| Picture of the day |
|---|
|
|
Pirogue running on the Mekong in front of an island hosting a Samanea saman (rain tree) and other trees, at sunset with pink clouds, seen from Don Det, Si Phan Don, Laos.
|
The Saint Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square are seen at sunset near the French Quarter in downtown New Orleans on April 10, 2010. | Credit: Graythen/Getty Images
Jan 5, 2026 / 18:32 pm (CNA).
The Archdiocese of New Orleans released a letter written to child sexual abuse claimants apologizing for the “inexcusable harm” they suffered.
“On behalf of the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans,” Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans expressed in the Dec. 26, 2025, letter his “profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm” child abuse survivors suffered.
The letter was made public on Jan. 4 and emphasized that the Archdiocese of New Orleans “takes responsibility for the abuse.” Aymond said the archdiocese “pledges to keep children and all vulnerable people safe in our ministry.”
“I sincerely apologize to you for the trauma caused to you and to those close to you as a survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated by a member of the clergy, a religious sister or brother, or a lay employee or volunteer working within the Catholic Church,” Aymond said.
“I am ashamed that you or anyone should have been sexually abused by someone working within the Catholic Church. Sexual abuse is an inexcusable evil, and I am ashamed that you or anyone should have been sexually abused by someone working within the Catholic Church.”
“Please know that you are not to blame for the abuse perpetrated on you,” Aymond said. “You were and are completely innocent and did nothing to deserve the pain you have suffered because of the hideous crime of sexual abuse of a minor.”
‘Recognition’ provisions
The public release of the letter is a part of an “extensive media outreach” to express the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ “commitment to the nonmonetary provisions laid out in its Chapter 11 settlement plan,” according to the Clarion Herald, the official newspaper of the archdiocese.
The letter follows the October 2025 approval for a $230 million bankruptcy settlement to pay out over 650 victims after five years of litigation.
The Chapter 11 case filed in 2020 highlights a number of procedures in its nonmonetary provisions “to foster child protection and prevent child sexual abuse.” Within its “recognition” section, the document calls for individual apology letters and a public apology letter.
“It is my fervent hope that as we bring these Chapter 11 proceedings to a close, you will achieve some sense of peace, justice, and healing,” Aymond wrote in the letter. “I hold you and all survivors of abuse in prayer daily and encourage all to join me in prayer for you.”
The letter will be shared through multiple media outlets over the upcoming days and weeks.
Read More
| Picture of the day |
|---|
|
|
Wild Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) at Creux du Van with the Swiss Alps in the background during sunset
|
The Moon’s light is refracted by Earth’s atmosphere, giving it a spheroid shape in this April 13, 2025, photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited into a sunset 264 miles above the border between Bolivia and Brazil in South America.
Read More
| Picture of the day |
|---|
|
|
Winter Angelus Hut with Angelus Lake behind it. In the clouds, no name peak (1860m) can be seen. Picture taken during the sunset. Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand
|
On May 19th, 2005, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this stunning view as the Sun sank below the rim of Gusev crater on Mars. This panoramic camera mosaic was taken around 6:07 in the evening of the rover’s 489th Martian day, or sol.
Read More
| Picture of the day |
|---|
|
|
Water reflection of sunset with gray and orange clouds over the Xe Don River, and three boats moored to the bank in Pakse, Laos.
|
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this feather-shaped iridescent cloud just after sunset on Jan. 27, 2023, the 3,724th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Studying the colors in iridescent clouds tells scientists something about particle size within the clouds and how they grow over time. These clouds were captured as part of a follow-on imaging campaign to study noctilucent, or “night-shining” clouds, which started in 2021. This scene made up of 28 individual images captured by the rover’s Mast Camera, or Mastcam.
Read More
| Picture of the day |
|---|
|
|
Mute swan (Cygnus olor) at Lake Geneva during the golden hour of sunset
|
The Sunset Margarita embodies the vibrant essence of a tropical sunset in a glass. With its vivid hues of orange and red, reminiscent of the fading sun over a horizon, this cocktail captures the spirit of relaxation and celebration. A perfect blend of tequila, orange liqueur, and freshly squeezed lime juice, the Sunset Margarita balances the tartness of citrus with the sweetness of grenadine, creating layers of flavor that unfold with each sip. Served over ice with a salted rim or garnished with a wedge of lime, it’s not just a drink but an experience that transports you to a beachside paradise, where every sip is a toast to the beauty of nature and the joy of life.
Read More