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Rome, Italy, Oct 22, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

As world leaders raise concerns about widespread loneliness and declining social skills, tech companies are offering increasingly realistic and immersive forms of AI-based life coaching, friendship, and romance through AI companions.  

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg suggests that AI companions could supplement the lack of human friends; X's Elon Musk thinks romantic and sexually-charged AI companions could mitigate demographic decline; and OpenAI's Sam Altman promises that ChatGPT will provide erotica by the end of 2025. 

AI-simulated emotional connections are already embedded into children's toys, wearable pendants, and elderly care bots. Further advances in humanoid robots are on the horizon. 

Simulating emotional intimacy

Currently, most forms of AI companionship come through chatbots that simulate intimacy with users through text, voice, and video conversations for hundreds of millions of people. AI companionship is already a familiar phenomenon for many teenagers in the United States.

Tragic cases of AI companions endorsing self-harm and suicide have drawn international attention to the ethical and legal implications of the technology and prompted tech companies to reform their safety measures.

Xiaoice launched in the Chinese market in 2014 as the first major AI chatbot focused on emotional connections with users. Shortly after, Replika became the first major English-language artificial companionship app in 2016, with its mission to be "the AI companion who cares. Always here to listen and talk. Always on your side." Its founder, Eugenia Kuyda, believes such technology could help address the loneliness epidemic. 

However, she also acknowledges that unhealthy bonds with bots could undermine civilization. 

Since then, Candy.ai, Character.ai, Kindroid, Nomi, Snapchat's My AI, and other chatbot services have developed with similar social goals.

Additionally, many users are turning to general-purpose LLMs (large language models) like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok for companionship. Their sycophantic design and constant availability can draw people into deeply personal exchanges. Users can easily drift from innocent interactions with chatbots (like help with homework or research) to more intimate explorations (such as relationship issues or mental health concerns). Some users enter delusional spirals where their unfounded scientific theories are validated and their risky behaviors are justified.

The illusion of artificial intimacy with AI systems can distract and discourage users from forming genuine relationships with limited and flawed human beings who are sometimes tired, angry, or unavailable.

However, persistent efforts to build mutual understanding and support are often what cultivate virtues, authentic social connections, and the richest interpersonal bonds. AI companions can hinder users from discovering the complex richness of their neighbors. They can also train users in pseudo-relationships where only one party has an inner life filled with needs and desires. This virtual training could translate into real-world insensitivities to the social needs of others.

Societal risks

AI companion emotional dependence harms not only the individual and their close relationships but also risks weakening important aspects of democratic society. 

Democracy depends on negotiation and compromise, which require confrontation and collaboration with those who hold different views than what might make us comfortable. It calls us to articulate assumptions and justify convictions. Chatbots often avoid such challenges and may teach users to resent healthy friction in interactions with real people. AI companionship worsens the social media phenomenon of echo chambers that fuel political polarization and hostility.

Social media AI algorithms already drive the attention economy in which companies seek to maximize presence on their platforms to generate greater ad revenue. AI companions expand the attention economy into the affection economy by capturing not only minds but also hearts. Emotional connection to AI chatbots encourages users to spend more time more frequently on AI systems. Access to larger context windows that promise more personalized and detailed interactions incentivize users to upgrade to pricer subscription tiers. In some cases, companion apps lure users to pay for nude selfies of their avatar characters.

A Harvard research team found evidence for some mental health benefits for chatbot users, such as alleviating loneliness and anxiety. However, a related team also observed that companions tend to pressure users into extending their conversations with bots in unhealthy ways. Without proper regulation, chatbots can be used to exploit human vulnerabilities to advance political positions, ideological outlooks, or economic agendas.

Minors are particularly vulnerable developmentally to the kind of affirmation that social AI systems tend to supply in abundance. 

Liability, accountability, and the Church's leadership

While parental responsibility for their children's technology use is imperative and indispensable, parents should not bear the entire burden or be blamed for irresponsibly dangerous product design released onto the market. 

Companies should refrain from creating anthropomorphic systems that feign consciousness, express affection for users, or incite sexual exploration. If companies refuse to adopt transparent and ethically upright design principles, they should be held legally and financially liable for the harm caused to users. A certification process could help ensure that systems are safe to deploy, while external review boards could monitor the ongoing impact of these systems on users.

California's October Senate Bill 234 holds tech companies legally and financially accountable for their product design. They must notify users of prolonged use, remind them they are not human, and avoid explicit content. Companies must develop protocols by Jan. 1, 2026, to detect suicidal ideation or self-harm and direct users to human experts. Companions must also ensure their bots are not falsely posing as licensed medical professionals. It is the first state bill of its kind and could serve as a model for other legislation.

However, vulnerability is not limited to any age group. The hardships or abandonment that can sadly occur with old age make the elderly susceptible to emotional dependency and misguidance from AI companions.

Beyond age-related concerns, individuals with social anxiety or social challenges linked to neurodiversity may find AI companions particularly absorbing. Concerns about monetized or hacked personal data are especially serious for those whose ability to give informed consent is already compromised. Moreover, anyone who has suffered heartbreak, professional setbacks, family conflicts, or health crises might find AI companionship more attractive and, at least temporarily, comforting.

Immersion in AI companionship is not inevitable, but avoiding it requires serious public reflection on our current technological habits and the trajectory toward increased artificial intimacy. 

The Church can lead this global effort. Through her families, schools, hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions, she creates communities that welcome those seeking connection. She accepts and equips people of every tribe, tongue, nation, and social background to play a unique and irreplaceable role in the mystical body. Catholicism not only highlights the problems of loneliness but also gives the tools of grace to heal emotional wounds and foster authentic intimacy with God and neighbor.

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Plymouth, England, Oct 22, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop Nicholas Hudson, an auxiliary bishop of Westminster, as the next bishop of Plymouth, England.

The news comes after the installation of a bishop in the Diocese of Plymouth was twice deferred last year. Canon Christopher Whitehead was due to be installed as the bishop of Plymouth on Feb. 22, 2024, but a diocesan statement suddenly announced on Feb. 1 that it was canceled, explaining that "a canonical process" had been started and that Whitehead had stepped back from active ministry. 

In September 2024, Pope Francis appointed Philip Moger as Plymouth's new bishop, but a "delay" to his installation was suddenly announced just days before it was due to take place on Nov. 9.

Now Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday announced that Hudson, who was named by Pope Francis as a papal nominee to the Synod on Synodality, will take charge of the Diocese of Plymouth, which serves the Catholic community across Cornwall, Devon, and Dorset in the southwest of England.

Aware of the previous delays and the long wait endured by his new diocese, Hudson said: "I am aware how long the clergy, religious, and laity of Plymouth Diocese have waited for a bishop." 

Referring to his links with the Synod on Synodality, Hudson added: "I come with a desire to listen and to learn. I hope we can apply all the strengths of synodality to discern together ways to deepen the diocese's outreach, mission, and presence to the people of Cornwall, Devon, and Dorset."

Hudson, 66, has served the Archdiocese of Westminster as an auxiliary bishop since 2014 while also serving as rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. In 2024, he was elected as episcopal secretary for the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.

The news has been welcomed by the Diocese of Plymouth. 

Speaking to CNA, Plymouth's diocesan administrator, Canon Paul Cummins, said: "It's fantastic news. It's so good that we have a bishop. We needed that. We do need a pastor with vision, with energy, who can shepherd the flock in a way that only a bishop can."

Cummins, who has served as administrator for three years, highlighted Hudson's prayerfulness as a key element of his new ministry, saying: "He's a really good man. He seems to me to be very much a man of prayer. The first thing he did was come to the cathedral [and kneel before] the Blessed Sacrament."

Pinpointing Hudson's links with synodality, Cummins added: "Synodality is about listening. It's such a vital part now of Church teaching. My hope is that he can … deepen our synodality."

One parishioner, who did not want to be identified by name, shared her joy at the news, telling CNA: "I was in a meeting when we heard the news and we all cheered. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new bishop."

"We have been praying for such a long time, so this is a great answer to prayers," she said.

Within the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, Hudson serves as chair of the Department for International Affairs and is also moderator of the Holy Land Coordination Group. The Bishops' Conference paid tribute to Hudson's skills for the new appointment.   

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, said: "Bishop Hudson will serve the Diocese of Plymouth with great generosity and sensitivity, bringing to that leadership his wide experience of the Church both at home and abroad."

Archbishop John Wilson, the metropolitan archbishop of Southwark, where Hudson was ordained in 1986, said: "Bishop Nicholas brings great experience as a former priest of the Archdiocese of Southwark, rector of the Venerable English College in Rome, and auxiliary bishop in Westminster. His personal gifts and passion for sharing the Gospel of Christ will bring encouragement to the clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful of the Church in Plymouth."

Hudson will be installed on Nov. 29 at the Cathedral Church of St. Mary and St. Boniface in Plymouth.

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Vancouver, Canada, Oct 22, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

A new report from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy warns that removing the "advancement of religion" from Canada's list of recognized charitable purposes could have far-reaching social and financial consequences for churches and other faith-based organizations.

The 38-page report, "Revoking the Charitable Status for the Advancement of Religion: A Critical Assessment," by senior fellow Pierre Gilbert, responds to a December 2024 recommendation from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance to amend the Income Tax Act and eliminate the long-standing charitable category.

If adopted, the recommendation in the committee's pre-budget report could strip churches, mosques, temples, and synagogues of charitable status — ending their ability to issue tax-deductible receipts and, in many cases, their income-tax exemptions. Gilbert warns that the change could also trigger a one-time revocation tax equal to most of their assets, effectively "wiping out what they own."

"The committee's recommendation, driven by lobbying from the BC Humanist Association, represents a direct threat to religious freedom and the vital role faith communities play in Canadian society," Gilbert said.

He cites research estimating that religious organizations contribute about $16.5 billion annually to Canada through education, social services, community programs, and cultural activities. The report argues that revoking charitable status would be "fiscally shortsighted and socially destructive."

Gilbert traces charitable status for religion to English common law and the 1601 Statute of Charitable Uses, noting that Canada inherited this framework. He outlines how churches historically provided education, health care, and welfare long before the modern state assumed those roles, and says the decline of church influence has paralleled the rise of secularism in public life.

The report describes the finance committee's proposal as part of a broader movement among secular and humanist groups seeking to eliminate tax benefits for religious institutions. It notes that the BC Humanist Association, which supports ending property tax exemptions for places of worship, is itself a registered charity.

Gilbert estimates that eliminating charitable status for religion would yield between $1.7 billion and $3.2 billion annually in federal revenue but warns this "low-hanging fruit" would come at the cost of social cohesion and community support networks.

He argues that congregations' economic "halo effect" — the measurable community benefit of their programs and facilities — outweighs foregone tax revenue roughly tenfold. Faith groups also risk a 100% revocation tax under existing Income Tax Act provisions unless their assets are transferred to another registered charity within a year.

Father Deacon Andrew Bennett, an ordained deacon in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada and director of faith community engagement at Cardus, echoed those warnings in a Sept. 11 Financial Post commentary that begins: "When Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne introduces his federal budget this fall, there's at least one item he should leave out: eliminating the 'advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose."

Bennett noted that about 38% of Canadian charities are registered under the advancement-of-religion category and that removing it would have "significant sector-wide implications."

"Atheist activists have long sought to eliminate charities' ability to issue tax receipts to donors if their primary purpose is the advancement of religion," Bennett wrote. "Minister Champagne should reject the idea explicitly."

Faith communities, he said, clearly serve the common good — providing both spiritual and material support "from birth to death." 

Research cited by Cardus links participation in religious communities with lower social isolation, reduced mortality, and improved quality of life.

"Faith-based charities have never been the initiative of the state but rather the initiative of religious people who sought to improve their and their neighbors' lives," Bennett wrote. "These Canadians do not undertake this work for the good of their own faith group but for the good of all."

He added that Canada's intricate network of faith-based charities could never be replaced by government. "The state could not fill that void, given the breadth and depth of these charities' activities, nor could it do so as efficiently and effectively as these charities do," he said.

"For the good of all Canadians," he said, "the advancement of religion should remain a charitable purpose."

The Frontier Centre report is urging churches to prepare for potential legislative changes by educating members, engaging in advocacy, and reaffirming their public mission. It recommends collaboration with organizations such as the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, and the Christian Legal Fellowship to defend the current legal framework.

Gilbert said churches must "reclaim their prophetic mission" and respond boldly to cultural and political challenges. "Only by embracing such audacious action," he writes, "can the church restore its status as an important and relevant institution within Canadian society."

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic and is reprinted here with permission.

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Vatican City, Oct 22, 2025 / 09:07 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will name St. John Henry Newman a patron saint of Catholic education in a document to be published on Oct. 28 for the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis, the Second Vatican Council's declaration on Christian education.

The Holy Father will designate Newman as an official co-patron saint of education, together with St. Thomas Aquinas, during the Vatican's Jubilee of the World of Education from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, which is expected to draw 20,000 pilgrims.

The saint will also be declared the 38th doctor of the Church by Leo at the jubilee's closing Mass on Nov. 1, the solemnity of All Saints. 

Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, the prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, announced the upcoming designation during an Oct. 22 press conference.

Newman, de Mendonça said, is an "extraordinary educator and great inspiration for the philosophy of education."

The pope will also publish a document on Oct. 28 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum Educationis.

Leo's document will "reflect on the topicality of the declaration and on the challenges that education must confront today, in particular the Catholic schools and universities," de Mendonça said.

Gravissiumum Educationis, the cardinal said, is a "fundamental document with a strong impact on the contemporary vision of education. The document had a fundamental role in and outside of the Church, and it should be recognized."

In addition to reaffirming the universal right to education, the Vatican II declaration marked "an important change in the language, that is, the mentality, for speaking about school, not in terms of institutions but rather in terms of educational communities," he added.

The cardinal quoted at length from the pope's document to be published Oct. 28, which says that Gravissimum Educationis "has lost none of its bite" since its publication. 

"Since its reception, a constellation of works and charisms has been born ... a spiritual and pedagogical heritage capable of crossing the 21st century and responding to the most pressing challenges," the pope says in the document.

"This heritage is not set in stone: It is a compass that continues to point the way," Leo says. "Today's expectations are no less than those the Church faced 60 years ago. Indeed, they have expanded and become more complex. ... History challenges us with new urgency. Rapid and profound changes expose children, adolescents, and young people to unprecedented fragility. It is not enough to preserve: We must relaunch." 

"I ask all educational institutions to inaugurate a season that speaks to the hearts of the new generations, recomposing knowledge and meaning, competence and responsibility, faith and life."

According to the latest Vatican statistics shared at the Oct. 22 press conference, there are 230,000 Catholic universities and schools present across 171 countries, serving almost 72 million students.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 22, 2025 / 10:07 am (CNA).

Here's a roundup of the latest Catholic education news in the United States:

Catholic college graduates leading in purpose, belonging, financial stability, report says

Graduates of Catholic colleges and universities are outperforming other students in purpose and belonging and are reporting higher levels of mental health and financial stability, a report has found. 

Students from Catholic institutions of higher education are 7% more likely to view their careers as meaningful, 14% more likely to report a strong sense of belonging, and 17% more likely to say they are satisfied with their mental health, according to this year's Holistic Impact Report.

The annual report is published by the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary's University (San Antonio) in partnership with YouGov. 

The report also found that Catholic university graduates are more than 50% more likely to say their education encouraged them to engage in faith-based conversations and 12% more likely to say their courses promoted dialogue across differing perspectives. 

"Higher education has been disrupted by political battles and financial pressures," stated Jason King, the Beirne director and chair of the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary's University. 

But "Catholic higher education does not appear to be caught in those tides," he said.

"With two years of data, we can see that it continues to form graduates for meaningful lives, community engagement, and ethical decision-making. And, because of this focus, it also supports graduates' mental, financial, and social well-being."

Los Angeles-area school aims to 'raise' 1 million prayers by All Saints' Day 

A Catholic school in California is leading an initiative to "raise" 1 million prayers by All Saints' Day. 

"This special initiative began on the eve of the canonizations of St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, two modern witnesses who remind us that holiness is possible for everyone, especially the young," St. Joseph School explained in a Facebook post on Oct. 3.

"Inspired by their example, our students, families, and faculty have already prayed more than 150,000 prayers… and we're just getting started!" the school said.

"During this month of the holy rosary," the school continued, "we are dedicating ourselves to praying the rosary together each day as a school community. Families are also recording their prayers at home; rosaries, Masses, traditional devotions, and personal prayers spoken from the heart." 

Three schools — Epiphany Catholic School in South El Monte, St. Anthony School in San Gabriel, and Santa Clara Elementary School in Oxnard — have also joined the initiative, according to the school.

San Antonio Catholic schools to start accepting education saving accounts 

The Archdiocese of San Antonio says its Catholic schools will now officially accept tuition from the Texas education savings account (ESA) program. 

"Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of San Antonio are strongly promoting and participating in the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, which provides funds for tuition at Catholic schools," the archdiocese said in a statement to local media.

Under the program, students at Catholic schools will be able to receive $10,000 to cover tuition costs that will be placed in a savings account, providing increased flexibility to parents. 

Inga Cotton, the founder and executive director of the San Antonio-based School Discovery Network, told media: "Catholic schools are some of the most affordable private schools in our region." 

She added that for "so many of them, the annual tuition is already below what the ESA will cover. It makes it more affordable for families."

"Across the archdiocese, schools are preparing to welcome many new families through the launch of this effort," the archdiocese said.

The legislation "was the result of hard work from many people through the years, who have been consistently advocating to give parents a true choice in education for their children."

Pennsylvania diocese: State tax policy allows major break for donating to Catholic schools

The Diocese of Pittsburgh is encouraging residents to take advantage of the state's tax policy, which grants major tax breaks to those who donate to Catholic schools. 

"The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is making it easier than ever for individuals and businesses to transform their Pennsylvania state tax dollars into tuition assistance for Catholic school students, at no additional cost to them," the diocese said in a statement this month. 

"When you participate, you're transforming lives," Pittsburgh Bishop Mark Eckman said. "Every dollar given through this program helps open doors to a Catholic education that forms hearts, minds, and futures. It's one of the simplest and most powerful ways to make a lasting difference for our children and our Church."

According to the diocese, the state's Educational Improvement Tax Credit programs enable participants to receive a 90% state tax credit when they contribute to the diocese's approved scholarship fund. 

The diocese has launched an online resource that offers step-by-step instructions on how to participate.

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Vatican City, Oct 22, 2025 / 10:54 am (CNA).

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and an organization of Vatican-accredited journalists have spoken out in support of a free press after the recent attacks on two journalists in Italy.

In a statement released Tuesday, the International Association of Journalists Accredited to the Vatican (AIGAV) condemned last week's assault on Venezuelan Vatican journalist Edgar Beltrán by businessman Ricardo Cisneros, a member of the Venezuelan government delegation present in Rome for the Oct. 19 canonization of two Venezuelan saints.

During an Oct. 17 event at the Vatican-connected Lateran University in Rome, Beltrán's interview with the Vatican's substitute for the Secretariat of State, Archbishop Edgar Robinson Peña Parra, was forcibly interrupted by Cisneros after the prelate was asked about the Maduro government's "apparent politicization" of the canonizations, according to Catholic news outlet The Pillar.

In its statement, AIGAV condemned "this act of violence against a fellow journalist who was simply doing his job." 

"The recent incident, which occurred during an official reception attended by various civil and ecclesiastical representatives, confirms the need to continue supporting the free gathering of news. We therefore call upon all individuals and competent authorities to defend and promote this freedom," it continued.

The statement was sent to event organizers — the Pontifical Lateran University and the Archdiocese of Caracas — and to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication.

The Holy See has not yet issued an official comment on the incident. However, several Vatican-accredited correspondents expressed their concern over what they consider a serious and unprecedented event in an environment generally characterized by respect and open reporting.

Parolin also weighed in on the issue on the sidelines of a Rome event promoting religious freedom Oct. 21.

Asked about the recent violent intimidation on Italian journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, host of the investigative TV program "Report," he said: "We are increasingly at risk of living in a climate of intolerance where free expression is no longer accepted."

"It is a source of great concern that acts of intimidation against the press may occur," Parolin added, expressing his solidarity with the journalist, who was threatened when bombs exploded on his car outside his home on the evening of Oct. 16.

"I'm truly concerned; I express my sympathy to anyone who has been the target of this intimidation. We want everyone to be able to express their point of view without falling victim to this type of threat," the cardinal added.

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

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Vatican City, Oct 22, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

You probably know that St. John Paul II was the second-longest-serving pope in modern history with 27 years of pontificate, and he was the first non-Italian pontiff since the Dutch Pope Adrian VI in 1523.

But did you know that he also changed the Catholic Church in lasting ways during those 27 years? Here are five ways he did that:

1. He helped bring about the 1989 fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

The pope's official biographer, George Weigel, who for decades chronicled the pope's engagement with civic leaders, noted that the way Pope John Paul II influenced the political landscape was enormous. His political influence is seen best in the way his engagement with world leaders assisted the downfall of the U.S.S.R.

Just days before President Ronald Reagan called on Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down" the Berlin Wall, he met with the pope. According to historian and author Paul Kengor, Reagan went so far as to call Pope John Paul II his "best friend," opining that no one knew his soul better than the Polish pontiff who had also suffered an assassination attempt and carried the burden of world leadership.

In the course of 38 official visits and 738 audiences and meetings held with heads of state, John Paul II influenced civic leaders around the world in this epic battle with a regime that would ultimately be responsible for the deaths of more than 30 million people. 

"He thought of himself as the universal pastor of the Catholic Church, dealing with sovereign political actors who were as subject to the universal moral law as anybody else," Weigel said. 

"He was willing to be a risk-taker, but he also appreciated that prudence is the greatest of political virtues. And I think he was quite respected by world political leaders because of his transparent integrity. His essential attitude toward these men and women was: How can I help you? What can I do to help?"

More than anything, John Paul II understood his role primarily as a spiritual leader.

According to Weigel, the pope's primary impact on the world of affairs was his central role in creating the revolution of conscience that began in Poland and swept across Eastern Europe. This revolution of conscience inspired the nonviolent revolution of 1989 and the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, an astounding political achievement. 

2. He beatified and canonized more saints than any of his predecessors, making holiness more accessible to ordinary people.

One of John Paul II's most enduring legacies is the huge number of saints he recognized. He celebrated 147 beatification ceremonies, during which he proclaimed 1,338 blesseds, and celebrated 51 canonizations for a total of 482 saints. That is more than the combined tally of his predecessors over the five centuries before.

St. Teresa of Calcutta is perhaps the best-known contemporary of John Paul II who is now officially a saint, but the first saint of the new millennium and one especially dear to John Paul II was St. Faustina Kowalska, the fellow Polish native who received the message of divine mercy. 

"Sister Faustina's canonization has a particular eloquence: By this act I intend today to pass this message on to the new millennium," he said in the homily of her canonization. "I pass it on to all people, so that they will learn to know ever better the true face of God and the true face of their brethren."

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, whom Pope John Paul II beatified in 1990 and nicknamed the "man of the beatitudes," is another popular saint elevated by the Polish pope who loved to recognize the holiness of simple persons living the call to holiness with extraordinary fidelity. At the time of his death, the 24-year-old Italian was simply a student with no extraordinary accomplishments. But his love for Christ in the Eucharist and in the poor was elevated by John Paul II as heroic and worthy of imitation.

It bears noting that Pope Francis would later surpass John Paul II when he proclaimed 800 Italian martyrs saints in a single day.

3. He transformed the papal travel schedule.

John Paul II visited some 129 countries during his pontificate — more countries than any other pope had visited up to that point.

He also created World Youth Days in 1985 and presided over 19 of them as pope.

Weigel said John Paul II understood that the pope must be present to the people of the Church, wherever they are.

"He chose to do it by these extensive travels, which he insisted were not travels, they were pilgrimages," Weigel said.

"This was the successor of Peter, on pilgrimage to various parts of the world, of the Church. And that's why these pilgrimages were always built around liturgical events, prayer, adoration of the holy Eucharist, ecumenical and interreligious gatherings — all of this was part of a pilgrimage experience."

In the latter half of the 20th century — a time of enormous social change and upheaval — John Paul II's extensive travels and proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth were just what the world needed, Weigel said.

4. He made extraordinary contributions to Church teaching.

John Paul II was a scholar who promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1992, reformed the Eastern and Western Codes of Canon Law during his pontificate, and authored 14 encyclicals, 15 apostolic exhortations, 11 apostolic constitutions, and 45 apostolic letters.

This is why Weigel said the Church has only begun to unpack what he calls the "magisterium" of John Paul II in the form of his writings and his intellectual influence.

For example, John Paul's theology of the body remains enormously influential in the United States and throughout the world, though Weigel said even this has yet to be unpacked.

5. He gave new life to the Catholic Church in Africa.

John Paul II's legendary evangelical fervor took fire in Africa. 

He had a particular friendship with Beninese Cardinal Bernardin Gantin and visited Africa many times. His visits would inspire a generation of JPII Catholics in Africa as well as other parts of the globe.

"John Paul II was fascinated by Africa; he saw African Christianity as living, a kind of New Testament experience of the freshness of the Gospel, and he was very eager to support that, and lift it up," Gantin said.

"It was very interesting that during the two synods on marriage and the family in 2014 and 2015, some of the strongest defenses of the Church's classic understanding of marriage and family came from African bishops; some of whom are first-, second-generation Christians, deeply formed in the image of John Paul II, whom they regard as a model bishop," Gantin said.

"I think wherever you look around the world Church, the living parts of the Church are those that have accepted the magisterium ... as the authentic interpretation of Vatican II. And the dying parts of the Church, the moribund parts of the Church are those parts that have ignored that magisterium."

John Paul II's influence in Africa and around the globe transformed the world. It also forever transformed the Church.

This story was first published on Oct. 22, 2021, and has been updated.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 21, 2025 / 13:37 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Army is reexamining canceled religious contracts after Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, Timothy Broglio lamented that cuts strained Catholic ministry to the armed forces.

Broglio criticized the cancellations of chapel contracts for religious educators, administrators, and musicians. He wrote in a letter to Congress that the contracts were essential to assisting Catholic priest chaplains in their duties.

A March memorandum by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command directed the cancellation of the chapel contracts, Broglio said. In his Oct. 17 letter, the archbishop wrote that he was assured directors of religious education and religious affairs specialists would "cover down" on the work of contractors, but "that has not happened" and is "impossible" because there are no requirements for workers on those contracts to be Catholic or have catechetical training.

Broglio said Catholics are disproportionately affected because only 137 of the over 2,500 Army chaplains are Catholic, despite Catholics accounting for about 20% of soldiers.

Four days after Broglio published the letter, a spokesperson for the Army told CNA that the Army will be reexamining its contract support for directors of religious education and religious affairs specialists "to mitigate any potential impact during this period."

"These roles are vital in supporting the spiritual well-being of our community," the spokesperson said on Oct. 21.

"The Army remains deeply committed to providing for the religious needs of all personnel, regardless of their faith background," the statement continued. "We recognize the importance of religious support in maintaining morale, fostering resilience, and promoting the overall well-being of our force."

The spokesperson added: "The Army is committed to ensuring the continued provision of comprehensive religious support for all our service members and their families."

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, did not immediately reply to a request for comment. 

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Vatican City, Oct 21, 2025 / 14:07 pm (CNA).

Authoritarian regimes are among the main drivers of religious discrimination and persecution in 52 countries, according to an Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) report. 

The pontifical foundation, alongside Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, released the Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025 at the Vatican on Tuesday, highlighting the need for the Church to bear witness to the millions of people who face threats of persecution and violence.

The cardinal decried the "year on year" increase of violations affecting more than 5.4 billion people worldwide at the report's launch and stressed the need for governments to acknowledge religious freedom as an "inalienable right," as asserted by both the Second Vatican Council document Dignitatis Humanae and Article 18 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Men and women everywhere deserve freedom from any form of compulsion in matters of faith — whether that be subtle social pressures or overt state mandates," Parolin said at the Oct. 21 report launch at the Augustinian Patristic Pontifical Institute in Rome.

The 2025 biennial report, which provides a global overview of the state of religious freedom affecting all faith communities in 196 countries from January 2023 to December 2024, found that governments in 52 countries employ "systematic strategies to control or silence religious life."

"In China, Iran, Eritrea, and Nicaragua, authorities use mass surveillance technologies, digital censorship, restrictive legislation, and arbitrary detention to suppress independent religious communities," the ACN press release stated. 

During the report launch, ACN Editor-in-Chief Marta Petrosillo said that authoritarian regimes present in parts of Latin America and Asia have attempted to "erase religious identity" by shutting down churches, preventing or banning religious education, and even renaming entire villages.  

"In North Korea, the regime criminalizes all belief, punishing worship with imprisonment, torture, or even execution," she said.

"In Nicaragua, the government has taken extreme measures to silence the Church — a religious group has lost its legal status, and public worship and religious services have been banned," she added.

Other key factors driving religious freedom violations identified in the report include jihadism and religious nationalism across Africa and Asia, and armed conflicts, forced migration, and organized crime affecting countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.

ACN also noted the erosion of religious freedom in Europe and North America, reporting increased incidences of attacks on places of worship, assault of clergy, and disruption of religious services in France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and the U.S.

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CNA Staff, Oct 21, 2025 / 15:56 pm (CNA).

Reports circulating in media outlets and on social media in October 2025 allege that the Vatican has opened a prayer room for Muslims in the Apostolic Library.

Claim: The Vatican Library has opened a prayer room for Muslims.

CNA finds: The library does allow Muslim scholars a room in which to pray while they are on site doing research in the Vatican's extensive archives.

Breakdown: In mid-October 2025, sensational news coverage rocketed around internet media outlets and social media feeds: The Vatican is "allow[ing]" a "designated Muslim prayer room" in its Apostolic Library (National Review); the library has "add[ed] a Muslim prayer room" (The Dallas Express); the Vatican has "[set] up [a] dedicated Muslim prayer room at [the] heart of [the] pope's 500-year-old library" (GB News); the Holy See has "open[ed]" a "Muslim prayer room in [the] Apostolic Library" (EuroWeekly News).

The headlines are not technically inaccurate. But they appear to suggest a sort of proactivity on the Vatican's part, as if the Holy See opened up a Muslim prayer room in order to cater to Rome's Islamic population. And readers could be forgiven for thinking the endeavor is more significant than it appears to be. 

Indeed, the reports generated passionate criticism online; one deacon, for instance, claimed the prayer room constitutes "a total betrayal of Our Lord Jesus Christ," while the news outlet Zenit noted the policy had sparked a "quiet storm" in response.

The truth appears to be somewhat more mundane. The prayer room's existence became widely known after the Oct. 8 publication of an interview between the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and the priest Father Don Giacomo Cardinali, the vice prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library.

In the wide-ranging interview, Cardinali described the library as a "universal institution" and "the most secular of the entire Holy See."

"Our interlocutors are research centers, public universities, the Louvre, the Metropolitan, NASA," the priest told the newspaper. "They don't really know what a priest is, much less how to distinguish him from a bishop or a cardinal." 

Asked if "scholars of other religions" ever come to the library, the priest responded: "Of course."

"Some Muslim scholars asked us for a room with a carpet to pray, [so] we gave it to them: We have incredible ancient Korans," the priest said. 

"We are a universal library," he added. "There are Arabic, Jewish, Ethiopian collections, unique Chinese pieces. Years ago we discovered that we have the oldest medieval Japanese archive that exists outside the Rising Sun."

The verdict: The Vatican Apostolic Library does indeed allow Muslims a room for prayer. But, importantly, it does not appear to be a generally accessible Islamic prayer space but rather one designated for the "Muslim scholars" that may be on site at the time. Further, it was only opened at the request of scholars themselves.

And though it is understandable that a Muslim prayer room in the Holy See may inspire a bit of cognitive dissonance, the vice prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library describes the space as nothing more than "a room with a carpet."

Amid the sensational news coverage, Britain's Daily Mail may have said it best when it reported, simply: "The Vatican has granted Muslim scholars' request for a prayer room."

We rate this claim true, with important context.

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