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ACI Africa, Mar 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A Catholic bishop in the Africa's youngest country has directed the people under his care to participate in daily prayers for peace amid testimonies of rising tension in South Sudan and reports of the arrest of the country's first vice president, Dr. Riek Machar.

"First vice president" is a position that was created in 2015 as part of a coalition agreement. Five more such positions were created in 2020. They are temporary positions to assist during a transition period.

"As we witness rising tensions in South Sudan, I invite our parishes to pray every day for peace," Bishop Christian Carlassare wrote in a March 26 note obtained by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa.

The local ordinary of the Bentiu Diocese in South Sudan, who also serves as the apostolic administrator of the country's Diocese of Rumbek, directed that "the prayer for peace in South Sudan" be said "at the end of the Mass" and that there be in parishes "a weekly initiative for peace — either Eucharistic adoration or the Way of the Cross."

Hours after Carlassare's directive on daily prayers for peace in South Sudan, reports emerged of the arrest of Machar.

"South Sudanese security forces placed first vice president and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar under house arrest in Juba on Wednesday night amid escalating political tensions, raising fears of a return to civil war," Radio Tamazuj, an independent daily news service covering current affairs in Sudan and South Sudan, reported on March 26.

According to a March 26 Reuters report, Machar's party, the South Sudanese People's Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), is "trying to locate him after the defense minister and chief of national security 'forcefully entered' his residence and delivered an arrest warrant."

The Reuters report cites a statement from Machar's SPLM-IO party condemning "a blatant violation of the constitution and the Revitalized Peace Agreement," which refers to the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan that ended a 2013–2018 civil war between armed forces loyal to Machar and those aligned to South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir.

"The house arrest of Dr. Riek Machar is widely seen as jeopardizing the peace agreement," Radio Tamazuj reported. The news service quoted Reath Muoch Tang, the acting chairperson of the SPLM-IO's Committee on Foreign Relations, sharing details of Machar's house arrest. 

"The security forces came and chased everyone away from the compound, and the minister of defense left, but many security vehicles remained in the compound," Muoch Tang is quoted as telling Radio Tamazuj, adding: "Technically, Dr. Machar is under house arrest, but the security officials initially tried to take him away."

In a statement obtained by ACI Africa, the official spokesperson of SPLM-IO, Pal Mai Deng, confirmed "with grave concern" that Machar "has been placed under house arrest."

"This is an unfortunate move, and this violates the revitalized peace agreement," Mai Deng said.

"For the sake of South Sudan's future nationhood and nation-building, the physical security of Dr. Riek Machar is paramount," said the SPLM-IO spokesperson, who serves as South Sudan's minister of water and irrigation under the power-sharing agreement. "The region and the international community have the obligation to ensure his safety."

According to Reuters, foreign governments have cautioned against a renewed civil war in South Sudan "following weeks of escalating tensions that originated in fighting between government troops and a militia that has historically been close to Machar's forces."

Earlier, in a media briefing on March 24, the special representative of the secretary-general for South Sudan and head of the United Nations mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, described the security situation in South Sudan as "dire."

According to him, efforts to realize lasting peace in the east-central African nation can only succeed if the country's president and its first vice president, Machar, have the will to engage and especially to "put the interests of their people ahead of their own."

Meanwhile, in his directive on daily prayers for peace in South Sudan, Carlassare is considering the possibility of having more public prayer for peace.

This story was first publshed by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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Rome Newsroom, Mar 28, 2025 / 15:25 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis has expressed his sorrow for the victims of the devastating wildfires in South Korea, which killed 28 people and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.

In a message sent on the pope's behalf by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Francis conveyed his condolences to those mourning their loved ones and offered prayers for emergency personnel working to contain the fires.

"His Holiness Pope Francis is deeply concerned by the threat to life and the damage caused by the widespread wildfires in various parts of Korea," Parolin wrote on March 28.

"Entrusting the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, he sends heartfelt condolences to those who mourn their loss. His Holiness likewise offers prayers for the injured and for the relief efforts of the firefighters and other emergency personnel. Upon all, he invokes the divine blessings of consolation, healing, and strength."

The wildfires, which burned for a week across South Korea's southeastern regions, have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. 

Fueled by dry weather and strong winds, the blazes scorched more than 118,265 acres of land and forced over 30,000 people to flee. Thirty-seven people were injured. Many of those who perished were elderly residents who struggled to evacuate quickly.

As of March 28, the Korea Forest Service reported that the fires had been largely contained after rain on Thursday night helped firefighters battling the flames. However, about 8,000 people remain in temporary shelters, according to the Associated Press.

Among the affected areas was the Diocese of Andong, where parish priests, religious sisters, and parishioners were forced to evacuate as the fire spread to the mountain behind Cheongsong Cathedral. While the cathedral itself was spared, many parishioners lost their homes. In response, the diocese has established an emergency committee to coordinate relief efforts.

The Catholic Church in South Korea has mobilized aid to assist victims. Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul announced a fundraising campaign led by the One Body One Spirit Movement to support the Diocese of Andong and other impacted areas. Meanwhile, the Nanum Foundation chaired by Bishop Koo Yo-bi, has pledged 1 billion KRW (about $680,000) in emergency funding, according to Vatican News.

"The Archdiocese of Seoul will do its utmost to stand in solidarity and identify meaningful ways to accompany them on the journey of recovery," Chung said.

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CNA Staff, Mar 28, 2025 / 16:15 pm (CNA).

A new watchdog effort has launched to monitor and oppose the expansion of assisted suicide throughout the United States. 

Aging with Dignity, a nonprofit group inspired by St. Teresa of Calcutta that provides guidance on end-of-life issues, on Thursday debuted Assisted Suicide Watch, which the group said will "challenge the well-funded effort to convince people that suicide-affirming care is a social good."

Jim Towey, the founder and CEO of Aging with Dignity, previously served as legal counsel to Mother Teresa. He told CNA last year that he launched the nonprofit "to give people a hopeful vision for end of life that helps them practice their faith and that doesn't treat dying like it's just a medical moment."

The organization has widely distributed its "Five Wishes" legal document, an advance directive that helps Catholics and others establish their wishes for care ahead of a serious illness. Last year it rolled out a new resource, "Finishing Life Faithfully," a booklet that helps Catholics address end-of-life decisions in line with Church teaching. 

Assisted Suicide Watch, meanwhile, is meant to research and analyze "the consequences of suicide-affirming care," the organization says.

"If we adopt suicide as a social norm, then we remove any motivation to try and correct the increasing rate of suicide in the country because it is no longer a problem worth fixing but rather a 'solution' worth celebrating and promoting," the initiative points out. 

The new watchdog effort is already tracking the growing rate at which assisted suicide is claiming lives in the U.S. It says more than 2,300 Americans died from the practice in 2023, while more than 1,000 lethal prescriptions remain unaccounted for in the country.

Aging with Dignity said the watchdog will "track, expose, and oppose state and national efforts to expand physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia."

Towey in a press release said the group "fully support[s] patient self-determination." But, he said, "killing yourself or forcing doctors to participate is not the answer" because "it cheapens human dignity."

"Physicians are healers, not executioners," he said. "People need genuine compassion and choices, not the false choice of pain or poison."

In addition to the United States, assisted suicide has been on the upswing in other parts of the world, including in Canada, where the country's national "medical aid in dying" program accounted for nearly 1 in 20 deaths in the country in 2023.

Aging with Dignity said assisted suicide is the fifth-leading cause of death in Canada, with more than 96% of suicide requests granted. 

The group said that in order to counter assisted suicide it promotes "best practices in palliative care," including pain management, timely hospital services, and spiritual and emotional support.

"If America's health care system routinely offered such humane services," Towey said, "public support for the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide would nearly vanish."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 28, 2025 / 16:45 pm (CNA).

A public official in Ulster County, New York, is refusing to cooperate with a ruling from a Texas judge ordering a doctor to pay a $113,000 fine for allegedly mailing abortion pills into the southern state. 

Acting County Clerk Taylor Bruck will not file the summary judgment ordered against abortion doctor Margaret Daley Carpenter for allegedly providing abortion pills to women in Texas via mail, a violation of the state's laws.

The order was issued by Collin County, Texas, District Court Judge Bryan Gantt against Carpenter, a cofounder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine Access (ACT).

This is the first case, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, in which a court official in one state refused to cooperate with a judicial ruling from another state on a matter related to interstate abortion services.

Under Texas law, both surgical and chemical abortions are illegal in most circumstances and it is expressly illegal to supply abortion drugs to a person through the mail. The initial complaint against Carpenter, issued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, also noted that she is not licensed to practice medicine in Texas.

However, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill in 2023 that prohibits New York courts from cooperating with abortion-related court orders from out-of-state judges in pro-life states. The New York "Shield Law" is designed to create a "safe haven" for abortionists.

"I hold my responsibilities and the oath I have taken in the highest regard," Bruck said in a statement after refusing to file the summary judgment.

"In accordance with the New York state shield law, I have refused this filing and will refuse any similar filings that may come to our office," he continued. "Since this decision is likely to result in further litigation, I must refrain from discussing specific details about the situation."

Paxton issued a statement on X chastising the county clerk for blocking the summary judgment. 

"I am outraged that New York would refuse to allow Texas to pursue enforcement of a civil judgment against a radical abortionist illegally peddling dangerous drugs across state lines," Paxton wrote. 

"New York is shredding the Constitution to hide lawbreakers from justice, and it must end," he added. "I will not stop my efforts to enforce Texas' pro-life laws that protect our unborn children and mothers."

Gantt, who was appointed to the district court in Texas by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2024, issued the ruling against Carpenter after she failed to appear at a court hearing in February. The order also prohibits her from mailing abortion pills into the state in the future.

According to Paxton's lawsuit against Carpenter, the abortionist prescribed abortion drugs to a Texas woman after seeing the patient virtually via a telehealth appointment. The alleged drugs killed the unborn child and caused severe bleeding for the woman, which required her to seek medical attention at a hospital.

Carpenter is a co-medical director and cofounder of ACT, which advertises on its website that it makes abortion available "in all 50 states" and specifically offers "telemedicine care for patients in abortion-hostile states." The organization supplies women with abortion pills up to the 12th week of pregnancy.

ACT was formed in 2022 in response to lawmakers in some states enacting pro-life laws after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

In February, Carpenter was also indicted by a Louisiana grand jury for allegedly supplying abortion drugs to a minor in that state, in violation of state law. Hochul said at the time that the doctor would not be extradited to Louisiana, citing New York's shield law.roba

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CNA Staff, Mar 28, 2025 / 17:05 pm (CNA).

The organizer of a "black mass" that took place outside the Kansas state Capitol on Friday amid heavy Catholic protest was arrested shortly afterward in the Capitol building after punching a protester in the face. 

A video from local news outlet WIBW shows Michael Stewart raising his arms and chanting in the Capitol rotunda, surrounded by a number of protesters urging him to stop. A young man later identified as Marcus Schroeder attempted to snatch what appeared to be papers from Stewart's outstretched hands. 

Video and images circulating on social media show Stewart punching Schroeder twice in the face before a half-dozen police officers tackled him and led him away.  

Upon reaching the Capitol building's doors, law enforcement had greeted Stewart and told him he was welcome to enter but could not hold a demonstration. Gov. Laura Kelly had previously banned all protesters from entering the building. 

Stewart had publicly announced on numerous occasions his intention to defy Kelly's order and enter the Capitol rotunda, saying in a recent Facebook live video that he intended to enter the building and "read prayers." 

According to the Kansas Reflector, after the area cleared, two other Satanists tried to pick up where Stewart left off and were taken into custody. 

It's not yet clear what charges, if any, will be brought against members of the Satanist group. 

During the "mass" on the Capitol steps prior to the altercation inside the building, a protester attempted to throw himself on the unconsecrated "crackers" that Stewart was stomping on as part of the Satanic ritual. Stewart pummelled the man with his fists, and law enforcement took the man away, the Reflector reported.  

Catholic leaders in the state, while deploring the planned sacriligious "black mass" — which is designed to protest and mock the Catholic Mass — had called for peaceful and prayerful resistance. 

At the center of the Catholic reaction, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, led a session of Eucharistic adoration and Mass at a Catholic church directly opposite the Capitol. According to the Reflector, "as many as 400 people" showed up for the Mass at Assumption Church.  

Naumann, who settled a lawsuit earlier this month after the Satanic group testified under oath that it did not steal a consecrated host, had urged the faithful not to "succumb to anger and violence, as that would be cooperating with the devil."

A large crowd of several hundred counterprotestors, primarily organized by the Catholic group the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property, gathered on the south side of the Capitol to pray the rosary and demonstrate in defense of the Catholic faith. 

Meanwhile, "about 20 people" showed up in support of the "black mass," WIBW reported. 

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 28, 2025 / 17:35 pm (CNA).

Here are some of the major stories about the Church from around the world that you may have missed this week:

Cardinal calls on Iraqi Christians to vote for fellow Christians in upcoming elections

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Church, is urging Iraqi Christians to actively participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, emphasizing the importance of updating electoral records and obtaining voter cards, ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, reported. 

Sako stressed that the five parliamentary seats that are designated for Christians be confined to Christians alone to ensure accurate representation and underscored the crucial role that each individual can play in shaping Iraq's future. 

Latin patriarch of Jerusalem promotes interfaith dialogue during historic visit to Bahrain 

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, was received as an official guest of the Kingdom of Bahrain last week, marking a historic moment for the Catholic community in the Gulf country, with whom he expressed the Holy Land Church's "spiritual ties," ACI MENA reported. 

The cardinal met with Archbishop Aldo Berardi, the second apostolic vicar of Northern Arabia, along with various other religious leaders, parishioners, and representatives for the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence. He also presided over a pontifical Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, the largest Catholic church in the Arabian Peninsula.

During the homily, he emphasised the importance of coexistence, tolerance, and mutual respect in light of the various challenges facing the Middle East and called for prayers for the Christian community and harmony among religions. 

Cameroon diocese suspends 'all forms of worship' for chapel after Blessed Sacrament stolen

The bishop of the Diocese of Bafang in Cameroon has directed that St. Augustine Famkeu Chapel remain closed after it was desecrated and thieves stole a ciborium containing consecrated hosts and other items, ACI Africa reported. 

"This place can no longer host Christian worship until reparation has been made for this offense against God," Bishop Abraham Kome said in a statement. "Therefore, the chapel will remain closed until further notice for the necessary time of reparation." 

Excavation reveals further evidence of Armenian Christians in Jerusalem

Excavations this week in the Musrara neighborhood of Jerusalem uncovered four ancient Armenian inscriptions dating back to the sixth and seventh centuries, according to the Jerusalem Post. 

The inscriptions were discovered on a mosaic floor, tombstones, and a large pottery bowl. One inscription, discovered in the center of the "reception room," is a dedication by an Armenian priest that reads: "I Ewstat the priest laid this mosaic. You who enter this house, remember me and my brother Luke to Christ." 

Ethiopian bishop: Northern region could be 'engulfed in a very bloody confrontation'

Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin of the Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat in Ethiopia's Tigray region has issued a warning of rising tensions between Ethiopia and its northern bordering neighbor, Eritrea, ACI Africa reported. 

"Instability in our region continues to persist, tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are increasing, and the country could be engulfed in a very bloody confrontation. God forbid that the factions involved start a new war in Tigray, which has already suffered enormously," the bishop said Tuesday in a statement to Agenzia Fides. He noted that political instability and violence in the region, coupled with the "sudden interruption of USAID funding, is severely penalizing millions of people." 

Pakistan court sentences 5 men to death for alleged 'online blasphemy' 

A court in Pakistan has sentenced five men — four Pakistani nationals and one Afghan — to death on Tuesday for allegedly violating the Muslim-majority country's blasphemy laws online, according to an AFP report on March 26. A representative for the legal group that brought the case forward told AFP that "all five accused were sentenced to death for spreading blasphemous content against the holy prophet."

The five accused have each been sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly desecrating the Quran and 10 years for "hurting religious sentiments." The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended Pakistan be designated as a country of particular concern in its latest annual global watch report earlier this week.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 28, 2025 / 12:45 pm (CNA).

Surveys in about three dozen countries compiled by the Pew Research Center found that most Christians who are raised in the faith hold onto it in adulthood. In fact, in every country surveyed the majority of people who are raised Christian still remain in the faith as adults.

However, the numbers vary widely, from a high of 99% Christian faith retention in the Philippines and 98% in Hungary and Nigeria to lows of 51% in South Korea and 53% in the Netherlands.

The United States was slightly lower than the average from the countries included in the research. About 73% of Americans who are raised Christian as children have kept the faith in their adult lives.

Pew's data includes numbers from 10 European countries, 10 east and South Asian countries, eight countries in the Americas, five African countries, two west Asian countries, and one country in Oceania.

The broader report on religious retention rates included surveys from 36 countries, which polled nearly 40,000 Americans and slightly more than 40,000 people from other countries. However, the report only measured the Christian retention rate in 27 of those countries — the ones that had substantial Christian populations.

Based on the report, African and Eastern European countries surveyed had some of the highest retention rates for Christianity. Some of the lowest retention rates were in Western Europe, Canada, and Australia. 

Ghana, Kenya, Poland, and Sri Lanka all had retention rates between 92% and 97%. Peru had a retention rate of 89% and Greece was at 87%. Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa all had retention rates at 81%. Argentina's retention rate was 80%.

Countries with Christian faith retention rates between 72% and 79% included Colombia, Singapore, Italy, the United States, and Chile. 

The following countries had retention rates between 57% and 61%: Canada, Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Sweden.

A large majority of the people in these countries who abandoned the Christian faith no longer identify with any religion at all. Only a small percentage switched to a different religion.

Numbers of those who fall away outpace incoming converts 

The surveys also reveal that in most countries the number of adults who have fallen away from the faith is substantially higher than the number of adults in those countries who convert to Christianity.

Some of the biggest losses for the faith are happening in European countries, with six countries on the continent surveyed seeing more than 11 adults leave the faith for every one who converts to it. This trend is also prevalent, yet less pronounced, in the United States and other countries in North and South America.

Pew's surveys only measure the number of people who adhere to a different religious faith than the one with which they grew up. It does not measure broader national shifts in religious beliefs that are caused by other factors, such as immigration and birth rates.

The only countries that had more adult conversions to the faith than departures were Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Ghana, and the Philippines. Nigeria had a 1:1 ratio. 

Assessing these numbers, Jimmy Akin, a senior apologist at Catholic Answers, told CNA that the Pew compilation is "not representative of global trends" as it only includes five African countries on a continent where "Christianity has been growing dramatically." He also pointed out that "the Gospel is making progress in Muslim countries and in the communist world," most of which are not included in these surveys and frequently undercounted due to repressive laws.

In the United States, about 73% of people who were raised Christian as children still identify as Christians as adults. However, about 23% no longer identify with any religion and another 4% identify with a non-Christian faith, which means 27% no longer call themselves Christian.

On top of this, conversion rates to Christianity in the country are quite low as a percentage. The surveys found that about 94% of current Christians were raised in the faith. Only about 4% of people who call themselves Christian were raised without any faith and just 2% were raised in a non-Christian household of a separate faith.

Multiple factors contribute to the religious makeup of a country. In spite of the net loss through "religious switching," a separate Pew survey from May 2024 found that — in raw numbers — the percentage of Americans who identify as nonreligious has stabilized in recent years after a major surge in nonreligious identity through the 1990s and 2010s.

The data does not establish distinctions between Catholicism, Orthodoxy, or Protestantism. It does not categorize a change in Christian faith tradition or community as "religious switching." 

For Catholicism specifically, data published by the Vatican earlier this month shows continued growth in the number of people in the world who are Catholic. According to the data, the total number of Catholics globally surpassed 1.4 billion people in 2023.

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Rome Newsroom, Mar 28, 2025 / 13:15 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis sent his condolences to Church and civil authorities in Myanmar and Thailand after a powerful earthquake killed more than 150 people and caused widespread devastation in the region.

"Deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread devastation caused by the earthquake in Southeast Asia, especially in Myanmar and Thailand, His Holiness Pope Francis offers heartfelt prayers for the souls of the deceased and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all affected by this tragedy," said the message sent on the pope's behalf by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

"His Holiness likewise prays that the emergency personnel will be sustained in their care of the injured and displaced by the divine gifts of fortitude and perseverance."

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, on March 28 at 12:50 p.m. local time. It was followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock. 

Myanmar's government has reported at least 144 deaths and more than 700 injuries. In neighboring Thailand, at least eight people were killed in Bangkok, where a 33-story building under construction collapsed. Officials fear the death toll could rise, as at least 90 people remain missing in the Thai capital, according to Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

The disaster comes amid Myanmar's ongoing civil war and a worsening humanitarian crisis. The country's military junta has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Naypyidaw, and five other regions, while appealing to the international community for humanitarian assistance.

Catholic communities in Myanmar were also affected by the quake. Several churches in Mandalay sustained damage, according to the Pontifical Mission Societies' Fides News Agency. St. Michael's Catholic Parish was reportedly the hardest hit, while St. Joseph's Cathedral in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, was also damaged. Local Church leaders have urged Catholics to support those left homeless.

Rescue operations are ongoing as emergency teams search for survivors amid widespread destruction. Authorities in both Myanmar and Thailand are assessing the full extent of the damage while coordinating relief efforts.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 28, 2025 / 14:25 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church in Maryland is urging the state Legislature to treat cases of child sexual abuse in state-run facilities equal to those in private institutions following a proposed bill that would "decrease the number of civil causes of action for child sexual abuse filed against the state."

The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) said in a statement on Thursday that the bill "greatly exacerbates an existing difference in treatment for victims abused in state institutions and those abused in private institutions."

If passed, the bill would reduce the state damage cap for abuse victims to $400,000 while keeping the cap for private organizations at $1.5 million.

The "overtly unequal treatment in HB 1378 is not only poor policy for victim-survivors but also unfairly targets nonprofit and religious organizations that have long served children in this state and have implemented strong safeguards for youth protection," the Maryland bishops said.

The bill is sponsored by state Del. C.T. Wilson, who spearheaded the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023, which abolished the statute of limitations on lawsuits against public and private entities involved in incidents of sexual abuse. That bill resulted in increased claims against the state.

"The Child Victims Act uncovered a terrible truth," the Maryland bishops said. "The largest employer of abusers in the state of Maryland appears to be the state of Maryland itself."

The MCC statement said the reports of abuse within state-led institutions, including Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services, are mainly from young men and women of color who are the majority of youth placed under the state's care. 

The bishops called the harm done to them "heartbreaking."

"As a Church that has faced its own painful reckoning," the statement said, "we urge state leaders to be accountable and transparent."

The statement calls for specific actions to be done by state leaders to ensure "abuse by state employees never happens again."

The Church further instructs the government to "seek opportunities for an independent assessment to gain further insight into the history of abuse in state settings" as well as "implement reforms such as stringent safeguarding policies" and "provide survivor-centered support for those who suffered abuse by state representatives."

But there is "no principled basis for treating victims of child sexual abuse in state institutions differently from those who suffered abuse in private institutions," the conference said.

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CNA Newsroom, Mar 28, 2025 / 09:40 am (CNA).

Pope Francis continues to show gradual improvement as he recovers from bilateral pneumonia at his residence in Casa Santa Marta, according to an update provided Friday by Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni.

The pontiff's health remains stable, and his respiratory function, mobility, and speech have improved.

While still requiring supplemental oxygen, he has been able to reduce the high-flow oxygen therapy during daytime hours with a slight reduction also occurring overnight.

Blood tests conducted Wednesday indicate all hematological parameters are within normal range.

"The pope's daily schedule includes physiotherapy sessions, which are helping improve his voice usage, along with periods of prayer, rest, and limited work," Bruni said.

All dicasteries of the Roman Curia continue to send documents to inform him of ongoing activities.

ACI Stampa, CNA's Italian-language news partner, reported that Pope Francis concelebrates Mass daily in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta.

As with previous Sundays during his recovery, the Holy See Press Office will release this weekend's Angelus reflection in writing.

The Holy Father has been informed about the recent earthquake in Myanmar and is praying for the victims.

In a sign that Vatican business continues despite the pope's convalescence, the Holy See announced Friday that Pope Francis had appointed Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi as the new archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church.

Pagazzi, elevated to archbishop of Belcastro in November 2023, previously served as secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

The 58-year-old prelate holds a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and has taught at numerous theological institutions across Italy.

Polish president meets Cardinal Parolin

In diplomatic developments, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, received Polish President Andrzej Duda in a cordial meeting Friday morning. 

The talks, which included Monsignor Miroslaw Wachowski, undersecretary for Relations with States, took place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of St. John Paul II's death and near the millennium of the coronation of Poland's first king, Boleslaw Chrobry.

According to the Vatican press office, the Friday discussion covered topics of mutual interest before focusing on international affairs, particularly the ongoing war in Ukraine and broader concerns about European security and peace.

Parolin will also be celebrating the anniversary Mass for St. John Paul II on the date of the anniversary, April 2.

No decisions have been announced regarding the pope's participation in upcoming Easter celebrations or the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis. The next official update on the pope's condition is expected Tuesday morning.

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