would send a message for the event.

St. John Paul II established the International Meeting for Peace in Assisi in 1986 as an interreligious prayer service for peace during the Cold War.

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Another call to end ‘holy wars’

In his message, Leo highlighted a growing trend among nations to resort to armed conflict. He described the trend as a betrayal of the memory of those who lost their lives in wars during the last century.

“As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states,” Leo said, “‘the accumulation of arms strikes many as a paradoxically suitable way of deterring potential adversaries from war. They see it as the most effective means of ensuring peace among nations,’ thus betraying the memory of the 20th century and the senseless slaughter of millions of human lives.”

“Precisely in these times marked by a ‘culture of power,’ there is a need to cultivate the spirit of Assisi, which entails a rejection of the religious justification of war,” the pope added.

Since his election in 2025, the pope has often rejected all forms of religiously inspired violence. During his homily for Mass on Palm Sunday that year, Leo said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”

Assisi 40 years after John Paul II

Leo also paid tribute to St. John Paul II in his message and urged those gathered at Assisi to remember his call for peace.

Citing his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and paying tribute to St. John Paul II, Leo urged those gathered to continue promoting peace in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, whose 800th anniversary of death is this year.

“The path of Assisi calls religious leaders to foster a climate of dialogue amongst the faithful and within society, so that the language of arrogance may give way to the language of peace, negotiation, and understanding,” Leo said.

“May [God] make us unarmed instruments of his peace. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.’”

Father José Alejandro García, parish priest at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in the Diocese of St. Rose of Lima, within whose jurisdiction the events took place, explained in an interview with EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that his bishop, José Cayetano Parra, has assembled a team of specialists to investigate the case.

The group consists of a biologist, a physician with experience in similar cases, a psychologist, a nurse, a layperson chosen from among the faithful who participate in the community, and a priest who is not part of the local parish clergy.

As the priest explained, one of the team’s objectives is to determine “whether the reddish stain is blood” and to understand how it is that “a piece of bread may be found to have certain human properties or characteristics.”

What happened to the consecrated host?

During a Mass celebrated on July 30 at a school in the city of Cuilapa, the celebrant noticed that one of the young people had removed the Eucharist from his mouth; the priest approached him to prevent him from tossing it on the floor. After retrieving the host, the priest took it and later placed it in a glass vessel containing water, located in the chapel in the cathedral’s rectory.

The intention was for the host to dissolve naturally. However, on Aug. 6, it was observed that this had not occurred; instead, red stains had appeared on it.

Since then, the case has sparked interest among the faithful.

Prudence, prayer, and reflection

García emphasized that this is a matter that “will require time for study and reflection,” clarifying that neither the multidisciplinary team nor the bishop can confirm whether this is a Eucharistic miracle. Any eventual authorization for public veneration rests with the Holy See.

For now, he asked the faithful to use this time for “exercising prudence, for prayer, and reflection,” and to avoid drawing hasty conclusions that could “hinder the investigation.”

On behalf of Parra, the priest invited the community to maintain “great faith, much prayer, and patience.”

Increased participation by the faithful

García said that since the news became known, there has been “greater participation by thousands of people” who have come to the church to attend Mass, go to confession, and take part in Eucharistic adoration.

The priest noted that the chapel set aside for adoration has begun to fill with more people than usual, so it is now open from 5 a.m. until midnight.

He also noted that there is “an increase in people looking to go to confession.”

“We offer confession, especially on Sundays, and we have ministered to a large number of people, including some who had not been to confession for years,” he added.

“For my community, it has been a rebirth,” the priest stated, pointing out that this awakening has been reflected in a strengthening of “faith in Jesus in the Eucharist, which is evident in the increased attendance of the faithful at Mass and at Eucharistic adoration.”

For the priest, what occurred is a call for Catholics to “strengthen our faith,” and for those who are not yet Catholic, “it is a cry from Jesus telling us: I am alive; I am the bread that has come down from heaven.”

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 initiative, which has already reached more than 260 seminarians at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Makurdi, Benue state, seeks to prepare future priests to recognize different forms of abuse, support survivors, and promote safer communities through their pastoral ministry.

Speaking in an interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, during the three-day “Training and Capacity Building on the Prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence” for seminarians, the secretary-general of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) said the disturbing prevalence of sexual and other forms of violence in Nigeria calls for deliberate efforts to ensure respect for every human person, particularly for those who are most vulnerable.

According to Father Michael Banjo: “Seminarians must receive formation that prepares them for the responsibility of protecting people from abuse, educating the faithful, and promoting a culture in which violence is neither tolerated nor concealed.”

“The disturbing prevalence of sexual and other forms of violence in Nigeria calls us to make the Christian message of love concrete through the protection of human dignity. Every person is created in the image and likeness of God, and every act of abuse violates that dignity,” he said during the Oct. 21 interview.

The episcopal secretary of the Family and Human Life unit of CSN, Sister Cor Jesu Maria Ijeoma Eke, whose office has the mandate of training the seminarians, explained to ACI Africa at the training that the formation of seminarians was essential to extending awareness of sexual and gender-based violence beyond existing Church groups to families and communities across the country.

“These are the future priests, future bishops, the future shepherds that we will have in the Church. We decided to take this training down to them so that if we can get them to understand what sexual and gender-based violence is all about, its manifestations, its forms and everything surrounding it, it will be a better way of spreading this knowledge and seeing how we can work towards the prevention of this ill,” she said.

Eke disclosed that the training of 1,000 seminarians formed part of a capacity-building project designed to raise awareness and strengthen the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence among Catholic Church stakeholders in Nigeria.

She explained that the program aimed to ensure seminarians acquired the necessary knowledge before assuming pastoral responsibilities, particularly when individuals and families turn to the Church for guidance and assistance.

The Nigerian sister noted that priests regularly interact with people from different backgrounds through homilies, pastoral visits, apostolic work, and meetings with Church organizations, placing them in a strategic position to promote awareness and help prevent abuse.

“They are going to use the pulpit, they go for apostolic work, and they meet with other leaders and Church organizations. They can use this opportunity as future priests and all those who are really in this field to make sure that this project, this awareness creation, as well as the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, is brought under control,” she said.

Eke expressed the hope that sustained awareness and preventive action would help the Church and society move toward a future in which sexual and gender-based violence would be significantly reduced.

Eke disclosed that the project initially aimed to reach at least 1,000 seminarians across the selected major seminaries, but the number could increase as the training progresses.

In a separate interview with ACI Africa, the executive director of the Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Father George Omaku Ehusani, said the initiative was introduced to the Church in Nigeria by his foundation, identifying harmful cultural practices, domestic violence, and unequal treatment of women as some of the issues the initiative seeks to address.

“In this country, there are places where a man dies, and the wife is chased away from home, and the brothers can just come and pack all his things. Till today, the wife with children can be left empty, and the brothers will come and carry everything [away],” he said.

The initiative also addresses the treatment of domestic workers, particularly young girls brought from rural communities to work as house helps or nannies in wealthier households.

“You bring a girl from the village who is the same age as your own daughter, and put that girl through the most harrowing experiences as a house girl, as a nanny. If she breaks a plate, they beat the nonsense out of this girl. The kind of work you canʼt give your child at 12 years old, you give this girl,” he said.

According to him, the initiative uses the Gospel, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and other Church teachings to encourage Christians to reject abuse and treat vulnerable people with compassion.

“You cannot be a Christian and be violating people. You canʼt be a Christian and be brutalizing people,” he said and added: “The Ford Foundation is supporting, but it has nothing to say as to the agenda. Lux Terra developed it,” he said.

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

On Oct. 22, the White House posted a video that showed Denver Archbishop James Golka leading a prayer with Trump, surrounded by about a dozen other bishops, who stood beside the president’s spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain and White House Faith Office Director Jennifer Korn.

The video was shared by Margo Martin, a White House communications adviser, with no news release to accompany it, nor any description of what was discussed. Golka shared the video on archdiocesan social media and clarified it was not a political endorsement.

Bishops who attended the meeting and the prayer have stated they were invited by the White House Faith Office to discuss issues of importance to Catholics: the right to life, the dignity of migrants, religious liberty, and school choice. Several have echoed Golka, emphasizing the meeting and prayer was not a political endorsement, while two have expressed regret for going.

On Oct. 25, Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob issued a “public apology” for any confusion the video caused, saying he did not know it would be shared publicly and it was not meant to be an endorsement of the president.

A second bishop — Des Moines, Iowa, Bishop William Joensen — also emphasized that it was not an endorsement and conveyed regret over the video being used for political purposes.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had no role in the meeting.

‘Exploited’ for politics

On Oct. 24, two days after the meeting, Joensen issued a statement saying: “I would have done well to be more mindful of Jesus’ admonition [in the Gospel of Matthew]: ‘Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.’”

“I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes,” Joensen said. “I pray I am more prudent and wise going forward, even as I remain resolute in my openness to engaging and praying for political leaders at all levels.”

Joensen did not say who he was accusing of exploiting the meeting, and a spokesperson for the diocese did not respond to a request for clarification from EWTN News.

In his statement, Joensen said he was invited by officials associated with the Faith Office to talk about a variety of issues: immigration, the exploitation of the poor, visas for international clergy, advancement of a culture of life as an alternative to abortion, and support for private education.

“There was also a concluding opportunity to pray for and with our president, that God would guide his heart and impel him to lead in a way consistent with the dignity of his office,” he said.

Joensen said “there are many things” linked to the administration “at odds with our Catholic faith.” Yet, he said he attended to “have a conversation” and was informed officials “would be interested in hearing our perspective.”

When reached by EWTN News for comment, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement: “There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it.”

“He stopped the weaponization of the federal government against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, pardoned pro-life activists, stopped the chemical mutilation of our nation’s children, and protected parents’ rights,” Rogers said but did not respond to a follow-up request for a response to the comments made by Joensen and Grob.

Explanations by other bishops

In addition to Golka, Grob, and Joensen, a few other bishops have issued statements about the reasons they met and prayed with Trump in the Oval Office and what they talked about with administration officials.

The Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, provided a statement to EWTN News on behalf of Bishop Scott Bullock, which said the delegation discussed Catholic priorities: abortion, school choice, and the ethical implications of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

According to the diocesan statement, the bishops’ prayer over Trump is not an “endorsement” but is rather based in Scripture and following the instruction of St. Paul, who said “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.”

“We went there and we prayed, and we asked the Lord to instill our leaders with wisdom and also to help them remain humble,” Bullock said.

A spokesperson for Diocese of Gallup, New Mexico’s Bishop James Wall told EWTN News that “Bishop Wall does want to express that he would accept a meeting with any politician, if invited, to discuss important church matters, regardless of the time of year and the political party, and that he offers prayers for all who hold political office, that they lead with integrity and not division.”

The office of Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Naumann, who led the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, before retirement, also released a statement indicating that during the meeting the prelate voiced concerns about chemical abortion and IVF while advocating for pro-life reproductive healthcare. He also discussed religious liberty, immigration, school choice, and protecting children from pornography.

According to the statement, Trump expressed gratitude to the bishops “for prayers asking God to bless and guide the president, his staff and the nation.” The archbishop’s office emphasized this was not an endorsement and that the bishops “were assured that no photographs would be made public.”

“They came to have a discussion on important policy matters,” the statement indicated. “As Catholic bishops, they pray with everyone, but do not endorse candidates or political parties.”

The following bishops also attended the meeting, according to the White House: Bishop Edward Burns of the Diocese of Dallas; Bishop Steven Raica of the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama; Bishop Thomas Hennen of the Diocese of Baker, Oregon; Bishop Michael Barber of the Diocese of Oakland, California; Bishop Francis Kalabat of the Chaldean Catholic Church; and Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Catholic Church.

Bishop Jesús Rodríguez of Palm Beach, Florida — who did not attend the meeting — opined on the matter on X, saying any action perceived as a political endorsement by a member of the Church hierarchy “must not be construed as representing the official position of the Catholic Church.”

The meeting was also attended by Mario Enzler of the Heritage Foundation, though the Heritage Foundation has stated it did not organize it.

Why Machado returned

After the July 28, 2024, presidential election, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council, controlled by the ruling socialist regime, declared incumbent President Nicolás Maduro to be the winner. However, opposition candidate Edmundo González claimed victory, and his organization said it had to vote tallies to prove it.

In a sense, Machado, very popular among voters, was the power behind González because although she had been banned from running for office by the Maduro regime, she campaigned openly in support of González.

To quell protests after the election, the repressive apparatus of the Maduro regime unleashed an unprecedented campaign of persecution against opposition politicians, activists, and protesters, and Machado went into hiding.

She left the country in December 2025 in a complex extraction operation coordinated from the United States that took her to Oslo, Norway.

On Jan. 3, 2026, U.S special forces captured Maduro and his wife Cilia and extradited them to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges. Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, was named acting president but the future of the socialist regime and democracy remained very unclear.

Machado arrives in Venezuela

“I am here. With you,” Machado, who is the coordinator of the Vente Venezuela party, wrote on X around midday on Sunday, Oct. 25. Shortly thereafter, she arrived at the Shrine of the Divine Shepherdess located in Barquisimeto.

The Divine Shepherdess, taken metaphorically, is a Marian devotion that every Jan. 14 draws millions of people to the streets for one of the largest religious processions in the region and the world.

Machado attended Sunday Mass while crowds gathered inside and outside the shrine calling out, “Freedom!” Following the Eucharist, Machado boarded a vehicle to join a caravan heading toward the capital, Caracas, where she arrived the afternoon of Oct. 25.

Reactions from the United States

In Washington, D.C., President Trump stated that he was unaware of the Venezuelan leader’s return. “I don’t know anything about it,” he replied when asked by the press. “But I think she’s a very nice woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize, so how can I say anything else? And I hope she’s safe,” he remarked.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Machado’s return is a direct result of “reconciliation talks” between the socialist government and a segment of the Venezuelan opposition, talks supported by the U.S. administration. These dialogue sessions, Rubio noted on X, have already led to the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the safe return of many exiles.

“The United States expects the freedoms of all sectors of Venezuelan politics to continue to be respected,” Rubio wrote. “Likewise, we expect all political actors to support these talks which represent the best chance Venezuela has had in thirty years to peacefully achieve not just a free and fair election but an enduring democracy,” he added.

This week, interim president Delcy Rodríguez, a devoted and avowed follower of Sai Baba, an Indian spiritual guru now deceased, revealed that she had sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV, prior to his lung surgery, in which she wished him good health and also requested the swift canonization of Blessed María de San José, as well as the beatification of Bishop Salvador Montes de Oca.

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.

“With the gracious approval of His Majesty the King, the Dean and Canons of Windsor are delighted to announce that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has become Papal Confrater of the College of St. George at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor,” states the text published on Oct. 23.

The announcement highlights that both leaders sought to underscore the ties between Christian traditions, within a global context marked by polarization and conflict.

“Mindful of the value of Christian unity, in an increasingly polarised and turbulent world, The King and The Pope have joined together in Christian brotherhood and, for the first time in half a millennium, are receiving religious titles which underscore what unites rather than what separates the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England,” the text notes.

The statement adds that this gesture represents “a visible sign of spiritual fellowship, ecumenical friendship and Christian fraternity.”

It also acknowledges the historical ties between the college and St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, and the Holy See, as well as the progress made in relations between the Catholic Church, the Church of England, and the Anglican Communion.

The text notes that October marks one year since the “historic state visit to the Holy See” made by King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla. On that occasion, the British monarch was received as a “royal confrater” of the papal basilica and abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. At that time, the Holy Father had already been invited to become a “papal confrater” of St. George’s at Windsor.

Just as there is already a chair for the King of England at the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, a similar chair for the pope will soon be unveiled in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. It will be consecrated in the European autumn, alongside a “mosaic icon of Christ of Cefalù, gifted to His Majesty by His Holiness during the State Visit,” the statement concluded.

The historic 2025 meeting

On Oct. 23, 2025, Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III prayed together in the Sistine Chapel, marking the first time a pope and a British monarch have prayed together during a state visit to the Vatican.

During the visit, King Charles conferred upon the pope the title of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, while the pontiff bestowed upon the monarch the honor of Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Vatican’s Order of Pius IX, and upon Queen Camilla the distinction of Dame Grand Cross of the same order.

The connection of the King of England to the papal basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls

Following the arrival in England of Roman missionary monks such as St. Augustine of Canterbury and St. Paulinus of York during the sixth and seventh centuries, Saxon kings including Offa and Æthelwulf contributed to the upkeep of the apostles' tombs in Rome.

Toward the end of the Middle Ages, the kings of England were recognized as “protectors” of the basilica and abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls; its coat of arms came to include the insignia of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most prestigious order in the United Kingdom. This tradition was interrupted by the Reformation and the centuries of estrangement that followed.

A new chair, bearing the royal coat of arms and the Latin inscription “Ut unum sint” (“That they may be one”), has been placed in the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls for King Charles and his successors to use during future visits.

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 settlement, first announced in May, required unanimous agreement of all 1,300 victims, which has been established, attorneys for hundreds of victims said on Oct. 24.

The agreement comes after years of litigation following New York’s 2019 passage of the New York Child Victims’ Act, which permanently extended the civil statute of limitations so victims of childhood sexual abuse can file claims until age 55, and opened a temporary revival window (extended through August 2021) that allowed previously time-barred claims to be filed by victims of any age.

The settlement also requires the archdiocese to maintain and update a list of credibly accused clergy on its website, attorneys said.

The archdiocese and a plaintiffs’ liaison committee, composed of attorneys from eight law firms representing the majority of claimants, negotiated for months to arrive at the agreement.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks called the news of the settlement “encouraging” in an Oct. 24 letter to priests provided to EWTN News by the archdiocese.

“We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors,” Hicks wrote. “This agreement will also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children.”

He instructed priests to assure their parishioners that parish life “should continue uninterrupted” if asked about the settlement, saying they will be informed through a message when the deal is finalized. The settlement agreement is scheduled to be signed Nov. 6.

In his letter to priests, Hicks thanked Cardinal Timothy Dolan, “under whose leadership the process began.”

The settlement amount is the second highest in history, near the record $880 million the Archdiocese of Los Angeles paid in 2024 and half a billion dollars higher than the $300 million settlement Dolan announced in December 2025.

Dolan said at the time that the archdiocese had made “a series of very difficult financial decisions” to help fund the then-$300 million settlement, including staff layoffs, a 10% reduction in the archdioceseʼs operating budget, and the sale of real estate holdings, including the $100 million sale of the former diocesan headquarters in Manhattan.

The settlement allows the Archdiocese of New York to avoid filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Along with the Diocese of Brooklyn, it is one of only two of New York’s eight Catholic dioceses that have not sought bankruptcy protection.

The archdiocese confirmed to EWTN News that is is still engaged in litigation with its longtime insurer Chubb, which it sued in 2024, claiming the company was “attempting to evade their legal and moral contractual obligation” to pay out claims to sex-abuse victims.

"Despite accepting millions in premiums from the archdiocese, Chubb has steadfastly refused to honor the policies it issued,” Dolan said in December 2025.

“May this journey be an opportunity to open our hearts to one another, strengthen our communion as brothers and sisters, and renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel with joy,” the Holy Father wrote, nearly two weeks after undergoing lung surgery on Oct. 13.

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In addition, an Oct. 26 Vatican statement indicated that “Based on his current clinical status, as well as the results of the diagnostic tests and laboratory analyses performed, there are no contraindications that would prevent him from undertaking his upcoming apostolic journey to Latin America as planned.”

“The Pope is following medical recommendations with great care and diligence, and with a deep determination to continue serving the Church,” it added.

“In this respect, the Holy See Press Office confirms that the Apostolic Journey of Pope Leo XIV to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, scheduled for November 6-17, 2026, will proceed according to the program previously published,” the Vatican statement said.

“The Holy Father remains deeply grateful for the prayers and affection he has received from throughout the world and for the dedicated care of the medical professionals who have accompanied him during his recovery,” the statement said.

“Dr. Luigi Carbone confirms that the Holy Father’s recovery after the surgery continues, and the latest medical examinations attest to his good health,” the Vatican added.

“As previously reported, the surgical procedure was successful and without complications. Subsequent medical examinations confirmed that the condition was localized and that no further oncological treatment is necessary,” the Vatican stated.

“A very harsh winter is expected, and as Christians, as the Church, we cannot remain indifferent or passive. My journey is a mission of solidarity and closeness, a witness of love,” the archbishop confirmed to EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Marín will travel to Ukraine from Oct. 27–30 on a visit “coordinated through the apostolic nunciature,” during which he will visit Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Fastiv.

The itinerary includes meetings with Latin-rite and Greek Catholic communities as part of the Holy See’s efforts to accompany a population that has been deeply affected by a war that will mark its fifth year in February 2027.

“I want to understand firsthand the needs of the population and, above all, make present the concern and closeness of Pope Leo XIV. Ukraine is in our hearts, and through the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, in the name of the Holy Father, we seek to respond with concrete assistance,” he said.

The mission coincides with a collection drive organized among Vatican employees in collaboration with the Governorate of Vatican City State.

“The response has been magnificent. We have collected, above all, warm clothing, canned food, blankets, sheets, sleeping bags, and other garments,” Marín explained.

The supplies will be transported to Ukraine by road through the international TIR transit system and then distributed through local Church structures. Rome’s Holy Wisdom (Santa Sofia) Parish, the reference point for the Ukrainian Catholic community in Rome, has once again served as the operational hub where aid from various locations has been gathered before being sent to Ukraine.

The initiative is part of the broad network of assistance promoted by the Dicastery for the Service of Charity since the beginning of the war. In recent years, the Holy See has organized convoys carrying medicines, financial assistance for vulnerable families, and various relief projects, channeled through the apostolic nunciature and the local Churches.

Once in Ukraine, the aid will be distributed by the Church’s charitable structures in Kyiv.

“This aid collection effort has made us face our personal responsibility and has enabled a concrete response to the suffering of the Ukrainian people. I thank the Governorate of Vatican City for its cooperation, the employees of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity for their commitment in collecting and sorting the materials, and all the donors for their generous response,” Marín said, also asking people not to cease praying that the Lord may grant the gift of peace.

Intense diplomatic activity by the Holy See

The visit of the prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity also comes at a time of intense diplomatic and humanitarian activity by the Holy See regarding the war in Ukraine.

From Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he was recovering after surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his right lung, the pope called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 16 to ask for “a ceasefire to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.”

According to the Vatican, the pontiff referred in particular to the “extremely grave situation” in Oleshky, a besieged city where approximately 2,000 civilians remain, surviving without access to drinking water or electricity.

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, president of the Italian bishops’ conference, had also traveled to the city on a humanitarian mission.

The following Monday, back at the Vatican, the pope spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and expressly asked him to cooperate with Moscow in order to achieve a humanitarian truce in the city.

The pontiff’s diplomatic efforts bore fruit. As announced by Melania Trump, wife of U.S. President Donald Trump, the ceasefire intended to facilitate the rescue of civilians trapped in Oleshky will begin on Oct. 27, according to Moscow.

Captured by Russian forces at the start of the war, the city has suffered for months from severe shortages of food and medical supplies. In order to leave the city, many residents have had to travel for miles along partially mined roads.

Against this backdrop, on Oct. 23 Pope Leo XIV received Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of Kyiv-Halych and leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in a private audience.

During the meeting, according to Vatican News, the primate thanked the pontiff for the Holy See’s constant support for his country and requested the mobilization of the international Catholic community in view of what is expected to be an especially difficult winter for millions of people affected by the war.

In addition, during the meeting Shevchuk presented the pope with lists of Ukrainian prisoners of war so that the Holy See could pass them on to the Russian authorities in an effort to facilitate a prisoner exchange.

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 pontiff held a private audience on Monday with the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret, an international community of nuns founded after the French Revolution. The community, dedicated to serving the poor, is also marking the 200th anniversary of Thouret’s death this year.

In his address, Leo praised Thouret for establishing the community and encouraged others to continue her legacy of charity to promote human dignity.

“In this regard, I would like to emphasize another important aspect of the charismatic legacy left to you by your saintly Foundress: to pay attention to the integral good, spiritual and temporal, of one’s neighbor,” Leo said.

“I mention this because, in a society such as ours, which tends to fragment the person, dividing people not only from one another but also, and more gravely, within themselves, this dimension of charity is fundamental for the restoration, promotion and authentic respect for the dignity of every person, especially the poorest and most in need. Treasure it, nurture it and spread it,” the pope added.

Leo also reflected on the theme the sisters chose for their general chapter, “In Christ, the roots; in the world, the mission,” and encouraged them, like Thouret, to put Christ at the center of their charitable work.

“To be rooted in Christ means, in fact, following the example of Saint Jeanne Antide, to place Him alone at the center of one’s existence and thoughts, growing accustomed to sensing and celebrating His presence at every moment, confident that, united to Him, we will grow ever closer to one another and be better able to help others according to His plans,” Leo said.

Sometimes referred to in France as the “sisters of the soup kitchen,” the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret were approved by Pope Pius VII in 1819. Following nationalist pressure in France, the order split into branches in France and Italy before reuniting in 1954, and now operates in over 25 countries worldwide.

The decisions came at the close of the bishops' 406th plenary assembly in Zakopanel.

In their final communiqué, the bishops said the bills passed by the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, weaken the legal protection of unborn children. Even if the bills fail later, “the mere fact of processing them fosters the shaping of social acceptance of abortion as a morally neutral solution,” they wrote. The bishops also urged lasting help for women in difficult circumstances.

The Sejm passed both bills on Oct. 20. The first, a penal code amendment approved 217-213, would remove the offense of helping or persuading a woman to have an abortion outside the law. It would also shield medical staff from prosecution for abortions performed to protect a womanʼs life or health or in cases of severe fetal impairment.

The second bill, approved 233-203, would restore abortion up to viability when tests show a high likelihood of severe and irreversible fetal impairment or an incurable life-threatening illness. It would make abortion free in the public health system and require it within 72 hours of consent.

Since a 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling, abortion in Poland has been legal only when the pregnancy threatens the womanʼs life or health or results from a crime.

The bills went to the Senate on Oct. 21, but no vote date has been set. President Karol Nawrocki said in January 2025, before his election, that he would not sign a law restoring the rules in place before the 2020 ruling.

“The bishops express their opposition to such a policy, which does not build but destroys,” Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdańsk, the conference president, told a press conference.

Abuse commission

The bishops also approved a revised statute for the Commission of Independent Experts to Study the Sexual Abuse of Minors in the Catholic Church in Poland and chose Piotr Franaszek, a historian at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, as its chairman.

The commission, established in March after three years of preparation, is to study abuse since 1945. It cannot begin work until it gains legal status, which requires approval from the Interior Ministry. The revised statute answers the ministryʼs comments and will be resubmitted; it will be published only after government review.

“We are at the very beginning, but we have an appointed commission, a statute, and a chairman,” Franaszek told reporters.

The pontiff said the cardinal “served the Gospel and the Church generously” and recalled “with gratitude his dedicated ministry, first as a priest of the Diocese of Acireale, then in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, especially as pontifical representative in Haiti, Colombia, Canada, Italy, and the Republic of San Marino, and finally as the devoted archbishop of Palermo.”

Romeo was born in Acireale, Sicily, on Feb. 20, 1938. After studying theology and canon law in Rome, he was ordained a priest in Acireale on March 18, 1961.

He later attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, entering the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1967 and working in the pontifical representations in the Philippines, Belgium and Luxembourg, to the European Communities, Venezuela, Rwanda, and Burundi.

In 1976, he was transferred to the Secretariat of State, where he was responsible for Latin America and the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM).

On Dec. 17, 1983, he was elected titular archbishop of Vulturia by Pope John Paul II and appointed apostolic nuncio to Haiti.

In 1990, he was transferred to the apostolic nunciature in Colombia, and in 1999 he was appointed head of the nunciature in Canada.

On April 17, 2001, he was appointed apostolic nuncio to Italy and the Republic of San Marino.

On Dec. 19, 2006, Benedict XVI appointed him metropolitan archbishop of Palermo. The same pope created him a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church in the consistory of Nov. 20, 2010, assigning him the titular church of Santa Maria Odigitria dei Siciliani.

In 2013, he participated in the conclave that elected Pope Francis.

Between 2013 and 2015, he also served as apostolic administrator “sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis” of the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi in Sicily.

On Oct. 27, 2015, he became archbishop emeritus of Palermo upon reaching the age limit for retirement.

The Diocese of Acireale announced that the cardinal’s mortal remains will lie in state beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the cathedral basilica, where a prayer vigil will be held at 8 p.m. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the Acireale Cathedral.

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.

Instead, the prayer meeting will feature a special message of peace from the pope as well as remarks from Patriarch Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. The patriarch and other world religious leaders will gather to pray for peace in the Lower Basilica in Assisi on Tuesday.

According to Vatican News, the interreligious meeting will mark 40 years after St. John Paul II invited world religious leaders to the birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi for a historic Day of Prayer for Peace.

For Leo, the milestone anniversary is far more than a historical commemoration; it serves as a vital blueprint for addressing todayʼs fractured world. Emphasizing what he calls a “disarmed and disarming peace,” the pope consistently insists that true security cannot be built on military force or political maneuvering alone. Drawing on the Franciscan legacy of nonviolence and care for creation, he urges faith leaders across the globe to disarm their hearts and harness prayer as a transformative force for international reconciliation.

Interreligious center

A central pillar of Pope Leo XIV’s vision for interreligious dialogue is turning symbolic encounters into lasting structural realities. This commitment was realized in Assisi with the official opening of the Global House of Friendship and Hope in August, when the pontiff met with Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein.

Conceived as a permanent interreligious center in the heart of the city, the house translates 40 years of periodic gatherings into an active, daily practice. Designed to serve as a living sanctuary, it provides a dedicated space where believers of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other traditions can gather under one roof. The house, which enjoyed backing from Pope Francis and Pope Leo, features cross-cultural forums, peace education programs, and spaces for quiet reflection, ensuring that dialogue between traditions remains a continuous, structured pursuit rather than an occasional event.

In his addresses, the pontiff frequently stresses that genuine dialogue does not mean diluting theological identities but rather uniting on common moral ground to tackle shared human crises — including poverty, war, and ecological degradation.

By anchoring his pontificate in these efforts, Pope Leo XIV has revitalized the legacy begun in 1986. Supported by his active leadership and embodied by the new Global House of Friendship and Hope, Assisi reaffirms its standing as a world capital of peace, offering a clear message that building a reconciled world is a shared journey faith leaders must walk together.

Grob said that over the last few days, he had “received many questions and comments about the October 22 meeting I and 11 other bishops attended at the White House, which was soon thereafter publicized by the administration without the consent of the participants.”

He went on to say that his “intention was never to cause confusion, anger, or disappointment among the people entrusted to my care” and that he issued the Oct. 25 statement to provide context for the meeting.

The meeting “was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party,” Grob said.

Last month, Grob explained, he was invited along with other bishops to a meeting to discuss “matters of importance to the Church and our people, including immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, and human dignity.” The meeting was the second of two such gatherings organized by the Heritage Foundation, he said.

“We were told the meeting was to be a private discussion, that several Catholic members of the cabinet might make an appearance, and that there could be an opportunity to pray privately with the president,” he continued.

After about an hour and a half of meeting on Oct. 22 with White House staff and policy advisers, the archbishop said, the group entered the Oval Office, where they were greeted by President Donald Trump. After being presented with commemorative tokens, Grob said, the group was directed to stand behind the president to pray, and photos were taken afterward.

“Unbeknownst to the group of bishops a video was also taken. But permission for the public distribution or posting of either the video or photos was not given by the bishops,” Grob said in his statement. Not long after, photos and the video of the prayer were posted online.

“I soon began receiving messages of serious concern over the possibility that I had inadvertently participated in a political event less than two weeks before a national election,” Grob said. “I also heard from some who felt wounded because of the ways they or their family had been harmed by the president’s policies.”

“I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to our Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in that way,” he continued. “We came in good faith to try to work for the betterment of our fellow human beings, to ease their suffering, to build up the common good, and to pray with a president, not to pose for a political photo opportunity to benefit the few. We should never have been put in that position by the White House.”

Grob concluded his statement by saying that he did not go to the meeting “without reservations” and that he wished he “had heeded them.”

“I apologize for any damage my actions have done,” he said.

EWTN News reached out to the White House for comment regarding Grob’s assertion that the photos and video were shared without the bishops’ consent and received the following response from White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers: “There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it: he stopped the weaponization of the federal government against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, pardoned pro-life activists, stopped the chemical mutilation of our nation’s children, and protected parents’ rights.”

Grob’s statement comes after another participant at the Oct. 22 meeting, Denver Archbishop James Golka, who led the prayer in the Oval Office, defended his participation in the event.

Golka said he “knew people might be upset” at the event and that it could be "use[d] for political purposes.”

“But as I prayed about it, I thought that this is what Catholics do. We pray for people. No matter whether we agree or disagree on anything, we always pray for our country and leaders,” he said in remarks to the Denver Catholic on Oct. 23.

Golka, like Grob, also denied that the meeting was in any way an endorsement of the president or his policies.

“The bishops of the United States teach that the Church cannot champion any candidate or party,” Golka said. “I hold to that. However you vote, you ultimately belong to Jesus who loves you infinitely more than you can imagine.”

This story was updated at 5:22 p.m. ET on Oct. 25, 2026, with the White House statement.

The faithful gathered in St. Peterʼs Square awaited the words of hope from the vicar of Christ, their pope.

At the heart of love, Leo XIV placed our relationship with God, emphasizing that this is where the true meaning of love is found.

“Indeed, it is not enough to know that God exists, that he is the only God, or that he is the Almighty. The Lord seeks a personal relationship with us: The one true God wants to become our God,” the pope said.

“In our encounter with him, the commandment of love is neither an obligation nor an imposition.”

He then turned to the meaning of authentic love, explaining that “our love can be authentic only when it is a response to his love, which always precedes us. From this arises the need for a total commitment that involves the whole person: heart, soul, and mind.”

Heart, soul, and mind must all be engaged in our relationship with God so that we become capable of looking at ourselves “and our neighbors through the eyes of Christ, from his perspective. In this way, selfishness is overcome and even love for oneself becomes charity: Our existence turns toward the other and becomes a gift for those around us.”

Toward the end of his reflection, the pope quoted St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who wrote: “Love alone” makes “the Church’s members act, and if Love ever became extinct, apostles would not preach the Gospel.”

The theme, in this case, concerns the Church itself. Without love, the pope stressed, “our faith would be deprived of its essence, our good works would be reduced to mere moralism, and our hope would be in vain.”

He added: “Dear friends, we cannot truly love God unless this love overflows into love for our brothers and sisters. And we cannot truly love our neighbor except as children of the same Father who loved us first in his Son, Jesus.”

Following the Marian prayer, Leo XIV turned his attention to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

“I am following with concern the grave humanitarian situation in Yemen, particularly in the city of Taiz, where the population is suffering from a lack of food, water, and medical care,” he said.

“I make a heartfelt appeal for hostilities to cease and for the Yemeni people and all the peoples of the region to be guaranteed the right to live in peace.”

The pope also remembered the victims of a terrorist attack against Orthodox Christians in Jordan.

“My prayers go out to all those who were injured or lost their lives last Friday in the terrorist attack on worshippers at the Orthodox Church of St. George in Hamoud, Jordan. I express my closeness to the community and the entire country, which is known for its peaceful coexistence and respect between different religions.”

Finally, Leo XIV urged the faithful to continue praying for peace and recalled the gathering scheduled for Oct. 27 in Assisi, Italy.

The pope had originally been expected to travel to the city of St. Francis, but following his recent surgery, he was advised to avoid traveling for the time being.

“Let us continue to pray together for peace,” he said.

“The day after tomorrow, on 27 October, let us join in spirit with the heads of churches and religious leaders who will gather in Assisi to mark the 40th anniversary of the meeting convened by St. John Paul II. Never before has it been so clear that wars, as well as sowing death and destruction, impoverish and harm the world. May the Lord inspire choices of dialogue and peace!”

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.

In an Oct. 22 report, the legal advocacy organization said the six, who range in age from 17 to 23, were detained and questioned on charges of “exploiting” and “insulting” the religion of Islam.

“We urge the authorities to release these six young men and drop any investigations against them immediately,” said Kelsey Zorzi, ADF’s senior counsel and vice president of international advocacy.

The video posted on Oct. 4 featured audio from a popular Egyptian comedy film depicting prisoners unfamiliar with Quranic prayers. According to ADF, the six reenacted the scene.

“These young men did nothing but share a lighthearted video with a voiceover from a popular and uncontroversial film, as many others on the platform have done. There is no reason to charge or imprison them,” Zorzi said.

ADF said the post attracted comments inciting violence against the young men and their families, and that some villagers reported them to the authorities.

On Oct. 6, the six were handed over to police for questioning, with the understanding that they would be released once tensions in their village had calmed, according to the organization. They remained in detention as of the Oct. 22 report.

Zorzi described their detention as part of a wider pattern of discrimination against Christians in Egypt.

“This is tragically common in Egypt, where Christians face threats, discrimination, and ultimately imprisonment for speech that is only seen as problematic because they are not part of the majority religion,” she said.

ADF estimated that Christians constitute 10% to 15% of Egypt’s population. The organization said they continue to face discrimination, violence, and imprisonment despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

It said the continued use of blasphemy and related “insult” laws has perpetuated the persecution of Coptic Christians.

According to ADF, scores of members of religious minorities have been prosecuted and imprisoned over the past year for social media posts deemed blasphemous amid a wider crackdown on online content considered offensive to Islam.

The organization cited Augustinos Samaan, a YouTuber who, it said, was sentenced to five years of hard labor for teaching the Christian faith on his channel.

It also highlighted the case of Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo, a Christian father of five, imprisoned on blasphemy charges after sharing his beliefs in a Christian Facebook group. ADF said he was subsequently released with its support and had relocated safely to another country.

“Christian persecution has been a persistent problem in Egypt for many years. We have seen countless cases of individuals who are targeted and punished for nothing more than expressing their beliefs. Egypt must take action to address this crisis and protect freedom of speech and religious freedom for all,” Zorzi said.

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

Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Emmanuel Bishay of Egypt’s Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Luxor clarified that relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches are good.

However, he pointed out the challenge of keeping youths in the Church, noting that to deepen the Catholic faith, the Church runs formation programs alongside initiatives that make it easier for young Catholics to meet and forge relationships.

“At the official level, relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches are good. There is affection, and people exchange greetings on religious occasions,” Bishay said in an Oct. 19 ACN report.

“Unfortunately, if a young Catholic man or woman marries an Orthodox person, they may be required to become Orthodox and to follow the Orthodox Church’s requirements,” he said. “This is a major challenge for us as a Church: How can we help our young people deepen their Catholic faith and remain attached to their Church?”

“I believe that the formation we provide, especially through catechesis, is an important service. We also create many opportunities for young Catholics to meet one another,” he said.

In Egypt, Catholics are described as “a minority within a minority” in the ACN report. The charity organization says that the largest Christian denomination in Egypt is the historic Coptic Orthodox Church.

“Though there are no official numbers, estimates point to between 10 and 15 million Copts in the country, making it the biggest Christian community in the Middle East, by a large margin. Muslims make up the vast majority of the rest of Egypt’s 120 million people,” the ACN report said.

The Catholic Coptic Church, on the other hand, has only around 300,000 faithful living in Egypt, but according to Bishay, they are playing an important part in forging good relations between different religious communities and also for their contributions to health, education, and culture.

“As one travels farther into Upper Egypt, people can be somewhat more rigid in their attitudes. We make every effort to build relationships with the Orthodox community and with Muslims, who are the majority, even if we encounter some difficulties, especially in villages and small settlements,” Bishay was quoted as explaining.

Regarding relations with the Muslim community, the Catholic bishop admitted that there have been difficult periods but said the situation has improved.

“The hard-line voices that used to be heard are no longer as prominent, while another voice, the moderate one, is growing. The change is slow but noticeable: People are listening to those with moderate views, and the government is giving them room to act. The process is moving in this direction. I believe that if Egypt continues along this path, things will keep getting better,” the Church leader said.

Bishay further said that the Catholic Church plays an outsized role in the services it provides in Egypt, especially in the poorer regions, but its faithful continue to face difficult challenges as a minority within a large country.

“The Catholic Church is small in numbers but strong in services. Some of the best schools in Egypt are Catholic schools, and the fact that state officials regularly turn to Catholic schools is evidence of this. We also work in healthcare. Our diocese alone has 14 clinics, most of which are staffed by religious sisters who devote much of their time to this work. Another contribution is through cultural centers and libraries,” Bishay explained.

He added: “The Catholic Church has not only provided these services; it has also shown Egyptian society how to provide them. The Coptic Orthodox Church learned to provide them from us and, more recently, mosques have also begun providing services of this kind, following our example. The Catholic Church has been a pioneer in this field.”

The bishop went on to say that the services are particularly important in the Eparchy of Luxor.

“Upper Egypt receives less attention than the Delta and the north of the country, which means that services are less adequate, particularly in healthcare. Hospitals do not always meet the required standard, and there are also shortcomings in education and childcare. This requires a great deal of effort from us as the Catholic Church.”

He added: “The figures indicate that we are among the poorest governorates in Egypt. This affects people’s abilities and talents, whether intellectual or otherwise. It saddens me to see talented people whose abilities are not given their due, or whose surroundings do not give them the opportunity to develop and fulfill their potential,” the bishop said.

He expressed gratitude to ACN, which he said continues to support the Catholic Church in Egypt in many different fields.

“ACN is a very important support for us. What is especially valuable is that the foundation looks at our priorities, rather than imposing its own agenda. That is very important!”

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

The conference brought together dozens of diocesan directors and leaders of Hispanic and Latino ministry from various parts of the United States. Conference speakers included Bishop Óscar Cantú of San José, California; Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés, CO, of Corpus Christi, Texas; and Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, MSpS, auxiliary bishop of Seattle.

Monsignor Eduardo Chávez of the Archdiocese of Mexico City, considered the foremost expert on the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, spoke to the gathering on “The Truth of Guadalupe,” which is also the title of his book on the subject.

“It has been a moment of such joy and spirituality, of such devotion and emotion, to go on discovering who Holy Mary of Guadalupe and her humble messenger, St. Juan Diego, are during this encounter,” Chávez told EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

“The Virgin of Guadalupe, through St. Juan Diego, helps us open our hearts to the presence of Christ the King, the love of God, which our people need so much,” emphasized Chávez, who also served as the postulator for the canonization cause of St. Juan Diego, the visionary of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The meeting with the leaders of U.S. Hispanic pastoral ministry, he noted, “has been the best way to prepare ourselves for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Holy Mary of Guadalupe, which help us prepare for the Jubilee of the Redemption in 2033.”

“There are not enough words to thank God and His Most Holy Mother, our Mother, Holy Mary of Guadalupe,” he said.

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to the Indigenous man St. Juan Diego at the foot of Tepeyac Hill, north of Mexico City, Dec. 9–12, 1531. There she asked him to intercede with the then-bishop of Mexico, Friar Juan de Zumárraga, so that a “sacred little house” might be built in her honor.

As proof of the authenticity of the apparitions, the Virgin asked Juan Diego to gather some roses that had bloomed on Tepeyac and place them in his tilma (a type of cloak or cape). When he unfolded the cloth before the bishop, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was found to be miraculously imprinted upon it.

To this day, nearly 500 years later, the tilma of St. Juan Diego is preserved in the Guadalupe Basilica at the foot of Tepeyac.

Our Lady of Guadalupe ‘leads us to Jesus’

Chávez emphasized that the Virgin “leads us to Jesus” and that, as one examines the event of Guadalupe, “there are no longer any walls or divisions — not only physical ones, but also those related to language, culture, or traditions — because she makes us brothers and sisters to one another, something that all our peoples need so much.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe, he recalled, “is the mother of humanity. She said as much to Juan Diego: ‘I am your mother, the mother of all those who dwell in this land, and of all the various ancestries and nations; the mother of those who love me, who seek me, who cry out to me, and who place their trust in me.’”

Chávez was recently appointed by Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes as the representative of the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico for the preparation and celebrations of the fifth centenary of the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

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.

According to authorities, three gunmen arrived at the church in a blue pickup truck. One wore a mask and carried a Kalashnikov rifle, while the other two had their faces uncovered and carried handguns. The shooting began near the church’s main entrance, where mourners had gathered.

Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language website reported that the attackers carried substantial quantities of ammunition and changed their weapons’ magazines several times during the assault. They also fired again at some people after they had fallen to the ground. According to the same report, all those killed were near the church entrance when the shooting began.

Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the assault as a terrorist attack carried out by an extremist group. Public Security Director Maj. Gen. Obeidallah al-Maaytah said authorities were continuing to gather information and investigate to identify the perpetrators, arrest them, and bring them to justice.

As of Saturday morning, Jordanian authorities had not officially linked the attackers to a specific organization or announced any arrests. Media reports, citing Jordanian government and security sources, said the perpetrators espoused a takfiri ideology, an extremist outlook that declares other Muslims to be unbelievers.

A public prosecutor ordered a ban on publishing details of the investigation as authorities continued their search.

King Abdullah II pledged that the perpetrators would face the harshest penalties.

“Those who imagined that treacherous bullets could divide Jordanians have been thwarted by our resilience and unity,” he said, emphasizing Jordanians’ shared homeland and solidarity.

In their response, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem described the targeting of mourners at prayer as “a grave crime against God and humanity.” They expressed solidarity with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Jordan, and the victims’ families.

They called on all churches in the region to ring their bells at noon Saturday Jordanian time and to pray for the victims and the recovery of the wounded. They stressed that the attack would not succeed in undermining the unity and cohesion of Jordanian society.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said the attack violated the sanctity of places of worship and the right to life and to worship freely and with dignity. It described Jordan’s national unity as “a safeguard against terrorism and extremism,” emphasizing that the country’s Muslims and Christians form one family bound by a shared history and destiny.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, under whose jurisdiction the targeted church falls, affirmed that the attack would not undermine the Christian presence or Christians’ ties to their homeland.

“We are the children of this land, its living roots, and partners in its history, present, and future. We will remain here as witnesses to the faith, however great the challenges,” the patriarchate said.

The Jordan Council of Churches said the attack on the church and the mourners targeted social peace and coexistence. It emphasized solidarity among all communities in Jordan and rejected attempts to sow religious division.

The statements from Jordan were accompanied by condemnations from churches across the region, including the Middle East Council of Churches and several churches and patriarchates. Their responses emphasized the protection of places of worship, the need to confront extremist rhetoric and hate speech, and the fact that Christians are an integral part of the region’s societies, with deep roots in their homelands.

Church bells rang across Jordan and Palestine at noon Saturday in remembrance of those killed and in solidarity with their families and the wounded, answering the appeal of the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem.

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.

Golka, who was installed in the Denver Archdiocese in March after serving as the bishop of Colorado Springs for several years, led a prayer during an Oct. 22 meeting at the Oval Office between Trump and several U.S. bishops.

During the gathering the archbishop in part prayed for the Holy Spirit to “surround our country, to protect us against any influence of evil.”

The prayer event generated some backlash for what critics have argued was a politically motivated photo opportunity on the part of the White House. Golka this week said he “knew people might be upset” at the event and that it could be "use[d] for political purposes.”

“But as I prayed about it, I thought that this is what Catholics do. We pray for people. No matter whether we agree or disagree on anything, we always pray for our country and leaders,” he said in remarks to the Denver Catholic.

Golka said during the meeting he articulated Church teachings to the president. “As Catholics, we’re called to share our faith in season and out of season and to witness to the dignity of every human person,” he told the Denver Catholic.

He denied that the event, including video of the prayer shared on social media, constituted an “endorsement” of the president. “That was never my intention,” he said.

“The bishops of the United States teach that the Church cannot champion any candidate or party,” he said. “I hold to that. However you vote, you ultimately belong to Jesus who loves you infinitely more than you can imagine.”

The archbishop said he has received criticism from friends about the decision and that he has responded by telling them: “I was being a Catholic priest.”

He described himself as “heartbroken” at the anger over the event. He urged Christians to “look beyond the headlines, which are often crafted to provoke, towards the full truth.”

“I will keep praying for our president, our governor and everyone who serves in public office, regardless of their party or position on divisive topics,” he said.

The Archdiocese of Denver said after the event that praying for public leaders “is a long Catholic practice” that dates back to Apostolic Age.

The tour, titled “Feminists Lied: Prove Me Wrong,” features Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins. It began on Oct. 20 to challenge the view that feminism and a legal right to abortion have helped women rather than hurt them.

“For decades, young women were told that career success, a degree, and independence were the keys to happiness, and that abortion was the price of equality,” Hawkins, who is Catholic, said in a statement.

“Many Millennial women now ask whether those promises delivered, and Gen Z deserves to hear that conversation before they make the same choices,” she said. “Motherhood is not a weakness to be overcome. If equality requires a woman to end her pregnancy to succeed, then we haven’t liberated her at all. We’ve just handed her a different burden and called it freedom.”

The tour includes visits to eight campuses: the University of North Texas, Grand Valley State University, the University of Cincinnati, Boise State University, the University of New Mexico, the University of Arizona, Southern Oregon University, and the University of Washington.

Following the first event at the University of North Texas, Hawkins posted on X that her pro-life tour is intended to be in line with “Charlie’s legacy,” referencing Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, during a college speaking and debating tour.

Kirk, who was a conservative activist, frequently challenged abortion and encouraged young people to start families. He was an evangelical Christian who often blended political activism with evangelism.

CatholicVote reaches Hispanics on Virginia abortion initiative

The conservative organization CatholicVote has teamed up with Eduardo Verástegui — a Mexican actor and star in “Sound of Freedom” — to reach Hispanic voters in Virginia and encourage them to vote against a referendum that would enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution.

The advertisement, in Spanish, informs voters of the “very important” referendum and notes that the state’s bishops have spoken with clarity against the proposal. The bishops of both dioceses in the state have said Catholics have a “sacred duty” to vote no.

Verástegui also highlighted the bishops’ opposition to a separate ballot initiative to enshrine same-sex marriage in the state constitution.

English archbishop voices concern over euthanasia law in Isle of Man

Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, England, expressed sadness that an "assisted dying” bill will become law on the Isle of Man, which is a self-governing Crown Dependency of the British Crown.

“The Catholic Church continues to teach that life is a most precious gift of God and that we are stewards entrusted with this gift to protect it, treat illness, and care for the good of life,” said Sherrington, whose jurisdiction includes the Isle of Man.

“As such, a person should never intentionally end his or her life,” he said. “Catholic teaching, shared by many Christians and others of goodwill, proposes a different approach from that which has been passed into law by the Tynwald.”

The law will allow people who are terminally ill to receive physician-assisted suicide.

Arizona man wins lawsuit against abortion clinic

An Arizona man named Mario Villegas won a lawsuit against the Phoenix-based abortion clinic Camelback Family Planning after a court found that the clinic failed to follow the state’s informed consent law when his then-wife was prescribed chemical abortion drugs.

Villegas was awarded $5,000 in statutory damages and $62,500 in compensatory damages for his psychological, emotional, and physical injuries. He had argued in court that the clinic did not adequately inform his wife, from whom he is now divorced, about the development of the unborn child, risks associated with abortion, and possible alternatives.

In awarding Villegas damages, the court outlined that he was unable to properly function, eat, or sleep after his wife decided she wanted an abortion. The court highlighted his statements about feeling guilty after the abortion, saying: "[M]y baby was no longer living, and [I was wondering], ‘was there anything else I could have [done] to change the outcome?’”

The court noted that he had spoken about his grief, with him expressing his “feeling of loss” and saying, “I lost an opportunity to have somebody in my life.”

Villegas carries the ultrasound photo of his unborn child everywhere he goes, according to the court.

Her devotion made the circuitous, hourlong journey from her home in La Guaira to the capital city feel shorter. María Elena lived in La Guaira’s Caribbean Golf I building with her family: her husband, Wilson, and their sons, 25-year-old Ricardo and 22-year-old Enrique, all three of whom chose to stay home that day.

In Caracas, the day unfolded normally. María Elena and her friends visited the Colegio Belén, where the remains of Mother Carmen rest. Afterward, they went to the José Gregorio Hernández House Museum and concluded their pilgrimage with a Mass at Our Lady of La Candelaria Parish, where the remains of the “doctor of the poor” also rest.

Earthquakes and uncertainty

At 6:04 p.m., María Elena and her friends were in line to buy ice cream. Dark gray clouds over Caracas signaled an approaching storm, but the roar would not come from the sky but from the earth. At that moment, the ground shook with extreme violence, and panic reigned. The three of them managed to get out of the shopping mall where they had been.

Soon, the power grid failed and both the internet and telephone lines went down. Two hours later, the group was finally able to retrieve their car from where it was parked and began the journey back home, a trip that, this time, seemed to last forever.

María Elena told EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that what she encountered in La Guaira looked like something out of a horror movie. Late into the night, only fires broke the darkness. Entire buildings had collapsed. People were searching desperately through the rubble, while others were stealing and looting. There were shrieks, wailing, and weeping.

The journey home was difficult, not only because of the damaged state of the road but also because of the shock evoked by the scene. Every meter covered, every sight of pain and destruction, dealt a blow to the hope María Elena still clung to: the hope of reuniting with her loved ones. She could only reach her home on foot.

María Elena faces unimaginable pain

It was nearly midnight when María Elena saw that where the Caribbean Golf I building had once stood there was now only a massive pile of rubble. The 49-year-old woman said that paradoxically she felt a great sense of inner peace despite the tragedy. Amid the confusion, she was told that one of her children was alive but trapped in the rubble. With great effort, María Elena made her way to the spot.

It was Enrique, her youngest son. He was severely injured but was able to communicate with his mother. The first few hours following the earthquakes were chaotic in La Guaira; rescue efforts had to be carried out by hand because the necessary equipment for a swift response was not available. It was a very long night during which Enrique asked María Elena not to abandon him. “Don’t worry, son, I will never leave you alone,” she told him.

And so, morning came, followed by the afternoon. Trapped and in pain, Enrique could hold on no longer. María Elena, always close by, said she heard his final breath: “He waited for me to take his last breath.” Enrique died right there, alongside his father and his older brother. It was days later that rescuers managed to recover their bodies, after which María Elena was then able to give them a Christian burial.

“My faith grew stronger,” María Elena said. Her journey, however, has not been easy. It has been filled with pain, reproaches, and at times even anger toward God. María Elena was left on her own, and many times she sought answers.

“I fought with God. I was filled with rage. ‘Why did you leave me here? Am I so bad that I have to stay here?’ Yet, I surrendered all my suffering to God for the sanctification of their souls,” she shared.

Her greatest refuge has always been faith. Now she regularly attends a prayer group at a parish in Caracas, which she says has been very beneficial. She seeks indulgences for her husband and children and says she always tries to be cheerful and “let others see God in me.”

“Despite the great loss I’ve experienced, I’ve held onto my sense of humor. That‘s one of the things I asked of God when my son Enrique passed away. I accepted his death with deep pain and entrusted him to God, but I prayed that he wouldn’t take away my joy because I had always been the source of joy in our home. That’s what my children and my husband used to say,” she remarked.

“I want my husband and my children to feel proud of their wife and mother. I know that if I am happy, they will be happy, too. Happiness is a decision, and I decided to entrust my happiness to God because he wants all of us to be happy,” she added.

Oct. 24 marks four months since that terrible day. More than 6,000 Venezuelans lost their lives in a matter of seconds; thousands were left injured, and many others remain missing.

“Despite everything, I thank God for the fact that I was able to speak with my youngest son at that moment. I am grateful to God for life,” María Elena says, though she adds with that sense of humor she hasn’t lost: “Although I do ask him to take me soon.”

“I ask that I might fulfill my mission quickly so that I can go to heaven, because that’s what I long for most these days. Even before, I had no fear of death, because that is our destiny: to die in order to live and I want to live with God,” she said.

María Elena said she doesn’t yet know what will become of her life but affirmed that she has “surrendered herself” to whatever Providence may decide.

A message on the value of suffering

The Church teaches us that God does not desire suffering for its own sake, nor is he its direct cause.

The explanation of how God can permit evil without being its author is profound, yet it does not fully resolve the pain of any given loss. Through faith, Catholics believe that God can bring good even out of evil; however, this does not make the death of innocent people a good thing, nor does it justify tragedies.

Such suffering can take on meaning when experienced in union with Christ. As has been evidenced in the case in Venezuela following the earthquakes, pain can awaken solidarity and mutual responsibility; it can even prompt a society to reflect on how it might improve. This is María Elena’s conviction.

“We have been suffering for years. Just try it, you’ll see: When you entrust that suffering to Christ, all the little things we go through, those moments of anger and indignation, offering them to Jesus for the sake of someone else, you will see how the blessings follow,” she said.

“And another thing: Thank God for everything. It’s incredible, when you thank God for both the bad things and the good, blessings will follow. I’m not saying that problems won’t continue to arise; I still have plenty of things to deal with myself, but when we are with God, our burdens are lighter,” María Elena reflected.

“I am not alone, because I have God; I have the Most Holy Virgin Mary, who has always been with me, and I have felt her presence. And who better than she who knows what this pain is like?” she 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.

“It’s not so easy to process or come to terms with this situation, given the way it happened,” Calle shared in an interview with EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. “I could break down at any moment because of the pain I feel inside.”

Calle lives in Quito, Ecuador, and manages the administrative needs of the Redemptorist congregation in the Andean-Caribbean Province, which comprises Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. He is currently in Guayaquil serving also as the legal representative to handle matters related to Sánchez’s death. He is also taking part in the Oct. 19–27 novena for the repose of his soul.

“He died embracing the cross. The crucifix was not damaged, save for the part of the leg [of the corpus]. It is striking how he celebrated the Lord’s passover, and the Lord celebrated his passover with him… And Patricio died doing what he loved: the Eucharist,” the priest emphasized.

He loved the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary

Calle described Sánchez as a man “with a pure heart and a ready smile, a smile that created a sense of closeness. People were drawn to him because of his purity of heart, in which there was no trace of ill intent. He was always so very calm, patient, and tolerant.”

“He very much loved the Blessed Sacrament. Wherever he went to any parish he would always emphasize this devotion. And he was always the first one there; he wouldn’t just expose the Blessed Sacrament for a while and then leave, he would stay to pray,” the priest recounted.

Sánchez served in Loja, in southern Ecuador, and later in a mission area called Vinces. He also spent nine years at a parish in Manta, and finally about four years in Guayaquil, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. He served as the pastor there, and it was in that church that he died.

“He also loved the Most Holy Virgin Mary. We can describe Patricio as someone who throughout his ministry everyone felt his closeness to them, absolutely everyone,” the Redemptorist priest highlighted.

“He was always a very dedicated man, always spiritual and pastoral. He would say ‘yes’ to everyone. We could say, then, that he was a hardworking man, very self-sacrificing, very devoted,” he remarked.

Calle further noted that “Patricio was a very simple person, very approachable and full of human warmth. That’s why his homilies were so simple.”

“My enduring memory of Patricio,” he added, “is that he was a very welcoming person, always concerned with making sure one had something to eat or drink. He enjoyed going to the cinema and was an athletic person; he liked going for a walk and swimming.”

‘A sign of grace’

The priest shared that he never had a conversation with Sánchez about how he would have liked to be remembered, but he highlighted one aspect he has been reflecting on in recent days following the tragic death of his fellow priest.

“Patricio’s death will become, or is already becoming, a sign of grace for Catholics and for humanity, given the fact that he was in the midst of broadcasting [the Mass] and that the tragedy unfolded in precisely this way, rather than any other. That was a message for everyone,” Calle remarked.

The priest remarked, in closing, that he does not know where the story of this priest will ultimately lead but that it certainly will not leave anyone indifferent.

“I don’t know if his mission is beginning now. I cannot offer any certainty or assurance; it is simply a personal perception, based on the context and the way he died.”

‘One day, all of us here will also die’

Sánchez was born on Nov. 6, 1973, in Cuenca, Ecuador. He made his profession in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) on Aug. 15, 2000, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was ordained a priest on Oct. 15, 2005.

He was pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in south Guayaquil. He served as the superior of his religious community, where he lived alongside a fellow religious brother who had taken his perpetual vows.

In his final homily, on the day of his death, he spoke about the importance of making time for God. “He must come first,” he said, adding: “Dear brothers and sisters, one day, all of us here will also die. Sometimes, the time we have spent on material things does not hold as much meaning as the time we dedicate to God, that quality time we give to God, to our brothers and sisters, to our wife, our husband, to our children, and to our families. That is time spent in the best possible way.”

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.

In a statement, the diocese said the incident occurred around 6 a.m., when an unidentified man entered the church under the pretext of praying, carrying a bottle of gasoline in a bag. He then broke through the door of a small chapel on the building’s ground floor, set fire to several curtains, and damaged wooden Gospel stands and carpeting. Security forces arrived at the scene and began investigating the circumstances and motive behind the incident.

In a second statement, Bishop Theodosius, the Coptic Orthodox bishop of Central Giza, said he went to the church as soon as he was informed of the fire. Together with several priests, he reviewed surveillance footage showing the man entering the church.

The bishop confirmed that the damage was limited and that no one had been injured.

Egypt’s Interior Ministry said the suspect was apprehended while sitting on a bench, having removed his upper clothing and speaking incoherently. According to the ministry, surveillance footage showed him entering with a plastic water bottle containing a white substance, without being stopped by security personnel at the gate.

The ministry said its assessment indicated that the suspect had mental health problems associated with an addiction to crystal methamphetamine and had previously been admitted to a psychiatric facility. Legal proceedings were initiated, and the public prosecutor’s office took over the investigation.

The incident prompted questions about security procedures at church entrances, where police officers and church-appointed security personnel are expected to check visitors’ identities and screen them before entry. Those concerns come amid rising hate speech in Egypt and around the world.

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.

“As you calmed the winds and the waves on the Sea of Galilee, we humbly ask ...” the prayer begins, before asking Jesus to clear the haze from the region. It was prayed at a faith formation session at the parish on Oct. 13.

At 7 p.m. on Oct. 16, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index stood at 225 in Singaporeʼs central region, with three of the city-stateʼs five regions in the “very unhealthy” range, according to the National Environment Agency. The same day, Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu said some of the haze had come from fires on the lands of seven companies in Indonesia, which would receive preventive measure notices under Singaporeʼs Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

Reports from Kalimantan

The haze was discussed at the assembly of the Franciscan Network for Peace and Integral Ecology in Asia, held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, from Oct. 5–11, said Friar John Wong, OFM, general definitor for Asia-Oceania of the Order of Friars Minor. Participants discussed how the haze affects the most vulnerable communities and how Franciscans are responding, he said.

A Capuchin Franciscan from Kalimantan, Indonesia, told the assembly that in one area, schools had been closed for a month because of the haze and that in other areas, poor families had lost their homes to the peatland fires, Wong said.

Friar Taucen Girsang, OFM, the orderʼs assistant general director for justice, peace, and integrity of creation, reported that friars in Indonesia have been working with local bishops and governors, and that the Order of Friars Minor and the Capuchins are cooperating to provide clean water and help rebuild homes destroyed by fire in Kalimantan, according to Wong. The assembly focused on natural disaster management, preventing environmental destruction, and reducing disaster risks.

Capuchin Father Pionius Hendi, who chairs Inter-Franciscans for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Indonesia, said the Church’s response must go beyond relief. “The Church is not called only to be present when disaster strikes but also to fight so that disasters that can be prevented do not keep happening,” he said in written answers in Indonesian.

“We are not called only to help people survive in the midst of the ecological crisis but also to fight for a world in which people and all creation can live with dignity,” he said.

“The Franciscan response always begins with fraternal solidarity with those who suffer, especially the poor and vulnerable,” said Wong, who is based in Rome.

“Laudato Si' [Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical] reminds us that care for creation and care for people belong together," he said. "The poor are often the first to suffer from environmental damage, even though they may have contributed least to the problem."

St. Francis' Canticle of the Creatures, he said, calls Franciscans “to a change of heart, but also to a change in how we live, produce, consume, and care for the world entrusted to us.”

“The effects of these fires cross national borders. This makes the haze a shared regional concern that calls for solidarity, cooperation, and a sense of shared responsibility,” he said. Caring for our common home “is a matter of faith, justice, and our responsibility to future generations.”

A friar in Assisi

Writing from Assisi, Italy, Friar John-Paul Tan, OFM, a Singaporean Franciscan friar and director of Fraternitas, the orderʼs ministry to young adults, said: “These last days, the thought of the haze and the sufferings of so many people have been on my mind.”

“How can the natural resources be seen as a blessing and a collective asset that is to be cared, managed, and protected from exploitation and abuse?” he asked.

He suggested that old oil palm trees could be used for pulp and paper, mulch, and chipboard rather than being disposed of by fire. “There is a ready source of renewable material from old palm trees,” he said.

“The conversion of these individuals that have the agency and resources, and the collective mindsets, is critical if we are to have an effective response to this ecological crisis at our doorsteps,” he said.

‘A common good’

G. Clare Westwood, regional director of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, said: “The haze is air pollution. Air pollution is a violation of our right to a safe environment and our right to health. When it prevents people from working or children from going to school, then it also affects our right to livelihood and education.”

She too cited Laudato Si', which raises concern over air pollution and describes climate as a common good.

“We stand in solidarity with those who suffer, and we seek to work with others to prevent further harm, care for those affected, and build a more sustainable future,” Wong said.

Kim, 70, chaired the conference’s special committee on sexual violence in the Church, which drew up the guidelines. At their Oct. 19–21 plenary assembly in Seoul, the bishops also elected Bishop John Baptist Jung Shin-chul of Incheon as vice president and Archbishop Simon Ok Hyun-jin of Gwangju as secretary, each for a three-year term.

The bishops also approved a question-and-answer guide on artificial intelligence and a sign-language Order of Mass. They asked all dioceses to join a year of prayer for peace on the Korean Peninsula from Dec. 8 ahead of World Youth Day Seoul 2027. Asked about potential plans to introduce abortion pills in South Korea, Kim told reporters that people have “no right to lay a hand on life itself,” Yonhap reported.

Catholic Church in Burundi supports over 80,000 Congolese refugees

The Catholic Church in Burundi is working with humanitarian organizations to support more than 80,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the local ordinary of the Diocese of Bururi said.

The Catholic Church in Burundi is providing assistance to the refugees in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Children’s Fund, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported Oct. 23. “Until recently, my diocese was hosting more than 30,000 of them, but they have since been transferred to other parts of the country,” Bishop Salvator Niciteretse said in the report.

“We are seeking to heal the social fabric through meetings and initiatives aimed at forming consciences to respect life, human dignity, and the common good,” he said. “At the national level, we have organized gatherings attended by several thousand young people, who have been hosted by families.”

Scotland bishop steps back from ministry due to medical advice

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland announced that its president, Bishop John Keenan, would be “stepping back from his daily duties until further notice, following medical advice.”

“Bishop Keenan has been undergoing medical investigations and will require further tests and examinations over the coming weeks,” the conference said in an Oct. 22 statement. “During this time, Vicar General Monsignor Joe Burke will oversee the day-to-day running of the Diocese of Paisley. Bishop Keenan hopes to provide a further update once these investigations are concluded and is grateful for your prayers at this time.”

Maronite patriarch ends historic Greece visit with pilgrimage route launch

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai concluded the first visit to Greece by a Maronite patriarch, strengthening relations with the Orthodox Church and meeting the local Maronite community.

During visits to Mount Athos, Athens, Thessaloniki, and Corinth, Rai explored the shared Christian heritage of Greece and Lebanon, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Oct. 20. The visit led to plans for a pilgrimage route linking Corinth with Lebanonʼs Qadisha Valley (the holly valley), building on cooperation established in 2019. Comparing Mount Athos with Lebanonʼs historic monasteries, Rai lamented the neglect and emigration affecting the Qadisha Valley and called attention to the governmentʼs responsibility for preserving its heritage and supporting local communities.

Catholics in Egypt celebrate 100 years of World Mission Sunday

Marking the centenary of World Mission Sunday, Catholics of the Latin rite in Egypt gathered for Mass in Cairo under the theme “One in Christ, United in Mission.”

Monsignor Antoine Tawfik reminded the faithful that every Christian shares responsibility for spreading the Gospel through prayer, love, and service, ACI MENA reported Oct. 20. Drawing on the examples of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thérèse of Lisieux, he warned that neglecting this mission threatens the Churchʼs ability to pass on the faith to future generations.

Catholic child beaten with pipes by sectarian gang in Northern Ireland

A sectarian gang in Northern Ireland targeted a 13-year-old Catholic boy in a random attack, beating the child with metal pipes until he crawled under a car to escape, Irish News reported Oct. 23.

The attack took place in Derry following rising tensions among Protestants and Catholics over a planned unionist march through a Catholic neighborhood, which was eventually blocked by the U.K. government. The boy suffered injuries to his face and was rushed to the hospital, the report said, noting that the attack appeared to have been carried out by adult masked men. The boy did not sustain any life-threatening injuries.

Catholic schools in Syria invest in early childhood education

Around 115 kindergarten teachers from 18 Catholic schools in Syria participated in a new training initiative organized by the General Secretariat of Catholic Educational Institutions in cooperation with Shaghaf Academy and with support from LʼŒuvre dʼOrient.

The program focused on child psychology, classroom management, and effective communication, helping teachers better understand childrenʼs emotional and educational needs, ACI MENA reported Oct. 19. Church leaders emphasized that education is not simply about delivering information but also about building character, confidence, and values. They expressed hope that the initiative would strengthen Catholic education in Syria and eventually expand to other grade levels.

Now she is preparing to begin, on Nov. 1, another challenging new role, one that is taking her to the Eternal City as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication.

In an “EWTN News In Depth” interview with Colm Flynn, Alvarado reflected on where her life has taken her so far, her vocation, and what’s ahead.

Since 2023, Alvarado has led EWTN News’ global and multilingual news operations across television, radio, print, digital, and social media platforms.

Before joining EWTN, she spent 14 years at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where she also rose to a position of leadership and worked extensively on issues related to religious freedom and human dignity.

Born in Mexico City, Alvarado came to the United States as a young girl. She studied at Florida International University and The George Washington University, served her church, and even discerned religious life.

She shared that she’s “done none of this alone” and that as she has walked into each new chapter, “thereʼs an incredible team there to work with, mentors that are more generous than I could ever deserve.”

After ending her time at Becket, she recalled “thinking about the importance of religious freedom and the Constitution and the American Dream and I said, ‘Well, whatʼs it all for if not for heaven?’”

“I looked at EWTN and Mother Angelica and she spoke to my heart. That desperate desire for people to go to heaven … and so coming in here and having an environment where I was only talking about Jesus every day and only trying to communicate him to the world was a great honor for me and my spiritual life, but also seemed like a very logical thing to do when I thought about it from a calling and spiritual perspective,” she explained.

Alvarado credited Mother Angelica and EWTN for playing a major role in the lead-up to her appointment to her new position.

She explained that due to EWTN’s role in collaborating with the Holy See for several large events — including Pope Leo XIV’s first-ever live dialogue with young people in Indianapolis in November 2025 and EWTN’s collaboration with the dicastery to create a video reflection ahead of the release of the Holy Father’s first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas — she was able to meet with the pope and “get to know the inner workings.”

Alvarado will be making history as she takes on this new responsibility — becoming the first laywoman appointed prefect of a dicastery of the Holy See. She said she believes she was chosen for the position because “we are in a moment where digital communications and traditional communications are coming together,” and the Holy Father “was looking for a next-generation professional, thatʼs clear, and God willing, Iʼll be able to fill those shoes.”

When asked if her response to the Holy Father’s reaching out to her about the appointment prompted an immediate yes, Alvarado admitted that it “took a little more prayer than I would care to admit.”

“My entire life has been a surrender to Jesus Christ and his Church in the hopes that others would have a relationship with him. But Iʼm human, Colm, and moving to a new country, learning a new language, all of those pieces, leaving everything behind, theyʼre big to overcome,” she said. “And so I think it took a little more prayer than I would care to admit. Iʼm a little more human than I would care to admit in my willingness to say yes.”

As prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, Alvarado will oversee all of the Holy See’s media and communication outlets, which include Vatican News, Vatican Media, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican publishing house, the Vatican internet service, the Vatican printing press, and the Vatican’s photography service.

“Itʼs enormous,” Alvarado said.

“Communicating Christ to the world is the mandate of the communications dicastery, and it will be done in concert with the Holy Father … Weʼre getting to know what this is, what it should be, what the desire of his heart is, and what the Holy Spirit has really given him as the mandate for his pontificate,” she added. “And my job is to serve him and the Church and to serve the dicasteries and serve the Curia. In no way am I imposing a vision. Iʼm very much receiving one and executing it.”

She shared that while people have been telling her that by going into the Vatican she has to be careful “because I might lose my faith seeing the humanity of the Church,” that excites her and she prefers to “turn that on its head and say Iʼm going to see the humanity of the Church, which for me has always been an affirmation that Jesus Christ is real and his Church is the true Church. Because in seeing the way things work, I actually find that itʼs miraculous.”

“I feel like seeing the inner workings and the reality, even overcoming my own imperfections and sinfulness, as a child of God, the fact that God could use me as an instrument for something so great is incredibly humbling.”

The observance marks the Oct. 27, 1998, signing of the International Religious Freedom Act by President Bill Clinton.

Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, and Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, said in a joint statement that “millions of people continue to suffer violations of the basic human right to religious freedom, and rapidly developing technological tools, such as artificial intelligence, have the potential to expand such abuses, increasing the scope of surveillance and persecution of religious groups.”

“In this era of technological change, all of society—including the private sector—is called to work together to ensure that technological tools are not used to facilitate new and intensified forms of religious discrimination,” the statement said.

Zaidan chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Sample chairs the Committee for Religious Liberty.

The bishops noted Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas said the “right to religious freedom is rooted in human dignity, providing ‘decisive criteria’ for protecting individuals and societies. As brother bishops, we affirm that, in the age of AI, human dignity remains at the heart of defending religious freedom.”

Zaidan and Sample pointed to the bishops' conferenceʼs collaboration with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom as an example of how government and faith leaders can work together to address religious freedom violations worldwide.

“This partnership is a testament to the power of joint efforts by government and faith leaders to protect this most cherished right,” the bishops said.

“In this 250th year commemorating American independence, may the Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love for all of humanity, make us beacons of hope for our brothers and sisters through the world by defending religious freedom in the digital age,” the bishops said.

Barron received the Josef Pieper Prize in Münster in July 2025, a decision that generated protests from Catholic groups and political organizations. The protesters criticized the bishop as promoting “exclusionary identity politics,” among other allegations.

The German news website katholisch.de reported on Oct. 21 that Barron’s 2025 receipt of the award was “still having repercussions.” It cited the Josef Pieper Foundation as reportedly having “acknowledged mistakes” in how it handled the controversy; the foundation is also reportedly developing a conference “on Barron and his theology.”

In a statement posted to X on Oct. 22, Barron quipped: “Gosh, I’d love to attend this debate. But I’m pretty sure I have a MAGA rally to attend that night…”

“If you have any doubt that the German Catholic academy has fallen into clownish irrelevance, look no further than this inane and ginned-up ‘controversy,’” the Chicago-born prelate wrote.

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He critically dismissed the “protest” over his receipt of the award as having consisted of “25 desultory septuaginarians holding signs and a statement from the theological faculty of the University of Munster.”

He described that faculty statement as “an undergraduate level of sophistication … which betrayed not the slightest indication of any familiarity with my work.”

The bishop, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 23 via a spokesman, further suggested that the German foundation’s namesake Josef Pieper was “turning in his grave” over the controversy. The foundation also did not immediately respond to a request for comment from EWTN News.

The Josef Pieper Prize honors the legacy of the German Catholic philosopher (1904–1997), who was renowned for his accessible writings on Thomistic philosophy and his insights into leisure, contemplation, and the relationship between faith and reason.

Amid the July 2025 controversy, Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau in Bavaria delivered a defense of Barron while sharply condemning what the Bavarian bishop called “beige Catholicism” in Germany.

The country has been home to “a mostly well-financed Catholicism of appeasement,” he argued, which “has essentially lost its spiritual power and attraction.”

The Catholic Church has not issued a definitive judgment that embryo adoption is morally licit. The issue remains debated among Catholic theologians. In the 2008 Vatican document Dignitas Personae, the Church affirmed the dignity and rights of frozen embryos and expressed reservations about proposals for prenatal adoption.

John Haas, president emeritus of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, argued that embryo adoption is morally illicit as it requires the artificial transfer of a frozen embryo into the womb of a woman who is unrelated to the unborn child — a practice he said both violates the Church’s teachings about sexual ethics in marriage and deliberately endangers the lives of embryos in the thawing process.

Haas further argued that the only moral solution to the question of what to do with frozen embryos is to keep them frozen, as bringing them to life or disposing of them in any way would always be considered illicit. To support this claim, he cited the 1987 Vatican document Donum Vitae, which states: “In consequence of the fact that they have been produced in vitro, those embryos which art not transferred into the body of the mother and are called ‘spare’ are exposed to an absurd fate, with no possibility of their being offered safe means of survival which can be licitly pursued.”

Organized by the pro-life organization Defend Life, the event took place after a Mass in honor of St. John Paul II and was livestreamed on the organization’s website.

Elizabeth Rex, an associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, argued in favor of embryo adoption, saying that neither the Vatican nor the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have “ever formally ruled against embryo transfer or embryo adoption.”

While acknowledging the Church’s teaching that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is immoral, Rex argued that the process of IVF and the transfer of the embryo into a mother’s womb should not be separated.

“They go together. You donʼt do IVF just to leave [the embryo] in the petri dish or put it in the freezer. That would be an abortion,” she said. “The baby would die. So, the baby now has been conceived, and it needs to be transferred into the womb. Itʼs a person. Itʼs a child. Itʼs a patient, and it needs medical assistance. And that is what the Church teaches there.”

Haas countered Rex’s argument that the Church has not ruled out embryo adoption, saying: “The only statement from the magisterium of the Church that has fueled this debate is one half of one sentence from Dignitas Personae that the supporters of embryo adoption often donʼt bother to finish when they quote it.”

The paragraph he cited in the document states: “It has also been proposed, solely in order to allow human beings to be born who are otherwise condemned to destruction, that there could be a form of ‘prenatal adoption.’ This proposal, praiseworthy with regard to the intention of respecting and defending human life, presents however various problems not dissimilar to those mentioned above. All things considered, it needs to be recognized that the thousands of abandoned embryos represent a situation of injustice which in fact cannot be resolved.”

Haas argued that the ends do not justify the means with regard to embryo adoption and that the Holy See has not made “a single statement on behalf of embryo adoption.”

Each member of the ITC is a scholar in various fields, as reported in the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, “including biblical studies, patristics, dogmatics and moral theology, but with some publicly holding views that conflict with established Church teaching, such as on women’s ordination and the theology of salvation.”

The commission, founded by Pope Paul VI in 1969, is made up of 30 individuals and is tasked with assisting the Holy See — particularly the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith — with the study of theological questions and publishing official advisory documents.

The group meets once a year for a week to discuss their work and tackle any ongoing discussions and global theological demands. Made up of both laypeople and members of the clergy, the ITC brings together a wide range of scholars from around the world including those from Asia, Africa, and South America.

Pope Leo has asked the new ITC members and six returnees to focus on the topics of tradition and enculturation of the faith over their term.

The commission’s lay membership

The following lay scholars — five women and two men — are new members of the ITC:

Professor Teresa Hyeon Soon Choi — South Korea

Teresa Hyeon Soon Choi is an associate professor at the Institute for Whole Person Education Center of Sogang University in Seoul.

Professor Maria Teresa Fattori — Italy

Maria Teresa Fattori is a researcher at the University of Teramo, Italy, specializing in early modern papal history, the governance of Pope Benedict XVI, and provincial councils in polycentric Catholicism. Her current work focuses on the relationship between the Catholic Church and slavery in the early modern period. She has published extensively on the history of the early modern Roman Curia, the development of canon law after the Council of Trent, and the history of global Catholicism.

Professor Claudia Leal Luna — Chile

Claudia Leal Luna is a full professor at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences in Rome. With a niche in understanding the fragility of the human hallmark and the methodology of social morality, Luna is also an alumna of the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue.

Professor Sara Parvis — Great Britain/Scotland

Sara Parvis is an associate professor at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity and was appointed for her expertise in early Christianity and theology. Her contributions draw on her experience as a lay Dominican, her studies in early Christian theological development, and her writings on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’.

Professor Anne-Sophie Vivier-Muresan —  France

Anne-Sophie Vivier-Muresan is dean of the faculty of theology at the Catholic Institute of Paris. Holding doctorates in social anthropology, ethnology, and Catholic theology, she is a specialist in dogmatic and Trinitarian theology working on contemporary Orthodox theology and theology of religions.

Professor Boyd Taylor Coolman — USA

Boyd Taylor Coolman is an associate professor in the theology department in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences at Boston College. He is a historical theologian of medieval Catholicism and founder of the Boston Colloquy in Historical Theology.

Professor Jan-Heiner Tück — Austria

Jan-Heiner Tück is a German theologian who has served as a professor of dogmatics and dogmatic history since 2010 at the University of Vienna, where he also heads the Department of Dogmatic Theology.

Rounding out the number of laypeople on the commission for the new term to eight is Professor Reinhard Huetter, a visiting professor of theology at Duke Divinity School in the United States, who was confirmed for a second consecutive five-year term.

The full list of membership for this next five-year cycle can be found at the Holy See Press Office website.

Pope Paul VI established the ITC in 1969, and its status was further defined in 1982 by Pope John Paul II. Throughout its active years, the commission has published 33 documents with the approval of its president, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which aid in the work of the dicastery for the year.

He made the remark during an audience with participants in an international congress organized on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical Gregorian University, one of the most influential academic institutions in the formation of canon lawyers throughout the world.

In his Oct. 23 address, the pontiff recalled that the study of the Church’s law can only be fully understood in light of the ecclesial mystery described by the Second Vatican Council, especially in the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium.

Citing St. John Paul II and the apostolic constitution Sacrae Disciplinae Leges, through which he promulgated the 1983 Code of Canon Law, Leo XIV stressed that while “it is impossible to translate the image of the Church perfectly into canonical language,” the Church’s legal system nevertheless has the duty to reflect it.

The pope’s words carry particular significance in light of his academic background. Leo XIV holds a doctorate in canon law and has extensive experience as a specialist in ecclesiastical legislation, a formation that has profoundly shaped his approach to governing the Church.

In this regard, he explained that canon law provides an “essential service in safeguarding ecclesial communion” and is therefore “extremely necessary for the Church.” Its purpose, he added, is “to create such order in ecclesial society that, while giving primacy to love, grace, and charism, it makes their organic development easier.”

The pontiff also insisted that the juridical and pastoral dimensions cannot be separated. “The good of the person and that of the ecclesial community cannot exist independently of one another,” he said.

Heirs to a long canonical tradition

During his address, Leo XIV paid tribute to the Faculty of Canon Law at the Gregorian University, founded on Aug. 16, 1876, by decision of Blessed Pius IX.

The pope noted that the anniversary represents “a fundamental milestone in a history that began centuries ago” and praised the many scholars who have contributed to the development of canon law. Thanks to them, he said, the institution has consolidated an academic tradition that continues to bear fruit for the universal Church.

“They constitute a kind of unbroken thread linking generations and still today transmit a valuable scientific and ecclesial heritage,” he said.

He also recalled that the Faculty is an apostolic work of the Society of Jesus and shares the Ignatian spirituality summarized in the principle “Non multa, sed multum” (“Not many things, but much depth”).

“What matters is not knowing many things, but penetrating reality deeply, understanding it, and interiorizing it,” he explained, recalling the teaching of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Forming jurists with an ecclesial sense of justice

In the final part of his address, the pope insisted that the teaching of canon law cannot be limited to the transmission of norms. Its goal, he said, is “to form persons who possess the ecclesial sense of what is just (‘iustum’), acquired through rigorous study of the sources, the canonical tradition, and the theological principles that illuminate the norm.”

Leo XIV also recalled that the Faculty’s own academic program states that “the law of the Church must always tend toward the supernatural good of each of the faithful and the building up of ecclesial communion.”

For this reason, he urged professors and students to work in pursuit of “true justice, never separated in the Church from truth and mercy.”

Drawing on a famous expression of St. Augustine, he added: “Ordinata dilectio est iustitia” — “Ordered love is justice.”

He then encouraged them to offer students “a living experience of the universal Church,” recalling that it finds “in the bishop of Rome the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity.”

Addressing students from various countries, he asked them to live the universality of the Church during their years of formation and, upon returning to their dioceses and communities, to bring that experience with them “as a treasure to be shared.”

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 Society of Catholic Social Scientists (SCSS), founded in 1992 by political scientist Stephen M. Krason, will hold its 34th National Meeting on Oct. 23–24 at John Carroll University, located in University Heights, Ohio, a suburb east of Cleveland.

Ahead of the conference, Krason — professor emeritus of political science at Franciscan University of Steubenville — told EWTN News a primary goal of SCSS is to “bring Catholic teaching and a Catholic understanding and a Catholic worldview to the work they do in their disciplines.”

Conference talks will include discussions on hot-button issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), immigration policy, just war doctrine, and euthanasia. There are also discussions about Catholic history in the United States, in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the founders signing the Declaration of Independence.

According to SCSS’ website, the organization seeks to follow St. John XXIII’s instruction in his encyclical Mater et Magistra for Christians to “conform their behavior in economic and social affairs to the teachings of the Church.”

Krason said SCSS reaches out to members ahead of the conference for proposals on papers, which constitute the subject of the talk and are often submitted to SCSS’ scholarly journal, the Catholic Social Science Review (CSSR).

To be a full member, Krason said, “you have to sign a profession of faith [that] you accept the Church’s teachings” and noted that people come to the organization “looking for a solid orthodox Catholic organization.” Before the talks, papers are reviewed to ensure faithfulness to Catholic teaching, though he said this is typically not an issue for members.

Krason said most presenters are SCSS members, but sometimes a few are not. He said SCSS also accepts associate members who are not Catholic. They also accept student members who are working toward their master’s degrees.

The organization, which states that its programs are designed to reflect views “compatible with Catholic orthodoxy,” welcomes scholars from various social sciences, including political science, economics, history, psychology, sociology, counseling, and law, among others.

Upcoming conference

Scholars will discuss a broad range of topics. Krason noted that topics are decided based on the submissions, but the conference is not built around specific themes.

One topic is Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, which focuses on AI and other elements of Catholic social teaching. The talks will discuss concerns about human dignity, along with an Augustinian approach to concerns about transhumanism — a movement to blend humanity and machine.

The conference includes talks about immigration, in light of President Donald Trump’s policy of mass deportations. This includes discussions about balancing national sovereignty and human dignity and the social impact of migration.

Other talks delve into political theory and the subjects of natural law and labor, as well as a Thomistic analysis of usury and modern banking. A few talks are focused on the American South, including one about the principle of subsidiarity in Catholic social teaching and the political theory of John C. Calhoun, who favored strong decentralization of government.

There are talks on just war doctrine, one of which looks into the approaches of various popes in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The organization will also give out the Blessed Frederic Ozanam Award for Catholic Social Action, which will be received by Clark Massey, founder of A Simple House, which is a missionary organization.

Another award, the Pope Pius XI Award for Contributions Toward the Building Up of a True Catholic Social Science, will be given to Notre Dame political scientist and author Patrick J. Deneen.

Deneen told EWTN News he’s “honored to receive” the award and “grateful for the existence and work of the SCSS in fostering and advancing a true science of social phenomena.”

“Those who work in the largely disfavored school of Catholic social science understand that its object of study is neither the determined and unfree entities studied by natural science, nor the infinitely malleable substances that modern technology claims to command, but creatures — men and women — who are simultaneously free and subject to natural laws not of our making,” Deneen said.

“A true social science recognizes that we are most free when we acknowledge and follow those laws within even the wide boundaries they establish,” he said. “How much healthier our society would be if more of our social science began with these premises, and suffused our social and political order with its findings.”

Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said unidentified gunmen opened fire inside a church in Karak province, causing deaths and injuries. It said security forces were pursuing those involved. Its initial statement did not specify the number of casualties or identify the shooters.

Jordan’s Al-Mamlaka television channel, citing a source, reported that two gunmen got out of a vehicle and opened fire during a funeral at the church in Hamoud.

Reuters quoted a funeral attendee as saying that one gunman carried a rifle and the other a handgun. The witness said the shooting lasted several minutes and targeted a gathering of dozens of mourners. The news agency also reported that security forces had deployed around the church and begun searching for the two suspects.

Jordanian authorities have not yet announced the suspects’ identities or a motive for the shooting. No group has claimed responsibility.

Jordan’s minister of government communication, Mohammad Momani, said security agencies were responding at the scene and that information would be released once verified. He urged the public to allow the authorities to complete their work and to rely on official sources.

The Public Security Directorate also warned against circulating unofficial information about the incident, urging the public to follow statements issued by the relevant authorities.

Hamoud lies in Karak province, which is home to historic Christian communities alongside Muslim residents. The circumstances and motives behind the shooting remain unknown, pending the findings of the investigation and further official information.

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.

Over the three-day gathering, specialists from various fields addressed the scientific, anthropological, and ethical challenges connected with sexuality and reproduction.

Pope Leo XIV was himself set to address the first day of the Oct. 16–18 conference, titled “The Splendor of the Human Person: Preserving Fertility, Healing Infertility,” but the audience had to be canceled due to the pontiff’s hospitalization Oct. 13–17.

The congress, held at the Rome campus of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, opened with a lecture by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on “the dignity and beauty of procreation in the Church’s magisterium.”

Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, president of the Italy-based Paul VI International Scientific Institute Foundation (ISI) and general ecclesiastical assistant of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, warned that the assisted reproductive technology in vitro fertilization (IVF) “removes the generative act from the responsibility of the spouses” and places it in the hands of “doctors and laboratory technicians.”

“It raises no small number of ethical questions that, without any hesitation, we move from a procreative act rooted in the gift of mutual love, expressed in becoming one flesh in marriage, to a kind of delegation or subcontracting of the most relevant and meaningful human act, namely the begetting of a child, entrusting it to a process external to the couple and exclusively technical in nature,” the prelate said.

Giuliodori also addressed the moral issues surrounding IVF and other assisted reproductive techniques, ranging from the collection of germ cells and AI-assisted selection of gametes to the production, freezing, and possible use of embryos for scientific research.

“We must consider the numerous and complex technical and ethical questions linked to obtaining germ cells, the selection of gametes today through artificial intelligence, the methods of producing embryos according to the various techniques, the number of those who, even after implantation, are subject to reduction or elimination, the cryopreservation of embryos that are not implanted, and their possible use for scientific research,” he said.

The prelate emphasized that Italy is estimated to have between 30,000 and 100,000 frozen embryos, while noting that precise figures do not exist. “No one is able to produce exact data, and this is striking,” he said, highlighting the “health, legal, economic, and above all ethical” implications of this reality.

According to Giuliodori, the central issue “from an anthropological and ethical, but also existential and social point of view” is that IVF transfers the generation of new life outside the marital relationship.

‘Not produced in a laboratory’

On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown, the first child born through assisted reproductive technologies, came into the world. Giuliodori noted that many of these techniques were initially developed in the field of animal reproduction and argued that their application to human generation is morally unacceptable.

“[That] which may be justified in the context of livestock breeding appears wholly inappropriate and ethically unacceptable for human beings, who have the right to be conceived within the exclusive context of their parents’ act of love, not produced in a laboratory,” he said.

He also lamented that public debate focuses almost exclusively on adults’ desire to have children.

“Unfortunately, there is much discussion about the right to have a child by whatever means, but very little about the right of the child to be conceived in a truly human way within the context of conjugal love,” he said.

Leo XIV and Donum Vitae

During his remarks, Giuliodori recalled recent teachings from Pope Leo XIV on the dignity of every human life and the need to set ethical limits on technological development.

The president of the ISI Foundation also cited one of the central affirmations of the instruction Donum Vitae, published Feb. 22, 1987, by the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger: “What is technically possible is not thereby morally admissible.”

Clinical alternatives to artificial fertilization

In the second part of his speech, Giuliodori reviewed the history and mission of the ISI, which was created to offer clinical alternatives to artificial fertilization by treating the underlying causes of infertility.

He highlighted that the institute now operates within the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital Foundation, where it benefits from “all the support necessary for the most advanced research” and from an interdisciplinary approach that enables “highly precise and in-depth diagnoses.”

According to Giuliodori, this method offers “the real possibility, already widely documented, of providing concrete answers for eliminating the causes of infertility.”

He said that the experience accumulated over 25 years has made ISI an international reference point for couples seeking to address infertility without resorting to artificial fertilization techniques.

“The results achieved, including in terms of pregnancies, exceed in percentage terms those reported by medically assisted reproduction centers,” he said.

‘The infertility emergency’

Dr. Paola Pellicanò, a physician at the Center for Natural Fertility Regulation at Rome’s Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, a consecrated member of the Ordo Virginum (Order of Virgins), and president of the association Donum Vitae, stressed the need to address “the infertility emergency in which we find ourselves” with responses that go beyond the technical or reproductive solutions usually proposed.

In this regard, she noted that recent World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines have begun to recognize the importance of fertility education, the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and respect for the personal convictions of couples.

According to Pellicanò, these recommendations point toward a greater appreciation of knowledge about fertile periods in the female cycle and educational outreach to the wider population.

The specialist recalled that in 1988 the WHO itself published a guide on natural fertility regulation services, defining them as “primarily educational,” and emphasized that “the success of these programs depended on the training of qualified instructors.”

Response to a cultural and social emergency

During her presentation, Pellicanò linked the work carried out by the Center for Natural Fertility Regulation in Italy with a broader vision of the person and the family.

Its origins date back to 1976, when gynecologist and missionary Dr. Anna Cappella, trained in natural fertility regulation through her collaboration with Drs. John and Evelyn Billings, took charge of a project promoted by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart with the support of the Holy See and the Italian Bishops’ Conference.

That work later led to the creation of a study and research center specializing in natural fertility regulation, which over the years became an international point of reference.

Pellicanò particularly highlighted the center’s clinical experience, which has accompanied more than 8,000 couples.

She insisted that fertility should not be viewed solely through the lens of achieving pregnancy: “The passion is not limited to solving the problem of having or not having a child, but embraces the whole of life.”

According to Pellicanò, “knowing and understanding fertility allows people to become protagonists of their own decisions” and helps them avoid “a merely passive attitude toward certain interventions or reproductive techniques.”

Prevention, responsibility, and generosity

Pellicanò stressed that concepts such as prevention of infertility, responsibility, and generosity are fundamental not only for addressing infertility but also broader phenomena such as the demographic crisis.

“Words such as prevention, but also responsibility and generosity, take on value here, as they are important for addressing the cultural and emotional aspects of infertility and of the decline in birth rates itself,” she explained.

She also highlighted the extensive training the network built over the decades, with more than 1,000 instructors of the Billings Ovulation Method in Italy, integrated into international organizations and connected with projects developed on different continents.

The president of Donum Vitae defended a scientific approach that does not lose sight of the human dimension of procreation and medicine.

“Preserving fertility is a scientific vision that places the human person at its center,” she said.

In this regard, she recalled that the tradition developed by the center is rooted in the conviction that knowledge of female fertility is a reality inscribed in a woman’s very nature and one that can be studied scientifically.

Pellicanò placed this vision in continuity with the teachings of the most recent pontiffs, from St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II to Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV, who in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas presents openness to life as an expression of human beauty and dignity.

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 prince “will therefore withhold” approval from the bill adopted by the principalityʼs parliament, the Princely House said in an Oct. 20 statement.

Under the constitution of Liechtenstein, a nation of about 40,000 people between Switzerland and Austria, no law takes effect without the reigning princeʼs approval.

The statement said Alois “remains convinced that the proposed reform is not compatible with ensuring adequate protection of unborn life as a fundamental legal value.”

The statement added that Alois supports better information, counseling, and support for women before, during, and after pregnancy.

The bill would have allowed abortion up to 12 weeks. The activists behind the initiative pushing for legalization also sought to lift the advertising ban and have health insurance cover abortions.

Abortion remains a crime in Liechtenstein except in cases of rape or grave danger to the womanʼs life or health. Since 2015, women who have abortions abroad, usually in Switzerland or Austria, have not been prosecuted.

The initiative gathered 4,970 signatures, nearly a quarter of eligible voters. Liechtenstein’s parliament, the Landtag, approved it by 13-12 and, by the same margin, declined to put it to a popular vote, EWTN News reported in September.

Alois had said in June that he would veto the measure.

Voters narrowly rejected legalizing abortion in a 2011 referendum after Alois said he would veto it if approved. In 2012, more than three-quarters of voters rejected a proposal to remove the princeʼs veto over laws approved by referendum.

The initiative committee said the veto was the first Alois has used during his reign, SRF reported. Its members had met Alois at Vaduz Castle hours before the announcement. The committee called for a protest in Vaduz on Saturday.

There are no official statistics on abortions in Liechtenstein.

Before the Landtag vote, Bishop Benno Elbs, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vaduz, said in an Aug. 21 statement that the existing rules had proven themselves and that protecting unborn life must go hand in hand with counseling and practical help for parents. The archdiocese had not commented publicly on the veto as of Oct. 23.

According to Church teaching, human life is under Godʼs special protection from the moment of conception.

“With the authority conferred by Christ upon Peter and his successors, I therefore affirm, in communion with the bishops of the Catholic Church, that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always a grave moral offense,” St. John Paul II declared in 1995 in Evangelium Vitae.

The Canadian nonprofit was founded in 2025 by Eden O’Brien and Monica Sifert. The two met while attending Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Ontario and maintained the friendship over the years after graduating in 2018. A shared passion for Catholic arts and culture led to their decision to create a society for Catholic artists.

The inspiration behind Theopolis also came from the story of the apostle Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. In the story, Philip asks the eunuch if he understands what he’s reading. The eunuch responds no, how can he unless someone explains it to him?

“So once itʼs explained to him, he wants to be baptized in essentially a puddle on the side of the road. And so that was really inspiring because it went to show how people can engage with media that they donʼt 100% understand,” O’Brien told EWTN News in an interview. “It was Scripture in this case, but it can still prepare the soul for baptism. So that passage has become a kind of motif for our project.”

Theopolis — which means “city of God” — works to serve Canadian artists and provide them with visibility and the support and resources they need to be able to focus on their craft and become successful.

O’Brien told EWTN News in an interview that there are “two wings of the project.” One is the community side where the group helps to support the artists they work with and supports them “across their professional lives … connecting them with mentors, resources.” And second is building “an audience that helps appreciate our artists.”

“The other wing to the project is this intersection between faithful and secular audiences,” O’Brien shared. “So, things like our public lecture, our exhibition, any kind of public event is based around creating an audience that can learn more about what our artists are doing either in a direct way — as with the exhibition — or in a couple steps removed like with the lecture. It just gets the conversation going.”

In May, Theopolis hosted its first exhibition called “The Drama of the Soul.” Twelve Canadian Catholic artists participated and created pieces of art that “explored the human soul as the protagonist of a journey that extends beyond life, death, and time,” O’Brien explained.

Since then Theopolis has held an event each month. On Oct. 24, it will host its inaugural Gaudí Lecture, titled “The Christian Imagination and the Question of Autonomous Art,” and will feature Jonathan Pageau, a French-Canadian icon carver, YouTuber, and public speaker who will discuss symbolism, religion, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

The goal for the lecture “is to make a public defense of the importance, impact, and enduring relevance of the Christian imagination, generally and specifically in Canada,” O’Brien said.

Venerable Antoni Gaudí was chosen as the namesake “by the fact that he came to the faith through his artistic practice,” she shared.

O’Brien explained that these public events serve as a way to “reignite interest in faith, culture, and the arts within our province and also to turn our artists' artwork to a kind of evangelical purpose by bringing it to Ontarioʼs public square.”

“Canada right now, itʼs different from the States in that with faith people donʼt wear it on their sleeve in the same way as they do in America,” she added. “So itʼs a bit of a different environment here and so being able to speak to people about the faith through the arts, which kind of bypasses some of the maybe intellectual blockage points that people would have, is really important in Canada at this time.”

The impact of AI on Catholic art

Pope Leo XIV recently told a group of Catholic artists at the Vatican that there is a fundamental difference between the art humans create and what artificial intelligence can make based on the work of others.

“The Church needs you,” the pope said. “This is especially true in this age of artificial intelligence, in which we urgently need to distinguish human art from what is produced by machines.”

As a Catholic artist herself, Sifert said, “itʼs certainly a threat, but I still think that people are going to want the human touch to art.”

She added: “I think that the human touch to art will never go away and that you can really tell, especially from an icon perspective, you can really tell when art has been created by AI or not. It might be difficult [to tell], but still, the sacramentality behind art is not going to go away if you have the human touch to it.”

While O’Brien thinks AI can be “a great assistant,” she said that “when it comes to the creative side of things, there really is the threat that it stifles the creative power.”

“I do think that there is this very real threat that imagination, and that kind of faculty, becomes seriously weakened,” she added. “I use AI, as I said, just as an assistant, but even having that habit can weaken your own skills in more basic functions. So I can only imagine how within our own souls itʼs going to weaken that.”

Looking at Theopolis as a whole and its mission, said she O’Brien hopes it will continue “to support the vocation of Catholic artists within the province. Stemming from that, we would like the effect of that to be a kind of creative renaissance of Catholic art within our province.”

“We want this art to be brought to the public square in Ontario so that it can be accessed by a wide audience of both people who are Christians themselves and particularly people who arenʼt practicing the faith, or a faith at all, just so they can have this opportunity to be inspired and, going back to our conviction, that no matter your background or the type of media the Holy Spirit can choose to use it in whatever way he wants.”

The 7.5-magnitude earthquake impacted various sectors throughout the country, including in the nation’s capital city.

According to an Oct. 19 statement from the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC, by its Spanish acronym), the earthquake injured 27 people and immediately killed one person. More than 9,000 homes sustained some form of damage.

The natural disaster also caused damage to Catholic Church properties. On Oct. 19, the Panamanian Bishops' Conference (CEP, by its Spanish acronym) published a report detailing the condition of the country’s cathedrals, parishes, and chapels.

The document classified the damage to two churches in the Diocese of Santiago de Veraguas as “totally destroyed”: St. Isidore the Farmer parish church in Soná, and Jesus of Nazareth Minor Basilica in the district of Atalaya.

The report classifies the damage of several churches in other regions of the country as serious. For example, in the Diocese of Penonomé, St. John the Baptist Parish has “damage to the bell tower, debris on the ground, and cracks in the side walls and the choir balcony.”

In the Diocese of Chitré, St. Athanasius Church “suffered the loss of the top level of its tower, debris on the ground, and cracks in its walls”; while in the Diocese of David, “subsidence [some sinking] and cracks in the tower, as well as outward tilting of walls,” were recorded at Our Lady of Remedies Parish.

The list of affected buildings also includes churches of high historical value. Among them is the St. John the Baptist Cathedral in the Diocese of Penonomé, which suffered the “partial loss of the upper section of its oldest tower,” while the other tower is tilted and has severe damage to its cupola and cross.

Another site affected was Old St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica in Panama City, where cracks, severe fissures, and damage to the sacristy dome were identified. According to the report, one issue that “requires special attention” is the “apparent leaning of the bell in the south tower, accompanied by cracking at its base.”

According to the tally mentioned in the report, the Diocese of Chitré accounts for 118 damaged sites, primarily rural chapels. It is followed by the Diocese of Penonomé with 13, the Archdiocese of Panama and the Diocese of Veraguas with eight each, and the Diocese of David with two.

The CEP clarified that the data presented are “preliminary” in nature, and many church-owned properties still require “specialized technical inspections” to determine the exact extent of the damage.

The report concludes by noting that Catholic Church buildings possess more than just “architectural value”; they serve as “meeting places, the celebration of faith, and collective memory, and are closely linked to the history and identity of Panamanian communities.”

The Panamanian episcopate expressed its closeness to the affected communities and highlighted the importance of “protecting people’s lives, addressing the safety conditions of the buildings, and ensuring the preservation of these places of worship.”

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 conference “The Church of the Sheaves: An International Gathering in Rome on Mission as an Exchange of Gifts” began at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome on Oct. 22 and will continue through Oct. 24. It was organized by the Dicastery for Evangelization.

Gathering clergy, scholars, and synodal teams, the conference is also part of a new project from the dicastery to foster a sense of belonging among missionaries in countries where Christianity once flourished.

Migration cannot be stopped

Migration was a recurring theme at the conference, as both missionary activity and migration are increasing worldwide. Tensions surrounding migration, particularly in Europe, prompted participants to discuss the challenges modern missionaries face in their host countries, including discrimination.

Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, a secretary at the Dicastery for Evangelization, described migration as a phenomenon that “cannot stop” and highlighted the Church’s experience in addressing it.

“Migration is something we cannot stop,” Nwachukwu told EWTN News. Migration will always be there as long as we have human beings and their need to survive. If we try to stop it by force, the migrants themselves will force the gates. So the best way to go about migration is to manage it.”

“The Church has been at the forefront of the art, practice, and experience of managing migration. [The missionaries] have shown us that not every migrant should be discriminated against. Every human being, made in the image and likeness of God, has something to offer,” Nwachukwu added.

Others noted that the Gospel has necessarily crossed borders in its spread and that relations between missionaries and their host countries must be reciprocal to overcome hostilities, citing the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

“The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman suggests that mission can transform those relationships through vulnerability, dialogue, reciprocity, and witness,” Rocío Cortés Rodríguez, assistant professor of theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, said during her presentation.

Reimagining missionary work as an exchange of gifts

The Church of the Sheaves is a new initiative from the Dicastery for Evangelization that will begin as an online course for clergy, religious, and pastoral workers, providing cultural training for missionaries and the communities that receive them.

Father Stan Chu Ilo, co-director of the Church of the Sheaves project, explained that the project aims to reimagine missionary work as an exchange of gifts.

“It is not a reactionary mission,” Ilo told EWTN News. “In the past, we had Fidei Donum, where Pope Pius XII, as the world came out of the Second World War, defined the path towards mission as the gift of one part — in this case, it was Europeans who were going to Africa. Now we have a changing world population; the Catholic Church is growing.”

“It is a project then to … retrain pastoral agents, missionary practitioners everywhere to embrace this new dynamism and these new opportunities of movement of Godʼs people from one part of the world to another,” Ilo added.

The decision follows medical advice as the pope continues to recover from thoracic surgery performed last week.

“To facilitate his recovery following the thoracic surgery performed on Tuesday of last week, and following the advice of his doctors, Pope Leo XIV will not be able to attend the ‘Unarmed and Disarming Peace’ gathering in Assisi on Oct. 27, as previously planned, on the 40th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace convened by St. John Paul II,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.

The Vatican added that the pope will send a message expressing his closeness to the organizers, leaders, and representatives of Christian denominations and other religions, as well as the guests attending the event.

The statement emphasized the popeʼs conviction that the “spirit of Assisi,” dialogue, and the search for words and gestures of peace are valuable resources in an era marked by conflict.

Earlier Friday, the Holy See Press Office released a medical bulletin signed by Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora.

“As scheduled, the Holy Father underwent a follow-up chest X-ray. The examination confirmed that his postoperative recovery is progressing exceptionally well,” the doctors said.

“However, given the short time that has elapsed since the operation, the attending physicians considered it advisable, as a precautionary measure, to recommend against the planned helicopter trip on Oct. 27.”

The decision does not indicate any abnormality in the popeʼs recovery but reflects medical caution ahead of his planned trip to Latin America in November.

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.

Vance spoke with Arroyo in a wide-ranging interview that included politics, immigration, economics, and faith.

The vice president has been especially forthcoming about his own faith journey, one which began in Appalachian Protestant churches and eventually led him to the Catholic Church. He attended Christian churches while growing up but was drawn to what in June he described as the “beautiful ancient Church” of Catholicism.

Speaking with Arroyo, Vance described a religious experience in which he was driving on mountain roads back from his grandmother’s funeral and nearly drove off the road.

“And just like right at that point where Iʼm like, all right, Iʼm about to go over the side of the mountain, the car just comes to a completely restful stop,” he said. “Like God put his hand on that car and made it stop.”

The experience “gnawed at me,” Vance said, describing the event as “a door opening.”

“[W]e are ultimately Godʼs ambassadors here on Earth,” he said, describing what he said is the “powerful” witness of Christians “doing good things.”

Arroyo and Vance discussed several other topics in the interview, including the ongoing civil unrest and rioting in France.

“I donʼt think you can talk about whatʼs happening in France without acknowledging the role of migration,” Vance said. “Because in the neighborhoods where you see the most significant violence, the most significant outburst, the burning of these beautiful historical buildings — you often have neighborhoods with extremely high immigrant populations.”

Western societies “want to be welcoming to people,” the vice president said. But “when we allow someone into our country, are they culturally compatible? Are they willing to assimilate into Western values and Western society?”

Asked about Church leadership on immigration issues, Vance — who has publicly disagreed with the U.S. bishops on some aspects of the immigration debate — said he would “never accuse the Church of being naive.”

The Church “will say two things that I fundamentally believe in and agree with, but I think 90% of people agree with, which is: One, you must be welcoming towards a stranger. On the other hand, nations are allowed to control their borders.”

As Vance sees it, the Church leadership in the U.S. has “missed an opportunity” to strike a balance on immigration in an age of high migration. He noted that the airplane is “less than 100 years old” and that rapid large-scale immigration is “a very new phenomenon.”

“I do think the Church has to figure out what should the immigration policy of an advanced economy be in a world of mass transit,” he said.

He noted that Christians are called “to be fundamentally hopeful [of] the future.” He disputed arguments that France is on the verge of “civilizational death,” describing it instead as “civilizational risk.”

“[I] think that if France returns to its Christian roots, it can be welcoming to the stranger. It can also protect its borders and in a way that preserves its civilization,” he said.