Catholic News

The Swiss Bishops' Conference has endorsed a national legal ban on so-called conversion measures aimed at people who identify as LGBT while insisting that legitimate pastoral care, counseling, and psychotherapy be expressly shielded from any prohibition.

In a statement issued May 26, the bishops said they reject conversion measures in all their forms. "Practices aimed at changing or suppressing sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression contradict the dignity of the person as the image of God and can cause considerable harm," the conference said (translated from German).

The bishops defined conversion measures as targeted influence intended to make a person change or suppress his or her sexual orientation or "gender identity," exercised through means such as pressure, blame, threats, isolation, devaluation, or religious fear.

Open-ended, respectful conversation and accompaniment, in which a person reflects on his or her situation and decides in freedom, does not fall under that definition, they said.

The conference reserved its sharpest language for religious settings. "In a religious context, such practices can become spiritual abuse when people are shamed, threatened, or manipulated in the name of God," the bishops said. Church pastoral care must never exert pressure or shame people, they added, and conversion measures are incompatible with Catholic pastoral care.

Pastoral care is legitimate, the bishops said, "when it preserves the dignity and freedom of the person, protects personal integrity, and exercises no undue influence."

The statement backs the aim of Motion 22.3889, now before the Swiss Parliament, which would prohibit and penalize the offering, facilitating, and advertising of conversion measures, the bishops said, "especially to protect minors and vulnerable persons."

They set three conditions for any law: a clear definition that captures targeted "conversion" practices; a precise delineation so that open-ended pastoral care, counseling, and professional psychotherapy are not criminalized; and ready access for those affected to support, counseling, and channels for filing complaints.

A long-running Swiss debate

A federal ban has been debated in Switzerland for years. The National Council, the larger chamber of Parliament, adopted Motion 22.3889 on Dec. 12, 2022, instructing the government to create a criminal provision against conversion practices.

The Federal Council recommended rejection, with then-Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter arguing that a ban at the federal level was not feasible and that some acts could already be punishable under existing law.

The motion remains in committee in the Council of States, which has awaited a federal report on the scope of the practices. Several cantons have already enacted their own bans.

The bishops were not alone in weighing in. The Protestant Church in Switzerland, the country's main Reformed body, issued its own statement the same day, also backing a legal ban.

The debate extends beyond Switzerland: In late April the European Parliament voted in favor of an EU-wide ban, and on May 13 the European Commission said it would recommend, without binding force, that member states outlaw such practices. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union.

Bishops say position is grounded in Catholic teaching

The bishops argued that they were grounding their position in the teaching of Pope Leo XIV, citing his inauguration homily of May 18, 2025, in which he said the Church is called "to offer God's love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person."

That pastoral emphasis sits within the wider framework of Catholic moral teaching. The Catechism of the Catholic Church holds that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered" and that "under no circumstances can they be approved" (No. 2357), while teaching that persons with homosexual inclinations are called to chastity and, through prayer and sacramental grace, "can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection" (No. 2359).

In its 1986 "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons," what was then the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — now the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith — then led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Benedict XVI), wrote that pastors "should have the confidence that they are faithfully following the will of the Lord by encouraging the homosexual person to lead a chaste life and by affirming that person's God-given dignity and worth."

The same letter taught that those who experience the inclination should not be led to believe that "the living out of this orientation in homosexual activity is a morally acceptable option," adding: "It is not."

A caution over religious freedom

The Swiss bishops' insistence on protecting pastoral care echoes a concern raised by their Austrian counterparts.

As CNA Deutsch, EWTN News' German-language news partner, has reported, the Institute for Marriage and the Family of the Austrian Bishops' Conference warned in 2023, when Austria considered a similar ban, that an overly broad prohibition could sweep in serious counseling for people experiencing conflicted sexuality and could restrict religious freedom where it touched pastoral accompaniment by confessors, pastoral workers, or laypeople.

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Vice President JD Vance told graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy on May 28 that regarding modern warfare and artificial intelligence (AI), he agrees with Pope Leo XIV's recent admonition "not to outsource the most important decisions to digital technology."

During the commencement address in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Vance told over 900 graduating cadets that "the thing I worry about most with AI is how it will change warfare."

Vance said that "decisions over life and death must be made by humans and not machines." He warmed the graduates to fiercely guard their roles "as the decision-makers in warfare" rather than outsource to AI.

"You are the masters of warfare and both your minds but also your hearts are the opposite of artificial," he said. "Use technology to make you better, but never submit to it."

Vance echoed Pope Leo's recently released encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, in which the pope said human beings must not allow AI to make decisions in war because those systems do not "have a moral conscience, since they do not judge good and evil, grasp the ultimate meaning of situations, or bear responsibility for consequences."

Leo called for a "moral and social discernment that safeguards the primacy of the human person, in order to ensure that it will always be human intelligence, with its conscience and freedom, that guides technical innovations and responsibly determines their use and limits."

In the encyclical, the pope said that AI's power "remains entirely tied to data processing. So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean."

A total of 931 graduates received their diplomas during the graduation ceremony and will enter the Air Force or Space Force, where they will serve for a minimum of five years.

Though Vance told the graduates his main worry with AI is how it will affect war, he also acknowledged other concerns, namely "how it will affect the labor market, how it will distribute resources, and how it has fundamentally changed how we interact with one another, our social lives."

Leo also addressed these concerns in the encyclical, writing that while AI systems "often surpass human intelligence in speed and computational capacity, offering tangible benefits across many fields," society must not forget "the primacy of human labor over any mindset focused solely on finance or productivity — with the consequent attention to the people and families most susceptible to exploitation."

AI systems "may imitate language, behavior and analytical skills, or even simulate empathy and understanding," the pope wrote, "but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom."

Just War theory 'outdated'

The vice president told the cadets that what "makes Americans unique … is that we wage war justly," admonishing them they must do the same when they become "the ones who lead on the battlefield."

Waging just wars "is an incredible burden to put on your shoulders. But it is one that we entrust to you with full confidence," Vance said. "And if the warfare of the future is to live up to the moral values of our ancestors, decisions over life and death must be made by humans and not machines."

"You're the ones who ensure that our lethality in war, which is amazing and necessary … also coexists with our heart and with our conscience", he said.

In his encyclical, however, Leo suggested the Church must update its "just war theory" in light of modern technological and political developments.

"Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the 'just war' theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated," the pope said.

While acknowledging nations' continued right to legitimate self defense, the pope wrote that resorting to "force, violence and weapons reflects a relational poverty that always has disastrous consequences for civilian populations."

"Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness," he said.

Vance's address to the Air Force cadets comes after Pope Leo's recent comments implying the U.S. is not engaged in a just war in Iran, remarks that were followed by a verbal attack from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Vance weighed in on the matter several weeks ago, saying the pope should take more care when he speaks on theological issues such as just war.

"In the same way that it's important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology," he said.

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The Catholic University of America (CUA) and Faithful Citizenship Institute (FCI) are launching a partnership to prepare Catholics for a life in public service rooted in Catholic social teaching.

The organizations will help students who complete a graduate-level Catholic Social Teaching Certificate Course through FCI continue their public policy studies by earning three credit hours toward CUA's Master in Public Policy (MPP) program.

"This brings together the practical training offered by FCI and the rigorous professional training of the MPP program. That creates a pathway for policy professionals to gain the skills necessary to put Catholic social teaching into practice," Richard Gallenstein, founding director of the master of public policy program, said in a press release.

The two organizations also will collaborate on events and programming. In addition to receiving course credits, all MPP students will have access to FCI's upcoming formation and networking platform, Fratelli.

The collaboration comes at a time when "current political culture is marked by deep division that extends beyond Capitol Hill – even to our church pews," said Jennifer Daniels, FCI president and co-founder.

"By forming public policy professionals in the principles of Catholic social teaching, they will reflect the light of the Gospel in civic life to serve the common good," she said.

Benedictine College moves closer to launching its osteopathic medical school

Benedictine College has filed the application for candidate status with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation after acquiring the necessary funds for submission. This pushed the institution one step closer to opening its proposed School of Osteopathic Medicine.

The institution may receive notification of status as early as September 2026, allowing for progression to the next steps. The expected status keeps the school on track to welcome its first class in 2028.

"This is the big moment that many people have been waiting for," Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis said in a press release. "Our next task is to finish this proposed medical school that will imitate Christ the teacher and the healer."

The proposed Benedictine College School of Osteopathic Medicine plans to train 180 medical students per year, who will then serve in Catholic hospitals around the country, bringing medical care to those in need.

"This is a great moment when Benedictine College sees the need for rural health care and is stepping forward to educate physicians to fill the gap in delivering faithfully Catholic, high-quality medical care," said Mike Kuckelman, chair of the board of Benedictine College.

Families open school in Sacramento following closure of Catholic school

Families in the Diocese of Sacramento established Alphonse Gallegos Academy (AGA) after the diocese announced the consolidation of three Catholic schools, leading to the closure of two campuses this summer.

The new school refers to itself as "a modern alternative to traditional private school" and "an independent, faith-based learning co-op."

It plans to serve Sacramento families through a full-day, teacher-guided academic environment rooted in faith, community, and strong educational foundations.

Families are actively enrolling for the 2026–2027 school year as the school prepares for its founding classes.

The school's launch began after the Diocese of Sacramento announced the merger of St. Charles Borromeo School, St. Patrick Academy, and St. Robert School, which will take effect in June 2026.

AGA will include faith-based education "inspired by Catholic tradition," according to its website, but is not a diocesan school.

AGA is named in honor of Blessed Alphonse Gallegos, who "devoted his ministry to serving others, especially children, families, and those often overlooked by society."

His "example of joyful service and compassionate leadership continues to inspire the mission and values of AGA," the school reported.

CUA honored for demonstrating 'significant contributions' in space or aerospace research

The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) has welcomed The Catholic University of America (CUA) to its consortium.

CUA was granted membership on May 18 from USRA, a nonprofit corporation to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. It operates scientific institutes and facilities other research and educational programs under federal funding.

To receive a USRA membership, institutions must have demonstrated "significant contributions in space or aerospace research by faculty," and "a substantial commitment to a course of studies and dissertation research leading to a doctorate in one or more related fields."

"We look forward to the contributions of The Catholic University of America in ongoing space science investigations, and collaborations with faculty and peers on space-related projects, and USRA programs that bridge academic research with real-world space exploration challenges," Dr. Elsayed Talaat, president and CEO of USRA, said in a press release.

CUA's designation marks the 124th USRA institution. The designation also follows the university's achievement in 2025 of the R1 designation, granted to institutes with the highest levels of research activity.

CUA's "academic prominence and background in physics, engineering, computer science" and its "passion for space science made it an ideal candidate for membership with USRA," USRA reported.

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Poland's bishops have defended the constitutional meaning of marriage, saying that upholding it is not acting "against anyone or taking away anyone's dignity," as Polish cities begin registering same-sex couples following an EU court ruling.

"Respect for each person does not mean giving up the truth about marriage that the Church has been preaching from the beginning," the Family Council of the Polish Bishops' Conference (KEP) said in a May 22 statement signed by its chairman, Archbishop Wieslaw Smigiel.

Warsaw and Wroclaw have begun transcribing same-sex "marriage" certificates into Poland's civil registry after Prime Minister Donald Tusk pledged to implement a November 2025 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union requiring member states to recognize such unions contracted elsewhere in the bloc.

In their reaction, the bishops recall that Article 18 of the Polish Constitution states that "marriage, being a union of a man and a woman, as well as the family, motherhood, and parenthood, shall be placed under the protection and care of the Republic of Poland."

This is not a formality, the bishops say, warning that "expansive interpretations of law may lead to the weakening of the constitutional understanding of marriage." They contend that "such fundamental issues should not be resolved through interpretations that raise serious social and constitutional concerns," pointing instead to a deeply rooted reality in "the Polish legal system, cultural tradition, and the Christian understanding of marriage and family, which for centuries have co-shaped European understanding of humanity."

The episcopate stressed that the debate on marriage "should be conducted with responsibility, calm, and genuine concern for the common good."

Meanwhile, Slovak lawmaker Michal Šabo "married" his male partner in Hainburg, Austria, just across the Slovak border, where same-sex marriage is legal. He wants Slovakia to recognize the marriage, but the country's constitution has defined marriage as a union of a man and a woman since 2014, and a September 2025 amendment recognized only two sexes, male and female.

Šabo knows Slovakia cannot register the union and would eventually sue the country over it, former minister Milan Krajniak warned. The progressives "do not want tolerance" but want others "to have to accept their idea of the world," the former minister claimed.

In April, after elections in Hungary, the EU's top court ruled that the country's 2021 law limiting the promotion of LGBT and gender-related issues to minors, passed under outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, breached the EU's founding values.

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Pope Leo XIV's upcoming visit to Spain will take place against a political and social backdrop marked by intense polarization.

The divided political climate coincides with an unprecedented event in Spanish democracy: the indictment on charges of alleged corruption by a former prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, who held the office when Pope Benedict XVI visited the country 15 years ago.

Zapatero's scheduled court appearance in connection with his alleged involvement in a scheme linked to the 2021 public bailout of the airline Plus Ultra, originally set for June 2, has been postponed by the judge to June 17–18.

The cardinal archbishop of Madrid, José Cobo, downplayed the impact the case will have on the pope's June 6–12 visit. "We are accustomed to operating amid many events in political life. That is simply part of life, and the headlines keep shifting," he stated in an interview with EWTN News.

The stability of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government is also being called into question by some of its coalition partners, such as the Basque Nationalist Party, which has labeled the decision not to call general elections before the end of the year "irresponsible."

Polarization is not limited to the political sphere, however. According to the Atlas of Polarization by More in Common (2025), nearly 5 million Spaniards have broken off a personal relationship in the past year due to ideological differences, a figure equivalent to 14% of the population. Furthermore, three out of every five citizens say they avoid discussing politics to avoid creating conflict.

According to jurist Rafael Domingo Oslé, professor at the University of Navarra in Spain, this phenomenon reflects a grave deterioration of society at large. "Spain is experiencing a moment of profound social fragmentation, exacerbated by a political class incapable of lowering the tone," he said in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. In his view, the volume of personal breakups "is a symptom that we are losing the respect necessary to prevent a society from fragmenting."

A shared language

In this context, the pope's visit takes on a particular significance as the emergence of a voice capable of introducing a different language into the public debate.

"A papal visit does not, in and of itself, resolve a crisis of this nature. But it can accomplish something that politics, by its very logic, is no longer able to achieve: offering a common framework and a shared language," Domingo explained.

The key, he added, lies in the pontiff's unique position: "The pope arrives not as an arbiter of an ideological debate but as a shepherd reminding a weary society that every person, regardless of whom they vote for, possesses a dignity that precedes their opinions."

This circumstance has prompted an unusual gesture in recent Spanish politics: a unanimous invitation to the pope extended by both the House and the Senate.

"In a country where parliamentary consensus is nearly impossible, all political forces have agreed to listen to the same voice. That, in itself, is already a healthy gesture," Domingo emphasized.

Leo XIV will address a joint session of the Legislature on June 8, marking the first time a pontiff has spoken before both Spanish legislative chambers.

The motto of the trip, "Lift Up Your Eyes," encapsulates the spirit of the visit, according to Domingo, who said he hopes Spaniards will "cease focusing solely on immediate conflict and look toward what truly matters."

Concurrently, the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas has met with a remarkable reception in the Spanish political world.

In a message posted on X, Sánchez emphasized: "Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas challenges us all. AI is not neutral, and digital power could lead us to new atrocities if it is not directed toward the common good. The text is also a defense of peace, human dignity, and multilateralism. Spain is clear on this: In this moment of change, we cannot be resigned spectators. Everything that makes us human is at stake."

Along the same lines, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told the press, following his audience with the pope on May 4: "There is a great convergence between the Vatican's positions and Spain's humanist foreign policy at this time."

Despite these points of convergence, tensions between the Church and the political realm remain.

One of the most visible flashpoints is the re-signification of the Valley of the Fallen (Cuelgamuros), a monument to the victims from both sides of the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War comprising a basilica, a cemetery, and a guesthouse.

For 44 years, the mortal remains of dictator Francisco Franco lay buried there until their exhumation in 2019. Franco was the general who led the victorious right-wing Nationalist side against the leftist Republican side in the conflict.

The current government has led the drive to transform the site into a political memorial, while the Church has advocated for the preservation of the monument's religious dimension.

Italian constitutional scholar Marco Olivetti warned during a press conference at LUMSA University in Rome that "historical memory has been used as a divisive element that shapes public perception of the Church."

Added to this are legislative clashes such as the attempt to enshrine abortion rights in the Spanish Constitution or proposals to eliminate military chaplains, efforts in direct confrontation with Church doctrine.

However, criticism of the Church does not stem solely from the left. The bishops' defense of immigrants, including their support for the government's plan to give legal status to undocumented immigrants, which would benefit nearly half a million people already residing in Spain, has also drawn reproaches from conservative quarters.

Santiago Abascal, the leader of the Vox party, which declares itself Catholic, lashed out at the secretary-general of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, Bishop Francisco César García Magán: "This character never dares to criticize the mafioso government. Because the government provides him with his business through the invasion [the influx of illegal immigrants]. And that's his priority: the business. And a profound contempt for the Spaniards who wish to defend their homeland."

The risk of instrumentalizing the pope's words

The papal visit is not without risks in a climate of high polarization, Domingo warns. "One party will highlight whatever suits its agenda while remaining silent on the rest; another will try to do the opposite. It's inevitable."

Nevertheless, he underscored the Holy See's experience in "writing speeches that stand as a cohesive whole."

"Taking the pope out of context is relatively easy; refuting him is much more difficult," he said.

Cobo shared this concern regarding the pontiff's address before the joint session. "I believe this is a gesture that is also very characteristic of the Church, for it entails listening to the Christian tradition speaking about politics, but 'Politics with a capital P' [the noble art or statesmanship]. In a society where we are accustomed to talking about political parties, that moment is significant. The fear, indeed, is that we might attempt to make a discourse on 'Politics with a capital P' to fit into a partisan narrative, effectively pitting one against the other," he noted in his interview with EWTN News.

Moreover, the context is exacerbated by the rise of identity-based discourses that conflate politics and faith.

Sociologist Rafael Ruiz Andrés, a professor at Complutense University in Madrid, warned in an interview with ACI Prensa that "there is a whole range of sectors, located primarily within the far-right spectrum, and specifically in Spain within the Vox party, that seek to portray the defense of Christian culture as a central tenet of their platforms." However, he qualified this by noting that "it's not necessarily a defense based on religion" but is rather linked to "identity-based culture, and in many instances, positioned in opposition to Islam."

In his view, one of Pope Leo XIV's concerns is precisely "that there be this sort of hijacking of Christianity by politics." In line with this, reports published following a meeting of the executive committee of the Spanish Bishops' Conference with the pope pointed to the Vatican's unease regarding attempts to "instrumentalize the Church," although the bishops subsequently clarified that the pontiff spoke in general terms about "the risks of subjecting faith to ideologies," without referring to any specific group.

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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Pope Leo XIV will travel to the Republic of San Marino, an independent sovereign state within the Italian peninsula, on Aug. 22 as part of his trip to the Italian province of Rimini.

The Vatican announced the visit in a statement from the Prefecture of the Papal Household, noting that the trip is part of his pastoral agenda in Italy.

The visit follows an invitation extended some time ago by the then-captains regent Matteo Rossi and Lorenzo Bugli — whose terms ended in April of this year — who had invited the pontiff to visit the small European state.

The pope's presence in San Marino — the world's oldest constitutional republic, founded in A.D. 301 — will take place in the morning on Aug. 22. In the afternoon, the Holy Father will take part in various activities in the Diocese of Rimini and in the traditional Rimini Meeting, one of Italy's most important cultural and religious events, promoted by the Catholic movement Communion and Liberation.

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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Pope Leo XIV this week received as a gift the steering wheel of the Ferrari Luce, the Italian brand's first fully electric car.

Leo also had the opportunity to sit in the driver's seat of the new vehicle, presented by Ferrari as "not only the 'electric Ferrari,' but an entirely new Ferrari."

In a statement, the Italian brand said the meeting with the Holy Father took place at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo on the morning of Tuesday, May 26, with a Ferrari delegation led by its chairman, John Elkann, and its CEO, Benedetto Vigna.

Elkann said it was "a great emotion and an immense honor to meet with His Holiness together with my Ferrari colleagues," noting that it was "a moment of extraordinary human and symbolic value, which inspired everyone in our company to continue on its path with passion, responsibility, and confidence in the future."

He added that the meeting with Leo was "an occasion that will remain forever etched in our memory and in the history of Ferrari."

In promoting its new vehicle, the Italian brand highlights both its "mechanical performance" and its "energy efficiency."

Explaining its corporate environmental vision, Ferrari says on its website that "we are using science-based solutions to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, foster the circular economy, and inspire suppliers to join our initiative."

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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Pro-life organizations in Mexico are warning that a draft ruling set to be debated by a full session of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN, by its Spanish acronym) seeks to move toward the "total decriminalization" of abortion.

According to these groups, such a move would eliminate legal protections for the unborn in Mexico and open the door to abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

On May 28, the SCJN is scheduled to debate the draft ruling regarding Constitutional Challenge 172/2024, authored by Supreme Court Justice-Rapporteur Irving Espinosa Betanzo.

The proposal posits that "removing abortion from penal codes is fundamental to precluding criminal proceedings and eradicating both social criminalization and that which occurs within healthcare services."

The constitutional challenge, filed in 2024 by the federal executive branch and the National Human Rights Commission, seeks to invalidate articles of the Aguascalientes State Law for the Protection of Life, which establishes that "from the moment an individual is conceived, he/she falls under the protection of the present law."

The challenge also seeks to invalidate articles of the penal code of the state of Aguascalientes, which reduce the time frame for abortion on demand from 12 to six weeks of gestation.

Citing the feminist nongovernmental organization Group for Information on Elective Reproduction (GIRE, by its Spanish acronym), which promotes the abortion agenda in Mexico, the draft ruling states that "the only way to eliminate criminalization is through total decriminalization, whereby abortion would be regulated solely within the realm of public health."

GIRE is regarded by the U.S. abortion provider Planned Parenthood as one of its "allies and partners," which "we are proud to stand with ... for sexual and reproductive health and rights," it said.

According to the proposal presented by Espinosa, "achieving the full decriminalization of abortion in Mexico would be a historic milestone that marks a turning point in the fight for reproductive justice."

In a May 27 interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Uriel Esqueda, leader of campaigns for the Actívate (Get Active) platform, noted that "what this Aguascalientes case seeks to do is completely strip away even the slightest protection for the human being in the womb," thereby setting a "precedent" that would subsequently be replicated in other states to liberalize access to abortion.

"At the end of the day, by repealing the criminalization of abortion, you open the door to allowing abortion at any stage of pregnancy," he pointed out.

The pro-life organization Red Familia (Family Network) warned that the constitutional challenge would "increasingly narrow the scope of legislative discretion available to the states."

"Although it does not formally establish a single time limit for abortion across Mexico," the group said, "it's a push toward a uniform national model constructed upon judicial criteria rather than democratic deliberation [going through the legislative process]; in doing so, it risks a direct confrontation with governors and legislators."

"We are deeply concerned that this draft ruling not only invalidates in a practically comprehensive manner the regulations democratically approved by the Aguascalientes Congress but also moves toward a logic of structural decriminalization of abortion in Mexico by maintaining that the very use of criminal law to protect life in gestation would be contrary to the democratic rule of law," said Laura Hernández, director of public affairs for Red Familia, in a press release to ACI Prensa.

Rodrigo Iván Cortes, president of the National Front for the Family, stated in a video message that "the Supreme Court intends to commit a supreme injustice this week, as they plan to vote on a proposal to remove the crime of abortion [from the statutes of] Aguascalientes," thereby permitting the practice throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy and doing so "with repercussions that could extend across the entire republic."

"Mexico does not need more death; we have enough already with the hundreds of thousands of people murdered by organized crime, without the Supreme Court now seeking to legalize the death of the most innocent [human beings]," he stated.

'Activist judges'

Esqueda charged that "today, in the [Supreme] Court, we do not have impartial judges; we have activists who answer to ideological agendas and minority interest groups."

He further criticized the Supreme Court justices, stating that "today, they feel they're legislators and that they're above the states."

Following judicial reform in 2024, justices of the SCJN are elected by popular vote. The current members took office on Sept. 1, 2025, and will serve terms ranging from eight to 11 years.

The leader of campaigns for Actívate lamented that, although the change in the court's composition came with promises to "protect Mexicans," the justices could this Thursday leave "the human being in the mother's womb without any form of protection. So these Mexicans are second-class citizens? They don't matter?"

Esqueda urged people to join the campaign launched by Actívate, which has gathered more than 2,400 signatures demanding that the justices not approve the draft ruling proposed by Espinosa, and encouraging Mexicans "not to remain indifferent."

"Today, a group of justices feel they own the country, and we cannot allow that," he stated.

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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Abuse allegations rose slightly in 2025 but remained far below 2021 levels, while settlement amounts paid during 2025 increased by 69% over the previous year, according to the U.S. bishops' annual report.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection released the 2025 report with findings from an audit on sexual abuse allegations in the Church.

According to the report, in 2025 the Church conducted about 2.3 million background checks on clergy, employees, and volunteers. There were about 2.3 million adults and 2.8 million children and youth trained how to identify the warning signs of abuse and report those signs.

The report "stands as evidence that the Church not only continues to prevent child sexual abuse and reconcile with past victims but also ensures that audits serve as effective tools for accountability and prevention," Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the USCCB, said in the report.

"By the end of 2025, 100% of the 196 dioceses and eparchies had participated in at least one on-site audit, marking a historic milestone — the first time since the Charter's inception that full participation has been achieved," Coakley wrote.

The report, "Findings and Recommendations on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," is the 23rd since the U.S. bishops adopted the charter in 2002 to address clergy sexual abuse of minors and establish nationwide safeguarding protocols.

Settlement amounts increase

An increase in the settlement amounts paid during 2025, which increased by 69%, accounted for the rise in costs related to allegations, the report said.

Dioceses and eparchies that responded to the survey and reported costs related to abuse allegations paid about $389.9 million between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, including payouts for allegations from previous years. Total costs for 2025 were 61% higher than $242.8 million recorded in 2024, the report said. Costs also included therapy, attorneys' fees, and other allegation-related expenses.

Report notes slight differences in numbers, demographics from 2024

The 2025 report covers July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. During that period, 1,070 allegations were reported by 973 victims of child sexual abuse involving alleged clergy offenders across 194 Catholic dioceses and eparchies.

The 2025 report showed 168 more allegations than in the previous audit year. In 2024, the report noted a drop of 406 allegations from the year before.

The allegations involve reports of abuse between an alleged victim and an alleged offender, whether the abuse occurred once or over a period of time. The abuse was alleged to have occurred primarily from the 1950s to the present.

Compared with fiscal 2024, slightly more victims who reported abuse are male. In 2025, 87% of abuse victims were male, compared with 84% in 2024.

The 2025 numbers differ from 2024 in regard to the victims' ages when the abuse first began. There was a 7 percentage point increase in the number of victims who were 9 or younger and a 10 percentage point decrease in the victims who were between the ages of 10 and 14.

In 2025, 27% of victims reported abuse started when they were 9 or younger; 50% were between 10 and 14; 20% were between 15 to 17; and for 20% the age is unknown.

Allegations that were received as a result of lawsuits, compensation programs, and bankruptcies make up about 60% of the 2025 allegations.

Out of the 1,070 allegations, 231 allegations were made by self-disclosure while the rest were made by someone else on behalf of the victims and survivors.

The report found that 727 allegations were brought to the attention of the diocesan or eparchial representatives through an attorney, and 112 were made by spouses, relatives, or other representatives such as other dioceses or eparchies, religious orders, clergy members, or law enforcement officials.

The number of clerics accused of sexual abuse of a minor during the audit period totaled 837.

Accused clergy members were classified as priests, deacons, unknown, or other. "Unknown" refers to cases where the victim could not identify the accused, while "other" refers to clergy from another diocese whose ordination and incardination details were unavailable.

Accused priests of the audit period totaled 704. Of this total, 552 were diocesan priests, 120 belonged to a religious order, and 32 were incardinated elsewhere. There were 14 deacons accused, 12 of whom were diocesan deacons and two were religious order deacons.

The report was comprised of the independent audit by StoneBridge Business Partners, the progress report from the Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection, and the survey of allegations and costs from Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA).

Moving forward, the report noted that the USCCB's Board and Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People will meet every year to review and make recommendations on the matter.

As the bishops recognize "that parishes and schools are on the front lines of any diocese's or eparchy's Charter compliance efforts," the bishops also "strongly recommend that dioceses/eparchies conduct regular audits of their parishes and schools."

"I hope and pray that, through collective efforts, we remain vigilant and committed to the work needed to prevent the evil of child sexual abuse — not only in the Church but in society. May our 'Promise to Protect and Pledge to Heal' reach all God's children," Coakley wrote.

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Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria in the past year, according to the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

"Conflicting media narratives and reported government censorship have hindered accurate analysis of the identities and motivations of the alarming number of armed nonstate actors that violate religious freedom in Nigeria," USCIRF said in a recent issue update examining how Fulani militant groups have contributed to "deteriorating religious freedom conditions" in Nigeria.

Though some cite economic and environmental factors or genocidal intent against non-Muslims as driving Fulani-led violence, USCIRF said, "in fact, multiple and overlapping factors, including religion in many cases, likely spur Fulani militants to attack communities or individuals."

The Fulani are a Muslim-majority ethnic group that originates from northern Nigeria and represents around 6% of Nigeria's total population of about 242.4 million people. Among the Fulani population, an estimated 30,000 operate as militant groups of 10 to 1,000 members across the country and are concentrated mostly in the northwest and Middle Belt region, according to USCIRF.

"Regardless of these complex motivating factors, the escalation of Fulani-led land invasions and other violent assaults has yielded the same outcomes: severely disrupting the lives, livelihoods, and ability to worship of many Christian and Muslim farmers while triggering their mass displacement and depriving them of their lands," USCIRF said.

The commission cited instances of Fulani militants targeting both non-Fulani Muslim communities and Christian communities in the Middle Belt region, burning homes and churches, killing hundreds, and using sexual violence and kidnapping as tools of intimidation or extortion.

USCIRF estimated that Fulani attacks have resulted in the displacement of at least 1.3 million people in the Middle Belt region, leading them into "unsanitary and unsafe conditions in displacement camps."

The response of federal and state authorities to Fulani attacks has been described as "unsatisfactory at best and complicit at worst," USCIRF said, noting that victims have reported consistent failure of security forces to respond promptly to attacks on their communities and that "some Christian advocates have continued to suggest that security forces responding to or investigating attacks routinely show favoritism toward Muslim communities."

USCIRF said Fulani militants "have continued to carry out large-scale incursions onto Christian farmers' agricultural lands, violent raids on Christian and Muslim religious sites, and kidnappings of laity and leaders from both religions" despite the Trump administration's designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC) in October 2025 and ongoing bilateral security discussions.

"As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense, daily, and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity — a crisis that is likely to persist until the federal and several state governments create broader underlying conditions that are more conducive to the safe practice of religious freedom," the commission said.

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