![Supreme Court says California can’t hide student transgender identities from parents – #Catholic – In a landmark decision on March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the state of California cannot keep student “transgender” identities secret from parents, with the justices ruling that the secretive policies likely violate the First Amendment rights of parents whose children believe themselves to be the opposite sex. The 6-3 ruling was announced by the Thomas More Society, a religious liberty law firm that has represented parents and teachers through the legal fight, one that has spanned nearly three years and multiple courts. U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez originally ruled in the class action lawsuit on Dec. 22, 2025 that parents “have a right” to the “gender information” of their children, while teachers themselves also possess the right to provide parents with that information. Benitez issued an order at the time striking down Californiaʼs secretive school gender policies. In January the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit blocked that order amid the ongoing lawsuit, which the plaintiffs then appealed to the Supreme Court.On March 2 the Supreme Court blocked the appeals court ruling, holding in part that Californiaʼs policies "substantially interfere" with the "right of parents to guide the religious development of their children.”Pointing to earlier precedent on parental rights, the court said that parents enjoy “the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children’s mental health.”“Gender dysphoria is a condition that has an important bearing on a child’s mental health, but when a child exhibits symptoms of gender dysphoria at school, California’s policies conceal that information from parents and facilitate a degree of gender transitioning during school hours,” the court said. “These policies likely violate parents’ rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children.”Thomas More Society attorney Paul Jonna called the ruling a “watershed moment for parental rights in America.”“The Supreme Court has told California and every state in the nation in no uncertain terms: you cannot secretly transition a child behind a parent’s back," Jonna said. "The Court’s landmark reaffirmation of substantive due process, its vindication of religious liberty, and its approval of class-wide relief together set a historic precedent that will dismantle secret gender transition policies across the country.”In his December 2025 ruling, Benitez had ordered that parents have a right to transgender-related information regarding their children on grounds of the 14th and First Amendments. Teachers, he said, can also assert similar First Amendment rights in sharing that information with parents.“Even if [the government] could demonstrate that excluding parents was good policy on some level, such a policy cannot be implemented at the expense of parents’ constitutional rights,” Benitez wrote at the time.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/supreme-court-says-california-cant-hide-student-transgender-identities-from-parents-catholic-in-a-landmark-decision-on-march-2-the-u-s-supreme-court-held-that-the-state-of-california-cannot-k.jpg "Supreme Court says California can’t hide student transgender identities from parents – #Catholic – In a landmark decision on March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the state of California cannot keep student “transgender” identities secret from parents, with the justices ruling that the secretive policies likely violate the First Amendment rights of parents whose children believe themselves to be the opposite sex. The 6-3 ruling was announced by the Thomas More Society, a religious liberty law firm that has represented parents and teachers through the legal fight, one that has spanned nearly three years and multiple courts. U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez originally ruled in the class action lawsuit on Dec. 22, 2025 that parents “have a right” to the “gender information” of their children, while teachers themselves also possess the right to provide parents with that information. Benitez issued an order at the time striking down Californiaʼs secretive school gender policies. In January the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit blocked that order amid the ongoing lawsuit, which the plaintiffs then appealed to the Supreme Court.On March 2 the Supreme Court blocked the appeals court ruling, holding in part that Californiaʼs policies \"substantially interfere\" with the \"right of parents to guide the religious development of their children.”Pointing to earlier precedent on parental rights, the court said that parents enjoy “the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children’s mental health.”“Gender dysphoria is a condition that has an important bearing on a child’s mental health, but when a child exhibits symptoms of gender dysphoria at school, California’s policies conceal that information from parents and facilitate a degree of gender transitioning during school hours,” the court said. “These policies likely violate parents’ rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children.”Thomas More Society attorney Paul Jonna called the ruling a “watershed moment for parental rights in America.”“The Supreme Court has told California and every state in the nation in no uncertain terms: you cannot secretly transition a child behind a parent’s back,\" Jonna said. \"The Court’s landmark reaffirmation of substantive due process, its vindication of religious liberty, and its approval of class-wide relief together set a historic precedent that will dismantle secret gender transition policies across the country.”In his December 2025 ruling, Benitez had ordered that parents have a right to transgender-related information regarding their children on grounds of the 14th and First Amendments. Teachers, he said, can also assert similar First Amendment rights in sharing that information with parents.“Even if [the government] could demonstrate that excluding parents was good policy on some level, such a policy cannot be implemented at the expense of parents’ constitutional rights,” Benitez wrote at the time.")
Keeping student “transitions” secret likely violates the First Amendment rights of parents, the high court said.
Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ.
Rest your weary ones.
Bless your dying ones.
Soothe your suffering ones.
Pity your afflicted ones.
Shield your joyous ones.
And for all your love’s sake. Amen.
Saint Augustine
Read MoreA reading from the Book of Isaiah
1:10, 16-20
Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist,
the sword shall consume you:
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!
From the Gospel according to Matthew
23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
A frequent flaw of those in authority, whether civil or ecclesiastic authority, is that of demanding of others things — even righteous things — that they do not, however, put into practise in the first person. They live a double life. (…) This attitude sets a bad example of authority, which should instead derive its primary strength precisely from setting a good example. Authority arises from a good example, so as to help others to practise what is right and proper, sustaining them in the trials that they meet on the right path. Authority is a help, but if it is wrongly exercised, it becomes oppressive; it does not allow people to grow, and creates a climate of distrust and hostility, and also leads to corruption. (…)
We disciples of Jesus must not seek titles of honour, of authority or supremacy (…), because among ourselves there must be a simple and fraternal attitude. (…)
May the Virgin Mary, “humble and exalted more than any creature” (Dante, Paradiso, xxxiii:2), help us, with her motherly intercession, to spurn pride and vanity, and to be meek and docile to the love that comes from God, for the service of our brothers and sisters and for their joy, which will also be our own. (Pope Francis, Angelus, 5 November 2017)
Read More
Deacon Thomas Gibbons, former assistant director of Diaconate Program, 89 #Catholic – 
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 4, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J., for Deacon Thomas Gibbons, who died at Forest Manor Care Center on Feb. 26. He was 89.
Deacon Gibbons was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in 1999 and served Our Lady of the Mountain Parish for more than 20 years, dedicating himself to his faith community with compassion and devotion. For more than eight years, he was assistant director in the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate at St. Paul Inside the Walls Center for Evangelization in Madison, N.J., before retiring in 2019.
Born in Chicago, Ill., to the late John and Elizabeth Gibbons, Deacon Gibbons had lived in Washington Township since 1969. He retired as a human resource manager with Warner-Lambert Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey.
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Deacon Gibbons earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree in industrial administration from Purdue University, and a master’s degree in theology from Seton Hall University.
Deacon Gibbons was also a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous and supported and mentored many individuals throughout the years.
Although he made New Jersey his home, Deacon Gibbons remained a devoted Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears fan and enjoyed following Major League Baseball. He was an avid reader, particularly fond of Stephen King novels.
Deacon Gibbons is survived by his wife, Marjorie Gibbons; his three sons (and daughters-in-law), Michael (Marsha), Patrick (Teresa), and Sean (Darcie); his nine grandchildren, Tyler, Matthew, Ryan, Cecilia, John, Lucie, Scott, Ian, Quinn; and his great-granddaughter, Ella.
A visitation for Deacon Gibbons will be held on Tuesday, March 3, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, March 4 at 10 a.m. in the church. Interment will be held in the spring at Our Lady of the Mountain Cemetery.
Memorial donations in Deacon Gibbons’ name may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to Our Lady of the Mountain Church.
– A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 4, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J., for Deacon Thomas Gibbons, who died at Forest Manor Care Center on Feb. 26. He was 89. Deacon Gibbons was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey in 1999 and served Our Lady of the Mountain Parish for more than 20 years, dedicating himself to his faith community with compassion and devotion. For more than eight years, he was assistant director in the diocesan
In Mexico for a meeting with security officials regarding combatting drug trafficking, U.S. drug czar Sara Carter visited the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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The new statues introduce the new role of “supporters” who, while not academics, identify with the academy’s mission and “contribute to the advancement of its academic activities.”
The sun’s glint beams off a partly cloudy Atlantic Ocean just after sunrise as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above.
Read More
Voters deserve a foreign policy framework guided by consistent standards, not shifting rhetoric that depends on political context.
The post After Supporting Unlimited Aid to Ukraine, Democrat Rep. Condems Iran Strike (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
Team Gavin Newsom could not resist a cheap shot against President Trump following the bombing of Iran, and it promptly blew up in their faces.
The post Oops: Team Gavin Newsom’s Attempt to Troll Trump Over Iran and Gas Prices Backfires Spectacularly When the US Oil and Gas Association Delivers this Devastating Reply appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read More
The fake news media and Leftists tried to destroy Mike Lindell and MyPillow for supporting President Trump.
The post Ending Soon: Premium Pillows, Sheets, Towels and More at MyPillow’s MEGA SALE (Up to 80% Off!) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Read MoreHow is it that galaxies merge and collide but the universe is expanding and everything is moving away from everything else? Justin HammersleySterling Heights, Michigan Whether or not galaxies merge depends on how strong the gravitational attraction is between the galaxies and whether the universe’s expansion is more powerful than gravity. Gravity affects everything inContinue reading “How can galaxies merge if the everything in the universe is moving apart?”
The post How can galaxies merge if the everything in the universe is moving apart? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
Read More![ChosenCon 2026: ‘This is the Comic-Con of the Bible’ #Catholic Thousands of fans of the hit series “The Chosen” gathered at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 19–21 for ChosenCon — a fan convention for the show.This year’s gathering also featured cast members from other shows from “The Chosen” universe including “The Chosen Adventures” and 5&2 Studios’ next series, “Joseph of Egypt,” as well as Amazon MGM Studios and the Wonder Project’s “House of David.”“This is huge. This is the Comic-Con of the Bible,” Michael Iskander, the actor who portrays King David in “House of David,” told EWTN News on the teal carpet.This was the young actor’s first time attending ChosenCon. He participated in a panel discussion alongside star of “The Chosen” Jonathan Roumie and Adam Hashmi, the actor who will portray Joseph in “Joseph of Egypt.”“I’ve wanted to come to ChosenCon for such a long time as a fan but I’m here as a guest. So this is really, really special,” he said.Speaking about his panel, Iskander said: “Everybody has been so warm. It was Jonathan and Adam and I and we had a really, really amazing conversation about what it means to play these biblical characters, how it affects us, how it’s changed us and what these biblical characters mean to everyone who is watching.”
Michael Iskander and Jonathan Roumie at ChosenCon in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Feb. 20, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of 5&2 Studios
Many of the actors in attendance highlighted the importance the fans have played in the success of “The Chosen” and shared their feelings on the fact that they only have one season left to film.“I remember in Season 1 we had like five superfans that would follow us around — by the way those five same fans we can see around here on occasion. So if we do see them we’re just like ‘Oh my goodness — here since the beginning,’” said George Xanthis, the actor who portrays the apostle John in “The Chosen.” “But they’re just as important as the fans that have been here for two years or one year or six years or whatever it is but remembering back to that time, we were so grateful that we even had five fans.”He added: “So I take that feeling into things like today and it’s not lost on me how lucky I am, and how lucky we all are as a series and as a cast and as a production. So when days like this come about I just try to give my all. I want to say ‘Hi’ to as many people as possible.”
Actor George Xanthis takes pictures with fans at ChosenCon in Charlotte, North Carolina. | Credit: Courtesy of 5&2 Studios
Paras Patel, who plays Matthew, called his time on the show “a gift and a blessing.”“In many ways I have learned so much about myself being on the show and strengthened myself through it that I’m excited to see what will happen after,” he shared. “I kind of don’t want it to end because I just love these guys and I love our crew, but, as they say, all good things must come to an end.”An actor who has been deeply impacted by his time portraying his character is Giavani Cairo, the actor who plays Thaddeus. The actor has spoken openly about growing up without his biological father and during a panel discussion at ChosenCon discussed a moment of healing he received while filming.“He’s [Thaddeus] impacted me in ways that I could not have even imagined,” he told EWTN News.He shared that a few months before booking the role on “The Chosen,” he decided to “renew” his faith.“I started reading the Bible every day, talking to God like he was a friend, and that’s when the audition for ‘The Chosen’ came — at the right moment, right time,” he said. “And they always say God finds you in those moments.”He added: “So for me it started a healing process. I always had a chip on my shoulder wanting to prove that I was worthy. And he’s made me reflective that I am worthy of his love, and I’m worthy of other people’s love as well. So I just wanted to make people feel seen through Thaddeus that we all do matter.”
Nearly 5,000 fans attended the third ChosenCon, which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 19–21, 2026. | Credit: Courtesy of 5&2 Studios
While details of Season 6 of “The Chosen” are still largely under wraps, Roumie briefly discussed his experience portraying the Lord’s passion and crucifixion.“For the first few months afterwards going to Mass — and even thinking about it now — I just get weepy. I get emotional. It’s hard. It’s left an indelible impression on me — mentally and emotionally sharing even just a percentage, a micron of a percentage of the Lord’s passion playing it and reenacting it has left me absolutely humbled and moved,” he told EWTN News.Monsignor Patrick J. Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, was grateful that his city was hosting the conference and called the event “inspiring to the faithful.”“I think it’s such a beautiful new art form — a series — and to take the Gospel story in elevated form of that art form and present it for the world in a way that so many people can view and resonate with is just an extraordinary feat,” he said.Winslow added: “When you present a faithful rendition of Our Lord, or a faithful rendition of the Gospel, or David, or for that matter any story of faith, but you do it in a way that’s very well done, very well produced, it’s striking chords that very few people have access to. They’re deep within. And when you strike those chords with people, it inspires.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/chosencon-2026-this-is-the-comic-con-of-the-bible-catholic-thousands-of-fans-of-the-hit-series-the-chosen-gathered-at-the-charlotte-convention-center-in-charlotte-scaled.jpg)
Roughly 5,000 fans recently filled the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, for ChosenCon.
![American Catholics launch crowdfunding effort to gift Pope Leo XIV papal tiara #Catholic A newly established nonprofit launched a crowdfunding effort to construct a papal tiara that will contain Catholic and American symbolism, with the plan to offer it to Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics for the first pontiff from the United States.“Historically, the majority of papal tiaras are gifts, usually from the home diocese of the pope or from religious [communities] they may be affiliated with,” Isaac Smith, a convert to Catholicism and the founder of Amici Vaticani, told EWTN News.Smith said he was motivated to launch the project to provide Leo with a papal tiara based on the desire for “us, as Americans, to continue that tradition.” He said the first American pope is “such a historical milestone” for Catholicism in the United States.The history of papal crowns dates back to at least the eighth century with the word “tiara” first used in the 12th century. A second crown was added to the tiara in the 13th century to symbolize that the pope holds authority in both spiritual and temporal matters.A three-crown tiara first appeared in the 14th century. One interpretation of the three crowns is that they represent the threefold office of Christ: priest, prophet, and king. Another suggests it represents the militant, the suffering, and the triumphant Church.The proposed tiara commissioned by Amici Vaticani maintains the 14th-century tradition of three crowns. The tiara will be constructed with sterling silver and the crowns will be gold-plated.Because the gift is meant to honor Leo’s American heritage, the tiara will have red, white, and blue stones, which represent the colors of the American flag. It will incorporate other American symbols: oak leaves, representing the national tree; and corn stalks, representing the national crop.Some of the symbols included in the tiara have dual meanings relevant to both the papacy and the United States. It will incorporate roses, which is a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the national flower; and it will incorporate olives, which is a symbol of the pontiff’s commitment to peace and appears on the Great Seal of the United States.A buttony cross will sit atop the crown as a symbol of American Catholicism. The cross is used in the coat of arms for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the country’s first Catholic diocese, and is featured on the flag of Maryland, which is the location of the first English Catholic colonies.The design, Smith explained, is meant to be “elegant and traditional” to honor the office of the papacy but is also meant to “incorporate distinctively American elements” to honor the pope’s American heritage.
Maltese jeweler Gabriel Farrugia works on a project. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Gabriel Farrugia
Smith said he hopes to fund the project through small donations from the American Catholic faithful so the pontiff can see “this was a group effort” and a gift from Catholics in his home country. This project, he said, provides “a tangible way for people to connect with the successor of Peter.”He also said he plans to compile the names of every person who donates more than $20 into a book, which would be presented to the Holy Father along with the crown and would say on the cover: “Holy Father, please pray for these people.”Smith said his intention is that the tiara can “hopefully [be] put on display in a place of honor” after it is constructed “and presented to the pope when he visits.” When Leo met Vice President JD Vance, the pontiff said he would travel to the United States at some point, although the Holy Father does not have any specific publicly announced plans to visit as of yet.The tiara will be constructed by a Maltese jeweler and artist named Gabriel Farrugia, who has a background in creating religious art, including an Our Lady of Fátima crown, which was used in a coronation ceremony in Guardamangia, Malta. He has also been commissioned by Catholic churches for artistic projects.“Making sacred art is a type of thanksgiving to the One who created us,” Farrugia told EWTN News.“For the God that created us and gave us life, I think we should give him something,” he said, adding that sacred art provides “something that will be left there for ages” and something for “people to admire, to enjoy, and to reflect [upon].”The construction of the crown has not yet begun, as Amici Vaticani is still in the early stages of the crowdfunding effort.Amici Vaticani was launched in 2025 for the purpose of constructing the tiara. According to its website, the nonprofit also seeks to build up “the awakening of a Catholic spirit in the United States.”“Our country, once defined by its Protestant heritage, is now witnessing a boon of conversions,” the website notes. “Men and women rediscovering the depth, beauty, and authority of the Catholic faith.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/american-catholics-launch-crowdfunding-effort-to-gift-pope-leo-xiv-papal-tiara-catholic-a-newly-established-nonprofit-launched-a-crowdfunding-effort-to-construct-a-papal-tiara-that-will-contain-catho.jpg)
A nonprofit hopes to generate enough small donations to construct a papal tiara for Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics.
