CNA—When Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was created a cardinal by Pope Francis on Sept. 30, 2023, few would have imagined that within a week, he would find himself leading his Church amid one of the bloodiest conflicts in the region’s recent history. Vocation of a Cardinal: “Even to the shedding of…
CNA—The U.S. Catholic bishops told the Biden administration last week that its newly proposed guidance on sex-based harassment in the workplace is unconstitutional because it bans speech opposing abortion and expressing certain views on contraception, same-sex relationships, and gender identity. The proposed guidance advises “sex-based harassment … also can include harassment based on a woman’s…
VaticanNews—Sister Nabila Saleh and 700 other Christians sheltering in the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza are now facing an outbreak of the flu virus, but say they have rediscovered the importance of community. There are 700 people taking refuge inside the Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza City. “There is only destruction and desolation…
William McGurn, a longtime The Wall Street Journal editorial columnist, a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board, and a life-long Catholic, is also the godfather of now-imprisoned Hong Kong freedom activist and businessman, Jimmy Lai. Lai launched and ran the enormously popular news outlet, Apple Daily, which is now defunct due to the…
Vatican News—Jerusalem—Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, expresses his willingness to exchange himself for the kidnapped children held by Hamas and discusses the Holy See’s mediation efforts with regards to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the Holy Land. “Anything” for their freedom and to have “those children back home” In a poignant…
Christians united in prayer and solidarity for Gaza and the Holy Land. CNA—Jerusalem—The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has arrived in the Holy Land in a solidarity visit to the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. His visit began Friday, Oct. 20. Just two days earlier, on the evening of Oct. 17, the Al Ahli Anglican Hospital…
Parental rights are on the chopping block in California, yet the state’s Attorney General Rob Bonta ignores the supremacy of federal law and federal courts. People v. Chino Valley Unified School District In a September 26 letter issued to school district superintendents and members of boards of education, titled “Guidance Regarding Forced Disclosure Policies Concerning…
NotreDameNews—In recognition for its support of Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), the University of Notre Dame has been awarded the 2023 Institute of International Education (IIE) Heiskell Award for Strategic Partnerships. Heiskell Award The Heiskell Award is presented annually to a college or university, recognizing innovative partnerships that foster international education and demonstrate strong, sustainable links…
Catholic youth in Ukraine. In this brief and moving video, Magda Dymyd, a young Ukrainian woman and sister of fallen hero Artem Dymyd, articulates with passion and utter clarity how the pain and trauma that Ukrainian youth are living through calls them to embrace the fullness of life with all the energy and strength that…
CNA—After hitting their lowest recorded levels since the start of the pandemic in early summer, COVID-19 cases have begun to increase again, raising the specter of new mask mandates and recalling the early days of the pandemic, when fears of COVID outbreaks led much of society to shutter — including, controversially, many churches around the…
CNA—Mexican actor, producer, and founder of the Viva México Movement, Eduardo Verástegui ,registered Sept. 7, 2023, as an independent candidate for the presidency of Mexico in the 2024 elections. According to electoral regulations, after expressing his intention to run for president to the National Electoral Institute (INE), Verástegui must gather, in no more than 120…
The extraordinary story of the Ulma family is one of faith, courage, and heroic love of neighbor. Józef and Wiktoria Ulma risked their lives to protect three Jewish families during the Holocaust. On the night of March 24, 1944, German Nazis raided their farmhouse and cruelly shot all of the Jews the Ulmas were hiding…
Vatican News—A political analyst engaged in helping Mongolia implement democracy and human rights shines a light on the current socio-political challenges in the country, and upholds its commitment to protect freedom of religion and the rights of religious minorities. Pope Francis’ historic Apostolic Visit to Mongolia would have been unimaginable during Mongolia’s communist period “where…
Population Research Institute— The communist Chinese party (CCP) has been on a mission to suffocate religion in China for decades. Now, new measures are set to go in place today that further this terrible mission. All religious venues will have to uphold the Chinese Communist Party. All Christian sermons will have to reflect China’s political…
Born and raised in Japan, a third-generation Korean transplant, nestled in an area of Japan with a tight Zainichi Korean population, Hyangsu Park recounts her gripping first-hand account of the reality of North Korea, where her uncle had moved. In the Zainichi Korean schools in Japan, students were taught that North Korea was like “paradise…
A Catholic parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is taking a legal battle to an appellate court amid fears that a state civil rights law could be used to restrict its religious liberty in matters related to gender identity and sexuality. Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th…
FBI targets serious Catholics. NYPost—Multiple FBI field offices were involved in drafting a controversial January 2023 internal memo suggesting traditionalist Catholic groups were potential hotbeds of domestic extremism, two Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee alleged Wednesday. A less redacted version of the memo obtained by the panel last month cited a “liaison contact” at…
CNA—The delegate for the Colombian Bishops’ Conference (CEC) for Church-state relations, Monsignor Héctor Fabio Henao Gaviria, explained the role of the Church as part of the monitoring and verification mechanism of the cease-fire between the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group. The peace plan, so far The 180-day cease-fire will go into…
CNA—Mexican-born actor and filmmaker Eduardo Verástegui said he considers the success of his film “Sound of Freedom,” which opened in U.S. theaters on July 4, a miracle. “Sound of Freedom” is a film from Angel Studios that narrates the first mission of American federal agent Tim Ballard, played by Catholic actor Jim Caviezel, who also…
What is the Battle? That is a reasonable question as there are multiple battles raging in society today at the same time, on different subjects – at the federal level, state level and local level. These battles are about issues that have been fought over for decades, some with a new twist these days and…
