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The New England state recently passed a law that effectively removes all limits on abortion.
The document “A Call for Christian Compassion and Wisdom in the Immigration Debate” is the product of the Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue on Immigration.
The massive, five-hour procession in honor of Our Lady of Nazareth begins and ends with a Mass and features pilgrims fulfilling vows for favors granted
The University of Dayton announced its first woman president, while Catholic high schools in Cleveland and Omaha launched career development programs in this week’s roundup of Catholic education news.
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Twin mills (front: green mill, 1856; rear: red mill or Schoof’s mill, 1706), Greetsiel, Krummhörn, Lower Saxony, Germany
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![Brazil archbishop receives presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro in ‘institutional visit’ – #Catholic – The archbishop of the Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, Cardinal Paulo Cezar Costa, received on Oct. 8 Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, candidate for president, and his running mate, Congressman Alfredo Gaspar, both of the Liberal Party, for what the archdiocese described as an “institutional visit.”According to the Archdiocese of Brasília, “the meeting took place in an atmosphere of cordiality and dialogue, providing an opportunity to reflect on issues of interest to the Church and Brazilian society.”The archdiocese also reported on its social media that among the topics discussed were “freedom of religion and conscience, respect for the legitimate secularism of the state, the protection of human life and the family, the promotion of social justice, the fight against poverty and inequality; in addition to the importance of collaboration between public authorities and religious institutions in initiatives aimed at the common good.”During the visit, the cardinal gave Bolsonaro, who is Protestant, a copy of a Bible and a small statue of Our Lady of Aparecida, the patroness of Brazil. “The senator was presented with a copy of the Jerusalem Bible and a replica of the image of Our Lady of Aparecida. Both gifts are among the items customarily presented to officials on certain occasions or during institutional visits, as part of [archdiocesan] protocol,” the Archdiocese of Brasília’s communications department told ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News.This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/brazil-archbishop-receives-presidential-candidate-flavio-bolsonaro-in-institutional-visit-catholic-the-archbishop-of-the-brazils-capital-brasilia-cardinal-paulo-cezar.jpg "Brazil archbishop receives presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro in ‘institutional visit’ – #Catholic – The archbishop of the Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, Cardinal Paulo Cezar Costa, received on Oct. 8 Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, candidate for president, and his running mate, Congressman Alfredo Gaspar, both of the Liberal Party, for what the archdiocese described as an “institutional visit.”According to the Archdiocese of Brasília, “the meeting took place in an atmosphere of cordiality and dialogue, providing an opportunity to reflect on issues of interest to the Church and Brazilian society.”The archdiocese also reported on its social media that among the topics discussed were “freedom of religion and conscience, respect for the legitimate secularism of the state, the protection of human life and the family, the promotion of social justice, the fight against poverty and inequality; in addition to the importance of collaboration between public authorities and religious institutions in initiatives aimed at the common good.”During the visit, the cardinal gave Bolsonaro, who is Protestant, a copy of a Bible and a small statue of Our Lady of Aparecida, the patroness of Brazil. “The senator was presented with a copy of the Jerusalem Bible and a replica of the image of Our Lady of Aparecida. Both gifts are among the items customarily presented to officials on certain occasions or during institutional visits, as part of [archdiocesan] protocol,” the Archdiocese of Brasília’s communications department told ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News.This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
The cardinal, senator, and congressman met on the basis of church-state relationships and discussed issues such as protecting human life, social justice, poverty, and the common good.
Children in Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria joined a global rosary campaign for peace this month.
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Baciccio’s Triumph of Franciscan Order depicts the Apostles recommending Francis of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, and other Franciscans to Christ for admittance into Heaven. The fresco is on the vaulted ceiling of the Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome. This year is the 800th anniversary of Francis of Assisi’s death. Today is his feast day.
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In his pilgrim’s Mass homily, Hicks recalled that “Our Lady of the Pillar wants only one thing from us. She wants us to know her Son and to find salvation through, in, and with her Son Jesus Christ.”
![St. Carlo Acutis’ doctors recall his last days in the hospital – #Catholic – Fifteen-year-old Carlo Acutis died within a week of being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, offering his suffering for the pope and for the Church. Following his beatification on Oct. 10, 2020, his doctors and hospital chaplain recalled their memories of his final days.Father Sandro Villa was the hospital chaplain of St. Gerald Hospital outside of Milan, Italy, who gave Carlo the anointing of the sick and holy Communion on Oct. 10, 2006, the day before Carlo went into a coma due to a brain hemorrhage caused by the M3 subtype of acute myeloid leukemia.Villa shared at an event in Assisi, Italy, on Oct. 13, 2020, that he was touched by Carlo’s “composure and devotion” in receiving the sacraments in the hospital room.“In a small room, at the end of the corridor, I found myself in front of a boy. His pale but serene face surprised me — unthinkable in a seriously ill person, especially an adolescent,” he said.“I was also amazed by the composure and devotion with which, albeit with difficulty, he received the two sacraments. He seemed to have been waiting for them and felt the need for them.”Before his cancer diagnosis, Carlo had a great devotion to the Eucharist. From a young age, he expressed a special love for God, even though his Catholic parents had stopped attending Mass.As he grew older, he started going to daily Mass, often dragging his family members along with him. He made Holy Hours before or after Mass and went to confession weekly.With his aptitude for computer programming, Carlo built websites to inform others about Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions around the world. On his site, he told people: “The more often we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”For Villa, this administration of the sacraments would be his only encounter with Carlo, but he said the look of serenity on Carlo’s face was something that stayed with him.“After a few years … I learned that he was declared ‘venerable.’ I was amazed that the Lord had allowed me to meet him, if only for a few moments,” he said.Villa continued: “I decided to learn about his life. I discovered that he was in love with the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and I therefore began to better understand some of his words.”Dr. Andrea Biondi and Dr. Mòmcilo Jankovic, who treated Carlo in the pediatric clinic of St. Gerald Hospital, recorded their memories together in a paper that was read aloud at the event.They said: “Carlo was like a meteor with a quick passage through our ward; leukemia took him away before we could get to know him even a little. However, his sweet eyes remain engrained [in our memories]. His gaze was full of attention … of courage, of love, of strong empathy.”“His faith in God, which he had wanted and still wanted to pass on to others, to his neighbor, shone through him … His gentle eyes … taught us a lot: life, whether short or long must be lived intensely for oneself, but also and above all for others.”Carlo’s heart stopped beating on Oct. 12 — a date that is now celebrated as a local feast in the Diocese of Assisi and Archdiocese of Milan. His parents had desired to donate his organs, but they were too compromised by leukemia to be donated.Today St. Carlo’s heart is a relic and is contained in a reliquary in Assisi that is inscribed with his words: “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” He was canonized on Sept. 7, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.This story was first published on Oct. 16, 2020, and has been updated.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/st-carlo-acutis-doctors-recall-his-last-days-in-the-hospital-catholic-fifteen-year-old-carlo-acutis-died-within-a-week-of-being-diagnosed-with-acute-promyelocytic-leukemia-offering-his.png "St. Carlo Acutis’ doctors recall his last days in the hospital – #Catholic – Fifteen-year-old Carlo Acutis died within a week of being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, offering his suffering for the pope and for the Church. Following his beatification on Oct. 10, 2020, his doctors and hospital chaplain recalled their memories of his final days.Father Sandro Villa was the hospital chaplain of St. Gerald Hospital outside of Milan, Italy, who gave Carlo the anointing of the sick and holy Communion on Oct. 10, 2006, the day before Carlo went into a coma due to a brain hemorrhage caused by the M3 subtype of acute myeloid leukemia.Villa shared at an event in Assisi, Italy, on Oct. 13, 2020, that he was touched by Carlo’s “composure and devotion” in receiving the sacraments in the hospital room.“In a small room, at the end of the corridor, I found myself in front of a boy. His pale but serene face surprised me — unthinkable in a seriously ill person, especially an adolescent,” he said.“I was also amazed by the composure and devotion with which, albeit with difficulty, he received the two sacraments. He seemed to have been waiting for them and felt the need for them.”Before his cancer diagnosis, Carlo had a great devotion to the Eucharist. From a young age, he expressed a special love for God, even though his Catholic parents had stopped attending Mass.As he grew older, he started going to daily Mass, often dragging his family members along with him. He made Holy Hours before or after Mass and went to confession weekly.With his aptitude for computer programming, Carlo built websites to inform others about Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions around the world. On his site, he told people: “The more often we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”For Villa, this administration of the sacraments would be his only encounter with Carlo, but he said the look of serenity on Carlo’s face was something that stayed with him.“After a few years … I learned that he was declared ‘venerable.’ I was amazed that the Lord had allowed me to meet him, if only for a few moments,” he said.Villa continued: “I decided to learn about his life. I discovered that he was in love with the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and I therefore began to better understand some of his words.”Dr. Andrea Biondi and Dr. Mòmcilo Jankovic, who treated Carlo in the pediatric clinic of St. Gerald Hospital, recorded their memories together in a paper that was read aloud at the event.They said: “Carlo was like a meteor with a quick passage through our ward; leukemia took him away before we could get to know him even a little. However, his sweet eyes remain engrained [in our memories]. His gaze was full of attention … of courage, of love, of strong empathy.”“His faith in God, which he had wanted and still wanted to pass on to others, to his neighbor, shone through him … His gentle eyes … taught us a lot: life, whether short or long must be lived intensely for oneself, but also and above all for others.”Carlo’s heart stopped beating on Oct. 12 — a date that is now celebrated as a local feast in the Diocese of Assisi and Archdiocese of Milan. His parents had desired to donate his organs, but they were too compromised by leukemia to be donated.Today St. Carlo’s heart is a relic and is contained in a reliquary in Assisi that is inscribed with his words: “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” He was canonized on Sept. 7, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.This story was first published on Oct. 16, 2020, and has been updated.")
Fifteen-year-old Carlo Acutis died within a week of being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Following his beatification, his doctors and hospital chaplain recalled their memories of his final days.
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Brown booby (Sula leucogaster plotus) male in flight over Michaelmas Cay, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia.
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A survey of nearly 2,000 Australian Catholics found many still pray and value their faith, while priorities, faith crises, and problems with clergy keep them from Mass.
Tom Schwein is part of a 12-person team making a 3,000-mile trek with Samaritan Cycling USA to help raise money for the unhoused.
![EWTN News explains: What is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act? – #Catholic – The Archdiocese of St. Louis this month sued the federal government and several other defendants for what it said are policies that prevent Catholic immigrant detainees from obtaining the sacraments, including the Eucharist. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court, alleged among other claims that the government is violating the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by barring clergy access to those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One prison official reportedly suggested that priests could “pass communion in a plastic bag to a prison guard who could then deliver it to the detainee.” The Religious Freedom Restoration Act is invoked regularly in federal lawsuits by those who argue that the government is excessively burdening their religion. But how does this more-than-30-year-old law work, and how exactly does it protect religious liberty in the U.S.? Government may not ‘substantially burden’ religion A rare example of bipartisan unity, the federal law was proposed in 1993, passed unanimously in the U.S. House and near-unanimously in the U.S. Senate, and signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton.The impetus for the law arose in large part due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Employment Division v. Smith. That 1990 decision held that Oregon was permitted to deny unemployment benefits to two Native American residents who had been fired after using peyote in a religious ritual. Outrage from a large cross-section of civil liberties groups and religious rights organizations led Congress to draft and pass the law. Clinton upon signing the measure said the law “reestablishes a standard that better protects all Americans of all faiths in the exercise of their religion.”The law directs that the government generally “shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion” even if the burden stems from a “rule of general applicability.” The rule does allow for such burdens if the government demonstrates that a restriction is “in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest” and is “the least restrictive means” of accomplishing that goal. Matt Sharp, who serves as senior counsel and vice president of public policy at Alliance Defending Freedom, told EWTN News the rule “puts the responsibility on the government” to demonstrate that its policies do not violate the law. “The government has to show that it has a compelling reason to do something” that burdens someone’s religious liberty, Sharp said. “It can’t just say, ‘We like this law.’ It has to be a government interest of the highest order, such as national security or public safety.”Alliance Defending Freedom has handled numerous RFRA lawsuits over the years. Among them was the case Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell, brought by a Mennonite Christian family who argued that the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate violated the federal religious freedom law.The family ultimately prevailed, with the U.S. Supreme Court holding that the federal government had violated RFRA in requiring the family to cover contraceptives via its company’s insurance policies.Sharp, however, acknowledged that the rule has never been a “religion automatically wins” law. “It definitely makes [U.S. law] more favorable and protective of religion,” he said. But in some cases religious objectors aren’t successful in their challenges, such as the Native American coalition that sued under RFRA to protect one of its sacred sites but which lost at the Supreme Court in 2025. The Little Sisters of the Poor, meanwhile, have cited in part the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in their 15-year battle over contraceptive mandates. Yet although the law can sometimes yield a mixed bag, protections for religious freedom have grown steadily in the U.S. in recent years. A total of 30 states so far have adopted a version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act or a similar form of legislation. Sharp said RFRA requires the government to ensure that in cases where it is imposing on religious practice it is doing so in a “narrowly tailored” way with “the bare minimum possible” imposition. “It’s a high burden,” he said. “In practice it has been hugely important and beneficial to people of faith.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ewtn-news-explains-what-is-the-religious-freedom-restoration-act-catholic-the-archdiocese-of-st-louis-this-month-sued-the-federal-government-and-several-other-defendants-for-what-it-said-are-p-scaled.jpg "EWTN News explains: What is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act? – #Catholic – The Archdiocese of St. Louis this month sued the federal government and several other defendants for what it said are policies that prevent Catholic immigrant detainees from obtaining the sacraments, including the Eucharist. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court, alleged among other claims that the government is violating the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by barring clergy access to those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One prison official reportedly suggested that priests could “pass communion in a plastic bag to a prison guard who could then deliver it to the detainee.” The Religious Freedom Restoration Act is invoked regularly in federal lawsuits by those who argue that the government is excessively burdening their religion. But how does this more-than-30-year-old law work, and how exactly does it protect religious liberty in the U.S.? Government may not ‘substantially burden’ religion A rare example of bipartisan unity, the federal law was proposed in 1993, passed unanimously in the U.S. House and near-unanimously in the U.S. Senate, and signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton.The impetus for the law arose in large part due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Employment Division v. Smith. That 1990 decision held that Oregon was permitted to deny unemployment benefits to two Native American residents who had been fired after using peyote in a religious ritual. Outrage from a large cross-section of civil liberties groups and religious rights organizations led Congress to draft and pass the law. Clinton upon signing the measure said the law “reestablishes a standard that better protects all Americans of all faiths in the exercise of their religion.”The law directs that the government generally “shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion” even if the burden stems from a “rule of general applicability.” The rule does allow for such burdens if the government demonstrates that a restriction is “in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest” and is “the least restrictive means” of accomplishing that goal. Matt Sharp, who serves as senior counsel and vice president of public policy at Alliance Defending Freedom, told EWTN News the rule “puts the responsibility on the government” to demonstrate that its policies do not violate the law. “The government has to show that it has a compelling reason to do something” that burdens someone’s religious liberty, Sharp said. “It can’t just say, ‘We like this law.’ It has to be a government interest of the highest order, such as national security or public safety.”Alliance Defending Freedom has handled numerous RFRA lawsuits over the years. Among them was the case Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell, brought by a Mennonite Christian family who argued that the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate violated the federal religious freedom law.The family ultimately prevailed, with the U.S. Supreme Court holding that the federal government had violated RFRA in requiring the family to cover contraceptives via its company’s insurance policies.Sharp, however, acknowledged that the rule has never been a “religion automatically wins” law. “It definitely makes [U.S. law] more favorable and protective of religion,” he said. But in some cases religious objectors aren’t successful in their challenges, such as the Native American coalition that sued under RFRA to protect one of its sacred sites but which lost at the Supreme Court in 2025. The Little Sisters of the Poor, meanwhile, have cited in part the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in their 15-year battle over contraceptive mandates. Yet although the law can sometimes yield a mixed bag, protections for religious freedom have grown steadily in the U.S. in recent years. A total of 30 states so far have adopted a version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act or a similar form of legislation. Sharp said RFRA requires the government to ensure that in cases where it is imposing on religious practice it is doing so in a “narrowly tailored” way with “the bare minimum possible” imposition. “It’s a high burden,” he said. “In practice it has been hugely important and beneficial to people of faith.”")
The 1993 law allows religious objectors to sue the government for “substantially burdening” their religious liberty.
![Canadian youth retreat seeks to strengthen faith of young Catholics entering adulthood – #Catholic – A youth retreat taking place in Ontario, Canada, aims to help young Catholics graduating from high school and entering college, as well as students graduating from college and entering the workforce, stay committed to their faith during these critical transitions in their lives.Dead Man Walking is being hosted by Jesus Youth Ontario and will take place Oct. 16–18 at the Mother of God Retreat Center in Orangeville, Ontario. The retreat will include talks from Catholic author and speaker Jason Evert, international missionary George Devassy, and local young adults sharing their personal testimonies.Jim Isaac, a member of the retreat’s planning team, told EWTN News that the inspiration for the retreat came from conversations with parents where it was evident that there was “an overwhelming need.”“They felt that while children were in high school there were so many guardrails about who they can interact with, who can reach out to them, and all these things to ensure that they have a proper and safe childhood,” he explained. “But, right when they leave high school, all those guardrails are sort of lifted and almost at the same time they also leave home.”He added that young people also feel “thrown into adulthood” and that this transition “was something that they were struggling with.”With this in mind, the Dead Man Walking youth retreat was created to give them a space where they can encounter Christ, help them understand the big questions they’re grappling with, and instill in them a strong foundation to maintain their faith during this transition in their lives.The theme of the retreat comes from John 11, specifically the raising of Lazarus. Isaac explained that many times “we feel that we are going through the motions [and] we are almost like dead people.”Each day focuses on a specific part of the raising of Lazarus. The theme for Day 1 is “Dead for Four Days,” focusing on the idea that there is always hope even when we’re at our lowest point. Day 2 is called “come out,” encouraging the participants to take part in the Church and in their faith and ends with the opportunity for attendees to go to confession and attend Mass. The last day is called “untie and unbind,” which will call the young people gathered to go out on mission and spread the Gospel message.Isaac emphasized that their “primary objective is that they [the attendees] have an encounter with Christ at this crucial juncture of their lives.”“We want these youngsters, who probably are, within their own realities, bombarded with a lot of contemporary and secular media, to understand the richness of the Church,” he added.“We are hoping that something might resonate with them and that might help them build their interior life and thereby reach out to the people within the community. At the end of the day, it is about reaching out to people and giving them a call for mission. Thatʼs what we are hoping for by the end of it.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/canadian-youth-retreat-seeks-to-strengthen-faith-of-young-catholics-entering-adulthood-catholic-a-youth-retreat-taking-place-in-ontario-canada-aims-to-help-young-catholics-graduating-from-high.png "Canadian youth retreat seeks to strengthen faith of young Catholics entering adulthood – #Catholic – A youth retreat taking place in Ontario, Canada, aims to help young Catholics graduating from high school and entering college, as well as students graduating from college and entering the workforce, stay committed to their faith during these critical transitions in their lives.Dead Man Walking is being hosted by Jesus Youth Ontario and will take place Oct. 16–18 at the Mother of God Retreat Center in Orangeville, Ontario. The retreat will include talks from Catholic author and speaker Jason Evert, international missionary George Devassy, and local young adults sharing their personal testimonies.Jim Isaac, a member of the retreat’s planning team, told EWTN News that the inspiration for the retreat came from conversations with parents where it was evident that there was “an overwhelming need.”“They felt that while children were in high school there were so many guardrails about who they can interact with, who can reach out to them, and all these things to ensure that they have a proper and safe childhood,” he explained. “But, right when they leave high school, all those guardrails are sort of lifted and almost at the same time they also leave home.”He added that young people also feel “thrown into adulthood” and that this transition “was something that they were struggling with.”With this in mind, the Dead Man Walking youth retreat was created to give them a space where they can encounter Christ, help them understand the big questions they’re grappling with, and instill in them a strong foundation to maintain their faith during this transition in their lives.The theme of the retreat comes from John 11, specifically the raising of Lazarus. Isaac explained that many times “we feel that we are going through the motions [and] we are almost like dead people.”Each day focuses on a specific part of the raising of Lazarus. The theme for Day 1 is “Dead for Four Days,” focusing on the idea that there is always hope even when we’re at our lowest point. Day 2 is called “come out,” encouraging the participants to take part in the Church and in their faith and ends with the opportunity for attendees to go to confession and attend Mass. The last day is called “untie and unbind,” which will call the young people gathered to go out on mission and spread the Gospel message.Isaac emphasized that their “primary objective is that they [the attendees] have an encounter with Christ at this crucial juncture of their lives.”“We want these youngsters, who probably are, within their own realities, bombarded with a lot of contemporary and secular media, to understand the richness of the Church,” he added.“We are hoping that something might resonate with them and that might help them build their interior life and thereby reach out to the people within the community. At the end of the day, it is about reaching out to people and giving them a call for mission. Thatʼs what we are hoping for by the end of it.”")
Dead Man Walking is being hosted by Jesus Youth Ontario and will take place Oct. 16-18 in Ontario, Canada.
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The tower of the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (Split, Croatia) as seen from the Vestibule of Diocletian’s Palace.
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Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes chose Father Eduardo Chávez because of his expertise concerning the “Guadalupan event.”
![U.S. Catholic bishops condemn ‘barbaric’ plan to livestream military execution – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) condemned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the military execution of the Fort Hood mass shooter, Nidal Hasan, will be livestreamed for the public to view.“It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War’s decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan,” Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, said in a statement on Oct. 9.“Our God is the God of life,” he said. “In no way can Hasan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.”Coakley quoted Romans 12:17, which commands: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.”“The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people,” the archbishop said. “I pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel that we as a nation may always choose life even in the most trying times and circumstances.”Hasan, a man from Arlington, Virginia, was convicted of murdering 13 people and injuring 32 others in a mass shooting at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009, while working as a psychiatrist for the Army. Public witnesses said he screamed “Allahu Akbar” immediately before he began firing. He had email communications with Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born al-Qaeda recruiter.On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump approved a military execution via firing squad for Hasan, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood. On Oct. 8, Hegseth said in an interview with the news outlet Real Americaʼs Voice that the execution will be livestreamed and later reaffirmed this plan on social media.The announcement of the execution and livestream also faced criticism from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Archbishop Timothy Broglio reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty in a statement to EWTN News.“Catholic teaching about the death penalty is clear,” Broglio said. “Already the Catechism of the Catholic Church, even before its revision by the late Pope Francis, indicated that in a country such as the United States where the means exist to protect society from such criminals, the death penalty was inadmissible.”The archbishop said that now, “the teaching is even clearer and more universal” and cited CCC 2267: “Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,’ and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.”Broglio added: “Even in the case of the most heinous crimes, the Church begs for clemency.”‘A grotesque display of hatred’The Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works closely with the USCCB on efforts to oppose the death penalty, condemned both the decision to execute Hasan and the decision to livestream his death.“Beyond the fact that executions do not deter crime or increase safety, it’s appalling that a public official would try to introduce it as a livestream arcade,” Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, said in a statement.“It’s been almost a century since our country’s last public execution, and we must not fall into the abyss of such a vengeful practice,” she said. “We undermine our own humanity when we treat another person’s death as something to watch, celebrate, or use for entertainment. It is [reminiscent] of the horrors of lynching in our nation’s past, and would be a grotesque display of hatred witnessed in the public executions of some authoritarian countries today.”Murphy quoted a Sept. 28 address from Pope Leo XIV, in which he said “the greatness of a civilization is not measured by its material achievements, but by the way it cares for, protects, and upholds the human person.”She warned that “we violate human dignity” with every execution “because every person is created in the image of God.” She said “the Church instructs us to not seek cruel retribution, but a justice that holds people accountable without perpetuating the cycle of death.”“What Mr. Hasan did at Fort Hood in 2009 ought not be condoned in any way,” she said. “He inflicted horrible pain and caused terrifying trauma. … But we must not be blinded by bloodlust. The macabre spectacle proposed by Secretary Hegseth is not what our Lord asks of us—it will neither honor victims nor bring healing.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/u-s-catholic-bishops-condemn-barbaric-plan-to-livestream-military-execution-catholic-the-u-s-conference-of-catholic-bishops-usccb-condemned-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth.jpg "U.S. Catholic bishops condemn ‘barbaric’ plan to livestream military execution – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) condemned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the military execution of the Fort Hood mass shooter, Nidal Hasan, will be livestreamed for the public to view.“It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War’s decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan,” Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, said in a statement on Oct. 9.“Our God is the God of life,” he said. “In no way can Hasan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.”Coakley quoted Romans 12:17, which commands: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.”“The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people,” the archbishop said. “I pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel that we as a nation may always choose life even in the most trying times and circumstances.”Hasan, a man from Arlington, Virginia, was convicted of murdering 13 people and injuring 32 others in a mass shooting at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009, while working as a psychiatrist for the Army. Public witnesses said he screamed “Allahu Akbar” immediately before he began firing. He had email communications with Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born al-Qaeda recruiter.On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump approved a military execution via firing squad for Hasan, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood. On Oct. 8, Hegseth said in an interview with the news outlet Real Americaʼs Voice that the execution will be livestreamed and later reaffirmed this plan on social media.The announcement of the execution and livestream also faced criticism from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Archbishop Timothy Broglio reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty in a statement to EWTN News.“Catholic teaching about the death penalty is clear,” Broglio said. “Already the Catechism of the Catholic Church, even before its revision by the late Pope Francis, indicated that in a country such as the United States where the means exist to protect society from such criminals, the death penalty was inadmissible.”The archbishop said that now, “the teaching is even clearer and more universal” and cited CCC 2267: “Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,’ and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.”Broglio added: “Even in the case of the most heinous crimes, the Church begs for clemency.”‘A grotesque display of hatred’The Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works closely with the USCCB on efforts to oppose the death penalty, condemned both the decision to execute Hasan and the decision to livestream his death.“Beyond the fact that executions do not deter crime or increase safety, it’s appalling that a public official would try to introduce it as a livestream arcade,” Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, said in a statement.“It’s been almost a century since our country’s last public execution, and we must not fall into the abyss of such a vengeful practice,” she said. “We undermine our own humanity when we treat another person’s death as something to watch, celebrate, or use for entertainment. It is [reminiscent] of the horrors of lynching in our nation’s past, and would be a grotesque display of hatred witnessed in the public executions of some authoritarian countries today.”Murphy quoted a Sept. 28 address from Pope Leo XIV, in which he said “the greatness of a civilization is not measured by its material achievements, but by the way it cares for, protects, and upholds the human person.”She warned that “we violate human dignity” with every execution “because every person is created in the image of God.” She said “the Church instructs us to not seek cruel retribution, but a justice that holds people accountable without perpetuating the cycle of death.”“What Mr. Hasan did at Fort Hood in 2009 ought not be condoned in any way,” she said. “He inflicted horrible pain and caused terrifying trauma. … But we must not be blinded by bloodlust. The macabre spectacle proposed by Secretary Hegseth is not what our Lord asks of us—it will neither honor victims nor bring healing.”")
The decision to livestream the execution of Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan faced strong criticism from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
The bishops will serve one year as chair-elect and assume the positions in the fall of 2027.
![Archbishop of Dijon, France, asks for prayers for priest who died by suicide – #Catholic – Archbishop Antoine Hérouard of Dijon, France, asked for prayers for Father Bernard Card, who died by suicide in his Sainte Chantal Parish house on Sunday, Oct. 4.In a letter sent to the faithful of his archdiocese, the prelate wrote of his “astonishment and deep sadness” and said that what happened was “totally unexpected and difficult to understand.”“Let us entrust him to the merciful love of the Lord. Let us pray for his parishioners, shocked by this unexpected news; for Father Jean-Philippe Nollé, his vicar; and for his family and friends, left desolate by this sudden departure,” the archbishop said.In his letter, the archbishop remembered Card — who had been “deeply affected” some time ago by his brother’s suicide — as “a pastor much appreciated by his parishioners and who moved with ease among his fellow priests, who trusted him.”He added that he was “very involved in the life of the cathedral chapter, regularly participated in the canons' prayer in the archbishopʼs chapel, and enjoyed staying afterward for coffee with the staff. He always took part with interest in the meetings of the Diocesan Council for Economic Affairs.”Looking ahead to Card’s approaching 75th birthday, Hérouard said the two had spoken about the possibility of continuing his mission a little past the usual retirement age. Some had noticed that he seemed “tired lately” and was bothered by insects in his house, but no one thought that was “anything dramatic,” the archbishop wrote.On the archdioceseʼs Facebook page, Michèle Bauchet commented: “This is deeply sad news. [Father] Bernard was a very kind person. He had agreed to officiate at our son-in-lawʼs funeral Mass.” She wrote that he was to celebrate her golden wedding anniversary Mass in 2027. “We are truly shocked. We pray for Jean-Philippe Nollé and all of Bernardʼs family,” she added.The French government declared mental health a national priority for 2025 and 2026. A 2020 study by Mutuelle Saint-Martin and Action Sociale found that 9% of French priests showed a depressive syndrome, 40% had a low sense of personal fulfillment, 7% a high degree of exhaustion, and 2% suffered from severe burnout.The archdiocese has organized several prayer vigils for the priest. The first is Thursday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Chenôve (Chapel of Saint Teresa). Later that same day, another vigil will be held at 3 p.m. in the church of Corcelles-les-Monts.Prayers will be held on Friday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. at Sainte-Chantal; and on Monday, Oct. 12, from 8:30 to 10 p.m. at the same location. The funeral will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m., also at Sainte-Chantal.Seek helpIf you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis or suicidal thoughts, remember that the Catholic Church offers spiritual guidance, prayer, and someone to talk to and encourages seeking professional help.You can contact helplines, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988 in the U.S.) for your country, or go to your parish, where you will find pastoral support and resources.The Catholic Church teaches that life is a gift from God. The Church accompanies those who suffer with compassion and without judgment, offering hope, prayer, and consolation to the affected families.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/archbishop-of-dijon-france-asks-for-prayers-for-priest-who-died-by-suicide-catholic-archbishop-antoine-herouard-of-dijon-france-asked-for-prayers-for-father-bernard-card-who-died-by-suicide.jpg "Archbishop of Dijon, France, asks for prayers for priest who died by suicide – #Catholic – Archbishop Antoine Hérouard of Dijon, France, asked for prayers for Father Bernard Card, who died by suicide in his Sainte Chantal Parish house on Sunday, Oct. 4.In a letter sent to the faithful of his archdiocese, the prelate wrote of his “astonishment and deep sadness” and said that what happened was “totally unexpected and difficult to understand.”“Let us entrust him to the merciful love of the Lord. Let us pray for his parishioners, shocked by this unexpected news; for Father Jean-Philippe Nollé, his vicar; and for his family and friends, left desolate by this sudden departure,” the archbishop said.In his letter, the archbishop remembered Card — who had been “deeply affected” some time ago by his brother’s suicide — as “a pastor much appreciated by his parishioners and who moved with ease among his fellow priests, who trusted him.”He added that he was “very involved in the life of the cathedral chapter, regularly participated in the canons' prayer in the archbishopʼs chapel, and enjoyed staying afterward for coffee with the staff. He always took part with interest in the meetings of the Diocesan Council for Economic Affairs.”Looking ahead to Card’s approaching 75th birthday, Hérouard said the two had spoken about the possibility of continuing his mission a little past the usual retirement age. Some had noticed that he seemed “tired lately” and was bothered by insects in his house, but no one thought that was “anything dramatic,” the archbishop wrote.On the archdioceseʼs Facebook page, Michèle Bauchet commented: “This is deeply sad news. [Father] Bernard was a very kind person. He had agreed to officiate at our son-in-lawʼs funeral Mass.” She wrote that he was to celebrate her golden wedding anniversary Mass in 2027. “We are truly shocked. We pray for Jean-Philippe Nollé and all of Bernardʼs family,” she added.The French government declared mental health a national priority for 2025 and 2026. A 2020 study by Mutuelle Saint-Martin and Action Sociale found that 9% of French priests showed a depressive syndrome, 40% had a low sense of personal fulfillment, 7% a high degree of exhaustion, and 2% suffered from severe burnout.The archdiocese has organized several prayer vigils for the priest. The first is Thursday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Chenôve (Chapel of Saint Teresa). Later that same day, another vigil will be held at 3 p.m. in the church of Corcelles-les-Monts.Prayers will be held on Friday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. at Sainte-Chantal; and on Monday, Oct. 12, from 8:30 to 10 p.m. at the same location. The funeral will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m., also at Sainte-Chantal.Seek helpIf you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis or suicidal thoughts, remember that the Catholic Church offers spiritual guidance, prayer, and someone to talk to and encourages seeking professional help.You can contact helplines, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988 in the U.S.) for your country, or go to your parish, where you will find pastoral support and resources.The Catholic Church teaches that life is a gift from God. The Church accompanies those who suffer with compassion and without judgment, offering hope, prayer, and consolation to the affected families.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
“Let us entrust him to the merciful love of the Lord,” the archbishop wrote in a letter to the faithful. “Let us pray for his parishioners, shocked by this unexpected news.”
The exorcists discussed the importance of sacred music and the “essential” place of the Virgin Mary’s intercession in exorcisms.
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Ceiling Painted Dome Cupola Angels Fighting Demons in the Vatican Museums. Today is Michaelmas in much of Western Christianity.
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Students protested the university’s handling of alleged sexual assaults involving members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett speaks at Benedictine College, the Archdiocese of Chicago urges Illinois’ governor to opt in to an education tax program, and more in this week’s education roundup.
The bishop died in a local hospital “surrounded by close family and friends,” current Bishop Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap, said.
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View of the Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey. The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city. This subterranean cistern was called Basilica because it was located under a large public square, the Stoa Basilica, on the First Hill of Constantinople. The cistern, built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I, provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings on the First Hill, and continued to provide water to the Topkapı Palace after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and into modern times. Today it is kept with little water, for public access inside the space.
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“Accountability for grave wrongdoing is necessary, but it does not require the taking of another life,” the bishops wrote.
Bishop Michael Olson said he hopes to “further the culture of life” by urging the company to consider whether it’s violating federal law by mailing abortion pills to pro-life states.
The motto for this year’s pilgrimage was “Mother, in your embrace we recognize each other as brothers and sisters.”
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Gladiolus dalenii (parrot gladiolus) flower in the rain. About 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in) across. Garden plant in Ooty, The Nilgiris, south India. Focus-stack of 38 images.
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The Archdiocese of St. Louis says it has been discriminated against in its efforts to minister to Catholic ICE detainees.
Bishop Matthieu Rougé, who leads the French bishops’ conference’s Council for Catholic Education, said responsible adults must lead young people to express their concerns peacefully.
The prelate was barred from receiving formal appointments or new offices and from administering the sacrament of penance for five years. He may celebrate Mass and administer the other sacraments.
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Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria) feeding its chicks in their nest in Mato Grosso, Brazil
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The religious sisters “serve as a countercultural sign and help to build an authentic civilization of truth and love,” the ethics center said.
The Villaregia Missionary Community seeks to reach communities where the Catholic Church has a limited presence.
The pontiff marks the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s death and asks prayers that peoples may be freed from “the scourge of war.”
The two women had reportedly stayed at Holy Family Catholic Church before moving into the apartment where the strike was carried out.
![Pope Leo XIV appoints Cardinal Mauro Gambetti to lead the Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Italian Cardinal Mauro Gambetti to serve as the archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, the Vatican announced on Oct. 3. Gambetti will leave his post as the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he has served for the past five years after being appointed by Pope Francis in 2021. He will take over the position in Chieti-Vasto from current Archbishop Bruno Forte, who has served there since 2004. Forte turned 77 in August, making him two years past the customary retirement age for prelates. In a statement after the announcement, Forte described Gambetti’s appointment as “a special sign of the Lord’s benevolence.” “I am certain that [Gambetti] — rich in both academic background and pastoral experience — will give new impetus to the care of the faithful and the work of evangelization, efforts that have been sustained in recent years through the collaboration of so many,” Forte said. The outgoing archbishop said he would retire to Naples, his hometown, where he would pray for both Gambetti and the Church. Born in Castel San Pietro Terme, Italy, Gambetti took his final vows with the Order of Friars Minor Conventual in 1998 and was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 8, 2000. He has served various leadership roles in his order in Italy and also served as the episcopal vicar of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Umbria. Pope Francis named him a cardinal in 2020; he was consecrated a bishop the same year. The late Holy Father also named him a member of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State in 2021.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pope-leo-xiv-appoints-cardinal-mauro-gambetti-to-lead-the-archdiocese-of-chieti-vasto-catholic-pope-leo-xiv-has-appointed-italian-cardinal-mauro-gambetti-to-serve-as-the-archbishop-of-chieti-vast-scaled.jpg "Pope Leo XIV appoints Cardinal Mauro Gambetti to lead the Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Italian Cardinal Mauro Gambetti to serve as the archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, the Vatican announced on Oct. 3. Gambetti will leave his post as the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he has served for the past five years after being appointed by Pope Francis in 2021. He will take over the position in Chieti-Vasto from current Archbishop Bruno Forte, who has served there since 2004. Forte turned 77 in August, making him two years past the customary retirement age for prelates. In a statement after the announcement, Forte described Gambetti’s appointment as “a special sign of the Lord’s benevolence.” “I am certain that [Gambetti] — rich in both academic background and pastoral experience — will give new impetus to the care of the faithful and the work of evangelization, efforts that have been sustained in recent years through the collaboration of so many,” Forte said. The outgoing archbishop said he would retire to Naples, his hometown, where he would pray for both Gambetti and the Church. Born in Castel San Pietro Terme, Italy, Gambetti took his final vows with the Order of Friars Minor Conventual in 1998 and was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 8, 2000. He has served various leadership roles in his order in Italy and also served as the episcopal vicar of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Umbria. Pope Francis named him a cardinal in 2020; he was consecrated a bishop the same year. The late Holy Father also named him a member of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State in 2021.")
“The universe is certainly not full of worlds like Earth,” said Christopher Graney, a scholar at the Vatican Observatory.
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Female violet-backed starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster verreauxi), Damaraland, Namibia.
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![What did St. Josemaría see on the day Opus Dei was founded? – #Catholic – On Oct. 2, 1928, “the Lord founded His Work; brought Opus Dei (The Work of God) into being,” wrote St. Josemaría Escrivá in his personal notes, as recorded by Andrés Vázquez de Prada in the Spanish-language volume of “The Founder of Opus Dei,” a definitive text on the Spanish saint’s life.“The Work of God was not imagined by a man,” he would later say. “For many years, the Lord had been inspiring it in an inept and deaf instrument, who saw it for the first time on the Feast of the Guardian Angels.”It was, the saint understood, the answer to the prayers he repeatedly addressed to God: “Domine, ut videam!” and “Domine, ut sit!” (“Lord, that I may see!” and “Lord, that it may come to be!”)On that October day, the founder of Opus Dei was making a spiritual retreat at the Central House of the Vincentian missionaries in Madrid. “I received enlightenment regarding the whole Work … Deeply moved, I knelt down, I was alone in my room in the interval between talks, and thanked the Lord; I recall with emotion the ringing of the bells of the parish church of Our Lady of the Angels.”On that occasion, Vázquez de Prada notes, St. Josemaría’s mind “was illuminated with a clear, general idea of his mission.”“The scattered notes the retreatant had brought with him to meditate upon during the retreat consisted of ideas that were, it seems, unsystematized. In the days that followed, he compiled them in an orderly fashion, in accordance with the general enlightenment he had just received regarding the whole work,” the author explains.Building on that foundation, over the years St. Josemaría “drafted documents that he would later hand to his children in Opus Dei,” Vázquez de Prada continues.In 1930, he wrote in a letter: “We have come to say with the humility of one who knows himself to be a sinner and of little account (“homo peccator sum” — I am a sinful man [Luke 5:8], we say with Peter), yet with the faith of one who allows himself to be guided by the hand of God, that holiness is not reserved for a privileged few: that the Lord calls all of us, that he expects love from everyone, from everyone, wherever they may be; from everyone, whatever their state in life, their profession, or their trade.”“For that ordinary, everyday life without pretense can be a means of holiness; there is no need to abandon one’s state in life to seek God — if the Lord has not given a soul a religious vocation — since every way of life on this earth can be an occasion for an encounter with Christ,” the founder of Opus Dei said.What is Opus Dei?Its official Spanish-language website defines Opus Dei as “a hierarchical institution of the Catholic Church, a personal prelature, whose purpose is to contribute to the Church’s evangelizing mission.”“Specifically, the aim is to spread a deep awareness of the universal call to holiness and the sanctifying value of ordinary work,” the website adds.Among the faithful who discover a “vocation to Opus Dei” and request to join, a distinction is made between numeraries, who live apostolic celibacy and are fully available for the work of the prelature; associates, who also live apostolic celibacy but whose personal, family, or professional circumstances limit that availability; and supernumeraries, whether married or single, who do not commit to celibacy. Priests incardinated in the prelature are drawn from the ranks of numeraries or associates.According to the most recent data released by Opus Dei, around 94,450 people are part of the institution, which is present in 68 countries across five continents.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/what-did-st-josemaria-see-on-the-day-opus-dei-was-founded-catholic-on-oct-2-1928-the-lord-founded-his-work-brought-opus-dei-the-work-of-god-into-being-wrote-st-josemar.jpg "What did St. Josemaría see on the day Opus Dei was founded? – #Catholic – On Oct. 2, 1928, “the Lord founded His Work; brought Opus Dei (The Work of God) into being,” wrote St. Josemaría Escrivá in his personal notes, as recorded by Andrés Vázquez de Prada in the Spanish-language volume of “The Founder of Opus Dei,” a definitive text on the Spanish saint’s life.“The Work of God was not imagined by a man,” he would later say. “For many years, the Lord had been inspiring it in an inept and deaf instrument, who saw it for the first time on the Feast of the Guardian Angels.”It was, the saint understood, the answer to the prayers he repeatedly addressed to God: “Domine, ut videam!” and “Domine, ut sit!” (“Lord, that I may see!” and “Lord, that it may come to be!”)On that October day, the founder of Opus Dei was making a spiritual retreat at the Central House of the Vincentian missionaries in Madrid. “I received enlightenment regarding the whole Work … Deeply moved, I knelt down, I was alone in my room in the interval between talks, and thanked the Lord; I recall with emotion the ringing of the bells of the parish church of Our Lady of the Angels.”On that occasion, Vázquez de Prada notes, St. Josemaría’s mind “was illuminated with a clear, general idea of his mission.”“The scattered notes the retreatant had brought with him to meditate upon during the retreat consisted of ideas that were, it seems, unsystematized. In the days that followed, he compiled them in an orderly fashion, in accordance with the general enlightenment he had just received regarding the whole work,” the author explains.Building on that foundation, over the years St. Josemaría “drafted documents that he would later hand to his children in Opus Dei,” Vázquez de Prada continues.In 1930, he wrote in a letter: “We have come to say with the humility of one who knows himself to be a sinner and of little account (“homo peccator sum” — I am a sinful man [Luke 5:8], we say with Peter), yet with the faith of one who allows himself to be guided by the hand of God, that holiness is not reserved for a privileged few: that the Lord calls all of us, that he expects love from everyone, from everyone, wherever they may be; from everyone, whatever their state in life, their profession, or their trade.”“For that ordinary, everyday life without pretense can be a means of holiness; there is no need to abandon one’s state in life to seek God — if the Lord has not given a soul a religious vocation — since every way of life on this earth can be an occasion for an encounter with Christ,” the founder of Opus Dei said.What is Opus Dei?Its official Spanish-language website defines Opus Dei as “a hierarchical institution of the Catholic Church, a personal prelature, whose purpose is to contribute to the Church’s evangelizing mission.”“Specifically, the aim is to spread a deep awareness of the universal call to holiness and the sanctifying value of ordinary work,” the website adds.Among the faithful who discover a “vocation to Opus Dei” and request to join, a distinction is made between numeraries, who live apostolic celibacy and are fully available for the work of the prelature; associates, who also live apostolic celibacy but whose personal, family, or professional circumstances limit that availability; and supernumeraries, whether married or single, who do not commit to celibacy. Priests incardinated in the prelature are drawn from the ranks of numeraries or associates.According to the most recent data released by Opus Dei, around 94,450 people are part of the institution, which is present in 68 countries across five continents.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
On the feast of the Guardian Angels in 1928, the saint received “general enlightenment” about his mission, which later coalesced into a specific form.
![Brazilian court rules posts making false claims about conservative candidate must be removed – #Catholic – Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court ruled on Sept. 30 to uphold the removal of false social media posts linking conservative Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a Liberal Party candidate for president, to an alleged initiative to strip Our Lady of Aparecida of her title as the patroness of Brazil. Under the decision reached in the virtual plenary session, content clearly linking Bolsonaro to the initiative must be removed. However, posts where there is reasonable doubt regarding the link to the candidate are to be preserved. This applies to a post by comedian Antonio Tabet, which was permitted to remain online by the reporting justice, André Mendonça.The case began on Sept. 24 when Tabet posted an image of the dark-skinned Our Lady of Aparecida on X with the caption: “The militia family hates black women so much that they decided to attack Our Lady of Aparecida.” The post did not mention Bolsonaro by name. The senator is the son of Jair Bolsonaro, who was president of Brazil from 2019-2023.The following day, Mendonça, the vice president of the Superior Electoral Court and the rapporteur for the case, ordered the removal of content that claimed Bolsonaro or his family intended to strip Our Lady of Aparecida of her title as the patroness of Brazil.Upon reconsidering his vote, the judge concluded there was doubt regarding the link between Tabet’s post and Bolsonaro and decided to allow the post to stay online.“As it is reasonable to take the content to be ambiguous, I believe the solution most consistent with the criteria of minimal intervention [by the courts] and heightened protection of freedom of expression is to keep the post online,” Mendonça said. According to the judge, the decisions ordering the removal of the content specifically naming Flávio Bolsonaro “do not amount to prior restraint” nor did they violate religious freedom.“Confusing a ‘fake news’ report with a restriction on faith represents a distortion of the decision’s actual substance. Faith was not on trial,” Mendonça said. He further noted that “the insinuation that the decisions issued in these proceedings sought to prevent Catholics from expressing support for or devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida is particularly baffling” and emphasized: “Nothing, absolutely nothing, in the decisions warrants such a conclusion.”He also stated that this change does not alter the other points of his decision and emphasized that he considers “objectively false” the claims that Bolsonaro “had authored, presented, proposed, supported, or concretely orchestrated an initiative aimed at removing Our Lady of Aparecida from her status as the patroness of Brazil.”The president of the Supreme Electoral Court, Justice Nunes Marques, concurred with Mendonça and stated that the decision “protects religious freedom in its collective and democratic dimension.”“In my view, the relief granted protects religious freedom in its collective and democratic dimension, as it prevents the faith of millions of Brazilians from being instrumentalized within days of the election [Oct. 4] through a claim without a factual basis designed to artificially stir up emotional reactions among the electorate,” Marques said.He also highlighted that “the contested post did not need to name the candidate to attribute the claim to him; because it was disseminated at the height of the false narrativeʼs circulation — accompanied by the image of the patroness. Its message was only fully realized and achieved its intended effect due to the context of current news stories in which it was embedded.” Nevertheless, Marques’ difference of opinion regarding Tabet does not alter the effect of the ruling.This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/brazilian-court-rules-posts-making-false-claims-about-conservative-candidate-must-be-removed-catholic-brazils-superior-electoral-court-ruled-on-sept-30-to-uphold-the-removal-of-false-so.jpg "Brazilian court rules posts making false claims about conservative candidate must be removed – #Catholic – Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court ruled on Sept. 30 to uphold the removal of false social media posts linking conservative Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a Liberal Party candidate for president, to an alleged initiative to strip Our Lady of Aparecida of her title as the patroness of Brazil. Under the decision reached in the virtual plenary session, content clearly linking Bolsonaro to the initiative must be removed. However, posts where there is reasonable doubt regarding the link to the candidate are to be preserved. This applies to a post by comedian Antonio Tabet, which was permitted to remain online by the reporting justice, André Mendonça.The case began on Sept. 24 when Tabet posted an image of the dark-skinned Our Lady of Aparecida on X with the caption: “The militia family hates black women so much that they decided to attack Our Lady of Aparecida.” The post did not mention Bolsonaro by name. The senator is the son of Jair Bolsonaro, who was president of Brazil from 2019-2023.The following day, Mendonça, the vice president of the Superior Electoral Court and the rapporteur for the case, ordered the removal of content that claimed Bolsonaro or his family intended to strip Our Lady of Aparecida of her title as the patroness of Brazil.Upon reconsidering his vote, the judge concluded there was doubt regarding the link between Tabet’s post and Bolsonaro and decided to allow the post to stay online.“As it is reasonable to take the content to be ambiguous, I believe the solution most consistent with the criteria of minimal intervention [by the courts] and heightened protection of freedom of expression is to keep the post online,” Mendonça said. According to the judge, the decisions ordering the removal of the content specifically naming Flávio Bolsonaro “do not amount to prior restraint” nor did they violate religious freedom.“Confusing a ‘fake news’ report with a restriction on faith represents a distortion of the decision’s actual substance. Faith was not on trial,” Mendonça said. He further noted that “the insinuation that the decisions issued in these proceedings sought to prevent Catholics from expressing support for or devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida is particularly baffling” and emphasized: “Nothing, absolutely nothing, in the decisions warrants such a conclusion.”He also stated that this change does not alter the other points of his decision and emphasized that he considers “objectively false” the claims that Bolsonaro “had authored, presented, proposed, supported, or concretely orchestrated an initiative aimed at removing Our Lady of Aparecida from her status as the patroness of Brazil.”The president of the Supreme Electoral Court, Justice Nunes Marques, concurred with Mendonça and stated that the decision “protects religious freedom in its collective and democratic dimension.”“In my view, the relief granted protects religious freedom in its collective and democratic dimension, as it prevents the faith of millions of Brazilians from being instrumentalized within days of the election [Oct. 4] through a claim without a factual basis designed to artificially stir up emotional reactions among the electorate,” Marques said.He also highlighted that “the contested post did not need to name the candidate to attribute the claim to him; because it was disseminated at the height of the false narrativeʼs circulation — accompanied by the image of the patroness. Its message was only fully realized and achieved its intended effect due to the context of current news stories in which it was embedded.” Nevertheless, Marques’ difference of opinion regarding Tabet does not alter the effect of the ruling.This story was first published by ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
Days before Brazil’s presidential election, social media posts made or insinuated false claims about candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.
