Catholic News

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ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 16:07 pm (CNA).

The Vatican announced on Dec. 4 a new decision by Pope Leo XIV regarding fundraising for the Holy See.

Through the new chirograph Vinculum Unitatis et Caritatis, the Holy Father is eliminating the current Commissio de Donationibus (Donations Commission) structure created in February by Pope Francis to raise funds, which was approved "ad experimentum" (for temporary or provisional use) for three years.

This commission was tasked with encouraging donations through specific campaigns among the faithful, bishops' conferences, and other potential benefactors.

The pontiff thus repealed the rules in force until now and established that they will no longer have "any canonical or legal force," as well as any acts adopted up to this point. Furthermore, Pope Leo XIV decreed that all the commission's assets must be transferred to the Holy See.

By means of this decree, the members of the commission are immediately dismissed. The commission was composed of Monsignor Roberto Campisi, adviser for general affairs of the Secretariat of State, who chaired it; Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Sister Silvana Piro, undersecretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See; and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, deputy secretary-general of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

The decision of Leo XIV comes after consulting with experts in the field and following the recommendations of the Council for the Economy, with the aim of strengthening administrative efficiency in the financial management of the Holy See.

The liquidation of the former commission will be managed by the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, while the Secretariat for the Economy will resolve any outstanding issues and must keep the Council for the Economy informed of all actions taken in this regard.

The Holy Father also ordered the creation of a new working group tasked with designing a renewed and more suitable model for fundraising, whose members will be proposed by the Council for the Economy. This measure takes effect immediately upon its publication in L'Osservatore Romano.

On Nov. 26, Pope Leo XIV also made an adjustment to the reforms undertaken by his predecessor with a new decree to revise the financial and administrative rules governing the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Mary Major.

The pontiff placed both institutions under the ordinary supervision of the Vatican's Council for the Economy, emphasizing that the economic and financial reform of the Holy See requires a "periodic reevaluation and redefinition" of the regulatory framework.

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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United States Conference of Catholic Bishops headquarters in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 4, 2025 / 15:07 pm (CNA).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has published a public comment that supports the removal of gender ideology within refugee resettlement forms for unaccompanied children.

In accordance with President Donald Trump's executive order "defending women from gender ideology extremism" and restoring "biological truth to the federal government," the Office of Refugee Resettlement has proposed a change to forms that would replace the word "gender" with "sex."

The proposed change would require that the forms reflect the child's biological sex as opposed to perceived identity. The form options will be limited to only "male" and female."

In the public comment, the bishops said they have "historically partnered closely with the Office of Refugee Resettlement to protect the well-being of unaccompanied noncitizen children while, in all respects, adhering to the Catholic Church's teachings on the God-given dignity of the human person, created male and female," and cited Genesis 1:27.

"By replacing the references in [the forms] to 'gender' with 'sex,' the proposal reflects a true anthropology that is grounded in the biological sexual identity that is either male or female, an anthropology that promotes human flourishing," read the comment, signed by USCCB General Counsel William J. Quinn and Assistant General Counsel Daniel E. Balserak.

The USCCB elaborated on the Catholic doctrines related to sex and the inability to change a person's sex, as highlighted in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith's (DDF) April 2024 document Dignitas Infinita, approved by Pope Francis.

"Biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated," the document teaches.

"Therefore, all attempts to obscure reference to the ineliminable sexual difference between man and woman are to be rejected: We cannot separate the masculine and the feminine from God's work of creation, which is prior to all our decisions and experiences, and where biological elements exist which are impossible to ignore. Only by acknowledging and accepting this difference in reciprocity can each person fully discover themselves, their dignity, and their identity," it adds.

The bishops also cited the June 2019 document from the Congregation for Catholic Education titled "Male and Female He Created Them" to emphasize the importance of using the term "sex" instead of "gender."

"In this cultural context, it is clear that sex and gender are no longer synonyms or interchangeable concepts, since they are used to describe two different realities… the concept of gender is seen as dependent upon the subjective mindset of each person, who can choose a gender not corresponding to his or her biological sex, and therefore with the way others see that person (transgenderism)," the document reads.

Trump's executive order directed agencies and departments to update terminology on forms and in all official government documents to remove any recognition of gender ideology. The order reflects the administration's position that there are only two sexes: male and female.

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CNA Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 15:37 pm (CNA).

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

1 in 4 post-abortive women regret abortion decades later, study finds 

A new study found that 1 in 4 women regret their abortion decades after undergoing the procedure. 

The study, published in the International Journal of Women's Health Care, measured the levels of distress abortive women feel years after having an abortion. 

Authored by Father Donald Paul Sullins with The Catholic University of America and the Ruth Institute, the study found that 24% of postabortive women in the U.S. "suffer from serious post-abortion distress." 

Of these post-abortive women, just under half showed "multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress," according to the study. 

In the study, Sullins called for more research on the long-term effects of abortion as well as the development of "effective therapeutic interventions."

"The health care of this population of women is understudied and underserved," the study read. "Women considering an abortion should be informed of the possibility that they may experience persistent emotional distress." 

1 million 'conversion counts' highlights pregnancy center's lifesaving work

A group that promotes life-affirming pregnancy centers has logged 1 million "conversions" away from abortion since its inception, the group announced earlier this week.

Choose Life Marketing works with more than 900 pro-life clients, including pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies. 

The group found that a million women experiencing unplanned pregnancies had scheduled an appointment with a pregnancy help center since the agency's founding in 2016. 

"It reflects women choosing connection over isolation, hope over fear, and the courage to reach out for help," said Nelly Roach, who heads Choose Life Marketing. "Pregnancy help centers across the country continue to meet those moments with the compassion, excellence, and support women deserve."

"One million women reached out," she continued. "Hundreds of thousands found the support they needed to choose life. Their courage and their children will shape families, communities, and futures for generations."  

Appeals court rules in favor of pregnancy centers in legal battle 

A federal appeals court in New York ruled in favor of pregnancy centers in a legal battle over abortion pill reversal services.

A panel on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction allowing pregnancy clinics to advertise abortion pill reversal.

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the group Heartbeat International and 11 pregnancy centers in May 2024 accusing them of fraud in promoting a drug regimen that purports to reverse the effects of mifepristone. 

In response, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates sued James, claiming she was attacking their right to free speech. The three-judge panel at the appeals court ruled unanimously that the pregnancy centers could continue to advertise abortion reversal. 

Thomas Glessner, president of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, heralded the ruling, saying that pregnancy resource centers in the state "are now free to help women who regret taking the abortion pill and want a chance at saving the lives of their babies." 

"Abortion pill reversal, like the court said, offers no financial gains for pregnancy centers," Glessner said in a statement shared with CNA. "They are simply giving women another option than ending the life of their unborn babies."

Iowa lawmaker reintroduces bill in support of pregnant college students 

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, has reintroduced a bill requiring colleges to inform pregnant students of their rights and the resources available to them in their schools.

Under Title IX, pregnant students have the right to remain in school and complete their education, but about 30% of abortions are performed on college-aged women, according to Hinson's press release. Resources that colleges offer to pregnant students often include flexible class schedules, excused absences, and child care assistance.

Students "deserve to know every resource available to them," Hinson said in a statement.

"It is unacceptable that so many often feel they have to choose between finishing their education and having their baby," the lawmaker continued.

Praising the bill, Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, said in a statement: "Women balancing school, pregnancy, and family deserve our support. Yet, ironically, far too few know about Title IX, the law that is supposed to protect their rights."

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La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chile. / Credit: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Chileans are preparing to go to the polls once again to elect their president. Following the general elections, two candidates will be vying to replace the current president, Gabriel Boric: Jeannette Jara, a former government official, and the opposition candidate José Antonio Kast of the Republican Party.

In a climate marked by insecurity, rising crime rates, and the migration crisis, citizens are closely watching the proposals of both candidates to address these problems.

The archbishop of Concepción, Sergio Pérez de Arce, addressed the debate over the situation of immigrants without legal status in the country in a column titled "It's Either 'You Leave or We Expel You'?" in which he maintains that migration policy cannot be reduced to these two options.

The question that titles his column refers to the warning that candidate José Antonio Kast gave to immigrants who are residing illegally in Chile, whom he assured that they have "100 days" to each make "the appropriate decision and leave our country" before being expelled, a measure he will implement if he takes office as president on March 11, 2026.

Jara, the Communist Party candidate, adopted the idea of ??the liberal Franco Parisi — a candidate in the first round of elections for president — to address the problem of illegal immigration by means of a proposal "very focused on technological control of the border" and proposes "creating a digital wall" with tools such as biometric control.

Regarding Kast's countdown for immigrants to leave the country, she considers it "a campaign stunt."

In recent weeks, Peru, which lies on Chile's northern border, has strengthened border control there by deploying military forces, resulting in nearly a hundred migrants being stranded in northern Chile. 

In response, the archbishop of Concepción stated that "the response to migrants in an irregular situation [not legally present] in the country cannot be simply 'you leave now, voluntarily, or we will expel you with nothing but the clothes on your back' in 100 days."

"There are foreigners who have been in Chile for years, who work and contribute to the country, who have family and emotional ties here, and who even have children born in Chile (who are therefore Chilean citizens). Many of them have wanted to regularize their situation, but they have been given almost no alternatives," he lamented.

"On the other hand, leaving Chile today means exposing oneself only to uncertainty, since neighboring countries are closing their borders, Venezuela is still in a political and social crisis, and is also in conflict with the United States. It means exposing people and families to new, painful, and unsafe displacement," he warned.

"Can Chilean society offer as the only solution: 'Either you leave or we'll kick you out'? Can politics be reduced solely to threats and a punitive response to human realities [in such precarious situations]?" he asked.

"It's not humane, it's not rational, it is not in keeping with the Gospel. It's not the best policy. There are other paths to explore that are more in line with human dignity. That is what is expected of governments and presidential candidates," he asserted.

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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Poster for the St. John of the Cross 2026 Jubilee. / Credit: Iberian Province of the Discalced Carmelites

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Iberian Province of the Discalced Carmelites is preparing to celebrate the jubilee year of St. John of the Cross, marking the 300th anniversary of his canonization and the 100th anniversary of his proclamation as a doctor of the Church.

The jubilee year dedicated to St. John of the Cross was approved by the Apostolic Penitentiary at the request of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and the dioceses of Ávila, Jaén, and Segovia in Spain, which are particularly linked to the life and work of the mystic and reformer of the Carmelite order, along with St. Teresa of Ávila.

The superior of the Iberian Province of the Discalced Carmelites, Friar Francisco Sánchez Oreja, stated in a message commemorating the jubilee that "the centenaries serve to confirm that St. John of the Cross, whom we are celebrating, is still alive and has a word he continues to speak" to today's world.

"The message he has left us is one of seeking the divine, calling us to immerse ourselves in God in a lived experience of theological life. The message of an eminent witness of the living God who speaks of him and the things of God. A message to forge and form believers in mature faith, in a greater intimacy with God," the priest noted.

For Sánchez, this jubilee "should be a time to deepen our knowledge and study of St. John of the Cross," who is "a living image of the authentic Carmelite" not only because of his doctrine or as the founder of the Discalced Carmelites but also "because with his concrete existence, with the events of his life, he has manifested the Carmelite vocation and shows us the image of the Carmelite religious."

Sánchez described the patron saint of Spanish poets as a discreet and virtuous man who "did not seek to act for reward but as an act of gratitude to God."

St. John of the Cross is also portrayed as an ascetic man who rejected society's honors, a spiritual person "who lived in an atmosphere of prayer," a witness of God with a "great capacity for interiority and contemplation" who seeks the truth "that lies beyond what we perceive at first glance."

Poor ever since he was a child, he embraced 'evangelical' poverty

The superior of the Carmelites also emphasized in his biographical sketch that the founder of the Discalced Carmelites knew poverty from childhood, to the point that "he saw his father and his brother die of hunger."

This reality was a school of life that led him to move from place to place, beg in the streets, and perform the most menial jobs: "All of this helped him to be a humble and simple person," even when he held positions of authority in the order.

The friar also emphasized that the saint "voluntarily took up evangelical poverty, embracing the poor Christ, which translates into a life based on work, sobriety, and detachment from riches."

Fundamental attitudes of St. John of the Cross

Among these, he highlighted "faith in the living and true God found in the person of Jesus Christ," hope "that helps us understand that not everything ends here and now, but that we are called to communion of life with him," and charity, which "gives life and value to the works of faith and hope."

"His example is an ideal for life, his writings, a treasure to share with all those who seek the face of God today, and his doctrine is also a word for us today," Sánchez emphasized.

The St. John of the Cross Jubilee Year will be inaugurated on Dec. 13 with the opening of the holy door at the Church of the Sepulchre of St. John of the Cross in Segovia and will extend until Dec. 26, 2026, when the closing ceremony will take place in Úbeda, the town in the province of Jaén where he died.

The jubilee churches that can be visited on pilgrimage during these months are: St. Cyprian Parish in Fontiveros, the saint's birthplace; St. Teresa of Jesus Basilica in Ávila; and the conventual church of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Duruelo in the Diocese of Ávila.

In the Diocese of Jaén, the jubilee church will be the church-oratory of the Discalced Carmelite convent in Úbeda and in the Diocese of Segovia, the church of the Discalced Carmelites in Segovia, where the tomb of St. John of the Cross is located.

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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Pope Leo XIV speaks with reporters on his flight from Beirut to Rome on Dec. 2, 2025. / Credit: Elias Turk/EWTN

CNA Staff, Dec 3, 2025 / 18:21 pm (CNA).

On the papal plane on the way home from his first international trip, Pope Leo XIV referenced a book that has greatly influenced his spirituality after being asked by a journalist about the conclave and what it's been like becoming the pope.

"Besides St. Augustine," Pope Leo said that "The Practice of the Presence of God" by a 17th-century Carmelite friar named Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection is a book that can help anyone to understand his spirituality.

"It's a very simple book by someone who doesn't even give his last name," the pope told journalists on the papal plane Dec. 2. "I read it many years ago, but it describes a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead."

"And if you want to know something about me, that's been my spirituality for many years, in midst of great challenges — living in Peru, during years of terrorism, being called to service in places where I never thought I would be called to serve to — I trust in God, and that message is something that I share with all people," he continued. 

After being asked what it was like for him during the conclave, Pope Leo mentioned the book and said: "I resigned myself to the fact, when I saw how things were going, [that] this could be a reality." 

"I took a deep breath. I said, here we go. Lord, you're in charge, and you lead the way," he said. 

Who was Brother Lawrence?

"The Practice of the Presence of God" is a collection of Brother Lawrence's teachings — memorialized in about 30 pages of letters and records of his conversations. 

Though Brother Lawrence was virtually unknown in life, Father Joseph de Beaufort compiled his wisdom into a pamphlet published soon after his death in 1691. The book is now beloved by Catholics and Protestants alike. 

In his writings, Brother Lawrence presents a spirituality that involves being constantly in contact with God, being accompanied by him in all things — from cooking to shoe repair. 

Before he was Brother Lawrence, Nicholas Herman was a soldier during the Thirty Years' War. Because of a wartime injury, his leg impaired his movement and caused him constant pain for life. But as a young adult, he had a vision of Christ that would inspire him for the rest of his life; or, as de Beaufort recalled: "which has never since been effaced from his soul."

He went on to join the Discalced Carmelite Prior in Paris, doing humble work as a cook, and eventually working in the sandal repair shop as well.  

Brother Lawrence believed that little things could please God just as much as great things. 

"We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work but the love with which it is performed," he taught.

Amid the busy environment of a kitchen serving about 100 people, he still connected with God. 

In one recorded conversation, de Beaufort recalled Brother Lawrence saying that "the time of business … does not with me differ from the time of prayer."

"And in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess GOD in as great tranquillity as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament," he continued.

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Bishop Simon Kulli of Sapë, Albania. / Credit: ACN

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 3, 2025 / 18:51 pm (CNA).

The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) announced the sudden death of Bishop Simon Kulli of Sapë in northern Albania on Saturday, Nov. 29, at the age of 52.

The prelate, a close collaborator of ACN and one of the most prominent voices in the Albanian Church, belonged to the first generation of priests formed after the fall of the communist regime, considered the most atheist and repressive of the 20th century.

In a statement, the pontifical foundation said that it received "with deep sorrow the news of the sudden death of Bishop Kulli, who has been a project partner of ACN … He rendered an invaluable service not only to the Church but also to his country and to humanity."

A vocation born from the suffering of the Albanian martyrs

During a visit to the international headquarters of ACN earlier this year, Kulli recounted the origin of his priestly vocation, which was inspired by "seeing one of those old priests [who had been in prison for 28 years] celebrating Mass in Latin in my parish for the first time" after the fall of communism and the restoration of religious freedom in Albania.

"That was the exact moment I felt my vocation. Seeing that suffering priest, who found it so difficult to celebrate Mass, who was bent over at the altar because of the years in prison, I thought I could replace him," the bishop recalled.

His personal story reflected the drama and hope of the Church in Albania. He was secretly baptized a few days after birth by the Stigmatine nun Sister Marije Kaleta, who risked her life secretly bringing the Eucharist to the sick and baptizing children all while keeping out of sight of the communist police.

"This baptism that I received was a great gift that the Lord wished to give me, in secret, at the height of the communist regime. If somebody were to discover that I had been baptized, my grandparents and the rest of my family would have been thrown into jail," he explained in an interview with ACN in February.

A pastor marked by the suffering of the martyrs 

Kulli was part of a generation that personally knew the so-called "living martyrs" of Albania: priests, men and women religious, and laypeople who endured years of imprisonment and torture for remaining faithful to their religion. Their testimonies profoundly impacted the future bishop.

"They filled me with great hope. Even though I was never in prison, I felt what it was like to live in a country in which man is deprived of his main sustenance: faith. And these testimonies were a great source of hope for me and my future," he said.

The bishop also served as the Albanian Bishops' Conference's commissioner for the pastoral care of health care workers and was a member of the executive committee of the European Federation of Catholic Medical Associations.

In 2024, he actively participated in promoting the Albanian martyrs, 38 of whom were beatified in 2016 and two more in 2024. "Their blood will produce many vocations," he said at the time.

A year before his death, representatives from ACN visited four Albanian dioceses and met with Kulli in Sapë. There, the bishop reiterated his gratitude for the assistance provided to the Church in Albania.

During his last interview with the pontifical foundation, the bishop gave a powerful message addressed to persecuted Christians: "After death, there is always resurrection … Stay strong, with no fear… because Christ always wins… with Christ you can overcome any difficulty."

ACN noted that "his testimony of faith, humility, and joy will surely be a fruitful seed for the Catholic Church in Albania. May he rest in eternal peace!"

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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WBVM/Tampa (90.5 Spirit FM) announces the promotion of Davis Watts to Program Director. Watts will continue to serve as Music Director and host of the More Music Middays (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) Watts says, "It's been an honor serving the Tampa Bay community with this amazing team for the past 13 years. I feel that the Lord, our listeners and the industry friends I've made over these years have prepared me for the exciting challenge of leading our air staff and I'm eager to get started."  

Watts joined the Spirit FM team in 2008, moving through the ranks of night time announcer, to middays, Music Director and now Program Director.  "I've seen tremendous growth in Davis, and a hunger to improve not only his craft, but the station's as a whole.  I'm excited that he's up to the challenge." said John Morris, Station Manager. 

Spirit FM is a 100,000 FM station serving the Tampa/St. Petersburg market since May 1986. The station is owned by the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, the only Catholic station in the country programming contemporary Christian music. For more information about Spirit FM, visit myspiritfm.com.

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