Day: January 5, 2026

ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 5, 2026 / 14:40 pm (CNA).

Every Jan. 5 the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Neumann, Redemptorist missionary, fourth bishop of the city of Philadelphia, and organizer of the first Catholic education network in the U.S.

John Nepomucene Neumann was born in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic, in 1811. He attended school in Budweis and years later, in 1831, entered the seminary in that same city.

Upon completing his preparation for the priesthood, he presented himself to his diocese but suffered an unexpected setback. The local bishop had fallen ill and priestly ordinations in his diocese were suspended until further notice.

Neumann, eager to serve the Lord, wrote letters to the bishops of the neighboring dioceses, but none of them wanted to accept him. Despite the obstacles, the saint was not discouraged.

To earn his living, he went to work in a factory where he met a few Americans from whom he learned some English. Later, he contacted some bishops in the United States. Neumann had a missionary soul and was ready to move to America.

Priest and missionary in North America

The archbishop of New York agreed to receive and ordain Neumann, so he left his family and friends to embark on the adventure of proclaiming the Lord in a distant land. After being ordained in the U.S., Neumann joined 36 other priests who were to assist the almost 200,000 Catholics living in the U.S at the time.

The newly ordained was entrusted with the administration of a parish. The first pastoral difficulty he faced was the vast territory entrusted to him: His parish stretched from Ontario, Canada, to Pennsylvania.

Given the immense need, Neumann spent most of his time visiting villages and towns. He had to cross inhospitable territories, walk long distances in extreme cold and sweltering heat, and trek high mountains and majestic landscapes — all in order to watch over his flock and to assist those in need.

These were long years of providing catechesis, administering the sacraments, and celebrating the Eucharist. It was common to see Neumann preach both in churches and in abandoned huts. He even preached outside taverns, refuges for impenitent souls.

Neumann often had to celebrate Mass in dining rooms and kitchens.

Redemptorist

With time and continued difficulties, the missionary priest discovered the need for the support of a religious community. He knew the Redemptorists well so he applied to join the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. When the time came, he took his vows at the congregation’s house in Baltimore in 1842.

Neumann was noted for his piety and kindness as well as his versatility in understanding and accompanying his parishioners, most of whom were European immigrants. Neumann knew up to six languages, so it was not difficult for him to communicate with Catholics who did not speak English well.

In 1847, he was appointed visitator of the Redemptorists in the United States. At the end of his service, the Redemptorists were ready to form an autonomous “province or religious province,” which became a reality in 1850.

Promoter of Catholic education in the U.S.

Neumann was then ordained bishop of Philadelphia, and from that city he organized the diocesan system of Catholic schools, becoming a great promoter of religious education in the country. He also founded the congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, dedicated to teaching in schools, and was the promoter of the construction of more than 80 churches throughout the country.

Neumman was a simple man, short in stature and reportedly good-natured. Although he never had robust health, he carried out great pastoral and literary activity. He wrote many articles in magazines and newspapers, and published two catechisms and a history of the Bible for school children.

Once, in one of his articles, he wrote: “I have never regretted having dedicated myself to the mission in America.”

On Jan. 5, 1860, when he was just 48 years old, he suddenly collapsed in the street and went home to the Lord. He was beatified in 1963 and canonized in 1977 by Pope Paul VI.

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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Jan 5, 2026 / 13:06 pm (CNA).

With the signing of the law that recognizes that “the human being in gestation or the unborn child is a natural person,” Puerto Rico concluded 2025 with historic achievements in the defense of life. For Puerto Rican Sen. Joanne Rodríguez-Veve, it was a year “in which unprecedented progress was made.”

On Dec. 22, 2025, the governor of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González, a Republican, signed Law 183-2025 — formerly Senate Bill 504 — which recognizes that the conceived child, “at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb,” is a “natural person.”

A “natural person” is simply a human person as distinguished from a juridical person such as a corporation.

Three days earlier, on Dec. 20, Gov. González had signed Law 166-2025 — formerly Senate Bill 3 — which stipulates that it will be considered “first-degree murder when a crime is committed against a pregnant woman, resulting in the death of the unborn child at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb.”

It will also be considered first-degree murder when the unborn child dies as a result of “the use of force or violence against the pregnant woman.”

These laws are in addition to the signing on Oct. 30, 2025, of Law 122-2025 — Senate Bill 297 — which establishes guidelines for abortion cases involving minors under 15 years of age, stipulating that at least one of the girl’s parents or legal guardians must sign an informed consent form and that authorities must be notified in cases of suspected rape.

Laws 166 and 183 were authored by the president of the Senate of Puerto Rico, Thomas Rivera-Schatz, and Rodríguez-Veve is listed as a co-author, among other legislators.

Sen. Rodríguez-Veve is also the author of the bill passed as Law 122.

‘Unprecedented progress’ after more than 4 decades

In a Jan. 1, 2026, interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Rodríguez-Veve noted that “despite the fact that the majority of the population had consistently expressed itself in favor of protecting the lives of unborn children, the political class, dominated primarily by progressive factions, refused to pass any legislation that represented even the slightest step in defense of the human right to life.”

“Multiple legislative efforts were defeated for more than four decades, until 2025, when unprecedented progress was achieved. In just the first year of the new government, the Legislative Assembly approved three bills that address the issue of abortion,” she said.

Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States; its constitution governs internally, but it is subordinate to the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, such as the now-overturned Roe v. Wade — which at the time opened the door to abortion throughout the United States — also apply in Puerto Rico and directly affect its legal system.

Rodríguez-Veve emphasized that the constitution of Puerto Rico “expressly recognizes the right to life, a recognition that, according to the legislative record during the drafting of the constitution, was included with the clear purpose of protecting the lives of human beings in the womb.”

“However, our constitutional intent was overridden by the now-obsolete U.S. Supreme Court precedent established in Roe v. Wade. Since then, Puerto Rico became one of the most permissive jurisdictions regarding abortion, allowing abortions at any stage of pregnancy, at any age, and for any reason.”

For the Puerto Rican senator, “the fundamental change” brought about by the laws signed in recent months “lies in the explicit recognition of the dignity of human life from conception, thus restoring the moral foundation that, as a people, we established in the drafting of our constitution in 1952.”

A ‘powerful message’

Rodríguez-Veve pointed out that “by recognizing the unborn child as a natural and legal person, and by classifying as first-degree murder an attack against a pregnant woman in which the baby dies, we are not only recognizing the human nature of the child in the womb, but also the dignity of its humanity.”

“In other words, it is not only about the importance of the new legal implications and the practical consequences in the application of the law, but about an even more profound change due to its ontological dimension,” she said. “The message is clear: In the womb of a pregnant woman there is not an indecipherable object without dignity but a subject, a developing human being, who has dignity and whose value is intrinsic to his or her human nature,” she added.

In response to the criticism that has circulated following the signing of the law that recognizes the unborn child as a person, the senator clarified that “no article of the new law alters the Medical Practice Act, the Medical Emergencies Act, or the standards of treatment in life-threatening situations.”

“Clinical decisions in emergency scenarios continue to be based exclusively on the risk to the patient’s life or health. The bill does not introduce anything that could prevent or delay such treatment,” she emphasized.

“It is the legal opinion of the current secretary of justice of Puerto Rico that, after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, abortion in Puerto Rico is governed by the Puerto Rican Penal Code. This interpretation means that abortion is only legal when performed to protect the life or health of the woman,” she said.

Surgery ban

Rodríguez-Veve said “the passage of Law 63-2025 constituted another colossal achievement in defense of the dignity of human life, specifically of minors at risk from the currents of woke ideology that have reached our shores.”

Law 63-2025 — which bears the signatures of Rivera-Schatz, Rodríguez-Veve, and Sen. Jeison Rosa as authors — prohibits “surgical interventions or drug treatments that alter the biological sex of a minor under the pretext of a gender transition or as part of a treatment for gender dysphoria.”

“This law represents an absolute halt to the use of minors to promote unscientific and unnatural ideas that cause them irreversible physical harm,” Rodríguez-Veve emphasized.

“With the signing of this law, no minor under 21 years of age in Puerto Rico can be subjected to chemical or surgical mutilation treatments as part of a progressive trend that, through the denaturalization of the human being, uses the most vulnerable to advance its agendas,” she emphasized.

With the achievements accomplished in 2025 and with an eye on the future, Sen. Rodríguez-Vve sees her work as “continuing to contribute to the reconstruction of the moral and human fabric that has characterized us as a people since the dawn of our national identity.”

“Puerto Rico was forged in the crucible of Christianity, and it is from our cultural and spiritual heritage that I seek to continue upholding the values ​​that were the cradle and foundation of Puerto Rican identity,” she affirmed.

‘A turning point’

In a Spanish-language article titled “The Courage to Legislate with Conviction,” published on the Puerto Rico Senate’s website, Rivera-Schatz emphasized that “this 2025 legislative year marked a turning point in the legal and moral history of Puerto Rico,” highlighting that these and other laws passed stem from “the commitment I made to the people to protect fundamental rights, the traditional family, and the reaffirmation of the principles and values ​​that distinguish us as a society.”

“These laws reflect a vision of the state that recognizes that religious freedom is not an administrative concession but a fundamental right; that the family is not an abstract concept but the institution and backbone of a society; that childhood requires special protection from public authorities; and that human life, from its most vulnerable stage, deserves legal and moral respect.”

“From a Christian perspective, these laws are rooted in principles of conscience, responsibility, stewardship, and justice,” he affirmed.

After warning that “Puerto Rico faces the challenge of preserving its freedom without losing its legal and moral soul,” the Senate president said that “from the perspective of the Christian faith, it is proclaimed that the law must serve life, the family, and social peace. From a legal perspective, it is maintained that all legislation will be evaluated in the courts, as is appropriate in a democracy, but also in the court of history.”

The Puerto Rico Senate leader concluded his article by quoting St. John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio: “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.”

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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Jan 5, 2026 / 12:34 pm (CNA).

Catholic bishops in Ethiopia have issued a far-reaching synodality message that speaks to the fear, suffering, and fragmentation gripping the Horn of Africa nation, repeatedly urging the people of God to “not be afraid.”

Dated Dec. 10, 2025, and obtained on Jan. 4 by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, the message was released at the conclusion of the 59th Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) members, held in Emdibir Dec. 8–10. The gathering marked both the close of the jubilee year and the formal beginning of the implementation of the final document of the Synod on Synodality in Ethiopia.

A Catholic missionary source familiar with the Church in Ethiopia told ACI Africa that the CBCE members’ decision to circulate the message widely — and to request that it be read out at parish Masses — represents a significant shift.

“The fact that the Catholic bishops are circulating the statement and asking to have it read at parish Masses is something new,” the source said, adding that Catholic bishops in Ethiopia “were very fearful in the past. Maybe this ‘don’t be afraid’ is a new start for a marginal Church.”

A message rooted in Advent hope

The bishops’ message was addressed to clergy, women and men religious, and the laity — including Catholics in the diaspora and “all people of goodwill, ”and was inspired by the words of the angel to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of great joy for all people” (Lk 2:10).

Written during Advent to culminate in Christmas, which is celebrated on Jan. 7 in Ethiopia, the Catholic bishops situated their pastoral exhortation firmly within the concrete realities of Ethiopian life.

“In a nation burdened by many hardships — poverty, conflict, climate change, cultural confusion, and division — these words remind us that even amid darkness, the divine light of Christ shines forth, guiding us toward renewed hope and unity,” CBCE members said.

The bishops said their call to courage is not denial of suffering but rather a proclamation of faith. “We proclaim it not as a denial of the profound suffering and fear that grips our nation but as a faith-filled affirmation that God is with us,” they wrote.

Naming the wounds of the nation

The bishops described the “heavy burdens” afflicting the nation, beginning with the crushing cost of living.

“For so many families, daily life has become unbearable,” they said, adding that “soaring prices render basic provisions a luxury. Parents watch helplessly as children go to bed hungry.”

The Church leaders framed this reality as a violation of Catholic social teaching, emphasizing the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable and insisting that economic structures must serve human dignity.

They also drew attention to the devastating impact of climate change, particularly drought and environmental degradation.

“Imagine those who are dying of hunger in a country of plenty,” they wrote, calling for “ecological conversion” and quoting the May 2015 encyclical letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, on the need for “an overall personal conversion… which leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change.”

Cultural fragmentation and the loss of the common good

The bishops warned that Ethiopia’s social fabric is fraying under the weight of tribal conflicts, ethnic hatred, and ideologies of division, compounded by uncritical adoption of modern digital culture.

“The new culture shaped by digitization is doing away with our long-standing values,” they observed, warning that an “us vs. them mentality” amplified by social media is eroding the sense of the common good.

“We risk losing the sense of common good — that the well-being of each is bound to the well-being of all,” they caution.

‘Our land is soaked in pain’

The CBCE members also addressed war and insecurity. “Our land is soaked in pain,” they said, pointing to civil war, ongoing local violence, and conflicts rooted in religion, ethnicity, and politics.

They insisted that peace is not simply the absence of war. “The Catholic Church teaches us that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice and the flourishing of human dignity.”

In their message, the bishops ask: “When will we have enough? When will we turn away from the cycle of violence and work towards healing and rebuilding?”

They described the social consequences of conflict — economic collapse, cultural erosion, and widespread displacement — highlighting the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Ethiopians forced into precarious lives abroad.

“As a Church, we cannot remain silent in the face of such suffering,” they declared. “We are called to be instruments of peace, to advocate for the voiceless, and to work tirelessly for reconciliation.”

The failure to dialogue

Another wound CBCE members identified in their statement was the breakdown of communication at every level of society. “Our greatest failure may be our inability to dialogue,” they said, lamenting a “Babylon of confusion” where people no longer listen to one another.”

They cited Pope Francis’ encyclical on human fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti, stressing that authentic dialogue requires “the ability to respect the other’s point of view and to admit that it may include legitimate convictions and concerns.”

Synodality as an act of resistance

Against this backdrop of fear, division, and violence, the bishops presented synodality not as an abstract ecclesial process but as a prophetic response. “Walking together is an act of resistance against every force that divides and destroys,” they asserted.

Quoting the Synod Vademecum, they reminded the people of God that synodality is “the path along which the Church is called to walk … making everyone participate in a journey of common listening and discernment.”

They emphasized that this is “not merely a Church exercise; it is a prophetic witness and a concrete answer to the deep crises we face as a nation.”

‘Do not be afraid’

In one of the most pastorally detailed sections of the CBCE members’ message, the Catholic bishops repeatedly exhort the people of God: “Do not be afraid.”

They urged Catholics to walk as “companions in the journey,” to listen deeply — especially to those on the peripheries — and to speak the truth “with courage and prudence.”

They insisted that liturgical life and prayer remain central, encouraging Catholics not to fear “to keep intact your identity as Catholics as expressed in your liturgical life.”

CBCE members also call for co-responsibility in mission, urging the baptized to participate actively in evangelization and integral human development “to benefit all humanity regardless of their creed, tribe, religion, or any background.”

Dialogue, ecumenism, renewed forms of authority as service, communal discernment, and formation in synodality are all framed by the same refrain: Do not be afraid.

Mary as the model of a synodal Church

The message culminates in a Marian vision of the Church.

“We see the features of a synodal, missionary, and merciful Church shining in full light in the Virgin Mary,” they write, describing her as the one who “listens, prays, meditates, dialogues, accompanies, discerns, decides, and acts.”

Invoking St. Paul VI, they recall that “the action of the Church in the world can be likened to an extension of Mary’s concern.”

A new public voice for a marginal Church

By asking that their message be read aloud at Catholic Masses across the country, the bishops’ message of courage can reach even the smallest communities.

As the missionary source told ACI Africa: “Maybe this ‘don’t be afraid’ is a new start for a marginal Church.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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