After months of promising the voters of New York City all kinds of free stuff, Zohran Mamdani’s post-election victory party featured a cash br with very pricey drinks.
The post IRONY: Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Party Featured a CASH Bar With Very Expensive Drinks appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The fact that people who live in the United States of America, the most free country to ever exist on the planet, are embracing the concepts of socialism and communism is an indictment of our entire education system.
The post Man Who Fled the Soviet Union is Stunned That People in America Are Embracing Socialism/Communism (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Nancy Pelosi is finally retiring from congress and she is doing so as an extremely wealthy woman.
The post Nancy Pelosi’s Stock Market Return Rate During Her Time in Congress is INSANE appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreThe following form of evening prayers is taken from “The Key of Heaven, a Manual of Prayer for the Use of the Faithful”, Imprimatur P. Fenton, Vicar General, Westminster.
In the Name of the + Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
O my God,
I believe that Thou art here present;
and that Thou observest all my actions,
all my thoughts,
and the most secret motions of my heart.
I adore Thee,
and I love Thee with my whole heart.
I return …
A reading from the Book of Ezekiel
47:1-2, 8-9, 12
The angel brought me
back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
He said to me,
"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."
A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
1, 3:9c-11, 16-17
Brothers and sisters:
You are God’s building.
According to the grace of God given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building upon it.
But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there,
namely, Jesus Christ.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
From the Gospel according to John
2:13-22
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
"Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace."
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
"What sign can you show us for doing this?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."
The Jews said,
"This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?"
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
Today’s Gospel presents the episode of the expulsion of the merchants from the temple (Jn 2:13-25). Jesus made “a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple” (Jn 2:15), the money, everything. Such a gesture gave rise to strong impressions in the people and in the disciples. It clearly appeared as a prophetic gesture, so much so that some of those present asked Jesus: “What sign have you to show us for doing this?” (v. 18), who are you to do these things? Show us a sign that you have authority to do them. They were seeking a divine and prodigious sign that would confirm that Jesus was sent by God. And He responded: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (…)
We have here, according to the evangelist John, the first proclamation of the death and resurrection of Christ: His body, destroyed on the Cross by the violence of sin, will become in the Resurrection the universal meeting place between God and mankind. And the Risen Christ is Himself the universal meeting place — for everyone! — between God and mankind. For this reason, his humanity is the true temple where God is revealed, speaks, is encountered; and the true worshippers, the true worshippers of God are not only the guardians of the material temple, the keepers of power and of religious knowledge, [but] they are those who worship God “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23). (Pope Francis, Angelus, 8 March 2015)
Read More![Morris Township conference reminds youth to be ‘Anchored in Hope’ #Catholic - Teenagers from around the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey gathered at St. Elizabeth University in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J., for the annual Diocesan Youth Conference on Nov. 2. The theme of the event was “Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Year of Hope 2025.
Youth grades 8 to 12 attended the conference, which also included music, games, activities, and praise and worship featuring AOH (Array of Hope) Music and witness talks by Alanis Vega, AOH content coordinator, and Josh Rosa, one of the founders of Agnus Dei ministry, an author, and a Catholic speaker.
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The conference also hosted an exhibition of Eucharistic miracles with a first-class relic of St. Carlo Acutis, who was canonized as the first millennial saint by Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Sept. 7.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Mass for the conference participants, which was concelebrated with other priests.
The diocesan Office of Youth Ministry sponsored the conference, which Array of Hope produced.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/morris-township-conference-reminds-youth-to-be-anchored-in-hope-catholic-teenagers-from-around-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-gathered-at-st-elizabeth-university-in-the-conve.jpg)
Morris Township conference reminds youth to be ‘Anchored in Hope’ #Catholic – 
Teenagers from around the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey gathered at St. Elizabeth University in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J., for the annual Diocesan Youth Conference on Nov. 2. The theme of the event was “Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Year of Hope 2025.
Youth grades 8 to 12 attended the conference, which also included music, games, activities, and praise and worship featuring AOH (Array of Hope) Music and witness talks by Alanis Vega, AOH content coordinator, and Josh Rosa, one of the founders of Agnus Dei ministry, an author, and a Catholic speaker.
The conference also hosted an exhibition of Eucharistic miracles with a first-class relic of St. Carlo Acutis, who was canonized as the first millennial saint by Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Sept. 7.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated a Mass for the conference participants, which was concelebrated with other priests.
The diocesan Office of Youth Ministry sponsored the conference, which Array of Hope produced.
– Teenagers from around the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey gathered at St. Elizabeth University in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J., for the annual Diocesan Youth Conference on Nov. 2. The theme of the event was “Anchored in Hope,” inspired by the Universal Church’s Year of Hope 2025. Youth grades 8 to 12 attended the conference, which also included music, games, activities, and praise and worship featuring AOH (Array of Hope) Music and witness talks by Alanis Vega, AOH content coordinator, and Josh Rosa, one of the founders of Agnus Dei ministry, an author, and a Catholic speaker.
CNA Staff, Nov 8, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:
Hundreds gathered in Boston last Saturday for a men’s march for life, which drew a rambunctious crowd of protesters dressed as clowns and inflatable dinosaurs.
The fourth annual National Men’s March to Abolish Abortion and Rally for Personhood began at Boston Planned Parenthood and concluded about three miles away at Boston Common.
While counterprotesters — some dressed as clowns or wearing inflatable dinosaur costumes — played instruments and yelled on the sidelines, marchers carried on in a “prayerful and well-composed” manner, said march co-founder and president Jim Havens, who called the event “outstanding.”
At the rallying point at Boston Common, an estimated 50 Antifa members also showed up. Another counterprotester wore a pony costume and carried a megaphone.
Though the event sees protesters every year, Havens told CNA that the marchers have a good relationship with local law enforcement, so the event is “safe and secure.”
“In our current culture of death, when we publicly stand for the least among us and for the abolition of the ongoing daily mass murder of our littlest brothers and sisters, protesters are to be expected,” Havens said. “We strive to incorporate the protesters into those for whom we pray as we march.”
A marching band from the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property also participated to counterbalance the noise of the counterprotesters.
The march invites men “to step forward to protect the women and children,” Havens explained.
The idea that abortion is not a men’s issue is “nonsense,” Havens said.
“As men, we have a moral responsibility to protect and defend vulnerable women and children, and it’s time we all get off the sidelines and do so,” Havens said.
Speakers included Sister Deirdre Byrne, pro-life activist Will Goodman, and Bishop Joseph Strickland, among others.
“As we marched, there was a sense among the men that we were simply being true to who we are as men,” Havens said.
“Now active in the urgent fight for abolition, these men will not be going back to the sidelines,” he said. “Instead, they are now asking, ‘What more can I do?’”
A group was gathered outside a South Carolina church on a Sunday morning to protest board members’ involvement with abortion funds when a man threatened them with a grenade.
Video footage shows Richard Lovelace, 79, holding up a grenade, saying: “I have a grenade for y’all, a gift for you protesters.”
After Lovelace was arrested, police found that the grenade was hollowed out.
Lovelace, a member of St. Anne Episcopal Church, is a retired lawyer whose wife is on the church’s board and is a judge in South Carolina.
The Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust group was protesting the board’s involvement with the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, a group that partners with Planned Parenthood to bring illegal abortion pills into the state and helps women travel out of state for abortions.
Police charged Lovelace with four counts of having a hoax device and threatening to use it. On Monday, he was released from the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a $60,000 bond.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Nov. 6 issued an executive order preventing abortion providers from receiving taxpayer funding in Nebraska.
While the federal law and some state laws prevent taxpayer funding from going directly to abortion, state governments often subsidize providers for other services, therefore indirectly funding abortion.
In Nebraska in 2025, more than $300,000 went to abortion providers, according to the governor’s office. President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act recently prohibited federal funds from going toward abortion providers for one year.
Pillen said he is “proud that we can take this bold step in halting funding to abortion providers that receive Medicaid funding.”
“Nebraskans have made clear they support a culture of love and life in our state — one that provides protections for the unborn,” he said in a press release.
Attorney General Mike Hilgers said the issue has “been in the background for a long time for a lot of people.”
“In fact, the desire of Nebraska taxpayers to not have their funds be used for abortions has been in state statutes for some time,” Hilgers noted.
Thousands gathered for the March for Life in Lansing, Michigan, on Thursday, Nov. 6.
March for Life president Jennie Bradley Lichter, who spoke at the event, called the march a chance to “send a vital message to our legislators who have the power to support women, children, and families.”
“The women of Michigan deserve better than the tragedy of abortion, and we want them to know we are here for them, no matter what they are facing,” Lichter said in a statement shared with CNA.
Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing as well as Knights of Columbus State Deputy Barry Borsenik spoke at the event. Michigan state lawmakers including state Rep. Ann Bollin, state Sen. John Damoose, and state Rep. Jennifer Wortz also spoke at the event.
President of Right to Life Michigan Amber Roseboom said the pro-life movement in Michigan stands with women facing unplanned pregnancies.
“While a woman in Michigan can have an abortion at any point in her pregnancy for any reason, no woman should ever be made to feel that abortion is the best or only option,” she said in a statement shared with CNA.
“Pro-lifers from across our state have a powerful message for women facing unplanned pregnancies: You are not alone! We stand with you. We stand for you,” Roseboom said.
Read More![Florida announces $350 million false advertising lawsuit against Planned Parenthood - #Catholic -
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks with EWTN News’ Catherine Hadro on “EWTN News Nightly” on Nov. 7, 2025. / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot
CNA Staff, Nov 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
Florida is suing Planned Parenthood for up to $350 million for allegedly falsely advertising abortion pills as “safer than Tylenol,” a claim debunked in a study this year.The 37-page lawsuit claims that Planned Parenthood has falsely advertised the abortion pill as “safer than Tylenol” despite evidence that shows a high rate of hospitalizations for women who take the drug mifepristone to induce abortions.Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Planned Parenthood has been “wrongfully deceiving women.”“We want to hold people accountable for hurting our women, for hurting our children, and these lawsuits are seeking to do it,” he told EWTN News’ Catherine Hadro, host of “EWTN News In Depth.” “They have been wrongfully deceiving women out there, advertising that these new chemical abortion pills are safer than Tylenol and pain medications you’d get over the shelf,” Uthmeier said. “Our evidence suggests that is entirely false.”“One in 25 women that take these chemical pills end up in the hospital, and we’ve seen dozens of deaths resulting,” Uthmeier continued. At least 36 women have died due to mifepristone-related complications since 2000, averaging more than one each year, according to the lawsuit. “We’re continuing to learn more, but the reality is there are dangers and harms with these dangerous chemical abortion pills that we’re only going to see more of going forward,” Uthmeier said.Uthmeier shared his concerns about pill trafficking, a growing problem for pro-life states. Current federal regulations allow providers to prescribe abortion drugs through telehealth and send them by mail. Abortion providers in states with lax abortion laws will ship pills into pro-life states without an in-person doctor’s visit.“The nature of these pills is it’s easier for them to get mailed into states like Florida, where we have a heartbeat bill, and they can violate that law,” Uthmeier said. “They also are more easily [put] into the hands of kids as a result of these new practices.” In recent months, several women who have been poisoned or coerced into taking the pill have sued abortion providers, who shipped the pills to their unborn children’s fathers. But pro-abortion states like New York and California have shield laws designed to protect abortion providers from the legal ramifications. California even allows anonymous prescription of the abortion pill.Uthmeier said Planned Parenthood has “turned to the chemical abortion pills because they’re so profitable.”“They have a 500% profit margin on the sale of these dangerous products,” he said. “By telling women that these drugs are safe, they’re able to sell more product, and they’ve had billions in revenues in recent years.”Uthmeier is asking the judge to fine Planned Parenthood $10,000 for each chemical abortion that Florida’s Planned Parenthood has provided since it began saying mifepristone was safer than Tylenol. Under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, there is a $10,000 penalty for each act of deception. Uthmeier called it a “slam-dunk case.”“The evidence shows hospitalizations at significantly higher rates than going to the hospital for taking Tylenol,” he said. “They’re lying to the public. They need to be held accountable.” Uthmeier, who is a practicing Catholic, also joined a lawsuit earlier this year challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to ease restrictions on mifepristone. “I’d like to say everybody on both sides of the aisle supports women and women’s safety,” Uthmeier said. “And wherever you stand on abortion, the reality is these drugs are sending women to the hospital. That can’t happen. So that’s why this fight is so important.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/florida-announces-350-million-false-advertising-lawsuit-against-planned-parenthood-catholic-florida-attorney-general-james-uthmeier-speaks-with-ewtn-news-catherine-hadro-on.webp)
CNA Staff, Nov 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
Florida is suing Planned Parenthood for up to $350 million for allegedly falsely advertising abortion pills as “safer than Tylenol,” a claim debunked in a study this year.
The 37-page lawsuit claims that Planned Parenthood has falsely advertised the abortion pill as “safer than Tylenol” despite evidence that shows a high rate of hospitalizations for women who take the drug mifepristone to induce abortions.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Planned Parenthood has been “wrongfully deceiving women.”
“We want to hold people accountable for hurting our women, for hurting our children, and these lawsuits are seeking to do it,” he told EWTN News’ Catherine Hadro, host of “EWTN News In Depth.”
“They have been wrongfully deceiving women out there, advertising that these new chemical abortion pills are safer than Tylenol and pain medications you’d get over the shelf,” Uthmeier said. “Our evidence suggests that is entirely false.”
“One in 25 women that take these chemical pills end up in the hospital, and we’ve seen dozens of deaths resulting,” Uthmeier continued.
At least 36 women have died due to mifepristone-related complications since 2000, averaging more than one each year, according to the lawsuit.
“We’re continuing to learn more, but the reality is there are dangers and harms with these dangerous chemical abortion pills that we’re only going to see more of going forward,” Uthmeier said.
Uthmeier shared his concerns about pill trafficking, a growing problem for pro-life states. Current federal regulations allow providers to prescribe abortion drugs through telehealth and send them by mail. Abortion providers in states with lax abortion laws will ship pills into pro-life states without an in-person doctor’s visit.
“The nature of these pills is it’s easier for them to get mailed into states like Florida, where we have a heartbeat bill, and they can violate that law,” Uthmeier said. “They also are more easily [put] into the hands of kids as a result of these new practices.”
In recent months, several women who have been poisoned or coerced into taking the pill have sued abortion providers, who shipped the pills to their unborn children’s fathers. But pro-abortion states like New York and California have shield laws designed to protect abortion providers from the legal ramifications. California even allows anonymous prescription of the abortion pill.
Uthmeier said Planned Parenthood has “turned to the chemical abortion pills because they’re so profitable.”
“They have a 500% profit margin on the sale of these dangerous products,” he said. “By telling women that these drugs are safe, they’re able to sell more product, and they’ve had billions in revenues in recent years.”
Uthmeier is asking the judge to fine Planned Parenthood $10,000 for each chemical abortion that Florida’s Planned Parenthood has provided since it began saying mifepristone was safer than Tylenol. Under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, there is a $10,000 penalty for each act of deception.
Uthmeier called it a “slam-dunk case.”
“The evidence shows hospitalizations at significantly higher rates than going to the hospital for taking Tylenol,” he said. “They’re lying to the public. They need to be held accountable.”
Uthmeier, who is a practicing Catholic, also joined a lawsuit earlier this year challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to ease restrictions on mifepristone.
“I’d like to say everybody on both sides of the aisle supports women and women’s safety,” Uthmeier said. “And wherever you stand on abortion, the reality is these drugs are sending women to the hospital. That can’t happen. So that’s why this fight is so important.”
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PHOENIX, AZ — New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has officially been named this year’s top U-Haul salesman, ending a record-breaking five-year streak from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
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NEW YORK, NY — In a reversal of yesterday’s announcement, Rockstar Games revealed that the hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI is, in fact, available now. Rockstar President and co-founder Sam Houser confirmed that the game was finally completed and ready for digital download immediately — unfortunately, the trumpet of God has sounded and everyone is now out of time.
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| Picture of the day |
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Schwetzingen Palace gardens, Schwetzingen, Germany: view from the Garden Theatre to the Temple of Apollo.
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![Carmelite sister makes solemn profession at Morristown monastery #Catholic - Carmelite Sister Mariyam Shahar of the Savior made her final profession of vows at the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Morristown, N.J. on Nov. 3 before Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
Before the prioress and her community, Sister Shahar promised to live a life of obedience, chastity, and poverty in the spirit of Carmel. Her family from her native Guam, including her parents, as well as friends and the faithful, attended the profession.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Father Gabriel Camacho, Father Daren Santa Tomas, Father Preston Perez, Father Stephen Toth, and Father Drazen Hosi, priests of the Newark Archdiocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
The Discalced Carmelites are a cloistered order with a daily schedule of eight hours of prayer, manual labor, some recreation, and contemplation. The sisters adhere to strict silence so their prayers may be more continuous.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/carmelite-sister-makes-solemn-profession-at-morristown-monastery-catholic-carmelite-sister-mariyam-shahar-of-the-savior-made-her-final-profession-of-vows-at-the-monastery-of-the-most-blessed-virgin.jpg)
Carmelite sister makes solemn profession at Morristown monastery #Catholic – 
Carmelite Sister Mariyam Shahar of the Savior made her final profession of vows at the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Morristown, N.J. on Nov. 3 before Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
Before the prioress and her community, Sister Shahar promised to live a life of obedience, chastity, and poverty in the spirit of Carmel. Her family from her native Guam, including her parents, as well as friends and the faithful, attended the profession.
Father Gabriel Camacho, Father Daren Santa Tomas, Father Preston Perez, Father Stephen Toth, and Father Drazen Hosi, priests of the Newark Archdiocese in New Jersey, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Sweeney.
The Discalced Carmelites are a cloistered order with a daily schedule of eight hours of prayer, manual labor, some recreation, and contemplation. The sisters adhere to strict silence so their prayers may be more continuous.
– Carmelite Sister Mariyam Shahar of the Savior made her final profession of vows at the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Morristown, N.J. on Nov. 3 before Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. Before the prioress and her community, Sister Shahar promised to live a life of obedience, chastity, and poverty in the spirit of Carmel. Her family from her native Guam, including her parents, as well as friends and the faithful, attended the profession. Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Father Gabriel Camacho, Father Daren Santa Tomas, Father Preston Perez, Father Stephen Toth, and
ACI MENA, Nov 8, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
In the Vatican Apostolic Library rests one of its most treasured possessions: the “Gospel of Qaraqosh,” a richly illuminated Syriac manuscript dating back to the 13th century. Catalogued as “Vat. Syr. 559,” it was penned in A.D. 1220 by monk Mubarak ibn Dawud al-Bartelli of the Monastery of Mar Mattai near Mosul.
Written in Estrangelo Syriac script, the manuscript gathers passages from the four Gospels used in the Syriac liturgical year and is adorned with vivid miniatures depicting scenes from Christ’s life and miracles.
According to Father Behnam Soni, an expert on Syriac Church Fathers, the manuscript endured multiple thefts throughout history but was repeatedly reclaimed by the faithful of Qaraqosh, who finally offered it to the Church of al-Tahira. In 1937, Bishop Georges Dallal presented the precious volume to Pope Pius XI, who entrusted it to the Vatican Library for preservation and study.
Measuring roughly 44 by 33.5 centimeters (17.32×13.19 inches) and bound in black leather with a gilded cross, the “Gospel of Qaraqosh” stands as a masterpiece of medieval Christian art and devotion.
Qaraqosh — also known as Baghdeda and Hamdaniyah — is a historic Christian town in northern Iraq located near Mosul in the Nineveh Plains. It is home to one of the largest Christian communities in the country, mainly belonging to the Syriac Catholic Church. The town has deep religious and cultural roots dating back centuries and is known for its churches, heritage, and resilience, especially after suffering destruction during the ISIS occupation and later rebuilding efforts.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.
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Manila, Philippines, Nov 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo, OMI, archbishop emeritus of Cotabato, has spent a lifetime building bridges of understanding across the complex cultural and religious landscape of Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island.
Widely known as the region’s “Man of Peace,” Quevedo’s ministry has been defined by dialogue, compassion, and his belief that peace begins in the heart.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, as of July 1, 2024, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is home to 5.69 million Filipinos, the majority of whom are Muslim.
The region is located on Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island, with a total population of approximately 26 million. While BARMM has a Muslim majority, the Philippines as a whole — with a population of 112.7 million — remains a Christian-majority nation.
In recognition of his decadeslong work for reconciliation among Christians, Muslims, and Lumad Indigenous communities, the Philippine government honored Quevedo, the first cardinal from Mindanao and a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, with the “Gawad Kapayapaan” (Peace Award) in September — a distinction given to individuals and institutions whose efforts advance peace and social cohesion.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) described Quevedo’s mission as one “for healing divisions and inspiring hope.” Officials cited his ability to unite faith leaders and ordinary citizens alike in a shared pursuit of understanding.
OPAPRU also honored Maria Veronica P. Tabara, a former revolutionary turned peace advocate, and the provincial government of Basilan with the Peace Award.
Now in its fourth year, the award recognizes leaders and institutions whose dedication to fostering mutual understanding, interfaith dialogue, and solidarity is bringing the nation closer to its vision of justice and lasting peace while inspiring all Filipinos to participate in this peace journey.
“Quevedo’s decades of service to the Church and communities in Mindanao show us that peace is built not only through institutions but through compassion, unity, and faith in humanity,” OPAPRU said.
Accepting the award, Quevedo said: “Peace is born in the heart. Let us continue building bridges — not only between communities but between hearts — for only together can we truly walk the path of peace.”
He dedicated the award to Muslims, Christians, and Lumads “who have labored quietly for peace.”
Born March 11, 1939, in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte province, in the northern Philippines, Quevedo was ordained a priest in 1964 and became bishop of the Diocese of Kidapawan in 1982. After leading the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, he was later appointed archbishop of Cotabato, witnessing firsthand the deep fractures of Mindanao — long affected by armed conflict, historical grievances, and economic inequality.
Additionally, he was president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines from 1999 to 2003 and head of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences from 2005 to 2011. Quevedo was made a cardinal in 2014.
Quevedo has devoted his ministry over the years to bridging divides. In 1996, he participated in the Bishops-Ulama Conference, a forum that brought together Catholic bishops, Protestant pastors, and Muslim ulama for dialogue and cooperation. The initiative remains a cornerstone of interfaith peacebuilding in the Philippines.
“Peace is born in the heart,” Quevedo often says. “It grows when we build bridges — not only between communities but between hearts.”
Even after retiring in 2018, the cardinal remains a moral voice for peace in the BARMM, serving on its Council of Leaders. His advocacy now centers on addressing the root causes of conflict — inequality, exclusion, and mistrust — through education, inclusive governance, and people-to-people encounters.
He insists that peacebuilding cannot rely solely on institutions. “It is through compassion, unity, and respect for human dignity,” he has said, “that true peace takes root.”
Quevedo has spent years working among communities and building bridges where violence once tore them apart.
One of his goals is to bring religious leaders together in a place where they can discuss and plan ways to promote peace. He also wants to make it easier for them to talk to government agencies and other groups involved in reconciliation, with the right policies in place.
He believes in “the effects of ripples” — and that small steps always lead to significant changes. He says that a simple act of peace and openness can change the world in the most dangerous and dark places.
Quevedo urges people to respect differences in language, culture, and religion. His work aims to end violence and respect human dignity by linking community involvement to democratic values. He urges everyone to reach out to people with compassion and respect. In Mindanao, his approach has been to include children, youth, women, elders, religious leaders, government officials, and the public in promoting peace.
His dedication has resulted in tangible outcomes: Educational institutes, civil society groups, and public institutions have endorsed his initiatives for peace and fellowship.
Today, interfaith dialogue efforts are a sign of hope in the Philippines, thanks to people like Quevedo and many others. It indicates that peace isn’t just the lack of conflict; it’s also the presence of compassion and friendship.
Quevedo says that when people of different faiths walk together with open hearts and hope, healing starts and peace becomes not just possible but real. Such efforts, according to Quevedo, would enrich people’s life expressions and experiences across religions, and all would have a role to play as peace catalysts.
For many, Quevedo’s legacy lies not just in his ecclesial titles — bishop, archbishop, cardinal — but in his enduring witness to faith in action. His influence extends to educators, faith leaders, and grassroots advocates who continue his mission of dialogue and understanding.
Read MoreLooking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. November 7: Open cluster M103 shines in the Queen Eighth-magnitude dwarf planet 1 Ceres is passing close to a background star tonight, just 6’ southwest of a slightly fainter 9th-magnitude sun. Both are about ¼° north of an easy-to-spot pair of starsContinue reading “The Sky Today on Saturday, November 8: Ceres make an appulse”
The post The Sky Today on Saturday, November 8: Ceres make an appulse appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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