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CNA Staff, Feb 7, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

Virginia McCaskey, principal owner of the Chicago Bears football team and a committed pro-life Catholic, died Thursday at age 102.

"While we are sad, we are comforted knowing Virginia Halas McCaskey lived a long, full, faith-filled life and is now with the love of her life on earth," her family said in a statement as reported by the Chicago Tribune.

A deeply dedicated Catholic and mother of 11 who was referred to as "The First Lady of the NFL," McCaskey for over four decades quietly guided the team that her father, George "Papa Bear" Halas, founded. Halas, a legendary coach, was also a co-founder of the NFL and lends his name to the NFC Championship trophy.

After her only sibling and the team's original heir, George "Mugs" Halas Jr., died unexpectedly in 1979, McCaskey reluctantly inherited ownership of the Bears when her father died in 1983. Three years later, the Bears won their first Super Bowl.

Though the team has yet to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy since then and various Bears executives have attracted fans' ire over the years, McCaskey herself was "always was respected and admired in Chicago and NFL circles alike," a Tribune columnist noted. 

McCaskey's husband of over 60 years, Ed, died in 2003. She is survived by nine of her 11 children — six boys and three girls, two sons having died of cancer — as well as 21 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, the Chicago Tribune reported. 

"Faith, family, and football — in that order — were her north stars and she lived by the simple adage to always 'do the right thing,'" NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a Thursday statement.

"The Bears that her father started meant the world to her, and he would be proud of the way she continued the family business with such dedication and passion."

Faith journey

Virginia Marion Halas McCaskey was born on Jan. 5, 1923. Her father, George, wrote in his autobiography that he was so certain she would be a boy that he and his wife "didn't even have a name for a girl."

Her parents were both children of immigrants, her mother being a German Lutheran and her father a Czech Catholic, McCaskey explained in a 2015 interview posted to YouTube. 

McCaskey's paternal grandmother, who lived with them for part of every year, prayed the rosary every day, and McCaskey later realized many of her grandmother's prayers "must have been for me and my brother." Later in life, McCaskey's mother converted to Catholicism. 

The young McCaskey was educated by Benedictine sisters at St. Hillary's elementary school for eighth grade and Chicago's now-shuttered St. Scholastica High School before attending college at Drexel Institute, now Drexel University, in Philadelphia.

Through a Bible study class in the early 1970s, McCaskey said she got connected to the devotional group World Apostolate of Fatima, formerly the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima. She also became acquainted with mothers of girls attending Willows Academy, a local all-girls school under the care of the Catholic personal prelature Opus Dei. McCaskey later became a cooperator to support the work of Opus Dei.

McCaskey said over the years she cultivated spiritual practices such as attending early morning daily Mass, taking time for praying the rosary and personal prayer, listening to Relevant Radio, and reading spiritual books. In her later life, she would often offer Nativity sets as gifts to families to help them celebrate the Advent and Christmas seasons. 

She added that she and her husband tried to raise their large family "God's way." The family gathered to pray the rosary almost every night after dinner.

Pat McCaskey, Ed and Virginia's fourth child and a Bears vice president and board member, expressed appreciation for the strong faith his mother and father passed on to him and his family in an interview with the National Catholic Register in 2018. 

A frequent speaker at the March for Life Chicago, the younger McCaskey co-founded Sports Faith International, an organization that honors "people who are successful in sports while leading exemplary lives." 

"For our family, being Catholic is not incidental … Being a good Catholic is more important than winning, but that doesn't mean you can't win as a good Catholic. Ideally, the two go together," Pat McCaskey told the Register.

'Countless lives have been saved'

American Life League (ALL), a Virginia-based national pro-life group, praised McCaskey on Thursday as one of the group's "dearest supporters."

"Through the work and tireless support of the McCaskey family, there is no doubt that countless lives have been saved," ALL said Thursday. 

Speaking to ALL's magazine in 2020, McCaskey related the story of how in the early days of her marriage, she and her husband learned that an abortion facility would soon open directly across the street from their local hospital. 

"It felt like a personal attack on our values and our neighborhood," McCaskey recalled.

"We knew we needed to do something more than write letters and write a few small checks to different organizations," she continued, saying she soon after learned about the pro-life advocacy work of ALL and remained a strong supporter of the organization for the rest of her life.

"These people were going all out for what they believed in. They were giving more than just lip service to the cause," McCaskey said of ALL. 

She told the magazine she was particularly thankful to God for the invention of the sonogram because a mother "can face the reality that this is a living child," not a blob of tissue.

In 2009, McCaskey received a "People of Life" award from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Pro-life Activities. The People of Life award is presented to individuals who have "demonstrated their lifetime commitment to the pro-life movement, to promoting respect for the dignity of the human person, and to advocacy for an end to the culture of death in this nation."

"I accept this on behalf of all the little old ladies who … write checks, and pray rosaries, and listen to Relevant Radio and who usually struggle to get to daily Mass … I salute you," McCaskey said in accepting the honor at the time.

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Seattle, Wash., Feb 7, 2025 / 10:15 am (CNA).

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio capped a whirlwind tour of Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic this week by signing fresh migration accords designed to stem northbound flows. But the trip was as much about Central America as it was about China as the Trump administration aims to reclaim American influence and authority in the continent away from its Far East rival.

Rubio began his trip in Panama, where he attended Mass at Our Lady of Mercy in Panama City, a nod to the Catholic faith he often cites as a guiding force in his life. Talks swiftly pivoted to U.S. priorities: curbing illegal migration, restraining Beijing's influence, and ensuring authoritarian regimes face repercussions for driving mass migration.

During meetings with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Rubio warned of China's "influence and control" near the canal's logistics chain. In response, Mulino announced that Panama would let its participation in Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative expire, effectively distancing the nation from a deal it had signed in 2017.

Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta pointedly defended Panama's sovereignty and the canal's neutrality, calling it a "symbol of national identity." 

"The people of Panama have demonstrated the ability to administer and maintain the canal's neutrality, open to the world," he said.

Ulloa Mendieta added that any outside claims on the canal "don't know the generational struggle and sacrifice" of Panamanians, urging international respect for the nation's territory and for "dialogue and common sense" to avoid conflict.

New migration accords

Rubio devoted much of his trip to forging alliances to reduce unauthorized journeys to the U.S. In Panama, Rubio observed a U.S.-funded flight at Albrook International Airport repatriating dozens of undocumented Colombians, a measure officials say has curbed illicit crossings through the country's Darién region.

In El Salvador, Rubio lauded President Nayib Bukele's commitment to accept deportees regardless of nationality, while Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo agreed to increase U.S. deportation flights by 40%, emphasizing that job creation and reintegration programs are crucial for tackling emigration's root causes.

A recent clash with Colombia loomed in the background. After facing a threat of 25% tariffs on key exports, Bogotá reversed an earlier refusal to receive U.S. deportees — a move that demonstrated Washington's readiness to impose economic penalties if nations spurn its migration agenda. 

Shortly before Rubio's visit, Red Clamor, a regional Catholic Church network that advocates for migrants, refugees, and trafficking survivors, issued a statement condemning the Trump administration's deportation-heavy posture, saying it fosters fear and erodes the "fundamental rights" of those escaping violence. 

The group cited Pope Francis' call to "welcome, protect, promote, and integrate" migrants, contending that heightened national-security measures and detention without due process conflict with essential humanitarian principles, echoing the criticism from Church leaders in the U.S.

Recasting U.S. aid strategy

Another key element of Rubio's tour focused on clarifying the Trump administration's freeze on most foreign aid while programs are reviewed for alignment with U.S. priorities — a move the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services urged Congress to more broadly resume.

Rubio underscored that certain initiatives would receive waivers despite the freeze. He noted that the Dominican Republic's operations targeting narcotics and transnational crime merit continued U.S. support, pointing to record drug seizures preventing narcotics from reaching American streets.

In addition, Rubio singled out Haiti's spiraling crisis as qualifying for an exception. Dominican President Luis Abinader emphasized the urgent threat that Haiti's instability poses to the entire region, warning that gang violence could trigger "uncontrollable" migration waves.

Acknowledging that Haitian governance "belongs to the people of Haiti themselves," Rubio said the U.S. would back the Kenyan-led mission aimed at stabilizing gang-held areas.

Hard line on Venezuela

Rubio's trip ended in the Dominican Republic with a striking display of U.S. resolve toward Venezuela's leftist government. Dominican prosecutors, alongside U.S. officials, placed a "seized" notice on a Dassault Falcon 200 jet under Venezuelan ownership, allegedly used to sidestep U.S. sanctions.

"The seizure of this Venezuelan aircraft, used for evading U.S. sanctions and money laundering, is a powerful example of our resolve to hold the illegitimate Maduro regime accountable for its illegal actions," Rubio posted on X. 

He reiterated that recent talks between White House Envoy Richard Grenell and President Nicolás Maduro solely aimed at pressing Caracas to accept deported Venezuelans and free U.S. citizens held as political prisoners — not at recognizing Maduro's legitimacy.

Labeling Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua "enemies of humanity," Rubio blamed Maduro's government for displacing millions of Venezuelans and accused Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega of persecuting the Catholic Church, while deeming Cuba's jailing of dissenters an "international disgrace."

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Vatican City, Feb 6, 2025 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis reiterated his desire for "full unity" with other Christian confessions when he received in audience young priests and monks of the Oriental Orthodox churches.

Oriental Orthodox churches, as differentiated from the Eastern Orthodox churches, only accept the first three ecumenical councils.

"The proclamation of the common faith requires, first of all, that we love one another," the Holy Father said. As on Feb. 5, during his general audience, the pontiff did not read the speech he had prepared because he is suffering from a "bad cold."

However, those in attendance received a copy of the text during the meeting that took place in the Casa Santa Marta.

The Holy Father told the group of young priests and monks of the Oriental Orthodox churches, including Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Malankar, and Syriac, that "Christians who remain divided are like fragments that must find unity in the confession of the one faith."

"We need each other to be able to confess the faith," he added.

This audience was part of a curriculum for young Oriental Orthodox priests and monks organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. This was the fifth time such a meeting has taken place.

Previously, similar study trips have been made for Catholic priests prepared by the Armenian Patriarchate of Etchmiadzin.

Pope Francis emphasized the "special relevance" of this visit in the year that marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council (A.D. 325) in which the symbol (Greek: symbolon/summary) of faith common to all Christians was professed.

The pontiff expressed his gratitude for the "exchange of gifts" promoted by the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox churches and noted that "it allows the dialogue of charity to go hand in hand with the dialogue of truth."

The ecumenical dimension of the 'symbol of faith'

He then reflected on the ecumenical dimension of the term "symbol," noting that in the theological sense, the concept is understood as "the set of the principal truths of the Christian faith, which complement and harmonize with each other."

"In this sense, the Nicene Creed, which succinctly sets forth the mystery of our salvation, is undeniable and incomparable," the pontiff said.

From an ecclesiological point of view, he said the creed also "unites believers."

"In ancient times, the Greek word 'symbolon' indicated one half of a tile split in two to be presented as a sign of recognition [by perfectly fitting with the other half]. The symbol is therefore a sign of recognition and communion between believers," he said.

For this reason, he pointed out that faith is a "symbol" that only finds "its full unity together with others."

"Therefore, we need each other to be able to confess the faith, which is why the Nicene Creed, in its original version, uses the plural 'we believe,'" he said.

Pope Francis referred to a third meaning of the creed on the spiritual level and asked his listeners not to forget that the creed is above all "a prayer of praise that unites us to God: Union with God necessarily passes through unity among us, we Christians, who proclaim the same faith."

"If the devil divides, the creed unites!" the pope said. He added: "How beautiful it would be if, every time we proclaim the creed, we felt united with Christians of all traditions!" Finally, everyone prayed the Nicene Creed together, each in his own language.

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, Feb 6, 2025 / 16:20 pm (CNA).

Catholic International University (CIU) is launching a master's degree program designed to form Catholic-minded students in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. 

The fully remote Catholic university was founded in 1983, well before the rise of remote learning, with the mission to "communicate the mind and heart of the Church in support of the new evangelization." CIU's master of science degree in the prudential design of emerging technologies is designed to teach graduates how to integrate Christian principles into the design of artificial intelligence (AI). 

The program organizers took inspiration from the growing commentary from the Catholic Church about AI, including the Vatican's recent "Antiqua et Nova" note, which offered guidelines on the use of AI and its ethical and anthropological implications. 

"The Church is most worried about preserving the dignity of the human person," Mark Amelang, vice president of marketing and communications at CIU, told CNA. 

"In order for higher education to make a difference, it must be at the intersection of science and a human-centric approach," Amelang said. 

In recent years, Pope Francis has spoken frequently about potential challenges the Church sees with AI. For instance, Pope Francis last month reflected that AI must be ordered to the human person and serve the common good rather than human dignity being "subordinated in the pursuit of efficiency."

"Since the pope started to message about the potential challenges the Church sees with AI, we have been creating a program to address them," Amelang said. "We have assembled some of the top Catholic AI experts to design and run our program." 

But Amelang noted that "what hasn't yet been addressed" in Catholic circles is how much higher education could make a difference in the field of AI. 

"At Catholic International, we are the only Catholic university to develop a program specifically designed to train students to make a positive impact on AI applications, ensuring that they remain person-centric," Amelang said. 

The new degree is part of a new "emerging technologies" department at CIU. What makes the department "so unique," Amelang said, is that it brings together technology and theology.

"Most universities draw stark lines between the engineering departments and those of theology and philosophy! And to make a solution work, both sides of campus need to be integrated," Amelang said. 

Michael Pencina, board of trustees member at Catholic International University and chief data scientist and director at Duke AI Health, said that CIU is "committed to advancing technology in a way that prioritizes the dignity and well-being of every person."

"We are shaping a future where technology advances and uplifts humanity by equipping graduates with the tools to integrate human-centered principles into applications of artificial intelligence," Pencina said in a Feb. 6 press release.

CIU's current president, Sophia Aguirre, has a particular interest in artificial intelligence. Before her time as president, Aguirre — an economist — took a one-year sabbatical to study AI.  

"Dr. Aguirre is a well-known economist and was bothered by the seemingly poor job AI was doing with larger mathematical economic data sets. It occurred to her that the same kind of technology was also being applied to the medical field," Amelang said. "As an academic, she felt called to research the problem."

"This desire to make a difference in the development of AI solutions stuck with her as she was asked to lead Catholic International University," Amelang noted.

The program brings together technological, philosophical, and theological educators.   

"As God would have it, we were able to gather some of the greatest minds in artificial intelligence that are deeply Catholic," Amelang said. "We welcomed them into Catholic International University, where they worked alongside philosophers and theologians to create this program that teaches from the heart of the Church." 

CIU hopes to form all sorts of students — whether technically or philosophically minded. 

"The program is designed to support both technically minded engineering types and philosophically, theologically inclined thinkers," Amelang noted. "Both types of students are welcome and can thrive in this program."

CIU changed its name from Catholic Distance University last year under Aguirre's leadership. 

"At the time of [Aguirre's] arrival, the university was still called Catholic Distance University (CDU)," Amelang said. "She was given the task of growing the university and expanding its breadth in order to spread the joy of the truth to God's people in more facets than just theology." 

In addition to the emerging technologies department, the university has since developed its liberal arts program as well as an ecclesial administration and management program.

To learn more about the emerging technologies department at Catholic International University, visit https://catholiciu.edu/emerging-tech/. 

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 6, 2025 / 16:50 pm (CNA).

The Roman Catholic bishops of Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, have issued a joint statement about immigration policy and enforcement in the United States, describing the issue as "both complicated and emotional."

In their statement, Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv, of the Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama of the Diocese of Raleigh indicate that while "there is room for disagreement and discussion with respect to immigration policy, we wish to remind our more than 1 million Catholic faithful in North Carolina of the stated positions of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, formed by Catholic social teaching, and encourage personal reflection and formation on these issues."

"We respect our borders and laws AND support immigration policy reforms and care for those who are already here, many already contributing members of our society for years. We do not see these ends as mutually exclusive," the bishops state.

"We recognize there are persons residing in the United States without legal documentation and we do not condone violating the law," the bishops make clear. "We will not counsel anyone to thwart or resist proper law enforcement but will continue to provide education about individuals' legal rights," they add.

At the same time, the bishops continue, "as Catholics, we advocate for the recognition that immigrants, as members of God's human family, are deserving of and must be granted the appropriate dignity as our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Jesus himself was a refugee and taught us to welcome the stranger and to realize that in welcoming the stranger, we are welcoming Christ himself."

Referencing Catholic social teaching, the Tarheel State bishops call for "lasting solutions to our immigration system" and specify four principles upon which those solutions should be based.

Those principles include recognizing the right of people to migrate "to sustain their lives and the lives of their families … when a person cannot achieve a meaningful life in his or her own land."

In addition, the bishops affirm that "Catholics should not view the work of the federal government and its immigration control as negative or evil. Those who work to enforce our nation's immigration laws often do so out of a sense of loyalty to the common good and compassion for poor people seeking a better life. In an ideal world, there would be no need for immigration control. The Church recognizes that this ideal world has not yet been achieved."

When it comes to enforcement, the bishops hold that "a country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy." 

"Immigration policy that allows people to live here and contribute to society for years but refuses to offer them the opportunity to achieve legal status perpetuates a permanent underclass and does not serve the common good," the bishops state. "It is the position of the Catholic Church that pastoral, educational, medical, and social services provided by the Church are never conditioned on legal status."

Finally, the bishops indicate that "humanitarian protections for vulnerable families should be a priority."

"Catholic teaching maintains that families are the foundation of society, and the success of any civilization hinges on the well-being of its families. For generations, families living in the United States have included combinations of citizens and noncitizens."

In their conclusion, North Carolina's bishops "urge the preservation and strengthening of access to asylum, refugee resettlement, protections for unaccompanied children, assistance for victims of human trafficking, temporary forms of relief, and other humanitarian protections already enshrined in our law."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 6, 2025 / 17:20 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has approved the statutes of the Regnum Christi Federation (RCF) "in a definitive manner." The RCF's General Directive College stated Feb. 5 that the recognition "reaffirms the validity of the path traveled and strengthens the commitment to live our charism with confidence and courage, in communion with the Church and at the service of the mission."

The RCF defines itself as "a spiritual family in the Catholic Church made up of lay members, consecrated men and women, and the priests and brothers of the religious congregation of the Legionaries of Christ." 

The apostolate is governed by the General Directive College, which is made up of the directors of the Legionaries of Christ, consecrated men and women, plus two representatives of the laity (with a voice and consultative vote), assisted by a plenary assembly.

The Holy See, through the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, expressed the hope that the new statutes "will help promote the common charism" and foster "collaboration in view of the mission entrusted to them by the Church."

The official recognition of the Catholic Church is the conclusion of a renewal process that began in 2010 after numerous incidents of sexual abuse and the abuse of power came to light involving in particular the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Marcial Maciel. In 2019, the federation's statutes were approved "ad experimentum" (on a trial basis) for five years.

During the RCF's First General Convention in 2024, its members approved the statutes as "adequately expressing" the charism and functioning of the institution. The statutes were presented to the Vatican, which, after examining them, finally approved them definitively on Dec. 16, 2024.

"This approval represents a recognition by the Holy See that gives solidity and stability to the federation. At the same time, the future general conventions of the federation will have to evaluate the experience of the statutes and will be able to make any necessary modifications and submit them for ratification by the federated institutions, and for approval by the Holy See," explained the General Directive College, headed by Father John Connor, director general of the Legionaries of Christ.

The RCF board's statement concluded by thanking God for the Holy See's decision while inviting all members to "read the statutes and to reflect on them in prayer" in order to live their mission faithfully and safeguard their own charism.

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, Feb 6, 2025 / 17:55 pm (CNA).

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said the State Department is currently determining which foreign aid programs will be granted exemptions from the Trump administration's plans to freeze spending at USAID.

Rubio, at a press conference in Guatemala, said the State Department is now working "to identify which programs should be specifically designated and therefore exempted" from President Donald Trump's funding freeze and stop-work orders. 

The secretary of state also said the State Department has reached out to USAID officials to help determine these exemptions.

The Trump administration announced on Monday that all USAID employees would be put on leave and global personnel would be recalled in light of Trump's executive order, which put a 90-day freeze on most foreign funding last month. The order, which Trump signed directly after his inauguration, gives Rubio the power to "waive the pause for specific programs."

Rubio while on a five-day trip in Latin America clarified during the conference that funding "will not continue" for programs that do not further U.S. interests.

According to an Associated Press report, after Trump issued the order, Rubio exempted emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt. On Tuesday AP reported that he agreed to continue spending funds on "humanitarian programs that provide life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance."

CBS News reported that in a private meeting on Wednesday, Rubio told U.S. diplomats in Guatemala that the United States plans to continue distributing foreign aid but the government needs to be able to defend what initiatives it is funding abroad.

"The United States is not walking away from foreign aid. It's not. We're going to continue to provide foreign aid and to be involved in programs, but it has to be programs that we can defend," Rubio also said to a gathering of staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, according to a partial transcript obtained by CBS News on Wednesday.

"It has to be programs that we can explain. It has to be programs that we can justify. Otherwise, we do endanger foreign aid," he added.

During a press conference last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt listed some of the initiatives funded by USAID, which she called "insane priorities." The list included $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia's workforce, $70,000 for a "DEI musical" in Ireland, $47,000 for a "transgender opera" in Colombia, and $32,000 for a "transgender comic book" in Peru.

A White House fact sheet also lists $2 million to fund "sex changes" and "LGBT activism" in Guatemala, as well as an undesignated amount of funding for the production of 3D-printed contraceptives.

"I don't know about you but as an American taxpayer, I don't want my dollars going towards this crap, and I know the American people don't either," Leavitt added.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), along with Catholic Relief Services, the USCCB's charitable arm, has spoken out against the foreign funding freeze, releasing an action alert urging Catholics to contact their elected officials.

"Your help is urgently needed! Let your members of Congress know that you are deeply concerned about the administration's recent decision to stop work on almost all U.S. foreign assistance programs," the alert read, continuing: "This freeze will be detrimental to millions of our sisters and brothers who need access to lifesaving humanitarian, health, and development assistance."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 6, 2025 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) banned biological men from competing in women's sports on Thursday, Feb. 6, to comply with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump the previous day.

A new NCAA policy that went into effect on Thursday afternoon states that biological men are no longer eligible to compete on women's college athletic teams under any circumstance. The NCAA is the largest college athletic association and governs the athletic policies for the highest levels of college sports.

"We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today's student athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions," NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement.

"To that end, President Trump's order provides a clear, national standard," Baker said.

The rule affects more than 1,000 colleges and universities that enroll more than half a million student athletes.

The NCAA's policy change reverses its previous standards, which had allowed biological men who self-identified as transgender to participate in women's sports if they brought down their testosterone levels by taking testosterone suppressants. The NCAA first permitted biological men to compete in women's sports three years ago, in February 2022. 

Under the previous rules, each sport had a maximum testosterone level for a biological man to be eligible to compete in a women's athletic competition.

Under Trump's Feb. 5 executive order, K–12 schools, colleges, and universities that continue to allow biological men to compete in women's sports will lose all federal funding. It also rescinds federal funding for K–12 schools, colleges, and universities that allow biological men to change in women's locker rooms.

Riley Gaines, a former swimmer with the University of Kentucky who was forced to compete against a biological male swimmer, said in a statement that she was "thrilled" about the NCAA policy change.

"While it's unfortunate that it took women losing opportunities, facing exploitation in locker rooms, and suffering injuries for leaders to recognize the importance of single-sex spaces, this is still a victory worth celebrating," said Gaines, who is also an ambassador for the Independent Women's Forum (IWF).

"However, men are still competing on women's collegiate teams across the country," Gaines added. "I hope the NCAA works with the appropriate authorities to urgently remove said male athletes, reinforce Title IX as intended, and ensure women's opportunities are protected."

Sia Liilii, the captain of the University of Nevada-Reno women's volleyball team, said in a statement she is "ecstatic" about the policy change. 

"Women have fought long and hard for equal athletic opportunities," Liilii, who is also an IWF ambassador, added. "By completely removing men from women's sports, we are moving back to the true definition of Title IX. Women are given an opportunity to champion their own sports division and shine on a fair competition floor."

Although biological men who identify as transgender are now ineligible to compete on women's teams, the NCAA policy still allows them to participate in women's practices "and receive all other benefits applicable to student-athletes who are otherwise eligible for practice" such as medical care during practice.

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Vatican City, Feb 6, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Thursday released his message for World Mission Day 2025, encouraging all Catholics to be "missionaries of hope" who actively participate in the Church's evangelizing mission through a "communion of prayer and action."

"I urge all of you, children, young people, adults, and the elderly, to participate actively in the common evangelizing mission of the Church by your witness of life and prayer, by your sacrifices, and by your generosity," the pope shared in his message.

The pope said he chose "Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples" as the motto for the 2025 mission day, which will be observed this year on Oct. 19.

To continue Jesus' "ministry of hope for humanity," the Holy Father said each Catholic must first develop "a mature faith in Christ" that is nourished by prayer.

"Missionaries of hope are men and women of prayer, for 'the person who hopes is a person who prays,'" the pope said, quoting Venerable Cardinal François-Xavier Van Thuan. "Let us not forget that prayer is the primary missionary activity."

The Eucharist and the other sacraments, the Holy Father explained, are essential for Catholics to "draw upon the power of the Holy Spirit" to work with determination and patience in the "vast field of global evangelization."

"In following Christ the Lord, Christians are called to hand on the good news by sharing the concrete life situations of those whom they meet and thus to be bearers and builders of hope," the pope said. 

"Indeed, 'the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well. Nothing that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts' (Gaudium et Spes, 1)," he continued.

'Missionaries of hope among all peoples'

In order to be builders of hope in both advanced and developing nations, the 88-year-old pontiff said the Church must recognize that Jesus Christ, the "divine Missionary of hope," wants to speak to the heart of every man and woman and offer them salvation through his followers.  

"Christian communities can be harbingers of a new humanity in a world that, in the most 'developed' areas, shows serious symptoms of human crisis," he said. "In the most technologically advanced nations, 'proximity' is disappearing: We are all interconnected but not related."

In his message, the Holy Father decried how obsession with efficiency, materialism, ambition, and self-centeredness has created a culture of loneliness and indifference in wealthy nations. 

Expressing his special love for the poor, the pope said the Church's missionaries must give particular attention to the weakest and most vulnerable members of society.

"Often they are the ones who teach us how to live in hope," the Holy Father said. "Through personal contact, we will also convey the love of the compassionate heart of the Lord."

Referring to his papal bull for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, Spes Non Confundit, the pope said Christians can be "signs of hope" through works of mercy such as visits to the poor, elderly, sick, and migrants.

'Missionaries ad gentes'

The Holy Father also shared his particular gratitude for the work of Pontifical Mission Societies who "have gone forth to other nations to make known the love of God in Christ" and built new churches. 

"I thank you most heartily! Your lives are a clear response to the command of the risen Christ, who sent his disciples to evangelize all peoples (cf. Mt 28:18-20)," the pope said. 

"In this way, you are signs of the universal vocation of the baptized to become, by the power of the Spirit and daily effort, missionaries among all peoples, and witnesses to the great hope given us by the Lord Jesus," he added.

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Vatican City, Feb 6, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Thursday encouraged midwives and OB-GYNs to carry out their mission not only with professional skill but also with "a great sense of humanity."

The pope's words were conveyed in a written speech handed out during an audience with an association of midwives and OB-GYNs from the southern Italian region of Calabria on Feb. 6.

With Francis suffering from bronchitis, the pontiff's meetings on Thursday were held in halls at his Santa Marta residence rather than at the Apostolic Palace.

The Vatican Press Office said Feb. 6 Francis would continue to hold his meetings at the Casa Santa Marta on Feb. 7 and 8 due to the illness.

"At a crucial moment of existence such as the birth of a son or daughter, one may feel vulnerable, fragile, and therefore most in need of closeness, tenderness, and warmth," the pope said to the group of midwives and OB-GYNs.

"It does so much good, in such circumstances, to have sensitive and delicate people beside you. I therefore recommend you to cultivate, in addition to professional skill, a great sense of humanity, which confirms 'in the parents' souls the desire and joy for the new life, blossomed from their love' (St. John Paul II, Address to Midwives, Jan. 26, 1980) and contributes to 'assuring the child a healthy and happy birth.'"

The pope noted the loss of enthusiasm for parenthood in Italy and in other countries, where motherhood and fatherhood are no longer seen as "the opening of a new horizon of creativity and happiness."

He also urged Christian midwives and doctors to use the "hidden but effective medicine" of prayer in their practices.

Whether it is appropriate to pray directly with patients or to offer a silent prayer in one's own heart, prayer can "help strengthen that 'admirable collaboration of parents, nature, and God, from which a new human being in the image and likeness of the Creator comes into being,'" he said, quoting Venerable Pius XII in a 1951 address to the Italian Catholic Union of Midwives.

"I encourage you to feel toward the mothers, fathers, and children whom God puts in your path the responsibility to pray for them as well, especially in holy Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and simple, daily prayer," Pope Francis said.

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