Texas voters to decide on parental rights amendment in November

Texas state capitol. / Credit: Inspired By Maps/ShutterstockHouston, Texas, Oct 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).Texas voters will head to the polls next week to consider Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment aimed at enshrining parents' rights in the state constitution.The measure, if approved, would add language to the Texas Constitution affirming that parents have the right "to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent's child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child's upbringing" and the responsibility "to nurture and protect the parent's child." Texas already ranks among 26 states with a Parents' Bill of Rights enshrined in state law. That existing statute grants parents a right to "full information" concerning their child at school as well as access to their child's student records, copies of state assessments, and teaching materials, among other provisions.The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told CNA it su...

Syrian bishop kidnapped by ISIS in 2015 explains challenges facing the Church in his country

The archbishop of Homs for the Syriac Catholics, Jacques Mourad, speaks with ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, about the challenges to the Church in Syria. / Credit: ACI MENAACI MENA, Oct 29, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).The archbishop of Homs for the Syriac Catholics, Jacques Mourad, said Islamic-Christian dialogue in Syria is facing a challenge arising from the official stance of Muslim sheikhs, who refuse to open the door to meeting and dialogue with other communities.The sheikhs consider Sunni Islam, he said, to be the only true religion and the sole religion of the state while viewing others merely as guests.In a recent interview with ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, Mourad explained that this attitude is adopted by some official Muslim religious authorities. He described this reality as both a test and a call for perseverance and continuity, affirming his reliance on Muslims and officials of goodwill to move forward together on the path of understanding....

Pope Leo XIV: 'The Church does not tolerate antisemitism'

Pope Leo XIV arrives in St. Peter's Square for his weekly general audience on Oct. 29, 2025. / Daniel Ibanez/EWTN NewsVatican City, Oct 29, 2025 / 08:55 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday strongly condemned antisemitism during his general audience in St. Peter's Square marking the 60th anniversary of Nostra aetate, the Second Vatican Council document on the Church's relations with other religions.The pope underlined that since the publication of Nostra aetate, "all of my predecessors have condemned antisemitism with clear words." "And so I too confirm that the Church does not tolerate antisemitism and fights against it, on the basis of the Gospel itself," Leo said on Oct. 29.The pope expressed thanks for what has been achieved in the past 60 years of Jewish-Catholic dialogue while acknowledging the challenges that have arisen along the way. "We cannot deny that there have been misunderstandings, difficulties and conflicts in this period, but these have never prevented the ...

Pope Leo XIV commemorates Nostra Aetate anniversary with interfaith celebrations

Approximately 300 representatives of world religions and cultures joined the Holy Father for an evening ecumenical prayer service for peace, organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio, on Oct. 28, 2025, at the Colosseum in Rome. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Oct 29, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV joined faith leaders on Tuesday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church's declaration on building relationships with non-Christian religions. Approximately 300 representatives of world religions and cultures joined the Holy Father for an evening ecumenical prayer service for peace organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio and held at the Colosseum in Rome."Peace is a constant journey of reconciliation," the Holy Father said at the Oct. 28 event. Thanking religious leaders for coming together in Rome, he said their interfaith meeting expressed their shared "conviction that prayer is a powerful force for reconciliation.""This is our witness: o...

Boston exhibit features in-depth look at ancestry of Pope Leo XIV

Jari Honora and Henry Louis Gates Jr. at the opening of the exhibit at American Ancestors headquarters in Boston. / Credit: Claire Vail, VP of Communications & Digital Strategy for American AncestorsWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 29, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).A Boston exhibit is inviting guests to explore Pope Leo XIV's family tree in depth, spanning 14 generations of history tracing the pontiff's connections to noblemen, freedom fighters, enslaved men and women, and even modern-day pop culture stars.American Ancestors, a national center for family history, heritage, and culture, created the "The Ancestry of Pope Leo XIV: An American Story" exhibit for people to discover the first American pontiff's lineage by reading stories, searching records, and exploring his family tree.The exhibit presents information compiled by expert genealogists to highlight the pope's history, because "the diversity of his ancestry is as layered as the history of America itself," Ryan Woods, CEO of A...

Protestant congregation in Michigan fights township over fines, limits on religious activity

A Protestant congregation in Michigan is facing $4,500 in fines and ongoing restrictions on their religious activity imposed by Windsor Township, according to their lawyers. / Credit: Roman Zaiets/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 28, 2025 / 17:45 pm (CNA).A Protestant congregation in Michigan is facing $4,500 in fines and ongoing restrictions on their religious activity imposed by Windsor Township, according to their lawyers.The Sanctum of One God Church asserts the township has delayed permit processing and has imposed restrictions on the congregation that curtail its religious activity. The congregation's lawyers at First Liberty Institute argue that the township is violating First Amendment protections and other federal laws related to religious land use, and that the government's actions could affect any religious organization trying to establish a parish or ministry.The township approved a "temporary certificate of occupancy," which restricts operating hours to T...

Conference recalls papal declaration on Catholic-Jewish relations

Rabbi Joshua Stanton attends "Called to Friendship: Nostra Aetate at 60," an event organized by the Philos Project and the National Shrine of Pope John Paul II on Oct. 28, 2025. / Credit: Jack HaskinsWashington, D.C., Oct 28, 2025 / 18:21 pm (CNA).Calls to deepen Jewish-Catholic relations echoed at an event marking the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Vatican II declaration by Pope Paul VI on the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions. At "Called to Friendship: Nostra Aetate at 60," an event organized by the Philos Project and the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Jews and Catholics from across the country gathered on Oct. 28 to remember Nostra Aetate, a document many believe permanently altered the course of Catholic-Jewish relations."One of the challenges of Catholic-Jewish collaboration is getting more people in the room," Rabbi Joshua Stanton told CNA on the sidelines of the conference. "And getting more people asking new and challenging questions of...

Runners carry torch from Mexico to New York praying for immigrants, honoring Our Lady

Scene from the 2023 Guadalupan Torch Run, arriving in South Carolina. / Credit: Courtesy of Guadalupan Torch RunHouston, Texas, Oct 28, 2025 / 18:45 pm (CNA).The Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana (the "Guadalupan Torch Run") is an annual pilgrimage where runners honor the Blessed Mother and pray for immigrants as they carry a torch from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Pilgrim runners began their journey on Aug. 30 in Mexico City and so far have carried it through nine Mexican states and over 30 cities. Altogether, they will pass through 14 U.S. states as they journey over 3,000 miles before arriving in New York on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As they pass through each town, the runners are joined by locals, who accompany them for a portion of the route.The running pilgrims arrived in San Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 27, where they will remain for three days. Catholics at several parishes ther...

Christian investors' meeting focuses on aligning stewardship with values

Archbishop Timothy Broglio told investors at the Christian Institutional Investors Conference at The Catholic University of America on Oct. 27, 2025, that investing should be "wise, prudent, and faithful." / Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNAWashington, D.C., Oct 28, 2025 / 15:25 pm (CNA).Archbishop Timothy Broglio told investors at the Christian Institutional Investors Conference (CIIC) at The Catholic University of America (CUA) that investing should be "wise, prudent, and faithful."Broglio, who serves as archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), welcomed guests as the keynote speaker for the annual conference, highlighting the faithful's place in investing.Broglio asked that throughout the conference participants pray together, study together, and share tools and frameworks, because there needs to be an "integration of principle morals into how companies invest their funds."The two-day conference ...

Secret euthanasia house raises alarm in Canada

The British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada / Credit: Ryan Bushby (HighInBC), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia CommonsVictoria, Canada, Oct 28, 2025 / 15:55 pm (CNA).The furtive establishment of a stand-alone, private euthanasia house in Victoria, the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, has sparked criticism from pro-lifers and exposed yet another way in which medical assistance in dying (MAID) is spreading throughout America's neighbor to the North.A Toronto-based nonprofit called MAiDHouse opened the euthanasia facility at an undisclosed location in the provincial capital in February. It launched a Toronto MAID house in 2021.Euthanasia opponents are troubled by the under-the-radar expansion of MAID facilities, especially since the unidentified houses may be in residential neighborhoods.The MAID houses appear to have the full backing of the federal government. Not only has the Canada Revenue Agency granted MAiDHouse, also know...