Catholic News

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, and Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of home-schooling parents' right to use a religious-based curriculum in the classroom.

The senators' amicus brief comes after a lower court decision in Woolard v. Thurmond that ruled home-school independent-study programs are public-school programs.

"As part of California's publicly funded independent-study programs, parents can teach their own children in their own homes with limited oversight from a private, nonprofit corporation operating a charter school," the brief said. "And subject to general state standards, parents can choose any curriculum they want for their homeschooling—with one exception: religion. That overt discrimination—which Respondents say is required by California's Blaine Amendment—clearly violates the Constitution. And it is preposterous to say, as did the Ninth Circuit, that homeschooling parents are actually state actors."

"This amicus brief argues that specifically restricting the rights of parents to use faith-based curriculum is unconstitutional, and I am hopeful that this argument will help the Supreme Court to determine that a California court decision should be overturned," Hyde-Smith said in a Sept. 29 press release.

Catholic senators who signed on to the brief include Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho.

Notre Dame religious-liberty advocates urge Supreme Court to allow state funding for religious studies

Notre Dame law professors and religious liberty organizations are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider a 2004 ruling that allows states to exclude students pursuing religious-ministry degrees from publicly funded scholarships.

The Sept. 14 brief argues that Locke v. Davey is hard to square with newer Supreme Court rulings that bar states from discriminating against religious students and institutions.

The brief comes amid religious liberty cases involving two Virginia students, Bethany Hall and Cameron Johnson, who were denied state scholarship funds because they are pursuing degrees related to religious ministry.

"This Court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment prohibits the government from barring religious institutions, and the individuals that they serve and educate, from public funding solely because they are religious or engage in religious activity or instruction," the brief said. "Locke sits uneasily with these recent decisions."

The Notre Dame Law School Education Law Project; the Notre Dame Program on Church, State, and Society; and Notre Dame Law School's Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic are listed on the brief alongside the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

Baylor center to build chapel as student Mass attendance surges

St. Peter Catholic Student Center — the Catholic ministry adjacent to Baylor University in Texas — announced plans to build a new, larger chapel because the existing worship space is too small for the number of students attending Mass.

Father Henry Carter Finch of the Catholic center at one of the largest Baptist universities in the U.S. said: "Our community has grown tremendously the past few years, as more and more young people respond to the promptings of grace to seek the fullness of life in the Church."

Finch said in a video message announcing the construction of the chapel that the pews are overflowing and the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program is full.

According to the Catholic center's website, the chapel will have 460 seats. An existing chapel has 175 seats with 220 in overflow configuration. The chapel is projected to cost $10 million.

News of the chapel comes as Catholic conversions have reportedly surged on college campuses across the country.

Catholic University rises in U.S. News' 'Best Colleges' rankings

The Catholic University of America (CUA) has risen 21 places in U.S. News and World Report's "Best Colleges" rankings.

CUA jumped from 169 to 148 in the 2027 edition of national university rankings and also debuted at No. 75 in the "Top Private Colleges" category. It rose three spots to No. 72 on the list of "Best Value Schools," according to a Sept. 22 press release.

"This year's rankings recognize what our students and families already know: Catholic University offers an exceptional education at a real value," Karna Lozoya, vice president for university communications, said in the release. "A 21-spot jump is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff and to the investments we've made in academic excellence and student success."

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The Vatican's Dicastery for Communication has unveiled the theme for the 61st World Day of Social Communications: "A New Gaze: Paying Attention in the Age of Clickbait."

With this theme, the Vatican will invite people "to reflect on Christ's compassionate gaze as a way of overcoming the superficiality of relationships," Vatican News reported.

In a statement released Tuesday, Sept. 29, the Vatican warned that the so-called "attention economy," in its struggle "for a few moments of interest amid the rapid and endless flow of content," is transforming "not only our cognitive abilities but also the depth of our interpersonal communication."

The reflection comes at a particularly significant moment for communicators, as social media and digital platforms reward speed, immediate emotion, and controversy while listening and thoughtful analysis are often pushed aside. Faced with this reality, the Vatican proposes an authentic "conversion of our gaze."

"We are called to a conversion of our gaze: to look again, with attention and with love. Only in this way will we be able to see the world, others, and even ourselves, as Christ sees us: called by name and loved," the message states.

The Vatican's proposal maintains that "our communication changes when our gaze chooses to encounter others rather than judge them."

The message also identifies some of the cultural consequences of hyperconnectivity. "The lack of genuine attention, fueled by digital culture, has accustomed us to a routine of rapid reactions, to superficial relationships, and to the ease with which we label and reject others," the document warns.

As a response, the Vatican proposes recovering the deeper meaning of attention, understood not as a communication technique but as an attitude of openness toward others and toward the truth. "Yet attention is a precious form of generosity: the word 'attention' comes from 'ad-tendere' — to reach out toward the other and toward the truth."

For Christian communicators, this attitude finds its model in Christ. The text recalls that "Christian communication can rediscover attention as both a gift and a way of seeing — the gaze of Jesus, who saw and allowed himself to be touched."

In this way, the message challenges a widely accepted logic within today's digital ecosystem: the idea that attention is a commodity. The Vatican offers a different perspective. "Communicating is not about capturing attention, nor about selling it, but about safeguarding it as a precious resource for relationships," the statement says.

Therefore, in an environment marked by clickbait and an overabundance of content, the Vatican encourages the development of a genuine "hygiene of attention," capable of protecting the human capacity to perceive reality in depth.

"To communicate in the age of 'clickbait,' we are called to 'pay attention' and to rediscover a genuinely healthy attention (cf. Magnifica Humanitas 146)," the text states.

Finally, the message recalls that authentic communication engages the whole person. It is not limited to words or platforms; it requires an interior disposition to encounter others genuinely.

"Communication is not just about words, it involves the entire person and asks us to look, hear and feel again in order to answer Christ's call," the statement concludes.

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 General Secretariat of the Synod published on Wednesday the final report of the Canonical Commission, which explicitly endorses several proposals to amend the Code of Canon Law related to the participation of laymen and laywomen in the life and governance of the Church.

Specifically, the document supports changes to canons concerning the ability of lay faithful to exercise "offices, roles, and ministries within the Church for which they are qualified and competent, including in the realm of ecclesiastical governance."

The text, originally drafted in Italian and also available in English, is not binding and must now be examined by Pope Leo XIV. It is one of the reports prepared by the 10 study groups created by Pope Francis in 2024 as part of the Synod on Synodality. These groups are dissolved once their work has been completed and published.

The commission tasked with studying the reforms was coordinated by Archbishop Filippo Iannone, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and included prominent experts in canon law.

Its members included Jesuit Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda; Dutch canon lawyer Myriam Wijlens; Monsignor Matteo Visioli, referendary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; Monsignor Giacomo Incitti, professor at the Pontifical Urbaniana University; Hungarian canonist Péter Szabó; Father Alphonse Borras; Professor José San José Prisco, dean of the Faculty of Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Salamanca; Father Benedict Ndubueze Ejeh, dean of the St. Pius X Faculty of Canon Law in Venice, Italy; and Italian Father Gianluca Merlini, secretary of the commission.

A limited but significant reform

The commission considers that a "profound reform of the canonical legal system" is not necessary in order to implement the ideas that emerged from the synodal process.

According to the report, "the Church's current legal system already provides adequate provisions for greater recognition and designation of lay persons to assume roles and functions of ecclesial co-responsibility together with the pastors." Nevertheless, it acknowledges that these provisions are "often overlooked" and, in some cases, "require greater normative affirmation to be more practical and effective."

For this reason, the proposals seek to adapt certain aspects of canon law to the conclusions of the synod, especially regarding the participation of laypeople in the Church's mission.

The document also insists that the synodal process "does not diminish the decision-making authority of the bishop, the college of bishops, or the pope, but integrates the contribution of the People of God, giving the synodal act a truly communal character."

Among the canons examined are Canons 204, 208, and 212, which affirm the equal dignity of all the baptized and their right to participate in the life of the Church; Canons 228 and 230, which regulate the possibility of laypeople exercising ecclesiastical offices and ministries; Canon 145, concerning ecclesiastical offices; and Canon 275, which promotes collaboration between clergy and laity.

Papal infallibility under review

Also studied were Canons 476 and 483, related to certain functions of governance and administration in dioceses; Canon 1112, which under specific circumstances allows a layperson to validly assist at the celebration of marriages; Canons 1421 and 1425, concerning lay participation in ecclesiastical tribunals; and Canon 749, which regulates the exercise of the infallible magisterium of the Catholic Church.

Should the proposals advance, it would not be the first time the Vatican has examined reformulating the understanding of papal infallibility. In June 2024, a study by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, titled "The Bishop of Rome," collected suggestions for adapting the exercise of Petrine primacy in light of the fruits of decades of ecumenical dialogue.

Greater weight for laity and religious

Among the most significant proposals is the revision of several canons to strengthen the synodal dimension of particular councils, diocesan synods, and pastoral councils.

One of the most notable changes would affect Canon 443, with the goal of making possible "the participation of all members of the People of God ... in a proportion equal to that of the 'ex officio' members" in particular councils.

The proposal goes beyond expanding the presence of lay faithful and men and women religious. It also calls for removing the Latin word "tantum" ("only"), which currently limits their participation to "a consultative vote" in various ecclesial bodies.

This restriction appears in several canons of the code, including Canons 443 and 444 concerning particular councils; Canon 466 regarding the diocesan synod; and Canons 500, 514, and 536, which regulate the presbyteral council, diocesan pastoral council, and parish pastoral council, respectively.

If approved, these bodies would no longer be structured solely according to a consultative logic but would move toward stronger forms of power in decision-making.

Greater autonomy for bishops' conferences

The proposals also seek to strengthen the role of bishops' conferences and promote greater decentralization. Among the suggested changes is a revision of Canon 440, Paragraph 1, to establish a "ten-year frequency" for the celebration of particular councils. The aim is to encourage their regular convocation and restore a more significant role for them in the life of the Church.

Likewise, the commission proposes modifying Canon 1112 to eliminate the need for intervention by the Holy See when a bishops' conference authorizes laymen and laywomen to assist at marriages under the circumstances foreseen by law.

The reforms also include adjustments to Canon 403, Paragraph 1, to provide a clearer definition of the nature and mission of auxiliary bishops within the pastoral governance of dioceses.

Similarly, a modification to Canon 450, Paragraph 3, is proposed to allow retired bishops to serve on commissions of bishops' conferences, thereby making use of their pastoral and governance experience after they have stepped down from leading a diocese.

Accountability in episcopal governance

The third section of the report emphasizes that the "widest possible" participation of the baptized requires institutional mediation, especially within the local Church, and describes participatory bodies as "primary places of participation," where the faithful contribute according to their "canonical condition, charisms, ministries, and competencies."

Another of the report's most significant developments is the addition of a new paragraph to Canon 391 inspired by the synod's final document. The proposal explicitly introduces the principle of "accountability and evaluation" into the exercise of episcopal governance.

If approved, the change would represent a significant step toward greater transparency in the administration of dioceses by strengthening the obligation to explain and justify pastoral and administrative decisions within the processes of Church governance.

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 on Thursday warned of the urgency of the current ecological crisis during an audience at the Vatican with a delegation from the Hera Group, an Italian conglomerate specializing in environmental services, waste management, integrated water systems, and energy.

"The ecological challenge of our time is, in fact, more urgent than ever. On the one hand, we are witnessing the uncontrolled consumption of resources; on the other, the management and disposal of enormous quantities of waste are becoming increasingly problematic," he cautioned on Oct. 1.

Leo XIV also recalled that, for Christians, care for creation is part of a moral responsibility.

"As Christians, we cannot resign ourselves to accepting the throwaway culture; rather, we are called to make wise use of creation," he stressed.

"To avoid considering every used object as mere waste, it is necessary to change our behavior and commit ourselves to taking a different path. In essence, this means overcoming the consumerist model and moving toward a productive system capable of preserving the limited goods of our planet," the pontiff said.

Leo XIV praised the company's work in the field of recycling, an activity that, in his view, "demonstrates that it is possible to commit ourselves in this direction."

As part of its collaboration on environmental sustainability and the circular economy, the Hera Group donated to Vatican City State in April a fully electric truck with a range of 60 kilometers (about 37 miles), which is used to collect waste within Vatican territory.

"The work you carry out, including here in the Vatican, bears witness to the fact that the culture of waste can be successfully opposed by a culture of care. This culture is not limited simply to objects and products but extends from them to human labor, and from labor to persons. For it is we who inhabit the world and who, through our decisions and behavior, live in it as a gift from God," he said from the Apostolic Palace.

The Holy Father also thanked the company for its commitment to environmental protection: "I am grateful for the work you do in seeking to contribute to the care of our common home, and I encourage you to continue in this commitment."

The pope also cited Francis' encyclical Laudato Si', which states that "the model of recycling and circular production is a good path for ensuring a sustainable environment for future generations."

"It is important to set an example of consistency: The Church must be the first to put into practice what she herself proclaims," he added.

"Through our synergy, we will be able to make the home we all share ever more beautiful and welcoming," Leo concluded.

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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Deaths under Victoria's assisted-dying law rose by nearly one-third in the past year, new official figures show, as the Australian state prepares to expand access in 2027 and Catholic leaders warn of reduced safeguards for vulnerable patients.

Five hundred twelve people died in Victoria, a southeastern Australian state whose capital is Melbourne, after being administered a voluntary assisted dying (VAD) substance in the year ending June 30, according to the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board's annual report.

The total was up 31.6% from 389 deaths in 2024-2025 and represented 1.1% of all deaths in the state, the report said. It also recorded 1,156 applications, nearly 40% more than in the prior year.

Of the 512 deaths, 372 followed self-administration of the VAD substance and 140 followed practitioner administration, the report said. The board said VAD deaths were nearly four times the number reported in the program's first full year after Victoria's law came into force in 2019.

Victoria's new report is the latest evidence of a national trend. Since Victoria became the first Australian state to introduce VAD, more than 14,000 people nationwide have applied for access, and more than 7,000 have died after using a VAD substance, according to Go Gentle Australia's 2026 State of VAD report, an advocacy group that supports the practice. The group said VAD now accounts for an estimated 2%-3% of deaths nationally.

VAD is available in Australia's six states and the Australian Capital Territory. The Northern Territory passed its own law in August, though the system is not expected to begin operating until 2028.

Victoria's Parliament passed amendments in November 2025. Scheduled to take effect April 19, 2027, the changes will broaden eligibility, shorten the minimum request period from nine days to five, and allow some health professionals to initiate discussions about VAD as part of end-of-life care.

In an October 2025 pastoral letter, Victoria's Catholic bishops warned the changes would allow practitioners to raise euthanasia and assisted suicide with patients who "may be at their most vulnerable." They said this would further weaken safeguards and urged lawmakers to strengthen access to palliative care instead.

Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher likewise said the Church must offer "positive alternatives," including palliative care, pastoral care, and respite care for families caring for the dying and elderly.

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During the First World War, before being proclaimed a saint, devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux became particularly widespread in France. Soldiers carried medals and images of her, and many French Catholics saw her as a spiritual companion and intercessor.

The Carmelite nun, patron saint of missions, and the youngest doctor of the Church died at the age of 24 and was canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. She was declared the second patron saint of France in 1944, during the Battle of Normandy, by Pope Pius XII.

The town of Lisieux, a 90-minute train ride from Paris, is where Thérèse spent her entire religious life. It is the second most visited pilgrimage destination in France, after Lourdes, with over 2 million pilgrims every year.

Last year, in Pope Leo XIV's message on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the canonization of St. Thérèse's parents, Louis and Zélie Martin, he called the faithful to "put Jesus at the centre of your families, your activities, and your choices. Help your children discover His boundless love and tenderness, and strive to make them love Him in return as He deserves: this is the great lesson that Louis and Zélie teach us today, and which the Church and the world so urgently need. How could Thérèse have loved Jesus and Mary so much — and then passed on such a beautiful doctrine to us — if she had not learned it from her saintly parents from an early age?"

Thérèse lost her mother when she was just 4 years old and endured periods of illness and intense emotional sensitivity as a child. At 14, however, she experienced a moment of spiritual transformation where she received a special grace from God.

In France, young children left their shoes by the hearth at Christmas, and parents would fill them with gifts. But her sister Celine didn't want Thérèse to grow up, so they continued to place gifts in "baby" Thérèse's shoes. As she and Celine climbed the stairs to take off their hats their father's voice rose from the parlor below. Standing over the shoes, he said: "Thank goodness that's the last time we shall have this kind of thing!" Thérèse froze, and her sister looked at her helplessly, knowing that in a few minutes she would be in tears over what their father had said.

But the tantrum never came. A special grace came over Thérèse as Jesus had done what she could not do herself. She swallowed her tears, walked slowly down the stairs, and went over the gifts in the shoes, as if she had never heard a word her father said. In her autobiography, "Story of Soul," she referred to that Christmas as her "conversion."

From childish to childlike

In his book "The Way of Trust and Love," French priest Jacques Philippe explores St. Thérèse of Lisieux's "Little Way" to holiness. He recalls that "through seemingly insignificant events, God can heal us deeply. Sometimes we feel a call from the Lord to step outside ourselves, to take a step forward, to become more mature, more free. There are times in life when we dwell on our immaturity, our complaints, our laments, our dependencies, and then suddenly one day we are given grace, a gift from God, but one that also calls upon our freedom. There is a choice to be made; it is both healing and conversion: freedom must choose to perform an act of courage."

He then later proposes: "Let us then ask God this question: What is the 'yes' you are asking of me today? What is the small act of courage and trust you are asking me to do today?"

For St. Thérèse, it was about overcoming her emotional sensitivity. For others, it might be learning to control their tongue, be more optimistic, or manage their temper.

A 'Little Way' for everyone

From the very beginning of her life, Thérèse desired to be a saint; still, when she entered the convent, she also thought how inaccessible and unrealizable it was when she compared herself to others.

And here, perhaps, is where we can learn one of her most powerful teachings: never lose courage.

She goes on: "Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new … It is your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven, and so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less."

But by "little," Thérèse does not suggest we think of ourselves as of small value; instead, she reminds us of an unchanging truth: We are children of God.

As St. John Paul II on his apostolic trip to France in June 1980 recalled: "There is something unique about it, a characteristic of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In it, one finds both the confirmation and the renewal of the most fundamental and universal truth. What truth in the Gospel message is more fundamental and universal than this: God is our Father, and we are his children?"

And like children who trust, even if thrown into the air, in the safety of returning to their parents' arms, we must trust in the providence of our Father, with a deep knowledge of his unlimited and unconditional love for us: "In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 18:3).

A missionary without ever leaving home

Proclaimed the patron saint of missionaries for her support of the missions through constant prayer and sacrifice despite being a cloistered nun who never left her convent, she said: "My strength lies in prayer and sacrifice; they are invincible weapons, and touch hearts more surely than words can do, as I have learned by experience."

To many, even in the convent, she seemed like an average, ordinary person. Her greatness showed in the constancy of her love for others in the simplest ways. Perhaps some of the missionary work we are called to do today doesn't necessarily begin externally but within our hearts. As the saint herself wrote: "A word, a kindly smile, will often suffice to gladden a wounded and sorrowful heart."

Thérèse also found strength in Scripture: "But above all it is the Gospels that occupy me during my prayers; in them I find everything that is necessary for my poor little soul. I constantly discover in them new lights, hidden and mysterious meanings."

Her life was characterized by austerity, far from recognition and noise from the world. She died anonymously in 1897 at the young age of 24, and no more than 30 people attended her funeral.

This saint's life and journal is a legacy for all who want to learn a simple and practical approach toward their relationship with God. Her advice is for everyone: "Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love."

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Every October, the Catholic Church in the U.S. honors Respect Life Month and affirms the dignity of every human life, including unborn babies. While abortion remains a controversial issue, at its heart is the issue of how society views an unborn baby and by extension the relationship between the baby and his or her mother.

It can be hard to talk about, as emotions run high on both sides of the debate. As chemical abortion pills become increasingly more accessible to women and girls across the U.S., it raises the question: How do we discuss abortion as Catholics in a charitable and truthful way?

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, a senior ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, said "the manner in which we speak is often more important than the details of what we say."

"In approaching conversations around abortion, it's important to acknowledge the woman's fears," Pacholczyk said. "It feels like a 'crisis' pregnancy as her worries snowball and she asks herself a thousand painful questions: What will my friends think of me if they find out? Will this make it impossible to finish college? I feel so alone, ashamed, and abandoned — why isn't my boyfriend here to support me?"

"Acknowledging the woman's fears by using sympathetic language can help open up a space of dialogue with advocates of abortion, as we seek to remind them of what a better response to an unexpected pregnancy should really look like," Pacholczyk said.

"It should be almost self-evident that it would be better to respond with support and accompaniment in the midst of her turbulent fears, seeking to calm the waters rather than roiling them further by turning to the violence of abortion, which in the final analysis, layers on additional regret and turbulence," Pacholczyk continued.

"Patience and a real willingness to listen to the person we are engaging with needs to prevail over our desire to try to quickly win the argument," he added. "It can be helpful to ask calm and reasoned questions to move the discussion forward in place of making dramatic, vociferous, and inflammatory assertions that may serve only to keep the two parties at loggerheads."

From a pro-life perspective, affirming the unborn child's dignity is also a fundamental part of the conversation.

"We need to be attentive when it comes to abortion 'rights' language, seeking to offer the clarity that there really is no such thing as 'rights' that allow someone to directly target and victimize innocent bystanders," Pacholczyk said. "An unborn child in a crisis pregnancy situation is surely an innocent bystander, as he or she is as much a victim of difficult circumstances as is the mother."

"The authentic 'rights' we should all be able to agree on include the right to receive help in parenting from society as new moms face the daunting and unexpected prospect of caring for and raising a child for the first time," Pacholczyk said.

Camille Pauley, who heads Healing the Culture, a Catholic organization that educates people on how to engage with difficult cultural issues like abortion, spoke to EWTN News about what it means to show charity to another person.

"Charity is to act for the good of the other person, who is made in the image and likeness of God," Pauley said. "Persons who commit the evil of abortion are not 'demonic monsters' or 'soulless savages.' These are words that do damage to society and to ourselves when we use them.'

"Persons who have fallen into the sin of abortion are human beings who are either spiritually lost or have been deeply wounded, abandoned, betrayed, deceived, and sometimes abused or coerced," Pauley said.

"At the same time, we shouldn't confuse charity towards persons with charity toward abortion," Pauley continued. "'Abortion,' in the common usage of the term, is evil, wrong, and sinful. It hurts women and unjustly kills an intrinsically valuable and sacred human being who has an inalienable right to life. To speak these words is an act of charity when they are used for the good of the other person."

She emphasized that the woman and her baby shouldn't be pitted against one another.

"The language we use must affirm that the interests of the woman are the same as the interests of the child," Pauley said. "The pro-abortion movement always wants to separate the mother and her child and pit them against one another. We must never do this. Choosing to protect her child's life is in the best interest of the child and his mother."

Why does the Catholic Church teach that life is sacred?

In St. John Paul II's 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae ("The Gospel of Life"), which continues to inform the pro-life cause today, the late pope connects the teaching on the sacredness of life to how man relates to God.

"Every individual, precisely by reason of the mystery of the Word of God who was made flesh, is entrusted to the maternal care of the Church," JPII wrote. "Therefore every threat to human dignity and life must necessarily be felt in the Church's very heart."

He noted that the decision to have an abortion is "often tragic and painful" for the woman. However, serious reasons still "can never justify the deliberate killing of an innocent human being," he added.

But the responsibility doesn't fall on the woman alone. The responsibility for any abortion extends throughout society, from the mother and father, to legislators, and to systems in place that prop up abortion, according to John Paul II, who went on to say in the encyclical that abortion goes against the right to life, which is foundational to human society, and criticized the language of "abortion rights."

"To claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others," John Paul II wrote. "This is the death of true freedom."

He emphasized that believers have a particular call to defending unborn children, as the incarnation of Jesus Christ, he said, reveals "the incomparable value of every human person."

He continued: "[Life is] a sacred reality entrusted to us, to be preserved with a sense of responsibility and brought to perfection in love and in the gift of ourselves to God and to our brothers and sisters."

This year's theme: 'Mary, Mother of Life'

The U.S. bishops, in their Respect Life Month resources, point to Mary as "our model for upholding the sanctity of all human life" — highlighting this year's theme: "Mary, Mother of Life."

"In becoming the mother of Jesus, Mary becomes the mother of life," the bishops wrote. "Mary's acceptance in this unforeseen moment demonstrates how each of us must welcome the gift of new human life, even when that gift is unexpected or calls us to make sacrifices."

The bishops encouraged Catholics to pray a Respect Life Novena from October 22–30. For more resources about Respect Life month, visit: https://www.respectlife.org/.

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This year marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis, which will be celebrated on his feast day, Oct. 4. October is also a month dedicated to the Blessed Mother and the holy rosary, which helps us meditate on Christ and the great mysteries of our salvation. The timing provides good reason to examine the exceptional devotion St. Francis had for the Blessed Mother.

Here are some fascinating facts to know about St. Francis, the Franciscan order he founded, and the Blessed Mother:

• St. Francis had a vision where he saw his friars try to reach Christ by a steep red ladder, but they kept falling off. Then Jesus showed him a second, less steep, white ladder that had Our Lady at the top. He told Francis: "Advise your sons to go by the ladder of my mother."
• Many have given testimony stating St. Francis was one of the strongest Marian devotees in Church history. Servant of God Thomas of Celano, one of Francis' friars, said that Francis' love for the Blessed Virgin was beyond words, "inexpressible … for it was she who made the Lord of Majesty our brother."
• St. Francis made the Blessed Mother the patroness and queen of the Friars Minor. St. Bonaventure, one of Francis' early biographers, wrote that Francis placed himself and his order under the protection and guidance of Mary for all time: "On one side we should show Mary in all her poverty of Bethlehem placing the most sweet son of God upon the rough straw of the manger. In the other half of our painting, we would portray Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God, and Queen of the Seraphic Order, in the chapel of Mary of the Angels stretching forth her arms in motherly protection over all her Franciscan sons and daughters."
• It was one of St. Francis' followers who was instrumental in the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The writings of Blessed John Duns Scotus (d. 1308), one of the greatest Franciscan theologians, led the Church in part to proclaim the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854.
• Praying with counted beads was a common method of meditation from the earliest centuries of the Church. Although we don't have written proof that St. Francis prayed the rosary founded by St. Dominic, we do know that St. Dominic and St. Francis were contemporaries, and so it may be very probable he would know and pray it.

St. Francis' devotion to the Blessed Mother is summarized beautifully in his "Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary":

Hail, O Lady,
Mary, holy Mother of God:
you are the Virgin made Church
and the one chosen by the
most holy Father in heaven
whom he consecrated
with his most holy beloved Son
and with the Holy Spirit the Paraclete,
in whom there was and is
the fullness of grace and every good.
Hail his palace!
Hail his tabernacle!
Hail his home!
Hail his robe!
Hail his servant!
Hail his mother!

And hail all you holy virtues which through the grace and light of the Holy Spirit are poured into the hearts of the faithful so that from their faithless state you may make them faithful to God. Amen.

St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

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Europe's data protection rules may require the erasure of personal data from Catholic baptismal records in some cases when an individual requests it, a top European Union official said Thursday.

The Oct. 1 opinion from Laila Medina, the advocate general at the Court of Justice of the European Union, could prove decisive in a dispute between the Catholic Church and European leaders over whether or not baptismal records can be preserved in Church registers.

The Court of Justice is currently considering the case, which was brought by the Brussels Court of Appeal and which asked for clarification about whether the Diocese of Ghent's refusal to erase names from baptismal records when requested is in violation of Europe's General Data Protection Regulation.

Catholic leadership has expressed strong concerns over the issue. The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union said in September that baptismal records are not merely a "list of members" of the Church but rather serve as a "record of historical events."

Allowing baptismal record erasures would "constitute an infringement on the substance of the sacrament" and would "seriously impede" the functioning of the Church, the bishops said.

Pope Leo XIV has also expressed concern in the debate, having reportedly told the European bishops in May 2025 that he "considers the issue very important."

In her Oct. 1 opinion, which is non-binding on the justice court, Medina said European data rules apply to the case and that the "data processing in question," i.e. the baptismal records, "must be in line" with those rules.

The Catholic Church must demonstrate "compelling legitimate grounds" for retaining someone's name in the baptismal records after the person rejects, Medina said.

The Ghent Diocese had originally responded to the individual's deletion request by striking through his name but still retaining his entry in a legible form. That measure, Medina said, "does not constitute erasure" under European data rules.

"The data must be rendered illegible to the extent necessary to ensure that the person is no longer identified or easily identifiable," she said. She argued that "information concerning the fact that a baptism took place at a given place and time may be retained."

Medina acknowledged that the issue was "complex" and that the European court must make a "case-by-case assessment" regarding such data disputes.

Though the report is non-binding, advocate general opinions often help shape the outcome of cases in European courts. The Oct. 1 document noted that the judges are "now beginning their deliberations" in the case. A ruling is expected later in 2026 or in 2027.

In September the European bishops told the court that baptismal registers do not "bear witness to the faith of individual persons" but rather serve as a "fundamental evidentiary instrument" that in part helps the Church manage its other records related to marriage and confirmation.

Requiring the deletion of baptismal data, the bishops said, would dictate that the Church "adapt to [a person's] feelings or opinions" in how it understands baptismal records.

This would require a shift in "theological reflection," they said, which is "protected by Church autonomy."

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WASHINGTON — Thousands of Catholics who gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday got a head start on the approaching month of the rosary by participating in a daylong event featuring prayer and talks centered on the power of the Marian prayer.

The fourth annual Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage drew an estimated 4,500 people, with tens of thousands of others joining via livestream broadcast.

Hosted by the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph, the event included opportunities for joining in Eucharistic adoration and receiving the sacrament of reconciliation.

"Every year the pilgrimage grows. Every year, more people join us and every year those prayers are lifted up to heaven with greater enthusiasm," said Dominican Father Patrick Briscoe, promoter general for social communication of the Province of St. Joseph, which extends from New England to Virginia to Ohio.

"It's such a beautiful event," said pilgrim Lauren Rodriguez, who traveled from Miami. "This is the second time I've come and this year I brought my husband. I just thought it was so impactful to see so much beauty, prayer, and truth in the preaching. It's incredibly peaceful for as many activities that there are throughout the day."

In preparation for the event, an estimated 100,000 Catholics participated in a nine-month novena, beginning on Jan. 31 and ending on Sept. 26, according to Dominican Father John Paul Kern, executive director of the Dominican Friars Foundation.

"I think Our Lady brings us closer to him and reveals something to us about her son in a very special way with him here at this event," Kern said.

Dominican Father Peter John Cameron, the event's principal speaker, described the rosary as a gift and a "chain that unites people to God."

"The rosary is something truly unique and indescribably precious," he told EWTN News. "Because more than just a form of prayer, the rosary is a relationship. The rosary is a dynamic experience of our sonship, of our daughtership, in God."

"For someone like me who's so busy, and so many people are busy, it's a day dedicated to prayer, to soak it in, receive the graces," Rodriguez told EWTN News. "You meet so many wonderful people from all over. It really is reaching so many people and touching so many hearts."

The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of October to the most holy rosary and celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Oct. 7.

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