Catholic News

The U.S. State Department reiterated an offer of $100 million in aid for Cuba to be distributed by the Catholic Church and other humanitarian organizations.

In a May 13 statement, the State Department said the United States "continues to seek meaningful reforms to Cuba's communist system, which has only served to enrich the elites and condemn the Cuban people to poverty."

According to the statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. also made numerous private offers to provide assistance to the Cuban people, including support for free satellite internet and $100 million in direct humanitarian assistance.

"The regime refuses to allow the United States to provide this assistance to the Cuban people, who are in desperate need of assistance due to the failures of Cuba's corrupt regime."

"The decision rests with the Cuban regime to accept our offer of assistance or deny critical life-saving aid and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for standing in the way of critical assistance," the department indicated.

The funds would go toward numerous programs and organizations, many run by the Church, that provide shelter, food assistance, safe water, and home repair throughout the nation.

Funds would require a 'regime change'

"The offer is $100 million, but it basically requires the Cuban government to surrender and undergo regime change," Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami told EWTN News. "The government doesn't seem to be willing to do that yet."

"Cuba right now is experiencing a total economic collapse because of the restrictions that the U.S. government has put on the importation of oil and fuel to the island," he said. "So throughout the island, people are undergoing extended periods of blackouts of no electricity. And no fuel to put in the cars."

The State Department previously "offered $3 million and then later on, another $6 million of assistance to Cuba," Wenski said. It was "directed through the Catholic Church, and the Catholic Relief Services of the United States Bishops Conference was the conduit."

Along with the Archdiocese of Miami, "they brought supplies – hurricane relief supplies, food, and supplies to the Caritas agency of the Catholic Church in Cuba," he said.

"It's still ongoing," he explained. "That total $6 million has not been spent yet because it takes a while to get the stuff distributed, because if you don't have any electricity and you don't have any gas and you're lacking transportation, it's hard to get stuff from the port to the affected areas."

"The $6 million or $3 million is a drop in the bucket," he said. "The $100 million is in the market of what Cuba really needs," but the funds "would imply that there would be serious fundamental changes in Cuban governance that would probably go to the state, or the state would be involved in it."

Following the offer, Rubio said the U.S. will give Cuba "a chance," but he does not believe there will be a regime change.

"There is no economy in Cuba," he said in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox on May 13. Any wealth in Cuba "doesn't go to the people" and "doesn't even go to the government."

Rubio said the wealth is controlled by a private company "owned by military generals. They take all the money."

"This is a country where people are literally now eating garbage from the streets, but they have a company that controls all of the moneymaking there that's sitting on $15-16 billion," Rubio said.

"I believe – it's my personal opinion – you cannot change the economic trajectory of Cuba as long as the people who are in charge of it now are in charge of it," he said.

"That's what's going to have to change because these people have proven incapable. I hope I'm wrong," he said. "But I don't think it's going to happen. I don't think we're going to be able to change the trajectory of Cuba as long as these people are in charge in that regime."

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Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner faced scrutiny from Democratic senators over the agency's failure to release legally required counts of homeless people, a lapse Catholic Charities USA says undermines efforts to address rising homelessness.

Turner testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development on May 14 about proposed decreases in HUD's budget from $84.2 billion to $73.5 billion for fiscal 2027.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, pressed Turner about the overdue 2025 Annual Homeless Assessment Report and the Point-in-Time Count, both of which provide yearly data on people experiencing homelessness and help lawmakers track trends and allocate aid.

Gillibrand acknowledged "shared goals" to stop funneling aid to programs that do not help people get out of homelessness but challenged Turner on his approach, especially in light of the missing reports.

"If your way, not funding all these programs, is better than the way this committee has tried to address homelessness over decades, I want to see the results," she said. "Where is the homeless data report? It is over a year late, and that would give us the data to see if your theory about how to address homelessness actually works."

Turner, a former NFL cornerback, pointed to rising homelessness under the Biden administration despite "record funding," and blamed the "unprecedented" government shutdown and the administration being in "constant litigation" for the lack of reports.

"Mr. Secretary, I think you're obfuscating. What way does litigation slow down your report?" Gillibrand said.

"I just want to know, did you get the number down? Do we have 700,000 homeless still, or is it a million or 1.5 million?" Gillibrand asked. She said the lack of reports "doesn't let this committee do our job."

Ranking member Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, also pressed Turner over decreases in HUD's Continuum of Care grants despite requirements mandated in fiscal 2026. "Mr. Secretary, our bill requires you to get this money out," she said. "All of the data, all of the research shows that economic factors are driving homelessness."

Federal grants from HUD's Continuum of Care directly support Catholic Charities' ability to provide services to homeless people.

"Access to safe, decent housing is a fundamental human right that should be attainable for all of God's children, and the Catholic Charities network remains committed to addressing the rising rates of homelessness and the severe lack of affordable housing around the nation," Kevin Brennan, vice president for Catholic Charities USA, told EWTN News.

"Catholic Charities USA and its 169 member agencies use the Annual Homeless Assessment Report and the Point-in-Time Count as tools in evaluating the level of homelessness locally and across the country, seeking to alleviate that urgent need," he said.

"Importantly, these reports also help state housing finance agencies set goals and priorities in Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs), including tax credits and set-aside programs," he said. "Catholic Charities agencies use this data to comment on local QAPs and advocate for directing resources to those with the greatest need," he said.

Housing rule change

Turner also faced questions on May 12 at a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee hearing about a proposed HUD rule change that could cause families to lose federal housing assistance if some family members lack legal immigration status.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has voiced opposition to the rule change, warning it would "require these families to make a heartbreaking choice — endure family separation so that eligible members could continue to qualify for critical subsidized housing programs or stay together and forfeit any housing assistance."

At the hearing on May 12, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-New York, asked Turner how the housing rule might impact mixed-status families.

Turner said, "Families have to make good decisions within the family. If you're making a decision that impacts your family negatively, then that's a decision that the family made, not the U.S. government."

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The U.S. Supreme Court will allow abortion by mail to continue to be available in the U.S.

The Supreme Court on May 14 blocked a lower court ruling that would have required in-person dispensation of mifepristone. Chemical abortions, which rely on mifepristone and misoprostol, are the most common form of abortion in the U.S., making up at least 63% of abortions in the U.S. according to the Guttmacher Institute.

A New Orleans federal appeals court had restricted the mail-order prescriptions, ruling that these undermined Louisiana state law. The Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on enforcement of this ruling amid the ongoing lawsuit after abortion drug manufacturers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro made emergency requests.

The stay expired at 5 p.m. ET May 14, and shortly after, the Supreme Court's order was released. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will decide the merits of Louisiana's challenge.

In May of 2025, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered a review of the abortion drug mifepristone, which is ongoing. Activists, lawmakers, and state attorneys general have also been calling on the FDA to do a safety review of the drug, citing severe risks to women's health.

The American Association of Pro Life OBGYNs (AAPLOG) said they will continue "to fight for life-affirming healthcare" in light of the decision.

"Mail-order abortions are bad for women's health, an abusive tool for predators, and lethal for our preborn patients," AAPLOG said in a statement shared with EWTN News.

"Today's decision from the U.S. Supreme Court sends a clear message to the American public: the profits of the abortion industry and unregulated abortion have taken priority over the health and safety of our patients," the statement read.

"We are confident that once a decision is made based on the merits of the case, common-sense safety regulations will be reinstated," AAPLOG declared.

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In a May 13 interview on Fox News, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reflected on his May 7 meeting with Pope Leo XIV, emphasizing the different vantage points and distinct roles of the Church and a nation-state.

In the interview, Rubio acknowledged the Catholic Church's longstanding position advocating for peace and the avoidance of war while drawing a clear distinction between the Church's role and the duties and responsibilities of nation states.

While saying the U.S. also seeks peace, Rubio affirmed that the country's position on war is "different," because it is "a nation state."

"For a nation state, which is different from a religious office, for a nation state there are threats to your security and to the well-being of your people that have to be addressed, ideally through diplomatic means, but there are conflicts and issues in the world that cannot be solved diplomatically, no matter how hard you try," Rubio said, pointing to years of failed diplomacy with Iran and other past examples.

He said there have not been "any results" despite "over a decade of work done to try to diplomatically solve Iran's desire and ambition to have a nuclear weapons program."

Recalling World War II, Rubio asked: "What was the diplomatic solution for … Adolf Hitler, as an example? There was none, right? And unfortunately, it led to real war. So that's where I think the realm of the geopolitical is different."

Nevertheless, he emphasized that Catholics, like himself, must balance their faith with their duty to their nation.

"We are obviously guided by our faith, and we're instructed by our faith. That's the compass by which we live our lives," Rubio said. "We also have an obligation to the national security of our country, and that has to be taken into account. That's our primary job — is to keep Americans safe. And that's why we're involved in Iran. That's why we're involved in anything we do around the world."

Rubio described his meeting with the American pontiff as positive and unusually straightforward.

"This is an American pope. We spoke for over an hour. We talked about a lot of topics," Rubio said.

Rubio's remarks come amid ongoing U.S. actions in Iran and public differences between the Trump administration and the Holy See on the conflict.

Ahead of Rubio's meeting with Leo, President Trump told EWTN News that the secretary of state's key message should be: "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon."

On May 5, Pope Leo XIV said "The Church has spoken for years against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there."

On May 8 the State Department posted a clip of Rubio on X following his meeting with the pope, in which he said "of course" he had wanted "to hear the perspective of the most important, far-reaching religious leader in the world … on what his bishops and others are hearing in the Western Hemisphere, the plight of Christians in Africa … and Lebanon."

On the subject of the U.S. position on the Iran war, Rubio said "We're capable of having that position and expressing that position clearly and also working cooperatively, as we have for decades, with the Vatican, with the Catholic Church."

"We were able to talk about these different areas of the world where they have a presence, where they are engaged, and we are as well," Rubio said.

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An ecumenical working group promoting "consensual BDSM culture" will again exhibit at Germany's Catholic Congress in Würzburg this week after organizers said its guidelines pose "no contradiction with the Catechism."

BDSM is an acronym that stands for "bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism."

"The Ecumenical Working Group BDSM and Christianity has been represented on the Kirchenmeile at several Catholic Congresses now," Cosima Jagow-Duda, head of press and marketing at the Catholic Congress, told CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, in response to an inquiry.

"All organizations with an explicitly Christian reference have this right in principle, provided they are not unconstitutional or hostile to specific groups." The group's guidelines, she added, contain "no contradiction with the Catechism."

The working group was founded in 1999, according to its own website. It also exhibited at the previous Catholic Congress in Erfurt in 2024.

Organized by the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), the German Catholic Congress (Katholikentag) is a biennial gathering led by laypeople and representing the country's main umbrella organization for lay Catholic associations. The 104th edition is taking place from May 13 to 17 in Würzburg under the motto "Have Courage, Stand Up!" Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the event, which features approximately 900 events across 50 venues.

The approved booth is listed in the official program as stand number MW-R-07 on the Kirchenmeile — a German term meaning "Church Mile" — an exhibitor area where approximately 300 organizations present themselves to attendees.

'Out of the taboo corner'

On its website, the working group describes itself as "Christians from various denominations who deal with eroticism and sexuality, particularly in the area of sadomasochistic sexual preferences."

Its published guidelines open with a "preamble on the relationship with God," affirm belief in "the love and salvation through Jesus Christ," and state that the group "accepts and lives the diverse and consensual BDSM culture." The group has also said it wants to take the topic "out of the taboo corner."

Jagow-Duda told CNA Deutsch that applications for the Kirchenmeile "follow clear rules and guidelines" and that the organizers do not admit, for example, "right-wing extremist or anti-democratic groups."

The printed program book states, on page 58, that "a diversity of opinions that encourages and enriches discourse on the cohesion of society is expressly desired," with limits "where discriminatory, racist, or antisemitic convictions are represented, expressions of group-related misanthropy, or an ideological distance from the free democratic constitutional order are to be expected."

"This concerns a booth where Christians are entering into conversation about their faith," Jagow-Duda said.

Other groups presenting on the Kirchenmeile whose positions stand in tension with Catholic teaching on sexuality include the Network of Catholic Lesbians, the LGBT initiative #OutInChurch, and the Ecumenical Working Group Homosexuals and Church.

The official program also lists a "Queer worship service" on May 16 under the title "Life is colorful — diversity in the Church?!" and a Bible workshop titled "Reading the Bible queerly. Why G*D is a fan of diversity."

Pro-life panels rejected, association still present

The event's panel program, meanwhile, turned down three proposals on surrogacy, abortion, and end-of-life care from the country's largest lay pro-life association, citing limited slots, even as the association maintains its own booth at the congress.

The proposals were submitted by the Action for the Right to Life for All (ALfA) in cooperation with the Association of Catholic German Teachers (VkdL).

The proposals' titles, according to the Catholic weekly Die Tagespost, were "Life Without a Child? Is Surrogacy the Solution on the Way to a Wished-For Child?", "Taboo Topic Abortion — 'I didn't want to abort, I had to,'" and "My Death and My Dignity — Autonomy and Human Dignity at the End of Life."

Britta Baas, a spokeswoman for the ZdK, told Die Tagespost that the rejections were made on "capacity grounds." Two-thirds of all applications had to be turned down because only 40 panel slots were available, she said.

The Catholic Congress leadership had set up a so-called "topic convention" before the nationwide call for proposals opened, which pre-selected the 40 panel themes. About three times as many applications were submitted as there were slots, Baas said, and "the panel working group commissioned by the Catholic Congress leadership then had to make a selection."

According to Die Tagespost, ALfA and VkdL had already secured several speakers for the proposed panels, including psychiatrist Christian Spaemann, surgeon and medical ethicist Kai Witzel, and the jurist Felix Böllmann of Alliance Defending Freedom International.

The Catholic Congress will, however, host one panel on assisted suicide, titled "Quo Vadis Assisted Suicide? General Regulations and Individual Wishes," with Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentarian Lars Castellucci and the president of the German Caritas Association, Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa, among the discussants.

ALfA itself will be present at the Catholic Congress with a booth on the Kirchenmeile, located in the "Social Cohesion" theme area.

In parallel to the official program, the association is holding its own events in cooperation with the VkdL and Die Tagespost, including a lecture on end-of-life autonomy by Witzel, a presentation on international surrogacy by ALfA national chair Cornelia Kaminski, and a panel discussion with Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg on the relationship between the Catholic Church and the German pro-life movement.

"The commitment to the protection of human life belongs at the heart of the Church," Kaminski said in a May 8 statement. "The Catholic Congress is therefore an important place to enter into conversation with people, to present our work, and to make clear how many areas there are in which the right to life and human dignity are under threat — and how needed Church members are who commit themselves to this cause."

Catholic teaching on sexuality

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that sexual pleasure "is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes" (No. 2351).

Chastity, the Catechism teaches, "involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift" and is realized in "the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman" (No. 2337). It requires what the Catechism calls "an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom" (No. 2339).

Consent does not, in Catholic moral theology, automatically change the moral character of an act.

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CHENNAI, India — The Catholic Church in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is celebrating after Joseph Vijay, an actor-turned-politician raised in the Catholic faith, was sworn in as the state's chief minister on May 10.

"This is a historic development. We hope it will lead to positive changes as the chief minister has already promised," Archbishop George Antonysamy of Madras and Mylapore told EWTN News on May 13.

Vijay's new political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which translates to Victory Party of Tamil Nadu, was founded in 2024. In its electoral debut, the party stunned the Dravidian parties that had held power for nearly six decades between them, winning 107 seats in the 234-member state assembly.

Acknowledging the mandate, five smaller parties withdrew their support from the ousted DMK and opposition AIADMK coalitions to back TVK, pushing it past the 118-seat majority mark and prompting the state governor to invite Vijay to form the government on May 9.

The Vijay government won a crucial vote of confidence on May 13 with 144 votes, with a section of the AIADMK also voting in his favor.

'I won't touch public money'

"I won't touch public money," Vijay declared soon after his swearing-in on May 10, promising a "corruption-free" administration. Within hours, the new chief minister signed three orders subsidizing electricity for the poor, establishing a task force for women's safety, and setting up anti-narcotics units to curb the drug menace.

Welcoming "the steps the CM has promised," Antonysamy said, "We cannot judge a person in a few days. Everything will depend on the performance. Vijay himself is new to government administration, and his legislators too, as most of them hail from his fan base."

Catholic identity in the spotlight

"We are really rejoicing that we have a Catholic chief minister," Father Vincent Chinnadurai, spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu Catholic Bishops' Council, told EWTN News.

"Vijay is known as a popular actor. But his Catholic background came into public attention after the Hindu nationalists tried to polarize the voters, saying that Vijay is a Christian with the first name Joseph," explained Chinnadurai, who is also the rector of the Santhome Basilica in Chennai, adjacent to the archbishop's residence.

The Santhome Basilica is built over the traditional site of the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle, who according to tradition was martyred at Mylapore in present-day Chennai in A.D. 72. It is one of three basilicas in the world built over tombs traditionally associated with apostles, along with St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

"The people here are very happy, as we are privileged to be the first big state in India to have a Catholic chief minister, and at a time when Christians are facing troubles in different parts of the country," Chinnadurai added. He is a former chairman of the Minorities Commission of Tamil Nadu.

With approximately 77 million people, Tamil Nadu is the seventh most populous of India's 28 states.

The archbishop also acknowledged that "Vijay is not known much as a Catholic. But during the election time, it came out in a big way."

Hindu nationalists and the 'Joseph' factor

The name "Joseph" stood out prominently on the large stage at the Nehru Indoor Stadium during the swearing-in ceremony, which was broadcast live by major national television channels.

When Hindu nationalists tried to brand Vijay as a Christian in the run-up to the election held on April 19, Chinnadurai pointed out that "he did not back off."

Instead, Vijay publicized a Christmas program in which he made a speech linking himself to the Old Testament figure of Joseph, who looked after his brothers even after they had thrown him into a well, while he was the ruler of Egypt. In the speech, Vijay also asserted that "Tamil Nadu is a mother; all children are equal," promising to care for all, including those who opposed him.

In the state, where popular film actors have massive fan followings with organized clubs, The Hindu, a national daily based in Chennai, noted in its May 10 edition that although Vijay set up TVK only two years ago, the party was built on more than 80,000 fan clubs established from 2009 across the state, carrying out social work and social campaigns.

Faithful throng Marian shrine

Thousands of Vijay's fans thronged the Marian shrine of Vailankanni, known as the Lourdes of the East, about 200 miles south of Chennai, from the night of May 1, expecting him to visit the shrine on the morning of May 2 in thanksgiving after voting.

The fans waited through the night and loudly chanted "TVK, TVK" inside the church premises before church authorities asked them to calm down. Vijay canceled the visit after hearing about the commotion at the shrine.

"Vijay is an alumnus of our college, and his mother used to come to our college for Mass regularly," Professor Gladstone Xavier of Chennai's Loyola College told EWTN News.

With Vijay's Catholic identity now public, Xavier hopes that "Vijay's performance as the chief minister should make the community proud."

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Learning about the life of Mildred Martínez, the mother of Robert Prevost, allows one to better understand the family environment that helped inspire the vocation of the man who is now Pope Leo XIV.

In his book "De Roberto a León" ("From Robert to Leo") published by Editorial Mensajero, Armando Lovera, a native of Iquitos, Peru, provides data and insights that illuminate the maternal influence in the life of the pope.

1. Two of Mildred's sisters embraced religious life.

A testament to the importance of the Catholic faith in Mildred's family is that two of her sisters, Louise and Hilda, decided to consecrate their lives to God by joining religious congregations.

Louise Eugenie, born in 1903 in New Orleans, was the first to take this step: at the age of 19, she entered the Sisters of Mercy. Years later, in 1928 at the age of 21, Hilda followed in her footsteps by professing vows in the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

2. Mildred lost her father as a young teen.

Mildred's childhood was marked by the loss of her father, Joseph Martinez, who died on July 31, 1926, when she was just 14 years old. His death left her mother, Louise, a widow who was then compelled to enter the workforce. Mildred's mother, the pope's maternal grandmother, found employment at a nut and candy factory, where she worked as a taster, evaluating the quality of the products.

At the same time, Mildred's older sisters, Irma and Margaret, also assumed responsibility for the family's financial support, thereby enabling the family to stay afloat during a time of exceptional hardship.

3. She was educated to be an independent woman.

In the 1920s, Mildred began her studies at Immaculata High School, a Catholic girls' school founded by the congregation to which Hilda belonged.

The education she received was not limited to academics. The institution sought to prepare women capable of navigating public and professional life, fostering both intellectual development and Christian values, with a clear commitment to women's independence.

4. She had a life dedicated to books and education.

At the age of 27, Mildred began working at a public library, performing administrative tasks. Three years later, she enrolled at DePaul University to study library science. She completed a postgraduate degree in education in 1949.

Her passion for books was not limited to the professional sphere. For years, she volunteered at the parish library: She organized the collections, cataloged books, and arranged public readings to promote culture.

5. She was a sacred music singer and distinguished soloist.

Mildred possessed a deep and powerful contralto voice. This was no mere hobby: she performed as a soloist in numerous sacred music concerts.

In 1941, Mildred even appeared at the prestigious Chicagoland Music Festival, held at Soldier Field before an audience of over 100,000 people. Her repertoire centered on sacred music, and among her performances, her rendition of the "Ave Maria," a demanding piece even for professionals, stood out in particular.

6. The first time her future husband met her family nearly ended in disaster.

The family history also yielded some singular anecdotes. Mildred met Louis, who would become her husband and the father of the future pope, at DePaul University in 1948. However, his first meeting with her family nearly ended in disaster.

Invited to their home, Louis arrived feeling unwell; he took some medication and shortly thereafter fainted in front of everyone. Joking around, one of the sisters declared that he wouldn't be back. But he did return. Months later, on Jan. 25, 1949, they were married at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago and began their life together in Dolton, Illinois.

7. Her electric organ ended up in Trujillo, Peru.

In addition to singing, Mildred played the piano and actively participated in her parish's music ministry.

Years later, her electric organ was transported by her son, then-Father Robert Prevost, some 3,500 miles to the Augustinian formation house in Trujillo, the city where he worked from 1988 to 1999.

8. Mildred played a decisive role in her son's vocation.

Mildred was a pillar in the spiritual life of the Prevost family, which lived parish life as if it were an extension of their own home. Their home served as a regular gathering place for priest friends, whom she would often invite over for a meal. These gatherings, characterized by simplicity and warmth, helped to kindle in the heart of the youngest of her three sons his desire to be like them.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Christ's ascension is meant to help us to grow to full stature in Christ as we respond to his confidence in making us his missionaries, together with the Holy Spirit, to renew the face of the earth.

The celebration of the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is an annual opportunity for us not only to focus on heaven, where the Lord Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us (Jn 14:1-6) and on the joy that "eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor the human heart conceived," which "God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9; Is 64:4), but also on the implications Jesus' return to the Father means for each of his followers.

Jesus could have stayed on earth until the end of time as the Good Shepherd, crisscrossing the globe after every lost sheep, saving them one by one. As he ascended, however, he placed his own mission in our hands, commanding us to "go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature" (Mk 16:15).

He took the training wheels off our discipleship and removed any excuses we might have to pass the buck of sharing and spreading the faith. "You will be my witnesses," he told us, "in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

His confidence and trust in us, despite all our weaknesses, is astonishing. He wanted to incorporate us into — actually entrust to us — his mission of the redemption of the world.

But he didn't leave us orphans (cf. Jn 14:18).

St. Luke gives us a beautiful image and detail, that Jesus "led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up to heaven" (Lk 24:50-51).

Jesus departed in the very act of blessing us. Pope Benedict XVI in his trilogy "Jesus of Nazareth" commented on how the risen Jesus in heaven is perpetually blessing us.

"Jesus departs in the act of blessing," he states. "He goes while blessing, and he remains in that gesture of blessing. His hands remain, stretched out over this world … [which] expresses Jesus' continuing relationship to his disciples, to the world. … That is why the disciples could return home from Bethany rejoicing. In faith we know that Jesus holds his hands stretched out in blessing over us. That is the lasting motive of Christian joy."

Jesus is continuously blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens (cf. Eph 1:3). He's seeking to transform us into his incarnate benediction of the world.

The great manifestation of that blessing is the descent of the Holy Spirit, for whose renewed coming we pray in the annual decenarium from the 40th to 50th days of Easter. St. Luke recalls Jesus' words: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). That's the power, the blessing, that came down upon the Church on Pentecost.

During the Last Supper, Jesus said something startling: "I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (Jn 16:7). He was describing the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit's presence as a blessing even greater than his own. That's what the Church, huddling around the Blessed Virgin Mary, incessantly begs for after the Ascension.

The Holy Spirit helps us to fulfill, and not shirk, the awe-inspiring responsibility Christ has given us. This is the duty to give witness that Christ is alive, that he is the Way, the Truth, the Resurrection, and the Life, that he came to give us life to the full, so that his joy may be in us and our joy may be complete; he came to give and leave us the peace of his kingdom in a war-torn world; he came to help us and others to change our lives, to believe wholeheartedly in the good news, and to follow him, so that where he is we also may be and so that we might recognize that God the Father loves us just as much as he loves Jesus (cf. Jn 14:6; 11:25; 10:10; 15:11; 14:27; Mk 1:15; Jn 16:27; 15:9).

That's a message and a mission that many no longer easily receive.

Whether they think erroneously that science has disproven faith, or the problem of evil has refuted the possibility of a good God, or the clergy sex-abuse scandals have invalidated the Church's witness, or the frigidity with which so many secularized Christians live their faith has revealed its incapacity to inspire, or a score of other possible reasons people cite to deaden the appeal of Christian faith and life, it's clear that proclaiming the Gospel effectively to every creature is challenging work — but so was trying to convince down-to-earth first-century pagans and Jews that a crucified carpenter had not only risen from the dead but also was the Savior of the world. The same blessing of the Holy Spirit that made their joint witness fruitful desires to give tandem testimony with us.

One of the most effective ways to do so is through charity.

Back in 1985, the future Pope Benedict XVI gave a radio address in which he focused on the "delightfully naive pictures" of the Ascension in which the disciples are looking upward as Jesus is passing through the clouds and all we see are Jesus' feet, the same feet the women wanted to grasp onto after the Resurrection. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger commented that we need to recognize his feet and reverence them in disguise in the feet around us as we follow Christ's example of washing the feet of others just as he cleansed the apostles' feet in the upper room.

"The true ascent of mankind," he stated, "takes place precisely when a man learns to turn in humility to another person, bowing deeply at his feet in the position of one who would wash the feet of the other. It is only in the humility that knows how to bow down that can raise a person up."

In order to ascend, we need first to descend humbly in acts of corporal and spiritual works of mercy, including passing on the faith to those who don't know it or who reject what they mistakenly believe it to be.

Christ's ascension is meant to lead us on an exodus not merely in the future, but here and now: an exodus from the self toward God and others, a journey from fear to trust, a passover from the flat earth of a world without God to the multidimensional reality of Christ's kingdom.

Christ's ascension is meant to lift up our hearts as it helps us to drop to our knees. It is meant to help us to grow to full stature in Christ as we respond to his confidence in making us his missionaries, together with the Holy Spirit, to renew the face of the earth. It is meant to fill us, even now, with lasting joy.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, EWTN News' partner and updated for EWTN News English.

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A Pew Research Center survey found a growing minority of U.S. adults believe religion is gaining influence in American life, and more than half of adults have a positive view of religion.

The May 14 report found that 61% of U.S. adults said religion is losing influence in American life. In contrast, 37% said it is gaining influence, a figure that has risen 19 percentage points in the past two years.

The data in the report, "How Americans Feel About Religion's Influence in Government and Public Life," was based on Pew's survey conducted April 6–12 that included more than 3,500 U.S. adults with questions about religion's influence in society, Christian nationalism, and the relationship of church and state.

The survey has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points. Pew's studies on the public's views about religion's role in public life are an ongoing effort of the center's research and therefore included past data for comparison with the 2026 findings.

The research found that 65% of Catholics reported they have a positive view of religion, 12% said they have a negative view, and 22% they have a neutral or unclear view.

Overall, 55% of U.S. adults expressed a positive view of religion's role in American life and either said religion's influence is growing and this is a good thing (21%) or that its influence is declining and this is a bad thing (34%).

Christian influence in government

The survey found a small increase in the percentage of Americans who said they want the government to declare Christianity the nation's official religion. Overall, 17% of U.S. adults express this view, up from 13% in 2024.

Most Americans said the government should promote Christian moral values without making Christianity the official religion (43%) or that the government should not establish an official religion or promote Christian values (38%).

Of adults, 28% said the Bible should have influence on U.S. law. The majority of Catholics surveyed (55%) also reported it should have influence, compared with the 43% who said it should not.

The survey also found that the public's familiarity with the term "Christian nationalism" has grown since Pew last asked about the topic. There has been a 14 percentage point increase in the share of U.S. adults who reported they have heard or read about Christian nationalism, from 45% about two years ago to 59% in 2026.

Overall there is more of a negative view of Christian nationalism than positive with 31% of U.S. adults who reported they have an unfavorable view of it and 10% who view it favorably.

The survey also asked about the separation of church and state and found there has been a decline from 19% in 2021 to 13% in 2026 in the share of Americans who want the government to stop enforcing separation of church and state, but the percentage of Americans who said the government should enforce it has remained at 54%.

Nearly half of Catholics (49%) reported that the federal government should enforce separation of church and state, and 16% said it should stop enforcing it.

Most people (79%) reported they do not think churches and other houses of worship should endorse candidates during elections. Similarly, 66% also said churches should keep out of political matters.

Political affiliation's influence on views of religion in government

The survey found a large difference in respondents' perspectives based on their political affiliation.

Of Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party, 75% expressed a positive view of religion's influence in American life compared with 38% of Democrats and Democratic leaners who do so (38%).

Similarly, 45% of Republicans and Republican leaners said the Bible should have influence on U.S. laws, whereas 13% of Democrats and Democratic leaners said the same. Most Republicans (74%) and Democrats (84%) agree that churches should not endorse political candidates.

Most Democrats (68%) said the federal government should enforce the separation of church and state, compared with 42% of Republicans.

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Pope Leo XIV visited Rome's public La Sapienza University on Thursday, the largest university in Europe and one of Italy's most prestigious academic institutions, where he denounced the "great lie" he said is causing anxiety and depression among young people.

Speaking in the university's Aula Magna after a brief moment of prayer in the "Divina Sapienza" chapel, the pope referred to the "spiritual malaise" affecting many university students and recalled that "we are not the sum of what we have, nor matter randomly assembled in a mute cosmos."

"We are a desire, not an algorithm!" he stressed.

Leo XIV strongly criticized "the pervasive lie of a distorted system that reduces people to numbers, heightens competitiveness, and abandons us to spirals of anxiety."

"For everyone there are difficult seasons," he added. "Yet some may have the impression that they never end. Today this depends increasingly on the blackmail of expectations and the pressure to perform."

The pope was welcomed upon his arrival by the university's rector, Professor Antonella Polimeni, who accompanied him through the campus and during his visit to the exhibition "La Sapienza and the Papacy," which explores the historical and cultural ties between the University of Rome and the Holy See.

That bond has not been without tension. In 2008, the university's then-rector invited Pope Benedict XVI to inaugurate the academic year, but a heated controversy, driven by a small group of professors and students, ultimately derailed the visit. The German pope decided not to attend. The address he had prepared, published days later, argued that "the Christian message should always be an encouragement toward truth and thus a force against the pressure of power and interests." The following Sunday, some 200,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square in a show of support.

The atmosphere Thursday was radically different. Students waited for Leo XIV outside the building, greeting him with enthusiasm and joy while chanting "Long live the pope." Because of the large turnout, many had to remain outside and follow his speech on screens set up for the occasion.

Leo XIV did not mention the 2008 episode. In his address, he described a world "distorted by wars and by words of war," warning against "a contamination of reason that, from the geopolitical level, invades every social relationship."

Correcting the simplification that creates enemies

"It is a contamination of reason that, from the geopolitical level, invades every social relationship. The simplification that creates enemies must be corrected, especially in the university, through care for complexity and the wise exercise of memory," he said.

"The cry of 'never again war!' of my predecessors, so in tune with the rejection of war enshrined in the Italian Constitution, urges us toward a spiritual alliance with the sense of justice that dwells in the hearts of young people, with their vocation not to close themselves off within ideologies or national borders," he added.

In that context, the pope criticized the rise in military spending, particularly in Europe.

"Let us not call defense a rearmament that increases tensions and insecurity, impoverishes investments in education and health care, contradicts trust in diplomacy, and enriches elites that care nothing for the common good," he said.

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, global military spending rose for the 11th consecutive year in 2025, reaching a record $2.887 trillion. Europe accounted for a large share of that increase, with a 14% rise in arms investment, reaching $864 billion.

The Holy Father also warned about the risks of the use of artificial intelligence, both in military and civilian contexts, and urged vigilance so that its development does not "relieve human decisions of responsibility or worsen the tragedy of conflicts."

"What is happening in Ukraine, in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, in Iran describes the inhuman evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation," he warned.

Faced with this scenario, the pope issued a direct appeal to young people: "Be a radical 'yes' to life! Yes to innocent life, yes to young life, yes to the life of peoples crying out for peace and justice."

History does not fall hopelessly into the hands of death

Leo XIV also devoted part of his address to ecology, citing Laudato Si', the 2015 encyclical of his predecessor Pope Francis.

"Beyond good intentions and some efforts in that direction, the situation does not seem to have improved," he lamented, encouraging young people to "transform restlessness into prophecy" and not to give in to discouragement.

"Especially those who believe know that history does not fall hopelessly into the hands of death, but is always guarded, no matter what happens, by a God who creates life from nothing, who gives without taking, who shares without consuming," he said.

The pope also criticized the "implosion of a possessive and consumerist paradigm" and encouraged university students to seek a "horizon of meaning" beyond immediacy.

"So little considered by a society with ever fewer children, you show that humanity is capable of a future when it builds that future with wisdom," he told them.

He also emphasized the value of teaching, defining it as a form of charity "as much as helping a migrant at sea, a poor person in the street, or a despairing conscience."

"It means always and in every case loving human life, valuing its possibilities, so that one can speak to the hearts of young people, not only to their knowledge," he added.

For Benedetta Marchiori, a student at La Sapienza, the pope's visit was a moment of encouragement.

"It gave so much joy, so much happiness, so much hope," Marchiori told EWTN News. "It is truly beautiful to hear someone speak who really sees so many different situations every day and brings them back to us — reminding us that we truly have an active role in our own growth, through our study and through being truly centered. It is really beautiful."

Chiara Clementoni, a medical student, said the pope's address was "really encouraging."

"The idea that we are not the sum of what has happened to us, but that through knowledge and study we can also build ourselves as people and open ourselves more to the mysteries that God has placed in nature, that God has placed in everything we can make the object of our study," Clementoni said.

At the end of the meeting, the university gave the pope a reproduction of a stone from the Holy Sepulcher, where a team of La Sapienza archaeologists has been conducting excavations in the basilica in Jerusalem since March 2022.

The project, carried out in collaboration with the various communities that guard the site — the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land, the Latin Patriarchate, and the Greek and Armenian churches — will make it possible for the first time to reconstruct the full stratigraphic history of the building, erected in the fourth century during the time of Emperor Constantine and his mother, St. Helena.

Ishmael Adibuah contributed reporting to this article.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish-language sister service. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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