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Vatican City, Jul 15, 2025 / 14:58 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass on July 15 in the chapel at the Carabinieri station in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, where he is on vacation. The Carabinieri are the national gendarmerie of Italy, a form of military police. 

Reflecting in his homily on the day's Gospel (Matthew 11:20-24), the pontiff emphasized that there is a bond "stronger than blood" that unites every man and woman who is in Christ. 

In this regard, he explained that "we are truly brothers and sisters of Jesus when we do the will of God," that is, "when we live loving one another, as God has loved us."

"Every relationship that God lives, in himself and for us," the pope continued, "thus becomes a gift: when his only Son becomes our brother, his Father becomes our Father, and the Holy Spirit, who unites the Father and the Son, comes to dwell in our hearts."

The Holy Father thus noted that "God's love is so great that Jesus does not even keep for himself his mother, giving Mary as our mother at the hour of the cross."

From the chapel of Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo explained that Mary becomes the mother of Jesus "because she listens to the word of God with love, welcomes it into her heart, and lives it faithfully."

The pope also emphasized her fidelity to the Word she received from God: "the Word of life that she welcomed, carried in her womb, and offered to the world."

Don't give in to temptation 'of thinking that evil can triumph'

He then noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the faithful Virgin, the "Virgo fidelis," as patroness of the Carabinieri, Italy's national military police force after which the chapel at Castel Gandolfo is named.

He also recalled when, in 1949, Pope Pius XII welcomed this "beautiful proposal" from the Carabinieri's general command.

"After the tragedy of the war, in a period of moral and material reconstruction, Mary's fidelity to God thus became a model of fidelity" of the Carabinieri "toward the homeland and the Italian people," he emphasized.

This virtue, for Pope Leo, "expresses the dedication, purity, and constancy of commitment to the common good, which the Carabinieri safeguard by guaranteeing public safety and defending the rights of all, especially those in danger."

The pontiff expressed his profound gratitude, especially for the "noble and demanding" service they provide to Italy and the Holy See.

After also recalling the Carabinieri motto, "Nei secoli fedele" ("Faithful throughout the centuries"), which expresses "the sense of duty and self-denial of each member of the armed forces, even to the point of self-sacrifice," he asked them not to give in "to the temptation of thinking that evil can triumph."

"Especially in this time of wars and violence, remain faithful to your oath: as servants of the state, respond to crime with the force of law and honesty. This is how the Carabinieri, the 'Benemerita' [well-deserving], will always deserve the esteem of the Italian people," he emphasized.

In conclusion, he remembered the police officers who have given their lives in the line of duty, such as Venerable Salvo D'Acquisto, whose beatification process is ongoing.

The Holy Father will remain at the papal summer complex, located about 18 miles from the center of Rome, until July 20 and will return again Aug. 15–17.

After the Mass, Pope Leo XIV visited the monastery of the Poor Clares in Albano, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

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

Alex Jurado, a popular Catholic apologist known for his social media ministry Voice of Reason, is denying allegations in a bombshell report that he sexually groomed an underage teenage girl when he was 21 years old.

The Protestant website Protestia on Monday published a report alleging that "whistleblowers within the Catholic community" had revealed sexually explicit texts Jurado, now 28, allegedly sent to a girl possibly as young as 14 years old.

The website shared screenshots of the alleged conversations between Jurado and the young girl. The site further alleged that Jurado had sent "sexually explicit messages" to several other women. 

Jurado sharply denied the allegations on Tuesday. The influencer said in a statement on his Instagram page that the claims were untrue and that he is "voluntarily cooperating in an investigation that will allow the truth to come to light." 

"??[T]he accusation that I was having an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl is a complete fabrication," he said. 

He added that he is "prepared to undergo legal action against those who have defamed me," describing the allegations as an "awful and vicious rumor."

In his statement, the content creator went on to apologize to all those who have "been hurt, shocked, and scandalized by these rumors." 

Amid the controversy, several Catholic outlets, including Catholic Answers and Catholic Speakers, appeared to have removed pages featuring Jurado on their websites as of Tuesday afternoon.

Neither website immediately responded to requests for comment on the apparent removals. Jurado also did not respond to a query from CNA. 

Jurado began his Voice of Reason social media ministry in 2023. The influencer has over half a million followers across his social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. 

His content is primarily apologetical, sharing and defending the faith and engaging with other non-Catholic points of view. As a Byzantine Catholic, he also promotes the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Friar Francesco Patton, the outgoing Franciscan custos of the Holy Land, reflected on his nine years in office and proposed a path to achieving peace in the face of war in the region. He also noted that being a Christian in the holy places, as a minority, is a special vocation and mission.

Patton, 61, is leaving the position entrusted to him in 2016. Friar Francesco Ielpo has now been appointed to the position, confirmed as the new custos of the Holy Land by Pope Leo XIV on June 24.

In an interview published July 11 on the website of the Custody of the Holy Land, the Italian Franciscan explained that, in the face of the war between Israel and Hamas, "peace requires mutual acceptance between the two peoples who have been in conflict for decades, and the overcoming of ideological readings of history, geography, and even of the Bible."

"It would be necessary to teach coexistence in schools instead of an ideology that only generates fear, anger, and resentment. Neither of the two peoples must leave, and both must be able to live together in peace," he added.

"If both were able to overcome mutual separateness, the next generations could finally grow up in peace, without fear and without anger," the Franciscan priest emphasized.

Being a Christian in the Holy Land

Patton shared that "I have always said, especially to young people, to cultivate their identity as Christians of the Holy Land. They must not focus on ethno-political identities but on a deeper identity: being custodians, with us, of the holy places."

"The holy places are an essential part of their identity. I have suggested to parish priests to bring the young people there, to tell the Gospel in the places of the Gospel. The holy places belong to them," the Franciscan continued.

The Italian priest emphasized that "being a Christian in the Holy Land is a vocation and a mission. If God lets you be born here, he is calling you to be light and salt, precisely because you are a minority and the context is difficult. And Jesus reminds us that salt which loses its flavor is useless."

"I was deeply moved by the faithfulness of the two friars who remained in the Orontes Valley when ISIS and Al-Qaeda were present. They stayed because they knew they were shepherds, and not hired hands, using the words from Chapter 10 of St. John. Their availability to give their lives was not hypothetical but concrete in a very risky context," he recalled.

"I was also struck by how important the holy places are to Christians who may only be able to visit once in their lives. In Brazil, I saw people who saved a little money each month for 10 or 15 years just to visit Nazareth, Bethlehem, and the Holy Sepulchre. Or a Christian from Syria visiting the Sepulchre and bursting into tears from the emotion," the friar recounted.

After highlighting the great value of schools in the Holy Land, the outgoing custos said he was dismayed by "the growth of intolerance, extremism, and the ideological manipulation of religion for political purposes. That made, and still makes, me suffer."

The holy places: An antidote to religious rationalism

The Italian friar emphasized that holy places, being physical, "bring faith back into a concrete, existential realm. They are a great help in avoiding a disembodied, intellectualized Christianity. They are an antidote against religious rationalism and intellectualism."

"They also help us to understand the religiosity of the people," the friar explained. "Intellectuals love reasoning, but people love to touch. They love to kiss a stone, smell the perfume of myrrh, see the olive trees in Gethsemane, the grotto of Bethlehem, Calvary, and the empty tomb."

"Popular religiosity," he noted, "is much closer to the mystery of the Incarnation than that of professional theologians."

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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ACI Africa, Jul 14, 2025 / 14:28 pm (CNA).

Three seminarians were kidnapped and a security guard was killed in an armed attack on Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in the Diocese of Auchi in Nigeria on the night of July 10.

In a statement issued July 11, Father Peter Egielewa, the director of communications of the Auchi Diocese, provided details about the attack. He said the 9 p.m. attack on the Catholic institution located in Ivhianokpodi, Etsako East Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo state, involved "several gunmen."

"In the process, the Nigerian Civil Defense Security official, Mr. Christopher Aweneghieme, stationed at the seminary was killed, and three minor seminarians were abducted and led into the bush," Egielewa said.

The other seminarians have been moved to what Egielewa described as "a safe area until security measures around the seminary are tightened."

"Unfortunately, no communication has been had with the abductors yet," he said, adding that the leadership of the diocese "sympathizes with the family of the deceased security official and prays for the repose for his soul."

In his statement, Egielewa also appealed for "prayers for the quick release of our seminarians."

He said the bishop of the Auchi Diocese has denounced the attack and called on security agencies to "do more to secure the lives and properties of our people."

Bishop Gabriel Ghiakhomo Dunia directed all priests of the diocese to celebrate a Votive Mass of the Precious Blood of Jesus on Saturday, July 12, and in morning Masses on Monday, July 14. 

According to Egielewa, the bishop has also directed all parish priests to "ensure the continuous recitation of the holy rosary and Sunday evening Benediction for divine protection for all faithful of the diocese, Edo state, and the country of Nigeria until further notice."

He appealed to all people of goodwill to "join the faithful of the diocese to pray for the repose of the soul of Aweneghieme and for the speedy release of the abducted seminarians unharmed."

Dunia, who has been at the helm of the Diocese of Auchi since February 2003, established Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in 2006 for the training of future priests. Over 500 minor seminarians have so far successfully graduated from the institution.

Nigeria has been experiencing insecurity since 2009, when the Boko Haram insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic state.

Since then, the group, one of the largest Islamist groups in Africa, has been orchestrating indiscriminate terrorist attacks on various targets, including religious and political groups, as well as civilians.

The insecurity situation in the country has further been complicated by the involvement of the predominantly Muslim Fulani herdsmen, also referred to as the Fulani Militia.

Members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) have repeatedly denounced the reported killings and abductions in the West African nation and challenged the government to prioritize the safeguarding of human life.

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

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Vatican City, Jul 14, 2025 / 08:05 am (CNA).

With less than a month to go before the Jubilee of Youth begins, the pope's diocese is making final preparations to welcome tens of thousands of young people from around the world who will participate in this event of great spiritual significance. 

"Young people will never experience this in their lives again. I'm sure of it. In practice, it will be like a World Youth Day," explained Father Alfredo Tedesco, director of youth ministry in Rome, the host diocese.

The Italian priest was 18 when he participated in the Jubilee of 2000 with St. John Paul II: "For our generation, it was an indelible mark. For them, it can be a new beginning."

The truly great challenge for the Diocese of Rome is accommodations. The parishes of Rome and 10 dioceses in the Lazio region, those closest to the Italian capital, "are already mobilized to welcome young pilgrims into their facilities," he explained. Furthermore, the religious institutes in Lazio closest to Rome "have also done their part."

However, adapting these places has been a complex task: "We have had to refurbish these places. We have had to add bathrooms and showers, ensure breakfast service, organize the arrival of groups, distribute pilgrim kits, and coordinate transportation."

In addition, the Italian Civil Protection Agency has also made 400 schools and state facilities available to meet this need, "especially gymnasiums with equipped restrooms," Tedesco added.

According to preliminary estimates from the diocese, some 120,000 young people will descend upon Rome for the entire week of the event from July 28 to Aug. 3. Many others will pass through the capital only to participate in some of the planned events.

'Registration is still open, and the number is growing'

One of the main highlights of the Jubilee of Youth will be the prayer vigil presided over by Pope Leo XIV at Tor Vergata, which will be preceded by several testimonies and musical concerts. This is a very large area located on the southeastern outskirts of Rome, known primarily as the site of the main universities in the Italian capital.

"Registration is still open, and the number is growing. Some even speak of a million people. But we don't know if that figure will be reached. The Dicastery for Evangelization, the main organizer of the event, has the official data," the Italian priest explained.

Since the young people will sleep at the same place as the event that night, the logistics for that event have been simplified for the Diocese of Rome: "We don't have to worry about having to accommodate them elsewhere for that night."

The Jubilee of Youth program, promoted by the Dicastery for Evangelization — the body responsible for the overall organization of the Holy Year of Hope — is in the last stages of finalizing various details.

However, according to the official jubilee website, several notable activities have already been confirmed. On Tuesday, July 29, at 6 p.m. local time, a welcome Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter's Square. In the following days, Rome will host numerous cultural, artistic, and spiritual initiatives throughout the capital under the title "Dialogues with the City."

On Friday, Aug. 1, a Penitential Day will be held at the Circus Maximus, where young people will be able to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

On Saturday, Aug. 2, all participants will travel to Tor Vergata. Finally, on Sunday, Aug. 3, the pope will celebrate Mass at 9:30 a.m. before bidding farewell to the young pilgrims who will begin their journey back to their home countries.

4,000 young volunteers to assist the pilgrims

With registration still open, the final number of participants is yet to be determined. Nonetheless, what is certain is that they will be joined by approximately 4,000 volunteers from parishes in Rome and the Lazio region, who will donate their time and skills to welcome the pilgrims in the best possible way.

Regarding their countries of origin, Tedesco said there is a notable European majority: "France, Spain, Poland, Germany… and many even from Eastern Europe, despite the war. This will also be a sign of peace."

There will also be a strong presence from the United States and Latin America. "Let's not forget that we now have an American pope," he pointed out. "This has also encouraged participation from the United States, where there is great veneration for the two young saints [Carlos Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati] who will be canonized in September," the priest explained.

Asian participation, although more limited, will be significant. "We will have a significant Korean delegation — 1,000, 2,000, maybe 3,000 young people — which is quite a lot, considering the distance. Furthermore, the next World Youth Day will be in Seoul, so they are very motivated," he noted.

Regarding Africa, the situation is more delicate: "Some countries haven't been able to send delegations due to visa or diplomatic issues or armed conflicts. There will be African representation, but not as numerous. The dicastery and the Holy See have made arrangements to facilitate some visas."

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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Chicago, Ill., Jul 14, 2025 / 09:20 am (CNA).

Shrines to various saints can be found in every part of the world, including every state in the U.S. Each one is dedicated to faith and prayer, but one shrine in the northeastern United States also has a distinct mission of connecting pilgrims with Native American culture and sharing the fascinating history of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized a saint.

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York, honors not only the life of St. Kateri, whose feast day is July 14, but also the life and history of the local Indigenous people to whom she belonged.

"We have cultivated strong ties to both the Catholic Mohawk community and the traditional Mohawk community," said Melissa Miscevic Bramble, director of operations at the Saint Kateri Shrine, in an interview with CNA. "We see it as our mission to educate about her Mohawk culture as well as her Catholic faith."

Who was St. Kateri?

Called the Lily of the Mohawks, Kateri Tekakwitha was the child of a Mohawk father and a Christian Algonquin mother but was orphaned at age 4 when the rest of her family died of smallpox. Her own early bout with the illness left lasting scars and poor vision.

She went to live with an anti-Christian uncle and aunt, but at age 11 she encountered Jesuit missionaries and recognized their teaching as the beliefs of her beloved mother. Desiring to become a Christian, she began to privately practice Christianity. 

Beginning at about age 13, she experienced pressure from her family to marry, but she wanted to give her life to Jesus instead. A priest who knew her recorded her words: "I have deliberated enough. For a long time, my decision on what I will do has been made. I have consecrated myself entirely to Jesus, son of Mary, I have chosen him for husband, and he alone will take me for wife."

At last, she was baptized at about age 19, and her baptism made public her beliefs, which had been kept private up until then. The event was the catalyst for her ostracism from her village. Some members of her people believed that her beliefs were sorcery, and she was harassed, stoned, and threatened with torture in her home village.

Tekakwitha fled 200 miles to Kahnawake, a Jesuit mission village for Native Amerian converts to Christianity to live together in community. There, she found her mother's close friend, Anastasia Tegonhatsiongo, who was a clan matron of a Kahnawake longhouse. Anastasia and other Mohawk women took Kateri under their wings and taught her about Christianity, and she lived there happily for several years until her death at around age 23 or 24. 

Although she never took formal vows, Tekakwitha is considered a consecrated virgin, and the United States Association of Consecrated Virgins took her as its patron. She is also the patron saint of traditional ecology, Indigenous peoples, and care for creation.

A shrine with a special mission

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site has a unique mission of archaeological and historical research related to Kateri Tekakwitha and her people. Welcoming several thousand visitors per year, the shrine ministers not only to Christians but also to all Native American.

According to its website, the shrine and historic site "promotes healing, encourages environmental stewardship, and facilitates peace for all people by offering the natural, cultural, and spiritual resources at this sacred site." Describing itself as a sacred place of peace and healing with a Catholic identity, its ministry and site are intended to be ecumenical and welcome people of all faiths.

In keeping with this mission, the shrine's grounds include an archaeological site, the village of Caughnawaga, which is the only fully excavated Iroquois/Haudenosaunee village in the world. St. Kateri lived in this village, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can also visit the Kateri Spring, where Kateri Tekakwitha was baptized.

"The water from the Kateri Spring is considered holy water by the Catholic Church," Bramble said. "People are welcome to come take the waters, and we regularly get reports of healing. We've sent that water all over North America to folks who have requested it."

Besides the archaeological site, the main grounds of the shrine include St. Peter's Chapel, housed in a former Dutch barn built in 1782; museum exhibits of Native American culture and history; St. Maximilian Kolbe Pavilion; a candle chapel dedicated to St. Kateri; Grassmann Hall and the shrine office; a friary; a gift shop; an outdoor sanctuary; and maintenance facilities. The 150-acre property includes hiking trails that are open to the public year-round from sunrise to sunset. 

Outside the candle chapel, which is always open for prayer, visitors can participate in a ministry of "Kateri crosses."

"St. Kateri was known for going into the forest, gathering sticks, binding them into crosses, and then spending hours in prayer in front of crosses she created," Bramble said. Sticks are gathered from the shrine grounds, and visitors are invited to make their own "Kateri crosses" and take them home to use as a prayer aid. Bramble shared that the shrine sends materials for Kateri crosses to those who aren't able to visit, including recently to a confirmation group.

The feast day weekend

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine hosts special events for St. Kateri's July 14 feast day. The shrine usally welcomes several hundred visitors for these events, which include Masses and talks. (A listing of the schedule can be found here.)

This weekend's Masses included a traditional purification rite, a solemn blessing with a relic of St. Kateri, and music of the Akwesasne Mohawk Choir, which "incorporates American Indian spiritual practices in keeping with the Catholic Church," Bramble told CNA. "The Akwesasne Mohawk Choir is made up of descendants of St. Kateri's community who lived in the area historically."

"There is a reestablished traditional Mohawk community a few miles west of the shrine, and we feel very blessed that we've been able to cultivate a very cooperative and mutually respectful relationship with the folks there," Bramble said.

The Saint Kateri Shrine is also a great place for families. Events often include activities and crafts for children, there is an all-ages scavenger hunt available at the site, and the shrine's museum is "a phenomenal educational opportunity," she said.

Bringing together Native American archaeology and history with the story of St. Kateri, the shrine and its programs shed light on the saint's story and keep alive the traditions and history of her people.

This story was first published on July 13, 2023, and has been updated.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 13, 2025 / 14:55 pm (CNA).

Josh Brooks, a native of Delaware County in metro Philadelphia, dreamed of following in the footsteps of his idol LeBron James and becoming a professional basketball player. However, God had other plans for him.

Today, Brooks is in his third year of university studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is preparing for the priesthood.

"I don't want to just live for myself, but I want to bring the joy God gave me to other people," Brooks said in a recent interview with Catholic Philly, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Raised in the Baptist faith, Brooks had his first contact with Catholicism when his parents enrolled him at St. Ignatius Loyola Elementary School in West Philadelphia. Later, at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast High School, his interest in the Catholic faith grew.

"And really slowly, my attention was gravitating toward my Catholic theology classes, where I learned about the identity of the priest. What really attracted me was learning about how the Catholic Church is a universal family, 'cause I didn't have the best family growing up, so that just made me feel like I was called to be part of something special," Brooks shared.

Although during his teenage years he spent a lot of time practicing in order to make the high school basketball team, he ultimately failed to achieve that dream. "So this left me wondering with the question of what I was going to do with my life if basketball, which was my bid dream, was no longer an option," he recounted.

In his search for meaning, he tried to fill the void with a romantic relationship, but realized his heart longed for something deeper. Uncertain of his calling, he asked the young lady, 'Would you be able to wait for me?' She replied, 'I'm not going to wait for you.' So I looked up at the crucifix and I said to the Lord, 'If she will not wait for me, then who will?' And then I realized the whole time he was waiting for me, for me to accept his love. He said 'You idiot, I have the best love to give you.'"

That moment marked a turning point. "I think I just reacted without thinking, And look what that brought me. It brought me so much joy, this intense fire to just want to be for God and just be for others," Brooks reflected.

At St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, he found not only a vocation, but also brothers. "I never had any brothers, so I didn't know what having one would be like. So when I entered seminary, you have different guys with different interests, different personalities. At the heart of it all, these guys are trying to build off each other," he said.

Fellow seminarian Sean Barker highlighted Josh's fraternal spirit. At a "Come and See" retreat "I walked right in and the first person I saw was Josh sitting in his cassock," he recalled. "Just talking to him, getting to know him, I felt more at ease. He cares about and has a great respect and admiration for the deep historical spirituality of the Church."

"He wants me to be better, he wants me to spend more time in chapel, to take prayer life more seriously, to take academics more seriously...I think that's just him as a role model is what inspires me most," Baker added.

In the interview, Josh highlighted the "rich tradition and history" of the Catholic Church, but also that it's "one big family." He also invited others trying to rediscover their faith to come closer: "We are an imperfect people, but we are being governed by a God who transcends all things and knows us better than we know ourselves," he said.

What most defines this young seminarian is his deep prayer life and his desire to become a priest. Although his parents are not Catholic, they support his vocation, and he prays every day for their conversion.

"At the heart of our search for the highest form of love, we'll find it here, where we gather at the altar of God and we'll be able to make our dwelling in him," the young seminarian summed up.

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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Ottawa, Canada, Jul 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Bishop Scott McCaig of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of Canada returned home recently after leading a spiritual retreat for military chaplains in Ukraine, saying that the weight of what he witnessed during his week in Lviv still looms large in his mind. 

"?I'm still processing it, to be honest," McCaig told Canada's Catholic Register. "On the Eastern equivalent of ?All Souls' Day, I visited the graves of thousands upon thousands of fallen soldiers and prayed with their families, little children, people all grieving their fathers, children, brothers and sisters. The grief and senselessness of it all were heart-wrenching and made vivid how the destruction is so unnecessary. It was a trip that truly left its mark."

He added: "?These are people who just want to live in peace but have been illegally invaded by a foreign nation, regardless of the complexities of the history and the politics of the situation. Their houses are being bombed, and they are losing their children to a war they don't want to fight."

During a unique spiritual retreat from June 13–20, McCaig and Father Terry Cherwick, lieutenant colonel of the 3rd Canadian Division, walked alongside Ukrainian chaplains who have endured over three years of frontline service since Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine, offering them spiritual tools to navigate the "unseen warfare" of faith, hope, and charity while serving a nation under siege.

Supported by Bishop Wieslaw Lechowicz, the military bishop of Poland, the weeklong mission saw the two meet with roughly 40 military chaplains, many of whom have been dealing with constant frontline service and funerals.

Due to the reality many of them are facing, McCaig addressed the chaplains' exposure to the horrible reality of war, offering a multitude of spiritual tools to combat growing despair while maintaining resiliency. 

"I spoke to them about this battle of faith in dealing with all of the death and how they can recognize the Lord Jesus as the one who triumphs over death. The Book of Revelation, which we took as a theme, talks about Jesus as dead, but now alive, as the Alpha and the Omega, the living one, and him holding the keys of death and Hades," McCaig said. 

"We wanted them to truly grasp that there is something bigger going on here and to keep their eyes focused on the Lord, who is ultimately the one who has the last word. It is never death that has the last word, but Our Lord Jesus. That reminder alone was felt deeply."

Through ?a mixture of preaching at conferences, Divine Liturgy, times of personal reflection and plenty of table sharing, McCaig and Cherwick ?explored the difference between optimism and theological hope, citing God working even amid a broken, fallen world that is all too full of sin, suffering, and death. 

McCaig also emphasized the importance of forgiveness and overcoming evil through good, with the bishop alluding to St. Augustine's notion — "A Catholic soldier fights to secure a just and lasting peace." 

"The goal is always peace and charity, and so even when the temptation to hate is so strong, we have to continue to remind ourselves of this. One can justly defend the country while at the same time forgiving our enemies," he clarified during the trip.

"?Author G.K. Chesterton put it very succinctly when he said that a Christian soldier does not fight because they hate what is in front of them, they fight because they love what is behind them."

While there wasn't a lot of spare time to reflect himself, having been woken up on multiple occasions by air raid sirens signaling drone and missile attacks, McCaig said the journey reinforced the critical importance of Catholic chaplains and their resilience. He spoke to the importance of a strong, faith-rooted approach, drawing from the Catholic tradition's emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, something he feels is far too valuable to be discredited or forgotten. 

"Chaplains are trained to provide a sort of generic role of assistance and counseling, but the conviction was very strong that while that is good and important, it's simply not enough. What these chaplains were telling us was that they want and need to reach into the deepest places of meaning and purpose in their lives, and that is something that can only come from a relationship with the living God," he said.

"Encouraging words and optimism are great, but they're not enough in those sorts of situations. The risen Christ, who is alive, has power over death and the ultimate last word on everything; that's what we need to receive — that's how we get the spiritual resiliency that is necessary in those situations."

Now back in Canada, he also shared his hopes that his insight on the military chaplain situation in Ukraine can serve as a reminder to Catholics on home soil. As there hasn't been a wartime situation for Canada since the end of the country's involvement in Afghanistan, McCaig fears Canadians have forgotten the critical importance of spiritual resilience in the military chaplaincy. That is the specific liturgical faith, hope, and charity that come from the depth of the Catholic faith.

And while most are unable to stand in the trenches, both proverbial and literal, with soldiers around the world as military chaplains do, they can support them through the vital act of prayer.

"?Pope Francis and now Pope Leo XIV are calling the country the martyred Ukraine. They truly do need our prayers. There's a lot of pressure for them to just surrender themselves to Russian political and cultural domination, which is a reality they're facing. [They are] begging for prayers not to forget them, and we can ?remember them as we pray the rosary," McCaig said.

This story was first published by the The Catholic Register in Canada and has been reprinted here with permission.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 12, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Just over a decade ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered that every state must offer marriage licenses to homosexual couples. Ten years later, several lawmakers throughout the country are reigniting the marriage debate within their state legislatures.

In 2025, lawmakers in several states introduced resolutions that urged the Supreme Court to overturn the 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established same-sex civil marriage nationwide. 

The North Dakota House and the Idaho House passed resolutions, but both efforts failed when sent to their respective state senates. In most states, the resolutions died in committees.

The limited success was in legislative chambers with overwhelming Republican supermajorities. The Idaho House, for example, has a 61-9 Republican majority and passed the resolution in a 46-24 vote. 

The North Dakota House, with its 81-11 Republican majority, adopted the resolution more narrowly: 52-40.

Still, both measures died in the upper legislative chambers despite Republicans holding a 29-6 supermajority in the Idaho Senate and a 42-5 supermajority in the North Dakota Senate.

The current effort to urge state lawmakers to pass resolutions on Obergefell is being led by the national pro-family group MassResistance. Arthur Schaper, the group's field director, told CNA he expects the resolutions to be reintroduced in 2026 in most states where lawmakers carried them this year and is working with lawmakers to carry them in several additional states.

"We are hitting the pedal to the metal," Schaper said. "We are doubling down on this fight. We are not giving up. We are going to keep pushing."

Most of the state legislatures likely to see a resolution on their dockets next year will again be ones with Republican majorities, but Schaper said the holdups in many states are caused by "a real timidity on the part of Republican operatives in some states," along with "liberal politicians masquerading as conservatives."

Some Republican leadership in states have "frustrated our efforts," he said. In some cases, he added, members of the party "just don't want to touch the issue."

Still, Schaper expressed optimism moving forward, saying that "people are waking up to the dangerous, destructive realities of redefining marriage." He noted that recent polling shows a majority of Republicans oppose same-sex marriage.

Yet about 41% of Republicans do support it, as do about two-thirds of the country's voters as a whole, which is contributing to the difficulty of getting legislative support.

Ongoing efforts in Idaho

Although resolutions don't have the force of law, Idaho Rep. Heather Scott — who introduced her state's resolution — told CNA that a resolution "lays out the facts on the issue and allows legislators to take a stand on the idea itself."

"It also alerts the Supreme Court of the Idaho state lawmakers' opposition to their decision," she said. "Resolutions are often the first step in crafting language for successful legislation."

Scott said the resolution was successful in the House "because we strategized a path forward and worked with outside supporters and legislators to be clear with the messaging." But she noted it became "a very controversial issue," which she attributed to "false narratives and messaging."

According to Scott, some members of the media "promoted the idea that Idaho lawmakers were trying to end all 'gay marriages'."

She said many citizens "did not understand that this is a state sovereignty issue that should be discussed, debated and dealt with at the state level, not mandated from the federal government."

Schaper partially attributed the success to Idaho's commitment to "state's rights" and "state's authority." He said "it's kind of baked into the idaho culture, resistance to federal overreach."

In the Senate, however, he noted that leadership "didn't bring the bill up for a vote." But he said he expects "widespread outrage" at some of the chamber's leadership for failing to take up major conservative priorities. He said he is "more confident going into next year."

"The state population has become very conservative," Shcaper said, adding "a lot of liberal Republicans have been phased out; they lost their primaries or they retired."

"There's a real push for respect for the 10th Amendment, respect for family, the population is getting more conservative, and they want the legislature to respect that," he said.

North Dakota lawmaker defends marriage

North Dakota Rep. Bill Tveit, who introduced his state's resolution, told CNA that despite the Republican supermajority in the House, "clearly it wasn't a unanimous vote." But, he added, "we were pleased with that passage."

Yet, when the bill got to the Senate, Tveit said the chamber took a "verification vote," which allows lawmakers to vote anonymously to gauge the level of support for a resolution. 

Tveit referred to the procedure as "a chicken way to do things." Most Republicans voted against the resolution in a 31-16 vote, but it's unclear who voted for it and who against it.

"It was very easy for all of the senators to hide behind what they considered to be the threat of the next election," Tveit said. "I think all too often we have 'RINOS' in charge — Republicans In Name Only. … Once it passed the House, I thought this thing would sail through the Senate."

"Under certain leadership, it did not move forward," he added.

The North Dakota legislature meets every two years, and Tveit noted he is up for re-election before the next session. He said, if re-elected, he will introduce the resolution again. If not, he said he expects another lawmaker to do so.

"I believe it's that important," Tveit explained. "We need to keep the pressure on."

Movements in South Dakota and elsewhere

South Dakota Rep. Tony Randolph also introduced his state's resolution in 2025. Although only one Democrat serves on the House Judiciary Committee, eight Republicans voted with the sole Democrat to defer a vote to the 41st legislative day, essentially killing the resolution. 

Only four Republicans voted against the deferral.

"This is one of those things where, a lot of times, folks really struggle with what to do with it," Randolph told CNA.

Randolph attributed its failure to a mix of reasons, saying that many Republicans are "worried about getting on the wrong side of certain groups." He said some lawmakers are "concerned about public backlash."

Although both chambers of the legislature have Republican supermajorities, similar to Idaho and North Dakota, he said South Dakota is "not as red as it appears from the outside." He said that "some of the Democrats are actually more conservative than [some of] the Republicans." There are some lawmakers, he said, who run as Republicans because it's the "only way to get elected in their district."

In spite of the setback this year, Randolph said he plans to introduce the resolution again next year. He said the resolution this year was put together at "the last minute" and he believes "it'll have more support" next year.

Lawmakers in Michigan and Montana introduced resolutions nearly identical to Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Lawmakers in four other states introduced different resolutions to establish a new legal category reserved for one man and one woman, called a "covenant marriage."

Schaper said MassResistance is in talks with lawmakers in other states where he hopes to get resolutions introduced that encourage the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell. Some of the states he hopes will see resolutions include Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas.

He noted that state-level resolutions have been able to launch larger legislative movements in the past, and that the next step will be to get states approving resolutions in both chambers.

"It's about starting the conversation," Schaper said.

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Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jul 12, 2025 / 08:40 am (CNA).

Friar Clodovis Boff has written an open letter to the bishops of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops' Council (CELAM, by its Spanish acronym), who recently met in assembly, asking: "What good news did I read there? Forgive my frankness: None. You, bishops of CELAM, always repeat the same old story: social issues, social issues, and social issues. And this has been going on for more than fifty years."

"Dear older brothers, don't you see that this music is getting old?" asked the priest who belongs to the Order of the Servants of Mary (Servites), in reaction to the final document of the 40th Ordinary General Assembly of CELAM, held at the end of May in the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

"When will you give us good news about God, Christ, and his Spirit? About grace and salvation? About conversion of heart and meditating on the Word? About prayer and adoration, devotion to the Mother of the Lord, and other such themes? In short, when will you send us a truly religious, spiritual message?"

Clodovis Boff, along with his brother Leonardo Boff, was one of the most important philosophers of liberation theology. However, in 2007, he published the article "Liberation Theology and Return to the Fundamentals" in the 68th issue of the Brazilian Ecclesiastical Review. 

There, he stated that "the error of liberation theology…was to have put the poor in the place of Christ, making them a fetish and reducing Christ to having a mere supportive role; when Christ did the opposite: he put himself in the place of the poor, to make them sharers in his divine dignity." 

The letter, written on June 13 — the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, a doctor of the Church — was sent "first and foremost to the president general of CELAM," Cardinal Jaime Spengler, archbishop of Porto Alegre in Brazil, and "to all the presidents of the regional CELAM," Boff told ACI Digital, CNA's Portuguese-language news partner.

The priest told the bishops that he dared to write to them "because for a long time" he has seen "with dismay, repeated signs that our beloved Church is running a truly grave danger: that of alienating itself from its spiritual essence, to its own detriment and that of the world."

"When the house is on fire, anyone can scream," Boff explained. After reading CELAM's message, something he said he felt almost 20 years ago came back to him, when, "no longer able to bear the repeated equivocations of liberation theology, such an impetus arose from the depths of my soul" and he said: "Enough! I have to speak."

"It was under the impact of a similar inner impulse that I wrote this letter, hoping that the Holy Spirit may have played some part in it," he emphasized. "So far, I have only received the reaction of Don Jaime, president of CELAM, and also of the CNBB," the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, the friar told ACI Digital.

According to Boff, Spengler, who was his "student back in the 1980s in Petrópolis," was "receptive to the letter, appreciating the fact that I had expressed my thoughts, which could help revise the ways of the Church in the Americas."

Boff wrote in his letter that, upon reading the document of the CELAM assembly, "the words of Christ come to mind: The children ask for bread and you give them a stone (Mt 7:9)."

For the friar, "the secular world itself is fed up with secularity and is off searching for spirituality," but the CELAM bishops "continue to offer them social issues and more social issues; and of the spiritual [you give them], almost only crumbs."

"And to think that you are the custodians of the greatest treasure, that which the world needs most and yet, in a certain way, you deny it to them," the priest wrote.

"Souls ask for the supernatural, and you insist on giving them the natural. This paradox is evident even in parishes: While lay people delight in displaying signs of their Catholic identity (crosses, medals, veils, blouses with religious prints), priests and nuns go in the opposite direction and appear without any distinctive sign."

In their "Message to the Church on pilgrimage in Latin America and the Caribbean," the CELAM bishops wrote that the 40th Assembly "has been a space for discernment, prayer, and episcopal fraternity," in which they shared "the lights and shadows" of their "realities, the cries" of their "peoples, and the longing for a Church that is a home and school of communion."

"[We are] aware of the current challenges that affect us as a Latin American and Caribbean region: the persistence of poverty and growing inequality, violence that goes unpunished, corruption, drug trafficking, forced migration, the weakening of democracy, the cry of the earth, and secularization, among the most common," the bishops stated.

Boff responded: "You say, without any hesitation, that you hear the 'cries' of the people and that you are 'aware of the challenges' of today. But does your listening reach deep? Doesn't it remain on the surface?"

"I read your list of today's 'cries' and 'challenges' and see that it goes no further than what the most ordinary journalists and sociologists observe. Don't the Most Reverends hear that, from 'the depths of the world,' a formidable cry for God is rising today? A cry that even many secular analysts hear? And isn't it to hear this cry and give it a response, the true and full response, that the Church and its ministers exist?" 

"Governments and NGOs are there for the 'social cries'. The Church, without a doubt, cannot exclude herself from this service. But it is not the protagonist in this field. Her proper field of action is another and higher: responding precisely to the 'cry for God,'" he emphasized.

'Progressives' or 'traditionalists'

The friar stated in his letter that he knew that bishops "are harassed day and night by public opinion to define themselves as 'progressives' or 'traditionalists,' 'right-wing' or 'left-wing.'"

"On this, St. Paul is categorical," he wrote, quoting: Men should consider us simply as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1).

"It is worth remembering" that "the Church is, first and foremost, the 'sacrament of salvation' and not a mere social institution, progressive or not," the friar said.

"She exists to proclaim Christ and his grace. That is her central focus, her greatest and enduring commitment. Everything else comes after that," the priest emphasized.

"Forgive me, dearest friends, if I'm here recalling what you already know. But why then is all of this not mentioned in your message and in the writings of CELAM in general? From reading them, one almost inevitably draws the conclusion that the great concern of the Church today, on our continent, is not the cause of Christ and his salvation, but rather social causes, such as justice, peace, and ecology, which you cite in your message as another refrain."

The friar also noted that "the very letter that Pope Leo sent to CELAM, in the person of its president, speaks clearly of the 'urgent need to remember that it is the Risen One who protects and guides the Church, reviving it in hope, etc.'"

"The Holy Father also reminds us that the Church's proper mission is, in his own words, 'to go out to meet so many brothers and sisters, to announce to them the message of salvation in Christ Jesus,'" Boff said.

"However, what was the response the venerable brothers gave to the pope? In the letter you wrote to him, there is no echo of those papal warnings. Rather, you asked him to help you, not to keep the memory of the Risen Lord alive in the Church; not to proclaim salvation in Christ to your brothers, but rather to support them in their struggle to 'encourage justice and peace' and to 'support them in denouncing every form of injustice.' In short, what you made the pope hear was the same old refrain: 'social issues, social issues...', as if he, who worked among us for decades, had never heard it."

Boff was referring to the fact that Pope Leo XIV was a missionary and bishop in Peru and, therefore, familiar with both the social reality of Latin America and the various types of theology and pastoral care practiced on the continent.

"You will say: But these are assumed truths, which do not need to be repeated all the time. No, my dearest ones; we do need to repeat them, with renewed fervor, every blessed day, otherwise they will be lost," Boff wrote to CELAM.

"If it weren't necessary to keep repeating them, then why did Pope Leo remind you about them? We know what happens when a man takes his wife's love for granted and doesn't bother to nurture it. This is infinitely more important in relation to faith and love for Christ."

The friar pointed out in his letter that "the vocabulary of faith" such as God, Christ, evangelization, resurrection, Kingdom, mission, and hope "is not lacking" in CELAM's message, but, for him, these are "words placed there in a generic way," because "one sees nothing of clear spiritual content in them" and "rather, they make one think of the usual refrain 'social issues, social issues, and more social issues.'" 

"Please consider the first two words, key words and more than elementary words of our faith: 'God' and 'Christ.' As for 'God,' you never mention him in and of himself," the friar wrote, but "only refer to him in the stereotypical expressions 'Son of God' and 'People of God.' Brothers, shouldn't you be astounded?

The name of Christ "appears only twice, and both times only in passing," Boff observed.

The friar said the bishops "declare," and "rightly so, that they want a Church that is a 'house and school of communion,' and, furthermore, 'merciful, synodal, and outgoing,'" and that "a Church that does not have Christ as its reason for being and speaking is, in the words of Pope Francis, nothing more than a 'pious NGO.'"

"But isn't that where our Church is headed? A lesser evil is when, instead of going to the non-religious, Catholics become evangelicals. In every case, our Church is hemorrhaging. What we see most around here are empty churches, empty seminaries, empty convents," the friar observed.

"In our Americas, seven or eight countries no longer have a Catholic majority. Brazil itself is on its way to becoming 'the largest ex-Catholic country in the world,' in the words of a well-known Brazilian writer," said the friar, referring to the playwright, writer, and journalist Nelson Rodrigues. "However, this continued decline doesn't seem to worry the venerable brothers so much."

The priest even said that CELAM's message affirms that the [heart of the] Church in Latin America "continues to beat strongly" and that there are "seeds of resurrection and hope," and asked: "But where are these 'seeds', dear bishops? They don't seem to be in the social sphere, as you might imagine, but in the religious sphere. They are especially in the renewed parishes, as well as in the new movements and communities."

"All these expressions of spirituality and evangelization" are "the ecclesial aspect that most fills our churches (and the hearts of the faithful)," he wrote. "It is there, in this spiritual seedbed, where the future of our Church lies. An eloquent sign of that future is that, while in the social sphere, currently, we see almost only 'people with white hair; in the spiritual realm, we see the rush en masse toward the spiritual by today's young people."

"Without the leaven of a living faith, social struggle itself ends up being perverted: from liberating, it becomes ideological and ultimately oppressive," Boff emphasized. "This is the lucid and grave warning that St. Paul VI issued (in Evangelii Nuntiandi 35.2) regarding the then-nascent 'theology of liberation' (a warning from which that theology, it seems, drew no benefit)."

Where does CELAM want to 'take our Church'?

"Dear elder brothers, allow me to ask you: Where do you want to take our Church?" Boff asked. The bishops "speak a lot about the 'Kingdom,' but what is the concrete content of their 'Kingdom'?" the friar asked in his open letter.

"Since you speak so much about building a 'just and fraternal society' (another of their refrains), one might think that this society is the central content of the 'Kingdom' that is evoked. I am not unaware of the grain of truth therein. However, the most reverend bishops say nothing about the principal content of the 'Kingdom,' that is, the Kingdom present, both in hearts today and in its consummation tomorrow," he observed.

"In your discourse, there is no eschatology to be seen. It is true: You speak twice of 'hope,' but in such an indefinite way that, given the social slant of your message, no one, upon hearing such a word from your mouths, raises their eyes to heaven."

"Why this reticence in speaking loudly and clearly, as so many bishops of the past did, of the 'Kingdom of Heaven' (and also of 'Hell'), of the 'resurrection of the dead,' of 'eternal life,' and of other eschatological truths, which offer such great light and strength for the struggles of the present, as well as the ultimate meaning of everything?"

"It is not that the earthly ideal of a 'just and fraternal society' is not beautiful and great" the friar noted, "but nothing compares to the Heavenly City (Phil 3:20; Heb 11:10, 16), of which we are fortunately, by our faith, citizens and workers, and you, by your episcopal ministry, its great engineers."

"It is, therefore, time, and more than time, to bring Christ out of the shadows and into the full light. It is time to restore to him absolute primacy, both in the Church ad intra (in the individual conscience, in spirituality, and in theology), and in the Church ad extra (in evangelization, ethics, and politics)," Boff wrote. "The Church on our continent urgently needs to return to its true center, to return to its 'first love.'"

"With this, my dearest friends, would I be asking you for something new?" Boff asked. "Absolutely not. I am simply reminding you of the most evident requirement of faith, of the 'ancient and ever new' faith: the absolute option for Christ the Lord, the unconditional love for him, required particularly of you, as he did of Peter (Jn 21:15-17)."

For the friar, it is urgent for the bishops "therefore to adopt and practice clearly and decisively a strong and systematic Christocentrism; a truly 'overwhelming' Christocentrism, as St. John Paul II expressed it," and "to live an open Christocentrism that acts as leaven and transforms everything: people, the Church, and society."

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

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