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Churches and monasteries around the world vary in their architecture and size, as well as in how easy they are to reach. Some stand in the heart of cities, while others are reached along daunting mountain roads or rocky trails. For pilgrims who enjoy hiking and exploring, these sites combine Christian history with outdoor adventure. The walk or climb to reach them can be as memorable as the visit itself.

Here are seven destinations across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe where the road itself becomes part of the pilgrimage.

Sumela Monastery, Turkey

Sumela Monastery rises from a sheer cliff above the forested Altindere Valley near Trabzon, roughly 300 meters (984 feet) above the valley floor. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the former Greek Orthodox monastery was an important pilgrimage destination for the region's Greek Christian communities.

The buildings include a rock church, chapels, monks' quarters, and a sacred spring. Frescoes depict biblical scenes and episodes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary.

The setting reveals how the community adapted its buildings to the mountain, with rooms and balconies extending along the cliff face.

St. Catherine's Monastery, Egypt

At the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt's southern Sinai Peninsula, St. Catherine's Monastery preserves a monastic tradition that has continued since the sixth century. Built under Emperor Justinian, the Orthodox monastery stands at the site traditionally identified with the burning bush from which God spoke to Moses.

Its principal church, the Basilica of the Transfiguration, retains a sixth-century mosaic showing Christ with Moses and Elijah and the apostles Peter, James, and John. The complex also preserves early Christian icons and a library containing thousands of manuscripts in languages including Greek, Arabic, and Syriac, evidence of the many Christian cultures connected with Sinai.

The Monasteries of Meteora, Greece

Meteora's monasteries crown towering sandstone formations that made the area a place of retreat for generations of Orthodox monks. Hermits began settling here by the 11th century, and monasteries were later built on the summits. By the end of the 15th century, there were 24; six remain in operation today.

Access once depended on rope ladders and nets used to lift people and supplies. At Holy Trinity Monastery, visitors now descend toward the base of the rock and then climb a staircase of about 140 steps carved in 1925. The ascent opens onto views of Kalambaka, the Peneios River, and the surrounding mountains.

Sevanavank Monastery, Armenia

Above Lake Sevan, Sevanavank stands on a peninsula that was once an island, giving its early monastic community a more secluded setting. Its two principal surviving churches were built in 874 through the patronage of Princess Mariam, daughter of Ashot Bagratuni, under the spiritual guidance of the monk Mashtots, who later became Catholicos of All Armenians, the chief bishop and supreme spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The churches were dedicated to the Holy Apostles and the Mother of God. Their cruciform plans and central domes reflect medieval Armenian church architecture.

The road is gentler than a cliff climb: Visitors ascend the hillside steps to reach the churches and views across the lake. The site also has a link to Armenian Catholic history: Mekhitar of Sebaste, who later founded the Mekhitarist congregation, studied at the monastery in the late 17th century.

Abuna Yemata Guh Church, Ethiopia

Carved into a sandstone pinnacle in the Gheralta Mountains of Ethiopia's Tigray region, Abuna Yemata Guh requires one of the most demanding approaches among these destinations: Reaching its entrance involves scaling a steep rock face.

The church is named for Abuna Yemata, one of the Nine Saints traditionally associated with the spread of monasticism in northern Ethiopia around the beginning of the sixth century. Its interior preserves wall paintings that art historians generally date to the second half of the 15th century, although local tradition assigns them an earlier date.

The Monasteries of Wadi Qadisha, Lebanon

In northern Lebanon, Wadi Qadisha, or the Holy Valley, contains monasteries, cave churches, and hermitages set among steep cliffs and cultivated terraces. Inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1998 together with the nearby Cedars of God, the valley bears witness to centuries of Christian monastic life and has a particular place in the Maronite Church's history.

Our Lady of Qannoubine served as the residence of Maronite patriarchs from 1440 to 1823. Its history reflects the valley's role as a refuge during periods of persecution. Beneath the church, a narrow crypt provided a hiding place for patriarchs; surviving wall paintings include a depiction of the Coronation of the Virgin.

Mor Mattai Monastery, Iraq

On Mount Alfaf, also known as Mount Maqlub, northeast of Mosul, Mor Mattai Monastery overlooks the Nineveh Plain. The Syriac Orthodox monastery takes its name from St. Matthew the Hermit. Tradition dates its foundation to A.D. 363 and links it to the monk's flight from persecution under the Roman emperor Julian.

The monastery became an important center of Syriac Christian religious life and learning. Its complex includes churches, chapels, and memorials, while caves in the surrounding mountain recall the hermits who once lived there.

The mountain setting has offered refuge. In 2014, as Islamic State forces advanced in the region, Christians from nearby villages temporarily sheltered at the monastery.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated for and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodule from one of his lungs that was recently detected during medical examinations.

Speaking to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square after the Angelus prayer on Oct. 11, the pontiff personally disclosed his medical condition, explaining that the nodule had been discovered at a very early stage.

"Dear brothers and sisters, recently, during some medical examinations, doctors found a well-defined nodule in one of my lungs. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized," he said.

Leo XIV said doctors had recommended surgery to remove the nodule and that he had decided to follow their advice.

"The doctors believe it is advisable to operate. I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it, following their advice," he said.

The pope also confirmed that the operation has already been scheduled and will take place in the coming days. He did not provide further details about the exact date or the surgical procedure.

"The operation has already been scheduled for the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers," he said.

According to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, who spoke to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the pope's surgery is scheduled for early this week, although an exact date has not yet been announced.

Bruni also said the pontiff is expected to remain hospitalized for approximately one week at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he will continue his recovery following the operation.

The hospitalization will require the pope to cancel all engagements scheduled for the coming days.

Among them is the closing Mass of an international meeting on the family marking the 10th anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. The pope had been scheduled to preside at the Mass on Wednesday, with the presidents of bishops' conferences gathered at the Vatican.

However, the pope's upcoming surgery is not expected, at least for now, to prevent his planned trip to South America from Nov. 6–17, judging by the pontiff's own remarks during the Angelus.

Leo XIV explicitly referred to his upcoming visit to Peru while greeting members of the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"Thank you for your prayers for the pastoral visit I will make to Peru," he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Many Catholics in Australia who do not regularly go to Sunday Mass still pray, believe Jesus is the Son of God, and say their faith matters, according to a study released Oct. 7 by the country's bishops.

The report, "Absent from the Table: Catholics in Australia Who Do Not Regularly Attend Sunday Mass," was commissioned by the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference and carried out by its National Centre for Pastoral Research. Researchers surveyed 1,973 self-selected adult Catholics online in 2024 and interviewed 67 of them from March to July 2025.

"Despite their irregular attendance, most participants remained deeply connected to their faith," the executive summary states.

Around two-thirds of respondents said faith was very important to them, 77% said Jesus is the Son of God, and 64% said they pray regularly. Just over half (55%) affirmed the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, while 24% saw the elements as symbolic and 21% were unsure.

In all, 74% of respondents attended Mass less than weekly: 19% monthly, 36% occasionally, and 19% not at all. The full report notes that the findings, based on a self-selected sample, "are not fully generalisable to all Catholics in Australia."

Why they stay away

The researchers identified 14 reasons for missing Mass. The main ones were Mass not being a priority, a crisis of faith, family or household issues, liturgical issues, challenges with the parish priest or other clergy, and the misuse of power and authority in the Church. Respondents also cited abuse, particularly clergy sexual abuse, as a significant factor affecting trust.

According to the bishops' most recent national count, in 2021, about 8.2% of Australia's Catholics, or 417,000 people, went to church on a typical weekend.

Bishop Greg Bennet of Sale, the conference's vice president and bishop-delegate for pastoral research, said the research is being entrusted to bishops to act on locally.

"The hope is that each diocese will listen carefully to what people have shared and respond with pastoral initiatives shaped by their own communities and contexts," he said in a statement. "We know there are many people who are open to re-engagement with the Church and we need to work harder to find ways of making those re-connections."

Bishop Michael Kennedy of Maitland-Newcastle, in a reflection published by his diocese, urged a different question: "Rather than simply asking why people are no longer coming to Mass, we should be asking what they are looking for, what their experiences of the Church have been and what we can do to help them feel they belong."

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Tom Schwein was mere feet from the finish line of Ride the Rockies in 2015 when everything changed for him.

Earlier that day, he was told that Samaritan Cycling USA, a ministry he helped start in 2011 to support Catholic Charities' Samaritan House, had raised a cumulative $250,000 in just over four years. He was rightfully excited. He couldn't wait to high-five an injured teammate at the finish line.

Then came a dip in the pavement.

"The wheel went 90 degrees, and I went face-first into the pavement," he recalled. "I was out cold. I don't know for how long."

When he woke up, saved, he believes, by his helmet and divine providence, he remembers, clear as day, hearing the Holy Spirit tell him, "Peace be with you. You will recover."

He was rushed to the hospital. Two days later, after specialists reviewed the tests, he was told he was a walking miracle.

"You're a very lucky man," Schwein remembers one specialist telling him, shaking his head, incredulous. "You missed a brain bleed by a quarter of a millimeter."

That's roughly the size of a fine grain of table salt. To say it was a close call might be underselling things.

"I was never going to ride a bike again. I was done," Schwein said. "We raised a quarter million, and that's it. There's no way I'm riding again."

He prepared to sell his bikes and move on. But the Holy Spirit had other ideas, Schwein said.

"I'm not yet done with you here on Earth. Continue your ministry," he recalled hearing.

He prayed about it. He called his wife. He took a long bike ride, and hasn't stopped riding since.

"I said, 'God, I'm all in,'" he said. "That was 38,000 miles ago and a few million dollars ago."

Since then, Samaritan House Cycling has grown considerably, welcoming new teammates and raising more than $2.2 million for Northern Colorado's Samaritan House shelters.

This fall, the ministry is taking that mission farther than ever before: a 45-day, nearly 3,000-mile ride across the United States.

"God has called me to do this, which is why we're riding across America," Schwein said, choked up with emotion. "We're raising national awareness for the crisis of homelessness. God said, 'Go big or go home.' We're going big."

The 12-member team began their ride on Sunday, Oct. 4, two days after arriving in San Diego. Their 45-day trek will take them through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, where they will finish the ride in St. Augustine, Florida, where the first Catholic Mass of Thanksgiving in what is now the United States was celebrated in 1565.

The mission? Raising awareness and funds to provide shelter, stability, and hope to the homeless in Denver, in Colorado, and across the country.

"There are nearly 1 million people who are homeless every night in the United States, and no one pays attention to them. People walk by them," Schwein said. "So we're raising awareness to increase the attention of the United States to this national crisis. We have to do something about it, more than just raising money. It's about raising awareness so people understand what to do when they get to the corner of an intersection and they see a homeless person."

And it's already bearing fruit. Feet haven't hit pedals yet, and the team has already raised $350,000 to support Catholic Charities' five Samaritan House locations in Denver, Fort Collins, and Greeley, which provide emergency shelter, support services, and pathways toward stability for individuals and families.

Additionally, the Samaritan Cycling team is partnering with local Catholic Charities along their route to fundraise for ministries serving the homeless nationwide. As they ride across America, the team will also volunteer at Catholic Charities locations, helping shine a spotlight on local efforts to lovingly serve neighbors nationwide.

The timing is all the more meaningful: the ride comes as the United States marks 250 years, Catholic Charities of Denver approaches its 100th anniversary, Samaritan House in downtown Denver celebrates 40 years, and Samaritan Cycling USA marks 15 years.

"What began in 2011 as a small step of faith through Samaritan Cycling has become a lifelong commitment to serve," Schwein said. "Through cycling, we put faith into action —?transforming physical endurance into meaningful impact and heartfelt passion into real provision. We ride because we are called to be bearers of hope, and every mile is a testament to that calling."

First and foremost, Schwein said, the team needs prayer. Knowing firsthand just how dangerous a ride like this can be, Schwein specifically asked people of goodwill nationwide to pray for riders' safety and perseverance.

Then, those who feel called to give can donate per mile, with options beginning at 1 cent per mile, or offer a one-time gift. Supporters can give to a particular rider or to the general fund.

For Schwein, though, the most meaningful gift came from a father and his 12-year-old son.

After hearing Schwein speak about the effort after Mass at a local parish, the father approached him and pulled out his wallet, saying he wished he could make a donation but did not think he had anything to give. Surprised to find two dollars, he handed them to his son, who gave them to Schwein.

"This is for you, sir," the boy said. "Good luck on your ride!"

"We had been getting lots of donations, but the most meaningful one was this man," Schwein said, pointing to the widow in the Gospels who gave all she had.

This story was first published in Denver Catholic and is reprinted here and adapted by EWTN News with permission.

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A study by scholars at the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute found that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "lacked sufficient evidence" to remove the in-person abortion pill dispensing rule.

Published in Issues in Law and Medicine, a journal of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, on Oct. 6, the report found that the FDA's studies on the abortion pill didn't reflect real-world conditions of abortion pill use.

According to the article, the FDA relied on analysis from groups with political incentives. Additionally, the FDA used "inadequate" adverse event reporting, authors Zachery Sluzala and Ingrid Skop found.

"When federal agencies remove regulations designed to safeguard patient health, those decisions should be grounded in evidence that reflects real-world practice," Skop, an OB-GYN who works for the Lozier Institute, said in a statement.

"Our analysis found that the FDA's review fell well short of that standard. Safety decisions should reflect the conditions in which women are using the drugs, not tightly controlled study conditions that fail to mimic real-world use."

Pro-life groups criticize FDA abortion pill update

In a court-ordered update of the agency's highly anticipated report on the safety of the abortion pill, the FDA said that it will complete the safety review in March 2027, an announcement that led to backlash from pro-life groups.

A federal judge in Louisiana ordered the status report on the safety review. According to its update, the FDA expects to have results by mid-December, with a final report in March 2027 — more than a year and a half after the group first promised the review.

Pro-life leader Marjorie Dannenfelser, who heads Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called the FDA's update "alarming."

"The administration must correct course — and, more importantly, it must not wait for the study to conclude before acting," said Dannenfelser. "Peer-reviewed evidence shows that the Biden administration relied on insufficient evidence and flawed assumptions when it removed the in-person dispensing requirement.

"Action is long overdue," Dannenfelser said.

Students for Life of America leader Kristan Hawkins also criticized the timeline.

"It shouldn't take a judge to pry some answers from the FDA on the dangers of chemical abortion pills, nor should it take this long to get them," said Hawkins. "While we are glad to see the FDA giving attention to deadly drugs, this is not enough to address the harms that recklessly approving mifepristone in 2000 did to public health and fertility."

Alliance Defending Freedom spokeswoman Erin Hawley observed that "every month of additional delay puts nearly 15,000 additional babies at risk in states where mail-order abortion drugs are unlawful."

Mail-order abortions "don't empower women — they facilitate the abuse, coercion, and poisoning of women by making high-risk drugs accessible to bad actors at the click of a button," said Hawley.

Study: Colleges 'fail' pregnant and parenting students

A recent study found that hundreds of state colleges and universities are failing to provide resources to help pregnant and parenting students stay in school.

The study by Students for Life of America's Demetree Institute found that the average state college campus in the survey offered "barely half the recommended support" for student parents.

The study looked at more than 500 state colleges and universities, examining the housing policies, on-campus resources, financial assistance, medical attention, and accommodations and policy transparency they offer to student-parents.

The three lowest-ranked schools were Dalton State College in Georgia, Dakota State University in South Dakota, and Concord University in West Virginia.

About 98% of schools in the study were missing at least two recommended accommodations for pregnant and parenting students. On-campus housing for families was unavailable at more than 70% of schools. About 85% of schools did not offer scholarships targeted for pregnant or parenting students.

Men's march for life to be held in Boston

Men will gather in Boston on Nov. 1 for a national men's march for life.

The National Men's March to Abolish Abortion and Rally for Personhood first began in 2021. In the event, men march about three miles to a rally point where they meet up with their families, pray, and listen to speakers.

In an interview on EWTN's "At Home With Jim and Joy," the march's president, Jim Havens, said the march is focused on "getting men off the sidelines in the fight for equal protection of the preborn — of all human life."

"We're going to do it in authentic love; we're going to do it in a peaceful manner, the right way, standing up in public," he continued. "It really is powerful when we gather together and do this with Christ at the center."

Scottish bishops warn against proposal to expand abortion

The Scottish bishops are warning against a proposal that they say would allow abortion up to birth for any reason.

The proposal would decriminalize abortion in Scotland and remove existing legal safeguards protecting unborn children.

The Bishops' Conference of Scotland expressed opposition to the proposal in a statement by Bishop John Keenan, who heads the bishops' Marriage, Family and Life Commission.

"There is a better way than abortion," Keenan said in the statement.

"Every human life possesses inherent dignity and worth; a dignity that does not depend upon age, size, ability, dependency or stage of development," Keenan said. "It begins at conception and continues until natural death. A just and compassionate society should recognize and protect the lives of both mother and child, especially when either is vulnerable."

Las Vegas archbishop urges vote against abortion measure

Las Vegas Archbishop George Leo Thomas called on Catholics in Nevada to vote "no" on a ballot measure that would roll back protections for unborn children, minors, and women and expand abortion up to birth.

The Nevada measure would expand the right to abortion, which is already legal in the state up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The letter opposing the Nevada abortion ballot measure was read at Masses across the archdiocese Oct. 3-4.

"This question is not whether abortion is legal in Nevada; it already is under a law approved by Nevada voters in 1990," said Thomas. "The Legislature cannot amend or repeal that law; only a direct vote of the people can do so. This question is whether Nevada voters should expand the right to abortion in ways that can harm the health, safety, and welfare of women and minors. Moreover, this measure will have grave and lasting consequences for vulnerable unborn lives."

"Unborn children have no voice and cannot defend themselves," Thomas said. "As Catholics, our faith requires us to protect the inherent dignity of every human life and to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."

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The British government on Oct. 9 intervened in a simmering dispute in Northern Ireland, ruling that a planned unionist march through a Catholic enclave in the province would not take place due to a "risk of serious injury."

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Sir Chris Bryant said in a statement that Portadown District Loyal Orange Lodge — part of the national Protestant Orange Order fraternity — would not be permitted to hold its parade down Garvaghy Road through a historically Catholic section of Portadown in County Armagh.

The procession "cannot go ahead," Bryant said, citing local law enforcement opinion that it would lead to violence, disorder and "a wider contagion effect across Northern Ireland."

Bryant called for "all protests, rallies and demonstrations to be stood down," arguing that there is "no excuse for a continued ratcheting up of tensions."

The weeks-long tensions have stemmed from historical conflicts in the region between unionists in Northern Ireland who advocate continued rule of the province by the United Kingdom and Catholic-affiliated republicans who largely favor reunification with Ireland itself.

Garvaghy Road itself was the site of numerous conflicts amid the Troubles, the decades-long conflict that saw unionists and republicans engage in regular violent and often deadly clashes. The CAIN Archive at Ulster University estimates that more than 3,700 people were killed in the protracted fighting.

Police have largely banned loyalist marches from taking place on Garvaghy Road since the late 1990s due to regular instances of violence that broke out on that stretch of the unionist parade route.

The High Court of Northern Ireland, however, ruled in August against a ban on the march that had been instituted by the Parades Commission, offering unionists the potential opportunity to march down the street for the first time in years.

In his statement announcing the re-instituted ban on the march, Bryant urged residents to "work together to help repair the damage that has been done" over the past several weeks.

"The community in Portadown has been on the sharp end of intense attention for a number of weeks," he said. "It will take time to rebuild relations. The least we can all do now is give them breathing space."

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A youth retreat taking place in Ontario, Canada, aims to help young Catholics graduating from high school and entering college, as well as students graduating from college and entering the workforce, stay committed to their faith during these critical transitions in their lives.

Dead Man Walking is being hosted by Jesus Youth Ontario and will take place Oct. 16–18 at the Mother of God Retreat Center in Orangeville, Ontario. The retreat will include talks from Catholic author and speaker Jason Evert, international missionary George Devassy, and local young adults sharing their personal testimonies.

Jim Isaac, a member of the retreat's planning team, told EWTN News that the inspiration for the retreat came from conversations with parents where it was evident that there was "an overwhelming need."

"They felt that while children were in high school there were so many guardrails about who they can interact with, who can reach out to them, and all these things to ensure that they have a proper and safe childhood," he explained. "But, right when they leave high school, all those guardrails are sort of lifted and almost at the same time they also leave home."

He added that young people also feel "thrown into adulthood" and that this transition "was something that they were struggling with."

With this in mind, the Dead Man Walking youth retreat was created to give them a space where they can encounter Christ, help them understand the big questions they're grappling with, and instill in them a strong foundation to maintain their faith during this transition in their lives.

The theme of the retreat comes from John 11, specifically the raising of Lazarus. Isaac explained that many times "we feel that we are going through the motions [and] we are almost like dead people."

Each day focuses on a specific part of the raising of Lazarus. The theme for Day 1 is "Dead for Four Days," focusing on the idea that there is always hope even when we're at our lowest point. Day 2 is called "come out," encouraging the participants to take part in the Church and in their faith and ends with the opportunity for attendees to go to confession and attend Mass. The last day is called "untie and unbind," which will call the young people gathered to go out on mission and spread the Gospel message.

Isaac emphasized that their "primary objective is that they [the attendees] have an encounter with Christ at this crucial juncture of their lives."

"We want these youngsters, who probably are, within their own realities, bombarded with a lot of contemporary and secular media, to understand the richness of the Church," he added.

"We are hoping that something might resonate with them and that might help them build their interior life and thereby reach out to the people within the community. At the end of the day, it is about reaching out to people and giving them a call for mission. That's what we are hoping for by the end of it."

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The Archdiocese of St. Louis this month sued the federal government and several other defendants for what it said are policies that prevent Catholic immigrant detainees from obtaining the sacraments, including the Eucharist.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court, alleged among other claims that the government is violating the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by barring clergy access to those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One prison official reportedly suggested that priests could "pass communion in a plastic bag to a prison guard who could then deliver it to the detainee."

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act is invoked regularly in federal lawsuits by those who argue that the government is excessively burdening their religion. But how does this more-than-30-year-old law work, and how exactly does it protect religious liberty in the U.S.?

Government may not 'substantially burden' religion

A rare example of bipartisan unity, the federal law was proposed in 1993, passed unanimously in the U.S. House and near-unanimously in the U.S. Senate, and signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton.

The impetus for the law arose in large part due to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Employment Division v. Smith. That 1990 decision held that Oregon was permitted to deny unemployment benefits to two Native American residents who had been fired after using peyote in a religious ritual.

Outrage from a large cross-section of civil liberties groups and religious rights organizations led Congress to draft and pass the law. Clinton upon signing the measure said the law "reestablishes a standard that better protects all Americans of all faiths in the exercise of their religion."

The law directs that the government generally "shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion" even if the burden stems from a "rule of general applicability."

The rule does allow for such burdens if the government demonstrates that a restriction is "in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest" and is "the least restrictive means" of accomplishing that goal.

Matt Sharp, who serves as senior counsel and vice president of public policy at Alliance Defending Freedom, told EWTN News the rule "puts the responsibility on the government" to demonstrate that its policies do not violate the law.

"The government has to show that it has a compelling reason to do something" that burdens someone's religious liberty, Sharp said. "It can't just say, 'We like this law.' It has to be a government interest of the highest order, such as national security or public safety."

Alliance Defending Freedom has handled numerous RFRA lawsuits over the years. Among them was the case Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell, brought by a Mennonite Christian family who argued that the Obama administration's contraceptive mandate violated the federal religious freedom law.

The family ultimately prevailed, with the U.S. Supreme Court holding that the federal government had violated RFRA in requiring the family to cover contraceptives via its company's insurance policies.

Sharp, however, acknowledged that the rule has never been a "religion automatically wins" law.

"It definitely makes [U.S. law] more favorable and protective of religion," he said. But in some cases religious objectors aren't successful in their challenges, such as the Native American coalition that sued under RFRA to protect one of its sacred sites but which lost at the Supreme Court in 2025.

The Little Sisters of the Poor, meanwhile, have cited in part the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in their 15-year battle over contraceptive mandates.

Yet although the law can sometimes yield a mixed bag, protections for religious freedom have grown steadily in the U.S. in recent years. A total of 30 states so far have adopted a version of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act or a similar form of legislation.

Sharp said RFRA requires the government to ensure that in cases where it is imposing on religious practice it is doing so in a "narrowly tailored" way with "the bare minimum possible" imposition.

"It's a high burden," he said. "In practice it has been hugely important and beneficial to people of faith."

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Father Eduardo Chávez has been named representative of the Primate Archdiocese of Mexico for the celebrations of the fifth centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which will take place in 2031.

In a letter signed on Sept. 22, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, primate archbishop of Mexico, appointed Chávez, the magisterial Guadalupan theologian of the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, "representative of this particular church, especially in everything concerning the content of this marvelous Guadalupan event, in the preparation and in the celebrations of the fifth centenary of the apparitions of Holy Mary of Tepeyac."

He said he made the decision in light of Chávez's "preparation and experience in the subject of the Guadalupan event."

In the letter, the cardinal recognized the Mexican priest's work as postulator of the cause of St. Juan Diego, the visionary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well as his leadership of the Higher Institute of Guadalupan Studies, which for more than 25 years has borne "fruit in continuing research, in the formation of formators, and in spreading the message of love to so many peoples."

"May God, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and St. Juan Diego continue to enlighten, inspire, and strengthen you in this mission," Aguiar wrote.

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and 12, 1531, asking him to intercede with the first bishop of Mexico, Friar Juan de Zumárraga, so that a "sacred little house" would be built at the foot of Tepeyac Hill to exalt God: "he who is my compassionate gaze, he who is my help, he who is my salvation."

On Dec. 12, as proof for the bishop that the apparitions were true, the Virgin sent Juan Diego with roses that had miraculously bloomed on the barren Tepeyac, carried in his tilma, or cloak. When the Indigenous man opened his tilma before de Zumárraga, the image of Mary had been miraculously imprinted on the cloth.

Nearly 500 years later, St. Juan Diego's tilma with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is still preserved in her shrine in Mexico City.

'A great honor, but also a great responsibility'

In remarks to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, on Oct. 7, Chávez, known as the leading expert on the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said Aguiar's appointment fills him "with tremendous enthusiasm."

"It is a great honor, but also a great responsibility," he said. "It will be a lot of work, but work done with so much affection that you hardly feel it. It is joyful work for Our Lady of Guadalupe."

The celebration of the fifth centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, he said, is meant to promote "the exaltation of, devotion to, and above all adoration of Jesus, her beloved Son, because that is the center of her message."

He said the celebration, now only five years away, "should unite us all: unite us in love and in enthusiasm to celebrate her who is our Mother and who offers us, gives us, and entrusts to us her Son Jesus Christ."

"She is our Mother, she protects us, and she is the source of our joy," he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The State Department released its 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report on Oct. 8, showing criminal organizations and repressive governments are using trafficking for profit in new ways.

The report, released more than three months after the June 30 deadline, said the spread of industrial-scale online scam operations "pose a direct threat to US national security."

Transnational crime organizations, mostly run by Chinese nationals and long based in Southeast Asia, have moved into Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America, destabilizing local communities and cheating people out of billions of dollars each year, according to the report.

Fraudulent online romance, gambling, and cryptocurrency schemes have defrauded people in more than 125 countries, with Americans, the primary targets, losing at least $18.2 billion in 2025 to compounds operating out of Southeast Asia, according to the report.

The organizations recruited people from at least 80 countries over the past few years through fraudulent schemes, often pushing them into forced labor and holding them in guarded compounds and manipulating them through violence, sexual exploitation, intimidation, and other acts. They are often coerced into committing crimes, the report found.

The report, an annual assessment required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, covers April 1, 2025, through March 31.

The State Department said it relied on information from embassy reporting, government officials, nongovernmental and international organizations, published reports, news articles, and other sources.

The State Department said that governments that fail to punish traffickers and protect victims should be held accountable.

12 governments cited

Twelve governments are cited in the report for a "policy or pattern" of state-sponsored human trafficking: Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, and Sudan. This designation covers "trafficking in government-funded programs, forced labor in government-affiliated medical services or other sectors, sexual slavery in government camps, or the employment or recruitment of child soldiers."

Under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, the department listed 14 countries whose forces or state-backed militias recruited or used children in any capacity during hostilities, including as sex slaves: Afghanistan, Burma, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Iran, Nigeria, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Among country rankings reported so far, Israel returned to Tier 1, the highest category, for the first time since 2021, after five years on Tier 2. The Republic of Congo was downgraded to Tier 3, the lowest, for failing to meet minimum standards and not making significant efforts. A Tier 3 listing can restrict certain U.S. assistance, including security assistance, the report said.

A Tier 1 ranking does not mean that a country has no human trafficking. Instead, according to the report, "a Tier 1 ranking indicates that a government has made efforts to address the problem … and met the TVPA's minimum standards."

Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, said in a statement on Oct. 8 that the report's findings are "a stark reminder that modern-day slavery remains a global scourge — and that governments must be held accountable when they fail to protect vulnerable people."

"Human trafficking is an assault on human dignity and freedom," the congressman wrote. "The United States must continue to use every tool at its disposal — including the TIP Report — to expose human trafficking whenever it rears its ugly head, protect survivors, and press foreign governments to end this blight upon humanity."

"China remains on Tier 3 — the lowest ranking," Smith continued, "reflecting its continued failure to meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking. The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) use and enabling of forced labor — including the systematic exploitation of Uyghurs and other persecuted minorities — is deeply troubling and deserves the greatest level of scrutiny."

"Moreover, the horrific, ongoing consequences of China's one-child per couple policy can still be seen and felt today, as the Report notes that a gross disparity — tens of millions more boys than girls — has driven the demand for commercial sex trafficking and coercive marriages in the country," Smith wrote.

"Governments on Tier 3 — including China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Burma, Belarus, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Nicaragua, Sudan, South Sudan, and Venezuela — can and must do more. Tier 3 must never become a permanent designation; it should serve as a dire warning and a call to action," Smith wrote.

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