Virginia adopts abortion rights referendum, three other states await results #Catholic Voters in Virginia adopted a referendum to enshrine a right to abortion in their state constitution, while voters in Missouri, Nevada, and Idaho await the final results for referendums that would change abortion policies.With more than 87% of the vote counted in Virginia as of 11 p.m. ET, 61.5% of people voted for the referendum and 38.5% voted against it.The people of Missouri are voting on a pro-life referendum to repeal a state constitutional right to abortion. The outcome is too early to call with more than 85% of the vote counted, but the referendum is currently losing, with 55.5% of people voting against it and 44.5% in favor.Votes have yet to be counted in Nevada or Idaho, where polls closed later.Catholic bishops in all four states were heavily involved throughout the races, emphasizing the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life and asking the faithful to cast pro-life votes on the state referendums.The state referendumsThe referendum in Virginia will establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” in the state constitution, which includes “abortion care.” The amendment extends this right to “every individual,” rather than restricting it to just adults.Although the amendment allows abortion restrictions in the third trimester, it does not allow any restrictions when necessary to protect “the life or physical or mental health” of the mother at any point in the pregnancy. It does not define what constitutes a threat to one’s “mental health,” but rather leaves this up to the discretion of the treating physician, who is often the abortionist.The referendum in Missouri would repeal the state constitutional right to abortion and it would allow state lawmakers to restrict abortion. If it fails, the constitution will continue to maintain a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom," which includes “abortion care.”Missouri’s constitution allows lawmakers to restrict abortions after fetal viability, which is when the unborn child can survive outside the womb. However, lawmakers cannot restrict abortion at any point in the pregnancy when necessary to “protect the life or physical or mental health” of the mother. Fetal viability and whether the mother’s health is at risk is determined by the treating physician, who is often the abortionist.The referendum in Nevada, if it passes, would establish “a fundamental right to abortion” in the state constitution. It would allow lawmakers to impose restrictions after the point of fetal viability, which are determined by the “treating health care practitioner,” which is often the abortionist.The right would extend through the entire pregnancy when needed to “protect the life or health” of the mother, but “health” is not defined. The right would extend to all individuals, not just adults.Idaho’s referendum would not amend the state constitution, but it would change state law to establish a right to “reproductive freedom,” which includes “abortion.” It would supersede the current state law, which prohibits abortion except to prevent the death of the mother and, in the first trimester, in reported cases of rape or incest.The referendum would allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at the point of fetal viability, but this would be determined by the treating physician, who is often the abortionist. It would not allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at any point in the pregnancy when there is a medical emergency. The right would be extended to all individuals, not just adults.
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Virginia adopts abortion rights referendum, three other states await results #Catholic Voters in Virginia adopted a referendum to enshrine a right to abortion in their state constitution, while voters in Missouri, Nevada, and Idaho await the final results for referendums that would change abortion policies.With more than 87% of the vote counted in Virginia as of 11 p.m. ET, 61.5% of people voted for the referendum and 38.5% voted against it.The people of Missouri are voting on a pro-life referendum to repeal a state constitutional right to abortion. The outcome is too early to call with more than 85% of the vote counted, but the referendum is currently losing, with 55.5% of people voting against it and 44.5% in favor.Votes have yet to be counted in Nevada or Idaho, where polls closed later.Catholic bishops in all four states were heavily involved throughout the races, emphasizing the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life and asking the faithful to cast pro-life votes on the state referendums.The state referendumsThe referendum in Virginia will establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” in the state constitution, which includes “abortion care.” The amendment extends this right to “every individual,” rather than restricting it to just adults.Although the amendment allows abortion restrictions in the third trimester, it does not allow any restrictions when necessary to protect “the life or physical or mental health” of the mother at any point in the pregnancy. It does not define what constitutes a threat to one’s “mental health,” but rather leaves this up to the discretion of the treating physician, who is often the abortionist.The referendum in Missouri would repeal the state constitutional right to abortion and it would allow state lawmakers to restrict abortion. If it fails, the constitution will continue to maintain a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom," which includes “abortion care.”Missouri’s constitution allows lawmakers to restrict abortions after fetal viability, which is when the unborn child can survive outside the womb. However, lawmakers cannot restrict abortion at any point in the pregnancy when necessary to “protect the life or physical or mental health” of the mother. Fetal viability and whether the mother’s health is at risk is determined by the treating physician, who is often the abortionist.The referendum in Nevada, if it passes, would establish “a fundamental right to abortion” in the state constitution. It would allow lawmakers to impose restrictions after the point of fetal viability, which are determined by the “treating health care practitioner,” which is often the abortionist.The right would extend through the entire pregnancy when needed to “protect the life or health” of the mother, but “health” is not defined. The right would extend to all individuals, not just adults.Idaho’s referendum would not amend the state constitution, but it would change state law to establish a right to “reproductive freedom,” which includes “abortion.” It would supersede the current state law, which prohibits abortion except to prevent the death of the mother and, in the first trimester, in reported cases of rape or incest.The referendum would allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at the point of fetal viability, but this would be determined by the treating physician, who is often the abortionist. It would not allow lawmakers to restrict abortion at any point in the pregnancy when there is a medical emergency. The right would be extended to all individuals, not just adults.

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A referendum to establish a constitutional right to abortion in the Virginia constitution was adopted. Abortion-related referendums in three other states are too early to call.

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Astronaut and Earth – CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Joshua Kutryk is pictured during a spacewalk with his spacesuit’s helmet visor down to install a new roll-out solar array on the International Space Station’s port side truss structure.
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Astronaut and Earth – CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Joshua Kutryk is pictured during a spacewalk with his spacesuit’s helmet visor down to install a new roll-out solar array on the International Space Station’s port side truss structure.

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CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 75 flight engineer Joshua Kutryk is pictured during a spacewalk with his spacesuit’s helmet visor down to install a new roll-out solar array on the International Space Station’s port side truss structure.

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U.S. Supreme Court leans toward Catholic schools in clash over pre-K funding #Catholic A majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices sounded ready to require that Colorado provide Catholic schools government funding for preschool even if the schools refuse to guarantee admission for children of same-sex couples, during oral arguments Tuesday in a case involving a school in the Archdiocese of Denver.The case, St. Mary School v. Roy, centers on a preschool-through-grade-8 Catholic school in Littleton that wants to participate in the state’s universal preschool program.Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a member of the court’s conservative majority, described the case as a clash between the free exercise of religion and the right to same-sex marriage the court found in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. But he suggested the clash is unnecessary because parents in Colorado have so many options for prekindergarten, since there are more than 2,000 providers in the state, while the Archdiocese of Denver has only 34 schools that provide the service.“Why has this been provoked when there’s an ability for everyone to go to the school, a good school, that’s a fit for them, and to respect religious rights?” he asked.Helen Norton, deputy solicitor general for the state of Colorado, said parents often choose prekindergarten programs based on their location and their hours rather than their curriculum.“Colorado has an interest in ensuring that its public funds go to schools that ensure equal opportunity — not some opportunity, that ensure equal opportunity to public-funded options, regardless of protected-class status,” Norton said, replying to Kavanaugh’s question. “Families are harmed when they’re turned away from the publicly funded school that makes their lives work because of their protected-class status.”‘Creating a Catholic community’In 2020, Colorado voters approved a state-funded universal prekindergarten program, using increases in tobacco-related taxes to pay for it. The state government is planning to spend about $360 million for the program during the 2026-2027 school year. The state pays preschool providers about $6,100 per year for 15 hours a week of instruction for 4-year-olds during the 2026-2027 school year, according to state standards.Catholic schools want to participate in the program, but the Archdiocese of Denver objects to a state mandate concerning admissions.A Colorado state statute requires that preschools participating in the funding program provide children “an equal opportunity to enroll and receive preschool services” regardless of eight protected classes — including “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” — “as such characteristics and circumstances apply to the child or the child’s family.”A lawyer for the Catholic schools told justices Tuesday that Church and school officials want to make admissions decisions on a case-by-case basis in alignment with Catholic teachings instead of simply allowing all comers because of a state mandate.“I think it’s their thoughtful attempt to say, ‘We’re creating a Catholic community,’” said Nicholas Reaves, senior counsel for the Becket law group, which is representing the Catholic schools.Reaves got hostile questions from the court’s three liberals (Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson) and either friendly or neutral questions from the court’s five conservatives (Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett), which suggests how the decision might ultimately go. (The chief justice, John Roberts, often seen as a swing vote, mostly moderated the discussion.)Sarah Harris, principal deputy solicitor general in the Trump administration, also argued on the Catholic schools’ side during oral presentations Tuesday.Many optionsThe history of Catholic schools in the 19th century came up during oral arguments, including their origin in concerns among Catholic clerics and parents that government-run public schools were providing a Protestant point of view to the exclusion of Catholicism. Kavanaugh, a Catholic, at one point asked the lawyer for the state of Colorado about a moment in the trial record when the administrator of the state’s universal prekindergarten program was asked about Catholic history.“The director of the program, by all accounts a dutiful public servant, … was asked at the trial, ‘Are you aware that Catholics have historically been discriminated against?’ And she answered, ‘No,’” Kavanaugh said. “I was surprised by that answer and curious if that’s Colorado’s position.”“Not at all, Your Honor,” Norton replied. “And it’s Colorado’s position that the equal-opportunity requirements help religious families. They ensure that Catholic families are not turned away from the UPK [universal prekindergarten] school that best meets their needs because of their faith or because of any other protected characteristic. And a history of discrimination against Catholics is among the reasons that requirement is so important.”Some legal observers have suggested that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court may use the Colorado case as a vehicle to overturn the Smith decision in 1990, which, although written by the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, is disliked by many religious-liberty advocates who argue it doesn’t respect free-exercise rights enough.Yet the lawyer representing the Catholic schools on Tuesday offered narrower grounds for the justices to overturn Colorado’s admissions requirements, noting that for every Catholic preschool program in the Archdiocese of Denver, there are two universal prekindergarten programs already in the state’s program within three miles of it.Said Reaves: “This is just not really a problem in real life.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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U.S. Supreme Court leans toward Catholic schools in clash over pre-K funding #Catholic A majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices sounded ready to require that Colorado provide Catholic schools government funding for preschool even if the schools refuse to guarantee admission for children of same-sex couples, during oral arguments Tuesday in a case involving a school in the Archdiocese of Denver.The case, St. Mary School v. Roy, centers on a preschool-through-grade-8 Catholic school in Littleton that wants to participate in the state’s universal preschool program.Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a member of the court’s conservative majority, described the case as a clash between the free exercise of religion and the right to same-sex marriage the court found in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. But he suggested the clash is unnecessary because parents in Colorado have so many options for prekindergarten, since there are more than 2,000 providers in the state, while the Archdiocese of Denver has only 34 schools that provide the service.“Why has this been provoked when there’s an ability for everyone to go to the school, a good school, that’s a fit for them, and to respect religious rights?” he asked.Helen Norton, deputy solicitor general for the state of Colorado, said parents often choose prekindergarten programs based on their location and their hours rather than their curriculum.“Colorado has an interest in ensuring that its public funds go to schools that ensure equal opportunity — not some opportunity, that ensure equal opportunity to public-funded options, regardless of protected-class status,” Norton said, replying to Kavanaugh’s question. “Families are harmed when they’re turned away from the publicly funded school that makes their lives work because of their protected-class status.”‘Creating a Catholic community’In 2020, Colorado voters approved a state-funded universal prekindergarten program, using increases in tobacco-related taxes to pay for it. The state government is planning to spend about $360 million for the program during the 2026-2027 school year. The state pays preschool providers about $6,100 per year for 15 hours a week of instruction for 4-year-olds during the 2026-2027 school year, according to state standards.Catholic schools want to participate in the program, but the Archdiocese of Denver objects to a state mandate concerning admissions.A Colorado state statute requires that preschools participating in the funding program provide children “an equal opportunity to enroll and receive preschool services” regardless of eight protected classes — including “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” — “as such characteristics and circumstances apply to the child or the child’s family.”A lawyer for the Catholic schools told justices Tuesday that Church and school officials want to make admissions decisions on a case-by-case basis in alignment with Catholic teachings instead of simply allowing all comers because of a state mandate.“I think it’s their thoughtful attempt to say, ‘We’re creating a Catholic community,’” said Nicholas Reaves, senior counsel for the Becket law group, which is representing the Catholic schools.Reaves got hostile questions from the court’s three liberals (Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson) and either friendly or neutral questions from the court’s five conservatives (Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett), which suggests how the decision might ultimately go. (The chief justice, John Roberts, often seen as a swing vote, mostly moderated the discussion.)Sarah Harris, principal deputy solicitor general in the Trump administration, also argued on the Catholic schools’ side during oral presentations Tuesday.Many optionsThe history of Catholic schools in the 19th century came up during oral arguments, including their origin in concerns among Catholic clerics and parents that government-run public schools were providing a Protestant point of view to the exclusion of Catholicism. Kavanaugh, a Catholic, at one point asked the lawyer for the state of Colorado about a moment in the trial record when the administrator of the state’s universal prekindergarten program was asked about Catholic history.“The director of the program, by all accounts a dutiful public servant, … was asked at the trial, ‘Are you aware that Catholics have historically been discriminated against?’ And she answered, ‘No,’” Kavanaugh said. “I was surprised by that answer and curious if that’s Colorado’s position.”“Not at all, Your Honor,” Norton replied. “And it’s Colorado’s position that the equal-opportunity requirements help religious families. They ensure that Catholic families are not turned away from the UPK [universal prekindergarten] school that best meets their needs because of their faith or because of any other protected characteristic. And a history of discrimination against Catholics is among the reasons that requirement is so important.”Some legal observers have suggested that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court may use the Colorado case as a vehicle to overturn the Smith decision in 1990, which, although written by the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, is disliked by many religious-liberty advocates who argue it doesn’t respect free-exercise rights enough.Yet the lawyer representing the Catholic schools on Tuesday offered narrower grounds for the justices to overturn Colorado’s admissions requirements, noting that for every Catholic preschool program in the Archdiocese of Denver, there are two universal prekindergarten programs already in the state’s program within three miles of it.Said Reaves: “This is just not really a problem in real life.”This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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A Colorado case pits sexual orientation and gender-identity protections against religious standards for school admissions.

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Bishops urge religious liberty language in IRS school discrimination rule – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to include stronger language to safeguard the religious missions of private religious schools in a proposed antidiscrimination regulation.The IRS just concluded the public comment period for a rule that would remove the tax-exempt status of private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities that consider a person’s race or ethnic background in admissions, financial aid, scholarships, or other opportunities.Although the preamble of the proposed regulation states it would not prevent private religious schools from maintaining their religious missions and can have selection criteria based on the person’s religious affiliation, the USCCB warned that this language is not included in the rule itself.In a public comment submitted Nov. 2 by the USCCB, the bishops also warned the proposed language could prohibit “religiously motivated programs addressing ethnoreligious identity and community needs” as well. This concern is because the preamble text only permits selection criteria if it “is based solely on religion and not on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.”The bishops requested the IRS add religious liberty language to the regulation itself and remove the word “solely” from that text before approving a final rule. The bishops also encouraged the IRS to address federal legal protections for religious schools — including the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — in both the preamble and the rule itself.Additionally, the bishops requested that the IRS direct its personnel not to “second-guess” a religious school’s doctrine and to include explicit language that sincerely held religious belief does not violate the rule. They are also asking that private schools get a period to correct any violation before enforcement action is taken.The USCCB was joined in its public comment by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and The Catholic University of America.University of Providence to shut downThe University of Providence — a Catholic higher education institution in Great Falls, Montana — announced it will shut down operations at the end of the 2026-2027 academic year, citing financial struggles that cannot be overcome.According to a news release, the university suffered enrollment decline and financial pressures, which led officials to restructure academic programs, reduce operating expenses, and pursue new enrollment and revenue strategies. Although this softened the financial struggles, it did not create a long-term sustainable operating model, it stated.“We recognize the grief and uncertainty this decision will bring to students, families, employees, alumni and the Great Falls community,” Caroline Goulet, the university president, said in a statement.“Our responsibility now is to care for the people who make up this University community, maintain the quality of their educational experience, and provide clear guidance and support as they prepare for what comes next,” she said.The university promised to help students transfer to other institutions to complete their degrees.Notre Dame announces Global Saints InitiativeThe University of Notre Dame announced the start of the Global Saints Initiative in 2027, which will focus on adding iconography of more saints at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which sits at the center of the campus.The iconography will include saints from five continents and nine countries to reflect the broad cultural dimensions of the Catholic Church, according to a news release from the university.“Just as university founder Father Edward Sorin carefully selected saints for the Basilica that spoke to the Notre Dame students of his day, these new icons reflect the diverse vocations, cultures, and backgrounds of today’s campus community and the wider Church,” Father Pete McCormick, CSC, assistant vice president for campus ministry, said in a statement.“I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to share these stories of holiness with all who visit the Basilica and especially with our students who I’m hopeful will be able to identify with and learn from these witnesses of faith,” he said.The announcement states that the iconography will be installed in January 2027, before the spring semester begins.Study shows concerns with SATsA study conducted by Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Education Policy — sponsored by Thomas Aquinas College, a Catholic institution — found concerns with changes to SAT tests, which many students take before applying to college.When comparing the SAT tests from 1980 and 1987 to tests today, the study found changes that diminish the emphasis on the students’ ability to read and analyze difficult text, according to a news release from Thomas Aquinas College.“The makers of the SAT seem to believe that the ability to tackle long and complex literary works isn’t an important skill for college students anymore,” Thomas Aquinas College Vice President John J. Goyette said in a statement.“Sadly, given the state of modern higher education, they’re probably right,” he said.The study notes that passages are shorter, sometimes one-third of the former length, and there was a drop in vocabulary questions that require independent word knowledge, from 60 to 10.It notes that newer tests nearly eliminated argumentative and persuasive readings and replaced reading passages that assumed prior knowledge and understanding with texts that reveal the meaning through context clues.
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Bishops urge religious liberty language in IRS school discrimination rule – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to include stronger language to safeguard the religious missions of private religious schools in a proposed antidiscrimination regulation.The IRS just concluded the public comment period for a rule that would remove the tax-exempt status of private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities that consider a person’s race or ethnic background in admissions, financial aid, scholarships, or other opportunities.Although the preamble of the proposed regulation states it would not prevent private religious schools from maintaining their religious missions and can have selection criteria based on the person’s religious affiliation, the USCCB warned that this language is not included in the rule itself.In a public comment submitted Nov. 2 by the USCCB, the bishops also warned the proposed language could prohibit “religiously motivated programs addressing ethnoreligious identity and community needs” as well. This concern is because the preamble text only permits selection criteria if it “is based solely on religion and not on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.”The bishops requested the IRS add religious liberty language to the regulation itself and remove the word “solely” from that text before approving a final rule. The bishops also encouraged the IRS to address federal legal protections for religious schools — including the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — in both the preamble and the rule itself.Additionally, the bishops requested that the IRS direct its personnel not to “second-guess” a religious school’s doctrine and to include explicit language that sincerely held religious belief does not violate the rule. They are also asking that private schools get a period to correct any violation before enforcement action is taken.The USCCB was joined in its public comment by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and The Catholic University of America.University of Providence to shut downThe University of Providence — a Catholic higher education institution in Great Falls, Montana — announced it will shut down operations at the end of the 2026-2027 academic year, citing financial struggles that cannot be overcome.According to a news release, the university suffered enrollment decline and financial pressures, which led officials to restructure academic programs, reduce operating expenses, and pursue new enrollment and revenue strategies. Although this softened the financial struggles, it did not create a long-term sustainable operating model, it stated.“We recognize the grief and uncertainty this decision will bring to students, families, employees, alumni and the Great Falls community,” Caroline Goulet, the university president, said in a statement.“Our responsibility now is to care for the people who make up this University community, maintain the quality of their educational experience, and provide clear guidance and support as they prepare for what comes next,” she said.The university promised to help students transfer to other institutions to complete their degrees.Notre Dame announces Global Saints InitiativeThe University of Notre Dame announced the start of the Global Saints Initiative in 2027, which will focus on adding iconography of more saints at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which sits at the center of the campus.The iconography will include saints from five continents and nine countries to reflect the broad cultural dimensions of the Catholic Church, according to a news release from the university.“Just as university founder Father Edward Sorin carefully selected saints for the Basilica that spoke to the Notre Dame students of his day, these new icons reflect the diverse vocations, cultures, and backgrounds of today’s campus community and the wider Church,” Father Pete McCormick, CSC, assistant vice president for campus ministry, said in a statement.“I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to share these stories of holiness with all who visit the Basilica and especially with our students who I’m hopeful will be able to identify with and learn from these witnesses of faith,” he said.The announcement states that the iconography will be installed in January 2027, before the spring semester begins.Study shows concerns with SATsA study conducted by Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Education Policy — sponsored by Thomas Aquinas College, a Catholic institution — found concerns with changes to SAT tests, which many students take before applying to college.When comparing the SAT tests from 1980 and 1987 to tests today, the study found changes that diminish the emphasis on the students’ ability to read and analyze difficult text, according to a news release from Thomas Aquinas College.“The makers of the SAT seem to believe that the ability to tackle long and complex literary works isn’t an important skill for college students anymore,” Thomas Aquinas College Vice President John J. Goyette said in a statement.“Sadly, given the state of modern higher education, they’re probably right,” he said.The study notes that passages are shorter, sometimes one-third of the former length, and there was a drop in vocabulary questions that require independent word knowledge, from 60 to 10.It notes that newer tests nearly eliminated argumentative and persuasive readings and replaced reading passages that assumed prior knowledge and understanding with texts that reveal the meaning through context clues.

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Here is a roundup of the latest news related to Catholic education.

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Paterson parish renews its mission during feast day Mass #Catholic – Some celebrations mark a moment in a parish’s life; others remind us who we are, where we have been, and where God is calling us to go. St. Gerard Majella Parish in Paterson, N.J. had one of those moments during a Mass for the feast day of its patron saint on Oct. 16. With about 150 members of the parish community gathered for the liturgy, the celebration brought together St. Gerard Majella’s rich spiritual heritage, the unveiling of a new parish logo, and the introduction of a renewed mission statement. Together, these elements tell a story of a parish honoring its past while looking toward the future with hope. The new parish motto is: “One Family in Christ, Growing in Faith, Rejoicing in Hope and Changing the World with Love.” Over the past 18 months, the parish has been engaged in a synodal process of renewal, listening, reflection, and discernment. At the heart of this journey has been a desire to articulate more clearly not simply what the parish does, but who it is called to be as a community of faith. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. That distinction matters. A parish is more than a church building, a calendar of activities, or a collection of ministries. It is a community of people called together by Christ, nourished by the Eucharist, and sent forth to bring the Gospel into others’ lives. The new mission statement grew out of this spirit of listening and discernment. Its introduction over four weeks, in both English and Spanish, allowed the parish community to reflect together on its identity, purpose, and hopes for the future. The new logo, developed by Father Sebastian Munoz, parochial vicar of St. Gerard’s, gives visual expression to that same sense of identity and purpose. More than a new image, it reminds us that the parish’s outward expression should reflect the faith, values, and mission that animate its life. As Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerard’s, continues to guide the parish through his pastoral vision, these developments offer an opportunity to renew our focus on evangelization, community building, and service. Renewal, after all, is not simply about introducing something new. It is about rediscovering what is essential and letting it shape how the parish lives its faith.
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Paterson parish renews its mission during feast day Mass #Catholic – Some celebrations mark a moment in a parish’s life; others remind us who we are, where we have been, and where God is calling us to go. St. Gerard Majella Parish in Paterson, N.J. had one of those moments during a Mass for the feast day of its patron saint on Oct. 16. With about 150 members of the parish community gathered for the liturgy, the celebration brought together St. Gerard Majella’s rich spiritual heritage, the unveiling of a new parish logo, and the introduction of a renewed mission statement. Together, these elements tell a story of a parish honoring its past while looking toward the future with hope. The new parish motto is: “One Family in Christ, Growing in Faith, Rejoicing in Hope and Changing the World with Love.” Over the past 18 months, the parish has been engaged in a synodal process of renewal, listening, reflection, and discernment. At the heart of this journey has been a desire to articulate more clearly not simply what the parish does, but who it is called to be as a community of faith. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. That distinction matters. A parish is more than a church building, a calendar of activities, or a collection of ministries. It is a community of people called together by Christ, nourished by the Eucharist, and sent forth to bring the Gospel into others’ lives. The new mission statement grew out of this spirit of listening and discernment. Its introduction over four weeks, in both English and Spanish, allowed the parish community to reflect together on its identity, purpose, and hopes for the future. The new logo, developed by Father Sebastian Munoz, parochial vicar of St. Gerard’s, gives visual expression to that same sense of identity and purpose. More than a new image, it reminds us that the parish’s outward expression should reflect the faith, values, and mission that animate its life. As Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerard’s, continues to guide the parish through his pastoral vision, these developments offer an opportunity to renew our focus on evangelization, community building, and service. Renewal, after all, is not simply about introducing something new. It is about rediscovering what is essential and letting it shape how the parish lives its faith.

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Paterson parish renews its mission during feast day Mass #Catholic –

Some celebrations mark a moment in a parish’s life; others remind us who we are, where we have been, and where God is calling us to go. St. Gerard Majella Parish in Paterson, N.J. had one of those moments during a Mass for the feast day of its patron saint on Oct. 16.

With about 150 members of the parish community gathered for the liturgy, the celebration brought together St. Gerard Majella’s rich spiritual heritage, the unveiling of a new parish logo, and the introduction of a renewed mission statement. Together, these elements tell a story of a parish honoring its past while looking toward the future with hope. The new parish motto is: “One Family in Christ, Growing in Faith, Rejoicing in Hope and Changing the World with Love.”

Over the past 18 months, the parish has been engaged in a synodal process of renewal, listening, reflection, and discernment. At the heart of this journey has been a desire to articulate more clearly not simply what the parish does, but who it is called to be as a community of faith.

Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

That distinction matters. A parish is more than a church building, a calendar of activities, or a collection of ministries. It is a community of people called together by Christ, nourished by the Eucharist, and sent forth to bring the Gospel into others’ lives.

The new mission statement grew out of this spirit of listening and discernment. Its introduction over four weeks, in both English and Spanish, allowed the parish community to reflect together on its identity, purpose, and hopes for the future.

The new logo, developed by Father Sebastian Munoz, parochial vicar of St. Gerard’s, gives visual expression to that same sense of identity and purpose. More than a new image, it reminds us that the parish’s outward expression should reflect the faith, values, and mission that animate its life.

As Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Gerard’s, continues to guide the parish through his pastoral vision, these developments offer an opportunity to renew our focus on evangelization, community building, and service. Renewal, after all, is not simply about introducing something new. It is about rediscovering what is essential and letting it shape how the parish lives its faith.

– Some celebrations mark a moment in a parish’s life; others remind us who we are, where we have been, and where God is calling us to go. St. Gerard Majella Parish in Paterson, N.J. had one of those moments during a Mass for the feast day of its patron saint on Oct. 16. With about 150 members of the parish community gathered for the liturgy, the celebration brought together St. Gerard Majella’s rich spiritual heritage, the unveiling of a new parish logo, and the introduction of a renewed mission statement. Together, these elements tell a story of a parish honoring

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Active-duty military service members have new pathway to become chaplains – #Catholic – Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Hung Cao announced the Chaplain In-Service Procurement Program on Oct. 30, describing it as a new pathway for active-duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel to become Navy chaplains.The first initiative to come from the Department of War’s recently established Office of Religious Affairs, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called the program that office’s “first win.”Under the funded option of the new program, the service covers tuition for a qualifying graduate theological degree at an accredited U.S. institution while service members remain on active duty. After graduation, they will transition temporarily to inactive status through the Career Intermission Program to gain a minimum of two (and not more than three) years of full-time religious leadership experience as a religious ministry professional with their endorsing organization, after which they may then be commissioned as active-duty Navy Chaplain Corps officers.Previously, active-duty Sailors or Marines who felt called to the chaplaincy usually had to leave military service, losing pay and benefits, to complete seminary and professional ministry experience as civilians, at their own expense, and then reapply. No dedicated in-service pipeline existed for this purpose.Cao urged leaders to identify Navy and Marine Corps members “from every faith tradition,” both officers and enlisted, “who possess the character, calling, and commitment” required for the program, which was authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act.“Spiritual readiness is combat readiness,” he wrote in the announcement.Hegseth said the same day that previously, when service members had to leave the military to pursue theological studies, it lost many “good warriors who wanted to answer Godʼs call. But not anymore.”He said he established the Office of Religious Affairs “to champion the spiritual readiness of our force,” calling the new program its “first win.”“Chaplains are the backbone of this military,” he said. “And some of our warfighters watching this are feeling a divine calling to the chaplaincy. To you, I encourage you with the words of Isaiah … ‘Here I am, send me.’”“President Trumpʼs Department of War will not make you choose between the uniform and your calling,” Hegseth continued, noting bipartisan congressional support for the program.“Republicans and Democrats in Congress saw the importance of this and made it law. To those who feel called to be a chaplain, the Department of War has your back. Be strong and very courageous,” he said.Archbishop welcomes initiative, but says it is of ‘little value’ to Catholics without changesArchbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS) told EWTN News that while the archdiocese welcomes the "effort to encourage chaplain service, the initiative is of little value to prospective Catholic chaplains” without some changes.Broglio pointed out that candidates for the priesthood spend at least seven years in academic, pastoral, and spiritual formation, noting that the program “only envisions three.”After years of seminary formation, co-sponsored by the AMS and their home dioceses, Catholics called to serve as chaplains must then engage in three years of civilian pastoral service before serving in the military.Broglio said missing from the program is an allowance for the additional three years of civilian pastoral service, a period he said is intended to provide hands-on experience and which is a general condition for a chaplain candidate to receive AMS endorsement for active-duty service.He encouraged the military to “consider allowing for both the time in formation and the pastoral experience” in order to support prospective Catholic chaplains.Retreat for young men considering military chaplaincyThe announcement of the new chaplaincy program coincided with a discernment retreat hosted by AMS for young men considering the vocation to military chaplaincy.According to the archdiocese, Broglio hosted 33 prospective Catholic chaplains at the Fall Discernment Retreat held Oct. 29–Nov. 1, the beginning of National Vocation Awareness Week, at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. Participants from dioceses across the country prayed together, took part in adoration and Holy Hours, and heard talks from Broglio, archdiocesan vocations director Father Paul-Anthony Halladay, and military chaplains on topics including discernment, the role of priests as spiritual fathers, and the lives and examples of chaplains who served in each of the military’s branches.
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Active-duty military service members have new pathway to become chaplains – #Catholic – Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Hung Cao announced the Chaplain In-Service Procurement Program on Oct. 30, describing it as a new pathway for active-duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel to become Navy chaplains.The first initiative to come from the Department of War’s recently established Office of Religious Affairs, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called the program that office’s “first win.”Under the funded option of the new program, the service covers tuition for a qualifying graduate theological degree at an accredited U.S. institution while service members remain on active duty. After graduation, they will transition temporarily to inactive status through the Career Intermission Program to gain a minimum of two (and not more than three) years of full-time religious leadership experience as a religious ministry professional with their endorsing organization, after which they may then be commissioned as active-duty Navy Chaplain Corps officers.Previously, active-duty Sailors or Marines who felt called to the chaplaincy usually had to leave military service, losing pay and benefits, to complete seminary and professional ministry experience as civilians, at their own expense, and then reapply. No dedicated in-service pipeline existed for this purpose.Cao urged leaders to identify Navy and Marine Corps members “from every faith tradition,” both officers and enlisted, “who possess the character, calling, and commitment” required for the program, which was authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act.“Spiritual readiness is combat readiness,” he wrote in the announcement.Hegseth said the same day that previously, when service members had to leave the military to pursue theological studies, it lost many “good warriors who wanted to answer Godʼs call. But not anymore.”He said he established the Office of Religious Affairs “to champion the spiritual readiness of our force,” calling the new program its “first win.”“Chaplains are the backbone of this military,” he said. “And some of our warfighters watching this are feeling a divine calling to the chaplaincy. To you, I encourage you with the words of Isaiah … ‘Here I am, send me.’”“President Trumpʼs Department of War will not make you choose between the uniform and your calling,” Hegseth continued, noting bipartisan congressional support for the program.“Republicans and Democrats in Congress saw the importance of this and made it law. To those who feel called to be a chaplain, the Department of War has your back. Be strong and very courageous,” he said.Archbishop welcomes initiative, but says it is of ‘little value’ to Catholics without changesArchbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, (AMS) told EWTN News that while the archdiocese welcomes the "effort to encourage chaplain service, the initiative is of little value to prospective Catholic chaplains” without some changes.Broglio pointed out that candidates for the priesthood spend at least seven years in academic, pastoral, and spiritual formation, noting that the program “only envisions three.”After years of seminary formation, co-sponsored by the AMS and their home dioceses, Catholics called to serve as chaplains must then engage in three years of civilian pastoral service before serving in the military.Broglio said missing from the program is an allowance for the additional three years of civilian pastoral service, a period he said is intended to provide hands-on experience and which is a general condition for a chaplain candidate to receive AMS endorsement for active-duty service.He encouraged the military to “consider allowing for both the time in formation and the pastoral experience” in order to support prospective Catholic chaplains.Retreat for young men considering military chaplaincyThe announcement of the new chaplaincy program coincided with a discernment retreat hosted by AMS for young men considering the vocation to military chaplaincy.According to the archdiocese, Broglio hosted 33 prospective Catholic chaplains at the Fall Discernment Retreat held Oct. 29–Nov. 1, the beginning of National Vocation Awareness Week, at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. Participants from dioceses across the country prayed together, took part in adoration and Holy Hours, and heard talks from Broglio, archdiocesan vocations director Father Paul-Anthony Halladay, and military chaplains on topics including discernment, the role of priests as spiritual fathers, and the lives and examples of chaplains who served in each of the military’s branches.

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Previously, service members had to leave the military to pursue theological training and then reapply to become chaplains.

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Mexican priest recovers from kidnapping ordeal – #Catholic – Mexican priest Father Clemente Morales Topete endured beatings, burns, and death threats after being abducted by a group of unknown individuals who held him captive for three days.Bishop José de Jesús Herrera Quiñones of the Diocese of Culiacán in Sinaloa state reported what happened in a Nov. 1 statement, providing details on the assault. Herrera was reported missing on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 24, after he had gone to a medical appointment.The prelate recounted that Morales returned on his own to his parish, Risen Christ, on Tuesday, Oct. 27. He arrived, as described, “in a deplorable state, showing clear signs of the violence he had been subjected to.”Seeing his condition, members of the community administered first aid; he was subsequently “taken to a clinic for specialized medical care, as he had sustained multiple blows and burns on various parts of his body.”Herrera clarified that the priest’s injuries “did not pose an immediate threat to his life,” though they did require medical follow-up. In addition to the physical aftereffects, there is “the psychological and emotional impact of threats that the priest reported having received against his person.”Currently, Morales remains under medical observation. According to the bishop of Culiacán, his condition is improving, “though his recovery will require time, care, and comprehensive support.”Morales’ abductionRegarding the circumstances surrounding the priest’s disappearance, Herrera stated that Morales was “picked up,” a term used colloquially in Mexico as a synonym for kidnapping or unlawful confinement.“The priest was picked by a group of unknown individuals and taken to an unknown location; he was beaten and even sustained severe burns on his body, while being pressed for information that he didn’t have,” the bishop stated.He further noted that “he was held for three days, during which he received repeated death threats,” until he was released on Tuesday, Oct. 27.Herrera said the authorities are continuing their investigation, and he urged against “fueling speculation, naming those responsible without evidence, or contributing to misinformation.”Meanwhile, he expressed his confidence that the investigations will “fully determine what happened and that those responsible will be brought to justice.”In his message, Herrera expressed solidarity with those who have experienced a similar situation. “No priest or person should be subjected to threats or attacks for fulfilling their mission.”While expressing “relief and gratitude” that Morales came out alive from the ordeal, he noted that his case “joins those of so many individuals and families who suffer from this reality.”“We denounce, reject, and condemn actions that threaten the life and the physical and moral well-being of individuals including physical and psychological torture and arbitrary detention because they are contrary to human dignity,” he stated.2 years of violence in SinaloaThe attacks on Morales took place against a backdrop of escalating violence in Sinaloa. Since September 2024, numerous criminal acts including shootings, arson, and vehicle thefts have been reported from clashes between rival organized crime factions.In this context, the bishop of Culiacán acknowledged the efforts made to quell violence and insecurity in Sinaloa; however, he warned that these issues continue to “severely affect the daily life of our society.”He noted that the measures currently in place have “not been sufficient” to “restore the tranquility that our city so desperately needs.” Consequently, he urged that strategies be strengthened regarding prevention, security, the search for missing persons, the administration of justice, and comprehensive support for victims.‘We want peace’The call for peace, he noted, also requires the participation of society. He urged the people of Sinaloa to maintain “solidarity and respect toward those who have fallen victim to crime, as well as their families,” and to take up the responsibility that falls to every citizen.He also addressed those perpetrating violence: “We ask you to reflect on the harm you are causing, to listen to the voice of your conscience, and to turn your gaze toward God. It is within your power to put an end to this violence,” he urged.Finally, he invoked the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, patroness of the Diocese of Culiacán, that she might “accompany families searching for their loved ones, strengthen those who are suffering, and touch the hearts of those who have chosen the path of violence.”This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Mexican priest recovers from kidnapping ordeal – #Catholic – Mexican priest Father Clemente Morales Topete endured beatings, burns, and death threats after being abducted by a group of unknown individuals who held him captive for three days.Bishop José de Jesús Herrera Quiñones of the Diocese of Culiacán in Sinaloa state reported what happened in a Nov. 1 statement, providing details on the assault. Herrera was reported missing on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 24, after he had gone to a medical appointment.The prelate recounted that Morales returned on his own to his parish, Risen Christ, on Tuesday, Oct. 27. He arrived, as described, “in a deplorable state, showing clear signs of the violence he had been subjected to.”Seeing his condition, members of the community administered first aid; he was subsequently “taken to a clinic for specialized medical care, as he had sustained multiple blows and burns on various parts of his body.”Herrera clarified that the priest’s injuries “did not pose an immediate threat to his life,” though they did require medical follow-up. In addition to the physical aftereffects, there is “the psychological and emotional impact of threats that the priest reported having received against his person.”Currently, Morales remains under medical observation. According to the bishop of Culiacán, his condition is improving, “though his recovery will require time, care, and comprehensive support.”Morales’ abductionRegarding the circumstances surrounding the priest’s disappearance, Herrera stated that Morales was “picked up,” a term used colloquially in Mexico as a synonym for kidnapping or unlawful confinement.“The priest was picked by a group of unknown individuals and taken to an unknown location; he was beaten and even sustained severe burns on his body, while being pressed for information that he didn’t have,” the bishop stated.He further noted that “he was held for three days, during which he received repeated death threats,” until he was released on Tuesday, Oct. 27.Herrera said the authorities are continuing their investigation, and he urged against “fueling speculation, naming those responsible without evidence, or contributing to misinformation.”Meanwhile, he expressed his confidence that the investigations will “fully determine what happened and that those responsible will be brought to justice.”In his message, Herrera expressed solidarity with those who have experienced a similar situation. “No priest or person should be subjected to threats or attacks for fulfilling their mission.”While expressing “relief and gratitude” that Morales came out alive from the ordeal, he noted that his case “joins those of so many individuals and families who suffer from this reality.”“We denounce, reject, and condemn actions that threaten the life and the physical and moral well-being of individuals including physical and psychological torture and arbitrary detention because they are contrary to human dignity,” he stated.2 years of violence in SinaloaThe attacks on Morales took place against a backdrop of escalating violence in Sinaloa. Since September 2024, numerous criminal acts including shootings, arson, and vehicle thefts have been reported from clashes between rival organized crime factions.In this context, the bishop of Culiacán acknowledged the efforts made to quell violence and insecurity in Sinaloa; however, he warned that these issues continue to “severely affect the daily life of our society.”He noted that the measures currently in place have “not been sufficient” to “restore the tranquility that our city so desperately needs.” Consequently, he urged that strategies be strengthened regarding prevention, security, the search for missing persons, the administration of justice, and comprehensive support for victims.‘We want peace’The call for peace, he noted, also requires the participation of society. He urged the people of Sinaloa to maintain “solidarity and respect toward those who have fallen victim to crime, as well as their families,” and to take up the responsibility that falls to every citizen.He also addressed those perpetrating violence: “We ask you to reflect on the harm you are causing, to listen to the voice of your conscience, and to turn your gaze toward God. It is within your power to put an end to this violence,” he urged.Finally, he invoked the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, patroness of the Diocese of Culiacán, that she might “accompany families searching for their loved ones, strengthen those who are suffering, and touch the hearts of those who have chosen the path of violence.”This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Mexican priest Clemente Morales Topete suffered beatings, burns, and death threats after being held against his will by a crime gang. The assailants were trying to extract information he didn’t have.

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Married couples celebrate enduring love at cathedral Mass #Catholic – The gift of marital love was celebrated and renewed on Nov. 1, All Saints Day, during the Paterson Diocesan annual Silver and Gold Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., where 71 couples married 25, 50, and up to 70 years ago marked their milestone anniversaries. During the Mass, these happy couples also renewed their wedding vows before Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, the main celebrant of the liturgy, and several priests from around the diocese who concelebrated the liturgy. The Diocesan Family Life Office coordinated the Mass. As on their wedding days, the couples exchanged vows, held each other’s hands, and renewed their love, fidelity, and commitment in Holy Matrimony. The couples celebrated often with their families present. The couples received certificates signed by Bishop Sweeney honoring their anniversaries. Each couple was invited to meet the bishop and take a photo with him. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Couples marking milestone anniversaries: 70 Years Louis & Concetta Golia St. Mary’s Parish, Denville 61 Years Joseph & Mary Bono St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park 60 Years Francesco and Caterina Anello Padre Pio Parish, Paterson Robert & Susan Bantang Holy Family Parish, Florham Park John & Ellen Baxter St. Joseph Church, Mendham James & Rita Behan St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park Walter & Maria Breakey St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park Richard and Mary Ann Decker St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Jeff And Joyce Fitzgerald Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish, Little Falls Fred & Kathleen Iradi St. Ann Parish, Parsippany William & Susan Kadar St. Joseph Church, Newton Robert and Barbara Lussier Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta Joseph & Mary Louise Mazzarella St. Joseph Church, Sparta John & Ellen Mitro St. Michael Parish, Netcong William J. Murphy & Joanne M. Murphy Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Wayne John & Carol Pasqua St. Vincent Martyr Parish, Madison Roger & Jadwiga Siara Holy Family Parish, Florham Park Anna and Antonio Vacca St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa Robert & Maria Werner Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany 50 Years Joan and Alan Bocchino St. Mary’s Parish, Dover Stefano and Jackie Castaldo St. Philip The Apostle Parish, Clifton Richard & Rosemarie Conklin St. Pius X Church, Montville Edward & Joanne Connell St. Francis de Sales Parish, Vernon Jorge & Julia Curi Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson Victor T. and Mathilda H. DeLorenzo St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Chris and Elizabeth Dennis St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany Michael & Vivian Fabrizio St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Butler Jane & Robert Fahey St. Catherine of Bologna Parish, Ringwood Frederick & Donna Fania St. Luke Parish, Long Valley James & Kathy Frega St. Anthony Parish, Hawthorne Kathy and Joseph Heatter Our Lady of the Lake Church, Sparta John and Dorothea Heine Good Shepherd RC Church, Andover George & Jo-Ann Higgs St. Joseph Church, Newton Vincent and Margaret LoProto St. Philip The Apostle Parish, Clifton John & Joan Lucas St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Sparta Jerome & Anne Memory St. Joseph Church, Newton Wayne and Susan Merckling St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Joseph & Josephine Muller St. Clare Church, Clifton Craig & Mary Jane Osberg Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel Parish, Cedar Knolls Frank and Maryann Palmieri St Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippanay Ricardo and Mary Ann Perez St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains Robert & Annette Putts Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany Stephen & Ann Reale St. Joseph Church, Mendham Santo and Peggy Recchia St Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Flanders Donna & James Scarmazzo St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa Anthony & Denise Schlachter Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Wayne David & Marie Smith Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta Michael & Karen Spiecker St. Therese Parish, Succasunna Gabriel & Dolores Tardive St. Michael Parish, Netcong John & Alice Wojtowicz St. Clare Church Parish, Clifton Fay and Michael D. Woomer St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Oak Ridge 25 Years Luis and Annette Barragan St. Clement Pope & Martyr Parish, Dover John and Mirabel Bautista St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains Gail & Susan Braden St. Michael Parish, Netcong Sergio Guaman & Gloria Calle Sacred Heart Parish, Dover Lisa & Bob Carey Corpus Christi Parish, Chatham Vincent Hoye and Eileen Conti St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish, Chester Matthew & Christine DiBrienza Holy Family Parish, Florham Park Nazario and Cristina Fuentes St. Paul Parish, Clifton Rafael & Arleth Galindo Our Lady of Fatima & St Nicholas Parish, Passaic Ramon & Susana Gallego Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson Jason & Nicole Geary St. Joseph Parish, Mendham Mary Kathleen Iellimo & Matteo Giacomo Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany José Alejandro & Sonia Yanira Guerra St. Paul Parish, Clifton Bernardo Lopez & Viviana Lopez St. Brendan & St. George Parish, Clifton Thomas & Therese Paragano St. Joseph Church, Mendham Christopher and Chris Ann Patrick St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Juan & Alba Lucia Pavlowski, St. Padre Pio Parish, Paterson Richard & Elizabeth Poore Holy Family Parish, Florham Park John & Taryn Pry St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Sparta Jorge Juan Ramirez and Maria Virginia Mendoza St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Margaret and Thomas Sanders Our Lady of the Mountain Parish, Long Valley Michael & Jennifer Schermerhorn St. Mary’s Parish, Denville Paul & Stephanie Schuckalo Our Lady of the Magnificat Parish, Kinnelon Joseph & Maria Schwab Our Lady of the Magnificat Parish, Kinnelon Hermes & Luz Tafur St. Paul Parish, Clifton King Yun Tsoi & Kitsum Joyce Chan St Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
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Married couples celebrate enduring love at cathedral Mass #Catholic – The gift of marital love was celebrated and renewed on Nov. 1, All Saints Day, during the Paterson Diocesan annual Silver and Gold Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., where 71 couples married 25, 50, and up to 70 years ago marked their milestone anniversaries. During the Mass, these happy couples also renewed their wedding vows before Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, the main celebrant of the liturgy, and several priests from around the diocese who concelebrated the liturgy. The Diocesan Family Life Office coordinated the Mass. As on their wedding days, the couples exchanged vows, held each other’s hands, and renewed their love, fidelity, and commitment in Holy Matrimony. The couples celebrated often with their families present. The couples received certificates signed by Bishop Sweeney honoring their anniversaries. Each couple was invited to meet the bishop and take a photo with him. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI [See image gallery at beaconnj.org] Couples marking milestone anniversaries: 70 Years Louis & Concetta Golia St. Mary’s Parish, Denville 61 Years Joseph & Mary Bono St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park 60 Years Francesco and Caterina Anello Padre Pio Parish, Paterson Robert & Susan Bantang Holy Family Parish, Florham Park John & Ellen Baxter St. Joseph Church, Mendham James & Rita Behan St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park Walter & Maria Breakey St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park Richard and Mary Ann Decker St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Jeff And Joyce Fitzgerald Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish, Little Falls Fred & Kathleen Iradi St. Ann Parish, Parsippany William & Susan Kadar St. Joseph Church, Newton Robert and Barbara Lussier Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta Joseph & Mary Louise Mazzarella St. Joseph Church, Sparta John & Ellen Mitro St. Michael Parish, Netcong William J. Murphy & Joanne M. Murphy Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Wayne John & Carol Pasqua St. Vincent Martyr Parish, Madison Roger & Jadwiga Siara Holy Family Parish, Florham Park Anna and Antonio Vacca St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa Robert & Maria Werner Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany 50 Years Joan and Alan Bocchino St. Mary’s Parish, Dover Stefano and Jackie Castaldo St. Philip The Apostle Parish, Clifton Richard & Rosemarie Conklin St. Pius X Church, Montville Edward & Joanne Connell St. Francis de Sales Parish, Vernon Jorge & Julia Curi Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson Victor T. and Mathilda H. DeLorenzo St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Chris and Elizabeth Dennis St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany Michael & Vivian Fabrizio St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Butler Jane & Robert Fahey St. Catherine of Bologna Parish, Ringwood Frederick & Donna Fania St. Luke Parish, Long Valley James & Kathy Frega St. Anthony Parish, Hawthorne Kathy and Joseph Heatter Our Lady of the Lake Church, Sparta John and Dorothea Heine Good Shepherd RC Church, Andover George & Jo-Ann Higgs St. Joseph Church, Newton Vincent and Margaret LoProto St. Philip The Apostle Parish, Clifton John & Joan Lucas St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Sparta Jerome & Anne Memory St. Joseph Church, Newton Wayne and Susan Merckling St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Joseph & Josephine Muller St. Clare Church, Clifton Craig & Mary Jane Osberg Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel Parish, Cedar Knolls Frank and Maryann Palmieri St Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippanay Ricardo and Mary Ann Perez St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains Robert & Annette Putts Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany Stephen & Ann Reale St. Joseph Church, Mendham Santo and Peggy Recchia St Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Flanders Donna & James Scarmazzo St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa Anthony & Denise Schlachter Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Wayne David & Marie Smith Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta Michael & Karen Spiecker St. Therese Parish, Succasunna Gabriel & Dolores Tardive St. Michael Parish, Netcong John & Alice Wojtowicz St. Clare Church Parish, Clifton Fay and Michael D. Woomer St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Oak Ridge 25 Years Luis and Annette Barragan St. Clement Pope & Martyr Parish, Dover John and Mirabel Bautista St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains Gail & Susan Braden St. Michael Parish, Netcong Sergio Guaman & Gloria Calle Sacred Heart Parish, Dover Lisa & Bob Carey Corpus Christi Parish, Chatham Vincent Hoye and Eileen Conti St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish, Chester Matthew & Christine DiBrienza Holy Family Parish, Florham Park Nazario and Cristina Fuentes St. Paul Parish, Clifton Rafael & Arleth Galindo Our Lady of Fatima & St Nicholas Parish, Passaic Ramon & Susana Gallego Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson Jason & Nicole Geary St. Joseph Parish, Mendham Mary Kathleen Iellimo & Matteo Giacomo Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany José Alejandro & Sonia Yanira Guerra St. Paul Parish, Clifton Bernardo Lopez & Viviana Lopez St. Brendan & St. George Parish, Clifton Thomas & Therese Paragano St. Joseph Church, Mendham Christopher and Chris Ann Patrick St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Juan & Alba Lucia Pavlowski, St. Padre Pio Parish, Paterson Richard & Elizabeth Poore Holy Family Parish, Florham Park John & Taryn Pry St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Sparta Jorge Juan Ramirez and Maria Virginia Mendoza St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes Margaret and Thomas Sanders Our Lady of the Mountain Parish, Long Valley Michael & Jennifer Schermerhorn St. Mary’s Parish, Denville Paul & Stephanie Schuckalo Our Lady of the Magnificat Parish, Kinnelon Joseph & Maria Schwab Our Lady of the Magnificat Parish, Kinnelon Hermes & Luz Tafur St. Paul Parish, Clifton King Yun Tsoi & Kitsum Joyce Chan St Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Married couples celebrate enduring love at cathedral Mass #Catholic –

The gift of marital love was celebrated and renewed on Nov. 1, All Saints Day, during the Paterson Diocesan annual Silver and Gold Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., where 71 couples married 25, 50, and up to 70 years ago marked their milestone anniversaries.

During the Mass, these happy couples also renewed their wedding vows before Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, the main celebrant of the liturgy, and several priests from around the diocese who concelebrated the liturgy. The Diocesan Family Life Office coordinated the Mass.

As on their wedding days, the couples exchanged vows, held each other’s hands, and renewed their love, fidelity, and commitment in Holy Matrimony. The couples celebrated often with their families present.

The couples received certificates signed by Bishop Sweeney honoring their anniversaries. Each couple was invited to meet the bishop and take a photo with him.

BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]

Couples marking milestone anniversaries:

70 Years

Louis & Concetta Golia

St. Mary’s Parish, Denville

61 Years

Joseph & Mary Bono

St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park

60 Years

Francesco and Caterina Anello

Padre Pio Parish, Paterson

Robert & Susan Bantang

Holy Family Parish, Florham Park

John & Ellen Baxter

St. Joseph Church, Mendham

James & Rita Behan

St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park

Walter & Maria Breakey

St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park

Richard and Mary Ann Decker

St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes

Jeff And Joyce Fitzgerald

Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish, Little Falls

Fred & Kathleen Iradi

St. Ann Parish, Parsippany

William & Susan Kadar

St. Joseph Church, Newton

Robert and Barbara Lussier

Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta

Joseph & Mary Louise Mazzarella

St. Joseph Church, Sparta

John & Ellen Mitro

St. Michael Parish, Netcong

William J. Murphy & Joanne M. Murphy

Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Wayne

John & Carol Pasqua

St. Vincent Martyr Parish, Madison

Roger & Jadwiga Siara

Holy Family Parish, Florham Park

Anna and Antonio Vacca

St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa

Robert & Maria Werner

Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany

50 Years

Joan and Alan Bocchino

St. Mary’s Parish, Dover

Stefano and Jackie Castaldo

St. Philip The Apostle Parish, Clifton

Richard & Rosemarie Conklin

St. Pius X Church, Montville

Edward & Joanne Connell

St. Francis de Sales Parish, Vernon

Jorge & Julia Curi

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson

Victor T. and Mathilda H. DeLorenzo

St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes

Chris and Elizabeth Dennis

St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany

Michael & Vivian Fabrizio

St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Butler

Jane & Robert Fahey

St. Catherine of Bologna Parish, Ringwood

Frederick & Donna Fania

St. Luke Parish, Long Valley

James & Kathy Frega

St. Anthony Parish, Hawthorne

Kathy and Joseph Heatter

Our Lady of the Lake Church, Sparta

John and Dorothea Heine

Good Shepherd RC Church, Andover

George & Jo-Ann Higgs

St. Joseph Church, Newton

Vincent and Margaret LoProto

St. Philip The Apostle Parish, Clifton

John & Joan Lucas

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Sparta

Jerome & Anne Memory

St. Joseph Church, Newton

Wayne and Susan Merckling

St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes

Joseph & Josephine Muller

St. Clare Church, Clifton

Craig & Mary Jane Osberg

Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel Parish, Cedar Knolls

Frank and Maryann Palmieri

St Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippanay

Ricardo and Mary Ann Perez

St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains

Robert & Annette Putts

Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany

Stephen & Ann Reale

St. Joseph Church, Mendham

Santo and Peggy Recchia

St Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Flanders

Donna & James Scarmazzo

St. James of the Marches Parish, Totowa

Anthony & Denise Schlachter

Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Wayne

David & Marie Smith

Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Sparta

Michael & Karen Spiecker

St. Therese Parish, Succasunna

Gabriel & Dolores Tardive

St. Michael Parish, Netcong

John & Alice Wojtowicz

St. Clare Church Parish, Clifton

Fay and Michael D. Woomer

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Oak Ridge

25 Years

Luis and Annette Barragan

St. Clement Pope & Martyr Parish, Dover

John and Mirabel Bautista

St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains

Gail & Susan Braden

St. Michael Parish, Netcong

Sergio Guaman & Gloria Calle

Sacred Heart Parish, Dover

Lisa & Bob Carey

Corpus Christi Parish, Chatham

Vincent Hoye and Eileen Conti

St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish, Chester

Matthew & Christine DiBrienza

Holy Family Parish, Florham Park

Nazario and Cristina Fuentes

St. Paul Parish, Clifton

Rafael & Arleth Galindo

Our Lady of Fatima & St Nicholas Parish, Passaic

Ramon & Susana Gallego

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson

Jason & Nicole Geary

St. Joseph Parish, Mendham

Mary Kathleen Iellimo & Matteo Giacomo

Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany

José Alejandro & Sonia Yanira Guerra

St. Paul Parish, Clifton

Bernardo Lopez & Viviana Lopez

St. Brendan & St. George Parish, Clifton

Thomas & Therese Paragano

St. Joseph Church, Mendham

Christopher and Chris Ann Patrick

St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes

Juan & Alba Lucia Pavlowski,

St. Padre Pio Parish, Paterson

Richard & Elizabeth Poore

Holy Family Parish, Florham Park

John & Taryn Pry

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, Sparta

Jorge Juan Ramirez and Maria Virginia Mendoza

St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes

Margaret and Thomas Sanders

Our Lady of the Mountain Parish, Long Valley

Michael & Jennifer Schermerhorn

St. Mary’s Parish, Denville

Paul & Stephanie Schuckalo

Our Lady of the Magnificat Parish, Kinnelon

Joseph & Maria Schwab

Our Lady of the Magnificat Parish, Kinnelon

Hermes & Luz Tafur

St. Paul Parish, Clifton

King Yun Tsoi & Kitsum Joyce Chan

St Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany

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– The gift of marital love was celebrated and renewed on Nov. 1, All Saints Day, during the Paterson Diocesan annual Silver and Gold Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., where 71 couples married 25, 50, and up to 70 years ago marked their milestone anniversaries. During the Mass, these happy couples also renewed their wedding vows before Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, the main celebrant of the liturgy, and several priests from around the diocese who concelebrated the liturgy. The Diocesan Family Life Office coordinated the Mass. As on their wedding days, the couples

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Sailing through Cassiopeia

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Andrea Arbizzi, taken from Maremma, Italy A vast sea of faintly lit dust in Cassiopeia envelops the Sailboat Cluster (NGC 225, upper right), an open cluster named for the way its brightest stars and the blue haze of the reflection nebula VdB 4 sketch out a sail. NGC 225 lies about 2,200 light-years away, accompaniedContinue reading “Sailing through Cassiopeia”

The post Sailing through Cassiopeia appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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NASA’s CHAPEA Crew “Returns” to Earth – The four-member Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) crew poses outside for the first time in more than a year following the end of their simulated Mars journey on Oct. 31, 2026.
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NASA’s CHAPEA Crew “Returns” to Earth – The four-member Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) crew poses outside for the first time in more than a year following the end of their simulated Mars journey on Oct. 31, 2026.

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The four-member Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) crew poses outside for the first time in more than a year following the end of their simulated Mars journey on Oct. 31, 2026.

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Prayer to St. Martin de Porres: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, November 03, 2026 – #Prayer – To you Saint Martin de Porres we prayerfully lift up our hearts filled with serene confidence and devotion. Mindful of your unbounded and helpful charity to all levels of society and also of your meekness and humility of heart, we offer our petitions to you. Pour out upon our families the precious gifts of your solicitous and generous intercession; show to the people of every race and every color the paths of unity and of justice; implore from our Father in heaven the coming of his kingdom, …

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To you Saint Martin de Porres we prayerfully lift up our hearts filled with serene confidence and devotion. Mindful of your unbounded and helpful charity to all levels of society and also of your meekness and humility of heart, we offer our petitions to you.
Pour out upon our families the precious gifts of your solicitous and generous intercession; show to the people of every race and every color the paths of unity and of justice; implore from our Father in heaven the coming of his kingdom, …

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State-level Catholic conferences prepare the faithful for ballot initiatives – #Catholic – Across the country, state-level Catholic bishops’ conferences are producing guidelines to help Catholic voters consider the moral implications of voting for or against referendums appearing on their Nov. 3 ballots.Bishops’ conferences at the state level are organizations jointly run by every diocesan bishop in that state, which are active in every state with more than one diocese. A conference will often comment on bills and referendums that implicate Catholic teaching and put out statements on matters specific to their state.In some states with contentious referendums on the ballot, bishops’ conferences have taken a clear position on initiatives, urging Catholics to either support or oppose the measures. Some of these measures are related to abortion, gender and sexuality, human trafficking, and gambling.American bishops do not campaign for specific candidates in elections. Yet, advocating for and against referendums is classified in the tax code as “lobbying” instead of campaigning, which is permitted for dioceses and jointly run Catholic conferences. However, there are legal restrictions on the amount of lobbying in which they can engage.Taking on abortionThree conferences have taken strong stances on ballot initiatives related to abortion: Virginia, Nevada, and Missouri. Diocese of Boise Bishop Peter Christensen also took a strong stance on an abortion referendum in Idaho, though the state has only one diocese and no conference.In Virginia and Nevada, the bishops’ conferences are asking the faithful to vote no on proposed constitutional amendments to establish a legal right to abortion in their states. The conferences have produced printed material offered at parishes that discuss Church teaching on the sanctity of human life, and the bishops have released joint statements. Both states have two dioceses.Amy McInerny, director of Respect Life at the Diocese of Arlington’s Office of Marriage, Family, and Respect Life, told EWTN News the dioceses coordinated on the referendum for two years, “coming up with a battle plan” to oppose the measure.Las Vegas Archbishop George Leo Thomas told EWTN News that in Nevada, the bishops meet during years with legislative sessions. The conference contracts much of the work to attorneys who are aligned with the Church’s legislative priorities and follow the sessions.Bishops in Missouri are urging voters to back a pro-life initiative to repeal a state constitutional right to abortion. This also includes producing printed material and offering joint statements by the bishops.Jamie Morris, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, told EWTN News “it has been a major focus of all four dioceses and of all four bishops.” He said the conference works directly with the bishops, providing them with information about legislative issues so they can take informed stances on the subjects.Gender and sexualitySeveral conferences have also taken positions on issues that implicate Catholic teachings on gender and sexuality, which includes same-sex marriage, transgender people participating in sports, and parental rights.In addition to the abortion referendum in Virginia, the bishops are fighting against a referendum to enshrine same-sex marriage into the state constitution. Much of the material urging Catholics to oppose the abortion referendum also urges them to oppose this referendum.The Colorado Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s three dioceses, has taken a stance on two referendums on this subject, encouraging the faithful to support two initiatives.One referendum would ensure interscholastic and intramural athletics are separated on the basis of biological sex rather than purported gender identity. The other would ban surgeries on children meant to alter their sex characteristics to facilitate a gender transition.Nebraskans will vote on a referendum to separate sports on the basis of biological sex rather than purported gender identity. The Nebraska Catholic Conference did not officially take a stance on this but did issue a statement that said the conference supported legislation that was nearly identical and urged the faithful to “please keep in mind Catholic social teaching on human sexuality” when voting on the measure.The Washington State Catholic Conference has spoken positively of a proposed referendum to also separate athletics on the basis of biological sex as opposed to purported gender identity. In a statement to EWTN News, the conference called the initiative “consistent with Catholic teaching on the complementarity and divine design of women and men.”The conference spoke positively about a separate referendum to restore parental rights to access information related to their child’s mental health, telling EWTN News it “ensures that parents are not kept in the dark about an issue that impacts their childʼs health.” This may include information about a child’s sexuality and gender identity.Other issues on the ballotThe other issues bishops have taken positions on include human trafficking, gambling, and procedures for changing the state constitution.The Colorado Catholic Conference has asked Catholics to support a referendum that would mandate life imprisonment for any person convicted of human trafficking of a minor.The Nebraska Catholic Conference has encouraged Catholics to vote against two referendums that would legalize and regulate sports gambling in the state, warning it would “expand predatory online sports gambling in our state,” which “can lead to family problems, debt, bankruptcy, homelessness, and mental health issues.”The South Dakota Catholic Conference has backed a referendum that would increase the threshold needed for adopting a constitutional amendment via referendum, from a majority vote to a 60% threshold. This is meant to prevent future referendums to establish legal rights to abortion from succeeding.The North Dakota Catholic Conference backed a similar referendum to increase the threshold to adopt a constitutional amendment via referendum from a majority vote to 60%, citing the same concerns.
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State-level Catholic conferences prepare the faithful for ballot initiatives – #Catholic – Across the country, state-level Catholic bishops’ conferences are producing guidelines to help Catholic voters consider the moral implications of voting for or against referendums appearing on their Nov. 3 ballots.Bishops’ conferences at the state level are organizations jointly run by every diocesan bishop in that state, which are active in every state with more than one diocese. A conference will often comment on bills and referendums that implicate Catholic teaching and put out statements on matters specific to their state.In some states with contentious referendums on the ballot, bishops’ conferences have taken a clear position on initiatives, urging Catholics to either support or oppose the measures. Some of these measures are related to abortion, gender and sexuality, human trafficking, and gambling.American bishops do not campaign for specific candidates in elections. Yet, advocating for and against referendums is classified in the tax code as “lobbying” instead of campaigning, which is permitted for dioceses and jointly run Catholic conferences. However, there are legal restrictions on the amount of lobbying in which they can engage.Taking on abortionThree conferences have taken strong stances on ballot initiatives related to abortion: Virginia, Nevada, and Missouri. Diocese of Boise Bishop Peter Christensen also took a strong stance on an abortion referendum in Idaho, though the state has only one diocese and no conference.In Virginia and Nevada, the bishops’ conferences are asking the faithful to vote no on proposed constitutional amendments to establish a legal right to abortion in their states. The conferences have produced printed material offered at parishes that discuss Church teaching on the sanctity of human life, and the bishops have released joint statements. Both states have two dioceses.Amy McInerny, director of Respect Life at the Diocese of Arlington’s Office of Marriage, Family, and Respect Life, told EWTN News the dioceses coordinated on the referendum for two years, “coming up with a battle plan” to oppose the measure.Las Vegas Archbishop George Leo Thomas told EWTN News that in Nevada, the bishops meet during years with legislative sessions. The conference contracts much of the work to attorneys who are aligned with the Church’s legislative priorities and follow the sessions.Bishops in Missouri are urging voters to back a pro-life initiative to repeal a state constitutional right to abortion. This also includes producing printed material and offering joint statements by the bishops.Jamie Morris, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, told EWTN News “it has been a major focus of all four dioceses and of all four bishops.” He said the conference works directly with the bishops, providing them with information about legislative issues so they can take informed stances on the subjects.Gender and sexualitySeveral conferences have also taken positions on issues that implicate Catholic teachings on gender and sexuality, which includes same-sex marriage, transgender people participating in sports, and parental rights.In addition to the abortion referendum in Virginia, the bishops are fighting against a referendum to enshrine same-sex marriage into the state constitution. Much of the material urging Catholics to oppose the abortion referendum also urges them to oppose this referendum.The Colorado Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s three dioceses, has taken a stance on two referendums on this subject, encouraging the faithful to support two initiatives.One referendum would ensure interscholastic and intramural athletics are separated on the basis of biological sex rather than purported gender identity. The other would ban surgeries on children meant to alter their sex characteristics to facilitate a gender transition.Nebraskans will vote on a referendum to separate sports on the basis of biological sex rather than purported gender identity. The Nebraska Catholic Conference did not officially take a stance on this but did issue a statement that said the conference supported legislation that was nearly identical and urged the faithful to “please keep in mind Catholic social teaching on human sexuality” when voting on the measure.The Washington State Catholic Conference has spoken positively of a proposed referendum to also separate athletics on the basis of biological sex as opposed to purported gender identity. In a statement to EWTN News, the conference called the initiative “consistent with Catholic teaching on the complementarity and divine design of women and men.”The conference spoke positively about a separate referendum to restore parental rights to access information related to their child’s mental health, telling EWTN News it “ensures that parents are not kept in the dark about an issue that impacts their childʼs health.” This may include information about a child’s sexuality and gender identity.Other issues on the ballotThe other issues bishops have taken positions on include human trafficking, gambling, and procedures for changing the state constitution.The Colorado Catholic Conference has asked Catholics to support a referendum that would mandate life imprisonment for any person convicted of human trafficking of a minor.The Nebraska Catholic Conference has encouraged Catholics to vote against two referendums that would legalize and regulate sports gambling in the state, warning it would “expand predatory online sports gambling in our state,” which “can lead to family problems, debt, bankruptcy, homelessness, and mental health issues.”The South Dakota Catholic Conference has backed a referendum that would increase the threshold needed for adopting a constitutional amendment via referendum, from a majority vote to a 60% threshold. This is meant to prevent future referendums to establish legal rights to abortion from succeeding.The North Dakota Catholic Conference backed a similar referendum to increase the threshold to adopt a constitutional amendment via referendum from a majority vote to 60%, citing the same concerns.

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In some states, bishops’ conferences have taken a clear position on initiatives, urging Catholics to either support or oppose the measures.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 3 November 2026 – A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 2:5-11 Brothers and sisters: Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and, found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.From the Gospel according to Luke 14:15-24 One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’” Faced with that openness, that universality of the celebration, there is that attitude that closes the heart: “I’m not going. I’d rather be by myself, with the people I like, shut away.” And this is sin; the sin of the people of Israel, the sin of all of us. Closing ourselves off. “No, for me this is more important than that. No, what matters is mine.” Always mine. (…) And along the journey of life, many times we will be faced with this choice, this option: either the gratuitous gift of the Lord—going to seek the Lord, meeting the Lord—or closing myself off in my own things, in my own interests. This is why the Lord, speaking of one of these forms of closure, said that it is very difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. But there are good, holy rich people who are not attached to wealth. Yet most people are attached to wealth and become closed in on themselves. And because of this, they cannot understand what the celebration is. But they have the security of things they can touch. (…) Let us think about this parable that the Lord gives us today. How is our life going? What do I prefer? To always accept the Lord’s invitation, or to close myself off in my own things, in my own little concerns? And let us ask the Lord for the grace to always accept the invitation to go to His feast, which is freely given. (Pope Francis, Homily, Mass at Casa Santa Marta, 5 November 2019)  

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A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians
2:5-11

Brothers and sisters:
Have among yourselves the same attitude
that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and, found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

From the Gospel according to Luke
14:15-24

One of those at table with Jesus said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The servant went and reported this to his master.
Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town
and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out
and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

Faced with that openness, that universality of the celebration, there is that attitude that closes the heart: “I’m not going. I’d rather be by myself, with the people I like, shut away.” And this is sin; the sin of the people of Israel, the sin of all of us. Closing ourselves off. “No, for me this is more important than that. No, what matters is mine.” Always mine. (…)

And along the journey of life, many times we will be faced with this choice, this option: either the gratuitous gift of the Lord—going to seek the Lord, meeting the Lord—or closing myself off in my own things, in my own interests. This is why the Lord, speaking of one of these forms of closure, said that it is very difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. But there are good, holy rich people who are not attached to wealth. Yet most people are attached to wealth and become closed in on themselves. And because of this, they cannot understand what the celebration is. But they have the security of things they can touch. (…)

Let us think about this parable that the Lord gives us today. How is our life going? What do I prefer? To always accept the Lord’s invitation, or to close myself off in my own things, in my own little concerns? And let us ask the Lord for the grace to always accept the invitation to go to His feast, which is freely given.

(Pope Francis, Homily, Mass at Casa Santa Marta, 5 November 2019)

 

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South Korea eyes rocket debut and China lines up four launches

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Rocket launches this week On Monday, Nov. 2, Rocket Lab launched The Sea God Surveys on an Electron rocket from its Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula at 11:41 a.m. EST. Aboard was a QPS-SAR satellite for private Japanese company iQPS It marked Electron’s 10th flight for iQPS. The company is building outContinue reading “South Korea eyes rocket debut and China lines up four launches”

The post South Korea eyes rocket debut and China lines up four launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Pope Leo XIV to return to Chiclayo in Peru and the places that shaped his ministry – #Catholic – The Chiclayo Cathedral, a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentino, and the town of Zaña where St. Turibius of Mogrovejo died all have ties to the ministry of the then-Bishop Robert Prevost in the Lambayeque district of northern Peru.Now, as Pope Leo XIV, he is scheduled to return to the city of Chiclayo on Nov. 13 during his apostolic journey to Peru. He served as bishop there from 2015 to 2023, during which time he traveled to communities across the coastal and highland regions of Lambayeque.The official program includes events at the Chiclayo Cathedral and the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace as well as events in Pimentel, St. Turibius of Mogrovejo Catholic University, and in Zaña. Some of these locations were part of his ministry; others hold special significance for the history of the Church in the region.The Chiclayo CathedralFacing the city’s main square stands St. Mary’s Cathedral, one of the central hubs of diocesan life during the years Prevost served as bishop and where he celebrated Mass every Sunday as well as other sacraments. The cathedral contains the bishop’s “cathedra” or chair, which symbolizes his governing authority.During his upcoming visit on Saturday, Nov. 14, Leo XIV will preside over the rite of the coronation of the Immaculate Virgin at the cathedral. In preparation for the celebration, on Oct. 29 the new altar was consecrated and the ambo blessed. St. Mary’s Basilica Cathedral in Chiclayo, Peru. | Credit: Juan Gil A chapel where he used to pray to St. Nicholas of TolentinoIn the district of San Nicolás, near Zaña, there is a small chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentino, an Augustinian friar for whom Leo XIV holds a special devotion.Father David Farfán Guerrero, a friend of the pope, told EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that Prevost used to go there to pray before the image of the saint. “This is where, as I often say, he ‘put his knees to the test,’” he recalled.The then-bishop also encouraged pilgrimages of Augustinian novices to the chapel as part of their spiritual formation. Although this site is not listed as a separate stop on the official itinerary, it helps in understanding a devotion that is important to the pontiff. An image of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, dating back to the 17th century, before which Pope Leo XIV, then the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, used to pray. | Credit: Diego López Marina/EWTN News Zaña and St. Turibius of MogrovejoZaña holds a special place in the life of Leo XIV and of the Church in Peru. It was there that St. Turibius of Mogrovejo died on March 23, 1606, after spending years traveling throughout his vast ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The saint served as archbishop of Lima from 1580 to 1606. Prevost made a pilgrimage to this town before departing for Rome, following his election as prior general of the Order of St. Augustine. Farfán has noted his particular affection for Zaña and his devotion to St. Turibius, whom he regards as a model for pastoral life.On Saturday, Nov. 14, Leo XIV will return to the area to take part in a prayer gathering marking the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo at the shrine dedicated to the saint. St. Augustine Convent, one of the most significant colonial vestiges in Peru, located in the Zaña district, Chiclayo province. | Credit: Agencia Andina The Shrine of Our Lady of PeaceAt the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace, Robert Prevost entrusted his episcopal ministry to the Virgin Mary, as noted in a handwritten message in the shrine’s guest book dated Oct. 21, 2015.Furthermore, the then-bishop would frequently visit the shrine to pray and spend time with the religious there. He also took part in meetings and retreats there with priests and would visit the pre-seminary located next to the complex.On Nov. 13, during his visit to Chiclayo, Leo XIV will meet with bishops, priests, religious, seminarians, and representatives of the Church’s pastoral life at this shrine. Shrine of Our Lady of Peace. | Credit: Diocese of Chiclayo St. Turibius of Mogrovejo Catholic UniversityThe relationship between Leo XIV and St. Turibius Mogrovejo Catholic University (USAT, by its Spanish acronym) is also part of his years in Chiclayo. The institution awarded him an honorary doctorate in law and recognized him as grand chancellor emeritus.According to the university itself, Prevost received an honorary doctorate in recognition of his accomplishments and service to the Church. In 2023, the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference also awarded him the Gold Medal of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, one of its highest honors.On Friday, Nov. 13, he will meet there with representatives of the university community. Archbishop Robert Prevost, then prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and former bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, receives an honorary doctorate from St. Turibius Mogrovejo Catholic University on Nov. 17, 2023. | Credit: Peruvian Bishops’ Conference Pimentel and Santa Cruz de SucchabambaThe visit will also take the pope to other locations in the region. On Friday, Nov. 13, he will celebrate Mass on the esplanade of the Pimentel plains and make a private visit to St. Óscar A. Romero Chapel.The following day, he will travel to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, where he will celebrate another Mass. The town is within the Diocese of Chiclayo, and Prevost visited it regularly between 2015 and 2023. During his time there, he traveled throughout the province, administered the sacrament of confirmation to young people and students, and built and consecrated the shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Remedies in the small rural community of Litcán.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV to return to Chiclayo in Peru and the places that shaped his ministry – #Catholic – The Chiclayo Cathedral, a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentino, and the town of Zaña where St. Turibius of Mogrovejo died all have ties to the ministry of the then-Bishop Robert Prevost in the Lambayeque district of northern Peru.Now, as Pope Leo XIV, he is scheduled to return to the city of Chiclayo on Nov. 13 during his apostolic journey to Peru. He served as bishop there from 2015 to 2023, during which time he traveled to communities across the coastal and highland regions of Lambayeque.The official program includes events at the Chiclayo Cathedral and the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace as well as events in Pimentel, St. Turibius of Mogrovejo Catholic University, and in Zaña. Some of these locations were part of his ministry; others hold special significance for the history of the Church in the region.The Chiclayo CathedralFacing the city’s main square stands St. Mary’s Cathedral, one of the central hubs of diocesan life during the years Prevost served as bishop and where he celebrated Mass every Sunday as well as other sacraments. The cathedral contains the bishop’s “cathedra” or chair, which symbolizes his governing authority.During his upcoming visit on Saturday, Nov. 14, Leo XIV will preside over the rite of the coronation of the Immaculate Virgin at the cathedral. In preparation for the celebration, on Oct. 29 the new altar was consecrated and the ambo blessed. St. Mary’s Basilica Cathedral in Chiclayo, Peru. | Credit: Juan Gil A chapel where he used to pray to St. Nicholas of TolentinoIn the district of San Nicolás, near Zaña, there is a small chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentino, an Augustinian friar for whom Leo XIV holds a special devotion.Father David Farfán Guerrero, a friend of the pope, told EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that Prevost used to go there to pray before the image of the saint. “This is where, as I often say, he ‘put his knees to the test,’” he recalled.The then-bishop also encouraged pilgrimages of Augustinian novices to the chapel as part of their spiritual formation. Although this site is not listed as a separate stop on the official itinerary, it helps in understanding a devotion that is important to the pontiff. An image of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, dating back to the 17th century, before which Pope Leo XIV, then the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, used to pray. | Credit: Diego López Marina/EWTN News Zaña and St. Turibius of MogrovejoZaña holds a special place in the life of Leo XIV and of the Church in Peru. It was there that St. Turibius of Mogrovejo died on March 23, 1606, after spending years traveling throughout his vast ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The saint served as archbishop of Lima from 1580 to 1606. Prevost made a pilgrimage to this town before departing for Rome, following his election as prior general of the Order of St. Augustine. Farfán has noted his particular affection for Zaña and his devotion to St. Turibius, whom he regards as a model for pastoral life.On Saturday, Nov. 14, Leo XIV will return to the area to take part in a prayer gathering marking the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo at the shrine dedicated to the saint. St. Augustine Convent, one of the most significant colonial vestiges in Peru, located in the Zaña district, Chiclayo province. | Credit: Agencia Andina The Shrine of Our Lady of PeaceAt the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace, Robert Prevost entrusted his episcopal ministry to the Virgin Mary, as noted in a handwritten message in the shrine’s guest book dated Oct. 21, 2015.Furthermore, the then-bishop would frequently visit the shrine to pray and spend time with the religious there. He also took part in meetings and retreats there with priests and would visit the pre-seminary located next to the complex.On Nov. 13, during his visit to Chiclayo, Leo XIV will meet with bishops, priests, religious, seminarians, and representatives of the Church’s pastoral life at this shrine. Shrine of Our Lady of Peace. | Credit: Diocese of Chiclayo St. Turibius of Mogrovejo Catholic UniversityThe relationship between Leo XIV and St. Turibius Mogrovejo Catholic University (USAT, by its Spanish acronym) is also part of his years in Chiclayo. The institution awarded him an honorary doctorate in law and recognized him as grand chancellor emeritus.According to the university itself, Prevost received an honorary doctorate in recognition of his accomplishments and service to the Church. In 2023, the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference also awarded him the Gold Medal of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, one of its highest honors.On Friday, Nov. 13, he will meet there with representatives of the university community. Archbishop Robert Prevost, then prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and former bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, receives an honorary doctorate from St. Turibius Mogrovejo Catholic University on Nov. 17, 2023. | Credit: Peruvian Bishops’ Conference Pimentel and Santa Cruz de SucchabambaThe visit will also take the pope to other locations in the region. On Friday, Nov. 13, he will celebrate Mass on the esplanade of the Pimentel plains and make a private visit to St. Óscar A. Romero Chapel.The following day, he will travel to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, where he will celebrate another Mass. The town is within the Diocese of Chiclayo, and Prevost visited it regularly between 2015 and 2023. During his time there, he traveled throughout the province, administered the sacrament of confirmation to young people and students, and built and consecrated the shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Remedies in the small rural community of Litcán.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Pope Leo XIV will return to Chiclayo, Peru, where he once served as bishop, and will visit key sites from his pastoral ministry, including the cathedral, the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace, and Zaña.

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Leo XIV: Faith assures us that ‘our bond with the faithful departed has not been broken’ – #Catholic – Continuing a tradition begun by St. John Paul II in the late 1970s, Pope Leo XIV visited a cemetery outside the Vatican on Nov. 2 — the day the Catholic Church commemorates All Souls’ Day — to celebrate Mass and pray for those who have died.“We have gathered to celebrate the Eucharist in this place of prayer and remembrance, of affection and hope. We offer it in suffrage for the faithful departed, particularly for those who rest here and for those whom each of us carries in our hearts,” the pontiff said during Mass celebrated on the central avenue of Rome’s Verano Cemetery.The altar from which he presided over the celebration was flanked by a row of tombs. Located in the Tiburtino neighborhood, the cemetery, built in the 19th century during the Napoleonic era, is Italy’s second-largest civil cemetery and the largest in Rome.The grounds, which include an area designated for non-Catholics, suffered severe damage during the Allied bombing of Rome in 1943 and were rebuilt in 1949.Upon his arrival, Leo XIV placed a bouquet of white and yellow roses on the marble headstone of a randomly chosen grave belonging to an Italian family and bearing the name Antonia Coccia Nicolini.TweetDuring his homily, the pontiff explained that the commemoration of the faithful departed, celebrated the day after the solemnity of All Saints, guides the prayer of the Church.“We turn to the heavenly Father so that the life of holiness and blessedness already enjoyed by so many of his sons and daughters may envelop the souls of those who sleep the sleep of peace,” said the pope, who wore purple liturgical vestments, a symbol of penance, prayer, and hope in the Resurrection.He also emphasized that faith in Christ is illuminated “by the word that has been proclaimed and that strengthens our trust in God’s hands.”The Beatitudes, the ‘self-portrait of Jesus’About 1,500 people attended the celebration, according to figures provided by the Vatican.Reflecting on the Gospel of the Beatitudes proclaimed during the Mass, Leo XIV said they constitute the “self-portrait of Jesus” and reveal the path to a fully realized life, both on this earth and in eternity.“The risen Lord tells us: Blessed are those who live according to this path, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” he said. An estimated 1,500 people attend Pope Leo XIV’s Mass for the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed at Verano Cemetery in Rome on Nov. 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News He also observed that this message takes on particular force in a cemetery, which he described as “a threshold between this world and the next,” where faith enables believers to view death through the hope of the Resurrection.In this context, he stressed that “faith in Christ tells us that our bond with the faithful departed has not been broken but transformed.”‘The absurd violence of war’The Holy Father also offered prayers for the deceased and made a special appeal for those suffering the consequences of armed conflicts.He prayed that “the tears of so many mothers, so many children, and so many elderly people” would move the consciences of those who have the power to end wars.Reflecting on the beatitude “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” he offered a special remembrance for those who have recently lost a loved one.“At this moment we wish to pray for those who have recently lost a loved one, especially for those from whom a loved one has been taken by the absurd violence of war,” he said.He then renewed his appeal for peace: “May the tears of so many mothers, so many children, and so many elderly people move the consciences of those who have the power to silence the weapons.”Christian hope in the face of deathSpeaking during the 800th anniversary year of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, Leo XIV recalled the praise the saint added to the “Canticle of Creatures” near the end of his life, when he referred to “Sister Bodily Death” and proclaimed blessed those who are found doing God’s will.In his homily, the pontiff underscored Christian hope in eternal life and reaffirmed that God keeps forever those who have departed this world. Citing the Book of Wisdom, he recalled that the souls of the just are secure in the Lord’s hands and that “no torment shall ever touch them.” Pope Leo XIV follows in the footsteps of his predecessor St. John Paul II by celebrating Mass for All Souls’ Day at Verano Cemetery in Rome on Nov. 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The pope explained that this promise of salvation lies at the heart of the Church’s prayer on All Souls’ Day, when the faithful entrust their loved ones to divine mercy so that they may attain full communion with God.Leo XIV also invoked the words of the Book of Revelation, which proclaims that God will dwell forever with his people, as well as the promise of the Good Shepherd that no one can snatch his sheep from his hand.The pope concluded his homily with a reference to Revelation and God’s definitive promise for humanity: the day when “death shall be no more, neither mourning nor crying nor pain,” because all suffering will have been overcome forever.With this Mass, Leo XIV, as he did last year, continued a tradition promoted by St. John Paul II, who visited the same cemetery on 12 occasions for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Pope Benedict XVI also celebrated a Mass at the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls, located next to the cemetery, though without visiting its graves.Pope Francis, for his part, maintained the custom of celebrating the All Souls’ Day Mass in various cemeteries throughout Rome during his pontificate.In addition to Monday’s celebration, Leo XIV is scheduled to preside on Thursday, Nov. 5, at St. Peter’s Basilica, one day before departing on his apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, at a Mass offered for the cardinals and bishops who have died during the past year.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Leo XIV: Faith assures us that ‘our bond with the faithful departed has not been broken’ – #Catholic – Continuing a tradition begun by St. John Paul II in the late 1970s, Pope Leo XIV visited a cemetery outside the Vatican on Nov. 2 — the day the Catholic Church commemorates All Souls’ Day — to celebrate Mass and pray for those who have died.“We have gathered to celebrate the Eucharist in this place of prayer and remembrance, of affection and hope. We offer it in suffrage for the faithful departed, particularly for those who rest here and for those whom each of us carries in our hearts,” the pontiff said during Mass celebrated on the central avenue of Rome’s Verano Cemetery.The altar from which he presided over the celebration was flanked by a row of tombs. Located in the Tiburtino neighborhood, the cemetery, built in the 19th century during the Napoleonic era, is Italy’s second-largest civil cemetery and the largest in Rome.The grounds, which include an area designated for non-Catholics, suffered severe damage during the Allied bombing of Rome in 1943 and were rebuilt in 1949.Upon his arrival, Leo XIV placed a bouquet of white and yellow roses on the marble headstone of a randomly chosen grave belonging to an Italian family and bearing the name Antonia Coccia Nicolini.TweetDuring his homily, the pontiff explained that the commemoration of the faithful departed, celebrated the day after the solemnity of All Saints, guides the prayer of the Church.“We turn to the heavenly Father so that the life of holiness and blessedness already enjoyed by so many of his sons and daughters may envelop the souls of those who sleep the sleep of peace,” said the pope, who wore purple liturgical vestments, a symbol of penance, prayer, and hope in the Resurrection.He also emphasized that faith in Christ is illuminated “by the word that has been proclaimed and that strengthens our trust in God’s hands.”The Beatitudes, the ‘self-portrait of Jesus’About 1,500 people attended the celebration, according to figures provided by the Vatican.Reflecting on the Gospel of the Beatitudes proclaimed during the Mass, Leo XIV said they constitute the “self-portrait of Jesus” and reveal the path to a fully realized life, both on this earth and in eternity.“The risen Lord tells us: Blessed are those who live according to this path, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” he said. An estimated 1,500 people attend Pope Leo XIV’s Mass for the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed at Verano Cemetery in Rome on Nov. 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News He also observed that this message takes on particular force in a cemetery, which he described as “a threshold between this world and the next,” where faith enables believers to view death through the hope of the Resurrection.In this context, he stressed that “faith in Christ tells us that our bond with the faithful departed has not been broken but transformed.”‘The absurd violence of war’The Holy Father also offered prayers for the deceased and made a special appeal for those suffering the consequences of armed conflicts.He prayed that “the tears of so many mothers, so many children, and so many elderly people” would move the consciences of those who have the power to end wars.Reflecting on the beatitude “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” he offered a special remembrance for those who have recently lost a loved one.“At this moment we wish to pray for those who have recently lost a loved one, especially for those from whom a loved one has been taken by the absurd violence of war,” he said.He then renewed his appeal for peace: “May the tears of so many mothers, so many children, and so many elderly people move the consciences of those who have the power to silence the weapons.”Christian hope in the face of deathSpeaking during the 800th anniversary year of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, Leo XIV recalled the praise the saint added to the “Canticle of Creatures” near the end of his life, when he referred to “Sister Bodily Death” and proclaimed blessed those who are found doing God’s will.In his homily, the pontiff underscored Christian hope in eternal life and reaffirmed that God keeps forever those who have departed this world. Citing the Book of Wisdom, he recalled that the souls of the just are secure in the Lord’s hands and that “no torment shall ever touch them.” Pope Leo XIV follows in the footsteps of his predecessor St. John Paul II by celebrating Mass for All Souls’ Day at Verano Cemetery in Rome on Nov. 2, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News The pope explained that this promise of salvation lies at the heart of the Church’s prayer on All Souls’ Day, when the faithful entrust their loved ones to divine mercy so that they may attain full communion with God.Leo XIV also invoked the words of the Book of Revelation, which proclaims that God will dwell forever with his people, as well as the promise of the Good Shepherd that no one can snatch his sheep from his hand.The pope concluded his homily with a reference to Revelation and God’s definitive promise for humanity: the day when “death shall be no more, neither mourning nor crying nor pain,” because all suffering will have been overcome forever.With this Mass, Leo XIV, as he did last year, continued a tradition promoted by St. John Paul II, who visited the same cemetery on 12 occasions for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Pope Benedict XVI also celebrated a Mass at the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls, located next to the cemetery, though without visiting its graves.Pope Francis, for his part, maintained the custom of celebrating the All Souls’ Day Mass in various cemeteries throughout Rome during his pontificate.In addition to Monday’s celebration, Leo XIV is scheduled to preside on Thursday, Nov. 5, at St. Peter’s Basilica, one day before departing on his apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, at a Mass offered for the cardinals and bishops who have died during the past year.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Continuing a tradition begun by St. John Paul II in the late 1970s, Pope Leo XIV visited Rome’s Verano Cemetery on Nov. 2.

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PHOTOS: Savannah gives thanks for newly beatified Georgia Martyrs #Catholic SAVANNAH, Georgia — Light drizzle fell outside the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist as a standing-room-only congregation gathered Nov. 1 to give thanks for the beatification of the five Georgia Martyrs, Franciscan missionaries killed in 1597.By the conclusion of Mass, blue skies and large white clouds had replaced the rain. Inside the cathedral, a spirit of joy and thanksgiving marked the celebration, held on the solemnity of All Saints, one day after the friars were declared blessed at the Savannah Convention Center. Bishops process through the cathedral for the Mass of thanksgiving for the beatification of the Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta presided, and Savannah Bishop Stephen D. Parkes delivered the homily. Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto, who had presided over Saturday’s beatification as Pope Leo XIV’s representative, was among the concelebrants. Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, also attended. Bishop Stephen D. Parkes of Savannah delivers the homily beneath the cathedral’s vaulted ceiling during the Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah Parkes urged those celebrating to consider how they would carry the gift of the martyrs’ witness beyond the weekend’s events.“We have received a gift,” he said.The bishop suggested introducing couples preparing for sacramental marriage to the newly beatified friars. He spoke of engaged couples learning their story, receiving an image of them and praying for their intercession for faithfulness in marriage. He also proposed prayers at weddings for the newly married couple.“There are many other ways we can continue to honor these holy men,” he said. Seated shoulder to shoulder, young adults listen during the Nov. 1, 2026, Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia. They were part of a large young-adult contingent at the celebration. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah The newly beatified friars are Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola. Four were priests; de Badajoz was a lay brother. All came from Spain and served in missions among the Indigenous Guale people in what is now coastal Georgia.According to the Diocese of Savannah’s account, the violence began in 1597 after de Corpa opposed a baptized Guale leader’s decision to take a second wife. The account identifies Juanillo, who was in line for leadership, as the man who killed Pedro. Juanillo then led a war party against other missions. Five friars died during the uprising. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta elevates the Blessed Sacrament as clergy pray at the altar during the Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah Franciscan friars pray during the Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. The five martyrs were Franciscan missionaries killed in coastal Georgia in 1597. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah Pope Francis authorized recognition of their martyrdom on Jan. 27, 2025. The decree identified their deaths as having occurred in hatred of the faith, clearing the way for their beatification. The diocesan investigation had opened in 1984 and concluded in 2007.Beatification confers the title “blessed” on a person and permits public veneration within the places or religious communities authorized by the Church. It is distinct from canonization, which extends that recognition to the universal Church. The Georgia Martyrs’ liturgical memorial is Sept. 22. A young woman prays during the Mass of thanksgiving for the beatification of the Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. Young adults were a prominent presence among those attending the celebration. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah The celebration also received attention in Rome. After the Nov. 1 Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo recalled the friars’ missionary service and their deaths.“Let us invoke the intercession of these martyrs for all missionaries of the Gospel,” he said. A woman embraces a Franciscan friar as clergy and worshippers gather outside the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist following the Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah In Savannah, Parkes described the response to the beatification in terms of stewardship.“We should always accept it with gratitude, with thanksgiving in our hearts,” he said.“When we receive a gift, we should tend it responsibly,” he continued, “and also return it with increase.”
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PHOTOS: Savannah gives thanks for newly beatified Georgia Martyrs #Catholic SAVANNAH, Georgia — Light drizzle fell outside the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist as a standing-room-only congregation gathered Nov. 1 to give thanks for the beatification of the five Georgia Martyrs, Franciscan missionaries killed in 1597.By the conclusion of Mass, blue skies and large white clouds had replaced the rain. Inside the cathedral, a spirit of joy and thanksgiving marked the celebration, held on the solemnity of All Saints, one day after the friars were declared blessed at the Savannah Convention Center. Bishops process through the cathedral for the Mass of thanksgiving for the beatification of the Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta presided, and Savannah Bishop Stephen D. Parkes delivered the homily. Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto, who had presided over Saturday’s beatification as Pope Leo XIV’s representative, was among the concelebrants. Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, also attended. Bishop Stephen D. Parkes of Savannah delivers the homily beneath the cathedral’s vaulted ceiling during the Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah Parkes urged those celebrating to consider how they would carry the gift of the martyrs’ witness beyond the weekend’s events.“We have received a gift,” he said.The bishop suggested introducing couples preparing for sacramental marriage to the newly beatified friars. He spoke of engaged couples learning their story, receiving an image of them and praying for their intercession for faithfulness in marriage. He also proposed prayers at weddings for the newly married couple.“There are many other ways we can continue to honor these holy men,” he said. Seated shoulder to shoulder, young adults listen during the Nov. 1, 2026, Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia. They were part of a large young-adult contingent at the celebration. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah The newly beatified friars are Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez de Cuacos, Miguel de Añón, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola. Four were priests; de Badajoz was a lay brother. All came from Spain and served in missions among the Indigenous Guale people in what is now coastal Georgia.According to the Diocese of Savannah’s account, the violence began in 1597 after de Corpa opposed a baptized Guale leader’s decision to take a second wife. The account identifies Juanillo, who was in line for leadership, as the man who killed Pedro. Juanillo then led a war party against other missions. Five friars died during the uprising. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta elevates the Blessed Sacrament as clergy pray at the altar during the Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah Franciscan friars pray during the Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. The five martyrs were Franciscan missionaries killed in coastal Georgia in 1597. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah Pope Francis authorized recognition of their martyrdom on Jan. 27, 2025. The decree identified their deaths as having occurred in hatred of the faith, clearing the way for their beatification. The diocesan investigation had opened in 1984 and concluded in 2007.Beatification confers the title “blessed” on a person and permits public veneration within the places or religious communities authorized by the Church. It is distinct from canonization, which extends that recognition to the universal Church. The Georgia Martyrs’ liturgical memorial is Sept. 22. A young woman prays during the Mass of thanksgiving for the beatification of the Georgia Martyrs at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. Young adults were a prominent presence among those attending the celebration. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah The celebration also received attention in Rome. After the Nov. 1 Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo recalled the friars’ missionary service and their deaths.“Let us invoke the intercession of these martyrs for all missionaries of the Gospel,” he said. A woman embraces a Franciscan friar as clergy and worshippers gather outside the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist following the Mass of thanksgiving for the newly beatified Georgia Martyrs in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 1, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno/Courtesy of Diocese of Savannah In Savannah, Parkes described the response to the beatification in terms of stewardship.“We should always accept it with gratitude, with thanksgiving in our hearts,” he said.“When we receive a gift, we should tend it responsibly,” he continued, “and also return it with increase.”

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A standing-room-only congregation filled the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist on All Saints’ Day as Bishop Stephen D. Parkes proposed ways to carry the friars’ witness.

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Polish bishops appeal for dialogue as constitutional court standoff deepens #Catholic Polandʼs bishops have appealed for de-escalation and prayer amid a deepening standoff over the countryʼs Constitutional Tribunal, warning that the dispute is driving a “deep crisis of the state.”“It is not the role of the Church to adjudicate the causes of this dispute or the responsibility for the lack of its resolution,” the Presidium of the Polish Bishops' Conference, headed by Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdańsk, said in an Oct. 31 statement.The Polish prelates called on politicians to calm the conflict and asked for “the initiation of constructive dialogue and the peaceful resolution of all difficulties." The bishops appealed to the faithful to pray “for light and wisdom for the rulers and all those responsible for public life.”Archbishop Wojciech Polak of Gniezno, Polandʼs primate, urged all sides of the political dispute to “seek a common solution” through talks. The heads of Polandʼs religious orders called for dialogue “on the basis of respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and the applicable legal order.”Archbishop Andrzej Przybylski of Katowice and military Bishop Wiesław Lechowicz also urged prayer.A fight over the benchThe tribunal decides whether Polish laws are constitutional. Who gets to sit on it has been contested since 2015.This term the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, elected eight judges. President Karol Nawrocki, who is backed by the opposition Law and Justice party, swore in three. The other five took their oath in parliament instead, and Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski barred them from ruling.On Oct. 30 one of the five, Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, struck back. She suspended Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański, for one month. The courtʼs official account on X replied that she “is not a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal.” Many legal experts doubt she had the power to issue the order, though some say it can be justified as a case of “higher constitutional necessity.”Nawrocki turned his plane around on the way to Senegal and was inside the building in the early hours of Oct. 31. A statement in his name, read out by Paweł Szefernaker, head of the presidentʼs cabinet, called the nightʼs events “a forcible takeover of a constitutional body.” Hundreds of people gathered outside.Prime Minister Donald Tusk was just as blunt in a televised address: “In certain matters, there can be no compromise.”Others want to start over. Szymon Hołownia, whose Poland 2050 party sits in Tuskʼs coalition, has backed a “constitutional reset” — a move that would replace the entire bench. This idea has long been pushed by the opposition right-wing Confederation and left-wing Together parties.Either way, Tuesday may not settle anything: The daily Rzeczpospolita reported that none of the judges seated before the current parliament will attend the assembly Korwin-Piotrowska has called for Nov. 3. Without them, it would fall short of its quorum of 10.European Union reactionsIn Brussels and Strasbourg, reactions split along political lines: Michael McGrath, the EU justice commissioner, told Politico the tribunal “needs to be able to function in accordance with the Polish constitution and the case law of the Court of Justice of the EU” and that “the Venice Commission has been clear that appointing the new judges lies within the power of the Sejm.”The Venice Commission is the Council of Europeʼs advisory body on constitutional law.However, McGrath stopped short of backing the suspensions, and conservatives in the European Parliament saw it the other way.“The Tusk governmentʼs actions constitute a clear and grave violation of the rule of law,” said Nicola Procaccini, co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists group. “We support President Nawrocki in defending Polandʼs constitutional order.”
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Polish bishops appeal for dialogue as constitutional court standoff deepens #Catholic Polandʼs bishops have appealed for de-escalation and prayer amid a deepening standoff over the countryʼs Constitutional Tribunal, warning that the dispute is driving a “deep crisis of the state.”“It is not the role of the Church to adjudicate the causes of this dispute or the responsibility for the lack of its resolution,” the Presidium of the Polish Bishops' Conference, headed by Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdańsk, said in an Oct. 31 statement.The Polish prelates called on politicians to calm the conflict and asked for “the initiation of constructive dialogue and the peaceful resolution of all difficulties." The bishops appealed to the faithful to pray “for light and wisdom for the rulers and all those responsible for public life.”Archbishop Wojciech Polak of Gniezno, Polandʼs primate, urged all sides of the political dispute to “seek a common solution” through talks. The heads of Polandʼs religious orders called for dialogue “on the basis of respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and the applicable legal order.”Archbishop Andrzej Przybylski of Katowice and military Bishop Wiesław Lechowicz also urged prayer.A fight over the benchThe tribunal decides whether Polish laws are constitutional. Who gets to sit on it has been contested since 2015.This term the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, elected eight judges. President Karol Nawrocki, who is backed by the opposition Law and Justice party, swore in three. The other five took their oath in parliament instead, and Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski barred them from ruling.On Oct. 30 one of the five, Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska, struck back. She suspended Święczkowski and his deputy, Bartłomiej Sochański, for one month. The courtʼs official account on X replied that she “is not a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal.” Many legal experts doubt she had the power to issue the order, though some say it can be justified as a case of “higher constitutional necessity.”Nawrocki turned his plane around on the way to Senegal and was inside the building in the early hours of Oct. 31. A statement in his name, read out by Paweł Szefernaker, head of the presidentʼs cabinet, called the nightʼs events “a forcible takeover of a constitutional body.” Hundreds of people gathered outside.Prime Minister Donald Tusk was just as blunt in a televised address: “In certain matters, there can be no compromise.”Others want to start over. Szymon Hołownia, whose Poland 2050 party sits in Tuskʼs coalition, has backed a “constitutional reset” — a move that would replace the entire bench. This idea has long been pushed by the opposition right-wing Confederation and left-wing Together parties.Either way, Tuesday may not settle anything: The daily Rzeczpospolita reported that none of the judges seated before the current parliament will attend the assembly Korwin-Piotrowska has called for Nov. 3. Without them, it would fall short of its quorum of 10.European Union reactionsIn Brussels and Strasbourg, reactions split along political lines: Michael McGrath, the EU justice commissioner, told Politico the tribunal “needs to be able to function in accordance with the Polish constitution and the case law of the Court of Justice of the EU” and that “the Venice Commission has been clear that appointing the new judges lies within the power of the Sejm.”The Venice Commission is the Council of Europeʼs advisory body on constitutional law.However, McGrath stopped short of backing the suspensions, and conservatives in the European Parliament saw it the other way.“The Tusk governmentʼs actions constitute a clear and grave violation of the rule of law,” said Nicola Procaccini, co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists group. “We support President Nawrocki in defending Polandʼs constitutional order.”

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Poland’s bishops, the primate, and religious superiors appealed for de-escalation and prayer as a dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal’s leadership deepens.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 2 November 2026 – A reading from the Book of Wisdom 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect.   A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 5:5-11 Brothers and sisters: Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.From the Gospel according to John 6:37-40 Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”The resurrection of the crucified Jesus from the dead sheds light on the destiny of each one of us. For he told us: “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (Jn 6:39). Thus, the focus of God’s concerns is clear: that no one should perish forever and that everyone should have their own place and radiate their unique beauty (…). For this reason, Christians always remember the deceased in every Eucharist, and still today ask that those dear to them be remembered in the Eucharistic Prayer. From this proclamation arises the hope that no one will perish. May visiting the cemetery, where silence interrupts the hustle and bustle of life, invite us all to remember and to wait in hope. As we say in the Creed: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” Let us commemorate, therefore, the future, for we are not enclosed in the past or in sentimental tears of nostalgia. Neither are we sealed within the present, as in a tomb. May the familiar voice of Jesus reach us, and reach everyone, because it is the only one that comes from the future. (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 2 November 2025)  

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A reading from the Book of Wisdom
3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

 

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
5:5-11

Brothers and sisters:
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.

From the Gospel according to John
6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”

The resurrection of the crucified Jesus from the dead sheds light on the destiny of each one of us. For he told us: “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (Jn 6:39). Thus, the focus of God’s concerns is clear: that no one should perish forever and that everyone should have their own place and radiate their unique beauty (…). For this reason, Christians always remember the deceased in every Eucharist, and still today ask that those dear to them be remembered in the Eucharistic Prayer. From this proclamation arises the hope that no one will perish. May visiting the cemetery, where silence interrupts the hustle and bustle of life, invite us all to remember and to wait in hope. As we say in the Creed: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” Let us commemorate, therefore, the future, for we are not enclosed in the past or in sentimental tears of nostalgia. Neither are we sealed within the present, as in a tomb. May the familiar voice of Jesus reach us, and reach everyone, because it is the only one that comes from the future. (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 2 November 2025)

 

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Peru loses second bishop in two days as Pope Leo’s visit nears – #Catholic – Bishop Jorge Pedro Carrión Pavlich of Puno, Peru, died at age 76, just two days after the death of Archbishop Richard Daniel Alarcón Urrutia of Cusco and less than two weeks before Pope Leo XIV arrives in the country.His death was announced Sunday, Nov. 1, during a Mass at the Shrine of the Virgin of Candelaria in Puno. He had been hospitalized at a clinic in Lima.The Peruvian bishops' conference issued a statement of condolence shortly afterward. “We join in prayer with the Church of Puno, his family and the entire Catholic community, thanking God for his life and his dedication to the service of the Church,” the bishops said, asking prayers for his eternal rest and for the consolation of his family.Alarcón, 74, died Friday, Oct. 30, after a battle with cancer. He had been helping prepare for the popeʼs stop in Cusco on Nov. 15, and Pope Leo expressed sorrow at his death. Meanwhile, Leo, who served for two decades in Peru as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo, will visit the country Nov. 11–16, according to the published schedule. Puno is not on the itinerary.Five decades of serviceCarrión was born in Tarma, in Peruʼs central Andes. The Archdiocese of Lima noted that he had marked 50 years as a priest and more than 26 years as a bishop.Pope John Paul II named him a bishop in May 2000, and he went on to lead the Diocese of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, for more than 24 years. Before that, he served as assistant secretary of the Peruvian bishops' conference.Funeral arrangementsA wake was held Nov. 1 at the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Santiago de Surco, Lima. The vigil continues Nov. 2 in Puno, where his funeral Mass will be celebrated Nov. 3.He will be buried Nov. 4 in the cemetery in his hometown of Tarma.This story was first published by EWTN News Español. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Peru loses second bishop in two days as Pope Leo’s visit nears – #Catholic – Bishop Jorge Pedro Carrión Pavlich of Puno, Peru, died at age 76, just two days after the death of Archbishop Richard Daniel Alarcón Urrutia of Cusco and less than two weeks before Pope Leo XIV arrives in the country.His death was announced Sunday, Nov. 1, during a Mass at the Shrine of the Virgin of Candelaria in Puno. He had been hospitalized at a clinic in Lima.The Peruvian bishops' conference issued a statement of condolence shortly afterward. “We join in prayer with the Church of Puno, his family and the entire Catholic community, thanking God for his life and his dedication to the service of the Church,” the bishops said, asking prayers for his eternal rest and for the consolation of his family.Alarcón, 74, died Friday, Oct. 30, after a battle with cancer. He had been helping prepare for the popeʼs stop in Cusco on Nov. 15, and Pope Leo expressed sorrow at his death. Meanwhile, Leo, who served for two decades in Peru as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo, will visit the country Nov. 11–16, according to the published schedule. Puno is not on the itinerary.Five decades of serviceCarrión was born in Tarma, in Peruʼs central Andes. The Archdiocese of Lima noted that he had marked 50 years as a priest and more than 26 years as a bishop.Pope John Paul II named him a bishop in May 2000, and he went on to lead the Diocese of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, for more than 24 years. Before that, he served as assistant secretary of the Peruvian bishops' conference.Funeral arrangementsA wake was held Nov. 1 at the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Santiago de Surco, Lima. The vigil continues Nov. 2 in Puno, where his funeral Mass will be celebrated Nov. 3.He will be buried Nov. 4 in the cemetery in his hometown of Tarma.This story was first published by EWTN News Español. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Bishop Jorge Carrión Pavlich, who led the Diocese of Puno for more than 24 years, has died at 76, two days after Archbishop Richard Alarcón of Cusco.

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Fantasy Football Manager Spends Hours Carefully Deciding Who Will Score 45 Points On His Bench This Week #BabylonBee – TEMPE, AZ — Local man David Hampton spent several hours today carefully deciding which fantasy football player to have score 45 points while sitting uselessly on the bench.
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Fantasy Football Manager Spends Hours Carefully Deciding Who Will Score 45 Points On His Bench This Week #BabylonBee – TEMPE, AZ — Local man David Hampton spent several hours today carefully deciding which fantasy football player to have score 45 points while sitting uselessly on the bench.

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TEMPE, AZ — Local man David Hampton spent several hours today carefully deciding which fantasy football player to have score 45 points while sitting uselessly on the bench.

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Gavin Newsom Says Democrats Would Never Intentionally Subvert Election Process And Also He’s Legally Changed His Name To Donald J. Trump #BabylonBee – SACRAMENTO, CA — California Governor Gavin Newsom came out in support of Alaska senate candidate Mary Peltola, saying Democrats would never intentionally subvert the election process and also he had legally changed his name to Donald J. Trump.
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Gavin Newsom Says Democrats Would Never Intentionally Subvert Election Process And Also He’s Legally Changed His Name To Donald J. Trump #BabylonBee – SACRAMENTO, CA — California Governor Gavin Newsom came out in support of Alaska senate candidate Mary Peltola, saying Democrats would never intentionally subvert the election process and also he had legally changed his name to Donald J. Trump.

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SACRAMENTO, CA — California Governor Gavin Newsom came out in support of Alaska senate candidate Mary Peltola, saying Democrats would never intentionally subvert the election process and also he had legally changed his name to Donald J. Trump.

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Pope Leo XIV: ‘Holiness is not a privilege reserved for a few’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that holiness is a calling for everyone, not an achievement reserved for a select group, as he reflected on the Solemnity of All Saints during his Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square.“The Solemnity of All Saints, which we celebrate today, invites us to share in the joy of that countless family of men and women who, following the Lord Jesus, have made their lives a gift to God and to their neighbors,” the pope said.Quoting Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi, Leo said the saints, along their different paths to holiness, “have longed for ‘the ocean of infinite love.’”The pope noted that the Church celebrates not only canonized saints on Nov. 1 but also “the countless others who have not been formally recognized but are known to God.”“It is indeed true that it is impossible to count this multitude of brothers and sisters, and not just in numerical terms,” he said. “Holiness, in fact, cannot be reduced to any calculation, for such is the good that all the saints have spread around them in the world.”Leo said the saints brought forth “actions and choices of love that transcend the calculations of greed and the arrogance of evil, which at times seems to prevail.”“The saints are the most beautiful and powerful sign of the Kingdom of God that is coming — or rather, as Jesus teaches us, is already among us,” he said.The pope emphasized that the multitude of saints includes people “from the most diverse backgrounds, cultures and walks of life.”“Holiness is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a universal vocation that speaks to each of us where we live,” Leo said.“This is the hope-filled message of today’s feast: God sees the good that we do not see, knows stories that we do not know and reaches hearts to which we have no access.”He entrusted the faithful to the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that she would accompany them “along the path to holiness, so that we may never grow weary of fostering peace, both in the most important situations and in the ordinary circumstances of everyday life.”Pope recalls newly beatified Georgia martyrsAfter the Angelus, Leo recalled the beatification the previous day in Savannah, Georgia, of Pedro de Corpa and four companions, Franciscan friars killed in odium fidei, or “in hatred of the faith,” in 1597.“Originally from Spain, they responded generously to the Lordʼs call to evangelize the peoples of the Americas, even to the point of giving their lives,” the pope said. “Let us invoke the intercession of these martyrs for all missionaries of the Gospel.”Leo also spoke about a recent humanitarian operation to assist civilians in Oleshky, expressing hope that cooperation between the parties involved would lead to further steps toward peace.“I hope that the cooperation between the parties, which made this necessary humanitarian act possible, will strengthen the desire for dialogue and lead to new concrete peace initiatives,” he said.The pope then highlighted the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, calling the first Olympic event held on the African continent “a sign of hope coming from the world of sport.”He also noted that the Friars Minor will hold a Mission with the Poor in Rome from Nov. 8–15.“I congratulate the sons of Saint Francis who, through this initiative, are placing the poor at the center, as the Lord Jesus did and as Saint Francis of Assisi did,” Leo said.Finally, ahead of the Nov. 2 Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, the pope announced that he would celebrate Mass at Rome’s Verano Cemetery.“During these days, let us feel united in the Communion of Saints with the immense family of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us on our earthly pilgrimage,” he said, “and let us pray for the departed, especially those whom no one remembers.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Pope Leo XIV: ‘Holiness is not a privilege reserved for a few’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that holiness is a calling for everyone, not an achievement reserved for a select group, as he reflected on the Solemnity of All Saints during his Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square.“The Solemnity of All Saints, which we celebrate today, invites us to share in the joy of that countless family of men and women who, following the Lord Jesus, have made their lives a gift to God and to their neighbors,” the pope said.Quoting Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi, Leo said the saints, along their different paths to holiness, “have longed for ‘the ocean of infinite love.’”The pope noted that the Church celebrates not only canonized saints on Nov. 1 but also “the countless others who have not been formally recognized but are known to God.”“It is indeed true that it is impossible to count this multitude of brothers and sisters, and not just in numerical terms,” he said. “Holiness, in fact, cannot be reduced to any calculation, for such is the good that all the saints have spread around them in the world.”Leo said the saints brought forth “actions and choices of love that transcend the calculations of greed and the arrogance of evil, which at times seems to prevail.”“The saints are the most beautiful and powerful sign of the Kingdom of God that is coming — or rather, as Jesus teaches us, is already among us,” he said.The pope emphasized that the multitude of saints includes people “from the most diverse backgrounds, cultures and walks of life.”“Holiness is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a universal vocation that speaks to each of us where we live,” Leo said.“This is the hope-filled message of today’s feast: God sees the good that we do not see, knows stories that we do not know and reaches hearts to which we have no access.”He entrusted the faithful to the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that she would accompany them “along the path to holiness, so that we may never grow weary of fostering peace, both in the most important situations and in the ordinary circumstances of everyday life.”Pope recalls newly beatified Georgia martyrsAfter the Angelus, Leo recalled the beatification the previous day in Savannah, Georgia, of Pedro de Corpa and four companions, Franciscan friars killed in odium fidei, or “in hatred of the faith,” in 1597.“Originally from Spain, they responded generously to the Lordʼs call to evangelize the peoples of the Americas, even to the point of giving their lives,” the pope said. “Let us invoke the intercession of these martyrs for all missionaries of the Gospel.”Leo also spoke about a recent humanitarian operation to assist civilians in Oleshky, expressing hope that cooperation between the parties involved would lead to further steps toward peace.“I hope that the cooperation between the parties, which made this necessary humanitarian act possible, will strengthen the desire for dialogue and lead to new concrete peace initiatives,” he said.The pope then highlighted the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, calling the first Olympic event held on the African continent “a sign of hope coming from the world of sport.”He also noted that the Friars Minor will hold a Mission with the Poor in Rome from Nov. 8–15.“I congratulate the sons of Saint Francis who, through this initiative, are placing the poor at the center, as the Lord Jesus did and as Saint Francis of Assisi did,” Leo said.Finally, ahead of the Nov. 2 Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, the pope announced that he would celebrate Mass at Rome’s Verano Cemetery.“During these days, let us feel united in the Communion of Saints with the immense family of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us on our earthly pilgrimage,” he said, “and let us pray for the departed, especially those whom no one remembers.”This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The pontiff said the Solemnity of All Saints offers a “hope-filled message”: God sees goodness hidden from us and calls every person to holiness.

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Africa surpasses Europe in Catholic population; Church leaders highlight missionary role – #Catholic – NAIROBI, Kenya — Catholic leaders in Africa have described the Church’s growth there as an opportunity to share its faith, vocations, and missionary experience with the universal Church while continuing to receive gifts from other local Churches.According to the latest statistics published by Agenzia Fides, Africa’s Catholic population has now surpassed Europe’s, rising to 288.3 million compared with Europe’s 287.2 million. Africa now has the second-largest Catholic population, after the Americas, which the organization counts as one region.The data Fides used comes from the Church’s Book of Statistics, which is updated yearly. The latest edition includes data through Dec. 31, 2024.In responses shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa,  Catholic leaders in Africa pointed to families, catechists, pastoral presence, and the witness of missionaries among factors they believe have contributed to the growth.Catholics in the world numbered 1.4 billion, with an overall increase of 15.8 million Catholics compared with the previous year. As in previous years, increases were registered above all in Africa and in the Americas, followed by Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The African continent recorded the largest increase in Catholics, adding 7.58 million compared with an increase of 6.99 million in the Americas. Africa gained 1,676 priests, the largest continental increase, compared with a worldwide net increase of 425 priests.According to the Fides report, Africa was the only continent to register growth in seminarians, adding 786, while the global total declined by 2,891.Sharing the gift of faithFor Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala of South Sudan’s Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, the findings are a reason for gratitude and renewed missionary responsibility.“Having received the gift of faith through the missionary witness of others, we are now blessed to share that gift with the universal Church,” Hiiboro said. Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala of the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio in South Sudan. | Credit: ACI Africa As bishop of Tombura-Yambio since 2008, Hiiboro also serves as president of the Integral Human Development Commission of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He said that growth of faith is not a competition.“Africa is not competing with any continent in the growth of faith. We are part of one universal Church, united in Christ and enriched by the gifts of different peoples and cultures,” he said.Father Vincent Simba, rector of Nairobi-based St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Seminary, said the increase in Catholics and priests offers hope for Africa and the universal Church. Father Vincent Simba, rector of Nairobi-based St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Seminary. | Credit: St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Seminary-Theologicum, Nairobi Simba expressed hope that Africa would have opportunities to send missionaries to places from which the continent received the Christian faith.Bishop Joseph Kacou Aka of Ivory Coast’s Diocese of Yamoussoukro said the figures are an invitation to deepen communion among local Churches.“Africa is called to share its gifts: its vocations, its community experience, its theological reflection, and its witness of faith,” he said. “But mission remains a fraternal exchange in which each Church both gives and receives.”Aka, who was consecrated bishop in 2023, said pastoral action in his diocese is guided by the theme “Autonomous and Missionary Church, Communion of Communities.” Bishop Joseph Kacou Aka of Ivory Coast’s Diocese of Yamoussoukro. | Credit: Catholic Diocese of Yamoussoukro Families, communities, and pastoral presenceIn his response to ACI Africa, Hiiboro pointed to family bonds, community life, and openness to God as among the conditions he believes have helped the growth of Christian faith in Africa, alongside the work of missionaries, catechists, priests, women and men religious, and laypeople.In Nigeria, Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa of the Diocese of Katsina identified the continent’s youthful population, family life, liturgies, and the work of Catholic institutions among factors contributing to growth.“In Nigeria, parish communities, Catholic schools, hospitals, and lay movements help transmit the faith across generations,” Musa said. Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa of Nigeria’s Diocese of Katsina. | Credit: ACI Africa Musa, who also chairs the Communications Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said his diocese had seen its number of seminarians rise from about 21 in 2023 to more than 40 in 2026. He cautioned that “demographic growth alone does not explain conversion.”Father George Omondi, a Kenyan-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, commonly known as the Spiritans, pointed to the accessibility of pastoral services.Omondi, who previously served as vice provincial superior and councilor for formation in the Spiritans’ Kenya and South Sudan Province, recalled seeing an increase in parishes in Kenyan Catholic dioceses, bringing services closer to the faithful. Father George Omondi. | Credit: ACI Africa Omondi said during his parish ministry he also observed adult baptisms and received converts from other churches into the Catholic Church.In his own response, Aka cautioned against assigning a single cause to the growth. The statistics, he said, “describe a development without, by themselves, establishing its causes,” and do not determine the respective contributions of family transmission, adult baptisms, and demographic factors.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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Africa surpasses Europe in Catholic population; Church leaders highlight missionary role – #Catholic – NAIROBI, Kenya — Catholic leaders in Africa have described the Church’s growth there as an opportunity to share its faith, vocations, and missionary experience with the universal Church while continuing to receive gifts from other local Churches.According to the latest statistics published by Agenzia Fides, Africa’s Catholic population has now surpassed Europe’s, rising to 288.3 million compared with Europe’s 287.2 million. Africa now has the second-largest Catholic population, after the Americas, which the organization counts as one region.The data Fides used comes from the Church’s Book of Statistics, which is updated yearly. The latest edition includes data through Dec. 31, 2024.In responses shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa,  Catholic leaders in Africa pointed to families, catechists, pastoral presence, and the witness of missionaries among factors they believe have contributed to the growth.Catholics in the world numbered 1.4 billion, with an overall increase of 15.8 million Catholics compared with the previous year. As in previous years, increases were registered above all in Africa and in the Americas, followed by Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The African continent recorded the largest increase in Catholics, adding 7.58 million compared with an increase of 6.99 million in the Americas. Africa gained 1,676 priests, the largest continental increase, compared with a worldwide net increase of 425 priests.According to the Fides report, Africa was the only continent to register growth in seminarians, adding 786, while the global total declined by 2,891.Sharing the gift of faithFor Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala of South Sudan’s Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, the findings are a reason for gratitude and renewed missionary responsibility.“Having received the gift of faith through the missionary witness of others, we are now blessed to share that gift with the universal Church,” Hiiboro said. Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala of the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio in South Sudan. | Credit: ACI Africa As bishop of Tombura-Yambio since 2008, Hiiboro also serves as president of the Integral Human Development Commission of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He said that growth of faith is not a competition.“Africa is not competing with any continent in the growth of faith. We are part of one universal Church, united in Christ and enriched by the gifts of different peoples and cultures,” he said.Father Vincent Simba, rector of Nairobi-based St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Seminary, said the increase in Catholics and priests offers hope for Africa and the universal Church. Father Vincent Simba, rector of Nairobi-based St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Seminary. | Credit: St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Seminary-Theologicum, Nairobi Simba expressed hope that Africa would have opportunities to send missionaries to places from which the continent received the Christian faith.Bishop Joseph Kacou Aka of Ivory Coast’s Diocese of Yamoussoukro said the figures are an invitation to deepen communion among local Churches.“Africa is called to share its gifts: its vocations, its community experience, its theological reflection, and its witness of faith,” he said. “But mission remains a fraternal exchange in which each Church both gives and receives.”Aka, who was consecrated bishop in 2023, said pastoral action in his diocese is guided by the theme “Autonomous and Missionary Church, Communion of Communities.” Bishop Joseph Kacou Aka of Ivory Coast’s Diocese of Yamoussoukro. | Credit: Catholic Diocese of Yamoussoukro Families, communities, and pastoral presenceIn his response to ACI Africa, Hiiboro pointed to family bonds, community life, and openness to God as among the conditions he believes have helped the growth of Christian faith in Africa, alongside the work of missionaries, catechists, priests, women and men religious, and laypeople.In Nigeria, Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa of the Diocese of Katsina identified the continent’s youthful population, family life, liturgies, and the work of Catholic institutions among factors contributing to growth.“In Nigeria, parish communities, Catholic schools, hospitals, and lay movements help transmit the faith across generations,” Musa said. Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa of Nigeria’s Diocese of Katsina. | Credit: ACI Africa Musa, who also chairs the Communications Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said his diocese had seen its number of seminarians rise from about 21 in 2023 to more than 40 in 2026. He cautioned that “demographic growth alone does not explain conversion.”Father George Omondi, a Kenyan-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, commonly known as the Spiritans, pointed to the accessibility of pastoral services.Omondi, who previously served as vice provincial superior and councilor for formation in the Spiritans’ Kenya and South Sudan Province, recalled seeing an increase in parishes in Kenyan Catholic dioceses, bringing services closer to the faithful. Father George Omondi. | Credit: ACI Africa Omondi said during his parish ministry he also observed adult baptisms and received converts from other churches into the Catholic Church.In his own response, Aka cautioned against assigning a single cause to the growth. The statistics, he said, “describe a development without, by themselves, establishing its causes,” and do not determine the respective contributions of family transmission, adult baptisms, and demographic factors.This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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According to the latest statistics published by Agenzia Fides, Africa’s Catholic population has now surpassed Europe’s, rising to 288.3 million.

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Wisconsin pilgrims visit Belgium to explore roots of Our Lady of Champion visionary #Catholic A group of 50 people from the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, recently walked in the footsteps of Servant of God Adele Brice during a 10-day pilgrimage to Belgium where they visited locations associated with the Marian visionary at the center of the story behind the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion — the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.Led by Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay, the group visited the cities of Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Dion-le-Val, and Leuven from Oct. 10–20 on the first-of-its-kind pilgrimage.Among the stops were the Church of Our Lady, home to The Madonna of Bruges sculpture created by Michelangelo; the Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, Belgium’s most visited Marian shrine; the tomb of St. Damien of Molokai, a Belgian priest known for his service to the leper community on the island of Molokai in Hawaii; the Catholic University of Leuven, the oldest Catholic university in the world; and several locations associated with Brice, including her hometown of Dion-le-Val, her home parish, the site of her confirmation, and the port where Brice and her family embarked for New York in 1855. A pilgrim from the Diocese of Green Bay prays at the tomb of St. Damien of Molokai, which is located in the St. Anthony of Padua Chapel in Leuven, Belgium. | Credit: On Mission Media In an interview with EWTN News, Ricken described the pilgrimage for those who took part as a “discovering of roots.”He explained that most of the pilgrims were from Door County in Wisconsin, which is one of the largest Belgian communities in the United States.“Thereʼs a Belgian heritage center here and lots of deep connections, and they havenʼt forgotten those,” he shared. “And they just loved Adele from the time she came.”With this in mind, and since Brice’s cause for canonization was officially opened in February, Ricken and others involved with the pilgrimage thought it could serve as a “moment of connecting with her [Brice’s] roots so that we can understand her better” as well as give the pilgrims in attendance “a chance to reconnect” with their Belgian roots.Ricken recalled that one of the most impactful stops on the pilgrimage was the Mass celebrated at Brice’s home parish, the Church of St. Martin in Dion-le-Val. This small parish typically has roughly 20 people in attendance — as Catholicism in Belgium is currently at a low point, Ricken explained — but for this Mass, 250 people crammed into the space to celebrate the special occasion. Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay celebrates Mass at St. Martin Parish in Dion-le-Val, Belgium, the home parish of Servant of God Adele Brice. | Credit: Amy Kawula “I think it gave them a whole new sense of pride in their own history over there. So it was a renewal for them. You could see that. The people were so thrilled to have us,” he shared.After the Mass — which was concelebrated by Ricken, several other priests from the Diocese of Green Bay who were on the pilgrimage, and local Belgian priests — a reception was held. Despite having a language barrier, Ricken said everyone was still able to communicate and many of the local Belgians recognized the family last names of the American pilgrims and found family connections. He shared that one of his priests from the diocese found a relative of his that he “never knew existed before.”“It was just beautiful and itʼs going to take quite a while to unpack all of that and understand exactly what happened, but it was deeply enriching for everybody, including me,” he said.The Church of St. Martin was also the recipient of the Our Lady of Champion Adele Brice icon done by Father Paul Czerwonka from the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin. The icon depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing to Brice and has two angels holding a banner with the message the Blessed Mother gave Brice: “I am the Queen of Heaven … Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation. Teach them their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the cross, and how to approach the sacraments. That is what I wish you to do. Go and fear nothing, I will help you.”The icon is 8 feet tall by 4 feet wide and took two months to complete. The Our Lady of Champion-Adele Brice icon by Father Paul Czerwonka from the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin. | Credit: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion Ricken said one moment that was very personal for him during the pilgrimage was when the group visited the Catholic University of Leuven. The bishop received his graduate degree in sacred theology and completed his seminary formation at this university in 1980. While the seminary building is now used for student housing, the chapel from the seminary is still in use.“We were able to arrange for an anointing service of the pilgrims … there in the seminary chapel where I attended Mass every day as a student and loved it so much,” he shared. “And I was able to lead the anointing service. And many people took advantage of that … not everybody, but many did, and it was so beautiful that right there in the former seminary chapel to be able to take care of my own people from here who went on that pilgrimage. That was very touching.” The faithful gather for a reception after the Mass celebrated at St. Martin Parish in Dion-le-Val, Belgium, the home parish of Servant of God Adele Brice. | Credit: Amy Kawula Reflecting on the pilgrimage as a whole, Ricken said he believes “there will be a lot of answered prayers” through Brice’s intercession.Ricken said he hopes those who went “see all of their instincts and their love of their culture and language as something thatʼs still alive, still vibrant in certain places, and that the shrine is their connection with home.”“Theyʼve always felt that, but now they actually saw it themselves. They were able to go to her hometown and experience that connection,” he added. “And my hope is that theyʼll continue to volunteer and do all the beautiful things they do and have even more commitment to it and be able to identify the work of grace and the Holy Spirit in everything thatʼs happening today in and around the shrine through Adele [Brice] and through the Blessed Mother.”
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Wisconsin pilgrims visit Belgium to explore roots of Our Lady of Champion visionary #Catholic A group of 50 people from the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, recently walked in the footsteps of Servant of God Adele Brice during a 10-day pilgrimage to Belgium where they visited locations associated with the Marian visionary at the center of the story behind the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion — the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.Led by Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay, the group visited the cities of Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Dion-le-Val, and Leuven from Oct. 10–20 on the first-of-its-kind pilgrimage.Among the stops were the Church of Our Lady, home to The Madonna of Bruges sculpture created by Michelangelo; the Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, Belgium’s most visited Marian shrine; the tomb of St. Damien of Molokai, a Belgian priest known for his service to the leper community on the island of Molokai in Hawaii; the Catholic University of Leuven, the oldest Catholic university in the world; and several locations associated with Brice, including her hometown of Dion-le-Val, her home parish, the site of her confirmation, and the port where Brice and her family embarked for New York in 1855. A pilgrim from the Diocese of Green Bay prays at the tomb of St. Damien of Molokai, which is located in the St. Anthony of Padua Chapel in Leuven, Belgium. | Credit: On Mission Media In an interview with EWTN News, Ricken described the pilgrimage for those who took part as a “discovering of roots.”He explained that most of the pilgrims were from Door County in Wisconsin, which is one of the largest Belgian communities in the United States.“Thereʼs a Belgian heritage center here and lots of deep connections, and they havenʼt forgotten those,” he shared. “And they just loved Adele from the time she came.”With this in mind, and since Brice’s cause for canonization was officially opened in February, Ricken and others involved with the pilgrimage thought it could serve as a “moment of connecting with her [Brice’s] roots so that we can understand her better” as well as give the pilgrims in attendance “a chance to reconnect” with their Belgian roots.Ricken recalled that one of the most impactful stops on the pilgrimage was the Mass celebrated at Brice’s home parish, the Church of St. Martin in Dion-le-Val. This small parish typically has roughly 20 people in attendance — as Catholicism in Belgium is currently at a low point, Ricken explained — but for this Mass, 250 people crammed into the space to celebrate the special occasion. Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay celebrates Mass at St. Martin Parish in Dion-le-Val, Belgium, the home parish of Servant of God Adele Brice. | Credit: Amy Kawula “I think it gave them a whole new sense of pride in their own history over there. So it was a renewal for them. You could see that. The people were so thrilled to have us,” he shared.After the Mass — which was concelebrated by Ricken, several other priests from the Diocese of Green Bay who were on the pilgrimage, and local Belgian priests — a reception was held. Despite having a language barrier, Ricken said everyone was still able to communicate and many of the local Belgians recognized the family last names of the American pilgrims and found family connections. He shared that one of his priests from the diocese found a relative of his that he “never knew existed before.”“It was just beautiful and itʼs going to take quite a while to unpack all of that and understand exactly what happened, but it was deeply enriching for everybody, including me,” he said.The Church of St. Martin was also the recipient of the Our Lady of Champion Adele Brice icon done by Father Paul Czerwonka from the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin. The icon depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing to Brice and has two angels holding a banner with the message the Blessed Mother gave Brice: “I am the Queen of Heaven … Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation. Teach them their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the cross, and how to approach the sacraments. That is what I wish you to do. Go and fear nothing, I will help you.”The icon is 8 feet tall by 4 feet wide and took two months to complete. The Our Lady of Champion-Adele Brice icon by Father Paul Czerwonka from the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin. | Credit: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion Ricken said one moment that was very personal for him during the pilgrimage was when the group visited the Catholic University of Leuven. The bishop received his graduate degree in sacred theology and completed his seminary formation at this university in 1980. While the seminary building is now used for student housing, the chapel from the seminary is still in use.“We were able to arrange for an anointing service of the pilgrims … there in the seminary chapel where I attended Mass every day as a student and loved it so much,” he shared. “And I was able to lead the anointing service. And many people took advantage of that … not everybody, but many did, and it was so beautiful that right there in the former seminary chapel to be able to take care of my own people from here who went on that pilgrimage. That was very touching.” The faithful gather for a reception after the Mass celebrated at St. Martin Parish in Dion-le-Val, Belgium, the home parish of Servant of God Adele Brice. | Credit: Amy Kawula Reflecting on the pilgrimage as a whole, Ricken said he believes “there will be a lot of answered prayers” through Brice’s intercession.Ricken said he hopes those who went “see all of their instincts and their love of their culture and language as something thatʼs still alive, still vibrant in certain places, and that the shrine is their connection with home.”“Theyʼve always felt that, but now they actually saw it themselves. They were able to go to her hometown and experience that connection,” he added. “And my hope is that theyʼll continue to volunteer and do all the beautiful things they do and have even more commitment to it and be able to identify the work of grace and the Holy Spirit in everything thatʼs happening today in and around the shrine through Adele [Brice] and through the Blessed Mother.”

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Bishop David Ricken led 50 pilgrims from Wisconsin to Belgium to retrace Adele Brice’s footsteps and deepen their connection to the visionary behind the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion.

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Picture of the day Vodno Telecommunication Tower under construction in Skopje, North Macedonia. Today is the Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle, a national holiday in North Macedonia celebrated on the occasion of the formation of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. #ImageOfTheDay

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Picture of the day
Vodno Telecommunication Tower under construction in Skopje, North Macedonia. Today is the Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle, a national holiday in North Macedonia celebrated on the occasion of the formation of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization.
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The Sky Today on Sunday, November 1: The Moon in Cancer

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 31: Glimpse the ghostly Phantom Galaxy Daylight saving time ends at 2 A.M. local daylight time this morning, when clocks fall back one hour to 1 A.M. local standard time.  Early this morning, the waning gibbous Moon is in Cancer, justContinue reading “The Sky Today on Sunday, November 1: The Moon in Cancer”

The post The Sky Today on Sunday, November 1: The Moon in Cancer appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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America’s first martyrs for marriage: The Georgia Martyrs declared ‘blessed’ – #Catholic – SAVANNAH – More than 400 years ago, Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez, Miguel de Aňon, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola surrendered their lives standing for the sanctity of marriage.“We do well to lovingly speak their names, for they are holy members of the family of God,” said Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto while declaring them “blessed” on Oct. 31 in Savannah. Sisters of Life from New York attend the beatification Mass for the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno It was a milestone for the Catholic Church in America: The Georgia Martyrs are the first American martyrs for marriage and the first to be beatified in the southern U.S. Approximately 9,000 people streamed through the doors of the Savannah Convention Center, breaking city attendance records for an indoor event. They traveled from all over Georgia, the U.S., and around the world, arriving by bus, car, and trolley. Some ferried across the Savannah River. Others flew, including priests and lay Catholics representing the hometowns of several friars.María Isabel Inoriza De Villota, a 12th generation descendent of one of Friar Francisco’s brothers, came from Spain with her 16-year-old son, Imanol.“Ever since I was a child, I have witnessed the deep devotion my parents held for Francisco,” she said. “We have always turned to him, seeking his protection and help.”Her mother prayed “fervently” for the beatification, which is “a dream come true,” she said. Relatives of one of the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia attend the friars’ beatification Mass at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno Father Pablo Migone, the vicar for mission advancement in the Savannah Diocese and a longtime promoter of the cause, said 2,000 attendees “tops” were projected. But registrations kept pouring in.U.S. beatifications are rare. But it was more than that. The diocese has been educating the faithful about the martyrs for a decade. “The fruit and the story are resonating in people’s hearts and minds,” Migone said.Until learning of the beatification, many residents of La Albuera, Spain, where Friar Antonio was baptized, hadn’t heard of him. Now the town square is being renamed in his honor.“God is full of surprises,” said Father Antonio Jesús Marín Romo, the town’s parish priest. “This comes at a crucial moment when we were in need of a catalyst for the work we wish to begin in the parish.”The Franciscans’ story began in the 16th century when they arrived from Spain. By 1595, they had established missions along the Georgia coast, evangelizing the Indigenous Guale people. Serving like Peace Corps volunteers, they succeeded where other orders had failed. Two years later, however, faith clashed with local custom. A baptized convert in line for chiefdom insisted on a second wife. When the friars refused to compromise Christ’s teaching on marriage, a war party murdered the friars, mission by mission. A sixth friar, Francisco de Ávila, was tortured, but lived to tell the tale. The missions were eventually reestablished, and Catholicism thrived.The bilingual service on Oct. 31 began with a procession down the runway-like aisle created from joining four exhibition spaces, the center’s largest configuration. The Book of the Gospels is carried in the entrance procession for the beatification Mass of the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno More than 200 clergy, including Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Cardinal Leo, 31 bishops and archbishops, over 100 deacons and seminarians, and the apostolic nuncio, were joined by nearly 200 members of the Knights of Columbus, the Knights of Malta, Knights (and Dames) of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Knights of Peter Claver. Seventy ciboria waited at the altar.  Knights of Columbus descend an escalator at the Savannah Convention Center for the beatification Mass of the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno Cardinal Leo read the apostolic letter and declared the Georgia Martyrs “blessed,” by having “placed the saving truth of the Gospel before their own safety.” Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer and Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives i Sicilia, bishop emeritus of Urgell, who represented the Spanish Episcopal Conference, read English and Spanish translations of the apostolic letter, respectively.The letter declared the martyrs’ feast day as Sept. 22, the octave day of Friar Pedro’s martyrdom. Thunderous applause erupted at the unveiling of the official portrait of the martyrs, showing them in humble repose and bathed in golden light. Before and after the beatification, the crowd toured the adjacent Georgia Martyrs Museum and art exhibition. The official portrait of the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia is displayed just after its unveiling during their beatification Mass at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno By worldly standards, it might seem like the martyrs failed, Cardinal Leo said during his homily. “But it is not so.”They succeeded by embracing “the call to holiness, which further led them to embrace the call to consecrated life, the call to the sacred priesthood, the call to missionary work, the call to evangelize, the call to share and defend the faith and, ultimately, the call to give their very life.”But “how compelled are we” to “follow Jesus’ call to follow him?” he asked.A holy life requires defending the truth and “always put[ting] Christ first,” he stated, even while striving for unity in the world. “Polarization is not from God.”The martyrs also bore witness to “the Christian doctrine of marriage and held to that divine truth to the shedding of their own blood,” he said, stressing the sacred nature of the family “founded upon the covenantal, sacramental, indissoluble union of one man and one woman.”In his first public audience after recent surgery, Pope Leo XIV said that protecting marriage and family “is more urgent than ever before.”The beatification itself was “perfect timing,” said Christine Camp, who came from Atlanta with more than a dozen other Catholics who had just attended a three-day retreat to pray for restoration of their marriages.Moms and dads with children had traveled from near and far. “It’s our pilgrimage,” said Theodora Ferrant, who came from Pensacola with her husband and two children.“I truly believe through the intercession of Blessed Pedro de Corpa and four companions there will be greater respect for the dignity and character of holy matrimony,” Savannah Bishop Stephen Parkes said.“May the witness of these holy men inspire fidelity between spouses called into the covenantal bond of holy matrimony and help create a renewed commitment to the growth of faith-filled families in the state of Georgia and beyond.”The celebration will continue Nov. 1 with a Mass of thanksgiving at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.
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America’s first martyrs for marriage: The Georgia Martyrs declared ‘blessed’ – #Catholic – SAVANNAH – More than 400 years ago, Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez, Miguel de Aňon, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola surrendered their lives standing for the sanctity of marriage.“We do well to lovingly speak their names, for they are holy members of the family of God,” said Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto while declaring them “blessed” on Oct. 31 in Savannah. Sisters of Life from New York attend the beatification Mass for the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno It was a milestone for the Catholic Church in America: The Georgia Martyrs are the first American martyrs for marriage and the first to be beatified in the southern U.S. Approximately 9,000 people streamed through the doors of the Savannah Convention Center, breaking city attendance records for an indoor event. They traveled from all over Georgia, the U.S., and around the world, arriving by bus, car, and trolley. Some ferried across the Savannah River. Others flew, including priests and lay Catholics representing the hometowns of several friars.María Isabel Inoriza De Villota, a 12th generation descendent of one of Friar Francisco’s brothers, came from Spain with her 16-year-old son, Imanol.“Ever since I was a child, I have witnessed the deep devotion my parents held for Francisco,” she said. “We have always turned to him, seeking his protection and help.”Her mother prayed “fervently” for the beatification, which is “a dream come true,” she said. Relatives of one of the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia attend the friars’ beatification Mass at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno Father Pablo Migone, the vicar for mission advancement in the Savannah Diocese and a longtime promoter of the cause, said 2,000 attendees “tops” were projected. But registrations kept pouring in.U.S. beatifications are rare. But it was more than that. The diocese has been educating the faithful about the martyrs for a decade. “The fruit and the story are resonating in people’s hearts and minds,” Migone said.Until learning of the beatification, many residents of La Albuera, Spain, where Friar Antonio was baptized, hadn’t heard of him. Now the town square is being renamed in his honor.“God is full of surprises,” said Father Antonio Jesús Marín Romo, the town’s parish priest. “This comes at a crucial moment when we were in need of a catalyst for the work we wish to begin in the parish.”The Franciscans’ story began in the 16th century when they arrived from Spain. By 1595, they had established missions along the Georgia coast, evangelizing the Indigenous Guale people. Serving like Peace Corps volunteers, they succeeded where other orders had failed. Two years later, however, faith clashed with local custom. A baptized convert in line for chiefdom insisted on a second wife. When the friars refused to compromise Christ’s teaching on marriage, a war party murdered the friars, mission by mission. A sixth friar, Francisco de Ávila, was tortured, but lived to tell the tale. The missions were eventually reestablished, and Catholicism thrived.The bilingual service on Oct. 31 began with a procession down the runway-like aisle created from joining four exhibition spaces, the center’s largest configuration. The Book of the Gospels is carried in the entrance procession for the beatification Mass of the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno More than 200 clergy, including Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Cardinal Leo, 31 bishops and archbishops, over 100 deacons and seminarians, and the apostolic nuncio, were joined by nearly 200 members of the Knights of Columbus, the Knights of Malta, Knights (and Dames) of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Knights of Peter Claver. Seventy ciboria waited at the altar.  Knights of Columbus descend an escalator at the Savannah Convention Center for the beatification Mass of the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno Cardinal Leo read the apostolic letter and declared the Georgia Martyrs “blessed,” by having “placed the saving truth of the Gospel before their own safety.” Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer and Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives i Sicilia, bishop emeritus of Urgell, who represented the Spanish Episcopal Conference, read English and Spanish translations of the apostolic letter, respectively.The letter declared the martyrs’ feast day as Sept. 22, the octave day of Friar Pedro’s martyrdom. Thunderous applause erupted at the unveiling of the official portrait of the martyrs, showing them in humble repose and bathed in golden light. Before and after the beatification, the crowd toured the adjacent Georgia Martyrs Museum and art exhibition. The official portrait of the five Franciscan martyrs of Georgia is displayed just after its unveiling during their beatification Mass at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia, Oct. 31, 2026. | Credit: Jeffrey Bruno By worldly standards, it might seem like the martyrs failed, Cardinal Leo said during his homily. “But it is not so.”They succeeded by embracing “the call to holiness, which further led them to embrace the call to consecrated life, the call to the sacred priesthood, the call to missionary work, the call to evangelize, the call to share and defend the faith and, ultimately, the call to give their very life.”But “how compelled are we” to “follow Jesus’ call to follow him?” he asked.A holy life requires defending the truth and “always put[ting] Christ first,” he stated, even while striving for unity in the world. “Polarization is not from God.”The martyrs also bore witness to “the Christian doctrine of marriage and held to that divine truth to the shedding of their own blood,” he said, stressing the sacred nature of the family “founded upon the covenantal, sacramental, indissoluble union of one man and one woman.”In his first public audience after recent surgery, Pope Leo XIV said that protecting marriage and family “is more urgent than ever before.”The beatification itself was “perfect timing,” said Christine Camp, who came from Atlanta with more than a dozen other Catholics who had just attended a three-day retreat to pray for restoration of their marriages.Moms and dads with children had traveled from near and far. “It’s our pilgrimage,” said Theodora Ferrant, who came from Pensacola with her husband and two children.“I truly believe through the intercession of Blessed Pedro de Corpa and four companions there will be greater respect for the dignity and character of holy matrimony,” Savannah Bishop Stephen Parkes said.“May the witness of these holy men inspire fidelity between spouses called into the covenantal bond of holy matrimony and help create a renewed commitment to the growth of faith-filled families in the state of Georgia and beyond.”The celebration will continue Nov. 1 with a Mass of thanksgiving at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.

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In a milestone for the Catholic Church in America, the Georgia Martyrs are the first American martyrs for marriage and the first to be beatified in the South.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 1 November 2026 – A reading from the Book of Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, "Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel. After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb." All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows." He said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."   A reading from the First Letter of John 3:1-3 Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.From the Gospel according to Matthew 5:1-12a When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."The Beatitudes bring with them a new interpretation of reality. They are both the path and the message of Jesus the Teacher. At first glance, it seems impossible to declare as blessed those who are poor, or those who hunger and thirst for justice, the persecuted or the peacemakers. Yet, that which seems inconceivable in the world’s thinking is filled with meaning and light when brought into contact with the Kingdom of God. In the saints, we see this kingdom approaching and becoming present among us. Saint Matthew rightly presents the Beatitudes as a teaching, depicting Jesus as a Master, who transmits a new perspective on things, which is reflected in his own journey. The Beatitudes, however, are not just another teaching; they are the teaching par excellence. In the same way, the Lord Jesus is not just one of many teachers, he is the Master par excellence. Moreover, he is the Educator par excellence. We are his disciples and are in his “school.” We learn how to discover in his life, namely in the path he has travelled, a horizon of meaning capable of shining a light on all forms of knowledge. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 1 November 2025)

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A reading from the Book of Revelation
7:2-4, 9-14

I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
"Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.

After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb."

All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:

"Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
"Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"
I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows."
He said to me,
"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."

 

A reading from the First Letter of John
3:1-3

Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
5:1-12a

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."

The Beatitudes bring with them a new interpretation of reality. They are both the path and the message of Jesus the Teacher. At first glance, it seems impossible to declare as blessed those who are poor, or those who hunger and thirst for justice, the persecuted or the peacemakers. Yet, that which seems inconceivable in the world’s thinking is filled with meaning and light when brought into contact with the Kingdom of God. In the saints, we see this kingdom approaching and becoming present among us. Saint Matthew rightly presents the Beatitudes as a teaching, depicting Jesus as a Master, who transmits a new perspective on things, which is reflected in his own journey. The Beatitudes, however, are not just another teaching; they are the teaching par excellence. In the same way, the Lord Jesus is not just one of many teachers, he is the Master par excellence. Moreover, he is the Educator par excellence. We are his disciples and are in his “school.” We learn how to discover in his life, namely in the path he has travelled, a horizon of meaning capable of shining a light on all forms of knowledge. (Pope Leo XIV, Homily, 1 November 2025)

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Ilhan Omar Wasn’t Sure What Name to Put on 2009 Marriage Application with Brother-Husband – Ilhan Nur Said Elmi aka Ilhan Omar’s marriage application shows that she apparently wasn’t sure whether she should use her real name or fake name when filling out the application with her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009.  The Department of Justice identified Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” in a recent court filing, revealing her real name for the first time. The post Ilhan Omar Wasn’t Sure What Name to Put on 2009 Marriage Application with Brother-Husband appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Ilhan Omar Wasn’t Sure What Name to Put on 2009 Marriage Application with Brother-Husband – Ilhan Nur Said Elmi aka Ilhan Omar’s marriage application shows that she apparently wasn’t sure whether she should use her real name or fake name when filling out the application with her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009.  The Department of Justice identified Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” in a recent court filing, revealing her real name for the first time. The post Ilhan Omar Wasn’t Sure What Name to Put on 2009 Marriage Application with Brother-Husband appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Ilhan Nur Said Elmi aka Ilhan Omar’s marriage application shows that she apparently wasn’t sure whether she should use her real name or fake name when filling out the application with her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009.  The Department of Justice identified Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” in a recent court filing, revealing her real name for the first time.

The post Ilhan Omar Wasn’t Sure What Name to Put on 2009 Marriage Application with Brother-Husband appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Horrific: Paris Rioter Hurls Firebomb Straight into Police Line, Engulfing Officer in Flames During Third Weekend of Violent Chaos (VIDEO) – A violent rioter in Paris hurled a firebomb directly into a line of French riot police on Saturday afternoon, with the device exploding on an officer and covering his shield, helmet, and body in flames as the officer beside him fell backward to the ground. The post Horrific: Paris Rioter Hurls Firebomb Straight into Police Line, Engulfing Officer in Flames During Third Weekend of Violent Chaos (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Horrific: Paris Rioter Hurls Firebomb Straight into Police Line, Engulfing Officer in Flames During Third Weekend of Violent Chaos (VIDEO) – A violent rioter in Paris hurled a firebomb directly into a line of French riot police on Saturday afternoon, with the device exploding on an officer and covering his shield, helmet, and body in flames as the officer beside him fell backward to the ground. The post Horrific: Paris Rioter Hurls Firebomb Straight into Police Line, Engulfing Officer in Flames During Third Weekend of Violent Chaos (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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A violent rioter in Paris hurled a firebomb directly into a line of French riot police on Saturday afternoon, with the device exploding on an officer and covering his shield, helmet, and body in flames as the officer beside him fell backward to the ground.

The post Horrific: Paris Rioter Hurls Firebomb Straight into Police Line, Engulfing Officer in Flames During Third Weekend of Violent Chaos (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Gavin Newsom Caught Admitting The DSA Is Taking Over The Democrat Party – Woke California Governor Gavin Newsom has now admitted that the Democratic Socialists of America would become “dominant” and “a mainstream democratic movement” within the Democratic Party, according to undercover footage obtained by Townhall. The post Gavin Newsom Caught Admitting The DSA Is Taking Over The Democrat Party appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Gavin Newsom Caught Admitting The DSA Is Taking Over The Democrat Party – Woke California Governor Gavin Newsom has now admitted that the Democratic Socialists of America would become “dominant” and “a mainstream democratic movement” within the Democratic Party, according to undercover footage obtained by Townhall. The post Gavin Newsom Caught Admitting The DSA Is Taking Over The Democrat Party appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Woke California Governor Gavin Newsom has now admitted that the Democratic Socialists of America would become “dominant” and “a mainstream democratic movement” within the Democratic Party, according to undercover footage obtained by Townhall.

The post Gavin Newsom Caught Admitting The DSA Is Taking Over The Democrat Party appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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New York archbishop joins religious sisters in suing state over assisted suicide law – #Catholic – New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks this week joined a lawsuit alongside several orders of religious sisters, suing to stop the state from forcing Catholics to adhere to its newly created suicide regime. The archbishop added his name to a lawsuit that includes Rockville Centre Bishop John Barres, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Hicks’s addition to the suit was announced by the religious liberty law firm Becket on Oct. 30. The New York Archdiocese joins the suit after it was launched in July of this year by Catholic objectors to the state’s new suicide law. The Catholic plaintiffs in that suit argued that the state’s assisted suicide rules would force them to participate in the process of helping suicidal patients kill themselves, a violation of core Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, a federal court ordered that the state could not enforce the suicide rules against the Catholic objectors while the suit itself played out. Hicks said on Oct. 30 that Catholics “are guided by the compassion of Jesus to serve those of every background who are in need of healing.”“We refuse to allow New York to force us to harm the very ones we’ve been called to care for,” he said. Hicks is the latest Catholic prelate to join the legal fight against assisted suicide in the U.S. A total of four bishops and dozens of religious sisters have sued the governments of New York and Illinois after the states enacted assisted suicide programs. In addition to the New York ruling, the Catholic objectors in Illinois — which include the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Springfield — have secured victories at federal court, with a judge ordering the state to hold off on enforcing suicide rules against them while the suits play out.In New York, the Catholic healthcare ministry ArchCare also joined the lawsuit against the state. Among ArchCare’s facilities is Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, which offers hospice care for those with six months or less to live. Becket describes the Calvary facility as “the only fully-accredited acute care hospital in the U.S. devoted exclusively to the palliative care of adult patients with life-limiting illnesses.”
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New York archbishop joins religious sisters in suing state over assisted suicide law – #Catholic – New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks this week joined a lawsuit alongside several orders of religious sisters, suing to stop the state from forcing Catholics to adhere to its newly created suicide regime. The archbishop added his name to a lawsuit that includes Rockville Centre Bishop John Barres, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Hicks’s addition to the suit was announced by the religious liberty law firm Becket on Oct. 30. The New York Archdiocese joins the suit after it was launched in July of this year by Catholic objectors to the state’s new suicide law. The Catholic plaintiffs in that suit argued that the state’s assisted suicide rules would force them to participate in the process of helping suicidal patients kill themselves, a violation of core Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, a federal court ordered that the state could not enforce the suicide rules against the Catholic objectors while the suit itself played out. Hicks said on Oct. 30 that Catholics “are guided by the compassion of Jesus to serve those of every background who are in need of healing.”“We refuse to allow New York to force us to harm the very ones we’ve been called to care for,” he said. Hicks is the latest Catholic prelate to join the legal fight against assisted suicide in the U.S. A total of four bishops and dozens of religious sisters have sued the governments of New York and Illinois after the states enacted assisted suicide programs. In addition to the New York ruling, the Catholic objectors in Illinois — which include the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Springfield — have secured victories at federal court, with a judge ordering the state to hold off on enforcing suicide rules against them while the suits play out.In New York, the Catholic healthcare ministry ArchCare also joined the lawsuit against the state. Among ArchCare’s facilities is Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, which offers hospice care for those with six months or less to live. Becket describes the Calvary facility as “the only fully-accredited acute care hospital in the U.S. devoted exclusively to the palliative care of adult patients with life-limiting illnesses.”

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Archbishop Ronald Hicks joined a suit brought by several orders of religious sisters against the state’s recently instituted suicide regime.

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Pope Leo XIV welcomes thousands from Notre Dame, Villanova to Vatican ahead of historic game – #Catholic – ROME – Pope Leo XIV welcomed around 7,000 team members, students, and fans from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame at the Vatican Saturday morning, the day before both schools’ men’s and womenʼs teams will kick off the college basketball season in a historic doubleheader. Fans of all ages packed into the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall in Rome for an audience with the pope, who is himself a Villanova graduate. Pope Leo XIV greets visitors at the Vatican, Oct. 31, 2026. The Holy Father met with delegations from both Villanova and the University of Notre Dame ahead of the “Eternal City Tip-Off” taking place in Rome. | Credit: Vatican Media “Growing up on the south side of Chicago, we oftentimes heard, ‘Go Irish!’” Pope Leo told the crowd. “But as you all know, Prevost graduated from Villanova. So, the pope doesn’t take sides. Prevost has another opinion, but we won’t do that now,” he added, to cheers from the Villanova supporters.The Nov. 1 event, called the Eternal City Tip-Off, will open the 2026-27 college basketball season for the Division 1 teams. Organized as a collaboration between Fox Sports, On Location, and Players Era, inspiration for the event came from Leo’s election as the first American pope. Leading up to the Sunday games, supporters of both universities — including alumni, faculty, staff, students, and fans — were able to participate in a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica along with the papal audience.Father Peter Donohue, OSA, president of Villanova, and Father Robert Dowd, CSC, president of Notre Dame, began the audience by addressing the pope on behalf of their universities. Four student-athletes from each school then presented the pope with gifts, including commemorative basketballs, jerseys, and a special prayer for athletes written by the late Holy Cross Father Theodore Hesburgh, a past president of Notre Dame. Pope Leo XIV greets visitors at the Vatican, Oct. 31, 2026. The Holy Father met with delegations from both Villanova and the University of Notre Dame ahead of the “Eternal City Tip-Off” taking place in Rome. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo drew laughs and cheers from the crowd when he began to dribble the basketball offered by Villanova team representatives.The pope then addressed the gathered fans, speaking about a “vision of sport” proposed by the Catholic Church centered on “the dignity of the human person, on his or her integral development, on education, and on relationships with others.” He pointed out that the games will take place on the feast of All Saints’ Day, saying that the occasion was a valuable reminder “that God calls everyone to be a saint. … We are invited, therefore, to ensure that every aspect of our lives, including our athletic endeavors, will help us to love God and our neighbor.”Pope Leo emphasized the importance of sport as “a concrete means of bringing people together,” particularly in an age “marked by the distance that can be created by technology.” He added, “Sport is a medicine for both body and spirit when it is practiced well.”Ambrose Weidmann, an architecture student from the University of Notre Dame studying abroad in Rome, attended the papal audience with his friends. “It was great to hear each school’s president’s viewpoint on sports, school, and faith, and even better to hear the Holy Father’s comments on sports and especially our universal calling to sainthood,” he said. Eric Heinz, who was at the audience with his wife and two sons — one of whom graduated from Villanova, the other from Notre Dame — echoed Weidmann’s sentiments. “I think it’s really great to have so many people that you know [in the room],” he said, citing the thousands of supporters from both universities who filled the hall. “It’s really attributed, I think, to the love of not just their schools, but Pope Leo, and having an American as the pope. … Everyone’s in a great mood about it.”Shannon Murphy and Gabriel Alvarez, sitting a few rows down from the Heinz family, had already planned on a trip to Rome for their honeymoon, but when they saw that the dates lined up perfectly with the Eternal City Tip-Off weekend, they were thrilled.“We put it on the calendar, and the minute they went for sale we were refreshing [the page] to get the best tickets we could that were available… we’re very excited,” said Murphy, who is a Villanova alumna. She added that sharing both an alma mater and the Catholic faith with Pope Leo made seeing him “pretty great.”Before the papal audience, fans had the chance to attend a special morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mass was presided over by Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia and concelebrated by the presidents of both universities.During the homily, Perez praised the discipline, perseverance, and sacrifice of the student-athletes, quoting St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians to remind the faithful that sport is a model for the spiritual life, and offering Mary as a model of this excellence: “She played the game of life, the game of grace, in such a beautiful, powerful, profound way,” he said, offering Mary’s humility and service as an example of “true greatness.”Weidmann commented that the Vatican events on Saturday tied basketball and Catholicism together in an “ideal connection” between faith and sports, and even served as a means of evangelization.“I know a few of my peers who are atheist or agnostic, but went to the papal audience and Mass today and got to hear the voice of the Church calling to them through the Word of God and the pope’s words, which I thought was a really great way to expose more people to our faith,” he said.Villanova and Notre Dame will face off on Sunday beginning with the men’s basketball game at 3:30 pm CET (9:30 am EST), which can be viewed on Fox. The women’s game, aired on FS1, will follow at 6:00 pm CET (12 pm EST).
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Pope Leo XIV welcomes thousands from Notre Dame, Villanova to Vatican ahead of historic game – #Catholic – ROME – Pope Leo XIV welcomed around 7,000 team members, students, and fans from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame at the Vatican Saturday morning, the day before both schools’ men’s and womenʼs teams will kick off the college basketball season in a historic doubleheader. Fans of all ages packed into the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall in Rome for an audience with the pope, who is himself a Villanova graduate. Pope Leo XIV greets visitors at the Vatican, Oct. 31, 2026. The Holy Father met with delegations from both Villanova and the University of Notre Dame ahead of the “Eternal City Tip-Off” taking place in Rome. | Credit: Vatican Media “Growing up on the south side of Chicago, we oftentimes heard, ‘Go Irish!’” Pope Leo told the crowd. “But as you all know, Prevost graduated from Villanova. So, the pope doesn’t take sides. Prevost has another opinion, but we won’t do that now,” he added, to cheers from the Villanova supporters.The Nov. 1 event, called the Eternal City Tip-Off, will open the 2026-27 college basketball season for the Division 1 teams. Organized as a collaboration between Fox Sports, On Location, and Players Era, inspiration for the event came from Leo’s election as the first American pope. Leading up to the Sunday games, supporters of both universities — including alumni, faculty, staff, students, and fans — were able to participate in a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica along with the papal audience.Father Peter Donohue, OSA, president of Villanova, and Father Robert Dowd, CSC, president of Notre Dame, began the audience by addressing the pope on behalf of their universities. Four student-athletes from each school then presented the pope with gifts, including commemorative basketballs, jerseys, and a special prayer for athletes written by the late Holy Cross Father Theodore Hesburgh, a past president of Notre Dame. Pope Leo XIV greets visitors at the Vatican, Oct. 31, 2026. The Holy Father met with delegations from both Villanova and the University of Notre Dame ahead of the “Eternal City Tip-Off” taking place in Rome. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo drew laughs and cheers from the crowd when he began to dribble the basketball offered by Villanova team representatives.The pope then addressed the gathered fans, speaking about a “vision of sport” proposed by the Catholic Church centered on “the dignity of the human person, on his or her integral development, on education, and on relationships with others.” He pointed out that the games will take place on the feast of All Saints’ Day, saying that the occasion was a valuable reminder “that God calls everyone to be a saint. … We are invited, therefore, to ensure that every aspect of our lives, including our athletic endeavors, will help us to love God and our neighbor.”Pope Leo emphasized the importance of sport as “a concrete means of bringing people together,” particularly in an age “marked by the distance that can be created by technology.” He added, “Sport is a medicine for both body and spirit when it is practiced well.”Ambrose Weidmann, an architecture student from the University of Notre Dame studying abroad in Rome, attended the papal audience with his friends. “It was great to hear each school’s president’s viewpoint on sports, school, and faith, and even better to hear the Holy Father’s comments on sports and especially our universal calling to sainthood,” he said. Eric Heinz, who was at the audience with his wife and two sons — one of whom graduated from Villanova, the other from Notre Dame — echoed Weidmann’s sentiments. “I think it’s really great to have so many people that you know [in the room],” he said, citing the thousands of supporters from both universities who filled the hall. “It’s really attributed, I think, to the love of not just their schools, but Pope Leo, and having an American as the pope. … Everyone’s in a great mood about it.”Shannon Murphy and Gabriel Alvarez, sitting a few rows down from the Heinz family, had already planned on a trip to Rome for their honeymoon, but when they saw that the dates lined up perfectly with the Eternal City Tip-Off weekend, they were thrilled.“We put it on the calendar, and the minute they went for sale we were refreshing [the page] to get the best tickets we could that were available… we’re very excited,” said Murphy, who is a Villanova alumna. She added that sharing both an alma mater and the Catholic faith with Pope Leo made seeing him “pretty great.”Before the papal audience, fans had the chance to attend a special morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mass was presided over by Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia and concelebrated by the presidents of both universities.During the homily, Perez praised the discipline, perseverance, and sacrifice of the student-athletes, quoting St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians to remind the faithful that sport is a model for the spiritual life, and offering Mary as a model of this excellence: “She played the game of life, the game of grace, in such a beautiful, powerful, profound way,” he said, offering Mary’s humility and service as an example of “true greatness.”Weidmann commented that the Vatican events on Saturday tied basketball and Catholicism together in an “ideal connection” between faith and sports, and even served as a means of evangelization.“I know a few of my peers who are atheist or agnostic, but went to the papal audience and Mass today and got to hear the voice of the Church calling to them through the Word of God and the pope’s words, which I thought was a really great way to expose more people to our faith,” he said.Villanova and Notre Dame will face off on Sunday beginning with the men’s basketball game at 3:30 pm CET (9:30 am EST), which can be viewed on Fox. The women’s game, aired on FS1, will follow at 6:00 pm CET (12 pm EST).

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The pope met with basketball teams, students, and fans from both universities ahead of Sunday’s Eternal City Tip-Off

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Cardinal Simoni says faith sustained him through death sentence for Mass honoring President Kennedy #Catholic In 1963, Albanian Cardinal Ernest Simoni was arrested and sentenced to death by Albaniaʼs communist, officially atheist government after celebrating a Mass for the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy for the repose of his soul.In an interview with Mark Irons of “EWTN News In Depth,” the 98-year-old Simoni explained how he escaped death through remaining steadfast in faith.Simoni was imprisoned and tortured for practicing his faith, and eventually his death sentence was commuted to forced labor. Simoni continued secretly to say daily Mass as the Communist Party tried to eradicate religion across their region.Though many understood the risks involved, no one informed the communist authorities. Had the regime discovered what he was doing, he said, he likely would have been hanged. He credited his survival solely to Godʼs grace.After the Party of Labor of Albania was dissolved in 1991, Simoni was freed from manual labor under state surveillance. He doesn’t speak much about torture he experienced. “They also took me into the army…and had me march, for 16 hours marching…without eating, or drinking, I was dying,” Simoni said. “Thank God, he wanted me to be saved. There it was the Hand of God that protected me.”In 2014, Pope Francis was moved by this priest’s testimony and named him one of 17 international bishops and priests to the College of Cardinals in 2016. Pope Francis described him as “a living martyr.”Simoni travels across countries bringing the Gospel to all people while also speaking of his experience in communist Albania. His visit to the United States this November comes 63 years after the assassination of Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.Simoni said he holds no resentment toward those who persecuted him and his fellow Catholics. Earlier this year he returned to the prison where he was tortured and was able to celebrate Mass publicly."We are required to pray for every enemy, that God has mercy, to see them all in heaven, because Christ has shed his blood for us all,” he said.
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Cardinal Simoni says faith sustained him through death sentence for Mass honoring President Kennedy #Catholic In 1963, Albanian Cardinal Ernest Simoni was arrested and sentenced to death by Albaniaʼs communist, officially atheist government after celebrating a Mass for the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy for the repose of his soul.In an interview with Mark Irons of “EWTN News In Depth,” the 98-year-old Simoni explained how he escaped death through remaining steadfast in faith.Simoni was imprisoned and tortured for practicing his faith, and eventually his death sentence was commuted to forced labor. Simoni continued secretly to say daily Mass as the Communist Party tried to eradicate religion across their region.Though many understood the risks involved, no one informed the communist authorities. Had the regime discovered what he was doing, he said, he likely would have been hanged. He credited his survival solely to Godʼs grace.After the Party of Labor of Albania was dissolved in 1991, Simoni was freed from manual labor under state surveillance. He doesn’t speak much about torture he experienced. “They also took me into the army…and had me march, for 16 hours marching…without eating, or drinking, I was dying,” Simoni said. “Thank God, he wanted me to be saved. There it was the Hand of God that protected me.”In 2014, Pope Francis was moved by this priest’s testimony and named him one of 17 international bishops and priests to the College of Cardinals in 2016. Pope Francis described him as “a living martyr.”Simoni travels across countries bringing the Gospel to all people while also speaking of his experience in communist Albania. His visit to the United States this November comes 63 years after the assassination of Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.Simoni said he holds no resentment toward those who persecuted him and his fellow Catholics. Earlier this year he returned to the prison where he was tortured and was able to celebrate Mass publicly."We are required to pray for every enemy, that God has mercy, to see them all in heaven, because Christ has shed his blood for us all,” he said.

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The 98-year-old Albanian cardinal called for prayers for world leaders after experiencing severe religious persecution.

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U.S. bishops celebrate pro-life pregnancy centers for Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week #Catholic The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is marking Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week by celebrating the work of pro-life pregnancy resource centers, which offer life-affirming support to pregnant women and mothers of young children in need.“We express our sincere gratitude for all those who work to provide necessary resources to women, babies, and families during pregnancy and beyond,” Bishop Daniel Thomas, chair of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in an Oct. 27 statement.“Pregnancy help organizations, maternity homes, medical and resource help centers, and adoption agencies provide heroic services every day to anyone in need,” he said. “Many pregnancy care centers offer free medical services, including ultrasounds, prenatal and postnatal care, and referrals for free or low-cost childbirth.”“They also provide resources such as baby clothes and diapers, childcare, career services, referrals for housing, and much more,” the bishop said.Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, which will be celebrated from Nov. 9-13 this year, is a celebration created by Heartbeat International — a network of pregnancy centers that offer pregnancy help as an alternative to abortion clinics.A report published last November by the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that in 2024, pro-life pregnancy resource centers provided over 2 million worth of support to women in crisis pregnancies and struggling women with young children, including medical care, support and education services, and material goods.The bishops’ statement noted that about 2,750 life-affirming pregnancy centers currently operate in the United States.To mark the celebration, Thomas also recognized “the life-changing help being provided by the countless volunteers in our parishes that accompany vulnerable women and families through our nationwide Walking with Moms in Need initiative,” a parish-based initiative, created by the bishops, to provide support to pregnant women and mothers who need support.“May all those who serve and protect life be encouraged by our prayers, our good works and our financial support to build a culture of life,” the bishop said.Florida attorney general talks fetal personhood with Lila RoseRepublican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who is Catholic, discussed the prospect of “fetal personhood” — the belief that unborn children should be legally recognized as persons at the moment of conception — on a podcast this month with Live Action President Lila Rose.When Rose — who is also Catholic — asked Uthmeier whether there will be a day when abortion has fully come to an end in Florida, Uthmeier told her: “I certainly pray so; I do believe we have the truth on our side and the truth will prevail.”“But we as faith-driven people, as pro-life advocates, weʼve got to continue going out and educating and explaining, getting people to soften their hearts and listen,” he said.Uthmeier discussed his opposition to surrogacy and expressed concerns about people coming to Florida to “purchase a baby.” He called the practice “very dangerous and horrific,” but said he hopes it can raise discussions about whether this is a form of slavery.“It is going to bring the conversation of fetal personhood and life front and center,” Uthmeier said. “Is this a human being? Which I believe truthfully, factually, the answer is unequivocally yes. If it is a human being, you cannot contract to buy and sell this individual.”Pro-life activists mark 59 years since UK’s Abortion ActIn London on Oct. 27, pro-life advocates gathered in Parliament Square to mark 59 years since the passing of the UK’s Abortion Act, which legalized abortion in England, Wales, and Scotland under certain conditions. More than 11 million abortions have taken place in the UK since the act was passed, according to government statistics compiled by Right To Life UK.Bede Teeton from March For Life UK told EWTN News: “It is our duty to commemorate those who have been affected by abortion, and those who have sadly lost their lives through it too.”Former Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg told EWTN News: “59 years ago was a black day in the civilization of the UK. We did something that was fundamentally wrong, and itʼs gotten worse. We now allow abortion up to birth. We kill disabled babies because they are disabled. Society is quite schizophrenic about this, because we all have all sorts of disability rights acts, but then we murder disabled babies. So I think it is a day of infamy.”Pro-life runners complete global relayThousands of pro-life runners cumulatively completed a 5,124-mile relay this week, which concluded at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, with the men’s and the women’s cross-country and track teams finishing the final stretch.The 2026 A-Cross America Relay, which is organized by the pro-life organization LifeRunners, had 26,257 participants in 4,061 cities across 53 nations. EWTN Global Catholic Network was a sponsor of the event.Many of the runners wore jerseys displaying the Trinity and a cross with “Jer. 1:5,” written on it, in reference to the Bible verse: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”The jersey displays the text, “REMEMBER The Unborn,” as runners seek to promote a culture of life to the public in every location they run.Elliot Hartley contributed to this article.
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U.S. bishops celebrate pro-life pregnancy centers for Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week #Catholic The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is marking Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week by celebrating the work of pro-life pregnancy resource centers, which offer life-affirming support to pregnant women and mothers of young children in need.“We express our sincere gratitude for all those who work to provide necessary resources to women, babies, and families during pregnancy and beyond,” Bishop Daniel Thomas, chair of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in an Oct. 27 statement.“Pregnancy help organizations, maternity homes, medical and resource help centers, and adoption agencies provide heroic services every day to anyone in need,” he said. “Many pregnancy care centers offer free medical services, including ultrasounds, prenatal and postnatal care, and referrals for free or low-cost childbirth.”“They also provide resources such as baby clothes and diapers, childcare, career services, referrals for housing, and much more,” the bishop said.Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, which will be celebrated from Nov. 9-13 this year, is a celebration created by Heartbeat International — a network of pregnancy centers that offer pregnancy help as an alternative to abortion clinics.A report published last November by the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that in 2024, pro-life pregnancy resource centers provided over $452 million worth of support to women in crisis pregnancies and struggling women with young children, including medical care, support and education services, and material goods.The bishops’ statement noted that about 2,750 life-affirming pregnancy centers currently operate in the United States.To mark the celebration, Thomas also recognized “the life-changing help being provided by the countless volunteers in our parishes that accompany vulnerable women and families through our nationwide Walking with Moms in Need initiative,” a parish-based initiative, created by the bishops, to provide support to pregnant women and mothers who need support.“May all those who serve and protect life be encouraged by our prayers, our good works and our financial support to build a culture of life,” the bishop said.Florida attorney general talks fetal personhood with Lila RoseRepublican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who is Catholic, discussed the prospect of “fetal personhood” — the belief that unborn children should be legally recognized as persons at the moment of conception — on a podcast this month with Live Action President Lila Rose.When Rose — who is also Catholic — asked Uthmeier whether there will be a day when abortion has fully come to an end in Florida, Uthmeier told her: “I certainly pray so; I do believe we have the truth on our side and the truth will prevail.”“But we as faith-driven people, as pro-life advocates, weʼve got to continue going out and educating and explaining, getting people to soften their hearts and listen,” he said.Uthmeier discussed his opposition to surrogacy and expressed concerns about people coming to Florida to “purchase a baby.” He called the practice “very dangerous and horrific,” but said he hopes it can raise discussions about whether this is a form of slavery.“It is going to bring the conversation of fetal personhood and life front and center,” Uthmeier said. “Is this a human being? Which I believe truthfully, factually, the answer is unequivocally yes. If it is a human being, you cannot contract to buy and sell this individual.”Pro-life activists mark 59 years since UK’s Abortion ActIn London on Oct. 27, pro-life advocates gathered in Parliament Square to mark 59 years since the passing of the UK’s Abortion Act, which legalized abortion in England, Wales, and Scotland under certain conditions. More than 11 million abortions have taken place in the UK since the act was passed, according to government statistics compiled by Right To Life UK.Bede Teeton from March For Life UK told EWTN News: “It is our duty to commemorate those who have been affected by abortion, and those who have sadly lost their lives through it too.”Former Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg told EWTN News: “59 years ago was a black day in the civilization of the UK. We did something that was fundamentally wrong, and itʼs gotten worse. We now allow abortion up to birth. We kill disabled babies because they are disabled. Society is quite schizophrenic about this, because we all have all sorts of disability rights acts, but then we murder disabled babies. So I think it is a day of infamy.”Pro-life runners complete global relayThousands of pro-life runners cumulatively completed a 5,124-mile relay this week, which concluded at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, with the men’s and the women’s cross-country and track teams finishing the final stretch.The 2026 A-Cross America Relay, which is organized by the pro-life organization LifeRunners, had 26,257 participants in 4,061 cities across 53 nations. EWTN Global Catholic Network was a sponsor of the event.Many of the runners wore jerseys displaying the Trinity and a cross with “Jer. 1:5,” written on it, in reference to the Bible verse: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”The jersey displays the text, “REMEMBER The Unborn,” as runners seek to promote a culture of life to the public in every location they run.Elliot Hartley contributed to this article.

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Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

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Here’s how Catholics can get 8 plenary indulgences during the first week of November #Catholic Many Catholics may be unaware that they can obtain not one but eight plenary indulgences for departed souls in the first week of November.For centuries, the Catholic Church widely observed All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) as an octave, extending the holy celebration to eight days.The observance was established by Pope Sixtus IV in the 15th century and demoted in the liturgical calendar around the middle of the 20th century, although some Catholics still mark the eight-day observance.Notably, the Church itself still indirectly acknowledges the ancient eight-day octave in its granting of plenary indulgences for the first week of November.What is a plenary indulgence?A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.It is not a forgiveness of sin but the remission of punishment for sins already forgiven. It may apply either to oneself or to souls already in purgatory.In order to obtain a plenary indulgence the faithful must — in addition to being in the state of grace — both have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin (even venial sin), have sacramentally confessed their sins and received the Eucharist (either within or outside of Mass), and must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.What about the All Saints’ octave?The Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, in its “Enchiridion Indulgentiarum” (“Handbook of Indulgences”), states that the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence for the faithful departed “every day, from the 1st to the 8th of November,” if, in addition to fulfilling the normal terms of a plenary indulgence, one “devoutly visit[s] a cemetery and at least mentally pray[s] for the dead.”The conditions for a plenary indulgence can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.The All Saints’ octave was notably extended throughout the entire month of November in both 2020 and 2021 amid concerns about avoiding large gatherings of people in churches or cemeteries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.This article was updated on Oct. 31, 2026.
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Here’s how Catholics can get 8 plenary indulgences during the first week of November #Catholic Many Catholics may be unaware that they can obtain not one but eight plenary indulgences for departed souls in the first week of November.For centuries, the Catholic Church widely observed All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) as an octave, extending the holy celebration to eight days.The observance was established by Pope Sixtus IV in the 15th century and demoted in the liturgical calendar around the middle of the 20th century, although some Catholics still mark the eight-day observance.Notably, the Church itself still indirectly acknowledges the ancient eight-day octave in its granting of plenary indulgences for the first week of November.What is a plenary indulgence?A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.It is not a forgiveness of sin but the remission of punishment for sins already forgiven. It may apply either to oneself or to souls already in purgatory.In order to obtain a plenary indulgence the faithful must — in addition to being in the state of grace — both have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin (even venial sin), have sacramentally confessed their sins and received the Eucharist (either within or outside of Mass), and must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.What about the All Saints’ octave?The Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, in its “Enchiridion Indulgentiarum” (“Handbook of Indulgences”), states that the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence for the faithful departed “every day, from the 1st to the 8th of November,” if, in addition to fulfilling the normal terms of a plenary indulgence, one “devoutly visit[s] a cemetery and at least mentally pray[s] for the dead.”The conditions for a plenary indulgence can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.The All Saints’ octave was notably extended throughout the entire month of November in both 2020 and 2021 amid concerns about avoiding large gatherings of people in churches or cemeteries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.This article was updated on Oct. 31, 2026.

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For centuries, the Catholic Church widely observed All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) as an octave, extending the holy celebration to eight days.

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The Sky Today on Saturday, October 31: Glimpse the ghostly Phantom Galaxy

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Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.  October 30: Mars approaches Leo Let’s send off spooky season on a high note this Halloween with M74, also known as the Phantom Galaxy.  The best time to catch this ghostly galaxy is after darkness falls but before moonrise. Located in easternContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, October 31: Glimpse the ghostly Phantom Galaxy”

The post The Sky Today on Saturday, October 31: Glimpse the ghostly Phantom Galaxy appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 31 October 2026 – A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 1:18b-26 Brothers and sisters: As long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Indeed I shall continue to rejoice, for I know that this will result in deliverance for me through your prayers and support from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My eager expectation and hope is that I shall not be put to shame in any way, but that with all boldness, now as always, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. And this I know with confidence, that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me when I come to you again.From the Gospel according to Luke 14:1, 7-11 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited,  go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”The Lord does not intend to give a lesson on etiquette or on the hierarchy of the different authorities. Rather, he insists on a crucial point, that of humility: "Every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Lk 14: 11). A deeper meaning of this parable also makes us think of the position of the human being in relation to God. The "lowest place" can in fact represent the condition of humanity degraded by sin, a condition from which the Incarnation of the Only-Begotten Son alone can raise it. For this reason Christ himself "took the lowest place in the world the Cross and by this radical humility he redeemed us and constantly comes to our aid" (Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, n. 35). At the end of the parable Jesus suggests to the Pharisee leader that he invite to his table not his friends, kinsmen or rich neighbours, but rather poorer and more marginalized people who can in no way reciprocate (cf. Lk 14: 13-14), so that the gift may be given freely. The true reward, in fact, will ultimately be given by God, "who governs the world…. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength" (Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, n. 35). Once again, therefore, let us look to Christ as a model of humility and of giving freely: let us learn from him patience in temptation, meekness in offence, obedience to God in suffering, in the hope that the One who has invited us will say to us: "Friend, go up higher" (cf. Lk 14: 10). Indeed, the true good is being close to him. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 29 August 2010)

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A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians
1:18b-26

Brothers and sisters:
As long as in every way, whether in pretense or in truth,
Christ is being proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Indeed I shall continue to rejoice,
for I know that this will result in deliverance for me
through your prayers and support from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
My eager expectation and hope
is that I shall not be put to shame in any way,
but that with all boldness, now as always,
Christ will be magnified in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
And this I know with confidence,
that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you
for your progress and joy in the faith,
so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound on account of me
when I come to you again.

From the Gospel according to Luke
14:1, 7-11

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited, 
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Lord does not intend to give a lesson on etiquette or on the hierarchy of the different authorities. Rather, he insists on a crucial point, that of humility: "Every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Lk 14: 11). A deeper meaning of this parable also makes us think of the position of the human being in relation to God. The "lowest place" can in fact represent the condition of humanity degraded by sin, a condition from which the Incarnation of the Only-Begotten Son alone can raise it. For this reason Christ himself "took the lowest place in the world the Cross and by this radical humility he redeemed us and constantly comes to our aid" (Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, n. 35).

At the end of the parable Jesus suggests to the Pharisee leader that he invite to his table not his friends, kinsmen or rich neighbours, but rather poorer and more marginalized people who can in no way reciprocate (cf. Lk 14: 13-14), so that the gift may be given freely. The true reward, in fact, will ultimately be given by God, "who governs the world…. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength" (Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, n. 35). Once again, therefore, let us look to Christ as a model of humility and of giving freely: let us learn from him patience in temptation, meekness in offence, obedience to God in suffering, in the hope that the One who has invited us will say to us: "Friend, go up higher" (cf. Lk 14: 10). Indeed, the true good is being close to him. (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, 29 August 2010)

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Archbishop in Ecuador announces safety plan following death of priest struck by cross – #Catholic – Cardinal Luis Cabrera, archbishop of Guayaquil in Ecuador, has announced a safety plan aimed at preventing accidents such as the one that claimed the life of Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari, who was killed when a large crucifix broke loose from the sanctuary wall behind him and struck him on the head as he said Mass.The cardinal expressed his gratitude to those who “showed their solidarity through prayers and expressions of affection and appreciation for the community” of the Redemptorist priest, the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, who passed away on Oct. 17.“As a security measure, and in coordination with the fire department and other state institutions, we will proceed with a technical inspection of the structures of churches and parish buildings, as well as the mountings of religious objects that could potentially cause similar injuries,” Cabrera explained during an Oct. 28 press conference held in anticipation of the Mass marking the 100th anniversary of the feast of Christ the King, which he will celebrate on Saturday, Oct. 31. Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari. | Credit: Archdiocese of Guayaquil “Accidents are not planned; they are chance occurrences … Some can be logically foreseen, and appropriate precautions can be taken to avoid them,” he added, noting that “there are 161 parishes, and each parish must ensure that its structures are in good condition.” On Thursday, EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, was told that the archdiocesan technical department, in collaboration with the fire department and other experts, will review the structural, electrical, water flow, and technical aspects of each parish.This will be done, the archdiocese explained, according to the availability of the parish priests who will be present for the inspection, taking into account that with Advent approaching, there is an increase in church activities.What will happen to the cross that fell on Sánchez?Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish told EWTN News Español that the cross that fell on Sánchez has not been put back up. “What the media are saying is false,” the parish noted, referring to some reports stating that the crucifix had been returned to the wall where it had previously hung.Father Pedro Calle, a Redemptorist priest who was in Guayaquil to participate in the novena for Sánchez, told EWTN News Español on Oct. 29 that whether or not the crucifix is ​​put back up “depends on the new parish priest who will be assigned. It is a matter of time and internal organization.”El Niño phenomenonAt the press conference, Cabrera also addressed the El Niño weather phenomenon that is wreaking havoc in Guayaquil with heavy rains. According to the National Secretariat for Risk Management, it is estimated that 32,000 people have been affected by the rains.The cardinal stated that each parish has “a team of volunteers ready to assist those in need. Furthermore, in each of the seven episcopal vicariates, locations have been designated for the collection of food and other supplies.”A collection taken up at the Mass on Saturday, Oct. 31, will assist those affected.The 100th anniversary of the feast of Christ the KingOn Oct. 31, Cabrera will celebrate the Mass to commemorate the feast of Christ the King, established 100 years ago by Pope Pius XI, which left a lasting mark on life in Guayaquil and led to the custom of the faithful adorning their balconies with an image of the Lord and the flag of Ecuador. Cardinal Luis Cabrera at an Oct. 28, 2026, press conference stands before an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he blessed and which will be present at the Mass on Oct. 31. | Credit: Archdiocese of Guayaquil In Ecuador, this feast is celebrated with the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom the country was consecrated on March 25, 1874, a consecration that was renewed this June. Ecuador was the first country in the world to be officially consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the conclusion of yesterday’s press conference, Cabrera blessed the image that will be displayed during Saturday’s Eucharist.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English
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Archbishop in Ecuador announces safety plan following death of priest struck by cross – #Catholic – Cardinal Luis Cabrera, archbishop of Guayaquil in Ecuador, has announced a safety plan aimed at preventing accidents such as the one that claimed the life of Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari, who was killed when a large crucifix broke loose from the sanctuary wall behind him and struck him on the head as he said Mass.The cardinal expressed his gratitude to those who “showed their solidarity through prayers and expressions of affection and appreciation for the community” of the Redemptorist priest, the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, who passed away on Oct. 17.“As a security measure, and in coordination with the fire department and other state institutions, we will proceed with a technical inspection of the structures of churches and parish buildings, as well as the mountings of religious objects that could potentially cause similar injuries,” Cabrera explained during an Oct. 28 press conference held in anticipation of the Mass marking the 100th anniversary of the feast of Christ the King, which he will celebrate on Saturday, Oct. 31. Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari. | Credit: Archdiocese of Guayaquil “Accidents are not planned; they are chance occurrences … Some can be logically foreseen, and appropriate precautions can be taken to avoid them,” he added, noting that “there are 161 parishes, and each parish must ensure that its structures are in good condition.” On Thursday, EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, was told that the archdiocesan technical department, in collaboration with the fire department and other experts, will review the structural, electrical, water flow, and technical aspects of each parish.This will be done, the archdiocese explained, according to the availability of the parish priests who will be present for the inspection, taking into account that with Advent approaching, there is an increase in church activities.What will happen to the cross that fell on Sánchez?Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish told EWTN News Español that the cross that fell on Sánchez has not been put back up. “What the media are saying is false,” the parish noted, referring to some reports stating that the crucifix had been returned to the wall where it had previously hung.Father Pedro Calle, a Redemptorist priest who was in Guayaquil to participate in the novena for Sánchez, told EWTN News Español on Oct. 29 that whether or not the crucifix is ​​put back up “depends on the new parish priest who will be assigned. It is a matter of time and internal organization.”El Niño phenomenonAt the press conference, Cabrera also addressed the El Niño weather phenomenon that is wreaking havoc in Guayaquil with heavy rains. According to the National Secretariat for Risk Management, it is estimated that 32,000 people have been affected by the rains.The cardinal stated that each parish has “a team of volunteers ready to assist those in need. Furthermore, in each of the seven episcopal vicariates, locations have been designated for the collection of food and other supplies.”A collection taken up at the Mass on Saturday, Oct. 31, will assist those affected.The 100th anniversary of the feast of Christ the KingOn Oct. 31, Cabrera will celebrate the Mass to commemorate the feast of Christ the King, established 100 years ago by Pope Pius XI, which left a lasting mark on life in Guayaquil and led to the custom of the faithful adorning their balconies with an image of the Lord and the flag of Ecuador. Cardinal Luis Cabrera at an Oct. 28, 2026, press conference stands before an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he blessed and which will be present at the Mass on Oct. 31. | Credit: Archdiocese of Guayaquil In Ecuador, this feast is celebrated with the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to whom the country was consecrated on March 25, 1874, a consecration that was renewed this June. Ecuador was the first country in the world to be officially consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the conclusion of yesterday’s press conference, Cabrera blessed the image that will be displayed during Saturday’s Eucharist.This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English

unitedyam

The archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador, has announced a safety plan to prevent accidents like the one that claimed the life of Father Patricio Sánchez, who was struck when a cross fell during Mass.

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EWTN to end shortwave radio operations after 34 years – #Catholic – EWTN Global Catholic Network (EWTN) will cease the operation of its long-running shortwave radio service this month, EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw announced on Oct. 30.The shortwave service, which has operated under the call sign WEWN since its launch in 1992, will shut down on Oct. 31. EWTN’s board of governors recently confirmed the decision.Warsaw pointed to the decline of shortwave radio consumption as one of the driving factors leading to the station’s closure. A widely used media source in the 20th century, shortwave’s popularity has decreased in the 21st century amid the rapid global uptake in streaming and digital platforms.Operating costs at the WEWN network have been high relative to the declining number of shortwave listeners, Warsaw said, and the aging facility was in need of significant and expensive repairs, which he said would not be a “prudent stewardship of our resources.”“As we shift the use of shortwave to newer and more far-reaching distribution channels, we remain grateful for the co-workers and benefactors who sustained the service for so long,” he said.Among them, Warsaw recalled the late Dutch Catholic entrepreneur Piet Derkson and his wife, Trudy, whose million gift made the construction of WEWN possible and helped Mother Angelica, EWTN’s foundress, advance the network’s mission of sharing the truth of the Gospel around the world.“We are also mindful that it was Shortwave which inspired and allowed the growth of EWTN Radio,” he noted. Since its launch, EWTN Radio has grown to currently broadcast over 600 AM/FM stations worldwide, in addition to airing on satellite and digital platforms. In 2008, EWTN had previously ceased direct shortwave broadcasts to North America. Since then, its English-language shortwave service had reached audiences primarily in Africa and the Middle East. The Spanish-language shortwave coverage was directed to Latin America.EWTN Radio’s content continues to reach these audiences through its digital platforms, online streaming services, mobile applications, podcasts, satellite distribution, and its extensive network of AM/FM affiliates.
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EWTN to end shortwave radio operations after 34 years – #Catholic – EWTN Global Catholic Network (EWTN) will cease the operation of its long-running shortwave radio service this month, EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw announced on Oct. 30.The shortwave service, which has operated under the call sign WEWN since its launch in 1992, will shut down on Oct. 31. EWTN’s board of governors recently confirmed the decision.Warsaw pointed to the decline of shortwave radio consumption as one of the driving factors leading to the station’s closure. A widely used media source in the 20th century, shortwave’s popularity has decreased in the 21st century amid the rapid global uptake in streaming and digital platforms.Operating costs at the WEWN network have been high relative to the declining number of shortwave listeners, Warsaw said, and the aging facility was in need of significant and expensive repairs, which he said would not be a “prudent stewardship of our resources.”“As we shift the use of shortwave to newer and more far-reaching distribution channels, we remain grateful for the co-workers and benefactors who sustained the service for so long,” he said.Among them, Warsaw recalled the late Dutch Catholic entrepreneur Piet Derkson and his wife, Trudy, whose $26 million gift made the construction of WEWN possible and helped Mother Angelica, EWTN’s foundress, advance the network’s mission of sharing the truth of the Gospel around the world.“We are also mindful that it was Shortwave which inspired and allowed the growth of EWTN Radio,” he noted. Since its launch, EWTN Radio has grown to currently broadcast over 600 AM/FM stations worldwide, in addition to airing on satellite and digital platforms. In 2008, EWTN had previously ceased direct shortwave broadcasts to North America. Since then, its English-language shortwave service had reached audiences primarily in Africa and the Middle East. The Spanish-language shortwave coverage was directed to Latin America.EWTN Radio’s content continues to reach these audiences through its digital platforms, online streaming services, mobile applications, podcasts, satellite distribution, and its extensive network of AM/FM affiliates.

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The global Catholic network has operated a shortwave station since the early 1990s, but high costs and the changing media landscape led to its closure.

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EWTN News announces expanded U.S. midterm elections coverage – #Catholic – EWTN News is set to provide expanded coverage of the 2026 midterm elections in the United States, elections that will not only determine which political party controls a majority in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives but also decide other issues of keen interest to Catholic voters across the country.The award-winning team at the global Catholic network’s flagship nightly newscast, “EWTN News Nightly,” will kick off election night coverage at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with an hourlong, scene-setting special.Anchors Veronica Dudo and Erik Rosales will be joined by EWTN News Vice President and Editorial Director Matthew Bunson, along with correspondents Owen Jensen, Roselle Reyes, Paola Flynn, “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” host Abi Galván, and other colleagues on election night.At 9 p.m. ET on election night, the network will return to the air with a half-hour special as early results come in. The programming will include coverage of referendums on abortion in Virginia, Nevada, Idaho, and Missouri; key House, Senate, and gubernatorial races; and several other referendum questions Catholics are following closely.Joining the team for analysis of the elections and the issues surrounding it will be Josh Altic of Ballotpedia, political analyst Tim Rosales, Kelsey Pritchard of SBA Pro-Life America, Alejandro Ramos of Ramos Research Institute, and Kristi Hamrick of Students for Life of America, among others."EWTN News offers vital and timely coverage and analysis of the midterm elections from the Catholic perspective,” Bunson said of the coverage.“We provide reporting and commentary across multiple platforms and multiple languages, but above all we deliver professional award-winning journalism that is faithful to Catholic teaching and that touches on all of the issues that are of concern to Catholics,” he said.“EWTN News is uniquely positioned to be the go-to news outlet for a proper understanding of the results of the vote and their implications for Catholics in the United States and around the world,” Bunson added.To Bunson’s point, on Nov. 4, the network will also offer an expanded one-hour edition of “EWTN News Nightly” recapping all of the major results.The coverage will be accessible on multiple platforms, including cable television, YouTube, EWTN.com, Roku, Amazon Fire, and the EWTN app, which is free in the Google Play and Apple stores.
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EWTN News announces expanded U.S. midterm elections coverage – #Catholic – EWTN News is set to provide expanded coverage of the 2026 midterm elections in the United States, elections that will not only determine which political party controls a majority in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives but also decide other issues of keen interest to Catholic voters across the country.The award-winning team at the global Catholic network’s flagship nightly newscast, “EWTN News Nightly,” will kick off election night coverage at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with an hourlong, scene-setting special.Anchors Veronica Dudo and Erik Rosales will be joined by EWTN News Vice President and Editorial Director Matthew Bunson, along with correspondents Owen Jensen, Roselle Reyes, Paola Flynn, “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” host Abi Galván, and other colleagues on election night.At 9 p.m. ET on election night, the network will return to the air with a half-hour special as early results come in. The programming will include coverage of referendums on abortion in Virginia, Nevada, Idaho, and Missouri; key House, Senate, and gubernatorial races; and several other referendum questions Catholics are following closely.Joining the team for analysis of the elections and the issues surrounding it will be Josh Altic of Ballotpedia, political analyst Tim Rosales, Kelsey Pritchard of SBA Pro-Life America, Alejandro Ramos of Ramos Research Institute, and Kristi Hamrick of Students for Life of America, among others."EWTN News offers vital and timely coverage and analysis of the midterm elections from the Catholic perspective,” Bunson said of the coverage.“We provide reporting and commentary across multiple platforms and multiple languages, but above all we deliver professional award-winning journalism that is faithful to Catholic teaching and that touches on all of the issues that are of concern to Catholics,” he said.“EWTN News is uniquely positioned to be the go-to news outlet for a proper understanding of the results of the vote and their implications for Catholics in the United States and around the world,” Bunson added.To Bunson’s point, on Nov. 4, the network will also offer an expanded one-hour edition of “EWTN News Nightly” recapping all of the major results.The coverage will be accessible on multiple platforms, including cable television, YouTube, EWTN.com, Roku, Amazon Fire, and the EWTN app, which is free in the Google Play and Apple stores.

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Coverage of next week’s U.S. midterm elections by the global Catholic network will be available on multiple platforms.

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Catholic sisters’ visit to Buddhist temple stirs controversy in Vietnam #Catholic Vietnamese Catholics are debating the limits of interreligious dialogue following a visit of some 100 Catholic sisters to a Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City.The sisters of the Theological Institute of the Inter-Congregations of Lovers of the Holy Cross learned basic principles of Buddhist prayers and “practiced seated meditations” at the visit to Minh Dang Quang Buddhist Monastery on Oct. 26, according to a UCA News report. Controversy followed after photos circulated online of the visit, the report said. Redemptorist Father Peter Nguyen Van Khai said the visit, which included offering incense and praying in front of a Buddhist statue, was inconsistent with Catholic teaching. “Good subjective intentions are not sufficient to justify an action that is objectively incompatible with the faith,” he said.Number of bishops in Ireland to drop by a third following mergerThe number of Catholic bishops in Ireland could decrease from 26 to 17 after a merger that was decided by Vatican consultations in which Pope Leo XIV participated prior to his election as pope.The merger was planned during a meeting in February 2025 with Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin, Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly of Cashel and Emly, and Archbishop Francis Duffy of Tuam, according to an Oct. 27 report from the Irish Times. “Since the meeting in Rome held in February 2025, between the four archbishops of Ireland with Cardinal Robert Prevost … the subject of reconfiguration of dioceses within the province of Munster has been on the agenda of the regular meetings of the seven Munster bishops,” a spokesperson for the bishops said in the report, noting a consultative process is underway that could take “a number of years.”At UN, Holy See calls for ‘peaceful uses of outer space’ The apostolic nuncio to the United Nations, Archbishop Christophe El-Kassis, spoke out against the expansion of space activity at the expense of environmental damage at the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.“Outer space is a common good entrusted to the responsibility of the entire human family. Its exploration and use hold extraordinary promise for scientific advancement and integral human development,” El-Kassis said in his Oct. 28 statement. “However, it is essential that such progress benefits all peoples, without creating new inequalities or exclusions.” The nuncio further called for “greater international cooperation,” especially so that developing countries may benefit from any possible advances. “The Holy See therefore encourages States to pursue their common efforts to preserve outer space as a realm of peace, stability, and cooperation, for the benefit of present and future generations,” he said.Displaced Christians in southern Lebanon appeal for protection, return homeFamilies from Qouzah, a Christian village in southern Lebanon, are appealing to the Vatican and the United States for help returning to their homes after months of displacement.Residents have called for their village to be protected from further conflict, while Father Antonios Hanna, the parish priest, reported extensive damage to homes and the 120-year-old St. Joseph Church, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported on Oct. 27. Before the latest displacement, approximately 54 families lived in the village. Many now face unemployment, rent payments, and difficulties meeting basic needs. Hanna emphasized that residents want neither conflict nor confrontation but lasting peace that will allow them to return to their homes, churches, and farmland.Syrian curriculum changes spark controversy over religion, womenChanges to Syrian school textbooks have sparked criticism over the removal or alteration of material concerning women, the arts, civic education, and national history.According to documented comparisons of older and revised textbooks, images of women and girls were removed or digitally altered to include Islamic coverings, ACI MENA reported Oct. 26. References to traditional dances, famous artworks, and historical figures were also deleted. Some lessons on citizenship, democracy, and respect for the law were replaced or removed, while changes to historical and geographical references raised further concerns. Critics argue that the revisions promote a narrower religious and cultural perspective at the expense of Syriaʼs diverse heritage. The controversy has renewed debate over the role of education in preserving historical accuracy, encouraging critical thinking, and respecting the countryʼs social and religious diversity.African Church leaders urge quality formation as priestly vocations growCatholic leaders and formation personnel in Africa are calling for careful discernment of candidates, qualified formators, and continuing formation for clergy and laypeople as the continent records growth in priestly vocations.In responses shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, they said the increase in major seminarians calls for attention to candidates’ motivations, human and spiritual maturity, pastoral preparation, and safeguarding. “Rigorous discernment at the entry level should be the norm,” Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Abuja, Nigeria, said. “Careful vetting matters more than recruitment drives.” The archbishop further urged psychological and human screening, and for willingness to turn away candidates who are deemed unfit for the priesthood.Bishop reflects on 20 years of faith and service in Arabian PeninsulaAfter nearly two decades of service in the Arabian Peninsula, Swiss Capuchin Bishop Paul Hinder is preparing to return home, carrying with him memories of a diverse and deeply faithful Church.Appointed apostolic vicar of Arabia in 2005 and of Southern Arabia in 2011, he served communities across six countries, visiting Christians in Yemen and witnessing the devotion of migrant Catholics in Saudi Arabia, ACI MENA reported Oct. 23. Hinder helped build more than seven churches, supported the growth of the clergy, and encouraged lay participation, vocations, and Catholic education. He said his most lasting contribution was helping form people, whom he called the “living stones” of the Church. As he departs, he urged the faithful to remain united, resist hatred, and become peacemakers.
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Catholic sisters’ visit to Buddhist temple stirs controversy in Vietnam #Catholic Vietnamese Catholics are debating the limits of interreligious dialogue following a visit of some 100 Catholic sisters to a Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City.The sisters of the Theological Institute of the Inter-Congregations of Lovers of the Holy Cross learned basic principles of Buddhist prayers and “practiced seated meditations” at the visit to Minh Dang Quang Buddhist Monastery on Oct. 26, according to a UCA News report. Controversy followed after photos circulated online of the visit, the report said. Redemptorist Father Peter Nguyen Van Khai said the visit, which included offering incense and praying in front of a Buddhist statue, was inconsistent with Catholic teaching. “Good subjective intentions are not sufficient to justify an action that is objectively incompatible with the faith,” he said.Number of bishops in Ireland to drop by a third following mergerThe number of Catholic bishops in Ireland could decrease from 26 to 17 after a merger that was decided by Vatican consultations in which Pope Leo XIV participated prior to his election as pope.The merger was planned during a meeting in February 2025 with Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin, Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly of Cashel and Emly, and Archbishop Francis Duffy of Tuam, according to an Oct. 27 report from the Irish Times. “Since the meeting in Rome held in February 2025, between the four archbishops of Ireland with Cardinal Robert Prevost … the subject of reconfiguration of dioceses within the province of Munster has been on the agenda of the regular meetings of the seven Munster bishops,” a spokesperson for the bishops said in the report, noting a consultative process is underway that could take “a number of years.”At UN, Holy See calls for ‘peaceful uses of outer space’ The apostolic nuncio to the United Nations, Archbishop Christophe El-Kassis, spoke out against the expansion of space activity at the expense of environmental damage at the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.“Outer space is a common good entrusted to the responsibility of the entire human family. Its exploration and use hold extraordinary promise for scientific advancement and integral human development,” El-Kassis said in his Oct. 28 statement. “However, it is essential that such progress benefits all peoples, without creating new inequalities or exclusions.” The nuncio further called for “greater international cooperation,” especially so that developing countries may benefit from any possible advances. “The Holy See therefore encourages States to pursue their common efforts to preserve outer space as a realm of peace, stability, and cooperation, for the benefit of present and future generations,” he said.Displaced Christians in southern Lebanon appeal for protection, return homeFamilies from Qouzah, a Christian village in southern Lebanon, are appealing to the Vatican and the United States for help returning to their homes after months of displacement.Residents have called for their village to be protected from further conflict, while Father Antonios Hanna, the parish priest, reported extensive damage to homes and the 120-year-old St. Joseph Church, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported on Oct. 27. Before the latest displacement, approximately 54 families lived in the village. Many now face unemployment, rent payments, and difficulties meeting basic needs. Hanna emphasized that residents want neither conflict nor confrontation but lasting peace that will allow them to return to their homes, churches, and farmland.Syrian curriculum changes spark controversy over religion, womenChanges to Syrian school textbooks have sparked criticism over the removal or alteration of material concerning women, the arts, civic education, and national history.According to documented comparisons of older and revised textbooks, images of women and girls were removed or digitally altered to include Islamic coverings, ACI MENA reported Oct. 26. References to traditional dances, famous artworks, and historical figures were also deleted. Some lessons on citizenship, democracy, and respect for the law were replaced or removed, while changes to historical and geographical references raised further concerns. Critics argue that the revisions promote a narrower religious and cultural perspective at the expense of Syriaʼs diverse heritage. The controversy has renewed debate over the role of education in preserving historical accuracy, encouraging critical thinking, and respecting the countryʼs social and religious diversity.African Church leaders urge quality formation as priestly vocations growCatholic leaders and formation personnel in Africa are calling for careful discernment of candidates, qualified formators, and continuing formation for clergy and laypeople as the continent records growth in priestly vocations.In responses shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, they said the increase in major seminarians calls for attention to candidates’ motivations, human and spiritual maturity, pastoral preparation, and safeguarding. “Rigorous discernment at the entry level should be the norm,” Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Abuja, Nigeria, said. “Careful vetting matters more than recruitment drives.” The archbishop further urged psychological and human screening, and for willingness to turn away candidates who are deemed unfit for the priesthood.Bishop reflects on 20 years of faith and service in Arabian PeninsulaAfter nearly two decades of service in the Arabian Peninsula, Swiss Capuchin Bishop Paul Hinder is preparing to return home, carrying with him memories of a diverse and deeply faithful Church.Appointed apostolic vicar of Arabia in 2005 and of Southern Arabia in 2011, he served communities across six countries, visiting Christians in Yemen and witnessing the devotion of migrant Catholics in Saudi Arabia, ACI MENA reported Oct. 23. Hinder helped build more than seven churches, supported the growth of the clergy, and encouraged lay participation, vocations, and Catholic education. He said his most lasting contribution was helping form people, whom he called the “living stones” of the Church. As he departs, he urged the faithful to remain united, resist hatred, and become peacemakers.

unitedyam

Catholic sisters visit Buddhist shrine, number of bishops in Ireland to drop by a third, Holy See at U.N. meeting calls for “peaceful uses of outer space,” and more in this week’s world news roundup.

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