Muslim – United Yam

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.

unitedyam December 19, 2025

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 Commission

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.

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 confession

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.

Trump announced federal guidelines to protect prayer at public schools

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.

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 display

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.

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 Afghanistan

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].”

Chinese government banned Catholic priests from evangelizing online

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.

U.S. commission said China should be designated as a country of particular concern

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.

College campus ministries register remarkable growth in baptisms, confirmations #Catholic

Mass at Arizona State University’s Newman Center chapel. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Bill Clements, director of ASU Newman Center

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dec 15, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Several college campuses across the country are witnessing a notable rise in baptisms and confirmations among students. Catholic evangelists tell CNA that this growth reflects a deepening desire among young adults for certainty, stability, and faith amid today’s turbulent cultural landscape.For example, at Arizona State University, the Newman Center is experiencing its largest group of students entering the Church. Ryan Ayala, a former seminarian and campus minister who has served at ASU for three years, oversees the evangelization efforts. “This past semester, we welcomed 52 students into the Church at Christ the King Parish” in Mesa, Ayala said. “And we are expecting 50 more for the Easter Vigil this spring.” According to Ayala, this year marked a record number of students received into the Catholic Church at ASU.Each year, ASU’s campus ministry prepares students for baptism, confirmation, and full communion through a fall vigil held in collaboration with Christ the King Parish. Students enter the Church from a wide range of backgrounds: Some encounter Christianity for the first time, others come from Protestant communities, and still others are baptized Catholics preparing to complete their sacraments. Yailen Cho (at left) was one of 52 Arizona State University students received into the Church last month. Credit: Photo courtesy of Yailen ChoThis year’s group included eight catechumens who were baptized, 26 Christians who made affirmations of faith, and a significant number of Catholics who received confirmation. The ceremony took place on the feast of Christ the King, Nov. 23.Ayala attributes the growth in part to simple, consistent outreach. “No phone call goes unanswered,” he said. Students come from Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and nondenominational evangelical backgrounds. Those not yet baptized often come from nonreligious homes, and two identified as atheists. One Muslim student is expected to join the program in January. ASU enrolls approximately 200,000 students.Overall, participation in ASU’s OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program has more than doubled. “This is by far the biggest class we’ve had,” Ayala said.Supporting this expansion are missionaries from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), who lead Bible studies and accompany students in their growing faith. Ayala supervises the missionaries and has completed FOCUS formation himself. The Newman Center offers a focused nine-week OCIA process — shorter than the traditional yearlong program — requiring weekly sessions alongside FOCUS Bible studies.Reflecting on the surge of interest, Ayala sees both cultural and pastoral dynamics at work. “Two things are going on in this surge. There’s a trend in Gen Z. They are asking deeper, philosophical, and theological questions. Some students were shaken up by the shooting of Charlie Kirk. The other thing is simply responding to emails. I ask my staff to be diligent to inquirers. The most important thing is to respond and give them clarity about how to become Catholic.”“Our main strategy is to have an urgency to respond to them,” he added. “It was so moving to see all those students from other faith traditions stand up and make the commitment to become Catholic.” Ayala also noted the role of Catholic media, highlighting one student influenced by Father Mike Schmitz’s online ministry. He further praised the spiritual guidance of Father Bill Clements, who leads the Newman Center. “He does a great job humanizing the priesthood but also removing a lot of the anxieties that newcomers to the faith may have.”Clements, who has directed the Newman Center for 15 years, reports that about 400 students participate in weekly FOCUS Bible studies, and approximately 1,500 attend one of the six weekend Masses. He said he has seen a clear shift in the past two years. “In the last two years, a switch was flipped. I think people are tired of crazy. They’re hungry for some direction, truth, goodness, and beauty. We have one of the most beautiful Newman chapels in the country,” he said, “and that has been a huge attraction.”To meet the growing demand, Clements expanded the OCIA schedule. “I revamped the OCIA process here. When people would hit me up at this time of year, I would have to tell them that we start that in the fall. But I couldn’t stand making people wait. So now I have three sessions: fall, spring, and summer.” He credited FOCUS missionaries for their close accompaniment of students. “They appeal to students. It affords students a chance to connect with other Catholics, and it’s been instrumental in reviving interest in the Church. The missionaries work hard,” he said.One student, Yailen Cho, received baptism and confirmation on Nov. 23 at the ASU Newman Chapel. She told CNA: “I didn’t grow up very religious at all. My dad became Catholic two years ago, but I didn’t have any religious background.” Cho now regularly attends Mass and says the FOCUS program helped deepen her reading of the Gospels. Reflecting on her journey, she shared: “I’d had a prayer relationship with God for a while, and I had prayed that my heart would be softened towards God.” After wrestling with questions of faith, she reached out to the Newman Center, which she said she found “very warm and welcoming.” Directing a message to others considering the Catholic faith, she said: “I want everyone to be happy, and I want to be happy. If you live by the Word, as the Bible says, you can be happy in heaven forever.”Meanwhile, in Michigan and NebraskaSimilar momentum is evident at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Rita Zyber, OCIA coordinator at St. Mary Student Parish, said 50 students are currently preparing to enter the Church. Last Easter, 30 students were received, compared with about 20 in 2024.With daily liturgies and seven weekend Masses, the parish remains consistently full. One Mass was added this year to accommodate greater attendance. “They are packed,” Zyber said.Reflecting on the increase, she noted: “There is so much chaos in the world. They are looking for structure, stability, and some grounding in God.”The parish is staffed by Jesuit priests whose Ignatian spirituality resonates strongly with students, Zyber said. She added that other campus and parish OCIA programs across Michigan are seeing similar growth.In a report last month in the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, Father Ryan Kaup, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, characterized the current situation as “a golden age of campus ministry.” Kaup reported that this past spring, 72 converts entered the Church at the Easter Vigil. So far this semester, they already have 125 students interested in joining the Church, he said.

unitedyam December 15, 2025

Mass at Arizona State University’s Newman Center chapel. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Bill Clements, director of ASU Newman Center

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dec 15, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Several college campuses across the country are witnessing a notable rise in baptisms and confirmations among students. Catholic evangelists tell CNA that this growth reflects a deepening desire among young adults for certainty, stability, and faith amid today’s turbulent cultural landscape.

For example, at Arizona State University, the Newman Center is experiencing its largest group of students entering the Church. Ryan Ayala, a former seminarian and campus minister who has served at ASU for three years, oversees the evangelization efforts.

“This past semester, we welcomed 52 students into the Church at Christ the King Parish” in Mesa, Ayala said. “And we are expecting 50 more for the Easter Vigil this spring.” According to Ayala, this year marked a record number of students received into the Catholic Church at ASU.

Each year, ASU’s campus ministry prepares students for baptism, confirmation, and full communion through a fall vigil held in collaboration with Christ the King Parish. Students enter the Church from a wide range of backgrounds: Some encounter Christianity for the first time, others come from Protestant communities, and still others are baptized Catholics preparing to complete their sacraments.

Yailen Cho (at left) was one of 52 Arizona State University students received into the Church last month. Credit: Photo courtesy of Yailen Cho

This year’s group included eight catechumens who were baptized, 26 Christians who made affirmations of faith, and a significant number of Catholics who received confirmation. The ceremony took place on the feast of Christ the King, Nov. 23.

Ayala attributes the growth in part to simple, consistent outreach. “No phone call goes unanswered,” he said. Students come from Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and nondenominational evangelical backgrounds. Those not yet baptized often come from nonreligious homes, and two identified as atheists. One Muslim student is expected to join the program in January. ASU enrolls approximately 200,000 students.

Overall, participation in ASU’s OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program has more than doubled. “This is by far the biggest class we’ve had,” Ayala said.

Supporting this expansion are missionaries from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), who lead Bible studies and accompany students in their growing faith. Ayala supervises the missionaries and has completed FOCUS formation himself. The Newman Center offers a focused nine-week OCIA process — shorter than the traditional yearlong program — requiring weekly sessions alongside FOCUS Bible studies.

Reflecting on the surge of interest, Ayala sees both cultural and pastoral dynamics at work. “Two things are going on in this surge. There’s a trend in Gen Z. They are asking deeper, philosophical, and theological questions. Some students were shaken up by the shooting of Charlie Kirk. The other thing is simply responding to emails. I ask my staff to be diligent to inquirers. The most important thing is to respond and give them clarity about how to become Catholic.”

“Our main strategy is to have an urgency to respond to them,” he added. “It was so moving to see all those students from other faith traditions stand up and make the commitment to become Catholic.”

Ayala also noted the role of Catholic media, highlighting one student influenced by Father Mike Schmitz’s online ministry. He further praised the spiritual guidance of Father Bill Clements, who leads the Newman Center. “He does a great job humanizing the priesthood but also removing a lot of the anxieties that newcomers to the faith may have.”

Clements, who has directed the Newman Center for 15 years, reports that about 400 students participate in weekly FOCUS Bible studies, and approximately 1,500 attend one of the six weekend Masses. He said he has seen a clear shift in the past two years.

“In the last two years, a switch was flipped. I think people are tired of crazy. They’re hungry for some direction, truth, goodness, and beauty. We have one of the most beautiful Newman chapels in the country,” he said, “and that has been a huge attraction.”

To meet the growing demand, Clements expanded the OCIA schedule. “I revamped the OCIA process here. When people would hit me up at this time of year, I would have to tell them that we start that in the fall. But I couldn’t stand making people wait. So now I have three sessions: fall, spring, and summer.”

He credited FOCUS missionaries for their close accompaniment of students. “They appeal to students. It affords students a chance to connect with other Catholics, and it’s been instrumental in reviving interest in the Church. The missionaries work hard,” he said.

One student, Yailen Cho, received baptism and confirmation on Nov. 23 at the ASU Newman Chapel. She told CNA: “I didn’t grow up very religious at all. My dad became Catholic two years ago, but I didn’t have any religious background.”

Cho now regularly attends Mass and says the FOCUS program helped deepen her reading of the Gospels. Reflecting on her journey, she shared: “I’d had a prayer relationship with God for a while, and I had prayed that my heart would be softened towards God.”

After wrestling with questions of faith, she reached out to the Newman Center, which she said she found “very warm and welcoming.”

Directing a message to others considering the Catholic faith, she said: “I want everyone to be happy, and I want to be happy. If you live by the Word, as the Bible says, you can be happy in heaven forever.”

Meanwhile, in Michigan and Nebraska

Similar momentum is evident at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Rita Zyber, OCIA coordinator at St. Mary Student Parish, said 50 students are currently preparing to enter the Church. Last Easter, 30 students were received, compared with about 20 in 2024.

With daily liturgies and seven weekend Masses, the parish remains consistently full. One Mass was added this year to accommodate greater attendance. “They are packed,” Zyber said.

Reflecting on the increase, she noted: “There is so much chaos in the world. They are looking for structure, stability, and some grounding in God.”

The parish is staffed by Jesuit priests whose Ignatian spirituality resonates strongly with students, Zyber said. She added that other campus and parish OCIA programs across Michigan are seeing similar growth.

In a report last month in the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, Father Ryan Kaup, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, characterized the current situation as “a golden age of campus ministry.”

Kaup reported that this past spring, 72 converts entered the Church at the Easter Vigil. So far this semester, they already have 125 students interested in joining the Church, he said.

Pope Leo sends surprise video message to Australian Catholic youth festival #Catholic

Thousands of young pilgrims gather for the closing Mass of the Australian Catholic Youth Festival at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. / Credit: Theresa Wimmer

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 5, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:Pope Leo sends surprise video message to Australian Catholic youth festival Pope Leo XIV sent a surprise video message to thousands of young Catholics at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival on Nov. 30, urging them to turn to God, “especially through prayer and the sacraments. That’s where you’ll hear your Heavenly Father’s voice most clearly.”The papal message — played during the opening plenary at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre — drew cheers from young Catholics who gathered from around the country under the 2025 Jubilee theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” The three-day event, held Nov. 30–Dec. 2, opened with a five-kilometer (three-mile) pilgrimage walk from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Participants accompanied the World Youth Day Cross and Icon through the city streets to the convention center.“Our lives find their ultimate purpose in becoming who God made us to be, by living out his will,” Leo said. He reminded pilgrims of the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “You are not the result of a random process. Each of you is willed, each of you is loved, each of you is necessary.”Holy See Permanent Observer Mission to U.N. calls for end of Ukraine war ‘right now’The Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the U.N. called for the end of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine immediately during a Dec. 3 emergency session. Monsignor Robert Murphy, chargé d’affaires, said the war in Ukraine must halt “not at some undefined moment in the future, but right now.” Murphy emphasized the need for both sides of the conflict to bring about the return of children to their families and urged all nations represented in the assembly interested in ending the war “to reject passivity and provide tangible support for any initiative that could lead to genuine negotiations and lasting peace.”Bishops praise ‘historic decision’ to end child marriage in west Pakistan provinceThe western province of Balochistan in Pakistan has passed a law criminalizing child marriages, eliciting praise from Catholic bishops in the region. The 2025 Law on the Restriction of Child Marriage in Balochistan penalizes adults who facilitate arranged marriages for minors under the age of 18, repealing a previous law that set the minimum age for girls to be married at 14 years old. Bishop Samson Shukardin, OFM, of Hyderabad and president of the Pakistan Bishops’ Conference, called the new law “a historic decision to protect children and an important step toward strengthening the rights of minors,” according to a Fides report on Monday. The bishop further expressed gratitude to lawmakers for passing the law, noting that “the Church promotes the fundamental rights of every human being, especially those of girls,” adding: “Early marriage deprives them of their education, their health, and their self-confidence.” Sri Lankan cardinal urges Catholics to join emergency response amid natural disasterCardinal Malcolm Ranjith is urging Catholics to join emergency response efforts across Sri Lanka as the country recovers from Cyclone Ditwah, the worst natural disaster in its history.“We request our priests, religious, brothers, sisters, and lay leaders to work together with all the societies and organizations to provide relief to the people who are helpless at this moment,” Ranjith said in a statement, according to UCA News. Bishop Jude N. Silva of the Diocese of Badulla, one of the “worst affected,” according to UCA, instructed all priests to cancel Masses and programs “until the situation improved.” Caritas Sri Lanka has led the emergency response, according to AsiaNews. European bishops talk Catholic-Muslim relations at three-day meeting on Nostra AetateThe Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe discussed Catholic-Muslim dialogue at a three-day conference titled “Nostra Aetate, 60 Years On: Perspectives on Catholic-Muslim Dialogue.”The meeting took place in Augsburg, Germany, and included “over 30 participants, representatives of European Bishops’ Conferences, theologians, and witnesses from 20 European countries,” according to a press release from the council.In his keynote address, Cardinal Michael Louis Fitzgerald reflected on ways Nostra Aetate may frame encounters where interreligious dialogue takes place, the release said, noting that “the three days of the meeting were characterized by a wide-ranging exchange in the plenary conversations as well as beautiful liturgies celebrated in the churches of St. Moritz, St. Peter in Perlach, and the Basilica of Sts. Ulrich and Afra.” Capuchin Friars in Sumatra welcome those displaced by severe floodingCapuchin Friars in the Sibolga province of Indonesia welcomed those displaced by flooding in the country due to Cyclone Senyar, according to Fides. “The worst is over, but the emergency continues. Floods and landslides have swept away entire villages. Many people are homeless. Rescue teams are now trying to reach the displaced: for some it is possible, for others it is not, because the areas remain isolated,” said Provincial Superior of the Capuchin Friars in Sibolga Friar Yoseph Norbert Sinaga. The cyclone has affected 1.5 million people and displaced more than 570,000, according to the report.Archdiocese of Raipur, India, completes historic Eucharistic pilgrimage The Archdiocese of Raipur in India has concluded a historic Eucharistic yatra, or pilgrimage, covering 1,655 miles across 72 parishes. The Eucharistic yatra lasted 14 days, with pilgrims traveling through 19 civil districts of the Central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, stopping in each parish for an hour of Eucharistic adoration, according to a Catholic Connect report. Participants in the yatra used a vehicle that was converted into a mobile chapel donated by the Mid India Province of the SCSC Sisters.

unitedyam December 5, 2025

Thousands of young pilgrims gather for the closing Mass of the Australian Catholic Youth Festival at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. / Credit: Theresa Wimmer

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 5, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Pope Leo sends surprise video message to Australian Catholic youth festival

Pope Leo XIV sent a surprise video message to thousands of young Catholics at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival on Nov. 30, urging them to turn to God, “especially through prayer and the sacraments. That’s where you’ll hear your Heavenly Father’s voice most clearly.”

The papal message — played during the opening plenary at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre — drew cheers from young Catholics who gathered from around the country under the 2025 Jubilee theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” The three-day event, held Nov. 30–Dec. 2, opened with a five-kilometer (three-mile) pilgrimage walk from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Participants accompanied the World Youth Day Cross and Icon through the city streets to the convention center.

“Our lives find their ultimate purpose in becoming who God made us to be, by living out his will,” Leo said. He reminded pilgrims of the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “You are not the result of a random process. Each of you is willed, each of you is loved, each of you is necessary.”

Holy See Permanent Observer Mission to U.N. calls for end of Ukraine war ‘right now’

The Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the U.N. called for the end of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine immediately during a Dec. 3 emergency session.

Monsignor Robert Murphy, chargé d’affaires, said the war in Ukraine must halt “not at some undefined moment in the future, but right now.” Murphy emphasized the need for both sides of the conflict to bring about the return of children to their families and urged all nations represented in the assembly interested in ending the war “to reject passivity and provide tangible support for any initiative that could lead to genuine negotiations and lasting peace.”

Bishops praise ‘historic decision’ to end child marriage in west Pakistan province

The western province of Balochistan in Pakistan has passed a law criminalizing child marriages, eliciting praise from Catholic bishops in the region.

The 2025 Law on the Restriction of Child Marriage in Balochistan penalizes adults who facilitate arranged marriages for minors under the age of 18, repealing a previous law that set the minimum age for girls to be married at 14 years old. Bishop Samson Shukardin, OFM, of Hyderabad and president of the Pakistan Bishops’ Conference, called the new law “a historic decision to protect children and an important step toward strengthening the rights of minors,” according to a Fides report on Monday.

The bishop further expressed gratitude to lawmakers for passing the law, noting that “the Church promotes the fundamental rights of every human being, especially those of girls,” adding: “Early marriage deprives them of their education, their health, and their self-confidence.”

Sri Lankan cardinal urges Catholics to join emergency response amid natural disaster

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith is urging Catholics to join emergency response efforts across Sri Lanka as the country recovers from Cyclone Ditwah, the worst natural disaster in its history.

“We request our priests, religious, brothers, sisters, and lay leaders to work together with all the societies and organizations to provide relief to the people who are helpless at this moment,” Ranjith said in a statement, according to UCA News.

Bishop Jude N. Silva of the Diocese of Badulla, one of the “worst affected,” according to UCA, instructed all priests to cancel Masses and programs “until the situation improved.” Caritas Sri Lanka has led the emergency response, according to AsiaNews.

European bishops talk Catholic-Muslim relations at three-day meeting on Nostra Aetate

The Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe discussed Catholic-Muslim dialogue at a three-day conference titled “Nostra Aetate, 60 Years On: Perspectives on Catholic-Muslim Dialogue.”

The meeting took place in Augsburg, Germany, and included “over 30 participants, representatives of European Bishops’ Conferences, theologians, and witnesses from 20 European countries,” according to a press release from the council.

In his keynote address, Cardinal Michael Louis Fitzgerald reflected on ways Nostra Aetate may frame encounters where interreligious dialogue takes place, the release said, noting that “the three days of the meeting were characterized by a wide-ranging exchange in the plenary conversations as well as beautiful liturgies celebrated in the churches of St. Moritz, St. Peter in Perlach, and the Basilica of Sts. Ulrich and Afra.”

Capuchin Friars in Sumatra welcome those displaced by severe flooding

Capuchin Friars in the Sibolga province of Indonesia welcomed those displaced by flooding in the country due to Cyclone Senyar, according to Fides.

“The worst is over, but the emergency continues. Floods and landslides have swept away entire villages. Many people are homeless. Rescue teams are now trying to reach the displaced: for some it is possible, for others it is not, because the areas remain isolated,” said Provincial Superior of the Capuchin Friars in Sibolga Friar Yoseph Norbert Sinaga. The cyclone has affected 1.5 million people and displaced more than 570,000, according to the report.

Archdiocese of Raipur, India, completes historic Eucharistic pilgrimage

The Archdiocese of Raipur in India has concluded a historic Eucharistic yatra, or pilgrimage, covering 1,655 miles across 72 parishes.

The Eucharistic yatra lasted 14 days, with pilgrims traveling through 19 civil districts of the Central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, stopping in each parish for an hour of Eucharistic adoration, according to a Catholic Connect report. Participants in the yatra used a vehicle that was converted into a mobile chapel donated by the Mid India Province of the SCSC Sisters.

‘Say thank you to someone’ this Thanksgiving, Pope Leo XIV says #Catholic

Pope Leo XIV speaks to reporters after a daylong stay at the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 25, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Nov 25, 2025 / 15:31 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday suggested that people “say thank you to someone” this Thanksgiving and he addressed concerns about violence in Lebanon ahead of his trip there later this week.Speaking two days before Thanksgiving, the first U.S.-born pope celebrated what he called “this beautiful feast that we have in the United States, which unites all people, people of different faiths, people who perhaps do not have the gift of faith.” The pope urged all people, not just Americans, to take the occasion “to recognize that we all have received so many gifts, first and foremost, the gift of life, the gift of faith, the gift of unity … and to give thanks to God for the many gifts we’ve been given.” Pope Leo answered questions from reporters as he left for Rome after a daylong stay at the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo.Pope Leo XIV speaks to reporters after a daylong stay at the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 25, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNALeo is set to begin his first international trip as pope Nov. 27, a six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon. The foreign trip is the fulfillment of a promise made by Pope Francis to visit Lebanon, a Muslim-majority country. Regional instability and internal crises have battered the small country where about a third of the population is Christian.Reporters asked Leo if violence in Lebanon is a concern.“It’s always a concern,” the pope said. “Again, I would invite all people to look for ways, to abandon the use of arms as a way of solving problems, and to come together, to respect one another, to sit down together at the table, to dialogue and to work together for solutions for the problems that affect us.”Pope Leo XIV answers questions from reporters as he leaves for Rome after a daylong stay at the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 25, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNARegarding a message for Israel, the pope said he likewise encourages all people “to look for peace, to look for justice, because oftentimes violence occurs as a result of injustices. And I think we have to work together, look for greater unity, respect for all people and all religions.”Pope Leo XIV exits the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 25, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

unitedyam November 25, 2025

Pope Leo XIV speaks to reporters after a daylong stay at the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 25, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Nov 25, 2025 / 15:31 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday suggested that people “say thank you to someone” this Thanksgiving and he addressed concerns about violence in Lebanon ahead of his trip there later this week.

Speaking two days before Thanksgiving, the first U.S.-born pope celebrated what he called “this beautiful feast that we have in the United States, which unites all people, people of different faiths, people who perhaps do not have the gift of faith.”

The pope urged all people, not just Americans, to take the occasion “to recognize that we all have received so many gifts, first and foremost, the gift of life, the gift of faith, the gift of unity … and to give thanks to God for the many gifts we’ve been given.”

Pope Leo answered questions from reporters as he left for Rome after a daylong stay at the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo.

Pope Leo XIV speaks to reporters after a daylong stay at the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 25, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Leo is set to begin his first international trip as pope Nov. 27, a six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon. The foreign trip is the fulfillment of a promise made by Pope Francis to visit Lebanon, a Muslim-majority country. Regional instability and internal crises have battered the small country where about a third of the population is Christian.

Reporters asked Leo if violence in Lebanon is a concern.

“It’s always a concern,” the pope said. “Again, I would invite all people to look for ways, to abandon the use of arms as a way of solving problems, and to come together, to respect one another, to sit down together at the table, to dialogue and to work together for solutions for the problems that affect us.”

Pope Leo XIV answers questions from reporters as he leaves for Rome after a daylong stay at the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 25, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Regarding a message for Israel, the pope said he likewise encourages all people “to look for peace, to look for justice, because oftentimes violence occurs as a result of injustices. And I think we have to work together, look for greater unity, respect for all people and all religions.”

Pope Leo XIV exits the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 25, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Giving people hope is greatest challenge, custos of Holy Land says in U.S. visit #Catholic

Custos of the Holy Land Father Franceso Ielpo speaks with EWTN News in a two-part interview that began airing on “EWTN News Nightly” on Nov. 24, 2025. / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 25, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
The custos of the Holy Land said in an interview with EWTN News that the “greatest challenge” is to be a source of hope amid perpetual devastation due to conflict. “The greatest challenge is to always be able to give people hope. One can have food, one can have a home, one can have medicine, one can have the best schools, but to live, we all need hope. And this hope always arises when you see, when you feel the presence of God through the presence of the Church beside you,” Father Franceso Ielpo told EWTN News’ Matthew Bunson in a two-part interview that began airing Nov. 24 on “EWTN News Nightly.” Ielpo has served as custos of the Holy Land since his appointment by Pope Leo XIV in June, when he succeeded Father Francesdo Patton. It is Ielpo’s first visit to the United States as custos, a Latin term for “guardian” associated with the Franciscan order’s special responsibility to oversee and care for holy sites in the Holy Land.Ielpo explained this challenge confronts the Christian community not only in Israel and Palestine but also in Lebanon and Syria. Custodians in these countries, he said, are faced with having “to grow and continue to live in a context of tension, in a context of perpetual conflict.” The Custody of the Holy Land is made up of 325 friars from over 40 countries. Ielpo said the latest conflict in Israel “has had very serious consequences” for “all communities in the Holy Land,” particularly in the employment sphere due to a lack of pilgrims to the region, which depends on religious tourism to generate income. He further emphasized the “tension of uncertainty about the future, especially for one’s children.” “The custody continues first and foremost to support and sustain the salaries of all our employees, of all our Christians, and also seeks to continue the educational work that is the schools,” Ielpo said. “We currently have 18 schools with about 10,000 students, both Christian and Muslim. Even for families who can no longer pay for school, we continue to guarantee education because we are convinced that the future is built in the classroom.” The work of the custody is not limited to the Christian community alone, he said, noting that 90% of the student population attending the Franciscan school in Jericho are Muslim. “They understand and appreciate that the service we offer is for everyone and is of high quality,” he said. At Magnificat, a music school that just celebrated its 30th anniversary, students and teachers are Christian, Muslim, and Jewish, he added.“The thing that gives me the most hope is that God’s timing is not our timing, that history is carried forward despite all its contradictions by someone else,” he said. Even amid conflict, he continued, “hope always arises from the fact that God is the true protagonist of history, even in storms, even when it seems that he is on the boat and sleeping.” Concretely, the custos emphasized the need for pilgrims to return, not only for economic reasons, but to demonstrate to residents of the Holy Land that they are “seen, recognized, wanted, loved.” “The invitation is to return to the Holy Land,” he said. “The shrines are safe — come back, visit, and don’t just visit the shrines. Always ask to meet the communities, even if only for a prayer together … even if only for a greeting, because it is good for everyone.”

unitedyam November 25, 2025

Custos of the Holy Land Father Franceso Ielpo speaks with EWTN News in a two-part interview that began airing on “EWTN News Nightly” on Nov. 24, 2025. / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 25, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The custos of the Holy Land said in an interview with EWTN News that the “greatest challenge” is to be a source of hope amid perpetual devastation due to conflict.

“The greatest challenge is to always be able to give people hope. One can have food, one can have a home, one can have medicine, one can have the best schools, but to live, we all need hope. And this hope always arises when you see, when you feel the presence of God through the presence of the Church beside you,” Father Franceso Ielpo told EWTN News’ Matthew Bunson in a two-part interview that began airing Nov. 24 on “EWTN News Nightly.”

Ielpo has served as custos of the Holy Land since his appointment by Pope Leo XIV in June, when he succeeded Father Francesdo Patton. It is Ielpo’s first visit to the United States as custos, a Latin term for “guardian” associated with the Franciscan order’s special responsibility to oversee and care for holy sites in the Holy Land.

Ielpo explained this challenge confronts the Christian community not only in Israel and Palestine but also in Lebanon and Syria. Custodians in these countries, he said, are faced with having “to grow and continue to live in a context of tension, in a context of perpetual conflict.” The Custody of the Holy Land is made up of 325 friars from over 40 countries.

Ielpo said the latest conflict in Israel “has had very serious consequences” for “all communities in the Holy Land,” particularly in the employment sphere due to a lack of pilgrims to the region, which depends on religious tourism to generate income. He further emphasized the “tension of uncertainty about the future, especially for one’s children.”

“The custody continues first and foremost to support and sustain the salaries of all our employees, of all our Christians, and also seeks to continue the educational work that is the schools,” Ielpo said. “We currently have 18 schools with about 10,000 students, both Christian and Muslim. Even for families who can no longer pay for school, we continue to guarantee education because we are convinced that the future is built in the classroom.”

The work of the custody is not limited to the Christian community alone, he said, noting that 90% of the student population attending the Franciscan school in Jericho are Muslim. “They understand and appreciate that the service we offer is for everyone and is of high quality,” he said. At Magnificat, a music school that just celebrated its 30th anniversary, students and teachers are Christian, Muslim, and Jewish, he added.

“The thing that gives me the most hope is that God’s timing is not our timing, that history is carried forward despite all its contradictions by someone else,” he said. Even amid conflict, he continued, “hope always arises from the fact that God is the true protagonist of history, even in storms, even when it seems that he is on the boat and sleeping.”

Concretely, the custos emphasized the need for pilgrims to return, not only for economic reasons, but to demonstrate to residents of the Holy Land that they are “seen, recognized, wanted, loved.”

“The invitation is to return to the Holy Land,” he said. “The shrines are safe — come back, visit, and don’t just visit the shrines. Always ask to meet the communities, even if only for a prayer together … even if only for a greeting, because it is good for everyone.”