![Students pray for Notre Dame’s Catholic identity after dispute over pro-abortion professor #Catholic Students at the University of Notre Dame gathered on Feb. 27 for a candlelit prayer service to offer thanksgiving for the university’s Catholic identity.The event was originally planned as a protest in response to the university’s appointment of abortion advocate Professor Susan Ostermann as the head of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. After Ostermann withdrew from the position earlier this week, the student organizers turned the event into a prayer vigil offered “in thanksgiving and support for Notre Dame’s Catholic mission.”A group of about 150 students, community members, faculty and priests from the Congregation of Holy Cross met on the south quad of campus, where they were greeted by students Luke Woodyard and Gabe Ortner, the event’s organizers. After a blessing of candles, those present processed to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, where they prayed the Rosary.
Students gather to pray the Rosary at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the University of Notre Dame, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 | Credit: Notre Dame Right to Life
The event was co-sponsored by the major Catholic clubs on campus: Right to Life, Militia Immaculata, Children of Mary, the Knights of Columbus, and Students for Child-Oriented Policy.According to Woodyard, while a protest would have drawn a greater number of attendees, organizers agreed that changing the event to a prayer vigil would be a more appropriate response to the news of Ostermann’s withdrawal.“The big reason we changed the protest to a prayer vigil was because we won, we got Ostermann to not be appointed. And even though this was a victory in a battle, not the [larger] war, we can celebrate this victory now," Woodyard said.“If we came here with a bunch of protests, it would make us seem like we weren't grateful for the university listening to us," he added. "And we really are. We praise [President] Father [Robert] Dowd for any impact that he had on Ostermann withdrawing, and we pray for the future of Notre Dame.”Ostermann, whose appointment was announced in January, has publicly supported abortion on multiple occasions, calling it “freedom-enhancing” and “consistent with integral human development that emphasizes social justice and human dignity."She has also argued that the pro-life movement has its roots in “white supremacy and racism” and has described pregnancy resource centers “anti-abortion propaganda sites."Since the appointment was announced in January, the university has faced backlash from Catholics across the country, including students, alumni, faculty, and more than a dozen bishops. The university continued to defend Ostermann’s promotion amid the criticism, citing her expertise in Asian studies and her past research. When Ostermann withdrew from the position on Feb. 26, students were surprised at the unexpected reversal but grateful for the desired outcome.Maria Madigan, a sophomore who serves as the head of service for Notre Dame Right to Life, told EWTN News that the grateful and loving spirit of the prayer service was the same spirit in which the protest had been planned.“[The planned protest] was never filled with hate or any [kind of] malicious intent. …We love Notre Dame because of her Catholic mission and her identity," she said. "We wanted to protest the Ostermann appointment because we felt it that went against our mission. And then when Ostermann withdrew, the focus shifted, because… we want to think about having a positive vision going forward for Notre Dame.”Regarding Ostermann’s withdrawal, Woodyard said: “We don't know what happened behind the scenes — hopefully that will come out in the coming weeks — but what we do know is that she did withdraw, and so we're thankful for that, and that's why we're here, but at some point, we have to make sure this doesn't happen again.”Organizer Gabe Ortner emphasized that although the planned protest was turned into a prayer vigil, the defense of Notre Dame’s Catholic mission is far from over.“We have to recognize the work that Father Dowd has done in leading this university. He's clearly been working tirelessly on this with Bishop Rhoades, and I admire the direction that he seems to be taking Notre Dame in, and that gives me a lot of hope," Ortner said. "However, at the same time, there also seem to be particular members of the administration who do not entirely share the Catholic vision of Notre Dame," he said.“Ultimately, Notre Dame should be united in its Catholic identity among all of the members of administration, with no exception.”If the protest had gone forward, speakers would have included Anna Kelley, president of the school's Right to Life group; Lucy Spence, editor-in-chief of the Irish Rover student newspaper; and Theo Austin, vice president of Students for Child-Oriented Policy.Students have expressed concern that the appointment shows a willingness of university administration — particularly on the part of Provost John McGreevy, who approved the appointment — to deviate from the university’s Catholic mission.Max McNiff, a student who attended the prayer vigil, shared his hopes that the controversy that precipitated Ostermann’s withdrawal would send a clear signal to the university.“I think this sets a sets a good precedent for stuff like this in the future. I think that the administration is going to be very cautious, and hopefully nothing like this will happen again.”“I think this also sets a precedent that researchers who are considered maybe ‘elite’ by secular academic standards, but who very manifestly publicly contradict Catholic doctrine [on matters] such as abortion, should not expect to come into leadership positions at Notre Dame," he said. Ultimately, however, students expressed their gratitude at the reversal of Ostermann’s appointment, calling it a “victory” in the battle for Notre Dame’s Catholic identity.“Having the opportunity to gather together and to thank God for his faithfulness, and the faithfulness of the university, is really beautiful, and I think you can see it in the passion of the students," Madigan said. "Everyone here knew it wasn’t a protest anymore, but they were still coming.”“We're all here because we care and we love this university and we want to uphold its Catholic mission and its pro-life mission as much as possible," she said. "And at the end of the day, whether one person showed up, or whether 200 people showed up, this was a prayer service, and it was to God, and the words that were said here were to him." "And that's what I really want the focus of this whole event to be on, praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for his faithfulness and to Our Lady for protecting her university.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/students-pray-for-notre-dames-catholic-identity-after-dispute-over-pro-abortion-professor-catholic-students-at-the-university-of-notre-dame-gathered-on-feb-27-for-a-candlelit-prayer-service.jpg)
The event was originally planned as a protest in response to the university’s appointment of abortion advocate Professor Susan Ostermann as the head of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized and is the patron saint of immigrants. A new statue of her will be erected in Chicago’s Little Italy.
The longtime activist was a fixture in U.S. politics for decades, including two presidential runs.
Catholic U.S. House Democrats cited Church teaching in defense of the dignity of migrants as Trump administration officials defend immigration enforcement.
![Catholic thinkers, tech experts reflect on promise and perils of AI at New York Encounter #Catholic NEW YORK — How can Catholic social teaching guide us in weighing the benefits of artificial intelligence against the dangers it poses to human dignity? That question animated a wide-ranging discussion among Catholic thinkers and technology experts at the New York Encounter on Saturday.Citing Pope Leo XIV’s call to use AI responsibly as well as the Church’s historic defense of human dignity in the face of modern technology, Davide Bolchini, moderator and dean of the Luddy School of Informatics at Indiana University, opened the discussion before an audience of several hundred people gathered for the three-day cultural conference in New York City.“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, but to let it work with us, not to substitute human intelligence, not to replace our judgment of what’s right … our ability of authentic wonder,” Bolchini said.With technology rapidly advancing, Bolchini asked, how can the Church stay ahead of these challenges?Chuck Rossi, an engineer at Meta who is developing AI-driven content moderation technology at the technology conglomerate, which includes Facebook and Instagram, argued that in his work, developments in AI have been instrumental in safeguarding human beings from harm. AI systems, he said, can examine 2.5 billion pieces of of shared online content per hour, filtering harmful material including nudity and sexual activity, bullying and harassment, child endanger, dangerous organizations, fake accounts, hateful conduct, restricted goods and services, spam, suicide and self-injury, violence and incitement, and violent and graphic content.“That’s my world,” he said. “It’s a very, very hard problem. If we miss 0.1% of 2. 5 billion, that’s millions of things that we didn’t want to be seeing. But we do an excellent job, and we have for years — we’re one of the best at it,” Rossi said.Using AI also protects human content moderators from being exposed to disturbing material, as they were in the past.“The good thing that we are giving back to humans is you never have to do this horrible work,” he said.Paul Scherz, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, acknowledged the benefits of AI, which he said included advances in medicine and efficiency for tasks like billing (“Nobody wants to do billing,” he said).But Scherz warned of the dangers of relying on technology to do what is intrinsically human.“We are really starting to turn to AI as people more broadly for these relational aspects, which would be tragic because there is something in that human-to-human connection, the ‘I/thou connection,’ as Martin Buber called it, that is irreplaceable by a machine,” Scherz said. He noted that AI has even moved into ministry, with the rise of Catholic apps relying on bots to offer catechesis.Scherz also cautioned that substituting AI for human interaction and intelligence risks eroding our skills, whether in relationships or in professional life.“My fear is as we use these chatbots more and more we will lose those person-to-person skills. We’ll no longer be able to engage one another as well, or have the patience and virtue to deeply love and encounter one another,” Scherz said.In addition, relying on AI in our work, for example, when a doctor consults AI to make a diagnosis, will result in our “de-skilling,” he said. “We know that people, when they’re using automated systems, they tend to just become biased and complacent and just approve the automated system. They lose their skills,” he said, adding that airline pilots who rely too much on autopilot are more prone to making errors.Louis Kim, former vice president of personal systems and AI at Hewlett-Packard who is currently pursuing graduate studies in theology and health care, pointed out that it’s not possible to know today what skills will be required in the future.“My personal view is I often find that predictions of impacted technology are largely unconsciously based on what we know of the current paradigm and structure and technologies,” Kim said.“There are going to be skills needed to control AI that are going to be different,” he said.Kim also called for “humility” in discussions about AI’s potential to affect human relationships.“Let’s ask ourselves about the quality of our current human relationships, whether it’s in the workplace, in toxic cultures, sometimes at home — even at conferences, at your next break, as you go around talking to this person [or] that person, how many times that person is looking over your shoulder for the more important person to talk to?” he said.Our moral formation, he said, will continue to shape the quality of our encounters with others.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/catholic-thinkers-tech-experts-reflect-on-promise-and-perils-of-ai-at-new-york-encounter-catholic-new-york-how-can-catholic-social-teaching-guide-us-in-weighing-the-benefits-of-artificial-scaled.jpg "Catholic thinkers, tech experts reflect on promise and perils of AI at New York Encounter #Catholic NEW YORK — How can Catholic social teaching guide us in weighing the benefits of artificial intelligence against the dangers it poses to human dignity? That question animated a wide-ranging discussion among Catholic thinkers and technology experts at the New York Encounter on Saturday.Citing Pope Leo XIV’s call to use AI responsibly as well as the Church’s historic defense of human dignity in the face of modern technology, Davide Bolchini, moderator and dean of the Luddy School of Informatics at Indiana University, opened the discussion before an audience of several hundred people gathered for the three-day cultural conference in New York City.“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, but to let it work with us, not to substitute human intelligence, not to replace our judgment of what’s right … our ability of authentic wonder,” Bolchini said.With technology rapidly advancing, Bolchini asked, how can the Church stay ahead of these challenges?Chuck Rossi, an engineer at Meta who is developing AI-driven content moderation technology at the technology conglomerate, which includes Facebook and Instagram, argued that in his work, developments in AI have been instrumental in safeguarding human beings from harm. AI systems, he said, can examine 2.5 billion pieces of of shared online content per hour, filtering harmful material including nudity and sexual activity, bullying and harassment, child endanger, dangerous organizations, fake accounts, hateful conduct, restricted goods and services, spam, suicide and self-injury, violence and incitement, and violent and graphic content.“That’s my world,” he said. “It’s a very, very hard problem. If we miss 0.1% of 2. 5 billion, that’s millions of things that we didn’t want to be seeing. But we do an excellent job, and we have for years — we’re one of the best at it,” Rossi said.Using AI also protects human content moderators from being exposed to disturbing material, as they were in the past.“The good thing that we are giving back to humans is you never have to do this horrible work,” he said.Paul Scherz, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, acknowledged the benefits of AI, which he said included advances in medicine and efficiency for tasks like billing (“Nobody wants to do billing,” he said).But Scherz warned of the dangers of relying on technology to do what is intrinsically human.“We are really starting to turn to AI as people more broadly for these relational aspects, which would be tragic because there is something in that human-to-human connection, the ‘I/thou connection,’ as Martin Buber called it, that is irreplaceable by a machine,” Scherz said. He noted that AI has even moved into ministry, with the rise of Catholic apps relying on bots to offer catechesis.Scherz also cautioned that substituting AI for human interaction and intelligence risks eroding our skills, whether in relationships or in professional life.“My fear is as we use these chatbots more and more we will lose those person-to-person skills. We’ll no longer be able to engage one another as well, or have the patience and virtue to deeply love and encounter one another,” Scherz said.In addition, relying on AI in our work, for example, when a doctor consults AI to make a diagnosis, will result in our “de-skilling,” he said. “We know that people, when they’re using automated systems, they tend to just become biased and complacent and just approve the automated system. They lose their skills,” he said, adding that airline pilots who rely too much on autopilot are more prone to making errors.Louis Kim, former vice president of personal systems and AI at Hewlett-Packard who is currently pursuing graduate studies in theology and health care, pointed out that it’s not possible to know today what skills will be required in the future.“My personal view is I often find that predictions of impacted technology are largely unconsciously based on what we know of the current paradigm and structure and technologies,” Kim said.“There are going to be skills needed to control AI that are going to be different,” he said.Kim also called for “humility” in discussions about AI’s potential to affect human relationships.“Let’s ask ourselves about the quality of our current human relationships, whether it’s in the workplace, in toxic cultures, sometimes at home — even at conferences, at your next break, as you go around talking to this person [or] that person, how many times that person is looking over your shoulder for the more important person to talk to?” he said.Our moral formation, he said, will continue to shape the quality of our encounters with others.")
“The pope encouraged us to use AI responsibly, to use it in a way that helps us grow, not to let it work against us, ” said Davide Bolchini, the moderator of an AI panel at the weekend conference.
Clergy had argued they “have lost their own religious freedom, by blanket denial of any opportunity to provide spiritual consolation.”
![After skipping installation, New York mayor meets Archbishop Hicks #Catholic Mayor Zohran Mamdani broke a long-standing New York tradition when he missed the Feb. 6 installation Mass for Archbishop Ronald Hicks at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and met with the archbishop four days later.Joseph Zwilling, director of communications for the Archdiocese of New York, told EWTN News that “the mayor and the archbishop were together at a [New York Police Department] event” Feb. 10 and “then spoke by phone later in the day.”The archdiocese confirmed that Mamdani was invited to the installation Mass. Prior to Hicks’ installation, a sitting mayor was present for at least the past five archbishop installations, which were in 2009, 2000, 1984, 1968, and 1939. Hicks replaced Cardinal Timothy Dolan following his retirement.In Mamdani’s absence, Helen Arteaga, deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, attended the Feb. 6 installation Mass. Prior to the meeting and phone call, Mamdani congratulated Hicks on social media. “Congratulations to Archbishop Ronald Hicks on today’s installment and welcome to New York City,” Mamdani said in a post on X. “I know that Archbishop Hicks and I share a deep and abiding commitment to the dignity of every human being and look forward to working together to create a more just and compassionate city where every New Yorker can thrive.”TweetThe mayor’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Mamdani became the first Muslim and first democratic-socialist mayor of the city on Jan. 1.Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a Catholic advocacy group, criticized Mamdani for missing the Mass, saying in a statement that Mamdani “ghosted the event.”“He could easily have been there,” Donohue said. “Instead, he attended to business as usual.”“One in 3 New Yorkers are Catholic, making them the largest faith community in the city,” he added. “Mamdani’s professed interest in diversity and inclusion obviously hits a brick wall when it comes to Catholics. He wants nothing to do with them.”Donohue also criticized some of Mamdani’s policy positions, which he said includes “rabid support for abortion, gay marriage, and transgenderism (including the child abuse inherent in sex-reassignment surgery for minors).”During his campaign, Mamdani vowed to increase public funding for abortion, hormone therapy drugs, and surgeries designed to make a person appear like the opposite sex.Mamdani defeated two candidates with nearly 51% of the vote in the November 2025 election. His plans include free buses, city-owned grocery stores, no-cost child care, raising the minimum wage to $30 per hour, and freezing the rent for people in rent-stabilized apartments.“Mamdani has been in office for just over a month, and already he is signaling to Catholics that they are not welcome,” Donohue said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/after-skipping-installation-new-york-mayor-meets-archbishop-hicks-catholic-mayor-zohran-mamdani-broke-a-long-standing-new-york-tradition-when-he-missed-the-feb-6-installation-mass-for-archbishop-ro.jpg "After skipping installation, New York mayor meets Archbishop Hicks #Catholic Mayor Zohran Mamdani broke a long-standing New York tradition when he missed the Feb. 6 installation Mass for Archbishop Ronald Hicks at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and met with the archbishop four days later.Joseph Zwilling, director of communications for the Archdiocese of New York, told EWTN News that “the mayor and the archbishop were together at a [New York Police Department] event” Feb. 10 and “then spoke by phone later in the day.”The archdiocese confirmed that Mamdani was invited to the installation Mass. Prior to Hicks’ installation, a sitting mayor was present for at least the past five archbishop installations, which were in 2009, 2000, 1984, 1968, and 1939. Hicks replaced Cardinal Timothy Dolan following his retirement.In Mamdani’s absence, Helen Arteaga, deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, attended the Feb. 6 installation Mass. Prior to the meeting and phone call, Mamdani congratulated Hicks on social media. “Congratulations to Archbishop Ronald Hicks on today’s installment and welcome to New York City,” Mamdani said in a post on X. “I know that Archbishop Hicks and I share a deep and abiding commitment to the dignity of every human being and look forward to working together to create a more just and compassionate city where every New Yorker can thrive.”TweetThe mayor’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Mamdani became the first Muslim and first democratic-socialist mayor of the city on Jan. 1.Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a Catholic advocacy group, criticized Mamdani for missing the Mass, saying in a statement that Mamdani “ghosted the event.”“He could easily have been there,” Donohue said. “Instead, he attended to business as usual.”“One in 3 New Yorkers are Catholic, making them the largest faith community in the city,” he added. “Mamdani’s professed interest in diversity and inclusion obviously hits a brick wall when it comes to Catholics. He wants nothing to do with them.”Donohue also criticized some of Mamdani’s policy positions, which he said includes “rabid support for abortion, gay marriage, and transgenderism (including the child abuse inherent in sex-reassignment surgery for minors).”During his campaign, Mamdani vowed to increase public funding for abortion, hormone therapy drugs, and surgeries designed to make a person appear like the opposite sex.Mamdani defeated two candidates with nearly 51% of the vote in the November 2025 election. His plans include free buses, city-owned grocery stores, no-cost child care, raising the minimum wage to $30 per hour, and freezing the rent for people in rent-stabilized apartments.“Mamdani has been in office for just over a month, and already he is signaling to Catholics that they are not welcome,” Donohue said.")
A sitting mayor attended the past five archbishop installations in New York dating back to 1939.
A Hungarian think tank’s new paper “Migration and Ethics: The Axioms of a Christian Migration Policy” prompts a meeting of the minds.
In spite of opposition from Catholic bishops and patient advocate groups, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law physician-assisted suicide in New York.
Amid the freezing temperatures hitting many parts of the U.S., one Knights of Columbus council is providing warmth to children in need through an initiative called “Hoodies from Heaven.”
![Seattle, Boston archbishops make friendly wager ahead of 2026 Super Bowl #Catholic It’s become an annual tradition for the Catholic bishops from the two cities sending teams to the Super Bowl to make a friendly wager before the big game to benefit Catholic nonprofits in the teams’ cities.As the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks prepare to play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston and Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle discussed this year’s wager with EWTN News.The two archbishops said the weekend will be fun for fans across the nation but acknowledged it comes amid a tense time in the United States with ongoing debates and division surrounding immigration.“I think this is an important moment, obviously, of unity. This is a shared cultural moment, hopefully a moment for people to gather, be with friends and family, a joyful thing,” Henning said. “But at the same time, we don’t want to forget that there are other realities in our world and suffering; [we want to] be attentive to that as well.”“It’s a situation that requires attentiveness and sensitivity,” Etienne said. With the “tradition of a friendly wager between the bishops of the teams, Archbishop Henning and I just simply wanted to acknowledge that we do realize we got more important matters that we are being attentive to,” he said.“But at the same time, we recognize the great role that sports and relaxation play in the lives of our people, too.”The pair decided the wager this year would be a $500 donation to Catholic charities that have a particular focus on the care and support of immigrants.Preparing for a ‘joyful’ gameEtienne discussed how putting aside differences and coming together is an advantage that sports and recreation can bring.“Healthy competition is a part of so many aspects of human life, and it’s good for people to have something to take their minds off of other matters in their world and in their lives to just relax. And hopefully, the outcome of the game will still allow everybody watching it and participating to still be relaxed and joyful at the performance of their teams,” he said.The 60th Super Bowl marks the second time the Seahawks and Patriots will compete in the championship game. In 2015, the Patriots defeated the Seahawks at the 49th Super Bowl. Despite the loss, Etienne said “there is definitely a better performance on the way this year” for Seattle’s team.Etienne said Seattle players see it as a “good omen” that in the 21st century, every time a new pope has been elected, the Seahawks made it to the next Super Bowl.When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in April 2005, the Seahawks played in the Super Bowl in February 2006. Then Pope Francis was elected in March 2013, and the Seahawks played in the Super Bowl in 2014. In May 2025, Pope Leo XIV was elected and now Seattle’s team is once again in the championship game.While Henning has only been in Boston a little over a year after moving from New York, he said he is “absolutely a fan” of the New England Patriots and said they are “a great team.”“This is a team that unites New England and Boston. It’s a team that is committed to young people in our communities. They give a great example of hard work, resilience, discipline, and the team is very generous in going out into our communities among our young people, helping them with their sports programs,” Henning said.“It’s a great team, a great management, a great coach who’s a wonderful witness of Catholic faith, Coach [Mike] Vrabel. So, I’m very much a fan of them in every way,” Henning said.The teams are schedule to compete on Sunday, Feb. 8, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/seattle-boston-archbishops-make-friendly-wager-ahead-of-2026-super-bowl-catholic-its-become-an-annual-tradition-for-the-catholic-bishops-from-the-two-cities-sending-teams-to-the-super-bowl.jpg "Seattle, Boston archbishops make friendly wager ahead of 2026 Super Bowl #Catholic It’s become an annual tradition for the Catholic bishops from the two cities sending teams to the Super Bowl to make a friendly wager before the big game to benefit Catholic nonprofits in the teams’ cities.As the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks prepare to play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston and Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle discussed this year’s wager with EWTN News.The two archbishops said the weekend will be fun for fans across the nation but acknowledged it comes amid a tense time in the United States with ongoing debates and division surrounding immigration.“I think this is an important moment, obviously, of unity. This is a shared cultural moment, hopefully a moment for people to gather, be with friends and family, a joyful thing,” Henning said. “But at the same time, we don’t want to forget that there are other realities in our world and suffering; [we want to] be attentive to that as well.”“It’s a situation that requires attentiveness and sensitivity,” Etienne said. With the “tradition of a friendly wager between the bishops of the teams, Archbishop Henning and I just simply wanted to acknowledge that we do realize we got more important matters that we are being attentive to,” he said.“But at the same time, we recognize the great role that sports and relaxation play in the lives of our people, too.”The pair decided the wager this year would be a $500 donation to Catholic charities that have a particular focus on the care and support of immigrants.Preparing for a ‘joyful’ gameEtienne discussed how putting aside differences and coming together is an advantage that sports and recreation can bring.“Healthy competition is a part of so many aspects of human life, and it’s good for people to have something to take their minds off of other matters in their world and in their lives to just relax. And hopefully, the outcome of the game will still allow everybody watching it and participating to still be relaxed and joyful at the performance of their teams,” he said.The 60th Super Bowl marks the second time the Seahawks and Patriots will compete in the championship game. In 2015, the Patriots defeated the Seahawks at the 49th Super Bowl. Despite the loss, Etienne said “there is definitely a better performance on the way this year” for Seattle’s team.Etienne said Seattle players see it as a “good omen” that in the 21st century, every time a new pope has been elected, the Seahawks made it to the next Super Bowl.When Pope Benedict XVI was elected in April 2005, the Seahawks played in the Super Bowl in February 2006. Then Pope Francis was elected in March 2013, and the Seahawks played in the Super Bowl in 2014. In May 2025, Pope Leo XIV was elected and now Seattle’s team is once again in the championship game.While Henning has only been in Boston a little over a year after moving from New York, he said he is “absolutely a fan” of the New England Patriots and said they are “a great team.”“This is a team that unites New England and Boston. It’s a team that is committed to young people in our communities. They give a great example of hard work, resilience, discipline, and the team is very generous in going out into our communities among our young people, helping them with their sports programs,” Henning said.“It’s a great team, a great management, a great coach who’s a wonderful witness of Catholic faith, Coach [Mike] Vrabel. So, I’m very much a fan of them in every way,” Henning said.The teams are schedule to compete on Sunday, Feb. 8, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.")
Seattle and Boston archbishops place a wager ahead of the Super Bowl while also acknowledging the big game comes amid a difficult time for many across the nation.
![Catholic convert Eva Vlaardingerbroek on censorship and immigration in Europe #Catholic Catholic Dutch political commentator and activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek said “the rule of law is dead” in Europe and detailed the issues of censorship and immigration on the continent.Vlaardingerbroek is an attorney and Catholic convert who has been outspoken about European immigration, national sovereignty, and free speech. Recently, the U.K. government banned her from entering the country due to her outspoken views.“Out of the blue, I saw that I had received an email from the U.K. government,” she told Raymond Arroyo on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.” It was “just a couple of sentences saying that my ETA, which is the travel authorization that Europeans need to travel to the U.K., had been revoked.”The reason they stated “was that I am ‘not conducive to the public good,’” she said. Vlaardingerbroek said she believes the ban occurred because she criticized the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, on social media three days before receiving the email.The situation shows that “the rule of law is dead in Europe,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “Because if you get a notification like that out of the blue, you have no ability, no means to defend yourself … I don’t have a criminal record. I didn’t commit a crime.”“I got converted to Catholicism in the United Kingdom, so I have a couple of really dear friends there. Now, I’m no longer able to go because I say the wrong things, apparently. That is the state of Europe right now … They either throw you in jail or they make sure that you can’t enter the country. That’s what happens in the United Kingdom if you go against the grain,” she said.European immigrationVlaardingerbroek has also been outspoken about illegal immigration in Europe and said that mass immigration has destabilized Europe and led to spikes in violent crimes.“Anyone with two eyes can see that it’s true,” she said. Everyone who lives here, apart from maybe people living in ivory towers or in areas where there are no immigrants, everyone who lives in the real world knows that it’s true.”“I will continue speaking the truth about what I see happening to this beautiful continent of ours because it’s being destroyed,” she said. “We see churches burning down every week here in Europe, and that’s not a coincidence. That didn’t happen for hundreds of years, and suddenly now … they’re burning down faster than I can count.”“You can break the law coming here. It’s not being punished. In fact, it’s rewarded because people get to stay, people get free housing, people get free health care, and they’re able to just roam around even awaiting whether they are going to get their asylum approved or not.”“The governments and the legal system seem to be working hand in hand” and the “judges are complicit,” Vlaardingerbroek said. In Europe, the migrants that commit crimes are not held accountable because judges believe “they are traumatized because they come from a war zone” or due to their “their mental state.”“Then what ends up happening is these immigrants who rape, kill, and assault the native population, they just don’t get any real prison time, and they definitely do not get deported,” she said.“I think that this is a holdover from World War II,” she continued. Institutions including the European Union have “given evil one face and one face only” and “they refuse to see the difference between a Nazi and a conservative Christian.”“To them, it’s all the same, and that’s the way that they treat us,” she said. “I don’t think they’re afraid to acknowledge it. I think they honestly don’t care. I mean, the churches that are being burned down in France that we see, that’s a physical thing unfolding in front of our eyes.”The burning of churches “is powerful imagery that should wake people up to something else, something invisible, which is the agenda that is being carried out here to erode Christianity,” Vlaardingerbroek said.When the European Union discusses European culture, identity, and history, “they never mention Christianity,” Vlaardingerbroek said.“They actively removed it from their documents. They talk about the Enlightenment, but Christianity is never mentioned. They are actively eroding and erasing Christianity here in Europe because it threatens their agenda, because these people see [themselves] as God,” she said.U.S. immigrationAs debates over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement continue in the U.S, Vlaardingerbroek also discussed the status of immigration on this side of the pond.“As a Catholic, of course, we can be charitable. Nobody’s saying that we cannot allow some immigration or that we cannot help those in need. That is, of course, a Catholic ideal. That is a Catholic value … That’s what our legal system reflects,” she said.“That doesn’t mean, however, that when you come here illegally, which is what happens the majority of the time, and you break [the] laws, that we have to sit by and watch that happen.”ICE agents “are doing their job,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “They are enforcing the law. I think it’s a disgrace the way that they are being treated.”“I wish actually that here in Europe, we would have our version of ICE and that they would … send back home the people who come here illegally and who do not belong in these countries and who actively fight everything that we stand for, both in America and here in Europe,” Vlaardingerbroek said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/catholic-convert-eva-vlaardingerbroek-on-censorship-and-immigration-in-europe-catholic-catholic-dutch-political-commentator-and-activist-eva-vlaardingerbroek-said-the-rule-of-law-is-dead.png "Catholic convert Eva Vlaardingerbroek on censorship and immigration in Europe #Catholic Catholic Dutch political commentator and activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek said “the rule of law is dead” in Europe and detailed the issues of censorship and immigration on the continent.Vlaardingerbroek is an attorney and Catholic convert who has been outspoken about European immigration, national sovereignty, and free speech. Recently, the U.K. government banned her from entering the country due to her outspoken views.“Out of the blue, I saw that I had received an email from the U.K. government,” she told Raymond Arroyo on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.” It was “just a couple of sentences saying that my ETA, which is the travel authorization that Europeans need to travel to the U.K., had been revoked.”The reason they stated “was that I am ‘not conducive to the public good,’” she said. Vlaardingerbroek said she believes the ban occurred because she criticized the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, on social media three days before receiving the email.The situation shows that “the rule of law is dead in Europe,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “Because if you get a notification like that out of the blue, you have no ability, no means to defend yourself … I don’t have a criminal record. I didn’t commit a crime.”“I got converted to Catholicism in the United Kingdom, so I have a couple of really dear friends there. Now, I’m no longer able to go because I say the wrong things, apparently. That is the state of Europe right now … They either throw you in jail or they make sure that you can’t enter the country. That’s what happens in the United Kingdom if you go against the grain,” she said.European immigrationVlaardingerbroek has also been outspoken about illegal immigration in Europe and said that mass immigration has destabilized Europe and led to spikes in violent crimes.“Anyone with two eyes can see that it’s true,” she said. Everyone who lives here, apart from maybe people living in ivory towers or in areas where there are no immigrants, everyone who lives in the real world knows that it’s true.”“I will continue speaking the truth about what I see happening to this beautiful continent of ours because it’s being destroyed,” she said. “We see churches burning down every week here in Europe, and that’s not a coincidence. That didn’t happen for hundreds of years, and suddenly now … they’re burning down faster than I can count.”“You can break the law coming here. It’s not being punished. In fact, it’s rewarded because people get to stay, people get free housing, people get free health care, and they’re able to just roam around even awaiting whether they are going to get their asylum approved or not.”“The governments and the legal system seem to be working hand in hand” and the “judges are complicit,” Vlaardingerbroek said. In Europe, the migrants that commit crimes are not held accountable because judges believe “they are traumatized because they come from a war zone” or due to their “their mental state.”“Then what ends up happening is these immigrants who rape, kill, and assault the native population, they just don’t get any real prison time, and they definitely do not get deported,” she said.“I think that this is a holdover from World War II,” she continued. Institutions including the European Union have “given evil one face and one face only” and “they refuse to see the difference between a Nazi and a conservative Christian.”“To them, it’s all the same, and that’s the way that they treat us,” she said. “I don’t think they’re afraid to acknowledge it. I think they honestly don’t care. I mean, the churches that are being burned down in France that we see, that’s a physical thing unfolding in front of our eyes.”The burning of churches “is powerful imagery that should wake people up to something else, something invisible, which is the agenda that is being carried out here to erode Christianity,” Vlaardingerbroek said.When the European Union discusses European culture, identity, and history, “they never mention Christianity,” Vlaardingerbroek said.“They actively removed it from their documents. They talk about the Enlightenment, but Christianity is never mentioned. They are actively eroding and erasing Christianity here in Europe because it threatens their agenda, because these people see [themselves] as God,” she said.U.S. immigrationAs debates over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement continue in the U.S, Vlaardingerbroek also discussed the status of immigration on this side of the pond.“As a Catholic, of course, we can be charitable. Nobody’s saying that we cannot allow some immigration or that we cannot help those in need. That is, of course, a Catholic ideal. That is a Catholic value … That’s what our legal system reflects,” she said.“That doesn’t mean, however, that when you come here illegally, which is what happens the majority of the time, and you break [the] laws, that we have to sit by and watch that happen.”ICE agents “are doing their job,” Vlaardingerbroek said. “They are enforcing the law. I think it’s a disgrace the way that they are being treated.”“I wish actually that here in Europe, we would have our version of ICE and that they would … send back home the people who come here illegally and who do not belong in these countries and who actively fight everything that we stand for, both in America and here in Europe,” Vlaardingerbroek said.")
Catholic convert Eva Vlaardingerbroek discussed immigration and the state of free speech in Europe on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.”
![‘My Catholic faith guides me’: HHS assistant secretary speaks on policy, saints #Catholic Adm. Brian Christine, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a practicing Catholic, talked about the state of the pro-life movement as well as his own faith in an interview on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Wednesday.Christine, a practicing Catholic, said the HHS values religious freedom.“We are not going to allow health care practitioners to be disparaged or be discriminated against because of their faith,” he told host Abigail Galvan. “We faithful don’t have to check our faith at the door to practice medicine or science.”For his part, Christine said his faith and the example of the saints guides him.“My Catholic faith guides me,” he said. “Every decision that I make — I don’t set my faith aside at the door.”When asked if he had a particular devotion, Christine said he takes inspiration from many saints.“I don’t have a patron saint — I have a whole cloud of witnesses,” he said. “I have a whole cloud of saints because I need them. I’m really devoted to St. Peter the Apostle — I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. I’ve fallen so many times. But you get back up and St. Peter could deny the Lord, and yet there he is, the rock of the Church, the first pontiff, the first Holy Father.”“St. Thomas More, who really stood strong to serve in government and yet ultimately did what was right, and he paid the ultimate price,” Christine said.Christine said he also looks to a more recent blessed, Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen, the archbishop of Münster in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, and how he spoke out against euthanasia in his time.“He was known as the Lion of Münster because [of] his homilies against the Nazi T4 program, which was the euthanasia of those the Nazis considered undesirable for life or unworthy of life,” Christine said. “He preached such strong homilies against the T4 program that the Nazis ultimately stopped that program.”Abortion pillChemical abortions make up nearly two-thirds of U.S. abortions and are being mailed across state lines, even to states where unborn children are protected throughout pregnancy. Due to easy access to the abortion drug, mifepristone, abortion rates are climbing, making it a key issue in the pro-life movement.But action against chemical abortions has stalled in the Trump administration, which promised an investigation into the safety concerns for women surrounding the abortion pills.
Adm. Brian Christine, a practicing Catholic who serves as the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, speaks with Abigail Galvan on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Feb. 4, 2026. | Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” screenshot
When asked about this, Christine said that “data is being collected” and a review is “ongoing,” saying “the commissioner of the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], Dr. Marty Makary, has certainly committed to doing a review of the safety of mifepristone.”“That review is ongoing because we want to make sure we have the best data about the potential harm of mifepristone so that women can make truly informed-consent decisions,” Christine continued. “If women are considering using that drug, they need to understand what the implications may be.”Compassionate mental health careFor the HHS, “compassionate mental health care” for minors suffering from gender dysphoria “is incredibly important to the country,” Christine said.“It’s incredibly important to those most vulnerable, these minors who suffer from gender dysphoria, because gender dysphoria is a real condition, a mental health condition,” Christine said.Referring to an HHS study, Christine said that “using castrating chemicals — that is not the way to treat these vulnerable children.”“If you use the mental health support, the vast majority of these children are going to be very happy in their own skin,” he continued. “We don’t need to be cutting off body parts.”“We don’t need to be giving them chemicals that are going to cause irreversible harm for the rest of their life,” Christine said. “We have been very strong about this in the Trump administration. We have been led by [HHS] Secretary [Robert] Kennedy, and we’re never going to back away from these things.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/my-catholic-faith-guides-me-hhs-assistant-secretary-speaks-on-policy-saints-catholic-adm-brian-christine-assistant-secretary-for-health-at-the-department-of-health-and-human-ser-scaled.png)
Adm. Brian Christine, a practicing Catholic, talked about the state of the pro-life movement and how his faith guides him.
The Haitians “leaving South Florida and other places in the United States so abruptly would cause great economic damage to the United States,” Archbishop Thomas Wenski said.
Some Catholic colleges ranked among the best for pro-life support for women, while others were among the worst for their ties to abortion clinics, according to a new report.
