Catholic News

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291159&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 11, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Soon after the election of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle shared in a press conference that moments before then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen to be pontiff, Tagle noticed the emotion by the soon-to-be-pope as it was becoming more clear he would be elected, so he reached into his pocket and offered Prevost a piece of candy.

It was this simple moment that inspired Lauren Winter, founder of the Catholic company Brick House in the City, to start the Adopt a Bishop initiative.

"It really reminded me that these are all human beings who made the choice one day to accept a very serious 'yes,'" Winter told CNA in an interview.

The Adopt a Bishop initiative, which has been launched in collaboration with The Dorothea Project, invites the faithful to adopt a bishop for the year and pray for that bishop throughout the year.

"I think our bishops carry an enormous and often invisible spiritual weight," she said. "They carry a responsibility that most of us never see — it's pastoral and spiritual and it's deeply personal and they're holding entire dioceses in their prayer. And I think that kind of weight requires spiritual support."

This is the first year of the initiative and over 1,000 people have already signed up to adopt a bishop in prayer. When an individual signs up on the website that person is randomly assigned a bishop from anywhere in the world.

Winter explained that she decided to use a random generator in order to "remove preference."

"I didn't want anyone to choose a bishop that they already knew and admired and I wanted to leave that room for the Holy Spirit," she said. "And it may be a bishop you are already familiar with. It may be a bishop that is someone that you have disagreed with. But the call to prayer is still there and I think receiving a bishop instead of choosing one, that felt more like a posture of reception, which I feel like it's more aligned with how grace works in the Church — just leaving the room there for the Spirit to work."

The Catholic business owner highlighted the importance spiritual adoption plays in the Church in that it reminds us that "we are also being prayed for, it strengthens the bonds within the Church, and then I feel like it helps us to live more intentionally as one body of Christ."

Winter said she hopes that through this initiative "people feel more connected to their bishop, to the Church, to the quiet work of prayer, and how a small faithful commitment can really shape our faith."

"I imagine many people when they meet a bishop, they ask the good bishop to pray for them and I think it's really beautiful that we can return that — the reciprocity of prayer. I think they need our prayers too."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291152&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 10, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA).

A major pro-life leader is urging the movement to continue to press for protection for the unborn, calling on advocates to demand more pro-life policy even as the Republican party shows signs of wavering.

"We have to do everything we can to make sure that we're communicating the moral position and also the political position," Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said on Jan. 9.

Dannenfelser spoke to "EWTN News in Depth" anchor Catherine Hadro on President Donald Trump's recent remarks in which the president urged the Republican party to be more "flexible" regarding the taxpayer funding of abortion.

"Now you have to be a little flexible on Hyde," the president said on Jan. 6, referring to the long-standing federal Hyde Amendment, which has broadly prohibited taxpayer funding of abortion for nearly half a century.

Speaking to Hadro, Dannenfelser said bluntly: "There's no flexibility on that."

"Flexibility should be reserved for what you wear tomorrow, what you're going to eat tonight, where you go on vacation," she said. "This is a matter of life and death."

Hadro noted that during his first run for presidency, Trump had outlined a slate of pro-life promises to voters, including the intent to make the Hyde Amendment "permanent law" rather than a legislative provision. Dannenfelser admitted that she engaged with Trump on pro-life issues during his first term alone.

"Once he got into the second term, he thought he was dealing with the life issue by basically saying, 'States only, we're not doing anything else on the federal level'," she said.

"Now we see the consequence of such a position. It means you can't even stand firm on the Hyde Amendment," she argued.

Asked by Hadro whether or not the pro-life movement needs to "face reality" and accept changing political priorities with respect to the Hyde Amendment, Dannenfelser said: "I 100% reject it."

"There is no chance that the power has left the pro-life position," she argued.

"We've been here before. We've been here at moments where there was a weakening in the GOP spine, where we have to do everything that we can to make sure that we're communicating the moral position and also the political position," she said.

Dannenfelser argued that the pro-life movement is "at the best place we could possibly be to move forward" and continue advancing pro-life goals.

She admitted, however, that the movement is "not safe" in the current Republican party.

"I think communication is key," she said. "We can't hold back in demanding what has been promised and following through."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291151&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 10, 2026 / 10:12 am (CNA).

Assessing the impact of the Catholic Church's first American pope was front and center at the 106th annual meeting of the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA), which met in Pope Leo XIV's hometown of Chicago from Jan. 8-11.

During a panel on the subject, Catholic scholars noted some of the historic caricatures of what an American papacy would be like and compared that to the first eight months of Leo's actual papacy.

At the outset of the panel, University of Notre Dame history professor Kathleen Sprows Cummings referenced the 1894 Puck magazine cartoon titled " The American Pope," which depicts the first apostolic delegate to the United States, Cardinal Francesco Satolli, sitting atop a church labeled the "American headquarters" and casting a shadow of then Pope Leo XIII over the entire country.

Sprows Cummings noted the cartoon illustrates "fears about papal intervention in the United States" at a time when the country was receiving waves of Catholic immigrants from countries such as Ireland and Italy.

As Catholics became more settled in American society in the subsequent decades, she said some of those prejudices began to lessen and pointed to the 1918 election of Catholic Democrat Al Smith as New York's governor. By this point, Catholics had become "much more confident about their place in American culture."

During the same early 20th century period, the United States also began to rise as a superpower. Sprows Cummings noted that predominant concerns about an American pope shifted to Vatican concerns over the "Americanization of the Catholic Church."

America magazine's Vatican correspondent, Colleen Dulle, said some of those concerns were evidently mitigated in the person of then Cardinal Robert Prevost, whose service to the Church included many years as a missionary and bishop in Peru as well as in Rome as the head of a global religious order, the Augustinians.

Sprows Cummings said the College of Cardinals clearly saw in Cardinal Prevost the "pastoral presence, administrative savvy and global vision" that the Church needed at this time and that he was "not elected in some flex of American power."

Miguel Diaz, the John Courtney Murray, S.J. Chair in Public Service at Loyola University Chicago, noted that some of Leo's actions have actually amounted to the opposite of flexing American power, such as his focus on the dignity of migrants, which he contrasted to the policies of the Trump administration.

Diaz, who served as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See under former President Barack Obama, said Leo is "a different symbol, from America first to America cares."

He emphasized that having an American pope is significant amid the country's political debates because "he can say things and he will be listened to."

The panelists also discussed what Leo's papacy may look like moving forward, with Dulle noting that only this year are there clear signs of him charting his own programmatic course, as the events and itinerary of the 2025 Jubilee were primarily developed for Pope Francis.

Up until now, she said, he has been mostly "continuing the Francis initiatives in a different style."

She noted Pope Leo's management of this week's consistory — a meeting between the pope and the College of Cardinals — where the pontiff gave them four topics to choose from, which were all in line with Francis's priorities: synodality, evangelization, reform of the curia, and the liturgy. The cardinals chose synodality and evangelization.

Dulle said Leo is seen as "a consensus builder" who aims to build consensus around the Church's priorities. She noted Pope Leo's announcement this week of a regular schedule of consistories, with the next one set for this June. This approach is emerging as a "hallmark of how he governs the Church" Dulle said.

Brian Flanagan, the John Cardinal Cody Chair of Catholic Theology at Loyola University Chicago, also emphasized Leo's strong appeal to the cardinals and bishops in efforts to reach consensus, in keeping with the Pope's role as a preserver of unity.

Flanagan said he sees Leo exercising the papacy as not so much "at the top of the pyramid, but as at the center of conversation." He said this is likely influenced by Leo's past as leader of a religious order — the Order of Saint Augustine — rather than a diocese because the orders are "global, diverse, and somewhat fractious."

"You can't govern a global religious community without getting people on board," he said.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291150&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 10, 2026 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun delivered a forceful critique of synodality at the extraordinary consistory of cardinals this week, decrying the process as an "ironclad manipulation" that was an "insult to the dignity of the bishops." 

The bishop emeritus of Hong Kong also described the "continual reference to the Holy Spirit" during the 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality as "ridiculous and almost blasphemous." 

The cardinal, 93, made his remarks during one of two free discussion periods during the Jan. 7-8 consistory that drew together 170 of the 245 members of the College of Cardinals in Pope Leo XIV's first major meeting with the sacred college since his election.

In impassioned comments, first reported Jan. 9 by the College of Cardinals Report, the bishop emeritus criticized Pope Francis for bypassing the college of bishops while at the same time Francis was insisting it was an appropriate means for "understanding the hierarchical ministry."

The cardinal questioned the ability of any pope to listen to the entire People of God and whether the laity represent the People of God. He asked if the bishops elected to take part in the synodal process had been able to carry out a work of discernment. 

"The ironclad manipulation of the process is an insult to the dignity of the bishops, and the continual reference to the Holy Spirit is ridiculous and almost blasphemous," Zen said. "They expect surprises from the Holy Spirit. What surprises? That he should repudiate what he inspired in the Church's two-thousand-year tradition?"

The cardinal also observed apparent inconsistencies in the synod's final document: That it was declared to be part of the magisterium and yet it said it did not establish any norms; that although it stressed unity of teaching and practice, it said these could be applied according to "different contexts;" and that each country or region "can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its tradition and needs."

The cardinal also pointed to what he called "many ambiguous and tendentious expressions in the document," and asked if the Holy Spirit guarantees that "contradictory interpretations will not arise." 

Zen openly wondered whether the results of what the document calls "experimenting and testing" of these "new forms of ministeriality" will be submitted to the Synod Secretariat and, if so, whether the secretariat will be "more competent than the bishops to judge different contexts" of the Church in various countries or regions. 

"If the bishops believe themselves to be more competent, do the differing interpretations and choices not lead our Church to the same division (fracture) found in the Anglican Communion?" the cardinal asked.

Regarding the Orthodox Church, Zen said he believes their bishops "will never accept" what he called "Bergoglian synodality" as, for them, synodality is "the importance of the Synod of Bishops." 

Pope Francis, he said, "exploited the word synod, but has made the Synod of Bishops — an institution established by Paul VI — disappear." Zen's remark was an apparent reference to how the late pope had reshaped the institution by giving non-bishops a formal role, making the institution no longer simply an episcopal advisory body.

The Vatican press office and cardinals chosen to speak to the press made no mention of Zen's remarks during the consistory. 

In press statements, it was claimed there was no criticism of Pope Francis during the two-day meeting, although Cardinal Stephen Brislin did speak of a "divergence" of opinion, saying some cardinals wanted the concept of synodality to be further clarified. 

The consistory was a closed-door meeting to which no media were admitted, and cardinals were asked to keep the proceedings confidential.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291148&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 10, 2026 / 09:00 am (CNA).

A new and unique house of mission and prayer inspired by the call to a new evangelization has opened in the U.K., hoping to enable Catholics to "catch the fire" of God's love.

The St. Elena House of Mission and Prayer, which opened in December in Northampton, England, has been established to help the Church become more mission-oriented.

Speaking to CNA, Maria Heath, director of mission in the Diocese of Northampton, called the new House of Mission and Prayer "a prophetic sign in our times."

"The Church needs to embrace its call to mission, and I believe this house and others like it will enable and inspire the Church to explore new ways to reach out to people with the Gospel," she said. 

The new St. Elena House is comprised of a small community of young women — Beth, Kacey, and Marielle — who are between 20 and 40 years old. As members committed to a life of prayer and mission, they either work or study full or part time while seeking out ways to evangelize.

"The people living there are working or studying but want to serve the Church in a radical way," Heath explained. "The witness value of community in our times is so important. People are yearning for connection and purpose, and a community centered on prayer and mission is like a light on the hilltop."

Speaking of the impact of the new evangelization on the formation of the new house, Heath quoted one of its main proponents, St. John Paul II.

"Evangelization needs to be new in its method, ardor, and expression. I believe that raising up communities like this is one of the new expressions that speaks to the world at this time," she said.

The St. Elena House came about after Heath and her team were exploring how new communities and religious orders could move into the Diocese of Northampton. There was also an idea that a homegrown community could be established.

"Sometimes you push doors and they close, other times the doors keep opening, and this is what happened as we began looking into this possibility," Heath said. "The idea became a reality and, 18 months on from that initial conversation, the St. Elena House of Mission and Prayer was born."

Heath explained that she was inspired by the book "Heart Fire," by German Catholic evangelist Johannes Hartl, in which a strong connection was presented between 24/7 prayer and mission.

Establishing 24/7 prayer will be one of the priorities in the new house, including perpetual adoration. "While this is a new expression, there is nothing new about the fundamentals: It is communion and mission, which we see down the ages of the Church," she said.

Explaining the vision for the house, Heath underlined the importance of providing a place to encounter Christ.

"The vision for the St. Elena House of Mission and Prayer is simple: to be a place of encounter, an encounter with Jesus as we pray for the world through 24/7 prayer, and a place where others can come and encounter Jesus."

Heath also spoke of the impact of the Second Vatican Council.

"The Church needs both the hierarchical and charismatic dimensions of the Church (Lumen Gentium, 4) and if dioceses are to respond to the Church's call to become mission-oriented, such communities and movements, which are expressions of this charismatic dimension, offer an energy and focus on mission that can support this important work," she said.

A member of the new community, Beth, also underlined the importance of encounter in the new house, sharing her hopes that people will have "a real deep encounter with (Christ)."

"The hope is that this will be a place where community can be formed, where people can feel welcomed and really catch the fire of God's love for them," she told CNA.

Beth said living in the house as a community will enable single people to grow together in faith, highlighting the importance of "being together, inviting other people, and welcoming people." She added: "As single people, we can feel that sense of isolation in our faith. So it's about letting people know you're not on your own."

The community is intentionally named after St. Elena Guerra, the "apostle of the Holy Spirit" who was canonized in October 2024. Writing at the end of the 19th century, St. Elena urged Pope Leo XIII to encourage Catholics to be open to the power of the Holy Spirit. This prompted Pope Leo to write an encyclical on the Holy Spirit, to create a novena to the Holy Spirit, and to consecrate the 20th century to the Holy Spirit.

"Prayer and mission go hand in hand, and this is what St. Elena longed to see for the Church," Heath said.

The new initiative has been welcomed in the Diocese of Northampton, with diocesan trustees, friends, and supporters joining members of Mission Northampton for a Mass on Dec. 13 to mark the opening of the new house. The Mass was celebrated by Episcopal Vicar for Mission Canon Simon Penhalagan, with Vicar General Canon Michael Harrison and Father Jithu James concelebrating. 

Looking forward, Heath shared her hopes for the new house to "be the first of many houses across our diocese — and beyond."

"We need to cooperate with the grace of the Holy Spirit and find new ways to reach out to all people," she said. "This, in its simplest form, is the mission of the Church: to let each person know the joy of being known and loved by God, and the joy of a relationship with him that satisfies our deepest needs and desires."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291142&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 9, 2026 / 16:28 pm (CNA).

The Spanish Bishops' Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym), the Spanish Conference of Religious Orders (CONFER, by its Spanish acronym), and the government have agreed on a channel for compensating victims of abuse within the Catholic Church, in which the Ombudsman's Office will collaborate.

The agreement was signed Jan. 8 by the president of the CEE, Archbishop Luis Argüello; the president of CONFER, Father Jesús Díaz Sariego, OP; and Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with Parliament Félix Bolaños.

The agreement reached by the three parties will be valid for one year, renewable for another year.

The agreement reached for this new comprehensive reparations system will be complementary to the one being developed by the Catholic Church through the PRIVA Plan Advisory Commission since September 2024 and must be formalized through an agreement that will be ratified within one month.

PRIVA, a condensed Spanish acronym, stands for "comprehensive reparation plan for minors and persons with equivalent rights who are victims of sexual abuse."

This system will be available to victims of cases that have passed the statute of limitations due to the passage of time or the death of the perpetrators and who do not wish to use the channel offered by the Catholic Church in Spain, which will remain in effect.

Argüello emphasized to the media that the agreement stipulates that the government will develop the Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Protection Law approved in 2021, "creating a proposal analogous to the one the Church is already implementing" so that victims of abuse in other areas (non-Church) can access comprehensive reparations.

Furthermore, the president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference highlighted that the agreement includes a retroactive tax exemption for compensation payments, given that the tax authorities sometimes claimed up to 30% of the amount received.

"Another aspect that we also find valuable and are pleased with in the signed agreement is that it recognizes the legal purview of the PRIVA Advisory Commission," the prelate said.

For his part, Díaz Sariego pointed out that "the [Church's] system is working very well" and highlighted the "moral commitment of the Church" in this area by asking: "What other institution in our country takes responsibility for crimes that are already beyond the statute of limitations?"

How the new system will work

Following this agreement, a mixed Church-state system will be established. Cases will be received through an administrative processing window, which will forward them to the Ombudsman's Victims Unit that will prepare a compensation proposal to be evaluated by the PRIVA Plan Advisory Commission.

If the victim or the affected Church institution does not agree with the resolution, the case will be referred to a second decision-making body composed of representatives from the government, the CEE, CONFER, and associations of abuse victims. This body must reach a unanimous agreement.

If this is not possible, a "final attempt at reaching a consensus" will be made. If that also proves unsuccessful, the Ombudsman's Victims Unit will make a decision.

When asked about the possible disparity in criteria, the president of CONFER explained that the PRIVA Advisory Commission established its criteria for evaluating cases independently and that the agreement with the government "stipulates that the criteria must be the same."

Vatican intervention

Argüello stated that he has been in contact with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin to discuss this matter, receiving from Rome "confirmation of their confidence that whatever we did together would be endorsed by them and, at the same time, encouragement to reach an agreement."

Bolaños expressed his gratitude for the role played by the Holy See, which, throughout two years of "complex and arduous" negotiations on this issue, during which there were "moments of extreme difficulty," provided "indispensable impetus to reach this agreement."

More than $2 million in compensation

Through the PRIVA Plan, the Catholic Church in Spain has received 114 requests for compensation from victims, for which the dioceses have submitted 30 reports and religious congregations, 80.

According to data provided to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, by the PRIVA Plan Advisory Commission, there are another eight reports under review, and 61 cases have already been resolved, resulting in financial compensation totaling more than 1.8 million euros ($2.1 million), distributed fairly evenly between diocesan and religious cases.

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

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291141&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 9, 2026 / 17:06 pm (CNA).

Spanish Cardinal José Cobo confirmed Jan. 9 in Rome that Madrid, Barcelona, ??and the Canary Islands are likely destinations in 2026 for an apostolic journey to Spain by Pope Leo XIV.

After concluding a meeting with the substitute for general affairs of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Cobo confirmed the pontiff's interest in visiting Spain: "Yes, I believe the pope is interested [in making the trip]. Madrid, Barcelona, ??and the Canary Islands are the first locations that have been considered."

The meeting was also attended by the archbishop of Barcelona, ??Cardinal Juan José Omella; the archbishop of Valladolid and president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym) Archbishop Luis Argüello; the auxiliary bishop of Toledo and secretary general of the CEE, Bishop Francisco César García Magán; and the bishop of the Canary Islands, Bishop José Mazuelos.

The cardinal emphasized that this trip is an initiative of Leo XIV: "He asked us for a first draft, like the initial outline of this," which he will "fine tune or make corrections in the future."

In addition to visiting the capital and largest city of the country, Pope Leo XIV's presence in Barcelona could be related to the beatification process for the architect of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Basilica, Antoni Gaudí. Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church in November 2010.

Furthermore, his visit to the Canary Islands would fulfill a desire expressed by his predecessor, Pope Francis, to visit the archipelago, which receives thousands of migrants from Africa every year.

In this regard, Cobo noted that "the phenomenon of migration is an issue that Pope Leo has already addressed at the beginning of his pontificate." He added that we are living through a "very important moment to make the voice of migrants heard" in Spain.

At the meeting with Peña, an extensive list of specific invitations from dioceses and religious organizations was also presented. "There are a thousand invitations," the cardinal said, joking: "We shouldn't wear the Holy Father out, because if we take him to Spain and tire him out too much, he might not want to come back."

Cobo expressed his hope that Leo XIV would "experience the work of the Church in Spain" and receive a warm reception before adding: "I believe this shouldn't be his last trip."

Cobo also confirmed that "there have been negotiations" with the Spanish government, although official invitations have not yet been extended.

"Spain has long been in need of and has continuously requested the pope to come. The fact that this possibility is now open is a source of hope and joy for everyone, both for the civil authorities and, of course, for the Church in Spain."

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

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291140&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 9, 2026 / 17:38 pm (CNA).

Here's a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:

Colorado will pay out $5.4 million after attempting to ban abortion pill reversal

The state of Colorado will have to pay out a massive $5.4 million sum after it lost in its attempt to ban abortion pill reversal.

The state suffered a decisive loss in federal court in August 2025 when U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico said that Colorado's abortion pill reversal ban interfered with the religious rights of nurses Dede Chism and Abby Sinnett.

The Catholic mother-daughter team runs the Denver-area Bella Health and Wellness clinic. Part of their services include administering the hormone progesterone that can counteract the effects of chemical abortions.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the two nurses in their suit, said on Jan. 6 that federal law now requires the state to pay attorneys' fees and court costs, totaling about $5.4 million.

Attorney Rebekah Ricketts said at least 18 mothers have given birth during the course of the lawsuit after receiving abortion pill reversal care at Bella Health.

Abortion pill advocate countersues South Dakota over false advertising threat

A pro-abortion pill company is suing the South Dakota attorney general after the prosecutor threatened to sue the organization over abortion advertising.

State Attorney General Marty Jackley sent a cease and desist letter in December 2025 to Mayday Health alleging the company was instructing women to not seek medical care after taking abortion pills while also implying that the pills were legal in South Dakota. Abortion pills are illegal in that state with limited exceptions.

In an Instagram post on Jan. 8, the pro-abortion company announced that it had sued Jackley in turn, alleging that Jackley was engaging in "government censorship, plain and simple."

The group claimed its pro-abortion pill speech is protected by the First Amendment. Mayday vowed to "continue [its] mission" in advocating for abortion pills.

Wyoming Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban

Abortions will continue in the state of Wyoming after the state Supreme Court struck down a ban on the practice there.

In a Jan. 6 decision, the court ruled 4-1 that the state's ban on abortion did not constitute "reasonable and necessary restrictions on a pregnant woman's right to make her own health care decisions."

"A woman has a fundamental right to make her own health care decisions, including the decision to have an abortion," the court said.

In a dissent, Justice Kari Jo Gray said the state government's ban on abortion "falls well within the discretion the people expressly granted it."

The ban allowed the procedure in cases necessary to save the mother's life, among other extreme circumstances, Gray noted.

"These exceptions respect a pregnant woman's health care choices while allowing the regulation of nonessential procedures," she argued.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291138&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 9, 2026 / 15:01 pm (CNA).

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents surveilled St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Hopkins, Minnesota, on Epiphany after deporting the parish's beloved maintenance worker to Mexico five weeks earlier.

The Trump administration last year eliminated a federal policy that generally prohibited immigration enforcement in "sensitive locations" such as schools, churches, and hospitals. Attendance at St. Gabriel's Spanish Mass has dropped by half since the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and parishioners have expressed fear of churchgoing about eight miles from where an ICE agent shot and killed U.S. citizen Renee Good on Jan. 7.

Father Paul Haverstock, pastor of St. Gabriel's, said he had vested for the 1 p.m. Spanish Mass Jan. 4 when a parishioner told him about men wearing ski masks in a car outside the church. He said he was disturbed to receive the report, went to the sacristy to get his cellphone, and placed it next to his chair in the sanctuary.

"If there is an incident of agents coming in, I want to make sure that it's recorded, and I want a clear recording of me letting the agents know that we're in the middle of a religious service," Haverstock said. 

It didn't come to that, but ICE's presence outside has impeded parishioners' free exercise of religion, Haverstock said. ICE agents camped outside the church felt like "a violation," he said.

"Who wouldn't feel intimidated by that?" he said.

"It felt like a violation of our constitutional rights, felt like a violation of civilization and good manners. It felt like we were not living in the United States of America but in some third world, violent place, somewhere else," Haverstock said. "Yeah, it feels like we're in a war zone here."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Arrest of church employee

Church employee Francisco Paredes, 46, was handcuffed by ICE Dec. 4, 2025. Eight federal vehicles pulled into a large parking lot adjacent to St. Gabriel's on 13th Avenue South after Paredes picked up coffee on his way to work, Paredes said, and he was driven to a processing facility.

About 2,000 immigration enforcement agents have come to Minnesota, according to government officials. On Jan. 4, "they were definitely out in front of the church, waiting in front of the church," Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon said in an interview.

Hanlon said he wants ICE to obey the laws of Hopkins, a community of about 19,000 people known for its lively "Mainstreet" and arts scene, and summertime Raspberry Festival.

Hanlon made an Instagram reel following the  shooting of Good urging ICE to obey Hopkins' traffic rules and other laws.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda? in his statement?after Good's death pleaded for "all people of goodwill to join me in prayer for the person who was killed, for their loved ones, and for our community."

'Surveilling us'

After observing ICE monitoring the church during Sunday Mass, Haverstock called Hebda and the mayor.

Haverstock told them: "They had out-of-state license plates, and they were just sitting outside our doors for a while." He added: "They came to our church, and even though they didn't enter, they were apparently surveilling us."

Until Paredes' arrest and before ICE parked outside St. Gabriel's, more than 400 people had usually attended the Spanish Mass, Haverstock said. Haverstock said he is considering offering a temporary Sunday Mass dispensation in his parish for those who are afraid.

"I think if I don't give them a dispensation, hardly any of them will be here anyway because of the fear factor. So out of consideration for their circumstances and their souls, I think it's likely I will give a dispensation for this coming Sunday, but I feel torn because we need God in this situation," Haverstock said.

'We've united to help our immigrant brothers and sisters'

ICE's presence has been "a real interference with our parishioners' right to worship and come to Mass," Haverstock said.

"They're also terrorizing anybody of goodwill just by their presence, masks, and idling outside of a church. It's frightening. I was frightened when I heard that they were there. I was frightened for the safety of the people in the church, including myself, and I was especially frightened for my immigrants," he said. 

Haverstock said he was "really blessed to see that our parish has not split on political lines in this situation, but we've united to help our immigrant brothers and sisters."

'Too afraid'

Fear is palpable, Haverstock said, with "people being detained, even after showing IDs, and people being harassed, even if they're here legally."

When maintenance employee Paredes was deported, "it really got my attention," Haverstock said.

Paredes, who sang in the church choir and had lived in the U.S. for 25 years with one conviction for driving under the influence, said he spent about a month incarcerated in the ICE detention system before being sent to Mexico. He said he had asked to make a phone call when he was arrested and was denied for several days so his U.S.-citizen daughter didn't know his whereabouts. Paredes spent Christmas imprisoned and said he had no access to any religious services.

In the Bloomington, Minnesota, immigration office, Paredes, who lacked legal permission to live in the U.S., said he was in a cell with 40 people. There was only one bathroom for the men to share, and "anyone can see when you go to the bathroom," Paredes said.

After about seven hours later, Paredes said he was transferred to the Crow Wing County Jail in Brainerd, Minnesota. Paredes said a government-financed plane later took him to Laredo, Texas, where he was imprisoned in the Webb County Detention Center. 

"They treat people like an animal," Paredes said. "I was there!"

Paredes said no hot meals were provided, only a sandwich, an orange, crackers, and water. In a large warehouse-like building, "we sleep on the floor. No blanket. They treat you like an animal," Paredes said.

When President Donald Trump talks about deporting "the worst of the worst," Paredes said, "he doesn't have any idea. All the people I met in the prison, they are hardworking people."

Haverstock said he misses Paredes, who was a "wonderful worker and one of those rare, fully bilingual people, so that was a huge help to have him around."

"We should be firmly resolved to do our part to obtain justice, not just for ourselves but for our brothers and sisters, and not even just those in the Church, but anyone's who's being persecuted, who happens to be our neighbor," Haverstock said. "Families should not be separated except for extremely grave reasons. And I can say from my personal experience, from what I've seen, and from what I've heard, that these deportations and this massive push by ICE is not just targeting drug cartels and violent criminals and repeat offenders of major crimes, but it's targeting moms and dads and families who have committed, in some cases, no crime except entering our country illegally, and separating a family because of that is unjust." 

At the end of Mass, Haverstock invites parishioners to learn how to "help immigrants in the parish who have been negatively impacted by recent events" and join an ad hoc team "to serve our brothers and sisters through works of mercy." 

Haverstock said the parish has used the same petition in the Prayer of the Faithful for several weeks: "For immigrants living in fear, for families that have been separated, and for wise immigration reform in our land, let us pray to the Lord."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=291123&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Jan 9, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A diocese in England and Wales has launched a pioneering apologetics project aimed at empowering Catholics to talk more authoritatively about their faith.

The project, titled "Ambassadors for Christ," is a fresh approach to apologetics in England and Wales and takes an evidence-based approach to the big questions surrounding the Catholic faith.

In a Jan. 5 statement, the Archdiocese of Southwark explained that it has launched the project in response to the rise in people joining the Catholic Church.

"As more people become interested in the faith, practicing Catholics are experiencing more questions from their family, friends, and colleagues but often remain unsure where to look for evidence-based answers," the statement said.

"These can range from fundamental questions like 'Is Jesus really God?' or 'How do we know God is real?' to more practical questions about the Catholic faith, such as 'Why do Catholics make the sign of the cross?' or 'What is happening during Mass?'"

In the same press statement, Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark said: "As someone who converted to Catholicism as a teenager myself, I know what it is like to search for answers, to thirst for the truth, which only the Lord Jesus offers. Every day, people are searching for the same answers I did, thirsting for the truth I found, and it is our job to guide them on the right path."

"As Catholics, leading people to Christ has to be at the heart of everything we do, because it is the Lord Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life," he continued. "It is the Catholic Church, founded by Jesus, where people will find the answers to their burning questions, where their thirst for truth will be sated."

"As the archbishop of the diocese, I am responsible for catechesis and ensuring the faithful know and understand their faith. That's why this project goes beyond providing answers; it is about building ambassadors for Christ in our parishes and schools."

"I want the faithful — from converts to cradle Catholics — to feel confident and assured of their faith, so that when they are asked the reason for the hope within them, they can confidently speak of the Lord Jesus and his saving work," he said.

The course is made up of 52 videos, which will be released each Monday on YouTube throughout 2026 and each topic is presented by a Catholic priest.

According to the Jan. 5 statement from the archdiocese, each video has been thoroughly checked by theologians to ensure accuracy and fidelity to Church teaching.

Father Dermott O'Gorman, the director of youth for the Archdiocese of Southwark, said: "We are often told that young people are not interested in religion or that they don't care about God. But this could not be further from the truth. In a world where they feel disillusioned and lost, our young people are searching for meaning."

He added: "The Church needs to meet them where they are, and that is what we're doing with 'Ambassadors for Christ.' By providing engaging content that directly answers their questions, we hope to help them discover meaning and purpose that can be found only in Jesus Christ and his Church."

Stephen Bullivant, professor of theology and the sociology of religion, welcomed the new initiative.

In an email to CNA on Jan. 9 commenting more generally on why Catholic congregations are growing in England and Wales, he said: "It's hard to know the full reasons for the new growth we're seeing, but there certainly does seem to a new cultural mood around Christianity."

"Feasibly, we've also hit a point, after decades of secularization, where a kind of 'herd immunity' to ever taking faith seriously — a resistance built up from lots of weak or dead strains of cultural Christianity — has now worn off," he continued. "So for the youngest generations, who have not been raised even 'nominally' Church of England or Catholic, it's now possible to encounter Christianity as something genuinely new, intriguing, and perhaps exciting."

This story was updated at 9:22 a.m. ET on Jan. 9, 2026, with the comments from Stephen Bullivant.

Full Article