signs

Mathematicians can become ‘signs of hope for the world,’ Pope Leo XIV says #Catholic In a message conveyed through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV on Friday said that mathematicians can become “signs of hope for the world,” particularly in a context marked by rapid technological advancements and challenges facing humanity.The pope’s message was addressed to the Turkish mathematician and university professor Betül Tanbay, chair of the International Day of Mathematics, which was observed March 13. Tanbay had informed the pontiff of a webinar dedicated to the theme “Mathematics and Hope.” In response, the pope sent a letter extending his cordial greetings and best wishes to all participants in the initiative.In the text, Leo XIV invited reflection on the role that mathematics can play in the face of “the multiple challenges confronting the human family,” citing rapid technological development, with all its potential “for both good and evil.”The pontiff encouraged participants to consider how mathematicians can offer a positive witness to society. “A particularly fruitful area of ​​research is the use of algorithms, especially in the field of artificial intelligence,” he noted.However, the pope emphasized that work in these fields demands something more than technical competence. As he pointed out, this task requires “not only intellectual effort and ingenuity but also the integral growth of the whole person,” capable of taking into account the moral dimension of emerging technologies.Recalling his own experience as a mathematics and physics teacher, Leo XIV quoted words he addressed to students during the Jubilee of the World of Education, held on Oct. 30, 2025: “Possessing vast knowledge is not enough if we don’t know who we are or what the meaning of life is.”Along these lines, the pontiff expressed his hope that participants would be attentive “to the profound spiritual needs of the human heart” and seek ways to humanize the digital realm so that it may become an opportunity for fraternity and creativity.Likewise, he encouraged mathematicians to be “prophets of hope, truth, and goodness in the world.”The message concluded with a prayer from the pope for all participants in the International Day of Mathematics, upon whom he invoked “abundant divine blessings of wisdom, joy, and peace.”Pope Leo XIV’s mathematical backgroundRobert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, graduated in 1977 from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics alongside studies in philosophy. This preceded the beginning of his theological studies upon his formal entry into the Augustinian novitiate that same year.During his time at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Prevost combined his religious formation with teaching: He taught mathematics part time at Mendel Catholic High School in Chicago and worked occasionally as a substitute physics teacher at St. Rita of Cascia High School.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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Mathematicians can become ‘signs of hope for the world,’ Pope Leo XIV says #Catholic In a message conveyed through Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV on Friday said that mathematicians can become “signs of hope for the world,” particularly in a context marked by rapid technological advancements and challenges facing humanity.The pope’s message was addressed to the Turkish mathematician and university professor Betül Tanbay, chair of the International Day of Mathematics, which was observed March 13. Tanbay had informed the pontiff of a webinar dedicated to the theme “Mathematics and Hope.” In response, the pope sent a letter extending his cordial greetings and best wishes to all participants in the initiative.In the text, Leo XIV invited reflection on the role that mathematics can play in the face of “the multiple challenges confronting the human family,” citing rapid technological development, with all its potential “for both good and evil.”The pontiff encouraged participants to consider how mathematicians can offer a positive witness to society. “A particularly fruitful area of ​​research is the use of algorithms, especially in the field of artificial intelligence,” he noted.However, the pope emphasized that work in these fields demands something more than technical competence. As he pointed out, this task requires “not only intellectual effort and ingenuity but also the integral growth of the whole person,” capable of taking into account the moral dimension of emerging technologies.Recalling his own experience as a mathematics and physics teacher, Leo XIV quoted words he addressed to students during the Jubilee of the World of Education, held on Oct. 30, 2025: “Possessing vast knowledge is not enough if we don’t know who we are or what the meaning of life is.”Along these lines, the pontiff expressed his hope that participants would be attentive “to the profound spiritual needs of the human heart” and seek ways to humanize the digital realm so that it may become an opportunity for fraternity and creativity.Likewise, he encouraged mathematicians to be “prophets of hope, truth, and goodness in the world.”The message concluded with a prayer from the pope for all participants in the International Day of Mathematics, upon whom he invoked “abundant divine blessings of wisdom, joy, and peace.”Pope Leo XIV’s mathematical backgroundRobert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, graduated in 1977 from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics alongside studies in philosophy. This preceded the beginning of his theological studies upon his formal entry into the Augustinian novitiate that same year.During his time at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Prevost combined his religious formation with teaching: He taught mathematics part time at Mendel Catholic High School in Chicago and worked occasionally as a substitute physics teacher at St. Rita of Cascia High School.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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On the International Day of Mathematics, Pope Leo XIV sent a message inviting reflection on the role good mathematics can play in today’s world.

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Slowing of religious decline points to ‘shifting’ faith landscape, experts say at New York Encounter #Catholic Recent claims of an emerging religious revival in the West may overstate the case, but there are clear signs that belief in God is rising, experts said Saturday at the New York Encounter, the annual conference hosted by members of Communion and Liberation.Speaking at the gathering, Chip Rotolo, a research associate at the Pew Research Center, cited data showing that religious affiliation in the United States has declined steadily for decades. Yet recent findings from Pew’s Religious Landscape Study have offered reasons for cautious optimism among those concerned about the nation’s secularization.According to Pew’s data, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian (63%) is down from 2007 levels (78%) but has held steady since 2020. Panelists Brandon Vaidyanathan, Chip Rotolo, Lauren Jackson, and Justin Brierley speak on the panel “Hungry for Belonging” at New York Encounter on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Credit: Jeff Bruno “The fact that the religious decline we’re so used to seeing is leveled off is a huge shift,” Rotolo said, noting that recent data shows that the number of Americans who are religiously affiliated, attend church, and pray daily have “been very stable.”He noted that this stabilization began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many might have expected religious participation to drop as churches closed and communities were forced to rethink worship and parish life.“If you already had one foot out the door at your church, it would have been easy to step away,” Rotolo said. “But we’ve seen this remarkable stability. That has drawn a lot of attention, curiosity, and hope.”A second key finding has further fueled interest. According to Pew’s research, 92% of Americans express some form of spiritual outlook — meaning they believe in at least one of the following: that people have souls, that God exists, that there is something spiritual beyond the natural world, or that there is an afterlife. Attendees listen to the panel “Hungry for Belonging” at New York Encounter on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Credit: Jeff Bruno “Something is definitely shifting in American religious life,” Rotolo said. “We can disagree and continue figuring out exactly what that is, but it’s certainly an interesting time to study.”Also speaking at the panel was Justin Brierley, author of “The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.” Brierley said that although there have been questions raised about the methodology of surveys showing an increase in religiosity in the West, there has been a noticeable cultural shift away from the “New Atheism” popularized in the early 2000s by figures such as Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion.”By the 2010s, Brierley said, he began to see public intellectuals acknowledging Christianity’s formative role in shaping Western civilization. Some, he added, have gone further — openly professing religious belief.He pointed to the conversion of the Somali-born Dutch and American writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who in late 2023 published a viral essay titled “Why I’m Now a Christian.”“When she came out with that article, it made a lot of people say, ‘If Ayaan Hirsi Ali — arguably one of the most prominent former atheists in the world — has changed her mind, it could happen to anyone,’” Brierley said.Lauren Jackson, a religion columnist at The New York Times, said her outlet recently launched a series titled “Believing,” inspired in part by Pew’s findings on religious life in America.“We took all this data together and made the claim that Americans haven’t found a satisfying alternative to religion,” Jackson said. Through interviews and surveys, she added, many in the U.S. have expressed “an intense desire for belonging, for meaning, for community, for connection to the transcendent.”That desire, however, is not always expressed within the walls of a church. The series has explored other avenues through which Americans seek spiritual meaning and communal identity, including the growing popularity of saunas and the sense of belonging fostered by soccer communities.While the speakers stopped short of declaring a religious revival at work, they agreed that the current moment reflects a significant shift — one marked by a renewed openness to faith and the enduring human search for transcendence.Brierley noted that to most people the once-popular atheists’ arguments in favor of science and technology as an alternative to religion haven’t been convincing.“I think as we’ve lost the Christian story in the modern West, it has led to people looking for other stories to make sense of their life. I think some people did for a while reach for the atheist materialist story,” he explained.“When you look at where culture has actually gone and the science and technology we put in, it turns out we have made ourselves unhappier,” he said.
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Slowing of religious decline points to ‘shifting’ faith landscape, experts say at New York Encounter #Catholic Recent claims of an emerging religious revival in the West may overstate the case, but there are clear signs that belief in God is rising, experts said Saturday at the New York Encounter, the annual conference hosted by members of Communion and Liberation.Speaking at the gathering, Chip Rotolo, a research associate at the Pew Research Center, cited data showing that religious affiliation in the United States has declined steadily for decades. Yet recent findings from Pew’s Religious Landscape Study have offered reasons for cautious optimism among those concerned about the nation’s secularization.According to Pew’s data, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian (63%) is down from 2007 levels (78%) but has held steady since 2020. Panelists Brandon Vaidyanathan, Chip Rotolo, Lauren Jackson, and Justin Brierley speak on the panel “Hungry for Belonging” at New York Encounter on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Credit: Jeff Bruno “The fact that the religious decline we’re so used to seeing is leveled off is a huge shift,” Rotolo said, noting that recent data shows that the number of Americans who are religiously affiliated, attend church, and pray daily have “been very stable.”He noted that this stabilization began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many might have expected religious participation to drop as churches closed and communities were forced to rethink worship and parish life.“If you already had one foot out the door at your church, it would have been easy to step away,” Rotolo said. “But we’ve seen this remarkable stability. That has drawn a lot of attention, curiosity, and hope.”A second key finding has further fueled interest. According to Pew’s research, 92% of Americans express some form of spiritual outlook — meaning they believe in at least one of the following: that people have souls, that God exists, that there is something spiritual beyond the natural world, or that there is an afterlife. Attendees listen to the panel “Hungry for Belonging” at New York Encounter on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Credit: Jeff Bruno “Something is definitely shifting in American religious life,” Rotolo said. “We can disagree and continue figuring out exactly what that is, but it’s certainly an interesting time to study.”Also speaking at the panel was Justin Brierley, author of “The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.” Brierley said that although there have been questions raised about the methodology of surveys showing an increase in religiosity in the West, there has been a noticeable cultural shift away from the “New Atheism” popularized in the early 2000s by figures such as Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion.”By the 2010s, Brierley said, he began to see public intellectuals acknowledging Christianity’s formative role in shaping Western civilization. Some, he added, have gone further — openly professing religious belief.He pointed to the conversion of the Somali-born Dutch and American writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who in late 2023 published a viral essay titled “Why I’m Now a Christian.”“When she came out with that article, it made a lot of people say, ‘If Ayaan Hirsi Ali — arguably one of the most prominent former atheists in the world — has changed her mind, it could happen to anyone,’” Brierley said.Lauren Jackson, a religion columnist at The New York Times, said her outlet recently launched a series titled “Believing,” inspired in part by Pew’s findings on religious life in America.“We took all this data together and made the claim that Americans haven’t found a satisfying alternative to religion,” Jackson said. Through interviews and surveys, she added, many in the U.S. have expressed “an intense desire for belonging, for meaning, for community, for connection to the transcendent.”That desire, however, is not always expressed within the walls of a church. The series has explored other avenues through which Americans seek spiritual meaning and communal identity, including the growing popularity of saunas and the sense of belonging fostered by soccer communities.While the speakers stopped short of declaring a religious revival at work, they agreed that the current moment reflects a significant shift — one marked by a renewed openness to faith and the enduring human search for transcendence.Brierley noted that to most people the once-popular atheists’ arguments in favor of science and technology as an alternative to religion haven’t been convincing.“I think as we’ve lost the Christian story in the modern West, it has led to people looking for other stories to make sense of their life. I think some people did for a while reach for the atheist materialist story,” he explained.“When you look at where culture has actually gone and the science and technology we put in, it turns out we have made ourselves unhappier,” he said.

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According to Pew data, the share of U.S. adults identifying as Christian is down from 2007 levels but has held steady since 2020.

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Replica of Manila’s famed ‘Black Nazarene’ arrives in Los Angeles Archdiocese #Catholic The centuries-old devotion to Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno of Quiapo, Manila, in the Philippines has formally reached the U.S. West Coast as an official replica of the revered image was turned over to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and entrusted to Holy Family Parish in Artesia and the archdiocese’s Filipino ministry.The replica, gifted by the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesús Nazareno in Manila, will be enthroned at Holy Family Parish and serve as a pilgrim image, visiting parishes across the archdiocese’s five pastoral regions as part of a broader evangelization initiative. Father John Cordero displays the official replica of the Jesús Nazareno from Manila’s Quiapo Church in 2025. | Credit: Holy Family Catholic Church Artesia The arrival of the image marks the fruit of an evangelization effort spearheaded by then-rector of Quiapo Church, now Bishop Rufino Sescon of Balanga, Bataan. According to Father John Cordero of the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross, pastor of Holy Family Parish, the development unfolded providentially.“The real starting point of this development was the evangelization initiative of the National Shrine of Jesús Nazareno in Manila, spearheaded by then-rector and now bishop of Balanga, Rufino ‘Jun’ Sescon,” Cordero told EWTN News.The replica was initially offered to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles through Father Rodel Balagtas, priest liaison to the Filipino Ministry. Although another parish had first expressed willingness to host the image, no final arrangements had been made.Months later, Sescon personally contacted Cordero — a former graduate school classmate — to reestablish communication between Quiapo Church and a receiving parish. What seemed at first a closed matter reopened, and Cordero discerned that the parish could accommodate the image by converting a religious goods store in the vestibule into a shrine.“I noticed something that had slipped my attention: We have space,” Cordero said. After consultation with Filipino Ministry leaders, including its president and parishioner Noel Motus, the parish agreed to receive the image. “It is a gift from the national shrine, and our parish was merely chosen to be the caretakers.”Formal reception and MassSescon will celebrate the Mass marking the official arrival and reception of the replica in Los Angeles on Feb. 14. Later this year, the image will also be brought to the annual Religious Education Congress, further expanding its exposure to thousands of catechists and ministry leaders.Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City — the first Filipino-born bishop to lead a diocese in the United States — is also scheduled to celebrate a Mass in connection with the image’s visit.While there was no prior organized clamor among parishioners for a Nazareno image, Cordero said the parishioners’ response after learning that their parish will be the home of the replica has been one of “sheer joy,” with Filipino and Hispanic faithful alike rallying around the new shrine.“As a pastor explaining this new devotion to my multicultural parish, I would like to point to our mutual interconnectedness with this image,” he said. “This is primarily an image of Jesus, the focal point of our Christian unity.”Historical connectionsThe original image of the Jesús Nazareno, which arrived in Manila from Mexico in 1606, bears deep historical ties to both the Philippines and the Americas. California itself was once part of Mexico, and devotion to Jesús Nazareno has long-standing roots throughout Latin America.“The image, touched by hundreds of millions of pilgrims throughout its four centuries of devotional history, connects us with the everyday faith stories of all who identify with the suffering of Our Lord,” Cordero said.In a gesture underscoring that spiritual continuity, “like the Galileans who were content with touching the tassels of the cloak of Jesus for their healing,” Cordero requested Father Jade Licuanan, the current Quiapo Basilica rector, to have the replica be touched to the original image in Quiapo before being shipped to the United States. Cordero described this as an “intimate act of blessing and sending.”Mass devotion in ManilaThe devotion to the image once known as the “Black Nazarene” is among the largest Catholic expressions of popular piety in the world. Each January, millions of barefoot devotees join the Traslación procession in Manila, accompanying the dark wooden image of Christ carrying the cross through the streets of Quiapo. Manila’s feast of the Black Nazarene draws 9.6 million devotees Cordero, who recently visited the basilica, described the scale of devotion as “mind-boggling,” noting that even hourly Masses draw thousands of worshippers.Now, he believes, the image comes to Los Angeles at a providential moment.“Amid a sociopolitical climate marked by fear and division, this symbol of our connection in the Lord and with one another, embodied in this rustic image of Jesus carrying the cross, offers us consolation and mission,” he said.Citing the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter “A Treasured Presence,” which describes Filipino Catholics as a vital but often unseen minority in the United States, Cordero said the Nazareno highlights the “prophetic resiliency and joy” they bring to the Church.“The Jesús Nazareno reassures us that we are not alone in bearing our crosses,” he said. “In this strange new world, our Catholic faith has been our familiar refuge of connection, support, and strength.”Revitalizing faithBalagtas said he hopes the popular Filipino icon that has a rich tradition in Latin America will help revitalize the faith of the people of the largest and most ethnically diverse archdiocese in the United States, thanks to the vibrant devotion of Filipino Catholics. Father John Cordero, MMHC, signs the “Memorandum of Agreement” formalizing Holy Family Parish’s reception of the official replica of the Jesús Nazareno on behalf of the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as Father Jade Licuanan, rector of the Basilica and National Shrine of Jesús Nazareno in Manila, looks on in 2025. | Credit: Holy Family Catholic Church Artesia “The people who are filling the pews of the churches in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as in other dioceses, are Filipino Catholics.”From Quiapo, Manila’s narrow streets, where millions gather each year for the Traslación, to the sprawling parishes of Southern California, the cross-bearing Christ now stands in a new land — inviting the faithful not only to venerate but also to follow him.
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Replica of Manila’s famed ‘Black Nazarene’ arrives in Los Angeles Archdiocese #Catholic The centuries-old devotion to Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno of Quiapo, Manila, in the Philippines has formally reached the U.S. West Coast as an official replica of the revered image was turned over to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and entrusted to Holy Family Parish in Artesia and the archdiocese’s Filipino ministry.The replica, gifted by the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesús Nazareno in Manila, will be enthroned at Holy Family Parish and serve as a pilgrim image, visiting parishes across the archdiocese’s five pastoral regions as part of a broader evangelization initiative. Father John Cordero displays the official replica of the Jesús Nazareno from Manila’s Quiapo Church in 2025. | Credit: Holy Family Catholic Church Artesia The arrival of the image marks the fruit of an evangelization effort spearheaded by then-rector of Quiapo Church, now Bishop Rufino Sescon of Balanga, Bataan. According to Father John Cordero of the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross, pastor of Holy Family Parish, the development unfolded providentially.“The real starting point of this development was the evangelization initiative of the National Shrine of Jesús Nazareno in Manila, spearheaded by then-rector and now bishop of Balanga, Rufino ‘Jun’ Sescon,” Cordero told EWTN News.The replica was initially offered to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles through Father Rodel Balagtas, priest liaison to the Filipino Ministry. Although another parish had first expressed willingness to host the image, no final arrangements had been made.Months later, Sescon personally contacted Cordero — a former graduate school classmate — to reestablish communication between Quiapo Church and a receiving parish. What seemed at first a closed matter reopened, and Cordero discerned that the parish could accommodate the image by converting a religious goods store in the vestibule into a shrine.“I noticed something that had slipped my attention: We have space,” Cordero said. After consultation with Filipino Ministry leaders, including its president and parishioner Noel Motus, the parish agreed to receive the image. “It is a gift from the national shrine, and our parish was merely chosen to be the caretakers.”Formal reception and MassSescon will celebrate the Mass marking the official arrival and reception of the replica in Los Angeles on Feb. 14. Later this year, the image will also be brought to the annual Religious Education Congress, further expanding its exposure to thousands of catechists and ministry leaders.Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City — the first Filipino-born bishop to lead a diocese in the United States — is also scheduled to celebrate a Mass in connection with the image’s visit.While there was no prior organized clamor among parishioners for a Nazareno image, Cordero said the parishioners’ response after learning that their parish will be the home of the replica has been one of “sheer joy,” with Filipino and Hispanic faithful alike rallying around the new shrine.“As a pastor explaining this new devotion to my multicultural parish, I would like to point to our mutual interconnectedness with this image,” he said. “This is primarily an image of Jesus, the focal point of our Christian unity.”Historical connectionsThe original image of the Jesús Nazareno, which arrived in Manila from Mexico in 1606, bears deep historical ties to both the Philippines and the Americas. California itself was once part of Mexico, and devotion to Jesús Nazareno has long-standing roots throughout Latin America.“The image, touched by hundreds of millions of pilgrims throughout its four centuries of devotional history, connects us with the everyday faith stories of all who identify with the suffering of Our Lord,” Cordero said.In a gesture underscoring that spiritual continuity, “like the Galileans who were content with touching the tassels of the cloak of Jesus for their healing,” Cordero requested Father Jade Licuanan, the current Quiapo Basilica rector, to have the replica be touched to the original image in Quiapo before being shipped to the United States. Cordero described this as an “intimate act of blessing and sending.”Mass devotion in ManilaThe devotion to the image once known as the “Black Nazarene” is among the largest Catholic expressions of popular piety in the world. Each January, millions of barefoot devotees join the Traslación procession in Manila, accompanying the dark wooden image of Christ carrying the cross through the streets of Quiapo. Manila’s feast of the Black Nazarene draws 9.6 million devotees Cordero, who recently visited the basilica, described the scale of devotion as “mind-boggling,” noting that even hourly Masses draw thousands of worshippers.Now, he believes, the image comes to Los Angeles at a providential moment.“Amid a sociopolitical climate marked by fear and division, this symbol of our connection in the Lord and with one another, embodied in this rustic image of Jesus carrying the cross, offers us consolation and mission,” he said.Citing the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter “A Treasured Presence,” which describes Filipino Catholics as a vital but often unseen minority in the United States, Cordero said the Nazareno highlights the “prophetic resiliency and joy” they bring to the Church.“The Jesús Nazareno reassures us that we are not alone in bearing our crosses,” he said. “In this strange new world, our Catholic faith has been our familiar refuge of connection, support, and strength.”Revitalizing faithBalagtas said he hopes the popular Filipino icon that has a rich tradition in Latin America will help revitalize the faith of the people of the largest and most ethnically diverse archdiocese in the United States, thanks to the vibrant devotion of Filipino Catholics. Father John Cordero, MMHC, signs the “Memorandum of Agreement” formalizing Holy Family Parish’s reception of the official replica of the Jesús Nazareno on behalf of the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as Father Jade Licuanan, rector of the Basilica and National Shrine of Jesús Nazareno in Manila, looks on in 2025. | Credit: Holy Family Catholic Church Artesia “The people who are filling the pews of the churches in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as in other dioceses, are Filipino Catholics.”From Quiapo, Manila’s narrow streets, where millions gather each year for the Traslación, to the sprawling parishes of Southern California, the cross-bearing Christ now stands in a new land — inviting the faithful not only to venerate but also to follow him.

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An official replica of Manila’s centuries-old Jesús Nazareno image has been entrusted to Holy Family Parish in Artesia, California, bringing one of the world’s largest Catholic devotions to the U.S.

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Catholic colleges among best and worst for pro-life support, report finds #Catholic Some Catholic colleges ranked among the best for pro-life support for women, while others were among the worst for their ties to abortion clinics, a recent report found.In an audit of more than 700 Christian colleges and universities, the Christian Schools Project found that 1 in 7 Christian colleges referred students to Planned Parenthood for health care or future jobs, among other pro-abortion “infractions.”The report by Demetree, a branch of Students for Life of America (SFLA), called the Catholic connection to the abortion industry “shocking.”“Most shockingly, a portion of Catholic schools have forsaken their Christian values,” the report read, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion.One in 10 Catholic colleges had ties to abortion clinics, and about 25% of all the infractions were by Catholic universities.“Despite this, Catholic schools also had 24 ‘A+’ schools: the most of any denomination,” the report continued.The lowest grade an institution could receive was an “F” and the highest an “A+.”Among the Catholic schools receiving an “F” was Villanova University in Pennsylvania — Pope Leo’s alma mater, where he was known for his involvement in the pro-life club in his days at the university.Other Catholic schools that received a “F” included Boston College in Massachusetts; Carroll College in Montana; Loyola Marymount University in California; Sacred Heart University in Connecticut; Santa Clara University in California; Seattle University in Washington; St. Catherine University in Minnesota; University of Detroit Mercy in Michigan; and University of San Diego in California. Catholic colleges that received a “D” grade included Mount Saint Mary’s University in California; Saint Louis University in Missouri; and St. John Fisher University in New York.Paradoxically, Catholic colleges were also among the best schools for pro-life values and made up more than half of the top 10 best schools in the report.These schools don’t just avoid ties to Planned Parenthood but provide pregnancy support for student mothers in need. Benedictine College students hold pro-life signs at the 2026 March for Life in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Isabella Wilcox/Benedictine College The schools that leadAt the center of campus at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, sits a statue of an angel holding a child.Installed in 2017, the Memorial to the Unborn is one of the “unique” aspects of pro-life culture on Benedictine’s campus, according to spokesman Steve Johnson.Each year, busloads of students travel to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life. But before they leave, they place roses before the memorial. Before Benedictine College students head off to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., they place roses on the campus memorial for unborn children. | Credit: Isabella Wilcox/Benedictine College The student-led pro-life group, Ravens Respect Life, is a “major player” for the culture on campus, according to Johnson. The club helps fundraise for the local pro-life pregnancy resource center, while the campus ministry service team organizes volunteering. The pro-life culture is woven into classes as well, according to Johnson.“We have a pro-life School of Nursing and our graduates take that position out into the world and the hospitals and clinics at which they work,” he said.The school is also looking to further expand its pro-life medical education. Every year, busloads of students from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, head to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Isabella Wilcox/Benedictine College “We are in the process of opening a proposed School of Osteopathic medicine,” Johnson said. “This new school will be the most pro-life medical school in the country and will focus on treating the whole person as a human being and not just treating the ailment.”At the University of Mary in North Dakota, a young woman carrying a toddler crossed the stage at graduation, shaking hands with the president, Monsignor James Shea, who gave the beloved baby Lucia a kiss on the cheek.Katie O’Meara (Chihoski) is one of several students who have received the support they need to complete their education as part of the university’s recently-launched maternity home program, the St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers, at the University of Mary. Student mom Katie O’Meara (Chihoski) walks the stage with her toddler, Lucia, by her side at commencement in 2024. Father Dominic Bouck, chaplain at the university, is pictured at left. | Credit: Mike McCleary/University of Mary Per a Jan. 27 announcement, the university has plans for a new residence hall following record enrollment, including a dedicated wing of the future hall for the maternity home.At UMary, motherhood doesn’t have to compete with education.“This St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers is a concrete expression of the University of Mary’s commitment to building a culture of life,” Vice President for Student Development Reed Ruggles told EWTN News. “It ensures that motherhood and higher education are not competing paths but complementary vocations.”As for the March for Life, “we treat it like a pilgrimage,” said Ed Konieczka, assistant director of University Ministry at the college.The university sends hundreds of students each year and even provides scholarships to help with the cost.Father Dominic Bouck, the University of Mary chaplain and director of University Ministry, told EWTN News that it comes down to formation.“The University of Mary forms its students for the whole of their lives so that they can learn to live well, then take this formation into their communities after graduation,” Bouck said. “We form them to be servant leaders so that they can go out and serve generously to all who need aid. We teach them the sanctity of human life through the Benedictine value of respect for persons and teach them to form community wherever they are at.”“As a Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine institution, the sanctity of human life is core to our beliefs, and we are not afraid to show that in our mission,” he continued.Belmont Abbey College, which also ranked in the top 10, has its own maternity home, MiraVia, as previously reported by EWTN News. University of Mary students hold a banner at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23, 2026. | Credit: University of Mary student photographer Regina Turner Why Christian Schools Project?Though schools like Benedictine, University of Mary, and others stand out for their pro-life work, the report found that many colleges fall short of their Christian values. Project leaders call on readers to reach out to colleges and encourage them to live out these values.“It’s simple: Either stop promoting abortion or stop claiming to be Christian,” said SFLA spokeswoman Mary Mobley.Over the years of doing Christian Schools Project, researchers have seen growth. Since 2024, “56 infractions have been remedied” thanks to the project, according to organizers.“For some schools, they may be unaware of their ties to abortion,” Mobley told EWTN News. “This report offers a chance for them to cut those ties — and to reaffirm their support for life by promoting pro-life resources.”But the project is about more than just cutting ties with abortion providers. University of Mary student moms involved with the St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers, University of Mary’s program for moms. | Credit: Photo courtesy of University of Mary “Being pro-life doesn’t just mean being anti-abortion; it means coming alongside women and supporting them, providing them with the resources they need to choose life,” Mobley said.“Humans are made in the image of God, and because of that, they have inherent value and worth — and their lives cannot be disposed of for the convenience of others,” Mobley continued.“It’s vital that Christian schools come alongside pregnant and parenting women, showing them that they are valued, loved, and supported — offering them the resources they need to choose life,” Mobley said. University of Mary students attend the 2026 March for Life in Washington, D.C. | Credit: University of Mary student photographer Regina Turner
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Catholic colleges among best and worst for pro-life support, report finds #Catholic Some Catholic colleges ranked among the best for pro-life support for women, while others were among the worst for their ties to abortion clinics, a recent report found.In an audit of more than 700 Christian colleges and universities, the Christian Schools Project found that 1 in 7 Christian colleges referred students to Planned Parenthood for health care or future jobs, among other pro-abortion “infractions.”The report by Demetree, a branch of Students for Life of America (SFLA), called the Catholic connection to the abortion industry “shocking.”“Most shockingly, a portion of Catholic schools have forsaken their Christian values,” the report read, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion.One in 10 Catholic colleges had ties to abortion clinics, and about 25% of all the infractions were by Catholic universities.“Despite this, Catholic schools also had 24 ‘A+’ schools: the most of any denomination,” the report continued.The lowest grade an institution could receive was an “F” and the highest an “A+.”Among the Catholic schools receiving an “F” was Villanova University in Pennsylvania — Pope Leo’s alma mater, where he was known for his involvement in the pro-life club in his days at the university.Other Catholic schools that received a “F” included Boston College in Massachusetts; Carroll College in Montana; Loyola Marymount University in California; Sacred Heart University in Connecticut; Santa Clara University in California; Seattle University in Washington; St. Catherine University in Minnesota; University of Detroit Mercy in Michigan; and University of San Diego in California. Catholic colleges that received a “D” grade included Mount Saint Mary’s University in California; Saint Louis University in Missouri; and St. John Fisher University in New York.Paradoxically, Catholic colleges were also among the best schools for pro-life values and made up more than half of the top 10 best schools in the report.These schools don’t just avoid ties to Planned Parenthood but provide pregnancy support for student mothers in need. Benedictine College students hold pro-life signs at the 2026 March for Life in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Isabella Wilcox/Benedictine College The schools that leadAt the center of campus at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, sits a statue of an angel holding a child.Installed in 2017, the Memorial to the Unborn is one of the “unique” aspects of pro-life culture on Benedictine’s campus, according to spokesman Steve Johnson.Each year, busloads of students travel to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life. But before they leave, they place roses before the memorial. Before Benedictine College students head off to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., they place roses on the campus memorial for unborn children. | Credit: Isabella Wilcox/Benedictine College The student-led pro-life group, Ravens Respect Life, is a “major player” for the culture on campus, according to Johnson. The club helps fundraise for the local pro-life pregnancy resource center, while the campus ministry service team organizes volunteering. The pro-life culture is woven into classes as well, according to Johnson.“We have a pro-life School of Nursing and our graduates take that position out into the world and the hospitals and clinics at which they work,” he said.The school is also looking to further expand its pro-life medical education. Every year, busloads of students from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, head to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Isabella Wilcox/Benedictine College “We are in the process of opening a proposed School of Osteopathic medicine,” Johnson said. “This new school will be the most pro-life medical school in the country and will focus on treating the whole person as a human being and not just treating the ailment.”At the University of Mary in North Dakota, a young woman carrying a toddler crossed the stage at graduation, shaking hands with the president, Monsignor James Shea, who gave the beloved baby Lucia a kiss on the cheek.Katie O’Meara (Chihoski) is one of several students who have received the support they need to complete their education as part of the university’s recently-launched maternity home program, the St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers, at the University of Mary. Student mom Katie O’Meara (Chihoski) walks the stage with her toddler, Lucia, by her side at commencement in 2024. Father Dominic Bouck, chaplain at the university, is pictured at left. | Credit: Mike McCleary/University of Mary Per a Jan. 27 announcement, the university has plans for a new residence hall following record enrollment, including a dedicated wing of the future hall for the maternity home.At UMary, motherhood doesn’t have to compete with education.“This St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers is a concrete expression of the University of Mary’s commitment to building a culture of life,” Vice President for Student Development Reed Ruggles told EWTN News. “It ensures that motherhood and higher education are not competing paths but complementary vocations.”As for the March for Life, “we treat it like a pilgrimage,” said Ed Konieczka, assistant director of University Ministry at the college.The university sends hundreds of students each year and even provides scholarships to help with the cost.Father Dominic Bouck, the University of Mary chaplain and director of University Ministry, told EWTN News that it comes down to formation.“The University of Mary forms its students for the whole of their lives so that they can learn to live well, then take this formation into their communities after graduation,” Bouck said. “We form them to be servant leaders so that they can go out and serve generously to all who need aid. We teach them the sanctity of human life through the Benedictine value of respect for persons and teach them to form community wherever they are at.”“As a Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine institution, the sanctity of human life is core to our beliefs, and we are not afraid to show that in our mission,” he continued.Belmont Abbey College, which also ranked in the top 10, has its own maternity home, MiraVia, as previously reported by EWTN News. University of Mary students hold a banner at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23, 2026. | Credit: University of Mary student photographer Regina Turner Why Christian Schools Project?Though schools like Benedictine, University of Mary, and others stand out for their pro-life work, the report found that many colleges fall short of their Christian values. Project leaders call on readers to reach out to colleges and encourage them to live out these values.“It’s simple: Either stop promoting abortion or stop claiming to be Christian,” said SFLA spokeswoman Mary Mobley.Over the years of doing Christian Schools Project, researchers have seen growth. Since 2024, “56 infractions have been remedied” thanks to the project, according to organizers.“For some schools, they may be unaware of their ties to abortion,” Mobley told EWTN News. “This report offers a chance for them to cut those ties — and to reaffirm their support for life by promoting pro-life resources.”But the project is about more than just cutting ties with abortion providers. University of Mary student moms involved with the St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers, University of Mary’s program for moms. | Credit: Photo courtesy of University of Mary “Being pro-life doesn’t just mean being anti-abortion; it means coming alongside women and supporting them, providing them with the resources they need to choose life,” Mobley said.“Humans are made in the image of God, and because of that, they have inherent value and worth — and their lives cannot be disposed of for the convenience of others,” Mobley continued.“It’s vital that Christian schools come alongside pregnant and parenting women, showing them that they are valued, loved, and supported — offering them the resources they need to choose life,” Mobley said. University of Mary students attend the 2026 March for Life in Washington, D.C. | Credit: University of Mary student photographer Regina Turner

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Some Catholic colleges ranked among the best for pro-life support for women, while others were among the worst for their ties to abortion clinics, according to a new report.

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