null / Credit: vmargineanu/ShutterstockCNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).Officials in New Jersey have charged a former parish financial director with the theft of more than half a million dollars in church funds. Joseph Manzi has been charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking after he allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Leo the Great Parish in Lincroft. Manzi was the subject of an August lawsuit by the parish in which he was alleged to have "systematically, secretly, and dishonestly utilized parish funds for his own personal benefit." The civil suit claimed he had stolen upwards of $1.5 million. In an Oct. 17 press release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin's office said Manzi had been officially criminally charged with the theft. Platkin in the release said Manzi used the funds "not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle."Manzi stopped working at the Lincroft parish in June of this ...
null / Credit: vmargineanu/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).
Officials in New Jersey have charged a former parish financial director with the theft of more than half a million dollars in church funds.
Joseph Manzi has been charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking after he allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Leo the Great Parish in Lincroft.
Manzi was the subject of an August lawsuit by the parish in which he was alleged to have "systematically, secretly, and dishonestly utilized parish funds for his own personal benefit." The civil suit claimed he had stolen upwards of $1.5 million.
In an Oct. 17 press release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin's office said Manzi had been officially criminally charged with the theft. Platkin in the release said Manzi used the funds "not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle."
Manzi stopped working at the Lincroft parish in June of this year, the office said. Afterwards, church staff reviewed credit card statements and found "numerous unauthorized charges that were determined to allegedly be for Manzi's personal benefit."
The state alleged that Manzi used stolen funds for "event vendors, vehicle repairs, financing, and purchases, including a Cadillac SUV," as well as purchases such as luxury clothing, sports event tickets and "chartered fishing trips."
Manzi is facing up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150,000.
It was not immediately clear why the prosecutor's office charged Manzi with about $1 million less in theft than the August civil suit alleged. The attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 18 seeking clarification on the figures.
On its website, the St. Leo parish said the controversy "will not prevent Saint Leo the Great Parish from working every day to live our mission – to serve Parishioners and the community in God's name with the greatest of love and compassion."
"We ask you all to stand together in our shared faith and to pray for a swift and just conclusion to this troubling chapter," the parish said.
The painting St. Luke the Evangelist in the church Iglesia El Buen Pastor by Miguel Vaguer (1959). / Credit: Renata Sedmakova/ShutterstockCNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).On Oct. 18, Catholics and other Christians around the world celebrate the feast of St. Luke, the physician and companion of St. Paul whose Gospel preserved the most extensive biography of Jesus Christ.St. Luke, who is also the author of the Acts of the Apostles, wrote a greater volume of the New Testament than any other single author in the earliest history of the Church. Ancient traditions also acknowledge Luke as the founder of Christian iconography, making him a patron of artists as well as doctors and other medical caregivers.Luke came from the large metropolitan city of Antioch, a part of modern-day Turkey. In his lifetime, the city emerged as an important center of early Christianity. During the future saint's early years, Antioch's port had already become a cultural center, renowned for arts and...
The painting St. Luke the Evangelist in the church Iglesia El Buen Pastor by Miguel Vaguer (1959). / Credit: Renata Sedmakova/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
On Oct. 18, Catholics and other Christians around the world celebrate the feast of St. Luke, the physician and companion of St. Paul whose Gospel preserved the most extensive biography of Jesus Christ.
St. Luke, who is also the author of the Acts of the Apostles, wrote a greater volume of the New Testament than any other single author in the earliest history of the Church. Ancient traditions also acknowledge Luke as the founder of Christian iconography, making him a patron of artists as well as doctors and other medical caregivers.
Luke came from the large metropolitan city of Antioch, a part of modern-day Turkey. In his lifetime, the city emerged as an important center of early Christianity. During the future saint's early years, Antioch's port had already become a cultural center, renowned for arts and sciences. Historians do not know whether Luke came to Christianity from Judaism or paganism, although there are strong suggestions that Luke was a Gentile convert.
Educated as a physician in the Greek-speaking city, Luke was among the most cultured and cosmopolitan members of the early Church. Scholars of archeology and ancient literature have ranked him among the top historians of his time period, besides noting the outstanding Greek prose style and technical accuracy of his accounts of Christ's life and the apostles' missionary journeys.
Other students of biblical history deduce from Luke's writings that he was the only evangelist to incorporate the personal testimony of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose role in Christ's life emerges most clearly in his Gospel. Tradition credits him with painting several icons of Christ's mother, and one of the sacred portraits ascribed to him — known by the title "Salvation of the Roman People" — survives to this day in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Some traditions hold that Luke became a direct disciple of Jesus before the Ascension, while others hold that he became a believer only afterward. After St. Paul's conversion, Luke accompanied him as his personal physician — and, in effect, as a kind of biographer, since the journeys of Paul on which Luke accompanied him occupy a large portion of the Acts of the Apostles. Luke probably wrote this text, the final narrative portion of the New Testament, in the city of Rome, where the account ends.
Luke was also among the only companions of Paul who did not abandon him during his final imprisonment and death in Rome. After the martyrdom of St. Paul in the year 67, Luke is said to have preached elsewhere throughout the Mediterranean and possibly died as a martyr. However, tradition is unclear on this point.
Fittingly, the evangelist whose travels and erudition could have filled volumes, wrote just enough to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
This story was first published on Oct. 17, 2010, and has been updated.
Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. speaks at the University of Notre Dame Forum event on 'Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life' on Oct. 17, 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of Michael Caterina / University of Notre DameWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 18:29 pm (CNA).Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., expressed concerns about increasing political polarization in the United States and urged Americans to remember "that which binds us together as a people."McElroy made the comments at the University of Notre Dame on Friday, Oct. 17. He spoke with University President Rev. Robert Dowd in a conversation titled "Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life." The event was part of the university's 2025-26 Forum on the theme "Cultivating Hope." McElroy holds doctorates in sacred theology and political science."The conflict between the two parties has done, I think, terrible damage to us," McElroy said, and noted t...
Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. speaks at the University of Notre Dame Forum event on 'Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life' on Oct. 17, 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of Michael Caterina / University of Notre Dame
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 18:29 pm (CNA).
Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., expressed concerns about increasing political polarization in the United States and urged Americans to remember "that which binds us together as a people."
McElroy made the comments at the University of Notre Dame on Friday, Oct. 17. He spoke with University President Rev. Robert Dowd in a conversation titled "Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life." The event was part of the university's 2025-26 Forum on the theme "Cultivating Hope." McElroy holds doctorates in sacred theology and political science.
"The conflict between the two parties has done, I think, terrible damage to us," McElroy said, and noted that a "notion of warfare, of tribalism has seeped into us" when discussing political disagreements.
A person's political beliefs, the cardinal explained, "has become shorthand now for worldview in the views of many, many people," which he warned "is a very damaging development in our society" because it moves Americans away from focusing on a "shared purpose and meaning" when crafting political solutions.
The United States, McElroy said, is not bound by blood or ethnicity, but rather "bound together by the aspirations of our founders."
'What binds us'
"What binds us is the aspirations of freedom, human dignity, care for all, the rights of all, the empowerment of all, democratic rights," he said. "...We're proud to be Americans because of what our country aspires to be and to do."
McElroy said "much of this needs to take place at the parish level" to facilitate dialogue among those who disagree with each other, and argued that the founders "believed on a very deep level [that the country] could only succeed if religion flourished."
"They believed that only religion could genuinely bring from the human heart a sense of the willingness to look past self-interest or group interest to a wider sense of what the common good is," McElroy said.
"So for that reason, they thought religion was essential, not as a direct force in politics, certainly, or governance, but rather in contributing in the human heart and in the understanding of the issues that come forth," he added.
Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. (right) speaks with University of Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. (left) at Notre Dame Forum event on 'Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life' on Oct. 17, 2025. Credit: Courtesy of Michael Caterina/University of Notre Dame
Although McElroy said the Church does not have a specific political role, he said it does have "a moral role within the political and public order," which "needs to be rooted in the moral understanding." If a political question has a moral component, the cardinal said "the Church contributes to the public debate."
"It speaks not in terms of the politics — or it should not speak in terms of the politics — but rather solely the moral questions involved," McElroy said.
McElroy was appointed in January of this year by Pope Francis to serve as the archbishop of the nation's capital and assumed the position on March 11. He succeeded Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who retired.
In his installation Mass, McElroy emphasized the importance of respecting the human dignity of all people, particularly the unborn, migrants, and the poor.
Pope Leo XIV greets Catholic pilgrims from Russia during an audience in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Oct. 17, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media.ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 17, 2025 / 12:42 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV on Friday asked a group of Catholic pilgrims from Russia, in Rome on a Jubilee pilgrimage, to be an example of love and brotherhood upon their return home.In his Oct. 17 address at the Vatican, the Holy Father emphasized that the presence of the Russian pilgrims "is part of the journey of so many generations" who have traveled to Rome. For the Holy Father, "this city can be a symbol of human existence, in which the 'ruins' of past experiences, anguish, uncertainty, and anxiety are intertwined with the faith that grows every day and becomes active in charity.""And with the hope that does not disappoint and encourages us, because even on the ruins, despite sin and enmity, the Lord can build a new world and renewed life," he added.Bishop Joseph Werth of the Diocese of ...
Pope Leo XIV greets Catholic pilgrims from Russia during an audience in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Oct. 17, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media.
ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 17, 2025 / 12:42 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Friday asked a group of Catholic pilgrims from Russia, in Rome on a Jubilee pilgrimage, to be an example of love and brotherhood upon their return home.
In his Oct. 17 address at the Vatican, the Holy Father emphasized that the presence of the Russian pilgrims "is part of the journey of so many generations" who have traveled to Rome.
For the Holy Father, "this city can be a symbol of human existence, in which the 'ruins' of past experiences, anguish, uncertainty, and anxiety are intertwined with the faith that grows every day and becomes active in charity."
"And with the hope that does not disappoint and encourages us, because even on the ruins, despite sin and enmity, the Lord can build a new world and renewed life," he added.
Bishop Joseph Werth of the Diocese of the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk, Russia, told EWTN News after the meeting that Pope Leo took the time to greet the entire group of around 100 pilgrims, despite being scheduled to only greet the people in the front rows.
"It's a sign that the pope wanted to dedicate time to us," Werth said.
Leo encouraged the Catholics from Russia to continue the path of Christian life upon returning home, appealing to their responsibility in their local Church.
"From your families, from your parish and diocesan communities, may an example of love, fraternity, solidarity, and mutual respect emerge for all the people among whom you live, work, and study," he urged them.
In this way, he affirmed that "the fire of Christian love can be kindled, capable of warming the coldness of hearts, even the most hardened."
In Rome, the pontiff specified, "the heart of the Christian soul beats" and it is where "the events of the faith — received and transmitted since apostolic times, from which so many peoples and nations have drunk abundantly and from which they still live today — are intertwined with the concerns and commitments of daily life."
Leo XIV also pointed out the monuments scattered throughout the Eternal City, "tangible signs of living faith, rooted in the hearts of people, capable of transforming consciences and motivating them to do good."
He emphasized that every Catholic "is a living stone in the building of the Church" who, even if small, placed by the Lord in the right place, "plays an important role in the stability of the entire structure."
Alexey Gotovskiy of EWTN News contributed to this report.
null / Credit: NMKStudio@ShutterstockCNA Staff, Oct 17, 2025 / 13:19 pm (CNA).A federal judge in California will allow a class action lawsuit to proceed for potentially millions of parents and teachers regarding school district rules that hide child "gender transitions" from parents. U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ruled Oct. 15 that the lawsuit Mirabelli v. Olson will proceed as a class action, becoming what the Thomas More Society said is potentially "one of the largest civil rights class actions" in California history. Peter Breen, the head of litigation at the Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm, said in the group's Oct. 16 press release that parents have a "fundamental right" to direct their children's education and moral upbringing, and that California school officials "cannot override that right by keeping parents in the dark about major issues and developments in their child's life." In his ruling, Benitez said the lawsuit satisfies the crit...
null / Credit: NMKStudio@Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Oct 17, 2025 / 13:19 pm (CNA).
A federal judge in California will allow a class action lawsuit to proceed for potentially millions of parents and teachers regarding school district rules that hide child "gender transitions" from parents.
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ruled Oct. 15 that the lawsuit Mirabelli v. Olson will proceed as a class action, becoming what the Thomas More Society said is potentially "one of the largest civil rights class actions" in California history.
Peter Breen, the head of litigation at the Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm, said in the group's Oct. 16 press release that parents have a "fundamental right" to direct their children's education and moral upbringing, and that California school officials "cannot override that right by keeping parents in the dark about major issues and developments in their child's life."
In his ruling, Benitez said the lawsuit satisfies the criteria for class action status. School districts in California, he said, "are ultimately state agents under state control," and thus the issue of settling "statewide policy" means the class action structure is "superior to numerous individual actions by individual parents and teachers."
The class action ruling comes ahead of a Nov. 17 hearing in the same court, one that the Thomas More Society says may "potentially deliver a final ruling" on the dispute, including whether secretive school transgender policies violate parents' constitutional rights.
"Parents should never be treated as strangers in their own children's lives," Breen said.
The legal group said the suit will now represent "all California parents and teachers affected by school district policies that conceal children's gender transitions from their families."
Those policies have been at the center of ongoing debate over transgenderism and gender ideology in recent years. LGBT advocates and school leaders around the country have argued that teachers and school administrators should be permitted to exclude parents from knowing if their children begin "identifying" as the opposite sex.
Activists have also argued that school officials should be allowed to facilitate child "gender transitions" without informing parents.
Rules allowing teachers to hide such sensitive information from parents have come under fire from advocates in recent years, including the Trump administration.
In February the White House launched an investigation into five school districts in northern Virginia to determine whether their transgender policies violated executive orders forbidding schools from facilitating "gender transitions."
In 2023, meanwhile, Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued directives affirming that parents in the state would enjoy broad oversight of their children while they are enrolled in public schools, reversing earlier rules that allowed teachers to keep children's transgender "identities" secret from parents.
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in St. Peter's Square on September 28, 2025. / Vatican Media screenshotCNA Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 13:38 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV has responded to a letter from a grieving father with the encouragement that "death never has the last word."In the October issue of Piazza San Pietro magazine, the pontiff penned a letter to Francesco, a father of four, who wrote to the Holy Father about the death of his 12-year-old son, Domenico Maria, from a sudden illness 18 years ago.Despite the time that has passed, the father said he still felt like his son's premature death happened only yesterday. "Holiness, this letter of mine is intended only as a thought, as well as a remembrance for our son, so that God, in his infinite goodness and mercy as a Father, may welcome him into the kingdom of heaven…" Francesco wrote.In his response, Leo reminded the father that "the important thing is to always remain connected to the Lord, going through the greatest pain ...
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in St. Peter's Square on September 28, 2025. / Vatican Media screenshot
CNA Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 13:38 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has responded to a letter from a grieving father with the encouragement that "death never has the last word."
In the October issue of Piazza San Pietro magazine, the pontiff penned a letter to Francesco, a father of four, who wrote to the Holy Father about the death of his 12-year-old son, Domenico Maria, from a sudden illness 18 years ago.
Despite the time that has passed, the father said he still felt like his son's premature death happened only yesterday.
"Holiness, this letter of mine is intended only as a thought, as well as a remembrance for our son, so that God, in his infinite goodness and mercy as a Father, may welcome him into the kingdom of heaven…" Francesco wrote.
In his response, Leo reminded the father that "the important thing is to always remain connected to the Lord, going through the greatest pain with the help of His Grace, which always comes — be sure of that — even in the darkest moments."
The pope also recalled the light of the love of God, who walks with us throughout our life, starting at our Baptism.
"All this begins with our Baptism and will never end," he said. "Baptism introduces us into communion with Christ and gives us true life, committing us to renounce a culture of death that is very present in our society."
"But death never has the last word! The last word, which opens the doors to eternity and joy that lasts forever, is the resurrection, which knows no discouragement or pain that imprisons us in the extreme difficulty of not finding meaning in our existence," the pontiff added.
In his letter, Francesco described his son's love of soccer and the community of friends he found through playing the sport.
Pope Leo said "authentic prayer, like authentic sport, practiced together, creates bonds and unites forever, as it united Domenico Maria with all those on his 'team' of true friendship, with bonds that go far beyond death."
Churches in Jerusalem. / Credit: Amizor via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:Jerusalem church leaders welcome Gaza ceasefireThe Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem has hailed the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange, describing it as a "first real step toward ending the war," CNA's Arabic-language news partner, ACI MENA, reported Oct. 16. The statement thanked the international community, particularly mediators at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, for helping secure the deal and called for rapid humanitarian access to food, clean water, fuel, and medicine.The church leaders also voiced alarm over growing violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank, insisting that peace talks must lead to an independent Palestinian state living in safety beside Israel. They praised Christians in Gaza for their steadfa...
Churches in Jerusalem. / Credit: Amizor via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
Jerusalem church leaders welcome Gaza ceasefire
The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem has hailed the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange, describing it as a "first real step toward ending the war," CNA's Arabic-language news partner, ACI MENA, reported Oct. 16.
The statement thanked the international community, particularly mediators at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, for helping secure the deal and called for rapid humanitarian access to food, clean water, fuel, and medicine.
The church leaders also voiced alarm over growing violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank, insisting that peace talks must lead to an independent Palestinian state living in safety beside Israel. They praised Christians in Gaza for their steadfast faith, calling the communities of St. Porphyrius Orthodox and Holy Family Catholic churches "a living witness of hope amid suffering."
Tokyo archbishop calls for end to death penalty
Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, archbishop of Tokyo, is calling on Japan to abolish the death penalty and grant clemency to two men charged with murder, according to a report by Crux.
"The Catholic Church in Japan opposes capital punishment, calling for the protection of all life as a gift from the Creator. The Church urges the government to abolish the death penalty and reform the Japanese criminal justice system," the cardinal said, adding: "I fundamentally believe that if we uphold the value of human life and dignity, we must not employ the same method as the criminals by taking a life away."
Protests in Cameroon overshadow presidential election despite bishops' call for peace
Despite repeated appeals by Catholic bishops for peace and transparency ahead of Cameroon's presidential elections, protests reportedly erupted in some cities in the country, ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, reported Oct. 16.
In the country's capital of Douala, angry demonstrators accused authorities of electoral fraud in the Oct. 12 vote. This comes after members of the Cameroon bishops' conference called on authorities to address any electoral insecurities they said could possibly mar the country's presidential elections.
"Every human life is sacred and must be protected. It is everyone's duty to ensure that the sanctity of human life is preserved before, during, and after the upcoming elections," they said, adding: "We call on the competent authorities of the Republic to use their powers to prevent electoral insecurity and ensure a favorable environment, free from fear and intimidation."
Results for the election are expected by Oct. 26.
Pope Leo XIV meets Jordan's King Abdullah II: a renewed friendship
Pope Leo XIV welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania to the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City this week, their first meeting since the pope's election earlier this year, ACI MENA reported Oct. 14.
The encounter reaffirmed the long-standing friendship between the Holy See and the Hashemite Kingdom, centered on interfaith dialogue and shared concern for peace in the Middle East. The visit comes as King Abdullah tours Europe, including Italy, Hungary, and Slovenia, for talks on regional stability.
Observers note that the strong personal rapport once shared between Pope Francis and the Jordanian monarch is likely to continue under Pope Leo, whose pontificate has already signaled continuity in humanitarian outreach and mutual respect.
Korean Catholics call on government to protect workers under new law
Catholic officials are welcoming a change to Korea's labor laws that will help protect workers by strengthening unions and adding protections for workers in Korea's segmented labor market, according to an Oct. 15 report from UCA News.
"Nothing is more important than the happiness, well-being, and protection of the lives of workers and their families, so it is natural for the Church to stand on the side of workers," said Father Alexander Lee Young-hoon, the Bishops' Conference of Korea's secretary of labor.
"When the Church speaks out on labor and social issues, many believers perceive it as a political stance," said John Park Young-ki, attorney and member of the Seoul Archdiocese Labor Ministry Committee. "The path of a Church that stands with the poor and the vulnerable, as Pope Francis has said, is not to follow secular logic but to show concern for the vulnerable."
Germany names its head of foreign intelligence service as ambassador to Holy See
Pope Leo XIV received Bruno Kahl, Germany's new ambassador to the Holy See, on Oct. 11, according to a Vatican press bulletin.
Kahl presented Leo with his credential letters during the meeting, marking the official start of his post. The new ambassador has been in Rome for several weeks, according to reports, and previously met with Leo during a private audience with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. During his stint as head of German intelligence, Kahl was in Ukraine when Russia invaded at the start of the war and had to be evacuated by special forces from the country via car, according to several reports.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (left) shakes hands with now Archbishop-elect of Vienna Josef Grünwidl at the time of his appointment as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna on Jan. 22, 2025, and on Oct. 17, 2025. / Credit: Archdiocese of Vienna / Stephan SchönlaubRome Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 06:02 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV on Friday appointed Father Josef Grünwidl to succeed Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP, as head of the Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria's most populous archdiocese.Grünwidl has overseen the Vienna archdiocese on an interim basis since January, when the 80-year-old Schönborn concluded three decades at its helm following the acceptance of his resignation by Pope Francis.The 62-year-old Grünwidl, born in lower Austria, was chairman of the Vienna Priests' Council and episcopal vicar of the Vienna archdiocese's southern vicariate before being named apostolic administrator.A former concert organist, the archbishop-elect has served in numerous roles in the a...
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (left) shakes hands with now Archbishop-elect of Vienna Josef Grünwidl at the time of his appointment as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna on Jan. 22, 2025, and on Oct. 17, 2025. / Credit: Archdiocese of Vienna / Stephan Schönlaub
Rome Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 / 06:02 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Friday appointed Father Josef Grünwidl to succeed Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP, as head of the Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria's most populous archdiocese.
Grünwidl has overseen the Vienna archdiocese on an interim basis since January, when the 80-year-old Schönborn concluded three decades at its helm following the acceptance of his resignation by Pope Francis.
The 62-year-old Grünwidl, born in lower Austria, was chairman of the Vienna Priests' Council and episcopal vicar of the Vienna archdiocese's southern vicariate before being named apostolic administrator.
A former concert organist, the archbishop-elect has served in numerous roles in the archdiocese since his ordination in 1988, including as a pastor and parish moderator. The priest was also secretary to Cardinal Schönborn from 1995 to 1998, at the beginning of Schönborn's term as archbishop of Vienna.
According to Austria's public broadcasting service, ORF, Grünwidl is a former member of the controversial "Pastor's Initiative," a dissident Catholic group founded in Austria in 2006 on a call to "disobedience" on certain Church issues. The group advocates for the ordination of women, optional priestly celibacy, and Communion for the divorced-and-remarried and members of other Christian faiths.
ORF reports that Grünwidl, who is not listed among current members of the "Pastor's Initiative," has "recently emphasized that celibacy is a consciously chosen way of life for him personally, but 'not a matter of faith' and should therefore not be a mandatory requirement for priests."
"On the subject of women in the Church, he identified an 'urgent need for clarification,'" ORF continued. "The diaconate for women should be discussed further, and Grünwidl also considers the admission of women to the College of Cardinals to be conceivable."
Speaking on the broadcaster's program "Orientation" early this year, Grünwidl said he left the "Pastor's Initiative" because he felt that Pope Francis' ideas had "overtaken" the group's proposals, and he could no longer support a motto of "disobedience." He emphasized "critical obedience," and said he "can't imagine an open opposition to the bishop in the Church."
The Catholic news agency Kathpress describes the archbishop-elect as a "pastorally grounded leader, valued preacher, and insightful conversationalist."
Archbishop emeritus Cardinal Schönborn
Schönborn, a theologian who led the Archdiocese of Vienna for 30 years, helped write the Catechism of the Catholic Church and chaired the Austrian bishops' conference for 22 years.
The Church leader was born to a titled family in 1945 in Bohemia in what was then Nazi Germany and is now part of the Czech Republic.
He grew up in western Austria, close to the border with Switzerland, and joined the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, in 1963.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Vienna in 1970. He went on to study sacred theology in Paris and in Regensburg, Germany, under the then-Father Joseph Ratzinger — the future Pope Benedict XVI.
Schönborn was awarded a doctorate in sacred theology in the 1970s and was later made a member of the prestigious International Theological Commission of the Vatican.
He was editorial secretary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and in 1991, Pope John Paul II named the theologian an auxiliary bishop of Vienna.
After being appointed coadjutor archbishop of Vienna in April 1995, he succeeded Cardinal Hans Hermann Groër, OSB, as archbishop of Vienna on Sept. 14, 1995.
Schönborn was made a cardinal by St. Pope John Paul II in 1998.
The president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy (PAMI), Franciscan friar Stefano Cecchin, OFM. / Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN NewsVatican City, Oct 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).Father Stefano Cecchin, OFM, president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy, (PAMI by its Italian acronym), which reports directly to the Roman Curia, said in a recent interview that the Church faces persistent challenges regarding truths about the Virgin Mary. Cecchin told ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that PAMI encounters challenges every day from Protestants as well as certain groups within the Catholic Church, both openly and indirectly, who deny the dogma of the virginity of Mary established at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 and the Lateran Council of 649."There are theologians and biblical scholars who are saying that the virginity of Mary is a myth, and this is very dangerous because the … Fathers of the Church, and even the Quran, defend the virgin...
The president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy (PAMI), Franciscan friar Stefano Cecchin, OFM. / Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN News
Vatican City, Oct 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Father Stefano Cecchin, OFM, president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy, (PAMI by its Italian acronym), which reports directly to the Roman Curia, said in a recent interview that the Church faces persistent challenges regarding truths about the Virgin Mary.
Cecchin told ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that PAMI encounters challenges every day from Protestants as well as certain groups within the Catholic Church, both openly and indirectly, who deny the dogma of the virginity of Mary established at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 and the Lateran Council of 649.
"There are theologians and biblical scholars who are saying that the virginity of Mary is a myth, and this is very dangerous because the … Fathers of the Church, and even the Quran, defend the virginity of Mary," the priest stated.
Devil is behind attacks on Immaculate Conception
Cecchin is an expert in Mariology and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which refers to Mary's preservation from original sin from the moment of her conception in her mother's womb and was officially defined by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854.
Mary has always been the target of attacks from the devil, Cecchin explained, especially because of her role in the economy of salvation.
"The devil works hard; I've seen it a great deal, especially against the Immaculate Conception," he said. "I see how he continues to attack the figure of Mary, and right now he's attacking her within the Church with those who, for example, say that Mary is not a virgin."
"The first attack against Christ was an attack on the virginity of Mary, who [supposedly] had slept with a Roman soldier, so Jesus was not the true son of God. If we question Mary's virginity, we put into doubt all of Christianity," he pointed out.
Cecchin recalled that, from a biblical and theological perspective, Mary occupies a unique place in the history of salvation as the mother of God and a figure of the Church. He explained that her role is not limited to the Incarnation in the past, but she continues to be active in the spiritual life of believers.
"The point is that it is not we who seek God, but he who seeks us. And that is why, after Jesus ascended to heaven, the angels said [the apostles] would not see him again until he returned on the glorious day. But Jesus entrusts the Church to Mary: 'Behold, your mother.' That is why Mary continues to care for us and tries to bring us back to him," he explained.
'God doesn't want anyone to go to hell'
The director of PAMI, which is charged with coordinating all Mariological scholars and societies around the world, emphasized that Marian apparitions and calls to conversion must be understood as expressions of divine mercy, not as manifestations of fear or punishment.
"All the apparitions, the calls she makes regarding hell, are not to frighten us, but to convert us, because God doesn't want to punish us; he wants to convert us. This is a fundamental point taught by the Catechism of the Catholic Church. God doesn't want anyone to go to hell, but if you don't behave well, you will go to hell, because hell exists and is not empty," he explained.
Cecchin also emphasized that the defense of Marian dogmas is not a secondary or devotional issue but a pillar of the Christian message. He recalled that, according to St. Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of St. Peter and one of the earliest Fathers of the Church, denying the virginity of Mary means jeopardizing the truth about the incarnation of the Son of God.
"St. Ignatius of Antioch speaks of Mary and of Mary's virginity. That is why it is important to educate oneself," Cecchin said, "and to see that our Franciscan vision, according to which God desires the salvation of all, compels us to evangelize. The evangelization we propose today is a Marian evangelization."
The friar noted that throughout the history of the Church, controversies and heresies have also been opportunities to delve deeper into the truth.
"In the struggle for the Immaculate Conception, for example, there were those who thought one thing and those who thought another. The Church is always alive, and we normally see that, in history, heretics help us delve deeper into the truth. They are an incentive to delve deeper, but we must defend the truth," he maintained.
"Its only task is to study, not to give opinions," emphasized the Italian Franciscan, who noted that apparitions have always existed throughout history. "All shrines have a story behind them, an experience of encounter with the divine."
Pilgrims in the iconic blue carts attend Mass in the grotto of the Lourdes Shrine in France. Credit: Photo courtesy of Ana Melgar
"We want shrines to be not only a place of prayer but also of healing," he added.
Currently, the International Observatory on Apparitions and Mystical Phenomena is conducting a theological and historical analysis of Marian shrines.
"We are conducting a study of the sanctuaries from Nazareth, which is the shrine that housed the relics of the Virgin, which were then taken to Constantinople, to Blacherne ... We have seen that in the Middle Ages there are always minor apparitions that are at the origin of the shrines we have around the world," he explained.
With Guadalupe, the great apparitions begin
Over time, these manifestations of faith took on an increasingly universal dimension. The great apparition of the Virgin Mary to the Indian St. Juan Diego in 1531 begins a long series of great apparitions, according to Cecchin.
"The first ones were a little more local, but with Guadalupe, the apparitions that interest nations, that interest continents, begin. Then come Lourdes, Fátima, Medjugorje, Kibeho… all these great apparitions that attract people because the shrine is always a special place where the Mother asks to see, as in all apparitions, the construction of a shrine," he explained.
Cecchin pointed out that shrines, from a biblical perspective, are always a place of encounter.
"In the Old Testament, in the apparitions of God, there was always a place, a shrine. Therefore, the shrine becomes a moment of encounter with God through Mary, what Paul VI called the clinics of the spirit. That's why we truly want shrines to be not only places of prayer but also of healing, of well-being, because Jesus told us: 'Preach and heal,'" he emphasized.
A pilgrim with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, who appeared to the Indian St. Juan Diego in 1531. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News
PAMI's work extends to the creation of study centers and the promotion of interreligious and ecumenical dialogue.
"Our task is to create centers and societies to study the figure of Mary in diverse cultures and also in dialogue with other Christian churches and other religions, because Mary plays this fundamental role in the history of the Church," he explained.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri. / Credit: Office of Senator Josh Hawley, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsCNA Staff, Oct 16, 2025 / 18:12 pm (CNA).Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.Senator introduces bill to ban Obamacare-funded abortionsU.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, on Oct. 15 introduced a bill to protect unborn children from abortion and minors from so-called gender transition.The bill would prevent taxpayer dollars from going toward abortions or transgender procedures for minors via Obamacare. While the Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal funding of abortion, Hawley's bill would "write Hyde language directly into the federal coverage terms of health plans," according to a press release from Hawley's office.Jamie Dangers, director of federal affairs at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, expressed gratitude "to Sen. Hawley for recognizing that Obamacare funds abortion and must be fixed.""This bill would do what should have been done...
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri. / Credit: Office of Senator Josh Hawley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
CNA Staff, Oct 16, 2025 / 18:12 pm (CNA).
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.
Senator introduces bill to ban Obamacare-funded abortions
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, on Oct. 15 introduced a bill to protect unborn children from abortion and minors from so-called gender transition.
The bill would prevent taxpayer dollars from going toward abortions or transgender procedures for minors via Obamacare. While the Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal funding of abortion, Hawley's bill would "write Hyde language directly into the federal coverage terms of health plans," according to a press release from Hawley's office.
Jamie Dangers, director of federal affairs at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, expressed gratitude "to Sen. Hawley for recognizing that Obamacare funds abortion and must be fixed."
"This bill would do what should have been done 15 years ago by applying the Hyde Amendment to Obamacare so that health care plans don't pay for elective abortions with taxpayer dollars," Dangers said.
"Until a bill like this becomes law, however, Republicans must make Hyde protections nonnegotiable in any funding for Obamacare, which currently uses taxpayer dollars to fund abortion on demand," Dangers concluded.
Louisiana woman sues FDA after boyfriend pressured her into a chemical abortion
A Louisiana woman who was pressured into abortion by her then-boyfriend is joining the state of Louisiana in a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In October 2023, Rosalie Markezich, out of fear for her safety, took abortion drugs that her boyfriend at the time had obtained via mail from a doctor in California.
An in-person visit used to be a baseline requirement for obtaining abortion drugs, but under the Biden administration, the FDA removed the safeguard in 2023.
"If the Biden FDA had not removed in-person dispensing, my then-boyfriend would not have been able to obtain abortion drugs and pressure me to take them against my will," Rosalie said in a statement.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the "FDA's reckless actions also opened wide the door for women to suffer reproductive coercion and assault."
"We are simply asking the FDA to restore this basic safety standard for women's health," Murrill said in a statement.
Rosalie Markezich, a Louisiana woman coerced into taking abortion drugs that her then-boyfriend obtained via mail from a doctor in California. Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom
Florida bill would allow for wrongful-death lawsuits for unborn children
A Florida bill could allow parents to file wrongful-death lawsuits for the death of an unborn child.
Proposed by Vero Beach Republican Sen. Erin Grall, the bill defines an unborn child as "a member of the species Homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb."
The bill wouldn't allow civil suits to be brought against medical personnel, such as in cases related to in vitro fertilization (IVF).
In addition, Boca Raton House Democrat Kelly Skidmore filed a bill that would nix a Florida program that provides funding for crisis pregnancy centers.
Abortions are illegal in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy, a time when many women do not yet know they are pregnant.
Referring to the crisis pregnancy centers, Skidmore asked: "What crisis pregnancies are they helping with?"
"When we live in a state that has a six-week ban, how many crisis pregnancies do you think there are that we still need to fund $29.5 million for these centers?"
The Florida Pregnancy Support Services Program reportedly helped provide more than 20,000 women with more than 130,000 counseling services and more than 18,000 pregnancy tests, according to recent data.
null / Credit: vmargineanu/Shutterstock
