WASHINGTON, D.C. — After writing gloriously disparaging plaques for dozens of subpar presidents in the White House’s "Presidential Walk of Fame," Trump was reportedly working late into the night to come up with a sufficiently insulting plaque for Rutherford B. Hayes.
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Donald Trump loves Donald Trump. And who can blame him? That’s why it’s super cool and not at all strange that the iconic Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is being renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center. But this is only the beginning.
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Mountaineers descending into Chola Valley, 5,200 metres (17,100 ft) a. s. l., in good weather conditions, with a panoramic view over snow-capped Himalayan peaks to the south of the Great Himalayan Range in Mahalangur Himal, Nepal, Himalayas. Today is International Mountain Day.
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NASA astronaut Don Pettit demonstrates electrostatic forces using charged water droplets and a knitting needle made of Teflon.
Read MoreGod of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Read MoreBeauty often comes in small packages. Take Circinus the Compasses. This southern constellation ranks 85th in size among the sky’s 88 stellar groupings, yet it holds the stunning dark nebula known as the Circinus West molecular cloud. A dense region of dust and cold gas, Circinus West effectively blocks all the light from the richContinue reading “DECam captures the dark heart of Circinus the Compasses”
The post DECam captures the dark heart of Circinus the Compasses appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![Music enriches Passaic parish on eve of Guadalupe feast #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on Dec. 11 led the St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., in celebrating the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was the main celebrant of the Mass, during which he reflected on the maternal love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her call to faith, humility, and hope.
The liturgy was enriched by St. Anthony’s choir and Mariachi music, lifting the prayers of the faithful. After the Mass, parishioners remained together until midnight, sharing traditional music, food, and fellowship in an atmosphere of joy, love, and devotion as one parish family honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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Father Javier Bareno, pastor of St. Anthony’s, and Father Alexis Coffi, the parish’s parochial vicar, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
BEACON PHOTOS | MATTHEW GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](http://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/music-enriches-passaic-parish-on-eve-of-guadalupe-feast-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-on-dec-11-led-the-st-anthony-of-padua-parish-in-passaic-n-j-in-celebrating-the-eve-of-the-feast-of-our.jpg)
Music enriches Passaic parish on eve of Guadalupe feast #Catholic – 
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on Dec. 11 led the St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., in celebrating the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was the main celebrant of the Mass, during which he reflected on the maternal love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her call to faith, humility, and hope.
The liturgy was enriched by St. Anthony’s choir and Mariachi music, lifting the prayers of the faithful. After the Mass, parishioners remained together until midnight, sharing traditional music, food, and fellowship in an atmosphere of joy, love, and devotion as one parish family honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Father Javier Bareno, pastor of St. Anthony’s, and Father Alexis Coffi, the parish’s parochial vicar, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on Dec. 11 led the St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J., in celebrating the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was the main celebrant of the Mass, during which he reflected on the maternal love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her call to faith, humility, and hope. The liturgy was enriched by St. Anthony’s choir and Mariachi music, lifting the prayers of the faithful. After the Mass, parishioners remained together until midnight, sharing traditional music, food, and fellowship in an atmosphere of joy, love, and devotion as one parish
![Our Lady of Guadalupe honored in colorful Paterson celebration #Catholic - At the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Dec. 12, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant of a Mass to mark the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico and the Americas. The cathedral community has a great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.](http://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/our-lady-of-guadalupe-honored-in-colorful-paterson-celebration-catholic-at-the-cathedral-of-st-john-the-baptist-in-paterson-n-j-on-dec-12-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-was-the-main-celebrant-of-a-m.jpg)
Our Lady of Guadalupe honored in colorful Paterson celebration #Catholic – 
At the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Dec. 12, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant of a Mass to mark the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico and the Americas. The cathedral community has a great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
– At the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., on Dec. 12, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant of a Mass to mark the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico and the Americas. The cathedral community has a great devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Now that the Vatican has announced that Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks will succeed Cardinal Timothy Dolan as archbishop of New York, what comes next for the cardinal?
“I’ll always keep working,” Dolan told Father Dave Dwyer, a Paulist priest, executive director of Busted Halo Ministries, and cohost of “Conversation with Cardinal Dolan,” during a discussion of his retirement plans earlier this year.
“For a priest, your life is your work,” he said, indicating that he hopes to continue preaching retreats, which he said he loves, and teaching.
“But I won’t have an appointment. I won’t have administrative duties. Yippee!” Dolan quipped.
The cardinal said he is looking forward to having “more choices, instead of waking up in the morning and being handed a schedule.”
“Should I read? Should I take a longer walk than usual? Should I spend a longer time in my prayer?” he mused.
Dolan said his brother bishops told him years ago to “make sure you have hobbies you can engage in on a day off,” and that advice has helped and will continue to help him in retirement.
The cardinal told Dwyer whatever he does, he will have to ask the permission of his successor. “I’ll be one of his priests,” Dolan said, laughing. “I will ask him: ‘Your Excellency, would it be OK if I…?”
In addition, in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business this week Dolan revealed that he has received requests to teach at universities, to write a book, and to help with a documentary on the Catholic Church in the United States.
“I’m going to appreciate the chance to set my own schedule,” said Dolan, who has led the Archdiocese of New York since 2009.
Read More![Top 2025 religious freedom developments included mix of persecution, protection #Catholic
null / Credit: Joe Belanger/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is an overview of some of the religious freedom developments and news in the United States and abroad in 2025:White House started the Religious Liberty CommissionPresident Donald Trump established the White House Religious Liberty Commission in May to report on threats to religious freedom in the U.S. and seek to advance legal protections. The commission and advisory boards include members of various religions. Catholic members on the commission include Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron. Catholic advisory board members include Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, and Father Thomas Ferguson.Lawmakers condemned persecution of Christians Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, introduced a joint resolution condemning the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries across the world.The measure called on the Trump administration to leverage trade, security negotiations, and other diplomatic tools to advocate for religious freedom. Court blocked law that would require priests to violate the seal of confessionWashington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a state law in May that would require priests to report child abuse to authorities even if they hear about it during the sacrament of confession. Catholic bishops brought a lawsuit against the measure. A federal judge blocked the controversial law.Trump announced federal guidelines to protect prayer at public schoolsPresident Donald Trump announced the U.S. Department of Education will issue federal guidelines to protect prayer at public schools during a Sept. 8 Religious Liberty Commission hearing. He said the guidelines will “protect the right to prayer in our public schools and [provide for] its total protection.”The president said he sought the guidelines after hearing about instances of public school students and staff being censored and facing disciplinary action for engaging in prayer, reading the Bible, and publicly expressing their faith.Report found most states fail to safeguard religious liberty About three-fourths of states scored less than 50% on Napa Legal Institute’s religious freedom index, which measures how well states safeguard religious liberty for faith-based organizations. The October report was part of Napa’s Faith & Freedom Index that showed Alabama scored the highest and Michigan scored the lowest.Lawmakers urged federal court to allow Ten Commandments displayFirst Liberty Institute and Heather Gebelin Hacker of Hacker Stephens LLP filed an amicus brief in December on behalf of 46 United States lawmakers urging the federal court to allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools.Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana; Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, R-Texas, were among the lawmakers who supported the cause after federal judges blocked Texas and Louisiana laws requiring the display of the commandments.Supreme Court ruled on religious freedom cases The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a group of Maryland parents who sued a school district over its refusal to allow families to opt their children out of reading LGBT-themed books. In a 6-3 decision on July 27 in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the court ruled the Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim parents “are likely to succeed on their claim that the board’s policies unconstitutionally burden their religious exercise.” In July, the Supreme Court ordered the New York Court of Appeals to revisit Diocese of Albany v. Harris, which challenged a 2017 New York state mandate requiring employers to cover abortions in health insurance plans.In October, a Native American group working to stop the destruction of a centuries-old religious ritual site in Arizona lost its appeal to the Supreme Court.Religious liberty abroad: Religious freedom diminished in AfghanistanThe U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in a report that “religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan continue to decline dramatically under Taliban rule.”The USCIRF wrote in an Aug. 15 report examining the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice one year after its enactment: The morality law “impacts all Afghans” but “disproportionately affects religious minorities and women, eradicating their participation in public life and systematically eliminating their right to [freedom of religious belief].”Chinese government banned Catholic priests from evangelizing onlineIn September, the State Administration for Religious Affairs in China banned several forms of online evangelization for religious clergy of all religions, including Catholic priests.The Code of Conduct for Religious Clergy was made up of 18 articles including one that said faith leaders are banned from performing religious rituals through live broadcasts, short videos, or online meetings. U.S. commission said China should be designated as a country of particular concernThe USCIRF reported China tries to exert total control over religion and said the U.S. Department of State should redesignate China as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) regarding religious freedom.USCIRF said in September that China uses surveillance, fines, retribution against family members, imprisonment, enforced disappearance, torture, and other forms of abuse to control the Catholic Church and other religious communities in the nation.In its annual report, USCIRF also recommended Afghanistan, Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam be designated as CPCs.](http://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/top-2025-religious-freedom-developments-included-mix-of-persecution-protection-catholic-null-credit-joe-belanger-shutterstockwashington-d-c-newsroom-dec-19-2025-0600-am-cna-h.webp)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is an overview of some of the religious freedom developments and news in the United States and abroad in 2025:
President Donald Trump established the White House Religious Liberty Commission in May to report on threats to religious freedom in the U.S. and seek to advance legal protections.
The commission and advisory boards include members of various religions. Catholic members on the commission include Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron. Catholic advisory board members include Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, and Father Thomas Ferguson.
Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, introduced a joint resolution condemning the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries across the world.
The measure called on the Trump administration to leverage trade, security negotiations, and other diplomatic tools to advocate for religious freedom.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a state law in May that would require priests to report child abuse to authorities even if they hear about it during the sacrament of confession. Catholic bishops brought a lawsuit against the measure. A federal judge blocked the controversial law.
President Donald Trump announced the U.S. Department of Education will issue federal guidelines to protect prayer at public schools during a Sept. 8 Religious Liberty Commission hearing. He said the guidelines will “protect the right to prayer in our public schools and [provide for] its total protection.”
The president said he sought the guidelines after hearing about instances of public school students and staff being censored and facing disciplinary action for engaging in prayer, reading the Bible, and publicly expressing their faith.
About three-fourths of states scored less than 50% on Napa Legal Institute’s religious freedom index, which measures how well states safeguard religious liberty for faith-based organizations. The October report was part of Napa’s Faith & Freedom Index that showed Alabama scored the highest and Michigan scored the lowest.
First Liberty Institute and Heather Gebelin Hacker of Hacker Stephens LLP filed an amicus brief in December on behalf of 46 United States lawmakers urging the federal court to allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana; Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, R-Texas, were among the lawmakers who supported the cause after federal judges blocked Texas and Louisiana laws requiring the display of the commandments.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a group of Maryland parents who sued a school district over its refusal to allow families to opt their children out of reading LGBT-themed books.
In a 6-3 decision on July 27 in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the court ruled the Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim parents “are likely to succeed on their claim that the board’s policies unconstitutionally burden their religious exercise.”
In July, the Supreme Court ordered the New York Court of Appeals to revisit Diocese of Albany v. Harris, which challenged a 2017 New York state mandate requiring employers to cover abortions in health insurance plans.
In October, a Native American group working to stop the destruction of a centuries-old religious ritual site in Arizona lost its appeal to the Supreme Court.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in a report that “religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan continue to decline dramatically under Taliban rule.”
The USCIRF wrote in an Aug. 15 report examining the Taliban’s Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice one year after its enactment: The morality law “impacts all Afghans” but “disproportionately affects religious minorities and women, eradicating their participation in public life and systematically eliminating their right to [freedom of religious belief].”
In September, the State Administration for Religious Affairs in China banned several forms of online evangelization for religious clergy of all religions, including Catholic priests.
The Code of Conduct for Religious Clergy was made up of 18 articles including one that said faith leaders are banned from performing religious rituals through live broadcasts, short videos, or online meetings.
The USCIRF reported China tries to exert total control over religion and said the U.S. Department of State should redesignate China as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) regarding religious freedom.
USCIRF said in September that China uses surveillance, fines, retribution against family members, imprisonment, enforced disappearance, torture, and other forms of abuse to control the Catholic Church and other religious communities in the nation.
In its annual report, USCIRF also recommended Afghanistan, Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam be designated as CPCs.
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