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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 22, 2025 / 15:42 pm (CNA).

In early August, President Luis Abinader promulgated the Dominican Republic's new penal code, a law that replaces legislation more than a century old and will come into effect in August 2026.

The approved text incorporates crimes such as "femicide," contract killings, cyberbullying, economic violence, pyramid schemes, kidnapping, crimes against humanity, and genocide. It also increases maximum prison sentences up to 60 years for serious crimes.

However, one of the most significant aspects is that it maintains the absolute ban on abortion, a milestone for the Dominican pro-life movement.

'A code that enshrines the inviolability of life'

Father Mario de la Cruz Campusano, episcopal vicar for Family and Life Ministry of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, expressed his gratitude for the passage and promulgation of the new penal code.

"We want to recognize the great work of the [representatives] and senators in approving a code that enshrines the inviolability of life. Likewise, we thank President Luis Abinader for listening to us and enacting this law that the vast majority of the Dominican people requested and needed," he stated in a video posted on social media.

The priest emphasized that the new legislation "resolves many problems needing attention with regard to the penal code, classifies new crimes, increases penalties where necessary, and introduces provisions not addressed in the previous legislation."

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, Damaris Patrocinio, president of the Forum of Women in Defense of Life and the Family, (FOMUDEVI by its Spanish acronym) stated that this victory "has been the fruit of a decades-long struggle."

"They say that every era has its battles and every battle has its warriors. FOMUDEVI would not have been a key component in this phase for the passage of the constitutional penal code if the great warriors who preceded us more than 25 years ago had not laid the foundations for the defense of life," she stated.

The pro-life leader recalled names such as Pelegrín Castillo, Mercy Núñez de Avilés, Bishop Víctor Masalles, the late Father Luis Rosario, and other advocates "who passed the generational torch to us."

A joint effort by experts

Patrocinio explained that in January, FOMUDEVI called on five lawyers who "worked on amendments to the current penal code on a pro bono basis." These jurists — Fabio Caminero, Carolina Moreno, Laura Félix, Katerine Gómez Hernández, and Martha Jáquez — drafted and revised articles to strengthen the protections for life and family.

Among the key provisions, she highlighted, "abortion was maintained, fully criminalized, as established by the constitution in Article 37." At the same time, an exemption was added, stating: "The termination of pregnancy performed by specialized health personnel will not be punished if, to save the life of the mother, the fetus, or both in danger, all available means at the time of the event are exhausted."

"What was done was to include in the law what was already addressed in a medical protocol of the Ministry of Public Health," Patrocinio explained.

Regarding the family, the pro-life leader emphasized that "it remains untouchable, since the constitution establishes in Article 55 that marriage is between one man and one woman."

Conscientious objection and new crimes

The leader also welcomed the inclusion of two paragraphs on conscientious objection.

"Conscientious objection entails important social and legal consequences. It is a person's right to refuse to fulfill a legal obligation when said obligation profoundly contradicts their moral, ethical, or religious convictions," she noted.

Regarding the inclusion of new crimes, Patrocinio acknowledged progress and nuances: Adding "'contract killings' was an achievement, as these crimes have been on the rise in the Dominican Republic. We believe that cyberbullying has room for improvement in its wording. Economic violence, on the other hand, is subjective and more susceptible to the manipulated gender agenda and the 2030 agenda," she commented.

Criticisms and challenges

Regarding those in society who take issue with the prohibition of abortion, Patrocinio was emphatic: "For them, the only perfect code would be one that contains only three articles: first, unrestricted abortion in all its forms, including infanticide; second, sexual orientation for the purpose of indoctrinating children; and third, an article that eliminates our sovereignty," she stated.

Facing the year of "vacatio legis" (the period of time between the publication of a law and its going into effect), the president of FOMUDEVI anticipates some challenges: "We have a great opportunity to improve what has already been passed; not to add anything new but to adapt penalties, eliminate articles, or improve wording."

Asked about the risk of attempting to introduce changes, she pointed out that "this danger will always be latent, because pro-abortion groups continue to receive significant funding from international organizations."

Along the same lines, Martharís Rivas, coordinator of 40 Days for Life in the Dominican Republic, emphasized that the group will continue "praying for this 'vacatio legis' so that life and family continue to be defended in the Dominican penal code."

Finally, Patrocinio reiterated FOMUDEVI's commitment to the transition process, saying the organization will remain "on high alert for any attempt to modify what was passed." 

"This has been a severe blow to the head of the serpent of the groups involved in the industry of death, who were defeated and crushed to their shame," she noted.

With the passage of the law in the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) by a margin of 159-4 and with 27-1 in the Senate, the new Dominican penal code marks a before and after in the country's legislative history.

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, Aug 22, 2025 / 16:40 pm (CNA).

Michael Iskander, the actor known for playing the lead role of King David in the new hit Prime Video series "House of David," announced Aug. 21 that he has become Catholic.

"Today is a very special day, that looking back has been a long time in the making. Today I joined the Catholic faith," he wrote in an Instagram post. "I've felt a calling to this Church for a long time, and as time went on, this calling became louder and louder."

He added: "Eventually I ran into some really amazing people that helped me along the way. And rather than being the end of the road, this is the beginning of the journey. Please pray for me as I continue my walk with God, and thanks for celebrating this day with me."

Iskander, 23, has shared in several interviews that he always dreamed of portraying King David but never thought it would happen. He was taking part in a Broadway production when he heard about the upcoming series focusing on Israel's famous king. After his initial audition, Iskander was given a "no." A couple weeks later, he was called to reaudition. Iskander was advised by his mother to pray and fast ahead of the second audition. Two months later, he was offered the role.

"For me, oftentimes God speaks with the softest voice and, for me, the softest voice was telling me 'just hold out' ... I don't want to say that I knew this was mine — I really believe that God can choose anyone to accomplish his will," Iskander said in an interview with Naomi Raine. "It's not about me, it's about him doing his will and it's about someone who was willing to do his will."

"So, I think in a way having that audition kind of not go through … I think it was God's way of telling me: 'Listen, there's going to be rejection and there's going to be a tough time and there's going to be challenges, but the only way you get through is with me,'" he added.

Speaking at the Liberty University convocation, he shared that it's easy for actors who have a role such as this to "make it about the human being rather than about God."

"The show, for me, shouldn't be called 'House of David.' It should be called 'House of the Lord,' 'House of God,' because it's about him," he said. "David's heart was for the Lord and so that's what I try to find in every scene, in every moment is where the Lord is and where the Holy Spirit can be found."

Iskander has also spoken about the importance Scripture played while filming the series and portraying this famous figure.

"Keeping in mind the reverence for Scripture and what he means biblically, I found myself reading the Psalms and the Book of Samuel constantly just to be reminded of the true character of David and his heart and truly trying to find his heart in every single moment," he told CNA in an interview.

He emphasized the importance of "focusing on the reverence for Scripture" in approaching his portrayal of David.

"House of David" is produced by the independent studio Wonder Project, which caters to faith-based and values-oriented audiences. The first season of the series — which aired exclusively on Prime Video — garnered over 40 million views worldwide and reached No. 1 on Prime Video in the United States.

In June, Wonder Project announced the launch of an exclusive subscription that will be offered on Prime Video that will allow subscribers to get early access to new original films and series produced by the production studio.

Season 2 of "House of David" will first be released on the Wonder Project subscription service this fall. It will then be available to all Prime Video users at a later date.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 21, 2025 / 12:42 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has called for a day of fasting and prayer for peace on Friday, Aug. 22, coinciding with the liturgical feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Holy Father made the announcement Aug. 20 during his greeting to Italian-speaking pilgrims at the conclusion of the catechesis for the general audience, recalling that Our Lady, in addition to being queen, is "also invoked as Queen of Peace."

"While our earth continues to be wounded by wars in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, and in many other regions of the world, I invite all the faithful to devote the day of Aug. 22 to fasting and prayer, imploring the Lord to grant us peace and justice and to dry the tears of those who suffer as a result of the ongoing armed conflicts," the pontiff said.

"Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede so that peoples may find the path to peace," he prayed.

On Tuesday evening at Castel Gandolfo, Leo XIV expressed his hope for a solution to the crisis of the war in Ukraine but emphasized the need to continue to "work hard, pray hard" for peace. 

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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Knock, Ireland, Aug 21, 2025 / 13:20 pm (CNA).

At Ireland's Knock Shrine, the confessionals are "the engine room," its rector says, powering this rural Marian apparition site as a place of hope and healing during the jubilee year.

"We have a very, very big outreach here in terms of confessions," Father Richard Gibbons, who has led the shrine for more than a decade, told CNA on the eve of the 146th anniversary of the only documented apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary together with St. Joseph and St. John.

In a country where Mass attendance has sharply declined in recent decades, Irish Catholic leaders point to Knock as a place of welcome for those who have fallen away from practicing the faith.  

"Sometimes people who are in difficulty with their faith feel, 'I'm not a good enough Catholic to go to Knock or to Lourdes or to Fátima,' which is not the case," Gibbons said. "It's specifically because you might be struggling that you come to places like this and find hope."

The shrine has 16 full-time chaplains who hear confessions daily from morning to evening, welcoming thousands, including those who come hesitantly after years away from the sacrament. 

"People come and they might have no intention of going to confession," Gibbons said. "They see people going … they take a chance … and it's completely transformative for them."

"They open up and then you let the grace of God work."

Pilgrimage season peaks each August with the National Novena to Our Lady of Knock, nine days of daily Mass, Eucharistic processions, and candlelit rosaries ending on the anniversary of the apparition on Aug. 21. Gibbons estimates that about 150,000 pilgrims visited the shrine during the novena this year.

The most 'unique apparition in all the world' 

On the rain-soaked evening of Aug. 21, 1879, 15 witnesses in the small village of Knock in County Mayo in western Ireland saw something extraordinary outside of their parish church of St. John the Evangelist: the Blessed Virgin Mary dressed in white robes and a crown with her hands and eyes turned toward heaven in prayer.

To her right was St. Joseph, who had gray hair and a beard, and to her left was St. John vested as a bishop with an open book in his hand. Beside them was a lamb standing on an altar in front of a cross surrounded by angels.

For two hours, despite the downpour, the apparition remained. Fifteen witnesses — men, women and children, the youngest just 5 years old — prayed the rosary before the silent figures. Remarkably, the ground around the church wall stayed dry.

"It's the most unusual apparition. It's unique in all the world," Gibbons said. "At the heart and center is the Eucharist — the altar and the lamb."

Unlike most Marian apparitions, Mary said nothing at Knock. Some historians suggest the silence reflected the cultural upheaval of 19th-century Ireland, when older generations still spoke Irish while the young were taught only English under colonial rule. What was clear, Gibbons said, is that the vision came at a time of suffering.

"There was just an awful lot of suffering and pain and violence at the time," he said. "There was a land war going on with tenants being evicted … and many famines."

The Great Famine of 1845–1849 devastated Ireland, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1 million people, with 1 million more emigrating from the country by 1951.

Recurring famines plagued Ireland in the decades that followed, particularly in the northwest County Mayo where the apparition occurred. The year 1879 was itself "a famine year" for the Irish people.

"Our Lady appeared when people needed hope and that connection with heaven," Gibbons said.

Miracles and healings

Stories of cures have been linked to Knock since the first days after the apparition. Grace Mulqueen, curator of the Knock Museum, tells visitors about the shrine's earliest miracle: a deaf girl named Delia Gordon who, just 10 days after the apparition, was healed when her mother scraped stone dust from the church's gable wall and placed it in her ears.

"Her daughter was instantly cured," Mulqueen said. "And once people began to hear of that cure … then people started to come with their walking sticks and crutches and hundreds of people reported that they were healed or cured."

By 1880, the local parish priest had documented more than 600 claims of miraculous cures.

The most recent officially recognized miracle was the healing of Marion Carroll, who had long suffered from multiple sclerosis and was brought to Knock on a stretcher in 1989. After being blessed by a monstrance during Eucharistic adoration at Knock, she stood up, healed. The cure was formally recognized in 2019 after 30 years of medical investigation.

Jubilee pilgrim passport  

For the 2025 Jubilee Year, the Irish bishops launched a "Pilgrim Passport" encouraging visits to Knock, Croagh Patrick, and Lough Derg. Pilgrims collect stamps at each pilgrimage site they visit.

Lough Derg is the site of the Basilica of St. Patrick and the famed medieval "St. Patrick's Purgatory" pilgrimage. Croagh Patrick is Ireland's holiest mountain and where St. Patrick spent 40 days fasting, located one hour away from the Knock Shrine.

"It's unbelievable the amount of people who come because they had just decided to visit Croagh Patrick because they were touring Mayo and then they picked up the passport," Nicola Mitchell, director of pastoral planning at the shrine, told CNA.

She added that she has encountered people coming to get their passport stamped who "never would have dreamt of visiting Knock" otherwise.  

"And we're inviting people who would never dream of coming to a place like Knock Shrine, inviting them and saying: There's a warm welcome for you." 

"And I think that you can't enter the gate of Knock Shrine without feeling that peace that exists here," Michell said.

Looking ahead to 2029 

Knock has twice drawn papal visits. St. John Paul II made it the focal point of his 1979 trip to Ireland, telling the crowd of 400,000 that visiting Knock was "the goal" of his pilgrimage. Pope Francis came in 2018 and later elevated Knock to the status of International Eucharistic and Marian Shrine. 

As the 150th anniversary of the apparition in 2029 approaches, organizers are already preparing. Gibbons hopes Pope Leo XIV might mark the occasion with a visit to Knock, as John Paul did for the 100th anniversary.  

"2029 will be a very, very special year," Gibbons said. "We would love Pope Leo XIV to come, even just to celebrate the anniversary." 

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 21, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota and founder of the Catholic ministry Word on Fire recently warned about the proliferation of fake videos created with artificial intelligence (AI) circulating on social media impersonating him.

"The presence online of these videos generated by artificial intelligence that purport to be from me and that are not from me" is a problem that is becoming "increasingly difficult," the prelate warned in a message posted Aug. 20 on his official social media.

Barron recounted that a few months ago, a woman told him that she felt so bad about an altercation he supposedly got into in a restaurant in Chicago, which was actually a fake video.

"I said I've not been in a restaurant in Chicago for about five years. Well, it was one of these AI-generated silly videos," he explained.

He also recalled another case in which he was supposedly summoned to Rome by Pope Leo XIV for "high-level discussions." The bishop clarified: "I've met Pope Leo once — it happened a couple of weeks ago in Rome; we put it up on our social media. I shook his hand and he smiled at me. That's my one contact with him. I'm not being summoned to Rome for high-level discussions."

A video even circulated in which he supposedly gave recommendations on how to "remove demons from your toilet."

"My point," Barron said, is "this is all ridiculous. And I think if you spend just a moment, you can tell the difference between an authentic video from me and one of these fakes."

The bishop warned that this phenomenon is not harmless: "These are fraudsters. What they're doing is making money off these things because they monetize them through ads … So it's not just harmless fun people are having. It's doing damage to my reputation, but it's also doing damage to people who are being defrauded."

In response, he urged the faithful not to be fooled: "Don't take these silly things seriously. Don't watch them. And what you look for is something on my YouTube channel, something on the official Word on Fire channel, and there's a blue check you can see next to my name, the profile name. Look for that: That's the sign that it's a video from me."

Finally, he called for common sense: "When you see these goofy images that are obviously generated by a computer and you hear me talking about some wild thing, I hope you have the sense to know 'Look, that's not really Bishop Barron speaking.'"

"It's becoming increasingly a problem and I want you to know about it and do what you can to battle it. And God bless you," he concluded.

Leo XIV's concern for the ethical use of AI

Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has expressed particular concern about the ethical use of AI. On June 7, the pontiff underscored the "urgent need" for "serious reflection and ongoing discussion on the inherently ethical dimension of AI as well as its responsible governance."

A month later, in his message to participants at the AI ??for Good 2025 summit held in Geneva, Switzerland, he recalled that "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."

In his letter, the pope urged the promotion of "regulatory frameworks centered on the human person" and "proper ethical management" of AI technologies at both the local and global levels.

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, Aug 21, 2025 / 15:19 pm (CNA).

James Dobson, the evangelical Christian psychologist, author, and founder of Focus on the Family, an influential family counseling ministry, passed away on Aug. 21. He was 89 years old.

Dobson advised five U.S. presidents on family policy, most recently as a member of President Donald Trump's Evangelical Executive Advisory board. He was considered a leading light in the American conservative movement's fight for traditional family values, including a focus on defending the institution of marriage as between one man and one woman for life, biblical sexual ethics and gender roles, and innocent life through opposition to abortion.

"James Dobson was the indispensable man," Peter Wolfgang, president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action, an affiliate of the Family Policy Councils that Dobson helped start, told CNA. "Just as I don't think the Soviet Union would have collapsed without Pope John Paul II, I don't think we'd be where we are in the culture wars without him. He was a builder of institutions."

In 1977, after leaving nearly two decades in academia and private practice in California, Dobson began Focus on the Family, which produced a daily radio program that provided parenting advice as well as encouraged Christians to advocate for biblical values in schools and the wider culture. The radio program was carried by more than 7,000 radio stations around the world and had hundreds of millions of listeners.

"Focus on the Family is the mothership; it is where it all began," Wolfgang noted. The organization, which by the 1990s had a budget that exceeded $100 million and produced, in addition to its radio programs, print publications, video projects, and camps, was the first of several ministries and organizations Dobson started. 

Key role in founding Alliance Defending Freedom

Dobson also helped found the Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defense Fund, now known as Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), in 1994, as well as the Washington-based political advocacy group Family Research Council. He was also involved in the founding of ecumenical, state-based Family Policy Councils, which exist in about 40 states. 

In 1986 Dobson served on the U.S. Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, where he met Alan Sears, who became CEO, president, and general counsel of ADF for 26 years. 

"I am sad to learn of the passing of my ally and friend, Dr. James Dobson," Sears said in a press release. "He gave us the greatest gift any person can give: his name and reputation. It was an incredible trust and turned out to be a gift that changed the world."

He continued: "It was through Focus on the Family that the ADF theme verse, John 15:5, was adopted, which acknowledges that 'without Christ, we can do nothing.' This has been the cornerstone of everything ADF has accomplished, and Dobson's legacy will continue on through the many ministries he envisioned and led."

Current ADF CEO and Chief Counsel Kristen Waggoner said: "Dobson's bold leadership and commitment to the Gospel shaped the lives of so many and will continue to do so many years after his passing."

Dobson's leadership in the 'culture wars' 

According to Wolfgang, "James Dobson did more than any other single individual" to bring about the "turning of the tide" in the "culture wars," as evidenced by the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the collapse of the transgender movement.

"He is the man who gave us the tools to do it," Wolfgang said. 

In the beginning years of the contemporary pro-family movement in the U.S., "the larger movement was mostly evangelical," Wolfgang said, noting, however, that "it was ecumenical. It was Catholic-friendly."

"I'm just so grateful for what Dobson did," Wolfgang continued. "I love the Catholic faith, we have the fullness of the truth, but in the late 20th century, we didn't build the institutions to fight back like he did. We're just now starting to do that. It was really Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council — all of that universe that began with Dobson — that really gave pro-life and pro-family Christians the tools."

"The Protestant scene, like the Values Voter Summit, was the nuts and bolts on how to turn culture around. 'How do we win on the state and federal level?'" Wolfgang continued.

He said it was not just Dobson's advocacy for the family that helped but his ability to fight for it in the public realm.

"We're living at a time now where a lot of our sturdy evangelical allies have started to go a little wobbly on the biggest cultural issues of the day," he continued.

"Focus on the Family never lost its focus. It never strayed from the vision of its founder. It is like how religious orders in the Catholic Church who follow the vision of their founder flourished. They never lost their focus," Wolfgang said.

Praise of the Catholic Church

In an historic moment in 2000, Dobson and Chuck Colson, another prominent evangelical leader, along with other Protestant and Catholic advocates for a Christian view of sexuality and the family, met with Pope John Paul II at a three-day conference in Rome.

Though the theological divides between Catholics and Protestants separated the Christian groups, they united over the "breakdown of the family and the deterioration of the respect for human life," Russell Hittinger, a law professor at The Catholic University of America, said at the time.

Dobson himself said that "when it comes to the family, there is far more agreement than disagreement, and with regard to moral issues from abortion to premarital sex, safe-sex ideology and homosexuality, I find more in common with Catholics than with some of my evangelical brothers and sisters."

Paul McCusker, who worked with Dobson at Focus on the Family for almost 20 years as a writer and director for the "Adventures in Odyssey" audio series, told CNA: "Dr. James Dobson was a man of Godly integrity, dedication, and immense love for the family. He was a help and guide to millions of people, offering wisdom and advice to couples, parents, and kids in all conditions."  

A convert to Catholicism, McCusker is currently a senior content creator for the Augustine Institute. 

"He was a leading voice where families needed one. His creative vision allowed for efforts like 'Adventures in Odyssey' and so many other programs that have inspired the past couple of generations," he continued. "Personally, I am grieved, even while celebrating Dr. Dobson's greatest of homecomings."

Early life and career

Born in 1936 in Louisiana, Dobson came from generations of Christian faith. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all pastors in the Church of the Nazarene. 

Dobson studied psychology as an undergraduate and received his doctorate in psychology in 1967 from the University of Southern California.

He worked as a professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine for 14 years and spent 17 years in the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles Division of Child Development and Medical Genetics, leaving both positions in 1976.

He published his first book and most famous parenting tome, "Dare to Discipline," in 1970 in response to the disintegration of the family he encountered in his clinical practice. In the book, he encouraged parents to assert their authority over their children, advocating for restrained but principled corporal punishment.

He went on to publish nearly 70 books on parenting, discipline, traditional values, and marriage.

Dobson is survived by his wife of nearly 65 years, Shirley, and two children, daughter Danae and son Ryan, along with daughter-in-law Laura and two grandchildren.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 21, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Two years after "the worst episode of violence against Christians" in Pakistan's history, according to the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the bishop of Faisalabad said the community of the faithful is outraged by the apparent failure of justice.

Beginning Aug. 16, 2023, and in the days following, Muslims in the village of Jaranwala in the Diocese of Faisalabad looted and burned more than 25 churches and at least 80 Christian homes.

According to ACN, two months ago, local courts "acquitted 10 people accused of setting fire to one of the churches." Another 5,213 people were accused of participating in the violence, of whom more than 380 were arrested. However, many were released on bail. To date, no convictions have been handed down.

Bishop Indrias Rehmat spoke to the pontifical foundation about the case, denouncing the lack of justice and explaining the feelings of local Christians.

"Justice has not been done," he said. "The police have not done their duty. Nobody has been punished and nobody has been dealt with properly. At this stage, we do not see any hope of any culprit being punished."

The Christians, Rehmat said, have received physical threats and harassment from local extremists for "daring to call for justice but had now become so enraged that they are determined to speak out."

"What's changed over the last two years since the attacks is that people have now become ready to fight for their rights. They say we should shout and scream," he added.

The bishop explained that the Christian community's discontent is exacerbated by the fact that Christians were the only ones convicted on charges related to the 2023 attacks. Brothers Rocky and Raja Masih were accused of blasphemy against the Quran — which sparked the persecution that year — but were later acquitted.

Pakistan is home to about 4 million Christians. This represents only 1.6% of the country's total population, estimated at 241 million and predominantly Muslim. From 1987 to early 2021, more than 1,800 people were charged with blasphemy against Islam.

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, Aug 21, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Nigeria is the deadliest country in the world for Christians, according to the new chair of the U.S. Commission on International Freedom (USCIRF).

Vicky Hartzler, a Republican who represented Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives for 12 years, became chair of the commission in June. In an interview with CNA, she said of her new mission: "We want to make a difference. We want to save lives."

Hartzler's top priority is Nigeria. Citing statistics from Open Doors, an international organization dedicated to helping persecuted Christians, Hartzler said 69% of Christians killed worldwide in 2023 died in Nigeria, with more than 50,000 killed since 2009. The violence includes mass killings of worshippers, such as the June attack on a Catholic church where more than 200 people were slaughtered.

Hartzler is calling on the U.S. State Department to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and pressure its government to better protect citizens and prosecute those committing crimes against religion.

Iran and China remain major focuses. In Iran, Hartzler said more than 900 executions took place in 2024, and 96 Christians received sentences totaling more than 260 years in prison.

China, meanwhile, continues its so-called sinicization campaign, especially against Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region, requiring mosques and churches to display portraits of leader Xi Jinping and replace traditional worship with Chinese Communist Party propaganda. Hartzler said these examples not only represent repression but also are systematic attempts to erase authentic religious practice.

Stephen Schneck, who served as chair of the USCIRF under President Joe Biden and is a former director of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America, equates USCIRF's work within a Catholic tradition of defending religious liberty, tracing back to the Second Vatican Council's declaration of religious freedom Dignitatis Humanae.

He warned of "a historic uptick in the persecution of religion around the world" and highlighted two genocides in Asia: against Uyghur Muslims in China and the Rohingya in Myanmar. For Schneck, it is vital not only to document these atrocities but also ensure they remain in international focus.

Maureen Ferguson, a former senior fellow at The Catholic Association and EWTN radio host, wants to draw attention to Nicaragua, where President Daniel Ortega's regime has targeted the Catholic Church by arresting priests, expelling nuns, and even monitoring homilies.

"When they kick out the nuns, what are the nuns doing?" Ferguson asked. "They take care of the street girls, the elderly poor who are dying. Who's taking care of them now? The government is certainly not taking care of these people."

Ferguson also pointed to Cuba's ongoing repression of churches and independent religious voices as another regional priority for USCIRF. 

She framed international religious freedom as part of a broader defense of human dignity. "The right to practice your faith is one of the most fundamental human rights," Ferguson said, linking it with conscience rights and the sanctity of life. 

Schneck said USCIRF's bipartisan structure adds weight to its recommendations. But he cautioned that designations such as CPC or the Special Watch List are not enough without enforcement.

"Too often these designations come with no sanctions, or sanctions are waived," he said.

Hartzler and her fellow commissioners also highlighted USCIRF's Victims List, which features individuals imprisoned or tortured for their beliefs. By publicizing their names and stories, the commission seeks to pressure governments into releasing them and to remind the world that religious persecution is not abstract but lived by real people.

The commissioners all agree that Americans have a role to play. Hartzler urged people not just to pray but also to act: calling elected officials, pressing the White House and State Department, and demanding that religious freedom be a core element of U.S. foreign policy.

Ferguson called for the confirmation of President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, former Congressman Mark Walker, to strengthen U.S. diplomatic efforts.

The U.S. State Department is expected to release the annual International Religious Freedom report soon.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, as amended. The commission monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad; makes policy recommendations to the president, secretary of state, and Congress; and tracks the implementation of these recommendations.

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CNA Staff, Aug 20, 2025 / 19:14 pm (CNA).

Frank Caprio, who served as a Providence, Rhode Island, municipal court judge for nearly 40 years and came to be known as "America's nicest judge," passed away on Aug. 20 from pancreatic cancer.

"Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond. His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him," read a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee ordered flags in the state to be flown at half staff at all state agencies and buildings until the day of Caprio's internment, and he also asked Rhode Island residents to lower their flags out of respect.

Caprio gained worldwide fame for a lenient judicial style that blended justice, extreme empathy, and mercy when his courtroom was televised in a program called "Caught in Providence." The program began in 1999 and went viral in 2017, achieving hundreds of millions of views since then. The show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2021 and has a YouTube channel with nearly 3 million subscribers.

When handing down judgments for low-level offenses like parking and speeding tickets, Caprio told EWTN News correspondent Colm Flynn on "EWTN News In Depth" in February that he always kept in mind something his father, a hardworking Italian immigrant with a fifth-grade education, had impressed upon him: "What might seem like a small fine to some was something that many couldn't afford."

"That's why I would always inquire: 'Tell me a little bit about what's going on in your life,'" Caprio said.

"Your case is dismissed" became Caprio's signature phrase.

When other judges asked him why he would be so lenient, he said: "I would just place myself in the shoes of the person before me." 

Caprio dismissed the case of a 96-year-old man, Victor, who had an outstanding unpaid speeding ticket, the first one in his life, which he received while taking his disabled son to a doctor's appointment. Four years later, Caprio celebrated the man's 100th birthday with him.

"Watching my father, I learned how to treat people with respect and dignity," Caprio said.

Early life and education

Caprio was born in 1936 in Providence, Rhode Island, the second of three sons of Italian immigrants Antonio Caprio and Filomena Caprio, who emigrated from Naples. 

Caprio attended Providence public schools, winning a state title in wrestling when he attended Central High School, and later graduating from Providence College in 1958. While teaching American government at Hope High School, he pursued a law degree at Suffolk University School of Law, attending night classes and passing the bar in 1965. He became a judge in 1985 and served until his retirement in 2023.

Caprio said that his father, a fruit peddler and milkman, used to wake him and his brothers at 4 a.m. to accompany him on his milk delivery rounds. 

"I had the most privileged childhood you could imagine," Caprio told Flynn. "I had the privilege of being brought up poor."

He described living in a "cold water flat," an apartment that had no hot water. 

Caprio's father told his sons if they "didn't want to stay on this milk cart for the rest of your life, you better stay in school." 

One day when he was around 12 years old, Caprio said, his father put his hand on his shoulder and said: "You're going to be a lawyer someday, and you can't charge poor people like us."

The elder Caprio showed his sons how to be compassionate even as a poor milkman, refusing to stop milk deliveries when customers could not pay.

Caprio's father continued to be a powerful presence in his life even after he became a judge. On his first day on the bench, Caprio required a belligerent, rude woman with multiple parking tickets to pay the full amount she owed and impounded her car. At the end of the day, he asked his father, who had been watching: "How'd I do?" 

His father told him he was too harsh with the woman, even if she did have a bad attitude. He told him she had three kids and might not be able to feed them that night.

"Because you're in a position of power doesn't mean you have to use it against people who don't have power," Caprio's father said to him.

It was a lesson he would never forget.

"I was just trying to be decent with everyone. I never sat on the bench and thought I was better than anyone else or that I was superior to them in any way," Caprio told Flynn.

Cancer diagnosis

Caprio was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023. 

A devout Catholic, Caprio's faith sustained him during a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, in 2024, where he sang "Ave Maria" at the grotto, describing it as a profound spiritual moment.

He told Flynn he hoped his fans would pray for him after his cancer diagnosis because "I have a deep and abiding faith in the Catholic Church, in Jesus, in the power of prayer." He said his faith in God and the prayer from all his fans kept him going.

He asked for prayers again on Aug. 19, posting a video on Facebook. He passed away the next day.

Career, legacy, and honors

Caprio, a Democrat, served on the Providence City Council for six years, from 1962 to 1968, and lost the general election for Rhode Island attorney general in 1970. He served as a delegate for five Democratic National Conventions. Caprio also served in the Rhode Island Army National Guard.

He was actively involved in several community organizations, including the Boys Town of Italy and the Rhode Island Food Bank. He co-chaired the Rhode Island Statue of Liberty Foundation, raising funds for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Additionally, he served on the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education. Caprio was also a member of the President's Council at Providence College.

At Suffolk University School of Law, Caprio established the Antonio "Tup" Caprio Scholarship Fund, named after his father, to support Rhode Island students dedicated to enhancing access to legal services in the state's poor, urban neighborhoods. Caprio also created scholarships at Providence College, Suffolk Law School, and for Central High School graduates, all honoring his father's legacy.

Caprio received two honorary doctorates and a Producer's Circle Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival along with the Daytime Emmy nomination. His former municipal courtroom was renamed "The Chief Judge Frank Caprio Courtroom" in 2023. 

An avid Boston Red Sox fan, Caprio threw the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park in 2019.

In 2025 he published his memoir, "Compassion in the Court: Life-Changing Stories from America's Nicest Judge."

Caprio is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joyce, with whom he had five children: Frank T. Caprio, David Caprio, Marissa Pesce, John Caprio, and Paul Caprio. The couple had seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

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CNA Staff, Aug 20, 2025 / 13:26 pm (CNA).

Pro-life activists in New York state were awarded $1 this month after a court found that a county abortion clinic rule violated their constitutional free speech rights. 

The Thomas More Society brought suit in federal district court in 2022 against New York's Westchester County over its rule forbidding "interference" with abortion access there. 

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York found in favor of pro-life sidewalk counselors Oksana Hulinsky and Regina Molinelli, with District Judge Philip Halpern ruling on Aug. 12 that the county ordinance violated the activists' free speech and due process rights. 

The plaintiffs were only seeking "nominal damages" in the suit, the court noted, leading Halpern to order the $1 award. The county had already repealed the ordinance in question prior to the ruling.

Thomas More Society attorney Christopher Ferrara said in a press release that the ruling sends a "powerful message to municipalities nationwide" that "vague laws targeting pro-life speech will not stand."

"Westchester County's pro-life sidewalk counselors seek only to offer compassionate, life-affirming alternatives on public sidewalks — as is their First Amendment right," he said. 

"Westchester's arrogant overreach tried to silence their voices, but this decision helps reaffirm their constitutional freedom to share the pro-life message."

The law firm, however, noted that it would appeal an earlier court ruling that upheld parts of the law that forbid so-called "following-and-harassing" behavior.

Rules regarding conduct outside of abortion clinics have become legal flashpoints in the abortion debate around the U.S. and internationally in recent years. 

The Supreme Court earlier this year refused to hear a case involving a "buffer zone" around abortion clinics in Carbondale, Illinois. That rule criminalizes approaching within eight feet of another person without his or her consent for purposes of protest, education, or counseling within 100 feet of a health care facility.

In 2023 a Washington state county judge ordered a pro-life group to pay nearly $1 million to Planned Parenthood for gathering and praying outside of one of its abortion clinics. 

Earlier this month, a 28-year-old man was found guilty of assaulting two elderly pro-life activists in front of a Planned Parenthood facility in Baltimore, though the perpetrator was sentenced to just one year of home detention. 

Last year, meanwhile, a national "buffer zone" law went into effect across England and Wales barring protests outside abortion facilities. Officials stipulated that silently praying outside of abortion clinics is "not necessarily" a crime under the new rules.

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