President-Elect Donald Trump at the Elysee Palace on Dec. 7, 2024, in Paris. / Credit: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2024 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

In his first sit-down broadcast network interview since the election, President-elect Donald Trump said that in his first 100 days in office, he would focus on immigration as well as enacting tax cuts and tariffs.

During the interview on NBC News? ?Meet the Press? Sunday, the president-elect reaffirmed his support of in vitro fertilization (IVF), a fertility procedure opposed by the Catholic Church because it destroys embryonic life and separates conception from marriage. Trump also said he would ?probably? not restrict the abortion pill, though he refused to commit to that, noting that ?things do change.? 

Immigration 

Trump pledged that the first thing he would do is address the border issue, beginning with criminals who are in the U.S. illegally. He told NBC he would begin ?rapidly? with criminals who are here illegally such as Venezuelan gang members and MS-13.

?We?re starting with the criminals, and we gotta do it,? he said. ?And then we?re starting with others and we?re going to see how it goes.? 

When asked about deporting everyone who has been living in the country illegally for years, he said: ?Well, I think you have to do it.?

?It?s a very tough thing to do, but you have to have rules, regulations, laws; they came in illegally,? Trump said. 

He noted that this is unfair for people waiting to come into the country legally. 

?We?re going to make it very easy for people to come in, in terms of, they have to pass the test,? Trump said. ?They have to be able to tell you what the Statue of Liberty is. They have to tell you a little bit about our country. They have to love our country.?

When asked about families with mixed immigration status, Trump said he wouldn?t split up families, saying the families could be deported together if they choose.

?I don?t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don?t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back,? he said. 

?We have to do our job,? Trump continued. ?You have to have a series of standards and a series of laws.? 

Trump also pledged to end birthright citizenship for children of immigrants.

When asked whether his plan violates the 14th Amendment?s guarantee that ?all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside,? Trump said that he may have to turn to ?the people,? but ?we have to end it.? 

Trump also pledged to ?work with the Democrats on a plan? to help Dreamers (immigrants who came into the country illegally as children) stay in the country, noting that Republicans are ?very open? to doing so.

The U.S. bishops in November urged the American government to reform the immigration system with ?fair and humane treatment? of immigrants. The statement called for a system that ?provides permanent relief for childhood arrivals, helps families stay together, and welcomes refugees,? while also ?keep[ing] our borders safe and secure.? 

In vitro fertilization

During his campaign, Trump promised free in vitro fertilization (IVF), either through the government or insurance mandates. In the interview, Trump reaffirmed his support for the treatment, calling himself ?the father of IVF in a certain way.?

Trump cited his involvement in the Alabama IVF controversy earlier this year in which he voiced support for IVF. After the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen human embryos constitute children under state statute, the Republican governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, signed legislation granting clinics immunity when they ?damage? or cause the ?death? of human embryonic life in the process of providing in vitro fertilization (IVF) fertility treatments to women.

Trump noted that in response to the court decision he issued ?a statement from the Republican party that we are all for IVF.? 

?The Alabama Legislature met the following day and passed it,? he said. ?It was a beautiful thing to see.? 

But when asked where IVF was on his list of priorities, Trump noted that ?we have a lot of other things.?  

?We?re going to be talking about it,? he said of IVF. ?We?ll be submitting in either the first or second package to Congress the extension of the tax cuts. So that might very well be in there, or it?ll come sometime after that.? 

The Catholic Church has long opposed IVF as ?morally unacceptable? because of the rejection of the natural procreative act of husband and wife, the commodification of the human child, and the destruction of embryonic human life, which is very common in the procedure. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that though ?research aimed at reducing human sterility is to be encouraged? (No. 2375), practices such as IVF ?disassociate the sexual act from the procreative act? and the act ?entrusts the life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists? (No. 2377). 

Abortion pills 

Trump reaffirmed that he would not restrict abortion pills, though he refused to commit to the position, noting that things sometimes change.

When asked if he would restrict abortion pills, Trump said: ?I?ll probably stay with exactly what I?ve been saying for the last two years, and the answer is no.? 

When asked if he committed to that statement, Trump noted that ?things do change, but I don?t think it?s going to change at all.? 

Medical or chemical abortions ? abortions procured via a two-pill regimen ? made up 70% of abortions in the U.S. in 2022, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

During the presidential campaign, Trump was criticized by pro-life advocates for his position that abortion law should be left for the states to decide. In June he said he agreed with the Supreme Court?s ruling on the abortion pill saying: ?I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it.?

The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is ?gravely contrary to the moral law? and that ?life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception? (CCC, No. 2271). 

Bishop Emeritus Frederick Bernard Henry, shown in a 2018 file photo, led the Diocese of Calgary from 1998 to 2017. Henry died on Dec. 3, 2024, at the age of 81. / Credit: Canadian Catholic News file photo

Calgary, Canada, Dec 9, 2024 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

Known for his boldness in taking a stance on controversial issues, Bishop Emeritus Frederick Bernard Henry, who led the Diocese of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, from 1998 to 2017, died on Dec. 3 at Calgary?s Rockyview General Hospital. He was 81.

Throughout his career, Henry was unafraid to challenge mainstream narratives, often drawing national attention for his positions on topics such as same-sex marriage, euthanasia, gender identity, and residential schools. His episcopal motto, ?Dabo Vobis Pastores? (?I will give you pastors?), reflected his dedication to shepherding the faithful while holding firmly to Catholic teachings.

Born in London, Ontario, on April 11, 1943, Henry was the eldest of five sons in the family of Leo and Noreen Bishop Henry. He entered St. Peter?s Seminary in London after high school and was ordained a priest on May 25, 1968, by Cardinal G. Emmett Carter.

Henry?s ministry combined academic achievement and pastoral leadership. He earned a master?s degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in 1971 and a licentiate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1973. His academic career included roles as associate professor, dean, and rector at St. Peter?s Seminary before his episcopal appointment.

As bishop of Calgary, Henry tackled controversial issues. In 2007, he banned gambling-based fundraising in Catholic schools, prompting a transition to ethical funding practices that spread across Alberta. He defended religious freedom during contentious debates on same-sex marriage and faced a human rights complaint in 2005 after issuing a pastoral letter defending traditional marriage. In his letter, he articulated the Catholic Church?s teachings on marriage as a union between one man and one woman, emphasizing its sacramental nature and moral significance.

The letter was published in a newspaper, which led to complaints being filed with the Alberta Human Rights Commission, alleging that his statements constituted hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community. The complaints were dismissed after mediation.

Henry stood firm, using the opportunity to argue that defending Catholic doctrine should not be mischaracterized as hateful or discriminatory. He saw the complaints as an example of government overreach into religious freedom and the public expression of faith.

More recently, Henry?s skepticism regarding the unverified claims of mass graves at former residential schools made him a polarizing figure. He questioned the lack of evidence supporting the allegations and called for transparent investigations, saying: ?No truth. No reconciliation.? Despite criticism, he maintained that seeking factual clarity was essential for justice and healing.

His willingness to engage with controversial topics extended to the public square. In a 2018 interview, Henry urged clergy not to shy away from tough questions about the Church?s role in society, including the sexual abuse crisis. ?We ought to be talking to the press,? he said. ?If they don?t like it, that?s OK. They can ask tough questions, but we?ve got the tough answers too.?

Henry resigned in 2017 due to severe chronic pain from an autoimmune disease that affected his spine, making movement increasingly difficult. In his resignation letter to Pope Francis, he wrote: ?I believe that someone younger with more energy, stamina, and pastoral vision should take over.? He was replaced by Bishop William McGrattan.

Throughout his nearly two decades as bishop of Calgary, Henry remained committed to Catholic education, social justice, and evangelization. At the time of his retirement, Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller described him as ?a hardworking, dedicated bishop who was never afraid to take a tough stand on a controversial issue.?

Henry?s funeral is being held Dec. 10 at St. Mary?s Cathedral in Calgary.

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic and is reprinted with permission.

Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presides at the first Mass in the reopened Cathedral of Notre Dame on Dec. 8, 2024. / Credit: EWTN/Screenshot

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 9, 2024 / 15:10 pm (CNA).

The archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated the first Mass during which the altar of the restored cathedral was consecrated following the fire that ravaged the church in April 2019.

At the Eucharist, which was attended by the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, some 170 bishops from the country and from around the world concelebrated with Ulrich as well as one priest from each of the 106 parishes of the Archdiocese of Paris and one priest from each of the seven Eastern-rite Catholic churches.

The clergy wore chasubles designed by Jean-Charles Castelbajac, the 74-year-old Frenchman who was entrusted with the task and who has designed clothing for such celebrities as Madonna, Beyoncé, and Rihanna.

One of the bishops in attendance was the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was also present at the Dec. 7 opening ceremony.

In a post on X, Dolan said he was grateful to participate in the first Mass in the cathedral and highlighted the generosity of the many Americans who contributed to the restoration of the emblematic cathedral.

Before proceeding to the consecration of the altar, the relics of five saints ? three women and two men ? ?whose history is linked to the Church of Paris: St. Marie Eugenie Milleret, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, St. Catherine Labouré, St. Charles de Foucauld, and Blessed Vladimir Ghika? were placed in a recess in it, according to the archdiocesan website.

The Parisian prelate then read the prayers for the consecration of the altar and anointed the entire altar with chrism (blessed oil), which he spread with his hands as the ritual requires. Five small containers holding lit coals were set on the corners and center of the altar and the archbishop then placed incense on them, releasing the fragrant smoke heavenward.  

After the containers were removed, deacons wiped off the excess chrism from the altar with towels and placed the altar cloth on the altar. Finally, altar servers placed six candles on the steps to one side of the altar and a priest placed one candle and a plain hammered metal cross on the altar itself.

In his homily, the archbishop of Paris proclaimed: ?This morning, the pain of April 15, 2019, is taken away,? adding that ?in a certain way, and even if the shock caused by the fire has been lasting, the pain was already overcome when prayer rose from the banks of the [River] Seine and from hundreds of millions of hearts throughout the world.?

After stating that he would soon consecrate the altar so that it may be ?the table of Christ?s sacrifice, the place where he gives his life for all,? Ulrich noted that ?the material chosen by the artist [for the altar], bronze, enters into a frank dialogue with the stone building.?

?And this altar block,? he continued, ?as if taken from the earth for the sacrifice, is prepared as a fraternal table for the Lord?s supper.?

The prelate then encouraged all the faithful present to not be simply ?dazzled by the rediscovered beauty of the stones, but let yourselves be led to the greatest joys, to the most beautiful gift that God gives you and gives us of his loving presence, of his closeness to the poorest, of his transforming power in the sacraments.?

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA?s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

A painting of Franciscan missionary Pedro de Gante with Juan Diego, whom the friar baptized along with Diego?s wife in 1525. / Credit: Jerónimo de Mendieta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2024 / 14:10 pm (CNA).

Many are familiar with the story of St. Juan Diego, whose feast is celebrated on Dec. 9 in the worldwide Church. However, the story of the Franciscan friar who baptized this beloved saint is less well known.

In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortes defeated the Aztec empire, tore down the pagan temples, and in their place built Catholic churches. Franciscans were the first missionaries to arrive in the region and began their work sharing the Gospel with the native people in 1524.

One of the first three Franciscan missionaries to arrive in Mexico was Brother Pedro de Gante, also known as Pieter van der Moere. Originally from Ghent, Flanders (present-day Belgium), Gante was trained in the choral style of the low countries ? Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. He took this musical foundation to Mexico where he trained the Indigenous singers who worked at the cathedral in Mexico City.

Gante believed that education and religion should be natural parts to one?s everyday life. He studied the native language of the Indigenous people and was able to teach them in their own dialect as well as Spanish.

During this time, Juan Diego ? who was a member of the Chichimecas but lived in the region that was part of a vast Aztec empire ? and his wife began to attend Mass at the Church of St. Diego. In 1525, at the age of 50, he and his wife were baptized by Gante and took new names: Juan Diego and Maria Lucia. The two are considered one of the first native couples to be baptized in Mexico.

In 1526, Gante founded San José de los Naturales to teach Indigenous boys reading, writing, music, and the Catholic faith. The school also taught them Spanish artisanal skills, which led to many painters and sculptors helping adorn the many churches that were built.

The friar published ?Christian Doctrine in the Mexican Language? in Nahuatl, the Aztec language, in 1528.

Gante was never ordained a priest and remained a brother his entire life, dying on April 19, 1572, in Mexico City. 

This article was first published on Dec. 9, 2023, and has been updated.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops headquarters in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2024 / 13:40 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on Monday launched a campaign urging Catholics to contact outgoing President Joe Biden and ask him to commute the death sentences of the 40 men currently on federal death row to life in prison. 

?President Biden has an extraordinary opportunity to advance the cause of human dignity by commuting all federal death sentences to terms of imprisonment and sparing the lives of the 40 men currently on federal death row,? the bishops wrote on a webpage that provides a contact form for Biden. 

The bishops of the United States have, as a body, been calling for an end to the federal death penalty since 1980 when they released a statement calling for its abolition, just a few years after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed executions to resume in the country. Biden, a Catholic, called for an end to the use of the federal death penalty as a candidate for president, but that marked a departure from his previous political positions and actions. 

The federal death penalty has been applied relatively sparingly since being reinstated in 1988. Just 16 people have been put to death by the federal government ? 13 during the first Trump administration ? compared with nearly 1,600 by the states.

In their 1980 statement, the U.S. bishops ?outlined concerns with the death penalty that remain relevant today,? the petition page notes, including that the death penalty ?extinguishes possibilities for reform and rehabilitation; the imposition of capital punishment involves the possibility of mistakes; the legal imposition of capital punishment in our society involves long and unavoidable delays; carrying out the death penalty brings with it great and avoidable anguish for everyone involved; and that capital punishment is carried out in an unfair and discriminatory manner.?

The USCCB petition follows a similar call last month from Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), an advocacy group that opposes the death penalty, which urged Biden to commute the sentences before leaving office in light of the upcoming jubilee year in the Catholic Church. 

This is not the first time in recent years that the bishops have called for an end to the federal death penalty. In 2021, in the face of a rising number of federal executions taking place, the bishops called for an end to the federal death penalty and for Biden to commute federal death sentences to terms of imprisonment. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, reflecting a 2018 update promulgated by Pope Francis, describes the death penalty as ?inadmissible? and an ?attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person? (No. 2267).

The context for the bishops? most recent petition is the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who strongly favors capital punishment and previously oversaw the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which resumed federal executions after a hiatus of more than 15 years, a decision that led to an outcry from many Catholics including the U.S. bishops. 

All told, 13 inmates were executed in the final six months of Trump?s first term, including Lisa Montgomery, who murdered Bobbie Jo Stinnett in Missouri in 2004 in order to steal her unborn baby. Montgomery was the first woman to be executed by the federal government in nearly 70 years. 

In July 2021, after Biden took office, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a moratorium on federal executions while the Department of Justice conducted a review of its policies and procedures to ensure the death penalty is being applied ?fairly and humanely.?

Despite overseeing the halting of new executions, the Biden administration has sought to uphold the death sentences of several prisoners already convicted, including the 2013 Boston Marathon bomber. 

The Biden administration also pursued the death penalty for the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooter, who was handed a capital sentence in 2023. The administration is also still actively pursuing the death penalty for Payton Gendron, the then-18-year-old man who in 2022 killed nearly a dozen Black shoppers at a Tops Friendly Market grocery store in Buffalo, New York. His trial is expected to take place during the next Trump administration.

null / Credit: Ariya J/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2024 / 13:10 pm (CNA).

The provincial government of Alberta, Canada, is considering several possible regulations on euthanasia there in the face of growing popularity of the practice throughout the country. 

The government is actively seeking citizen input on ?oversight of medical assistance in dying [MAID],? with Alberta residents invited to offer input through Dec. 20 on a proposed new series of regulations.

Among the possible new regulations on which citizens can offer input are ?the creation of a new public agency and legislation to provide oversight? of the euthanasia program as well as ?limitations on criteria for MAID eligibility and on MAID as an option for patients.?

Also under consideration is ?the creation of a MAID decision dispute mechanism for families and eligible others? that would allow loved ones to argue against a family member?s being allowed to participate in the program.

Mickey Amery, the Alberta provincial minister of justice and attorney general, said in announcing the survey that euthanasia ?is a very complex and often personal issue and is an important, sensitive, and emotional matter for patients and their families.?

?It is important to ensure this process has the necessary supports to protect the most vulnerable,? the minister said, calling on Albertans ?who have experience with and opinions on MAID? to take the survey.

The government said it hopes to ensure that MAID regulations protect ?vulnerable Albertans, specifically those living with disabilities or suffering from mental health challenges.?

Alex Schadenberg, the executive director of the Ontario-based Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC), told CNA that while Canadian federal law guarantees access to euthanasia, ?provincial governments have jurisdiction over how it is implemented.?

?The federal law lacks effective definition; therefore provincial governments can add definition to the law,? he said.

By way of example he noted that federal rules require two doctors or nurse practitioners to approve euthanasia ?but the province can add an independent approval from the government to provide oversight.?

Assisted suicide in Canada has become increasingly popular since it was first legalized in 2016. Government statistics in 2022 indicated that MAID was the sixth-leading cause for death in Canada, with 13,241 ?MAID provisions? reported that year, accounting for 4.1% of all deaths nationwide.

In recent months and years concerns have been raised that euthanasia provisions in Canadian law are insufficient to protect vulnerable patients from taking part in MAID programs.

The government of Quebec recently began allowing euthanasia for individuals who cannot consent at the time of the procedure, permitting ?advance requests? for assisted suicide for those diagnosed with incapacitating illness such as Alzheimer?s disease.

Earlier this year a judge in Alberta ruled that a woman with autism could be granted her request to die by MAID, overruling efforts by the woman?s father to halt the deadly procedure.

In February, the Canadian federal government postponed until 2027 plans to expand its euthanasia program to include those suffering from mental illness after a parliamentary report said the country?s health system is ?not ready.?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, ?intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder? and ?gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and the respect due to the living God, his Creator? (No. 2324).

This teaching was reaffirmed in the 2020 Vatican document Samaritanus Bonus, and Pope Francis has spoken frequently against euthanasia and assisted suicide and in favor of palliative care.

Schadenberg told CNA that among its positions the EPC opposes MAID being associated with palliative or hospice care and that medical institutions should be permitted to opt out of providing MAID to patients.

 ?We opposed MAID being considered as a type of medical treatment,? he said.

?There is much that can be done but essentially we oppose killing people,? he added.

The Boston Children?s Museum is one of the participating museums in a program that provides free access to some of the city?s most famous museums twice a month to K?12 students ? including, in a recent policy change, Catholic school students. / Credit: Tim Pierce, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Boston, Mass., Dec 9, 2024 / 12:40 pm (CNA).

Boston?s mayor is planning to include students at Catholic schools in a program that provides free access to some of the city?s most famous museums twice a month ? a change in policy from earlier in the year.

Mayor Michelle Wu announced the shift earlier this week.

?If you?re a K?12 student and you live in Boston, you and two guests will be able to visit nine of Boston?s most iconic and inspiring spaces for free the first and second Sunday of every month,? Wu said in a video posted Wednesday.

The current program, which Wu announced in January, allows students in Boston public schools to visit six museums free of charge on the first and second Sunday of the month with up to three family members. But it excludes students in Catholic schools, home-schoolers, and other students not in the city?s public school system.

The new version of the program, called Boston Family Days, is scheduled to begin in early January 2025, which is an election year in the city.

The current free-Sundays program, estimated to cost $1 million, is funded partly by the city through federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 money and partly by donors, including Amazon, nonprofit foundations, and individuals. 

Each museum also contributes, because the funds provided by the city don?t cover the full admission fee, said Carole Charnow, president and chief executive officer of Boston Children?s Museum.

?It?s great news that the Boston Public Schools? Sundays program can be expanded to include all of the children of Boston, including Catholic schools, private schools, charter schools, and METCO,? Charnow told CNA by telephone Friday, referring to the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, which enables minority students to attend public schools in suburban towns. 

?And we are grateful to the mayor for her leadership in founding and developing this program, which brings all of the cultural riches of Boston to Boston schoolchildren, many of whom have not had the opportunity to visit before,? she said. 

Between Feb. 4 and Oct. 13 of this year, Charnow told CNA, 6,429 people visited Boston Children?s Museum through the city?s free public schools Sundays program, of whom 41% said they had never been to the museum before. 

She said Boston public schools contact every family in their own language every Friday before one of the free Sundays to invite them to participate. 

Other museums in the program are the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Franklin Park Zoo, the Museum of Science, the Institute of Contemporary Art, New England Aquarium, the Museum of African American History, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts. 

No Catholic school students at start 

Wu came under fire in some quarters earlier this year for limiting the free-museums program to public school students. 

Two members of the Boston City Council, Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn, introduced a resolution on Feb. 28 calling for the program to include ?ALL Boston families, regardless of what school their children attend.? The resolution noted that there are ?13,000 Boston children who attend charter schools, nearly 7,000 Boston children who attend parochial or private schools, more than 3,000 Boston children who attend METCO, and 273 Boston children are home-schooled.? 

?Let?s give them the same opportunity as every other family does. Why are they being penalized?? Flynn said during the city council meeting Feb. 28. 

There are more than 45,000 students in the Boston public schools, and Wu has argued that she needed to determine the cost of the free-admission program before considering expanding it to students who aren?t in the city?s school system. 

The mayor and all members of the Boston City Council are Democrats, but there are divisions. Wu and most of the city councilors are progressives, while Murphy and Flynn are often described as centrists. 

Flynn, son of former Boston mayor Ray Flynn, is widely seen as a possible challenger against Wu in the city?s September 2025 preliminary election for mayor. 

The mayor?s press office did not respond to a request for comment by deadline Friday. Neither did spokespersons for Flynn or Murphy. 

Catholics respond 

Eileen McLaughlin, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Boston, thanked the donors and the mayor for including students in Catholic schools in the free-museums program next year. 

?The Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Schools Office is excited to celebrate the success of the initial pilot program and grateful to all of the benefactors who made it possible for the expansion of the program to include students in Boston Catholic Schools and to Mayor Wu and her team for recognizing Boston?s museums as a learning space for our students and their families,? McLaughlin told CNA on Friday by email through a spokesperson. 

C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, praised city councilors Flynn and Murphy for what he called ?their defense of the rights of Catholic school students in the city of Boston.? 

He called Wu?s decision this week to include students in Catholic schools and other students in the free-museums program ?a belated but nonetheless appropriate redress of an initial injustice.? 

Doyle noted that a majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years have tended to grant religious freedom claims, as the National Catholic Register, CNA?s sister news partner, reported in December 2022.

?At a time when the U.S. Supreme Court has found that the denial of neutral public benefits to the students and parents of religious schools is unconstitutional, the Wu administration?s exclusion policy was, at best, tone-deaf, and almost certainly, unlawful. It would not have survived a court challenge,? Doyle said in a written statement.

The new version of the museums program is scheduled to run from January 2025 until December 2026. To participate, families need to fill out an online form to receive a program pass from the city.

Pope Francis greets participants in the International Congress on the future of Theology promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education, Dec. 9, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 9, 2024 / 12:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Monday spoke of his desire for theology courses to be ?accessible to all,? particularly for men and women wanting to deepen their faith and pursue further educational opportunities later in life.

Meeting with academic staff participating in the International Congress on the Future of Theology?s ?Heritage and Imagination? conference taking place Dec. 9?10, the Holy Father insisted that universities and theological schools should be open to people who ?knock at the doors? of their institutions.

?Be prepared for this. Make imaginative adjustments to your programs of study so that theology can be accessible to all,? the pope told congress participants at a private audience held in the Vatican Apostolic Palace on Monday.

Noting the ?growing phenomenon? of more men and women enrolling in university programs as mature students, Pope Francis said theology can be a ?guide on the journey? for people searching for meaning in life.

?Middle age is a special time in life,? he said. ?It is a time when one usually enjoys a certain professional security and emotional stability, but also a time when failures are painfully felt and new questions arise as youthful dreams fade.?

?When this happens, people can feel abandoned or even at an impasse ? a midlife crisis,? the pope continued. ?Then they sense a need to renew their quest, however tentatively, perhaps even with a helping hand. Theology can be that guide on the journey!?

?Make sure that these women and men find in theology an open house, a place where they can resume their journey, a place where they can seek, find, and seek again,? the Holy Father added. 

750 years after Sts. Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure

Promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education, the two-day congress aims to ?reflect on how to appropriate the great theological patrimony of generations past and to imagine its future.? This year the Church celebrates the 750th death anniversaries of both St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure.

Drawing upon the teachings of these two celebrated medieval Catholic theologians, Pope Francis said: ?All theology is born of friendship with Christ and love for his brothers, his sisters, and his world.? 

?Thomas tells us that we do not have a single sense, but multiple and different senses, so that reality does not escape us,? he said. ?Bonaventure states that to the extent that one ?believes, hopes, and loves Jesus Christ? one ?regains hearing and sight ..., smell ..., taste, and touch.?? 

Unlike ideology, theology does not ?flatten? reality  

During the audience, the Holy Father said combining theology with other disciplines ? including philosophy, literature, the arts, mathematics, history, law, politics, and economics ? is necessary to ensure that the discipline does not ?flatten reality? into a single idea or ideology. 

?Reality is complex; challenges are varied; history is full of beauty and at the same time marred by evil,? the pope said. 

?These disciplines ought to ferment, because, like the senses of the body, each has its own specific function, yet they need each other, for, as the Apostle Paul points out: ?If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?? (cf. 1 Cor 12:17),? he continued.

An ?all-male? theology is incomplete

Thanking theologians for their discreet and humble work so that ?the light of Christ and his Gospel can emerge? during the meeting, the pope also emphasized the significant role women have in further developing theological thought.

?This is a journey you are called to undertake together as theologians of both sexes,? he told deans, professors, and researchers present at the audience.

?There are things that only women understand and theology needs their contribution. An all-male theology is an incomplete theology. We still have a long way to go in this direction.?

Members representing Assam Christian Forum and CRI-NEI in India take part in a solidarity prayer meeting for restoration of peace in Manipur after ethnic violence at a school in Guwahati on June 24, 2023. / Credit: BIJU BORO/AFP via Getty Images

Bangalore, India, Dec 9, 2024 / 11:40 am (CNA).

The Christian leadership of Assam in northeast India has expressed ?deep concern over relentless attacks on the Christian community? in the state ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Assam Christian Forum (ACF) ?expressed shock, pain, and anguish over the relentless attacks on the Christian community, its institutions, and individuals over the past year,? the ACF said after a Nov. 28 meeting presided over by its chairman, Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati.

?We need protection against what is happening and urge the government to ensure the safety of the Christians,? Moolachira told CNA on Dec. 3.

The diverse concerns of the Christian community in Assam ? which accounts for nearly 4% of the state?s 35 million people ? were listed in the statement the ACF issued after the meeting involving a dozen key Christian church leaders.

The ACF lamented that there have been several attacks on Christian institutions ?demanding the removal of faith-revered statues and pictures.?

?This blatant disregard for religious freedom and tolerance is unacceptable,? the statement said. 

?Police conducting investigations against the church and individuals in [several] districts has created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation,? the organization said.

ACF also pointed to reported ?false and malicious accusations against the church? by a Hindu nationalist leader claiming ?that [the church] was behind drug dealing and supplying.?

?It is shocking that no action has been taken against him for hurting the sentiments of the Christian community,? the Christian leaders wrote.

Further, ACF noted, under the Magical Healing (Prevention and Evil) Act enacted earlier this year, ?innocent church personnel and believers have been harassed and booked for praying for the sick and their well-being or even helping the poor and marginalized to cope with their studies. This is a clear infringement of their constitutional rights.?

Allen Brooks, Catholic coordinator of ACF, pointed to last week?s arrest of a Christian under the dubious Magical Healing Act. ?Luckily, he was released on bail by the court,? Brooks said.

?Posters demanding a ban on Christian symbols continue to be pasted on the walls of schools here and there,? Brooks said.

?If the government had acted against the one who launched this demand, we would not have faced a situation like this,? noted Brooks, who served as chairman of the Minority Commission of Assam.

?Our problems have multiplied of late and the situation has become awful and Christians are living in fear,? he said.

Brooks called the effort to portray Christians as drug peddlers ?all part of a systematic campaign to terrorize and discredit Christianity.?

In February, meanwhile, the Hindu Kutumba Surakshya Parishad (Family Safety Council) indicated that religious institutions should strip many identifying religious features from schools. 

The ?dress of the fathers-sisters,? the ?installation of idols of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary and sign of the cross? and the installation of ?churches inside the campus of educational institutions? are ?exclusive religious practices,? the council said.

It ordered churches to ?remove all kinds of exclusive religious items from the campus of the school for maintaining the secular values of the country.?

The group also threatened ?to storm into [Christian] campuses without any hesitation if the missionary schools failed to comply with their demand.?

The ACF is appealing to the government ?to safeguard the constitutional rights of the Christian minority community and protect them from being targeted for their faith.? 

?We demand immediate action against those responsible for these attacks and false accusations,? it said. 

The Catholic Church in Assam, which numbers more than 600,000 faithful, runs over two dozen hospitals and dispensaries besides nearly 400 schools and other educational institutions in the state.

Bishop Hanna Jallouf, the apostolic vicar of Aleppo and head of the Latin Church in Syria, told ACI MENA ?we pray for a new dawn in this country.? / Credit: The Episcopal Committee for Consecrated Life in Syria

ACI MENA, Dec 9, 2024 / 11:10 am (CNA).

March 8 once marked the anniversary of the Ba?ath Party?s seizure of power in Syria in 1963, but optimism is now stirring as Christians in Syria look to a brighter future.

On Sunday, the Syrian government fell, ending the 50-year rule of the Assad family after insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group with al-Qaida origins, gained more territory and entered the capital of Damascus.

In an exclusive interview with ACI MENA, CNA?s Arabic-language news partner, Bishop Hanna Jallouf, the apostolic vicar of Aleppo and head of the Latin Church in Syria, shared his reflections on what has just happened in the country. He admitted that he did not expect Aleppo to fall into opposition hands within hours or for the regime to be overthrown within just 10 days.

Speaking about the future of Christians in Syria, he said: ?Initially, we were afraid because this scenario was entirely unfamiliar. Thankfully, there have been assurances that Christians [will] remain an integral part of Syria?s social fabric, with commitments to work collaboratively in rebuilding our nation. We received guarantees that our churches and properties would remain untouched.?

?I hope that everyone receives their due rights. We have lived under oppression and suffering for many years. Many people died, many were displaced or imprisoned. Yet, we pray for a new dawn in this country,? Jallouf said Dec. 8. ?Let us not forget that today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and through the Virgin Mary?s intercession, we have reached this moment of joy. The bells of our churches rang out in Aleppo, and, for the first time in nearly 13 years, they rang again in Al-Quniya [Idlib].?

Jallouf addressed Syria?s new leadership and the international community.

?I pray that the Lord strengthens the future rulers as they work to build a new Syria. A nation that embodies its historical and cultural identity as the cradle of civilization and a beacon to the nations,? he said. ?The focus must be on rebuilding infrastructure and restoring essential services, especially access to water and energy resources.?

He continued: ?To the decision-makers around the world, I urge you to help us by reopening international roads and facilitating trade routes so that life can return to normal. I also call for lifting the economic sanctions on Syria. These sanctions have not affected those in power, who have access to everything, but they have devastated ordinary people. They have borne the brunt of this unjust burden. Finally, I appeal to major nations to support us in rebuilding our country, not to give us the impossible but simply to help us get back to square one.?

The bishop concluded with a message to Christians, urging them to cast off fear. 

?The sun of freedom has risen over Syria today,? he said. ?We are part of this nation and deeply rooted in it. Let us not forget that Christianity originated in this land, and it was here in Antioch that believers were first called Christians. To all our people, I say: Return to your homes and your work. Life must move forward. May the Lord bless and protect everyone and grant us leaders who can guide Syria to safe shores.?

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA?s Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

A bridge over the Mississippi River near St. Louis. / Credit: Checubus/Shutterstock

St. Louis, Mo., Dec 9, 2024 / 05:00 am (CNA).

?Immaculate? is not a word most people would use to describe the Mississippi River?s famously muddy waters. But Father Jacques Marquette was not most people.

The Jesuit explorer, who came from France as a missionary to Canada in 1666, was one of the first Europeans to name the Mississippi, which he explored and mapped with his companion Louis Joliet beginning in 1673. And the name he gave to this vital artery of North America was ?The River of the Immaculate Conception.?

The entrustment of this mighty waterway ? one of the largest and most important rivers in the world ? to the Virgin Mary was part of the French Jesuits? mission to evangelize the Native Americans of the area, which by all accounts they did, not with violence but with fellowship and respect.

French missionary activity in North America was driven by great devotees to Mary, like Marquette, who had a vision of the meeting of two civilizations ? European and Native American ? under the Catholic faith, rather than a conquest of the land, said James Wilson, a professor of humanities at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

?They set out on their canoes entrusting themselves entirely to God?s grace, entrusting themselves entirely to Mary as the Immaculate Conception, and they didn?t seek to build lasting monuments to their conquests or to plant flags,? noted Wilson, author of a seven-part poem called ?River of the Immaculate Conception.?

?They sought primarily to enter as agents of grace among the Indians and to live with them, preach to them, and enter into communion with them.?

Of course, the Mississippi today bears its original, Native-given name, which roughly translates to ?great waters.? But Wilson said far from being a footnote in history, Marquette?s consecration of the Mississippi endures as a testament to how God?s grace was already working in North America. Nearly two centuries later, in 1846, the bishops of the now United States declared Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, as the patroness of the country.

The church on Immaculate Conception River

Though forgotten by most, the ?River of the Immaculate Conception? endures in the memories of one community in particular: the congregation at the Immaculate Conception Chapel in Kaskaskia, Illinois. 

Kaskaskia was, at one time and in some ways, the center of the Mississippian universe. The now-tiny hamlet, located on the river, predates the historic riverside metropolises of New Orleans to the south and St. Louis to the north. Known at one time as the ?Grand Village,? Kaskaskia was a prosperous nexus of trade for Natives and French trappers alike. The town of 1,900 people was the logical ? and in some ways the definitive ? place for Catholic missionaries to use as their evangelical hub. 

Emily Lyons, the historian at the Immaculate Conception Chapel in Kaskaskia, told CNA that the church?s founder, Marquette, had an ?absolute devotion to the Immaculate Conception.? He entrusted anything and everything he could to Mary?s care.

Marquette founded the mission at Kaskaskia on Easter Sunday in 1675 and died later that year.

Since that time, the church dedicated to Mary in Kaskaskia has endured as a remarkable testament to God?s grace. Lyons said since the earliest days, when the church was a simple structure of upright logs, the congregation has ?worn out about five different buildings.?

The island on which Kaskaskia sits is extremely prone to flooding, and the church has had to be moved several times over the years. The current brick church dates to 1894 and endured significant damage in the major Mississippi floods of 1993. The next year, the Diocese of Belleville designated it a chapel. Today, the once-thriving village of Kaskaskia only has about two dozen residents.

Though no longer a parish, Immaculate Conception Chapel still attracts many visitors and worshippers. Lyons said every year on or around the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, the community has a celebratory Mass whereby they sing Marian hymns translated into the Algonquin language. The liturgy has attracted many Native American Catholics over the years, she said.

The congregants also hold a procession and reenact a purported miracle that occurred at the church many years ago, whereby a young Native woman found lilies growing near the church ? despite the prohibitive winter cold ? and brought them inside as an offering for Mary.

God?s grace in America

Unlike the Spanish, whose conquest of North America was often marked by brutality, the French entered with ?relative peacefulness? and largely respected the humanity of the Natives, Wilson said. Many of the Natives were subsequently converted and incorporated Christianity into their way of life.

To meditate on this, Wilson said, is to reconceive of the United States not as a wild frontier later tamed by man but as ?a stage where God?s grace is the first actor.? The French Jesuits, through their devotion to prayer and to the devout life, were attuned to this reality, Wilson said.

?To consecrate the Mississippi River as the ?River of the Immaculate Conception? is not to plant a flag or to lay conquest. It?s rather to recognize that this vast, open continent must, objectively speaking, be defined primarily not by what any human being does but by the actions of God through his grace,? Wilson said.

?Even when Christians try to talk about history, they talk as though only humans have acted in history and don?t consider that God is always the primary author of every action, and God?s grace is the most dynamic agent of everything in history.?

This article was first published on Dec. 4, 2022, and has been updated.

Father Chris Alar, MIC, provincial superior of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. / Credit: Marians of the Immaculate Conception

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception is ?key to everything,? according to Father Chris Alar, MIC, provincial superior of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception.

Alar appears in the new Marian docudrama ?I Am the Immaculate Conception.? The film, produced and directed by Michal Kondrat in association with the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, will be released by Fathom Events in theaters on Dec. 12, 14, and 17. 

In the film, a variety of experts, in addition to Alar, analyze Greek texts of the Scriptures as well as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception to interpret and reveal Mary?s extraordinary role in God?s divine plan of salvation for the world.

?The Immaculate Conception is the key to everything. Everything. And it?s the least understood of almost all Catholic teaching,? Alar said in an interview with CNA.

The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception was established by Pope Pius IX in 1854 with the papal encyclical Ineffabilis Deus. In this encyclical, Pope Pius IX solidified the long-held belief by the Catholic Church that Mary was conceived free from original sin. She was granted this extraordinary privilege because of her unique role in history as the mother of God. 

?For centuries nobody questioned the Immaculate Conception. It was always a part of the Church from the earliest centuries,? Alar explained. 

He pointed out that even the fathers of the Protestant Reformation, including Martin Luther and John Calvin, all accepted the Immaculate Conception of Mary. 

?The only reason that sometimes we have defined dogmas is because of heresy, or if the culture starts rejecting a given truth that wasn?t defined as dogma but was always accepted. And the Immaculate Conception was always accepted and all of a sudden they started to sway away from that ?,? Alar explained. ?That?s why she [the Catholic Church] formally defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception ? to say this is the truth, no more swaying from it, no more rejecting it.?

Alar shared that the teaching on the Immaculate Conception is so important because ?Mary?s living proof that we can be holy and immaculate.?

?The Bible states that we all must become holy and immaculate,? he added. ?The Bible states nobody will enter into heaven that is not holy and immaculate. So, at some point, you and I and every other living human has got to become holy and immaculate or we do not have eternal salvation.?

The priest explained that God makes us holy and immaculate in one of three ways: After we die in purgatory or while alive, as is the case with canonized saints. The third way, Alar said, was done one time and it was done before the person was born ? this was the case with Mary.

?If God can do it after we die and he can do it in this life, which nobody argues, why in the world do we not think he has the power to do it before somebody?s born??

?And the reason he had to do that with Mary is because Mary could have no stain ever on her soul to be the vessel by which God came to this world,? he said.

While there are several passages in Scripture that defend this dogma, Alar highlighted one in particular ? Genesis 3:15.

?Genesis 3:15 says between the woman and the serpent there will be complete enmity. That means complete and radical opposition to each other,? he explained. ?If Mary had even the slightest stain of sin, even the tiniest little sin, that would mean she was at least partially under the sway of Satan. Whenever I sin or you sin or anybody sins, we are partially under the sway of Satan no matter how small ? If Mary had any sin, even original sin, that would mean she was at least partially under the sway of Satan. And if that?s the case, there would be a lie in Genesis 3:15.?

?It says complete and radical opposition. Complete meaning full. That?s what enmity means. So, if she had even the slightest stain of sin, there could not be complete enmity between her and the serpent ? So, it is scriptural.?

Alar said he hopes this docudrama will help spread the message about the dogma on the Immaculate Conception and that Catholics will fall ?in love with their faith? again.

?Catholics need to see this movie because if they don?t fully understand the importance of the Immaculate Conception, or they don?t fully love the Church with all their minds, souls, hearts, and strength, then they need to understand better why the Church teaches what she does and once they do understand it better, they?ll love their faith more.?

Cardinals follow the ceremony during the ordinary public consistory for the creation of new cardinals at St. Peter?s Basilica, Vatican City, Dec. 7, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Dec 8, 2024 / 18:36 pm (CNA).

A record 140 cardinals may attend an eventual conclave in the Sistine Chapel. There would have been 141, but Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot?s death on Nov. 25 reduced the number by one. In all, the Sacred College of Cardinals now has 255 members.

The number of cardinal electors is the most critical data point to emerge from this weekend?s consistory. Of the 140 cardinal electors, 110 have been created by Pope Francis, 24 by Pope Benedict XVI, and six by St. John Paul II. At the end of the year, on Dec. 24, Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias, created cardinal by Benedict XVI in 2007, will reach 80 years of age and will, therefore, no longer be able to participate in a conclave.

Another 14 cardinals will turn 80 in 2025. They are Cardinals Christoph Schöenborn, Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, Celestino Aós Braco, George Alencherry, Carlos Osoro Sierra, Robert Sarah, Stanis?aw Ry?ko, Joseph Coutts, Vinko Pulji?, Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Vincent Nichols, Jean-Pierre Kutwa, Nakellentuba Ouédraogo, and Timothy Radcliffe.

Two of these were created by St. John Paul II, four by Benedict XVI, and eight by Pope Francis.

However, it will be necessary to wait until May 2026 to return to the figure of 120 cardinal electors established by St. Paul VI and never abrogated.

Pope Francis? choices

For the first time, there is now a cardinal in Iran, Archbishop Dominique Matthieu of Tehran-Ispahan, a Belgian missionary. It is also the first time there is a cardinal in Serbia, with Archbishop Ladislav Nemet of Belgrade receiving the red hat.

Pope Francis has created cardinals from 72 different nations, and 24 of those nations have never had a cardinal before.

Pope Francis has also shown that he does not choose based on the traditional seats of cardinals. For example, there are no cardinals to lead the two historic European patriarchates of Lisbon and Venice, nor in Milan, Florence, or Paris.

There are exceptions, however. In this consistory, Pope Francis created cardinals in the archbishops of Turin and Naples in Italy; Lima, Peru; Santiago de Chile; Toronto; and the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome.

Naples entered the list somewhat surprisingly, with the pope?s decision communicated in a statement from the Holy See Press Office on Nov. 4. Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples replaced Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur of Bogor, Indonesia, who had asked Pope Francis to remove him from the list of new cardinals for unspecified personal reasons.

The geographical balance of the College of Cardinals

The pope did not decide to replace a possible Indonesian cardinal with another cardinal from Asia.

Meanwhile, the percentage of Italian cardinals in the College of Cardinals is the lowest ever, at least in modern times. Only during the so-called Avignon Captivity (1309?1377) was the percentage of Italian cardinals so low.

However, to Italy?s 17 must be added Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, who is included in the quota of Asia, and Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, ordinary of Mongolia, also in Asia.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu is instead considered a non-elector, but this status is still being determined. Pope Francis had asked him to renounce his prerogatives as a cardinal but has continued to invite him to consistories and Masses, where he has always sat among the cardinals. If a decision is not made before then, the College of Cardinals, with a majority vote, will decide whether or not Becciu will be admitted to the conclave.

Regional distribution

The balance crucially stays the same. Europe has received three more cardinals, in addition to the four Italians with the right to vote: Nemet of Belgrade, 58; Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas, 52, coadjutor archpriest of the papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore since March; and Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe, 79. Europe now has 55 cardinals.

Latin America has received five new cardinals. The purple has arrived in dioceses that have received it several times ? with Archbishop Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, 74, in Lima, Peru, and Archbishop Fernando N. Chomali Garib, 67, in Santiago de Chile ? or only once ? with Archbishop Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, 69, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Archbishop Jaime Spengler, 64, who is also president of CELAM (the Episcopal Conference of Latin America), in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

The red birretta to Archbishop Vicente Bokalic Iglic, 72, of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, is also a first. However, in this case, the ground had already been prepared by the recent decision to move the title of primate of Argentina from Buenos Aires to this seat. Overall, Latin America now has 24 cardinals (including Braco, emeritus of Santiago de Chile, born in Spain).

Asia has received four new cardinals. The pope gave the red hat to Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, 66, and to the bishops of two dioceses that have never had a cardinal at the helm: Bishop Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, 65, of Kalookan in the Philippines, and Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu, 61, of Tehran.

Africa has received two new cardinals, bringing the continent?s total to 18. The two new ones are Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco, 62, in Algiers, and Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo, 63, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

North America now has 14 electors, with the addition of Toronto Archbishop Francis Leo, 53. Oceania has four electors, with the creation of Bishop Mykola Bychok of the eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul in Melbourne of the Ukrainians as cardinal. At 44, he has become the youngest member of the College of Cardinals.

National representation

Italy remains the most represented nation in the conclave, with 17 electors (plus two more in Asia). The United States has 10 cardinal electors, and Spain has seven (with another three in Morocco, Chile, and France).

Brazil has increased to seven electors, and India to six electors. France remains at five electors, to which Vesco in North Africa has been added. Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, bishop of Ajaccio, is anagraphically Spanish although naturalized French.

Argentina and Canada join Poland and Portugal with four cardinal electors, while Germany is tied with the Philippines and Great Britain with three.

The weight of cardinal electors engaged in the Curia, in other Roman roles or the nunciatures, has decreased, like that of the Italians. They will be 34 out of 140, a historic low.

Of the 21 new cardinals, 10 (all electors) belong to religious orders and congregations, another record. The number of religious electors in the sacred college has risen from 27 to 35. The Friars Minor joined the Salesians at five and surpassed the Jesuits, who remain at four. The Franciscan family grows to 10 electors (five Minors, three Conventuals, and two Capuchins). The Lazarists and Redemptorists rise to two.

What would a possible conclave be like?

As of Dec. 8, Pope Francis has created 78% of the cardinals who can vote in a conclave. This means that the cardinals created by Pope Francis far exceed the two-thirds majority needed to elect a pope.

This does not necessarily mean that the conclave will be ?Francis-like.? Not only do the new cardinals all have very different profiles, but they have yet to have much opportunity to get to know each other. Popes have also used consistories to bring together cardinals to discuss issues of general interest.

Pope Francis had done so only three times: in 2014, when the family was discussed; in 2015, when the topic was the reform of the Curia; and in 2022, when the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, or the reform of the Curia now defined and promulgated, was discussed.

In this last meeting, the cardinals were divided into linguistic groups, with fewer opportunities to speak in the assembly together. This scenario makes the vote very uncertain.

Another fact that should be noted is that until St. John Paul II?s election, the cardinals gathered in the conclave were housed in makeshift accommodations in the Apostolic Palace near the Sistine Chapel. John Paul II had the Domus Sanctae Marthae (St. Martha House) renovated precisely to guarantee the cardinals who would elect his successor more adequate accommodations.

Today, however, Pope Francis lives in the Domus Sanctae Marthae. This means that, upon the pope?s death, at least the floor where the pontiff lives must be sealed, as the papal apartment is sealed. Sealing a floor of the Domus also means losing a considerable number of rooms. And with such a high number of voters, it also means risking not having enough rooms to accommodate all the cardinals.

The electors could be placed in vacant apartments within Vatican City State. This, however, would make them even more isolated. In practice, there is a risk that, during the conclave, the cardinals would not always be able to be together to discuss the election.

For these reasons, although Pope Francis has created more than two-thirds of the cardinal electors, it is by no means certain that the pope chosen in a future conclave will have the same profile as Pope Francis.

Pope Francis gazes up at the bronze statue of Mary atop the 39.4-foot column at Rome?s Spanish Steps, Dec. 8, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Dec 8, 2024 / 15:33 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis marked the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception with a spiritual journey across Rome on Sunday, beginning at the Basilica of St. Mary Major and continuing to the Spanish Steps ? where he reminded the faithful that ?the true jubilee is inside? ? before making an unexpected visit to a painting particularly dear to his heart.

Beginning his Marian devotions at Rome?s most important Marian basilica, the pope prayed before the ancient icon ?Salus Populi Romani? (?Protectress of the Roman People?), echoing his cherished tradition of visiting this beloved image before and after his international trips.

Despite cold and rainy weather, thousands of faithful gathered in Rome?s historic center as the pope continued the long-standing papal tradition of paying homage to the Immaculate Conception at the foot of the Marian column near the Spanish Steps.

The statue of the Immaculate Conception, which sits atop a 39.4-foot-high column, was dedicated on Dec. 8, 1857, shortly after the Church proclaimed the doctrine of Mary?s Immaculate Conception. Since the 1950s, beginning with Pope Pius XII in 1953, it has been customary for popes to venerate the statue for the feast day.

At 7 a.m., Rome?s firefighters had continued their own decades-old tradition, ascending to the top of the statue to place a wreath of flowers on the Virgin?s arm. The gesture honors their 220 colleagues who participated in the monument?s inauguration over 166 years ago.

In his prayer at the Spanish Steps, Francis highlighted the significance of Rome?s preparation for the upcoming 2025 Jubilee Year, which he will inaugurate this Christmas Eve by opening the Holy Door of St. Peter?s Basilica.

?Rome is alive, renewing itself?

The pope noted that while Rome?s many construction projects preparing for the jubilee year cause ?not a few inconveniences,? they are also ?a sign that Rome is alive, renewing itself, trying to adapt to needs, to be more welcoming and functional.?

?Because, without meaning to,? Francis noted in his prayer, ?we risk being totally taken up by organization, by things that need to be done, and then the grace of the holy year, which is a time of spiritual rebirth, of forgiveness and social liberation, this jubilee grace may not come well, may be a little suffocated.?

?But your maternal gaze sees beyond,? the pope prayed before the statue. ?And I seem to hear your voice that with wisdom tells us: ?My children, these works are good, but be attentive: Do not forget the construction sites of the soul! The true jubilee is not outside, it is inside: inside of you, inside hearts, inside family and social relationships.??

The 2025 Jubilee Year, themed around hope, will begin Dec. 24 with the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter?s Basilica.

Following the Marian celebration, Francis made an unexpected stop at the Museo del Corso, where he viewed Marc Chagall?s ?White Crucifixion.?

The artwork, which depicts Christ?s crucifixion against a backdrop of Jewish suffering, combines religious imagery with historical context. On loan from the Art Institute of Chicago, it is currently on display as part of a range of cultural events leading up to the jubilee year.

The contemplative Sisters of the Monastery of Bethlehem in Livingston Manor, New York, support themselves by offering their hand-painted chinaware and other unique gifts for sale. / Credit: Monastery of Bethlehem

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 8, 2024 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Many monasteries and communities of religious brothers and sisters depend on proceeds from the sale of their products to sustain their lives of prayer and service. These days, most have online gift shops that will ship your purchases to arrive before Christmas.

Here?s a guide to some of our favorite handmade gifts to give and receive.

Fudge and candy

Trappistine Candy, Mount St. Mary?s Abbey: The nuns of Mount St. Mary?s Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts, have boxes of handmade fudge, chocolate, and almond brittle in stock, ready to send to your loved ones this Christmas. Each 1-pound box is $13, and for an extra 50 cents, the sisters will include a festive red bow.

Monk Bakery Gifts, Monastery of the Holy Spirit: Monks in Conyers, Georgia, make their famous fudge with premium chocolate and real butter. Try a 12-ounce gift box for $15. And for a taste of Georgia, try their Southern Touch fudge, ?made with real peach morsels, pecans, and a touch of peach brandy.?

Monastery Candy, Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey: These contemplative nuns in Dubuque, Iowa, are known for their delicious caramels, which they make by hand to support their way of life. A 9-ounce box of chocolate-covered caramels sells for $15.55.

Monastery Creamed Honey, Holy Cross Abbey: The monks at Our Lady of the Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia, support themselves financially through their own labor, a characteristic of the Cistercian Order?s way of life. Their 100% natural Monastery Creamed Honey, locally sourced in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, makes a great gift. A set of four 10-ounce tubs includes natural-, cinnamon-, almond-, and brandy-flavored honey and sells for $34.95. Add some delicious chocolate truffles to the order for a sure-to-be-appreciated Christmas gift.

Cookies

Clarisa Cookies, Capuchin Poor Clare Sisters: The Capuchin Poor Clare nuns make their famous butter cookies from their monastery in Denver. The ?Clarisas? come in a beautiful gift box featuring an image of St. Clare and sell for $18 for a 1.5-pound box.

Monks? Biscotti, Abbey of the Genesee: The Trappist monks of the Abbey of the Genesee have been baking from their monastery in western New York since 1953. As their website explains: ?The bakery supports the monastery?s primary mission, which is to pray for the world.? The twice-baked biscotti is a popular item, which makes a great gift basket when combined with monk-made coffee and a mug. A bundle of four boxes of biscotti in a variety of flavors sells for $33.99. 

Springerele Christmas cookies, Sisters of St. Benedict: The Benedictine religious sisters are known for their Springerele cookies, a traditional German treat with an ?Old World? charm. A package of six cookies, each bearing a different, intricate design, sells for $10. 

Coffee

Mystic Monk Coffee, Carmelites Monks of Wyoming Monastery: The Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel live a cloistered life in the Rocky Mountains in the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming. They help support themselves through Mystic Monk Coffee, which they roast in small batches. The website CoffeeReview.com ranks their coffee among the highest of the coffees it reviews. A 12-ounce bag of their most popular flavor, Jingle Bell Java, sells for $12.95 at the EWTN Religious Catalogue. Visit their website for more coffee selections.

Fruitcake

Brandy-dipped fruitcake, New Camaldoli Hermitage: With all due respect to your grandmother, this is not your grandmother?s fruitcake. The monks of New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, California, offer a fruitcake soaked in brandy and aged for three months. It ?has converted many a fruitcake ?atheist,?? according to its creators. Order a 1-pound fruitcake for $27.98.

Kentucky Bourbon Fruitcake, Monks of the Abbey of Gethsemani: At their monastery in New Haven, Kentucky, Trappist monks offer a 20-ounce Kentucky Bourbon Fruitcake along with a jar of Trappist Apricot-Pineapple preserves and a jar of Trappist Quince Jelly, which makes a lovely Christmas gift for $33.50.

Beer

Birra Nursia, Benedictine Monks of Norcia: In 2012, a community of Benedictine monks revived the order?s ancient beer-making tradition at their 16th-century monastery in Nursia, the birthplace of St. Benedict. Tragically, four years later, a devastating earthquake struck, seriously damaging their monastery and threatening their way of life. Today, their monastery is open again thanks to money raised in part from the beer they make and sell and export to the United States and elsewhere. Beer in 750-milliliter (25-ounce) bottles is available at their U.S. online store for $15.99 each.

Handmade Christmas-themed gifts

Christmas Boutique, Monastery of Bethlehem: The contemplative Sisters of the Monastery of Bethlehem in Livingston Manor, New York, support themselves by offering their hand-painted chinaware and other unique gifts for sale. This Christmas their online shop features several Christmas-related items that would make wonderful gifts. 

A beautiful hand-carved Nativity, made in the sisters? monastery in Mougères, France, includes Joseph, Mary, the baby Jesus, and a wooden manger, and sells for $110. This is a great value for a keepsake that is sure to be passed down from generation to generation. Or why not come bearing the gift of myrrh this Christmas with an attractive tin of imported incense ($56)? Also available: a pack of five Christmas greeting cards, hand-calligraphed by the sisters and duplicated on fine paper. Each card features a mystery of the lives of Jesus and Mary.

Gifts from the Holy Land

Holy Land gifts, Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America: The Franciscan friars based at their monastery in Washington, D.C., are dedicated to supporting and protecting the sacred sites and people of the Holy Land. They sell products made by artisans in the Holy Land to help their businesses so they can continue to live in the land of their forefathers. Among the gifts at the Holy Land gift shop are hand-painted ceramic candle holders made by a young artist in Bethlehem; olive wood Nativity sets, crosses, and rosaries; and olive oil soap. Visit the Holy Land Gift Shop here. 

Soaps and candles

Cloister Shoppe, Summit Dominicans: The nuns from the Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, New Jersey, live a life of prayer through Eucharistic adoration and dedication to the rosary. To support this way of life they create handmade candles and skin-care products, which they sell at their Cloister Shoppe. Create your own Christmas gift bag of two bars of soap, a hand cream, a jar candle, a face moisturizer, and a handmade rosary made from olive wood beads from the Holy Land for $50. 

Throw in a pair of Bayberry Christmas Eve Tapers for $18 to give your holiday table a festive glow. 

Pope Francis prays the Angelus on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Dec 8, 2024 / 08:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis issued a heartfelt plea for peace during the Sunday Angelus on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, urging international leaders to broker ceasefires in conflict zones by Christmas.

?I appeal to governments and the international community that a ceasefire may be reached on all war fronts by the Christmas celebrations,? the pope said on Sunday from the window of the Apostolic Palace, addressing pilgrims and visitors gathered in St. Peter?s Square.

The pontiff specifically called for continued prayers for peace in ?tormented Ukraine, in the Middle East ? Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and now Syria ? in Myanmar, in Sudan, and wherever people suffer from war and violence.?

A call to reflect on Mary

Pope Francis spoke about the Annunciation during his catechetical reflection on this Marian feast day, describing it as ?one of the most important and beautiful moments in the history of humanity.?

Drawing a parallel to sacred art, he explained: ?Just as in the scene of the creation of Adam painted by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, where the finger of the heavenly Father touches the finger of man, here too, the human and divine encounter each other.?

The pope encouraged everyone to ?open our hearts and minds to the Lord Jesus, born of Mary Immaculate? as the Church prepares for Jubilee 2025, recommending confession as ?the sacrament that can really help us open our hearts to the Lord who always, always forgives us.?

Christmas spirit at the Vatican

St. Peter?s Square is adorned with its annual Christmas decorations, including a towering, nearly 100-foot spruce tree from Ledro, Italy, and a Nativity scene from the town of Grado that incorporates elements of the Venetian lagoon?s traditional fishermen?s huts.

These symbols of the season were officially illuminated during a ceremony on Saturday evening.

According to recent Vatican custom, the Christmas tree and a large Nativity scene displayed beside it will remain in St. Peter?s Square through Jan. 12, 2025, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Pope Francis delivers the homily during Mass on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception in St. Peter's Basilica, Dec. 8, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Dec 8, 2024 / 06:56 am (CNA).

Pope Francis celebrated Mass with the College of Cardinals in St. Peter?s Basilica on Sunday, marking the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and concluding a historic week in which 21 new cardinals were inducted into the Catholic Church?s most senior advisory body.

Hundreds of priests and bishops attended the celebration, and the new cardinals concelebrated their first papal Mass after receiving their red hats at Saturday?s consistory.

The Mass honored one of the Church?s most significant Marian feasts, commemorating the dogma formally defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854 that the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved free from original sin from the moment of her conception.

In his homily during the solemn liturgy, Pope Francis reflected on Mary?s ?pure harmony, candor, and simplicity,? focusing on her roles as daughter, bride, and mother.

??Hail, full of grace,?? the pope began, quoting Luke 1:28. ?With these words in the humble house of Nazareth, the Angel revealed to Mary the mystery of her immaculate heart, preserved free from all stain of original sin from the moment of her conception.?

Drawing parallels between the Virgin Mary and the Church, Pope Francis emphasized that Mary was a ?handmaid? not in a servile sense but as one who was ?trusted and esteemed? by God.

?There is no salvation without a woman, for the Church herself is also woman,? the pope said, highlighting Mary?s pivotal role in salvation history.

Francis also sharply critiqued contemporary materialism and individualism, warning against ?hearts that remain cold, empty, and closed.? He challenged believers, asking: ?What is the use of having a full bank account, a comfortable home, and virtual connections if they come at the cost of true love, solidarity, and care for others??

Addressing the newly created cardinals ? representing the universality of the Church across five continents ? the pope urged them to be servants to the global Catholic community. ?They bring great wisdom from many parts of the world to contribute to the growth and spread of the kingdom of God,? he said.

Concluding his homily, Pope Francis called for spiritual renewal. ?Let us look to Mary Immaculate and ask her to conquer us through her loving heart. May she convert us and lead us to become a community where filial, spousal, and maternal love reign as the rule of life.?

Left to right: Father Timothy Gallagher, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Archbishop Nelson Perez, Archbishop Alexander Sample. / Credit: SOCA

CNA Staff, Dec 8, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Several Catholic bishops and priests will join Catholic therapists, authors, and other experts later this month for a free online conference on mental health and prayer. 

The Divine Fulfillment Conference, to be held Dec. 27?29, ?is a first and perhaps only of its kind event,? conference spokesman Daniel Coleman told CNA. A lay apostolate based in Denver called Souls of the Christian Apostolate (SOCA) is organizing the conference. 

The conference?s goal, Coleman explained, is ?to move the needle on this epidemic of mental illness, first in the life of participants and then, God willing, to the people closest to them amongst family, friends, and greater community.?  

The conference will feature speakers ranging from archbishops to qualified mental health counselors, including Catholic therapist and author Bob Schuchts; Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon; and Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Coleman called the Divine Fulfillment Conference ?a unique fusion and special opportunity.?

The idea for the conference began with an idea by SOCA?s founder, Kevin Roerty, who suggested that SOCA focus on mental health and mental prayer, ?two items that sorely need attention in today?s world and Church,? Coleman noted.

?When he made the suggestion it really resonated, and we held that in our hearts for quite some time and were delighted to later find out that Bishop [Robert] Barron and Archbishop [Borys] Gudziak in conjunction with the USCCB [U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops] called for a year to raise awareness of mental health,? Coleman said.

?In a world tending toward shallowness and despair that results from forgetting about God, there is one solution, one thing necessary: the interior life with God and the healing that brings to the depths of our souls,? Roerty told CNA. ?With the Divine Fulfillment Conference, our aspiration is to provide hope and healing to mental health through a perspective that incorporates deep prayer.?

SOCA offers a step-by-step guide and resources to prayer as well as remote and in-person accompaniment, Coleman explained. The group also offers check-ins and online group accountability, he noted.

?SOCA is dedicated to spreading the Catholic mystical tradition of interior life to as many Catholics as possible through a three-pillar approach that we have found great success in, initiating over 1,300 Catholics into deeper intimacy with Christ last year alone,? Coleman explained. 

The list of speakers includes Catholic authors Jason Evert, known for his work on chastity, and Father Timothy Gallagher, OMV, a Catholic priest known for his books on Ignatian spirituality. Other speakers include Deacon Ed Shoener, president of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, and Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, psychiatrist and director of the Program in Bioethics and American Democracy at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. 

Several other archbishops and bishops are scheduled to speak at the conference, including Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Philadelphia; Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas; Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia; and Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin.

In addition to a long list of speakers, the conference offers practical guidance ?for mental and spiritual peace,? according to the press release. The conference will also provide contact information for professional mental health help as well as one-on-one discipleship opportunities in the months following the event.

Coleman called the Divine Fulfillment Conference ?a unique fusion and special opportunity.?

?The fruits have been outstanding,? he said. ?Greater peace, greater joy, vocations!?

For more information on the conference and to register, click here.

Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich knocks on the door of Notre-Dame Cathedral during a ceremony to mark the reopening of the landmark cathedral in central Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. / Credit: Christophe Petit Tesson/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Newsroom, Dec 7, 2024 / 20:15 pm (CNA).

The doors of the newly restored Notre-Dame of Paris Cathedral were officially reopened to the public during a ceremony Saturday evening just over five years after a blaze ravaged the iconic structure?s roof, frame, and spire.

The celebration, which began at around 7:20 p.m. local time, was attended by some 1,500 people, including about 40 heads of state, including U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai of Antioch were among the 170 bishops from France and around the world who attended the ceremony, which featured a message from Pope Francis, who did not travel for the occasion.

Authorities mobilized a massive security force of some 6,000 police and gendarmes for the event, citing a ?very high level of terrorist threat.? Space was provided for up to 40,000 people outside the cathedral.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was initially scheduled to speak on the cathedral?s forecourt to respect the law of separation between the church and the state, wound up speaking inside the building due to inclement weather, as previously announced in a press release from the Archdiocese of Paris.

Expressing ?the gratitude of the French nation? to the cathedral?s rebuilders during his address, Macron asserted that Notre Dame ?tells us how much meaning and transcendence help us to live in this world.?

Breaking five years of silence, the bell of Notre-Dame, known as the ?bourdon,? rang out across Paris. This was the first step in the reopening office, initiated by three knocks on the cathedral?s central portal, the Portal of the Last Judgment, by the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich. The opening of the doors was set to the music of the polyphonic piece ?Totus Tuus,? composed in 1987 by Henryk Gorecki during Pope John Paul II?s visit to Poland and sung by the 150 young members of the Maîtrise de Notre Dame.

?May the rebirth of this admirable church be a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France,? Pope Francis said in a letter read by the apostolic nuncio of France, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, after a tribute to the firefighters who saved the 800-year-old cathedral from the flames and the French president?s speech.

?I invite all the baptized who will joyfully enter this cathedral to feel a legitimate pride and reclaim their faith heritage,? he added.

There followed the awakening and blessing of the great organ, a three-century-old instrument whose pipes had remained clogged with lead dust following the 2019 fire.

?Notre-Dame has known darkness; now it is back in the light. It has known silence, and now it rediscovers the joy of our chants,? said Ulrich, who took possession of the Paris cathedral for the first time, two years after his nomination as head of the Paris Archdiocese, succeeding Archbishop Michel Aupetit.

In his brief homily, Ulrich emphasized that ?it is not only princes, chiefs, and notables who have their place in the Church? but that ?the door is open to all,? including foreigners and nonbelievers.

After singing the Magnificat and reciting the Our Father, the ceremony concluded with a final blessing and the singing of the Te Deum.

At the end of the religious ceremony, a concert organized and broadcast by France Télévisions and Radio France featured internationally renowned artists including Chinese pianist Lang Lang, South African soprano Pretty Yende, and Franco-Swiss tenor Benjamin Bernheim.

The consecration Mass for the cathedral?s new main altar was scheduled for Sunday at 10:30 a.m. local time, again in the presence of the French president and religious leaders. The cathedral itself was not desecrated by the blaze, as Aupetit celebrated a Mass there two months later.

Celebrations surrounding the reopening of Notre-Dame will continue until Dec. 16, with each day devoted to welcoming different communities and groups, including firefighters and patrons. At the end of this octave, the cathedral will return to its usual schedule. 

The fire, the causes of which have yet to be determined, has sparked a wave of emotion around the world, including in the United States, which has the largest number of foreign contributors to the restoration and reconstruction work, amounting to almost 700 million euros ($740 million).

Michel Picaud, president of the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, said in a recent interview that American donors accounted for 90% of 50,000 euros? (about $53,000) worth of international donations received by the charitable association. The five years of work involved a total of 250 companies and hundreds of craftsmen.

With almost half of the French population already planning to visit the breathtaking and now-immaculate cathedral, rebuilt in the style of the one designed by 19th-century architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, extended opening hours will be offered until next Pentecost, with a new free online booking system.

At a press conference in Paris on Nov. 13, the cathedral?s rector, Monsignor Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, announced that some 15 million visitors would now be expected to visit the cathedral each year, compared with about 12 million before the fire.

?Now is the time to return to Notre-Dame!? he declared.

Pope Francis arrives for a consistory at St. Peter's Basilica with visible bruising on his face, Vatican City, Dec. 7, 2024. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni explained that the pope suffered a contusion after hitting his chin on a bedside table the previous morning. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Dec 7, 2024 / 15:39 pm (CNA).

As the iconic Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris reopened its doors five years after a devastating fire, Pope Francis on Saturday called the church?s restoration a ?prophetic sign? of the Church?s renewal in France.

In a message read by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the apostolic nuncio to France, during Saturday?s reopening ceremony, Pope Francis expressed his joy at joining ?in spirit and prayer? with the faithful gathered for the historic occasion.

The pope recalled the ?terrible fire? that severely damaged the cathedral in April 2019, saying: ?Our hearts were heavy at the risk of seeing a masterpiece of Christian faith and architecture disappear, a millennial witness to your national history.?

?Today, sadness and mourning give way to joy, celebration, and praise,? the Holy Father wrote in his message, addressed to Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris.

The pope particularly praised the firefighters ?who worked so courageously to save this historic monument from collapse? and acknowledged the ?determined commitment of public authorities? along with the ?great wave of international generosity? that made the restoration possible.

This outpouring of support, Francis noted, demonstrates not only an attachment to art and history but also ?the symbolic and sacred value of such an edifice is still widely perceived, from the smallest to the greatest.?

Looking to the future, the pope emphasized the cathedral?s role as a beacon of faith: ?Dear faithful of Paris and France, this house, which our Heavenly Father inhabits, is yours; you are its living stones.?

The pontiff expressed hope that Notre Dame would continue to welcome visitors from all backgrounds, noting it would soon ?be visited and admired again by immense crowds of people of all conditions, origins, religions, languages, and cultures, many of them in search of the absolute and meaning in their lives.?

The message concluded with Pope Francis imparting his apostolic blessing and invoking ?the protection of Notre Dame de Paris over the Church in France and the entire French nation.?

The reopening marked the culmination of an intensive five-year restoration project following the April 2019 blaze that threatened to destroy the historic Gothic cathedral, which has stood as a symbol of French Catholicism for over 850 years.

Ahead of the event, Ulrich told CNA that the reopening of Notre Dame is ?a renaissance, a rediscovery for the priests and faithful of Paris who have been waiting for this moment for five years.? On Saturday night, Ulrich commenced the reopening ceremony by striking the doors with his crozier three times.

The cathedral welcomed over 2,500 faithful and dignitaries on Saturday, including U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Britain?s Prince William, Tesla founder Elon Musk, and Italy?s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Outside, the word ?merci? ? thank you ? was projected onto Notre Dame?s facade, honoring those who saved and restored the cathedral.

Sharing the image on X, Macron expressed his gratitude to ?our firefighters and all the forces that saved Notre-Dame, to all the craftsmen and companions who have made it even more beautiful, to the patrons and generous donors from around the world, to all those who helped keep the promise.?

The inaugural Mass at Notre Dame will be celebrated on Dec. 8 at 10:30 a.m. local time. The new high altar designed by Guillaume Badet will be consecrated.

The Mass will be full of symbols: Holy water will be sprinkled on the people, then on the altar and the pulpit as a sign of purification of these elements intended for sacred use. 

Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world will participate in the Mass, as will a priest from each of the 106 parishes of the Archdiocese of Paris and a priest from each of the seven Eastern-rite Catholic Churches.

This story was last updated on Dec. 7, 2024, with further details of the event.

Pope Francis places the red biretta on Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, archbishop of Naples, during the consistory for the creation of 21 new cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica, Dec. 7, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Dec 7, 2024 / 12:09 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals in St. Peter?s Basilica on Saturday, urging them to resist the ?seduction of power? and instead follow ?the path of Jesus.?

?In spiritual life as in pastoral life, we risk focusing on what is incidental and forgetting what is essential,? the pope cautioned. ?Too often, secondary things replace what is necessary, external appearances overshadow what truly counts.?

Pope Francis, who was sporting visible bruising on his face after hitting his chin on a bedside table the previous morning, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, reminded the cardinals to stay rooted in Christ.

?We should constantly be returning to the center, to what is basic, and divest ourselves of all that is superfluous, in order to clothe ourselves in Christ.? 

The pope highlighted that the term ?cardinal? symbolizes a ?hinge,? emphasizing their vital role in holding the Church together.

The new cardinals include Archbishop Frank Leo of Toronto; Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu of Tehran-Isfahan, Iran; and Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, reflecting Pope Francis? emphasis on the Church?s global mission.

Ten of the new cardinals belong to religious orders, including Dominicans, Franciscans, and the Society of the Divine Word ? a notable proportion from consecrated life.

Cardinals assigned titular churches in Rome

As tradition dictates, each new cardinal received a titular church in Rome, symbolizing their connection to the Diocese of Rome and the pope?s pastoral ministry. 

Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas of Lithuania was assigned the deaconry of Sant?Eustachio, a historically significant minor basilica near the Pantheon in Rome?s historic center, while Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe was given the deaconry of SS. Nomi di Gesù e Maria in via Lata, located on the Via del Corso, part of one of Rome?s most fashionable districts.

With these appointments, the College of Cardinals now includes 140 members eligible to vote in a future conclave. Of these, 110 ? or 79% ? were appointed by Pope Francis. 

Synodality and fraternity 

Cardinal Angelo Acerbi, speaking on behalf of the new cardinals, reflected on the Synod on Synodality and Pope Francis? latest encyclical, Dilexit Nos.

?We are united today by profound gratitude toward the supreme pontiff and by a sincere desire to serve in ecclesial unity,? he said. 

The 99-year-old cardinal described the pope?s recent encyclical ? which explores the human and divine love of the Sacred Heart of Christ ? as an inspiration for the pastoral missions entrusted to the new cardinals.

On Sunday, the new cardinals will concelebrate Mass with Pope Francis in St. Peter?s Basilica for the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, marking their first liturgical act as members of the College of Cardinals. 

The liturgy will emphasize Mary?s purity and dedication, reflecting the themes of humility and service woven throughout the consistory.

This story was last updated on Dec. 7, 2024, with further details of the event.

Both Chile?s Chamber of Deputies and Senate approved a rule in the national budget to prevent the financing of transgender-focused hormone and surgical treatments for minors in the public health network / Credit: Alessandro from Milan, Italy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 7, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Since mid-2024, Chile?s legislative branch has been reviewing various regulations on the use of medications and procedures designed to enable the ?gender transition? of minors.

Last month, both the country?s Chamber of Deputies and Senate approved a rule in the national budget to prevent the financing of transgender-focused hormone and surgical treatments for minors in the government?s public health network. The measure, slated to take effect in January 2025, is being challenged in court by President Gabriel Boric and his allies.

?The Ministry of Health may not finance expenses related to the acquisition, prescription, or administration of medications for the purpose of using hormonal therapy, be it puberty blocking or cross-hormones, which are part of or are in themselves a form of treatment for gender dysphoria, whether clinically diagnosed or not, in minors,? the approved text states.

?Nor may expenses be incurred for personnel, goods, and consumer services for sex reassignment operations that are part of or are in themselves a form of treatment for gender dysphoria, whether clinically diagnosed or not, in minors,? the law adds. 

Tomás Henríquez, advocacy director for Latin America at ADF International, commented that the law ?sets an important precedent for the protection of children, not only in Chile but in all Latin American countries. Chile deserves to be praised for having taken an important step to say no to the dangers of gender ideology.?

Proponents of gender ideology hold that both adults and minors can change genders according to their own whims and even against their biological sex.

Every child, Henríquez added, ?has the absolute right to be protected from a radical ideology that promotes dangerous medications and surgeries with devastating consequences.? 

Roberto Astaburuaga of Chile?s Community and Justice platform ? which closely follows the issue ? said that on Dec. 2, the Boric government and a group of 42 deputies requested that the country?s Constitutional Court declare the rule unconstitutional.

?If that happens, the public health network would have funding to continue providing this type of treatment to children and young people,? he warned.

Gender ideology-infected government 

In mid-November and by 7 votes to 6, the special investigative commission of the Chamber of Deputies approved its report on the cases of minors receiving psychological, hormonal, and surgical treatment in the public health network. The text ?strongly recommends the immediate suspension of all programs related to the so-called ?gender transition? of children,? Astaburuaga noted.

The legal expert also told ACI Prensa, CNA?s Spanish-language news partner, that the approved document reveals that ?between April 2023 and August 2024, more than 2,500 minors entered the government?s Gender Identity Support Program (PAIG, by its Spanish acronym) ?and about 50 are under 10 years old.? 

In addition, Astaburuaga pointed out that the Chilean government runs a gender ideology-infected Grow with Pride program for Chilean minors ?between 3 and 17 years old who express confusion about gender identity.? These government programs, he warned, are ?the gateway to hormone therapy and allow officials to report parents if they object to their children entering or being referred to it.?

Despite all this, on Nov. 22 the Senate approved continued public financing for the program, according to the newspaper La Tercera.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA?s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio. / Credit: After Elia Stelluto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Dec 7, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

A documentary drama about the beloved 20th-century friar St. Pio of Pietrelcina, affectionately known as Padre Pio, will be making its television debut on EWTN on Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET. 

Co-produced by EWTN and the Saint Pio Foundation, ?Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: Man of Hope and Healing? is a compelling docudrama that shares the story of a man whose simple humility and profound faith impacted lives around the world. 

The documentary provides an insightful look into the Franciscan friar?s life, featuring testimonies from a variety of notable individuals, including actor Gary Sinise; Elia Stelluto, Padre Pio?s personal photographer; and Renzo Allegri, the journalist who was among the last to interview the saint before his death. 

The film also includes never-before-seen photos and letters that provide an intimate view of the saint?s life. 

Actor Joe Mantegna ? known for his roles in ?Criminal Minds,? ?Boys Town,? and ?The Godfather,? narrates the English version of the film and is one of its executive producers. According to a press release, taking part in this film strengthened the actor?s faith and prayer life. 

Luciano Lamonarca, founder and CEO of the Saint Pio Foundation, spoke to CNA about his own personal devotion to St. Pio and what he hopes people will take away from the film.

A native of Puglia, Italy, Lamonarca grew up in the same region as the saint. Despite being surrounded by the presence of Padre Pio from a young age, it wasn?t until Lamonarca and his wife experienced a terrible loss that his devotion grew.

?Fifteen years ago, I was a different man,? Lamonarca said. ?Padre Pio did change the way I look at life.?

In 2010, Lamonarca and his wife, Valentina, were expecting their first child ? a daughter whom they named Alma. Suddenly, their whole life changed when Alma was delivered stillborn and Valentina had to undergo additional surgeries due to complications from the delivery. Due to those surgeries, it was unlikely that Valentina would ever be able to give birth again.

?The moment where doctors told us that a pregnancy was not in our radar, it [would be] very difficult to happen, it was devastating for us as a young couple,? he shared. 

In their despair, the couple spent their first wedding anniversary in San Giovanni Rotondo, the hometown of Padre Pio. It was here that they were blessed with an opportunity to pray with a first-class relic ? a handkerchief with blood stains from Padre Pio. The couple grew closer to the beloved saint and turned to him for his intercession.

Despite suffering multiple more miscarriages, they continued praying and on Dec. 25, 2014, Valentina discovered she was pregnant. Their son Sebastian was born in September 2015.

During their struggles with fertility, feeling inspired to spread the story of Padre Pio to the faithful in the United States and worldwide, Lamonarca founded the Saint Pio Foundation on April 4, 2014.

?The Saint Pio Foundation wishes to educate the public about the life of St. Pio and inspire the faithful about following the teachings and the holy life of St. Pio,? Lamonarca explained.

The foundation recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary and with it launched an initiative called The Real St. Pio. The initiative included the translation of 365 letters written by Padre Pio into five different languages, the release of 10 never-before-seen images of Padre Pio taken by his personal photographer, the release of ?The Song of St. Pio,? and finally the release of the docudrama.

Additionally, the foundation is working to set up six chapels around the United States that will each permanently host a relic of Padre Pio.

Lamonarca called the release of the docudrama ?the cherry on the cake? and the ?most important? part of the initiative.

He hopes that those who watch the film will enjoy getting to know Padre Pio better from ?those who knew him very well and those whose lives have been changed [by him].?

A firefighter in Rome pays tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary by laying a wreath of fresh flowers at her statue atop a column near the Spanish Steps at dawn on Dec. 8, 2023. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

CNA Staff, Dec 7, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

This year, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, which is a holy day of obligation, falls on the Second Sunday of Advent. So, are Catholics obligated to go to Mass twice? The answer is yes.

The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated each year on Dec. 8. Since this year the solemnity falls on the Second Sunday of Advent, its observance is ?transferred? to Monday, Dec. 9, because a Sunday in Advent takes liturgical precedence.

In the past, the obligation to attend Mass on a transferred holy day of obligation was not transferred along with the feast day when it fell on a Monday. Yet the Vatican has directed that the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception will henceforth be observed as a holy day of obligation no matter what day it falls on or is transferred to.

This change comes after the Vatican responded to a query from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Earlier this year Bishop Thomas Paprocki, the chairman of the USCCB?s Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, wrote to the Vatican seeking clarification on whether an obligation transfers when the feast itself is transferred.

The Vatican?s Dicastery for Legislative Texts responded in a letter to the Springfield, Illinois, bishop stating that the feasts in question ?are always days of obligation ? even when the aforementioned transfer of the feast occurs.?

Archbishop Filippo Iannone, the prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, told Paprocki that ?the feast must be observed as a day of obligation on the day to which it is transferred.?

This change does not impact a Catholic?s normal obligation to attend Mass every Sunday, meaning the faithful have the opportunity to attend Mass twice in the next few days ? for the Second Sunday of Advent and for the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

Here are some different options to fulfill both obligations:

• A Mass on Saturday evening (after 4 p.m.) and a Mass on Monday

• A Mass on Saturday evening (after 4 p.m.) and a Mass on Sunday evening (after 4 p.m.)

• A Mass on Sunday morning/early afternoon (before 4 p.m.) and a Mass on Sunday evening (after 4 p.m.)

• A Mass on Sunday morning/early afternoon (before 4 p.m.) and a Mass on Monday

• A Mass on Sunday evening (after 4 p.m.) and a Mass on Monday

The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception was established by Pope Pius IX in 1854 with the papal encyclical Ineffabilis Deus. In this encyclical, Pius IX defined the long-held belief by the Catholic Church that Mary was conceived free from original sin.

Mary was granted this extraordinary privilege because of her unique role in history as the mother of God. That is, she was preserved free from all stain of original sin from the very moment of her conception.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that ?to become the mother of the Savior, Mary ?was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.? The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as ?full of grace.? In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God?s grace? (No. 490).

?Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ?full of grace? through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception,? the catechism states. ?That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854? (No. 491).

Ryan Clarke, Harrison Tinsley, and Adam Vena, who have each faced custody battles over their opposition to transgender ideology, rally on the steps of the United States Supreme Court with activist and detransitioner Chloe Cole on Dec. 4, 2024. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Harrison Tinsley

Washington D.C., Dec 7, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Three fathers, whose relationships with their children have been profoundly impacted by transgender ideology, joined a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday as the justices heard arguments in a case challenging a Tennessee law that bans transgender medical treatments for minors.

Demonstrating alongside activists, lawmakers, and medical professionals, the three men shared their stories with CNA, highlighting what is at stake for parents navigating legal battles over the threat of transgender medical interventions for minors as the justices heard oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti. 

Adam Vena: They ?stripped me of all my parental rights?

Adam Vena has not physically held his son, Aidan, 6, for nearly four years. ?They stripped me of all my parental rights at the very beginning because I was not gender affirming,? the L.A. County resident told CNA. 

The court granted Aidan?s mother a five-year-long restraining order against Vena, which he said was issued based on text messages in a family group chat in which he protested against Aidan wearing dresses, being referred to as a girl, and undergoing treatment. 

Vena?s lawyers are currently working to have the restraining order lifted. ?The fight hasn?t even started yet,? he said.

?I don?t want my son on medications,? he continued, citing Chloe Cole?s case: ?We have so many detransitioners that talk about the irreversible damage that these medications do to the child, even at a time where the brain isn?t even fully developed yet.? 

According to Vena, ?there was never an inkling? that his son had wanted to be a girl when he had custodial rights. In December 2023, Vena told Voz that the child?s mother opted to dress and refer to Aidan as a girl even after a court-ordered gender evaluation determined he was not gender dysphoric but rather ?gender curious.? Vena also stated in the report that he was not permitted to attend the evaluation, though he said the child?s mother was.

Aidan now uses she/her pronouns and goes by the name ?Luna,? after the protagonist of what Vena described as ?a big transgender book? titled ?Luna.? The young adult novel, marketed to readers aged 15 and up, follows the story of a teenage boy seeking acceptance from his family and friends as he undergoes his evolution from ?Liam? to ?Luna.?

Due to the restraining order, Vena told CNA he has no way of knowing firsthand how his child concluded that he identified as a girl.

But Vena does know three other fathers whose sons also go by ?Luna? now, he told CNA.

?The crazy thing is that we?re at this point,? he said. ?With a country like ours, we?re at a point where we?re having to go to the Supreme Court to protect children?s body parts, liberty, [and] mental [health].?

Ryan Clarke: ?I feel so betrayed?

Ryan Clarke, a father from New York and a U.S. Army veteran of the Iraq war, has not seen his children for six months.

Clarke told CNA he lost custody of his two children 10 years ago when he was about  22 years old. ?I was very young and didn?t know what I was doing,? he said. ?I got screwed out of my time with my kids.? Despite this, Clarke said he ?tried to take the right foot forward and do everything I could to spend time with them.? 

Clarke recalled that for a long time, things were ?great?: He had visitation rights to see his children every weekend and was able to spend time with them. However, Clarke told CNA, he began to notice changes in his children that were troubling ? his eldest had exhibited symptoms of depression, and his youngest child, who was 9 years old at the time, had begun to say she was trans.

?She had a teacher who was trans in elementary school ? I think that maybe had a lot of influence on it,? he said, adding: ?But I can?t really ultimately judge that.? 

In July, Clarke?s daughter, 11 at the time, now 12, received her first shot of Lupron, a synthetic hormone injection originally developed in 1985 to treat advanced prostate cancer. Clarke said he was not informed by the child?s mother or the hospital but by the court system. 

The injection, which is designed to suppress the production of sex hormones, was eventually adapted to use as a puberty-blocking treatment in the mid-1990s. There is no long-term research on the effects of the drug, which does not have FDA approval. The FDA issued a warning in July 2022 about the use of the drug among children after six children between the ages 5 and 12 who were using the drug as ?gender-affirming care? contracted a rare condition known as pseudotumor cerebri, where pressure builds inside the skull in a way that mimics the symptoms of a brain tumor. 

?As we go through court, I?m studying Lupron,? he recalled. ?I kept an open mind at first, but ultimately, what?s best for my child? It is not this cancer drug. I know that.? 

After finding out about the treatment, Clarke said he did everything he could to stop it in court. Though the child was slated to receive the drug for a second time in December, Clarke said ?they moved it up? to November because of his opposition. Clarke said he begged his child not to go through with it, telling her ?the hardest thing I could have ever said,? which was that he would disappear from her life completely if she would stop taking the shot.

?I filed for full custody, saying that she?s abusing my children. I?ve called CPS [Child Protective Services]. I?ve called dozens of law firms in my area. But New York is so pro for it, nobody will help me. Even CPS hung up on me. I?m at wits? end. I don?t know what to do. That?s why I?m here today.? 

?The worst part about it all, is it?s all paid through Medicaid, right? Who pays for Medicaid? The citizens,? he said. ?So literally everyone is paying for this child abuse to happen. And nobody really understands or realizes that fact, but that?s what?s happening.? 

?I served in Iraq, I went to war for my country ? I come back and this is what?s happening to my kids? This is what they?re allowing to happen to my children??

?I feel so betrayed,? he told CNA with tears in his eyes. 

For Clarke, the path forward is uncertain. Setting aside his current legal predicament, even if the U.S. eventually prohibits minors from having access to transgender medical interventions, he no longer has a relationship with his children. 

?I just hope that America ends it. I hope Trump ends this. At bare minimum, I could at least have that,? he said. ?I don?t think any relationship with my children will happen for years, probably. But at least if this stops, I could have that peace of mind and try to fight for something. I feel like I?ve got nowhere.?

Harrison Tinsely: ?He told me he didn?t want to wear princess shoes? 

Harrison Tinsely, a young father from California, did not meet his son Sawyer for the first 15 months of his life.

Of the fathers who spoke to CNA, Tinsley is so far the only one to have successfully fought for and regained custody of his child after opposing the mother?s wish to seek gender transition ?care.? 

?Basically, I was dating a girl, and we didn?t agree politically,? Tinsley told CNA. ?When we found out she was pregnant and found out it was a boy, we were both stoked. But she posted on social media that she?d love him, whether he?s a boy or girl or neither. Then because of our political disagreements, she ended up keeping my son from me.? 

Though Tinsley eventually gained 50-50 custody of his son, he said it wasn?t long before Sawyer?s mom ?started to pretend that he was nonbinary and put dresses on him. In one incident, the child?s mother forbade him from going on rides at Disneyland unless he wore the ?princess shoes? she bought for him. 

?He told me he didn?t want to wear princess shoes ? he wanted to wear boy shoes,? Tinsley said. 

Remarkably, Tinsley won full physical custody of Sawyer, who is now almost 5, in March of this year. The court?s decision was in large part due to grave concerns about the mother?s mental health and various incidents related to child endangerment in which CPS were involved. 

Tinsley described his eventual victory in the case to CNA as ?a dream come true.? 

Speaking on the Tennessee Supreme Court case, the 32-year-old father called for an end to transgender surgeries and other drug-related medical interventions for children, whom he described as ?the most wonderful [and] amazing amongst us.?  

?Being a parent is the most incredible, amazing thing you can do in life,? he told CNA. ?We need to have more kids. We need to love kids, and we need to tell them the truth and not let people force them into believing in crazy ideologies and hurting them and sterilizing them. This is crazy.?

When asked what Christians can do outside the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa responded: ?Pray and support. Support the Christian community as much as they can.? / Credit: EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Dec 6, 2024 / 17:20 pm (CNA).

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, said on Friday that Pope Francis is known by the children of Holy Family Church in Gaza as ?the grandfather.? 

During a Dec. 6 press conference organized by Aid to the Church in Need International, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem told journalists ?the pope is calling every day at 7 p.m.?

?It became a kind of status quo,? Pizzaballa said with a laugh. ?Maybe half a minute, 30 seconds, maybe more, maybe less. And now he became the grandfather of the children, the pope, because he?s talking. They now know that he is calling.?

?For the community of Gaza it is a very big support ? psychological, emotional, and spiritual,? he added.

This Christmas, in spite of the war and poor conditions, Pizzaballa said Holy Family Church in Gaza is preparing something special.

?Christmas is the feast of the children,? he said. ?What we will try and do, if we are able, is to introduce not just food but also some toys. Something that will make a difference to the everyday life for children.?

Hope is the ability to see ?beyond the dark reality?

According to Pizzaballa, hope in the Holy Land at Christmas is a reality in spite of the multiple and complex challenges of the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Having lived in the Holy Land for more than 25 years, the Franciscan prelate is well aware of the complicated and devastating impact of war and political tensions on Christians and other religious communities in the region.

?Where there are these acts of love ? gratuitous love ? there is hope,? he told journalists at the press conference.

?We have to say very clearly that we do not confuse hope with solution,? he said. ?If you identify hope for the future with the political [and] social solution for the Holy Land, there will be no hope because there is no solution ? not in the short-term.?

Describing hope as the ?daughter of faith,? Pizzaballa said it is only by faith in a transcendent God that one has the ability to see ?beyond the dark reality we are living.?

?I know many people don?t believe me,? he said. ?[But] it is a reality. It is real.? 

?I find everywhere from Gaza, to the West Bank, to Jerusalem, to Israel ? everywhere ?  I find wonderful people who are ready to commit themselves, to engaging [themselves] in doing something for the other,? he continued.

The power of prayer 

Emphasizing the primacy of prayer, Pizzaballa said: ?First of all you have to pray. I believe in the power of prayer, not because the prayer will change the situation, but the prayer will change our heart.? 

?And once we are changed, we also become the protagonist of changes for the future,? the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem added.

A call for the return of pilgrims to the Holy Land

Pizzaballa expressed his sadness that people have not come on pilgrimage to the Holy Land due to the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war since Oct. 7, 2023.

?It?s about time to go back to the Holy Land,? Pizzaballa said on Friday. ?In this last year, we didn?t see any pilgrims at all and this has ruined the life of the Holy Land.?

?The presence of Christians is part of our identity, the identity of the Church,? he added. ?Have the courage to come because a pilgrimage is safe. Bethlehem is open. Nazareth, Jerusalem ? our city is totally safe!?

?There is hope for the future,? he said. ?We are not a dying Church, we are a living Church.?

Pope Francis meets with the College of Cardinals on July 1, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Dec 6, 2024 / 16:15 pm (CNA).

Out of the 21 cardinals who will be created Dec. 7 in Pope Francis? 10th consistory at the Vatican, 10 new cardinals ? almost half ? are members of religious congregations or institutes.

Since the pope himself belongs to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and has consistently considered the presence of men religious in the College of Cardinals during his consistories, it?s not surprising that he would choose new cardinals from among the Church?s many congregations and institutes for men religious. 

What is unusual, however, is the large number of cardinals from religious orders and institutes named in this latest consistory and the diversity of communities represented.

The 10 religious are divided as follows:

• Three are Franciscans (two are Friars Minor and one Conventual).

• Two are from the Society of the Divine Word (Verbiti).

• Two are Dominicans.

• There is one each from the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo (Scalabrinians), and the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists).

The new cardinals are:

• Archbishop Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, OFM, metropolitan archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador (Franciscan)

• Archbishop Jaime Spengler, OFM, metropolitan archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil; president of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference; and president of Latin American Episcopal Council, CELAM (Franciscan)

• Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu, OFM Conv, archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan, Iran (Conventual Franciscan)

• Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi, SVD, metropolitan archbishop of Tokyo and president of Caritas Internationalis (Society of the Divine Word/Verbiti)

• Archbishop László Német, SVD, metropolitan archbishop of Belgrade, Serbia (Society of the Divine Word/Verbiti)

• Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco, OP, metropolitan archbishop of Algiers, Algeria (Dominican)

• Archbishop Vicente Bokalic Iglic, CM, archbishop of Santiago del Estero, Argentina (Congregation of the Mission/Vincentians)

• Bishop Mykola By?ok, CSSR, eparch of St. Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians in Australia (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer/Redemptorists)

• Father Timothy Radcliffe, OP, former master general of the Order of Preachers as well as current spiritual assistant of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (Dominican)

• Father Fabio Baggio, CS, undersecretary for the migrants and refugees section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo/Scalabrinians)

As noted, the new cardinals from religious communities make up almost half of the newest class and represent the largest group of men religious chosen in one consistory throughout Pope Francis? nearly 12-year pontificate. The closest was in 2019, when eight of 13 new cardinals were men religious.

In all, out of the 163 cardinals created in the 10 consistories of his pontificate, Pope Francis has chosen 55 men religious from more than 20 religious communities. He has thus averaged between four and five men religious in each consistory.

Eight cardinals are Jesuits, including Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and two prominent figures of the pontificate: Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, who was also the relator general of the Synod on Synodality, and Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Six are Salesians, including Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, Myanmar, and Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero of Rabat, Morocco. The Capuchin Franciscans claim four members, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, who led the African bishops? opposition to Fiducia Supplicans, which permitted blessings of same-sex couples; and Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the longtime preacher of the Papal Household. 

Other notable cardinals on the list are: the Redemptorist Joseph William Tobin, metropolitan archbishop of Newark, New Jersey; the Discalced Carmelite Anders Arborelius, bishop of Stockholm, Sweden, and a convert to Catholicism; the late Comboni Missionary Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, one of the leading experts in interreligious dialogue, who died at the end of November; the Consolata Missionary Giorgio Marengo, apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, one of the youngest members of the College of Cardinals; and the American-born Augustinian Robert Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. 

After the latest consistory, among the living cardinals stretching back to the pontificate of St. John Paul II, there will be a total of 11 Salesians, nine Jesuits, five Capuchin Franciscans, five Friars Minor, four Dominicans, three Conventional Franciscan Friars, two Spiritans, two Claretians, two Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, two Missionaries of Africa (the White Fathers), two Redemptorists, two Society of the Divine Word (Verbites), and one from each of the following communities: Eudists, Schoenstatt Fathers, Cistercians, Augustinian Recollects, Congregation of Holy Cross, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,  Discalced Carmelites, Sulpicians, Mariamite Maronites, Scalabrinians, Legionaries of Christ, Consolata Missionaries, and the Augustinians. There are also two members of Opus Dei. 

A question that will be asked, of course, is whether cardinals who belong to religious communities are more heavily represented in the College of Cardinals under Pope Francis than his immediate predecessors. 

Among the 140 cardinal-electors after the conclusion of this latest consistory, there are now 35 cardinals who are religious, meaning they represent nearly 25% of the total body of voters. By comparison, in 2005, at the time of John Paul II?s death, there were 117 cardinal-electors who were eligible to participate in the subsequent conclave (two ultimately did not take part). Of these 20 were men religious, meaning they comprised 17% of the voters. 

In 2013, there were 115 cardinal-electors eligible to take part in the election of Pope Benedict XVI?s successor after his resignation. There were 18 men religious among the electors, comprising 15.5% of the voters. One of them, of course, was elected pope ? the Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who took the name Francis. 

This story was based on astory first published by ACI Stampa, CNA's Italian-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Left to right: Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe, Archbishop Fernando Chomali, Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo, Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas, and Bishop Mykola Bychok, CSsR, will be made cardinals in a consistory on Dec. 7, 2024. / Credit: EWTN News; Marco Mancini/ACI Stampa

Vatican City, Dec 6, 2024 / 15:45 pm (CNA).

Several cardinal-designates set to receive their red hats from Pope Francis this weekend emphasized the importance of serving the Church?s universal mission while addressing contemporary challenges facing their local Churches.

?I am with my heart, and I would say with my whole body, for a synodal vision, because already in my country in 2017, the vision of the Church was one of communion, serving everyone,? Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo of Abidjan told EWTN News on Dec. 6.

The Ivorian archbishop emphasized that his elevation reflects a broader recognition of the Church in Côte d?Ivoire.

?I think so, because personally I don?t feel so intellectual to receive the purple. It is the whole country that has had good relations with the Holy See, and then John Paul II went to Côte d?Ivoire three times,? he said.

Ukrainian voice on being chosen

At 44, Bishop Mykola Bychok, CSsR, will be among the youngest members ever elevated to the College of Cardinals.

?First of all, this is not my fault. I was called, and I was appointed by the Holy Father Francis. Why I was chosen? I don?t know. Maybe in future God will open or show me what was the main reason that actually I was appointed at age 44.?

The Ukrainian bishop pledged to use his new position to continue raising awareness about the ongoing war in his homeland. ?Right now, Ukraine is at war. We are fighting for our independence, for religious freedom ? for three years since the official invasion of the Russian Federation,? he said.

?Every night, drones and missiles are flying to Ukraine. In the last few days, my native city Ternopil, which is 250 kilometers from the border with Poland, was under attack, especially power plants, as well as some civilian buildings. That is the reality of the war,? he added.

Vatican diplomat sees missionary focus

Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas shared insights from his years of diplomatic service across several continents, emphasizing the Church?s fundamental missionary character.

?In every country I saw that the Church is so different, but that we have same roots, and we have the same tasks to do, and the task is always to remain missionary, in one country or in another country, on one continent or on another,? the Lithuanian prelate told CNA.

Archbishop Fernando Chomali of Santiago, Chile, stressed the need for Church leadership to face contemporary challenges with spiritual strength.

?I was delighted, I sensed a very great awareness of the responsibility of being a cardinal and especially thinking about those people who need a strong voice,? Chomali said.

?I have to think above all about the poor, those who are very much in need of someone to support them. Also, I have to take care especially of the young people who don?t have much hope right now in a very cold society.?

The Chilean prelate also addressed his country?s recent challenges. ?We have worked strongly to end all forms of abuse ? at the level of the parishes, at the level of the schools, university level, at the level of the dioceses, at all levels,? he said.

Dominican friar reflects on fraternity

Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe connected his new role to Pope Francis? encyclical Fratelli Tutti.

?I look forward really to being of service to him [the Holy Father] in whatever way I can. Right at the beginning, I really don?t know what this will involve,? the English Dominican said. 

?I think for the Holy Father, his great encyclical Fratelli Tutti, all brothers and sisters, and I am a brother, so I hope as a brother of St. Dominic, I hope maybe I have some understanding, some little understanding of what it means to live fraternity today,? he said.

The consistory for the creation of new cardinals will take place Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. in St. Peter?s Basilica. The new cardinals will concelebrate Mass with Pope Francis the following day, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

null / Credit: 279photo Studio/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Dec 6, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

The White House is backing off from enforcing in Texas a U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) rule that allows children to obtain contraceptives without their parents? consent, state officials said this week. 

This past July, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden Department of Health and Human Services over the change to Title X that eliminated parental consent requirements for minors accessing birth control.

Title X is the federal funding program for family planning and contraceptive services. Under the Biden administration?s rule, projects funded by the program ?may not require consent of parents or guardians for the provision of services to minors.? 

The rule also said Title X staff could not ?notify a parent or guardian before or after a minor has requested and/or received Title X family planning services.?

In a press release Thursday, Paxton?s office said the Biden administration has now informed a U.S. district court in the state that it will not attempt to ?enforce the challenged regulation? in Texas.

?This effectively vacates the unlawful rule in Texas, and Attorney General Paxton filed a notice of dismissal,? the office said. 

?This result ensures that Texas health entities will not be forced to violate state law under threat of losing Title X funding.?

It is unclear if the federal government is dropping the requirement for the rest of the country or if its decision only applies to Texas. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. 

The attorney general?s office also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Earlier this year the U.S. Senate rejected the ?Right to Contraception Act,? which would have created a federal right to contraception with ramifications on religious freedom and protections for minors. 

The bill defined contraceptives broadly to include sterilizing drugs, both those ?specifically intended to prevent pregnancy or for other health needs.?

null / Credit: rarrarorro/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 6, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Eight Republican senators this week signed a letter opposing a provision to automatically register young women for the military draft along with men ? a proposal that is included in a bill introduced by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, who chairs the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Reed included language that would force women to be registered for the selective service in the proposed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025, which is an annual piece of legislation that funds the Department of Defense (DOD). 

This is the third time over the past four years that Senate Democrats included this provision in their initial NDAA proposal. 

Per the legislation, both men and women between the ages of 18 and 26 would automatically be registered into the Selective Service System. 

Under current law, men must register for the draft within 30 days of their 18th birthday and are eligible to be drafted until they turn 26, but registration is not done automatically. In the United States, women have never been forced to register for the draft.

?For the third time in four years, Democrats are attempting to force women into the draft,? the Republican senators, led by Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, wrote in a Dec. 5 letter directed to Reed and Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who chairs the House Armed Services committee.

?Let?s be clear: American women have a proud legacy of service in our armed forces, especially so because their service has always been voluntary,? the letter continued. 

?Never in our history have women been forced to register for the draft. Yet the Biden administration and Senate Democrats want to discard this long-standing tradition and force women to fight in wars against their own will,? the senators said.

The draft has not been used for more than 50 years. The last time someone was involuntarily drafted into the military was in 1973, near the end of the Vietnam War. For a president to authorize a draft, he would need the support of Congress.

?America?s daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers can decide to join the military themselves,? the senators wrote in their letter. 

?President Trump ran in part on a platform of avoiding World War III and ending the progressive policies infecting our military,? the letter added. ?The American people gave him a resounding electoral mandate. The Senate should prioritize America?s national security instead of turning defense legislation into a tool of liberal social policy.?

The senators wrote that ?we strongly urge you to remove the provision in the Senate version of the NDAA compelling women to register for [the draft],? adding that ?Americans rejected social progressivism in 2024, and NDAA conferees should take this lesson to heart.? 

Seven Republican senators joined Hawley in signing the letter: Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Roger Marshall, and Eric Schmitt.