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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 1, 2025 / 16:19 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump's administration is proposing a rule change that would prohibit medical centers operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from performing both surgical and chemical abortions in most cases and from providing counseling that encourages abortion.

The proposed regulatory change, submitted by the VA on Aug. 1, must undergo a 30-day public comment period before it can be adopted.

Under the proposal, abortion would only be allowed when the mother's life is at risk. The text also clarifies that women can still receive all necessary treatments for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages.

In an explanation provided with the rule change proposal, VA regulators note that Congress created the department to provide "only needed medical services to our nation's heroes and their families." It states that unless the mother's life is at risk, "abortion is not a 'needed' VA service."

From 1999 — when the VA established its first medical benefits package — through September 2022, the department did not offer abortion or pro-abortion counseling. It was not until after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to restrict abortion that President Joe Biden's administration changed the regulation to permit broad abortion coverage at the VA.

The Biden-era rule permits the VA to perform abortions if "the life or the health" of the woman is endangered by the pregnancy, which broadly extends to both physical and mental health. The new Trump administration proposed rule would create a more strict standard, only permitting abortion "when a physician certifies that the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term."

Under the Biden-era rule, the VA can also perform abortions in cases of rape and incest, which are self-reported and not verified. The Trump administration's proposed rule change would not permit the VA to perform abortions in these instances.

The VA's explanation of the proposed rule change notes that prior to the Biden administration's shift, the VA "had consistently interpreted abortion services as not 'needed' medical services and therefore not covered by the medical benefits package." It states that the Biden-era rule is "legally questionable."

"This proposed rule restores VA to its proper role as the United States' provider of needed medical services to those who served, delivered on behalf of a grateful nation," the explanation reads.

A spokesperson for the VA said in a statement provided to CNA that the prior administration's shift was "politically motivated" and that "federal law and long-standing precedent across Democrat and Republican administrations prevented VA from providing abortions and abortion counseling."

"[The] VA's proposed rule will reinstate the pre-Biden bipartisan policy, bringing the department back in line with historical norms," the spokesperson added.

When the Biden administration adopted the rule to expand abortions at the VA, the archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Timothy P. Broglio, condemned the rule as "morally repugnant and incongruent with the Gospel." 

"I implore the faithful of this archdiocese to continue to advocate for human life and to refuse any participation in the evil of abortion," Broglio said at the time.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 1, 2025 / 16:49 pm (CNA).

"We're not tourists in spiritual things. We are pilgrims [searching for] meaning. We come with backpacks full of doubts, wounds, songs, and hope. And with a certainty in our hearts: Christ is alive. And he calls us."

Thus begins the "Manifesto of the Young Christians of Europe," the heart of the "Rome '25-Way of St. James '27-Jerusalem '33" project, which aims to "restore the soul" of the Old Continent and invites Christians to encounter the Lord through pilgrimage, healing, and evangelization.

This initiative, which began to take shape two years ago with the support of the Bishops' Subcommission for Youth and Children of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, as well as the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela and the Church in Jerusalem, invites young Christians across the continent to open up a new pathway to faith and hope in view of the Jubilee of the Redemption, which will be celebrated in 2033.

The initiative is also supported by the Holy See and Pope Leo XIV, to whom it was presented after a general audience at the Vatican on June 25.

The key moment for the project took place on the morning of Friday, Aug. 1, amid the Jubilee of Youth. Many young people gathered at St. Mary's Basilica in Trastevere to give voice to a generation that wants to create a new Europe with Christ at its center.

"This manifesto is an act of faith and a call to hope. It is the voice of a [generation of] youth who do not want to remain on the sidelines, who don't have to clamor, 'We want more [material things],' we want Christ at the center... The revolution has begun; the Spirit is blowing," said Fernando Moscardó, who served as one of the youth spokespersons for the project during the presentation in Rome in July.

On that occasion, Monsignor Marco Gnavi, parish priest at St. Mary's Basilica in Trastevere and host of the Aug. 1 event, said he was "surprised by the enthusiasm of young people," especially in a time of "painful changes."

The document has been published on the project's official website, and all those "who feel part of it" are encouraged to sign it.

In addition, all information, updates, and progress on the initiative will be shared through social media under the handle @J2R2033 (Journey to Redemption 2033).

At the Aug. 1 event, attended by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, several young people of various nationalities read the manifesto aloud.

Fisichella also dedicated time to praying for peace in the world, especially for Ukraine and the conflict in the Holy Land. Among those present were young people from Palestine and Israel.

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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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 1, 2025 / 17:19 pm (CNA).

A relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis was stolen from the St. Dominic Savio Parish in the Argentine Archdiocese of Paraná. The pastor is seeking to recover it, emphasizing that it has no material value but does have profound spiritual significance for the community.

Father Walter Minigutti, the pastor, told local media that the theft occurred minutes after noon on July 25 and was recorded on security cameras. A couple can be seen entering the church and removing the bolted glass case containing the relic, enthroned in 2021.

"This is truly a very sad day for us, and we need our saint [Carlo Acutis] to return to the parish. We are sharing the security camera footage, where this couple can be seen," Minigutti said in an interview with the Argentine news site El Once.

A formal complaint has already been filed with the authorities, and the incident is under police investigation. Camera footage will be analyzed to identify those responsible for the theft.

The priest asked for the reliquary to be returned: "I beg whoever took the relics to return them. They have no monetary value, but they do have great spiritual value for our community," he said. The reliquary contains a first-class relic: a strand of hair and a fingernail belonging to the future saint.

In a July 31 interview with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, the priest said that "there is still no news" and prayed "to the Lord and the blessed that this cherished relic may return."

The figure of Carlo Acutis is very significant to the parish, so much so that a secondary school is being built in his name.

The relic was kept in a place specially prepared for its display and veneration, with a glass case containing a reliquary bearing the image of the young blessed dressed in everyday clothes, honoring his characterization as a "saint in jeans and sneakers."

"The place was designed so that the faithful could contemplate him. He is a very contemporary saint, close to young people, and his life conveys a powerful message about faith in the present time," Minigutti said in his interview with El Once.

Acutis, who died at the age of 15, was deeply devoted to the Eucharist: "He went to Mass every day, prayed the rosary, did Eucharistic adoration, and used the internet to evangelize. He's an example for our youth," the priest said.

"This is devastating for us because it's something very dear to us, but I have great faith and confidence in the residents of Paraná and Santa Lucía neighborhood, so please give us a hand to recover it," he appealed.

In a few days, on Aug. 12, it will be four years since the relic was enthroned in the church. For that reason, a Mass in honor of Acutis is celebrated on the 12th of every month. The blessed's feast day is Oct. 12, the day he died.

Acutis is scheduled to be canonized on Sept. 7 along with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

"A blessed is one of the many blessings that God gives to the Church, and having his relics is having part of his life's story among us," the parish priest stated, emphasizing that "the sentimental, religious, and spiritual value he holds for the community is incalculable."

Finally, he called for "reflection and solidarity: If anyone knows these people or just finds these relics, please bring them back to the parish."

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

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 1, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, expressed approval of U.S. President Donald Trump's recent comments recognizing starvation in Gaza. 

"I commend President Trump for acknowledging that starvation is happening in Gaza, especially affecting children," Zaidan wrote in a July 31 statement, adding: "And I urge him to demand the immediate expansion of humanitarian assistance through all channels in Gaza." 

Zaidan, who leads the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, has remained outspoken in his calls for "lasting peace" in the Holy Land.

The Lebanese bishop's comments come after Trump told reporters during a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland: "We'll be helping with the food ... We're also going to make sure that they don't have barriers stopping people ... We can save a lot of people. That's real starvation. I see it, and you can't fake that."

Zaidan further cited remarks by the Holy Father during the Angelus last Sunday: "Reflecting Christ's mandate in the Gospel to love one another, Pope Leo XIV's challenge to us is clear: 'We cannot pray to God as "Father" and then be harsh and insensitive towards others. Instead, it is important to let ourselves be transformed by his goodness, his patience, his mercy, so that his face may be reflected in ours as in a mirror.'"

Leo's appeal came after an Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic parish left three dead and 15 wounded, including the parish's pastor, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said the strike was incidental, with Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein expressing the country's "deep regret over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualties." 

Zaidan expressed solidarity on behalf of the bishops' conference with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem; Gazan Christians; "and all men and women of goodwill in the Holy Land, especially those suffering from unprovoked violence." 

"Let us pray that the Holy Spirit, creator and vivifier, may infuse fraternal love into the hearts and minds of peoples of all faiths living in the lands of Our Lord's life, death, and glorious resurrection," Zaidan concluded.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 1, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

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

2 Syrian girls share 'moving testimony' at Jubilee of Youth event

During a vocation-themed evening in Rome, two young Syrian women, Olga Al-Maati and Christine Saad, moved hearts with their testimony about living faith amid war, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, ACI MENA, reported on Thursday. 

Representing the Marian youth of Damascus, they told fellow attendees that their presence wasn't about recounting suffering but spreading hope. They spoke of growing up amid bombs and despair yet clinging to Christ and discovering deep meaning in faith. 

Their testimony, rooted in the Vincentian spirit of charity and perseverance, received a heartfelt response. "Love is stronger than death," Saad declared, highlighting the role of Syrian youth in helping others find light in darkness through acts of service.

Thai diocese provides shelter to those displaced by border clashes with Cambodia

The Diocese of Ubon Ratchathani in northeast Thailand activated its emergency shelters on Tuesday for those fleeing ongoing border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, according to a report from Fides.

Despite a Trump administration-brokered ceasefire agreement on Monday, tensions between the two countries remain high, the report said, prompting the diocese to open its shelters, which took in roughly 200,000 displaced people. Bishop Stephen Boonlert Phromsena has opened donation sites across the diocese, while Caritas and other local Catholic agencies are providing food, water, clothing, and other basic necessities to refugees of the conflict.

South Sudan bishop calls for end to protracted violence 

In a moving letter to the South Sudan government shared this week with ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of the Tombura-Yambio Diocese pleaded for bold action to end the protracted violence occurring within his episcopal see. 

"Our people live under plastic sheeting, drink unsafe water, walk in fear, and bury their loved ones in silence," he wrote, adding: "This is not a political inconvenience, this is a humanitarian tragedy and a moral failure."

Ethnically-driven violence between the Azande and Balanda communities has plagued Tombura as conflicts over political representation, traditional authority roles, and land access continue to escalate.

In Rome, Lebanese youth kneel for peace in their homeland

Hundreds of Lebanese youth gathered at the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome during the Jubilee of Youth to pray for peace in Lebanon, lifting their country in prayer, asking for strength, reconciliation, and a renewed spirit of responsibility among their fellow citizens.

According to ACI MENA, Bishop Jules Boutros, who heads the Syriac Catholic youth committee, urged participants to model their hearts after Christ's and be beacons of unity and love. Also present, Armenian Catholic priest Father Bedros Haddad invoked prayers for Lebanon's recovery from its many crises, remembering the victims of the Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion and the country's ongoing political and economic turmoil.

Kenyan bishop says government plan to end free education funding will cause crisis

Bishop Joseph Obanyi Sagwe of the Kakamega Diocese called out the Kenyan government's reported plans to scrap free education in the country, warning that the move would trigger a crisis in the education sector by shifting the financial burden to already struggling parents. 

Speaking to journalists on July 28, Obanyi said that should government capitation in schools in Kenya be removed, most learning institutions in the East African nation will not be able to operate, ACI Africa reported on Wednesday. "If capitation is removed from schools, there's going to be a crisis. I'm aware that many of the institutions, even when they were not getting this capitation on time, some of them were taking overdrafts, awaiting the capitation," he said.

Munich and Freising bishop encourages citizens to run in local elections in Bavaria

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the archbishop of Munich and Freising in Germany, has encouraged the people of Bavaria to vote in the next local election in the free state on March 8, 2026, and to run in the elections. 

Marx published the appeal together with the state bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Christian Kopp, on Friday, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner.

"The two Christian churches in Bavaria encourage all people to run for a local political mandate with a democratic party or association," the appeal said. Even if federal and state politics often play a more prominent role in the media, Marx and Kopp emphasized the importance of local politics.

"It takes care of services of general interest, [including] water, energy, garbage disposal, or fire protection," they continued. "It decides on the weighting of the areas of economic development, construction, social affairs, and education, sport, health, and care." 

Catholic health giant pledges $500M to build hospital in the Philippines

Bon Secours Mercy Health, a U.S-based Catholic health care provider, has announced plans to invest up to $500 million to build a major hospital in the Philippines. 

"If realized, it would mark one of the largest private-sector health care investments by a U.S.-based system in the Philippines," the Philippine government task force that oversees foreign investments said in a statement, according to an Inquirer.net report. 

According to its website, Bon Secours Mercy Health's mission "is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities." Commitment to "uphold the sacredness of life," integrity, compassion, stewardship, and service are also listed as its core values.

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Vatican City, Aug 1, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

With more than a million followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and other platforms, Father Cosimo Schena has become one of the most recognizable faces of the so-called "digital missionary" phenomenon in Italy.

"The illness of this century is loneliness, and we listen to each other very little. I try to convey a simple message, because the Lord is simple," Schena explained.

It was four years ago that the priest, philosopher, psychologist, and psychotherapy specialist decided to create a social media profile to proclaim the Gospel in a friendly, positive, and accessible way.

"I earned a doctorate in philosophy, then studied psychology and specialized in psychotherapy. And that's precisely where the need to convey a beautiful message, a positive message, on social media arose. Because when I go online, when I turn on the television, everything is negative, everything is bad… The bad news is news, and the good news is relegated. So I said to myself, 'Why not give it a try?'", he explained in conversation with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, just before participating in an event this week with other Catholic influencers at the Via della Conciliazione auditorium, a few steps from the Vatican.

Little by little, he began posting inspirational quotes and then motivational and spiritual videos. The response he found online was surprising: "I've gained more than a million followers across different platforms, and the ages vary, from the youngest to the oldest."

Not everyone who follows him is Catholic. "There are many people who don't believe in God and follow me, and they say, 'Look, even though I don't believe, I like you as a priest because of what you say.' What makes me smile in a positive way is that, after all, Jesus is for everyone," he explained.

He felt the call to the priesthood in the parish, inspired by the credible witness of his pastor, "which made me wonder if I too could make that decision," Schena related.

After years of discernment, he left his studies in computer engineering to enter the seminary. He was ordained a priest at 30, and at 40, he discovered that there is a mission to fulfill not only in the sacristy but also in the digital world.

The key, he insisted, is to not complicate the message: "I truly hope that this — experiencing the digital world — will be cleaner, more beautiful, conveying a simple message, without complicating it, because the Lord is simple."

The face of a new pastoral ministry

He is now a priest at St. Francis Parish in the Diocese of Brindisi in southern Italy and has noticed that his online work has had a direct impact: "The number of people coming to my church has doubled. Not only thanks to the local faithful, but above all because of those who come specifically from other cities in Italy to hear the homily or confess."

This phenomenon of digital missionaries has gained such strength that the Vatican celebrated July 28–29 the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers, an official recognition — the first — of this new form of evangelization. "Until a few years ago, the higher-ups looked at us with suspicion," Schena acknowledged.

'Loneliness is the great disease of this century'

Beyond likes and algorithms, Schena perceives a profound need in those who follow him: "Now I receive, some days, even a thousand messages a day, between private messages and emails. Many people write me super-long emails, and at the end they say: 'You don't need to reply. The important thing is that someone has listened to me.' That makes me feel good, because the illness of this century is truly loneliness. And we listen to each other very little."

For Schena, behind all this lies a spiritual emptiness: "Unfortunately, this society has imposed individualism on us, and we have welcomed it with open arms. In this sense, the message of Jesus, of Christ, reaches these people and makes them feel better, even if they are not believers."

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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Rome, Italy, Aug 1, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

Just steps away from the exuberant crowds of Gen Z pilgrims chanting and taking selfies in St. Peter's Square, religious sisters in white saris with blue stripes kneel barefoot in silent adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. 

More than 50 sisters of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity are in Rome this week for the Catholic Church's Jubilee of Youth offering a striking contrast to the vibrant festival atmosphere filling the Vatican's streets. Their mission: "To give them Jesus," said one 25-year-old sister from Spain, who declined to be quoted by name in accordance with the congregation's rules. 

The sisters, known for their vow of extreme poverty and life of service to "the poorest of the poor," are praying for the souls and intentions of the thousands of young people gathered in the Eternal City. But they're not stopping there. 

In their no-frills style, the sisters are also taking to the streets, approaching young people one by one along the Via della Conciliazione — the broad avenue leading to St. Peter's Basilica — inviting them to spend time with Christ in all-day Eucharistic adoration and to learn about the mission and message of their founder, St. Teresa of Calcutta. 

They press Miraculous Medals into open palms and quietly teach short prayers beloved by Mother Teresa, including: "Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now." 

Jubilee pilgrims in Rome can visit the sisters near the Vatican at the Pius IX Pontifical School at Via dei Cavalieri del Santo Sepolcro, 1, where the Missionaries of Charity have set up a welcome center with a small exhibit featuring Mother Teresa's sari, sandals, and other personal belongings.

Mother Teresa's blood, preserved on a piece of cotton, is exposed for veneration as a first-class relic, and visitors are encouraged to leave handwritten prayer intentions in a shoebox. The sisters gather these daily and place them near the altar during Mass.

The exhibit also includes a video presentation of Mother Teresa's life, with images and excerpts from her speeches, playing in an adjacent room. For some young visitors, this is their first encounter with the saint. One sister recalled a moment when a young pilgrim asked her: "Mother Teresa? Who is that?" — a question that underscored the importance of their presence at the youth jubilee. 

The sisters — who usually avoid being photographed or quoted — have made an exception for this special outreach to young people. Still, the young Spanish sister, born after Mother Teresa's death, said she prays that any photo taken of her would lead people not to her but to Christ. 

She pointed to a favorite line from a prayer based on the words of St. John Henry Newman — whom Pope Leo XIV will soon declare a doctor of the Church — that the Missionaries of Charity recite daily after Communion: "Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!" 

Together with the sisters at the jubilee is Father Sebastian Vazhakala, the co-foundeder of the contemplative branch of the order with Mother Teresa, who gave talks for some of the young pilgrims.

Vazhakala told CNA that he thinks that the encounters taking place between the sisters and the young pilgrims could help more young people to discover their vocations, not only with the Missionaries of Charity, but also with other congregations.

 "Definitely God is the one that does the calling," he said. "But we have to create an atmosphere for it … inspiring and instilling in the hearts of people the desire for God and the desire for commitment."

"Not everybody can have the same vocation, but at least they can come to know God better, come to love God better, and so come to know the meaning of their life."

Living memories of Mother Teresa 

Vazhakala also shared some of his favorite memories from working alongside Mother Teresa for more than 30 years. 

He recalled one instance during their work together on the streets of Calcutta in the 1960s when a man, sick and homeless, was brought in for help — not for the first time. 

Vazhakala, then a young priest, told Mother Teresa: "There is no sense of taking this man. … This man has been here at least 10 times. Now when he gets well, he will go out to the street, and then they will bring him back again." 

He remembers that Mother Teresa replied: "Are you living tomorrow and yesterday? Because it doesn't matter whether he came yesterday or will come back tomorrow. But this man is in need of your help now. If he needs your help now, don't ask questions. Do it."

Vazhakala said Mother Teresa taught him to live in the present moment, which she saw as a gift from God. He remembered a time when after receiving the Nobel Prize she was asked by a journalist what she considered to be the most significant day of her life.

"Today," was Mother Teresa's reply.

"'I can do something today. I can love people. I can help others. I can pray.'"

At this year's Jubilee of Youth, the Missionaries of Charity quietly echo that message — in their prayers, their presence, and their patient invitation to pause and encounter the living Christ today.

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CNA Staff, Jul 31, 2025 / 16:35 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating potential "unfair or deceptive trade practices" regarding transgender surgeries and drugs.

The launch of the federal inquiry is designed to "gauge the harms consumers may be experiencing" from "false or unsupported claims" about transgender treatment, according to a press release. The inquiry focuses on affected minors but is also open to adults who have been affected.

The agency's investigation comes after President Donald Trump pledged to end federal support for transition drugs and surgeries in an executive order he issued at the outset of his administration this year.

The Federal Trade Commission, a federal agency that promotes marketplace competition and consumer education, will investigate whether practitioners have violated a long-standing law against deception in the marketplace.

The investigation falls under the purview of the agency as the primary enforcer of the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914, a federal law that, among other things, prohibits deception and false advertising in the marketplace. The agency will investigate if practitioners have gone against Sections 5 and 12 of the act, which ban "unfair or deceptive acts" and false advertising, respectively. 

The commission "is uniquely positioned to investigate this potentially unlawful activity," the agency stated, noting that the organization "has a long history of bringing enforcement actions" in health care. 

The agency "encourages members of the public to comment on any issues or concerns that are relevant to the FTC's consideration of this topic, including by submitting any written data, advertisements, social media posts, disclosures, or empirical research," the press release read. 

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, commended the agency "for investigating the horrific scheme to target minors with barbaric gender procedures." 

"Everyone involved — including the 'doctors' — should face massive liability for the damage they did to vulnerable children," Cotton said in a post on X.

This is not the commission's first look at the transgender issue. Earlier this month, the agency hosted a workshop in Washington, D.C., to investigate "unfair or deceptive trade practices" within transgender treatment. 

The workshop brought in doctors, medical ethicists, detransitioners and their parents, and whistleblowers to share their testimonies. 

Andrew Ferguson, a Catholic Virginian who chairs the commission, told detransitioners and survivors that the agency "hears you, we hear all of you, and we want to understand how the law is being broken," according to a report by Daily Wire. 

At the workshop, the U.S. Justice Department's Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle announced that the department had issued more than 20 subpoenas against medical clinics as part of an investigation for fraud and false statements, National Review reported. 

The deadline for the public to submit comments is Sept. 26. Comments will be posted to Regulations.gov, while another forum is available for confidential comments.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 31, 2025 / 17:18 pm (CNA).

Catholic bishops across the nation are reacting to the "joyful" news that Pope Leo XIV has approved St. John Henry Newman to be declared the 38th doctor of the universal Church.

The July 31 decision to give the title to the 19th-century Catholic convert and English saint was confirmed during Leo's morning meeting with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

"Six years ago, Pope Francis canonized English cardinal John Henry Newman," the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops noted in a post on X. "Now, he will join the other 37 men and women who have received the title of doctor of the Church."

A doctor of the Church is someone who has significantly "advanced the knowledge of God through their writing on theology, spirituality, mysticism, or through their defense of the faith in the face of heresy and schism," the USCCB explained. 

In recent years, the country's bishops have shown strong support for extending this recognition to Newman. In 2023, America's bishops voted overwhelmingly to endorse a petition brought by the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales asking the Vatican to name Newman a doctor of the Church. 

Now, with the news that Newman's elevation to doctor of the Church has officially been approved, bishops across the nation are sharing their enthusiasm for the designation.

Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, called Newman his "favorite saint," saying that "I even chose his motto as my own. 'Heart speaks to heart.'"

"Terrific news out of the Vatican this morning!" Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, wrote immediately following the announcement, subsequently adding: "St. John Henry Newman was many things — apologist, theologian, educator, poet — but through it all, he was a lover of the truth." Barron invited the faithful to learn about the saint's "extraordinary life and witness."

"The announcement that Pope Leo XIV will declare St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the Church is truly joyful news," Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, also wrote in a post to social media. 

St. John Henry Newman's "courageous pursuit of truth led him to enter the Catholic Church and helped deepen the Church's understanding of how doctrine develops while remaining faithful to the Gospel handed on by the apostles and their successors, the bishops," Burbidge said. "His witness of pastoral service and charity now serves as a beacon for all those seeking Christ and his peace in their hearts and lives."

"In his Apologia Pro Vita Sua, he writes: 'I am not ashamed to be a seeker after truth and to have changed my mind when I found that I was in error.'"

Burbidge added: "May we all follow his example of humility in pursuit of the God who wishes only our eternal happiness."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 31, 2025 / 11:41 am (CNA).

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, (CBCEW) said he is "delighted and thrilled" that Pope Leo XIV has announced that he will declare St. John Henry Newman to be a doctor of the Church.

Joining Nichols in a statement from the conference following Thursday's announcement by the Holy See Press Office, Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham said of Newman that "it is remarkable that his writings, first as an Anglican and then as a Roman Catholic, but considered as one entire corpus of written work, have led to him being declared a doctor of the Church." 

"This recognition that the writings of St. John Henry Newman are a true expression of the faith of the Church is of huge encouragement to all who appreciate not only his great learning but also his heroic sanctity in following the call of God in his journey of faith," Nichols added.

Longley, who also serves as vice president of the CBCEW, said he is "immensely grateful to Pope Leo for declaring St. John Henry Newman as a doctor of the Church" and pointed out that Newman is "the third Englishman to be afforded this title," after St. Bede the Venerable and St. Anselm of Canterbury.

Nichols noted that the request to recognize Newman as a doctor of the Church had been before the Holy See "for some time" and has been widely supported across the globe, especially by the bishops of the Church in England.

"This moment brings back vivid memories of thepapal visit in 2010 of Pope Benedict XVI to these countries when he declared the beatification of John Henry Newman," Nichols continued. "That moment now reaches its fulfillment and gives great joy to all who strive to follow Christ today."

The announcement by the Holy See Press Office stated that the decision was made during a July 31 meeting between Pope Leo and the Vatican's prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Marcello Sameraro.

Oratorian Father Ignatius Harrison, co-actor of the Newman cause, joined in the celebration of the announcement, declaring: "The fathers and brothers of the Birmingham Oratory give praise and thanks to God that the Holy Father Pope Leo has today confirmed that the title 'doctor of the Church' will soon be bestowed on St. John Henry." 

Harrison emphasized that "Newman's wisdom and spiritual vision will now be of even greater relevance to the universal Church and indeed to all people of goodwill who seek God's truth."

Gavin Ashenden, a former Anglican bishop who was received into the Catholic Church in 2019, reacted with similar ebullience to the announcement, writing in a post on X: "This is the most wonderful news."

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