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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 12:41 pm (CNA).

An economics paper published last month on religious service attendance trends in 66 countries concluded that the implementation of reforms associated with the Second Vatican Council likely contributed to subsequent Mass attendance declines.

The working paper, "Looking Backward: Long-term Religious Service Attendance in 66 Countries," was published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) on July 21.

NBER economists delved into historical trends for religious service attendance in historically Catholic and historically Protestant countries based on 1,900 religious affiliation statistics.

According to the researchers, attendance rates declined significantly faster in historically Catholic countries than in Protestant ones in the years after Vatican II. The trend began immediately after Vatican II and was not ongoing when the council began in the early 1960s.

Beginning in 1965 and through the 2010s, monthly attendance in Catholic nations decreased by an average of 4 percentage points more than Protestant countries in every decade.

Dismissing the claim that attendance rates only went down due to broader secularizing trends globally, the report asserted: "The decline in attendance is specific to Catholicism, to which Vatican II would directly apply."

NBER researchers claim that Vatican II and subsequent reforms "profoundly affected Catholic faith and practice" and concluded the council's implementation "triggered a decline in worldwide Catholic attendance relative to that in other denominations."

"Compared to other countries, Catholic countries experienced a steady decline in the monthly adult religious service attendance rate starting immediately after Vatican II," the report found. "The effect is statistically significant."

Harvard economics professor Robert Barro, one author of the study, told CNA the findings show "a substantial reduction in attendance" in Catholic countries relative to Protestant countries. 

He noted the Catholic decline culminates to "as much as 20 percentage points" worse than the Protestant decline over about four decades.

Barro said "before Vatican II, the Catholic and non-Catholic places behaved in a similar manner."

He said "there's nothing before the event" but also noted the study "cannot exclude the possibility that something else that you're not looking at happened at the same time."

The NBER report incorporates retrospective questions from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). These surveys from 1991, 1998, 2008, and 2018 gather data about the past by asking respondents about religious service attendance from their childhoods. These surveys, according to the report, fill in data for years in which there was not polling.

"Nobody before had the long-term data," Barro said.

What might have impacted the decline in Mass attendance?

Although the report is primarily an economics paper, the researchers cite sociologists who have analyzed the implementation of Vatican II. It contends the findings are consistent with the view that the implementation "shattered the perception of an immovable, truth-holding Church."

The report cites the late sociologist Father Andrew Greeley's book "The Catholic Revolution," which attributed five major changes to the post-Vatican II Church: Mass in the local language, broader ecumenism, looser rules, internal debates on birth control, and more priests seeking laicization.

Harvard economist Rachel McCleary, who is Barro's wife and has also conducted research on the Church, told CNA she believes the implementation of the council had "a secularizing effect on the Catholic Church, which means that you're losing your brand."

"They want something that's different, that addresses their spiritual needs," she said, arguing that the implementation of the council "did the reverse; it secularized the religion."

McCleary argued that the implementation led to some internal strife with some Catholics believing the effects "went too far" and others thinking they "didn't go far enough."

Father Paul Sullins, a senior research associate at the Ruth Institute, told CNA there is a distinction between Vatican II itself and the subsequent "social effects of its implementation and reception" of the council.

He warned not to confuse the implementation with "the content or documents of the council proper."

Sullins said some Church leaders "acted in what they perceived to be 'the spirit of Vatican II,' which was often not envisioned or even justified by the council itself."

Yet disproportionate attendance decline, he noted, is "undeniable and widely documented." He added: "The Catholic decline is pretty secular (gradual, long-term), so it's probably responsive to many other cultural factors [as well]," such as disputes about the Church's ban on contraception. 

"But [the implementation of] Vatican II clearly worked to accommodate the Church to the world, and so contributed to the decline — the differential decline — among Catholics," Sullins said.

For example, the council itself allowed greater use of the vernacular language but also called for preserving the use of Latin and Gregorian chant in the Mass. The council did not require priests to face the people during Mass as opposed to the traditional "ad orientem" posturing in which the priest faces away from the people. It also did not discourage kneeling while receiving Communion.

Tom Nash, a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, contended the report failed to make a clear distinction between the council itself and "the infamous 'spirit of Vatican II'" when it comes to certain subjects, such as ecumenism.

"The issue is whether the actual teachings of the council triggered this decline or whether there are other factors involved," he told CNA.

Although Vatican II avoids using the word "heretic" for Protestants and opts to use "separated brethren," Nash said "the Church didn't, in fact, promote religious indifference at the council in its teachings." He said the term "is painfully but accurately used multiple times … regarding fellow Christians … who are validly baptized."

Non-Christians, Nash said, "are our brothers and sisters in the sense that we are all made in the image and likeness of God, but we painfully are not yet one Christ."

Nash cited the council's dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium to note Vatican II "reaffirmed the Church's definitive teaching on papal primacy in governing and teaching, which Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted in founding the Church on the rock of St. Peter." 

"Vatican II also reaffirmed and elaborated further on the Church's divinely given power to teach infallibly on faith and morals," he added.

Nash noted several ways the Church could improve Mass attendance, including an increase in Eucharistic reverence, such as more options for adoration, "promoting kneeling for the reception of holy Communion," and using patens to "heighten Eucharistic awareness and reverence." 

He also encouraged parishes to offer confession for five to 10 hours every week.

"When we make sacramental encounters more available with Our Lord Jesus Christ, an increase in Sunday Mass participation will follow accordingly," Nash said.

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CNA Staff, Aug 15, 2025 / 13:11 pm (CNA).

A Pennsylvania priest has been placed on administrative leave after he confessed to local prosecutors last month to falsifying the results of a high-level fundraising raffle at his parish.

Father Ross Miceli allegedly "admitted to publicly falsifying the results of the grand prize winner" of a raffle for either a Corvette or a $50,000 cash prize at St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Erie.

In an Aug. 14 statement, the Diocese of Erie told CNA that Miceli will be placed on administrative leave as part of the ongoing investigation into the priest's actions. Erie Bishop Lawrence Persico has also recommended that St. Jude Parish hire "an independent forensic auditor to review all finances."

The priest announced his resignation from the parish on the weekend of July 20, though he did not give a reason at the time. The Erie Diocese said last month that Miceli would be heading to St. Timothy Parish in Curwensville starting on Aug. 12, where he would be a "sacramental assistant."

The diocese also said in its Aug. 14 statement St. Jude's will "sell the car from the fundraiser back to the dealer, and the parish will attempt to refund all raffle ticket purchases." 

The Catholic parish hosted the "Winavette" raffle in 2024, allowing buyers to purchase $50 tickets for the chance to win a Stingray 1LT Corvette. The grand-prize winner of the event could take either the car or $50,000 in cash. The raffle was open to players nationwide.

On Dec. 25, 2024, the church announced that "Martin Anderson" of Detroit had won the grand prize. The reported winner "chose the cash option," the church said.

Yet an employee of the parish allegedly "raised concerns" about the raffle to Persico, according to the warrants, leading the diocese to investigate the contest and eventually contact the county prosecutor's office.

The priest reportedly "admitted [to the employee] that he fabricated the grand-prize winner's name," the Times-News reported, citing the documents. The priest allegedly committed the falsification after "a problem with the raffle system" left the grand prize without a winner.

The priest said the prize money was "still in an account" after the fabrication. Miceli allegedly told the employee that he "needed to keep this secret," according to prosecutors. Miceli also allegedly fabricated several other winners in the raffle.

Miceli's confession was reportedly detailed in warrants from the Erie County District Attorney's Office, according to an Aug. 7 report in the Erie Times-News.

Detectives seized Miceli's iPad and iPhone as well as financial records for both the parish and the raffle, the Erie paper reported.

Law enforcement handling the case did not respond to a query from CNA on Aug. 7. 

But the diocese told the Times-News that it was aware of the investigation and was "cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities."

On Facebook the church posted that 2024 was the "last year" the raffle would be held, though they noted that Father John Detisch was operatinga similar raffle at Dubois Central Catholic School in Dubois.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Today, Aug. 15, is the feast of the Assumption, a solemnity commemorating the end of the Virgin Mary's earthly life and the assumption of her body and soul into heaven. The day also marks the anniversary of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). 

On this day in 1981, EWTN's foundress, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, started her television show out of a garage studio in Alabama. The broadcast launched what is now the largest global Catholic media network in the world. (Note: CNA is a service of EWTN News, an affiliate of EWTN.)

As Catholics celebrate the Assumption and EWTN commemorates 44 years of spreading the Eternal Word, we look back at what Mother Angelica said about Jesus' mother and her assumption into heaven.

Assumption of Mary 

"This is the feast of Our Lady's assumption, and a lot of people don't understand that," Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, said during an Aug. 15, 2000, EWTN broadcast. "They get it all mixed up with Our Lady's immaculate conception. And it's different."

The Assumption is a fairly new feast day in the Church, but the holiday has roots in the earliest centuries of Christian belief. Mother Angelica explained to her audience that "when all the apostles heard Our Lady had died, they all went where she was, except Thomas." 

"St. Thomas, according to tradition, was always late, always late," Mother Angelica joked. "We all have somebody like that in our family. They're always late." 

"So when he came, they opened up the [tomb] and she was gone… And from the very beginning of Christianity, it was always believed that she was assumed into heaven. It just makes sense."

It makes sense, Mother Angelica said, "because she was so pure and so holy. There was no reason for her to rot away like we're going to."

"Our Lady could never even commit one little sin. So what does she do? She benefits by all the graces, we will benefit by the blood of Jesus — by redemption," she said. "You say, 'Well, why should she be so different?' Well, because she was created by God and before time began, he had her in his mind to be the mother of his Son — the Eternal Word."

"You can't even think for a half a second that the mother of God could be in the hands of Satan. That would defile the temple," she said, adding: "I mean, that's common sense. You don't need anything else to really realize that God's temple had to be absolutely perfect for his sake."

While Mary was born perfect, Mother Angelica said, "we were all born with original sin, and we have consequences for original sin, even after baptism." We experience "jealousy, anger, and oversensitivity. We're born with a lot of things that are not like Jesus. And so we have to overcome these things."

But eventually, "Our Lady's assumption is something we're all going to have," because "we're all going to rise… the day will come at the end of the world when God will breathe and say: 'Rise.'"

'Secret of holiness'

"Our Lady had to be awesome, because she always said yes to God. That's the secret of holiness," Mother Angelica said. "Oh, you don't have to be bright, you don't have to be a genius, you don't have to build buildings, you don't have to do any of those things. You have to do God's will with love and sacrifice."

Ultimately, it "all comes down to love," she said. "And you only do God's will because you love. Our Lady always loved God and always did his will with perfect union."

On the solemnity of Mary's assumption, "we should thank God that he created such a woman," Mother Angelica said. "There had to be somebody like her. And only from her, only from this holy, perfect woman, could the Eternal Word come."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Israel denies entry to Italian priest over criticism of war in Gaza 

An Italian Catholic priest who has accused Israel of genocide and criticized its ongoing war in Gaza was recently denied entry into the country and sent on a return flight to Greece, according to reports.

Father Nandino Capovilla, founder of the "Bridges, Not Walls" Campaign for Palestine of Pax Christi Italy, was planning to take part in a "pilgrimage of justice" organized by the group but was stopped at Ben Gurion Airport on Aug. 11 and told he would not be permitted to enter the country.

Capovilla, who regularly posts on Facebook about Gaza, wrote a post after his release instructing journalists who cover his situation to demand sanctions on Israel.

Iran admits to arrest of over 50 Christians since end of '12-day war' 

The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) revealed it has arrested over 50 Christians since the end of its short-lived "12-day war" with Israel, according to the watchdog group Article18. The admission was made in a wider announcement detailing the intelligence agency's crackdown on groups it said participated in anti-regime demonstrations amid the conflict.

The MOIS said in the announcement that it had "neutralized" 53 "Mossad mercenaries" who it claimed had been "trained abroad" by churches in the U.S. and Israel to rebel against the Iranian regime. At least 11 of the detained have been released on bail.

"Prior to the conflict, over 60 other Christians were either detained or in the process of being tried on charges related to their faith in Iran, and this number has now nearly doubled," Article18 stated.

Lebanon's Maronite patriarch calls for peace during visit to Christian villages

Maronite patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi toured Christian border villages in southern Lebanon, delivering a clear message: "No to war, yes to peace," ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, reported Sunday. His visit comes after the latest round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which caused significant displacement and damage to the region's Christian communities.

Accompanied by the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, and local bishops, the patriarch visited towns including Dibl, Al-Qouzah, Ain Ebel, and Rmeish. In Al-Qouzah, where only 72 residents remain, he pledged support for reconstruction efforts, affirming that "war is temporary, peace endures."

At each stop, he was welcomed with showers of rice and flowers, emphasizing the resilience of the people who chose to stay despite the hardships. Al-Rahi reiterated that Lebanon's identity is rooted in peace, urging both leaders and citizens to reject the cycle of violence.

Sri Lanka Catholics continue protests against sand mining, wind power mill 

The Catholic-majority Mannar district in northern Sri Lanka has continued its protest against sand mining and wind power farms, according to UCA News, contesting that the practices "threaten their survival and livelihoods."

Protestors claim the projects threaten the ecology and cultural heritage of the island and have been protesting in the streets since Aug. 11, when they began blocking the entrance of vehicles transporting equipment, including turbine blades for the windmill farm, into the island.

Father S. Marcus Adigalar, president of the Mannar Citizens Committee, told UCA: "Following the implementation of a windmill project carried out by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in the past, we are already witnessing the environmental impact of it."

The priest further claimed that there has been an increase in deaths of birds and a negative impact on the fishing community due to the noise and vibrations caused by the wind farm. "This cannot be allowed," he added.

African religious orders challenged to meet local needs before sending priests abroad

The Vatican secretary for the Dicastery for Evangelization has issued a call for African religious orders to make sure the needs of their local communities are being met before priests are sent abroad. 

During a speech at the third Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu told attendees: "A Church that fails to care for its own cannot credibly claim to care for others," according to an Aug. 13 report from ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa.

He further emphasized the importance of safeguarding the missionary presence of Africans abroad so it may be viewed "not as a request for aid but as a witness to Christ's self-giving love and the fruitfulness of the Gospel sown in African soil."

Vatican secretary of state travels to Burundi for pastoral visit

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived on Tuesday in Burundi for a weeklong pastoral visit. According to a report from ACI Africa, he expressed joy upon his arrival to the East African nation, telling those who received him at the apostolic nunciature: "I am very happy to be among you."

Parolin's visit included meetings with various communities, Church leaders, and government authorities, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye. He is also scheduled to preside over the inauguration of a monument and lay the foundation stone for a new health center dedicated to the memory of Archbishop Michael Aiden Courtney, the former apostolic nuncio to Burundi who was assassinated in 2003.

Mozambique priest condemns rise in child abductions as war rages in northern province

A Catholic priest in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique is condemning the increase in cases of child abduction, as Human Rights Watch estimated at least 120 children kidnapped by jihadist insurgents linked to the Islamic State in recent months, ACI Africa reported.  

"This senseless war brings only death and takes what little hope the people, and especially the children, have," said Father Kwiriwi Fonsesca in an Aug. 8 report from Aid to the Church in Need International.

"These children must be returned to their parents; they must be searched for wherever they are, so that they can be returned to their parents, because they deserve a better future," he added.

Church in Germany invested nearly 600 million euros in international projects in 2024

The Catholic Church in Germany invested almost 600 million euros (about $700 million) in international projects in 2024, according to the German Bishops' Conference. 

The roughly 595 million euros distributed across the globe includes 200 million to Africa, almost 144 million to Latin America, over 137 million to Asia and around 76 million to various regions across Europe. Forty-nine million euros were listed as invested in international projects, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner. 

Bishop Bertram Meier of Augsburg wrote in a preface to the bishops' conference financial report: "595 million euros for project funding — that's an impressive figure." However, he noted, the actual extent of the Church's reach in the foreign aid sphere is "far greater," given the number of additional independent church associations.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 14, 2025 / 15:27 pm (CNA).

Upon arriving at Castel Gandolfo on Aug. 13, Pope Leo XIV called for a peaceful resolution to the war between Russia and Ukraine ahead of the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The meeting, scheduled for Aug. 15 in Alaska, will address the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which the Russian army invaded three years ago.

The Holy Father stated: "We must always seek a ceasefire; the violence, the many deaths must stop. Let's see how they can reach an agreement. Because after all this time, what is the purpose of war? We must always rely on dialogue, on diplomatic work, and not on violence or weapons."

According to Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV also spoke about the possible deportation of the population of Gaza.

"The humanitarian crisis must be resolved. We cannot go on like this. We know the violence of terrorism, and we honor the many who have died, as well as the hostages — they must be freed. But we must also think of the many who are dying of hunger," the Holy Father said.

He noted that "the Holy See cannot stop" the conflicts, but, he said, "we are working, let's say, on 'soft diplomacy,' always inviting, encouraging the pursuit of nonviolence through dialogue and seeking solutions, because these problems cannot be resolved with war."

The Holy Father is in Castel Gandolfo for a second vacation. He will remain at the papal residence, located on the shores of Lake Albano, until Aug. 19.

On Friday, Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he will celebrate Mass at the pontifical parish in Castel Gandolfo.

On Sunday, Aug. 17, at 9:30 a.m. local time, the Holy Father will arrive at the shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda in Albano, an Italian town bordering Castel Gandolfo, to celebrate Mass with a group of poor people receiving assistance from Caritas.

After Mass, he will head to Castel Gandolfo to pray the Angelus at noon from Liberty Plaza.

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 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A recent study has found an increase in the number of Americans Catholics leaving the Church. To combat the issue, the study's authors suggest creating stronger community ties among Catholics, especially among children. 

Michael Rota, philosophy professor at the University of St. Thomas, and Stephen Bullivant, theology and sociology professor at St. Mary's University, conducted the study examining the decline in religious practice among Catholic-born Americans using data from the General Social Survey (GSS). 

The GSS has asked a large representative sample of Americans a number of questions about religion for the past 50 years, which Rota and Bullivant analyzed to write "Religious Transmission: A Solution to the Church's Biggest Problem," published by Notre Dame's Church Life Journal.

The data revealed that in 1973, 84% of the participants raised Catholic still identified as Catholic when surveyed as adults, but in 2002 it was 74%. By 2022, it had dropped to 62%. 

In 1973, about 34% of participants raised Catholic were attending Mass weekly (or more often) when they were adults. By 2002, the number had fallen to 20%, and in 2022 it had fallen to 11%. 

The study reported the Church is losing 9 out of 10 cradle Catholics, and most are becoming religiously unaffiliated.

Overall, there has been a decline in the number of Americans who prioritize faith. In 2013, 72% of Americans considered religion to be the most important thing in their lives, or among many important things, but in 2023, only 53% said the same.

These declines are due to "weaker social connections among Catholics, the 'values gap' between Catholic morality and mainstream American morality, and the internet and smartphones," Rota told "EWTN News Nightly" in an Aug. 13 interview. 

"Before the 1950s, the average Catholic youth would have looked around in their social circle and seen a lot of consensus about faith [and] about the importance of worshipping God in some religion or denomination," Rota said. "Today, it's not like that."

Young Catholics are "much more likely to have many non-Catholic friends, probably non-Catholic family members. In the culture at large, there's many anti-Catholic and anti-religious voices. So that puts pressure on youth as they grow up."

Rota explained "the values gap" is a problem because "in the 1930s Catholic morality and mainstream American morality were very close. Now, on issues relating to sexuality, marriage, life issues, they're quite opposed."

The last issue the researchers looked at is the changes the internet has caused. Rota said: "When the internet hit the scene, in the late '90s, we [saw] a huge spike in the percentage of youth who don't identify with any religion." 

"Human beings are socialized by their families, their close social network, but also by the culture that they're in. And what the internet and smartphones have done is change the balance of what's doing more work."

Americans, especially children, need more Catholic community. It has become harder to find community since "today ... our neighbors are more heterogeneous in terms of religion," but "parents need to intentionally seek out close relationships with other Catholics and put their children in situations where they make friendships with other Catholics."

There also needs to be "more religious activity," Rota said. "Just going to Sunday Mass and leaving … doesn't work anymore for handing on the faith to our children, because the wider culture will no longer guide them back to faith. Rather, it's more likely to take them away."

To help "cradle Catholic youth retain their Catholic identity as they grow into adulthood," Rota suggested that both parents share the same religion and that parents and children are religiously active. He said it is important for children to see that faith makes a difference in everyday life and that kids have both faith-supportive peers and adult mentors who are not their parents.

Parents should find "a vibrant parish or a Catholic lane movement, where they can walk the life of discipleship in fellowship," he said.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 13, 2025 / 15:19 pm (CNA).

After a lengthy session in Uruguay's Chamber of Representatives, legislators passed a bill this week that, if passed in the Senate, would legalize euthanasia in the country, making it the third in South America to permit the practice.

Introduced by the Broad Front political coalition at the beginning of the year and approved in July by the lower House's Committee on Health, the bill will now move to the Senate for consideration. It passed by a margin of 64-29 in a plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives on Aug. 12.

Nearly the entire ruling party bloc as well as members of the opposition voted for the bill, which states that any person over 18 years of age "who suffers from one or more chronic, incurable, and irreversible pathologies or health conditions that seriously impair their quality of life, causing unbearable suffering" may request assisted death.

If approved, Uruguay would become the third country in South America to permit the practice, along with Colombia and Ecuador.

The Catholic Church in Uruguay has spoken out against the bill on numerous occasions. In early August, the prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Uruguay posted a video message calling for a "firm no" to the bill because "causing the death of a patient is ethically unacceptable."

The bishops emphasized that "the dignity of every person is an absolute, inalienable gift that is never lost" and that "for God, every life is infinitely loved and worthy of all our care."

"Our society must welcome, protect, and accompany every person until the end of their earthly life," they affirmed, emphasizing the urgency of "implementing the palliative care law so that no Uruguayan suffers unnecessarily."

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 13, 2025 / 15:49 pm (CNA).

A report published by the Family Research Council (FRC) documented more than 400 cases of "acts of hostility" against Catholic and other Christian churches in the U.S. in 2024.

The report, published on Aug. 11, found 415 incidents, which included 284 acts of vandalism, 55 cases of arson, 28 gun-related incidents, 14 bomb threats, and 47 other hostile acts.

In every month, there were at least 20 hostile acts against churches, with the highest numbers occurring in June with 49 incidents and February with 45 incidents. The average was 35 incidents per month.

This is a slight downtick from FRC's 2023 numbers, when the evangelical nonprofit found 485 incidents. Yet, the number is still significantly higher than in previous years: 198 in 2022, 98 in 2021, 55 in 2020, 83 in 2019, and 50 in 2018, the year FRC began tracking hostile incidents.

Neither the perpetrator nor the motive is clear for most incidents, according to FRC. The report notes that some acts appeared to have been motivated by hatred toward Christianity, some by financial gain, and others seemed like they were perpetrated by teenagers "engaging in a destructive pastime."

There was only one instance in which a pro-abortion motive was found, which is much lower than in 2022, when at least 59 hostile acts were motivated by the perpetrator's support for abortion. The spike that year is likely related to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

The pro-abortion vandalism occurred at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon, where the vandal defaced a church building with the phrase: "[expletive] you, my body my choice."

Arielle Del Turco, the director of FRC's Center for Religious Liberty, said in a statement that "no instance of vandalism or other crimes against churches is acceptable, and political leaders should be quick to condemn such actions and affirm the importance of religious freedom."

"Religious freedom does not rely on legal protections alone but also on cultural support," she added. "We must bolster cultural support for religious freedom and respect for our Christian heritage."

According to the report, there were also 33 instances in which the perpetrator targeted churches because the church embraced "LGBT" pride, which mostly came in the form of stealing the pride flags.

One of the hostile acts documented against Catholic churches was an incident in South San Francisco, California, in January. A man fired gunshots toward St. Augustine Catholic Church, but no one was injured in the attack.

In another incident, a person desecrated a processional crucifix and a statue of the Blessed Mother in a Georgetown University chapel. St. Leo Church in Hartford, Arkansas, was attacked once in 2023 and twice in 2024, which included a vandal destroying statues. Another vandal decapitated a statue of Jesus Christ at Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Fresh Meadows, New York.

At St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, a person discarded about 100 Communion wafers in the church parking lot during an Easter Mass. The priest said at the time that he believed they were likely not consecrated.

FRC President Tony Perkins, a former chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said in a statement the report "clearly shows religious freedom faces substantial threats here at home."

"Religious freedom is seldom handed to the passive; it is claimed by those who exercise it even when a hostile culture says they may not," Perkins said.

The report notes that the federal government has grown aware of anti-Christian sentiments within American society, with President Donald Trump signing an executive order to create a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias within federal government policies, regulations, and practices.

"The American woke Left has been intentional in spreading its hostility toward the Christian faith throughout every corner of America," Perkins said. "We applaud the efforts of the Trump administration, but efforts must be taken at every level of government to protect and promote this fundamental human right."

"Christians must expect and demand more from their government leaders when it comes to prosecuting and preventing criminal acts targeting religious freedom," he added.

California, which is the country's most populous state, recorded 40 hostile acts, which were more than any other state. The second-highest number occurred in Pennsylvania with 29, followed by Florida and New York with 25 each, Texas with 23, and Tennessee and Ohio with 19 each.

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CNA Staff, Aug 13, 2025 / 16:25 pm (CNA).

A federal court has ruled against the Little Sisters of the Poor in their long-running legal dispute over government contraception mandates, dealing a blow to the religious order of sisters even after multiple court victories, including at the Supreme Court.

The legal advocacy group Becket said on Aug. 13 that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled in favor of both New Jersey and Pennsylvania in finding that the federal government had not followed protocol when issuing exemptions to contraceptive requirements, including for the Little Sisters.

The district court said that a set of religious exemptions granted by the federal government during the first Trump administration were "arbitrary [and] capricious" and failed to adhere to the requirements of the federal Administrative Procedure Act.

The court has vacated those exemptions "in their entirety," the Aug. 13 ruling said.

Diana Thomson, a senior attorney with Becket, told CNA that the case is the same one that saw the Little Sisters win a victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020 when a majority of the court's justices said the exemptions to the contraceptive mandate were legal.

She described the procedural questions in the Aug. 13 ruling as "cutting-floor arguments" that the states had largely ignored several years ago.

"Instead of dropping the case, Pennsylvania and New Jersey revitalized their cutting-floor arguments that they chose not to pursue at the Supreme Court last time and brought them in the district court," she said.

The district court accepted those arguments "even though the Supreme Court already blessed the rules," Thomson said.

The court is "trying to find a loophole" to the 2020 Supreme Court ruling, she said.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania had brought the lawsuit against multiple federal agencies and officials, though the Little Sisters of the Poor were attached to the lawsuit as "defendant-intervenors."

The sisters will appeal the ruling, Thomson said.

"I assume the Trump administration will appeal also," she said. "But the Little Sisters' appeal is already on file."

"We will appeal all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to," she said.

In a separate statement, Mark Rienzi, the president of Becket and the lead attorney for the Little Sisters, said it was "bad enough that the district court issued a nationwide ruling invalidating federal religious conscience rules."

"But even worse is that the district court simply ducked the glaring constitutional issues in this case after waiting five years and not even holding a hearing," he argued.

"It is absurd to think the Little Sisters might need yet another trip to the Supreme Court to end what has now been more than a dozen years of litigation over the same issue," he said, adding: "We will fight as far as we need to fight to protect the Little Sisters' right to care for the elderly in peace."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 13, 2025 / 16:55 pm (CNA).

The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) joined the International Union of Superiors General in its call to pray and fast for world peace on Aug. 14, the eve of the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In a statement released Aug. 13, Regina Lynch, executive president of ACN International, said: "Wherever there is conflict, women and children are marginalized, and it is often they who suffer most. Religious sisters are often on the front lines of wars, helping the innocent in whatever way they can, without regard for their own safety."

"It is therefore very commendable that this group of women should be leading the way in denouncing warfare and calling for peace and reconciliation," Lynch said. "ACN is happy to add its voice to the many which are responding to their brave call."

Pointing to the wars raging all over the world, including in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the International Union of Superiors General — made up of 1,903 female heads of religious congregations from around the world — called for the world to unite in a day of fasting and prayer on Aug. 14 ahead of the celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The group said women religious "cannot remain silent spectators" and entrusted themselves to the Mother of God, Our Lady of Peace, "so that she may tenderly answer the cries of the peoples and teach us to be a humble and prophetic presence in places of suffering."

"Each day we see faces marked by pain, lives shattered, peoples deprived of dignity and peace, especially the women and children," the organization said.

Lynch emphasized that "Mary is the Queen of Peace. Let us pray that she may touch the hearts of decision-makers all over the world, that they may yearn for the peace of her son, Jesus Christ."

"On this feast of her assumption into heaven, we recall that there is a woman, in body and spirit, at the side of Our Lord. No doubt she will be sympathetic to the pain and anguish that the women religious are witnessing and shall intercede for an end to the conflicts," she stated.

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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