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...

Syrian transitional president visits Greek Orthodox patriarch in Damascus

Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi of Antioch and All the East (right) receives Ahmad al-Shar'a, the head of Syria's transitional administration, on Oct. 26, 2025, at the patriarchal residence in Damascus. / Credit: Syrian PresidencyACI MENA, Oct 28, 2025 / 11:32 am (CNA).In a sign of diversity and coexistence in post-transition Syria, Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi of Antioch and All the East on Sunday received Ahmad al-Shar'a, the head of Syria's transitional administration, at the patriarchal residence in Damascus.Al-Shar'a was accompanied by Maher al-Shar'a, secretary-general of the presidency, and Maher Marwan Idlibi, governor of Damascus, at the Oct. 26 meeting.According to a post published on the official X account of the Syrian presidency, the purpose of the visit was to "learn about the situation of the Christian community." The presidency added that the visit "reflects the shared commitment to strengthen national values and foster unity among the people of...

St. Paul Center to kick off 'largest Bible study in America'

The St. Paul Center in Steubenville, Ohio, is a nonprofit research and educational institute that promotes life-transforming Scripture study from the heart of the Church. The center serves clergy and laity, students, and scholars with research and study tools. / Credit: St. Paul CenterWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 27, 2025 / 15:53 pm (CNA).The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology is launching a new Bible study program to help Catholics prepare for the Advent and Christmas seasons. The Bible study, titled "Bible Across America," is set to begin Nov. 5 and aims to gather Catholics "around God's Word to prayerfully study Scripture, grow in discipleship, and build one another up in the Lord," the organization announced. The course represents the latest addition to the St. Paul Center, whose offerings include online courses, academic books on Scripture and theology, and in-person events for clergy and laity across the country.Based in Steubenville, Ohio, the St. Paul Center i...

Putin signals concern for 'falling birth rates' in Russia, seeks state solutions

Vladimir Putin, president of Russia expressed concern about the ongoing internal problem of "falling birth rates" in October 2025. / Credit: FotoField/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 27, 2025 / 17:08 pm (CNA).Russian President Vladimir Putin is voicing concern about the ongoing internal problem of "falling birth rates" in his own country and suggesting state action to address the issue.Putin said in an Oct. 23 meeting with the Council for the Implementation of State Demographic and Family Policy that drops in birth rates have become "a global trend and a global challenge in the modern world" that is especially affecting economically developed countries, "and Russia is unfortunately no exception."Russia, he noted, has had "demographic pitfalls" from losses in World War II and problems that coincided with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Though he did not mention the ongoing war with Ukraine, Russia has also lost between 137,000 and 228,000 soldiers in the war approac...

Pope Leo XIV meets with Viktor Orbán at the Vatican

Pope Leo XIV meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Oct. 27, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Oct 27, 2025 / 17:49 pm (CNA).In separate audiences on Monday, Pope Leo XIV received two political leaders with very different views on the migration issue. In the morning, he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and in the afternoon he met with Magnus Brunner, European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration.Orbán maintains a restrictionist stance on migration and has repeatedly criticized the migrant redistribution policies promoted by the European Union. For his part, Brunner defends a common migration policy and supports the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, an agreement the Hungarian leader firmly rejects.Orbán arrived promptly at 9 a.m. at the Courtyard of San Damaso in the Apostolic Palace for his first official meeting with the Holy Father. He later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary...

Pope Leo XIV on the gifts of women and synodality: 'Women are already better'

Pope Leo XIV speaks to participants in the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies on Oct. 24, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Oct 27, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV drew laughter and applause on Oct. 24 when he recalled asking his mother in the 1970s whether she wanted equality with men. "No," she replied, "because we're already better."The pope shared the memory during a discussion on the role of women in the Church at the opening of the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies, a three-day gathering for representatives involved in implementing the global synodal process.The story, he explained, came from a time when debates about equality between men and women were just beginning to take hold in his native United States. His mother's response, he said, was not a joke but an affirmation of women's distinctive gifts. "There are many gifts that women have," he added, recalling their vital roles in fa...