President Donald Trump might be half a world away on his trade trip to Asia, but he’s acutely aware that his real audience is back home.
The post Trump Celebrates ‘Bringing Back Trillions of Dollars’ as ‘Great’ Asia Trip Rolls On appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The US Senate on Wednesday voted to nuke President Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
The post JUST IN: Senate Votes to Nuke Trump’s Tariffs on Canada – These 4 RINOs Voted with the Democrats appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Peace is slowly spreading around the old continent.
The post Hungarian Viktor Orbán Joins Czech Andrej Babiš and Slovak Robert Fico To Form the ‘Axis of Peace’ in Europe appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreBreathe into me, Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,
that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,
that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit,
that I may always be holy.
A reading from the Letter to the Romans
8:31b-39
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
From the Gospel according to Luke
13:31-35
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
"Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you."
He replied, "Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
God, in fact, “cannot help but love. This is our security”. I can reject this love, but that would mean choosing to be like the good thief who rejected love “until the end of his life”, and there at the end “love was waiting for him”. Even the man who is “the most wicked, the worst blasphemer, is loved by God with the tenderness of a father, of a dad”, and, to use Jesus’ words, “as a hen with her brood”. The mighty God, the Creator, can do all things”; yet “God weeps” and “in those tears” is all of his love. “God weeps over me, when I am separated from him; God weeps over each of us; God weeps for those wicked ones, who do so many bad things, so much harm to humanity…”. Indeed, he “he waits, he does not condemn, and he cries. Why? Because he loves!”. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 29 October 2015)
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CNA Staff, Oct 29, 2025 / 16:59 pm (CNA).
The Fellowship of Catholic University Students’ (FOCUS) SEEK conference is set to take place in three cities for the first time in 2026.
The conference will be held in Denver; Fort Worth, Texas; and Columbus, Ohio, from Jan. 1–5, 2026. The theme will be “To the Heights,” inspired by the recently canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who urged young people to pursue holiness, service, and live a life for Christ.
“We are thrilled to bring SEEK 2026 to three cities this coming January,” said Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS, in a press release.
SEEK attracted 17,274 paid participants at the flagship location in Salt Lake City in 2025.
“SEEK is more than just a conference — it’s an invitation to encounter Jesus Christ and to respond to his call in our lives. As St. Pier Giorgio reminds us, we are called to the heights — to live lives of holiness, joy, and mission. SEEK is a time for renewal, for community, and for reigniting our passion to share Christ with the world,” he added.
SEEK is designed to equip and inspire people from all walks of life — students, young adults, families, parishioners, and Church leaders — to grow in their faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and feel empowered to share the Gospel, organizers said. Over the five-day conference, attendees encounter Christ through prayer, adoration, daily Mass, faith-filled workshops, confession, praise and worship, and listening to inspiring speakers, organizers said.
Speakers for this year’s conference include: Father Mike Schmitz; Scott Hahn; Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN; Monsignor James Shea; Father Mark-Mary Ames, CFR; Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT; and Father Gregory Pine, OP, among others.
FOCUS is an international Catholic outreach organization that was founded in 1998. Serving more than 200 college campuses and more than 20 parish communities, FOCUS missionaries walk alongside students and parishioners on their faith journey. Through Bible studies, mission trips, conferences, mentorships, and partnerships with priests, bishops, and parishes, FOCUS missionaries work to spread the Gospel message around the world.
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ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 29, 2025 / 16:29 pm (CNA).
His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos-patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, traveled to Rome this week to participate in a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church’s declaration on building relations with non-Christian religions.
During his stay in the Eternal City, Mar Awa III, born David Royel to Assyrian immigrant parents, met Oct. 27 with Pope Leo XIV in a private audience. The two share the same hometown of Chicago.
During the meeting, the pope urged the two churches to seek “full communion,” proposing synodality as the path to achieving it.
However, it seems that this communion does not extend to the realm of sports.
The leader of the Assyrian Church is a fan of the Chicago Cubs, while the Roman pontiff supports their eternal rivals, the White Sox.
In his luggage, Mar Awa III made sure to include a Cubs jersey, which he presented to Pope Leo XIV as a gift at the end of his audience at the Vatican.
During the gift exchange, the Cubs fan wore a satisfied smile, while the Holy Father, with an expression of resignation, held up the dark blue jersey with the name “Leo” and the number 14 printed in red.
Mar Awa III posted a photo of the moment on his Instagram profile, where he wrote: “During the exchange of gifts, I presented the pope with a customized Cubs jersey and hat (in honor of all our North Side Chicagoans). Needless to say, the pope loved the gift,“ he recounted with evident irony.
null
Pope Leo XIV has demonstrated his love for baseball on several occasions. During one of his usual tours through St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile before a general audience, he surprised onlookers by spontaneously joining a group of pilgrims in chanting “White Sox!”, making it clear which team he supports.
Chicago’s North Side Cubs have annually played the city’s South Side White Sox in the interleague “Crosstown Classic.” As of July of this year, the Cubs have an all-time edge of 77-75 over the White Sox since the series began, Yahoo News reported.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Šiluva, Lithuania, Oct 29, 2025 / 15:59 pm (CNA).
Twenty years after then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger warned of a “dictatorship of relativism” on the eve of his election as Pope Benedict XVI, his former secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, echoed that warning at a recent conference in Lithuania.
The former prefect of the papal household and longtime personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, Gänswein drew deeply on the late pontiff’s philosophy as he delivered the keynote address at this year’s conference, which brought together academics, civic leaders, public intellectuals, and clergy to discuss the principles of the 2021 Šiluva Declaration.
The declaration advocates the defense of fundamental human rights, the fostering of virtue, and the promotion of societal common good. It recognizes the importance of a society built upon the pillars of truth, family values, human dignity, and faith in God and has since become a moral reference point for Catholic social thinkers in Lithuania.
Gänswein’s lecture offered a rich philosophical and theological reflection on faith, reason, and relativism, aspects that he described as a “constant theme in Ratzinger’s work.” The archbishop, who now serves as nuncio to the Baltic states, warned that when either faith or reason is diminished, that inevitably leads to “pathologies and the disintegration of the human person.”
This is the third such conference dedicated to reflecting on the Šiluva Declaration, published on Sept. 12, 2021, during the town’s annual Marian festival. Šiluva is the location of a Marian shrine dedicated to one of Europe’s earliest approved apparitions.
Archbishop Kęstutis Kėvalas delivered the conference’s opening remarks, urging vigilance against temptations to experiment with human nature and dignity. He also reminded attendees that the Marian shrine at Šiluva symbolizes fidelity to God’s order in creation.
“The holy place of Šiluva invites respect for the order that the Creator has given to this world,” he said.
Gänswein said that in the face of today’s great challenges, such as technical thinking and globalization, the first step must be to recover the full scope of reason. He described true reason as inherently truthful, contrasting it with relativism, which he called “an expression of weak and narrow-minded thinking … based on the false pride of believing humans cannot recognize the truth and the false humility of refusing to accept it.”
“The truth sets us free,” he added, referencing John 8:32 and noting that truth serves as the standard by which humans must measure themselves and that embracing it requires humility.
Gänswein concluded by warning that relativism — the defining mindset of modernity, which he described as “a creeping poison” — ultimately undermines human freedom. Driven by self-sufficiency and amplified by social media, relativism blinds people to truth and their ultimate purpose.
Humanity’s true goal, he affirmed, is “to come to the knowledge of the truth, which is God, and thus to attain eternal life.” His address was met with sustained applause.
The conference also featured a range of thought-provoking talks on Lithuania’s moral and political identity, the challenges of liberal democracy, post-Soviet societal changes, and the role of faith and family in public life. It concluded with a panel discussion on Europe’s moral direction, freedom of speech, and the renewal of Christian values in society.
Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius recalled Pope Leo XIV’s words that the Church “can never be exempted from the duty to speak the truth about man and the world, using, when necessary, even harsh language that may initially cause misunderstandings.” He stressed that all Christians, including those in public life, have a duty to defend the truth, which he described as “not an abstract idea but a path along which a person discovers true freedom.”
The conference was organized jointly by the Lithuanian civic group Laisvos visuomenės institutas (Institute of a Free Society), the Lithuanian Christian Workers’ Trade Union, and the Faculty of Catholic Theology at Vytautas Magnus University.
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 15:29 pm (CNA).
A man accused of fatally stabbing a Nebraska Catholic priest has pleaded guilty to the murder of Father Stephen Gutgsell and other charges.
Gutgsell, 65, died after deputies found him stabbed in December 2023. Gutgsell had been serving as the parish priest at St. John the Baptist Parish in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. Deputies charged Kierre L. Williams in the attack that took place in the rectory next to the church.
Williams filed a notice in December 2024 that he would argue he is not responsible for the murder by reason of insanity and filed a “not guilty” plea in February 2024. Williams changed his plea to “guilty” of murder, burglary, and weapons charges on Oct. 21.
“We are glad that Mr. Williams chose to hold himself accountable and not put Father Gutgsell’s family, relatives, friends, or this community through a trial,” Scott Vander Schaaf, a county prosecutor, said in a statement.
Prosecutors decided early in the case that they would not pursue the death penalty. Williams faces life in prison without parole. Sentencing is set for Nov. 12.
On the day of the attack, Gutgsell called 911 early in the morning to report that a man had broken into the house and was in his kitchen with a knife. A deputy arrived and entered the parish rectory at around 5 a.m. on Dec. 10, 2023, according to an affidavit.
The priest had “a severe laceration to his face and was bleeding profusely,” and Williams, then 43, was lying perpendicularly across Gutgsell’s chest, according to authorities. Officers identified more lacerations on his face, hands, and back. Gutgsell was then rushed to a hospital in Omaha, where he died.
Investigators have not found any connection between Williams and the priest in the small town of just 1,100 residents.
Read More![Hispanic ministry directors conference hears from Paterson officials #Catholic - Two Spanish-speaking officials from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey spoke at this year’s annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM), held in Newark, N.J., from Oct. 21 to 24. The theme was “Walking with Joy. Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope 2025.
Maria Moncaleano, director of Hispanic Ministry in Paterson, gave a speech welcoming the participants on Tuesday, Oct. 21. She is NCADDHM’s vice president, chairperson of the conference planning committee, and is a representative of Episcopal Region 3 of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Freddy Garcia, Paterson Diocesan associate coordinator of evangelization and a campus minister, spoke about “Communion, Participation, and Mission: The Path of the Young Adult” on the conference’s third day, Oct. 23.
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“I shared my personal story about how I embraced a life of faith in my young adulthood and grew committed to the mission of the Church,” Garcia told BeaconNJ.org after the conference. “The goal in the end was to offer insights on how to achieve objectives from the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry, specifically regarding young adults, Hispanic and Latino.”
Of the conference’s 265 participants, 14 were bishops and 30 were priests, along with religious, and young adults, including several faithful from the Paterson Diocese. Episcopal Region delegates came from the Newark Archdiocese, Paterson Diocese, Metuchen Diocese, and Trenton Diocese in New Jersey and the Allentown Diocese and Harrisburg Diocese in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gerardo Salazar, NCADDHM’s COR manager, called this year’s event “the best attended conference in the last 33 years.”
One attendee from Paterson, Father Cesar Jaramillo, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., posted about the national gathering on social media, “Feeling inspired and encouraged by such a cloud of wonderful witnesses and amazing presenters at this year’s conference.”
NCADDHM’s purpose is to create a collaborative ministry. The association engages in reflection and planning of Hispanic ministry. It provides continuing formation for diocesan directors serving in the United States.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/hispanic-ministry-directors-conference-hears-from-paterson-officials-catholic-two-spanish-speaking-officials-from-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-spoke-at-this-years-annual-conference-of.jpg)
Hispanic ministry directors conference hears from Paterson officials #Catholic – 
Two Spanish-speaking officials from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey spoke at this year’s annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM), held in Newark, N.J., from Oct. 21 to 24. The theme was “Walking with Joy. Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope 2025.
Maria Moncaleano, director of Hispanic Ministry in Paterson, gave a speech welcoming the participants on Tuesday, Oct. 21. She is NCADDHM’s vice president, chairperson of the conference planning committee, and is a representative of Episcopal Region 3 of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Freddy Garcia, Paterson Diocesan associate coordinator of evangelization and a campus minister, spoke about “Communion, Participation, and Mission: The Path of the Young Adult” on the conference’s third day, Oct. 23.
“I shared my personal story about how I embraced a life of faith in my young adulthood and grew committed to the mission of the Church,” Garcia told BeaconNJ.org after the conference. “The goal in the end was to offer insights on how to achieve objectives from the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry, specifically regarding young adults, Hispanic and Latino.”
Of the conference’s 265 participants, 14 were bishops and 30 were priests, along with religious, and young adults, including several faithful from the Paterson Diocese. Episcopal Region delegates came from the Newark Archdiocese, Paterson Diocese, Metuchen Diocese, and Trenton Diocese in New Jersey and the Allentown Diocese and Harrisburg Diocese in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gerardo Salazar, NCADDHM’s COR manager, called this year’s event “the best attended conference in the last 33 years.”
One attendee from Paterson, Father Cesar Jaramillo, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, N.J., posted about the national gathering on social media, “Feeling inspired and encouraged by such a cloud of wonderful witnesses and amazing presenters at this year’s conference.”
NCADDHM’s purpose is to create a collaborative ministry. The association engages in reflection and planning of Hispanic ministry. It provides continuing formation for diocesan directors serving in the United States.
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org] – Two Spanish-speaking officials from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey spoke at this year’s annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM), held in Newark, N.J., from Oct. 21 to 24. The theme was “Walking with Joy. Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope 2025. Maria Moncaleano, director of Hispanic Ministry in Paterson, gave a speech welcoming the participants on Tuesday, Oct. 21. She is NCADDHM’s vice president, chairperson of the conference planning committee, and is a representative of Episcopal Region 3 of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Freddy Garcia,
Scanning the constellation Cepheus the King leads us to one of the sky’s largest emission nebulae — IC 1396. It measures a whopping 2.8° by 2.3°. But this region also contains dark nebulae and a bright star cluster. Plus, there’s a famous colorful star nearby. Get ready to spend lots of time observing this wonderful region. In images of IC 1396, the mostContinue reading “Michael’s Miscellany: A lot to see around IC 1396”
The post Michael’s Miscellany: A lot to see around IC 1396 appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![Parsippany convocation teaches ‘truth with love’ about Invitro Fertilization #Catholic - The Respect Life Convocation 2025 of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Oct. 25 examined Invitro Fertilization (IVF) and healthcare ethics. The event, presented in English and Spanish, was held at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J.
The convocation offered a powerful day of faith, learning and honest conversation in exploring the Church’s teaching on IVF and Catholic health care. Participants gained the tools to navigate these sensitive topics with compassion and clarity in their families and communities. One in six couples experiences infertility.
The speakers that day included Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney; Father Pawel Tomczyk, director of pastoral formation and assistant professor of moral theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology in South Orange, N.J.; Dr. Monika Potocki, an obstetrician and gynecologist at St. Peter Healthcare System in Somerset, N.J.; and Karla Semen, a fertility care practitioner at the Gianna Center of Philadelphia.
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That day, Bishop Sweeney also celebrated a Mass in St. Peter’s Church, concelebrated by priests in attendance.
Alyssa Renovales, director of the diocesan Respect Life Office; Eni Honsberger, director of the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life; Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization and education; and a team from St. Paul Inside the Walls Evangelization Center in Madison, N.J., planned the convocation.
On social media, Bishop Sweeney said he and the convocation’s other speakers, offered “detailed and educational presentations and conversations on what we believe and how we can teach the truth with love.”
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/parsippany-convocation-teaches-truth-with-love-about-invitro-fertilization-catholic-the-respect-life-convocation-2025-of-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-on-oct-25-examined-inv.jpg)
Parsippany convocation teaches ‘truth with love’ about Invitro Fertilization #Catholic – 
The Respect Life Convocation 2025 of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Oct. 25 examined Invitro Fertilization (IVF) and healthcare ethics. The event, presented in English and Spanish, was held at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J.
The convocation offered a powerful day of faith, learning and honest conversation in exploring the Church’s teaching on IVF and Catholic health care. Participants gained the tools to navigate these sensitive topics with compassion and clarity in their families and communities. One in six couples experiences infertility.
The speakers that day included Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney; Father Pawel Tomczyk, director of pastoral formation and assistant professor of moral theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology in South Orange, N.J.; Dr. Monika Potocki, an obstetrician and gynecologist at St. Peter Healthcare System in Somerset, N.J.; and Karla Semen, a fertility care practitioner at the Gianna Center of Philadelphia.
That day, Bishop Sweeney also celebrated a Mass in St. Peter’s Church, concelebrated by priests in attendance.
Alyssa Renovales, director of the diocesan Respect Life Office; Eni Honsberger, director of the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life; Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization and education; and a team from St. Paul Inside the Walls Evangelization Center in Madison, N.J., planned the convocation.
On social media, Bishop Sweeney said he and the convocation’s other speakers, offered “detailed and educational presentations and conversations on what we believe and how we can teach the truth with love.”
– The Respect Life Convocation 2025 of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey on Oct. 25 examined Invitro Fertilization (IVF) and healthcare ethics. The event, presented in English and Spanish, was held at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J. The convocation offered a powerful day of faith, learning and honest conversation in exploring the Church’s teaching on IVF and Catholic health care. Participants gained the tools to navigate these sensitive topics with compassion and clarity in their families and communities. One in six couples experiences infertility. The speakers that day included Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney; Father Pawel Tomczyk, director
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 10:08 am (CNA).
“Retiring for Eternity: Planning Based on Social Science and Catholic Social Thought” was among the topics the Society of Catholic Social Scientists examined during its 2025 annual conference, held Oct. 24–25 on the campus of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.
In his presentation on the topic, Miguel Olivas-Luján, a professor of business at PennWest University, called for a transformative vision of retirement, one that “transcends conventional models of successful or active aging.”
“While secular frameworks emphasize health, financial stability, and social engagement, Catholic social teaching invites a deeper reflection on the spiritual dimensions of aging, particularly the preparation for eternal life,” Olivas-Luján pointed out.
In Catholic social teaching, Olivas-Luján explained, aging and retirement are not viewed as periods of decline but as opportunities for deepening solidarity within families, communities, and the Church.
Recent developments in Catholic social teaching on aging include the work of Professor Peter Kevern, who in a 2018 paper identified the elderly as bearers of unique charisms — wisdom, memory, and interdependence — that substantially enrich both eccesial and civic communities.
The Catholic view on aging, Olivas-Luján continued, considers the spiritual, relational, and ethical contributions of older adults to be “indispensable to the flourishing of both Church and society.”
In his presentation, Olivas-Luján explained how the foundational principles of Catholic social thought affirm the inherent worth of older adults and their continued role in society. He cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which affirms the understanding that because of each person’s essential human dignity, for example, as individuals age their value remains constant, rooted in their divine origin and eternal destiny.
Retirement is thus, in Olivas-Luján’s words, “an ideal time to accelerate the pace and intentionality toward this union with God, once work-related preoccupations no longer take the highest priority.”
For many older adults, Olivas-Luján noted, the end of a professional career can lead to feelings of isolation or a loss of direction. Catholic parishes and ministries, however, offer a unique and spiritually enriching environment that help retirees remain engaged, purposeful, and connected to their communities.
Through their ministries, volunteer opportunities, and social events, for example, parishes and organizations like the Knights of Columbus provide retirees with opportunities to continue contributing meaningfully. The Catholic Health Association has also documented how faith communities can help retirees maintain their physical, emotional, and spiritual health through holistic support systems that integrate prayer, service, and fellowship.
In addition, Olivas-Luján cited studies that show that seniors with strong spiritual engagement experience lower rates of depression and anxiety, and register greater life satisfaction and improved physical health.
Nonetheless, the Church’s understanding of suffering in old age also reframes physical decline and existential questioning as pathways to grace and communion with Christ. The PennWest professor pointed out that from a Catholic perspective and specifically when viewed through the lens of redemptive suffering, “human pain, when united with trust in Christ’s redeeming passion, can contribute to personal sanctification and the salvation of others.”
Ultimately, as Olivas-Luján put it, retirement and aging are not problems to be solved but vocations to be lived, “a sacred season rich with opportunities for love, service, and spiritual flourishing.”
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Houston, Texas, Oct 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Texas voters will head to the polls next week to consider Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment aimed at enshrining parents’ rights in the state constitution.
The measure, if approved, would add language to the Texas Constitution affirming that parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing” and the responsibility “to nurture and protect the parent’s child.”
Texas already ranks among 26 states with a Parents’ Bill of Rights enshrined in state law. That existing statute grants parents a right to “full information” concerning their child at school as well as access to their child’s student records, copies of state assessments, and teaching materials, among other provisions.
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told CNA it supports the “proposed amendment to recognize the natural right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing.”
Other supporters include the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission, Family Freedom Project, Texans for Vaccine Choice, Texas Eagle Forum, Texas Home School Coalition, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Texas Right to Life PAC.
Marcella Burke, a Houston attorney, told CNA that “it’s good to live in a state where an amendment like this is on the table. Parents matter, their kids matter, and families should be protected against government interference. That’s exactly what this amendment seeks to do: keep governments from interfering with beneficial family growth and child development.”
“While these rights to nurture and protect children are currently safeguarded thanks to existing Supreme Court case law, there is no federal constitutional amendment protecting these rights,” Burke continued.
Opposition to the proposition has come from both Democratic as well as conservative advocacy groups.
According to the True Texas Project, a conservative group of former Tea Party supporters, the language of the amendment is too vague. In addition, the group argues that “Prop 15 would simply declare that parents have the inherent right to make decisions for their children. We should not have to put this into the state constitution! God has already ordained that parents are to be responsible for their children, and government has no place in family decisions, except in the case of child abuse and neglect.”
The group says that including the proposed language in the state constitution “equates to acknowledgement that the state has conferred this right. And we know that what the state can give, the state can take away.”
Burke said, however, that “an amendment like this will make governments think twice and carefully consider any actions affecting child-rearing. Keep in mind that no rights are absolute, so in this context, parents don’t have the right to abuse their kids — and that’s the sort of exception the amendment reads in.”
Katy Faust, founder of children’s advocacy group Them Before Us, told CNA parental rights are the “flipside of genuine child rights.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to sources, President Donald Trump broached the subject of scientific collaboration this week with Tesla Founder and CEO Elon Musk, asking if he could come up with a way to supply precisely 1.21 gigawatts of power to a DeLorean.
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LOS ANGELES, CA — After Monday night’s epic 18-inning marathon Game 3 severely depleted their bullpen, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that actor Jason Bateman would take the mound for the team in Game 4.
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