Pope decries horror, inhumanity that ‘some adults boast of with pride’ #Catholic – 
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Warning against an increasingly unpredictable and aggressive “delusion of omnipotence” threatening the globe, Pope Leo XIV called on world leaders and individuals to empty their hearts and minds of hatred and violence, and to start serving life.
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life,” he said during a special evening prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter’s Basilica April 11.
“Those who pray are aware of their own limitations; they do not kill or threaten with death,” he said. “Instead, death enslaves those who have turned their backs on the living God, turning themselves and their own power into a mute, blind and deaf idol, to which they sacrifice every value, demanding that the whole world bend its knee.”
“Let us listen to the voices of children,” who write to him all the time, recounting “all the horror and inhumanity of actions that some adults boast of with pride,” he said.
The vigil, which drew thousands of people inside and outside the basilica, featured the recitation of the glorious mysteries of the rosary. Before each mystery was recited, women wearing traditional dress from countries representing the different continents of the world lit small lamps from a flame from the Lamp of Peace from Assisi that was placed below a statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace.
Prayer can move mountains, he said in his remarks in Italian. “War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens.”
It just takes a tiny bit of faith “to face this dramatic hour in history together,” he said.
For a people of faith in the risen Lord who conquered death with love, he said, “nothing can confine us to a predetermined fate, not even in this world where there never seem to be enough graves, for people continue to crucify one another and eliminate life, with no regard to justice and mercy.”
While the pope did not mention any one current conflict in his remarks, he did recall St. John Paul II’s fervent efforts and calls for peace during the 2003 invasion of Iraq conducted by the U.S. with the assistance of a multi-national coalition.
“I make his appeal my own this evening, relevant as it is today,” Pope Leo said, referring to his predecessors’ calls for “No more war.”
“The Church is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace,” he said. “She advances without hesitation, even when rejecting the logic of war may lead to misunderstanding and scorn.”
The Church “proclaims the Gospel of peace and instills obedience to God rather than any human authority, especially when the inherent dignity of other human beings is threatened by continuous violations of international law,” Pope Leo said.
With the help of prayer and God, people can help “break the demonic cycle of evil” and be at the service of the Kingdom of God, where there is “no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness,” Pope Leo said.
“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he added.
He criticized the use of God’s name in justifying violence, saying “even the holy name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”
Those invoking God’s name in such a way erase a world made up of brothers and sisters with one heavenly Father and instead create a “nightmare” where the world is made up of enemies and threats, rather than calls to listen and to come together.
Speaking to the world’s leaders, the pope said, “Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned, and deadly actions are decided!”
However, all the world’s people also have a duty to reject the violence in their own hearts and minds, and help build a kingdom of peace each and every day in one’s own home, school and community, he said.
“Let us believe once again in love, moderation and good politics,” he said, urging people to learn more and “get personally involved” in being part of “the mosaic of peace!”
“Dear brothers and sisters, let us return home having made a commitment to pray without ceasing and without growing weary, a commitment to a profound conversion of heart,” the pope said.
Before entering the basilica, Pope Leo greeted the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, thanking them for their presence. He explained his reason for calling for the prayer vigil, which was also being joined by countless others around the world, either online or in their own parishes.
By praying the rosary together, he said, “we want to tell the whole world that it is possible to build peace, a new peace, that it is possible for all people, of all religions, of all ethnicities, to live together, and that we want to be disciples of Jesus Christ, united as brothers and sisters, all united in a world of peace.”
– VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Warning against an increasingly unpredictable and aggressive “delusion of omnipotence” threatening the globe, Pope Leo XIV called on world leaders and individuals to empty their hearts and minds of hatred and violence, and to start serving life. “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life,” he said during a special evening prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter’s Basilica April 11. “Those who pray are aware of their own limitations; they do not kill or threaten with death,” he said.
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![Trump’s comments on Pope Leo called ‘disrespectful’ as Americans react #Catholic Catholic bishops and U.S. elected officials have publicly criticized the president’s statements about Pope Leo XIV.President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and elected officials.Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “disrespectful." Barron, who serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, said in a post on X that Trump’s comments “were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful” and “I think the president owes the pope an apology.”“[Trump’s comments] don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation,” he said. “It is the pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of goodwill can and do disagree.”Barron encouraged Catholic Trump officials to arrange a meeting with Vatican officials “so that a real dialogue can take place,” saying “this is far preferable to the statements on social media.”Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in a social media post: “Along with Archbishop [Paul] Coakley, president of the USCCB, and my brother bishops, I was disheartened by recent comments from President Trump concerning Pope Leo XIV and the Church. I pray that civility and respect are fully restored as together, with God’s grace, we work for peace and harmony among all people. May we also be united in our prayer for the end of war and violence so that Christ’s peace reigns throughout the world and in our hearts.”Palm Beach, Florida, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez posted on X: “The @DiocesePB stands firm with our Holy Father, @Pontifex, and strongly rejects the disrespectful and violent attacks that Donald J. Trump has directed against the Holy Father.”Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher posted on X: “This is not about politics but the very cause of humanity.”The Catholic Association's Ashley McGuire said in a statement: “The Catholic Church does not in any way fit into American political boxes. It will always prioritize the protection of innocent life in all its stages as well as the cause of the poor and marginalized. Insulting the pope, and all Catholics by extension, with the hope of making the Church bend to American political agendas, is discouraging and counterproductive.” McGuire added: “We pray that President Trump apologizes to Pope Leo.”U.S. officials' reaction beginsRepublican Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has not yet commented on the matter, nor has Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic.Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, who is Catholic, posted on X that “I find it abhorrent that the president of the United States would publicly attack the successor of St. Peter.”U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X that Trump “shamefully attacked” the pope. Few Republican elected officials have spoken out.TweetDemocratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: “Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the pope now?”Rep. Lukas Schubert, a Republican Montana state lawmaker, disputed the presidentʼs statement that the pope is a “liberal person.”“Pope Leo is significantly further to the right than President Trump on abortion, gay marriage, and family values. Also he is more America First on the Iran War,” Schubert said.AI imageTrump also posted an AI-created image on Truth Social that appeared to portray himself as Jesus Christ, healing the sick, which led several Catholics to accuse the president of blasphemy.Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, posted on X that Trump’s comments illustrate “how utter enslavement to the sin of pride makes a man unsuitable for the presidency.”“For all their faults, previous presidents had the visceral understanding of proper boundaries not to attack the vicar of Christ even when they disagreed with him,” he said.Feser quoted Daniel 11:36-37 in response to Trump’s AI image of himself as Christ, which reads: “And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods … He shall not give heed to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.”In reaction to the AI photo, Matt Fradd, the host of “Pints With Aquinas,“ urged Catholics to “offer a rosary today for Donald Trump and all blasphemers. … Seriously. Do it. I will too.”TweetRep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, did not directly reference Trumpʼs remarks about the pope but criticized the AI-created image on X: “There aren’t enough words to denounce how wrong this is.”The comments came after Leo criticized the Iran war and Trump’s rhetoric about targeting the entire civilization of Iran. Leo said in response to the post: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican congresswoman who was a strong ally of Trump before splitting with him on the Iran war and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, posted on X that Trump “attacked the pope because the pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus.”“This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization,” she said. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”‘Fuels division’Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute, said in a statement that Leo “has both the right and the duty to speak prophetically on matters of war and peace, the dignity of the human person, and the moral limits of force — even when his words discomfort political leaders.”He said Trump’s post does not “strengthen America’s moral standing but “merely fuels division.”Sirico also added that Catholics can disagree with popes on prudential judgments, such as foreign policy or crime, which he said are not infallible: “The Church herself teaches that such applications of principle admit of legitimate debate.”This story was updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on April 13, 2026, with comments from Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher and The Catholic Associationʼs Ashley McGuire.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/trumps-comments-on-pope-leo-called-disrespectful-as-americans-react-catholic-catholic-bishops-and-u-s-elected-officials-have-publicly-criticized-the-presidents-st.jpg "Trump’s comments on Pope Leo called ‘disrespectful’ as Americans react #Catholic Catholic bishops and U.S. elected officials have publicly criticized the president’s statements about Pope Leo XIV.President Donald Trump called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy social media post April 12 that drew response from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and elected officials.Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, called Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “disrespectful.\" Barron, who serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, said in a post on X that Trump’s comments “were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful” and “I think the president owes the pope an apology.”“[Trump’s comments] don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation,” he said. “It is the pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life. In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of goodwill can and do disagree.”Barron encouraged Catholic Trump officials to arrange a meeting with Vatican officials “so that a real dialogue can take place,” saying “this is far preferable to the statements on social media.”Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, said in a social media post: “Along with Archbishop [Paul] Coakley, president of the USCCB, and my brother bishops, I was disheartened by recent comments from President Trump concerning Pope Leo XIV and the Church. I pray that civility and respect are fully restored as together, with God’s grace, we work for peace and harmony among all people. May we also be united in our prayer for the end of war and violence so that Christ’s peace reigns throughout the world and in our hearts.”Palm Beach, Florida, Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez posted on X: “The @DiocesePB stands firm with our Holy Father, @Pontifex, and strongly rejects the disrespectful and violent attacks that Donald J. Trump has directed against the Holy Father.”Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher posted on X: “This is not about politics but the very cause of humanity.”The Catholic Association's Ashley McGuire said in a statement: “The Catholic Church does not in any way fit into American political boxes. It will always prioritize the protection of innocent life in all its stages as well as the cause of the poor and marginalized. Insulting the pope, and all Catholics by extension, with the hope of making the Church bend to American political agendas, is discouraging and counterproductive.” McGuire added: “We pray that President Trump apologizes to Pope Leo.”U.S. officials' reaction beginsRepublican Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has not yet commented on the matter, nor has Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic.Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, who is Catholic, posted on X that “I find it abhorrent that the president of the United States would publicly attack the successor of St. Peter.”U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X that Trump “shamefully attacked” the pope. Few Republican elected officials have spoken out.TweetDemocratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X: “Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the pope now?”Rep. Lukas Schubert, a Republican Montana state lawmaker, disputed the presidentʼs statement that the pope is a “liberal person.”“Pope Leo is significantly further to the right than President Trump on abortion, gay marriage, and family values. Also he is more America First on the Iran War,” Schubert said.AI imageTrump also posted an AI-created image on Truth Social that appeared to portray himself as Jesus Christ, healing the sick, which led several Catholics to accuse the president of blasphemy.Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College, posted on X that Trump’s comments illustrate “how utter enslavement to the sin of pride makes a man unsuitable for the presidency.”“For all their faults, previous presidents had the visceral understanding of proper boundaries not to attack the vicar of Christ even when they disagreed with him,” he said.Feser quoted Daniel 11:36-37 in response to Trump’s AI image of himself as Christ, which reads: “And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods … He shall not give heed to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.”In reaction to the AI photo, Matt Fradd, the host of “Pints With Aquinas,“ urged Catholics to “offer a rosary today for Donald Trump and all blasphemers. … Seriously. Do it. I will too.”TweetRep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, did not directly reference Trumpʼs remarks about the pope but criticized the AI-created image on X: “There aren’t enough words to denounce how wrong this is.”The comments came after Leo criticized the Iran war and Trump’s rhetoric about targeting the entire civilization of Iran. Leo said in response to the post: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Republican congresswoman who was a strong ally of Trump before splitting with him on the Iran war and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, posted on X that Trump “attacked the pope because the pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus.”“This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization,” she said. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”‘Fuels division’Father Robert Sirico, the founder of the Acton Institute, said in a statement that Leo “has both the right and the duty to speak prophetically on matters of war and peace, the dignity of the human person, and the moral limits of force — even when his words discomfort political leaders.”He said Trump’s post does not “strengthen America’s moral standing but “merely fuels division.”Sirico also added that Catholics can disagree with popes on prudential judgments, such as foreign policy or crime, which he said are not infallible: “The Church herself teaches that such applications of principle admit of legitimate debate.”This story was updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on April 13, 2026, with comments from Buffalo, New York, Bishop Michael Fisher and The Catholic Associationʼs Ashley McGuire.")
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![College students launch ‘Acutis AI’ to bring Catholic teaching to artificial intelligence – #Catholic – As artificial intelligence reshapes the world around us, two college students are aiming to provide people with an AI platform built on the teachings of the Catholic Church.Acutis AI has been developed by brothers Peter, 21, and Thomas, 19, Cooney — students who attend the University of Dallas and Baylor University — and strives to stand out as a search tool shaped by Catholic morality that provides responses users can trust. Additionally, the platform offers parents the ability to monitor their children’s chats, set time limits, and set alerts to be notified when concerning topics are detected.In an interview with EWTN News, Peter Cooney explained that after he and his brother used many of the other current AI platforms, they found they all had two issues in common: Responses to questions on morality are all built to be neutral, and the platforms cause young people to become dependent on them.He shared that while testing responses on ChatGPT, he asked the platform its thoughts on abortion — if it was OK to get an abortion and if it could affirm one’s decision in obtaining the procedure.“Itʼll say, ‘Yes, absolutely. I can affirm this. You made the best decision you could, etc., etc.,” Cooney said. “Thatʼs directly contrary to Church teaching. So, I think that’s the first big issue is that they try to be neutral, but at their core theyʼre not aligned with Church teaching and all the big platforms just have a small team of people who make all these moral decisions.”In regard to the issue of user dependency, Cooney said: “I think a lot of parents have realized at this point the dangers of social media for their children, and so theyʼve become much more cautious about social media. But, I think very few parents … are aware of the huge threat that AI companions and chatbots can pose to their kids because theyʼre built to hook users and keep them engaged.”“I think this is especially problematic for young people — like children [or] teenagers — because their brains arenʼt fully developed yet,” he added. “So, if thereʼs a teenager whoʼs lonely, maybe he doesnʼt have a ton of friends at school, maybe he doesnʼt see his parents much, the appeal of having an AI companion that will sound just like a human, and will also be super affirming and validating, thatʼs a huge appeal to those teenagers and they can easily get sucked into them.”With this in mind, the brothers — who have experience creating websites and other computer programs — grounded Acutis AI in Church teaching by uploading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, encyclicals, the “Summa Theologica,” and other Church documents into the platformʼs code. Additionally, through coding, Acutis AI is only allowed to answer questions regarding faith and morals from those sources. For any general questions, it is allowed to do a more broad web search.Cooney pointed out that while there are negatives in using AI, he believes the tool can be used responsibly.“I donʼt think the right answer is just saying OK, weʼre just not [going to] use AI at all, weʼre just going to ban it completely, because I think it can be a valuable tool if used correctly,” he said.He added: “I think the best way to use it is to automate things. It should not be a replacement for critical thinking. I think itʼs super important to keep critical thinking at the forefront in all of this.”The young Catholic also emphasized the importance of maintaining human relationships and preventing AI from taking the place of face-to-face interactions.For students, Cooney said he believes it can be a great tool in helping them study for tests by having the platform quiz the individual or help create study guides.Cooney said he hopes Acutis AI will help “teach young people how to use AI responsibly and give parents the guidance they need to help their kids use AI responsibly.”Looking to the saint who inspired the platformʼs name, Cooney highlighted how St. Carlo Acutis is a “great example of how you use technology to serve God —he used it to spread his love for the Eucharist and he brought so many people closer to Christ through that — so I think we can do the same thing.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/college-students-launch-acutis-ai-to-bring-catholic-teaching-to-artificial-intelligence-catholic-as-artificial-intelligence-reshapes-the-world-around-us-two-college-students-ar-scaled.jpg "College students launch ‘Acutis AI’ to bring Catholic teaching to artificial intelligence – #Catholic – As artificial intelligence reshapes the world around us, two college students are aiming to provide people with an AI platform built on the teachings of the Catholic Church.Acutis AI has been developed by brothers Peter, 21, and Thomas, 19, Cooney — students who attend the University of Dallas and Baylor University — and strives to stand out as a search tool shaped by Catholic morality that provides responses users can trust. Additionally, the platform offers parents the ability to monitor their children’s chats, set time limits, and set alerts to be notified when concerning topics are detected.In an interview with EWTN News, Peter Cooney explained that after he and his brother used many of the other current AI platforms, they found they all had two issues in common: Responses to questions on morality are all built to be neutral, and the platforms cause young people to become dependent on them.He shared that while testing responses on ChatGPT, he asked the platform its thoughts on abortion — if it was OK to get an abortion and if it could affirm one’s decision in obtaining the procedure.“Itʼll say, ‘Yes, absolutely. I can affirm this. You made the best decision you could, etc., etc.,” Cooney said. “Thatʼs directly contrary to Church teaching. So, I think that’s the first big issue is that they try to be neutral, but at their core theyʼre not aligned with Church teaching and all the big platforms just have a small team of people who make all these moral decisions.”In regard to the issue of user dependency, Cooney said: “I think a lot of parents have realized at this point the dangers of social media for their children, and so theyʼve become much more cautious about social media. But, I think very few parents … are aware of the huge threat that AI companions and chatbots can pose to their kids because theyʼre built to hook users and keep them engaged.”“I think this is especially problematic for young people — like children [or] teenagers — because their brains arenʼt fully developed yet,” he added. “So, if thereʼs a teenager whoʼs lonely, maybe he doesnʼt have a ton of friends at school, maybe he doesnʼt see his parents much, the appeal of having an AI companion that will sound just like a human, and will also be super affirming and validating, thatʼs a huge appeal to those teenagers and they can easily get sucked into them.”With this in mind, the brothers — who have experience creating websites and other computer programs — grounded Acutis AI in Church teaching by uploading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, encyclicals, the “Summa Theologica,” and other Church documents into the platformʼs code. Additionally, through coding, Acutis AI is only allowed to answer questions regarding faith and morals from those sources. For any general questions, it is allowed to do a more broad web search.Cooney pointed out that while there are negatives in using AI, he believes the tool can be used responsibly.“I donʼt think the right answer is just saying OK, weʼre just not [going to] use AI at all, weʼre just going to ban it completely, because I think it can be a valuable tool if used correctly,” he said.He added: “I think the best way to use it is to automate things. It should not be a replacement for critical thinking. I think itʼs super important to keep critical thinking at the forefront in all of this.”The young Catholic also emphasized the importance of maintaining human relationships and preventing AI from taking the place of face-to-face interactions.For students, Cooney said he believes it can be a great tool in helping them study for tests by having the platform quiz the individual or help create study guides.Cooney said he hopes Acutis AI will help “teach young people how to use AI responsibly and give parents the guidance they need to help their kids use AI responsibly.”Looking to the saint who inspired the platformʼs name, Cooney highlighted how St. Carlo Acutis is a “great example of how you use technology to serve God —he used it to spread his love for the Eucharist and he brought so many people closer to Christ through that — so I think we can do the same thing.”")
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![Minnesota bishop: Singer Gracie Abrams helps young people confront ‘gaping wounds in their hearts’ #Catholic Hereʼs a roundup of the latest Catholic education news in the U.S.Minnesota bishop cites Gracie Abrams in speech on educators’ role in healing woundsBishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston shared a video performance of pop singer Gracie Abrams during his keynote speech at the National Catholic Educational Association convention.While discussing the role of educators in helping young people to heal from their wounds, Cozzens played a video of Abrams performing her song “Camden."“The poetry that she sings about expresses the depth of pain that she carries in her heart, and whatʼs even more clear is that it resonates with tens of thousands of people in the stadium all her same age,” Cozzens said during his April 7 keynote, according to UCA News. "Many people in the stadium also feel like singing.”In the song, an extended reflection on insecurity and personal struggles, Abrams sings, in part, “All of me, a wound to close / But I leave the whole thing open / I just wanted you to know / I was never good at coping.”“This is the height of popular culture,” he said. “This is what our young people are singing about, the gaping wounds in their hearts." Catholic educators must invite young people to encounter Christ in their wounds, rather than seeking value from social media, artificial intelligence, popular culture, or politics, he said.The National Catholic Educational Association convention took place April 7-9. Other highlights at the event included a live butter sculpture of Pope Leo XIV, and “Puppy Love” sessions sponsored by Safe Hands Rescue and Healing Hearts Rescue, according to the event schedule.Chicago Archdiocese says public school system abruptly cut off funding for students with disabilitiesMore than 800 students with disabilities attending Chicago Catholic schools will be affected after the city’s public school system suddenly suspended funding to social services before the end of the school year.The Chicago Archdiocese said in an April 10 statement that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) targeted only Catholic schools in terminating services for individuals with special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The statement noted students with learning differences will lose access to math, reading, and writing tutoring, which will create “severe hardship for hundreds of students” who were relying on the services through the end of the year.“We are not aware of any other non-public school system or individual school, religious or secular, whose IDEA services have been terminated,” the archdiocese said. “It is not clear why Catholic schools are being treated differently, but Catholic school students have the right to be treated equally under the law.”Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich said the archdiocese "cannot allow this shocking and possibly discriminatory action by CPS to stand, not only given its affront to Catholics, but even more so since this injustice would disenfranchise the students we serve.” The archdiocese said efforts to reach CPS Superintendent Macquline King “have not yielded a response.”The archdiocese said the Chicago school system had verbally confirmed funding for the services would continue through the end of the school year “as recently as March 25" before informing the archdiocese during Holy Week that the services would be suspended. “While federal funding for these services was provided to CPS for the full school year, we were informed that the last day of services would be [April 10],” the archdiocese said.Georgia archdiocese launches virtual Catholic high schoolThe Archdiocese of Atlanta is starting a fully online Catholic high school program this fall in partnership with Catholic Education Services.The launch of Sacred Heart Virtual Academy comes amid increased demand among homeschooling families, according to an April 8 report from the Georgia Bulletin. Curriculum will be provided by Catholic Education Services, whose mission “is to partner with Catholic school leaders and provide services that extend the reach and impact of your school’s mission through a faith-centered, rigorously academic education with a flexible learning platform,” according to its website.“We knew that we were not filling the needs of a group of kids that were in our parishes,” Kim Shields, the archdiocesan associate superintendent of schools, said in the report. “This allows a child that doesn’t want to go to a brick-and-mortar school to have that opportunity.” The school will serve grades 9-12, according to its website, and is open to students outside of the archdiocese.“My hope is that it serves what we’re about — to provide programs for students to help them develop in all areas of their life,” Shields said. “The premise is that everything is centered around the mission of the Catholic Church.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/minnesota-bishop-singer-gracie-abrams-helps-young-people-confront-gaping-wounds-in-their-hearts-catholic-herecabcs-a-roundup-of-the-latest-catholic-education-news-in-the-u-s-minnesota-bishop-c.jpg "Minnesota bishop: Singer Gracie Abrams helps young people confront ‘gaping wounds in their hearts’ #Catholic Hereʼs a roundup of the latest Catholic education news in the U.S.Minnesota bishop cites Gracie Abrams in speech on educators’ role in healing woundsBishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston shared a video performance of pop singer Gracie Abrams during his keynote speech at the National Catholic Educational Association convention.While discussing the role of educators in helping young people to heal from their wounds, Cozzens played a video of Abrams performing her song “Camden.\"“The poetry that she sings about expresses the depth of pain that she carries in her heart, and whatʼs even more clear is that it resonates with tens of thousands of people in the stadium all her same age,” Cozzens said during his April 7 keynote, according to UCA News. \"Many people in the stadium also feel like singing.”In the song, an extended reflection on insecurity and personal struggles, Abrams sings, in part, “All of me, a wound to close / But I leave the whole thing open / I just wanted you to know / I was never good at coping.”“This is the height of popular culture,” he said. “This is what our young people are singing about, the gaping wounds in their hearts.\" Catholic educators must invite young people to encounter Christ in their wounds, rather than seeking value from social media, artificial intelligence, popular culture, or politics, he said.The National Catholic Educational Association convention took place April 7-9. Other highlights at the event included a live butter sculpture of Pope Leo XIV, and “Puppy Love” sessions sponsored by Safe Hands Rescue and Healing Hearts Rescue, according to the event schedule.Chicago Archdiocese says public school system abruptly cut off funding for students with disabilitiesMore than 800 students with disabilities attending Chicago Catholic schools will be affected after the city’s public school system suddenly suspended funding to social services before the end of the school year.The Chicago Archdiocese said in an April 10 statement that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) targeted only Catholic schools in terminating services for individuals with special needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The statement noted students with learning differences will lose access to math, reading, and writing tutoring, which will create “severe hardship for hundreds of students” who were relying on the services through the end of the year.“We are not aware of any other non-public school system or individual school, religious or secular, whose IDEA services have been terminated,” the archdiocese said. “It is not clear why Catholic schools are being treated differently, but Catholic school students have the right to be treated equally under the law.”Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich said the archdiocese \"cannot allow this shocking and possibly discriminatory action by CPS to stand, not only given its affront to Catholics, but even more so since this injustice would disenfranchise the students we serve.” The archdiocese said efforts to reach CPS Superintendent Macquline King “have not yielded a response.”The archdiocese said the Chicago school system had verbally confirmed funding for the services would continue through the end of the school year “as recently as March 25\" before informing the archdiocese during Holy Week that the services would be suspended. “While federal funding for these services was provided to CPS for the full school year, we were informed that the last day of services would be [April 10],” the archdiocese said.Georgia archdiocese launches virtual Catholic high schoolThe Archdiocese of Atlanta is starting a fully online Catholic high school program this fall in partnership with Catholic Education Services.The launch of Sacred Heart Virtual Academy comes amid increased demand among homeschooling families, according to an April 8 report from the Georgia Bulletin. Curriculum will be provided by Catholic Education Services, whose mission “is to partner with Catholic school leaders and provide services that extend the reach and impact of your school’s mission through a faith-centered, rigorously academic education with a flexible learning platform,” according to its website.“We knew that we were not filling the needs of a group of kids that were in our parishes,” Kim Shields, the archdiocesan associate superintendent of schools, said in the report. “This allows a child that doesn’t want to go to a brick-and-mortar school to have that opportunity.” The school will serve grades 9-12, according to its website, and is open to students outside of the archdiocese.“My hope is that it serves what we’re about — to provide programs for students to help them develop in all areas of their life,” Shields said. “The premise is that everything is centered around the mission of the Catholic Church.”")
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![Federal judge pauses Louisiana telehealth abortion suit pending FDA review #Catholic After the Trump administration appealed, a federal judge put on pause a lawsuit filed by the state of Louisiana that challenges the federal policy of allowing mail-order abortion pills.U.S. District Judge David Joseph in Lafayette, Louisiana, ruled that the challenge be paused pending the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s review of the safety of the drug but noted that the state could continue the challenge after the review was completed.Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a lawsuit in late 2025 to challenge the 2023 deregulation of mifepristone, which is used in chemical abortions. The 2023 rule changes, initiated during former president Joe Biden’s administration, allowed the drugs to be delivered through the mail and prescribed without any visits to a doctor.In January of this year, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion with a federal district court to pause the suit, pending a review by the FDA of the chemical abortion drug.Louisiana had filed the lawsuit after residents — including Rosalie Markezich, who is named in the lawsuit — said they were coerced into taking abortion pills that were obtained through the mail. In Markezich’s case, she said her boyfriend forced her to take it.Study: Maternal mortality decreased in states that protect unborn lifeA recent study published by JAMA Network Open found a decrease in maternal mortality in states that protect unborn children from abortions as well as in states with permissive abortion laws.The study considered 22 million births and more than 12,000 pregnancy-related deaths from 2018 to 2023, with 14 states with abortion bans and 37 control jurisdictions.“This cohort study found that abortion bans were not associated with statistically significant overall or state-specific increases in pregnancy-associated mortality,” the study read.In states with strong pro-life laws, on average, maternal mortality rates declined slightly faster than pro-abortion states.Illinois pregnancy centers continue to appeal for conscience rightsA court heard arguments on Friday from Illinois pregnancy centers that are appealing an Illinois district court decision that affirmed a law requiring pregnancy centers to refer women for abortions.The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates and three Illinois pregnancy centers appealed after an April 2025 court ruling found that requiring pregnancy centers to refer pregnant women for an abortion was not a violation of speech and conscience rights.“No one should be forced to express a message that violates their convictions, and compelling people to refer others for abortions does that,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Counsel Erin Hawley. “The U.S. Supreme Court held in NIFLA v. Becerra that forcing people to promote abortion is unconstitutional.”Maryland bill to force hospitals to offer abortions goes to governor’s deskA Maryland bill that would force hospitals to offer abortions, even against their conscience, in some circumstances, heads to the stateʼs governor after the state Legislature passed it this week.The bill would require “a hospital to allow the termination of a pregnancy in certain circumstances” under the federal 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which ensures that emergency care is offered regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.The bill would also require a hospital to screen patients for “emergency pregnancy-related medical condition[s]” and to provide “transfer of a patient who has an emergency pregnancy-related medical condition.”“This bill will result in a new government-created loss of valuable highly trained and experienced emergency department physicians, nurses, providers, and staff,” said Dr. James Kelly, representing the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. “The legislation will increase the already existing severe shortages of qualified medical staff and will decrease access to emergency medical care, and endanger the health and safety of patients seeking emergency medical care.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/federal-judge-pauses-louisiana-telehealth-abortion-suit-pending-fda-review-catholic-after-the-trump-administration-appealed-a-federal-judge-put-on-pause-a-lawsuit-filed-by-the-state-of-louisiana-tha.jpg "Federal judge pauses Louisiana telehealth abortion suit pending FDA review #Catholic After the Trump administration appealed, a federal judge put on pause a lawsuit filed by the state of Louisiana that challenges the federal policy of allowing mail-order abortion pills.U.S. District Judge David Joseph in Lafayette, Louisiana, ruled that the challenge be paused pending the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s review of the safety of the drug but noted that the state could continue the challenge after the review was completed.Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a lawsuit in late 2025 to challenge the 2023 deregulation of mifepristone, which is used in chemical abortions. The 2023 rule changes, initiated during former president Joe Biden’s administration, allowed the drugs to be delivered through the mail and prescribed without any visits to a doctor.In January of this year, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion with a federal district court to pause the suit, pending a review by the FDA of the chemical abortion drug.Louisiana had filed the lawsuit after residents — including Rosalie Markezich, who is named in the lawsuit — said they were coerced into taking abortion pills that were obtained through the mail. In Markezich’s case, she said her boyfriend forced her to take it.Study: Maternal mortality decreased in states that protect unborn lifeA recent study published by JAMA Network Open found a decrease in maternal mortality in states that protect unborn children from abortions as well as in states with permissive abortion laws.The study considered 22 million births and more than 12,000 pregnancy-related deaths from 2018 to 2023, with 14 states with abortion bans and 37 control jurisdictions.“This cohort study found that abortion bans were not associated with statistically significant overall or state-specific increases in pregnancy-associated mortality,” the study read.In states with strong pro-life laws, on average, maternal mortality rates declined slightly faster than pro-abortion states.Illinois pregnancy centers continue to appeal for conscience rightsA court heard arguments on Friday from Illinois pregnancy centers that are appealing an Illinois district court decision that affirmed a law requiring pregnancy centers to refer women for abortions.The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates and three Illinois pregnancy centers appealed after an April 2025 court ruling found that requiring pregnancy centers to refer pregnant women for an abortion was not a violation of speech and conscience rights.“No one should be forced to express a message that violates their convictions, and compelling people to refer others for abortions does that,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Counsel Erin Hawley. “The U.S. Supreme Court held in NIFLA v. Becerra that forcing people to promote abortion is unconstitutional.”Maryland bill to force hospitals to offer abortions goes to governor’s deskA Maryland bill that would force hospitals to offer abortions, even against their conscience, in some circumstances, heads to the stateʼs governor after the state Legislature passed it this week.The bill would require “a hospital to allow the termination of a pregnancy in certain circumstances” under the federal 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which ensures that emergency care is offered regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.The bill would also require a hospital to screen patients for “emergency pregnancy-related medical condition[s]” and to provide “transfer of a patient who has an emergency pregnancy-related medical condition.”“This bill will result in a new government-created loss of valuable highly trained and experienced emergency department physicians, nurses, providers, and staff,” said Dr. James Kelly, representing the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. “The legislation will increase the already existing severe shortages of qualified medical staff and will decrease access to emergency medical care, and endanger the health and safety of patients seeking emergency medical care.”")
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![Congressman criticizes Vatican for hosting China’s top organ transplant official in 2017 – #Catholic – A New Jersey congressman sharply criticized the Vatican for giving a platform to one of Beijing’s top transplant officials at a 2017 international conference on organ trafficking.During an April 9 event hosted by the Hudson Institute highlighting new evidence of forced organ harvesting in China, Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, called out the Vatican for hosting China’s leading transplant official at the Summit on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism in 2017. Smith was a panelist at the Hudson Institute event with Ethan Gutmann, the author of a new book, “The Xinjiang Procedure,” which presents evidence of forced organ harvesting targeting Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim communities on an industrial scale in China.Gutmann testified during the panel about his findings while on an undercover mission where he secretly interviewed former detainees of Chinese concentration camps, whose testimonies included accounts of gang rape, water torture, and forced organ harvesting.“I’ve argued with [the Vatican],” Smith said. “If you’re bringing in people who are doing terrible evil, you’re giving them a platform.”Participants at the 2017 Vatican conference, organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, signed a statement agreeing to unite in fighting the crime of organ trafficking, submitting 11 proposals for implementation by health care and law enforcement professionals around the world. China’s participation in the conference was the source of controversy at the time, as the advocacy group Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting said in a statement that there was “no evidence that past practices of forced organ harvesting have ended” in China.The group further criticized the Vatican’s decision to invite Huang Jiefu, Beijing’s top official on transplants, saying that it would compromise the conference’s image and objectives, when there was not sufficient evidence that China was changing its ways.Human rights advocate and Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Nina Shea, who also spoke at the April 9 event, echoed Smith’s censure of the Vatican for hosting Jiefu. She told EWTN News the Vatican’s first point of leverage to help prevent organ harvesting is to “start by doing no harm.”“What they did was host the public face of the organ transplant sector of China at their conference in Rome,” she said, describing Jiefu as a “longtime member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.”Shea said the Vatican conference helped “open doors” for Jiefu with the World Health Organization (WHO), after which she said he proposed a “task force for best practices on organ transplants.”“That’s part of his propaganda,” she said. “The Vatican thought that was a great idea and introduced him to WHO, and when he proposed it, they said, ‘Yes, at the Vatican’s urging we’ll create a task force and you’re on it.’”“So, they appointed this Chinese Communist Party Central Committee member, who is the vice minister of health and the public face of their organ transplant sector, to this task force,” she said. “Needless to say, the task force has done nothing," she said. “I think Pope Leo should pronounce against forced organ harvesting. Itʼs a great human rights issue,” she said. “It hasnʼt been addressed on the world stage, and the pope has the platform to do that and the moral authority to do it."Legislative efforts in the U.S.On a policy level, Smith emphasized the need to “seriously criminalize” forced organ harvesting to combat the practice on an international level. He also lamented that the Senate failed to pass the Stop Organ Harvesting Act of 2023 after it passed in the House with nearly unanimously.The congressman warned that the latest attempt to pass legislation with the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025 could face the same fate if the Senate fails to lend its support. The current legislation, he noted, would require the president to impose sanctions on individuals and entities involved in forced organ harvesting and authorize the State Department to revoke passports of individuals found complicit in the practice. “This would have a chilling effect on [organ] brokers,” Smith said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/congressman-criticizes-vatican-for-hosting-chinas-top-organ-transplant-official-in-2017-catholic-a-new-jersey-congressman-sharply-criticized-the-vatican-for-giving-a-platform-to-one-of-b.jpg "Congressman criticizes Vatican for hosting China’s top organ transplant official in 2017 – #Catholic – A New Jersey congressman sharply criticized the Vatican for giving a platform to one of Beijing’s top transplant officials at a 2017 international conference on organ trafficking.During an April 9 event hosted by the Hudson Institute highlighting new evidence of forced organ harvesting in China, Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, called out the Vatican for hosting China’s leading transplant official at the Summit on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism in 2017. Smith was a panelist at the Hudson Institute event with Ethan Gutmann, the author of a new book, “The Xinjiang Procedure,” which presents evidence of forced organ harvesting targeting Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim communities on an industrial scale in China.Gutmann testified during the panel about his findings while on an undercover mission where he secretly interviewed former detainees of Chinese concentration camps, whose testimonies included accounts of gang rape, water torture, and forced organ harvesting.“I’ve argued with [the Vatican],” Smith said. “If you’re bringing in people who are doing terrible evil, you’re giving them a platform.”Participants at the 2017 Vatican conference, organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, signed a statement agreeing to unite in fighting the crime of organ trafficking, submitting 11 proposals for implementation by health care and law enforcement professionals around the world. China’s participation in the conference was the source of controversy at the time, as the advocacy group Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting said in a statement that there was “no evidence that past practices of forced organ harvesting have ended” in China.The group further criticized the Vatican’s decision to invite Huang Jiefu, Beijing’s top official on transplants, saying that it would compromise the conference’s image and objectives, when there was not sufficient evidence that China was changing its ways.Human rights advocate and Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Nina Shea, who also spoke at the April 9 event, echoed Smith’s censure of the Vatican for hosting Jiefu. She told EWTN News the Vatican’s first point of leverage to help prevent organ harvesting is to “start by doing no harm.”“What they did was host the public face of the organ transplant sector of China at their conference in Rome,” she said, describing Jiefu as a “longtime member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.”Shea said the Vatican conference helped “open doors” for Jiefu with the World Health Organization (WHO), after which she said he proposed a “task force for best practices on organ transplants.”“That’s part of his propaganda,” she said. “The Vatican thought that was a great idea and introduced him to WHO, and when he proposed it, they said, ‘Yes, at the Vatican’s urging we’ll create a task force and you’re on it.’”“So, they appointed this Chinese Communist Party Central Committee member, who is the vice minister of health and the public face of their organ transplant sector, to this task force,” she said. “Needless to say, the task force has done nothing,\" she said. “I think Pope Leo should pronounce against forced organ harvesting. Itʼs a great human rights issue,” she said. “It hasnʼt been addressed on the world stage, and the pope has the platform to do that and the moral authority to do it.\"Legislative efforts in the U.S.On a policy level, Smith emphasized the need to “seriously criminalize” forced organ harvesting to combat the practice on an international level. He also lamented that the Senate failed to pass the Stop Organ Harvesting Act of 2023 after it passed in the House with nearly unanimously.The congressman warned that the latest attempt to pass legislation with the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025 could face the same fate if the Senate fails to lend its support. The current legislation, he noted, would require the president to impose sanctions on individuals and entities involved in forced organ harvesting and authorize the State Department to revoke passports of individuals found complicit in the practice. “This would have a chilling effect on [organ] brokers,” Smith said.")
