Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil, Iraq, shared the situation on the ground for the Iraqi Christian community with "EWTN News Nightly" as the prospect of broader regional war looms.
An Iraqi Catholic archbishop said his flock is frightened and communication with Tehran's archbishop has been impossible as the Iranian conflict escalates.
Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil, the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, told "EWTN News Nightly" that the situation is "quite frightening" because the Christian community is once more asking: "Will it reach us? Will we have to really leave again? Will our children have a future?"
Warda said the situation is particularly sensitive for Iraq's Christian population, which has seen "almost 50 years of continuous violence," including eight years of war with Iran, followed by the first and second Gulf wars, as well as sectarian violence.
"All of these memories," he said, are "still there."
Warda said schools and universities in the region have been closed for nearly a week, and "the economy is collapsing." All the while, he said, there is fear that "around every three, four hours, Erbil would be hit by either rockets or drones."
"The fear is there," he said. "And the scope of violence is just getting bigger, because following the news, we see new countries being attacked and new places being attacked."
"Erbil [has been] targeted a few times so far," he said, "and we know the largest Iraqi Christian gathering is in Erbil, and this might be another reason for the Christians to say, 'There is no future.'"
Warda said his "biggest fear" is that Christian families who were previously committed to remaining in Iraq will decide to flee the region due to ongoing instability. "These types of wars and conflicts will shake everything," he said, regardless of what has been done to "really build something for the Christian community to stay."
Regarding efforts to get in contact with Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu of Tehran, Iran, Warda said: "We have tried several times. But there is no communication whatsoever."
Warda said he asked one of the Chaldean religious sisters currently working in his diocese about her family, who live in Iran, but she has not been able to reach them.
"Sadly enough, there is no communication whatsoever with that part of the world," he said, noting loss of power and communication lines in Iran.
"We are praying for the community there," he said.
Amid the conflict, Warda said attendance at morning Mass and evening prayer in the community has been "really great." The community has canceled its weekly catechism classes, however, as well as its annual Ankawa Youth Gathering, the largest gathering of young people in Iraq.
Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, explains how the highly secularized society there can receive the message and imagery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a way that is meaningful to them.
In a world marked by secularization and cultural fragmentation, Our Lady of Guadalupe remains a privileged path for proclaiming the Gospel, said Bishop Óscar Cantú of San Jose, California, as he shared how a recent event dedicated to the Virgin Mary illuminates the mission of the Church in the heart of Silicon Valley.
During the recent "Theological and Pastoral Congress on the Guadalupe Event," held in Mexico, the prelate described his diocese as a former valley of fruit orchards now transformed into the heart of global technology, home to world-class companies such as Google, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Nvidia.
There, Cantú explained, people from India, China, Latin America, Africa, and many other countries live together, bringing with them their religions or their religious "indifference."
He spoke of "a strong secularization" there, calling it a "society that proudly proclaims itself postmodern, without need for God or religion." He added that many "no longer have the time or space for religion" and that they "prefer modern practices" such as yoga or meditation, which they call mindfulness, which is "meditation without transcendence."
The bishop wants the pastoral and spiritual preparation for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of San José in 2031 to be marked by Our Lady of Guadalupe, who he hopes will serve as a point of reference and model.
Using Our Lady of Guadalupe's methodology in Silicon Valley
The bishop posed a direct challenge to priests, deacons, religious, and laity of his diocese: "How can we apply the methodology of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which she used 500 years ago in Mexico, now, in Silicon Valley, in a postmodern world?"
He said the Spanish friars "did not have much success in evangelizing" because they arrived with the conquistadors, who used aggression and force."But Our Lady had a great success that the friars could not have imagined. Millions of hearts were touched and transformed in a short time."
Cantú enumerated the key elements of this Guadalupan pedagogy, beginning with beauty and maternal tenderness of her words to Juan Diego: "'My dearest Juan Diego, the littlest of my sons.' Whose heart made of stone like we have in our Silicon Valley wouldn't melt with those words?" he asked.
He also emphasized how Mary "spoke to him in his language, not in Spanish. She used the symbolism of the Indigenous people, a codex that bore witness to what she recounted, which bore witness to what Juan Diego later told the other Indigenous people."
He recalled the Christological way the Virgin introduced herself, identifying herself as "the Mother of the God by whom we live," and how she thus introduced "the beauty of truth" in contrast to the old logic of human sacrifice.
Another element that Cantú emphasized is the role of the laity and, in particular, the poor. He highlighted that the Virgin involves Juan Diego in the mission of the Church when she tells him: "It is necessary that you go to the bishop." He commented that "participation brings dignity and is an expression of dignity," and that aspects of synodality are already evident in Guadalupe: participation and a voice within the ecclesial community.
The bishop noted that Juan Diego's participation does not create a separate structure, because "we shouldn't create a parallel Church but rather everything should be under the authority, the structure that the Son of the Virgin left us, which is a hierarchical Church, with respect for the magisterium, but the magisterium, in turn, with the participation and listening of everyone, everyone, everyone." For this reason, he defined it as "a hierarchical and synodal Church."
Among the elements the prelate highlighted is the concept of the sacred little house as a Church of mercy, a house where wounded humanity is welcomed: a "little house of love and compassion."
Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates with migrant communities
Cantú explained that in his diocese, faith has remained alive thanks to refugees and immigrants: Hispanics, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Indians, and Africans, many of them with histories of having to leave their native lands and discrimination.
The Virgin of Guadalupe becomes a bridge of identity and solace there, not only for Mexicans, he noted. To illustrate this, he recounted an experience in a trilingual parish (Vietnamese, Filipino, and Hispanic) during a Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The bishop arrived prepared to celebrate Mass in Spanish with the Hispanic community, but discovered that about half of those present were Vietnamese, so he decided to preach by including his own story as the son of Mexican immigrants in Texas.
"In Texas, many times Americans didn't see me purely as American because my parents were born in another country, and at home they spoke Spanish; and when I went to visit my cousins ??in Monterrey, they also didn't see me as Mexican, so, well, I felt like a bit of an outsider."
As he shared this experience of not belonging, Cantú observed the faces of the Vietnamese faithful: "I saw in their faces that they understood, as refugees who left their country 30 or 40 years ago, that perhaps they never had the opportunity to learn the language well, to fully understand American politics or culture, that for the rest of their lives they felt like guests. And it was, I believe, at that moment that they identified with Juan Diego, whom the Virgin received in her little house."
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The group urged new oversight and formation for online evangelization.
A final report from the Synod on Synodality study group on "mission in the digital environment" proposes the possible creation of a dedicated Vatican body to accompany and oversee the theological, pastoral, and canonical challenges that arise online.
The digital mission group is one of 10 study groups established by Pope Francis in 2024 at the conclusion of the first session of the Synod on Synodality, tasked with further examining issues seen as important to the Church's mission through a synodal lens.
Among its recommendations, the report suggests forming a "Pontifical Commission for Digital Culture and New Technologies" — or an equivalent office or department — that would monitor emerging questions in the digital world; prepare documents, guidelines, and practical handbooks; develop tailored formation strategies for bishops, priests, religious, and laypeople; and support bishops' conferences as they incorporate digital mission into pastoral planning.
The report emphasizes that these are proposals still subject to further study and discernment, not decisions already taken.
Ethical risks and polarization
The group also highlights ethical risks associated with digital platforms. The report says many participants in an international consultation pointed to the misuse of online platforms for polarization, manipulation, or the spread of false information as a significant challenge for ecclesial life and evangelization.
It specifically urges bishops' conferences and diocesan digital teams to recognize ethical risks and the potential for polarization — a dynamic the report says often appears to be embedded in social media platforms themselves.
Abuse, doctrinal drift, and algorithmic pressures
The report cautions that those engaged in digital evangelization should be alert to possible abuses of authority, doctrinal drift, sensationalism, and manipulation. It notes that online environments can intensify ideological postures, oversimplify complex debates, and encourage confrontations that weaken ecclesial communion.
It also argues that major platforms "are not neutral," because algorithm-driven systems can hinder the spread of positive messages while amplifying controversial or divisive content.
Rethinking jurisdiction in a digital culture
A central question raised by the report is how the Church should live its mission in a culture increasingly shaped by digital life. Drawing on a broad consultation involving pastoral workers, experts, and Church realities from across continents, the group gathered experiences, analyzed challenges, and proposed practical recommendations.
One key theme is the need to integrate digital mission into the Church's ordinary structures rather than treating it as a marginal or parallel activity. The report also calls for deeper reflection on territorial jurisdiction in light of online communities and for stronger formation of pastors and pastoral workers in digital culture.
Possible canonical adaptations
One of the report's most significant areas of reflection concerns whether the traditional concept of ecclesial jurisdiction — typically tied to geographic territory — may require adaptation to address "supraterritorial" digital realities.
It encourages competent Vatican offices to study and discern possible canonical adaptations, suggesting that the Church's engagement in digital culture could eventually require some form of non-territorial organization shaped by pastoral relationships rooted in accompaniment.
Formation and spiritual accompaniment
The report proposes differentiated formation strategies based on ecclesial roles, with comprehensive preparation grounded in theology, pastoral ministry, communication, and digital culture — including "training of trainers" models.
It also recommends strengthening spiritual accompaniment and formation for so-called "digital missionaries," emphasizing discernment and mission, and developing stable structures for spiritual direction and pastoral support. The report adds that digital safety and well-being, along with media literacy, should be more structurally integrated into Catholic education and seminary formation.
The proposals, the report reiterates, are intended as open-ended orientations for further study and discernment, as the Church continues to ask what changes digital culture may require of pastoral approaches historically shaped by territorial boundaries.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Father Gabriel Romanelli says civilians are exhausted as aid access tightens and basic services collapse.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, the only Catholic pastor in Gaza, is warning that the closure of border crossings into the territory is deepening an already dire humanitarian situation, leaving civilians "at the limit of their strength."
Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Gaza City, said the shutdown threatens the flow of humanitarian assistance and essential goods — and blocks patients who need medical treatment outside Gaza from leaving.
"The outlook is tragic, terrible," Romanelli told the official Vatican News outlet. While some assistance is reaching people, he said, "it is not enough," adding that even though major bombardments have eased, the aid available does not meet the needs of everyone.
Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an agency within the country's Defense Ministry, confirmed that all crossings into Gaza have been closed following an escalation in regional hostilities linked to joint Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran. No reopening date has been announced.
Aid corridor cut off
Romanelli said the closures are especially damaging in Gaza City, where a significant number of displaced people have gathered and where the pressure on food, water, and basic services is intense.
He noted that Israel's Supreme Court recently issued a temporary suspension of a prohibition affecting dozens of humanitarian organizations. Still, he said, the broader tightening of access — including the full closure of crossings — is making conditions worse.
High prices, no income
Romanelli said some products such as fruit, meat, and cheese have reappeared in markets after being scarce during the worst months of fighting. But he emphasized that prices are beyond what most families can afford.
"Prices are very high and most of the population doesn't even have the possibility to pay them," he said, adding that the problem is not only supply but also widespread loss of income. Many residents, he said, have lost "their home, their work, their salary."
Electricity and water remain scarce
The parish priest also described ongoing hardship in basic services. Since the conflict began, he said, electricity has not been available regularly. Some generators are used, but fuel and operating costs are high. Solar panels are rare, he added, and their entry has reportedly been restricted.
Water access is also critical. Romanelli said some distribution exists in certain neighborhoods, but it is insufficient. In many places, he said, people can wait hours for small amounts of potable water, and much of the infrastructure has been damaged.
Effects on Christians and the wider community
Romanelli said restrictions affecting aid organizations, in force since March 1, will impact the entire population — including Gaza's small Christian community.
He pointed to World Central Kitchen, the relief group founded by Spanish chef José Andrés, which has warned it may soon run out of food supplies to distribute in Gaza. Romanelli said similar disruptions could hit potable water distribution if providers are forced to suspend operations.
"If it's already difficult now, this will create many problems," he said.
A fragile hope and an appeal for action
Romanelli said people's hope remains rooted "in faith in God," but confidence in human beings is more fragile. He described widespread depression alongside efforts to restart daily life, noting that the parish school is still operating with a reduced number of students and that small survival businesses have begun to reappear.
But, he warned, the situation cannot continue indefinitely.
"We can't go on like this. It's not humane and it can't help justice and peace," he said.
Romanelli urged the international community to help ensure consistent humanitarian access — not only for rebuilding structures, he said, but also for restoring the "moral and existential" fabric of people's lives, which he argued is essential to lasting peace.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The pontiff spoke to reporters for the first time since Dec. 23.
CASTEL GANDOLFO, ITALY — Pope Leo XIV told EWTN News he "cannot comment" on Jimmy Lai, the Catholic founder and publisher of the outspoken pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, who was sentenced Feb. 9 on charges Chinese authorities say violate national security laws.
The sentence came after his conviction in December, a case his supporters have denounced as a politically driven show trial.
Pope Leo XIV met with Lai's wife and daughter before the sentencing in October 2025. The pope has not talked about Lai directly but has spoken about imprisoned journalists and the importance of press freedom.
"The Church recognizes in these witnesses — I am thinking of those who report on war even at the cost of their lives — the courage of those who defend dignity, justice, and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices," he said. "The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to safeguard the precious gift of free speech and of the press."
The Vatican maintains a delicate relationship with the government of the People's Republic of China including a provisional agreement regarding the appointment of bishops.
Jimmy Lai. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Bradley Foundation
Last year U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to do "everything" to "save" the Lai.
Call for peace
The pope also renewed a call for peace and disarmament in remarks outside the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo, 15 miles southeast of Rome, before returning to the Vatican.
"Let's pray for less hatred and more peace. And work for authentic dialogue," he said.
Leo has made it his custom to spend Tuesdays at the country residence and has occasionally taken questions from reporters at the end of his stay. This was the Leo's first such exchange with the press since Dec. 23.
In an interview with EWTN News, Ambassador Brian Burch pushed back on widespread criticism of U.S. immigration enforcement and rejected the suggestion that the Vatican is anti-American.
ROME — United States Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch has defended President Donald Trump's deportation policies amid criticism from Pope Leo XIV and the U.S. bishops.
"The larger question of immigration is something that will constantly be a source of debate and conversation between the U.S. and the Holy See," the ambassador acknowledged in an interview with EWTN News' Colm Flynn and Hannah Brockhaus.
He added that Trump "had the courage to do something very difficult. I think people sometimes underestimate the difficulty of unwinding the chaos that had occurred" in the U.S. immigration system.
Leo has called for migrants to be treated with dignity, using the word "inhuman" to refer to the immigration crackdown in the U.S. He has also supported the U.S. Catholic bishops in their statements opposing the indiscriminate mass deportation of immigrants who lack legal status.
Burch pushed back on widespread criticism in the U.S. of immigration enforcement, especially following violence in Minneapolis, including the killings of two U.S. citizens.
"The thing that frustrated me is there was a lot of accusations that somehow this was borne out of some xenophobia or hate when I know this administration, this president, is deeply committed to protecting the safety and security of our country," Burch said.
From advocacy to diplomacy
Burch, 50, presented his credentials to Pope Leo on Sept. 13, 2025, beginning his term as ambassador after he was nominated by Trump in December 2024.
From 2005 to early 2025, Burch was president of CatholicVote Civic Action and the CatholicVote Education Fund, organizations dedicated to promoting Catholic engagement in political life.
During his time with CatholicVote, he became a nationally recognized figure in Catholic political advocacy.
When asked about being a so-called MAGA Catholic, he said: "I'm proud of it."
"I'm proud to have worked to elect this president. I'm proud to have represented [Trump during] what I think was a very important inflection point in our country," Burch said.
Asked if it was difficult to transition from political advocacy to diplomacy, Burch said while being a diplomat does mean restraining his long-held love for debate, it "doesn't mean you check your beliefs or your principles at the door."
"I always liked political debates. I was probably more of a troublemaker sometimes, getting involved in debates and clubs at school … Now I'm a provocateur of a different sense, hopefully in a better way. But I always enjoy the public debate around politics and issues," he said.
Noting that the Holy See and the U.S. have had full diplomatic relations since 1984, he added that he was stepping "into a position that was bigger than me."
"Part of my job here is to build consensus, to help the Holy See to understand the policies and aims of the administration, and to build bridges between the two sovereign states," he said.
He acknowledged the controversy surrounding some of Trump's foreign policy efforts as well as his immigration policies. But he denied that his job as ambassador is "explaining Trump" to the Vatican.
"For me, it's about a set of ideas. It's about a set of priorities that this president is advancing," he said.
"It's explaining why what we're doing is necessary, is right, is good for the United States, is good for the world. I don't see a conflict there. I think people want to make it into a personality fight between the pope and the president. That's not what it's about," Burch added.
U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch speaks with EWTN News at his residence in Rome on Feb. 26, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News
The U.S. and the Catholic Church
Burch rejected the notion that the Vatican is anti-American. "The Holy See and United States share this common bond about truth and justice and human dignity and fundamental understanding of freedom. These are perennial things that transcend politics."
On the other hand, the ambassador noted that there are "areas of prudential judgment where we may agree on the end but disagree on the means."
"That's the case in a lot of different political questions. But I think on the fundamental questions, certainly the protection of life, the importance of the family, the right of parents to direct the education of their children, the need to advance peace and justice around the world, there's no disagreement between the Vatican and the United States," he said.
Burch dismissed the suggestion that the pope's decision not to visit the U.S. this year reflects any friction between the U.S. and the Vatican. The ambassador said he believes one factor was Leo's desire to avoid the appearance of "attempting to influence the midterm elections."
The ambassador said he thinks the pontiff will travel to his birth country the following year — "it will undoubtedly be one of the biggest trips he makes as the pope."
He said it is not just the U.S. that wants to collaborate with the Holy See; the Vatican also seeks out information from the U.S.
"Depending on the conflict, often the United States is at the forefront of trying to drive towards a solution," he said, explaining that when he meets with representatives of the Holy See, they want to know the latest news about negotiations and terms in countries like Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, and Ukraine.
According to Burch, the Holy See wants to know "how can we help, how can the Holy Father help, can he speak into this, or what role can the Church play in that local conflict?"
How the local Church can help in conflict zones or areas of persecution is "a frequent topic of conversation," he added.
"Venezuela is 70% Catholic; the bishops in Cuba are one of the most important voices for the people there. Certainly, the Church in Europe [is important], the Church in the Holy Land sits right between two populations that have been in conflict for centuries," he elaborated.
"The U.S. really does see the Church as this global actor that has such an important role to play and how we go about trying to solve some of the problems," he said.
Defending a civilizational idea
According to the ambassador, the current U.S. administration's project is about asking "What are we fighting for? What are we trying to defend?" as Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined in his Feb. 14 speech at the Munich Security Conference.
"I think [Rubio] made very clear that we're defending a heritage, a Western civilizational idea that has informed both the United States and Europe," Burch said, adding that the Church has guided this idea through its intellectual tradition, history, and moral teaching.
"We are defending a way of life, a way of life informed by faith and formed by deep principles of human dignity and freedom, without which the world would be chaos," he opined.
"The Holy See and the U.S. are both aligned — in a larger historical sense — to both defend and recover this heritage that I think has made the world what it is today."
Throughout her life, St. Katharine Drexel's chief motivation was to help more people know and love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
St. Katharine Drexel was born in 1858 to a wealthy family in Philadelphia. Five weeks after her birth, her mother died. She and her two sisters were reared by their father, Frank, a successful international banker, and stepmother, Emma — whom Katharine always considered her mother. Both were devout Catholics and loving parents. The family was generous with the poor — three times a week they opened their lavish home to those in need, offering them food, clothing, medicine, and other necessities.
From the earliest ages, the Drexel children were taught to pursue personal holiness through daily Mass, meditation, the rosary, and other devotions as well as by acts of penance and sacrifice. Katharine kept notes on her efforts to grow in virtue. In 1878, she wrote: "I am resolved during this year to try to overcome impatience and give attention to lessons. I, Katie, put these resolutions at the feet of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph hoping that they will find acceptance there. May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph help me to bear much fruit in the year 1878."
When she was in her 20s, Katharine lost both of her parents and inherited a portion of the family's vast wealth. At this time, she became aware of the plight of the Native Americans, many of whom suffered from dire poverty and a lack of education. She would devote the remainder of her life to assisting them.
In two private audiences with Pope Leo XIII, she begged him to send more missionaries to the Native Americans. During one of these meetings, the Holy Father suggested to an astonished Katharine that she herself become such a missionary.
Although Katharine enjoyed an opulent lifestyle, she became disillusioned with the things of the world. She wrote a longtime friend, Bishop James O'Connor, of her desire to enter religious life.
"Like the little girl who wept when she found that her doll was stuffed with sawdust and her drum was hollow, I, too, have made a horrifying discovery and my discovery, like hers, is true. I have ripped both the doll and the drum open and the fact lies plainly and in all its glaring reality before me: All, all, all (there is no exception) is passing away and will pass away," she wrote.
The bishop thought Katharine could do more for the Church in her position in society and worried she might have difficulty in renouncing her wealth. She responded: "The question alone important, the solution of which depends upon how I have spent my life, is the state of my soul at the moment of death. Infinite misery or infinite happiness! There is no half and half, either one or the other."
The bishop eventually relented and advised her to found a community to work among Native Americans and African Americans, declaring: "God has put in your heart a great love for the Indian and the Negroes." In 1891, joined by 13 others, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
Mother Drexel went to work opening mission churches and boarding schools for Black and Native American children throughout the U.S.
At times, prejudice and racism hindered her work. She would often buy buildings to create schools through third parties — otherwise, when sellers learned Mother Drexel was buying them to educate Black or Native children, they wouldn't sell to her.
Once, when members of the Nashville, Tennessee, city council wondered if Blacks were capable of higher education, she responded: "I cannot share these views with regard to the education of the race. I feel that if among our colored people we find individuals gifted with capabilities, with those sterling qualities which constitute character, our holy mother the Church who fosters and develops the intellect only that it may give God more glory and be of benefit to others, should also concede to the Negro the privilege of higher education."
In 1915, Katharine founded a teachers' college in Louisiana, which would eventually become Xavier University of New Orleans and one of the first American colleges to admit Black students.
Throughout her life, Mother Drexel's chief motivation in addition to her missionary outreach was to help more souls know and love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. She believed devotion to the Blessed Sacrament was key to the success to her community's missionary work.
She died in 1955 at the age of 96 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Her community's motherhouse for decades was located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb, which included a shrine — elements of which included Mother Drexel's remains and a museum dedicated to her memory. However, due to a lack of vocations, the motherhouse closed and the property sold at the end of 2017. The St. Katharine Drexel Shrine is now part of the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.
St. Katharine Drexel is honored in the Church on March 3.
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, a sister news service of EWTN News, on March 3, 2021, and has been updated and adapted by EWTN News.
The new norms, approved by the Vatican, tie fines to Poland's minimum wage and can reach up to 20 times the monthly minimum for serious violations of Church law.
WARSAW, Poland — The Catholic Church in Poland introduced financial penalties as a disciplinary measure on March 1 for clergy and laypersons performing official Church functions who commit canonical offenses.
The move follows the 2021 reform of the Code of Canon Law by Pope Francis, which restored and clarified the Church's ability to impose financial penalties as expiatory sanctions.
The Polish Episcopal Conference adopted national norms implementing the reform on financial penalties during its 402nd Plenary Assembly in Gdansk on Oct. 14, 2025.
The decree subsequently received the required approval from the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome on Jan. 26, clearing the way for its promulgation. The Polish Episcopal Conference formally announced the measure on Feb. 26.
How the fines work
Under the new regulations, fines are calculated in relation to Poland's statutory minimum gross monthly wage at the time the penalty is imposed.
The decree specifies that the minimum fine cannot be less than half of the minimum gross monthly wage and that the maximum fine cannot exceed 20 times the minimum gross monthly wage.
With Poland's minimum gross monthly wage currently set at 4,806 Polish zloty — approximately $1,350 — this means fines would range from 2,403 zloty (approximately $680) to 96,120 zloty (approximately $26,900), depending on the gravity of the offense.
The sanction may also include partial or complete deprivation of Church remuneration. However, the decree states that penalties cannot deprive the punished person of the means necessary for "decent maintenance." In practice, this means the individual must retain income equivalent to the amount protected from wage seizure under Polish civil law.
The authority imposing the penalty determines the entity to which the fine is paid, provided it serves Church purposes.
The new norms apply not only to priests but also to laypersons holding ecclesial offices or carrying out official Church duties, including those employed in parishes or diocesan structures.
By linking fines to the minimum wage, the Polish bishops aim to ensure that penalties remain proportionate and retain their real value over time, adjusting automatically to economic conditions.
What are canonical offenses?
Under Church law, a canonical offense is an external violation of a law or precept committed with sufficient freedom and intent. The revised Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, updated in 2021, outlines a range of punishable offenses.
These include abuses of ecclesiastical office, financial misconduct, violation of obligations attached to sacred ministry, disobedience to legitimate Church authority, and offenses against the sacraments. The law also provides penalties for more serious crimes such as sexual abuse, attempted ordination of women, or the unlawful administration of sacraments.
Not every mistake or moral failing constitutes a canonical crime. For a penalty to be imposed, the violation must be legally defined, externally verifiable, and imputable to the person responsible.
The introduction of financial penalties in Poland therefore applies to cases in which Church authorities determine that a cleric or lay official has committed a formal violation of ecclesiastical law while carrying out Church duties.
Basis of the reform
The Polish decree implements Pope Francis' 2021 revision of Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, which strengthened penal provisions within the Church. The reform clarified categories of offenses and reinstated financial penalties as legitimate canonical sanctions.
The Vatican reform was intended to promote greater accountability, consistency, and transparency in the application of Church discipline, particularly in response to concerns that canonical penalties had sometimes been applied unevenly.
In this way, the Polish Catholic Church implementing financial penalties for canonical abuses would be seen to strengthen internal accountability mechanisms while clearly outlining financial consequences for violations of Church law.
Intended effect
The new regulations aim to enhance clarity and deterrence in canonical discipline. By specifying financial consequences tied to objective civil benchmarks, the norms seek to make penalties more concrete and effective.
At the same time, the safeguards built into the decree ensure that sanctions remain proportionate and do not strip individuals of the resources necessary for basic living.
The decree was signed by the president of the Polish Episcopal Conference, Metropolitan Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdansk, and Bishop Marek Marczak, secretary-general of the conference.
Keeping student "transitions" secret likely violates the First Amendment rights of parents, the high court said.
In a landmark decision on March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the state of California cannot keep student "transgender" identities secret from parents, with the justices ruling that the secretive policies likely violate the First Amendment rights of parents whose children believe themselves to be the opposite sex.
The 6-3 ruling was announced by the Thomas More Society, a religious liberty law firm that has represented parents and teachers through the legal fight, one that has spanned nearly three years and multiple courts.
U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez originally ruled in the class action lawsuit on Dec. 22, 2025 that parents "have a right" to the "gender information" of their children, while teachers themselves also possess the right to provide parents with that information.
Benitez issued an order at the time striking down California's secretive school gender policies. In January the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit blocked that order amid the ongoing lawsuit, which the plaintiffs then appealed to the Supreme Court.
On March 2 the Supreme Court blocked the appeals court ruling, holding in part that California's policies "substantially interfere" with the "right of parents to guide the religious development of their children."
Pointing to earlier precedent on parental rights, the court said that parents enjoy "the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children's mental health."
"Gender dysphoria is a condition that has an important bearing on a child's mental health, but when a child exhibits symptoms of gender dysphoria at school, California's policies conceal that information from parents and facilitate a degree of gender transitioning during school hours," the court said.
"These policies likely violate parents' rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children."
Thomas More Society attorney Paul Jonna called the ruling a "watershed moment for parental rights in America."
"The Supreme Court has told California and every state in the nation in no uncertain terms: you cannot secretly transition a child behind a parent's back," Jonna said.
"The Court's landmark reaffirmation of substantive due process, its vindication of religious liberty, and its approval of class-wide relief together set a historic precedent that will dismantle secret gender transition policies across the country."
In his December 2025 ruling, Benitez had ordered that parents have a right to transgender-related information regarding their children on grounds of the 14th and First Amendments.
Teachers, he said, can also assert similar First Amendment rights in sharing that information with parents.
"Even if [the government] could demonstrate that excluding parents was good policy on some level, such a policy cannot be implemented at the expense of parents' constitutional rights," Benitez wrote at the time.
Jeff Cavins and Father Mike Schmitz are the first Catholics to receive the Pillar Award for Narrative given by the Museum of the Bible.
The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., awarded Father Mike Schmitz, known for hosting "The Bible in a Year" podcast, and Bible scholar Jeff Cavins with its prestigious Pillar Award for Narrative on Feb. 20.
This was the fourth Pillar Awards, which, according to its website, celebrates "individuals who embody the Museum of the Bible's mission to invite all people to engage with the transformative power of the Bible through its history, narrative, and impact."
Cavins and Schmitz are the first Catholics to receive the award, joining past winners including Dallas Jenkins, the creator of the hit series "The Chosen," and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
The award recognized the global impact of Cavins' "The Bible Timeline" learning system and the reach it has had through the chart-topping "The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz" podcast.
Cavins received the award on behalf of himself and Schmitz and said in his acceptance speech he was "deeply honored" to receive the award.
Jeff Cavins and Father Mike Schmitz are the first Catholics to win the Museum of the Bible's Pillar Award for Narrative. | Credit: Ascension
He went on to share how he met his wife, Emily, and the impact she had on his life, as well as his time away from the Catholic Church as a Protestant pastor and his eventual return to the Catholic faith.
"I speak evangelical and Catholic with no accent on either," he said jokingly.
Cavins shared with those in attendance that there are a lot of people like him in the world "that when they hear the story of salvation history it changes our lives. It's the story that changes our lives. It's the word of God that changes our lives. It isn't our own skill, it isn't our own cleverness, but it is the word of God that transforms the human soul."
Carlos Campo, Museum of the Bible president and CEO, said in a press release: "We're honoring leaders, teachers, artists, and scholars who have carried the Bible into culture and changed lives with its truth."
"The Bible does not only inform us, but it also transforms us. It changes the way we love, changes the way we lead, changes the way we serve. We celebrate the truth of that Bible; preserved through history, proclaimed story and proven through changed lives," he added.
Honorees are selected by a committee of Museum of the Bible leadership and representatives of the board of directors. Nominees for the Narrative award bring the stories of the Bible to life through cultural mediums.
