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CNA Newsroom, Jul 12, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The Bishops' Conference of France this week said a dozen new accusers have come forth with allegations of abuse against deceased Capuchin priest Abbé Pierre.

The famed French priest has already been accused by several dozen people of inflicting abuse over the course of several decades. Pierre founded the Emmaus movement, an international charity effort, after World War II.

In a July 10 press release the French bishops said they were "shocked to receive the testimony of 12 new victims of Abbé Pierre, including 7 minors at the time of the events."

The bishops "assure these people of their support," the prelates said in the release.

Allegations of abuse against Pierre, who for decades was hailed for his charity work in France, shocked the Catholic world last year. Emmaus International revealed the abuse claims in July of 2024, with new allegations surfacing in September of last year.

The Abbé Pierre Foundation announced it would change its name due to the revelations. The French bishops also said they would release archive files on Pierre nearly six decades ahead of schedule amid the abuse claims.

French prosecutors said earlier this year they would not mount an investigation into the priest due to his having died in 2007.

This week, meanwhile, the French bishops said that they were "committed to helping victims rebuild their lives after what they have been through."

The bishops and Emmaus "are working together with determination on a process of reparation," they said.

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CNA Newsroom, Jul 12, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

"The only males allowed in our meetings will be very young ones," said Ruth Lewis, one of the founders of MoMa Breastfeeding, a newly launched support group for breastfeeding mothers. 

The group was founded by former trustees of La Leche League Great Britain, who say they were ousted from the group for their belief that only women can breastfeed. 

"As experienced breastfeeding counselors, we saw skills and knowledge being lost through changes in language and the abandonment of mother-centered practice," says the website of MoMa Breastfeeding. 

"Support for mothers and children that protects the mother-baby dyad is needed more than ever." 

Group has Catholic roots

Founded in 1956 by seven Catholic women in Illinois who named the group after the nursing Madonna and in response to a rise in formula feeding, La Leche League ("La leche" means milk in Spanish) originally supported natural family planning and other Catholic moral teachings.

It changed over the years, however, dropping its Catholic identity as it grew. And in recent years, the group in the U.S. and elsewhere has embraced gender ideology and so-called "inclusive" language, using terms like "chestfeeding" and allowing men who say they are women to participate in meetings. 

This pivot clashed with the convictions of many of the group's leaders, including Marian Thompson, 95, one of the original founders who resigned from the board of La Leche League International in 2024 in protest.

The breaking point in Britain came in early 2024 when six trustees with the British group, including Lewis, a 17-year veteran La Leche League leader, were suspended after raising their concerns about the inclusion of males in women-only spaces and the confusing new language with the U.S.-based international board, on which sit members from all over the world.

The international group had issued an order in early 2024 for all affiliates in Great Britain to offer breastfeeding support to all nursing parents, regardless of their "gender identity" or sex.

The suspended trustees complained to the British Charity Commission, which they argued protects single-sex organizations. 

Lewis said the trustees then published their full correspondence with all the La Leche League leaders in Great Britain, and it was not long before the press got wind of the dispute. 

A spokesperson for the trustees said in 2024 that they had "exhausted every process available to us to defend sex-based services."

"[La Leche League] International and a small number of fellow trustees at [the British chapter] have undermined our efforts and left us with no choice but to alert the Charity Commission … We would like to reassure group leaders and the mothers who benefit from LLLGB's services that we are confident the law is on our side, as 'mother' is a sex-based term in UK law."

The Supreme Court in the United Kingdom ruled in April that sex is determined by biology, a decision welcomed by both MoMa's founders and advocates for biological reality worldwide.

"La Leche League International called us hateful bigots, but we were just trying to protect the mother-baby relationship," Lewis told CNA. 

MoMa's mission is to provide free, voluntary, mother-to-mother support from pregnancy through weaning, Lewis said, and the group insists on clarity. 

"The gender-neutral language is damaging," Lewis said. "When you say 'parent' instead of 'mother,' it detracts from the relationship. It makes information harder to access, especially for mothers with dyslexia or whose first language isn't English."

Justine Lattimer is a lawyer specializing in child protection who is helping MoMa get off the ground and is the sister of one of the group's founders.

"The baby's needs have been overlooked in all this talk of 'chestfeeding' and 'parent'," Lattimer said in an interview with CNA. "It's all about what the parent wants. None of it is about the baby's needs." 

"A baby is born expecting to breastfeed — it's a biological imperative," Lattimer said. "The mother is the complete answer to all the baby's questions in those first moments." 

Lattimer argues that breastfeeding is more than nutrition — it's about comfort, bonding, and the tactile, emotional connection between a mother and her child. 

"Breastfeeding is part of mothering," she said. "It's part of a mother's natural learning of being responsive in parenting."

"A lot of things have happened over the course of the twentieth century that have broken that relationship a little bit," Lattimer continued. "Mothers have been disenfranchised."

Lattimer says she hopes MoMa can help restore some of that brokenness by providing a place for mothers to talk about their common experiences.

"It's also empowering for women" to have such a place, she said. "Women have been led to believe everything is technical and requires an expert," she added. "We're here to say, 'You're enough. You were made for this. You can do this.'"

Cynthia Dulworth agrees. The former La Leche League leader and Catholic mother of three told CNA that the "Catholic theology that my body could do this – to grow the baby in my womb, to give birth, and to breastfeed – completely changed my lifestyle and helped me connect with my children."

"I truly believe that breastfeeding is not merely for nutrition but more importantly a relationship between a mother and a baby which is irreplaceable," said Dulworth, who resigned as a leader because she disagreed with the changes in language. 

"I didn't want to confuse my daughters, who were often with me in meetings or when I took phone calls," she said.

"Breastfeeding is a sex-based reality. It's not about gender — it's about mothers and their babies," Paula Clay, a lactation consultant and long-time La Leche League leader in the U.S. who supports MoMa's mission, told CNA.

For Clay, a Catholic who wears a crucifix and miraculous medal at her breastfeeding support groups, MoMa represents a return to "true north" — a focus on mothers and babies.

MoMa's launch in May garnered immediate attention on social media, amplified by a "substantial" donation from famed author J.K. Rowling, an outspoken critic of men who call themselves women "invading" women's spaces, who re-posted the group's announcement to her millions of followers. 

"We couldn't have bought publicity like that," Lewis told CNA, noting the donation covered critical startup costs like registering the company and setting up a website. The group has since received dozens of small donations, averaging £20, often accompanied by heartfelt messages. 

The positive response has been overwhelming, Lewis said. 

"People write, 'Sorry it's not more,' but we're grateful for every bit," she said. 

As MoMa grows, it aims to remain "small and perfectly formed," Lattimer said. 

"We're not here to police language or fight culture wars. We just want to help mothers breastfeed their babies. The world won't end if we call mothers 'mothers' and say no to men occasionally," she said.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 11, 2025 / 09:40 am (CNA).

Best-selling author, Harvard professor and renowned social scientist Arthur Brooks says the missionary character and approach of Pope Leo XIV is one which all Catholics should emulate.

In an interview with "EWTN News in Depth," Brooks called attention to the new pope's track record of threading the needle of "speaking the truth in a spirit of love, and that's a lot more of what we all need to emulate as Catholic people."

This approach, Brooks said, is a winning one that gives him a lot of hope and optimism for Leo's pontificate and the future of the Church, which he says is on the cusp of a revival.

Speaking with anchor Catherine Hadro, Brooks said all Catholics are called to missionary work grounded in joy, excellence, and clarity of purpose. 

"We need to ask ourselves tomorrow as we go out: Am I being a good missionary or am I not? Is somebody going to say, I like the way that that person lives their Catholic faith or not? Is that attractive or is that unattractive? Those are the choices."

A convert to Catholicism at age 16, Brooks says he considers himself a "secular missionary." In a recent article in The Atlantic, he wrote that his secular writing, speaking and teaching is the principal way that he shares his faith publicly.

"My approach is basically to be open and easy and natural about my Catholic faith," said Brooks, who is also the former president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute think tank.

The two best tools in secular evangelization, Brooks said, are friendship and excellence. 

"Be a good friend, be a good person, all the time, impeccable in the way you treat other people and somebody people can rely on and actually love," Brooks told Hadro. 

"And two, be excellent in everything you do. Be the best at what you do…because people want to be around excellence and people want to have good friends," he added.

Catholics, Brooks said, are called to "magnetize" their faith by "making it natural and normal and excellent" such that it draws people to the faith.

When it comes to speaking truth in a spirit of love, Brooks said we "have a moral obligation to call out things that are wrong when they're wrong for the good of the person," noting that when there's grave sin "we have to call it out."

"But we will be ineffective in doing so if we don't do that with love," he emphasized. 

"When you love the people with whom you disagree, and then you talk about the disagreements, then you're able to persuade people, potentially," Brooks pointed out. "[Y]our only shot at persuading people is with love."

In his 2023 book Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, Brooks offers practical strategies for both emotional and spiritual growth. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

He continues exploring these themes in his forthcoming book, The Happiness Files, in which he likens the pursuit of happiness to launching a start-up: deliberate, experimental, and mission-driven.

Watch the full "EWTN News in Depth" interview with Arthur Brooks below:

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 11, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).

A recent poll has revealed that the majority of American adults' beliefs align with recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings supporting parental authority, allowing states to ban transgender treatment for minors, and permitting authorities to require age verification on websites with sexually explicit content.

On June 18, the Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee was permitted to ban medical treatments for minors including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgeries. 

On June 27, meanwhile, the high court ruled that public schools in Maryland must allow parents the option to withdraw their children from discussions of LGBT topics if they have religious objections. It also ruled that a Texas law that requires pornography websites to verify that users are at least 18 years old does not violate the Constitution and can remain in effect.

The poll, which was conducted before the rulings were issued, revealed that the American public was mostly in alignment with the final decisions of the Supreme Court.

The survey was completed online April 10-16 among 2,201 U.S. adults by YouGov for its SCOTUSpoll project. The poll was conducted by researchers at the University of Texas, Harvard University, and Stanford University. 

It found that the majority of all respondents (64%) said states "should be able to ban" minors from being subject to certain transgender medical treatments.

The numbers were lopsided according to political alignment: While 90% of Republicans and 63% of Independents surveyed said states should be able to carry out bans, only 38% of Democrats did.

The poll also found that 77% of Americans believe schools "must give the ability" for parents to remove their children from conversations on gender and sexuality. The majority of respondents across all political parties agreed, including 89% of Republicans, 69% of Democrats, and 72% of Independents. 

Texas is one of 24 states that has enacted a law requiring age verification for porn websites similar to the one voted on by the Supreme Court. The survey found that a high majority (80%) of Americans reported that states should be able to permit verification. This included 88% of Republicans, 75% of Democrats, and 77% of Independents. 

Since the Supreme Court ruled on the case involving transgender medical intervention, meanwhile, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced it has sent more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics involved in child transgender medical procedures.

In a July 9 announcement, the DOJ stated the investigations "include healthcare fraud, false statements, and more."

In the statement, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said: "Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice."

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Rome Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 17:29 pm (CNA).

For the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly established by Pope Francis and celebrated this year on July 27, Pope Leo XIV has issued a message of hope to the elderly.

At the beginning of his message, the Holy Father evoked the Jubilee Year to remind the faithful that "hope is a constant source of joy, whatever our age." 

He cited some elderly biblical figures, such as Abraham and Sarah, Moses, and Zechariah, whom the Lord surprised in "an act of saving power": "God repeatedly demonstrates his providential care by turning to people in their later years," he explained.

The pontiff noted that by making these choices, "God thus teaches us that, in his eyes, old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses of hope."

Life is more than the present moment

He then emphasized that the increasing number of elderly people "is a sign of the times that we are called to discern, in order to properly interpret this moment of history."

The Holy Father noted that "embracing the elderly helps us to understand that life is more than just the present moment, and should not be wasted in superficial encounters and fleeting relationships. Instead, life is constantly pointing us toward the future."

He also emphasized that "if it is true that the weakness of the elderly needs the strength of the young, it is equally true that the inexperience of the young needs the witness of the elderly in order to build the future with wisdom."

"How often our grandparents have been for us examples of faith and devotion, civic virtue and social commitment, memory and perseverance amid trials! The precious legacy that they have handed down to us with hope and love will always be a source of gratitude and a summons to perseverance," he said.

In the context of the Jubilee Year, he invited the faithful to "to break through the barriers of indifference …" and to give of themselves to prevent feelings of loneliness and abandonment among the elderly.

"Our societies, everywhere in the world, are growing all too accustomed to letting this significant and enriching part of their life be marginalized and forgotten," he lamented.

Protagonists of the "revolution" of gratitude and care

The pope emphasized that every parish, association, or church group is called to be "protagonists in a 'revolution' of gratitude and care," and that this must be done "by regular visits to the elderly, the creation of networks of support and prayer for them and with them, and the forging of relationships that can restore hope and dignity to those who feel forgotten."

"Christian hope always urges us to be more daring, to think big, to be dissatisfied with things the way they are … [and] to work for a change that can restore esteem and affection," he explained.

The Holy Father recalled that Pope Francis wanted the faithful, and especially young people, to reach out to those who are alone. He noted that those who cannot make the pilgrimage to Rome this year will be able to obtain the Jubilee indulgence if they visit the elderly alone for an appropriate amount of time.

The freedom to love and to pray 

Addressing grandparents and the elderly, Pope Leo XIV encouraged them not to lose hope, even in those moments when they are tempted "to look not to the future but to the past."

"We possess a freedom that no difficulty can rob us of: it is the freedom to love and to pray. Everyone, always, can love and pray," he emphasized

The pope also recalled Pope Francis's words during his last hospitalization: "our bodies are weak, but even so, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being there for one another, in faith, as shining signs of hope."

Pope Leo XIV also indicated that "affection for our loved ones – for the wife or husband with whom we have spent so much of our lives, for our children, for our grandchildren who brighten our days – does not fade when our strength wanes."

"Indeed, their own affection often revives our energy and brings us hope and comfort," he added.

Therefore, the pontiff continued, "especially as we grow older, let us press forward with confidence in the Lord. May we be renewed each day by our encounter with him in prayer and in Holy Mass."

"Let us lovingly pass on the faith we have lived for so many years, in our families and in our daily encounter with others. May we always praise God for his goodness, cultivate unity with our loved ones, open our hearts to those who are far away and, in particular, to all those in need. In this way, we will be signs of hope, whatever our age," the pope concluded.

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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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 17:55 pm (CNA).

Bishop Alberto Rojas of the diocese of San Bernardino, California has granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for those within the diocese who fear deportation. 

The bishop said all of the faithful within the diocese who possess "genuine fear" of arrest while attending Mass are dispensed from the obligation until further notice, and are "encouraged to maintain their spiritual communion with Christ and His Church through acts of personal prayer." 

In a July 8 statement, Rojas said the decision to grant the dispensation came after he recognized that "fear of immigration enforcement raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may deter some members of our diocese from fulfilling the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation." 

According to John Andrews, the director of communications for the diocese, attendance for Spanish language Masses across the diocese has been "down about 50 percent," since around the time raids began in Southern California last month. 

Andrews told CNA the diocese is aware of two recent instances of ICE enforcement actions on church properties, with both taking place on June 20. 

One of the instances, he said, occurred at St. Adelaide Church in Highland and "involved several men who had been working in the neighborhood where the church is located." The men were chased into the church parking lot and detained, according to Andrews, who said "we do not know whether these men were actually arrested."

The second instance occurred at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Montclair, and "involved the apprehension and arrest of one man who was on parish property to do landscaping work," Andrews told CNA, adding: "He and his family are longtime parishioners there and we know that he was arrested and ultimately sent to a detention facility in Texas." 

"There is real fear gripping many in our parish communities," said Rojas in a separate statement to CNA. "I want our immigrant communities to know that their Church stands with them and walks with them through this trying time." 

A bishop is enabled under the Code of Canon Law to provide dispensations for the faithful under his care "whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual good."

"I know that they would be in church if not for this threat to their safety and their family unity," the bishop added. "With all the worry and anxiety that they are feeling, I wanted to take away, for a time, the burden they may be feeling from not being able to fulfill this commitment to which our Catholic faithful are called."

In the July 8 announcement, which was also signed by Vicar General Msgr. Gerard López, Rojas stipulated that priests within the diocese must seek ways to provide support to those affected, and that parishes must also "explore alternative means of catechesis and sacramental preparation for those unable to attend regularly." 

"In issuing this decree, I am guided by the Church's mission to care for the spiritual welfare of all entrusted to my care, particularly those who face fear or hardship," the bishop declared. 

This past May, the Diocese of Nashville also granted a Sunday Mass dispensation to "those in our diocese [who] are concerned about the possibility of being confronted or detained while attending Mass or other parish events." 

ICE: agency 'does not indiscriminately take enforcement actions' at churches

An ICE spokesperson told CNA, "While ICE is not subject to previous restrictions on immigration operations at sensitive locations, to include schools, churches and courthouses, ICE does not indiscriminately take enforcement actions at these locations." 

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation's immigration laws," the spokesperson noted, adding: "All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removed from the United States."

In January 2025, the Department of Homeland Security removed places of worship from its sensitive locations list, allowing ICE agents to carry out immigration enforcement procedures. 

Following a lawsuit from a group of 27 religious organizations, ICE was temporarily blocked in March from carrying out deportations in places of worship. However, a federal judge in April found the organizations did not have legal standing, thereby allowing operations to continue.

In an interview with CNA last week, Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and current fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, expressed doubt that ICE would carry out extensive raids in Catholic churches. 

He noted that while it's possible a dangerous criminal could be targeted for enforcement at a church, "it's not like they're going to sweep through Sunday Mass looking for people."

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Vatican City, Jul 10, 2025 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday said developers and users of artificial intelligence (AI) are jointly responsible for ensuring innovations uphold human dignity and the common good in his message to participants of the 2025 AI for Good Summit taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

"Although responsibility for the ethical use of AI systems begins with those who develop, manage and oversee them, those who use them also share in this responsibility," the Holy Father said in a message to participants at the July 8-11 global meeting. 

The letter, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, expressed the pope's call for "regulatory frameworks centered on the human person" and "proper ethical management" of AI technologies on local and global levels.

"Humanity is at a crossroads, facing the immense potential generated by the digital revolution driven by artificial intelligence," the pope said. "The impact of this revolution is far-reaching, transforming areas such as education, work, art, healthcare, governance, the military, and communication."

In spite of these global advancements, Leo commented that approximately 2.6 billion persons living in rural and low-income areas do not even have access to basic communication technologies.

"This epochal transformation requires responsibility and discernment to ensure that AI is developed and utilized for the common good, building bridges of dialogue and fostering fraternity, and ensuring it serves the interests of humanity as a whole," he said.

While AI can perform specific tasks, "simulate" human reasoning, or technically enhance global cooperation with speed and efficiency, Leo said it "cannot replicate moral discernment or the ability to form genuine relationships.   

"Ultimately, we must never lose sight of the common goal of contributing to that 'tranquillitas ordinis — the tranquility of order,' as St. Augustine called it," he said, "and fostering a more humane order of social relations, and peaceful and just societies in the service of integral human development and the good of the human family." 

Just days into his pontificate, at his first meeting with the College of Cardinals on May 10, Pope Leo identified AI as "another industrial revolution" that can "pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labor."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 9, 2025 / 20:19 pm (CNA).

In an atmosphere of deep recollection and sadness, but also of hope, the funeral of Portuguese soccer players Diogo Jota of the Liverpool Football Club and his brother André Silva, who died last Thursday in a traffic accident in Zamora, Spain, was held on July 5. Jota's marriage to Rute Cardoso had been solemnized in the Church just 11 days prior. They have three children.

At the funeral, which took place in the town of Gondomar's main church on the outskirts of Porto, Portugal, the coffins were brought in as the church bells rang. The funeral was attended by several of Jota's teammates, including Liverpool soccer club captain Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Argentine Alexis MacAllister, Uruguayan Darwin Nuñez, and coach Arne Slot.

Father Alípio Germano Barbosa, who was the pastor of the church in Gondomar for more than 18 years and who gave Diogo and André their first Communion, fondly recalled the time the brothers were part of his parish community.

"I lived here for 18 and a half years, and closely followed the human and Christian growth of these two young men, with great affection for them and their family," the priest who attended the funeral told AP.

"They were very well behaved, humble, and courageous boys. In fact, following in the steps of their parents and grandparents, they were deeply connected to the local community and, naturally, participated in community life, the sacraments, Christian fellowship, and communion," Germano added.

Roberto Martínez, coach of the Portuguese national football team, told the press at the funeral: "These are very sad days, as you can imagine, but today we have shown that we are a large and united family."

"We are Portugal, and it was essential for us to be together and the world will be united, and his spirit will be with us forever. Thank you so much for your messages, for your support, and for everything we have received from all over the world. It means a lot, and today we are all a football family," he emphasized.

The bishop of Porto's homily at the brothers' funeral

The funeral Mass was celebrated by the bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda, who first addressed the children of the late Liverpool player who did not attend the funeral:

"Right now you're suffering immensely. Or maybe you're not, because you don't even realize the tragedy that has befallen your family. You will become aware of it later. And it will be terrible. But I will pray to Jesus for you."

"The one who suffers deeply," the prelate continued, "is your mother, Rute. She is heartbroken! Likewise, your grandparents, Isabel and Joaquim, and the rest of your family. Seeing before you a coffin containing the remains of a son must be the ultimate torment. But when it's not just one coffin, but two, belonging to two brothers... there are no words."

"We are here to say that we too suffer greatly," the bishop continued. "We are here with you emotionally … Yes, tears! It's human! It would be a shame for us if we didn't."

Linda encouraged having "faith and hope in the Resurrection."

"This communion of life is achieved through baptism and good works … Your father, Diogo, was married in the Church 11 days before he died."

After highlighting the importance of sports, the bishop of Porto said that "while it's sad to see an adult cry, it's even more painful when it's a child… I send a special greeting to your mother, your grandparents, and other family members. I am with you. Jesus is also with you."

Liverpool soccer club's tribute to Diogo Jota

In addition to retiring Jota's No. 20 jersey, the Liverpool soccer club chartered a plane to accommodate those members who wished to travel to the funeral in Portugal.

This was confirmed by the Portuguese newspaper Record. Liverpool will keep Jota's contract in force and will pay his salary and all bonuses to his family.

The club decided to pay out the remaining two years of Jota's contract, meaning his widow and his three young children will receive the corresponding sum of more than 17 million euros ($19.9 million).

English journalist Tom Harrington also said on X that Liverpool will establish a fund for the children of Jota and Cardoso, specifically for their education.

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 Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).

Amid a heated debate over appointments to Germany's constitutional court, two Bavarian bishops have issued an urgent call to uphold human life and dignity, warning "there must never again be second-class people" in Germany as the country faces a contentious parliamentary vote.

Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg declared that anyone who relativizes human dignity protections should be disqualified from Germany's highest judicial body, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner.

The bishops' intervention comes as the German parliament prepares to vote Friday on three candidates for the court that serves as the nation's supreme judicial authority and final arbiter on fundamental rights questions.

The debate over nominations has focused on views publicly expressed by Social Democratic Party nominee Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. The constitutional law professor served as deputy coordinator of the government commission on abortion law reform. She argued that legalizing abortion within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy would be constitutionally permissible.

Most contentious was her widely criticized assertion that "whether the embryo and later fetus is entitled to the protection of the Basic Law's guarantee of human dignity is indeed very controversial in constitutional law scholarship. In my view, there are good reasons why the guarantee of human dignity only applies from birth."

Without naming names, the two bishops characterized such constitutional interpretation this week as fundamentally disqualifying, emphasizing the state's duty to guarantee human dignity protections without exception.

The Bavarian bishops — who have also risen to prominence for their resistance to the controversial Synodal Way — are not the only ones raising concerns.

Some Christian Democratic Union (CDU) parliamentarians took to social media to call Brosius-Gersdorf "unelectable."

The bishops' statement establishes what they describe as non-negotiable criteria for constitutional judges as the country grapples with fundamental questions about the protection of human life, particularly regarding abortion law.

Bishops establish disqualification criteria

The bishops' statement, titled "Our Basic Law is maximally inclusive," asserts that every human being is granted human dignity and the right to life regardless of their life situation. 

Oster and Voderholzer pointed to Germany's Basic Law (Grundgesetz), the country's constitution established in 1949, which enshrines the inviolability of human dignity in Article 1 as the foundation of all constitutional rights.

The Bavarian bishops warned that "anyone who holds the view that the embryo or fetus in the womb does not yet have dignity and only has a lesser right to life than the human being after the birth is carrying out a radical attack on the foundations of our constitution. 

"He or she must not be entrusted with the binding interpretation of the Basic Law," they said.

Oster and Voderholzer added that there "must never again be second-class people in Germany."

Catholic chancellor causes outrage

The bishops' principled position comes as Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz — a Catholic and leader of the CDU — appeared to defend Brosius-Gersdorf despite her controversial constitutional views.

In a dramatic moment during Wednesday's Bundestag debate, when asked by Alternative for Germany parliamentarian Beatrix von Storch whether he could reconcile with his conscience voting for a candidate "for whom human dignity does not apply if [the person] is not yet born," Merz responded: "My straightforward answer to your question is: Yes!"

The chancellor's words created significant tension within his own parliamentary faction, according to media reports.

The CDU's pro-life organization, Christian Democrats for Life, urged party leadership to reject the nominee based on her stance on the right to life.

Pro-life organizations have announced a demonstration outside the Reichstag building on Friday morning, CNA Deutsch reported.

Germany records more than 100,000 abortions annually, with approximately 1.8 million procedures performed between 1996 and 2023.

Currently, women in Germany can obtain an abortion from a doctor during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, following a compulsory counseling session.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has announced a restructuring process as it faces a shortage of priests.  

The announcement of the "Rooted in Christ Pastoral Planning Process" comes a year after Bishop John Walkowiak issued an urgent diocesan-wide appeal to pray for an increase in vocations in the diocese, which has had just one ordination to the priesthood in the last two years. 

"In 2024, we had one priestly ordination. In 2025, seven pastors were either granted senior priest status or reassigned outside the Diocese of Grand Rapids, and there were no priestly ordinations," the diocese said in a June 29 statement. "Given this reality, the Presbyteral Council and priests of the diocese urged Bishop Walkowiak to take a hard look at what is required for the well-being of our parish communities and priests."

The priest shortage has forced many priests to take on the responsibility of shepherding two to three parishes at a time, according to the diocese.

In a video message, Walkowiak said that while he is "grateful to our pastors who have generously taken on the responsibility," the situation is ultimately not sustainable.

It has been more than a decade since the diocese — which spans 11 counties, 79 parishes, and 31 Catholic schools — last underwent a pastoral planning process.

According to the restructuring plan, 21 parishes across the diocese will merge, forming new parishes, while 14 parishes will form clusters in which two or more parishes will be made to collaborate to varying degrees on ministries, resources, and personnel. Parishes in clusters retain their buildings and finances, unlike in cases where parishes merge. 

While he noted the change can be "difficult and often painful," the bishop expressed faith that the changes would ultimately be beneficial to parish communities. 

"We risk stagnation and decline if we fail to adapt," he said, adding: "We need to remember that a parish is a communion of persons, one that extends beyond the confines of parish buildings. Sometimes in order for that communion of persons to remain healthy and continue to grow, the administrative and physical structures that support it must be reassessed." 

Six of the mergers were kicked off with the promulgation of the plan on June 29, while other mergers and clusters are set to take place in accordance with the end of pastors' terms and priestly assignments.

Walkowiak has appointed Vicar General Father Colin J. Mulhall to oversee the implementation of the pastoral plan.

In addition to the merging of parishes and formation of parish clusters, the diocese also announced that land for a new parish in the West Deanery would be purchased between the cities of Zeeland and Hudsonville due to projected population growth. A new parish will also be established on land already owned by the diocese in the townships of Robinson and West Olive, also due to projected population growth.

"We must adjust administrative duties so that pastors can encourage their parish communities to become centers of evangelization, where all are invited into a relationship with Christ through worship, participation, and outreach to those in need," the bishop said.

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