Pro

California grandmother aims for 10,000 signatures on petition against second-trimester abortions #Catholic Mary Waldorf didn’t know anything about organizing petitions, but when a hospital worker and fellow parishioner told her that staff were forced to participate in second-trimester abortions, she felt called to do something.Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, about 80 miles north of Sacramento, is the primary hospital in the area.“It’s the only hospital in a huge county. We all have to use it,” Waldorf told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”Waldorf still remembers how she felt the day she found out about the abortions being performed there.“I spent the rest of the day just bawling because I know what a second-trimester abortion is,” she said.“Everybody was shocked,” she added.Waldorf went with a small group to peacefully protest in front of the hospital, holding signs. Hospital staff approached, asking why they were there.“They didn’t even know” about the later-term abortions being performed at the facility, Waldorf said.Waldorf claimed that local media will not cover the controversy. She said she has sent several letters to the editor of local papers but described the situation as a “media blackout.”A pediatrician at the hospital told her the hospital administration might reconsider if there was enough concern. “Why she told me, God only knows,” Waldorf said. “But I thought, well, if that’s the case, then what if we do a petition?”“I’m just somebody who goes to church, has grandkids, goes to work — I don’t know how to do [a petition],” she told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” “I am not a media [figure]. But when God gives you an opportunity, you got to go for it.”The petition had about 800 signatures as of March 27. Waldorf is aiming for 10,000 — 10% of the size of the town.Waldorf said staff members have told her that the hospital allegedly has refused to allow some medical workers to opt out of assisting with abortion procedures.“They were told that the pre-op and the post-op nurses and personnel could not opt out,” Waldorf said.Waldorf runs a local chapter of 40 Days for Life, a nationwide effort aimed at praying for women seeking abortions and for their children, usually in front of abortion clinics during Lent. She says she wants women to have “true choice.”“If the mindset of people is about death, they don’t consider the child — and you have to consider both,” Waldorf said. “They’re not counseling these women. What about giving them true choice?”“The dignity of the human person is so paramount,” Waldorf added. “And I think that that is what’s being lost here completely.”
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California grandmother aims for 10,000 signatures on petition against second-trimester abortions #Catholic Mary Waldorf didn’t know anything about organizing petitions, but when a hospital worker and fellow parishioner told her that staff were forced to participate in second-trimester abortions, she felt called to do something.Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, about 80 miles north of Sacramento, is the primary hospital in the area.“It’s the only hospital in a huge county. We all have to use it,” Waldorf told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”Waldorf still remembers how she felt the day she found out about the abortions being performed there.“I spent the rest of the day just bawling because I know what a second-trimester abortion is,” she said.“Everybody was shocked,” she added.Waldorf went with a small group to peacefully protest in front of the hospital, holding signs. Hospital staff approached, asking why they were there.“They didn’t even know” about the later-term abortions being performed at the facility, Waldorf said.Waldorf claimed that local media will not cover the controversy. She said she has sent several letters to the editor of local papers but described the situation as a “media blackout.”A pediatrician at the hospital told her the hospital administration might reconsider if there was enough concern. “Why she told me, God only knows,” Waldorf said. “But I thought, well, if that’s the case, then what if we do a petition?”“I’m just somebody who goes to church, has grandkids, goes to work — I don’t know how to do [a petition],” she told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” “I am not a media [figure]. But when God gives you an opportunity, you got to go for it.”The petition had about 800 signatures as of March 27. Waldorf is aiming for 10,000 — 10% of the size of the town.Waldorf said staff members have told her that the hospital allegedly has refused to allow some medical workers to opt out of assisting with abortion procedures.“They were told that the pre-op and the post-op nurses and personnel could not opt out,” Waldorf said.Waldorf runs a local chapter of 40 Days for Life, a nationwide effort aimed at praying for women seeking abortions and for their children, usually in front of abortion clinics during Lent. She says she wants women to have “true choice.”“If the mindset of people is about death, they don’t consider the child — and you have to consider both,” Waldorf said. “They’re not counseling these women. What about giving them true choice?”“The dignity of the human person is so paramount,” Waldorf added. “And I think that that is what’s being lost here completely.”

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Mary Waldorf is rallying her town to petition against second-trimester abortions offered by Enloe Medical Center.

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Scottish bishops say ‘prayer moved hearts’ after Scottish Parliament rejects assisted suicide #Catholic In a final vote, members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have rejected a bill that would have made assisted suicide legal — a dramatic turn of events that Scotland’s Catholic bishops are attributing to the power of prayer.Reacting to the result immediately after its announcement on March 17, Scotland’s bishops told EWTN News: “Prayer is what moved hearts on this important issue. We are over the moon. Glory be to God that life has triumphed tonight!”Bill sponsor Liam McArthur and his supporters were confident of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill becoming law. In the first vote in May 2025, Parliament voted 70 to 56 in favor of the bill progressing to Stage 2. The bill was then amended at Stage 2 before moving to Stage 3 for a decisive vote. in the end, however, MSPs rejected it, voting 69 to 57 against the bill. Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said the vote against the assisted suicide bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland After an emotional debate, 12 MSPs changed sides, moving from supporting the Bill at Stage 1 to opposing it. Notable MSPs who swapped sides included Jamie Hepburn (Scottish National Party), Daniel Johnson (Labour), and Brian Whittle (Conservative), who publicly announced their decisions during the debate. This followed other notable announcements in the buildup to the vote by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish National Party MSPs Audrey Nicoll and Collette Stevenson, who had initially supported the bill and then shared their decisions to vote against it.Commending MSPs for voting against the legislation, Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said after the vote: “I would like to express my gratitude to all MSPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable.”The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide is inherently immoral. In advance of the final vote, Keenan commented that a vote against the bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.”“Every human life possesses inherent value,” he said. “Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognizes their dignity.” Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Right To Life UK Pro-life groups opposing the bill also highlighted the importance of the vote for the vulnerable. In a message to EWTN News, Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.”Hungerford-Morgan told EWTN News: “People nearing the end of their lives, no matter what their condition, need love and support, not a pathway to suicide, which is exactly what the Scottish assisted suicide bill would have done."The vote followed an intense and long debate over five sessions, culminating in the final debate and vote on March 17.Hungerford-Morgan said: “If this bill had passed in the Scottish Parliament and gone on to become law, it would have ushered in an irrevocable change that would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of thousands of lives through assisted suicide in Scotland.”He added: “After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.”Paul Atkin, pro-life officer at the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, highlighted “the strength of engagement across our archdiocese” due to the fact that, from the 12 MSPs who changed their votes to opposing the bill, eight represent constituencies within the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.Atkin told EWTN News: “The defeat of this bill is a welcome result, reflecting the strength of engagement across our archdiocese. From the archbishop’s leadership to parishes who organized hundreds of letters, this was a united effort which made the difference.”Praising the “remarkable contribution” of the archdiocese, Atkin paid tribute to the “polite, persistent engagement from the Catholic community,” which helped “shape outcomes and protect the most vulnerable.”Opponents of the bill called for attention to now move away from assisted suicide toward investment in palliative care. “Our next priority must be to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it,” Keenan said. Echoing this viewpoint, Hungerford-Morgan urged MSPs to “unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.”Following the defeat of the bill, Hungerford-Morgan turned his attention to a separate bill currently being debated in the House of Lords in London that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, initiated by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.Calling on the Leadbeater Bill’s sponsors to “reject assisted suicide,” he said: “This victory will have an impact far beyond Holyrood as the Leadbeater Bill is being debated in the House of Lords. Instead of pushing ahead with this dangerous bill, its sponsors should follow Scotland’s example and reject assisted suicide.”
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Scottish bishops say ‘prayer moved hearts’ after Scottish Parliament rejects assisted suicide #Catholic In a final vote, members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have rejected a bill that would have made assisted suicide legal — a dramatic turn of events that Scotland’s Catholic bishops are attributing to the power of prayer.Reacting to the result immediately after its announcement on March 17, Scotland’s bishops told EWTN News: “Prayer is what moved hearts on this important issue. We are over the moon. Glory be to God that life has triumphed tonight!”Bill sponsor Liam McArthur and his supporters were confident of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill becoming law. In the first vote in May 2025, Parliament voted 70 to 56 in favor of the bill progressing to Stage 2. The bill was then amended at Stage 2 before moving to Stage 3 for a decisive vote. in the end, however, MSPs rejected it, voting 69 to 57 against the bill. Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said the vote against the assisted suicide bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland After an emotional debate, 12 MSPs changed sides, moving from supporting the Bill at Stage 1 to opposing it. Notable MSPs who swapped sides included Jamie Hepburn (Scottish National Party), Daniel Johnson (Labour), and Brian Whittle (Conservative), who publicly announced their decisions during the debate. This followed other notable announcements in the buildup to the vote by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish National Party MSPs Audrey Nicoll and Collette Stevenson, who had initially supported the bill and then shared their decisions to vote against it.Commending MSPs for voting against the legislation, Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said after the vote: “I would like to express my gratitude to all MSPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable.”The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide is inherently immoral. In advance of the final vote, Keenan commented that a vote against the bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.”“Every human life possesses inherent value,” he said. “Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognizes their dignity.” Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.” | Credit: Photo courtesy of Right To Life UK Pro-life groups opposing the bill also highlighted the importance of the vote for the vulnerable. In a message to EWTN News, Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.”Hungerford-Morgan told EWTN News: “People nearing the end of their lives, no matter what their condition, need love and support, not a pathway to suicide, which is exactly what the Scottish assisted suicide bill would have done."The vote followed an intense and long debate over five sessions, culminating in the final debate and vote on March 17.Hungerford-Morgan said: “If this bill had passed in the Scottish Parliament and gone on to become law, it would have ushered in an irrevocable change that would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of thousands of lives through assisted suicide in Scotland.”He added: “After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.”Paul Atkin, pro-life officer at the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, highlighted “the strength of engagement across our archdiocese” due to the fact that, from the 12 MSPs who changed their votes to opposing the bill, eight represent constituencies within the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.Atkin told EWTN News: “The defeat of this bill is a welcome result, reflecting the strength of engagement across our archdiocese. From the archbishop’s leadership to parishes who organized hundreds of letters, this was a united effort which made the difference.”Praising the “remarkable contribution” of the archdiocese, Atkin paid tribute to the “polite, persistent engagement from the Catholic community,” which helped “shape outcomes and protect the most vulnerable.”Opponents of the bill called for attention to now move away from assisted suicide toward investment in palliative care. “Our next priority must be to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it,” Keenan said. Echoing this viewpoint, Hungerford-Morgan urged MSPs to “unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.”Following the defeat of the bill, Hungerford-Morgan turned his attention to a separate bill currently being debated in the House of Lords in London that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, initiated by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.Calling on the Leadbeater Bill’s sponsors to “reject assisted suicide,” he said: “This victory will have an impact far beyond Holyrood as the Leadbeater Bill is being debated in the House of Lords. Instead of pushing ahead with this dangerous bill, its sponsors should follow Scotland’s example and reject assisted suicide.”

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In a decisive vote, Scottish members of Parliament have rejected the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, a victory the bishops in Scotland are praising.

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Michigan teen starts Catholic online newspaper for other teens #Catholic Luis Nava, a high school freshman at the International Academy in Michigan, takes to heart that he wants to be ready to answer any questions from his peers but also to better understand his Catholic faith. He began an online newspaper called The Catholic Michigander, where he tackles some of those questions and more.Nava is a parishioner at St. Joseph Parish in Lake Orion, Michigan, and spent his first few years attending school there. He recently spoke to students at the Catholic school about a project he started to help spread the Catholic faith among teens and to help young people understand what the faith is all about.“A lot of the times, if I’m facing questions from classmates that don’t have the same beliefs as me, I want to know exactly what I believe and exactly why I believe it,” Nava said.Learning about his faith became more of a quest after Nava attended a pro-life conference in 2024 at his parish. While he was there, Nava picked up a quote from William Wilberforce that he says inspired him to fulfill what he believes is his calling: “Let it not be said that I was silent when they needed me,” he said. The saying is posted above his desk. “I see it every day.”Nava, who plans to study neuroscience, said he has always been passionate about writing and hoped to start a newspaper one day. After the conference, he felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit guiding him, and he got to work on a website.“It all came from a project that I had when I was in middle school,” he said. “I was on the newspaper for my middle school in sixth grade, and then in seventh grade I took over as the editor.”Nava takes ideas for content for the newspaper from his daily experiences and conversations with classmates. He also invites others to write with him.The newspaper contains a wide variety of articles on different topics, from infertility and natural family planning to life issues and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Nava said he writes “if a particular issue sparks my interest.” Father Jim Kean advises Nava on Catholic theology to ensure that all of the content adheres to Catholic teaching.“There was a report that a huge amount of Catholics don’t know that Christ is really present in the Eucharist, so I thought topics like those would be good to address,” Nava said.Each month, Nava writes and edits the copy and posts it to the website, featuring not only his writing but also that of some of his peers. A middle school student at St. Joseph School in Lake Orion, Michigan, reviews an article in Luis Nava’s online newspaper, The Catholic Michigander. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Luis Nava/Detroit Catholic “A couple of them are parishioners here at St. Joseph Parish, but they were public school students,” said Doris Fornasiero, principal at St. Joseph School. “I think that’s also a remarkable piece, that he’s reaching and pulling in students from all over the public school, private school, but students who are passionate about their faith.”Nava doesn’t just write about his faith, but he brings it to life, said Lindy Cubba, a middle school religion teacher at St. Joseph.“As teachers and educators, listening to him, it was remarkable because he had captured this passion for faith and yet this way to inspire and nurture beliefs that people already have and bring them into the open,” Cubba said.In addition to his work with the newspaper, Nava is also active in the youth group and as an athlete, where he encourages others to live their lives of faith. Recently he spoke to St. Joseph students about his project.“He’s just an incredibly positive, strong influence in the right way,” Fornasiero said. “He inspired the kids and encouraged them to speak out, that they didn’t have to keep their beliefs and their feelings about their faith to themselves. He was giving them a safe place to voice their beliefs.”Nava said he is grateful to the Holy Spirit, as well as mentors such as Fornasiero and Cubba, and said he wants to encourage other students to be courageous enough to do what they dream.“Well, I try to be a model to imitate, but I mean it’s a work in progress,” he said.“Like with everything, we’re all called to be saints, so I’m trying to walk down that road, as I’m sure everybody is,” Nava said. “I hope this can inspire other people to maybe take action and realize they can do anything. Hopefully, we can get all of the youth of today to really grow in their love for God.”Nava believes his newspaper project and his interest in neuroscience are related.“It’s really perfect, because neuroscience and religion and spirituality go hand in hand so well together,” Nava said. “We need God at the center of our lives if we want to have good mental health. I thought that would integrate very well with the writing and with religion.”With three more years of high school ahead of him, Nava said he hopes he can continue the newspaper for several more years.“I’m not sure how it’s going to evolve,” he said, “but I hope that we can continue to put out articles that teenagers can see and be inspired by.”This story was first published by the Detroit Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.
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Michigan teen starts Catholic online newspaper for other teens #Catholic Luis Nava, a high school freshman at the International Academy in Michigan, takes to heart that he wants to be ready to answer any questions from his peers but also to better understand his Catholic faith. He began an online newspaper called The Catholic Michigander, where he tackles some of those questions and more.Nava is a parishioner at St. Joseph Parish in Lake Orion, Michigan, and spent his first few years attending school there. He recently spoke to students at the Catholic school about a project he started to help spread the Catholic faith among teens and to help young people understand what the faith is all about.“A lot of the times, if I’m facing questions from classmates that don’t have the same beliefs as me, I want to know exactly what I believe and exactly why I believe it,” Nava said.Learning about his faith became more of a quest after Nava attended a pro-life conference in 2024 at his parish. While he was there, Nava picked up a quote from William Wilberforce that he says inspired him to fulfill what he believes is his calling: “Let it not be said that I was silent when they needed me,” he said. The saying is posted above his desk. “I see it every day.”Nava, who plans to study neuroscience, said he has always been passionate about writing and hoped to start a newspaper one day. After the conference, he felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit guiding him, and he got to work on a website.“It all came from a project that I had when I was in middle school,” he said. “I was on the newspaper for my middle school in sixth grade, and then in seventh grade I took over as the editor.”Nava takes ideas for content for the newspaper from his daily experiences and conversations with classmates. He also invites others to write with him.The newspaper contains a wide variety of articles on different topics, from infertility and natural family planning to life issues and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Nava said he writes “if a particular issue sparks my interest.” Father Jim Kean advises Nava on Catholic theology to ensure that all of the content adheres to Catholic teaching.“There was a report that a huge amount of Catholics don’t know that Christ is really present in the Eucharist, so I thought topics like those would be good to address,” Nava said.Each month, Nava writes and edits the copy and posts it to the website, featuring not only his writing but also that of some of his peers. A middle school student at St. Joseph School in Lake Orion, Michigan, reviews an article in Luis Nava’s online newspaper, The Catholic Michigander. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Luis Nava/Detroit Catholic “A couple of them are parishioners here at St. Joseph Parish, but they were public school students,” said Doris Fornasiero, principal at St. Joseph School. “I think that’s also a remarkable piece, that he’s reaching and pulling in students from all over the public school, private school, but students who are passionate about their faith.”Nava doesn’t just write about his faith, but he brings it to life, said Lindy Cubba, a middle school religion teacher at St. Joseph.“As teachers and educators, listening to him, it was remarkable because he had captured this passion for faith and yet this way to inspire and nurture beliefs that people already have and bring them into the open,” Cubba said.In addition to his work with the newspaper, Nava is also active in the youth group and as an athlete, where he encourages others to live their lives of faith. Recently he spoke to St. Joseph students about his project.“He’s just an incredibly positive, strong influence in the right way,” Fornasiero said. “He inspired the kids and encouraged them to speak out, that they didn’t have to keep their beliefs and their feelings about their faith to themselves. He was giving them a safe place to voice their beliefs.”Nava said he is grateful to the Holy Spirit, as well as mentors such as Fornasiero and Cubba, and said he wants to encourage other students to be courageous enough to do what they dream.“Well, I try to be a model to imitate, but I mean it’s a work in progress,” he said.“Like with everything, we’re all called to be saints, so I’m trying to walk down that road, as I’m sure everybody is,” Nava said. “I hope this can inspire other people to maybe take action and realize they can do anything. Hopefully, we can get all of the youth of today to really grow in their love for God.”Nava believes his newspaper project and his interest in neuroscience are related.“It’s really perfect, because neuroscience and religion and spirituality go hand in hand so well together,” Nava said. “We need God at the center of our lives if we want to have good mental health. I thought that would integrate very well with the writing and with religion.”With three more years of high school ahead of him, Nava said he hopes he can continue the newspaper for several more years.“I’m not sure how it’s going to evolve,” he said, “but I hope that we can continue to put out articles that teenagers can see and be inspired by.”This story was first published by the Detroit Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.

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Luis Nava, a high school freshman in Lake Orion, Michigan, felt inspired to help peers find their voice and live their Catholic faith.

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10,000 Austrian students petition to end mandatory fees funding abortions #Catholic More than 10,000 Austrian university students have signed a petition demanding that the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH, by its German acronym) abolish its so-called “Repro Fund,” a program that uses mandatory student fees to finance abortions.The petition, organized by ProLife Europe in partnership with CitizenGo, was formally submitted on March 11 to the authorities responsible for administering the fund. Titled “No Student Funds for Killing Human Beings,” the initiative was launched after the ÖH introduced financial assistance for abortions through the Repro Fund.According to the ÖH’s published budget for the 2025-2026 academic year, 18,000 euros have been allocated to cover abortion costs, with plans outlined in the student union’s coalition agreement to expand the fund in the coming years.Petition organizers argue that the policy forces students to subsidize abortions regardless of their moral convictions.“The targeted financing of abortions is incompatible with the freedom of conscience of many students and represents an ethically absolutely indefensible decision,” the petition states.Mandatory student feesIn Austria, all university students must pay a mandatory contribution to the ÖH as part of their semester enrollment.If a student fails to pay the fee, enrollment cannot be completed. This means the student loses official student status for that semester and is barred from attending courses or taking examinations. Nonpayment also results in the loss of student accident insurance, which is normally included as part of enrollment.Because the ÖH contribution is embedded in the legal structure of university registration, students cannot opt out of supporting the organization or its programs, regardless of whether they agree with its political positions or spending decisions.Pro-life petitioners say this system effectively compels students to fund abortions through their mandatory contributions.Student mobilization exceeds expectationsMaria Czernin, president of ProLife Europe, told EWTN News that the petition’s response exceeded expectations in Austria, where public mobilization on civil issues is often limited.“For a three-month petition in Austria, this is a very strong result,” Czernin said. “People here tend to be more reserved in public campaigns, so reaching more than 10,000 signatures is significant.”Organizers initially hoped to gather around 8,000 signatures, she said, but the campaign surpassed that target before the petition closed.The ÖH, Austria’s national student union, is elected democratically by university students. As a result, the Repro Fund was introduced through decisions taken by the organization’s governing coalition.During campus outreach efforts linked to the petition, ProLife Europe volunteers spoke with students who did not identify as pro-life but nevertheless objected to the use of mandatory student fees to fund abortions.“We encountered students who were not pro-life, but they still felt that their money should not be used for this,” Czernin said. “That says a lot about how controversial this program is.”She added that the program remains relatively unknown across many Austrian universities. Organizers believe that if awareness of the funds were more widespread, opposition would grow further.A message to policymakersCzernin said the petition is also intended as a signal to Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Austrian minister for women, science, and research, whose ministry oversees higher education policy.“I hope this petition reaches Minister Holzleitner as a strong sign from students,” she said. “It shows that many students clearly stand against this cooperation and against using their mandatory contributions in this way.”Beyond the immediate funding issue, Czernin explained that abortion should not be promoted as a solution for students facing academic or financial challenges.“There is no evidence that abortion helps women finish their studies,” she said. “But there is substantial research indicating that abortion can negatively affect women’s mental health.”She added that many women have successfully completed their studies while continuing their pregnancies, explaining that support structures for student mothers would be a more constructive response to the pressures some students face.Austria’s abortion landscapeIn Austria, abortion is permitted during the first three months of pregnancy.The law does not formally declare abortion a legal right. Instead, it states that the procedure is not punishable if it is performed by a physician within the first trimester following a prior medical consultation.There is no mandatory waiting period and no requirement for counseling from an independent advisory service. The consultation requirement is limited to a discussion with a doctor before the procedure.Abortion services are generally not covered by Austria’s public health insurance system and must typically be paid for privately. Because of this, women are not required to be registered residents of Austria or enrolled in Austrian health insurance to obtain an abortion in the country.Abortions are also not subject to mandatory reporting requirements and personal information about women undergoing the procedure is not shared with authorities.
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10,000 Austrian students petition to end mandatory fees funding abortions #Catholic More than 10,000 Austrian university students have signed a petition demanding that the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH, by its German acronym) abolish its so-called “Repro Fund,” a program that uses mandatory student fees to finance abortions.The petition, organized by ProLife Europe in partnership with CitizenGo, was formally submitted on March 11 to the authorities responsible for administering the fund. Titled “No Student Funds for Killing Human Beings,” the initiative was launched after the ÖH introduced financial assistance for abortions through the Repro Fund.According to the ÖH’s published budget for the 2025-2026 academic year, 18,000 euros have been allocated to cover abortion costs, with plans outlined in the student union’s coalition agreement to expand the fund in the coming years.Petition organizers argue that the policy forces students to subsidize abortions regardless of their moral convictions.“The targeted financing of abortions is incompatible with the freedom of conscience of many students and represents an ethically absolutely indefensible decision,” the petition states.Mandatory student feesIn Austria, all university students must pay a mandatory contribution to the ÖH as part of their semester enrollment.If a student fails to pay the fee, enrollment cannot be completed. This means the student loses official student status for that semester and is barred from attending courses or taking examinations. Nonpayment also results in the loss of student accident insurance, which is normally included as part of enrollment.Because the ÖH contribution is embedded in the legal structure of university registration, students cannot opt out of supporting the organization or its programs, regardless of whether they agree with its political positions or spending decisions.Pro-life petitioners say this system effectively compels students to fund abortions through their mandatory contributions.Student mobilization exceeds expectationsMaria Czernin, president of ProLife Europe, told EWTN News that the petition’s response exceeded expectations in Austria, where public mobilization on civil issues is often limited.“For a three-month petition in Austria, this is a very strong result,” Czernin said. “People here tend to be more reserved in public campaigns, so reaching more than 10,000 signatures is significant.”Organizers initially hoped to gather around 8,000 signatures, she said, but the campaign surpassed that target before the petition closed.The ÖH, Austria’s national student union, is elected democratically by university students. As a result, the Repro Fund was introduced through decisions taken by the organization’s governing coalition.During campus outreach efforts linked to the petition, ProLife Europe volunteers spoke with students who did not identify as pro-life but nevertheless objected to the use of mandatory student fees to fund abortions.“We encountered students who were not pro-life, but they still felt that their money should not be used for this,” Czernin said. “That says a lot about how controversial this program is.”She added that the program remains relatively unknown across many Austrian universities. Organizers believe that if awareness of the funds were more widespread, opposition would grow further.A message to policymakersCzernin said the petition is also intended as a signal to Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Austrian minister for women, science, and research, whose ministry oversees higher education policy.“I hope this petition reaches Minister Holzleitner as a strong sign from students,” she said. “It shows that many students clearly stand against this cooperation and against using their mandatory contributions in this way.”Beyond the immediate funding issue, Czernin explained that abortion should not be promoted as a solution for students facing academic or financial challenges.“There is no evidence that abortion helps women finish their studies,” she said. “But there is substantial research indicating that abortion can negatively affect women’s mental health.”She added that many women have successfully completed their studies while continuing their pregnancies, explaining that support structures for student mothers would be a more constructive response to the pressures some students face.Austria’s abortion landscapeIn Austria, abortion is permitted during the first three months of pregnancy.The law does not formally declare abortion a legal right. Instead, it states that the procedure is not punishable if it is performed by a physician within the first trimester following a prior medical consultation.There is no mandatory waiting period and no requirement for counseling from an independent advisory service. The consultation requirement is limited to a discussion with a doctor before the procedure.Abortion services are generally not covered by Austria’s public health insurance system and must typically be paid for privately. Because of this, women are not required to be registered residents of Austria or enrolled in Austrian health insurance to obtain an abortion in the country.Abortions are also not subject to mandatory reporting requirements and personal information about women undergoing the procedure is not shared with authorities.

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Pro-life students are demonstrating against the “Repro Fund,” a program that uses mandatory student fees to finance abortions.

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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.
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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.

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The percentage of Vatican employees who are women grew from 19.2% to 23.4% during the first decade of the last pontificate.

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Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortion #Catholic Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortionAn advocacy group in Ireland is calling for an inquiry into the deaths of 108 babies who were born alive after attempted abortions in Ireland.In a story published March 1 and authored by Ireland’s Life Institute and others, the institute cited figures released by Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) from 2019 to 2023.“Were these babies simply left to die and were they denied the lifesaving interventions that might have saved them?” Life Institute spokesperson Sandra Parda asked.“We need answers, we need transparency,” Parda said. “Looking at the evidence, clearly these babies are then simply being left to die, yet everything is shrouded in silence and secrecy.”Deputy Mattie McGrath, who obtained the numbers after requesting them from the HSE, said he was “gravely concerned about any approach that reduces transparency around perinatal outcomes.”Woman forced to induce labor while in prison sues IllinoisA former inmate from Illinois filed a lawsuit against the state prison because it allegedly forced her to give birth via induction rather than spontaneous labor.At about seven months pregnant, Amy Hicks was convicted of an illegal drug offense. Two weeks before her due date, in early 2024, she underwent induction due to prison requirements.Labor is usually induced only if there is a health concern for the mother or baby. Women will often elect to avoid induction because it can increase pain and lead to higher intervention rates such as C-sections, among other concerns.The lawsuit, argued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, alleges that the prison’s requirements violate the state’s Reproductive Health Act, an amendment that created a right to abortion in the state law. The federal lawsuit names Gov. JB Pritzker’s Illinois Department of Corrections, the prison’s medical provider, and Wexford Health Sources, among others.Wyoming Senate passes heartbeat actThe Wyoming Senate passed a heartbeat bill to protect unborn children from abortion when their heartbeats are detectable.The act prohibits “procedures that terminate the life of a child with a detectable heartbeat” with some exceptions.The bill now moves to the governor’s desk; If signed, the act would immediately take effect.Indiana court blocks protections for unborn children on religious freedom claimsAn Indiana court blocked a law protecting unborn children under religious freedom claims on March 6.The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of the advocacy group Hoosier Jews for Choice and anonymous women, claimed the law violated religious freedom by preventing women from aborting their children.Lawsuit alleges Virginia abortion rights ballot initiative is invalidA lawsuit dated March 6 alleges that a Virginia ballot initiative to create a right to abortion is invalid.District 3 Supervisor for the Bedford County Board of Supervisors Charla Bansley claimed in the lawsuit that the House of Delegates missed mandated procedural steps, making the ballot initiative invalid.The 35-page lawsuit claims that Virginia’s House of Delegates failed to send it to all circuit court clerks so they could post it for public inspection three months prior to the 2025 House of Delegates elections.North Dakota trains physicians to understand new protections for unborn childrenA training for doctors required by a North Dakota law recently became available, part of a recent law passed to enforce laws surrounding abortion.The online training is required after the Legislature passed a bill requiring training for physicians on how to apply the state’s laws protecting unborn children in various scenarios.Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America to campaign in OhioSusan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC launched a seven-figure campaign in Ohio to elect pro-life legislators.The organizations announced on March 2 that they are dedicating .25 million to campaign in support of U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who is running against former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, and plan to canvas 500,000 houses.The Ohio campaign is part of SBA’s million investment for the 2026 midterm cycle across the nation.
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Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortion #Catholic Ireland group calls for inquiry into deaths of 108 babies born alive after abortionAn advocacy group in Ireland is calling for an inquiry into the deaths of 108 babies who were born alive after attempted abortions in Ireland.In a story published March 1 and authored by Ireland’s Life Institute and others, the institute cited figures released by Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) from 2019 to 2023.“Were these babies simply left to die and were they denied the lifesaving interventions that might have saved them?” Life Institute spokesperson Sandra Parda asked.“We need answers, we need transparency,” Parda said. “Looking at the evidence, clearly these babies are then simply being left to die, yet everything is shrouded in silence and secrecy.”Deputy Mattie McGrath, who obtained the numbers after requesting them from the HSE, said he was “gravely concerned about any approach that reduces transparency around perinatal outcomes.”Woman forced to induce labor while in prison sues IllinoisA former inmate from Illinois filed a lawsuit against the state prison because it allegedly forced her to give birth via induction rather than spontaneous labor.At about seven months pregnant, Amy Hicks was convicted of an illegal drug offense. Two weeks before her due date, in early 2024, she underwent induction due to prison requirements.Labor is usually induced only if there is a health concern for the mother or baby. Women will often elect to avoid induction because it can increase pain and lead to higher intervention rates such as C-sections, among other concerns.The lawsuit, argued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, alleges that the prison’s requirements violate the state’s Reproductive Health Act, an amendment that created a right to abortion in the state law. The federal lawsuit names Gov. JB Pritzker’s Illinois Department of Corrections, the prison’s medical provider, and Wexford Health Sources, among others.Wyoming Senate passes heartbeat actThe Wyoming Senate passed a heartbeat bill to protect unborn children from abortion when their heartbeats are detectable.The act prohibits “procedures that terminate the life of a child with a detectable heartbeat” with some exceptions.The bill now moves to the governor’s desk; If signed, the act would immediately take effect.Indiana court blocks protections for unborn children on religious freedom claimsAn Indiana court blocked a law protecting unborn children under religious freedom claims on March 6.The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of the advocacy group Hoosier Jews for Choice and anonymous women, claimed the law violated religious freedom by preventing women from aborting their children.Lawsuit alleges Virginia abortion rights ballot initiative is invalidA lawsuit dated March 6 alleges that a Virginia ballot initiative to create a right to abortion is invalid.District 3 Supervisor for the Bedford County Board of Supervisors Charla Bansley claimed in the lawsuit that the House of Delegates missed mandated procedural steps, making the ballot initiative invalid.The 35-page lawsuit claims that Virginia’s House of Delegates failed to send it to all circuit court clerks so they could post it for public inspection three months prior to the 2025 House of Delegates elections.North Dakota trains physicians to understand new protections for unborn childrenA training for doctors required by a North Dakota law recently became available, part of a recent law passed to enforce laws surrounding abortion.The online training is required after the Legislature passed a bill requiring training for physicians on how to apply the state’s laws protecting unborn children in various scenarios.Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America to campaign in OhioSusan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out PAC launched a seven-figure campaign in Ohio to elect pro-life legislators.The organizations announced on March 2 that they are dedicating $3.25 million to campaign in support of U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who is running against former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, and plan to canvas 500,000 houses.The Ohio campaign is part of SBA’s $80 million investment for the 2026 midterm cycle across the nation.

unitedyam

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

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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.”
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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

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

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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.”
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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.”

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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.

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Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist who urged Vatican to address humanitarian crises, dies at 84 #Catholic Jesse Jackson, whose decades of activism included work in the Civil Rights Movement, two runs for the White House, and multiple meetings with Pope John Paul II, died on Feb. 17. He was 84 years old.His family announced his passing in a statement on social media. They described him as a “servant leader” with an “unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love.” Jackson had suffered health issues for several years, including a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2017.Born Jesse Burns in Greenville, South Carolina, on Oct. 8, 1941, Jackson was adopted by his mother Helen’s subsequent husband Charles Jackson, though he maintained a close relationship with his birth father, Noah Robinson.Taunts from local children about his out-of-wedlock birth reportedly instilled in Jackson a motive to succeed; he further cited his biological father’s example of a “strong healthy ego” and “sense of dignity” that led him to push for civil rights in what was then the heavily segregated Southern U.S.He was a member of the “Greenville Eight” who protested the city’s segregated library system in 1960. A protege of Martin Luther King Jr., he participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches and played early roles in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Jackson was present at King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968.He founded the social justice organization Operation PUSH — now Rainbow/PUSH — in 1971. He would eventually mount two campaigns for U.S. president, one in 1984 and one in 1988, both of which he lost.Earlier in his career Jackson had been an outspoken pro-life advocate, at one point even endorsing amending the U.S. Constitution to ban abortion, though in later decades he would pivot to aggressive support of abortion.He met with Pope John Paul II on three separate occasions in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982 he urged the pontiff to advocate on behalf of Haitian refugees in the U.S., describing John Paul II as “the dominant force and moral authority in the world” at the time.He met with the pope again in 1985 and reportedly asked him to visit South Africa to protest apartheid, and again a third time in 1999 to urge the pontiff to advocate on behalf of three imprisoned CARE humanitarian workers in a Belgrade prison.Jackson is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, and their five children. He is also survived by a daughter, Ashley, born to one of his former staffers in 1999.In a famed speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, Jackson reflected on his political career and acknowledged that he was “not a perfect servant” but “a public servant doing my best against the odds.” He told the crowd: “As I develop and serve, be patient: God is not finished with me yet.”“For leaders, the pain is often intense,” he said at the time. “But you must smile through your tears and keep moving with the faith that there is a brighter side somewhere.”
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Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist who urged Vatican to address humanitarian crises, dies at 84 #Catholic Jesse Jackson, whose decades of activism included work in the Civil Rights Movement, two runs for the White House, and multiple meetings with Pope John Paul II, died on Feb. 17. He was 84 years old.His family announced his passing in a statement on social media. They described him as a “servant leader” with an “unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love.” Jackson had suffered health issues for several years, including a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2017.Born Jesse Burns in Greenville, South Carolina, on Oct. 8, 1941, Jackson was adopted by his mother Helen’s subsequent husband Charles Jackson, though he maintained a close relationship with his birth father, Noah Robinson.Taunts from local children about his out-of-wedlock birth reportedly instilled in Jackson a motive to succeed; he further cited his biological father’s example of a “strong healthy ego” and “sense of dignity” that led him to push for civil rights in what was then the heavily segregated Southern U.S.He was a member of the “Greenville Eight” who protested the city’s segregated library system in 1960. A protege of Martin Luther King Jr., he participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches and played early roles in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Jackson was present at King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968.He founded the social justice organization Operation PUSH — now Rainbow/PUSH — in 1971. He would eventually mount two campaigns for U.S. president, one in 1984 and one in 1988, both of which he lost.Earlier in his career Jackson had been an outspoken pro-life advocate, at one point even endorsing amending the U.S. Constitution to ban abortion, though in later decades he would pivot to aggressive support of abortion.He met with Pope John Paul II on three separate occasions in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982 he urged the pontiff to advocate on behalf of Haitian refugees in the U.S., describing John Paul II as “the dominant force and moral authority in the world” at the time.He met with the pope again in 1985 and reportedly asked him to visit South Africa to protest apartheid, and again a third time in 1999 to urge the pontiff to advocate on behalf of three imprisoned CARE humanitarian workers in a Belgrade prison.Jackson is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, and their five children. He is also survived by a daughter, Ashley, born to one of his former staffers in 1999.In a famed speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, Jackson reflected on his political career and acknowledged that he was “not a perfect servant” but “a public servant doing my best against the odds.” He told the crowd: “As I develop and serve, be patient: God is not finished with me yet.”“For leaders, the pain is often intense,” he said at the time. “But you must smile through your tears and keep moving with the faith that there is a brighter side somewhere.”

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The longtime activist was a fixture in U.S. politics for decades, including two presidential runs.

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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."
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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."

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The school has indicated it will stick by its decision for Professor Susan Ostermann to lead a university institute.

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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.
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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.

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Multiple U.S. bishops have criticized the school’s decision and urged it to rescind the appointment.

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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.
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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.

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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.”

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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.
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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.

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The archbishop called for prayers for both the family of the killer’s victims and the killer himself.

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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.”
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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.”

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Though backlash to the appointment has been growing for weeks, the university has not backed off the controversial decision.

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