In the courtyard of St. George Church, in a scene marked by tears, prayer, and hope, mourners bid farewell to a beloved priest who was killed after shelling struck his town.
Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín will succeed Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who has been appointed metropolitan archbishop of Łódź, Poland.
Pro-life students are demonstrating against the “Repro Fund,” a program that uses mandatory student fees to finance abortions.
![The religious sisters in Vatican leadership #Catholic VATICAN CITY — Religious sisters and consecrated women are a formidable presence inside Vatican City State and the Roman Curia, with recent years seeing their number and prominence rise.The increasing presence of women in the Vatican has been well documented. According to the Vatican, the percentage of women grew from 19.2% to 23.4% during the first decade of Pope Francis’ pontificate.According to a study done at the end of 2024, there were 1,318 women in a total workforce of around 6,000. There is no publicly available data on how big a share of the female presence is composed of consecrated women and religious sisters.Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, was one of the first women to be appointed to a major role at the Vatican when she was named undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in 2021. She was also the first woman to vote at a synodal assembly.Becquart told EWTN News that during her five years at the Vatican not only have women been given more key positions, but they are also serving in less visible, though no less important, roles.“At the Vatican now, you have more women as consultors to the different dicasteries or member of the dicasteries, on different commissions,” she said. “We had women in all our commissions as experts, as facilitators, inside the synod.”In August 2025, Pope Leo appointed Sister Iuliana Sarosi, CMD, and Sister Martha Driscoll, OCSO, consultors of the Dicastery for Clergy.
Sister Raffaella Petrini, FSE, president of the Governorate and of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
Sister Raffaella Petrini of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist is the first woman in the history of the Church to head the Vatican City State.She was appointed president of the Governorate and of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State — the equivalent of a kind of governor — in March 2025 after serving as secretary general of the city state for four years.Petrini is also one of the first women to be a member of the Dicastery for Bishops. Pope Francis appointed Petrini, consecrated virgin María Lía Zervino, and Sister Yvonne Reungoat, FMA, members in July 2022.Since 2023, the undersecretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) is also a religious sister: Sister Silvana Piro, FMGB.Serving at the VaticanBecquart described coming to the Vatican to work as “an adventure.”“For me, being appointed at the Vatican has been a little bit like being sent to be a missionary in Papua New Guinea or in Brazil. It’s arriving in a new context, a new experience, learning a new language, new ways of working. A new culture, I would say, a new environment,” the sister said.
Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, is an undersecretary for the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. | Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News
Becquart noted that one of the qualities religious sisters in general bring to their service at the Vatican is “a deep connection with real life.” As well, many “have started at the grassroots [ministering to] the people where they are. So we bring also this experience of being with others, especially with the poor and the most marginalized.”Margherita Romanelli, a non-religious sister who recently retired after working for 31 years in the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, told EWTN News “the recent appointments of women to top positions have greatly helped other women working [in the Vatican] to feel valued and to commit themselves to working for the common good, alongside men.”Romanelli, who is also president of the Women in the Vatican Association (DIVA), said the association was founded in 2016 because some women “felt the need to come together to respond to the needs of their female colleagues and, above all, to gain greater visibility within the Vatican. Their goal is therefore to create a network of friendship and solidarity.”In the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, where Romanelli worked, economist Sister Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, is the first woman to hold the No. 2 position.Smerilli was named secretary in April 2022 after serving for eight months as interim secretary and, prior to that, almost half a year as undersecretary, starting in March 2021. Before starting in the Roman Curia, Smerilli was also a councilor of the Vatican City State.
Sister Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
Religious sisters serving religiousIn one department at the Vatican, there has been a revolution of women religious in leadership over the last year.In 2025, first Pope Francis, and then Pope Leo XIV, put two religious sisters in charge of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, starting with Sister Simona Brambilla of the Consolata Missionaries.Appointed prefect in January 2025, Brambilla is the first woman ever named prefect of a dicastery. She leads together with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB, who is pro-prefect of the same dicastery.Brambilla, who served as superior general of the Consolata Missionary Sisters from 2011 to 2023, was secretary of the dicastery for religious and consecrated life since October 2023.The sister, who trained as a nurse before entering religious life, was a missionary in Mozambique in the late 1990s. She then returned to Italy, where, with her advanced degree in psychology, she taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University in its Institute of Psychology. She was head of the institute of Consolata Missionary Sisters from 2011 until May 2023.In May 2025, Pope Leo XIV named Sister Tiziana Merletti, a Franciscan Sister of the Poor, secretary of the same dicastery.Merletti, a former superior general of her order, is an expert in canon law who taught at the Pontifical University Antonianum.With Sister Carmen Ros Nortes, NSC, who has been undersecretary of the same dicastery since 2018, three of the department’s top five positions are filled by religious sisters.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/the-religious-sisters-in-vatican-leadership-catholic-vatican-city-religious-sisters-and-consecrated-women-are-a-formidable-presence-inside-vatican-city-state-and-the-roman-curia-with-recen.webp)
The percentage of Vatican employees who are women grew from 19.2% to 23.4% during the first decade of the last pontificate.
Father Pierre Rahi, a shepherd who refused to leave Southern Lebanon, was killed in Israeli strike.
![Georgia appeals court blocks abuse suit against Atlanta Archdiocese, cites statute of limitations #Catholic A dozen alleged abuse victims suffered a defeat at a Georgia appeals court this week when their lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Atlanta was dismissed on the grounds that the alleged abuse did not fall under an extended statute of limitations. The case turned on whether or not the archdiocese had covered up the alleged clergy sexual abuse, which if true could have “tolled” the time limit for filing abuse claims. “Tolling” occurs when a statute of limitations is extended beyond a normal window, allowing alleged victims to file abuse claims years after they normally would have been barred from doing so. In the Atlanta case, a dozen alleged victims had filed numerous suits against the Archdiocese of Atlanta and numerous churches, claiming that Fathers John Edwards and Jorge Cristancho had abused them over multiple decades from the 1960s to the early 2000s. A lower court had dismissed the cases. The Georgia Court of Appeals on March 9 upheld the dismissal, arguing that the statute of limitations for the filings had expired and that the archdiocese had not committed any malfeasance that could have extended the filing window. The plaintiffs “failed to point to any evidence that the [the archdioceseʼs] actions concealed the Plaintiffs’ claims and prevented or hindered them from filing their lawsuits,” the ruling held. The alleged victims failed to prove that they “ever requested information from the [archdiocese] about their knowledge and involvement in the abuse, or that the [archdiocese] refused” to provide it. The three-judge panel acknowledged that it was “certainly mindful of the grievous circumstances involving heinous conduct which led to the filing of these cases.”Edwards and Cristancho are both listed by the archdiocese as “credibly accused” of sexual abuse. Edwards died in 1997; Cristancho was laicized in 2003. Statutes of limitations have been a key component of disputes in the U.S. Church for years, with lawmakers in recent years advocating and often passing bills retroactively extending the window for filing abuse claims. In 2023 Maryland passed the state Child Victims Act, which abolished a 20-year statute of limitations for civil child abuse suits. The Maryland Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that the law did not violate the state constitution.Numerous states such as New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, Colorado and others have enacted similar laws allowing for abuse victims to seek restitution for alleged incidents that occurred in decades past. Such legal arrangements are not limited to the United States. In January the Spanish Bishops’ Conference and the national government agreed to a compensation plan for abuse victims that will allow victims to file for restitution even if the alleged abuse falls outside of the standard statute of limitations.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/georgia-appeals-court-blocks-abuse-suit-against-atlanta-archdiocese-cites-statute-of-limitations-catholic-a-dozen-alleged-abuse-victims-suffered-a-defeat-at-a-georgia-appeals-court-this-week-when-th.jpg "Georgia appeals court blocks abuse suit against Atlanta Archdiocese, cites statute of limitations #Catholic A dozen alleged abuse victims suffered a defeat at a Georgia appeals court this week when their lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Atlanta was dismissed on the grounds that the alleged abuse did not fall under an extended statute of limitations. The case turned on whether or not the archdiocese had covered up the alleged clergy sexual abuse, which if true could have “tolled” the time limit for filing abuse claims. “Tolling” occurs when a statute of limitations is extended beyond a normal window, allowing alleged victims to file abuse claims years after they normally would have been barred from doing so. In the Atlanta case, a dozen alleged victims had filed numerous suits against the Archdiocese of Atlanta and numerous churches, claiming that Fathers John Edwards and Jorge Cristancho had abused them over multiple decades from the 1960s to the early 2000s. A lower court had dismissed the cases. The Georgia Court of Appeals on March 9 upheld the dismissal, arguing that the statute of limitations for the filings had expired and that the archdiocese had not committed any malfeasance that could have extended the filing window. The plaintiffs “failed to point to any evidence that the [the archdioceseʼs] actions concealed the Plaintiffs’ claims and prevented or hindered them from filing their lawsuits,” the ruling held. The alleged victims failed to prove that they “ever requested information from the [archdiocese] about their knowledge and involvement in the abuse, or that the [archdiocese] refused” to provide it. The three-judge panel acknowledged that it was “certainly mindful of the grievous circumstances involving heinous conduct which led to the filing of these cases.”Edwards and Cristancho are both listed by the archdiocese as “credibly accused” of sexual abuse. Edwards died in 1997; Cristancho was laicized in 2003. Statutes of limitations have been a key component of disputes in the U.S. Church for years, with lawmakers in recent years advocating and often passing bills retroactively extending the window for filing abuse claims. In 2023 Maryland passed the state Child Victims Act, which abolished a 20-year statute of limitations for civil child abuse suits. The Maryland Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that the law did not violate the state constitution.Numerous states such as New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, Colorado and others have enacted similar laws allowing for abuse victims to seek restitution for alleged incidents that occurred in decades past. Such legal arrangements are not limited to the United States. In January the Spanish Bishops’ Conference and the national government agreed to a compensation plan for abuse victims that will allow victims to file for restitution even if the alleged abuse falls outside of the standard statute of limitations.")
The statute of limitations could not be extended due to a lack of evidence of fraud by the archdiocese, the court said.
Church leaders and Muslim clerics shared Ramadan fast-breaking meals across six Pakistani dioceses this year as the overlap of Lent and Ramadan inspired joint prayers for peace.
The pontiff encouraged a Rome parish facing poverty and social challenges to show its closeness to those wounded and searching for hope.
![Pope Leo XIV warns of wider Middle East conflict #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for peace as violence and fear continue to spread in Iran and across the Middle East, praying in particular for Lebanon and warning that the conflict could widen.Speaking after the Angelus on March 8, the pope said “deeply disturbing news continues to arrive from Iran and the entire Middle East.”“In addition to the episodes of violence and devastation as well as the widespread climate of hatred and fear, there is also the concern that the conflict will spread and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may again sink back into instability,” he said.“We lift up our humble prayer to the Lord, so that the thunderous sound of bombs may cease, weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open up in which the voice of the people can be heard,” the pope said. He added that he was entrusting that intention to the Virgin Mary, “that she may intercede for those who suffer because of war and lead hearts along the paths of reconciliation and hope.”Before the Marian prayer in St. Peter’s Square, Leo reflected on the day’s Gospel and said that “since the first centuries of the Church’s history, the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the healing of the man born blind and the resurrection of Lazarus illuminate the path of those who, at Easter, will receive Baptism and begin a new life.”“These great Gospel passages, which we read beginning this Sunday, are intended for the catechumens to help them on their journey to become Christians,” he said. “At the same time, these passages are heard once again by the entire community of believers to help them to be more authentic and joyful Christians.”Referring to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, the pope said: “Indeed, Jesus is the response to our thirst. As he suggested to the Samaritan woman, the encounter with him stirs in the depths of each person ‘a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’”“How many people in the entire world are searching even today for this spiritual spring!” he said.Quoting the diary of Etty Hillesum, a Dutch Jewish writer who died in Auschwitz during World War II, Leo said: “‘Sometimes I am there too. But more often stones and grit block the well, and God is buried beneath. Then he must be dug out again.’”“Dear friends, there is no energy better spent than that dedicated to freeing our heart,” the pope said. “For this reason, Lent is a gift: we are starting the third week and now we are able to intensify the journey!”He went on to reflect on the disciples’ reaction in the Gospel: “His disciples came [and] they were astonished that he was speaking with a woman.” The Master, he said, had to prompt them: “‘Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.’”“The Lord still says to his Church: ‘Lift up your eyes and recognize God’s surprises!’” Leo said. “In the fields, four months prior to the harvest, one sees practically nothing. But there, where we see nothing, grace is already at work and its fruits are ready to be gathered.”“The harvest is great: perhaps the workers are few because they are distracted by other activities,” he continued. “Jesus, on the other hand, is attentive. According to custom, he ought to have simply ignored that Samaritan woman; instead, Jesus speaks with her, listens to her, and shows her respect — without a hidden agenda and without disdain.”“How many people seek in the Church this same sensitivity, this availability!” the pope said.“And how beautiful it is when we lose track of time in order to give attention to the person we are encountering, as we see in this passage,” he added. “Jesus was so spiritually nourished by God’s desire to reach people on the deepest levels that he even forgot to eat.”Leo said that “the Samaritan woman becomes the first of many female evangelizers.” Because of her testimony, “many from her village of despised and rejected people came to meet Jesus, and also in them faith bubbled forth like pure water.”The pope also marked International Women’s Day, observed March 8, saying: “We renew our commitment, which for us Christians is based on the Gospel, to recognize the equal dignity of man and woman.”“Unfortunately many women, from childhood onwards, are still discriminated against and suffer various forms of violence,” he said. “In a special way, I offer to them my solidarity and my prayers.”This article was originally published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pope-leo-xiv-warns-of-wider-middle-east-conflict-catholic-pope-leo-xiv-on-sunday-appealed-for-peace-as-violence-and-fear-continue-to-spread-in-iran-and-across-the-middle-east-praying-in-particular-f-scaled.jpg "Pope Leo XIV warns of wider Middle East conflict #Catholic Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for peace as violence and fear continue to spread in Iran and across the Middle East, praying in particular for Lebanon and warning that the conflict could widen.Speaking after the Angelus on March 8, the pope said “deeply disturbing news continues to arrive from Iran and the entire Middle East.”“In addition to the episodes of violence and devastation as well as the widespread climate of hatred and fear, there is also the concern that the conflict will spread and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may again sink back into instability,” he said.“We lift up our humble prayer to the Lord, so that the thunderous sound of bombs may cease, weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open up in which the voice of the people can be heard,” the pope said. He added that he was entrusting that intention to the Virgin Mary, “that she may intercede for those who suffer because of war and lead hearts along the paths of reconciliation and hope.”Before the Marian prayer in St. Peter’s Square, Leo reflected on the day’s Gospel and said that “since the first centuries of the Church’s history, the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the healing of the man born blind and the resurrection of Lazarus illuminate the path of those who, at Easter, will receive Baptism and begin a new life.”“These great Gospel passages, which we read beginning this Sunday, are intended for the catechumens to help them on their journey to become Christians,” he said. “At the same time, these passages are heard once again by the entire community of believers to help them to be more authentic and joyful Christians.”Referring to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, the pope said: “Indeed, Jesus is the response to our thirst. As he suggested to the Samaritan woman, the encounter with him stirs in the depths of each person ‘a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’”“How many people in the entire world are searching even today for this spiritual spring!” he said.Quoting the diary of Etty Hillesum, a Dutch Jewish writer who died in Auschwitz during World War II, Leo said: “‘Sometimes I am there too. But more often stones and grit block the well, and God is buried beneath. Then he must be dug out again.’”“Dear friends, there is no energy better spent than that dedicated to freeing our heart,” the pope said. “For this reason, Lent is a gift: we are starting the third week and now we are able to intensify the journey!”He went on to reflect on the disciples’ reaction in the Gospel: “His disciples came [and] they were astonished that he was speaking with a woman.” The Master, he said, had to prompt them: “‘Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.’”“The Lord still says to his Church: ‘Lift up your eyes and recognize God’s surprises!’” Leo said. “In the fields, four months prior to the harvest, one sees practically nothing. But there, where we see nothing, grace is already at work and its fruits are ready to be gathered.”“The harvest is great: perhaps the workers are few because they are distracted by other activities,” he continued. “Jesus, on the other hand, is attentive. According to custom, he ought to have simply ignored that Samaritan woman; instead, Jesus speaks with her, listens to her, and shows her respect — without a hidden agenda and without disdain.”“How many people seek in the Church this same sensitivity, this availability!” the pope said.“And how beautiful it is when we lose track of time in order to give attention to the person we are encountering, as we see in this passage,” he added. “Jesus was so spiritually nourished by God’s desire to reach people on the deepest levels that he even forgot to eat.”Leo said that “the Samaritan woman becomes the first of many female evangelizers.” Because of her testimony, “many from her village of despised and rejected people came to meet Jesus, and also in them faith bubbled forth like pure water.”The pope also marked International Women’s Day, observed March 8, saying: “We renew our commitment, which for us Christians is based on the Gospel, to recognize the equal dignity of man and woman.”“Unfortunately many women, from childhood onwards, are still discriminated against and suffer various forms of violence,” he said. “In a special way, I offer to them my solidarity and my prayers.”This article was originally published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.")
At his Sunday Angelus, the pope voiced alarm over violence and fear spreading from Iran across the region.
A group of high school seniors and their teacher chaperones spoke with EWTN News about being stuck in the Middle East during the beginning of hostilities there last week.
![University of Dallas panel explores American exceptionalism through a Catholic lens #Catholic In a standing-room-only event, college students lined the walls of a large room at the University of Dallas to hear three Catholic academics and an apologist reflect on what makes America exceptional in a celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.Liam Ritter, a junior and the founder of the university’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter, which hosted the discussion, told EWTN News that the March 4 panel of speakers served as the capstone of three days of celebrations at the university.The panel was comprised of University President Jonathan Sanford; Trent Horn, staff apologist with Catholic Answers; Burt Folsom, distinguished fellow at Hillsdale College and economic historian; and Susan Hanssen, associate professor of history at the University of Dallas.‘We have a population of people who know what is at stake’In response to Ritter’s question, “Why [is it] that our political regime has been so stable for so long,” Hanssen recalled America’s first immigrants. “I think the first thing that makes America exceptional, and its political regime exceptional, is the fact that America was first populated by people who fled the rise of the modern nation state and totalitarianism … and so we have a population of people who know what is at stake in political liberty," she said.“Theyʼve seen what happened to their ancestors,” she continued. “They remember the stories. And America has been blessed in its political constitution with the regime of liberty, which has made possible the flourishing of subsidiary communities and societies.”Hanssen said we should not take for granted today that we still “have a free people." “We need to listen to our latest immigrants … those who have fled Venezuela, those who have fled Iran, like my uncle, a Persian Jew, who refuses to call himself Iranian because he associates modern Iran with the regime of the Ayatollah.”‘Get married, have children, raise them well’Sanford said that though we are a nation of immigrants, “there won’t be enough to pull in to make up for” the continuing demographic decline.“Get married, have children, raise them well,” he said to chuckles from a receptive audience, which was mostly composed of college students.He encouraged the students not to focus on “one big step,” but rather, to take smaller steps: “Get up early. Pray. Exercise. Go through the day in an ordered fashion, give Caesar what is Caesarʼs, and God what is God’s.”“Do the little things thousands and thousands of times,” he said.“In order to exercise liberty properly,” he continued, one has to ask, "How should I live my life?” and then rely on the institutions that “help you do that.”He called the family the “foundational institution” of America. “Recover the family,” he said.In addition, “we need to see those institutions that mediate the virtues — schools, universities — that embrace fully the idea of what [the virtues] are.”Horn also encouraged students to focus on family relationships, telling them “get off the phones and the internet. They’re killing all of us. They’re rewiring our brains.”
Trent Horn (left), an apologist at Catholic Answers, and University of Dallas President Jonathan Sanford participate in a panel on American exceptionalism at the University of Dallas on March 4, 2026. | Credit: Courtesy of University of Dallas Young Americans for Freedom Chapter
Of people currently in their 20s in America, "one in three will never have children,” he lamented, implying too much technology use is partly to blame.The Catholic Answers apologist pointed out, however, that though the Second Industrial Revolution “broke the family” by encouraging workers to move away from their homes and families to pursue careers, the internet “post-Covid,” in the age of “Zoom and telecommuting … might be good” because many people no longer have to choose between a job and staying near their extended families.“Maybe tech can help build up family networks,” he said.‘The greatest outpouring of economic development’ in historyRitter told EWTN news that he chose speakers who could address “the wonderful things the U.S. has contributed” to the world because “a lot of young people don’t have appropriate gratitude for the country.”Ritter asked Folsom, a historian who focuses on economics and industrial affairs, about what the professor believes the U.S. has contributed to world economics and world innovations.Folsom said that the generation after the Civil War, from 1865 to 1905, was responsible for “the greatest outpouring of economic development … in world history” and “gave us the rise of an America that became a world power” by World War I.He listed inventions that facilitated the rapid development of industry and infrastructure in the country during the Second Industrial Revolution, including the typewriter, the telephone, adding machines, the light bulb, electricity, factory-produced cars, and recording devices for music and movies, among other innovations.Through the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, “the founders gave us the freedom” to develop these technologies, he said. “We had amazing infrastructure that allowed people to produce, and not have government get in their way.”The professor said the post-Civil War period could be eclipsed in the present day “because with artificial intelligence, this generation may yet be able to come up with more.”‘A responsibility for this political regime of freedom’At the conclusion of the panel discussion, Hanssen called the feeling in the room “electric, it’s teeming with patriotism. This isn’t a normal college campus.”Referring to Sanford’s earlier admonition to ”get married and have kids,” she said: “I agree, be fruitful and multiply … Preach the Gospel, and baptize in the name of Jesus, but also, go into politics!” she exclaimed.She encouraged the students to develop “the ability to love something so much that you would die for it: God, family, country.”“Recognize what is at stake. We have a responsibility for this political regime of freedom, to the immigrants who come here … to our children… to preserve the rule of law.”She concluded to loud applause: “So family; yes! Faith; yes, but to the barricades, ladies and gentlemen!"](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/university-of-dallas-panel-explores-american-exceptionalism-through-a-catholic-lens-catholic-in-a-standing-room-only-event-college-students-lined-the-walls-of-a-large-room-at-the-university-of-dalla.jpg)
The speakers encouraged the college students to get married, have children, stay off the internet (unless it enables them to telework and stay near their extended families), and be political.
![‘My trust was in God’: Priest recounts flight from Holy Land amid Iranian conflict #Catholic A Jesuit priest says he has a “much larger perspective” of the crisis of war after fleeing the Holy Land at the outset of U.S. and Israeli aggressions against Iran.Father Anthony Wieck, SJ, told EWTN News he was leading a pilgrimage of about 20 Catholics in the Holy Land when the war began on Feb. 28.“We had just spent a week in Galilee and prayed our way through the holy sites of Jesus’ teaching and miracles,” Wieck said, describing the region as “a lovely land [God] created for himself to enjoy on this earth.”The group arrived in Jerusalem on Feb. 26, he said, and the next day word began to spread of the need to evacuate from the region. Several pilgrims were able to leave immediately, Wieck said, while others who attempted to leave the next day were unable to get a flight out and eventually had to return to the pilgrim group.Ben Gurion International Airport “is not a safe place to be because there are military installations near the airport,” he said. “Iranian missiles were being sent that way, and our people ... were taken into the bomb shelter five stories down below the airport.”Wieck said that even as the conflict broke out, his group still toured holy sites, including the Church of the Pater Noster, where tradition holds that Christ taught the disciples to pray the Our Father. “We were instructed by our guide to continue the tour and to simply seek cover whenever the sirens went off,” he said, pointing out that “those living in Jerusalem are so used to warning sirens there that they have much less fear than we do. They’re observant but not fearful. And we were trusting them.”The priest was offering a chanted Mass at the Dominus Flevit Church while explosions sounded in the distance as Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted Iranian missiles.“It was scary, yes,” Wieck said. “But I continued the Mass with trust, and after Communion (before the final prayer) asked all pilgrims to pray for a couple minutes regarding where the Lord was in all of this situation.”
Father Anthony Wieck, SJ, says Mass at the Dominus Flevit Church in Jerusalem on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. | Credit: Father Anthony Wieck, SJ
After Mass, a group of pilgrims from Kansas joined them in the church amid sirens and explosions in the surrounding region. “It struck me as supremely important that we not make decisions based on fear but on faith,” he said.The priest’s group took a truncated walking tour of Jerusalem, he said, which “became eerily quiet that evening.”The tour company ordered them to evacuate the following morning. Departing for Jordan, the group found itself stuck amid a crush of evacuations in the area. “A typical two-hour trip to Amman, Jordan, took us seven hours,” Wieck said. And while the group initially “felt much safer being outside of Jerusalem,” they eventually felt “locked in” at their hotel, particularly amid mass flight cancellations.
Missile contrails are seen over the Holy Land region on Sunday, March 1, 2026. | Credit: Father Anthony Wieck, SJ
Jordanians in the area kept assuring the Americans that the country’s King Abdullah II would protect them. “Not feeling the same allegiance to their king, my trust was in God,” the priest said.The U.S. Department of State provided military evacuations to Americans in the area. “Little by little, our pilgrims found an occasional flight that [shuttled] them out of the war zone,” Wieck said. The priest and one other pilgrim, a religious from Phoenix, were the last from their group to remain in Jordan before they took a flight with Royal Jordanian Airlines on March 4. Wieck said the pilot took “great efforts to circumvent Israeli airspace.” The air carrier “was bold enough to keep to their travel plans despite the threats,” Wieck said, describing the airline as “my new favorite.” ‘Truly a Catholic experience’Wieck told EWTN News that he “would not say that I was stellar in my response to what God was doing here.” “I wanted to pray much but felt so much stress and trauma around me that it was truly difficult,” he said. “I was exhausted.”Yet during the frightening evacuation, he said, “hundreds of people” back home were lifting up the pilgrims with prayers and sacrifices. “They knew our plight was becoming a bit more grave,” he said.Back home in the U.S., Wieck, who lives in Louisiana, said he was still reflecting on what happened but said the harrowing ordeal gave him “a much larger perspective to have experienced profoundly how much we need the help of our brothers and sisters in times of crisis.”“It was truly a Catholic experience,” he said.“Though as humans we usually don’t carry our crosses in times of crisis all that well, our brothers and sisters in the faith can see us through. That was my experience,” he said.“How wonderful it is to be Catholic!” he added.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/my-trust-was-in-god-priest-recounts-flight-from-holy-land-amid-iranian-conflict-catholic-a-jesuit-priest-says-he-has-a-much-larger-perspective-of-the-crisis-of-wa.jpg)
Father Anthony Wieck, SJ, was leading a group of pilgrims in Jerusalem when the U.S. and Israel began launching strikes against Iran.
The 94-year-old Chinese prelate weighed in on the ongoing discussions between the Holy See and the Society of St. Pius X in a post on X.
In a video released on X, the Holy Father posed a question to the faithful: “Would you imagine what a world without wars would be like? A world without the terror of approaching explosions?”
U.S. adults were among those most likely to condemn extramarital affairs as immoral in a study of 25 countries.
The report also warns seminaries must not become an “artificial environment” detached from the ordinary life of the faithful.
While Pablo Picasso was a professed atheist, a new exhibit in Spain highlights the spiritual sensibilities of his art.
Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, explains how the highly secularized society there can receive the message and imagery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a way that is meaningful to them.
Throughout her life, St. Katharine Drexel’s chief motivation was to help more people know and love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
![ChosenCon 2026: ‘This is the Comic-Con of the Bible’ #Catholic Thousands of fans of the hit series “The Chosen” gathered at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 19–21 for ChosenCon — a fan convention for the show.This year’s gathering also featured cast members from other shows from “The Chosen” universe including “The Chosen Adventures” and 5&2 Studios’ next series, “Joseph of Egypt,” as well as Amazon MGM Studios and the Wonder Project’s “House of David.”“This is huge. This is the Comic-Con of the Bible,” Michael Iskander, the actor who portrays King David in “House of David,” told EWTN News on the teal carpet.This was the young actor’s first time attending ChosenCon. He participated in a panel discussion alongside star of “The Chosen” Jonathan Roumie and Adam Hashmi, the actor who will portray Joseph in “Joseph of Egypt.”“I’ve wanted to come to ChosenCon for such a long time as a fan but I’m here as a guest. So this is really, really special,” he said.Speaking about his panel, Iskander said: “Everybody has been so warm. It was Jonathan and Adam and I and we had a really, really amazing conversation about what it means to play these biblical characters, how it affects us, how it’s changed us and what these biblical characters mean to everyone who is watching.”
Michael Iskander and Jonathan Roumie at ChosenCon in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Feb. 20, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of 5&2 Studios
Many of the actors in attendance highlighted the importance the fans have played in the success of “The Chosen” and shared their feelings on the fact that they only have one season left to film.“I remember in Season 1 we had like five superfans that would follow us around — by the way those five same fans we can see around here on occasion. So if we do see them we’re just like ‘Oh my goodness — here since the beginning,’” said George Xanthis, the actor who portrays the apostle John in “The Chosen.” “But they’re just as important as the fans that have been here for two years or one year or six years or whatever it is but remembering back to that time, we were so grateful that we even had five fans.”He added: “So I take that feeling into things like today and it’s not lost on me how lucky I am, and how lucky we all are as a series and as a cast and as a production. So when days like this come about I just try to give my all. I want to say ‘Hi’ to as many people as possible.”
Actor George Xanthis takes pictures with fans at ChosenCon in Charlotte, North Carolina. | Credit: Courtesy of 5&2 Studios
Paras Patel, who plays Matthew, called his time on the show “a gift and a blessing.”“In many ways I have learned so much about myself being on the show and strengthened myself through it that I’m excited to see what will happen after,” he shared. “I kind of don’t want it to end because I just love these guys and I love our crew, but, as they say, all good things must come to an end.”An actor who has been deeply impacted by his time portraying his character is Giavani Cairo, the actor who plays Thaddeus. The actor has spoken openly about growing up without his biological father and during a panel discussion at ChosenCon discussed a moment of healing he received while filming.“He’s [Thaddeus] impacted me in ways that I could not have even imagined,” he told EWTN News.He shared that a few months before booking the role on “The Chosen,” he decided to “renew” his faith.“I started reading the Bible every day, talking to God like he was a friend, and that’s when the audition for ‘The Chosen’ came — at the right moment, right time,” he said. “And they always say God finds you in those moments.”He added: “So for me it started a healing process. I always had a chip on my shoulder wanting to prove that I was worthy. And he’s made me reflective that I am worthy of his love, and I’m worthy of other people’s love as well. So I just wanted to make people feel seen through Thaddeus that we all do matter.”
Nearly 5,000 fans attended the third ChosenCon, which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 19–21, 2026. | Credit: Courtesy of 5&2 Studios
While details of Season 6 of “The Chosen” are still largely under wraps, Roumie briefly discussed his experience portraying the Lord’s passion and crucifixion.“For the first few months afterwards going to Mass — and even thinking about it now — I just get weepy. I get emotional. It’s hard. It’s left an indelible impression on me — mentally and emotionally sharing even just a percentage, a micron of a percentage of the Lord’s passion playing it and reenacting it has left me absolutely humbled and moved,” he told EWTN News.Monsignor Patrick J. Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte, was grateful that his city was hosting the conference and called the event “inspiring to the faithful.”“I think it’s such a beautiful new art form — a series — and to take the Gospel story in elevated form of that art form and present it for the world in a way that so many people can view and resonate with is just an extraordinary feat,” he said.Winslow added: “When you present a faithful rendition of Our Lord, or a faithful rendition of the Gospel, or David, or for that matter any story of faith, but you do it in a way that’s very well done, very well produced, it’s striking chords that very few people have access to. They’re deep within. And when you strike those chords with people, it inspires.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/chosencon-2026-this-is-the-comic-con-of-the-bible-catholic-thousands-of-fans-of-the-hit-series-the-chosen-gathered-at-the-charlotte-convention-center-in-charlotte-scaled.jpg)
Roughly 5,000 fans recently filled the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, for ChosenCon.
![American Catholics launch crowdfunding effort to gift Pope Leo XIV papal tiara #Catholic A newly established nonprofit launched a crowdfunding effort to construct a papal tiara that will contain Catholic and American symbolism, with the plan to offer it to Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics for the first pontiff from the United States.“Historically, the majority of papal tiaras are gifts, usually from the home diocese of the pope or from religious [communities] they may be affiliated with,” Isaac Smith, a convert to Catholicism and the founder of Amici Vaticani, told EWTN News.Smith said he was motivated to launch the project to provide Leo with a papal tiara based on the desire for “us, as Americans, to continue that tradition.” He said the first American pope is “such a historical milestone” for Catholicism in the United States.The history of papal crowns dates back to at least the eighth century with the word “tiara” first used in the 12th century. A second crown was added to the tiara in the 13th century to symbolize that the pope holds authority in both spiritual and temporal matters.A three-crown tiara first appeared in the 14th century. One interpretation of the three crowns is that they represent the threefold office of Christ: priest, prophet, and king. Another suggests it represents the militant, the suffering, and the triumphant Church.The proposed tiara commissioned by Amici Vaticani maintains the 14th-century tradition of three crowns. The tiara will be constructed with sterling silver and the crowns will be gold-plated.Because the gift is meant to honor Leo’s American heritage, the tiara will have red, white, and blue stones, which represent the colors of the American flag. It will incorporate other American symbols: oak leaves, representing the national tree; and corn stalks, representing the national crop.Some of the symbols included in the tiara have dual meanings relevant to both the papacy and the United States. It will incorporate roses, which is a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the national flower; and it will incorporate olives, which is a symbol of the pontiff’s commitment to peace and appears on the Great Seal of the United States.A buttony cross will sit atop the crown as a symbol of American Catholicism. The cross is used in the coat of arms for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the country’s first Catholic diocese, and is featured on the flag of Maryland, which is the location of the first English Catholic colonies.The design, Smith explained, is meant to be “elegant and traditional” to honor the office of the papacy but is also meant to “incorporate distinctively American elements” to honor the pope’s American heritage.
Maltese jeweler Gabriel Farrugia works on a project. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Gabriel Farrugia
Smith said he hopes to fund the project through small donations from the American Catholic faithful so the pontiff can see “this was a group effort” and a gift from Catholics in his home country. This project, he said, provides “a tangible way for people to connect with the successor of Peter.”He also said he plans to compile the names of every person who donates more than $20 into a book, which would be presented to the Holy Father along with the crown and would say on the cover: “Holy Father, please pray for these people.”Smith said his intention is that the tiara can “hopefully [be] put on display in a place of honor” after it is constructed “and presented to the pope when he visits.” When Leo met Vice President JD Vance, the pontiff said he would travel to the United States at some point, although the Holy Father does not have any specific publicly announced plans to visit as of yet.The tiara will be constructed by a Maltese jeweler and artist named Gabriel Farrugia, who has a background in creating religious art, including an Our Lady of Fátima crown, which was used in a coronation ceremony in Guardamangia, Malta. He has also been commissioned by Catholic churches for artistic projects.“Making sacred art is a type of thanksgiving to the One who created us,” Farrugia told EWTN News.“For the God that created us and gave us life, I think we should give him something,” he said, adding that sacred art provides “something that will be left there for ages” and something for “people to admire, to enjoy, and to reflect [upon].”The construction of the crown has not yet begun, as Amici Vaticani is still in the early stages of the crowdfunding effort.Amici Vaticani was launched in 2025 for the purpose of constructing the tiara. According to its website, the nonprofit also seeks to build up “the awakening of a Catholic spirit in the United States.”“Our country, once defined by its Protestant heritage, is now witnessing a boon of conversions,” the website notes. “Men and women rediscovering the depth, beauty, and authority of the Catholic faith.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/american-catholics-launch-crowdfunding-effort-to-gift-pope-leo-xiv-papal-tiara-catholic-a-newly-established-nonprofit-launched-a-crowdfunding-effort-to-construct-a-papal-tiara-that-will-contain-catho.jpg)
A nonprofit hopes to generate enough small donations to construct a papal tiara for Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics.
Bowman’s ability to see the dignity of each individual, and embrace all gifts and cultures, is an essential message for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
![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.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, beginning a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in the Catholic Church.
Catholic U.S. House Democrats cited Church teaching in defense of the dignity of migrants as Trump administration officials defend immigration enforcement.
“Adoption visas are not guaranteed” amid a travel freeze, said lawmakers who have asked the State Department to restore a “categorical exemption for adoption visas.”
![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.
According to Pew data, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian is down from 2007 levels but has held steady since 2020.
The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Amarillo Bishop Patrick Zurek, who has reached retirement age.
Ave Maria University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Florida, is opening a new campus at a former monastery in rural Ireland. Learn more in this Catholic education news roundup.
![Mother of boy healed through intercession of Fulton Sheen celebrates his upcoming beatification #Catholic Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of the child who was healed through Archbishop J. Fulton Sheen’s intercession, said she “laughed out loud with joy” when she heard his beatification was going to move forward.On Feb. 9, the Holy See officially informed Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to beatification. He is credited for the miracle that saved the life of Engstrom’s son James Fulton Engstrom, who was named after Sheen.“We had started getting to know Fulton Sheen and growing in our devotion to him while I was pregnant with James,” Engstrom said in a Feb. 13 interview with “EWTN News In Depth.” “During that pregnancy we had decided to name our son after him … to really put him under his patronage.”On Sept. 16, 2010, James was born at home. It had been a healthy pregnancy, and it was a healthy labor, but there was a knot in James’ umbilical cord that tightened during birth. “He was a stillborn, there was absolutely no sign of life,” Engstrom said.In the “time of crisis, I was in a state of shock,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to do, but I remember calling on Fulton Sheen, just saying his name, ‘Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen.’”“While [James] was at home, while he was in the ambulance, and while he was at the hospital in the emergency room, he did not have a pulse for that entire time,” she said. “Right as the medical team was ready to call time of death, all hands were off. And at that moment, his heart started to beat again, and it never stopped after that.”James is a freshman in high school and doing “great,” Engstrom said. “He is doing really well. He loves music. He’s in an art class that he’s really enjoying … he’s a great kid. Hardworking, funny.”While James “has had some medical issues along the way,” there is nothing the family can attribute to his health issues at birth.Engstrom said that her son’s “initial MRI, the first 24 hours of his life, showed extensive brain damage, and the follow-up one was perfectly clear.”Sheen’s beatificationSheen’s cause for canonization was first opened in 2002 under the leadership of the Diocese of Peoria, Sheen’s birthplace, and from then on he was referred to as a servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in June 2012.On March 6, 2014, the board of medical experts who advise the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved the reported miracle of James. Pope Francis approved of the miracle of Sheen’s on July 5, 2019, and the beatification experienced numerous delays due to an ownership dispute of his remains and an investigation into clergy sex abuse in New York.While obstacles were eventually cleared, Engstrom said initially her family was “frustrated” and “disappointed” with the delays. “I think as things in the Church just continue to progress and time went by, we realized, we trust in Jesus and he’s got it in control. And so we were able to really lean into that and move past the initial disappointment,” she said.The family is “so excited,” Engstrom said. "We’re so happy about it.” “We really appreciate that in all of Church history, our family has a little footnote in it in a very special way, and it’s remarkable. It is such an honor, and it’s such a joyful thing,” she said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/mother-of-boy-healed-through-intercession-of-fulton-sheen-celebrates-his-upcoming-beatification-catholic-bonnie-engstrom-the-mother-of-the-child-who-was-healed-through-archbishop-j-fulton-sheen.png "Mother of boy healed through intercession of Fulton Sheen celebrates his upcoming beatification #Catholic Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of the child who was healed through Archbishop J. Fulton Sheen’s intercession, said she “laughed out loud with joy” when she heard his beatification was going to move forward.On Feb. 9, the Holy See officially informed Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, that the cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to beatification. He is credited for the miracle that saved the life of Engstrom’s son James Fulton Engstrom, who was named after Sheen.“We had started getting to know Fulton Sheen and growing in our devotion to him while I was pregnant with James,” Engstrom said in a Feb. 13 interview with “EWTN News In Depth.” “During that pregnancy we had decided to name our son after him … to really put him under his patronage.”On Sept. 16, 2010, James was born at home. It had been a healthy pregnancy, and it was a healthy labor, but there was a knot in James’ umbilical cord that tightened during birth. “He was a stillborn, there was absolutely no sign of life,” Engstrom said.In the “time of crisis, I was in a state of shock,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to do, but I remember calling on Fulton Sheen, just saying his name, ‘Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen, Fulton Sheen.’”“While [James] was at home, while he was in the ambulance, and while he was at the hospital in the emergency room, he did not have a pulse for that entire time,” she said. “Right as the medical team was ready to call time of death, all hands were off. And at that moment, his heart started to beat again, and it never stopped after that.”James is a freshman in high school and doing “great,” Engstrom said. “He is doing really well. He loves music. He’s in an art class that he’s really enjoying … he’s a great kid. Hardworking, funny.”While James “has had some medical issues along the way,” there is nothing the family can attribute to his health issues at birth.Engstrom said that her son’s “initial MRI, the first 24 hours of his life, showed extensive brain damage, and the follow-up one was perfectly clear.”Sheen’s beatificationSheen’s cause for canonization was first opened in 2002 under the leadership of the Diocese of Peoria, Sheen’s birthplace, and from then on he was referred to as a servant of God. Pope Benedict XVI declared him venerable in June 2012.On March 6, 2014, the board of medical experts who advise the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved the reported miracle of James. Pope Francis approved of the miracle of Sheen’s on July 5, 2019, and the beatification experienced numerous delays due to an ownership dispute of his remains and an investigation into clergy sex abuse in New York.While obstacles were eventually cleared, Engstrom said initially her family was “frustrated” and “disappointed” with the delays. “I think as things in the Church just continue to progress and time went by, we realized, we trust in Jesus and he’s got it in control. And so we were able to really lean into that and move past the initial disappointment,” she said.The family is “so excited,” Engstrom said. \"We’re so happy about it.” “We really appreciate that in all of Church history, our family has a little footnote in it in a very special way, and it’s remarkable. It is such an honor, and it’s such a joyful thing,” she said.")
Bonnie Engstrom, the mother of boy healed through the intercession of Fulton Sheen, provides an update on her son following the announcement of the archbishop’s upcoming beatification.
![Head of U.S. bishops joins call for Notre Dame to drop appointment of pro-abortion professor #Catholic U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops President Archbishop Paul Coakley is urging the University of Notre Dame to drop the leadership appointment of an outspoken pro-abortion professor, joining nearly a dozen bishops in calling on the historic Catholic university to back away from the controversial decision. The controversy at Notre Dame exploded this week after Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades on Feb. 11 expressed “dismay” and “strong opposition” to the school's appointment of Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.Ostermann has in the past spoken out strongly in favor of abortion and sharply criticized the pro-life movement, at times suggesting that its roots are in "white supremacy" and misogyny. Rhoades said Ostermann's beliefs, coupled with her leadership promotion at the Catholic school, were “causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond.”Multiple U.S. bishops from around the country backed Rhoades's call throughout the week, with Coakley himself speaking out about the controversy on Feb. 13. "I fully support Bishop Kevin Rhoades in his challenge to Notre Dame to rectify its poor judgement in hiring a professor who openly stands against Catholic teaching when it comes to the sanctity of life, in this case protection of the unborn," Coakley said in a statement on X. TweetThe statement was shared hundreds of times on X, including by Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong. Though criticism against Notre Dame's decision has come from top Catholic leadership in the U.S. throughout the week, the school has indicated that it will be standing by its plan to have Ostermann lead the institute. Notre Dame told EWTN News on Feb. 13 that Ostermann is "a highly regarded political scientist and legal scholar" who is "well prepared" to serve in the role. At the same time the university stressed its “unwavering” commitment “to upholding the inherent dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life at every stage.” Ostermann herself has told media that she “respect[s] Notre Dame’s institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage." She has described herself as "fully committed to maintaining an environment of academic freedom where a plurality of voices can flourish."](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/head-of-u-s-bishops-joins-call-for-notre-dame-to-drop-appointment-of-pro-abortion-professor-catholic-u-s-conference-of-catholic-bishops-president-archbishop-paul-coakley-is-urging-the-university-of.jpg "Head of U.S. bishops joins call for Notre Dame to drop appointment of pro-abortion professor #Catholic U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops President Archbishop Paul Coakley is urging the University of Notre Dame to drop the leadership appointment of an outspoken pro-abortion professor, joining nearly a dozen bishops in calling on the historic Catholic university to back away from the controversial decision. The controversy at Notre Dame exploded this week after Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades on Feb. 11 expressed “dismay” and “strong opposition” to the school's appointment of Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.Ostermann has in the past spoken out strongly in favor of abortion and sharply criticized the pro-life movement, at times suggesting that its roots are in \"white supremacy\" and misogyny. Rhoades said Ostermann's beliefs, coupled with her leadership promotion at the Catholic school, were “causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond.”Multiple U.S. bishops from around the country backed Rhoades's call throughout the week, with Coakley himself speaking out about the controversy on Feb. 13. \"I fully support Bishop Kevin Rhoades in his challenge to Notre Dame to rectify its poor judgement in hiring a professor who openly stands against Catholic teaching when it comes to the sanctity of life, in this case protection of the unborn,\" Coakley said in a statement on X. TweetThe statement was shared hundreds of times on X, including by Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong. Though criticism against Notre Dame's decision has come from top Catholic leadership in the U.S. throughout the week, the school has indicated that it will be standing by its plan to have Ostermann lead the institute. Notre Dame told EWTN News on Feb. 13 that Ostermann is \"a highly regarded political scientist and legal scholar\" who is \"well prepared\" to serve in the role. At the same time the university stressed its “unwavering” commitment “to upholding the inherent dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life at every stage.” Ostermann herself has told media that she “respect[s] Notre Dame’s institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage.\" She has described herself as \"fully committed to maintaining an environment of academic freedom where a plurality of voices can flourish.\"")
The school has indicated it will stick by its decision for Professor Susan Ostermann to lead a university institute.
![U.S. clergy celebrate Masses in detention centers, urging humane treatment #Catholic U.S. Catholic clergy are bringing the sacraments to the nation’s immigrant detention centers, celebrating Masses and urging humane treatment for those held inside. As part of this effort, pastoral visits are aimed at ensuring detainees can access the Eucharist and receive spiritual support.In California, Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is set to celebrate Mass on Feb. 15 at the California City Detention Facility, the state’s largest ICE center. While the diocese regularly provides sacraments in prisons and detention sites, this will be Brennan’s first Mass inside an ICE facility.In Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland issued a Feb. 12 statement stressing the Church’s duty to safeguard detainees’ access to the sacraments and voicing concern about large‑scale deportations. “I just feel very strongly about this, that there has to be a better solution to solving the immigration problems we have in the United States,” he said.In December 2025, seven bishops celebrated Mass at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California.Chandler Marquez, director of public affairs and innovation at the Fresno Diocese, told EWTN News that there are “people who are in the facility [who] want the sacrament — they want the spiritual accompaniment,” which they are not able to access as frequently while in detention.Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes and Father Kris Sorenson, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in California City, will join for the Mass.With President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts still ongoing, Marquez said “the current climate has certainly motivated” Brennan’s decision to celebrate Mass at the facility. He said the bishop has been “vocal about the promotion of human dignity” for migrants.In January 2025, Brennan issued an open letter on “immigration challenges,” in which he said “it seemed as if we took a step back as a society, and the old days of immigration sweeps were upon us once again” when he saw the uptick of immigration enforcement within his diocese.“Our people are being asked to produce proof of citizenship, and it seems as if the request is based on how they look and how they speak,” he said at the time. “That is not, by way of example, going after hardened criminals or drug dealers which, I hope, none of us would take exception to. It is going after people who, rightly or wrongly, were allowed to cross a border and who are now being subjected to tactics that are causing much fear and anxiety among my people. It is an insult to human dignity, and it is simply wrong.”
Bishop Joseph V. Brennan of Fresno, California. | Credit: Screenshot of Diocese of Fresno YouTube video
Marquez noted the diocese has the largest detention facility and the “largest amount of prisons and detention centers” in the state, which is why the ministry at prisons and detention centers is “a very, very big part of our diocese.”“Our chaplains have a great relationship with the prisons and detention centers within our dioceses,” he said, adding that the diocese has not run into problems gaining access to the facilities to provide religious services.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates ICE, said it encourages clergy to request accommodations for religious services at long-term ICE detention centers.Catholic clergy ran into obstacles several times last year when trying to administer sacraments at an ICE field office in Broadview, Illinois, where detainees are processed. A federal judge said Feb. 12 that DHS must provide accommodations to ensure Catholic clergy could provide ashes and Communion for detainees on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/u-s-clergy-celebrate-masses-in-detention-centers-urging-humane-treatment-catholic-u-s-catholic-clergy-are-bringing-the-sacraments-to-the-nations-immigrant-detention-centers-celebrating-m.jpg)
Archbishop Alexander Sample issued a statement stressing the Church’s duty to safeguard detainees’ access to the sacraments.
Clergy had argued they “have lost their own religious freedom, by blanket denial of any opportunity to provide spiritual consolation.”
![Amid criticism by bishops, Notre Dame says pro-abortion professor ‘well prepared’ to lead institute #Catholic The University of Notre Dame is signaling that it will stick by its appointment of an outspoken pro-abortion advocate to lead a university institute even after bishops from around the U.S. have criticized the decision and urged the school to change course.Multiple bishops have lamented the school’s decision to appoint global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. The school announced the appointment in January.On Feb. 11 Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, whose diocesan territory includes the university, expressed “dismay” and “strong opposition” to the appointment and called on the school to rescind the assignment, citing Ostermann’s public support for abortion.Several of Rhoades’ brother bishops followed suit, commending Rhoades for his statement and similarly calling on the university to reverse course on Ostermann’s appointment.Yet in a Feb. 13 statement to EWTN News, the school indicated that it would not pull Ostermann’s nomination to the leadership post.Ostermann “is a highly regarded political scientist and legal scholar whose insightful research on regulatory compliance … demonstrates the rigorous, interdisciplinary expertise required to lead the Liu Institute,” the school said.Calling Ostermann a “deeply committed educator,” the school said she is “well prepared to expand the institute’s global partnerships and create impactful research opportunities that advance our dedication to serving as the preeminent global Catholic research institution.”The university stressed its “unwavering” commitment “to upholding the inherent dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life at every stage.”“Those who serve in leadership positions at Notre Dame do so with the clear understanding that their decision-making as leaders must be guided by and consistent with the university’s Catholic mission,” the school said.The school did not immediately respond when asked for direct confirmation that it was continuing with Ostermann’s appointment to lead the Liu Institute.But its statement suggested the school is not backing down from the controversial decision, one that has brought withering criticism from both U.S. bishops and pro-life advocates and has seen the departure of at least two academics from the storied Catholic institution.Robert Gimello, a research professor emeritus of theology who is an expert on Buddhism, told the National Catholic Register that his “continued formal association with a unit of the university led by such a person is, for me, simply unconscionable.”Diane Desierto, a professor of law and of global affairs, also told the Register that she had cut ties with the institute over the appointment.Ostermann’s outspoken abortion advocacy has included instances where she has linked the pro-life movement to white supremacy and misogyny.The professor told the National Catholic Register in January that she “respect[s] Notre Dame’s institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage” and described herself as “inspired by the university’s focus on integral human development, which calls us to promote the dignity and flourishing of every person.”She told the Register that her role at the school “is to support the diverse research of our scholars and students, not to advance a personal political agenda.”Ostermann had no further comment beyond her earlier statement, according to a university spokesperson.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/amid-criticism-by-bishops-notre-dame-says-pro-abortion-professor-well-prepared-to-lead-institute-catholic-the-university-of-notre-dame-is-signaling-that-it-will-stick-by-its-appoin.jpg "Amid criticism by bishops, Notre Dame says pro-abortion professor ‘well prepared’ to lead institute #Catholic The University of Notre Dame is signaling that it will stick by its appointment of an outspoken pro-abortion advocate to lead a university institute even after bishops from around the U.S. have criticized the decision and urged the school to change course.Multiple bishops have lamented the school’s decision to appoint global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies. The school announced the appointment in January.On Feb. 11 Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, whose diocesan territory includes the university, expressed “dismay” and “strong opposition” to the appointment and called on the school to rescind the assignment, citing Ostermann’s public support for abortion.Several of Rhoades’ brother bishops followed suit, commending Rhoades for his statement and similarly calling on the university to reverse course on Ostermann’s appointment.Yet in a Feb. 13 statement to EWTN News, the school indicated that it would not pull Ostermann’s nomination to the leadership post.Ostermann “is a highly regarded political scientist and legal scholar whose insightful research on regulatory compliance … demonstrates the rigorous, interdisciplinary expertise required to lead the Liu Institute,” the school said.Calling Ostermann a “deeply committed educator,” the school said she is “well prepared to expand the institute’s global partnerships and create impactful research opportunities that advance our dedication to serving as the preeminent global Catholic research institution.”The university stressed its “unwavering” commitment “to upholding the inherent dignity of the human person and the sanctity of life at every stage.”“Those who serve in leadership positions at Notre Dame do so with the clear understanding that their decision-making as leaders must be guided by and consistent with the university’s Catholic mission,” the school said.The school did not immediately respond when asked for direct confirmation that it was continuing with Ostermann’s appointment to lead the Liu Institute.But its statement suggested the school is not backing down from the controversial decision, one that has brought withering criticism from both U.S. bishops and pro-life advocates and has seen the departure of at least two academics from the storied Catholic institution.Robert Gimello, a research professor emeritus of theology who is an expert on Buddhism, told the National Catholic Register that his “continued formal association with a unit of the university led by such a person is, for me, simply unconscionable.”Diane Desierto, a professor of law and of global affairs, also told the Register that she had cut ties with the institute over the appointment.Ostermann’s outspoken abortion advocacy has included instances where she has linked the pro-life movement to white supremacy and misogyny.The professor told the National Catholic Register in January that she “respect[s] Notre Dame’s institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage” and described herself as “inspired by the university’s focus on integral human development, which calls us to promote the dignity and flourishing of every person.”She told the Register that her role at the school “is to support the diverse research of our scholars and students, not to advance a personal political agenda.”Ostermann had no further comment beyond her earlier statement, according to a university spokesperson.")
Multiple U.S. bishops have criticized the school’s decision and urged it to rescind the appointment.
![Puerto Rico’s penal code recognizes unborn babies as human beings #Catholic Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González signed into law on Feb. 12 a bill amending the penal code to recognize unborn babies as human beings at “any stage of gestation.”Senate Bill 923 — which when signed became Law 18-2026 — amends Article 92 of the penal code, which currently states that “murder is the intentional, knowing, or reckless killing of a human being.”The new law establishes that “for the purposes of this chapter, ‘human being’ shall include any conceived [unborn child] at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb.”This legislation was authored by González, a Republican. In a press release posted on X, she explained that the objective is to complement Law 166-2025, known as the Keyshla Madlane Law, named after a pregnant woman in Puerto Rico who was murdered in April 2021.This law, the press release states, “among other things, defines as first-degree murder the intentional and knowing killing of a pregnant woman, resulting in the death of the unborn child at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb.”In this regard, the approval of Law 18-2026 stands out, noting that “the legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the conceived unborn child as a human being.”In December 2025, the governor also signed into law Senate Bill 504, which amended the civil code to state that “a human being in gestation or nasciturus is a natural person, including the conceived child at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb.”A natural person simply means a living human being as distinct from a legal person such as a corporation. At the time, all of these laws were criticized by feminist and pro-abortion groups, who argued that they could lead to a ban on abortion in Puerto Rico and other U.S. jurisdictions.However, Puerto Rico Sen. Joanne Rodríguez Veve defended the passage of Bill 923 in January, stating that “the message of this type of legislation is powerful. It reaffirms this kind of language in our public policy that in the womb of a pregnant woman there is not just anything, not a mere indefinable object, but a subject, a developing human being who has dignity and whose value is intrinsic to their human nature.”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/2026/02/puerto-ricos-penal-code-recognizes-unborn-babies-as-human-beings-catholic-puerto-rico-gov-jenniffer-gonzalez-signed-into-law-on-feb-12-a-bill-amending-the-penal-code-to-recognize-unborn-ba.jpg "Puerto Rico’s penal code recognizes unborn babies as human beings #Catholic Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González signed into law on Feb. 12 a bill amending the penal code to recognize unborn babies as human beings at “any stage of gestation.”Senate Bill 923 — which when signed became Law 18-2026 — amends Article 92 of the penal code, which currently states that “murder is the intentional, knowing, or reckless killing of a human being.”The new law establishes that “for the purposes of this chapter, ‘human being’ shall include any conceived [unborn child] at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb.”This legislation was authored by González, a Republican. In a press release posted on X, she explained that the objective is to complement Law 166-2025, known as the Keyshla Madlane Law, named after a pregnant woman in Puerto Rico who was murdered in April 2021.This law, the press release states, “among other things, defines as first-degree murder the intentional and knowing killing of a pregnant woman, resulting in the death of the unborn child at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb.”In this regard, the approval of Law 18-2026 stands out, noting that “the legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the conceived unborn child as a human being.”In December 2025, the governor also signed into law Senate Bill 504, which amended the civil code to state that “a human being in gestation or nasciturus is a natural person, including the conceived child at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb.”A natural person simply means a living human being as distinct from a legal person such as a corporation. At the time, all of these laws were criticized by feminist and pro-abortion groups, who argued that they could lead to a ban on abortion in Puerto Rico and other U.S. jurisdictions.However, Puerto Rico Sen. Joanne Rodríguez Veve defended the passage of Bill 923 in January, stating that “the message of this type of legislation is powerful. It reaffirms this kind of language in our public policy that in the womb of a pregnant woman there is not just anything, not a mere indefinable object, but a subject, a developing human being who has dignity and whose value is intrinsic to their human nature.”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.")
Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González signed into law on Feb. 12 a bill amending the penal code to recognize unborn babies as human beings at “any stage of gestation.”
![Archbishop Coakley mourns execution of Oklahoma murderer, urges prayers for end to death penalty #Catholic Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley this week lamented the state’s execution of convicted murderer Kendrick Simpson, urging prayers for an end to what he called the “inhumane” punishment of the death penalty. Oklahoma executed Simpson on Feb. 12 for the 2006 murders of 20-year-old Glen Palmer and 19-year-old Anthony Jones. Simpson was convicted of killing the two in a shooting outside of an Oklahoma City nightclub.Simpson’s execution came after the state’s Pardon and Parole Board voted against his clemency petition. The U.S. Supreme Court similarly rejected his appeal. He was pronounced dead at 10:19 a.m. on Feb. 12. Coakley in a statement on X said the execution — coming shortly after the state’s March for Life — “brought into stark reality just how much work remains” for pro-life advocates in the state. Tweet“Heinous crimes should not go unpunished and our compassion and support for the victims and their loved ones is necessary,” the archbishop said, urging the faithful to “pray for those left behind [who are] often dealing with incomprehensible grief.”Yet “the intentional killing of the perpetrator cannot heal those terrible wounds,” Coakley said, arguing that the “pain and loss of one death cannot be extinguished by another violent death.”“The death penalty is inhumane and a poor method of punishment, standing in opposition to our duty to respect and value all human life and cherish God’s plan for humankind, which includes merciful justice and the opportunity for the redemption of the soul,” he said. Coakley has long been an outspoken opponent of the death penalty, having regularly called for its abolition while arguing that it “only contributes to the continued coarsening of society and to the spiral of violence.”Oklahoma, meanwhile, has for years been among the most execution-heavy states in the country; it is first among states in executions per capita and seconded only by Texas in total numbers of executions.Coakley himself is among the numerous U.S. prelates who regularly advocate against capital punishment in their respective states. The Death Penalty Information Center says that 23 states and the District of Columbia have abolished capital punishment.The archbishop on Feb. 12 urged the faithful to join him in “praying for an end to the death penalty in our state and nationwide.” He also urged prayers “for the victims, Glen Palmer and Anthony Jones, and their families, as well as Kendrick Simpson and his family.”Simpson himself had openly confessed to the murders ahead of his execution as part of his clemency plea before the state board.At the hearing he also addressed the families of his victims, telling them directly: “I apologize for murdering your sons.”“I don’t make any excuses, I don’t blame others, and they didn’t deserve what happened to them,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/archbishop-coakley-mourns-execution-of-oklahoma-murderer-urges-prayers-for-end-to-death-penalty-catholic-oklahoma-city-archbishop-paul-coakley-this-week-lamented-the-states-execution-of-con.jpg "Archbishop Coakley mourns execution of Oklahoma murderer, urges prayers for end to death penalty #Catholic Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley this week lamented the state’s execution of convicted murderer Kendrick Simpson, urging prayers for an end to what he called the “inhumane” punishment of the death penalty. Oklahoma executed Simpson on Feb. 12 for the 2006 murders of 20-year-old Glen Palmer and 19-year-old Anthony Jones. Simpson was convicted of killing the two in a shooting outside of an Oklahoma City nightclub.Simpson’s execution came after the state’s Pardon and Parole Board voted against his clemency petition. The U.S. Supreme Court similarly rejected his appeal. He was pronounced dead at 10:19 a.m. on Feb. 12. Coakley in a statement on X said the execution — coming shortly after the state’s March for Life — “brought into stark reality just how much work remains” for pro-life advocates in the state. Tweet“Heinous crimes should not go unpunished and our compassion and support for the victims and their loved ones is necessary,” the archbishop said, urging the faithful to “pray for those left behind [who are] often dealing with incomprehensible grief.”Yet “the intentional killing of the perpetrator cannot heal those terrible wounds,” Coakley said, arguing that the “pain and loss of one death cannot be extinguished by another violent death.”“The death penalty is inhumane and a poor method of punishment, standing in opposition to our duty to respect and value all human life and cherish God’s plan for humankind, which includes merciful justice and the opportunity for the redemption of the soul,” he said. Coakley has long been an outspoken opponent of the death penalty, having regularly called for its abolition while arguing that it “only contributes to the continued coarsening of society and to the spiral of violence.”Oklahoma, meanwhile, has for years been among the most execution-heavy states in the country; it is first among states in executions per capita and seconded only by Texas in total numbers of executions.Coakley himself is among the numerous U.S. prelates who regularly advocate against capital punishment in their respective states. The Death Penalty Information Center says that 23 states and the District of Columbia have abolished capital punishment.The archbishop on Feb. 12 urged the faithful to join him in “praying for an end to the death penalty in our state and nationwide.” He also urged prayers “for the victims, Glen Palmer and Anthony Jones, and their families, as well as Kendrick Simpson and his family.”Simpson himself had openly confessed to the murders ahead of his execution as part of his clemency plea before the state board.At the hearing he also addressed the families of his victims, telling them directly: “I apologize for murdering your sons.”“I don’t make any excuses, I don’t blame others, and they didn’t deserve what happened to them,” he said.")
The archbishop called for prayers for both the family of the killer’s victims and the killer himself.
![Brooklyn Diocese to pursue ‘global resolution’ of more than 1,000 abuse cases #Catholic The Diocese of Brooklyn will pursue a broad settlement with more than 1,000 alleged victims of Church abuse, Bishop Robert Brennan said on Feb. 12, with a well-known California judge set to help mediate the process. Unlike many U.S. dioceses that have faced hundreds of sex abuse claims and tens of millions of dollars in settlement costs, the Brooklyn Diocese has not filed for bankruptcy. But the diocese launched a compensation program in 2017, which Brennan in his Feb. 12 letter said has already paid “over 500 victim-survivors more than $100 million.” The diocese now “intends to pursue a global resolution of all approximately 1,100 remaining cases,” Brennan wrote. “We will endeavor to resolve expeditiously all meritorious claims and to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused by individual trials,” the bishop said. The diocese has consulted with attorneys representing abuse victims, he said. As well, Judge Daniel Buckley — a former judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County — will help mediate the process. Buckley has previously worked with the archdioceses of both New York and Los Angeles in mediating their own settlements. Massachusetts-based mediator Paul Finn will also work with the Brooklyn Diocese, Brennan said. Finn has mediated abuse settlements in Boston; Milwaukee; Rochester, New York, and elsewhere. Brennan said the Brooklyn Diocese will engage in “cost-cutting and setting aside significant funds to compensate victim-survivors,” a process he said will entail “difficult financial choices.” But “the diocese is committed to fairly compensating all meritorious claims,” he said. The diocese “continue[s] to pray for the victim-survivors, their families, and all others impacted by sexual abuse,” the bishop wrote. The news comes several months after the Archdiocese of New York revealed that it was aiming to raise more than $300 million for abuse survivors as part of its own “global settlement” with victims.The archdiocese initiated staff layoffs and a 10% reduction in the archdiocese’s operating budget, according to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, as well as the “sale of significant real estate assets.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/brooklyn-diocese-to-pursue-global-resolution-of-more-than-1000-abuse-cases-catholic-the-diocese-of-brooklyn-will-pursue-a-broad-settlement-with-more-than-1000-alleged-victims-of-c.jpg "Brooklyn Diocese to pursue ‘global resolution’ of more than 1,000 abuse cases #Catholic The Diocese of Brooklyn will pursue a broad settlement with more than 1,000 alleged victims of Church abuse, Bishop Robert Brennan said on Feb. 12, with a well-known California judge set to help mediate the process. Unlike many U.S. dioceses that have faced hundreds of sex abuse claims and tens of millions of dollars in settlement costs, the Brooklyn Diocese has not filed for bankruptcy. But the diocese launched a compensation program in 2017, which Brennan in his Feb. 12 letter said has already paid “over 500 victim-survivors more than $100 million.” The diocese now “intends to pursue a global resolution of all approximately 1,100 remaining cases,” Brennan wrote. “We will endeavor to resolve expeditiously all meritorious claims and to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused by individual trials,” the bishop said. The diocese has consulted with attorneys representing abuse victims, he said. As well, Judge Daniel Buckley — a former judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County — will help mediate the process. Buckley has previously worked with the archdioceses of both New York and Los Angeles in mediating their own settlements. Massachusetts-based mediator Paul Finn will also work with the Brooklyn Diocese, Brennan said. Finn has mediated abuse settlements in Boston; Milwaukee; Rochester, New York, and elsewhere. Brennan said the Brooklyn Diocese will engage in “cost-cutting and setting aside significant funds to compensate victim-survivors,” a process he said will entail “difficult financial choices.” But “the diocese is committed to fairly compensating all meritorious claims,” he said. The diocese “continue[s] to pray for the victim-survivors, their families, and all others impacted by sexual abuse,” the bishop wrote. The news comes several months after the Archdiocese of New York revealed that it was aiming to raise more than $300 million for abuse survivors as part of its own “global settlement” with victims.The archdiocese initiated staff layoffs and a 10% reduction in the archdiocese’s operating budget, according to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, as well as the “sale of significant real estate assets.”")
The first season introduced viewers to James Little, a student fresh out of college desperate for a job.
![More bishops call for Notre Dame to drop appointment of pro-abortion professor #Catholic Nearly half a dozen more bishops have joined the growing backlash against the University of Notre Dame over its controversial appointment of an outspoken abortion advocate to lead a university department.Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades on Feb. 11 issued a statement criticizing the university for appointing global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.Three of Rhoades’ fellow bishops quickly backed the prelate’s remarks, voicing support on social media and calling on the university to drop Ostermann’s nomination. On Feb. 12, five more bishops commended Rhoades for his statement and expressed hope that the historic Catholic university would rescind the appointment. Gallup, New Mexico, Bishop James Wall praised Rhoades for his stance, with the western U.S. prelate offering a quote attributed to Pope Leo XIV: “We cannot build a just society if we discard the weakest, whether the child in the womb or the old man in his fragility, for both are gifts from God.”TweetSan Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone also thanked Rhoades for “speaking up.” “Holy Mary, Mother of God and Our Lady, pray for the university that bears your name,” Cordileone said. TweetGreen Bay, Wisconsin, Bishop David Ricken, meanwhile, wrote: “I fully affirm and stand in solidarity with my brother bishop [Rhoades].” He said Rhoades spoke “with clarity, courage, and fidelity to the Church’s mission.”“[L]et us turn with confidence to our Blessed Mother. Our Lady, pray for us! You are our loving Mother — we love you and entrust this to your Immaculate Heart,” Ricken wrote.TweetMadison, Wisconsin, Bishop Donald Hying described Rhoades’ statement as “a profound reflection on human dignity and the culture of life.”Tweet“We pray that all of our educational institutions support Catholic teaching, especially regarding human life,” he said. Lincoln, Nebraska, Bishop James Conley said he “stand[s] in support of Bishop Rhoades” while sharing his concern over the appointment. “Catholic institutions must faithfully reflect the truth of the dignity of every human life in both their mission and their leadership,” he said. TweetThe University of Notre Dame has continued to stand by its appointment of Ostermann, whose post is scheduled to take effect July 1. Rhoades on Feb. 11 said there is “still time [for the university] to make things right.”Ostermann, meanwhile, told the National Catholic Register in January that her role at the school “is to support the diverse research of our scholars and students, not to advance a personal political agenda.”The professor said she “respect[s] Notre Dame’s institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage” and described herself as “inspired by the university’s focus on integral human development, which calls us to promote the dignity and flourishing of every person.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/more-bishops-call-for-notre-dame-to-drop-appointment-of-pro-abortion-professor-catholic-nearly-half-a-dozen-more-bishops-have-joined-the-growing-backlash-against-the-university-of-notre-dame-over-its.jpg "More bishops call for Notre Dame to drop appointment of pro-abortion professor #Catholic Nearly half a dozen more bishops have joined the growing backlash against the University of Notre Dame over its controversial appointment of an outspoken abortion advocate to lead a university department.Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades on Feb. 11 issued a statement criticizing the university for appointing global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.Three of Rhoades’ fellow bishops quickly backed the prelate’s remarks, voicing support on social media and calling on the university to drop Ostermann’s nomination. On Feb. 12, five more bishops commended Rhoades for his statement and expressed hope that the historic Catholic university would rescind the appointment. Gallup, New Mexico, Bishop James Wall praised Rhoades for his stance, with the western U.S. prelate offering a quote attributed to Pope Leo XIV: “We cannot build a just society if we discard the weakest, whether the child in the womb or the old man in his fragility, for both are gifts from God.”TweetSan Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone also thanked Rhoades for “speaking up.” “Holy Mary, Mother of God and Our Lady, pray for the university that bears your name,” Cordileone said. TweetGreen Bay, Wisconsin, Bishop David Ricken, meanwhile, wrote: “I fully affirm and stand in solidarity with my brother bishop [Rhoades].” He said Rhoades spoke “with clarity, courage, and fidelity to the Church’s mission.”“[L]et us turn with confidence to our Blessed Mother. Our Lady, pray for us! You are our loving Mother — we love you and entrust this to your Immaculate Heart,” Ricken wrote.TweetMadison, Wisconsin, Bishop Donald Hying described Rhoades’ statement as “a profound reflection on human dignity and the culture of life.”Tweet“We pray that all of our educational institutions support Catholic teaching, especially regarding human life,” he said. Lincoln, Nebraska, Bishop James Conley said he “stand[s] in support of Bishop Rhoades” while sharing his concern over the appointment. “Catholic institutions must faithfully reflect the truth of the dignity of every human life in both their mission and their leadership,” he said. TweetThe University of Notre Dame has continued to stand by its appointment of Ostermann, whose post is scheduled to take effect July 1. Rhoades on Feb. 11 said there is “still time [for the university] to make things right.”Ostermann, meanwhile, told the National Catholic Register in January that her role at the school “is to support the diverse research of our scholars and students, not to advance a personal political agenda.”The professor said she “respect[s] Notre Dame’s institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage” and described herself as “inspired by the university’s focus on integral human development, which calls us to promote the dignity and flourishing of every person.”")
The university has endured sustained backlash for nominating the outspoken abortion advocate to lead an academic department.
![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.
Communion and Liberation’s annual cultural event, the New York Encounter, will begin Friday in the heart of New York City.
An official replica of Manila’s centuries-old Jesús Nazareno image has been entrusted to Holy Family Parish in Artesia, California, bringing one of the world’s largest Catholic devotions to the U.S.
Among the most populous nations, the U.S. ranks first in religious diversity. Singapore is the most religiously diverse country overall, and the U.S. ranks 32nd.
![Multiple U.S. bishops join call for Notre Dame to rescind appointment of pro-abortion advocate #Catholic A growing chorus of U.S. bishops on Feb. 11 called on the University of Notre Dame to rescind the controversial appointment of a pro-abortion advocate to lead one of the revered Catholic institution’s academic departments. Earlier in the day Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades issued a statement criticizing the university for appointing global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.Rhoades said the school’s appointment of Ostermann — in spite of her public and uncompromising support for abortion — had caused a scandal and threatened Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission. He urged the school to rescind the nomination before it goes into effect on July 1.Several of Rhoades’ fellow prelates subsequently joined the call for Notre Dame to reverse Ostermann’s appointment. Among them was Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila, who in a post on X thanked Rhoades for his statement and said that the school’s decision “tarnishes Our Lady’s university and what it means to be Catholic.”“I pray that those who can rescind this terrible appointment will do so! Pray for the conversion of hearts!” the archbishop wrote.TweetWinona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron similarly offered his “strong support” for Rhoades’ statement, arguing that Ostermann is “not simply ‘pro-choice’” on the question of abortion. Rather, “she is a sharp critic of the pro-life position and those who advocate it,” Barron said, pointing out that Ostermann has “characterize[d] the anti-abortion stance as rooted in white supremacy and racism” and “insinuated that the Catholic commitment to integral human development implies the support of abortion rights.”TweetBarron said he has “strong connections to and deep affections” for the university. “I believe that going ahead with this appointment is repugnant to the identity and mission of that great center of Catholic learning,” he wrote. Fort Worth, Texas, Bishop Michael Olson also offered his support for Rhoades “in his carrying out of his pastoral responsibility.”TweetThe bishop called for prayers that the university might “reconsider this distressing decision.” Support for Rhoades did not just come from his brother bishops. Actress and outspoken Catholic pro-life advocate Patricia Heaton thanked both Barron and Rhoades for their statements on Feb. 11.Former U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, who was named as a Pope Leo XIII Fellow on Social Thought at the University of Dallas in 2023, also thanked Rhoades, writing on X: “Public witness is extremely powerful and must be used to point all to the truth.”Though backlash to the appointment has been growing for weeks, the university has not backed off the controversial decision. The school told the Irish Rover as recently as Feb. 8 that it had “not changed its position” on Ostermann’s leadership of the department. Ostermann herself told the National Catholic Register on Jan. 29 that her role at the school “is to support the diverse research of our scholars and students, not to advance a personal political agenda.”“I respect Notre Dame’s institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage,” she told the Register, describing herself as “inspired by the university’s focus on integral human development, which calls us to promote the dignity and flourishing of every person.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/multiple-u-s-bishops-join-call-for-notre-dame-to-rescind-appointment-of-pro-abortion-advocate-catholic-a-growing-chorus-of-u-s-bishops-on-feb-11-called-on-the-university-of-notre-dame-to-rescind-t.jpg "Multiple U.S. bishops join call for Notre Dame to rescind appointment of pro-abortion advocate #Catholic A growing chorus of U.S. bishops on Feb. 11 called on the University of Notre Dame to rescind the controversial appointment of a pro-abortion advocate to lead one of the revered Catholic institution’s academic departments. Earlier in the day Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades issued a statement criticizing the university for appointing global affairs Professor Susan Ostermann as director of the school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.Rhoades said the school’s appointment of Ostermann — in spite of her public and uncompromising support for abortion — had caused a scandal and threatened Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission. He urged the school to rescind the nomination before it goes into effect on July 1.Several of Rhoades’ fellow prelates subsequently joined the call for Notre Dame to reverse Ostermann’s appointment. Among them was Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila, who in a post on X thanked Rhoades for his statement and said that the school’s decision “tarnishes Our Lady’s university and what it means to be Catholic.”“I pray that those who can rescind this terrible appointment will do so! Pray for the conversion of hearts!” the archbishop wrote.TweetWinona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron similarly offered his “strong support” for Rhoades’ statement, arguing that Ostermann is “not simply ‘pro-choice’” on the question of abortion. Rather, “she is a sharp critic of the pro-life position and those who advocate it,” Barron said, pointing out that Ostermann has “characterize[d] the anti-abortion stance as rooted in white supremacy and racism” and “insinuated that the Catholic commitment to integral human development implies the support of abortion rights.”TweetBarron said he has “strong connections to and deep affections” for the university. “I believe that going ahead with this appointment is repugnant to the identity and mission of that great center of Catholic learning,” he wrote. Fort Worth, Texas, Bishop Michael Olson also offered his support for Rhoades “in his carrying out of his pastoral responsibility.”TweetThe bishop called for prayers that the university might “reconsider this distressing decision.” Support for Rhoades did not just come from his brother bishops. Actress and outspoken Catholic pro-life advocate Patricia Heaton thanked both Barron and Rhoades for their statements on Feb. 11.Former U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, who was named as a Pope Leo XIII Fellow on Social Thought at the University of Dallas in 2023, also thanked Rhoades, writing on X: “Public witness is extremely powerful and must be used to point all to the truth.”Though backlash to the appointment has been growing for weeks, the university has not backed off the controversial decision. The school told the Irish Rover as recently as Feb. 8 that it had “not changed its position” on Ostermann’s leadership of the department. Ostermann herself told the National Catholic Register on Jan. 29 that her role at the school “is to support the diverse research of our scholars and students, not to advance a personal political agenda.”“I respect Notre Dame’s institutional position on the sanctity of life at every stage,” she told the Register, describing herself as “inspired by the university’s focus on integral human development, which calls us to promote the dignity and flourishing of every person.”")
Though backlash to the appointment has been growing for weeks, the university has not backed off the controversial decision.
