Catholic News

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Today, the Church celebrates Saint Conrad of Piacenza. Conrad was born into a noble family in northern Italy. Conrad was born into a noble family in northern Italy. He married the daughter of a nobleman, Euphrosyne. One day, while he was hunting, Conrad ordered his attendants to make a fire. The wind carried the flames, which set fire to nearby fields, forests, towns and villages. Upon seeing this, Conrad ran away in fear. Because he ran, an innocent man was convicted for spreading the fire and was condemned to death as punishment. Upon hearing of this, Conrad stepped forth to accept the blame, saving the innocent man's life. He paid for the damaged property and he and his wife gave everything they owned to the poor in recompense. Conrad then left to join a group of Franciscan hermits, and his wife joined the Poor Clares. Word eventually spread of Conrad's holiness, piety and gift of healing. When many visitors began to destroy his life of silence and solitude, he moved to Sicily where he lived and prayed as a hermit for 36 years. Legends say that when the Bishop of Syracuse visited him, the bishop asked Conrad if he had any food to offer guests. Conrad went to his cell and returned with newly made cakes, which the bishop accepted as a miracle. Conrad visited the bishop later to make a general confession to him. As he arrived, Conrad was surrounded by fluttering birds. Conrad died kneeling before a crucifix. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-conrad-of-piacenza-152

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The balcony floor of a Catholic church in the Philippines collapsed during Ash Wednesday Mass on February 14, leaving one woman dead and dozens injured. According to the Public Information Office (PIO) of the city of San José del Monte in the Philippine province of Bulacan, around 7 am local time the balcony of Saint Peter the Apostle Church collapsed, creating fear and chaos among the faithful attending the Mass on the first day of Lent. According to the PIO, witnesses heard a loud noise and then screams from the people who fell from the balcony and from some who were on the first floor, all participating in the Mass. According to the Philippine newspaper PhilStar, 52 people were injured and immediately taken to different local hospitals. So far, an 80-year-old woman died in the collapse. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256849/church-floor-in-philippines-collapses-on-ash-wednesday-killing-1-and-injuring-dozens The Vatican Press Office reported February 15 that Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán as bishop of the Diocese of David in Panama, two weeks after his yet-to-be-explained disappearance, and named Father Luis Enrique Saldaña Guerra as his successor. The appointment occurs a few days before Lacunza turns 80 on February 24, the day on which he will cease to be an elector in a possible conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor should he die or resign. On the morning of February 1, the Catholic Church in Panama reported that Lacunza had been missing since January 30. On February 4, the cardinal apologized for what had happened, although he did not explain what transpired. It is still not known precisely what happened to Lacunza or why the Catholic Church and civil authorities remain silent about it. Nor is it known what the cardinal’s “prank” may have been, as he himself described what took place. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256848/pope-francis-accepts-resignation-of-panamanian-cardinal-who-went-missing The theme for the fourth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which will be celebrated on July 28, has been chosen by Pope Francis. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256843/world-day-for-grandparents-and-the-elderly-highlights-loneliness-throwaway-culture Bishop Peter Muhich of the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, announced Wednesday he will be moving soon into hospice care amid treatment for esophogeal and lymphatic cancer. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256850/rapid-city-bishop-says-he-will-move-to-hospice-amid-cancer-fight Following a shooting in downtown Kansas City yesterday afternoon during a packed Super Bowl victory rally, nearly two dozen people were injured. The lone fatality was Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a local radio DJ and a parishioner at Sacred Heart-Guadalupe Parish in Kansas City. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256847/catholic-mother-killed-in-shooting-at-kansas-city-chiefs-victory-parade Today, the Church celebrates Saint Onesimus, a slave to Philemon, an influential man who had been converted by Saint Paul. Onesimus offended Philemon and fled in order to escape any sort of retribution. He then met Saint Paul while Paul was in a Roman prison. Shortly after, Onesimus was baptized and later was martyred. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-onesimus-149

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The unveiling process for the newly rebuilt spire of Paris’ legendary Notre Dame Cathedral began this week, with the process expected to be completed in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics in July. The cathedral has been closed ever since a devastating fire April 15, 2019, saw the spire crash through the centuries-old timber roof. Deconstruction of the scaffolding surrounding the spire — which reaches 330 feet in height — will take several months. The spire’s new cross was mounted on December 6, 2023, and on December 16 a golden rooster — a symbol of France — was blessed and added, replacing one that was destroyed in the fire. The spire was not original to the 800-year-old structure, having been added during a 19th-century renovation. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256836/notre-dame-cathedral-spire-to-be-unveiled-nearly-five-years-after-devastating-fire Nearly three dozen Christians have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war last October, a Christian aid group in the region said this week. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256828/nearly-3-dozen-christians-have-died-in-gaza-strip-amid-israel-hamas-war-aid-group-says Pope Francis will become the first pope to visit the prestigious Venice Biennale art exhibition when he travels to the “city of canals” this spring. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256826/pope-francis-to-visit-prestigious-venice-biennale-art-exhibition A local police investigation into the vandalization of a Blessed Virgin Mary statue outside a Catholic charitable group’s headquarters in Nebraska is currently listed as “inactive” after police were unable to identify the perpetrator, even though one of the building’s security cameras caught the vandal on video. Katie Patrick, executive director of Catholic Social Services, told CNA that this was the first time an incident such as this had occurred on their campus. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256834/police-drop-investigation-into-vandalization-of-nebraska-blessed-mother-statue Today, the Church celebrates Saint Claude de la Colombière, the 17th century French Jesuit who authenticated and wrote about Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque's visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-claude-de-la-colombiere-148

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - After serving as a museum for more than 79 years, the Turkish government is proceeding with plans to make the Church of the Holy Savior in Istanbul a mosque. Mirroring the 2020 reversion of the Hagia Sophia, prayers and Islamic rites will be performed once again in the ancient church, according to Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies. The Church of the Holy Savior, also known as Chora Church, is recognized as one of the most important Byzantine gems in the world and is adorned with many unique icons and frescoes. The museum-to-mosque conversion project began in 2020, with plans to implement it by October of that year. Restoration work delayed the project. Sitting in the northeast of Istanbul’s historic center near Adrianople Byzantine Gate, the Church of the Holy Savior was built in the 12th century and restored in the early 14th century. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256813/another-byzantine-era-church-in-turkey-to-revert-to-mosque Major expansions are coming to the Benedictine-run Belmont Abbey College after the North Carolina school quickly hit its fundraising goal of $100 million two years ahead of schedule. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256821/major-expansions-coming-to-belmont-abbey-college-after-fundraising-feat Men and women who are married and who attend church regularly are among the happiest couples, according to data compiled by a prominent sociological professor. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256819/married-churchgoing-couples-among-the-happiest-data-says A religious freedom advocate from Hong Kong is warning that proposed legislation could further restrict religious liberty and lead to the persecution of the Catholic Church and other Christians. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256822/hong-kong-activist-proposed-law-could-worsen-religious-liberty-persecute-catholics Today, the Church celebrates Saints Cyril and Methodius, who are called the “Apostles of the Slavs” for their tireless work in spreading the Gospel throughout Eastern Europe in the ninth century. Such was their influence in Church history, through their evangelization efforts, that the late Pope John Paul II named the two brothers the patron saints of Europe along with fifth century monastic leader Saint Benedict. Cyril and Methodius' missionary work among the Slavs laid the essential foundation for the later Christianization of Ukraine and Russia in 988, when the Russian Prince Vladimir accepted Baptism. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-cyril-and-methodius-147 Today is also Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256786/how-to-honor-valentines-day-on-ash-wednesday

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Two missionary priests who were abducted from a parish rectory in Nigeria earlier this month have been released and admitted to the hospital for examination. Father Kenneth Kanwa and Father Jude Nwachukwu were taken from the rectory at St. Vincent de Paul Fier Parish in the Diocese of Pankshin in Plateau state on February 1. The two are members of the Congregation of Missionaries Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (CMF), also known as the Claretians. Nigeria has been battling a surge of violence orchestrated by gangs, whose members carry out indiscriminate attacks, kidnapping for ransom, and in some cases, killing. Insurgency by Boko Haram, a group that allegedly aims to turn Africa’s most populous nation into an Islamic nation, has been a major challenge in the country since 2009. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256801/two-missionary-priests-who-were-kidnapped-in-nigeria-released Pope Francis met with Argentine President Javier Milei in a highly anticipated private audience on Monday morning, showcasing a possible improvement to their relationship after the South American politician voiced sharp criticisms of the pontiff last year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256802/meeting-between-pope-francis-and-argentine-president-signals-possible-turn-in-relationship The Catholic prayer app Hallow aired its first-ever commercial during Super Bowl LVIII, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs win their second consecutive championship on February 11. Immediately following the airing of the ad, Hallow saw the biggest spike in downloads in its history, according to Alex Jones, CEO of Hallow. The 30-second ad was shown in 15 markets across the country. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256811/after-super-bowl-ad-catholic-prayer-app-hallow-sees-biggest-spike-in-its-history A Nobel-prize winning biochemist and researcher who helped develop the mRNA technology used to create the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines — Katalin Karikó — is one of the newest members of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life. Pope Francis announced the appointment of Karikó, who lectures at the University of Szeged in Hungary, in a news release on February 10. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256810/pope-names-biochemist-who-contributed-to-covid-vaccine-to-pontifical-academy-for-life Today, the Church celebrates Saint Catherine de Ricci. The Ricci are an ancient family in Tuscany. Catherine was born at Florence in 1522, and called at her baptism Alexandrina, but she took the name of Catherine at her religious profession. One of the miracles that was documented for her canonization was her appearance many hundreds of miles away from where she was physically located. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-catherine-de-ricci-146

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A foundation dedicated to spreading devotion to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, opened a chapel in rural Kansas this weekend that will permanently host a first-class relic of the saint. The plan is to inaugurate five chapels dedicated to the saint, each with a first-class relic, across the United States in the four cardinal directions so that they form the shape of a cross on a map, with the Kansas chapel forming the cross’ center. The inaugural chapel, located inside Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Beloit, Kansas, opened February 11 with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Gerald Vincke of the Diocese of Salina. The plans for the four other chapels are still in the works. Padre Pio, born Francesco Forgione in 1887 in Italy, became a Franciscan priest around the turn of the 20th century. He took the new name Pio, a modernized Italian form of “Pius,” in honor of Saint Pius V. He is perhaps best known for receiving the stigmata — Christ’s wounds present in his own flesh. He is remembered for his patient suffering in the face of pain and health issues, his fervent prayer, and compassionate spiritual guidance. He was declared a saint in 2002 after dying in 1968. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256782/chapel-housing-first-class-padre-pio-relic-to-open-in-kansas The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a document to explain its concerns about the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval and deregulation of a chemical abortion pill, which is the subject of an ongoing US Supreme Court case. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256793/chemical-abortion-pill-us-bishops-issue-guide-laying-out-dangers-and-concerns Catholic bishops in Nigeria’s Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province (IEP) are alarmed by the recurrent and “pervasive” security challenges in the West African nation, which they compare to a battlefield characterized with hostility and killing. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256791/nigeria-fast-becoming-a-hostile-killing-field-say-catholic-bishops-in-ibadan-province Katalin Novák resigned as president of Hungary on Saturday amid protests over her decision to pardon a man last year who had been convicted of hiding a string of child sexual abuses in a state-run children’s home. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256798/katalin-novak-resigns-as-president-of-hungary Today, the Church celebrates Saint Julian the Hospitaller, or "the Poor Man," who came from a wealthy, noble family in the early 4th century and is a popular saint in Western Europe. According to a legend, while Julian was a baby, he was cursed to one-day kill his own parents, which he did. He swore to devote the remainder of his life to good works. He and his wife then undertook a pilgrimage to a distant country where he established a hospital. The hospital was near a river that was frequently crossed by people prompted to travel by the Holy Crusades. People frequently drowned crossing this river so Julian took responsibility of ferrying travelers across and tending to the sick. Julian is considered the patron of ferrymen, innkeepers and circus performers. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-julian-the-hospitaller-145

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - In a February 7 ruling, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador decriminalized euthanasia in response to the lawsuit filed by Paola Roldán, a woman who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable degenerative disease. According to a pro-life leader, “this is a very hard blow against the human dignity and constitutional rights of Ecuadorians.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256777/ecuador-s-constitutional-court-decriminalizes-euthanasia The Catholic prayer app Hallow announced that its first-ever Super Bowl commercial will air during the big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, February 11. He shared that the 30-second commercial is “just a simple invitation to pray together.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256778/catholic-prayer-app-hallow-to-air-commercial-during-super-bowl-lviii A religious community of 14 Discalced Carmelite nuns has moved from a busy street in Buffalo, New York, where their order has lived for more than a century, to the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, in pursuit of “silence and solitude.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256779/carmelite-nuns-move-from-buffalo-to-florida-in-pursuit-of-silence-and-solitude Health and mental health ministers in three Canadian territories and five provinces were successful in getting Canada’s government to indefinitely pause implementing medical assistance in dying (MAID). But the pause does not mean a permanent halt to the plan. Implementing the expansion of euthanasia for the mentally ill had been scheduled for March 17. However, Canada’s health minister, Mark Holland, stated that there are not enough psychiatrists willing to sign off on requests by mentally ill people who seek MAID. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256763/euthanasia-for-canada-s-mentally-ill-still-on-the-table-despite-pause-on-implementation Today, the Church celebrates Saint Apollonia of Alexandria, a holy virgin who suffered martyrdom in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians in the early 3rd century. She is popularly invoked for toothaches because of the torments she had to endure. She is represented in art with pincers holding a tooth. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-apollonia-of-alexandria-142

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The House Foreign Affairs Committee has advanced a resolution to increase sanctions and pressure on the Nigerian government over the rampant persecution of Christians and other minorities in the country. Sponsored by Representative Chris Smith, the resolution would call on the Biden administration to designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern” (CPC), a designation that comes with additional sanctions. The resolution would also urge the administration to appoint a special US envoy to Nigeria to monitor and report on incidents of persecution. For years now Nigeria has been recognized by religious rights groups as one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian. Smith and other proponents of the bill, including Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADF), maintain that adding Nigeria to the State Department’s CPC blacklist would be an effective means to pressure the Nigerian government to address the persecution. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256765/house-advances-resolution-to-increase-sanctions-on-nigeria-over-persecution-of-christians Record rainfall in Southern California led to flooding and landslides this week, particularly in the Los Angeles area, where the local branch of Catholic Charities is soliciting donations to help with relief efforts. Alexandria Arnold, a spokeswoman for Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, told CNA that the geographic area they serve — which includes the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara — is facing flooding and mudslides expected to be some of the “largest and most significant in our counties’ history.” She encouraged people of goodwill to donate to the Disaster Relief Fund of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles online. After years of serious drought, California endured an extremely wet 2023 that saw “atmospheric rivers” bring drenching rains and mudslides to parts of the state. After four straight days of heavy rain ended on Wednesday, some parts of the LA metro area had received more than a foot of rain. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256764/catholic-charities-seeks-donations-to-offer-help-amid-california-flooding-mudslides The bishops of Virginia condemned a bill advancing in the state Legislature that could legalize assisted suicide, warning that it “makes the most vulnerable even more vulnerable” and puts them at risk of “deadly harm.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256762/virginia-bishops-warn-of-deadly-harm-in-new-assisted-suicide-bill Today, the Church celebrates Saint Josephine Bakhita, a Canossian Sister who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sudan. Josephine Bakhita was born in 1869, in a small village in the Darfur region of Sudan. She was kidnapped while working in the fields with her family and subsequently sold into slavery. She bore her suffering valiantly though she did not yet know Christ or the redemptive nature of suffering. When she was bought and freed in Italy, Josephine remained there and decided to enter Canossians in 1893. She made her profession in 1896 and was sent to Northern Italy, where she dedicated her life to assisting her community and teaching others to love God. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-josephine-bakhita-680

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A religious missionary order in Nigeria is appealing for the safe release of two of its members who were abducted from a parish rectory on February 1. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256746/two-religious-priests-kidnapped-in-nigeria-order-appeals-for-their-safe-release Freedom of religion is “deteriorating” in Hong Kong, and the United States — along with other democracies — should use its influence to promote religious liberty in the region, a new report on communist Chinese persecution in the city said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256745/freedom-of-religion-is-deteriorating-in-hong-kong-new-report-says A group of 90 Catholic priests, scholars, and authors are asking bishops and cardinals to reject a Vatican declaration that approved the pastoral, nonliturgical blessings of same-sex couples and to refuse to implement it within their dioceses. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256752/90-catholic-priests-scholars-ask-church-leaders-to-oppose-same-sex-blessings The US Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter to Senate leaders Tuesday in which they expressed “serious concerns” about the Senate’s new bipartisan border deal, urging them to reject portions of the bill that the bishops said would “restrict access to asylum” and further endanger migrants, especially women and children. “As shepherds committed to defending the sanctity of human life and upholding the God-given dignity of all, we implore you to reject those changes,” the letter said. After months of secret negotiations, the details of the border deal were finally released Sunday evening. Since being made public, the bill has been lambasted by progressives for being too restrictive and by conservatives for being too lax. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256749/senate-border-deal-criticized-by-bishops-other-catholics-from-all-directions Today, the Church celebrates Saint Richard. Richard was orphaned at a young age and eventually elected as bishop, and lived an ascetic lifestyle. Richard was the father of Saints Willibald, Winnebald, and Walburga. He was on a pilgrimage to Rome from his native Wessex, England, with his two sons when he was stricken and died at Lucca, Italy. Miracles were reported at his tomb and he became greatly venerated by the citizens of Lucca, who embellished accounts of his life by calling him "King of the English.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-richard-140

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster offered prayers for King Charles III after Buckingham Palace announced Monday that the king would step away from some public duties amid treatment for cancer. “I am saddened to learn that King Charles is now facing a time of treatment for cancer. On behalf of the entire Catholic Community in England and Wales, I offer His Majesty our warmest wishes and assurance of steadfast prayers for his full and speedy recovery. God bless the King,” Nichols, who heads the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said. King Charles, 75, underwent treatment recently for an enlarged prostate, and an unspecified cancer was discovered during that treatment, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. The king remains “wholly positive about his treatment,” which has already begun, the statement said. The statement did not say what kind of cancer or at what stage it is. King Charles ascended to the throne in 2022 following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, and was crowned last spring. The English monarch is supreme governor of the Church of England, which broke away from the Catholic Church in 1534 under King Henry VIII. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256742/english-cardinal-offers-prayers-for-king-charles-iii-after-cancer-diagnosis Cardinal José Luis Lacunza, the bishop of the Diocese of David in Panama, apologized February 4 at the end of the Sunday Mass at Saint Joseph Cathedral in David after having been missing for two days but found safe and sound earlier in the week. Without offering details of what happened during the time he was reported missing, the cardinal commented: “It was a stupid prank.” “I thank you for all the love and all the prayers on my behalf. A thousand pardons and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your concern,” the cardinal concluded. Lacunza, originally from Pamplona, Spain, disappeared on January 30 and was found safe and sound on February 1. The Diocese of David reported his disappearance to the police and an investigation was launched by the prosecutor’s office. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256736/panama-s-cardinal-lacunza-apologizes-for-his-disappearance-it-was-a-stupid-prank Today, the Church celebrates a group of 26 Christians — three native Jesuits, six foreign Franciscans, and several lay Catholics, including some children — who were crucified in 1597 in Nagasaki after first being death-marched for 600 miles. All 26 Christians reportedly held out courageously, even singing the hymn of praise “Te Deum” when they arrived at the hill where they would be crucified. The group is widely known collectively as the 26 Martyrs of Japan — also as Saint Paul Miki and Companions, named after a Japanese leader of the group who was training for the Jesuit priesthood and who publicly forgave his persecutors. The example of the 26 martyrs helped to inspire Christians in Japan to carry on, with many churches and seminaries continuing to be developed. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-paul-miki-and-companions-139

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - In a letter addressed to “my Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel” and released Saturday, Pope Francis lamented the “terrible increase in attacks against Jews around the world” that has taken place since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war last October. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256734/in-letter-to-jewish-brothers-and-sisters-pope-francis-laments-terrible-increase-in-attacks-against-jews The bishop of Lourdes, France, says that he has received a “pile of letters” from Catholics all over the world as he considers whether to remove the shrine’s mosaics by alleged abuser Father Marko Rupnik. Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes told CNA that he hopes to make a decision by this spring. The bishop formed a special commission last year to determine the future of the Rupnik mosaics. “This occupies my mind, my prayer, and my heart every day, especially when I meet victims of abuse,” Micas said. In an interview at the bishop’s residence in Lourdes, Micas acknowledged that, for him, this is a “very, very difficult decision to make.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256720/lourdes-bishop-says-he-s-received-a-pile-of-letters-regarding-rupnik-mosaics The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) released a note on Saturday on discerning the validity of the sacraments. The new document signed by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández is titled “Gestis Verbisque,” or “Deeds and Words.” Fernández wrote in his introduction to the text that the note on the sacraments was written “to help bishops in their task as promoters and custodians of the liturgical life of the particular Churches entrusted to them.” The 11-page text published only in Italian on February 3 reiterates that for all sacraments in the Catholic Church, the “observance of both matter and form has always been required for the validity of the celebration.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256732/vatican-doctrine-office-releases-note-on-the-validity-of-the-sacraments Today, the Church celebrates Saint Agatha. Although we have evidece that Agatha was venerated at least as far back as the sixth century, the only facts we have about her are that she was born in Sicily and died there a martyr. Because she was asked for help during the eruption of Mount Etna she is considered a protector against the outbreak of fire. She is also considered the patroness of bellmakers for an unknown reason -- though some speculate it may have something to do with the fact that bells were used as fire alarms. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-agatha-138

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Panamanian Episcopal Conference (CEP) announced that Cardinal José Luis Lacunza was found safe and sound today after being missing since January 30. The Archdiocese of Panama had called for prayers and expressed its concern over Lacunza’s disappearance. The cardinal is a prominent figure in the Catholic Church in Panama. Ordained a priest in 1969 in Pamplona, Spain, for the Order of the Augustinian Recollects, he was named auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Panama in 1985, and Saint John Paul II subsequently appointed him bishop of Chitré on October 29, 1994. On August 28, 1999, he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of David, where he currently serves. In 2015, Pope Francis made him the first cardinal of the Catholic Church in Panama and of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256714/cardinal-lacunza-found-alive-in-panama https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256712/panama-cardinal-jose-luis-lacunza-missing-since-tuesday Several of France’s Catholic leaders have expressed solidarity with the country’s agricultural workers amid historic protests that have seen farmers block major roadways near Paris with their tractors to protest environmental regulations, taxes, and competition from cheap imports. Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of the Diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes, which is a largely rural diocese that includes the world-famous Marian shrine of Lourdes, said he wants to “express all my support to the farmers of the diocese.” He encouraged all the diocese’s parishes and religious communities to pray for those involved in the protest. Falling food prices, high taxes, increased foreign competition, demographic factors, environmental regulations, and unforeseen circumstances such as recent adverse weather conditions have tightened pressures on the country’s shrinking agricultural workforce. catholicnewsagency.com/news/256711/french-bishops-express-solidarity-with-striking-farmers Today, the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord. This feast commemorates Jesus’ first appearance in the Temple more than Mary’s purification. The observance spread throughout the Western Church in the fifth and sixth centuries. Because the Church in the West celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25, the Presentation was moved to February 2, 40 days after Christmas. At the beginning of the eighth century, Pope Sergius inaugurated a candlelight procession; at the end of the same century the blessing and distribution of candles which continues to this day became part of the celebration, giving the feast its popular name: Candlemass. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/presentation-of-the-lord-427

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The sole victim of Sunday’s attack on a Catholic church in Istanbul was a Muslim man who regularly attended Mass, according to his relatives. Tuncer Murat Cihan, a 52-year-old Turkish man, was killed when two gunmen opened fire in Santa Maria Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district during Mass on January 28. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256691/victim-of-istanbul-attack-was-a-muslim-who-often-went-to-catholic-mass The Vatican announced on Wednesday the appointment of Father Peter Wu Yishun as the bishop of the Apostolic Prefecture of Shaowu (Minbei), the third appointment of a bishop in China in just a week. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256700/holy-see-appoints-third-chinese-bishop-in-less-than-a-week-signaling-shift-toward-beijing Half a dozen pro-life activists on Tuesday were found guilty of violating a federal law, the FACE Act, that forbids protesters from blocking the entrances to abortion clinics. The federal FACE Act prohibits “violent, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with the right to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services.” It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994. The defendants had been charged with a blockade that occurred at the Carafem Health Center Clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in 2021. The defendants will be sentenced on July 2. They “each face up to a maximum of 10 and a half years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $260,000,” the Department of Justice said. At least one of the defendants plans to appeal. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256692/six-pro-life-activists-convicted-of-federal-face-act-charges-face-over-a-decade-in-prison The US Supreme Court announced Monday that oral arguments in a high-stakes abortion pill case will be heard on March 26. The decision in the case could determine whether the abortion pill mifepristone can be prescribed by telemedicine or sent through the mail. The Biden administration is challenging a federal court ruling that found that the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) did not follow proper testing and safety protocols when it approved the abortion drug in 2000. Over the years, other restrictions on the drug have been removed. In 2016, the FDA determined that the drug can be used when a woman is pregnant with a child at 70 days gestation. Before 2016, the gestational limit was seven weeks. The FDA also decided in 2016 that non-physicians could prescribe the pill. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256689/us-supreme-court-to-hear-major-abortion-pill-case-in-march Today, the Church celebrates Saint Brigid of Kildare, a monastic foundress who is – together with Saint Patrick and Saint Columcille – one of Ireland’s three patron saints. Saint Brigid directly influenced several other future saints of Ireland, and her many religious communities helped to secure the country's conversion from paganism to the Catholic faith. Under Brigid's leadership, the abbey she founded at Kildare played a major role in the successful Christianization of Ireland. The abbess' influence was felt in the subsequent era of the Irish Church, a time when the country became known for its many monasteries and their intellectual achievements. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-brigid-of-ireland-134

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A retired Catholic priest with the Diocese of Orlando and his sister were among the four people killed in Sunday afternoon shootings in Palm Bay, Florida, according to a diocesan statement. Father Robert Hoeffner, who celebrated his 50th year in the priesthood last year, was allegedly killed by a 24-year-old man named Brandon Kapas on Sunday, January 28. In addition to Hoeffner and his sister, Sally, the suspected shooter also allegedly killed his grandfather, William Kapas, and one other person whose name has not yet been released. The shooting of Hoeffner and his sister took place at a different location than the shooting of Kapas’ grandfather and the person who has not yet been identified. The motive for the shootings is still unclear. Police shot and killed the alleged gunman on Sunday after he shot at police and injured two officers, according to Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello, who addressed the incidents in a news conference. Both officers “are going to survive,” Augello said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256676/orlando-catholic-priest-among-four-killed-in-palm-bay-shooting Pope Francis confirmed that he will meet with the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, who will be attending the canonization of Blessed María Antonia of Saint Joseph — also known as Mama Antula — the first Argentine female saint, to be held Febuary 11 in Rome. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256678/argentine-president-javier-milei-pope-francis-to-meet The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on Monday revived a 2019 lawsuit brought by a number of abortion providers in the state that challenges, on discrimination grounds, a longtime state law barring public funding for most abortions. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256686/pennsylvania-supreme-court-opens-the-door-to-public-funding-for-abortion Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Nigeria shared details of the worsening persecution of Christians in Nigeria, accusing members of the government there of being complicit in what he called a Christian “genocide” and an erasure of the Christian presence from the country. Anagbe, who leads the Makurdi Diocese, warned that if greater action is not taken he believes the Christian population, which currently numbers over 86 million, roughly half of the total Nigerian populace, could disappear entirely in the next few decades. Though the Nigerian Christian population is massive and is known as having some of the most devoted faithful in the world, Anagbe said the Christian presence in Nigeria is “gradually and systematically” being reduced by radical Islamists through “killings, kidnappings, torture, and burning of churches.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256683/is-the-persecution-in-nigeria-a-christian-genocide-this-bishop-says-yes Today, the church celebrates Saint John Bosco (or “Don Bosco”), a 19th century Italian priest who reached out to young people to remedy their lack of education, opportunities, and faith. John Bosco was born in August of 1815 into a family of peasant farmers in Castelnuovo d'Asti – a place which would one day be renamed in the saint's honor as “Castelnuovo Don Bosco.” In 1841, John Bosco was ordained a priest. In the city of Turin, he began ministering to boys and young men who lived on the streets, many of whom were without work or education. The priest was determined to save as many young people as he could from a life of degradation. He established a group known as the Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales, and became a kindly spiritual father to boys in need. The Salesians were helping 130,000 children in 250 houses by the end of Don Bosco's life. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-bosco-133

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Francis has created a “new” diocese in mainland China — a decision that tacitly recognizes diocesan borders drawn by Beijing. The pope has suppressed the former Apostolic Prefecture of Yiduxian, which had been a vacant see since 2008, and replaced it with the Diocese of Weifang, which takes its name from the prefecture-level city of more than 9 million people in China’s central Shandong province. The Holy See Press Office said that Pope Francis established the diocese on April 20, 2023, “in the desire to promote the pastoral care of the Lord’s flock and to attend more effectively to its spiritual good.” Diocesan borders have been an area of dispute between the Vatican and China in the decades since the Chinese Communist Party came to power and started to redraw diocesan lines. The Catholic Church has 147 ecclesiastical jurisdictions in China with 20 archdioceses, 97 dioceses, 28 apostolic prefectures, and two ecclesiastical administrations. However, the Chinese Communist Party government has claimed that only 104 dioceses exist in mainland China and has redrawn borders in a way that combines dioceses. The Vatican signed a provisional agreement with Beijing in 2018 on the appointment of bishops, which is up for renewal in October. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256669/pope-francis-creates-new-diocese-in-china-accepting-borders-drawn-by-beijing Pope Francis suggested that the opposition to the Vatican’s approval of nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples mostly comes from “small ideological groups” with the exception of Africa, which he said is “a special case.” Regarding the bishops in Africa, who have expressed some of the strongest criticisms of such blessings, the pontiff said they are “a special case” because “for them, homosexuality is something ‘ugly’ from a cultural point of view; they do not tolerate it.” The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith , led by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, published a declaration on December 18, 2023, titled Fiducia Supplicans, which prompted the backlash. The declaration permits “spontaneous” pastoral blessings for “same-sex couples” and other couples in “irregular situations” but does not allow liturgical blessings, recognition of civil unions, or any actions that would make the blessings appear like a marriage. Francis said that he trusts that “gradually, everyone will be reassured about the spirit of the declaration,” which he said “aims to include; not divide.” He added that the declaration “invites us to welcome and then entrust people, and to trust in God.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256671/pope-francis-small-ideological-groups-oppose-same-sex-blessings-africa-a-special-case Today, the church celebrates Saint Hyacintha of Mariscotti. Born of a noble family near Viterbo (Italy,) Hyacintha entered a local convent of sisters and lived comfortably until a spiritual director advised her to live more humbly. After hearing this, Hyacintha then disposed of her fine clothes and special foods. She eventually became very penitential in food and clothing, and was ready to do the most humble work in the convent. She developed a special devotion to the sufferings of Christ and by her penances became an inspiration to the sisters in her convent. The people loved her so much that her veil had to be replaced multiple times due to people clipping off pieces of it to keep for themselves. She was canonized in 1807. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-hyacintha-of-mariscotti-132

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on a Catholic church in Istanbul during Sunday Mass that left one man dead. Two suspects described as members of the Islamic State group have been arrested following the shooting on January 28 at Santa Maria Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district. Turkish Minister of the Interior Ali Yerlikaya announced late on Sunday night that police had conducted raids on 30 locations across Istanbul following the attack during which the arrests were made. The Turkish bishops’ conference has asked for prayers for the victim and his family in a statement released on January 28. The Turkish bishops also urged people “not to spread the culture of hatred and religious discrimination.” Earlier this month, Turkish news outlet Anadolu Agency reported that 25 suspected Islamic State members were arrested in Turkey on January 3 under accusation that they were plotting attacks on churches and synagogues. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256667/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-attack-on-catholic-church-in-istanbul Six pro-life activists are on trial in Nashville, Tennessee, facing federal charges related to a 2021 blockade of a nearby abortion clinic. The blockade, documented in a March 5, 2021, video posted on Facebook, showed a large group of pro-life activists ranging from elderly to young children walking into an abortion clinic and blocking access to the door by sitting in front of it. The video shows pro-life activists singing Christian hymns and praying. Police can be seen demanding they leave the Carafem Health Center Clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and while some do, others refuse. The federal government announced in October 2022 that it had charged 11 of the individuals under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256657/six-pro-lifers-face-face-act-charges-in-tennessee-could-see-11-years-in-jail Today, the church celebrates Saint Gildas the Wise. Gildas was probably born around 517 in the North of England or Wales. He is regarded as being one of the most influential figures of the early English Church. The influence of his writing was felt until well into the middle ages, particularly in the Celtic Church. He is also important to us today as the first British writer whose works have survived fairly intact. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-gildas-the-wise-131

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Religiously unaffiliated people, often referred to as “nones,” now make up the largest religious category in the US, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center. Pew’s new report, released January 24, shows that nones now account for 28% of the total U.S. population, outstripping the next largest group, Catholics, who make up 20%. The recent data is consistent with a long-term trend of Americans rejecting religious affiliation in growing numbers, with the percentage nearly doubling from 16% in 2007. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256646/nones-now-largest-religious-category-in-us-new-report-says The six Haitian religious sisters who were abducted on the morning of January 19 in Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince were released Thursday morning. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256636/abducted-haitian-nuns-released-amid-ongoing-gang-violence Father Simon-Peter Engurait has been chosen as diocesan administrator of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana following the unexpected death last week of Bishop Mario Dorsonville. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256647/ugandan-priest-named-diocesan-administrator-of-louisiana-diocese-following-death-of-bishop Father Thaddeus Wang Yuesheng was consecrated bishop of Zhengzhou, China, on Thursday, bringing an end to a 70-year-long vacancy. The Holy See Press Office announced on Thursday morning that Wang was appointed by Pope Francis as the bishop of Zhengzhou on December 16, 2023. The report noted that the decision took place “in the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256641/pope-appoints-new-bishop-in-china-bringing-a-70-year-vacancy-to-an-end Pope Francis signed a decree on January 24 allowing for the canonization of Canadian sister Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis, founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family. Born Virginie Alodie on May 12, 1840, in L’Acadie, Quebec, the future foundress was the only daughter in a family of six children. At the age of 14, she entered the Marianite convent in Saint-Laurent, Montreal, the female branch of the Congregation of Holy Cross. She spent several years teaching in and around Montreal. In 1862 she was sent to Saint Vincent de Paul’s orphanage in New York for eight years. In 1870, Paradis moved to the community of the Holy Cross Sisters in Indiana. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256638/canadian-religious-sister-mother-marie-leonie-paradis-cleared-for-canonization Today, the Church celebrates Saints Timothy and Titus, close companions of the Apostle Paul and bishops of the Catholic Church in its earliest days. Both men received letters from Saint Paul, which are included in the New Testament. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-timothy-and-titus-128

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Residents of Massachusetts and New York are being urged by pro-life leaders and Catholic bishops to raise their voices against upcoming legislation that would legalize assisted suicide. In New York, the “Medical Aid in Dying Act” would allow a terminally ill patient to request medication that would put an end to their life. The New York State Catholic Conference, which opposed the bill the past two legislative sessions, put out a call to action following the start of the 2024 legislative session on January 3. New Yorkers can write to their state legislators through the New York State Catholic Conference web page. The Massachusetts “End of Life Options Act” says that “a terminally ill patient may voluntarily make an oral request for medical aid in dying and a prescription for medication” if the patient is a “mentally capable adult,” a resident of Massachusetts, and has been determined by a physician to be terminally ill. Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL) in an email Wednesday urged supporters to voice their opinions against the bill by submitting testimony to state representatives and senators. The bishops of Massachusetts, who have opposed the bill since it was first introduced in 2021, again raised their voices against the legislation ahead of the hearing last year. A statement put out by the conference called the bills “deeply troubling” and added that “the Catholic bishops of Massachusetts stand united in our strong opposition to physician assisted suicide.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256631/catholics-in-massachusetts-and-new-york-urged-to-oppose-assisted-suicide-bills The US Supreme Court announced Monday that it will review the case of an Oklahoma man on death row who may have been wrongfully convicted, a decision the Oklahoma City archbishop says could help further respect for “the dignity of life” for all people. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256628/oklahoma-archbishop-supreme-court-review-of-execution-could-further-cause-of-abolition The leader of the US bishops’ domestic justice committee this week praised a pending congressional plan for an enhanced child tax credit for taxpayers, calling it “exactly the sort of policy” on which lawmakers should be focused. The federal child tax credit allows parents and guardians to claim their dependent children on their tax forms, granting a tax break of up to $2,000. Up to $1,600 of that credit may be “refundable,” meaning taxpayers can receive cash payments for the credit. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256625/bishops-praise-bipartisan-deal-on-enhanced-child-tax-credit-proposal Today, the Church celebrates the Conversion of Saint Paul. Paul was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin who persecuted Christians until his miraculous conversion, when God chose him to be one of the principal instruments of God in the conversion of the world. The feast commemorating his conversion is mentioned in several calendars and missals of the eighth and ninth centuries. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/conversion-of-st-paul-127

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - In the Diocese of Honolulu, Hawaii, the local phase concluded Sunday for the cause of canonization of Servant of God Joseph Dutton, a companion of Saint Damien of Molokai and layman who lived among and served those suffering with leprosy. Evidence from the local phase, which included 2,000 pages of investigation, will now be sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome for review. During a Mass on Sunday in celebration of the next phase toward Dutton’s potential canonization, Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva said that Dutton “exiled himself” to the remote part of Molokai island where lepers were forcibly segregated “so that he could do penance for his own wayward life.” Dutton, a Civil War veteran for the Union from Wisconsin, was married after the war but pursued a divorce after his wife was unfaithful and left him after one year. After he stopped drinking, he began studying Catholicism and officially became Catholic in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1883 when he turned 40. Dutton went to the remote part of the island with those suffering from leprosy, now known as Hansen’s disease, “so that he could change course completely from thinking about himself and his own needs to unselfish service of others in extreme need.” He became an expert in caring for the sick and continued his work after Damien died in 1889 from leprosy. Dutton himself inherited responsibility of an orphanage for boys and young men in 1895 and served there for the following 35 years. He died in 1931 at the age of 87 at Saint Francis Hospital in Honolulu. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256612/servant-of-god-joseph-dutton-s-cause-for-canonization-sent-to-vatican An international group of bishops is calling for “universal, verifiable nuclear disarmament” on the third anniversary of a key global nuclear disarmament treaty. The bishops of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Seattle as well as those of the Japanese Archdiocese of Nagasaki and the Diocese of Hiroshima issued the letter on Monday on the third anniversary of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons going into effect. That treaty, adopted by the United Nations in 2017 and entered into force in January 2021, includes “a comprehensive set of prohibitions on participating in any nuclear weapon activities,” including directives “not to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use, or threaten to use nuclear weapons.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256611/bishops-call-for-universal-nuclear-disarmament-on-anniversary-of-treaty The Catholic Polytechnic University (CPU) in Los Angeles announced that it will welcome its first inaugural class of students in fall 2024 after receiving its license from California at the end of 2023. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256617/a-founder-with-a-vision-tech-based-catholic-university-in-los-angeles-to-open-this-fall Today, the Church celebrates Saint Francis de Sales, the patron saint of writers and Christian unity whose role as a priest and bishop helped bring thousands of Protestants back to the Catholic Church. In the late 16th and early 17th century, Saint Frances de Sales conducted spiritual direction both in person and in written correspondence. This inspired his famous work “Introduction to the Devout Life.” During his ministry in Switzerland, he wrote and distributed religious tracts that made inroads among Protestants and helped between 40,000 and 70,000 return to the Catholic faith. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-francis-de-sales-126

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The pro-life organization Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA) said in a press conference ahead of the March for Life that a main feature of its 2024 political plan to serve moms and save babies will be to focus on the work of pro-life pregnancy centers and maternity homes. The first type of state legislation SBA is promoting is financial support for mothers spanning from the beginning of their pregnancy to after the child’s birth. The group is also pushing for bills that offer “more child care solutions.” SBA supports expanding access to child care by promoting a tax credit for businesses that begin offering daycare services for employees. SBA is also supporting policies related to adoption services “for establishing a package of services and support for birth moms, and for establishing protections from online scams that target birth mothers and hopeful adoptive parents.” Fourth, the organization will promote “safe haven baby box legislation” along with funding to make the public aware of baby boxes. A baby box is a system in which a mother can leave her newborn baby in a box, typically found in a hospital or fire house, if for some reason she cannot take care of the child. Lastly, SBA will be promoting legislation that funds pro-life pregnancy centers and will advocate expanding tax credits for individuals and businesses that donate to the institutions. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256604/leading-pro-life-organization-lays-out-political-strategy-for-2024 British politician Lord David Alton of Liverpool has called on the UK government to urgently address persecution in Nigeria, starting with last year’s Christmas attacks that left more than 200 Christians in Nigeria’s Plateau state dead. Alton, who serves on Westminster’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, demanded urgent action to identify and bring to trial the perpetrators of the attacks that started on December 23, 2023, and continuing through Christmas, as well as other extremist atrocities in the West African country. The Catholic politician demanded that the 2022 Pentecost Sunday church massacre that left more than 50 Christians dead in Nigeria’s Ondo state also be looked into. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256606/british-catholic-politician-demands-justice-for-christians-killed-in-nigeria-at-christmas Today, the Church celebrates Saint Ildephonsus, Archbishop of Toledo, who died 23 January, 667. Ildephonsus had a strong devotion to the Blessd Mother, and it is said that one day he was praying before the relics of Saint Leocadia, when the martyr arose from her tomb and thanked the saint for the devotion he showed towards the Mother of God. It was also related that on another occasion the Blessed Virgin appeared to him in person and presented him with a priestly vestment, to reward him for his zeal in honoring her. The literary work of Ildephonsus is more widely known than the details of his life, and merits for him a distinguished place in the role of Spanish writers. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-ildephonsus-125

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Bishop Mario Dorsonville of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in southeastern Louisiana, whose ecclesial career spanned nearly four decades, died unexpectedly on Friday evening after serving as bishop of the diocese for less than a year. He was 63. He was born on Oct. 30, 1960, in Bogotá, Colombia, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1985. Dorsonville was a tireless advocate for migrants and immigration reform. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256595/bishop-of-houma-thibodaux-in-louisiana-dies-unexpectedly-at-63 Pope Francis announced the start of a Year of Prayer on Sunday in preparation for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year. In his Angelus address, the pope said that a Year of Prayer starting on January 21 will be “a year dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in one’s personal life, in the life of the Church, and in the world.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256598/pope-francis-announces-year-of-prayer-to-prepare-for-2025-jubilee Pope Francis called for the release of six religious sisters who have been kidnapped in Haiti in his Angelus address on Sunday. Armed gunmen took the religious sisters hostage in Port-au-Prince on Friday during a bus hijacking, according to Vatican News. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256599/pope-francis-calls-for-release-of-6-religious-sisters-taken-hostage-in-haiti Today, the Church celebrates Saint Vincent, a Deacon of Saragossa, and a martyr under Diocletian in 304. This most renowned martyr of Spain is represented in the dalmatic of a deacon, and has as emblems a cross, a raven, a grate, or a fire-pile. He is honored as patron in Valencia, Saragossa and Portugal. Very little can be confirmed about his life. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-vincent-124 Today is also the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, which the Church in the US celebrates each year on January 22. The USCCB includes information about this day on its website, saying that the day is to be observed as “a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256582/its-not-too-late-to-join-this-pro-life-novena

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Today, Friday the nineteenth, is the March for Life in Washington DC. With tens of thousands of pro-life Americans will be gathering to demonstrate against abortion and for the sanctity of life. EWTN will be providing live coverage of the event, featuring expert guests and in-depth analysis. For more information about how to watch or participate in the March, visit Catholic News Agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256561/how-to-watch-the-march-for-life-ewtn-s-complete-coverage-schedule About two-thirds of Americans support some level of government restrictions on abortion, according to a recent poll released by the Knights of Columbus. The poll, which the Knights conducted with Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College, found that 66% of Americans believe that “limits should be placed on when abortion is allowed” and only 33% believe that “abortion should be allowed without any limits” when given the two options. Respondents who labeled themselves pro-life were more likely to support limits on abortion, with 91% choosing that answer. Among respondents who said they were pro-choice, 48% still believed there should be some limits on abortion. About 84% of Republicans supported some limits on abortion, as did 49% of Democrats and 66% of independents. Since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, more than 20 states have imposed abortion restrictions, which includes more than a dozen states prohibiting abortion in almost all circumstances. Several other states, meanwhile, have moved to expand access to abortion in the wake of Roe’s repeal. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256572/knights-of-columbus-poll-two-thirds-of-americans-support-some-abortion-restrictions After nearly 20 years without a cathedral, the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, announced on Wednesday that the Holy See approved one of its parishes to become a new cathedral site. Bishop Donald Hying selected a local parish, Saint Bernard, to be the future cathedral parish of the Diocese of Madison. An arson fire destroyed the diocese’s cathedral, Saint Raphael Cathedral Parish, in March 2005. Saint Raphael was designated a cathedral when Madison was made a diocese in 1946, with the cornerstone of the parish having been laid in 1854. Since the arson, local parishes have taken turns hosting important events. With Saint Bernard’s as the newly established cathedral, the diocese will be able to host priestly ordinations, the annual chrism Mass, and other events. Saint Bernard Church is currently being renovated before its elevation to cathedral status. The diocese expects the remodeled cathedral parish to be ready by late summer or early fall of 2025. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256569/vatican-approves-new-cathedral-for-diocese-of-madison Today, the Church celebrates Saint Canutus, King of Denmark, who succeeded his elder brother Harold on the throne of Denmark in the year 1080. Amid the glory of his victories he humbly prostrated himself at the foot of the crucifix, laying there his diadem, and offering himself and his kingdom to the King of kings. The justice of Saint Canutus as sovereign was well known. His charity and tenderness towards his subjects made him study all possible ways to make them a happy people. During a rebellion in his kingdom, the king was surprised at church by the rebels. He confessed his sins and received Holy Communion. Stretching out his arms before the altar, he was struck down on his knees by the enemies of his Christian reign. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-canutus-king-of-denmark-121

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Seventeen-year-old high school senior Susan Lutzke may have successfully saved her childhood Catholic elementary school from closing after raising more than $400,000 to address the institution’s financial difficulties. The principals of Saint Bede School in Ingleside, Illinois, announced on December 13, 2023, that if the money wasn’t raised by January 26, the school could face closure. Loving her experience at Saint Bede, Lutzke immediately sprung into action. The crowdfunding campaign almost instantly began generating funds, with almost 900 donations ranging from $10 to $50,000. In an updated statement on the GoFundMe, Susan Lutzke wrote on Sunday: “We’re thrilled to announce that we have officially surpassed our initial goal of $400,000 with 12 days left until the deadline.” A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Catholic Schools Office told ABC7Chicago earlier this month that decreased funding from the state has made it challenging for some Catholic schools to stay open. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256563/teen-hits-major-fundraising-feat-in-attempt-to-save-her-childhood-catholic-school A bill under consideration in Congress would preemptively disallow the White House’s to strip federal funding from some crisis pregnancy centers throughout the US. The Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act was introduced in the House of Representatives this month. The bill if passed would “prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restricting funding for pregnancy centers.” The bill, which is scheduled to be considered on Thursday, is meant to counteract the Biden administration’s efforts to restrict crisis pregnancy centers around the country from participating in a major federal welfare program. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256557/house-to-consider-bill-to-halt-biden-administration-s-defunding-of-crisis-pregnancy-centers The celebration of Mass at a southern California parish was interrupted by an armed police pursuit of a suspected gunman on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred during the 8:30 am Mass on Tuesday at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Placentia, Orange County, California. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256559/mass-at-california-catholic-church-parish-interrupted-by-armed-police-pursuit The 51st national March for Life — the largest annual pro-life event in the world — is just around the corner, on Friday, January 19. For more information ahead of the March, visit Catholic News Agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256554/some-snow-predicted-for-2024-march-for-life-plus-everything-else-you-need-to-know https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256561/how-to-watch-the-march-for-life-ewtn-s-complete-coverage-schedule Today, the Church celebrates Saint Charles of Sezze. Saint Charles was born John Charles Marchioni in Sezze, Italy on October 19, 1613. He was known for his holiness, simplicity, and charity. He was generous to travelers and sought out spiritual advice. In 1656 he worked tirelessly with victims of the plague. He also wrote several mystical works including his autobiography entitled "The Grandeurs of the Mercies of God.” Tradition states he was called to the bedside of the dying Pope Clement IX for a blessing. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-charles-of-sezze-416

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - In a continuation of his catechetical series on vice and virtue, Pope Francis on Wednesday dedicated his general audience to highlighting the difference between love and lust, arguing that “in Christianity, there is no condemnation of the sexual instinct.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256552/pope-francis-in-christianity-there-is-no-condemnation-of-the-sexual-instinct More than 2.7 million people gathered in the city of Barquisimeto in Lara state, Venezuela, on Sunday, January 14, to accompany the image of the Divine Shepherdess Virgin in a procession, reported state governor Adolfo Pereira. Pereira commented that there was a very positive atmosphere at the gathering, “where peace, calm, and the religiosity of the people reigned.” The devotion traces back to 1703 in Seville, Spain, when a Capuchin friar saw the Virgin Mary dressed as a shepherdess holding a shepherd’s crook. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256549/divine-shepherdess-procession-in-venezuela-draws-27-million Finnish prosecutors are asking the country’s Supreme Court to hear a “hate speech” case against a member of Parliament and Lutheran bishop for comments made about Christian teachings related to marriage and homosexuality. The charges brought against member of Finnish Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola for their speech were already dismissed twice — once by a lower district court and again by an appellate court. Yet prosecutors are advancing their case to Finland’s highest court in an effort to fine both Christians hundreds of thousands of euros and censor their speech. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256548/exonerated-finnish-politician-and-bishop-to-return-to-court-over-biblical-hate-speech US prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Payton Gendron, the then-18-year-old man who in 2022 killed nearly a dozen Black shoppers at a Tops Friendly Market grocery store in Buffalo, New York. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256544/biden-administration-seeks-the-death-penalty-for-buffalo-supermarket-shooter Today, the Church celebrates Saint Anthony of Egypt, the founder of Christian monasticism whose radical approach to discipleship permanently impacted the Church. In the course of his remarkable and extraordinarily long life, Anthony would live to see the Emperor Constantine's establishment of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire. Anthony himself, however, would establish something more lasting – by becoming the spiritual father of the monastic communities that have existed throughout the subsequent history of the Church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-anthony-of-egypt-119

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega on Sunday released and sent to the Vatican two imprisoned Nicaraguan bishops along with 15 priests and seminarians. Nicaraguan media outlets La Prensa and Confidencial first reported on the release, indicating that among those released was Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa and Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna. Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Báez of Managua, exiled due to persecution by the Ortega dictatorship, confirmed the news of the release of the bishops, priests, and seminarians in tears: “Our pastors are free.” The released clerics arrived in Rome on Sunday afternoon and were welcomed as "guests of the Holy See," according to Vatican News. In August 2022, Bishop Álvarez of Matagalpa, a well-known defender of human rights and critic of the Ortega regime, was forced to remain in his official residence along with several priests, seminarians, and a layman. Two weeks later, having almost run out of food, the Nicaraguan police broke into the house, kidnapped Álvarez, and took him to Managua, the country’s capital, where he was placed under house arrest. On February 10, 2023, the dictatorship proceeded to sentence the bishop of Matagalpa to more than 26 years in prison, accusing him of being a “traitor to the homeland.” Since then, he has been held in the prison known as “La Modelo,” where political prisoners of the regime are held. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256540/nicaraguan-dictatorship-releases-bishop-alvarez-brother-bishop-and-priests After a year of renewed attacks on churches and religious centers, the US bishops said in a new report released today that attacks on houses of worship constitute the “largest threat to religious liberty in 2024” and could threaten “the very lives of people of faith.” The report said that while the committee “was founded in response to increasing legal threats to the free exercise of religion,” the bishops felt “compelled to decry foreseeable threats to the very lives of people of faith here in the United States.” According to the bishops’ report, “recent years have seen an alarming rate of vandalism, arson, and other property destruction at Catholic sites.” All this is compounded with, the bishops said, a “general failure” on the part of the “federal government to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of such attacks.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256532/religious-americans-lives-possibly-at-risk-in-2024-new-report-by-us-bishops-says Pope Francis appeared on Italy’s most popular prime-time talk show on Sunday night where the pontiff shared how he hopes that hell is “empty.” Three million people in Italy tuned in to watch the nearly hourlong television interview with Pope Francis on January 14 in which the pope responded to resistance to the recent Vatican declaration on same-sex blessings, previewed prospective papal trips to Polynesia and Argentina, and spoke of his fear of nuclear armageddon. The 87-year-old pope began his appearance on the television show “Che Tempo Che Fa” by joking that he is “still alive” and has no plans to resign. When asked by the interviewer, Fabio Fazio, how he “imagines hell,” Pope Francis gave a short response. “What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith but my own personal view: I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is,” Pope Francis said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256542/pope-francis-i-like-to-think-of-hell-as-empty Today, the Church celebrates Pope Saint Marcellus, who became Pope at the end of the persecutions of Diocletian in aound 308-309. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-marcellus-pope-118

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Vatican announced on Thursday that the soaring baldacchino over the main altar of Saint Peter’s Basilica designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini 400 years ago will undergo a major restoration. The ambitious restoration and conservation project, expected to be completed just before the start of the Catholic Church’s jubilee year in December, will require scaffolding to be set up around the canopy of the basilica’s main altar for nearly a year. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of Saint Peter’s Basilica, has assured that papal liturgies will still be able to take place in the basilica amid the restoration work. The 700,000 euro (about $768,000) restoration is being funded by the Knights of Columbus and will be carried out by the Vatican Museums’ expert art restorers. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256515/vatican-announces-major-restoration-project-in-st-peter-s-basilica The Dominican Church of Our Lady of the Hour, one of the most emblematic in Mosul, northern Iraq, has been completely restored after the destruction carried out by Islamic State terrorists 10 years ago. The church was rebuilt with the collaboration of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256504/church-destroyed-by-isis-in-iraq-completely-restored-10-years-later In the midst of war and suffering, the Catholic faithful of Holy Family Parish in northern Gaza continue to walk in the light of faith. Eight children received their first holy Communion this past Sunday in the church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256510/walking-in-faith-eight-children-receive-first-communion-in-northern-gaza The bishops of Ecuador published a statement titled “Violence will not prevail” following recent disturbances that occurred in the country including the takeover of a television station in the city of Guayaquil in the midst of a state of emergency that began on January 8. The bishops encouraged Ecuadorans not to fall “either into the fruitless panic that the game played by the violent [perpetrators] creates by giving credence to any alarmist image shared on social media, nor into the naivete of standing idly by believing that this fight is only for those who govern us.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256502/ecuador-gang-violence-will-not-prevail-bishops-say The criminal sexual assault case against former cardinal Theodore McCarrick in Wisconsin has been suspended after a psychologist hired by the court found that McCarrick is not competent to stand trial. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256505/breaking-mccarrick-found-incompetent-to-stand-trial-in-wisconsin-case-suspended Today, the Church celebrates Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, who not only founded a religious congregation, but was also instrumental in establishing the Canadian city of Montreal. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-marguerite-bourgeoys-114

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis next month will preside over the canonization Mass of the woman set to become Argentina’s first female saint, the Vatican said this week. The pope will preside over the Mass for Blessed María Antonia of Saint Joseph on February 11 in Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican revealed in its release of the pope’s liturgical schedule for January and February. María Antonia was proclaimed “Venerable” by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and was later beatified by Pope Francis in 2016. In October, Pope Francis met with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, to give his authorization for the the promulgation of a miracle attributed to the Argentinian religious sister, paving her way to become the country’s first female saint. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256494/pope-francis-to-preside-over-canonization-mass-of-argentina-s-first-female-saint Throughout 2023, more than 130 Catholic priests and religious were either arrested, kidnapped, or murdered, according to a new report on Catholic persecution published by Aid to the Church in Need. The report published by the Catholic charity found at least 132 instances of arrests, kidnappings, and/or murders, which is slightly higher than the report from the previous year, which found 124. The uptick was mostly driven by arrests from authoritarian governments, which went up from 55 in 2022 to 86 in 2023. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256498/report-over-130-catholic-priests-and-religious-arrested-kidnapped-or-murdered-in-2023 Located in Pittsburgh’s suburban neighborhood of Beechview sits a unique Catholic spiritual center that is the only one of its kind in the world, according to the bishop who opened it last month. The Saint Sharbel Spiritual Life Center is “the only one of its kind in the world,” Mansour said, explaining that the institution offers retreats, courses on spirituality, daily sacraments, Eucharistic adoration, Scripture studies, prayer, reading, and several other opportunities for growth. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256501/one-of-a-kind-saint-charbel-spiritual-center-opens-in-pittsburgh Today, the Church celebrates Saint Theodosius Abbot. Born to a pious family in 423 AD, Theodosius began his studies at an early age, and became a lector while still an adolescent. The example of Abraham led him to leave home in order to properly follow God. Dreading the vanity that comes from the esteem of men and unable to live in solitude with the multitude of admirers, he retired to a cave in the desert of Judah where he led a hermit's life. catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-theodosius-abbot-113

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Thousands of Christians rallied this week in front of the governor’s office in Nigeria’s Plateau state to demand action after more than 200 were killed in a series of Christmas massacres. The attacks, which targeted Christian villages beginning December 23 and continuing through Christmas day, left Christian communities in Nigeria’s Plateau state reeling. Photos obtained by CNA after the attack showed villagers burying their slain relatives and loved ones in mass graves. According to an evangelical leader who helped to organize the rally, the attacks also left 15,000 people displaced without homes. Among the demands being made by the protestors, they asked for an “urgent humanitarian relief material response by the state and federal government” and for the arrest of the perpetrators of the Christmas massacre, which he called a “genocidal,” “terrorist” attack. The attack marks the latest instance of terrorists targeting Christian Nigerians on significant Christian feast days. Due to continued attacks, Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian, according to a 2023 report by the advocacy group International Christian Concern. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256487/thousands-of-christians-in-nigeria-rally-to-demand-action-after-christmas-massacres The Black Nazarene procession in the Philippines, one of the largest religious devotions in the world, returned this year to its traditional size for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, attracting millions of devotees. The procession, known locally as “Traslacion,” sees devotees carry across Manila a replica of a famous life-size statue of Jesus carrying a black wooden cross. Taking place each year in January, this year’s event marked a return to the traditional procession after three years of drastic downsizing due to the threat of COVID-19. In 2020, 2021, and 2022 the procession was essentially canceled entirely. In 2023, an estimated 103,277 faithful participated, far fewer than in past years. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256485/black-nazarene-procession-in-the-philippines-draws-millions-after-returning-from-covid The attorney general of Michigan on Monday released the second of seven expected reports of alleged clergy abuse in the state, part of a multiyear investigation into abuse allegations — many of them decades old — against Church officials there. Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office announced the release of the report on the office’s website. The office said the report involves “allegations of abuse that took place in the Diocese of Gaylord.” The Michigan attorney general is conducting investigations of abuse allegations in each of the seven Catholic dioceses in the state. ​​In a press conference on Monday following the report’s release, Gaylord Bishop Jeffrey Walsh said there is no priest or deacon in active public ministry in the Diocese of Gaylord who has a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse or misconduct against a minor. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256484/michigan-attorney-general-releases-second-report-of-clergy-abuse-in-state Today, the Church celebrates Saint Gregory of Nyssa. In 379 he assisted at the Council of Antioch, which had been summoned because of the Meletian schism. He also asserted the faith of Nicaea, and tried to put an end to Arianism and Pneumatism in the East. It is very probable that Gregory was present at another council, the Council of Constantinople in 383. Between 385 and 386 he disappears from history, but not without leaving a significant number of theological writings. He made significant contributions to the doctrine of the Trinity and the Nicene Creed. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-gregory-of-nyssa-112

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Adrian of Canterbury. The famous Abbot of Saint Augustine's in Canterbury, was likely born in Libya Cyrenaica, North Africa. Adrian decided to become a monk early in life and eventually abbot of Nerida, not far from Naples. Adrian became a valuable advisor to the pontiff and, three years later, was offered the position of Archbishop of Canterbury. He declined the papal appointment, but was persuaded to accompany Theodore to England as a trusted counselor. After spending time in France, he arrived in Britain and immediately succeeded Benedict Biscop as Abbot of Saint Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury. He established a flourishing monastic school, where many future bishops and abbots were educated in Latin, Greek, scripture, theology, Roman law and arithmetic. Saint Adrain died on January 9 at Canterbury, Kent. Several hundred years after his death, Adrian’s body was discovered in an incorrupt state. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-adrian-of-canterbury-111

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis called surrogacy “deplorable” and called for a global ban on the exploitative practice of “so-called surrogate motherhood” in a speech to all of the world’s ambassadors to the Vatican on Monday. “The path to peace calls for respect for life, for every human life, starting with the life of the unborn child in the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking,” Pope Francis said January 8. “In this regard, I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs. A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.” Pope Francis’ strong condemnation of surrogacy came during his annual foreign policy speech to all of the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See. The pope’s annual speech to diplomats has been called his “state of the world” address because it is one of a handful of times that the pope addresses global crises and specific conflicts happening around the world all at once. For more from Pope Francis’ wide-ranging 45 minute speech, visit catholic news agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256468/pope-francis-calls-surrogacy-deplorable-calls-for-global-ban-in-speech-to-ambassadors Pope Francis said Sunday that if you do not know the date of your baptism, you need to look it up so that you can celebrate the anniversary of becoming a child of God and heir to the kingdom of heaven. The pope spoke on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which commemorates Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by Saint John the Baptist. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes baptism as the “basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit ... and the door which gives access to the other sacraments.” He also encouraged Catholics to thank God for their parents who brought them to the baptismal font and gave them the gift of the sacrament. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256466/pope-francis-if-you-don-t-know-the-date-of-your-baptism-look-it-up Today, the Church celebrates Saint Apollinaris, one of the first great martyrs of the Church. He was made Bishop of Ravenna by Saint Peter. The miracles he conducted in Ravenna soon attracted official attention, for they and his preaching won many converts to the faith. However, at the same time, his words and works brought upon the fury of the pagan people who beat Apollinaris cruelly on several occasions. When Emperor Vespasian issued a decree of banishment against the Christians, Apollinaris was kept hidden for some time, but as he was leaving, passing through the gates of the city, he was attacked and savagely beaten. He lived for seven days, foretelling that the persecutions would increase, but that the Church would ultimately triumph. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-apollinaris-110

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, more than 20,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Yesterday the Associated Press reported that in central Gaza Strip, eight people were killed in a strike on a building in Nuseirat refugee camp, and on Tuesday, at least five people, including a baby, were killed and several injured in an airstrike on the Red Crescent headquarters in the city of Khan Yunis. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they have launched an investigation. Gaza-based journalist Akram Al Satarri spoke with “EWTN News Nightly” from Khan Yunis about the state of the Gaza Strip as bombs went off in the background. In terms of the conflict escalating, Al Satarri believes it is “inevitable.” The killing of a senior Hamas leader in Beirut by a suspected Israeli air strike, followed by more than 85 people killed in Tehran at a ceremony marking the four-year anniversary of General Qasem Soleimani’s assassination, are the latest indications of a widening conflict. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256442/gaza-journalist-says-escalation-of-war-is-inevitable A federal judge heard testimony this week in a trial that will decide whether the state of Colorado can exclude Catholic schools from participating in its universal preschool program. The Archdiocese of Denver, along with two Catholic preschools, is taking legal action against the state, contending that the program is unconstitutional as it discriminates against Catholic schools by preventing them from participating. The suit, which began on Tuesday, was filed in the US District Court for the District of Colorado in August 2023. Colorado’s universal preschool program, created in 2022, offers eligible families at least 15 hours per week of free preschool for every participating child, according to the program website. The lawsuit maintains that the program rules are unconstitutional and objects to the exclusion of Catholic schools but not the preschool programs of other private schools. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256440/colorado-catholic-preschools-argue-in-court-that-state-program-discriminates-against-them Today, the Church celebrates Saint John Nepomucene Neumann. Neumann was born on March 28, 1811, in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic, and was ordained a priest in the United States and sent to Buffalo. Father John established himself in a small log parish house. He hardly ever lit a fire and often lived on only bread and water. He joined the Redemptorist order and continued his missionary work until he was appointed bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. As bishop, Neumann built 50 churches and began the constuction of a cathedral. He opened almost 100 schools, and the number of parochial school students grew from 500 to 9,000. He died suddenly on January 5, 1860 and became the first American bishop to be beatified. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-nepomucene-neumann-106

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A record number of college-age students, priests, bishops, religious brothers, sisters, and more are attending this week’s SEEK24 conference in downtown Saint Louis with anticipation already building for 2025’s conference, set to be held in Salt Lake City. The conference, which is being held by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) for a second straight year in Saint Louis, has attracted nearly 20,000 young people for presentations and talks related to the Catholic faith from world-renowned speakers as well as opportunities for Mass, confession, and Eucharistic adoration. As of Tuesday evening, the conference had 19,707 paid attendees registered, a 28% increase over last year. The keynote address Tuesday evening, presented in the former NFL stadium attached to the convention center, was delivered by Monsignor James Shea and Sister Mary Grace, SV. The conference continues all this week, wrapping up with a closing Mass on Friday morning. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256438/seek24-continues-in-st-louis-with-an-eye-to-salt-lake-city-in-2025 The Vatican’s doctrine office issued a response on Thursday to “clarify the reception of Fiducia Supplicans” amid widespread international backlash to the Vatican’s recent declaration on same-sex blessings. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), published a five-page press release on January 4 that refers to Fiducia Supplicans as “perennial doctrine” and underlines that pastoral blessings of couples in irregular situations should not be “an endorsement of the life led by those who request them.” Fernández said that the responses he has received from bishops’ conferences around the world to the declaration highlight “the need for a more extended period of pastoral reflection” and that what is expressed in these bishops’ statements “cannot be interpreted as doctrinal opposition because the document is clear and definitive about marriage and sexuality.” The clarification was published two and a half weeks after the December 18 publication of Fiducia Supplicans, which prompted strong backlash from bishops in several African and Eastern European countries as well as confusion and division from other parts of the world. Some bishops have welcomed the declaration, some are approaching it with caution, and others are refusing to implement it. The press release did not mention anything about cases in which priests have already violated the terms stipulated in the Fiducia Supplicans declaration, which requires that blessings be spontaneous and cannot be a “blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256439/vatican-responds-to-widespread-backlash-on-same-sex-blessing-directive Today, the Church celebrates Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, foundress and first superior of the Sisters of Charity in the United States. Elizabeth Ann Seton was beatified in 1963 and she was canonized on September 14, 1975. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-elizabeth-ann-seton-105

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Each month Pope Francis shares a prayer intention as part of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. The monthly prayer intentions express the Holy Father’s concerns for humanity and the mission of the Catholic Church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256420/these-are-pope-francis-prayer-intentions-for-2024 Pope Francis was “deeply saddened” to learn of a devastating earthquake that struck western Japan on New Year’s Day, the Vatican said on Tuesday, with the pontiff extending his prayers and condolences to the country after dozens of deaths were reported. The reported 7.6-magnitude quake struck Ishikawa Prefecture in the western part of the country. More than 50 people were reported dead as of Tuesday morning, with reports of tens of thousands of homes having been destroyed in the tremor. In a telegram sent on behalf of Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Vatican, said the Holy Father “was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and damage caused by the earthquake.” The pope “assures everyone affected by this disaster of his heartfelt solidarity and spiritual closeness, and prays especially for the dead, those who mourn their loss, and for the rescue of any persons still missing,” the telegram said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256418/pope-sends-message-of-condolence-to-victims-of-deadly-earthquake-in-japan The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) SEEK24 conference is underway this week in St. Louis with the attendance of more than 19,000 mostly young people from around the country and the world. The event, which is taking place at the former NFL stadium attached to the America’s Center Convention complex, aims to galvanize young people to deepen and share their Catholic faith. This year’s SEEK conference is bigger than 2023’s by almost every metric, according to organizers. The conference currently has 19,707 paid attendees registered, a 28% increase over last year. The conference continues all this week, wrapping up with a closing Mass on Friday morning. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256423/massive-attendance-enthusiasm-at-fellowship-of-catholic-university-students-conference Today, the Church celebrates the memorial of The Most Holy Name of Jesus.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Friends, scholars, and former colleagues of Pope Benedict XVI gathered in the Campo Santo Teutonico in Vatican City from December. 30–31 for a two-day conference to reflect on the late pope’s life and rich theological legacy on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of his death. Touching upon a wide range of themes, from his early life to his extensive theological corpus that covered the virtues of hope and love, the liturgy, and the life of Christ, the common thread uniting his work and life was a deep Christocentrism, which was made tangible in the Eucharist. On the morning of Sunday, December 31, Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the longtime personal secretary of Pope Benedict, at the Altar of the Chair of Saint Peter. During his emotional and intimate homily, the archbishop noted that Benedict’s life was characterized by rich prayer and a deep love of the Eucharist. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256417/conference-on-pope-benedict-s-death-legacy-defined-by-love-of-christ-the-eucharist Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong Catholic democracy activist, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to all charges leveled against him in his national security trial there. Lai, the Chinese-born founder of the anti-government newspaper Apple Daily, entered a not-guilty plea to the charges of conspiring to collude with a foreign power. The 76-year-old Lai was originally arrested in August 2020 under that year’s controversial national security law, which was passed by China’s communist-controlled government. He has been imprisoned by Chinese authorities since his arrest. Lai’s trial in Hong Kong began last month, launching what is expected to be a protracted legal exhibition capping several years of imprisonment for the embattled pro-democracy advocate. Lai faces life in prison over the charges. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256416/jimmy-lai-pleads-not-guilty-in-hong-kong-national-security-trial Today, the Church celebrates Saint Basil the Great, one of the most distinguished Doctors of the Church and Bishop of Caesarea. He ranks after Athanasius as a defender of the Oriental Church against the heresies of the fourth century, especially Arianism, which denied the divine nature of Jesus Christ. He was a strong supporter of the Nicene Creed. Seventy-two years after his death, the Council of Chalcedon described him as “the great Basil, minister of grace who has expounded the truth to the whole earth.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-basil-the-great-103 The Church also celebrates Saint Gregory Nazianzen, a Doctor of the Church, born at Arianzus in Asia Minor, probably in 325, and died in 389. After his baptism at age 30, Gregory joined his friend Basil in a newly founded monastery. It was in Constantinople, where he tried to bring back Christians from Aryanism, where he began giving the great sermons on the Trinity for which he is famous. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-gregory-nazianzen-107

Thank you for being a Catholic News listener. Due to the Christmas holiday, there will be no new news briefing on this channel until January 1st. We would like to thank you for listening to this podcast, and we hope you and your family are richly blessed this Christmas. From all of us at Catholic News Agency, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This podcast will return in 2024, so be sure to listen in. As always, the latest news will still be available at catholicnewsagency.com.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - On Sunday, mother and daughter Nahida and Samar Anton, who were killed at Holy Family Parish in Gaza, were laid to rest in the small cemetery located within the parish compound. A statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem released the evening of their deaths, December 16, reported that they were killed by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sniper, though the IDF has denied responsibility. On the same Saturday, rockets were reportedly fired from an IDF tank and hit the convent of the Sisters of Mother Teresa, the Missionaries of Charity, on the parish compound, rendering the home uninhabitable, according to the Latin Patriarchate. The images of the attack on the convent, taken on cellphones by eyewitnesses and sent to Father Gabriel Romanelli of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, pastor of Holy Family Parish, depict a massive column of smoke rising from the building within the parish compound. The photos show that inside the convent, the flames darkened walls and destroyed large areas of the building. All the guests of the house “are unharmed and have been relocated to another area within the compound, but their conditions are very precarious. Some of them, requiring respirators, are at risk of not surviving for long,” the priest said. Unable to move the elderly and disabled or to evacuate safely to the south at the beginning of the war, the sisters chose to remain by the side of those they serve. In Holy Family Parish, prayers and liturgies continue without interruption. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256328/missionaries-of-charity-convent-in-gaza-unhabitable-after-taking-fire-residents-take-refuge-in-parish-church Bishops in Malawi have prohibited the implementation of the Vatican declaration on the blessing of “same-sex couples” and couples in other “irregular situations,” which came out this week. In a statement dated December 19, members of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi stated that they prohibit the practice of such blessings in the southern African nation. The bishops said they offered the clarifications “having noted certain erroneous interpretations of this declaration that have generated interest, fears, and worries among Catholics and people who look up to the Catholic Church for moral, spiritual, and doctrinal guidance.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256327/bishops-in-malawi-declare-blessings-for-same-sex-unions-of-any-kind-are-not-permitted Today, the Church celebrates Saint Peter Canisius, an important figure in the Catholic counter-reformation that responded to the 16th century spread of Protestantism, a priest and a Doctor of the Church. His efforts as a preacher, author, and religious educator strengthened the Catholic faith in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Central Europe during a period of doctrinal confusion. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-peter-canisius-91

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Several American Catholic dioceses have already issued statements on how they intend to implement new Vatican guidelines that permit nonliturgical pastoral blessings of homosexual couples, but it’s still unclear what this will look like in most of the country. The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a declaration on Monday titled Fiducia Supplicans, which allows “spontaneous” pastoral blessings for “same-sex couples” and other couples in “irregular situations.” The document still prohibits any sort of liturgical blessing of homosexual couples because such a blessing would “offer a form of moral legitimacy to a union that presumes to be a marriage or to an extra-marital sexual practice.” The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s document has led to some controversy among the Catholic faithful and some confusion about what the Vatican is actually calling on bishops and priests to do. The implementation of the new guidelines could differ from diocese to diocese, as various bishops appear to be emphasizing different parts of the document. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256321/us-dioceses-respond-to-vatican-declaration-on-same-sex-couple-blessings More than 40 laymen and laywomen in the Diocese of Clogher in the north of Ireland will soon begin presiding over funeral liturgies amid a shortage of priests. A major vocation crisis could result in fewer than 10 active priests in the diocese in less than 20 years, according to the local ordinary, Bishop Larry Duffy. Duffy said that the diocese is “far too dependent” on priests for pastoral care, administration, property maintenance, planning, and parish governance. In 2021, a survey by the Association of Catholic Priests found that only about 30% of Catholics in Ireland attend Mass weekly — a significant drop from 91% in 1975. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256318/irish-diocese-to-rely-on-laity-to-preside-over-funerals-amid-shortage-of-priests A religious freedom watchdog group is urging the Biden administration to add the government of India to a list of the world’s worst violators of religious freedom. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said this month in a press release that it was “alarmed by India’s increased transnational targeting of religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf.” The commission this month said Indian authorities “have used spyware and online harassment campaigns to target and intimidate journalists and activists abroad advocating on behalf of religious minorities.” Commissioner Stephen Schneck said in the release that the indications of religious persecution are “deeply troubling and represent a severe escalation of India’s efforts to silence religious minorities and human rights defenders both within its country and abroad.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256317/us-religious-freedom-watchdog-urges-white-house-to-list-india-as-country-of-concern Today, the Church celebrates Saint Dominic of Silos, a Spanish monk who in the eleventh century renewed the spirit of the monastery of San Sebastian in Silos, reforming its structure, its finances, and its works of charity. Dominic was known for miracles of healing, which he obtained through prayer, and for his work of ransoming Christian prisoners from the moors. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dominic-of-silos-90

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Vatican has issued new guidance on the topic of blessings of same-sex attracted people, stating that Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples as an expression of pastoral closeness without condoning their sexual relations. The ruling, which also applies to Catholics civilly remarried without having received an annulment as well as to couples in other “irregular situations,” underscored that such blessings cannot be offered in a way that would cause any confusion about the nature of marriage, which the document affirms is the only “context that sexual relations find their natural, proper, and fully human meaning.” The declaration emphasizes that blessings may only be given “spontaneously” and not in the context of a formal liturgical rite. For more information about this new declaration from the Vatican, visit catholic news agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256308/vatican-says-priests-can-bless-same-sex-couples-without-condoning-their-lifestyles The US bishops over the weekend renewed their call for peace in the Holy Land amid reports on Saturday that two Christian women were killed by sniper fire from Israeli forces at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on Saturday morning that “around noon” on December 16, a sniper of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “murdered two Christian women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, where the majority of Christian families has taken refuge since the start of the war.” Several others were also shot, the statement said. The IDF has denied culpability for the deaths. In a statement on Saturday, meanwhile, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, called for “an immediate cessation of all hostilities, the release of hostages, and for earnest negotiations towards a peaceful resolution of this conflict.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256307/us-bishops-renew-call-for-peace-after-christian-women-reportedly-killed-in-gaza-church Today, the Church celebrates Blessed Pope Urban V. He is perhaps best known for his decision to return the papacy to Rome and end the Avignon exile of the popes. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-pope-urban-v-89

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis celebrated his 87th birthday on Sunday morning ahead of his weekly Angelus by meeting with children and families who are assisted by a Vatican pediatric clinic. It has been the custom of the Argentine pontiff since becoming pope in 2013 to eschew more formal celebrations on his birthday and instead spend time with Rome’s poor and underprivileged. As the 266th successor of St. Peter to the papacy, Francis will be the oldest bishop of Rome since Pope Leo XIII, the oldest pope in history, who served until his death in 1903 at the age of 93. Fewer than 10 popes have served at the age of 87. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256305/pope-francis-celebrates-87th-birthday-with-children-who-receive-aid-from-vatican-clinic https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256300/pope-francis-turns-87-one-of-the-oldest-popes-in-church-history Judges delivered verdicts in the Vatican’s financial corruption trial on Saturday, sentencing Cardinal Angelo Becciu to more than five years in prison and convicting five other defendants to similar jail sentences for financial crimes. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256302/vatican-court-convicts-cardinal-becciu-sentences-him-to-5-years-in-jail-for-embezzling-funds In the latest sign of escalating strain between the Holy See and Israel over the mounting civilian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war, Pope Francis after his Angelus address on Sunday sharply condemned the reported killing of two women outside a Catholic church in Gaza City, allegedly by an Israeli sniper. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256303/pope-francis-comments-on-attack-on-catholic-church-in-gaza Today, the Church celebrates Saint Gatian of Tours. Not much is known about the life of Saint Gatian, but we do know that he was the first bishop of Tours in France, and is said to be a disciple of Saint Denis of Paris. Arriving in Gaul, a pagan land, completely untouched by the Good News, Gatian scattered the first seeds of the faith in the region of Tours, laying the foundations of the Church in the city of the great Saint Martin. Saint Gatian died in 337. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-gatian-of-tours-88

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Vatican has decided to shut down the religious community of sisters co-founded by accused abuser Father Marko Rupnik, the Slovenian Archdiocese of Ljubljana announced Friday. Sisters from the Loyola Community were presented with a decree on December 14 from the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on the dissolution of their community “due to serious problems concerning the exercise of authority and the way of living together,” the archdiocese said. According to the December 15 statement, the dissolution of the community must take place within one year. The Vatican decree ordering the dissolution of the Loyola Community was issued on October 20. Rupnik co-founded the Loyola Community with Sister Ivanka Hosta in Ljubljana, Slovenia, more than three decades ago. The priest and mosaic artist was removed from the Jesuits in June after having been accused of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse of religious sisters. Since then, the Vatican has announced that Rupnik will face a canonical process over the abuse allegations after Pope Francis decided to waive the statute of limitations on the claims. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256290/breaking-vatican-closing-down-loyola-community-co-founded-by-rupnik The Vatican’s doctrine office published a letter on Thursday confirming that single mothers can receive Communion after going to confession and urging the need for further “pastoral work” in parts of the world where single mothers might still face harsh judgment. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256278/vatican-doctrine-office-encourages-single-mothers-to-receive-communion-after-confession Pope Francis on Thursday urged global leaders to adopt an international treaty to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence, saying technological research must be directed toward “the pursuit of peace and the common good.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256279/pope-francis-calls-for-global-regulation-of-ai-for-peace-and-common-good More than two dozen human rights advocates are urging Congress to call on the State Department to put Nigeria back on a list of the world’s worst violators of religious freedom. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256276/human-rights-leaders-call-for-nigeria-to-be-redesignated-as-religious-freedom-violator Today, the Church celebrates Saint Virginia Centurione Bracelli. She founded a refuge center in Genoa in 1625, which soon became overrun with the needy, and she rented an empty convent in 1631 where she cared for the sick with the help of other women, and she instructed the women in the faith in addition to their work. She constructed a church dedicated to Our Lady of Refuge, and soon the women who worked with her in the hospital were formed into two congregations: the Sisters of Our Lady of Refuge in Mount Calvary, and the Daughters of Our Lady on Mount Calvary. Victoria retired from the administration of the orders, and performed manual labour and begged for alms, but was called back to administrative duties soon after. She was canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II on May 18, 2003. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-virginia-centurione-bracelli-85

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis celebrated 54 years as a priest yesterday. On December 13, 1969, just four days before his 33rd birthday, Jorge Mario Bergoglio — who today is Pope Francis — was ordained a priest by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano, archbishop emeritus of Córdoba, Argentina. Bergoglio continued his Jesuit formation from 1970 to 1971 in Spain. On April 22, 1973, he made his perpetual profession in the Society of Jesus. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253064/pope-francis-celebrates-53-years-as-a-priest Pope Francis has said that he wants to be buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome because of his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He said that a “place is already prepared” for his burial in one of the oldest and most important Marian shrines in the West. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256261/pope-francis-says-that-he-wants-to-be-buried-in-marian-basilica-in-new-interview The US Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it will once again consider a high-stakes abortion pill case that could impose new national limits on abortion. The Supreme Court will be reviewing a lower court’s August ruling that reimposed restrictions on the abortion drug mifepristone. The Biden Justice Department and the abortion drug manufacturer Danco Laboratories appealed the decision in September. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256262/breaking-supreme-court-to-review-high-stakes-abortion-case The bishops who lead the dioceses of Columbus and Steubenville in Ohio could present a merger plan to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops as early as June 2024, according to the bishops of both dioceses. It could take about three or four months to determine whether a merger is feasible, Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus and Bishop Paul Bradley of Steubenville said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256268/local-bishops-steubenville-columbus-diocesan-merger-back-in-play Today, the Church celebrates Saint John of the Cross, a 16th century Carmelite priest best known for reforming his order together with Saint Teresa of Avila, and for writing the classic spiritual treatise “The Dark Night of the Soul.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-of-the-cross-84

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Under certain circumstances, it may be permissible for a Catholic to keep a small portion of a deceased loved one’s ashes in a personal place of significance if some conditions are met, according to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256253/vatican-small-part-of-cremated-ashes-can-be-kept-in-personal-place-in-certain-cases Illinois has agreed to halt its enforcement of a law that restricts the speech and advertising of pro-life crisis pregnancy centers following a lawsuit that challenged its constitutionality on First Amendment and other grounds. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256256/illinois-agrees-to-halt-speech-restrictions-on-pro-life-pregnancy-centers-amid-lawsuit A new gene-editing therapy called Casgevy, which is designed to help treat patients suffering from sickle cell disease, has been endorsed by the National Catholic Bioethics Center and its president, Doctor Joseph Meaney. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256248/groundbreaking-gene-editing-therapy-receive-ethical-thumbs-up Today, the Church celebrates Saint Lucy, a third century consecrated virgin who was brutally tortured and martyred by the local governor. Owing to a miracle related to her eyes, she is the patroness of the blind, eye trouble, and other eye ailments. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-lucy-83

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis on Monday received the prefects of the Italian Republic in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace and expressed his concern about the low birth rate in the country, lamenting that many times “dogs take the place of children.” Pope Francis reflected on the environmental issue and the “emergencies that are now frequent and involve everyone; linked to atmospheric phenomena that should be unusual and extraordinary, they have become common due to climate change.” He also highlighted his concern about the low birth rate in Italy, “a country that lacks children and the migrants come.” “I am concerned about the problem of the low birth rate here in Italy. They’re not having children,” the Holy Father pointed out. Finally, he invited the prefects to think about the responsibility “that Italians have to have children to raise them and also to welcome immigrants as sons and daughters.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256242/pope-francis-expresses-concern-about-italy-s-low-birth-rate The bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento, California, announced on Saturday that “after careful consideration and consultation” the diocese will be filing for bankruptcy amid a slate of over 250 clergy abuse lawsuits. Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto said in a Saturday statement that Chapter 11 bankruptcy is the “only respectful, transparent, and fair way to address the substantial number of claims” and “sustain the sanctifying, teaching, and charitable work” of the diocese. The diocese, which has 102 parishes serving over 1 million faithful, will likely file for bankruptcy in March 2024, according to the bishop. Without bankruptcy, he said the diocese would likely not be able to give all the abuse survivors filing lawsuits “fair consideration of their claim.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256241/diocese-of-sacramento-to-file-for-bankruptcy-amid-over-250-clergy-abuse-lawsuits A Catholic priest in Nebraska died Sunday after being stabbed at a parish rectory, the Archdiocese of Omaha said. Police identified a suspect in the case late on Sunday. The sheriff’s office named the suspect as 43-year-old Sioux City, Iowa, resident Kierre Williams. No motive was given in the press release, though the sheriff’s office said the incident involved an “attempted break-in.” The priest grew up in Omaha and attended the College of Saint Thomas — now the University of Saint Thomas — and Saint Paul Seminary; he was ordained in 1984. In 2007, Gutgsell pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $100,000 from Saint Patrick Catholic Church in South Omaha. He received five years of probation in connection with that case. He returned to priestly ministries later that same year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256239/nebraska-priest-dies-after-stabbing-in-parish-rectory-suspect-arrested Today, the Church celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the 1530s, a Native man named Juan Diego, at Mary’s direction, found roses growing on a hill near Mexico City, even though it was winter. He gathered them into his cloak, or tilma. When he unfurled the cloak in the presence of the bishop to show him the roses, a miraculous image of Mary was on the tilma. It wasn’t until the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared that the native people began to accept Christianity on a large scale. Today, the image forms an inextricable part of the history of Mexico, and facilitated the evangelization of an entire people. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/our-lady-of-guadalupe-82

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis highlighted the importance of listening to God by embracing the example of John the Baptist, “the voice of one crying in the desert,” during his Angelus message on the second Sunday of Advent. Noting that the image of the barren desert as a place of preaching may “seem like two contradictory images,” they are in fact reconciled through the figure of John the Baptist as his voice “is linked to the genuineness of his experience and the clarity of his heart.” The pope also noted that the desert is a “place of silence and essentials, where someone cannot afford to dwell on useless things but needs to concentrate on what is indispensable in order to live.” Following the recitation of the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father commemorated the anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. The pope also took a moment to draw attention to a recent prisoner exchange between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256237/pope-angelus-through-silence-and-prayer-we-make-space-for-jesus The Vatican unveiled its annual Nativity scene on December 9, paying special tribute to the origins of the beloved tradition on its 800th anniversary. The scene in Saint Peter’s Square depicts not only Mary and Joseph standing beside the manger but also Saint Francis of Assisi, who organized the first Nativity scene in a cave in the Italian village of Greccio on Christmas Eve in 1223. Over a thousand people gathered in the square for the event, which included moments of catechesis, an explanation of how the scene was put together, and the signing of seasonal hymns. The Vatican’s Greccio-inspired Nativity scene does not include live animals and people as Saint Francis’ original did, but it does feature life-sized terracotta figures, crafted by renowned Neapolitan sculptor Antonio Cantone. At the center of the scene is the now-empty manger, where a figure of the newborn savior will be placed on Christmas Eve. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256236/vatican-unveils-nativity-scene-honoring-st-francis-of-assisi-and-devotion-s-800-year-old-origin Today, the Church celebrates Pope Saint Damasus. Throughout his papacy, Damasus spoke out against major heresies in the church and encouraged production of the Vulgate Bible with his support for Saint Jerome. He helped reconcile the relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of Antioch, and encouraged the veneration of martyrs. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-damasus-pope-81

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis had seven meetings Thursday morning where he read out three speeches unassisted for the first time in nearly two weeks. The pope, who has been recovering from a bout of bronchitis, said that he was feeling “much better” on Wednesday but opted to have an aide read his general audience catechesis, explaining to the crowd that he still had difficulties if he “talks too much.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256201/pope-francis-reads-speeches-unassisted-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-two-weeks Pope Francis on Thursday accepted the resignation of Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, based in India, commending his faithfulness after decades of leadership in that Church. Canon law dictates that bishops must submit their resignations to the pope at age 75. Alencherry turned 78 this year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256204/pope-francis-accepts-resignation-of-head-of-syro-malabar-church-cardinal-alencherry The US House and Senate reached a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday in which they dropped House amendments banning military spending on abortion and sex change surgeries. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256214/congress-drops-amendment-banning-military-spending-on-abortion-and-sex-change-surgeries A Wisconsin circuit court judge has affirmed her earlier ruling that an 1840s law protecting unborn children does not outlaw abortion. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256211/wisconsin-court-rules-that-pro-life-law-doesn-t-apply-to-abortion Today, the Church celebrates The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which recognizes the long-held belief of the Church that Mary was conceived free from original sin. Mary was granted this extraordinary privilege because of her unique role in history as the Mother of God. Even though Mary is unique in all humanity for being born without sin, she is held up by the Church as a model for all humanity for her holiness and her purity in her willingness to accept the Plan of God for her. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-of-the-blessed-virgin-77

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of Holy Family Parish, the only Roman Catholic church in Gaza, gave an update December 1 on the plight of the Christians in northern Gaza as the Israeli-Hamas war continues and spoke about the significance of Gaza to Christianity in the Holy Land. Since the conflict began, hundreds of Christians and other Gazan civilians have taken refuge in the parish, which is on the northern end of the Gaza Strip. Romanelli said that though there is “great shock and sadness” among the Christians of Gaza, “they have great trust in God’s divine protection.” Though a small minority in Gaza, the Christian community has been greatly impacted by the war. Despite the suffering, Romanelli said that the faith of the Roman Catholic community in Gaza, which numbers about 135 and includes several priests and religious, has only strengthened. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256192/these-are-very-hard-times-pastor-of-gaza-catholic-church-gives-update-on-christian-s-plight Months after former cardinal Theodore McCarrick was ruled not competent to stand trial on criminal sexual abuse charges in Massachusetts, similar charges against him in Wisconsin now hang in the balance after a competency exam ordered by the court was filed in November. McCarrick is facing misdemeanor sexual assault charges in Wisconsin related to an incident that allegedly occurred in April 1977 near a house by Geneva Lake. The results of the competency exam are not yet available to the public and lawyers in the case could not comment on its contents. The next hearing is on January 10, 2024, at the Walworth County Judicial Center. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256191/theodore-mccarrick-case-in-wisconsin-hangs-in-the-balance-after-new-competency-exam Today, the Church celebrates Saint Ambrose, the brilliant Bishop of Milan who influenced Saint Augustine's conversion and was named a Doctor of the Church. Like Augustine himself, the older Ambrose, born around 340, was a highly educated man who sought to harmonize Greek and Roman intellectual culture with the Catholic faith. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-ambrose-76

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A priest from the Diocese of Okigwe in Nigeria was kidnapped November 30 while traveling to administer the sacrament of the anointing of the sick to a parishioner. The diocese announced December 1 that Father Kingsley Eze, who serves as the parish priest of Saint Michael’s Umuekebi Catholic Church in Nigeria’s Imo state, was kidnapped at approximately 8 pm and his whereabouts are unknown. The bandits are said to have first robbed the street vendors, shooting indiscriminately and wounding a passerby, and then forced the priest and his companion to follow them. Saint Michael’s Parish serves parts of Imo state in southern Nigeria, which has been the center of massive attacks that mostly target Christians. From January 2021 to May of this year, security forces and “allied militias” killed 900 unarmed citizens, wounded 700, and arrested 3,500 people, most of them innocent Christians in Imo state. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256179/parish-priest-in-nigeria-abducted-while-answering-sick-call The beatification cause for Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan architect known as “God’s architect” and designer of the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, Spain, just completed an important step on the path to officially declaring him a saint in the Catholic Church. Gaudí’s cause for beatification has been transferred from a civil association to an ecclesial association and has entered its “final process,” according to the Archdiocese of Barcelona. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256178/canonization-cause-advances-for-god-s-architect-antoni-gaudi The board of trustees of the University of Notre Dame has elected as the university’s new president Father Robert Dowd, a Congregation of Holy Cross priest and associate professor of political science who serves as a current vice president. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256181/notre-dame-board-elects-father-robert-a-dowd-as-new-university-president Today, the Church celebrates Saint Nicholas of Myra. A bishop in the early church who was known for generosity and love of children, Nicholas was born in Lycia in Asia Minor around the late third or fourth century. One of the most famous stories of the generosity of Nicholas says that he threw bags of gold through an open window in the house of a poor man to serve as dowry for the man’s daughters, who otherwise would have been forced into prostitution. The gold is said to have landed in the family’s shoes, which were drying near the fire. This is why children leave their shoes out by the door, or hang their stockings by the fireplace in the hopes of receiving a gift on the eve of his feast. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-nicholas-of-myra-75

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year, two of the massive entry doors at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, have been sealed. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, blessed and sealed the two doors, which are scheduled to be reopened on Christmas Eve next year as a Holy Door for pilgrims. The ceremony took place on the first Sunday of Advent — a little more than one year before the start of the 2025 Jubilee Year, which will center on the theological virtue of hope. Broglio said the jubilee theme “Pilgrims of Hope” indicates that “we are on a journey and not pessimistic travelers,” highlighting the need for a message of hope amid ongoing crises around the world. Holy Doors, which are traditionally sealed prior to jubilee years, provide special graces for pilgrims who walk through them. A pilgrimage through a Holy Door also permits one to receive a plenary indulgence when the other normal conditions for such an indulgence are met. The 2025 Jubilee Year begins on December 24, 2024 (Christmas Eve), and concludes on January 6, 2026 — slightly more than one calendar year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256174/holy-doors-sealed-at-nation-s-largest-catholic-church Climate activists in Italy over the weekend disrupted a Mass celebrated by Turin Archbishop Roberto Repole, with the demonstrators reading from Pope Francis’ works on the environment during the incident. Activists with the climate group Extinction Rebellion appeared at the Turin Cathedral on Sunday during the archbishop’s Mass there, according to the Italian newspaper la Republicca. The incident reportedly took place “in the moments before the homily,” the paper said, in which “activists stood up one at a time and read aloud the two writings.” The paper said the demonstrators quoted in part from Laudato Si’ by repeating Francis’ call for “a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256172/climate-activists-disrupt-archbishop-s-mass-in-turin The bishop of Saltillo in the Mexican border state of Coahuila, Hilario González García, has announced the automatic excommunication (“latae sententiae”) of the one or more thieves who broke into a Catholic church and stole and desecrated the Eucharist. The incident occurred the morning of November 25 at Sacred Heart of Jesus chapel, part of Our Lady of Schoenstatt Parish located on the outskirts of the city. “For the very serious offense committed against Our Lord,” González invited all the faithful to join in prayer, “performing acts of reparation and promoting love for Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.” For now, he explained, Mass will not be possible until reparation is made for the offense. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256176/mexican-bishop-states-thief-who-stole-eucharist-is-excommunicated Today, the Church celebrates Saint Gerald, an English monk, and the bishop of Mayo in Ireland. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-gerald-bishop-of-mayo-74 The Church also celebrates Blessed Phillip Rinaldi, a 19th-century Salesian who served as Salesian provincial superior in Spain, where he opened many new houses and then served as vicar-general of the Salesians before becoming the Rector Major in 1922, Don Bosco’s third successor. His humble and quiet leadership of the order combined with his tremendous saintly virtue and apostolic zeal, and a healing miracle attributed to him at the end of the Second World War, prompted his cause for canonization. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-phillip-rinaldi-408

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis called the destruction of the environment “an offense against God” in a message given to the participants in the UN climate summit on Saturday. The keynote address that the pope had intended to give in person at the COP28 conference was distributed to the attendees in Dubai, where Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin read a shortened version of the pope’s speech to the assembly on December 2. Pope Francis, who turns 87 in two weeks, canceled his scheduled trip to the United Arab Emirates days before the climate summit at the request of his doctors after coming down with a flu infection that left him with breathing difficulties and acute bronchitis. Care for creation has been an important theme in Francis’ pontificate. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256165/pope-francis-to-cop28-environmental-destruction-is-an-offense-against-god Pope Francis for the second consecutive Sunday was assisted by an aide in praying the Angelus as he continues to recover from an acute bronchial infection. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256167/pope-francis-on-first-sunday-of-advent-im-improving-but-my-voice-still-doesnt-work At least three people were killed and others injured Sunday morning in an explosion during a Mass held in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines. Authorities are investigating whether pro-Islamic State militants were responsible for the blast, which set off a panic on the campus of Mindanao State University in Marawi on the island of Mindanao. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256166/philippine-catholic-mass-explosion-three-killed Today, the Church celebrates Saint John of Damascus. Eastern Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics, whose tradition has been particularly shaped by his insights, celebrate the saint's feast on the same day as the Roman Catholic Church. Among Eastern Christians, John is best known for his defense of Christian sacred art, particularly in the form of icons. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-of-damascus-407

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Holy See’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, will head the Vatican’s delegation to the COP28 climate conference in place of Pope Francis, who continues to recover from an acute bronchial infection. The Vatican announced on Tuesday that it was canceling the 86-year-old pontiff’s trip to Dubai at the behest of his doctors. The pope has been struggling since last week with both a mild flu and lingering symptoms from that illness. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256154/cardinal-parolin-will-represent-pope-francis-at-climate-conference Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of December is for people with disabilities. The Holy Father urged civil institutions to “support their projects through access to education, employment, and places where they can express their creativity.” The pope encouraged individuals to change “our mentality a little” and open “ourselves to the abilities and talents of these people who are differently abled, both in society as well as in the life of the Church.” He concluded with a prayer: “Let us pray that people with disabilities may be at the center of attention in society, and that institutions offer inclusion programs that enhance their active participation.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256134/this-is-pope-francis-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-december In what it called its “best and final” offer to survivors of abuse, the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York on Monday proposed a plan that offers $200 million to approximately 600 survivors of abuse, the largest-ever settlement offer made in diocesan bankruptcy history. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256151/new-york-diocese-offers-200-dollars-million-to-abuse-victims-in-largest-ever-settlement-offer Today, the Church celebrates Saint Edmund Campion. He was born in London on January 25, 1540. He joined the Jesuits and won many Catholic converts in England during a time when the faith was highly persecuted. On July 17, 1581, he was betrayed by one of the faithful who knew his whereabouts, and was thrown into prison. The queen offered him all manner of riches if he would forsake his loyalty to the Pope, but he refused. After spending some time in the Tower of London, he was sentenced to death by hanging, drawing and quartering. His martyrom in Tyburn on December 1, 1581 sparked off a wave of conversions to Catholicism. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-edmund-campion-404 The Church also celebrates Saint Eligius, a seventh-century bishop of Noyon-Tournai in France and Belgium. Eligius is the patron of goldsmiths, blacksmiths, and all metal workers. Taxi drivers have also put themselves under his protection. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-eligius-70

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis told health care professionals on Thursday that he has “very acute infectious bronchitis” and was advised not to travel to Dubai to avoid the extreme change in temperature. The Vatican on Wednesday had said Pope Francis’ health was stable as the Holy Father continues to receive treatment for ongoing lung inflammation stemming from a flu infection. Pope Francis has been struggling for several days with persistent symptoms following what the Vatican called a mild flu infection that developed last week. The Vatican announced on Tuesday that it had canceled the pope’s planned trip to Dubai this week due to his continuing struggles with lung inflammation. Francis had been scheduled to travel to Dubai to deliver a speech at the COP28 climate conference. Though he continues to struggle with the symptoms from the flu, the pope has kept up a somewhat regular schedule at the Vatican this week. Francis, who turns 87 next month, has experienced a number of medical setbacks in recent years. He has been hospitalized on more than one occasion, most recently in June for abdominal surgery. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256137/vatican-pope-s-health-stationary-treatment-continues-as-lung-inflammation-remains https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256142/pope-francis-says-he-has-very-acute-infectious-bronchitis The pastoral center of Christ the King Cathedral in Loikaw, Myanmar, was bombed on November 26 and occupied by the Burmese military the next day. Though no one was killed in the bombing, the pastoral center’s ceiling collapsed and Bishop Celso Ba Shwe and the 80 refugees taking shelter in the church were forced to flee. The cathedral complex had been sheltering about 82 refugees from throughout Myanmar’s Kayah state, a region that has become a major battleground between the Burmese military junta and several rebel militias. Myanmar, which is bordered by India to the west and China to the east, is a majority Buddhist country that has large Catholic and Protestant minorities in some states. The country has been caught in a bloody civil war since 2021 after local militias united to oppose the military junta that had seized control of the government earlier that year. This is not the first time that Catholic churches and holy sites have been caught in the crossfire in the ongoing war. Catholic sites in Kayah state and in the Loikaw Diocese have been especially hard hit by military strikes. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256136/catholic-cathedral-complex-bombed-bishop-flees-with-refugees-in-worsening-myanmar-civil-war Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Andrew, apostle and martyr. A fisherman from Bethsaida and brother of Simon Peter, Andrew is said to have spread Christianity in Russia and Asia minor after Pentecost in the first century. He was crucified by the Romans in Greece on an X-shaped cross, which is now his distinctive symbol as well as the symbol of Scotland, of which he is the patron. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-andrew-apostle-403

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis will not attend the United Nations COP28 climate conference in Dubai this week due to his continuing struggles with lung inflammation stemming from influenza, the Vatican said on Tuesday. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256124/vatican-cancels-pope-francis-trip-to-climate-conference-in-dubai-citing-ongoing-illness Pope Francis has stripped one of his top American critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, of his Vatican housing and salary privileges, the Associated Press has reported. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256120/pope-francis-reportedly-takes-apartment-salary-from-cardinal-burke The Catholic child sponsorship charity Unbound announced Tuesday that Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in “The Chosen” TV series, has partnered with them to sponsor their 1 millionth child currently living in poverty. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256122/catholic-actor-jonathan-roumie-partners-with-child-sponsorship-charity-for-special-milestone Today, the Church celebrates Saint Saturninus, the first bishop of Toulouse, France. He was martyred by pagan priests. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-saturninus-68 The Church also celebrates the many Franciscan saints who followed in the footsteps of Saint Francis. It is a special day for all Franciscans to celebrate the feast of ‘All the Saints of the Seraphic Order.’ https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/all-saints-of-the-seraphic-order-feast-733 Finally, the Church celebrates Blessed Denis of the Nativity and Blessed Redemptorus of the Cross. Blessed Denis was born in 1600 in Honfleur, France. He became a sailor at the age of twelve, and later on became the pilot-in-chief and cartographer of the courts of Portugal and France. In 1635 while he was in Goa, India, he took on the habit of a Discalced Carmelite Monk. Blessed Redemptorus of the Cross was born in Portugal at the end of the 16th century. He became a soldier, but later took on the habit of the Discalced Carmelites in 1615. Together, Denis and Redemptorus set out on mission to the king of Achin in the Malay archipelago. While on their way, they and their party were ambushed and tortured to death by Muslims on November 29, 1638. They were beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1900. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-denis-of-the-nativity-and-blessed-redemptorus-of-the-cross-402

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis is being treated with antibiotics intravenously and has postponed some of his meetings this week as he recovers from a “mild flu,” according to the Vatican. Francis, who turns 87 next month, spent much of the past decade as pope in relatively good health but has dealt with several painful medical conditions over the last few years. To view a timeline charting Pope Francis’ recent health concerns, visit catholic news agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251307/pope-francis-health-heres-a-timeline Father Hans-Joachim Lohre, a member of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (also known as the White Fathers) who was reportedly kidnapped in Bamako, the capital of Mali, has been set free. According to Agenzia Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies, the German priest was released on Sunday, November 26. After being released and handed over to the Malian authorities following a negotiation that was reportedly done directly by the German government, Lohre was said to have been “flown to Germany overnight on a special flight.” Lohre was taken away as he was preparing to celebrate Mass in a church in the capital city of the West African nation. His car was found abandoned and the cross he always carried with him was on the ground near the car. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256111/german-missionary-priest-released-a-year-after-being-abducted-in-mali Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the vandalism of a pro-life organization’s headquarters in Rome perpetrated during a protest to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Demonstrators threw smoke bombs, smashed windows, and spray-painted pro-abotion graffiti on the “Pro Vita & Famiglia” association’s main office in Rome on Saturday night despite the presence of Italian police at the protest. The vandalism occurred as thousands took to the streets in Italy’s capital for a march protesting violence against women. Pro Vita & Famiglia (“Pro-Life and Family”) is an Italian nonprofit organization that helps organize Italy’s annual March for Life. The association’s headquarters were also vandalized during Rome’s LGBTQ Pride parade in June. The pro-life association said November 26 that an incendiary weapon was also found inside the office near the broken windows, which according to the initial findings of the police could have been an unexploded Molotov cocktail or a similar weapon. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256110/giorgia-meloni-condemns-vandalism-of-pro-life-center-in-rome Today, the Church celebrates Saint Catherine Labouré, the humble member of the Daughters of Charity to whom Mary appeared, requesting that the Miraculous Medal be stamped so that all who wear it would receive great graces. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-catherine-laboure-401 The Church also celebrates Saint James of the Marches, a Franciscan priest in the 15th century who was known as an eloquent preacher. According to legend, he brought 50,000 heretics into the Church and led 200,000 nonbelievers to baptism. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-james-of-the-marches-67

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis’ lung inflammation has caused him some breathing difficulties, but his condition is stable and “clearly improving,” the Vatican said on Monday. The 86-year-old pope is being treated with antibiotics intravenously and is in “good and stable” condition without a fever, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists. A CT scan at a Rome hospital over the weekend “ruled out pneumonia, but it showed lung inflammation causing some breathing difficulties,” Bruni said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256109/pope-francis-health-stable-despite-breathing-difficulties-vatican-says https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256108/angelus-sunday-pope-francis-aid-flu Pope Francis has added 11 new members to the Vatican office that focuses on the lay apostolate and family life, with two married couples and four figures affiliated with ecclesial movements highlighting the selections. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256107/pope-adds-married-couples-church-movement-reps-to-vatican-s-laity-and-family-office This year, Catholics will be able to receive a plenary indulgence from December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to February 2, 2024, the feast of the Presentation in the Temple of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by praying before a Nativity scene in a Franciscan church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256087/catholics-can-receive-a-plenary-indulgence-by-praying-before-a-nativity-scene Today, the Church celebrates Saint Francesco Antonio Fasani. Born as Giovanneillo in Lucera, Italy in 1681, he entered the Conventual Franciscans in 1695 and took the names of Saint Francis and Saint Anthony. He was a mystic, known for his deep prayer life and supernatural gifts, and was known to levitate while praying. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-francesco-antonio-fasani-66 The Church also celebrates Saint James Intercisus, a soldier and courtier to King Yezdigerd I of Persia in the early fifth century. After previously renouncing his faith out of fear, he went through a true, deep conversion, uniting and conforming himself to the living God. Wanting to make amends, he professed his faith before the new king and was condemned to death. He is the patron saint of lost vocations and torture victims. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-james-intercisus-400 Finally, the Church honors Saint Sechnall of Ireland. Born in 375, around the year 439 he was sent from Gaul to assist his uncle, Saint Patrick, in Ireland, together with Auxilius and Iserninus in thier missionary work there. He became the first bishop of Dunslaughlin in Meath, and then auxiliary bishop of Armagh. He wrote several hymns, notably the alphabetical hymn Audites, omnes amantes Deum (the oldest known Latin hymn written in Ireland) in honor of Patrick and the earliest Latin hymn in Ireland, and Sancti, venite, Christi corpus sumite. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-sechnall-of-ireland-697

Thank you for listening to Catholic News. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday today in the United States, there will not be a new Catholic News briefing until Monday, November 27th. As always, the latest news will still be available at www.catholicnewsagency.com. From all of us at Catholic News Agency, we wish you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis has expressed deep reservations about the direction of the Catholic Church in Germany, warning that concrete steps currently being taken “threaten” to undermine unity with the universal Church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256068/breaking-pope-francis-intervenes-with-german-synodal-way A French bishop has been charged with the attempted rape of an adult man that allegedly took place more than a decade ago. Bishop Georges Colomb of La Rochelle and Saintes was reportedly charged on Friday with the 2013 attempted rape of an adult man. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256073/french-bishop-charged-with-attempted-2013-rape-of-adult-man A man calling himself “Father Martin” attempted to infiltrate several Texas parishes last month and reportedly succeeded in stealing several hundred dollars from one Houston parish, with the scam prompting a security warning from one of the state’s dioceses. On October 25, a person who identified himself as a visiting priest named “Father Martin” showed up at six different parishes in the Diocese of Dallas. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256075/texas-dioceses-targeted-by-scammer-impersonating-catholic-priest A legislative council member from the pro-Beijing New People’s Party has criticized a joint petition signed by ten Catholic bishops, including three Americans, calling for the immediate release of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256078/hong-kong-lawmaker-blasts-catholic-bishops-petition-for-release-of-jimmy-lai Over 100 members of Congress are urging the Supreme Court to stop more than half of US abortions by ordering the FDA to revoke its abortion pill approval. The lawmakers are arguing that the FDA’s approval process for the abortion drug had many “irregularities” and the decision to approve them has “endangered women and girls.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256080/over-100-members-of-congress-urge-supreme-court-to-revoke-abortion-pill-approval Today, the Church celebrates Saint Cecilia. Cecilia was an early Roman martyr, and is the patron of musicians and poets because according to tradition, she sang while being burned in an oven during her martyrdom. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-cecilia-61

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A religious sister in Pennsylvania died over the weekend after colliding head-on with another vehicle on the road as she was traveling to a reunion of women who participated in an annual discernment retreat known as Fiat. Sister Augustine Marie Molnar, 43, a member of the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, was a middle school religion teacher at All Saints Catholic School in Cresson, Pennsylvania. She sometimes assisted in vocation work and was headed to Reading, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Allentown, to share her own vocation story. Sister Augustine Marie had taken temporary vows with the community and possibly would have made her perpetual profession of vows as early as March of next year. A funeral Mass will be held at 11:30 am on Monday, November 27. She will be buried at Saint Francis Xavier Parish Cemetery in Cresson. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256060/pennsylvania-religious-sister-dies-in-car-accident An Ohio priest was sentenced to life in prison Friday after being convicted of multiple sexual abuse charges earlier this year. Parish priest Michael Zacharias was convicted on five counts of sex trafficking by a federal jury in the Northern District of Ohio in May. The priest had been arrested in 2020 on the charges, which included “coercion and enticement, sex trafficking of a minor, and sex trafficking of an adult by force, fraud, or coercion.” Upon learning of the abuse charges in 2020, Toledo Bishop Daniel Thomas placed Zacharias on immediate administrative leave, forbidding him from exercising public priestly ministry or presenting himself as a priest while the claims were being investigated. After his conviction earlier this year, the diocese said Zacharias’ case would “be presented to the Holy See, who will make the final judgment, which will lead to a determination of his status as a priest.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256059/ohio-priest-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-sex-trafficking Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorating the presentation of the Blessed Virgin as a child by her parents in the Temple in Jerusalem. The celebration of the Feast is first documented in the 11th century within the Byzantine Catholic Church. It was introduced into the Roman Catholic Church in the 15th century by Pope Gregory XI, then removed from the calendar by Pope Pius V in the mid 16th century. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/feast-of-the-presentation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-60

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis will meet with the families of Israelis being held hostage by Hamas at his next Wednesday general audience, and he will also meet separately with a group of Palestinians with relatives suffering in Gaza. Pope Francis has frequently prayed for peace in the Holy Land in his public audiences since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last month. He has also repeatedly called for the hostages being held by Hamas to be freed and for the protection and humanitarian support of civilians in Gaza. About 240 people are being held hostage by Hamas, according to the United Nations. Four hostages have been released so far and another was freed by Israeli forces in October. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256054/pope-francis-to-meet-with-families-of-israeli-hostages-and-palestinians-with-relatives-in-gaza During the night of November 14–15, unidentified persons destroyed the altar and stole sacred vessels from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the Archdiocese of Rouen, France. According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, the prosecutor’s office confirmed that the Sacré-Coeur basilica was vandalized and that the unidentified persons also smashed a statue, although the Blessed Sacrament was not stolen. The authorities have not yet identified the vandals, but local police have already launched an investigation to find them. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256049/altar-vandalized-sacred-vessels-stolen-from-sacred-heart-basilica-in-france Today, the Church celebrates Saint Bernward, who served as the thirteenth Bishop of Hildesheim, Germany during the middle of the tenth century. A man of extraordinary piety, he was deeply devoted to prayer as well as the practice of mortification, and his knowledge and practice of the arts were employed generously in the service of the Church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-bernward-59

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - With the National Eucharistic Congress just eight months away, the US bishops announced that scholarships and single-day and weekend passes will be available to make it possible for more Catholics to attend the event to be held next July in Indianapolis. As many as 80,000 Catholics are expected to attend the event from July 17–21, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the Indianapolis Colts. Almost 30,000 tickets have been sold for the full five-day congress, which has just released an updated schedule of events. A complete and detailed schedule will be available in January. The congress is the climax of the bishops’ three-year National Eucharistic Revival initiative, which was launched in part because of a Pew Research poll that suggested only one-third of adult Catholics in the US believe in the Church’s teaching on the Blessed Sacrament. Visit catholic news agency dot com for more information. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256033/national-eucharistic-congress-releases-schedule-offers-scholarships-and-weekend-passes The US bishops will continue to highlight the threat of abortion as a “preeminent priority” in the introduction to a guide they’ll disseminate to Catholic voters ahead of the 2024 election. That designation, the source of debate among some bishops in recent years, was retained when the bishops voted overwhelmingly, 225-11, with seven abstentions, to approve a revised introduction to the guide, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” at their annual fall assembly Wednesday in Baltimore. The new introduction also lists euthanasia, gun violence, terrorism, the death penalty, and human trafficking as “other grave threats to life and dignity of the human person.” In a press conference after the vote, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that while many issues are important, “not all issues are equal.” “We are called to stand in radical solidarity with women in difficult pregnancies and their unborn children and to provide them with the kind of support and services and public policies that they need,” he explained. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256025/us-bishops-approve-voting-guide-that-calls-abortion-preeminent-priority Catholic Relief Services (CRS) this week called for an “immediate cessation of violence” in the Gaza Strip so that the humanitarian organization and other groups can deliver sorely needed supplies to civilians in the region. CRS does not have staff at Al-Shifa Hospital, where fighting has been taking place. But CRS is “supporting four churches in Gaza … which are serving as temporary shelter locations for thousands of people.” “There needs to be an immediate cessation of violence so that CRS and other groups can really bring in and establish a humanitarian operation for, really, the entire 2.4 million people in Gaza,” a CRS executive said this week. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256028/catholic-relief-services-calls-for-immediate-cessation-of-violence-in-gaza-to-allow-aid Today, the Church celebrates Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a medieval noblewoman who responded to personal tragedy by embracing Saint Francis' ideals of poverty and service. A patron of secular Franciscans, she is especially beloved to Germans, as well as the faithful of her native Hungary. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-elizabeth-of-hungary-56 The Church also celebrates Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus, who was elected bishop of Neocaesarea in present-day Turkey around 238. He was a much-sought-after arbiter for his wisdom and legal knowledge and ability. He is invoked against floods and earthquakes. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-gregory-thaumaturgus-692

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The US bishops voted Tuesday to advance the cause of beatification and canonization of Servant of God Isaac Thomas Hecker, a 19th-century American priest who founded the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle, today known as the Paulist Fathers. Hecker’s cause for canonization was formally opened in 2008, at which time he received the title “Servant of God.” The next step in the process is to publicize the cause for canonization in the Archdiocese of New York, where the Paulists are headquartered. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256020/us-bishops-vote-to-advance-the-cause-of-canonization-for-american-priest-isaac-hecker The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a document on Wednesday reaffirming that Catholics are forbidden from becoming Freemasons. The new document signed by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández was written in response to a bishop from the Philippines who had expressed concern at the growing number of Catholics in his diocese who are taking part in Freemasonry and asked for suggestions for how to respond pastorally. The Freemasons are the largest worldwide oath-bound secret society. Freemasonry promotes ideas and rituals incompatible with the Catholic faith, including indifferentism, or the position that a person can be equally pleasing to God while remaining in any religion, and a deistic concept of a “Great Architect of the Universe.” The Catholic Church’s prohibition on Freemasonry dates back to Pope Clement XII, who formally condemned it in a papal bull in 1738. Catholics who enroll in Masonic associations “are in a state of grave sin and may not receive holy Communion.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256014/vatican-doctrine-office-reaffirms-that-catholics-cannot-be-freemasons US bishops are hoping for further guidance from the Vatican before they formulate concrete plans to prepare for the final stage of the Synod on Synodality next fall. At the conclusion of the synod’s first assembly that took place at the Vatican between October 4–29, delegates approved a 42-page synthesis document titled “A Synodal Church in Mission” containing more than 80 proposals, including recommendations aimed at giving lay Catholics a greater role in decision-making. The preliminary document did not, however, specify the next steps that dioceses and episcopal conferences should take during the interim period before the synod reconvenes in October 2024. Flores agreed that the USCCB might have to produce its own summary if the Vatican doesn’t provide one soon. Asked if there was a timeline for when additional steps need to be taken, he said it was premature to formulate a schedule. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256019/synod-s-next-steps-us-bishops-look-to-rome-for-guidance-say-priests-and-poor-need-a-voice Today, the Church celebrates Saint Joseph Moscati, the first modern medical doctor to be canonized. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-joseph-moscati-55 The Church also celebrates Saint Margaret, Queen of Scotland. Margaret worked tirelessly to bring justice and relief to the poor of Scotland. She also built churches and encouraged practices of religious devotion. In her private life, she exhibited great prayerfulness and piety. Her influence was seen not only in her husband's life, but throughout all of Scotland. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-margaret-of-scotland-657 Finally, the Church celebrates Saint Gertrude the Great, a distinguished medieval nun and writer in the Benedictine monastic tradition. One of the most esteemed woman saints of the Christian West, she was a notable early devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-gertrude-the-great-715

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The archbishop of Beijing is visiting Hong Kong this week in a trip that marks a historic first since the Chinese Communist Party severed diplomatic relations with the Vatican 70 years ago. Archbishop Li Shan is the president of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the state-managed Catholic organization in mainland China controlled by the CCP’s United Front Work Department. The Beijing bishop’s five-day visit to the Diocese of Hong Kong is at the invitation of Cardinal Stephen Chow, the city’s bishop, who has said that he sees Hong Kong as “a bridge Church” with the mainland. Li was ordained archbishop of Beijing in 2007 with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI after being named to the post by Chinese authorities months prior. He was the first bishop to be consecrated in China following the publication of Benedict XVI’s 2007 letter to Catholics in China. Earlier this year, Li prayed for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China “as soon as possible” during a Mass at the diocesan seminary. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256004/beijing-archbishop-becomes-first-to-visit-hong-kong-since-chinese-revolution A court of appeal dismissed all charges of “hate speech” and “ethnic agitation” against Finnish lawmaker Päivi Räsänen on Tuesday in what has been hailed as a victory for free speech. The Finnish member of Parliament had been charged in 2021 after publicly sharing in 2019 her biblical, religious views on marriage as between one man and one woman. Though Räsänen, 63, was unanimously acquitted by a Finnish District Court in 2022, prosecutors appealed her acquittal to the Helsinki Court of Appeal. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256001/hate-speech-charges-dismissed-for-finnish-lawmaker-who-defended-traditional-marriage The president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop Timothy Broglio, on Tuesday called on Israel to pursue negotiations in its war with Hamas terrorists. When asked about Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip and civilian casualties suffered since the outbreak of the war, Broglio said it is an issue he feels “very strongly about” and said that Israel should “find a way to negotiate.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256006/us-catholic-bishops-president-calls-on-israel-to-negotiate-with-hamas Today, the Church celebrates Saint Albert the Great, a Doctor of the Church and the patron saint of scientists. The native German joined the newly formed Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in the early 13th century. He earned a doctorate from the University of Paris and taught theology there and in Cologne, Germany. Albert became known as “Great” because of his intellectual abilities. He was a respected philosopher, scientist, theologian and teacher, and was well-versed in Arabic culture. One of his students, who later became a great friend and built upon his Scholastic method, was Saint Thomas Aquinas. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-albert-the-great-656

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A group of Benedictine nuns from Argentina will soon take up residence in the Vatican monastery where Pope Benedict XVI lived after resigning the papacy. The Benedictine Order of the Abbey of Saint Scholastica of Victoria, located in the province of Buenos Aires, accepted Pope Francis’ invitation to form a monastic community in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, the Vatican said November 13. The six nuns will move into the monastery, which is located in the Vatican Gardens in Vatican City State, in early January. Saint John Paul II canonically erected the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery for nuns of contemplative life in 1994. Different groups of cloistered nuns, rotating every three years, lived in the convent until November 2012. Benedict XVI spent his retirement in prayer and meditation there. He was assisted by his personal secretary Archbishop Georg Gänswein and four consecrated women. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255992/after-benedict-xvi-s-death-vatican-monastery-to-be-home-to-benedictine-nuns Sheet music was made available online last week for the official hymns of the upcoming National Eucharistic Revival, which were chosen from among hundreds of entries in a contest last summer. The National Eucharistic Revival is the US bishops’ three-year initiative to inspire belief in and reverence for the Eucharist. The winning hymn and theme song, which were chosen from among some 177 entries, were announced in August. Links to download the sheet music, available in English and Spanish for both compositions, can be found at the National Eucharistic Revival’s blog post. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255994/prizewinning-eucharistic-revival-hymns-released-for-use-in-parishes Despite not being religious, Dean Gregory, the father of 8-month-old Indi Gregory, said that his time in court fighting for his daughter’s life felt like he had been “dragged to hell.” Indi died in her mother’s arms in hospice on Nov. 13 after her parents repeatedly appealed in UK courts to be able to take their baby to Rome for treatment. They lost their legal battle when the second-highest court in the UK ruled on November 10 that Indy’s life support be removed “immediately.”The experience moved him to decide to have his daughter baptized. “I am not religious and I am not baptized,” Gregory told an Italian newspaper in an interview. “But when I was in court I felt like I had been dragged to hell. I thought that if hell exists, then heaven must also exist.” He added: “It was as if the devil was there. I thought that if the devil exists, then God must exist.” During Indi’s time in the neonatal intensive care unit, a Christian volunteer visited daily. It was during those visits, Gregory explained, that he was told “baptism protects you and opens the door to heaven for you.” “I’ve seen what hell is like and I want Indi to go to heaven,” he expressed. Indi was baptized on September 22. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255997/baby-indi-gregorys-father-says-he-chose-baptism-for-her-after-feeling-dragged-to-hell Today, the Church celebrates Saint Lawrence O'Toole, bishop of Dublin in the 12th century. Saint Lawrence was most widely known for his piety, charity, and prudence, and was respected as a negotiator. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-lawrence-otoole-53 The Church also celebrates Blessed John Licci, one of the longest living holy men of the Church. His 111 years on this earth in a small town near Palermo, Sicily, were filled with many miracles. John joined the Dominicans in 1415. He wore the habit for 96 years which is the longest known period for any religious. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-john-licci-655

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Indi Gregory died overnight on Monday after her life support was removed over the weekend following a UK court order. The terminally ill 8-month-old died in her mother’s arms in a hospice at 1:45 am on November 13, according to British advocacy group Christian Concern. The process to remove Gregory’s life support began on November 11, with extubation of her breathing tube and transfer to a hospice, where remaining life supporting measures were withdrawn. Born in February and baptized in September, Gregory suffered from a rare degenerative mitochondrial disease. After England’s high court ruled that it was in the child’s “best interests” to be taken off life support against her parents’ wishes, the Italian government granted the critically ill child Italian citizenship on November 6 and agreed to cover the cost of her medical treatment at the Vatican’s pediatric hospital, Bambino Gesù. A November 11 Vatican statement said Pope Francis was praying for Gregory and her family. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255991/indi-gregory-dies-after-removal-of-life-support The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Francis has relieved Bishop Joseph Strickland from his duties in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, and appointed an apostolic administrator to replace him. Strickland’s removal on November 11 comes after the Texas bishop refused a Vatican request for him to submit his resignation two days prior, according to Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Houston. The Vatican Dicastery for Bishops completed a formal investigation in the Diocese of Tyler earlier this year called an apostolic visitation, which, according to a source, looked into the bishop’s social media use and questions related to diocesan management. Strickland, 65, served as bishop of the Diocese of Tyler since 2012. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255986/breaking-pope-francis-relieves-strickland-of-his-duties-as-bishop-of-tyler https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255990/strickland-saga-ousted-bishop-s-interview-vatican-removed Today, the Church celebrates Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, an Italian missionary who spent much of her life working with Italian immigrants in the United States. Mother Cabrini, who had a deathly fear of water and drowning, crossed the Atlantic Ocean more than 30 times in service of the Church and the people she was serving. Eventually, Saint Frances became a naturalized US citizen. She died in 1917 and was canonized in 1946, just before a new wave of immigrants began to arrive in the US. ​​https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-frances-cabrini-654

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A terminally ill British infant has been given more time to live after a court on Thursday gave her family permission to appeal a judge’s decision mandating where her life support can be removed. According to a Christian advocacy group, the courts may also consider the possibility of allowing the family to take the child to Italy for treatment at a Vatican-run hospital. Indi Gregory, born in February, suffers from a rare degenerative mitochondrial disease and has been receiving life-sustaining treatment on a ventilator at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, England. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255960/british-infant-indi-gregory-given-more-time-to-live-as-judge-allows-family-to-appeal West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, the last centrist Catholic Democrat in the US Senate, announced Thursday he isn’t running for reelection next year. Manchin’s decision to leave the US Senate may hurt the Democrats’ chances of keeping control of it in 2024. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255967/democratic-sen-joe-manchin-a-centrist-catholic-wont-seek-reelection The Vatican has released the schedule for Pope Francis’ trip to Dubai in early December to attend the COP28 climate conference. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255958/vatican-releases-schedule-for-pope-francis-trip-to-dubai-in-december Pope Francis lamented the innocent deaths in Israel and Palestine during a meeting Thursday with a Catholic order of knighthood that supports the Holy Land. Francis said he is spiritually united with the leaders of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem as they are meeting in Rome this week. Also known as the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, the order is a lay institution under the protection of the Holy See whose first mention in historical records dates to 1336. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255959/pope-francis-laments-innocent-dead-in-holy-land-conflict Today, the Church celebrates the fifth-century Pope Saint Leo I, known as “Saint Leo the Great,” whose involvement in the fourth ecumenical council helped prevent the spread of error on Christ's divine and human natures. Saint Leo intervened for the safety of the Church in the West as well, persuading Attila the Hun to turn back from Rome. Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians also maintain a devotion to the memory of Pope Saint Leo the Great. Churches of the Byzantine tradition celebrate his feast day on February 18. He died on November 10, 461. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in 1754. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/pope-st-leo-the-great-651

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Vatican’s doctrine office has said an adult who identifies as transgender can receive the sacrament of baptism under the same conditions as any adult, as long as there is no risk of causing scandal or confusion to other Catholics. The Vatican also said that children or adolescents experiencing transgender identity issues may also receive baptism “if well prepared and willing.” The Vatican also responded to questions about whether transgender-identifying people or those in homosexual relationships can be godparents or witness a marriage, and whether children adopted or born through assisted reproduction to same-sex couples can be baptized. For a full explanation of what the Vatican said, visit catholic news agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255945/vatican-doctrine-office-transgender-identifying-people-can-be-baptized The attorney general of Missouri announced this week a lawsuit against the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the agency’s approval of shipping abortion drugs through the mail. Republican State Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced the filing on his website on Monday, claiming that the FDA had “unlawfully approved the shipment of chemical abortion pills in the mail.” The Missouri lawsuit includes a request for an injunction against rules from 2021 and 2023 “allowing abortion drugs to be sent by mail.” The FDA “failed America’s women and girls when it chose politics over science and approved risky, untested chemical abortion drugs for use in the United States,” the lawsuit argues, claiming further that the agency “has continued to fail them by turning a blind eye to these harms and repeatedly removing even the most basic precautionary requirements associated with the use of these risky drugs.” President Joe Biden had earlier in the year issued a memorandum directing federal agencies to support wider access to abortion pills. Biden’s memo came shortly after the FDA changed its guidance to allow any patient with a prescription to obtain mifepristone from her local retail pharmacy. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255946/missouri-attorney-general-files-lawsuit-against-fda-over-abortion-pill-by-mail Today, the Church celebrates Saint Benignus of Kilbannon, the son of Sesenen, an Irish chieftain in the part of Ireland which is now County Meath. He was baptized by Saint Patrick, and became his favorite disciple and coadjutor in the See of Armagh. The Church also marks the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran. It marks the dedication of the cathedral church of Rome by Pope Sylvester the first in 324. This church is the cathedra (or chair) of the bishop of Rome, who is the Pope. A Latin inscription in the Church reads: “omnium ecclesiarum Urbis et Orbis mater et caput.” Translated, this means, “The mother and head of all churches of the city and of the world.” The basilica was originally named the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior. However, it is called Saint John Lateran because it was built on property donated to the Church by the Laterani family, and because the monks from the monastery of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Divine served it. The Diocese of Rome has planned a full year of events to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. The Diocese of Rome will open the year of celebrations with a solemn pontifical Mass celebrated by Rome’s vicar, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, in the afternoon on November 9. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/calendar/2023-11-9

Read more: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255950/indi-gregory-case-baby-to-be-removed-from-life-support-thursday-despite-parents-pleas

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - This is a special Catholic News report on the elections that took place yesterday in the United States. Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot referendum that adds a new right to “reproductive freedom,” including abortion and contraception, to the state constitution. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255937/ohio-voters-overwhelmingly-approve-amendment-enshrining-abortion-in-state-constitution The gubernatorial races in Kentucky and Mississippi on Tuesday ended with two incumbent victories, one Democratic and the other Republican, with both states holding their respective status quos after much-watched and expensive campaigns. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255940/kentucky-and-mississippi-governor-s-races-end-with-democratic-republican-victories And in Virginia, Democrats kept control of the state Senate and flipped the state House of Delegates on Tuesday in what will be a major blow to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s efforts to pass legislation that would ban abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255938/republican-losses-in-virginia-legislative-races-doom-governors-15-week-abortion-ban Now, on to other Catholic news. Pope Francis will publish an autobiography next year in which he recounts memories of historical events from the outbreak of World War II to the collapse of the Twin Towers. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255939/pope-francis-to-release-an-autobiography-in-the-spring A new analysis of a study that claims to be the largest national survey of Catholic priests conducted in more than 50 years has found, among other things, that priests describing themselves as “progressive” are practically going extinct among US seminary graduates, with the vast majority of young ordinands describing themselves as conservative and orthodox. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255935/major-survey-finds-conservative-and-orthodox-priests-on-the-rise-varying-levels-of-trust-in-bishops The Vatican’s pediatric hospital has offered to treat 8-month-old baby Indi Gregory after a British court ruled that she be removed from life support against her parents’ wishes. catholicnewsagency.com/news/255928/vatican-hospital-offers-to-treat-critically-ill-baby-denied-life-support-in-britain The Knights of Columbus reached a major milestone this month when they donated their one millionth coat through their Coats for Kids program on November 6. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255932/knights-of-columbus-donate-their-millionth-coat-through-coats-for-kids-program Today, the Church celebrates Saint Godfrey of Amiens, a 12th century bishop noted for his rigid austerity with himself, those around him, and in his approach to his mission as bishop. He was an enforcer of clerical celibacy. He was also a fierce lifelong opponent of drunkenness and simony, which led to an attempt on his life. For most of his time as bishop, he wished to resign and retire as a Carthusian monk. In 1114 he moved to a monastery, but a few months later his people demanded his return, and he agreed. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-godfrey-of-amiens-47 The Church also celebrates Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, who in her short life as a religious was a spiritual director for many, and left a legacy of letters and retreat guides. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-elizabeth-of-the-trinity-649

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Today, voters in the United States will be turning out for the off-year general elections. Check out Catholic News Agency dot com for the latest election news. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255925/stockton-cathedral-vandalized-with-paint-police-investigating-as-possible-hate-crime Pope Francis is continuing his efforts for peace in the Holy Land. As confirmed by the Holy See, on the afternoon of Sunday, November 5, the Holy Father had a conversation with the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi. The Vatican has limited itself to confirming that the call took place at the request of Raisi, who, according to a statement from the Iranian president’s office, thanked the Holy Father for his calls for peace and said that it is duty of followers of all Abrahamic religions to "support the oppressed people of Palestine." Raisi asked the Holy Father to exert his influence in the West to end the attacks in Gaza, which he called “the greatest genocide of the century.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255926/pope-francis-speaks-with-president-of-iran-about-israel-hamas-war Pope Francis answered questions about war, the environment, and his daily life during an encounter with roughly 7,000 children from around the world on Monday. The pope had previously announced the event after praying the midday Angelus on October 1. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255924/in-special-meeting-pope-francis-talks-peace-war-climate-with-kids-from-around-the-world Today, the Church celebrates Saint Peter Ou, one of the Martyrs of China. He was born to a non-Christian family in 1768. As a young man, he was outspoken with had a deep understanding of justice, and would eventually come to the defense of the poor and oppressed. He married and ran his own business, which was a large hotel. He was one of the first to convert to Christianity after missionaries arrived in his area, and he took the name Peter at his baptism. He enthusiastically preached Christianity to anyone who came by, later becoming a lay leader of the converts in his district. He also worked as a catechist. In 1814, he was imprisoned and tortured in a violent backlash against the faith. Under these conditions, he continued to inspire his fellow prisoners in the faith, and he led prayer services in the cells. He was sentenced to death for refusing to apostatize by stepping on a crucifix. Peter was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-peter-ou-648

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis opened two new laundromats for the homeless in the northern Italian city of Turin last week. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255912/pope-francis-opens-two-new-laundromats-for-the-homeless Pope Francis is continuing to keep a full schedule even as the Holy Father said he was not feeling well during a meeting Monday morning with Jewish rabbis from Europe. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255920/pope-francis-keeps-busy-schedule-despite-feeling-not-well The Diocese of Brooklyn announced Saturday that a local pastor who allowed a pop star to shoot a lewd music video in the church no longer has administrative oversight over the parish. Additionally, the diocese told CNA that Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated a Mass of reparation at the church on Saturday morning in response to the desecration. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255917/brooklyn-church-music-video-altar-desecrated-pastor-disciplined A statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, including a cloth mantle, was left intact amid the devastation caused by Hurricane Otis, which struck the coastal city of Acapulco and other areas of the Mexican state of Guerrero last month with wind gusts of up to 200 miles per hour. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255914/our-lady-of-guadalupe-statue-untouched-by-hurricane-otis-destructive-winds-in-mexico A lack of security is impoverishing the Church in Nigeria, the bishop of Nigeria’s Sokoto Diocese said this week, noting that in the northern part of the country alone, more than 30 million naira (about $37,200) has been spent to rescue Church personnel. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255909/nigerian-bishop-more-than-30-million-naira-spent-to-rescue-kidnapped-priests-seminarians Today, the Church celebrates Saint Leonard of Noblac, a French hermit and monastery founder. Leonard had a great compassion for prisoners, and converted many and obtaining their release. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-leonard-of-noblac-45 The Church also celebrates the feast of Saint Jean-Théophane Vénard, a French missionary to Vietnam who was martyred for the faith. Saint Jean was born in France, became a priest in the Society of Foreign Missions, and was sent to Vietnam. Due to the persecutions of the anti-Christian emperor Minh-Menh, priests were forced to hide in the forest and live in caves. They were able to sneak out at night and minster to the people. Eventually someone betrayed Saint Jean, and he was arrested. During his trial, he refused to renounce his faith in order to save his life. He was condemned to death, and spent the last few weeks of his life locked in a cage. It was during his incarceration that he wrote many letters, some to his family. His most famous line is from a letter to his father in which he said, “We are all flowers planted on this earth, which God plucks in His own good time: some a little sooner, some a little later.” In reading these letters, Saint Therese the Little Flower came to understand and use the image of being a little flower, whom God nevertheless cared for and cultivated, despite her small size. Saint Jean was beheaded February 2, 1861. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-jean-theophane-venard-647

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan is “appalled” that a church there was used to shoot a provocative music video, the diocese said this week. The bishop said he will investigate why the more-than-100-year-old parish permitted the controversial video to be recorded on its property. A newly released music video by pop musician Sabrina Carpenter showed the American-born singer dancing provocatively on the altar at the historic 19th-century Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Brooklyn. “The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script,” the diocese said, adding that Brennan “is taking this matter seriously and will be looking into it further.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255900/brooklyn-bishop-appalled-over-music-video-shot-in-catholic-church-will-investigate FBI Director Christopher Wray this week said that the number of anti-religious attacks on Jewish people has increased in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war and is “wildly disproportionate,” considering the community’s minority status in the United States. The FBI director said the attacks were coming “from racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists,” including “ISIS-inspired violent extremists” and “foreign terrorist organizations, whether they be Sunni, like al-Qaida or ISIS, or Shia, like Hezbollah.” Wray said that “people — eyes and ears in the community” can play a role in alerting law enforcement to suspicious activity, “letting us know when they see something of concern so that law enforcement can take appropriate action.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255897/fbi-director-religious-hate-crimes-against-jewish-population-wildly-disproportionate Today, the Church celebrates Saint Martin de Porres. The mixed-race Martin was born in Lima, Peru in 1579. became a third order Dominican, which meant he was a lay man associated with the order, living at the monastery. Though he longed to be a missionary, he was never afforded the opportunity. Martin's prayer life was intense, and he practiced many mortifications. He was known to levitate in ecstasy in front of the altar, but he also subjected himself to many severe penances. He was considered to be very wise, and many sought out his advice and intercession. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-martin-de-porres-644

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Today is All Souls Day. Here’s the Catholic news you need to know. The Catholic Church in Ukraine will face extermination if the Russian invasion is successful, leading Ukrainian Catholic bishops said this week. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255882/catholic-church-in-ukraine-facing-extermination-bishops-say Pope Francis has called for a “paradigm shift” in Catholic theology that takes widespread engagement with contemporary science, culture, and people’s lived experience as an essential starting point. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255887/pope-francis-calls-for-paradigm-shift-in-theology-for-world-of-today The Archdiocese of New Orleans has announced the “difficult and painful decision” to consolidate 11 parish communities, permanently close seven churches, and consolidate three territories in the coming months to ensure sustainability and vitality. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255883/new-orleans-parish-closures-mergers-consolidation Leopoldo González González, archbishop of Acapulco, Mexico, expressed his closeness to those affected by Hurricane Otis in Mexico and called on the faithful to help the victims, noting that each person is “God’s provident hand” in working together with those most in need in the face of the emergency that began on October 25 when the hurricane made landfall. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255880/archbishop-of-acapulco-we-re-provident-hands-of-god-for-those-affected-by-hurricane-otis Today, the Church marks All Souls Day. Today and throughout the month of November, the Church makes a special effort to remember, honor and pray for the dead, especially those in purgatory. Purgatory is a place where the souls go who die in friendship with God but are still imperfectly purified, and the Church teaches that souls in Purgatory rely on the prayers of souls still on Earth to relieve some of their temporal suffering and speed their journey to Heaven. There are many different cultural traditions around this period, but one of the most consistently honored is the practice of visiting cemeteries. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/all-souls-day-41

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Today is a Holy Day of Obligation. Make sure to go to Mass today to celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. Pope Francis’ prayer intention of the month of November is for himself — the pope. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255877/this-is-pope-francis-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-november The US bishops recently renewed their call for peace in the Holy Land as the Israel-Hamas war moves toward its second month and the casualties of the conflict continue to grow. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255874/us-bishops-renew-call-for-peace-in-the-holy-land The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy has agreed to review the mergers of two Archdiocese of Saint Louis parishes, which Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski had decreed in May as part of a major pastoral planning initiative affecting parishes and priests in the archdiocese. Rozanski received correspondence this week informing him that the dicastery has accepted petitions for recourse against decrees related to two parishes: Saint Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist Parish in Saint Louis, and Saints Philip and James Parish in River aux Vases, Missouri. Saint Elizabeth and Saints Philip and James were just two of several parishes with parishioners who sought recourse from the Vatican against Rozanski’s decrees, beginning this summer. There is no specific timeline for the Vatican’s review of the decrees, but a decision could take several months, the archdiocese said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255876/vatican-agrees-to-review-the-closures-of-two-st-louis-parishes-amid-archdiocesan-restructuring A judge in Kansas this week blocked several state-level pro-life laws there, claiming the measures are prohibited by the state’s constitution. District Judge K Christopher Jayaram said in his Monday ruling that portions of the “Woman’s Right to Know” Act and the state Medication Abortion “Reversal” Amendment would be subject to temporary injunctions pending a trial in June 2024 on the merits of a lawsuit against the state filed by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. The group Kansans for Life said the judge’s ruling left Kansas women “even more vulnerable to a predatory abortion industry.” The state suffered a pro-life defeat last year when a pro-life ballot initiative to reverse the 2019 court ruling by amending the state’s constitution was defeated by a wide margin. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255879/kansas-judge-blocks-several-state-pro-life-laws-ahead-of-2024-trial Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints. It was instituted to honor all of the saints, both known and unknown, and, according to Pope Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/all-saints-day-40

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - At the Vatican, Pope Francis will mark the first days of November, a holy and significant season, with prayer and two liturgies. On the solemnity of All Saints on November 1, Pope Francis will give a short address and lead the Angelus, a traditional Marian prayer, from a window overlooking Saint Peter’s Square at noon Rome time. Since All Saints’ Day falls on a Wednesday this year, Francis will not hold his usual weekly general audience. For All Souls’ Day on November 2, he will continue his recent custom of holding a Mass at a cemetery to pray for the dead. The following morning, on November 3, Pope Francis will preside over a Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica for the repose of the soul of Pope Benedict XVI and the bishops and cardinals who have died in the previous year. It is the pope’s practice to offer this Mass sometime during the first week of November. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255871/here-is-what-pope-francis-is-doing-for-the-week-of-all-saints-and-all-souls-days An assault at a San Francisco Catholic church on Sunday led to a police pursuit that reportedly included the possible use of a pipe bomb. It happened at Saints Peter and Paul Church, run by the Salesians of Don Bosco of the Western United States. Archdiocesan spokesman Peter Marlow told CNA on Monday that the incident began after an individual received Communion but did not consume the host, and then punched a person who tried to stop him and fled. It is unclear what happened to the Host. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255869/assault-at-san-francisco-catholic-church-leads-to-police-pursuit-reported-pipe-bomb For the first time since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, the Catholic Church of the Holy Land gathered around its patriarch on the feast day of Our Lady, Queen of Palestine and the Holy Land and reconsecrated the local Church and the entire land to her. On Sunday, October 29, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over a Mass at the shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother in Deir Rafat in the presence of a few hundred faithful. The feast in honor of Our Lady, Queen of Palestine and patroness of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, was first celebrated on August 15, 1928. Since 1971, following the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, the feast was moved to October 25, and since then, it has been celebrated on the last Sunday of the month. At the end of the Mass, the Act of Consecration of the Holy Land to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was read. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255863/latin-patriarch-of-jerusalem-reconsecrates-holy-land-to-our-lady-queen-of-palestine Today, the Church celebrates Saint Alonso Rodriguez, a man whose humble occupation gave the world only glimpses of his extraordinary holiness. During his lifetime, Jesuit Brother Alonso Rodriguez never became a priest, published a book, or advanced professionally. But writings discovered after his death revealed a true mystic, who attended to a rich spiritual life while he worked as a doorkeeper and porter. Alonso carried bags and ran errands for 46 years. He was declared a saint in 1887. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-alonso-rodriguez-640

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Francis has decided to lift the statute of limitations in the case of Father Marko Rupnik, the former Jesuit priest and mosaic artist accused of serious abuses against women. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255835/vatican-pope-francis-has-lifted-the-statute-of-limitations-on-rupnik-case Synod on Synodality delegate Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost said this week that “clericalizing women” would not solve problems in the Catholic Church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255823/cardinal-at-synod-on-synodality-clericalizing-women-will-not-solve-problems The Church in India has welcomed the news that the Vatican will initiate the beatification process for the 35 Catholic martyrs of Kandhamal who were killed in the 2008 Christian persecution in the remote jungle district of the eastern Odisha state. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255826/vatican-puts-35-catholic-martyrs-of-kandhamal-in-india-on-road-to-sainthood Today, the Church celebrates Saint Frumentius of Ethiopia. Frumentius helped in a great capacity to bring Christianity to Ethiopia. He was born in Lebanon, and was shipwrecked in East Africa while voyaging on the Red Sea. They were taken to the king at Axum, Ethiopia, and became members of the court. When the king died, the two brothers stayed on as part of the queen's court. She permitted them to introduce Christianity to the country, as well as opening up trade between Ethiopia and the west. Frumentius convinced Saint Athanasius to send missionaries from Alexandria, and he was later consecrated as the bishop of Ethiopia. He converted many people to Christianity before his death in 380. He is the patron of Ethiopia. His brother, Aedeius, was also canonized. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-frumentius-of-ethiopia-637

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis reaffirmed the impossibility of women becoming priests, or even modern Church deacons, in an interview for a book released Tuesday in Italy. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255804/pope-francis-on-women-deacons-holy-orders-is-reserved-for-men The Synod on Synodality has addressed the members of the Catholic Church in a letter published during the final days of the October gathering in Rome, inviting them to take an active role in “the discernment and decision-making” of the Church. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255806/synod-on-synodality-addresses-the-church-in-letter-to-the-people-of-god Father Marko Rupnik, the former Jesuit priest and mosaic artist accused of serious abuses against women, has been accepted for priestly ministry in a diocese in Slovenia. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255805/rupnik-accepted-for-priestly-ministry-in-diocese-in-slovenia Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Father Richard Laurenson as the new bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton in northern New Zealand. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255813/pope-francis-appoints-long-standing-parish-priest-as-new-zealand-bishop Today the Church honors Saint Evaristus, the son of a Greek Jew originally from Bethlehem, who was the sixth Pope of the Catholic Church. He is traditionally considered a martyr, but there is no documentation of the event. He is buried in the Vatican, near Saint Peter. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-evaristus-pope-33 The Church also celebrates Blessed Damian of Fulcheri. Born the son of a wealthy Italian family, Damian was kidnapped as an infant by a man who suffered from a mental illness. His parents prayed fervently to the Virgin Mary for help, and searchers were led to the unharmed boy by a miraculous light. Damian later became a Dominican priest, and he was famous for his missions throughout Italy, during which hundreds of people were converted to the faith, and was also known for working miracles. Many miracles were reported at his tomb in Modena, Italy after his death in 1484. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-damian-of-fulcheri-636

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A diocese in Nigeria has announced that Brother Godwin Eze, a monk who was kidnapped on October 17 alongside two others from the Benedictine monastery in Eruku, was murdered. Eze was kidnapped alongside Brother Anthony Eze and Brother Peter Olarewaju. Abductors shot Eze and threw his body in a river. Ekesioba said that the monastery was organizing a search to retrieve the body of Godwin Eze from the river. The Diocese of Ilorin serves Kwara state, which is bordered to the east by Kogi state, to the north by Niger state, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states. Some of these Nigerian states, including Kogi and Niger, continue to witness attacks reportedly perpetrated by armed Fulani herdsmen and other bandits. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255791/monk-shot-body-thrown-in-river-following-kidnapping-at-nigerian-monastery The Supreme Court of Georgia on Tuesday upheld the state’s “heartbeat” law that bans abortion at six weeks and recognizes the personhood of unborn babies. The 6-1 decision allows the “Living Infants Fairness and Equality” (LIFE) Act law to remain in effect while other challenges to the measure are further considered by the court. This means that abortion in Georgia is banned after an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, except in some cases of rape, incest, and situations of serious pregnancy complications. Besides banning abortion at six weeks, the LIFE Act also establishes that unborn babies are human persons in the eyes of the law, allows mothers to receive child support from the beginning of pregnancy, and allows parents to claim unborn babies as dependents on state income taxes. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255796/georgia-supreme-court-upholds-heartbeat-law-banning-abortion-recognizes-personhood-for-unborn Today the Church honors Saints Crispin and Crispinian, brothers who together evangelized Gaul in the middle of the third century. They preached in the streets by day and made shoes by night. Their charity, piety, and contempt of material things impressed the locals and many were converted to Christianity. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-crispin-and-st-crispinian-32

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem, last week lamented the deaths of 18 Palestinians in a missile strike on the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City. Speaking of those killed in the bombings, Pizzaballa said: “The pain of those families, who have already been suffering for a long time, is enormous, and we are with them.” The missile blasts, which struck a building on the church compound on Thursday, reportedly killed 18 people, including children, and injured several others. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255781/latin-patriarch-of-jerusalem-mourns-18-dead-in-gaza-christian-church-bombing The Diocese of Stockton, California, has issued a warning about a pair of imposters posing as Catholic clergymen in the city of Modesto and charging high fees for blessings and sacraments. The diocese said that two unidentified men are falsely using the names of actual clergymen from Mexico, namely Archbishop Raúl Gómez González of Toluca and Father José Adán González Estrada, a priest from the same archdiocese. The imposters are charging high fees for sacramental blessings and for “conducting unauthorized celebrations” of sacraments like baptism, confirmation, and first Communion, the diocese said in its Friday warning. Modesto police have been notified of the deception but the diocese said it has been advised that only victims of the fraud can file criminal complaints. The diocese is strongly encouraging any victims of the fraud to contact the police. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255784/wolves-in-sheep-s-clothing-california-diocese-warns-about-imposter-priests Today the Church celebrates Saint Anthony Claret, a 19th-century missionary and Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-anthony-claret-634

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis and US President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Sunday afternoon to discuss “the latest developments in Israel and Gaza,” according to a statement from the White House. The Holy See Press Office said earlier the phone call lasted about 20 minutes and focused on “conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace.” “The president condemned the barbarous attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians and affirmed the need to protect civilians in Gaza,“ the White House statement said. The two also talked about Biden’s trip to Israel last week and his efforts at humanitarian assistance in the region. The pope and the president also discussed “the need to prevent escalation in the region and to work toward a durable peace in the Middle East,” the White House said. Earlier in the day, Pope Francis in his Sunday Angelus appealed for peace in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which is entering its third week. “Once again my thoughts turn to what is happening in Israel and Palestine. I am very worried, saddened; I pray and I am close to all those who suffer, the hostages, the injured, the victims, and their families,” the pope said. The pope also remembered those who continue to suffer in Ukraine. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255774/pope-francis-and-us-president-biden-speak-by-phone The attorney general of Oklahoma has filed a lawsuit against the nation’s first religious charter school, claiming its establishment violates the state’s religious liberty protections. State Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, announced the lawsuit October 20 in the Oklahoma State Supreme Court. The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board had earlier this month approved the contract of Saint Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The board in June had approved the school’s application, with this month’s contract approval clearing another hurdle for the school’s projected opening next year. Charter schools are special publicly funded education institutions. Drummond said the contract approval “violated the religious liberty of every Oklahoman” by forcing state residents to fund “the teachings of a specific religious sect with our tax dollars.” The charter school “clearly violates the Establishment Clause and must be stopped,” the lawsuit states. It asks the court to “correct the board’s unlawful actions.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255777/oklahoma-attorney-general-files-lawsuit-against-nation-s-first-religious-charter-school Today the Church celebrates Saint John of Capistrano, a Franciscan priest whose life included a political career, extensive missionary journeys, efforts to reunite separated Eastern Christians with Rome, and a historically important turn at military leadership. Invoked as a patron of military chaplains, Saint John of Capistrano was praised by Saint John Paul II in a 2002 general audience for his “glorious evangelical witness,” as a priest who “gave himself with great generosity for the salvation of souls.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-of-capistrano-633

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The president of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) this week said he was hoping for a quick reopening of border access to Gaza and deployment of aid to stricken civilians in the war-torn area. CRS on Wednesday repeated its call for “an end to all violence and immediate humanitarian access to Gaza,” with the group and partner aid workers “mobilized and standing ready to meet the immediate needs of displaced families.” CRS president and CEO Sean Callahan told CNA on Thursday that the group was waiting for aid access to the embattled region. There are about 3,000 tons of supplies in humanitarian aid awaiting entry to Gaza from the Egyptian side of the border, according to the UN. Israel agreed to the aid being transferred to the Palestinian people as long as it goes only to civilians and not Hamas. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255755/catholic-relief-president-on-aid-to-gaza-let-s-get-it-going-take-care-of-these-people Three Catholic nuns, a seminarian, and their driver who were abducted from Nigeria’s Abakaliki Diocese on October 5 have been released. Vicar General Sister Gloria Nnabuchi of the Missionary Daughters of Mater Ecclesiae said a ransom of 1 million Naira, or 1,305 US dollars, had been paid for their release. The five were on their way to a burial in Nigeria’s Imo State when they came in contact with their abductors. Nigeria has been experiencing insecurity since 2009 when Boko Haram insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic state. Since then, the group, one of largest Islamist groups in Africa, has been orchestrating indiscriminate terrorist attacks on various targets, including religious and political groups as well as civilians. The insecurity situation in the country has further been complicated by the involvement of the predominantly Muslim Fulani herdsmen. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255748/religious-congregation-grateful-after-release-of-abducted-nuns-seminarian-in-nigeria The Nicaraguan dictatorship reported that it has released 12 priests it had imprisoned and sent them to the Vatican after an agreement was reached with the authorities of the Catholic Church. Bishop Rolando Álvarez of the Diocese of Matagalpa was not among those released. Álvarez was sentenced on February 10 to 26 years and four months in prison. A day before the sentence, the prelate refused to be part of the group of 222 deportees who were sent to the United States and who were then stripped of their nationality and property in Nicaragua by the oppressive dictatorship of Daniel Ortega. The Ortega regime announced that the release of the 12 priests took place “after fruitful conversations with the Holy See.” The priests, the release said, are headed to the Vatican and “traveled to Rome, Italy, this afternoon.” The Vatican did not confirm whether the Holy See was involved in arranging for the release of the priests. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255740/government-of-nicaragua-claims-that-it-freed-12-priests-after-an-agreement-with-the-vatican Today the Church celebrates Saint Irene, a Portuguese nun who was martyred in defense of her chastity in the year 653. Saint Irene’s body was miraculously recovered after being thrown into the river. She was canonized in part because of the great amount of miracles that occured at her tomb. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-irene-26 The Church also honors Saint Bertilla Boscardin, a sister and nurse who cared for Italian soldiers during World War One. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-bertilla-boscardin-630

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis at the end of his general audience on Wednesday morning announced another day of prayer and fasting for an end to the Israel-Hamas war, on October 27th. It will be “a day of penance to which I invite sisters and brothers of the various Christian denominations, those belonging to other religions, and all those who have at heart the cause of peace in the world, to join in as they see fit,” the Holy Father continued. The Holy Father’s announcement comes after the Catholic Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, called for a global day of prayer and fasting, which was held on October 17, “to deliver to God the Father our thirst for peace, justice, and reconciliation.” The Holy Father’s announcement was preceded by his renewed appeal for peace in the Holy Land. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255729/pope-francis-announces-prayer-vigil-day-of-fasting-for-peace-in-israel-hamas-war As the fighting between Hamas and the Israeli army continues in the Holy Land, the Catholic Church in Gaza is doing everything in its power to alleviate the burden of war on its affected members. The bloodshed and displacement have not spared the civilians in Gaza, who have borne the brunt of the raging war in a region that has not known safety and stability for about 75 years. At least 20 homes of Christian civilians have been completely destroyed as a result of Israeli bombing as well as homes that were partially damaged. Holy Family Church is the only Roman Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip and is located in the northern part of Gaza City. Israel’s military had ordered the Palestinian civilians to evacuate south last week, but the church today still has several hundred people taking refuge in its buildings. Despite the siege and the harshness of war, the church continues to open its doors to worshippers daily, fulfilling its spiritual duties toward them, including the baptism of a baby. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255735/we-lack-food-and-medicine-catholics-in-gaza-take-refuge-in-only-parish-church Today, the Church celebrates Saint Paul of the Cross. After receiving a vision, and while still a layman, he founded the Barefoot Clerks of the Cross and the Passion (Passionists) in 1721 to preach about Jesus Crucified. He became a preacher of such power that even hardened soldiers and bandits were seen to weep. At one point all the brothers in the order deserted him, but in 1741 his rule was approved by Pope Benedict XIV, and the community began to grow again. Numerous miracles, in addition those special ones brought forward at his beatification and canonization, attested the favor he enjoyed with God. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-paul-of-the-cross-24 The Church also celebrates the eight North American martyrs, also known as the Candian Martyrs, the Jesuit Martyrs of North America or the Martyrs of France, which included six priests and two lay brothers. They were heroic members of the Society of Jesus who were martyred in North America in order to bring the Faith that is necessary for salvation to the Huron, the Iroquois and the Mohawks. Five of the eight North American martyrs were put to death in what is now Canada, and three of them in New York State. There is a shrine to the United States' martyrs at Auriesville in New York, and there is a shrine to the Canadian martyrs at Fort Saint Mary near Midland, Ontario. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-north-american-martyrs-25

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Officials linked to Hamas claimed that an Israeli airstrike killed hundreds of people at a Palestinian hospital on Tuesday, while the Israeli government said a terrorist group was responsible for the destruction. The actual origin of the missile strike was unclear as of late Tuesday afternoon. The Palestinians “are falsely claiming Israel targeted a hospital in the Gaza Strip,” Israel said in a followup tweet. Reports indicated the death toll in Israel on Tuesday stood at around 1,400, while Gaza had suffered approximately 3,000 casualties since the war began earlier this month. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255719/report-israel-strike-allegedly-kills-hundreds-at-palestinian-hospital In a new interview published on October 17, Pope Francis said that he plans to visit his native Argentina, adding: “Somebody said that if I go to Argentina, I should stop at Rio Gallegos, then head to the South Pole, land in Melbourne, and visit New Zealand.” “It would be a rather long journey,” he joked. The 86-year-old pope does not currently have any international trips on his official schedule, but he recently made a 4,000-mile journey to Mongolia and visited the French city of Marseille. Pope Francis would not be the first religious leader to visit Antarctica. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill visited an Antarctic research station, and walked with penguins, in 2016 as part of a trip to Latin America, which included a historic meeting with Pope Francis in Cuba. In the interview with Argentina’s national news agency, Télam, Pope Francis also expressed an interest to visit Oceania. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255714/a-papal-visit-to-the-south-pole-pope-francis-looks-to-new-peripheries Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Luke, the physician and companion of Saint Paul whose gospel preserved the most extensive biography of Jesus Christ. Saint Luke wrote a greater volume of the New Testament than any other single author, including the earliest history of the Church. Ancient traditions also acknowledge Luke as the founder of Christian iconography, making him a patron of artists as well as doctors and other medical caregivers. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-luke-the-evangelist-23

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Today, Catholics are invited to take part in a day of prayer and fasting for peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land, as war continues to devastate that region. The day of prayer comes amid the second week of war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, the latter of which launched a surprise attack on Israel October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,300 Israelis and international civilians. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255703/us-bishops-urge-faithful-to-join-in-day-of-prayer-and-fasting-for-peace-in-holy-land Catholic Relief Services on Saturday called for “immediate humanitarian access” in the Gaza Strip as the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas continues to unfold after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel earlier this month. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255701/catholic-relief-services-calls-for-immediate-humanitarian-access-to-gaza-strip The bishop of Arras, France, Olivier Leborgne, condemned the murder of a teacher in an Islamist terrorist attack in which two other people were seriously wounded. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255704/islamist-kills-teacher-at-french-high-school-bishop-condemns-the-terrorist-attack The latest full season of the hit Christian series “The Chosen” will be shown exclusively in theaters before its release on streaming services. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255705/the-chosen-announces-season-4-theatrical-release-new-trailer Today the Church celebrates the early Church Father, bishop, and martyr Saint Ignatius of Antioch, whose writings attest to the sacramental and hierarchical nature of the Church from its earliest days. Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate his memory on December 20. Born in Syria in the middle of the first century AD, Ignatius is said to have been personally instructed – along with another future martyr, Saint Polycarp – by the Apostle Saint John. When Ignatius became the Bishop of Antioch around the year 70, he assumed leadership of a local church that was, according to tradition, first led by Saint Peter before his move to Rome. Although Saint Peter transmitted his Papal primacy to the bishops of Rome rather than Antioch, the city played an important role in the life of the early Church. Located in present-day Turkey, it was a chief city of the Roman Empire, and was also the location where the believers in Jesus' teachings and his resurrection were first called “Christians.” Saint Ignatius of Antioch bore witness to Christ publicly for the last time in Rome's Flavian Amphitheater, where he was mauled to death by lions. “I am the wheat of the Lord,” he had declared, before facing them. “I must be ground by the teeth of these beasts to be made the pure bread of Christ.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-ignatius-of-antioch-396

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Vatican’s Synod on Synodality has passed the halfway mark for this year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255696/this-week-at-the-synod-on-synodality-participation-focus-comes-amid-possible-early-exit-of-chinese-bishops Midway through the Synod on Synodality, two bishops from mainland China are suddenly departing the assembly early, and as of Monday there is not yet an explanation. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255697/chinese-bishops-leaving-synod-on-synodality-early The Latin Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem has offered to be exchanged for the children being held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Hamas. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255694/jerusalem-cardinal-pizzaballa-offers-to-be-exchanged-for-gaza-hostages Today the Church celebrates Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, the French nun whose visions of Christ helped to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart throughout the Western Church. Her life changed in response to a vision she saw one night while returning from a dance, in which she saw Christ being scourged. Margaret believed she had betrayed Jesus, by pursuing the pleasures of the world rather than her religious vocation, and a the at the age of 22, she decided to enter a convent. Two days after Christmas of 1673, Margaret experienced Christ's presence in an extraordinary way while in prayer. She heard Christ explain that he desired to show his love for the human race in a special way, by encouraging devotion to “the heart that so loved mankind.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-margaret-mary-alacoque-626 The Church also celebrates Saint Gerard Majella. Saint Gerard entered the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1749 and professed of perpetual vows under the Redemptorist's founder, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, in 1751. He served as tailor and infirmarian and became known for his extraordinary supernatural gifts of bilocation, prophecy, ecstasies, visions, and infused knowledge. Though not ordained to the holy order of priest, his spiritual direction and advice were sought by many among the clergy and communities of nuns, to which he also gave conferences. He was most successful in converting sinners, and was widely known for his sanctity and charity. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-gerard-majella-21

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - John Kirby, a White House National Security Council spokesman, announced during a Thursday press conference that beginning Friday the US government will begin evacuating US citizens from Israel through charter flights. Kirby said that the administration is still working through the details of the arrangement but that the flights out of Israel will take Americans to Europe. He added that the administration is “exploring other options to expand the capacity of doing this. Including exploring whether it’s possible to help Americans leave by land and by sea.” Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle had urged the Biden administration to immediately evacuate US citizens from Israel. It is uncertain how many Americans are currently in Israel, but the death toll of US citizens in the country continues to rise. For the latest on the conflict in Israel, visit catholic news agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255665/bipartisan-group-of-lawmakers-urges-biden-to-evacuate-americans-trapped-in-israel Pope Francis received Sultan Al Jaber, president-designate of COP28 UAE, on Wednesday at the Vatican. The meeting comes ahead of the COP28 meeting taking place at Expo City Dubai from November 30 to December 12. The Conference of the Parties (COP) is an annual conference that was established after the signing of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) treaty in 1992 at the UN Rio Conference, also known as the Earth Summit. The COP represents all the states that are party to the UNFCCC and is an opportunity for world leaders, representing state and nonstate actors, to meet and discuss policy goals that seek to establish common — and often ambitious — goals for climate change mitigation. During their meeting October 11, Pope Francis and Al Jaber discussed the role that faith leaders and faith-based organizations can play in promoting the climate objectives of COP28. Advocacy for climate change has been at the center of Francis’ pontificate. On October 4, the pope published his much-anticipated apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, which is seen as the second installment of Laudato Si’. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255661/cop28-president-designate-meets-with-pope-francis-to-discuss-common-climate-goals Today the Church honors Saint Edward the Confessor, king of England from 1042 to 1066. His saintly bearing made him a popular sovereign, and his actions even more so. He abolished an unjust tax and was known to cure people with his touch. Edward died on January 5, 1066, and was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-edward-the-confessor-392

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Israeli Embassy to the US said on Wednesday that over 1,200 were killed and more than 3,000 injured as a result of a recent Hamas attack on Israel. Besides the killed and injured, the BBC reported that as many as 150 Israeli hostages were taken by Hamas, according to the Israeli government. The scale of the casualties and victims, which includes women, children, and the elderly, makes this one of the largest terrorist attacks since 9/11. The US has promised to send military equipment and supplies to support Israel. According to the IDF, the first shipment of US equipment landed in Israel’s Nevatim Air Force Base in southern Israel on Wednesday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel to express American solidarity and support and to further assess the situation. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255656/update-over-1000-killed-including-22-americans-in-saturday-terrorist-attacks-on-israel The Latin Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem has called for a day of prayer and fasting on Tuesday, October 17, for peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255660/catholic-patriarch-calls-day-of-prayer-and-fasting-for-peace-in-the-holy-land Caritas Jerusalem, which serves the needs of people in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, reported that some of its staff are among those displaced. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255658/caritas-jerusalem-suspends-activities-in-gaza-and-israel-but-announces-emergency-plan A New York pro-life pregnancy center that was seriously damaged in an arson attack in June 2022 and was subsequently vandalized again with pro-abortion graffiti in March, has filed a federal lawsuit against two “known pro-abortion activists.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255650/firebombed-pro-life-pregnancy-center-files-face-act-lawsuit Participants in the Synod on Synodality have asked “for greater discernment on the teaching of the Church on the subject of sexuality,” a Vatican spokesman said at a press briefing Wednesday. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255655/synod-members-ask-for-greater-discernment-of-church-teaching-on-sexuality Today the Church honors Our Lady of the Pillar, the first recorded Marian apparition. Mary appeared to Saint James the Apostle, the brother of Saint John the Evangelist, on the bank of the river Ebro in Saragossa, Spain. Unlike every other recorded apparition, this one took place during the earthly life of the Mother of God. In the year 40 A.D., while praying one night on the river bank, the Virgin appeared with the Child Jesus standing on a pillar and asked Saint James and his eight disciples to build a church on the site, promising that “it will stand from that moment until the end of time in order that God may work miracles and wonders through my intercession for all those who place themselves under my patronage.” Nuestra Señora del Pilar is the patron of Spain and all Hispanic peoples. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/nuestra-senora-del-pilar-our-lady-of-the-pillar-622 The Church also celebrates Saint Wilfrid of York. Wilfrid worked to enforce Roman liturgical practice in seventh-century England, founded Benedictine monasteries, and rebuilt the minster of York, all while living a simple and holy life himself. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-wilfrid-of-york-17

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis has spoken by telephone with a Catholic priest serving in Gaza, according to the news agency of the Italian bishops’ conference. The pope called Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in Gaza City and in the Gaza Strip, on October 9. Romanelli said Francis shared “his closeness and prayers for the entire Church community of Gaza and all the parishioners and inhabitants” and imparted his blessing on them. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255630/pope-francis-calls-gaza-priest-as-israel-announces-blockade In a message to Vancouver’s Jewish community, Vancouver Archbishop J Michael Miller “unequivocally condemned” Saturday’s attack on Israel, calling it an offense against moral and international law. Commenting from Rome where he is attending the Synod on Synodality, the archbishop said Monday the news about “the Hamas incursion into Israel is devastating.” The nature of the attack and the taking of women and children as hostages was “a serious violation not only of international law but, even more importantly, of the moral law that is written in the conscience of every human being,” he said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255640/archbishop-of-vancouver-calls-attack-on-israel-contrary-to-moral-and-international-law Two 12-year-olds were identified by police Sunday as suspects in the vandalism of a Massachusetts Catholic church, which included a fire being set to an altar cloth, a tabernacle cloth, and the lectionary. The two juveniles, a boy and a girl, will not face any charges at this time, police said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255635/two-12-year-olds-identified-as-vandals-in-massachusetts-church-fire An Oklahoma school authority on Monday gave the thumbs-up to a contract for the nation’s first religious charter school, a virtual Catholic institution that is facing challenges from advocates who claim the school would violate state law. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255634/oklahoma-board-approves-catholic-charter-school-contract Today the Church celebrates Saint John the 23rd. Born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli at Sotto il Monte, Italy on November 25, 1881, Pope John XXIII was elected on October 28, 1958. He died June 3, 1963 in Rome and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000. Elected Pope on the death of Pope Pius XII, he was an example of a ‘pastoral’ Pope, a good shepherd who cared deeply for his sheep. He manifested this concern in his social enyclicals, especially Pacem in Terris, “On peace in the World.” His greatest act as Pope however was undoubtedly the inspiration to convoke the Second Vatican Council, which he opened on October 11, 1962. Pope John’s spirit of humble simplicity, profound goodness, and deep life of prayer radiated in all that he did, and inspired people to affectionately call him “Good Pope John.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/pope-saint-john-xxiii-390 The Church also celebrates Saint Firminus, a fifth and sixth century bishop of bishop of Uzès. In 538, he signed the fourth and fifth Councils of Orléans in 541 and 549, respectively. In 551, he assisted at the second council of Paris. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-firminus-of-uzes-10

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The US Catholic bishops are calling for peace in the embattled Holy Land after last week’s surprise incursion by Hamas into Israel resulted in a declaration of war by Israel. Rockford Bishop David Malloy, who chairs the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, lamented the “mounting casualties and hostilities unfolding on all sides,” as well as the “increased threats to the status quo of the holy places among Jews, Muslims, and Christians.” The strike by Hamas resulted in hundreds of Israeli deaths, as well as reports of Hamas insurgents roaming through Israeli neighborhoods and allegedly abducting and killing citizens there. Malloy in his statement urged the faithful to “recall especially all the families and individuals” suffering amid the conflict. “We call on the faithful, and all people of goodwill to not grow weary and to continue to pray for peace in the land Our Lord, the Prince of Peace, called home,” he said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255620/us-bishops-call-for-prayers-for-peace-in-holy-land-amid-escalating-war Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October is for the Synod on Synodality, taking place this month in Rome. The pope said: “Our mission and the voice that draws us to him spring from him. This voice reveals to us that the heart of mission is to reach out to everyone, to seek everyone, to welcome everyone, to involve everyone, without excluding anyone.” He concluded with a prayer: “Let us pray for the Church, that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a style of life at every level, allowing herself to be guided by the Holy Spirit towards the world’s peripheries.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255619/this-is-pope-francis-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-october Today the Church celebrates Saint Francis Borgia, a reformer of the Jesuit order. Francis introduced so many reforms to the society of Jesus that he was considered in some ways to be its second founder. Francis was a man of contemplation and action in the fullest sense, and clearly drew much strength from the silence of his prayer. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-francis-borgia-389

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A series of rocket attacks and incursions on Israel from Hamas militants had reportedly killed hundreds and wounded many between Saturday and Sunday morning. The surprise attacks began early on the morning of October 7, the start of the observance of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah. Pope Francis and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem called for peace after Israel declared “war” following a major attack by Hamas fighters over the weekend. The pope said at the end of a public address on Sunday he is following the violence “with apprehension and sorrow,” and issued an appeal to “please stop weapons attacks!” The head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, called for a de-escalation of the situation in a statement October 7. “The continuing bloodshed and declarations of war remind us once again of the urgent need to find a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in this land,” he said. An October 7 joint statement from the patriarchs and heads of the Churches in Jerusalem also called for the protection of both Israelis and Palestinians. Coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas is ongoing; the war has so far killed more than 700 people in Israel, including at least 260 at a music fesitval, and almost 500 people in Gaza. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255612/pope-francis-jerusalem-patriarch-react-to-violence-between-israel-and-hamas The Synod on Synodality at the Vatican will see another premiere this week, as the gathering switches from group work in small circles to a plenary assembly. Journalists will finally, for a time, be able to tune into actual speeches and proceedings in the audience hall. One important speech is the statement of Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich in his role as relator general, given at the end of the discussion of every section of the document. The next report — called “presentation” in the synod’s schedule — is expected on October 13, and another one will take place on October 18. It is likely these will be livestreamed, too. For complete coverage of the ongoing Synod on Synodality, visit catholic news agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255615/this-week-at-the-synod-on-synodality-deliberations-and-veiled-agendas Today, the Church celebrates Saint Denis, a missionary and the first bishop of Paris. He was killed for his Christian faith by pagans on what is known as the “Montmartre” – the mount of martyrs - in 258, along with Eleutherius and Rusticus, a priest and a deacon. He is the patron saint of France. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-denis-619 The Church also honors the memory of Saint John Leonardi, who studied to become a pharmacist but eventually chose the life of the priesthood. He founded a religious order, and helped establish the Vatican department formerly known as the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, now part of the Dicastery for Evangelization. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-leonardi-712

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - More than 400 people gathered at the Vatican on Wednesday to officially begin the Synod on Synodality. During the first full day of work October 5, participants met in small groups of about 12 people to discuss the first part of the Instrumentum Laboris, a document that will guide discussions over the nearly monthlong assembly. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255586/what-is-being-discussed-during-the-first-week-of-the-synod-on-synodality Saint Alberto Hurtado Chapel in the Archdiocese of Concepción and Saint Joseph Church of the Diocese of Linares were set on fire over the weekend. Both churches are located in central Chile. According to a Facebook post by the Archdiocese of Concepción, the fire in the chapel was started around midnight on Sunday, October 1, and the building “was completely destroyed due to arson.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255589/two-churches-in-chile-struck-by-arson Eleven people died and 60 were injured when the roof of Holy Cross Church in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas state, Mexico, suddenly collapsed as baptisms were being performed there on October 1. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255578/update-11-dead-60-injured-from-collapse-of-church-roof-in-mexico-during-baptisms Security officials in Nigeria’s Plateau State have reportedly arrested eight suspects in connection with a fire at a parish rectory in Nigeria’s Kafanchan Diocese that resulted in the death of a seminarian. Seminarian Na’aman Danlami died after Fulani bandits reportedly attacked St. Raphael Parish Fadan Kamantan on the night of September 7 and set the rectory ablaze in what was confirmed as a kidnapping attempt. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255582/suspects-arrested-in-killing-of-seminarian-in-nigerian-parish-rectory-fire Today, the Church celebrates Saint Bruno of Cologne, founder of the Carthusian order of monks who remain notable for their strictly traditional and austere rule of contemplative life. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-bruno-founder-616

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis in his opening remarks for the Synod on Synodality on Wednesday offered guidance to participants on how the monthlong assembly will proceed. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255577/new-grammar-of-synodality-on-display-at-start-of-synod-gathering Pope Francis on Wednesday released a new document on the environment that he has described as the “second part” of his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', and which warns of “grave consequences” if humanity continues to ignore the threat of climate change. The apostolic exhortation, titled Laudate Deum (“Praise God”), is meant to address what Francis in the document calls the “global social issue” of climate change. The pope said that in the eight years since Laudato Si’ was published, “our responses have not been adequate” to address ongoing ecological concerns. “Climate change is one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community,” the pope wrote in the document, arguing that its effects are borne by the world’s “most vulnerable people” and that the climate issue is “no longer a secondary or ideological question.” Francis wrote that the effects of climate change “are here and increasingly evident,” and warned of increasing heat waves and the possible melting of the polar ice caps, which he said would lead to “immensely grave consequences for everyone.” Laudate Deum’s publication date — October 4 — is the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, from whom Francis drew his pontifical name at the start of his papacy in 2013. It is also the start date of the first monthlong assembly in Rome of the ongoing Synod on Synodality. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255563/in-new-exhortation-pope-warns-of-climate-change-our-responses-have-not-been-adequate The state of Florida executed a convicted murderer on Tuesday evening after pleas from Catholic bishops and other anti-death-penalty advocates fell on deaf ears. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255572/florida-executes-convicted-double-murderer-despite-pleas-from-catholic-bishops Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska. Throughout her life, Jesus appeared to Saint Faustina. He asked her to become an apostle and secretary of his mercy, by writing down his messages of Divine Mercy for the world in her diary. Jesus also asked Saint Faustina to have an image painted of his Divine Mercy, with red and white rays issuing from his heart, and to spread devotion to the Divine Mercy novena. Saint Faustina and Jesus’ message of Divine Mercy impacted the future Pope Saint John Paul II greatly, and he canonized her in 2000 and instituted Divine Mercy Sunday on the Sunday after Easter. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-faustina-virgin-737 The Church also celebrates Saint Luigi Scrosoppi. With other priests and a group of young teachers, he dedicated himself to educating poor and abandoned girls in the practical skills of sewing and embroidery, as well as in reading, writing and arithmetic. Nine of these girls decided to take their vows as the first sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence, which Father Luigi founded in 1837. The congregation grew, and eventually he opened 12 houses of sisters. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-luigi-scrosoppi-424

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A pro-life display at a Saint Louis-area Catholic parish was defaced with red paint sometime between October second and third. Parishioners attending daily Mass Tuesday morning discovered the display — which consisted of a cluster of white crosses and a white banner facing the street reading “Pray to End Abortion” — with red spray-paint all over the crosses and the words, “Pro-life is a lie, you don’t care if people die” scrawled on the banner. The display was on the grounds of Saint Paul Catholic Church, a large parish with a school located in the suburb of Fenton, about 20 minutes outside of Saint Louis. SaintPaul, along with numerous other parishes around the archdiocese, held a public pro-life prayer service October 1 in honor of Respect Life Month. Father John Nickolai, Saint Paul’s pastor, told CNA that there appears to be no permanent damage to the church or school property. He said he encourages Catholics to “pray, fast, and make sacrifices for the conversion of hearts” in the face of the vandalism. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255566/pro-life-display-vandalized-at-st-louis-county-parish All but a few ethnic Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region have fled their ancestral homeland following a violent takeover by Azerbaijan two weeks ago, the Armenian government announced Tuesday. According to the Armenian government, 100,617 Nagorno-Karabakh refugees — out of a population of 120,000 — have been “forcibly displaced.” The government said that 345 refugees are currently receiving medical care and that “many of them remain in critical and extremely critical condition.” Meanwhile, a small military clash close to the Armenia-Azeri border on Monday further evidenced rising tensions between the two neighboring nations. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255561/nearly-all-ethnic-armenians-have-fled-nagorno-karabakh The National Eucharistic Congress on Monday opened its application form for young people to apply to become “perpetual pilgrims” during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which kicks off during summer 2024. The ambitious two-month pilgrimage will consist of four cross-country Eucharistic processions — a combined distance of 6,500 miles — converging in Indianapolis on July 16, 2024, at the National Eucharistic Congress, which is expected to attract thousands. The general public is invited to sign up to join for small sections at different points of the pilgrimage; however, a group of four dozen full-time “perpetual” pilgrims will commit to making the entire journey, accompanied by priest chaplains for weeklong segments. The deadline to submit an application to become a perpetual pilgrim is Nov. 28. Interview and further screenings will follow, with final selection taking place in January 2024. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255551/national-eucharistic-congress-opens-permanent-pilgrim-application-process Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Italian deacon who brought renewal to the Church through his decision to follow Jesus' words as literally as possible. At Mass one morning, he heard the Gospel reading in which Christ instructed the apostles to go forth without money, shoes, or extra clothing. This way of life soon became a papally-approved rule, which would attract huge number of followers within Francis' own lifetime. Through his imitation of Christ, Francis shared in the Lord's sufferings. He miraculously received Christ's wounds, the stigmata, in his own flesh during September of 1224. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-francis-of-assisi-614

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The roof of a Catholic church in the Mexican city of Madero collapsed on Sunday, killing at least 10 people while they were attending Mass, authorities said following the disaster. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255545/roof-of-church-collapses-in-mexico-killing-at-least-10 Pope Francis sent his condolences on Saturday to an Iraqi Christian community in Qaraqosh, northern Iraq, that was devastated by a massive fire at a crowded wedding reception that killed over 100 and injured 150. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255549/pope-francis-sends-telegram-to-iraqi-christian-community-after-tragic-wedding-fire An annual Requiem Mass that has been held at Westminster Cathedral in London, England, for more than 50 years has been relocated amid the continued restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass issued by the Vatican. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255543/annual-requiem-latin-mass-canceled-at-westminster-cathedral-in-london-after-50-years The Vatican has released Pope Francis’ original responses to a set of dubia on highly-charged doctrinal questions submitted by five cardinals earlier this summer — and criticized the cardinals for going public with the matter just days before the start of the Synod on Synodality. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255540/vatican-releases-pope-francis-responses-to-pre-synod-dubia-criticizes-cardinals Today, the Church celebrates Saint Mother Théodore Guérin. A Frech Sister of Providence, Mother Théodore Guérin was sent to Indiana in 1840 to found a convent of the Sisters of Providence in the diocese of Vincennes. There she pioneered Catholic education, opened the first girls’ boarding school in Indiana, and fought against the anti-Catholicism prevalent in the day. She was well known for her heroic witness to faith, her hope, and her love of God. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-mother-theodore-guerin-382

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Five cardinals have sent a set of questions to Pope Francis to express their concerns and seek clarification on points of doctrine and discipline ahead of this week’s opening of the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican. The cardinals said they submitted five questions, called “dubia,” on August 21 requesting clarity on topics relating to doctrinal development, the blessing of same-sex unions, the authority of the Synod on Synodality, women’s ordination, and sacramental absolution. Dubia are formal questions brought before the pope and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) aimed at eliciting a “yes” or “no” response, without theological argumentation. The word “dubia” is the plural form of “dubium,” which means “doubt” in Latin. They are typically raised by cardinals or other high-ranking members of the Church and are meant to seek clarification on matters of doctrine or Church teaching. The cardinals say they have not yet received a response to the reformulated dubia sent to the pope on August 21. For more information about the dubia, visit catholic news agency dot com. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255534/cardinals-send-dubia-to-pope-francis-ahead-of-synod-on-synodality Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals from across the world at a Saturday morning consistory in Saint Peter’s Square, reflecting on how the geographic expansion of the Church’s leadership represents a fulfillment of the promise of Pentecost. “You new cardinals have come from different parts of the world, and the same Spirit that made the evangelization of your peoples fruitful now renews in you your vocation and mission in and for the Church,” the pope in his homily for the event told the new cardinals, 18 of whom are under age 80 and therefore eligible to vote in a conclave. The September 30 consistory, which saw cardinals created from 15 different countries, was in continuity with Francis’ steady geographic diversification of the College of Cardinals, carried out over the nine consistories he has held during his 10-year pontificate. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255528/pope-creates-21-new-cardinals-continues-expansion-of-college-s-geographic-diversity Pope Francis on Sunday announced a meeting with children to be held at the Vatican on November 6. The event in the Paul VI Audience Hall, sponsored by the Dicastery for Culture and Education, will be dedicated to the theme “Let us learn from boys and girls.” “It is an event to show the dream we all have: To go back to having the pure sentiments of children because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them,” the pope said after praying the midday Angelus on October 1. Accompanied by five children from five continents, the pope on Sunday said that children “teach us how to be transparent in relationships, how to welcome strangers, and how to care for creation.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255531/pope-francis-to-hold-meeting-with-children-at-the-vatican-on-nov-6 Today, the Church celebrates the Guardian Angels. The truth that each and every human soul has a Guardian Angel who protects us from both spiritual and physical evil has been shown throughout the Old Testament, and is made very clear in the New. Prayer to the guardian angels is encouraged. Here is a prayer you can pray. Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-guardian-angels-612

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team, announced this week that he is donating $5 million to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago in honor of his late cousin, Sister Joyce Dura. Irsay, a billionaire businessman who grew up in the Chicago area, praised his cousin’s service to others during her time as a religious sister. “Sister Joyce spent a half-century giving back to others, so with this gift I only hope to emulate my dear cousin’s spirit, grace, and her commitment to our communities,” Irsay said. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255506/indianapolis-colts-owner-donates-5-dollars-million-to-catholic-charities-chicago-to-honor-his-cousin-a-nun The Archdiocese of Saint Louis may close more than 25 Catholic elementary schools amid a major restructuring plan that has already closed and merged many parishes. Roughly one-third of the 80 Catholic parish elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis will meet with representatives from the Office of Catholic Education and Formation and their Episcopal Vicar to consult on their current and future status, the archdiocese announced September 27. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255513/one-third-of-st-louis-catholic-schools-face-possible-closure Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City on Thursday called the execution of convicted murderer Anthony Sanchez, which took place a week ago, “fundamentally at odds with the culture of life the state of Oklahoma proclaims to be building.” Sanchez was convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of 21-year-old University of Oklahoma student Juli Busken, KOCO5 reported. He died September 21 at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, about a 130-mile drive from Oklahoma City. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255516/oklahoma-archbishop-decries-execution-of-anthony-sanchez-as-archaic The Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) on Mount Graham in southern Arizona celebrated its 30th anniversary this month, and the observatory has several days worth of celebrations planned for this weekend. The VATT is a relatively recent extension of the Vatican Observatory, which has roots dating to 1582, making it one of the oldest active astronomical observatories in the world. The observatory was re-founded in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII, who intended to reinforce the Catholic Church’s support of science. Originally located near Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Vatican Observatory moved to Castel Gandolfo under Pope Pius XI due to light pollution from the city. In 1981, again due to growing light pollution, the observatory launched another research center under the famously dark Arizona skies. The VATT, which is paid for by private donations, is today located on a mountaintop in rural Arizona about 200 miles southeast of Phoenix. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255512/celebrations-planned-for-30th-anniversary-of-vatican-observatory-s-arizona-telescope Today, the Church celebrates the three Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, the only angels named in Sacred Scripture. All three have important roles in the history of salvation. Saint Michael is the "Prince of the Heavenly Host," the leader of all the angels. Saint Gabriel, whose name means "God's strength," is mentioned four times in the Bible. Most significant are Gabriel's two mentions in the New Testament: to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias, and the at Incarnation of the Word in the womb of Mary. Saint Raphael’s name means "God has healed,” and Tobit is the only book in which he is mentioned. His office is generally accepted by tradition to be that of healing and acts of mercy. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-michael-gabriel-raphael-archangels-609

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A fire that ripped through a wedding venue in northern Iraq has killed more than 100 people in a majority-Christian town still rebuilding after years of ISIS occupation. The hall in Qaraqosh on the Nineveh Plains burned Tuesday night during a Syriac Catholic wedding celebration. Witnesses and civil defense officials told the BBC that the fire was sparked, with hundreds of guests present, by fireworks set off as the bride and groom danced. Archbishop Bashar Warda, who leads the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil, said in a statement to EWTN News that “patriarchs, bishops, and priests from all faiths gathered today in Qaraqosh to bury those who had perished.” “No words can adequately describe the mourning of those bringing their loved ones to their final resting places in their ancient land. What was to be a time of joy has now turned into a whole community into mourning and deep shock,” the archbishop, for years an outspoken advocate for the Middle East’s persecuted Christian minority, told EWTN News. “I ask for your prayers for those souls we have lost and the severely injured. I ask you to pray for the Syriac community and their families within Iraq and the diaspora.” Iraqi authorities are investigating the disaster. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255500/breaking-iraq-archbishop-calls-for-prayers-after-tragic-wedding-fire The Maryland attorney general’s office on Tuesday released an unredacted report on child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore that names most of the individuals accused. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255499/names-of-accused-in-maryland-ag-s-sex-abuse-report-on-baltimore-archdiocese-are-released Ruben Vardanyan, a former high-ranking official in the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, was arrested by Azerbaijan authorities on Sept. 27 as he attempted to flee the region along with over 50,000 other ethnic Armenian refugees. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255496/former-nagorno-karabakh-armenian-leader-arrested-as-over-50000-refugees-flee-region On the second day of the 2023 Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), a bishops’ committee provided recommendations on diocesan policies that are focused on protecting minors and vulnerable adults to all the bishops in attendance. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255493/canadian-bishops-address-protection-of-minors-vulnerable-adults-at-meeting Today, the Church celebrates Saint Wenceslaus, a Central European ruler who died at the hands of his brother while seeking to strengthen the Catholic faith in his native Bohemia. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-wenceslaus-608

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis’ new document on the environment, to be released October 4, will be called Laudate Deum, which means “Praise God” in Latin. October 4 is also the first day of a monthlong assembly for the Synod on Synodality and the conclusion of the Season of Creation, a Vatican-supported ecumenical initiative about caring for the environment. Pope Francis had announced last month he would be releasing a follow-up document, the kind of papal document known as an “exhortation,” to the 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’. The theme of that encyclical, which means “Praise be to you,” is human ecology, a phrase first used by Pope Benedict XVI. The document addresses issues such as climate change, care for the environment, and the defense of human life and dignity. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255478/pope-francis-next-environmental-document-to-be-called-laudate-deum Pope Francis has awarded a UK church “co-cathedral status,” making it the first of its kind in Britain’s history. The Church of Saint Mary of the Isle, located in Douglas on the Isle of Man, has achieved this rare status after Douglas was formally recognized as a city during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations in June 2022. The Isle of Man is a self-governing island situated between Great Britain and Ireland with a population of about 84,000 people. Saint Mary of the Isle will be co-cathedral along with Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. The two cathedrals are 80 miles apart and are separated by the Irish Sea, but both fall within the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Co-cathedrals are a rarity in the Catholic Church and usually exist when two dioceses, each with its own cathedral, are merged, or when one diocese spans two different civil jurisdictions, as in the case of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255477/pope-makes-uk-church-first-co-cathedral-in-british-history Today, the Church celebrates Saint Vincent de Paul, the French 17th century priest known as the patron of Catholic charities for his apostolic work among the poor and marginalized. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-vincent-de-paul-607

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The Diocese of Enugu in Nigeria has expressed its gratitude to God and the faithful following the release of Father Marcellinus Obioma Okide, who had been abducted on September 17. Father Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie, the chancellor of the Enugu Diocese, said: “We are glad to inform you that our brother and priest, Father Marcellinus Obioma Okide, has been released from the den of the kidnappers.” Nigeria has been experiencing insecurity since 2009 when Boko Haram insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic state. Since then, the group, one of largest Islamist groups in Africa, has been orchestrating indiscriminate terrorist attacks on various targets, including religious and political groups as well as civilians. The case of Okide is the latest in a series of kidnappings and murders in Africa’s most populous nation involving members of the clergy, seminarians, and other Christians. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255468/abducted-priest-in-nigeria-released-diocese-grateful The Diocese of Rome on Monday said it is anticipating thousands of pilgrims in attendance at an ecumenical prayer vigil at the Vatican later this week, with the event scheduled ahead of the start of the historic synod taking place in Rome in October. The diocese said in a press release that “approximately 3,000 people” are expected to attend the event “Together — Gathering of the People of God” being hosted in that city over Friday and Saturday. The prayer service is occurring just days before the launch of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place in Rome over the course of October. The vigil “will be an opportunity to entrust the work of the [synod] to the Holy Spirit,” the diocese said. Hundreds of visitors are expected from numerous countries including France, Hungary, Vietnam, and the United States. Nearly 500 are projected to come from Poland alone. The overall synod itself — dubbed the “synod on synodality” due to its focus on synodality, or collaboration and participation among the Catholic faithful in the furtherance of the Church’s mission — is occurring over the course of several years. Next month’s gathering of bishops is the first of two major assemblies, with the second planned for October of next year. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255464/diocese-of-rome-says-thousands-expected-at-vatican-for-ecumenical-prayer-vigil-ahead-of-synod California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, sued five pro-life pregnancy centers September 21 over their promotion of a drug that is meant to reverse chemical abortions. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255466/california-ag-sues-pro-life-pregnancy-centers-over-abortion-pill-reversal-drug Today, the Church celebrates Saints Cosmas and Damian, twins born to Christian parents in Arabia, in the third century. They lived in the region around the border between modern day Turkey and Syria. They were physicians who were renowned for their skill as well as their refusal to charge for their services. Their charity and Christian witness won many converts to the faith and earned them a place of prominence in the Christian communites of Asia Minor. They were both martyred by beheading. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-cosmas-and-damian-606

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - Pope Francis condemned euthanasia and abortion as actions that “play with life” and said there is such a thing as “bad compassion” during a press conference aboard the papal plane from Marseille to Rome on Saturday. Aboard the plane, Pope Francis was asked by a French journalist whether he had spoken about euthanasia in his private conversation with France’s President Emmanuel Macron earlier in the day. Francis said he did not address the topic of euthanasia with Macron on Saturday but that he had expressed himself “clearly” on the issue when the French president visited him at the Vatican last year. “Whether it is the law not to let the child grow in the mother’s womb or the law of euthanasia in disease and old age,” he said, “I am not saying it is a faith thing, but it is a human thing: There is bad compassion.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255459/you-don-t-play-with-life-pope-francis-condemns-euthanasia-abortion-on-papal-plane In Marseille on Friday, before a memorial to people lost at sea, Pope Francis said humanity is at a crossroads between fraternity and indifference regarding the migrant crisis. “We can no longer watch the drama of shipwrecks, caused by the cruel trafficking and the fanaticism of indifference,” he said September 22. “People who are at risk of drowning when abandoned on the waves must be rescued. It is a duty of humanity; it is a duty of civilization.” “On the one hand, there is fraternity, which makes the human community flourish with goodness; on the other, indifference, which bloodies the Mediterranean. We find ourselves at a crossroads of civilization.” The pope spoke during a meeting with local religious leaders at a memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea on the first of a two-day visit to Marseille. The day after the pope’s visit — and the concluding day of the encounter, Sunday, September 24 — is the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The first quarter of 2023 was the deadliest since 2017 in the Central Mediterranean, with at least 441 people dying, though that’s considered an undercount. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255451/pope-francis-in-marseille-it-s-a-duty-of-humanity-to-save-migrants-abandoned-at-sea Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the woman twice arrested for silent prayer outside UK abortion clinics, has received a police apology and confirmation that she will not face charges for violating a local “buffer zone” protection order. Vaughan-Spruce is the director of March for Life UK and helps support women in crisis pregnancies. She has regularly prayed near abortion clinics for 20 years. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255453/woman-arrested-for-silent-prayer-at-uk-abortion-clinics-gets-police-apology Today, the Church celebrates Saint Hermann Contractus. He was born crippled and unable to move without assistance. It was an immense difficulty for him to learn to read and write, however he persisted and his iron will and remarkable intelligence were soon manifested. Upon discovering the brilliance of his son’s mind, his father, Count Wolverad II, sent him at the age of seven to live with the Benedictine monks on the island of Reichenau in Southern Germany. He lived his entire life on the island, taking his monastic vows in 1043. Students from all over Europe flocked to the monastery on the island to learn from him, yet he was equally as famous for his monastic virtues and sanctity. Hermann chronicled the first thousand years of Christianity, was a mathematician, an astronomer, and a poet and was also the composer of the Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater – both hymns to the Virgin Mary. He died on the island on September 21, 1054. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-hermann-contractus-372

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The “destruction” of an enclave of 120,000 Armenian Christians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is imminent, warns Siobhan Nash-Marshall, a US-based human rights advocate. Though internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh is made up almost entirely of Christian ethnic Armenians who claim self-sovereignty under the auspices of the Republic of Artsakh. On Wednesday, ethnic Armenians in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to lay down their arms and dissolve their military forces following a short but intense Azerbaijan offensive on September 19. The attacks, which included rocket and mortar fire, were perpetrated by Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. In just over one day, over 200 Armenian Christians were killed, including 10 civilians, and many more were injured, the New York Times reported. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region for decades. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255446/destruction-of-ethnic-armenians-is-imminent-warn-experts The United States Senate began confirming military appointments one by one on Wednesday to bypass a pro-life blockade led by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, which has been holding up the usually routine process since February. The blockade had caused a backlog of more than 300 appointments. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255442/senate-confirms-military-appointments-bypassing-pro-life-blockade-by-tuberville A group of pro-life students who participated in a demonstration at North Carolina A&T University last week during a visit to campus by Vice President Kamala Harris say they were escorted off campus by police for their own safety after being harassed by a large crowd. According to members of the group, they engaged in positive dialogue with students on campus. During her speech at the university, Harris called for greater access to abortion in the wake of the overturning of Roe v Wade. In a video shared on social media, profanities could be heard being shouted at the pro-life group. Photos from the protest show the pro-life group being taunted with obscene hand gestures. CNA reached out to the university for a comment but did not receive a response. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255440/pro-life-students-harassed-by-mob-after-vp-kamala-harris-talk-in-north-carolina Today, the Church celebrates Saint Maurice, a member of the Theban Legion, a Roman legion said to have been constituted by Christian soldiers from Africa, which was called to put down a revolt in Aaunum, located in modern day Switzerland, in the year 287. Two legends exist about the martyrdom of Saint Maurice and his companions. According to the legends, the legion's soldiers were either ordered to take part in pagan sacrifices, or ordered to harass and kill some local Christians. In either event, the 6,600 men of Maurice's legion refused. In punishment for their disobedience, every tenth man in the legion was killed. When the remaining soldiers, fortified by Saint Maurice, still refused other legions were called in to force them to follow their orders. Persisting in their refusal, they were all massacred. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-maurice-and-companions-602 The Church also celebrates Saint Thomas of Villanova, a 16th century Spanish Augustinian monk and archbishop who lived a life of austerity in order to provide for the spiritual and material needs of his people. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-thomas-of-villanova-710