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ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 17, 2025 / 16:19 pm (CNA).

Italian permanent deacon Alessandro Frateschi, who was convicted of sexual offenses against minors, has been expelled from the clerical state directly by Pope Leo XIV.

The Diocese of Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno announced the news Sept. 16, stating that Frateschi was notified of the decree in prison, where he is currently serving a 12-year sentence. This is the first known case of canonical sanction for abuse during the new pope's pontificate.

Frateschi, 46, was sentenced in the Italian civil court in 2024 after being found guilty of sexually abusing five minors between 2018 and January 2023. Three of the victims were his students at a secondary school in Latina where he taught Catholic religion; another was a minor in foster care; and the fifth was the son of family friends.

"On the morning of Sept. 16, in the Latina prison, permanent deacon Alessandro Frateschi was notified of the decree of dismissal from the clerical state by direct decision of Pope Leo XIV. This decree of conviction is not appealable," the official statement from the diocese notes.

The canonical investigation was conducted by the disciplinary section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is competent in "delicta graviora" ("more serious offenses"), including crimes against the Sixth Commandment committed by clerics with minors under 18 years of age. Due to the gravity of Frateschi's crimes, the dicastery referred the case directly to the Holy Father, who decided to impose the severest penalty provided by canon law.

Frateschi was informed that he will no longer be able to speak in the name of the Church, preach homilies, hold any kind of position in seminaries or parishes, or teach Catholic theology or religion in academic institutions, regardless of whether they are under the Church's authority.

The bishop of Latina, Mariano Crociata, had provisionally suspended Frateschi in January 2023, the same day he learned of the allegations. After listening to Frateschi, he accepted his resignation as religion teacher, revoked his teaching qualifications, and opened a preliminary investigation, the results of which were forwarded to Rome.

The conclusion of the process "leaves a wound in the entire diocesan community," the statement acknowledges. "We renew our solidarity and closeness to the victims and their families."

The diocese also reiterated its commitment to the protection of minors and vulnerable people and encouraged everyone to report any instances of abuse, even from the past, to the Interdiocesan Service for the Protection of Minors, emphasizing that this step does not replace but rather encourages recourse to the civil justice system.

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, Sep 17, 2025 / 16:49 pm (CNA).

The legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada has led to disproportionately high rates of premature deaths among vulnerable groups, according to a recent Cardus Health report.

Cardus Health, an organization that aims to foster a social system that supports natural death and helps institutions care for patients approaching the end of life, conducted a report to evaluate assisted suicide in Canada.

The report, "In Contrast to Carter: Assisted Dying's Impact on Canadians with Disabilities," examines if the expectations of MAID laid out in the British Columbia Supreme Court case, Carter v. Canada, are being met.

In 2012, the court concluded in Carter v. Canada that an appropriately safeguarded physician-assisted dying program could be adopted in Canada that would not create a "heightened risk" or an "inordinate" impact on vulnerable groups, and there would not be a disproportionate impact on their right to life.

The safeguards stated that physician-assisted suicide would primarily be for those terminally ill, physicians would carefully examine MAID requests for people with disabilities or depression, and those who felt like a burden, were socially isolated, or suffered from neurological illnesses would be protected through a scrupulous review process.

The Cardus report concluded that Canada has not upheld these expectations and the "safeguards have failed to materialize," based on data from Health Canada; the independent monitoring authority of Quebec for end-of-life; the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario; and peer-reviewed medical studies and public reports.

In 2021, Canada expanded MAID requests to non-terminally-ill and disabled patients, which led to 223 assisted suicide deaths for non-terminally-ill persons in 2021, 463 in 2022, and 622 in 2023.

The report highlighted that from 2019 to 2023, at least 42% of all MAID deaths were people who required disability services. This included more than 1,017 people who required disability services but did not receive them.

The research found that assisted suicide deaths of those who "required disability services and received them" increased each year. In 2019, 2,223 people in this category died by assisted suicide. The number rose to 3,219 in 2020, 4,278 in 2021, 4,819 in 2022, and 5,181 in 2023.

The deaths of those who "required disability services and did not receive them" also experienced substantial increases. In 2019, 87 people in this group died by assisted suicide in Canada. By 2023, the number had risen to 432.

The report noted: "Those who died from MAID were more likely to have been living with a disability than those who did not die from MAID, even though both groups had similar medical conditions and experienced diminished capability."

According to the report, people suffering from mental illness are also dying by assisted suicide at disproportionate rates. 

A study of assisted suicide deaths between 2016 and 2019 at a care center in Toronto found individuals requesting MAID had high rates of "psychiatric comorbidity," meaning they had been  been diagnosed with two or more mental health disorders. Of 155 patients that requested MAID, 60 (39%) had a documented psychiatric comorbidity, most commonly depression.

According to MAID providers in 2023, almost half of the patients (45.3%) who died by assisted suicide reported they felt like a burden to family, friends, or caregivers, which was 10% higher than in 2022. In 2023, isolation and loneliness were reported as a source of suffering by 22% of MAID recipients, which was 5% higher than 2022.

The research found disproportionately high numbers of people with neurological disorders, including dementia, had died by assisted suicide between 2019 and 2023.

In 2023, almost 15% of people who died by MAID had a neurological condition as a qualifying illness. The study found that in 2019, 589 people suffering from a neurological condition died by assisted suicide, which increased to 775 in 2020, 1,249 in 2021, 1,666 in 2022, and 2,279 in 2023. 

In 2023, 241 people with dementia died by assisted suicide, and in 106 of the cases, dementia was the sole underlying condition.

According to the report, Canada will expand MAID to people with mental illness alone in 2027, which is expected to even further increase the numbers of non-terminally-ill people seeking medically-assisted death.

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Vatican City, Sep 17, 2025 / 17:19 pm (CNA).

Norma Pérez, a widow for five years, and Olga Pallares, a widow for two, have experienced the piercing visceral pain of losing a loved one.

Friends for over 30 years, they have managed to cast a light on something as dark as the death of their husbands. "I know he is with God, without suffering, in a joy that is not of this world," said Pérez, whose grief did not completely break her; on the contrary, she said it strengthened her faith.

'A part of him has remained with us'

Together, the two friends participated in this week's Jubilee of Consolation in Rome to bear witness that death does not have the last word. "A part of him has remained with us. We are not completely empty. We widows are filled with the other half of the other person who has passed away," Pérez told ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, just before participating in a vigil with Pope Leo XIV.

Pérez and Pallares met at Maranatha ("the Lord is coming" in Aramaic), a group that accompanies young couples in marriage preparation courses. "We gave retreats to strengthen marriages," Pérez explained.

Through these activities, they taught others how to live the word of God as a couple, how to pray the rosary, and how to prepare to build a solid marriage based on faith.

But eventually, they became widows. Now, they dedicate themselves to "helping others until God calls me, too," Pérez said.

These two friends have had very different experiences in their lives of faith, as different as their marriage experiences.

Pallares met her husband as a teenager, but they came from different worlds. "They were well off, I wasn't," she recalled. Her husband's family always looked down on her, she said, but the couple managed to build a strong love despite the difficulties: "We fought every day for our love."

Rejected by her in-laws 

One of the most painful experiences they experienced was his parents' rejection of their daughters: "They never loved my daughters and even ended up disinheriting my husband. That was terrible."

Despite family difficulties, Pallares and her husband shared a journey of faith and service. He even served as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist at the Avellaneda Cathedral in Argentina: "Rubén taught me that painful experiences are best navigated hand in hand with Jesus."

In the final years of their marriage, illness entered their lives. Her husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, which took him in just a few years: "Those were very hard times. I had to do everything: lift him, wash him, insert the IV, remove the IV… But God gave me incredible strength. I managed to lift him as if he weighed little, and he was twice my size."

Despite the pain, faith sustained them until the end. Pallares recalled how her husband maintained a constant closeness to the Eucharist: "He was in front of Jesus 24/7 praying. He always told me: 'We are you, Jesus, and me.'"

Pérez, on the other hand, wasn't baptized when she met Juan. She grew up in a nonbelieving family. In fact, they were first married in a civil ceremony in 1999. But in 2008, everything changed.

Her husband, Juan, was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a biopsy and, fearful of undergoing surgery, opted for alternative and natural treatments.

"We were a couple who had been trying to have children for eight years, and the treatments weren't successful. Then the disease hit," she recalled.

Discovering God's caress

Then, through suffering, she discovered God's caress. "My faith truly began from zero. It was a total conversion, brought on by my husband's illness," she said in a calm voice.

It was then that they both began to draw closer to God and the Catholic community founded by Father Elías Cavero Domínguez in Argentina. "That's when I began to understand what faith was and I was baptized. Everything changed for us: We were married in the Church in 2010. It was a profound transformation in our lives," she said.

For the next 10 years, Juan experienced moments of relative stability. However, in 2018, the cancer had spread throughout his body, and the pain became unbearable. Despite this, they experienced what she describes as "a year of grace."

From mid-2019 to 2020, Juan was pain free and able to spend time peacefully with his wife.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic further complicated the situation. In June 2020, they were both hospitalized, and despite health restrictions, she was able to be with him until the end. Juan passed away on Aug. 22, 2020.

"I went through everything with him and through prayer. I was even able to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at the exact moment of his departure. It was an immense consolation; I felt the Virgin Mary was coming to get him," she recounted with emotion.

Their participation in the Jubilee of Consolation was another step in the spiritual healing process for these two Argentinians. In Rome, surrounded by people who had also experienced loss, they were able to experience Christian consolation.

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, Sep 17, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Every gift from the Holy Spirit is meant for the edification of the community of believers, Pope Benedict XVI said in a general audience back in 2010 when he focused his catechesis on the life of St. Hildegard of Bingen, whose feast is celebrated Sept. 17 in the universal Church.

Benedict praised her as a model for modern women religious and noted that she benefited the faithful by her willingness to submit her supernatural visions to the interpretation of the Church.

Referring first to St. John Paul II's apostolic letter Mulieris Dignitatem on the role of women in the life of the Church, Benedict XVI noted that the letter "gives thanks for all the manifestations of the feminine 'genius' which have appeared in the course of history." He then highlighted the figure of St. Hildegard of Bingen as one of the saintly women who stood out nearly a millennium ago.

Born into a noble German family in the year 1098, Hildegard began her studies in human and Christian formation at a Benedictine convent in the town of Bingen, took her vows to cloistered life and, 30 years after she began her formation, became a mother superior.

Carrying out this role competently, she was able to found an additional convent nearby where she spent a great part of her life. The way she exercised authority there continues to be an example for religious communities today, Benedict said, explaining that she was able to create an atmosphere of "holy emulation in the practice of the good, so much so that ... the mother and daughters competed in respecting and serving each other."

Benedict XVI also recalled her mystical visions, which she first shared with people in confidence, including her spiritual director, a fellow sister, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux. "As always happens in the lives of the true mystics," the pope said, "Hildegard also wished to submit herself to the authority of wise people to discern the origin of her visions."

St. Bernard, whom Benedict said held "maximum esteem" in the Church at the time, "calmed and encouraged" the sister about the visions, and eventually Pope Eugene III gave her the authorization to write and speak about the visions publicly.

"This," the former pope taught, "is the seal of an authentic experience of the Holy Spirit, source of every charism: the person (who is the) repository of supernatural gifts never boasts, does not flaunt them and, especially, shows total obedience to the ecclesiastical authorities."

He added: "Every gift distributed by the Holy Spirit, in fact, is destined for the edification of the Church, and the Church, through its pastors, recognizes their authenticity."

In 2012, Hildegard was canonized and named a doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI. 

This story was first published on Sept. 1, 2010, and has been updated.

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ACI Africa, Sep 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Four members of the Missionary Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (MCST) in Tanzania are among five people who lost their lives in a tragic road accident in the country's Archdiocese of Mwanza on Monday. 

The Sept. 15 accident in which the MCST superior general and secretary died alongside two other sisters and a driver happened in the Kaluluma-Bukumbi area. 

One sister survived the tragic accident and was admitted to Bugando Hospital, where she remains in critical condition.

In a statement obtained on Tuesday by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, Archbishop Renatus Leonard Nkwande of the Mwanza Archdiocese announced the passing of the four Carmelites, "who were serving at Bukumbi Girls' Secondary School, together with their driver."

"Further arrangements will be communicated later," Nkwande said.

The four MCST members who died were Sister Lilian Kapongo, the superior general; Sister Nerinathe, secretary; and Sisters Damaris Matheka and Stellamaris. All of them had traveled to Ngaya in Tanzania's Diocese of Kahama for the perpetual profession of three of their sisters over the weekend.

Their driver, Boniphase Msonola, who was reportedly taking them to the airport to return to Dar es Salaam, also died in the accident.

In the statement, Nkwande, on behalf the entire Kahama Diocese, expressed "deep sorrow" following the tragic accident.

"At this hour of 11 p.m., we have received news of the deaths of our beloved four sisters and their driver. They were involved in a car accident, colliding with a lorry [truck] in Mwanza while on their way to the airport for a journey to Dar es Salaam tonight," the archbishop said.

The statement traced the final journey of the four sisters and their driver.

"They began their journey from here in Kahama heading to Mwanza, passing by the bishop's residence to bid us farewell. Tonight, while traveling from their community in Bukumbi-Mwanza to the airport, they were involved in an accident and lost their lives," Nkwande explained.

The statement also called for prayers — for the lone sister who survived the crash as well as the entire community and loved ones of those who died. 

"In this time of mourning and grief, let us pray for and console the community of the sisters of this congregation in Ngaya. This is truly a heavy loss for them and for all of us."

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

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CNA Staff, Sep 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A new Lifeway Research study reveals that a slim majority of Americans, 51%, believe terminally ill individuals should have the right to request physician-assisted suicide.

The study, titled "American Views on Assisted Suicide," found that 51% of respondents consider it morally acceptable for someone with a painful terminal disease to seek a physician's assistance in ending his or her life. 

However, the support is not robust, according to the study: Only 1 in 5 Americans said they "strongly agree" with this stance, while 30% said they "somewhat agree." The study also found 34% opposed to physician-assisted suicide, with the remainder undecided.

Regionally, support varies, with urban and coastal areas showing higher approval (up to 60% in some places) compared with rural or Southern states, where opposition often aligns with faith-based values, according to Lifeway. The Lifeway study, conducted via online panels, sampled 1,200 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, an evangelical Protestant research firm, noted: "Half of Americans seek their own comfort and their own way even in their death, but that doesn't mean they don't think twice about the morality of physician-assisted suicide."

CNA also spoke about the survey's results with Jessica Rodgers, coalitions director at the Patients' Rights Action Fund, a nonsectarian, nonpartisan group whose purpose is "to abolish assisted suicide laws." The organization calls such laws "inherently discriminatory, impossible to safely regulate, and put the most vulnerable members of society at risk of deadly harm."

Waning support, growing opposition

Rodgers told CNA these poll numbers actually show a decrease in public support.

"I certainly don't see momentum on their side," she said.

Indeed, a Lifeway Research study in 2016 found that 67% of those surveyed said the practice was morally acceptable, while 33% disagreed.

Rodgers said that as people learn more about how dangerous the policies surrounding legalizing assisted suicide are, they tend to oppose the practice, and "opposition cuts across the political spectrum."

In New York, where the state Legislature recently passed a bill legalizing the practice, Gov. Kathy Hochul has yet to sign the legislation into law. 

"She hears daily from diverse advocates from across the political spectrum asking her to veto," Rodgers said. "In fact, some of the most passionate opposition to the bill has been Democratic leadership."

"I see people all over the spectrum who agree on nothing else," she said.

Disability advocates, health care personnel, and members of multiple religious groups have united in their opposition to the laws, saying legalizing assisted suicide is bad for their communities and bad for patients. 

'Dying in pain or in peace' is a false choice

"Proponents often frame it falsely as "Do you want to die in pain or do you want a peaceful death?'" according to Rodgers, who said the practice actually targets people with disabilities. 

"It puts our vulnerable neighbors at risk, and as people learn more about it, they tend to oppose it," she said, citing that physician-assisted suicide is now the fifth-leading cause of death in Canada.

Since Oregon legalized physician-assisted suicide through the Death with Dignity Act in 1997, by 2025, 11 states and Washington, D.C., now permit the practice. Most legislation requires terminal diagnoses with six months or less to live, mental competency, and multiple doctor approvals. 

Physician-assisted suicide is different from euthanasia, which is the direct killing of a patient by a medical professional.

Voluntary euthanasia is legal in a limited number of countries including Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal. In Belgium and the Netherlands, minors can be euthanized if they request it.

Where does the Church stand on assisted suicide?

The Catholic Church condemns both assisted suicide and euthanasia, instead encouraging palliative care, which means supporting patients with pain management and care as the end of their lives approaches. Additionally, the Church advocates for a "special respect" for anyone with a disability or serious health condition (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2276). 

According to the catechism, "intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder" and "gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and the respect due to the living God, his Creator" (CCC, 2324).

Any action or lack of action that intentionally "causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator" (CCC, 2277).

Catholic teaching also states that patients and doctors are not required to do everything possible to avoid death, but if a life has reached its natural conclusion and medical intervention would not be beneficial, the decision to "forego extraordinary or disproportionate means" to keep a dying person alive is not euthanasia, as St. John Paul II explained in Evangelium Vitae.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 16, 2025 / 14:07 pm (CNA).

Ahead of World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced an addition to its ongoing National Catholic Mental Health Campaign to amplify local engagement on mental health. 

The title for the initiative, "Healing and Hope," was taken from the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign's introductory statement, written by Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron.

"As pastors, we want to emphasize this point to anyone who is suffering from mental illness or facing mental health challenges: Nobody and nothing can alter or diminish your God-given dignity. You are a beloved child of God, a God of healing and hope," the U.S. bishops said this week. 

The initiative "builds upon the goal of promoting healing and hope for all who struggle with mental illness and is inclusive of the people who accompany them," the USCCB said in a Sept. 15 statement. 

"Healing and Hope" is intended to combat the present mental health crisis affecting people across the nation, especially younger generations. Pew Research found that as of April, 55% of parents report being extremely or very concerned about the mental health of teens. 

The U.S. bishops have added three new elements to the mental health campaign to strengthen Catholic engagement ahead of World Mental Health Day, including a revitalized digital campaign with reflections by bishops meant to "invite all people into deeper conversation on the realities and stigmas of mental health."

The initiative will also launch state conferences on mental health beginning in early 2026 with a meeting in New Jersey. 

At the conferences, "bishops, clergy, religious, and laypeople in dioceses/eparchies and local groups will have an opportunity to gather for dialogue on local mental health realities." 

Healing and Hope will also prompt parishes to host "Mental Health Sunday" on the weekend of Oct. 11–12. Parishes are encouraged to share at Mass about the national campaign and its mission, integrate petitions around mental health issues, offer a special blessing for caretakers, and consider launching a Catholic mental health initiative in the parish community.

All the faithful in the U.S. are encouraged to participate by praying the Novena for Mental Health from Oct. 10, World Mental Health Day, to Oct. 18, the feast of St. Luke, the patron saint of health care.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 16, 2025 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

The British Royal family held its first Catholic funeral in modern history on Tuesday for the duchess of Kent, the first senior British royal to be received into the Church since the 17th century. 

The duchess died on Sept. 4 at the age of 92 and asked that her funeral be held at Westminster Cathedral in London. She was raised Anglican but joined the Catholic Church in 1994. She described her conversion as a "long-pondered personal decision" but said she was attracted to the solace and clarity of the faith. 

Born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, the duchess married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Her family said she should be remembered for her "lifelong devotion to all the organizations with which she was associated, her passion for music, and her empathy for young people."

On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds gathered to honor the duchess' life at the cathedral alongside the duke and their three children. King Charles III, Prince William, and Princess Kate Middleton were all in attendance; Queen Camilla was not present reportedly due to illness. 

King Charles' presence marked the first time a reigning British monarch has attended a Catholic funeral in a formal capacity on U.K. grounds since the Reformation.

The Requiem Mass was celebrated by the archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols. The dean of Windsor joined the cathedral clergy during the Mass and presided over the burial of the duchess with the auxiliary bishop of Westminster. 

In a Sept. 16 telegram to King Charles, Pope Leo XIV said he "was saddened to learn of the death of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent." The message was read by Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, apostolic nuncio to Great Britain, at the funeral Mass.

"I send heartfelt condolences, together with the assurance of my prayerful closeness, to your majesty, the members of the royal family, and especially to her husband, the Duke of Kent, and their children and grandchildren at this time of sorrow," Pope Leo wrote. 

"Entrusting her noble soul to the mercy of our heavenly Father, I readily associate myself with all those offering thanksgiving to almighty God for the duchess' legacy of Christian goodness, seen in her many years of dedication to official duties, patronage of charities, and devoted care for vulnerable people in society."

"To all who mourn her loss, in the sure hope of the Resurrection, I willingly impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the risen Lord," the pope said.

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Vatican City, Sep 16, 2025 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

Silvia Toma has a scar on her soul: Four years ago she buried her 34-year-old only son, who had two little daughters. "It was sudden leukemia. He was admitted on May 25, 2021, and died on June 3," she said, still choked up by the pain.

At that time, the COVID-19 pandemic regulations allowed no visitors. Safety measures prevented her from caressing his hand in his slow agony.

"They never let us visit him. He was hospitalized in the coronary care unit completely alone," she recalled. They could only communicate minimally through WhatsApp messages.

Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet at his side

The day before he died, they let her in to see him. "His wife spent 15 minutes with him and I for another 15. I took the opportunity to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet with him." The doctors then asked them to leave the room and a few hours later asked them to return to the clinic.

"When we arrived, they told us he had suffered three cardiac arrests. He had survived two, and he hadn't survived the third," Toma explained, her eyes welling with tears but with a big, maternal smile that communicated she would be all right. 

Holding on to faith is the only thing that kept her going in the most difficult moments. "We are not prepared to lose a son, but I am extremely grateful for the faith," said Toma, who, the day after her son was hospitalized, knelt before the tabernacle in her parish church, St. John the Baptist, in the Diocese of Avellaneda Lanús, Buenos Aires province.

Once before the Blessed Sacrament, "I told him that he already knew what was in my heart, but that his will be done. And his will was for my son to be with him."

Toma still doesn't understand God's reasons, but she's not seeking answers either. On Sept. 15, she participated in the Jubilee of Consolation in Rome and testified that death doesn't have the last word.

"I often break down and cry, but, thank God, never once did I utter a word of reproach. I believe he must know why, and one day I will understand," she added.

She said that going through this soul-searing pain, for which there isn't even a word to define it in the dictionary, "has been like sharing a little bit in what the Virgin Mary felt at the foot of the cross."

"I ask her to always hold him close and kiss him for me," she said.

Pope Francis prayed for her

Toma is divorced but maintains a good relationship with her ex-husband, who is a Jehovah's Witness. Her son had received all the sacraments — baptism, Communion, confirmation — but in his adolescence, "he turned to Jehovah's Witnesses," she said.

"He even signed the document expressing his refusal to receive a blood transfusion, as required by that religious denomination," she explained.

In 2019, she was able to share the suffering her son's actions caused her with Pope Francis, whom she greeted after a general audience. "When he finished listening to me, he told me he would pray for Gabriel's return to the Catholic Church," she related.

And little by little, this began to take shape. For Toma, there is no doubt that it was a small gift the Argentine pontiff gave her.

"I believe God worked in him," she said. "Before he died, he spoke with the priest from our parish, something he hadn't done in a long time. They texted each other on WhatsApp, they chatted. I believe his heart was opening again," she added.

The situation became critical when he was admitted. "On the last day, the doctor told us that if they didn't give him the transfusion, he would die. He was conscious. His wife, a Jehovah's Witness, said, 'I can't sign.' Then they asked me. I entered the room, looked him in the eyes, and asked him if he really wanted the transfusion, because I couldn't override his personal decision either. He said yes."

At that moment, mother and son signed the consent form together: "As I was signing, he touched his head and said to the doctor, 'The thing is, my mother is a catechist.'"

For this mother, that decision, although it didn't save her son's life, signified an inner reconciliation. "I believe God gave him the opportunity to return to him at the most important moment," Toma said. For her, this final gesture was also a true consolation.

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, Sep 16, 2025 / 16:14 pm (CNA).

Less than three weeks after the Annunciation Catholic School shooting in Minnesota that killed two children and injured 21 during Mass, the parents of a 12-year-old girl who was shot in the head say her progress has been "miraculous."

When Sophia Forchas arrived at the hospital with a critical gunshot wound in her head, the doctors warned her parents that her life was in the balance.

"Doctors warned us she was on the brink of death," Forchas' parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, said in a statement. "In that darkest hour, the world responded with faithful devotion and fervent prayer." 

As news of the shooting spread, people around the world offered prayers for the victims and the community in prayer services, online, and in the quiet of their own homes.

In the early days after the shooting, Forchas' condition "was changing minute to minute," according to a Sept. 5 update from her parents. 

A GoFundMe page organized by Michelle Erickson on the Forchas' behalf has raised more than $1 million for Sophia's recovery and to support her family with counseling services. 

Sophia's younger brother was also inside the school during the shooting, according to Erickson. Sophia's mother, a pediatric critical care nurse, "arrived at work to help during the tragedy, before knowing it was her children's school that was attacked and that her daughter was critically injured," according to the GoFundMe page.

Sophia's parents asked the world for prayers — and the world responded. The Forchases say they have heard from people from Athens to Minneapolis who are praying for their daughter. 

In the wake of the tragedy, the Forchas family said that "rays of hope emerged" last week. 

Sophia's doctor said she "was showing signs of resilience," the family said. "Her progress to this point is being called miraculous. We are calling it a miracle."  

"We thank you for all the prayers, love, and unwavering support from across the globe," the Forchas family said. "The road ahead for Sophia is steep, but she is climbing it with fierce determination." 

"She is fighting not just for herself, but for every soul who stood by her in prayer," they continued. "Please continue to keep Sophia in your hearts and prayers. She is a warrior! And she is winning!!"

'Shattered and heartbroken, but not lost'

This week, hundreds gathered to support the family of 10-year-old Harper Moyski, one of the two children killed in the shooting. Fletcher Merkel, 8, also died in the attack. Twenty-one other people, mostly children, were also injured.

Mike Moyski and Jackie Flavin, Harper's parents, called her a "light" in their remarks at a celebration of life on Sept. 14 at Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis. 

"She taught us something profound, that light doesn't always mean being strong on your own," Flavin said, according to a report by CBS News. "Sometimes it really means being soft enough to let love in."

"Harper didn't do anything halfway. She was extra in the very best way," Flavin said. "She just packed so much joy and imagination into her short 10 years, and thank God. Thank God she made it all count." 

Harper's mother said the last few weeks "have felt like being dropped at the bottom of the ocean, where it is pitch dark, and the pressure is crushing and no human is really meant to survive it." 

But in the midst of their suffering, Harper's parents said they feel grateful for the support. 

"There's just so much love and support lighting our path that we haven't felt lost," Flavin said. "Shattered and heartbroken, but not lost."

"You've lifted us up during the hardest days of our lives, and we are so grateful," Moyski said.

Aftermath of a tragedy 

Annunciation Catholic School students are returning to school with a modified schedule this week, according to an announcement by the school's leaders. The school will have supportive activities as well as extra security and support staff. 

The church where the shooting took place will have to be reconsecrated, according to the archdiocese. 

Reconsecration is a Catholic ritual used to purify a sacred space after it has been desecrated. 

Father Matthew Crane, a canon lawyer in Minnesota, explained that as part of the rite, "the sanctuary is stripped in a manner consistent with Good Friday." 

"After the procession, much like the rite for initially dedicating a church, the celebrant, usually a diocesan bishop, blesses holy water and then sprinkles the people and walls with it," Crane said. "Penitential prayers are offered, and the altar is only dressed with cloth and candles after these rituals have concluded." 

Crane said the "spiritual effects" include "purification and reparation." 

Crane, who has attended a reconsecration in the past, said he "was surprised at how, by virtue of participating in that ritual, I felt connected to and comfortable in the building and place." 

"I would hope that in Annunciation, or any Catholic community, the ritual of reconsecration would grant the community a profound sense of being once again at home in a house of God," he said.

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