Mark – United Yam

Meta blocks AI chatbot from discussing abortion with minors #Catholic Meta blocks AI chatbot from discussing abortion with minorsMeta won’t allow its AI chatbot to discuss abortion with minors, according to a report from the progressive outlet Mother Jones.Citing internal Meta documents, Mother Jones reported that Meta’s chatbot policy guidelines for interactions with minors prevent the chatbot from advising them on “content that provides advice or opinion" about "sexual health” or offering information helping them obtain an abortion.According to the report, a Meta spokesperson disputed claims of bias, saying that “any claims of enforcement based on group affiliation or advocacy are baseless” and that the company allows "posts and ads promoting health care services like abortion, as well as discussion and debate around them, as long as they follow our policies. We also give people the opportunity to appeal decisions if they think we’ve got it wrong.”When asked about the leaked documents, a company spokesperson told EWTN News: "Our AIs are trained to engage in age-appropriate discussions with teens, and to connect them with expert resources and support when appropriate." "They provide factual information on sexual health but refrain from offering advice or opinions. We continuously review and improve our protections so that teens have access to helpful information with default safeguards in place.”The Meta spokesperson also responded to advertisement censorship claims.“Every organization and individual on our platforms is subject to the same set of rules, and any claims of enforcement based on group affiliation or advocacy are baseless," the spokesperson said. United Kingdom assisted suicide bill falters as local measures advanceA national assisted suicide bill is failing to pass in the United Kingdom this week, even as local measures advance.According to a statement by the advocacy group Right to Life UK, on Feb. 26 the national bill was “widely pronounced as dead by commentators after it was revealed that it will 'almost certainly' run out of time”In Wales, the regional parliament voted on Feb. 24 in favor of the National Health Service to oversee assisted suicide if the Terminally Ill Adults Bill passes in the House of Lords.Archbishop Mark O'Toole of Cardiff-Menevia called the vote “a sad day for Wales’s most vulnerable" in a Feb. 25 statement.The island of Jersey similarly passed a law to legalize assisted suicide in a 32-to-16 vote on Feb. 26 by members of the States Assembly. The measure applies to “mentally competent” adults with terminal illnesses and who have been residents of Jersey for 12 months. Before the bill can become law, it will need royal assent.Ohio Appeals Court upholds ban on aborted baby burial requirementOhio judges on Wednesday upheld a ban on a law requiring abortion clinics to dispose of the remains of babies via burial or cremation.The appellate court in Cincinnati upheld a lower court ruling permanently blocking the law.Ohio in 2023 passed a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to abortion.Executive Director of Ohio Right to Life Carrie Snyder condemned the decision.“It’s unfortunate, but not a surprise, that the First District Court of Appeals sided with the abortion industry to stop Ohio’s fetal remains law from taking effect. Sadly, clinics will continue treating these precious little ones like garbage to be disposed of as cheaply as possible,” Snyder said in a Feb. 26 statement. “This really underscores that abortion is not health care, and that clinics are going to do everything within their power to boost their profit margin.”A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman, meanwhile, celebrated the decision, claiming the burial law was "cruel" and "nothing more than an opportunity to shame and stigmatize" women who get abortions.Texas attorney general sues mail-in abortion company for alleged illegal shipmentsTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued mail-in abortion company Aid Access along with California abortionist Remy Coeytaux and abortionist and founder of Aid Access Rebecca Gomperts for allegedly illegally shipping abortion drugs to Texas.Aid Access’s website advertises its shipping to all states including Texas, according to Paxton’s press release.“These unlawful shipments have had real and devastating consequences for Texas families,” the press release read. “In 2025, a Nueces County man allegedly used abortion-inducing drugs obtained from an out-of-state provider to secretly poison his girlfriend, resulting in the death of their unborn child.”“Every unborn child is a life worth protecting,” Paxton said, adding that he will “relentlessly enforce our state’s pro-life laws against Aid Access and other radicals like it.”

unitedyam February 28, 2026

A roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

Lent 2026: 5 programs to help you grow in your faith #Catholic This year Lent begins on Feb. 18 with Ash Wednesday. As we quickly approach this time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, here are five programs to help you grow in your faith this Lenten season.‘Pray 40: The Return’ (Hallow)This year, Hallow’s Lent Pray40 prayer challenge is titled “Pray40: The Return.” The theme for this year’s challenge focuses on returning to God, just like we read in the parable of the prodigal son. To help go further into this idea, listeners will dive into “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.Actor Jonathan Roumie will guide listeners through “The Brothers Karamazov”; Mark Wahlberg and Chris Pratt will provide fasting challenges; Mother Olga will meditate on Scripture; Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, will help listeners take part in imaginative prayer sessions; and Father Mike Schmitz will provide Sunday homilies.‘Crux’ (Ascension)Father Columba Jordan, CFR, will be hosting a daily Lenten program on the Ascension app titled “Crux.” Crux invites the faithful to see Lent as a transformative season through a four-part daily system rooted in both physical and spiritual discipline. The four daily challenges include daily reading of Scripture, a nightly examen, one form of physical exercise, and one dietary fast.“Crux” can be done individually, in parishes, or in small groups. Additionally, for those seeking a screen-free way to take part in the challenge, the “Crux: A Lenten Journey of Surrender” journal is also available.‘Seeking the Inner Room’ (Word on Fire)Word on Fire Institute will be hosting a virtual retreat this Lent led by Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, titled “Seeking the Inner Room.” The seven-week series will help participants dive deeper into Scripture and prayer in order to let the Holy Spirit into each of our inner rooms — our hearts. The retreat will also include reflections on “Gate of Heaven: Reflections on the Mother of God.”Lenten Phone Fast Challenge (Real Life Catholic)Real Life Catholic is inviting people of all ages to put down their phones this Lent to offer prayers and sacrifice to support the renewal of young Catholics. The Lenten Phone Fast Challenge offers participants the opportunity to specifically pray for the spiritual protection of Catholic teens. Participants will also receive weekly messages of support and spiritual guidance from evangelist Chris Stefanick.Programs offered through the EWTN Religious CatalogueIf you’re looking for Lenten devotionals or books you can read during this time, the EWTN Religious Catalogue has a variety of options including “Praying with Jesus and Faustina During Lent,” “Lent and Easter: Wisdom From Fulton Sheen,” and “Lenten Journey with Mother Mary,” among others.

unitedyam February 17, 2026

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, beginning a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in the Catholic Church.

Diocese of Pittsburgh: 7 churches to close next month #Catholic The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced the permanent closure of seven churches, effective March 12.The decision was formally communicated to parishioners during Masses on Feb. 8 at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, where a letter from Bishop Mark A. Eckman was read aloud.In the letter, Eckman explained that St. Joseph the Worker Parish was established on July 1, 2020, through the merger of seven parishes serving communities in Braddock, Churchill, Forest Hills, Swissvale, Turtle Creek, Wilmerding, and surrounding areas.Since the merger, all eight church buildings initially remained open for worship. However, due to persistent declining Mass attendance and ongoing financial constraints, the parish has gradually reduced the number of active worship sites.After a yearlong review in 2025, including consultations with clergy, advisory councils, the facilities mission team, and parish senate sessions, it became clear that sustaining all current buildings was not feasible. Parishioner feedback was gathered through emails, phone messages, and meetings, with many acknowledging the challenges and the necessity for change.Father Michael Stumpf, the current pastor at St. Joseph the Worker, along with parish leadership, petitioned the bishop to close the church buildings of Good Shepherd, Madonna del Castello, Sacred Heart, St. Anselm, St. Colman, St. John Fisher, and St. Jude the Apostle.Eckman consulted diocesan officials in November 2025, who supported the rationale. He subsequently issued decrees approving the closures.St. Maurice Church in Forest Hills will remain the sole open worship site for the parish.Eckman acknowledged the emotional impact of the decision, noting that parishioners have invested years of faith, prayer, and service into the churches.“I recognize that this news brings a time of significant change and a sense of loss,” Eckman said in the letter. “For many years, you have poured your lives into these sacred buildings, strengthening your communities with holy faith, fervent prayer, and tireless service.”“We are a people of the Resurrection,” he said. ”And even in seasons of pruning, there is promise for new life. This decision is made with prayerful intent to better resource your parish, ensuring that the corporal and spiritual works of mercy may continue to reach the hearts of Braddock, Churchill, Forest Hills, Swissville, Turtle Creek, and Wilmerding for generations to come.”This announcement comes amid broader trends in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, including previous mergers and consolidations aimed at addressing similar demographic and financial pressures.

unitedyam February 11, 2026

Parishioners learned that seven churches will be closed in March due to financial constraints and lower Mass attendance.

$Archbishop Lori issues pastoral letter on political life in honor of 250th anniversary of the U.S. #Catholic Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore urged Catholics to foster a political culture grounded in Christ by prioritizing human dignity and genuine encounter amid partisan divisions.“In Charity and Truth: Toward a Renewed Political Culture,” released in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, is among the nine pastoral letters and reflections Lori has written as archbishop of Baltimore. The Feb. 9 letter explored how the anniversary can be “a moment of grace” and one of “responsibility.”The U.S. can both take pride in its achievements and “the vibrancy of our Catholic faith” while also recognizing “the fractures, wounds, and crises that mark both our national life and, sadly, even at times our ecclesial life,” Lori wrote.“As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we find ourselves invited into a moment of profound reflection and renewal,” Lori said. “Anniversaries are not merely occasions for nostalgia or celebration. Authentic remembrance always orients us toward renewal; it calls us to consider not only who we have been and who we are becoming — but, by God’s grace, who we are called to be.”The letter draws on teachings from the popes, the Second Vatican Council, the Constitution, and the lives of the saints.Addressing political discourse from a Catholic viewThe letter highlighted the U.S. political atmosphere, noting that “political discourse has become more vitriolic than usual.” Lori called for synodal listening, civic virtue, and patriotic charity — as exemplified by Blessed Michael McGivney — to renew public life with truth, responsibility, and hope.McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, served immigrant families and addressed their economic insecurity and exclusion. Lori said genuine charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotic love should guide how Catholics engage with migrants and support their dignity and inclusion. Father Michael McGivney. | Credit: John Tierney/Father McGivney Guild Lori said ideological and cultural polarization “has produced an epidemic of loneliness and isolation — an aching sense of being unmoored, misunderstood, or unheard.”Lori wrote: “Synodality is, at its heart, a commitment to listening with humility, speaking with honesty, and discerning with the Holy Spirit — all while walking together, not apart.”“Such unity does not mean uniformity, nor does it eliminate disagreement,” Lori said. “Rather, it reflects a deeper truth. Our communion in Christ precedes our differences.”Synodality “does not dissolve disagreement. It expects it, because diverse people will inevitably see the world from different angles,” Lori said. The letter detailed what “synodality in politics looks like,” including a renewed willingness to listen, a refusal to demonize, a commitment to discernment, and a shared journey.Our world also needs “a new kind of politics — one that begins not with power but with the truth of the human person revealed in Jesus Christ,” Lori said. “Christ, in his incarnation, affirms the goodness of the human body and the meaning of human history.”According to Lori, this new type of politics includes resisting the idolatry of ideology. It must also honor the inherent dignity of every human life from conception to natural death, protect the vulnerable and the marginalized, engage in dialogue rather than accusation, and place the common good above partisan loyalty.A “mature Catholic political presence will” always defend human life in all its stages, advocate for the poor and the vulnerable, insist on racial and social justice, promote peace and reject violence, and uphold religious freedom for all, Lori said.In order to build a better political culture, “we must learn once more how to encounter, by stepping outside our ideological comfort zones, seeking out conversations with those on the margins or those with differing points of view, healing the wounds that divide us, committing ourselves to forgiveness,” Lori said.Virtue in public lifeLori called on U.S. citizens to employ the cardinal virtues in public life to create a “healthy political engagement.”People can use prudence by “evaluating policies not by slogans or emotional appeal but by their actual impact on human dignity,” Lori said. The virtue “helps us to see clearly, to judge wisely, and to act firmly.”Justice “is foundational to political life,” Lori said. “It is the virtue that moves us to honor the dignity of every human person and to recognize that each person has rights that must be protected and responsibilities that must be fulfilled.”Fortitude “strengthens us to pursue what is right despite fear, intimidation, or difficulty,” Lori said. “It empowers each of us to resist the pressure to conform to divisive rhetoric, to endure criticism when standing for truth, and to advocate for the vulnerable even when it is politically inconvenient.”Lastly, temperance “moderates our impulses and helps us resist the allure of excess,” Lori said. “In political culture, temperance is perhaps the virtue most needed today. Temperance invites us to slow down, to choose words carefully, to avoid rash judgments, and to discipline the desire to ‘win’ at the expense of relationship, truth, or the common good.”RenewalLori called for renewal ahead of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. He invited all Catholics and all people of goodwill to commit themselves to a renewed political culture and to answer the call of hope.The letter concluded by detailing “a path forward” on how to renew political culture, including: renewing prayer for the nation, practicing civil dialogue, rejecting hatred and violence, serving the common good, forming consciences, and encountering those different from oneself.“In the midst of political upheaval, the Church does not withdraw from public life, nor does she align herself with any partisan identity,” Lori said. “She remains what she has always been: a sacrament of unity, a beacon of hope, and a teacher of truth.”“Her mission is not to win elections but to form saints. Not to secure power but to proclaim the Gospel. Not to mirror the divisions of society but to heal them,” Lori said.“Our nation needs Catholics who embody this mission — women and men whose lives witness to the dignity of every human person, whose love bridges divides, whose courage resists hatred, and whose faith insists that despair does not have the final word. The civic landscape may look dark at times, but the Church has lived through darker times and emerged stronger, purified, and more faithful. So, too, can our nation,” he said.$

unitedyam February 10, 2026

Archbishop William Lori urged Catholics to approach public life with synodal listening and civic virtue, drawing on Blessed Michael McGivney’s example of serving immigrant families.

U.S., Hungarian thought leaders share ethical concerns over mass migration #Catholic “The Crisis of Migration for Families and Nations” was the subject of a Feb. 4 symposium that brought together American and Hungarian thought leaders who share concerns about the phenomenon of mass migration and its impact on the common good of their respective nations. The event coincided with the release of a new paper titled “Migration and Ethics: The Axioms of a Christian Migration Policy” by the Budapest-based Axioma Center, a Christian think tank.

The Catholic University of America’s Chad Pecknold (left) endorses the Hungarian think tank’s approach to Christian migration policy. | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/EWTN News

The paper, which was endorsed by Chad Pecknold, associate professor of systematic theology at The Catholic University of America, notes that “the Christian perspective on immigration has historically emphasized compassion and solidarity with refugees, along with a welcoming attitude towards foreigners.”However, the paper continues, the Christian perspective on immigration “also calls for a prudent balance between these values and the legitimate responsibility of rulers to protect their people.” In this context, the paper explains, “national security, cultural and moral traditions, the rule of law, public order, and social cohesion are all essential components of what constitutes the common good.” In the face of illegal immigration, the authors assert that “mass deportations may be a legitimate response to mass migration.”At the event, Samuel Samson, a senior adviser at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, said he does not see large-scale migration as a “moral necessity” but rather the opposite.“It is actually fundamentally disordered and impacts the well-being and the common good of society,” he said. Samson said the Trump administration has sought to “shift the general narrative” about migration to bring this awareness to the fore.In the United States, more than 14% of the population was born outside the country. In the European Union (EU), nearly 10% of the population was born in a country that is not an EU member.

The panel was moderated by the America First Policy Institute’s Kristen Ziccarelli (left) and included the participation of Center for Immigration Studies Executive Director Mark Krikorian (right). | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/EWTN News

For his part, Heritage Foundation Vice President for Economic and Domestic Policy Roger Severino contended that the United States is not essentially a “nation of immigrants” but “a country of pioneers who took on immigrants who bought into the ethos of the United States.”Addressing the issue of the assimilation of immigrants, Severino, who is Catholic and the son of Colombian immigrants, lamented that the “salad bowl” (as opposed to “melting pot”) concept of immigration encourages “separate independent cultures that, in practice, don’t even end up talking to each other.”Severino also faulted the largesse and abuses of the modern welfare state for not serving the interests of either the nation or immigrants.In his remarks, Pecknold reflected on the corrosion of the understanding of the family and the understanding of the nation. “A nation comes from a commonwealth of families that bring life,” he said.Pecknold said the wealth of nations is not simply the GDP but rather, in Christian terms, has been “providentially given” by God and said the erosion of borders, heritage, language, customs, and religion is an “attempt to deconstruct the very belief of God as the providential provider” of families and nations.Pecknold also contended that mass migration has negative impacts on family for both the immigrants and the native-born population.For migrants, he said “it almost inevitably breaks up the family,” with some leaving their home country and others staying behind or sometimes trying to enter illegally. He said it also hurts the American family by filling the workforce with cheap labor, saying: “You actually are taking jobs away from … young Americans who deserve those jobs.”Pecknold encouraged Christians to take into account the faith’s long tradition on the subject of immigration, citing St. Thomas Aquinas as a prime example. In the Summa Theologiae, Aquinas speaks about the need for assimilation and that danger could otherwise arise if someone who does “not yet having the common good firmly at heart” is given full citizenship.“Christians have to take some of these principles and think outside of the bounds of liberalism,” he said.USCCB approachThe United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has recently raised concerns on immigration that markedly differ from those presented at the Hungarian embassy symposium, particularly when it comes to the Trump administration’s mass deportation program.In November 2025, the bishops voted 216-5 to issue a special message rejecting “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” It noted that Scripture commands Christians to care for vulnerable people, including “the stranger,” and said Catholic teaching instructs nations “to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants.”The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs prosperous nations “to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner.” It also instructs immigrants “to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.”According to the catechism, political authorities can regulate immigration “for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible.”

unitedyam February 10, 2026

A Hungarian think tank’s new paper “Migration and Ethics: The Axioms of a Christian Migration Policy” prompts a meeting of the minds.

Massive Stars Make Their Mark in Hubble Image – This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the blue dwarf galaxy Markarian 178 (Mrk 178) against a backdrop of distant galaxies in all shapes and sizes. Some of these distant galaxies even shine through the diffuse edges of Mrk 178.

unitedyam December 17, 2025

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the blue dwarf galaxy Markarian 178 (Mrk 178) against a backdrop of distant galaxies in all shapes and sizes. Some of these distant galaxies even shine through the diffuse edges of Mrk 178.

Helicopter Training for Artemis Missions

unitedyam September 15, 2025

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick (left) and Mark Vande Hei (right) prepare to fly out to a landing zone in the Rocky Mountains as part of the certification run for the NASA Artemis course at the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Gypsum, Colorado, Aug. 26.

Picture of the day

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An image of Saint Mark from Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne. Today is the Feast of Saint Mark.
#ImageOfTheDay

unitedyam May 4, 2025

Picture of the day
(purge this page’s cache)

An image of Saint Mark from Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne. Today is the Feast of Saint Mark.

unitedyam June 30, 2024June 4, 2024

In the Style of cubism create an image of Mark – The author of the Gospel of Mark- Mark is often depicted as a scholarly figure with a serious expression- wearing a toga or robe. — using Psychedelic Color