Alabama cannot execute convicted murderer with low IQ after Supreme Court ruling #Catholic The Supreme Court on May 21 rejected an attempt by the state of Alabama to execute a convicted murderer whose low IQ may render him intellectually disabled and thus protected from capital punishment by the U.S. Constitution. The court in an unsigned order dismissed an appeal from Alabama after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Joseph Clifton Smith, with the appeals court holding that Smithʼs low-70s IQ put him close enough to the threshold of an intellectually disability to render his death sentence unconstitutional. The court heard oral arguments in the case in December 2025. The case had followed a twisting path through the federal court system; the 11th Circuit first ruled in Smithʼs favor in 2023, after which the Supreme Court in 2024 vacated that decision and ordered the appeals court to consider it again. A second review by the lower court, with another favorable ruling for Smith, again brought the case before the Supreme Court last year; the high courtʼs May 21 ruling brought the case to an end.The latest ruling represents a potential precedent in how the Supreme Court considers certain cases of capital punishment. The court ruled in the 2002 case Atkins v. Virginia that executing people with intellectual disabilities violated the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment." The justices did not define “intellectual disability” in that case, though it cited expert opinion that “an IQ between 70 and 75 or lower” is “typically considered the cutoff” in some definitions. Theresa Farnan, philosopher on the Ethics and Public Policy Committee of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, told EWTN News in April that Smithʼs death sentence was “clearly a borderline case.” Smith was convicted in the brutal 1997 slaying of Durk Van Dam. “It’s obvious to me he could not grasp the gravity of his crimes,“ Farnan said of Smith. ”In cases like these, the burden on us as a society is even more pronounced to be radically pro-life.”The Catholic Church in recent decades has come out increasingly against the death penalty, with multiple popes arguing that modern penal systems have rendered capital punishment inadmissible in many if not most cases.Pope Leo XIV in particular has spoken out several times against the death penalty in just the first year of his pontificate, arguing that “human life is to be respected” and that support for capital punishment is incompatible with a pro-life philosophy.
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Alabama cannot execute convicted murderer with low IQ after Supreme Court ruling #Catholic The Supreme Court on May 21 rejected an attempt by the state of Alabama to execute a convicted murderer whose low IQ may render him intellectually disabled and thus protected from capital punishment by the U.S. Constitution. The court in an unsigned order dismissed an appeal from Alabama after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Joseph Clifton Smith, with the appeals court holding that Smithʼs low-70s IQ put him close enough to the threshold of an intellectually disability to render his death sentence unconstitutional. The court heard oral arguments in the case in December 2025. The case had followed a twisting path through the federal court system; the 11th Circuit first ruled in Smithʼs favor in 2023, after which the Supreme Court in 2024 vacated that decision and ordered the appeals court to consider it again. A second review by the lower court, with another favorable ruling for Smith, again brought the case before the Supreme Court last year; the high courtʼs May 21 ruling brought the case to an end.The latest ruling represents a potential precedent in how the Supreme Court considers certain cases of capital punishment. The court ruled in the 2002 case Atkins v. Virginia that executing people with intellectual disabilities violated the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment." The justices did not define “intellectual disability” in that case, though it cited expert opinion that “an IQ between 70 and 75 or lower” is “typically considered the cutoff” in some definitions. Theresa Farnan, philosopher on the Ethics and Public Policy Committee of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, told EWTN News in April that Smithʼs death sentence was “clearly a borderline case.” Smith was convicted in the brutal 1997 slaying of Durk Van Dam. “It’s obvious to me he could not grasp the gravity of his crimes,“ Farnan said of Smith. ”In cases like these, the burden on us as a society is even more pronounced to be radically pro-life.”The Catholic Church in recent decades has come out increasingly against the death penalty, with multiple popes arguing that modern penal systems have rendered capital punishment inadmissible in many if not most cases.Pope Leo XIV in particular has spoken out several times against the death penalty in just the first year of his pontificate, arguing that “human life is to be respected” and that support for capital punishment is incompatible with a pro-life philosophy.

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The court has previously held that people with intellectual disabilities may not be executed under the U.S. Constitution.

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Vatican warns that AI ‘deepfakes’ threaten the human experience #Catholic Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, on Thursday criticized AI deepfakes as a threat to human encounter.Speaking at a conference on AI in Rome on May 21, Mendonça warned of the dangers of AI, saying that it can “have painful consequences on the destiny of individuals.”“When a deepfake lends a personʼs face to words they have never spoken … it is the very grammar of the human encounter that is altered,” Mendonça said. “Technology that exploits our need for relationship … can not only have painful consequences on the destiny of individuals, but it can also damage the social, cultural, and political fabric of societies.”Preserving humanity in the age of AIComing a few days before of the release of Pope Leo XIVʼs Magnifica Humanitas, which will treat moral and social questions related to AI, the theme of the conference was “Preserving Human Voices and Faces.”Organized by the Dicastery for Communication and held at the Pontifical Urban University, the conference brought together professors, journalists, and engineers who offered insights into the risks AI poses to authentic human experiences.Mendonça, citing the popeʼs message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, clarified that the goal “lies not in stopping digital innovation but in guiding it.”Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, added: “The greatest danger consists in passively accepting the idea that knowledge no longer belongs to us.”Magnifica Humanitas: Keeping the human at the centerSome of the conference panelists expressed their hopes for Leoʼs upcoming encyclical on AI.One of those was Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Section of Culture of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Speaking to EWTN News on the sidelines, Tighe gave his impressions about what the pope intends to contribute with this document.“I think the pope is doing two things: First, he will be offering perspectives that enable people to reflect and think critically about AI and its role in society. Second, he is initiating a dialogue,” Tighe told EWTN News. “He wants to create an environment where all the various people who have a part in the development of AI are attentive to keeping the human at the center.”
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Vatican warns that AI ‘deepfakes’ threaten the human experience #Catholic Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, on Thursday criticized AI deepfakes as a threat to human encounter.Speaking at a conference on AI in Rome on May 21, Mendonça warned of the dangers of AI, saying that it can “have painful consequences on the destiny of individuals.”“When a deepfake lends a personʼs face to words they have never spoken … it is the very grammar of the human encounter that is altered,” Mendonça said. “Technology that exploits our need for relationship … can not only have painful consequences on the destiny of individuals, but it can also damage the social, cultural, and political fabric of societies.”Preserving humanity in the age of AIComing a few days before of the release of Pope Leo XIVʼs Magnifica Humanitas, which will treat moral and social questions related to AI, the theme of the conference was “Preserving Human Voices and Faces.”Organized by the Dicastery for Communication and held at the Pontifical Urban University, the conference brought together professors, journalists, and engineers who offered insights into the risks AI poses to authentic human experiences.Mendonça, citing the popeʼs message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, clarified that the goal “lies not in stopping digital innovation but in guiding it.”Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, added: “The greatest danger consists in passively accepting the idea that knowledge no longer belongs to us.”Magnifica Humanitas: Keeping the human at the centerSome of the conference panelists expressed their hopes for Leoʼs upcoming encyclical on AI.One of those was Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Section of Culture of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. Speaking to EWTN News on the sidelines, Tighe gave his impressions about what the pope intends to contribute with this document.“I think the pope is doing two things: First, he will be offering perspectives that enable people to reflect and think critically about AI and its role in society. Second, he is initiating a dialogue,” Tighe told EWTN News. “He wants to create an environment where all the various people who have a part in the development of AI are attentive to keeping the human at the center.”

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A top Vatican official warned of the dangers of AI at a conference ahead of the pope’s upcoming encyclical.

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Pope will find a living, growing Church in Madrid, Spanish cardinal says #Catholic – (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV will encounter a living and growing Church when he arrives in Madrid, a revitalization highlighted by his planned blessing of the cornerstones for 12 new parishes, said Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid. In a May 20 interview with OSV News, Cardinal Cobo described the new parishes as a sign of continuous growth and “an interesting moment of revitalization.” Looking ahead to the fruits of the papal visit in his archdiocese, the Spanish cardinal emphasized the importance of its long-term impact. “We don’t want it to stay there because the events are events that fade away like fireworks,” he said. But “the pope is (not only) going to leave us with experiences, but also messages,” the cardinal stressed. “So, afterward it will lead us to ensure that in every area — in parishes, in culture, in education — we will continue working on what we have started and continue creating processes so that this doesn’t just remain in the pages of a speech,” the cardinal added. Pope Leo XIV’s June 6-12 apostolic visit to Spain will begin in Madrid with a packed schedule of events, including meetings with King Felipe VI and his wife, Queen Letizia, government authorities and the faithful. ‘Evangelical gesture’ Among his first pastoral stops is a visit to CEDIA 24 horas, a social center run by Caritas Madrid that serves as a shelter and offers social services, psychological care and workshops for the city’s homeless. For Cardinal Cobo, the fact that the pope’s first pastoral stop will be a homeless shelter is “an obviously evangelical gesture” where he will visit a place “where the Church is with the most vulnerable.” “The Archdiocese of Madrid and the Church are present in the realities of the last ones. Thank God I can say — and I am very grateful for this — that there is no social reality where the Church is not present in some way,” the cardinal told OSV News. Pope Leo’s visit to CEDIA 24 horas, he added, indicates “from where he wants to look at the Church and from where he wants the Church to be from the beginning, which is first placing the most vulnerable at the forefront.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Among the most anticipated events during the pope’s stop in Madrid will be a Mass on the feast of Corpus Christi at Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, followed by a Eucharistic procession reflecting the city’s local traditions. Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that the feast of Corpus Christi is “a very important day” in Spain and that Eucharistic adoration “is very alive and belongs not only to the ecclesial tradition in general but to popular piety.” When asked what he hopes people will see or understand about Catholic tradition and faith in Spain, the cardinal said he hopes people will see that the Eucharistic procession celebrates the presence of Jesus “not only in the Church but in the streets.” “That is the moment of this day. It is like centralizing a bit of what we are and our source. And to live it with our neighbors in the middle of the street, I think it almost brings us more joy. To be in the center of Madrid, being able to live the Eucharist and say, ‘Let us extend our hands to all who are unwell, to all who want to search.’ So for us it is a reason for joy. And I think it will also be a very special moment to revitalize faith and open doors to those who want to search,” he said. Meeting with survivors proposed However, among the events not included in the schedule released by the Vatican May 6 was a meeting with survivors of sexual abuse, an issue on the minds of many in Spain. In October 2023, a government-led independent commission revealed in a 700-page report that over 200,000 minors had been abused by clergy since 1940. It also stated that when accounting for abuses committed by lay members of the Church, the number of victims rose to 400,000. Recently, in January, the Catholic Church and the Spanish government signed an agreement that would seek to provide reparations to victims of clerical sexual abuse. Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that although the pope’s schedule is full, a meeting with survivors has been proposed and will be announced only after it happens to “not create false expectations.” Nevertheless, he noted, a meeting between the pope and survivors is “very necessary,” and Pope Leo is aware of the Archdiocese of Madrid’s efforts, such as “Proyecto Repara,” the archdiocesan office for the prevention of abuse. The pope “knows ‘Proyecto Repara’ very well and everything we have been doing for many years, attending not only to victims of child abuse, but victims of all kinds of abuse, and how we are entering into an integral accompaniment” with them. According to its website, “Proyecto Repara” was established in 2020 as an independent office where survivors of abuse, both within and outside of the Church, could receive support, including legal and canonical assistance, therapy and spiritual accompaniment. The office also works with civil authorities in denouncing cases of abuse involving minors and informs victims of their rights to report alleged abuse to police. A timely encyclical The Vatican announced that Pope Leo’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (“Magnificent Humanity”), on the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, will be published May 25, less than two weeks before he lands in Madrid. At a May 6 press conference, Archbishop Luis Argüello of Valladolid, president of the Spanish bishops’ conference, noted that the soon-to-be-released encyclical will likely “highlight the centrality of the human person” and focus on “human dignity, the common good, dialogue and encounter.” Noting the timeliness of the encyclical’s release, Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that it will likely “be the framework for all the messages that the pope is going to give,” especially when he delivers his anticipated address to the country’s parliament. In Spain, where politics “is very, very polarized” and “very segmented,” Pope Leo comes not “to impose anything on anyone,” but “simply to offer a higher perspective,” the cardinal said. That perspective, he continued, is “to speak of the importance of the common good above differences, the importance of human dignity as the axis or the filter to face problems.” “I think the pope can offer that, which is what the Church always offers: higher perspectives,” Cardinal Cobo said. “Let us not forget the grand horizons. Then we can be more or less in agreement on the small judgments, on the specifics. But let us not forget that, above the polarizations, there are broad outlines, and that the Christian tradition has something to say to society if it wants to listen to us.” Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.
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Pope will find a living, growing Church in Madrid, Spanish cardinal says #Catholic – (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV will encounter a living and growing Church when he arrives in Madrid, a revitalization highlighted by his planned blessing of the cornerstones for 12 new parishes, said Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid. In a May 20 interview with OSV News, Cardinal Cobo described the new parishes as a sign of continuous growth and “an interesting moment of revitalization.” Looking ahead to the fruits of the papal visit in his archdiocese, the Spanish cardinal emphasized the importance of its long-term impact. “We don’t want it to stay there because the events are events that fade away like fireworks,” he said. But “the pope is (not only) going to leave us with experiences, but also messages,” the cardinal stressed. “So, afterward it will lead us to ensure that in every area — in parishes, in culture, in education — we will continue working on what we have started and continue creating processes so that this doesn’t just remain in the pages of a speech,” the cardinal added. Pope Leo XIV’s June 6-12 apostolic visit to Spain will begin in Madrid with a packed schedule of events, including meetings with King Felipe VI and his wife, Queen Letizia, government authorities and the faithful. ‘Evangelical gesture’ Among his first pastoral stops is a visit to CEDIA 24 horas, a social center run by Caritas Madrid that serves as a shelter and offers social services, psychological care and workshops for the city’s homeless. For Cardinal Cobo, the fact that the pope’s first pastoral stop will be a homeless shelter is “an obviously evangelical gesture” where he will visit a place “where the Church is with the most vulnerable.” “The Archdiocese of Madrid and the Church are present in the realities of the last ones. Thank God I can say — and I am very grateful for this — that there is no social reality where the Church is not present in some way,” the cardinal told OSV News. Pope Leo’s visit to CEDIA 24 horas, he added, indicates “from where he wants to look at the Church and from where he wants the Church to be from the beginning, which is first placing the most vulnerable at the forefront.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Among the most anticipated events during the pope’s stop in Madrid will be a Mass on the feast of Corpus Christi at Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, followed by a Eucharistic procession reflecting the city’s local traditions. Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that the feast of Corpus Christi is “a very important day” in Spain and that Eucharistic adoration “is very alive and belongs not only to the ecclesial tradition in general but to popular piety.” When asked what he hopes people will see or understand about Catholic tradition and faith in Spain, the cardinal said he hopes people will see that the Eucharistic procession celebrates the presence of Jesus “not only in the Church but in the streets.” “That is the moment of this day. It is like centralizing a bit of what we are and our source. And to live it with our neighbors in the middle of the street, I think it almost brings us more joy. To be in the center of Madrid, being able to live the Eucharist and say, ‘Let us extend our hands to all who are unwell, to all who want to search.’ So for us it is a reason for joy. And I think it will also be a very special moment to revitalize faith and open doors to those who want to search,” he said. Meeting with survivors proposed However, among the events not included in the schedule released by the Vatican May 6 was a meeting with survivors of sexual abuse, an issue on the minds of many in Spain. In October 2023, a government-led independent commission revealed in a 700-page report that over 200,000 minors had been abused by clergy since 1940. It also stated that when accounting for abuses committed by lay members of the Church, the number of victims rose to 400,000. Recently, in January, the Catholic Church and the Spanish government signed an agreement that would seek to provide reparations to victims of clerical sexual abuse. Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that although the pope’s schedule is full, a meeting with survivors has been proposed and will be announced only after it happens to “not create false expectations.” Nevertheless, he noted, a meeting between the pope and survivors is “very necessary,” and Pope Leo is aware of the Archdiocese of Madrid’s efforts, such as “Proyecto Repara,” the archdiocesan office for the prevention of abuse. The pope “knows ‘Proyecto Repara’ very well and everything we have been doing for many years, attending not only to victims of child abuse, but victims of all kinds of abuse, and how we are entering into an integral accompaniment” with them. According to its website, “Proyecto Repara” was established in 2020 as an independent office where survivors of abuse, both within and outside of the Church, could receive support, including legal and canonical assistance, therapy and spiritual accompaniment. The office also works with civil authorities in denouncing cases of abuse involving minors and informs victims of their rights to report alleged abuse to police. A timely encyclical The Vatican announced that Pope Leo’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (“Magnificent Humanity”), on the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, will be published May 25, less than two weeks before he lands in Madrid. At a May 6 press conference, Archbishop Luis Argüello of Valladolid, president of the Spanish bishops’ conference, noted that the soon-to-be-released encyclical will likely “highlight the centrality of the human person” and focus on “human dignity, the common good, dialogue and encounter.” Noting the timeliness of the encyclical’s release, Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that it will likely “be the framework for all the messages that the pope is going to give,” especially when he delivers his anticipated address to the country’s parliament. In Spain, where politics “is very, very polarized” and “very segmented,” Pope Leo comes not “to impose anything on anyone,” but “simply to offer a higher perspective,” the cardinal said. That perspective, he continued, is “to speak of the importance of the common good above differences, the importance of human dignity as the axis or the filter to face problems.” “I think the pope can offer that, which is what the Church always offers: higher perspectives,” Cardinal Cobo said. “Let us not forget the grand horizons. Then we can be more or less in agreement on the small judgments, on the specifics. But let us not forget that, above the polarizations, there are broad outlines, and that the Christian tradition has something to say to society if it wants to listen to us.” Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.

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Pope will find a living, growing Church in Madrid, Spanish cardinal says #Catholic –

(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV will encounter a living and growing Church when he arrives in Madrid, a revitalization highlighted by his planned blessing of the cornerstones for 12 new parishes, said Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid.

In a May 20 interview with OSV News, Cardinal Cobo described the new parishes as a sign of continuous growth and “an interesting moment of revitalization.” Looking ahead to the fruits of the papal visit in his archdiocese, the Spanish cardinal emphasized the importance of its long-term impact.

“We don’t want it to stay there because the events are events that fade away like fireworks,” he said. But “the pope is (not only) going to leave us with experiences, but also messages,” the cardinal stressed.

“So, afterward it will lead us to ensure that in every area — in parishes, in culture, in education — we will continue working on what we have started and continue creating processes so that this doesn’t just remain in the pages of a speech,” the cardinal added.

Pope Leo XIV’s June 6-12 apostolic visit to Spain will begin in Madrid with a packed schedule of events, including meetings with King Felipe VI and his wife, Queen Letizia, government authorities and the faithful.

‘Evangelical gesture’

Among his first pastoral stops is a visit to CEDIA 24 horas, a social center run by Caritas Madrid that serves as a shelter and offers social services, psychological care and workshops for the city’s homeless.

For Cardinal Cobo, the fact that the pope’s first pastoral stop will be a homeless shelter is “an obviously evangelical gesture” where he will visit a place “where the Church is with the most vulnerable.”

“The Archdiocese of Madrid and the Church are present in the realities of the last ones. Thank God I can say — and I am very grateful for this — that there is no social reality where the Church is not present in some way,” the cardinal told OSV News.

Pope Leo’s visit to CEDIA 24 horas, he added, indicates “from where he wants to look at the Church and from where he wants the Church to be from the beginning, which is first placing the most vulnerable at the forefront.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Among the most anticipated events during the pope’s stop in Madrid will be a Mass on the feast of Corpus Christi at Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, followed by a Eucharistic procession reflecting the city’s local traditions.

Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that the feast of Corpus Christi is “a very important day” in Spain and that Eucharistic adoration “is very alive and belongs not only to the ecclesial tradition in general but to popular piety.”

When asked what he hopes people will see or understand about Catholic tradition and faith in Spain, the cardinal said he hopes people will see that the Eucharistic procession celebrates the presence of Jesus “not only in the Church but in the streets.”

“That is the moment of this day. It is like centralizing a bit of what we are and our source. And to live it with our neighbors in the middle of the street, I think it almost brings us more joy. To be in the center of Madrid, being able to live the Eucharist and say, ‘Let us extend our hands to all who are unwell, to all who want to search.’ So for us it is a reason for joy. And I think it will also be a very special moment to revitalize faith and open doors to those who want to search,” he said.

Meeting with survivors proposed

However, among the events not included in the schedule released by the Vatican May 6 was a meeting with survivors of sexual abuse, an issue on the minds of many in Spain.

In October 2023, a government-led independent commission revealed in a 700-page report that over 200,000 minors had been abused by clergy since 1940. It also stated that when accounting for abuses committed by lay members of the Church, the number of victims rose to 400,000.

Recently, in January, the Catholic Church and the Spanish government signed an agreement that would seek to provide reparations to victims of clerical sexual abuse.

Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that although the pope’s schedule is full, a meeting with survivors has been proposed and will be announced only after it happens to “not create false expectations.”

Nevertheless, he noted, a meeting between the pope and survivors is “very necessary,” and Pope Leo is aware of the Archdiocese of Madrid’s efforts, such as “Proyecto Repara,” the archdiocesan office for the prevention of abuse.

The pope “knows ‘Proyecto Repara’ very well and everything we have been doing for many years, attending not only to victims of child abuse, but victims of all kinds of abuse, and how we are entering into an integral accompaniment” with them.

According to its website, “Proyecto Repara” was established in 2020 as an independent office where survivors of abuse, both within and outside of the Church, could receive support, including legal and canonical assistance, therapy and spiritual accompaniment.

The office also works with civil authorities in denouncing cases of abuse involving minors and informs victims of their rights to report alleged abuse to police.

A timely encyclical

The Vatican announced that Pope Leo’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (“Magnificent Humanity”), on the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, will be published May 25, less than two weeks before he lands in Madrid.

At a May 6 press conference, Archbishop Luis Argüello of Valladolid, president of the Spanish bishops’ conference, noted that the soon-to-be-released encyclical will likely “highlight the centrality of the human person” and focus on “human dignity, the common good, dialogue and encounter.”

Noting the timeliness of the encyclical’s release, Cardinal Cobo told OSV News that it will likely “be the framework for all the messages that the pope is going to give,” especially when he delivers his anticipated address to the country’s parliament.

In Spain, where politics “is very, very polarized” and “very segmented,” Pope Leo comes not “to impose anything on anyone,” but “simply to offer a higher perspective,” the cardinal said.

That perspective, he continued, is “to speak of the importance of the common good above differences, the importance of human dignity as the axis or the filter to face problems.”

“I think the pope can offer that, which is what the Church always offers: higher perspectives,” Cardinal Cobo said. “Let us not forget the grand horizons. Then we can be more or less in agreement on the small judgments, on the specifics. But let us not forget that, above the polarizations, there are broad outlines, and that the Christian tradition has something to say to society if it wants to listen to us.”

Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.

– (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV will encounter a living and growing Church when he arrives in Madrid, a revitalization highlighted by his planned blessing of the cornerstones for 12 new parishes, said Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid. In a May 20 interview with OSV News, Cardinal Cobo described the new parishes as a sign of continuous growth and “an interesting moment of revitalization.” Looking ahead to the fruits of the papal visit in his archdiocese, the Spanish cardinal emphasized the importance of its long-term impact. “We don’t want it to stay there because the events are events that fade

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Pope Leo tells graduating Villanovans to uphold Augustinian values, recall US guiding principles #Catholic – (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV exhorted graduating students at his alma mater to take with them three key values that define the Augustinian tradition, while reflecting on the foundational principles of the U.S. as it marks its 250th anniversary. The pope’s words were shared with the class of 2026 at Villanova University during its May 19 commencement exercises. “Graduates, it is fitting that I share with you today a message from a very special member of our Villanova community — an alumnus who once sat where you are sitting now, as a proud graduate of the Class of 1977,” said Villanova president and Augustinian Father Peter M. Donohue at the ceremony. As then-Robert F. Prevost, the first U.S.-born pope earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the school in a Philadelphia suburb, graduating in 1977 — the same year he entered the Augustinian order that founded and oversees Villanova. “Pope Leo XIV has asked me to share these words with you as you begin your journey beyond Villanova,” Father Donohue told graduating students. Quoting the pope, he said: “The world beyond Villanova is waiting for you, sometimes with open arms, and sometimes with truly dangerous intent.” The pope said in his message that the graduates would “have the challenge and the opportunity to make a big difference, if you carry with you those Augustinian values of Veritas, Unitas, Caritas.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The three values, whose Latin names respectively mean “truth,” “unity” and “charity,” have been named by the Augustinian order as central to the thought of its patron, St. Augustine. According to the order’s Augustinian Values Institute — part of the order’s educational ministry — St. Augustine did not, amid his prolific writings, specifically offer a “systematic and clear presentation of a scheme for Christian education.” However, the institute noted on its webpage (hosted on that of the order’s Midwestern province), the three values have been discerned from “reflection on the life and teachings of Augustine and the experience of those who have been touched by their experience with him and with them.” The institute explained that veritas is rooted in an awareness that “God is the source of all truth,” encountered through faith and reason. St. Augustine “insists that we are to ‘teach the truth in love,’” said the institute. Unitas speaks to “the Christian understanding of being one with one another” that “is based on our common origin in creation by God and re-creation in Christ,” the institute explained. Caritas witnesses to “the great commandment of Christ … to love God and neighbor,” said the institute. As part of that “active friendship” with God and others, caritas is “that impulse of the Spirit of Jesus that is expressed in hundreds of kind and gracious ways,” the institute said. Along with the core Augustinian values, Pope Leo — noting the nation will soon mark its 250th anniversary — told graduates, “I would invite you to recall in a special way the guiding principles of the foundations of our nation.” The pope cited a well-known introductory line from the Declaration of Independence, the July 4, 1776, document by which the American colonies formally dissolved “all political connection” with Great Britain and established themselves as sovereign: “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all (people) are created equal; that they are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, and among those are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’” the pope quoted. As part of the 250th celebrations, Pope Leo will be awarded the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal on July 3. Announced in March, the honor acknowledges the pope’s efforts to promote religious liberty as well as freedom of expression and conscience. Pope Leo is set to deliver live acceptance remarks from the Vatican, which will be livestreamed to in-person attendees in Philadelphia — once the nation’s capital, and home to several sites of historical significance in the nation’s founding — as well as online at the center’s website. Concluding his message to the Villanova class of 2026, Pope Leo said, “May the graduates of 2026 always be faithful to the guiding light that has been so important for these 250 years. Congratulations, and please know that I send all of you my apostolic blessing.” Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
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Pope Leo tells graduating Villanovans to uphold Augustinian values, recall US guiding principles #Catholic – (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV exhorted graduating students at his alma mater to take with them three key values that define the Augustinian tradition, while reflecting on the foundational principles of the U.S. as it marks its 250th anniversary. The pope’s words were shared with the class of 2026 at Villanova University during its May 19 commencement exercises. “Graduates, it is fitting that I share with you today a message from a very special member of our Villanova community — an alumnus who once sat where you are sitting now, as a proud graduate of the Class of 1977,” said Villanova president and Augustinian Father Peter M. Donohue at the ceremony. As then-Robert F. Prevost, the first U.S.-born pope earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the school in a Philadelphia suburb, graduating in 1977 — the same year he entered the Augustinian order that founded and oversees Villanova. “Pope Leo XIV has asked me to share these words with you as you begin your journey beyond Villanova,” Father Donohue told graduating students. Quoting the pope, he said: “The world beyond Villanova is waiting for you, sometimes with open arms, and sometimes with truly dangerous intent.” The pope said in his message that the graduates would “have the challenge and the opportunity to make a big difference, if you carry with you those Augustinian values of Veritas, Unitas, Caritas.” Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The three values, whose Latin names respectively mean “truth,” “unity” and “charity,” have been named by the Augustinian order as central to the thought of its patron, St. Augustine. According to the order’s Augustinian Values Institute — part of the order’s educational ministry — St. Augustine did not, amid his prolific writings, specifically offer a “systematic and clear presentation of a scheme for Christian education.” However, the institute noted on its webpage (hosted on that of the order’s Midwestern province), the three values have been discerned from “reflection on the life and teachings of Augustine and the experience of those who have been touched by their experience with him and with them.” The institute explained that veritas is rooted in an awareness that “God is the source of all truth,” encountered through faith and reason. St. Augustine “insists that we are to ‘teach the truth in love,’” said the institute. Unitas speaks to “the Christian understanding of being one with one another” that “is based on our common origin in creation by God and re-creation in Christ,” the institute explained. Caritas witnesses to “the great commandment of Christ … to love God and neighbor,” said the institute. As part of that “active friendship” with God and others, caritas is “that impulse of the Spirit of Jesus that is expressed in hundreds of kind and gracious ways,” the institute said. Along with the core Augustinian values, Pope Leo — noting the nation will soon mark its 250th anniversary — told graduates, “I would invite you to recall in a special way the guiding principles of the foundations of our nation.” The pope cited a well-known introductory line from the Declaration of Independence, the July 4, 1776, document by which the American colonies formally dissolved “all political connection” with Great Britain and established themselves as sovereign: “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all (people) are created equal; that they are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, and among those are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’” the pope quoted. As part of the 250th celebrations, Pope Leo will be awarded the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal on July 3. Announced in March, the honor acknowledges the pope’s efforts to promote religious liberty as well as freedom of expression and conscience. Pope Leo is set to deliver live acceptance remarks from the Vatican, which will be livestreamed to in-person attendees in Philadelphia — once the nation’s capital, and home to several sites of historical significance in the nation’s founding — as well as online at the center’s website. Concluding his message to the Villanova class of 2026, Pope Leo said, “May the graduates of 2026 always be faithful to the guiding light that has been so important for these 250 years. Congratulations, and please know that I send all of you my apostolic blessing.” Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.

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Pope Leo tells graduating Villanovans to uphold Augustinian values, recall US guiding principles #Catholic –

(OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV exhorted graduating students at his alma mater to take with them three key values that define the Augustinian tradition, while reflecting on the foundational principles of the U.S. as it marks its 250th anniversary.

The pope’s words were shared with the class of 2026 at Villanova University during its May 19 commencement exercises.

“Graduates, it is fitting that I share with you today a message from a very special member of our Villanova community — an alumnus who once sat where you are sitting now, as a proud graduate of the Class of 1977,” said Villanova president and Augustinian Father Peter M. Donohue at the ceremony.

As then-Robert F. Prevost, the first U.S.-born pope earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the school in a Philadelphia suburb, graduating in 1977 — the same year he entered the Augustinian order that founded and oversees Villanova.

“Pope Leo XIV has asked me to share these words with you as you begin your journey beyond Villanova,” Father Donohue told graduating students.

Quoting the pope, he said: “The world beyond Villanova is waiting for you, sometimes with open arms, and sometimes with truly dangerous intent.”

The pope said in his message that the graduates would “have the challenge and the opportunity to make a big difference, if you carry with you those Augustinian values of Veritas, Unitas, Caritas.”

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

The three values, whose Latin names respectively mean “truth,” “unity” and “charity,” have been named by the Augustinian order as central to the thought of its patron, St. Augustine.

According to the order’s Augustinian Values Institute — part of the order’s educational ministry — St. Augustine did not, amid his prolific writings, specifically offer a “systematic and clear presentation of a scheme for Christian education.”

However, the institute noted on its webpage (hosted on that of the order’s Midwestern province), the three values have been discerned from “reflection on the life and teachings of Augustine and the experience of those who have been touched by their experience with him and with them.”

The institute explained that veritas is rooted in an awareness that “God is the source of all truth,” encountered through faith and reason. St. Augustine “insists that we are to ‘teach the truth in love,’” said the institute.

Unitas speaks to “the Christian understanding of being one with one another” that “is based on our common origin in creation by God and re-creation in Christ,” the institute explained.

Caritas witnesses to “the great commandment of Christ … to love God and neighbor,” said the institute.

As part of that “active friendship” with God and others, caritas is “that impulse of the Spirit of Jesus that is expressed in hundreds of kind and gracious ways,” the institute said.

Along with the core Augustinian values, Pope Leo — noting the nation will soon mark its 250th anniversary — told graduates, “I would invite you to recall in a special way the guiding principles of the foundations of our nation.”

The pope cited a well-known introductory line from the Declaration of Independence, the July 4, 1776, document by which the American colonies formally dissolved “all political connection” with Great Britain and established themselves as sovereign:

“‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all (people) are created equal; that they are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, and among those are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’” the pope quoted.

As part of the 250th celebrations, Pope Leo will be awarded the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal on July 3. Announced in March, the honor acknowledges the pope’s efforts to promote religious liberty as well as freedom of expression and conscience.

Pope Leo is set to deliver live acceptance remarks from the Vatican, which will be livestreamed to in-person attendees in Philadelphia — once the nation’s capital, and home to several sites of historical significance in the nation’s founding — as well as online at the center’s website.

Concluding his message to the Villanova class of 2026, Pope Leo said, “May the graduates of 2026 always be faithful to the guiding light that has been so important for these 250 years. Congratulations, and please know that I send all of you my apostolic blessing.”

Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.

– (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV exhorted graduating students at his alma mater to take with them three key values that define the Augustinian tradition, while reflecting on the foundational principles of the U.S. as it marks its 250th anniversary. The pope’s words were shared with the class of 2026 at Villanova University during its May 19 commencement exercises. “Graduates, it is fitting that I share with you today a message from a very special member of our Villanova community — an alumnus who once sat where you are sitting now, as a proud graduate of the Class of 1977,”

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Politicians Begin Offering Tucker Carlson Million To Not Endorse Them #BabylonBee – U.S. — Following news that Senator Thomas Massie had lost his bid for re-election, several politicians have reportedly begun offering media personality Tucker Carlson up to million dollars if he agrees not to endorse them.
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Politicians Begin Offering Tucker Carlson $1 Million To Not Endorse Them #BabylonBee – U.S. — Following news that Senator Thomas Massie had lost his bid for re-election, several politicians have reportedly begun offering media personality Tucker Carlson up to $1 million dollars if he agrees not to endorse them.

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U.S. — Following news that Senator Thomas Massie had lost his bid for re-election, several politicians have reportedly begun offering media personality Tucker Carlson up to $1 million dollars if he agrees not to endorse them.

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Picture of the day Aerial view of the ruins of Takht-i-Bahi, a 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery complex located in what was once the ancient Indian region of Gandhara, in the present-day northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is representative of Buddhist monastic architecture from its era and the ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, with UNESCO describing it as having been “exceptionally well-preserved”. #ImageOfTheDay
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Picture of the day Aerial view of the ruins of Takht-i-Bahi, a 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery complex located in what was once the ancient Indian region of Gandhara, in the present-day northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is representative of Buddhist monastic architecture from its era and the ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, with UNESCO describing it as having been “exceptionally well-preserved”. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Aerial view of the ruins of Takht-i-Bahi, a 1st-century CE Buddhist monastery complex located in what was once the ancient Indian region of Gandhara, in the present-day northern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is representative of Buddhist monastic architecture from its era and the ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, with UNESCO describing it as having been “exceptionally well-preserved”.
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Trump Lawsuit Was Not Corruption, Funds to Aid Government Victims – The false framing of President Trump’s IRS lawsuit is that he stole taxpayer money and used it to create a slush fund for his friends. The post Trump Lawsuit Was Not Corruption, Funds to Aid Government Victims appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Trump Lawsuit Was Not Corruption, Funds to Aid Government Victims – The false framing of President Trump’s IRS lawsuit is that he stole taxpayer money and used it to create a slush fund for his friends. The post Trump Lawsuit Was Not Corruption, Funds to Aid Government Victims appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Former President Donald Trump waves from the steps of Air Force One, with a military honor guard in the foreground during a ceremonial arrival.

Former President Donald Trump waves from the steps of Air Force One, with a military honor guard in the foreground during a ceremonial arrival.

The false framing of President Trump’s IRS lawsuit is that he stole taxpayer money and used it to create a slush fund for his friends.

The post Trump Lawsuit Was Not Corruption, Funds to Aid Government Victims appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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BALTIC DRONE SCARE: After Latvian Government Collapse and NATO Jet Shooting Stray Ukrainian Drone Over Estonia, Now Lithuania Shuts Airport and Evacuate Government to Shelters – All Baltic nations blame Russia for the Ukrainian stray drones. The post BALTIC DRONE SCARE: After Latvian Government Collapse and NATO Jet Shooting Stray Ukrainian Drone Over Estonia, Now Lithuania Shuts Airport and Evacuate Government to Shelters appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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BALTIC DRONE SCARE: After Latvian Government Collapse and NATO Jet Shooting Stray Ukrainian Drone Over Estonia, Now Lithuania Shuts Airport and Evacuate Government to Shelters – All Baltic nations blame Russia for the Ukrainian stray drones. The post BALTIC DRONE SCARE: After Latvian Government Collapse and NATO Jet Shooting Stray Ukrainian Drone Over Estonia, Now Lithuania Shuts Airport and Evacuate Government to Shelters appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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A drone takes flight from a launch platform while two operators observe the launch in an outdoor setting.

A drone takes flight from a launch platform while two operators observe the launch in an outdoor setting.

All Baltic nations blame Russia for the Ukrainian stray drones.

The post BALTIC DRONE SCARE: After Latvian Government Collapse and NATO Jet Shooting Stray Ukrainian Drone Over Estonia, Now Lithuania Shuts Airport and Evacuate Government to Shelters appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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The narco-socialists are fighting back in Bolivia.

The post Secretary Rubio Says US Stands by ‘Legitimate Constitutional Government’ of Bolivia, Puts ‘Criminals and Drug Traffickers’ on Blast appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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U.S. bishops publish letter of solidarity with Church in Mali following violent attacks – #Catholic – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has published a letter of solidarity with the Church in Mali following several coordinated attacks that took place April 25–26.Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles and chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, wrote a letter on behalf of the U.S. bishops on May 19 to Bishop Hassa Florent Kone of the Diocese of San in Mali expressing “fraternal solidarity and deep condolences.”“Be assured of our spiritual closeness with the bishops and faithful of your country as well as our prayers for the many communities mourning the death of military personnel and civilians, and caring for those wounded by these acts of violence,” Zaidan wrote.Several coordinated strikes hit a number of military positions across the west African country, including the Kati military base near Bamako, the capital of Mali. The country’s defense minister, ​Sadio Camara, was ‌killed in the attack, carried ​out by ​an al-Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels.Zaidan highlighted the concern the USCCB has “by the increasing fragility of human security conditions and the growing violence suffered by the people of Mali and in other areas of the Sahel.”“We reiterate that interreligious dialogue and collaboration among all people of goodwill remain crucial to building social cohesion and lasting peace in the Sahel. We thank God for the work of the Catholic bishops in the region to these ends, with the support of Catholic Relief Services, through the Sahel Peace Initiative,” he said.The Maronite Catholic bishop also pointed out that “education access and fostering economic opportunity for young people are essential elements of building peace and promoting respect for human dignity.”In a statement released after the incidents, members of the Episcopal Conference of Mali — the official assembly of Catholic bishops in Mali — said they had followed “with great sorrow” the confrontations in Bamako, Sévaré-Mopti, Gao, and Kidal, where defense and security forces engaged the armed terrorist groups.The bishops extended “sincere condolences to the state of Mali, to the bereaved families, and to the entire Malian nation” while entrusting the victims to God’s mercy.They prayed for “the eternal rest of the soldiers and civilians who sacrificed their lives for the homeland” and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.Zaidan added: “In this month of May, I join the bishops of Mali in praying that your country may be guided to truth, unity, and lasting peace, through the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a letter of solidarity with the Church in Mali expressing its condolences following several attacks in the area.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 21 May 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 Wishing to determine the truth about why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them. Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead." When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."From the Gospel according to John 17:20-26 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."The Lord does not want us, in this unity, to be a nameless and faceless crowd. He wants us to be one: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” (v. 21). The unity for which Jesus prays is thus a communion grounded in the same love with which God loves, which brings life and salvation into the world. As such, it is firstly a gift that Jesus comes to bring. From his human heart, the Son of God prays to the Father in these words: “I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (v. 23). Let us listen with amazement to these words. Jesus is telling us that God loves us as he loves himself. The Father does not love us any less than he loves his only-begotten Son. In other words, with an infinite love. God does not love less, because he loves first, from the very beginning! Christ himself bears witness to this when he says to the Father: “You loved me before the foundation of the world” (v. 24). And so it is: in his mercy, God has always desired to draw all people to himself. It is his life, bestowed upon us in Christ, that makes us one, uniting us with one another. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 1 June 2025)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11

Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
"My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead."
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
"We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome."

From the Gospel according to John
17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
"I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them."

The Lord does not want us, in this unity, to be a nameless and faceless crowd. He wants us to be one: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” (v. 21). The unity for which Jesus prays is thus a communion grounded in the same love with which God loves, which brings life and salvation into the world. As such, it is firstly a gift that Jesus comes to bring. From his human heart, the Son of God prays to the Father in these words: “I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (v. 23). Let us listen with amazement to these words. Jesus is telling us that God loves us as he loves himself. The Father does not love us any less than he loves his only-begotten Son. In other words, with an infinite love. God does not love less, because he loves first, from the very beginning! Christ himself bears witness to this when he says to the Father: “You loved me before the foundation of the world” (v. 24). And so it is: in his mercy, God has always desired to draw all people to himself. It is his life, bestowed upon us in Christ, that makes us one, uniting us with one another. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 1 June 2025)

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Catholic bishops appeal court ruling that would mandate abortion accommodations – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and other Catholic groups appealed a court ruling that would require them to provide workplace accommodations for employees seeking an abortion in certain circumstances.“In 250 years, our nation has never allowed the state to make the church support abortion — and now’s not the time to start,” Laura Wolk Slavis, an attorney for Becket who represents the Catholic groups in the lawsuit, said in a statement.The lawsuit centers on a May 2025 court ruling that interprets the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) to include a mandate that employers must offer accommodations to employees for obtaining abortions if they are not fully elective.The language of the PWFA itself does not mention abortion but instead requires that employers offer accommodations to pregnant women in the workplace. The USCCB supported the law, and its Senate sponsor, Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pennsylvania, with cosponsor Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, promised it would not require abortion accommodations.In spite of this, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) under former President Joe Biden imposed rules for PWFA that interpreted it as requiring abortion accommodations for both elective and nonelective abortions in April 2024, which prompted the USCCB lawsuit.A federal court in May 2025 ruled that the law itself, regardless of what the regulations say, does require that the Catholic bishops and the other Catholic groups offer abortion accommodations if a pregnant woman is experiencing a negative health effect from the pregnancy itself but not if it is fully elective.According to the USCCB lawsuit, such negative effects range from serious complications with the pregnancy to common pregnancy-related conditions such as minor or severe hormonal changes, anxiety, nausea, or vomiting.Daniel Blomberg, an attorney for Becket, told EWTN News that some of the conditions listed are “literally the case for any pregnancy.” He noted that the ruling requires the Catholic groups to not only accommodate abortions in those situations but also to rewrite policies and procedures in a way that clearly communicates these accommodations to employees or prospective employees.The court’s interpretation of the law, Blomberg said, forces Catholic ministries to “adopt anti-life employment policies and statements in the workplace” and would stifle the speech of anyone in the workplace who would discourage an abortion accommodation.As interpreted by the court, the rule would “police the internal speech and even the atmosphere of the religious ministry” and it “radically transforms the requirements on religious ministries” as it relates to abortion, he warned.Blomberg noted that the 2025 court ruling interpreted the law itself as creating this mandate — not simply the regulations that followed. He explained that this means President Donald Trump’s administration does not have the authority to overrule the court order by promulgating regulations.He noted that the Department of Justice’s report on anti-Christian bias under Trump admonished the Biden-era PWFA rule, but “it remains to be seen how the administration’s lawyers will respond in court.”The EEOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Wolk Slavis noted in her statement that other lawsuits against this PWFA interpretation led to stronger religious freedom rulings for other organizations that objected.“Every other court to consider religious objections to this mandate has protected churches, and we hope the 5th Circuit does too,” she said.
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Catholic bishops appeal court ruling that would mandate abortion accommodations – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and other Catholic groups appealed a court ruling that would require them to provide workplace accommodations for employees seeking an abortion in certain circumstances.“In 250 years, our nation has never allowed the state to make the church support abortion — and now’s not the time to start,” Laura Wolk Slavis, an attorney for Becket who represents the Catholic groups in the lawsuit, said in a statement.The lawsuit centers on a May 2025 court ruling that interprets the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) to include a mandate that employers must offer accommodations to employees for obtaining abortions if they are not fully elective.The language of the PWFA itself does not mention abortion but instead requires that employers offer accommodations to pregnant women in the workplace. The USCCB supported the law, and its Senate sponsor, Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Pennsylvania, with cosponsor Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, promised it would not require abortion accommodations.In spite of this, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) under former President Joe Biden imposed rules for PWFA that interpreted it as requiring abortion accommodations for both elective and nonelective abortions in April 2024, which prompted the USCCB lawsuit.A federal court in May 2025 ruled that the law itself, regardless of what the regulations say, does require that the Catholic bishops and the other Catholic groups offer abortion accommodations if a pregnant woman is experiencing a negative health effect from the pregnancy itself but not if it is fully elective.According to the USCCB lawsuit, such negative effects range from serious complications with the pregnancy to common pregnancy-related conditions such as minor or severe hormonal changes, anxiety, nausea, or vomiting.Daniel Blomberg, an attorney for Becket, told EWTN News that some of the conditions listed are “literally the case for any pregnancy.” He noted that the ruling requires the Catholic groups to not only accommodate abortions in those situations but also to rewrite policies and procedures in a way that clearly communicates these accommodations to employees or prospective employees.The court’s interpretation of the law, Blomberg said, forces Catholic ministries to “adopt anti-life employment policies and statements in the workplace” and would stifle the speech of anyone in the workplace who would discourage an abortion accommodation.As interpreted by the court, the rule would “police the internal speech and even the atmosphere of the religious ministry” and it “radically transforms the requirements on religious ministries” as it relates to abortion, he warned.Blomberg noted that the 2025 court ruling interpreted the law itself as creating this mandate — not simply the regulations that followed. He explained that this means President Donald Trump’s administration does not have the authority to overrule the court order by promulgating regulations.He noted that the Department of Justice’s report on anti-Christian bias under Trump admonished the Biden-era PWFA rule, but “it remains to be seen how the administration’s lawyers will respond in court.”The EEOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Wolk Slavis noted in her statement that other lawsuits against this PWFA interpretation led to stronger religious freedom rulings for other organizations that objected.“Every other court to consider religious objections to this mandate has protected churches, and we hope the 5th Circuit does too,” she said.

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Bishops are asking the appellate court to overturn a ruling that would require employers to offer accommodations to employees who seek to obtain an abortion.

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Augustinian community in Spain eagerly awaits Pope Leo XIV’s visit – #Catholic – The Order of St. Augustine in Spain will welcome Pope Leo XIV in June with particular enthusiasm: He has visited the country on 10 previous occasions before becoming pope when he served as prior general of the Augustinians from 2000 to 2024. Robert Prevost traveled to Málaga, Seville, León, Valencia, Zaragoza, Santander, Huelva, Valladolid, Madrid, Bilbao, Palencia, and Ávila.On June 7, the second day of his apostolic journey, the pontiff will hold a private meeting with a delegation of the Augustinian community at the apostolic nunciature in Madrid.The Augustinian province of San Juan de Sahagún in Spain and Portugal comprises 338 religious with solemn vows, forming 36 communities distributed across 39 houses, including two communities in Portugal and two formation communities where 45 brothers are undergoing formation.While primarily established in the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish Augustinian province also extends to other parts of the world: Antilles, Argentina, India, Peru, Venezuela, and Tanzania, in vicariates. It also has two delegations in Central America and Cuba.In total, this subdivision of the Order of St. Augustine is present in 12 countries in addition to Spain and Portugal: the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, United States, Argentina, India, Peru, Venezuela, Tanzania, Cuba, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.The orderʼs international character is evident in Spainʼs Augustinian communities. In Barcelona, ​​the community consists of four religious, two originally from the Philippines and two from Tanzania. Together, the four of them provide pastoral care for three parishes within the Archdiocese of Barcelona.One of these is St. Augustine Parish, where on June 10 Pope Leo XIV will meet with diocesan charitable and assistance organizations. Situated off the beaten tourist path, it is located in the Raval neighborhood, one of the most disadvantaged in Barcelona. Indeed, very close to the parish, the Missionaries of Charity provide meals to about 400 people each day.In the Canary Islands, the Order of St. Augustine has maintained a presence since the 14th century, and numerous missionaries have set out from there. Currently, a single community remains in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife Island, comprising four religious: Father Ángel Andrés, a 77-year-old Spaniard who serves as coordinator; Father Manuel Ángel Andrés Alegre, a 96-year-old Spaniard; Father Aldrin Alvarado, 45, originally from the Philippines; and Father Jojo Neyssery Lonankutty from India, also 45.The Order of St. Augustine in Spain runs 17 schools and three university residential colleges in addition to the Royal University Center Escorial-María Cristina. This work benefits nearly 18,000 students and employs 1,500 teachers, support staff, and administrators.The Spanish Augustinians maintain two formation houses, one in Valladolid and another in El Escorial, where the novitiate is also headquartered.Each educational center features a pastoral team coordinated by a designated leader and comprising both Augustinian religious and lay members responsible for planning and promoting activities related to the apostolate and evangelization.The events surrounding the popeʼs visit to Spain are being organized by the Augustinian family in collaboration with other religious congregations including the Augustinian Recollects, Discalced Augustinians, Assumptionist Augustinians, Augustinian Missionaries, Augustinians of the Amparo, and Contemplative Augustinians, thereby bringing together approximately 8,000 pilgrims from various parts of Spain.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Augustinian community in Spain eagerly awaits Pope Leo XIV’s visit – #Catholic – The Order of St. Augustine in Spain will welcome Pope Leo XIV in June with particular enthusiasm: He has visited the country on 10 previous occasions before becoming pope when he served as prior general of the Augustinians from 2000 to 2024. Robert Prevost traveled to Málaga, Seville, León, Valencia, Zaragoza, Santander, Huelva, Valladolid, Madrid, Bilbao, Palencia, and Ávila.On June 7, the second day of his apostolic journey, the pontiff will hold a private meeting with a delegation of the Augustinian community at the apostolic nunciature in Madrid.The Augustinian province of San Juan de Sahagún in Spain and Portugal comprises 338 religious with solemn vows, forming 36 communities distributed across 39 houses, including two communities in Portugal and two formation communities where 45 brothers are undergoing formation.While primarily established in the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish Augustinian province also extends to other parts of the world: Antilles, Argentina, India, Peru, Venezuela, and Tanzania, in vicariates. It also has two delegations in Central America and Cuba.In total, this subdivision of the Order of St. Augustine is present in 12 countries in addition to Spain and Portugal: the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, United States, Argentina, India, Peru, Venezuela, Tanzania, Cuba, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.The orderʼs international character is evident in Spainʼs Augustinian communities. In Barcelona, ​​the community consists of four religious, two originally from the Philippines and two from Tanzania. Together, the four of them provide pastoral care for three parishes within the Archdiocese of Barcelona.One of these is St. Augustine Parish, where on June 10 Pope Leo XIV will meet with diocesan charitable and assistance organizations. Situated off the beaten tourist path, it is located in the Raval neighborhood, one of the most disadvantaged in Barcelona. Indeed, very close to the parish, the Missionaries of Charity provide meals to about 400 people each day.In the Canary Islands, the Order of St. Augustine has maintained a presence since the 14th century, and numerous missionaries have set out from there. Currently, a single community remains in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife Island, comprising four religious: Father Ángel Andrés, a 77-year-old Spaniard who serves as coordinator; Father Manuel Ángel Andrés Alegre, a 96-year-old Spaniard; Father Aldrin Alvarado, 45, originally from the Philippines; and Father Jojo Neyssery Lonankutty from India, also 45.The Order of St. Augustine in Spain runs 17 schools and three university residential colleges in addition to the Royal University Center Escorial-María Cristina. This work benefits nearly 18,000 students and employs 1,500 teachers, support staff, and administrators.The Spanish Augustinians maintain two formation houses, one in Valladolid and another in El Escorial, where the novitiate is also headquartered.Each educational center features a pastoral team coordinated by a designated leader and comprising both Augustinian religious and lay members responsible for planning and promoting activities related to the apostolate and evangelization.The events surrounding the popeʼs visit to Spain are being organized by the Augustinian family in collaboration with other religious congregations including the Augustinian Recollects, Discalced Augustinians, Assumptionist Augustinians, Augustinian Missionaries, Augustinians of the Amparo, and Contemplative Augustinians, thereby bringing together approximately 8,000 pilgrims from various parts of Spain.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Augustinian community in Spain waits in great anticipation for Pope Leo’s visit to the country, though the pope has visited numerous times previously as prior general of the order.

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EWTN News explains: What is a papal encylical? #Catholic With the announcement of Pope Leo XIVʼs first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: “On the Protection of Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," there is much anticipation as to what guidance the pope will provide on the digital revolution and emerging technologies such as AI.But what are papal encyclicals, and what can they reveal about the popeʼs priorities on the world stage and for the Church?The pope’s pastoral letterA papal encyclical is a pastoral letter written by the pope, primarily addressed to bishops but also to Catholics and all people, typically reflecting on Church teachings and suggesting ways to apply them to modern issues.According to the 1917 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia, encyclicals were “letters sent to all the bishops of Christendom, or at least to all those in one particular country, and intended to guide them in their relations with their flocks.”Encyclicals are part of the pope’s everyday teaching authority, known as his “ordinary magisterium.” They are among the most common ways he presents Church doctrine and serve as authoritative and valuable sources of Catholic teaching and guidance on contemporary topics, including sexuality, Catholic social teaching, and stewardship of the earth.Since Pope Leo XIII, encyclicals have become one of the most common means by which popes are heard across the globe on the most pressing issues of our time.Are Catholics required to believe them?A pope does not normally use an encyclical to make an "ex cathedra" declaration — a solemn, and rare, statement on faith or morals, normally promulgated in an apostolic constitution. Modern examples of "ex cathedra" proclamations include the popes' definitions of the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Assumption (1950).Encyclicals, however, are not merely letters or expressions of the popeʼs opinion. They carry significant doctrinal weight and are frequently cited as important sources of Catholic teaching.According to canon law, Catholics are required to give “a religious submission of the intellect and will” to these letters and to “take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it.”Simply put, Catholics are to presume that the pope teaches the truth in these letters and to sincerely respect the teachings they contain.Recent encyclical trendsInitially addressed exclusively to bishops, papal encyclicals began reaching broader audiences in the modern period, beginning with Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum. It marked the first time in many years that the bishop of Rome had written a pastoral letter on matters other than doctrine or internal affairs of the Church, instead addressing workers’ rights, the right to private property, and the dangers of socialism.With St. John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris in 1963, pontiffs increasingly addressed their letters to “all men of goodwill,” shifting from a mainly Catholic audience to the global stage. Pope Leo XIII in 1898. | Credit: Francesco De Federicis/Wikimedia Commons Since the Second Vatican Council, papal encyclicals have increasingly focused on threats to the dignity of the human person and authentic human development. St. Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae in 1968, reiterating and applying Church teaching to the question of artificial birth control. St. John Paul II dedicated four encyclicals to promoting Catholic social teaching, building on Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum. Pope Francis’ four encyclicals largely addressed the preservation of ecology and universal fraternity.Despite the importance given to these letters in the modern period, the average number of encyclicals per pope is relatively small. Francis wrote only four, while Benedict XVI, his immediate predecessor, wrote just three. John Paul II wrote 14, but the average number of encyclicals per pope since the Second Vatican Council has been just seven.Leo XIII has the most encyclicals of any pope, with 88, 11 of which are dedicated to the rosary.Pope Leo XIVʼs first encyclical builds on othersPope Leo XIV indicated at the beginning of his pontificate that he intended to follow in the footsteps of Pope Leo XIII, his predecessor, by responding to todayʼs industrial revolution: “developments in the field of artificial intelligence.” May 15 marked the 135th anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical on capital and labor, Rerum Novarum: “Of New Things” — the first in a long line of social encyclicals produced in the modern era of the Catholic Church.Addressing the College of Cardinals on May 10, 2025, Leo said: “In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.”Magnifica Humanitas is expected to be released on May 25 at 11:30 a.m. Rome time in the Vaticanʼs Synod Hall.
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EWTN News explains: What is a papal encylical? #Catholic With the announcement of Pope Leo XIVʼs first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: “On the Protection of Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," there is much anticipation as to what guidance the pope will provide on the digital revolution and emerging technologies such as AI.But what are papal encyclicals, and what can they reveal about the popeʼs priorities on the world stage and for the Church?The pope’s pastoral letterA papal encyclical is a pastoral letter written by the pope, primarily addressed to bishops but also to Catholics and all people, typically reflecting on Church teachings and suggesting ways to apply them to modern issues.According to the 1917 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia, encyclicals were “letters sent to all the bishops of Christendom, or at least to all those in one particular country, and intended to guide them in their relations with their flocks.”Encyclicals are part of the pope’s everyday teaching authority, known as his “ordinary magisterium.” They are among the most common ways he presents Church doctrine and serve as authoritative and valuable sources of Catholic teaching and guidance on contemporary topics, including sexuality, Catholic social teaching, and stewardship of the earth.Since Pope Leo XIII, encyclicals have become one of the most common means by which popes are heard across the globe on the most pressing issues of our time.Are Catholics required to believe them?A pope does not normally use an encyclical to make an "ex cathedra" declaration — a solemn, and rare, statement on faith or morals, normally promulgated in an apostolic constitution. Modern examples of "ex cathedra" proclamations include the popes' definitions of the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Assumption (1950).Encyclicals, however, are not merely letters or expressions of the popeʼs opinion. They carry significant doctrinal weight and are frequently cited as important sources of Catholic teaching.According to canon law, Catholics are required to give “a religious submission of the intellect and will” to these letters and to “take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it.”Simply put, Catholics are to presume that the pope teaches the truth in these letters and to sincerely respect the teachings they contain.Recent encyclical trendsInitially addressed exclusively to bishops, papal encyclicals began reaching broader audiences in the modern period, beginning with Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum. It marked the first time in many years that the bishop of Rome had written a pastoral letter on matters other than doctrine or internal affairs of the Church, instead addressing workers’ rights, the right to private property, and the dangers of socialism.With St. John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris in 1963, pontiffs increasingly addressed their letters to “all men of goodwill,” shifting from a mainly Catholic audience to the global stage. Pope Leo XIII in 1898. | Credit: Francesco De Federicis/Wikimedia Commons Since the Second Vatican Council, papal encyclicals have increasingly focused on threats to the dignity of the human person and authentic human development. St. Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae in 1968, reiterating and applying Church teaching to the question of artificial birth control. St. John Paul II dedicated four encyclicals to promoting Catholic social teaching, building on Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum. Pope Francis’ four encyclicals largely addressed the preservation of ecology and universal fraternity.Despite the importance given to these letters in the modern period, the average number of encyclicals per pope is relatively small. Francis wrote only four, while Benedict XVI, his immediate predecessor, wrote just three. John Paul II wrote 14, but the average number of encyclicals per pope since the Second Vatican Council has been just seven.Leo XIII has the most encyclicals of any pope, with 88, 11 of which are dedicated to the rosary.Pope Leo XIVʼs first encyclical builds on othersPope Leo XIV indicated at the beginning of his pontificate that he intended to follow in the footsteps of Pope Leo XIII, his predecessor, by responding to todayʼs industrial revolution: “developments in the field of artificial intelligence.” May 15 marked the 135th anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical on capital and labor, Rerum Novarum: “Of New Things” — the first in a long line of social encyclicals produced in the modern era of the Catholic Church.Addressing the College of Cardinals on May 10, 2025, Leo said: “In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.”Magnifica Humanitas is expected to be released on May 25 at 11:30 a.m. Rome time in the Vaticanʼs Synod Hall.

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Papal encyclicals are a powerful way the pope shapes global debates and articulates Church doctrine, but how should Catholics understand them?

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Astronomy magazine launches 2026 astrophotography contest presented by Celestron

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 20, 2026 On May 15, Astronomy magazine announced the 2026 Astronomy Magazine Astrophotography Contest, presented by Celestron. Submissions open May 15, 2026, and close at the end of June 22, 2026 (EDT). Winners and shortlisted images will be published in the December 2026 issue of Astronomy, the world’s best-selling astronomy magazine.Continue reading “Astronomy magazine launches 2026 astrophotography contest presented by Celestron”

The post Astronomy magazine launches 2026 astrophotography contest presented by Celestron appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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New York Diocese of Ogdensburg will pay million to sex abuse victims #Catholic The Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, will pay out million to abuse victims, part of a yearslong bankruptcy process that began after dozens of sex abuse cases were filed against it. The diocese said in a May 19 statement that the diocesan administration, along with “parishes, schools, and other Catholic entities,” would contribute into the settlement, which would be organized as a “survivor trust.” “Once the plan is confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, the million contributed to the survivor trust … will be available for distribution to survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers,” the diocese said. Ogdensburg Bishop Terry LaValley prayed that the settlement “will bring peace and healing to all survivors and to all the faithful whose hearts were broken by the gravely sinful conduct of Church leaders.”“The great harm that has been caused by this sinful behavior must never be allowed to happen again,“ he said. ”It is my sincere hope that this process has brought the survivors some comfort and peace.”The diocese "is committed to ensuring the safety of all persons entrusted to our care,” the bishop said. The New York-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said in a May 19 press release that the diocese and abuse victims “will continue negotiations regarding significant nonmonetary provisions,” including “enhancements to child protection policies and the public disclosure of information related to clergy and other personnel accused of sexual abuse.”The Ogdensburg Diocese filed for bankruptcy in July 2023, the sixth diocese in New York state to do so. The bankruptcy filing came as the diocese was facing dozens of abuse lawsuits filed under the stateʼs 2019 Child Victims Act, which significantly expanded the window in which abuse victims could file lawsuits against abusers and institutions. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, LaValley said dealing with the lawsuits on a case-by-case basis would be “slow” and “unpredictable.” “Reorganization ensures that each survivor receives just compensation," the bishop said at the time. "It eliminates a race to the courthouse in which the earliest cases settled or brought to judgment could exhaust the resources available to pay claims, leaving nothing for victims whose cases are resolved later."Earlier this month it was announced that the Archdiocese of New York would pay 0 million into an abuse settlement there, with the amount covering around 1,300 victims who also filed under the state Child Victims Act.
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New York Diocese of Ogdensburg will pay $45 million to sex abuse victims #Catholic The Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, will pay out $45 million to abuse victims, part of a yearslong bankruptcy process that began after dozens of sex abuse cases were filed against it. The diocese said in a May 19 statement that the diocesan administration, along with “parishes, schools, and other Catholic entities,” would contribute into the settlement, which would be organized as a “survivor trust.” “Once the plan is confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, the $45 million contributed to the survivor trust … will be available for distribution to survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers,” the diocese said. Ogdensburg Bishop Terry LaValley prayed that the settlement “will bring peace and healing to all survivors and to all the faithful whose hearts were broken by the gravely sinful conduct of Church leaders.”“The great harm that has been caused by this sinful behavior must never be allowed to happen again,“ he said. ”It is my sincere hope that this process has brought the survivors some comfort and peace.”The diocese "is committed to ensuring the safety of all persons entrusted to our care,” the bishop said. The New York-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said in a May 19 press release that the diocese and abuse victims “will continue negotiations regarding significant nonmonetary provisions,” including “enhancements to child protection policies and the public disclosure of information related to clergy and other personnel accused of sexual abuse.”The Ogdensburg Diocese filed for bankruptcy in July 2023, the sixth diocese in New York state to do so. The bankruptcy filing came as the diocese was facing dozens of abuse lawsuits filed under the stateʼs 2019 Child Victims Act, which significantly expanded the window in which abuse victims could file lawsuits against abusers and institutions. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, LaValley said dealing with the lawsuits on a case-by-case basis would be “slow” and “unpredictable.” “Reorganization ensures that each survivor receives just compensation," the bishop said at the time. "It eliminates a race to the courthouse in which the earliest cases settled or brought to judgment could exhaust the resources available to pay claims, leaving nothing for victims whose cases are resolved later."Earlier this month it was announced that the Archdiocese of New York would pay $800 million into an abuse settlement there, with the amount covering around 1,300 victims who also filed under the state Child Victims Act.

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The diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2023 after nearly 150 sex abuse lawsuits were filed against it.

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Saint Elizabeth’s graduation ceremony shines for Class of 2026 seniors #Catholic - Radiating joy and pride, 277 graduates of Saint Elizabeth’s University (SEU) in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township celebrated a milestone as they received their diplomas during the university’s 124th Commencement Ceremony on the bright morning of May 15. The ceremony for the Class of 2026 took place on the picturesque front lawn of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, who founded and continues to administer the university. Under clear skies, 118 graduate students and 159 undergraduates were honored, with 52 students earning special distinctions amidst applause. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concluded the ceremony with a final prayer and blessing for the Class of 2026. Father Joseph Farias, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese, N.J. who serves as university chaplain and advisor to the president for mission integration, offered an opening prayer. The celebration also featured the participation of Gary B. Crosby, Ph.D., the president of Saint Elizabeth’s, and Ras J. Baraka, mayor of Newark, N.J., who delivered a spirited commencement address. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]   Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Saint Elizabeth’s graduation ceremony shines for Class of 2026 seniors #Catholic – Radiating joy and pride, 277 graduates of Saint Elizabeth’s University (SEU) in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township celebrated a milestone as they received their diplomas during the university’s 124th Commencement Ceremony on the bright morning of May 15. The ceremony for the Class of 2026 took place on the picturesque front lawn of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, who founded and continues to administer the university. Under clear skies, 118 graduate students and 159 undergraduates were honored, with 52 students earning special distinctions amidst applause. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concluded the ceremony with a final prayer and blessing for the Class of 2026. Father Joseph Farias, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese, N.J. who serves as university chaplain and advisor to the president for mission integration, offered an opening prayer. The celebration also featured the participation of Gary B. Crosby, Ph.D., the president of Saint Elizabeth’s, and Ras J. Baraka, mayor of Newark, N.J., who delivered a spirited commencement address. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]   Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Saint Elizabeth’s graduation ceremony shines for Class of 2026 seniors #Catholic –

Radiating joy and pride, 277 graduates of Saint Elizabeth’s University (SEU) in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township celebrated a milestone as they received their diplomas during the university’s 124th Commencement Ceremony on the bright morning of May 15.

The ceremony for the Class of 2026 took place on the picturesque front lawn of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, who founded and continues to administer the university. Under clear skies, 118 graduate students and 159 undergraduates were honored, with 52 students earning special distinctions amidst applause.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concluded the ceremony with a final prayer and blessing for the Class of 2026. Father Joseph Farias, a retired priest of the Paterson Diocese, N.J. who serves as university chaplain and advisor to the president for mission integration, offered an opening prayer.

The celebration also featured the participation of Gary B. Crosby, Ph.D., the president of Saint Elizabeth’s, and Ras J. Baraka, mayor of Newark, N.J., who delivered a spirited commencement address.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
 

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– Radiating joy and pride, 277 graduates of Saint Elizabeth’s University (SEU) in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township celebrated a milestone as they received their diplomas during the university’s 124th Commencement Ceremony on the bright morning of May 15. The ceremony for the Class of 2026 took place on the picturesque front lawn of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, who founded and continues to administer the university. Under clear skies, 118 graduate students and 159 undergraduates were honored, with 52 students earning special distinctions amidst applause. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney concluded the ceremony with

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Thousands rejoice as Bishop celebrates Fatima feast at shrine #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., visited the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Asbury, N.J., in the Trenton Diocese on May 13 to celebrate Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Several priests concelebrated the Mass. The visit started with a rosary procession, with the Our Lady of Fatima pilgrim statue carried around the shrine’s grounds. Thousands of pilgrims from the Paterson Diocese, N.J., and around New Jersey attended the Mass. The World Apostolate of Fatima operates the shrine. The day’s schedule included a talk by David M. Carollo, the shrine’s executive director; an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; a Eucharistic procession and Benediction, and a blessing of religious articles. The event ended with a “Fatima farewell,” during which pilgrims sang a song and waved white handkerchiefs as the statue departed. The focus on Our Lady of Fatima during the day had special meaning. The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13 commemorates the first of six apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917 to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. It is a recognized Optional Memorial in the Catholic Church, emphasizing messages of prayer, peace, penance, and the daily rosary, according to Franciscan Media. Pilgrims may visit the shrine and receive a plenary indulgence during the Extraordinary Marian Jubilee Year. For more information, visit BlueArmyShrine.com. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]   Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Thousands rejoice as Bishop celebrates Fatima feast at shrine #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., visited the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Asbury, N.J., in the Trenton Diocese on May 13 to celebrate Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Several priests concelebrated the Mass. The visit started with a rosary procession, with the Our Lady of Fatima pilgrim statue carried around the shrine’s grounds. Thousands of pilgrims from the Paterson Diocese, N.J., and around New Jersey attended the Mass. The World Apostolate of Fatima operates the shrine. The day’s schedule included a talk by David M. Carollo, the shrine’s executive director; an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; a Eucharistic procession and Benediction, and a blessing of religious articles. The event ended with a “Fatima farewell,” during which pilgrims sang a song and waved white handkerchiefs as the statue departed. The focus on Our Lady of Fatima during the day had special meaning. The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13 commemorates the first of six apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917 to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. It is a recognized Optional Memorial in the Catholic Church, emphasizing messages of prayer, peace, penance, and the daily rosary, according to Franciscan Media. Pilgrims may visit the shrine and receive a plenary indulgence during the Extraordinary Marian Jubilee Year. For more information, visit BlueArmyShrine.com. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org]   Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Thousands rejoice as Bishop celebrates Fatima feast at shrine #Catholic –

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., visited the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Asbury, N.J., in the Trenton Diocese on May 13 to celebrate Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Several priests concelebrated the Mass.

The visit started with a rosary procession, with the Our Lady of Fatima pilgrim statue carried around the shrine’s grounds. Thousands of pilgrims from the Paterson Diocese, N.J., and around New Jersey attended the Mass. The World Apostolate of Fatima operates the shrine.

The day’s schedule included a talk by David M. Carollo, the shrine’s executive director; an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; a Eucharistic procession and Benediction, and a blessing of religious articles. The event ended with a “Fatima farewell,” during which pilgrims sang a song and waved white handkerchiefs as the statue departed.

The focus on Our Lady of Fatima during the day had special meaning. The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13 commemorates the first of six apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917 to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. It is a recognized Optional Memorial in the Catholic Church, emphasizing messages of prayer, peace, penance, and the daily rosary, according to Franciscan Media.

Pilgrims may visit the shrine and receive a plenary indulgence during the Extraordinary Marian Jubilee Year.

For more information, visit BlueArmyShrine.com.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., visited the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Asbury, N.J., in the Trenton Diocese on May 13 to celebrate Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Several priests concelebrated the Mass. The visit started with a rosary procession, with the Our Lady of Fatima pilgrim statue carried around the shrine’s grounds. Thousands of pilgrims from the Paterson Diocese, N.J., and around New Jersey attended the Mass. The World Apostolate of Fatima operates the shrine. The day’s schedule included a talk by David M. Carollo, the

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 20 May 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 20:28-38 At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus: “Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God that he acquired with his own Blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them. So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears. And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated. I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions. In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.From the Gospel according to John 17:11b-19 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”Divisions among Christians, while they wound the Church, wound Christ; and divided, we cause a wound to Christ: the Church is indeed the body of which Christ is the Head. We know well how much Jesus had at heart that his disciples should remain united in his love. It suffices to consider his words, written in the 17th Chapter of the Gospel according to John, in Jesus’ prayer to the Father when his passion was imminent: “Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (Jn 17:11). This unity was already threatened while Jesus was still among them: in the Gospel, in fact, it is recorded that the Apostles argued among themselves about who was the greatest, the most important (cf. Lk 9:46). The Lord, however, emphatically insisted on unity in the name of the Father, allowing us to understand how much more credible our proclamation and our witness will be if we are first able to live in communion and to love each other. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 8 October 2014)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 20:28-38

At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus:
“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship.

From the Gospel according to John
17:11b-19

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:
“Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

Divisions among Christians, while they wound the Church, wound Christ; and divided, we cause a wound to Christ: the Church is indeed the body of which Christ is the Head. We know well how much Jesus had at heart that his disciples should remain united in his love. It suffices to consider his words, written in the 17th Chapter of the Gospel according to John, in Jesus’ prayer to the Father when his passion was imminent: “Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (Jn 17:11). This unity was already threatened while Jesus was still among them: in the Gospel, in fact, it is recorded that the Apostles argued among themselves about who was the greatest, the most important (cf. Lk 9:46). The Lord, however, emphatically insisted on unity in the name of the Father, allowing us to understand how much more credible our proclamation and our witness will be if we are first able to live in communion and to love each other. (Pope Francis, General Audience, 8 October 2014)

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Abigail Adams Starting To Believe Husband Made Up This Whole ‘Continental Congress’ As An Excuse To Hang Out With The Boys #BabylonBee – QUINCY, MA — Weary from a major smallpox outbreak in her area, the wife of John Adams claimed she was starting to believe this whole thing about a "Continental Congress" was made up by her husband as an excuse to go hang out with the boys.
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Abigail Adams Starting To Believe Husband Made Up This Whole ‘Continental Congress’ As An Excuse To Hang Out With The Boys #BabylonBee – QUINCY, MA — Weary from a major smallpox outbreak in her area, the wife of John Adams claimed she was starting to believe this whole thing about a "Continental Congress" was made up by her husband as an excuse to go hang out with the boys.

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QUINCY, MA — Weary from a major smallpox outbreak in her area, the wife of John Adams claimed she was starting to believe this whole thing about a "Continental Congress" was made up by her husband as an excuse to go hang out with the boys.

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Study Reveals 90% Of Data Centers Just Storing Your Wife’s Pictures Of The Kids #BabylonBee – OVERLAND PARK, KS — The need for the construction of massive data storage centers has been in the news again recently, with the results of a new study indicating that 90% of data centers are just storage for your wife’s pictures of the kids.
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Study Reveals 90% Of Data Centers Just Storing Your Wife’s Pictures Of The Kids #BabylonBee – OVERLAND PARK, KS — The need for the construction of massive data storage centers has been in the news again recently, with the results of a new study indicating that 90% of data centers are just storage for your wife’s pictures of the kids.

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OVERLAND PARK, KS — The need for the construction of massive data storage centers has been in the news again recently, with the results of a new study indicating that 90% of data centers are just storage for your wife’s pictures of the kids.

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Agreement allows daily pastoral access at Illinois ICE facility, faith leaders say – #Catholic – A group of Catholic and Christian faith leaders said it has been granted daily access to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, since May 15 under a milestone agreement with immigration officials.The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), a Chicago-based Catholic and Christian advocacy group, said in a May 19 press release that it has struck a deal with ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that allows “daily pastoral visits.” The temporary agreement follows a nearly 10-month-long campaign and lawsuit filed by CSPL and other faith leaders in November. CSPL faith leaders were permitted to provide pastoral care for Ash Wednesday and Holy Week but were denied entrance at Christmas. The group noted that the agreement is not permanent and that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois requested a July status update.“During the pendency of this federal litigation, as ordered by the court, plaintiffs may access the ICE Broadview Service Staging Area Facility,” the agreement states, according to CSPL, “to offer pastoral services on a daily basis to detainees who wish to receive pastoral care, including spiritual care, prayer, or facility-approved sacramental ministry, which may include rites tied to specific religious observances.”Access to the facility will be allowed for up to five religious leaders per day between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., CSPL said. ICE personnel are required under the agreement to provide “sufficient space for religious services to be carried out within reasonable operational parameters,” CSPL said. The agreement also requires ICE to “make reasonable efforts” to facilitate privacy for detainees during the sacrament of confession, CSPL said.Visits may only take place after detainees have completed intake and must be concluded with enough time for detainees to be transported out of the facility, CSPL said. ICE is permitted to limit visitation based on safety threats and operational concerns under the agreement, CSPL said.‘Emergency room treatment’The group provided religious services to 12 detainees at Broadview under the agreement on May 17, CSPL said.“One detainee, facing deportation, expressed his gratitude for the visit and said, ‘Me siento como a volver a vivir,’ which loosely translates to a feeling of being brought back to life,” the organization said in the release.“To my mind, it’s emergency room treatment,” said Father Paul Keller, CMF, the provincial for the Claretian Missionaries and a member of the CSPL Clergy Council. “Someone is there right when the trauma has happened to attend to the immediate emotional and spiritual wounds.”“This agreement represents a recognition of the human dignity and basic human rights of our detained sisters and brothers,” CSPL Executive Director Michael N. Okińczyc-Cruz said.Another civil suit (Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem) in federal court alleged detainees at the Broadview facility faced overcrowded, “inhumane” conditions, insufficient nutrition, inadequate medical care, lack of privacy, and a squalid living environment.Although detainees are only meant to be held at Broadview for a few hours, with the maximum being 72 hours, some alleged last year that they were held there for several days and even up to one week during ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz, which detained about 3,000 immigrants illegally residing in the state.A DHS spokesperson said “religious organizations are more than welcome to provide services to detainees in ICE detention facilities” and disputed detainees' claims that the Broadview facility functions as a detention center, not a temporary processing facility.“Even before the attacks on the Broadview facility, it was not within standard operating procedure for religious services to be provided in a field office, as detainees are continuously brought in, processed, and transferred out," according to a DHS spokesperson.
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Agreement allows daily pastoral access at Illinois ICE facility, faith leaders say – #Catholic – A group of Catholic and Christian faith leaders said it has been granted daily access to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, since May 15 under a milestone agreement with immigration officials.The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), a Chicago-based Catholic and Christian advocacy group, said in a May 19 press release that it has struck a deal with ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that allows “daily pastoral visits.” The temporary agreement follows a nearly 10-month-long campaign and lawsuit filed by CSPL and other faith leaders in November. CSPL faith leaders were permitted to provide pastoral care for Ash Wednesday and Holy Week but were denied entrance at Christmas. The group noted that the agreement is not permanent and that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois requested a July status update.“During the pendency of this federal litigation, as ordered by the court, plaintiffs may access the ICE Broadview Service Staging Area Facility,” the agreement states, according to CSPL, “to offer pastoral services on a daily basis to detainees who wish to receive pastoral care, including spiritual care, prayer, or facility-approved sacramental ministry, which may include rites tied to specific religious observances.”Access to the facility will be allowed for up to five religious leaders per day between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., CSPL said. ICE personnel are required under the agreement to provide “sufficient space for religious services to be carried out within reasonable operational parameters,” CSPL said. The agreement also requires ICE to “make reasonable efforts” to facilitate privacy for detainees during the sacrament of confession, CSPL said.Visits may only take place after detainees have completed intake and must be concluded with enough time for detainees to be transported out of the facility, CSPL said. ICE is permitted to limit visitation based on safety threats and operational concerns under the agreement, CSPL said.‘Emergency room treatment’The group provided religious services to 12 detainees at Broadview under the agreement on May 17, CSPL said.“One detainee, facing deportation, expressed his gratitude for the visit and said, ‘Me siento como a volver a vivir,’ which loosely translates to a feeling of being brought back to life,” the organization said in the release.“To my mind, it’s emergency room treatment,” said Father Paul Keller, CMF, the provincial for the Claretian Missionaries and a member of the CSPL Clergy Council. “Someone is there right when the trauma has happened to attend to the immediate emotional and spiritual wounds.”“This agreement represents a recognition of the human dignity and basic human rights of our detained sisters and brothers,” CSPL Executive Director Michael N. Okińczyc-Cruz said.Another civil suit (Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem) in federal court alleged detainees at the Broadview facility faced overcrowded, “inhumane” conditions, insufficient nutrition, inadequate medical care, lack of privacy, and a squalid living environment.Although detainees are only meant to be held at Broadview for a few hours, with the maximum being 72 hours, some alleged last year that they were held there for several days and even up to one week during ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz, which detained about 3,000 immigrants illegally residing in the state.A DHS spokesperson said “religious organizations are more than welcome to provide services to detainees in ICE detention facilities” and disputed detainees' claims that the Broadview facility functions as a detention center, not a temporary processing facility.“Even before the attacks on the Broadview facility, it was not within standard operating procedure for religious services to be provided in a field office, as detainees are continuously brought in, processed, and transferred out," according to a DHS spokesperson.

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A Chicago-based Catholic and Christian advocacy group said it has struck a deal allowing “daily pastoral visits” to a federal immigration facility in Broadview, Illinois.

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The Myth of Two Balanced Budgets, California and New York City – Liberal commentators are hailing Gavin Newsom and Zohran Mamdani as proof that socialist governance works, that a government can expand free programs, tax the wealthy, and still balance the books. The post The Myth of Two Balanced Budgets, California and New York City appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The Myth of Two Balanced Budgets, California and New York City – Liberal commentators are hailing Gavin Newsom and Zohran Mamdani as proof that socialist governance works, that a government can expand free programs, tax the wealthy, and still balance the books. The post The Myth of Two Balanced Budgets, California and New York City appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Portraits of a politician and a businessman, showcasing leadership and professionalism against contrasting backgrounds.

Portraits of a politician and a businessman, showcasing leadership and professionalism against contrasting backgrounds.

Liberal commentators are hailing Gavin Newsom and Zohran Mamdani as proof that socialist governance works, that a government can expand free programs, tax the wealthy, and still balance the books.

The post The Myth of Two Balanced Budgets, California and New York City appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Another Spanish Socialist Charged With Money Laundering and Influence Peddling – Former Prime Minister and Key Sánchez Ally, Zapatero Has His Offices Raided by Police – Socialists in Spain are floundering. The post Another Spanish Socialist Charged With Money Laundering and Influence Peddling – Former Prime Minister and Key Sánchez Ally, Zapatero Has His Offices Raided by Police appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Another Spanish Socialist Charged With Money Laundering and Influence Peddling – Former Prime Minister and Key Sánchez Ally, Zapatero Has His Offices Raided by Police – Socialists in Spain are floundering. The post Another Spanish Socialist Charged With Money Laundering and Influence Peddling – Former Prime Minister and Key Sánchez Ally, Zapatero Has His Offices Raided by Police appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Portrait of a man with short hair and a neutral expression, wearing a dark suit against a black background.

Portrait of a man with short hair and a neutral expression, wearing a dark suit against a black background.

Socialists in Spain are floundering.

The post Another Spanish Socialist Charged With Money Laundering and Influence Peddling – Former Prime Minister and Key Sánchez Ally, Zapatero Has His Offices Raided by Police appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Spain’s High Court investigates former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling in the Plus Ultra case –   This is a Gateway Hispanic article. The post Spain’s High Court investigates former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling in the Plus Ultra case appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Spain’s High Court investigates former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling in the Plus Ultra case –   This is a Gateway Hispanic article. The post Spain’s High Court investigates former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling in the Plus Ultra case appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Man in a suit gestures while speaking at an outdoor event, surrounded by greenery and a metal structure in the background.

Man in a suit gestures while speaking at an outdoor event, surrounded by greenery and a metal structure in the background.

  This is a Gateway Hispanic article.

The post Spain’s High Court investigates former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling in the Plus Ultra case appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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U.S. Catholic bishops urge immigration reform to uphold ‘God-given dignity’ in budget bill – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Congress to include immigration reform in the budget reconciliation package that is being negotiated by lawmakers. The bishops seek protection of the pastoral needs of detainees and changes to enforcement practices.“We encourage members of both parties to reject partisan appropriations funding and instead rededicate yourselves to a collaborative process that pursues the common good and promotes human dignity and flourishing,” they wrote in a letter to Republican and Democratic lawmakers.The letter was signed by Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the USCCB, and Victoria, Texas, Bishop Brendan Cahill, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration.In the letter, the bishops acknowledge “the legitimate role of the state to regulate immigration, including by bringing to justice those among us who seek to inflict harm,” but raise concerns about enforcement practices.“Enforcement of immigration laws cannot truly advance the common good without reasonable conditions that ensure respect for the God-given dignity of each person, inherent in which is the exercise of certain fundamental rights,” they wrote.The bishops asked for enforcement to be better aligned with “the moral order,” such as avoiding enforcement near sensitive locations like churches when there are not extreme circumstances and “mandating consistent access to religious and pastoral services” for detainees.“Rather than pursuing such measures through a bipartisan process, Congress now risks setting a concerning precedent — one in which furthering the common good is undermined for the sake of political expediency,” they wrote.Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded a rule that put limits on immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations” like churches. DHS officials still urge officer discretion and contend such enforcement would be rare.DHS also says it encourages clergy to reach out for accommodations to ensure spiritual needs are met for detainees, although officials denied faith leaders' requests to bring the sacraments to an immigration processing facility in Illinois until a federal lawsuit was filed in November 2025 following repeated denials.DHS recently emerged from a prolonged fiscal 2026 funding impasse, the longest DHS shutdown on record. Congress passed a bill that funded most DHS components, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) funding was left unresolved, requiring separate legislative action. The ongoing complexity may influence the fiscal 2027 appropriations timeline, and Republicans have proposed giving ICE and CBP billion in additional funding, on top of 0 billion Congress already allocated last year.The bishops requested lawmakers “limit additional funding increases for immigration enforcement after the unprecedented amounts provided through last year’s reconciliation bill.” They expressed concern over “an enforcement-only approach to immigration,” which they said “can never meet the demands of the moral law.”“Nor does such an approach truly support the welfare and prosperity of American communities,” the bishops said.Fifty‑four people have died in ICE custody since the start of fiscal 2025, which is 125% more detainee deaths than occurred during all four previous fiscal years combined (24 deaths), according to ICE detainee death reporting data.In their letter to Congress, the bishops quoted a speech by Pope Leo XIV on Jan. 9 in which the Holy Father said: “To be authentic, democratic processes must be accompanied by the political will to pursue the common good, to strengthen social cohesion, and to promote the integral development of every person.”The bishops asked Congress to follow that guidance when putting together the budget bill.“Through this reconciliation effort and the circumstances that gave rise to it, we see the unfortunate absence of that will and therefore the failure to achieve reasonable and necessary reforms to current immigration enforcement practices,” they said.
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U.S. Catholic bishops urge immigration reform to uphold ‘God-given dignity’ in budget bill – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Congress to include immigration reform in the budget reconciliation package that is being negotiated by lawmakers. The bishops seek protection of the pastoral needs of detainees and changes to enforcement practices.“We encourage members of both parties to reject partisan appropriations funding and instead rededicate yourselves to a collaborative process that pursues the common good and promotes human dignity and flourishing,” they wrote in a letter to Republican and Democratic lawmakers.The letter was signed by Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the USCCB, and Victoria, Texas, Bishop Brendan Cahill, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration.In the letter, the bishops acknowledge “the legitimate role of the state to regulate immigration, including by bringing to justice those among us who seek to inflict harm,” but raise concerns about enforcement practices.“Enforcement of immigration laws cannot truly advance the common good without reasonable conditions that ensure respect for the God-given dignity of each person, inherent in which is the exercise of certain fundamental rights,” they wrote.The bishops asked for enforcement to be better aligned with “the moral order,” such as avoiding enforcement near sensitive locations like churches when there are not extreme circumstances and “mandating consistent access to religious and pastoral services” for detainees.“Rather than pursuing such measures through a bipartisan process, Congress now risks setting a concerning precedent — one in which furthering the common good is undermined for the sake of political expediency,” they wrote.Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded a rule that put limits on immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations” like churches. DHS officials still urge officer discretion and contend such enforcement would be rare.DHS also says it encourages clergy to reach out for accommodations to ensure spiritual needs are met for detainees, although officials denied faith leaders' requests to bring the sacraments to an immigration processing facility in Illinois until a federal lawsuit was filed in November 2025 following repeated denials.DHS recently emerged from a prolonged fiscal 2026 funding impasse, the longest DHS shutdown on record. Congress passed a bill that funded most DHS components, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) funding was left unresolved, requiring separate legislative action. The ongoing complexity may influence the fiscal 2027 appropriations timeline, and Republicans have proposed giving ICE and CBP $70 billion in additional funding, on top of $170 billion Congress already allocated last year.The bishops requested lawmakers “limit additional funding increases for immigration enforcement after the unprecedented amounts provided through last year’s reconciliation bill.” They expressed concern over “an enforcement-only approach to immigration,” which they said “can never meet the demands of the moral law.”“Nor does such an approach truly support the welfare and prosperity of American communities,” the bishops said.Fifty‑four people have died in ICE custody since the start of fiscal 2025, which is 125% more detainee deaths than occurred during all four previous fiscal years combined (24 deaths), according to ICE detainee death reporting data.In their letter to Congress, the bishops quoted a speech by Pope Leo XIV on Jan. 9 in which the Holy Father said: “To be authentic, democratic processes must be accompanied by the political will to pursue the common good, to strengthen social cohesion, and to promote the integral development of every person.”The bishops asked Congress to follow that guidance when putting together the budget bill.“Through this reconciliation effort and the circumstances that gave rise to it, we see the unfortunate absence of that will and therefore the failure to achieve reasonable and necessary reforms to current immigration enforcement practices,” they said.

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Fifty‑four people have died in ICE custody since the start of fiscal 2025.

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U.S. bishops plan Sacred Heart consecration, issue agenda for June meeting – #Catholic – Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City is set to deliver his first remarks as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) before bishops consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June.The USCCB is set to gather for the 2026 Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando, Florida, on June 10–12.Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, nuncio to the United States, also is scheduled to deliver his first address to U.S. bishops since his appointment in March.In preparation for consecrating the nation, bishops will hear reflections on the Sacred Heart from several of the bishops ahead of the Mass. The USCCB said in a statement that the bishops hope the event encourages parishes and individuals to also participate in America’s 250th anniversary by contributing to 250 hours of adoration and 250 works of mercy.Lectionary changesThe full plenary agenda has not yet been finalized and is subject to change, but it is expected to include votes on a number of action items including the causes for canonization of Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh and John Rick Miller.The Committee on Divine Worship also will present elements of a revised edition of the “Lectionary for Mass” and the “2025 Roman Missal-Liturgy of the Hours Supplement” for approval.The bishops are expected to vote on a potential revision to the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” which was first addressed by bishops in 2022 meetings.The bishops have determined the charter is in need of revisions to align with its original intention of safeguarding minors, the prevention of abuse, and ensuring structures continue to be in place to respond to abuse allegations, the USCCB said.9-year novena, Catholic universities to be discussedThe U.S. bishops are also expected to talk about the USCCB’s engagement with the Intercontinental Guadalupan Novena, a nine-year novena called for by Pope Francis in 2022 that anticipates the fifth centennial of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2031.For the 25th anniversary of the implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae in the U.S., there is an expected presentation and reflection on Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution to guide Catholic colleges and universities on theological and pastoral principles.The group will also discuss upcoming events including World Youth Day 2027, which will be held in Seoul, South Korea.
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U.S. bishops plan Sacred Heart consecration, issue agenda for June meeting – #Catholic – Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City is set to deliver his first remarks as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) before bishops consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June.The USCCB is set to gather for the 2026 Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando, Florida, on June 10–12.Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, nuncio to the United States, also is scheduled to deliver his first address to U.S. bishops since his appointment in March.In preparation for consecrating the nation, bishops will hear reflections on the Sacred Heart from several of the bishops ahead of the Mass. The USCCB said in a statement that the bishops hope the event encourages parishes and individuals to also participate in America’s 250th anniversary by contributing to 250 hours of adoration and 250 works of mercy.Lectionary changesThe full plenary agenda has not yet been finalized and is subject to change, but it is expected to include votes on a number of action items including the causes for canonization of Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh and John Rick Miller.The Committee on Divine Worship also will present elements of a revised edition of the “Lectionary for Mass” and the “2025 Roman Missal-Liturgy of the Hours Supplement” for approval.The bishops are expected to vote on a potential revision to the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” which was first addressed by bishops in 2022 meetings.The bishops have determined the charter is in need of revisions to align with its original intention of safeguarding minors, the prevention of abuse, and ensuring structures continue to be in place to respond to abuse allegations, the USCCB said.9-year novena, Catholic universities to be discussedThe U.S. bishops are also expected to talk about the USCCB’s engagement with the Intercontinental Guadalupan Novena, a nine-year novena called for by Pope Francis in 2022 that anticipates the fifth centennial of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2031.For the 25th anniversary of the implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae in the U.S., there is an expected presentation and reflection on Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution to guide Catholic colleges and universities on theological and pastoral principles.The group will also discuss upcoming events including World Youth Day 2027, which will be held in Seoul, South Korea.

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The bishops’ conference is set to hold its 2026 Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando on June 10–12.

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Leo XIV laments that after receiving confirmation, many young people ‘disappear from the parish’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV lamented that after being confirmed, many young people no longer attend church. He asked those awaiting confirmation to “pay special attention” to one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, perseverance.The pope met on Saturday, May 16, with those awaiting confirmation from the Archdiocese of Genoa, Italy. In an impromptu message, the Holy Father said that “one of the greatest joys of a bishop is celebrating confirmations, because it is truly a gift of the Holy Spirit.”“It is truly beautiful to receive this sacrament, for the fullness of the Holy Spirit gives us this enthusiasm, this strength, this ability to follow Jesus Christ, to always say ‘yes’ to the Lord, to have no fear of following him with courage, and to live out our faith in a world that so often seeks to draw us away from Jesus,” he told them.After recalling the significance of the solemnity of Pentecost — to be celebrated on Sunday, May 24 — the pope lamented a sad reality: “At times, when the bishop administers confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the children are never seen again! They disappear from the parish.”“Don’t forget what you have experienced during this time, including the joy of coming to Rome to celebrate together, to pray together. And may this joy live on in your hearts as you continue to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ,” Pope Leo urged.He also invited young people to “persevere in the faith, to return to the parish — there are so many activities, so many opportunities — but above all in the life of faith, because Jesus Christ wants to walk with you, with each one of you, and with all of you in community, which is so important.”“We do not live out our faith alone; we live it together. And forming these relationships of friendship and community is a way of living with perseverance as disciples of Jesus,” he added.Finally, he called upon those to be confirmed to make a promise to the Lord: “that you truly desire to continue being his friends, his disciples, and his missionaries, and that you desire to persevere in the faith. So, I leave you with these words,” he concluded.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Leo XIV laments that after receiving confirmation, many young people ‘disappear from the parish’ #Catholic Pope Leo XIV lamented that after being confirmed, many young people no longer attend church. He asked those awaiting confirmation to “pay special attention” to one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, perseverance.The pope met on Saturday, May 16, with those awaiting confirmation from the Archdiocese of Genoa, Italy. In an impromptu message, the Holy Father said that “one of the greatest joys of a bishop is celebrating confirmations, because it is truly a gift of the Holy Spirit.”“It is truly beautiful to receive this sacrament, for the fullness of the Holy Spirit gives us this enthusiasm, this strength, this ability to follow Jesus Christ, to always say ‘yes’ to the Lord, to have no fear of following him with courage, and to live out our faith in a world that so often seeks to draw us away from Jesus,” he told them.After recalling the significance of the solemnity of Pentecost — to be celebrated on Sunday, May 24 — the pope lamented a sad reality: “At times, when the bishop administers confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the children are never seen again! They disappear from the parish.”“Don’t forget what you have experienced during this time, including the joy of coming to Rome to celebrate together, to pray together. And may this joy live on in your hearts as you continue to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ,” Pope Leo urged.He also invited young people to “persevere in the faith, to return to the parish — there are so many activities, so many opportunities — but above all in the life of faith, because Jesus Christ wants to walk with you, with each one of you, and with all of you in community, which is so important.”“We do not live out our faith alone; we live it together. And forming these relationships of friendship and community is a way of living with perseverance as disciples of Jesus,” he added.Finally, he called upon those to be confirmed to make a promise to the Lord: “that you truly desire to continue being his friends, his disciples, and his missionaries, and that you desire to persevere in the faith. So, I leave you with these words,” he concluded.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Speaking to a group of young people soon to be confirmed, Pope Leo XIV encouraged perseverance in the faith and emphasized that faith is lived in community, not in isolation.

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Archdiocese of Baltimore proposes nearly 0 million settlement for abuse victims #Catholic The Archdiocese of Baltimore is proposing nearly 0 million in compensation for abuse victims amid its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings there.A May 15 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court revealed that the archdiocese would contribute just under million to an abuse settlement for survivors, while “settling insurers” would pay a total of 5 million into the fund.The insurance amount represents a 25% increase from an earlier proposed contribution of 0 million.In a statement on the filing, the archdiocese said the overall plan “seeks to provide equitable compensation to survivors while sustaining the Church’s mission and ministries.”The proposal “reflects a commitment to transparency and a realistic assessment of available resources,” it said. The archdiocese noted that “no final agreement has yet been achieved.” The proposal would also establish a “Survivor Compensation Trust” to “evaluate claims and distribute compensation to survivors.”The archdiocese “will continue to listen, to learn, and to seek a resolution that honors the dignity of survivors and strengthens the mission of the Church for generations to come,” the statement said. In 2024 the Baltimore Archdiocese sued multiple insurers over what it claimed was a failure to pay abuse claims for which the insurers were contractually obligated.U.S. dioceses in recent years have frequently turned to insurers to help cover major abuse settlements, though insurers have at times challenged claims from dioceses on the grounds that their insurance policies did not cover instances of sex abuse. Marie Reilly, a professor of law at Penn State University and an expert in bankruptcy litigation, including Catholic diocesan bankruptcy proceedings, told EWTN News in 2025 that starting in the 1990s, insurance companies mostly changed how they cover sexual abuse.“Up until about the mid-’90s, a general liability policy used to include coverages for employee liability,” she said. “It would cover sex abuse claims against the diocese stemming from an employee’s abuse.”“After 1996, insurance policies issued under new revised standards just don’t provide that coverage anymore,” she said.
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Archdiocese of Baltimore proposes nearly $170 million settlement for abuse victims #Catholic The Archdiocese of Baltimore is proposing nearly $170 million in compensation for abuse victims amid its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings there.A May 15 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court revealed that the archdiocese would contribute just under $44 million to an abuse settlement for survivors, while “settling insurers” would pay a total of $125 million into the fund.The insurance amount represents a 25% increase from an earlier proposed contribution of $100 million.In a statement on the filing, the archdiocese said the overall plan “seeks to provide equitable compensation to survivors while sustaining the Church’s mission and ministries.”The proposal “reflects a commitment to transparency and a realistic assessment of available resources,” it said. The archdiocese noted that “no final agreement has yet been achieved.” The proposal would also establish a “Survivor Compensation Trust” to “evaluate claims and distribute compensation to survivors.”The archdiocese “will continue to listen, to learn, and to seek a resolution that honors the dignity of survivors and strengthens the mission of the Church for generations to come,” the statement said. In 2024 the Baltimore Archdiocese sued multiple insurers over what it claimed was a failure to pay abuse claims for which the insurers were contractually obligated.U.S. dioceses in recent years have frequently turned to insurers to help cover major abuse settlements, though insurers have at times challenged claims from dioceses on the grounds that their insurance policies did not cover instances of sex abuse. Marie Reilly, a professor of law at Penn State University and an expert in bankruptcy litigation, including Catholic diocesan bankruptcy proceedings, told EWTN News in 2025 that starting in the 1990s, insurance companies mostly changed how they cover sexual abuse.“Up until about the mid-’90s, a general liability policy used to include coverages for employee liability,” she said. “It would cover sex abuse claims against the diocese stemming from an employee’s abuse.”“After 1996, insurance policies issued under new revised standards just don’t provide that coverage anymore,” she said.

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The vast majority of the settlement would come from insurance contributions, according to a filing from the archdiocese.

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SMILE to give Earth’s magnetosphere its first X-ray

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Mission Highlight: SMILE The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) are targeting tonight, Monday, May 18, at 11:52 p.m. EST for the launch of the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) on a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The mission was originally set to flyContinue reading “SMILE to give Earth’s magnetosphere its first X-ray”

The post SMILE to give Earth’s magnetosphere its first X-ray appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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‘God hears the cries of the victims,’ Mexican bishop assures at Walk for Peace - #Catholic - The president of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference issued a powerful call to the Church and society not to turn away from those suffering because of the violence that is the result of organized crime, declaring that “our God hears the cries of the victims, walks with them, and calls upon us, too, not to look the other way.”Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca delivered the message during the 12th annual Walk for Peace in his diocese on Saturday, May 16, as thousands gathered to reject resignation in the face of ongoing violence.This march, he said, demonstrates that the people of Morelos are “a people who keep moving forward, who don’t give up, and who continue to believe that peace is possible.”According to the most recent report by the Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, 17 Mexican localities appear on the list of the 50 most violent cities in the world. Cuernavaca ranks 23rd.Guarding the ‘flame’ of peaceAfter recalling the message of Pope Leo XIV for the 2026 World Day of Peace observed on Jan. 1, in which the Holy Father described peace as “a small flame threatened by the storm,” Castro affirmed: “That is what we have come here to do today: to guard that flame so that it’s not extinguished by the storm. And we do so together, for if we stand alone, it goes out. But together, we can keep it lit.”The Mexican prelate emphasized that his message is not “that of a politician, nor of a social analyst, nor of someone who seeks to point out the suffering of others from a distance. I speak as a shepherd, as a brother who walks alongside his people.”Tweet“I speak as a disciple of Jesus Christ who has seen too many tears on the faces of [the people of] Morelos and of Mexico, of our homeland, so deeply wounded by the violence afflicting our families,” he noted.“I have heard the mothers who break their silence, searching [for their disappeared children],” he continued. “I have seen the fear of young people who feel their future slipping away; the weariness of entire families living amid uncertainty, violence, and abandonment; the exhaustion of transport workers unable to earn an honest living because organized crime holds them in subjugation; and the fed-up frustration of so many who can no longer put up with the corruption we endure.”In the face of this suffering, he said, “the Church cannot remain indifferent, nor take refuge in the comforting atmosphere of its churches; for the God in whom we believe is not a God who observes from afar, he is the God of the burning bush, the God who said to Moses: ‘I have seen the oppression of my people, I have heard their outcry, and I have come down to deliver them.’ Our God hears the cries of the victims, walks with them, and calls upon us, too, not to look the other way.”“The Church is not here to divide or to sow confusion out of ambition or to gain power; the Church is here to build based on the truth, for only the truth can open the way to authentic reconciliation,” the prelate said.“In the face of the person mourning a child, of the one who has been forcibly disappeared, of the one being extorted, or of the one who has lost hope — there is Christ, crying out once again from the cross,” he lamented. Bishop Ramón Castro Castro blesses the participants of the 12th Walk for Peace in Cuernavaca, Morelos state, Mexico, with the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday, May 16, 2026. | Credit: Diocese of Cuernavaca A priest forced to leave his parish due to death threatsThe prelate subsequently referred to the “particular wound” afflicting the small town of Huautla, in southern Morelos — one of the “poorest and most forgotten corners of our state,” a “land of simple, hardworking people; a land hard hit for years by poverty and migration; a land that has watched its children depart in search of the daily bread they can’t get there.”There, he denounced, “organized crime has reached a level of cruelty that defies description,” exacting extortion payments, also known as protection money, “simply for living there, simply for owning a home.”“When the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Huautla became the last bastion of hope for the community, as the priest so often is in Mexico’s most vulnerable villages, and when his presence and his words were the only support the people had left to keep from sinking into despair, organized crime threatened to take his life.”“Those threats were so serious, so real, and so concrete that he was forced to leave his community for his own physical protection; and today, Huautla is left without a shepherd,” he lamented.TweetGoverning means not abandoning the peopleCastro emphasized in his message that “governing means not abandoning the people. Governing means not refusing to take up the responsibility of guaranteeing the security and well-being of every person within the territory entrusted to them.”“Our heartfelt plea without mincing words is that Huautla not be left all alone; that the government do its job to help the mothers searching [for their disappeared children] an effort which they rightly deserve; that transport workers be afforded security; that thousands upon thousands of merchants — micro, small, and medium-sized alike — be able to work without having to pay protection money; and that our young people be provided with real alternatives: quality education, decent jobs, and personal safety, so that organized crime is not the only door open to them.”“We ask you, government officials, not to sell us false narratives. The people aren’t buying them anymore then you declare peace, while 90% of the people of Morelos are afraid to step out onto the street. That’s not governing; that’s an insult to the intelligence of the people,” he stated.At the same time, he assured the authorities of help from the Church and its priests, religious, and communities: “We’re not here to criticize for the sake of criticism; we are here to contribute, to offer accompaniment, to put forward proposals, and to walk together toward peace.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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‘God hears the cries of the victims,’ Mexican bishop assures at Walk for Peace – #Catholic – The president of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference issued a powerful call to the Church and society not to turn away from those suffering because of the violence that is the result of organized crime, declaring that “our God hears the cries of the victims, walks with them, and calls upon us, too, not to look the other way.”Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca delivered the message during the 12th annual Walk for Peace in his diocese on Saturday, May 16, as thousands gathered to reject resignation in the face of ongoing violence.This march, he said, demonstrates that the people of Morelos are “a people who keep moving forward, who don’t give up, and who continue to believe that peace is possible.”According to the most recent report by the Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, 17 Mexican localities appear on the list of the 50 most violent cities in the world. Cuernavaca ranks 23rd.Guarding the ‘flame’ of peaceAfter recalling the message of Pope Leo XIV for the 2026 World Day of Peace observed on Jan. 1, in which the Holy Father described peace as “a small flame threatened by the storm,” Castro affirmed: “That is what we have come here to do today: to guard that flame so that it’s not extinguished by the storm. And we do so together, for if we stand alone, it goes out. But together, we can keep it lit.”The Mexican prelate emphasized that his message is not “that of a politician, nor of a social analyst, nor of someone who seeks to point out the suffering of others from a distance. I speak as a shepherd, as a brother who walks alongside his people.”Tweet“I speak as a disciple of Jesus Christ who has seen too many tears on the faces of [the people of] Morelos and of Mexico, of our homeland, so deeply wounded by the violence afflicting our families,” he noted.“I have heard the mothers who break their silence, searching [for their disappeared children],” he continued. “I have seen the fear of young people who feel their future slipping away; the weariness of entire families living amid uncertainty, violence, and abandonment; the exhaustion of transport workers unable to earn an honest living because organized crime holds them in subjugation; and the fed-up frustration of so many who can no longer put up with the corruption we endure.”In the face of this suffering, he said, “the Church cannot remain indifferent, nor take refuge in the comforting atmosphere of its churches; for the God in whom we believe is not a God who observes from afar, he is the God of the burning bush, the God who said to Moses: ‘I have seen the oppression of my people, I have heard their outcry, and I have come down to deliver them.’ Our God hears the cries of the victims, walks with them, and calls upon us, too, not to look the other way.”“The Church is not here to divide or to sow confusion out of ambition or to gain power; the Church is here to build based on the truth, for only the truth can open the way to authentic reconciliation,” the prelate said.“In the face of the person mourning a child, of the one who has been forcibly disappeared, of the one being extorted, or of the one who has lost hope — there is Christ, crying out once again from the cross,” he lamented. Bishop Ramón Castro Castro blesses the participants of the 12th Walk for Peace in Cuernavaca, Morelos state, Mexico, with the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday, May 16, 2026. | Credit: Diocese of Cuernavaca A priest forced to leave his parish due to death threatsThe prelate subsequently referred to the “particular wound” afflicting the small town of Huautla, in southern Morelos — one of the “poorest and most forgotten corners of our state,” a “land of simple, hardworking people; a land hard hit for years by poverty and migration; a land that has watched its children depart in search of the daily bread they can’t get there.”There, he denounced, “organized crime has reached a level of cruelty that defies description,” exacting extortion payments, also known as protection money, “simply for living there, simply for owning a home.”“When the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Huautla became the last bastion of hope for the community, as the priest so often is in Mexico’s most vulnerable villages, and when his presence and his words were the only support the people had left to keep from sinking into despair, organized crime threatened to take his life.”“Those threats were so serious, so real, and so concrete that he was forced to leave his community for his own physical protection; and today, Huautla is left without a shepherd,” he lamented.TweetGoverning means not abandoning the peopleCastro emphasized in his message that “governing means not abandoning the people. Governing means not refusing to take up the responsibility of guaranteeing the security and well-being of every person within the territory entrusted to them.”“Our heartfelt plea without mincing words is that Huautla not be left all alone; that the government do its job to help the mothers searching [for their disappeared children] an effort which they rightly deserve; that transport workers be afforded security; that thousands upon thousands of merchants — micro, small, and medium-sized alike — be able to work without having to pay protection money; and that our young people be provided with real alternatives: quality education, decent jobs, and personal safety, so that organized crime is not the only door open to them.”“We ask you, government officials, not to sell us false narratives. The people aren’t buying them anymore then you declare peace, while 90% of the people of Morelos are afraid to step out onto the street. That’s not governing; that’s an insult to the intelligence of the people,” he stated.At the same time, he assured the authorities of help from the Church and its priests, religious, and communities: “We’re not here to criticize for the sake of criticism; we are here to contribute, to offer accompaniment, to put forward proposals, and to walk together toward peace.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Bishop Ramón Castro expressed the Church’s resolve to stand firm in its solidarity with victims of organized crime, decrying widespread extortion and corruption in Mexico.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 19 May 2026 – A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 20:17-27 From Miletus Paul had the presbyters of the Church at Ephesus summoned.  When they came to him, he addressed them, "You know how I lived among you the whole time from the day I first came to the province of Asia. I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews, and I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public or in your homes. I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus. But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me. Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace. "But now I know that none of you to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels will ever see my face again. And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God."From the Gospel according to John 17:1-11a Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. "I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you."In the Gospel, John tells us that Jesus, before uttering a word, “looked up to heaven” (Jn 17:1). In these, the final hours of his life, Jesus is weighed down by anguish at the prospect of his passion, conscious of the dark night he is about to endure, feeling betrayed and abandoned. Yet in the same moment, he looks up to heaven. Jesus lifts his eyes to God. He does not resign himself to evil; he does not let himself be overwhelmed by grief; he does not retreat into the bitterness of the defeated and disappointed; instead, he looks to heaven. (…) Prayer leads us to trust in God even in times of difficulty. It helps us to hope when things seem hopeless and it sustains us in our everyday struggles. Prayer is not a retreat, an escape, in the face of problems.  Instead, it is the only weapon at our disposal for keeping love and hope alive amid the weapons of death. It is not easy to lift our gaze when we are hurting, but faith helps us resist the temptation to turn in on ourselves. We may want to protest, to cry out to God in our pain. We should not be afraid to do so, for this too is prayer. (Pope Francis, Homily on the Holy Mass with the Myanmar Community in Rome, 16 May 2021)

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A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 20:17-27

From Miletus Paul had the presbyters
of the Church at Ephesus summoned. 
When they came to him, he addressed them,
"You know how I lived among you
the whole time from the day I first came to the province of Asia.
I served the Lord with all humility
and with the tears and trials that came to me
because of the plots of the Jews,
and I did not at all shrink from telling you
what was for your benefit,
or from teaching you in public or in your homes.
I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks
to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus.
But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem.
What will happen to me there I do not know,
except that in one city after another
the Holy Spirit has been warning me
that imprisonment and hardships await me.
Yet I consider life of no importance to me,
if only I may finish my course
and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus,
to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.

"But now I know that none of you
to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels
will ever see my face again.
And so I solemnly declare to you this day
that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you,
for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God."

From the Gospel according to John
17:1-11a

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,
"Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

"I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you."

In the Gospel, John tells us that Jesus, before uttering a word, “looked up to heaven” (Jn 17:1). In these, the final hours of his life, Jesus is weighed down by anguish at the prospect of his passion, conscious of the dark night he is about to endure, feeling betrayed and abandoned. Yet in the same moment, he looks up to heaven. Jesus lifts his eyes to God. He does not resign himself to evil; he does not let himself be overwhelmed by grief; he does not retreat into the bitterness of the defeated and disappointed; instead, he looks to heaven. (…) Prayer leads us to trust in God even in times of difficulty. It helps us to hope when things seem hopeless and it sustains us in our everyday struggles. Prayer is not a retreat, an escape, in the face of problems.  Instead, it is the only weapon at our disposal for keeping love and hope alive amid the weapons of death. It is not easy to lift our gaze when we are hurting, but faith helps us resist the temptation to turn in on ourselves. We may want to protest, to cry out to God in our pain. We should not be afraid to do so, for this too is prayer. (Pope Francis, Homily on the Holy Mass with the Myanmar Community in Rome, 16 May 2021)

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Pope Leo XIV thanks Catholic Extension Society for its assistance to migrants and the poor – #Catholic – In an address to its board of governors, Pope Leo XIV thanked the Catholic Extension Society on May 18 for the assistance it provides to the poor.The pontiff praised the organization’s founder, Father Francis Clement Kelley, who more than 120 years ago “sought to reach out to remote faith communities across the United States in order to bring to them the very life of Christ through the sacraments and the support of a larger Catholic community.”“This missionary enthusiasm is still needed today, and so I would like to thank you for your continued efforts to minister to the needs of the poorer Catholic communities both in the United States and abroad,” the pope noted.“In a particular way, I would like to commend your work in Cuba and in Puerto Rico. The support you provide to these communities is a beautiful expression of the universality of the Church and a living reminder that ‘love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God,’" the pope emphasized, citing his apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te.He praised the pastoral care the society offers to the most disadvantaged “as well as to the numerous immigrant families in the United States.”“It is imperative that our brothers and sisters experience the warmth of a community which is marked by the presence of Christ,” he emphasized.The Catholic Extension Society raises funds to support and strengthen under-resourced mission dioceses throughout the United States. Founded in 1905, it is headquartered in Chicago.The pope, a native of the Chicago area, took this opportunity to make a joke: “When someone from Dolton, Illinois, comes, we have to open all the doors! There aren’t many of us around anymore," he quipped.As they continue their mission, he added, Catholic Extension Societyʼs dedication to not “only alleviate the temporal needs of those less fortunate” but also to “invest in building up vibrant Catholic communities is particularly necessary today.”“Faith-filled communities provide an opportunity for individuals to experience the joy of new life in Christ lived out in a daily, ordinary fashion,” the Holy Father pointed out.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV thanks Catholic Extension Society for its assistance to migrants and the poor – #Catholic – In an address to its board of governors, Pope Leo XIV thanked the Catholic Extension Society on May 18 for the assistance it provides to the poor.The pontiff praised the organization’s founder, Father Francis Clement Kelley, who more than 120 years ago “sought to reach out to remote faith communities across the United States in order to bring to them the very life of Christ through the sacraments and the support of a larger Catholic community.”“This missionary enthusiasm is still needed today, and so I would like to thank you for your continued efforts to minister to the needs of the poorer Catholic communities both in the United States and abroad,” the pope noted.“In a particular way, I would like to commend your work in Cuba and in Puerto Rico. The support you provide to these communities is a beautiful expression of the universality of the Church and a living reminder that ‘love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God,’" the pope emphasized, citing his apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te.He praised the pastoral care the society offers to the most disadvantaged “as well as to the numerous immigrant families in the United States.”“It is imperative that our brothers and sisters experience the warmth of a community which is marked by the presence of Christ,” he emphasized.The Catholic Extension Society raises funds to support and strengthen under-resourced mission dioceses throughout the United States. Founded in 1905, it is headquartered in Chicago.The pope, a native of the Chicago area, took this opportunity to make a joke: “When someone from Dolton, Illinois, comes, we have to open all the doors! There aren’t many of us around anymore," he quipped.As they continue their mission, he added, Catholic Extension Societyʼs dedication to not “only alleviate the temporal needs of those less fortunate” but also to “invest in building up vibrant Catholic communities is particularly necessary today.”“Faith-filled communities provide an opportunity for individuals to experience the joy of new life in Christ lived out in a daily, ordinary fashion,” the Holy Father pointed out.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pope expressed his gratitude to the papal society founded in 1905, which raises funds to support and strengthen under-resourced mission dioceses throughout the United States.

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Calling nuclear weapons immoral, Archbishop Wester urges halt to production of plutonium pits – #Catholic – Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, has strongly urged the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to stop expanding production of plutonium pits, the triggers used in nuclear weapons.In a written statement, read by a priest on Wester’s behalf at a public hearing on May 14, the archbishop described nuclear weapons as “immoral” and “genocidal.” The priest who read the statement is from Hiroshima, Japan, where the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb in 1945.The hearing, the fourth of five scheduled this month, drew more than 130 people in person and roughly 100 online, with the vast majority expressing opposition to the agency’s draft environmental impact statement, in which it lays out its plan to ramp up plutonium pit production.Wester directly challenged the position of the NNSA that increased pit production complies with the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). He argued that the treaty’s core bargain requires nuclear-armed states to work toward disarmament, a commitment he said has not been fulfilled.“The essential bargain of the NPT was that the nuclear weapons states try to negotiate nuclear disarmament,” Westerʼs statement said. “The nuclear weapons powers have never upheld that part of the bargain.”The NNSA proposal calls for at least 80 pits per year by 2030, as required by the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, potentially split between Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.Between the two locations, they could produce around 200 pits per year.The current number of pits being produced annually is “classified,” according to Toni Chiri, a spokesperson for the NNSA’s Los Alamos field office.Chiri stated that the agency values public input and will consider comments as it prepares a final environmental impact statement.‘Peace through atomic strength’Nevertheless, Chiri emphasized the NNSA’s mission. “We make weapons that deter our adversaries. Atomic strength is essential for U.S. nuclear deterrence and national security.”During the hearing, a screen displayed the NNSA’s slogan: “Peace through atomic strength.” The NNSA is housed within the U.S. Department of Energy.The prelate’s intervention carried particular weight coming from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, which has lived for decades with the legacy of nuclear weapons development at Los Alamos in northern New Mexico.Wester’s message aligns with consistent Church teaching that the use of nuclear weapons is incompatible with peace and human dignity.The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly condemns “indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants,” calling them “a crime against God and man.”It does not, however, explicitly declare the possession of nuclear weapons immoral. That stronger language has come more recently from Pope Francis.In 2022, Francis wrote: “I wish to reaffirm that the use of nuclear weapons, as well as their mere possession, is immoral,” in a letter to Ambassador Alexander Kmentt, president of the First Meeting of States Parties, regarding the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.During his year-old pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has made multiple calls for peace. He has also warned of the dangers of modern warfare, including the threat of nuclear escalation at a time when global tensions remain high, and he has called for renewed international efforts toward disarmament and de-escalation.Comments on the draft environmental impact statement will be accepted until July 16. The NNSA expects to issue a final decision early next year, though some commenters noted that as the agency is required by law to manufacture the pits, public hearings are useless.Chiri said, however, that “NNSA does listen; we take the comments — especially those that actually address the document — and consider those as we work towards our final document.”“Based on the turnout tonight, it’s clear that the public is paying attention and wants to provide its input,” she said.Many attendees at the hearing also raised concerns about environmental impacts, water usage, waste disposal, and the health of workers and surrounding communities. Several speakers also questioned why a genuine “no-action” alternative — meaning no new pit production — was not seriously considered.
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Calling nuclear weapons immoral, Archbishop Wester urges halt to production of plutonium pits – #Catholic – Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, has strongly urged the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to stop expanding production of plutonium pits, the triggers used in nuclear weapons.In a written statement, read by a priest on Wester’s behalf at a public hearing on May 14, the archbishop described nuclear weapons as “immoral” and “genocidal.” The priest who read the statement is from Hiroshima, Japan, where the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb in 1945.The hearing, the fourth of five scheduled this month, drew more than 130 people in person and roughly 100 online, with the vast majority expressing opposition to the agency’s draft environmental impact statement, in which it lays out its plan to ramp up plutonium pit production.Wester directly challenged the position of the NNSA that increased pit production complies with the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). He argued that the treaty’s core bargain requires nuclear-armed states to work toward disarmament, a commitment he said has not been fulfilled.“The essential bargain of the NPT was that the nuclear weapons states try to negotiate nuclear disarmament,” Westerʼs statement said. “The nuclear weapons powers have never upheld that part of the bargain.”The NNSA proposal calls for at least 80 pits per year by 2030, as required by the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, potentially split between Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.Between the two locations, they could produce around 200 pits per year.The current number of pits being produced annually is “classified,” according to Toni Chiri, a spokesperson for the NNSA’s Los Alamos field office.Chiri stated that the agency values public input and will consider comments as it prepares a final environmental impact statement.‘Peace through atomic strength’Nevertheless, Chiri emphasized the NNSA’s mission. “We make weapons that deter our adversaries. Atomic strength is essential for U.S. nuclear deterrence and national security.”During the hearing, a screen displayed the NNSA’s slogan: “Peace through atomic strength.” The NNSA is housed within the U.S. Department of Energy.The prelate’s intervention carried particular weight coming from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, which has lived for decades with the legacy of nuclear weapons development at Los Alamos in northern New Mexico.Wester’s message aligns with consistent Church teaching that the use of nuclear weapons is incompatible with peace and human dignity.The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly condemns “indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants,” calling them “a crime against God and man.”It does not, however, explicitly declare the possession of nuclear weapons immoral. That stronger language has come more recently from Pope Francis.In 2022, Francis wrote: “I wish to reaffirm that the use of nuclear weapons, as well as their mere possession, is immoral,” in a letter to Ambassador Alexander Kmentt, president of the First Meeting of States Parties, regarding the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.During his year-old pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has made multiple calls for peace. He has also warned of the dangers of modern warfare, including the threat of nuclear escalation at a time when global tensions remain high, and he has called for renewed international efforts toward disarmament and de-escalation.Comments on the draft environmental impact statement will be accepted until July 16. The NNSA expects to issue a final decision early next year, though some commenters noted that as the agency is required by law to manufacture the pits, public hearings are useless.Chiri said, however, that “NNSA does listen; we take the comments — especially those that actually address the document — and consider those as we work towards our final document.”“Based on the turnout tonight, it’s clear that the public is paying attention and wants to provide its input,” she said.Many attendees at the hearing also raised concerns about environmental impacts, water usage, waste disposal, and the health of workers and surrounding communities. Several speakers also questioned why a genuine “no-action” alternative — meaning no new pit production — was not seriously considered.

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Archbishop John Wester challenged the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration’s position that increased pit production complies with the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

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Rosary procession in Madison reflects community’s deep faith #Catholic – On May 11, parishioners gathered at St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison in honor of the Month of Mary for the Rosary Altar Society’s Rosary Procession, reflecting the faith and devotion of the community’s faithful. The procession began at St. Vincent Church with First Communicants crowning the statue of the Blessed Mother, then processed along the streets of Madison as members of the community stopped to watch. Led by a banner of the Blessed Mother, the procession included Father Owen B. Moran, pastor of St. Vincent’s, Father Alex Nevitt, priest in residence, and Bishop (Bish), the parish’s “beloved Director of Tail Wagging.” Also in attendance were Sister of Charity Noreen Holly, principal of St. Vincent Martyr School, and Peter Solecki, director of music ministry. Parishioners of all ages took part in the procession, while those unable to walk gathered prayerfully inside the church. Following the procession, the community returned to St. Vincent Martyr for fellowship. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Rosary procession in Madison reflects community’s deep faith #Catholic – On May 11, parishioners gathered at St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison in honor of the Month of Mary for the Rosary Altar Society’s Rosary Procession, reflecting the faith and devotion of the community’s faithful. The procession began at St. Vincent Church with First Communicants crowning the statue of the Blessed Mother, then processed along the streets of Madison as members of the community stopped to watch. Led by a banner of the Blessed Mother, the procession included Father Owen B. Moran, pastor of St. Vincent’s, Father Alex Nevitt, priest in residence, and Bishop (Bish), the parish’s “beloved Director of Tail Wagging.” Also in attendance were Sister of Charity Noreen Holly, principal of St. Vincent Martyr School, and Peter Solecki, director of music ministry. Parishioners of all ages took part in the procession, while those unable to walk gathered prayerfully inside the church. Following the procession, the community returned to St. Vincent Martyr for fellowship. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Rosary procession in Madison reflects community’s deep faith #Catholic –

On May 11, parishioners gathered at St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison in honor of the Month of Mary for the Rosary Altar Society’s Rosary Procession, reflecting the faith and devotion of the community’s faithful.

The procession began at St. Vincent Church with First Communicants crowning the statue of the Blessed Mother, then processed along the streets of Madison as members of the community stopped to watch.

Led by a banner of the Blessed Mother, the procession included Father Owen B. Moran, pastor of St. Vincent’s, Father Alex Nevitt, priest in residence, and Bishop (Bish), the parish’s “beloved Director of Tail Wagging.” Also in attendance were Sister of Charity Noreen Holly, principal of St. Vincent Martyr School, and Peter Solecki, director of music ministry.

Parishioners of all ages took part in the procession, while those unable to walk gathered prayerfully inside the church. Following the procession, the community returned to St. Vincent Martyr for fellowship.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– On May 11, parishioners gathered at St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison in honor of the Month of Mary for the Rosary Altar Society’s Rosary Procession, reflecting the faith and devotion of the community’s faithful. The procession began at St. Vincent Church with First Communicants crowning the statue of the Blessed Mother, then processed along the streets of Madison as members of the community stopped to watch. Led by a banner of the Blessed Mother, the procession included Father Owen B. Moran, pastor of St. Vincent’s, Father Alex Nevitt, priest in residence, and Bishop (Bish), the parish’s “beloved Director of

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First Holy Communion held at Clifton parish  #Catholic - St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton, N.J., celebrated the First Holy Communion of 11  young parishioners on May 2. First Communicants are George Bazo, Liliana Bazo, Ariela Chiong, Patrick Diaz, Jonathan Grabowski, Edric Mineses, Jackson Rios, Ryan Valentine, Angel Velez Jr., Mariana Velez, and Jose Alejandro Zuniga. The Mass was celebrated by Father Jeider Barraza, pastor, and Father Joseph DeMarzo, parochial vicar. Surrounded by family and the parish community, the children received the Eucharist for the first time, marking a significant milestone in their Catholic faith journey. [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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First Holy Communion held at Clifton parish  #Catholic – St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton, N.J., celebrated the First Holy Communion of 11  young parishioners on May 2. First Communicants are George Bazo, Liliana Bazo, Ariela Chiong, Patrick Diaz, Jonathan Grabowski, Edric Mineses, Jackson Rios, Ryan Valentine, Angel Velez Jr., Mariana Velez, and Jose Alejandro Zuniga. The Mass was celebrated by Father Jeider Barraza, pastor, and Father Joseph DeMarzo, parochial vicar. Surrounded by family and the parish community, the children received the Eucharist for the first time, marking a significant milestone in their Catholic faith journey. [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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First Holy Communion held at Clifton parish  #Catholic –

St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton, N.J., celebrated the First Holy Communion of 11  young parishioners on May 2. First Communicants are George Bazo, Liliana Bazo, Ariela Chiong, Patrick Diaz, Jonathan Grabowski, Edric Mineses, Jackson Rios, Ryan Valentine, Angel Velez Jr., Mariana Velez, and Jose Alejandro Zuniga. The Mass was celebrated by Father Jeider Barraza, pastor, and Father Joseph DeMarzo, parochial vicar. Surrounded by family and the parish community, the children received the Eucharist for the first time, marking a significant milestone in their Catholic faith journey.

[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

– St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton, N.J., celebrated the First Holy Communion of 11  young parishioners on May 2. First Communicants are George Bazo, Liliana Bazo, Ariela Chiong, Patrick Diaz, Jonathan Grabowski, Edric Mineses, Jackson Rios, Ryan Valentine, Angel Velez Jr., Mariana Velez, and Jose Alejandro Zuniga. The Mass was celebrated by Father Jeider Barraza, pastor, and Father Joseph DeMarzo, parochial vicar. Surrounded by family and the parish community, the children received the Eucharist for the first time, marking a significant milestone in their Catholic faith journey. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Smart Man Saves Time By Getting Angry Now Instead Of Waiting Until All The Facts Are Known #BabylonBee – ALTOONA, PA — Local man Ted Woods got tired of all the time spent getting angry online. "There’s always something new to get angry at each day," Woods said. "And you never know what time the facts will come out confirming the need to get angry — it could be while I’m busy and don’t have time to be distracted with being angry." Thus, Woods came up with a great new strategy: Get angry at things now instead of waiting until all the facts are known.
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Smart Man Saves Time By Getting Angry Now Instead Of Waiting Until All The Facts Are Known #BabylonBee – ALTOONA, PA — Local man Ted Woods got tired of all the time spent getting angry online. "There’s always something new to get angry at each day," Woods said. "And you never know what time the facts will come out confirming the need to get angry — it could be while I’m busy and don’t have time to be distracted with being angry." Thus, Woods came up with a great new strategy: Get angry at things now instead of waiting until all the facts are known.

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ALTOONA, PA — Local man Ted Woods got tired of all the time spent getting angry online. "There’s always something new to get angry at each day," Woods said. "And you never know what time the facts will come out confirming the need to get angry — it could be while I’m busy and don’t have time to be distracted with being angry." Thus, Woods came up with a great new strategy: Get angry at things now instead of waiting until all the facts are known.

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President Trump and the Prolife Movement – Guest Post by Pro-life Leader Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life A number of articles over recent days, including the Wall Street Journal’s “The Antiabortion Movement is Turning on Trump,” do not speak for the entire pro-life movement. The post President Trump and the Prolife Movement appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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President Trump and the Prolife Movement – Guest Post by Pro-life Leader Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life A number of articles over recent days, including the Wall Street Journal’s “The Antiabortion Movement is Turning on Trump,” do not speak for the entire pro-life movement. The post President Trump and the Prolife Movement appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Man in a black shirt sits at a table with open books, discussing topics in front of a brick wall and an American flag.

Man in a black shirt sits at a table with open books, discussing topics in front of a brick wall and an American flag.

Guest Post by Pro-life Leader Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life A number of articles over recent days, including the Wall Street Journal’s “The Antiabortion Movement is Turning on Trump,” do not speak for the entire pro-life movement.

The post President Trump and the Prolife Movement appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Indian Catholics denied bail after confronting mob that disrupted Mass #Catholic UDAIPUR, India — Nine Catholics have been behind bars for more than two weeks after parishioners chased out more than a dozen people who barged into a village church during Mass, shouting accusations of conversion, in a remote village in Indiaʼs desert state of Rajasthan.“We feel frustrated that our people were denied bail a second time today on the false allegation of conversion,” Bishop Devprasad John Ganawa of Udaipur, a Divine Word missionary, told EWTN News on May 12.“When the hooligans disrupted the Mass on May 1 shouting ‘conversion,’ our people forced them out. Instead of registering a criminal case against the intruders, the police have charged our people with ‘conversion and attempt to murder’ and arrested nine Catholics of Bandaria Parish,” Ganawa explained.‘They took out a knife’“I was saying the evening Mass at the substation of my parish at Kalinjara village when the incident happened,” Father Arvind Amliyar recounted to EWTN News.“During the Communion time over a dozen people stormed into the church, shouted ‘conversion,’ and started filming with cameras. When one of them took out a knife, our people snatched it and chased them out,” Amliyar said.“Soon police came and what happened then shocked me. Instead of finding out what had happened, they arrested four Catholics the same night,” the priest said.A Hindu mob then staged a protest outside the police station and demanded action against the parishioners, according to Amliyar. Police turned away Catholics who went to them twice, including at midnight the same day and the next day, refusing to register their complaint.Police came knocking on May 4 at 2:30 a.m. and arrested five more parishioners, including Anil Rawat, 70, a retired headmaster of a government school who now runs a private school in the village.Bail denied twiceThe local magistrate court rejected the parishioners' bail application the next day, as they were charged with “serious crimes”: conversion and attempted murder. Church lawyers then moved the case to the Banswara district court, which denied bail again on May 12.“Now, we have to go to the High Court with senior lawyers,” Amliyar said of the challenging situation facing the village church, which serves about 70 Catholic families. About 70 people were attending Mass when the intruders stormed in.“I cannot understand what is going on. The police bluntly refused to register the complaint of our people and have filed a serious charge of conversion against our people and imprisoned them,” Ganawa said of the first case of alleged conversion in Udaipur Diocese, where he has served as bishop for 13 years.Anti-conversion laws ‘reduced to a tool to harass minorities’“This is another typical case of the widespread abuse of anti-conversion laws against Christians in several states, most of them ruled by the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party],” A.C. Michael, a Catholic and national coordinator of the United Christian Forum, which monitors atrocities against Christians, told EWTN News from New Delhi.Under the Indian criminal system, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. However, under recently enacted or amended anti-conversion laws, Michael said, the burden of disproving the charge of conversion is shifted to the accused, making it difficult for defendants to secure bail from trial courts quickly, even in fraudulent cases.Under the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, enacted in 2025, the burden of disproving the allegation of conversion falls on the accused.As a result, Michael said, hundreds of Christians are languishing in jails in BJP-ruled states while protracted legal challenges drag on in higher courts.“The shocking reality is that there has been hardly any conviction in so-called conversion cases. That is why the churches and Christian groups have moved the Supreme Court for abolishing the anti-conversion laws that have been reduced to a tool to harass minorities,” Michael said.He noted that the Supreme Court in May 2024 observed that certain provisions in anti-conversion laws may be in violation of Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate oneʼs religion.The Feb. 4–10 biennial assembly of more than 200 bishops in India in Bangalore also reiterated this concern in its final statement: “As many innocent individuals are incarcerated based on unfounded allegations of forceful religious conversions, we strongly demand the repealing of legislations which are inconsistent with religious freedom and right to privacy.”
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Indian Catholics denied bail after confronting mob that disrupted Mass #Catholic UDAIPUR, India — Nine Catholics have been behind bars for more than two weeks after parishioners chased out more than a dozen people who barged into a village church during Mass, shouting accusations of conversion, in a remote village in Indiaʼs desert state of Rajasthan.“We feel frustrated that our people were denied bail a second time today on the false allegation of conversion,” Bishop Devprasad John Ganawa of Udaipur, a Divine Word missionary, told EWTN News on May 12.“When the hooligans disrupted the Mass on May 1 shouting ‘conversion,’ our people forced them out. Instead of registering a criminal case against the intruders, the police have charged our people with ‘conversion and attempt to murder’ and arrested nine Catholics of Bandaria Parish,” Ganawa explained.‘They took out a knife’“I was saying the evening Mass at the substation of my parish at Kalinjara village when the incident happened,” Father Arvind Amliyar recounted to EWTN News.“During the Communion time over a dozen people stormed into the church, shouted ‘conversion,’ and started filming with cameras. When one of them took out a knife, our people snatched it and chased them out,” Amliyar said.“Soon police came and what happened then shocked me. Instead of finding out what had happened, they arrested four Catholics the same night,” the priest said.A Hindu mob then staged a protest outside the police station and demanded action against the parishioners, according to Amliyar. Police turned away Catholics who went to them twice, including at midnight the same day and the next day, refusing to register their complaint.Police came knocking on May 4 at 2:30 a.m. and arrested five more parishioners, including Anil Rawat, 70, a retired headmaster of a government school who now runs a private school in the village.Bail denied twiceThe local magistrate court rejected the parishioners' bail application the next day, as they were charged with “serious crimes”: conversion and attempted murder. Church lawyers then moved the case to the Banswara district court, which denied bail again on May 12.“Now, we have to go to the High Court with senior lawyers,” Amliyar said of the challenging situation facing the village church, which serves about 70 Catholic families. About 70 people were attending Mass when the intruders stormed in.“I cannot understand what is going on. The police bluntly refused to register the complaint of our people and have filed a serious charge of conversion against our people and imprisoned them,” Ganawa said of the first case of alleged conversion in Udaipur Diocese, where he has served as bishop for 13 years.Anti-conversion laws ‘reduced to a tool to harass minorities’“This is another typical case of the widespread abuse of anti-conversion laws against Christians in several states, most of them ruled by the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party],” A.C. Michael, a Catholic and national coordinator of the United Christian Forum, which monitors atrocities against Christians, told EWTN News from New Delhi.Under the Indian criminal system, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. However, under recently enacted or amended anti-conversion laws, Michael said, the burden of disproving the charge of conversion is shifted to the accused, making it difficult for defendants to secure bail from trial courts quickly, even in fraudulent cases.Under the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, enacted in 2025, the burden of disproving the allegation of conversion falls on the accused.As a result, Michael said, hundreds of Christians are languishing in jails in BJP-ruled states while protracted legal challenges drag on in higher courts.“The shocking reality is that there has been hardly any conviction in so-called conversion cases. That is why the churches and Christian groups have moved the Supreme Court for abolishing the anti-conversion laws that have been reduced to a tool to harass minorities,” Michael said.He noted that the Supreme Court in May 2024 observed that certain provisions in anti-conversion laws may be in violation of Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate oneʼs religion.The Feb. 4–10 biennial assembly of more than 200 bishops in India in Bangalore also reiterated this concern in its final statement: “As many innocent individuals are incarcerated based on unfounded allegations of forceful religious conversions, we strongly demand the repealing of legislations which are inconsistent with religious freedom and right to privacy.”

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Nine parishioners face conversion and attempted murder charges after forcing out intruders who stormed a village church during Mass in Rajasthan.

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REPORT: Trump Considers Resuming War After Rejecting New Iranian Deal Proposal, Plans High Stakes Situation Room Meeting With National Security Officials – President Trump is calling for Iran to surrender after rejecting a Sunday proposal from Iran as he reportedly weighs resuming the war.  According to a report from Axios, a senior US official and a source briefed on the issue say the White House has rejected another deal from Iran. The post REPORT: Trump Considers Resuming War After Rejecting New Iranian Deal Proposal, Plans High Stakes Situation Room Meeting With National Security Officials appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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REPORT: Trump Considers Resuming War After Rejecting New Iranian Deal Proposal, Plans High Stakes Situation Room Meeting With National Security Officials – President Trump is calling for Iran to surrender after rejecting a Sunday proposal from Iran as he reportedly weighs resuming the war.  According to a report from Axios, a senior US official and a source briefed on the issue say the White House has rejected another deal from Iran. The post REPORT: Trump Considers Resuming War After Rejecting New Iranian Deal Proposal, Plans High Stakes Situation Room Meeting With National Security Officials appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Donald Trump speaking at a podium with the presidential seal, wearing a USA hat, flanked by American flags.

Donald Trump speaking at a podium with the presidential seal, wearing a USA hat, flanked by American flags.

President Trump is calling for Iran to surrender after rejecting a Sunday proposal from Iran as he reportedly weighs resuming the war.  According to a report from Axios, a senior US official and a source briefed on the issue say the White House has rejected another deal from Iran.

The post REPORT: Trump Considers Resuming War After Rejecting New Iranian Deal Proposal, Plans High Stakes Situation Room Meeting With National Security Officials appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Rededicate 250 Was a Complete Success as the USA Rededicated to God –   Rededicate 250 was a complete success as the USA rededicated itself to God. The post Rededicate 250 Was a Complete Success as the USA Rededicated to God appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Rededicate 250 Was a Complete Success as the USA Rededicated to God –   Rededicate 250 was a complete success as the USA rededicated itself to God. The post Rededicate 250 Was a Complete Success as the USA Rededicated to God appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Washington Monument surrounded by American flags with people enjoying a sunny day on the National Mall, highlighting a patriotic atmosphere.

Washington Monument surrounded by American flags with people enjoying a sunny day on the National Mall, highlighting a patriotic atmosphere.

  Rededicate 250 was a complete success as the USA rededicated itself to God.

The post Rededicate 250 Was a Complete Success as the USA Rededicated to God appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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