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CNA Staff, Mar 21, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

Embryos aren't property, Virginia judge rules

A Virginia judge this week ruled that embryos aren't property in a lawsuit between two ex-spouses over their two IVF-produced embryos.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Dontae Bugg dismissed Honeyhline Heidemann's case against her ex-husband, Jason Heidemann, for access to embryos produced during their marriage.

In 2019, Honeyhline Heidemann, a breast cancer survivor, requested permission to use the embryos, but her ex-husband refused, and so she sued her former spouse.

In the bench trial, Heidemann testified that the embryos were her last chance to have another biological child due to her cancer treatment and that she would agree to her husband not being involved in raising the new children.

The husband is currently the primary custodian of the couple's born daughter and maintained that he did not want to become a biological father again. He also referenced alleged poor parenting decisions made by his former wife.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard Gardiner, who is no longer assigned to the case, ruled in 2023 that human embryos could legally be considered property, citing a 19th-century state law saying that slaves could be considered "goods or chattels."

But Bugg wrote in an opinion letter that because of the "unique nature of each human embryo," an "equal division" could not be easily made and that one of the embryos was "better suited for viability than the other."

Bugg also noted that the Virginia law was not intended to apply to human embryos and concluded that the human embryos "are not goods for chattels subject to partition" under state law.

He further expressed doubt over "reliance upon a version of [the state law] that predates passage of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution," which outlawed slavery.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a fertility treatment opposed by the Catholic Church. In the procedure, doctors fuse sperm and eggs to create human embryos and implant them in the mother's womb.

To maximize efficiency, doctors create excess human embryos and routinely destroy undesired embryos.

Texas attorney general arrests midwife for providing illegal abortions

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday announced the arrest of a midwife for operating an illegal abortion network in northwest Houston.

Paxton announced the arrest of Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, a midwife known as "Dr. Maria," according to a press release from the prosecutor's office.

The state charged Rojas with illegal performance of abortions, a second-degree felony, and practicing medicine without a license.

Paxton alleged that Rojas owned and operated multiple clinics with unlawfully employed unlicensed employees who were presenting themselves as licensed medical professionals. She also allegedly performed illegal abortions that violated the Texas Human Life Protection Act. 

Texas pro-life law protects unborn children from abortion when the fetal heartbeat can be detected — usually around six weeks of pregnancy. In a statement Paxton cited the state's pro-life laws, proclaiming: "In Texas, life is sacred."

"I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state's pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted," Paxton said. 

Texas officials under Paxton's direction filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down the clinics under the names Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring.

Florida Catholics applaud DeSantis at Red Mass for pro-life efforts

Attendees at a Florida Mass this week applauded Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his work against a proposed pro-abortion amendment last year. 

The governor was attending the 50th annual Red Mass of the Holy Spirit at St. Thomas More Co-Cathedral in Tallahassee on Wednesday.

As Mass concluded, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski thanked DeSantis for advocating against a proposed amendment that would have enshrined a right to abortion in the Florida Constitution.

Referring to a breakfast event that had taken place earlier that day, Wenski said to DeSantis: "Governor, your ears must have been ringing because we were talking a lot about you during the breakfast, and it was all in praise, especially for the good work that you did in stopping Amendment 4." 

The governor was given sustained applause after Wenski's remarks. 

Amendment 4 fell short of the 60% approval requirement in November.

Participants of the widely-attended Red Mass include Catholics and non-Catholics and often include Florida legislators, judges, attorneys, state officials, and members of the executive branch such as DeSantis. 

The Red Mass dates back to a nearly-800-year-old tradition in France, where lawyers and judges would begin each term of court by attending a Mass together. At the Mass, priests and judges wore red to show their commitment to the Holy Spirit.

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Vatican City, Mar 21, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

The "2025 Annuario Pontificio" and the "2023 Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae" have been released, providing a detailed analysis of the life of the Catholic Church globally. Both reports, prepared by the Vatican's Central Office for Church Statistics, reveal a notable growth of the Catholic population worldwide during the two-year period 2022-2023. 

Concretely, there has been a 1.15% increase in the global Catholic population, going from approximately 1.39 billion Catholics in 2022 to 1.406 billion in 2023.

Africa has registered the greatest growth, with the Catholic population on the continent increasing by 3.31%, from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023. This growth is particularly dynamic, with countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, which leads the region with nearly 55 million Catholics, and others such as Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, which have also experienced significant increases in the number of faithful. Africa currently represents 20% of the world's Catholic population.

Meanwhile, the Americas continue to be the region of the world with the highest proportion of Catholics, accounting for 47.8% of the global total. This increase is moderate, with a growth of 0.9% over the period. 

In South America, Brazil remains the country with the largest number of Catholics, with 182 million, representing 13% of the world's total. Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay stand out with more than 90% of their population being Catholic. 

In terms of distribution, 27.4% of Catholics in the Americas reside in South America, while 6.6% are in North America and 13.8% in Central America.

Asia, Europe, and Oceania

In Asia, the Catholic population grew by 0.6% between 2022 and 2023. Although the region represents only 11% of the world's total Catholics, countries such as the Philippines and India register significant numbers, with 93 million Catholics in the Philippines and 23 million in India, corresponding to 76.7% of the total Catholic population in Southeast Asia.

Europe, home to 20.4% of the world's Catholics, remains the least dynamic continent in terms of Catholic growth. The European Catholic population increased by only 0.2% between 2022 and 2023, reflecting a near-stagnant dynamic. Italy, Poland, and Spain continue to be countries with a high proportion of Catholics, with more than 90% of their population identifying as Catholic. However, the European continent continues to demonstrate a slower rate of growth and increasing secularization.

In Oceania, the Catholic population experienced an increase of 1.9%, with a total population of just over 11 million Catholics in 2023. Although this growth is moderate, it reflects steady growth in this region.

An increase in the number of bishops and priests

The number of bishops also experienced an overall increase, rising by 1.4% between 2022 and 2023. The total number of bishops increased from 5,353 in 2022 to 5,430 in 2023. This growth occurred in all regions except Oceania, where the number of bishops remained constant. Most of the increase was observed in Africa and Asia, with more modest variations in Europe and the Americas.

As for priests, the Catholic Church globally recorded a slight decrease in their number, with a 0.2% reduction, from 407,730 priests in 2022 to 406,996 in 2023. However, Africa and Asia saw significant increases in the number of priests, with an increase of 2.7% in Africa and 1.6% in Asia. 

In Europe and Oceania, on the other hand, a decrease in the number of priests was observed (-1.6% in Europe, -1.0% in Oceania).

Globally, the number of priests per 259,000 Catholics reflects regional disparities. While the ratio is higher in Africa and the Americas, in Oceania, for example, the number of priests per Catholic is much lower, suggesting a relative excess of priests compared with other regions.

Decline in men and women religious

When it comes to ??men and women religious, a continuation of the downward trend in the number of professed men who are not priests and professed women religious worldwide has been observed. 

There was a 1.6% decline in men and women religious between 2022 and 2023, falling from 599,228 to 589,423. Although the number has fallen globally, Africa has recorded a slight increase of 2.2% in the number of women religious, while Europe, North America, and Latin America have seen significant reductions.

In terms of geographical distribution, Europe continues to be the continent with the largest number of women religious, representing almost 32% of the world's women religious in 2023, followed by Asia with 30% and the Americas with 23%. In Africa, the presence of women religious remains significant, accounting for 14% of the world total.

Decline in priestly vocations

Finally, one of the most significant phenomena is the decline in the number of seminarians, which has continued its downward trend since 2012. Globally, the number of seminarians decreased by 1.8% between 2022 and 2023, falling from 108,481 to 106,495. This decline primarily affected Europe, Asia, and the Americas, while Africa saw a slight increase of 1.1% in the number of seminarians.

In comparative terms, Africa and Asia account for 61.4% of all seminarians worldwide, a small increase from 61% in 2022. In Europe and America, however, the proportion of seminarians has declined, reflecting a growing trend toward a shortage of priestly vocations in these regions.

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, Mar 21, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, on Thursday settled a lawsuit against the leaders of a Kansas Satanist group after the defendants testified under oath that the hosts and wine they plan to desecrate in a Satanic ritual are not "Catholic in origin."

Naumann had on March 14 filed a lawsuit in Leavenworth County District Court seeking an order to secure the safe return of the Eucharist from the co-founder of the Satanist group, who had allegedly boasted online of possessing a "consecrated host" that the group intends to desecrate during an upcoming "black mass."

The defendants in the suit were Michael T. Stewart and Travis L. Roberts, both Kansas residents who, according to the suit, are co-founders of the Satanic Grotto, also known as the Grotto Society, which is a nonprofit registered in Linwood, Kansas.

In the suit, Naumann alleged that Stewart had posted online that the group has "secured a consecrated host" that they intend to desecrate during a planned "black mass" set to be held March 28 on the grounds of the Kansas state capitol.

"Satanist" groups intending to stage so-called "black masses" — a direct mockery of the Catholic Mass — have on at least one other occasion boasted of possessing a stolen consecrated host with an intent to desecrate the Eucharist in an unspecified but profane ritual.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist, while retaining the appearance of bread and wine, is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. 

As the leader of the Catholic Church in the region, Naumann appealed to Kansas law related to the return of personal property, saying the Satanists are not authorized to possess the consecrated bread and wine and, if they do in fact have them, must have obtained them illegally. 

"[A]ny and all consecrated host(s) and any amount of consecrated wine is the property of the Catholic Church, and thus Archbishop Naumann, as the custodian of such property being located within the territory of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, is entitled to immediate delivery of such property," the lawsuit reads. 

As evidence that Stewart and Roberts had the Eucharist, Naumann submitted screenshots of Reddit posts in which a user "xsimon666x" said they had "already secured a consecrated host" and "wine too" for the desecration ritual. The defendants admitted during the proceedings that the xsimon666x username is one of their pseudonyms. 

A promotional flyer for the "mass" posted on Reddit lists the "components" of the ritual, which include the "Denounciation [sic] of Christ," the "Desecration of the Eucharist," and the "Corruption of the Blood." 

Naumann stressed the "incalculable" value of the Eucharist as one of several reasons the court should compel its safe return to the Church. 

"A host is simply a piece of bread. However, a consecrated host — including the consecrated host that [is] the subject of this action — is a host that has undergone the transubstantiation and is now the body of Jesus Christ," the suit notes.

"Likewise, the wine used at the Mass is simply common wine. However, once the wine has undergone transubstantiation it becomes consecrated wine, and thus the blood of Jesus Christ."

For his part, Stewart, who has described himself as an atheist who does not believe in Satan, denied the theft allegations in comments to the Kansas Reflector and said that "no one asked" what consecration means to him.

"I find it very entertaining that [Naumann] is convinced that I have Jesus trapped in a cracker and he would take it to court," Stewart is quoted as saying.

Court documents show that Stewart and Roberts answered the lawsuit's allegations, in part, by contending that "there is no evidence that the host to which defendants refer in their posts is a Catholic Eucharist host" and that "the Catholic Church does not have a monopoly on Communion or the consecration of hosts or wine."

"The hosts that are the subject of this lawsuit are not Catholic in origin," the defendants maintained.

The Kansas Catholic Conference, in a statement provided to CNA, called the Satanist group's assurances that they did not steal and do not possess the Eucharist an "unexpected but welcome development" that alleviates many of the Church's "grave concerns."

However, they noted that the Satanist group is still planning to defile a Bible, crucifix, and other Christian symbols and that Catholics should still pray for the conversion of those planning to take part.  

"We now have a sworn statement before a judge that the group does not possess a validly consecrated host," said Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference. 

"This alleviates a major concern. It is still sad that a group can get permission to use the statehouse grounds when their sole purpose is mockery and denigration of not just Catholics but people of all denominations," he said. 

Amid a heated debate among Kansas lawmakers as to whether the event should be allowed to go forward March 28, Gov. Laura Kelly last week said she has "limited authority" to cancel the event, instead decreeing that the event must take place outside and not inside the building itself. A Catholic-led petition asking Kelly to shut down the event has attracted over 40,000 signatures as of Thursday. 

The Catholic bishops of the state are urging the faithful to counter the planned event through prayer, good works such as seeking out volunteer opportunities with Catholic Charities, and by contacting their lawmakers to ask them to shut the event down. 

During the Satanic event, Naumann will be leading a Holy Hour at Assumption Catholic Church, which is directly across the street from the capitol. The Holy Hour will begin at 11 a.m. followed by noon Mass. Similar Holy Hours and Masses are planned in the neighboring Kansas dioceses of Wichita, Salina, and Dodge City. 

The planned Satanic ritual is an "affront to all Christians," Naumann noted in the statement, but he urged the faithful not to "succumb to anger and violence, as that would be cooperating with the devil."

"Rather, approach this situation with confidence in God's ultimate victory over Satan, sin, and death as stated in Matthew 16:18," the archbishop concluded. 

Nearby Benedictine College announced March 10 that students and staff will be dedicating the month's weekly Holy Hours, rosaries, and Memorare prayers to the intention of the conversion of those involved in the sacrilegious event and to the intention that faith will grow in Kansas.

Catholic opposition to "black mass" events has a history of success in recent years. 

Last October, Catholics in Atlanta were outraged and called to prayer when a "black mass" event was announced by the Satanic Temple, a provocative Salem, Massachusetts-based political organization that denies belief in the supernatural and is known for protesting religious symbolism in public spaces.

After legal action by the Atlanta Archdiocese, the Satanic Temple admitted it did not have a consecrated host and did not intend to use one in its "mass."

In 2014, a planned "black mass" at Harvard University sparked considerable outcry from Catholics, as did another one later that year in Oklahoma City. The latter led to a successful lawsuit from the Oklahoma City Archdiocese against an occult group that claimed to have obtained a consecrated host, leading to the host's safe return.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 20, 2025 / 17:05 pm (CNA).

The 14,000-ton, five-century-old dome of St. Peter's Basilica will debut new lighting this coming Easter to further enhance Michelangelo's magnificent work.

According to Vatican News, the new state-of-the-art lighting will ensure more intense and well-distributed light that "will further enhance the dome and create a striking atmosphere."

The maintenance and improvement project for the lighting systems is already being carried out by the Fabric of St. Peter, the entity that manages all the works necessary to preserve and enhance the basilica and its artistic structures.

Experts are putting the dome's drum, the structure that serves as its base, through various functionality and light intensity tests.

In addition, technical operations are being carried out during the night to check the light intensity, which will also be more calibrated and better distributed.

These changes, which will be unveiled on Easter Sunday, April 20, will allow tourists and pilgrims to appreciate even more one of the most famous domes in the world.

Michelangelo's great Renaissance dome was built to house the remains of St. Peter. In fact, as Vatican expert Javier Martínez-Brocal explains in his Spanish-language book "The Vatican as It Has Never Been Told to You," if a fishing line with a lead weight at the end were dropped from the central point of the cupola, "it would rest right above the tomb of the fisherman of Galilee."

The height of the dome is 120 meters (almost 400 feet) from the floor of the basilica to the roof of the cupola, and pilgrims who wish to get to the top of the dome can reach it by climbing its 537 steps.

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, Mar 20, 2025 / 17:35 pm (CNA).

It's been 20 years since Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed, initiating the process of dehydration and starvation that would lead to her death 13 days later.

With the approach of the 20th anniversary of her passing on March 31, 2005, Schiavo's brother Bobby Schindler said "it doesn't get any easier thinking about those events," particularly "having to witness my sister die such a terribly unjust and inhumane death."

"The only thing keeping her alive was the same thing that keeps us all alive, which is food and hydration. Terri had difficulty swallowing because of a brain injury and therefore needed a feeding tube in order to receive her food and hydration. But it was removed."

In an interview with "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Tracy Sabol, Schindler detailed the inhumane way his sister passed. He said: "It's something if we do to an animal, it would be criminal."

Following Schiavo's death, Schindler created the Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network, which "upholds human dignity through service to the medically vulnerable" and assists people who experience similar situations to Schindler and his family. 

The network offers help through "public advocacy of essential qualities of human dignity — which include the right to food and water, the presumption of the will to live, due process against denial of care, protection from euthanasia as a form of medicine, and access to rehabilitative care — as well as through 24/7 crisis lifeline service to at-risk patients and families," according to the organization's website. 

The organization strongly advocates that food and water be classified nationally as "basic and ordinary" care. Food and water that is delivered by a feeding tube is often called "medical treatment" or is treated as an "end-of-life" issue, but Schnidler and his network advocate that they are just basic human needs. 

"We only get the hard cases," Schindler told Sabol. "It seems to me these past 20 years, decisions are being made awfully quick, particularly when someone experiences a brain injury, to stop treatment."

"Sometimes days, sometimes even hours, pressure is being put on families to terminate treatment," he continued. "They need time."

"We certainly will stand with families that call us when these decisions are being made so quickly and use our resources, doing anything we can to help the family get the time they want and the treatment they want for their loved ones," Schindler said. 

Recalling the circumstances of Schiavo's case, the Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network recounts that "at the age of 26, Terri experienced a still unexplained collapse while at home alone with Michael Schiavo, who subsequently became her guardian. After a short period of time, Michael lost interest in caring for his brain-injured, but otherwise healthy, young wife."

"Terri was not dying, and did not suffer from any life-threatening disease. She was neither on machines nor was she 'brain dead.' To the contrary, she was alert and interacted with friends and family — before her husband … petitioned the courts for permission to deliberately starve and dehydrate her to death."

After years of legal battles between Schiavo's husband and her family, a judge ruled in Michael Schiavo's favor, allowing Terri Schiavo's life to end.

"The fact that Terri's case was not isolated and it's happening every single day across countless hospitals and nursing homes and hospices is just troubling," Schindler emphasized.

"It happens every single day. And that's why we're doing the work that we're doing, trying to help other families that are confronted with similar types of situations."

Since its founding two decades ago, the Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network has advocated for and assisted more than 3,000 medically vulnerable patients and families.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 20, 2025 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

"Assisted suicide is a false charity" with alarming consequences that must be rejected, said Bishop David Malloy of Rockford, Illinois, in a pastoral letter in response to the possibility that the Illinois General Assembly could approve the practice.

The prelate referred to a Senate bill and a House bill that would legalize assisted suicide for people with terminal illnesses.

In his March 12 letter Malloy noted that proponents of both bills claim they will "end suffering at the end of life."

However, he warned that "although well-intentioned, assisted suicide is a false charity that brings with it many alarming consequences that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to reject."

The prelate encouraged the faithful not only to pray and fast to stop both bills but also to write or call their state elected officials and encourage them to vote no on the legislation. Malloy referred them to the Illinois Catholic Conference website or they could call 217-528-9200 to request information on how to contact their local elected officials.

Assisted suicide affects the most vulnerable

In his letter, Malloy reiterated that "assisted suicide is clearly not the compassionate solution for those suffering."

He pointed out that where this practice has been legalized, "there are documented cases of insurance companies refusing to pay for the necessary care of the terminally ill while at the same time they will cover the small cost of the drugs resulting in the end of life." 

He also noted that "every major national organization that represents people with disabilities is opposed to assisted suicide."

Furthermore, "experience shows that it is especially the poor and those with disabilities who are particularly in jeopardy as they are the most vulnerable to such abuses," he pointed out.

"There is no way to prevent the vulnerable from being coerced or intimidated to end their lives once this assisted suicide is legal. The American Medical Association (AMA) has summed up the case against assisted suicide well: 'Physician assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician's role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would provide serious societal risks,'" Malloy noted.

Palliative care is right response to suffering

Malloy affirmed that "our Catholic faith strongly believes that no one should needlessly suffer or have to watch a loved one experience unnecessary pain and suffering." 

Malloy recalled that the history of Catholic health care is filled with testimonies of "compassion for those who are suffering and for their loved ones. In this way we show our love and respect for the gift of human life and the dignity even of those who are ill or suffering."

And, "thanks to the advancement of medical knowledge, there are now effective ways to make a person more comfortable at the end of life through palliative care," he continued.

He explained that this specialty "utilizes physician-led teams to care for the whole person — physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually — to relieve the symptoms and the stress that often accompany serious illness and side effects of treatment."

"Through palliative care, expanded access to mental health care, and stronger family and community support, providers and families are finding better ways to accompany these people compassionately that truly confers the love for, and dignity of, each human life," Malloy emphasized.

In addition to Illinois, bills to legalize assisted suicide have also been introduced in Maryland and Delaware.

If passed, they would join California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, which have already legalized the practice.

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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Vatican City, Mar 20, 2025 / 07:52 am (CNA).

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis.

Follow here for the latest news on his health and hospitalization:

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Toronto, Canada, Mar 20, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Canada's Finance Department has avoided providing a clear answer to a written appeal from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) urging the federal government not to adopt budget recommendations that would strip charitable status from "anti-abortion" and "advancement of religion" nonprofit organizations.

A statement provided to The Catholic Register in Canada on March 13 by the department's media relations officer, Marie-France Faucher, did not reference the CCCB or its specific concerns surrounding recommendations 429 and 430 of the pre-budget consultations in advance of the 2025 budget.

In her email response, Faucher said "the government of Canada recognizes the vital role charities play in delivering essential services to those in need" and provided general information about how an organization may apply for charitable registration under the Income Tax Act.

Her only comment about the next budget was that the Finance Department "continues to explore ways to ensure the tax system remains fair and effective in supporting Canadians and the organizations that serve them."

The CCCB's permanent council sent its March 10 letter to then-Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and a follow-up letter on March 18 to François-Philippe Champagne, who was appointed finance minister on March 14 by newly minted Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The CCCB said a clearer stance on the concerns is required soon, highlighting in its letters that "40% of all charitable organizations in Canada are faith-based."

The bishops said depriving these organizations of charitable status "would decrease donations, causing their revenue to dwindle, thus crippling their ability to inspire, operate, and maintain essential social services that benefit the wider community."

Among the 14 signatories are conference president Bishop William McGrattan of Calgary, vice president Bishop Pierre Goudreault of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Cardinals Francis Leo of Toronto and Gerald Lacroix of Quebec, and Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine.

Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) applauded the permanent council's letter.

"Thank God the Canadian bishops have joined in this fight to save Christian Canada," said CLC national president Jeff Gunnarson. "Canada, as our charter states, is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God. The government is attacking the very foundation of our country with these proposals. United together we will stave off this governmental assault on our nation and our treasured faith."

Chalice, a Canadian Catholic international child sponsorship charity headquartered in Bedford, Nova Scotia, is one of the nonprofits registered with the Canada Revenue Agency that would be targeted by recommendation 430.

Chalice founder and president Father Patrick Cosgrove said in an email the recommendation "reveals a negative bias against religion that is not supported by the evidence that active faith and the practice of religion have a measurably positive impact on society and the individual."

Cosgrove, whose 29-year-old organization operates 52 sites in 14 different countries, said a 2018 study released by the Christian research organization Barna found Christians are more likely than others to donate clothing or furniture, provide food, and volunteer to serve in the community.

Pregnancy Care Canada executive director Dr. Laura Lewis sent a letter to LeBlanc on March 6 noting that recommendation 429 "does not define the scope of this proposal," leaving it unclear how an organization will be classified as "anti-abortion." She added that the mission of Pregnancy Care Canada and 81 affiliated centers is to offer alternatives to abortion.

"The free support available at local pregnancy care centers is crucial to providing a national safety net for women looking for support for an unexpected pregnancy," Lewis said.

She also suggested that recommendation 429 is a way to implement a pledge in the Liberals' 2021 election platform to "no longer provide charitable status to anti-abortion organizations that provide dishonest counseling to women about their rights and about the options provided to them at all stages of pregnancy."

This story was first published by The Catholic Register and is reprinted with permission.

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Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mar 19, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis has gifted the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to him by former U.S. President Joe Biden to the metropolitan cathedral of Buenos Aires. 

The medal is the highest honor given to a civilian by the United States, which the former president in January, before leaving office, decided to bestow upon the Holy Father, announcing the award by telephone.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction recognizes "individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant social, public, or private endeavors" and has been awarded only 55 times.

In presenting the award to the apostolic nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the White House noted that Jorge Bergoglio "for decades served the voiceless and vulnerable across Argentina. As Pope Francis, his mission of serving the poor has never ceased. A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children's questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths."

"The first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, Pope Francis is unlike any who came before. Above all, he is the People's Pope — a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world," the White House stated at the time.

Addressing the pontiff on X, Biden said "your humility and your grace are beyond words, and your love for all is unparalleled. As the People's Pope, you are a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world. Today, it was my honor to award His Holiness Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction."

After receiving this recognition, the Holy Father decided to send the medal to the Buenos Aires cathedral, where he served as archbishop and cardinal primate until the conclave that elected him the successor of Peter in 2013.

The cathedral's ceremony to receive the medal took place on March 13, the 12th anniversary of Pope Francis' election, during a Mass of thanksgiving for his pontificate.

Upon receiving it, Father Alejandro Russo, rector of the cathedral, said: "Note how today we view this award that the pope has received from President Biden of the United States as a symbol, simply beyond any nation that could have done so, and any president who could do so."

"The pope must accompany, lead, and preside over the Church and the sheep of Christ's flock. But it is also the pope's role, as the clear presence of the voice of Jesus Christ in time, to bring the mystery and preaching of the Gospel through justice and peace, through human elements, but which are certainly clear conditions for the life and establishment of the Gospel in time to the rest of the world," he explained.

The Holy Father, he added, "preaches, brings justice, peace, and truth to all areas of life. The Holy Father is present in the various situations of conflict, and the Holy Father is present in the preaching of justice and truth in the various area of public life, when he is invited, when he visits, when he is in different realities. And the Holy Father is present there, also giving a new imprint to this preaching, to this landing of the kingdom in the temporal." 

"Wanting to take away this mission from the Church, wanting to take away this mission of preaching justice and truth, is wanting to separate her from the mission that Jesus himself gave her. Wanting the pope to remain available only inside St. Peter's Basilica, merely to issue rules and regulate the internal life of the Church, is wanting to obscure the figure of the pastor, the figure of the representative of Jesus that Christ himself intended," Russo noted.

"And so we give thanks on this 12th anniversary, receiving this award. But we give thanks because Pope Francis had the courage to preach justice, to preach the truth, to be present in armed conflicts to try to help resolve them; that Pope Francis also had the courage to make it an issue throughout the world the ecological care of our common home; that Pope Francis had the courage to bring the preaching of the Gospel into the temporal realm," he summarized.

"We ask God then, in these days, as we continue to pray for the pope, that he may continue to recover, for the presence of Pope Francis in the Catholic Church," Russo prayed, and quoting the archbishop of Buenos Aires, he prayed "that oxygen may be taken in by the pope's lungs, that the pope, who, thank God, gave so much oxygen to the Church, may be healed."

This is the second time a pope has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The first was presented by George W. Bush to John Paul II during a visit to the Vatican in 2004.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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CNA Newsroom, Mar 19, 2025 / 09:25 am (CNA).

Writing from Gemelli Hospital, Pope Francis emphasized the role of hope in vocational discernment in his message for the 62nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations released by the Vatican on Wednesday.

"Vocation is a precious gift that God sows in hearts, a call to step outside oneself to undertake a journey of love and service," wrote Francis in his address on March 19.

The hospitalized pope described how vocations develop through "trust in providence" and said Christian hope goes beyond optimism to become "a certainty rooted in faith in God, who works in the history of every person."

Francis called on Church leaders to support younger generations in their vocational journeys while encouraging young people to work with "the Holy Spirit" in discovering their life's purpose.

The pope pointed to young saints as examples of those who found "complete happiness in relationship with the living Christ" through their vocations.

On the solemnity of St. Joseph, Francis explained that vocational paths develop through "daily fidelity to the Gospel, prayer, discernment, and service" and concluded by urging Church communities to foster vocational awareness across various aspects of life.

"The Church is alive and fruitful when it generates new vocations," he added.

"Our world looks, often unknowingly, for witnesses of hope who proclaim with their lives that following Christ is a source of true joy. Let us never tire, then, of asking the Lord for new laborers for his harvest, certain that with great love he continues to call them."

In closing, the pope entrusted efforts of the young faithful "to follow the Lord to the intercession of Mary, mother of the Church and mother of vocations. Keep walking as pilgrims of hope on the path of the Gospel! I accompany you with my blessing and I ask you, please, to pray for me."

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