Study: Catholic law grads outpace secular peers in practice, purpose, and civic life

null / Credit: Sora Shimazaki/PexelsWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).A new study found that 2025 graduates of Catholic law schools are not only more focused on ethics, service, and community, but they are also more likely to be practicing law than graduates of secular institutions.The study, commissioned by the St. Mary's University School of Law and conducted by YouGov, asked a national sample of 1,076 law school graduates across Catholic and secular institutions (844 secular and 232 Catholic) questions about motivation, career trajectory, values alignment, civic participation, and ethical formation.The report revealed graduates of Catholic institutions highly prioritize their career outcomes and professional commitments. It found that 14% more Catholic law school students who graduated this year are currently practicing law than graduates of secular institutions. Also, 13% more Catholic law graduates said their career aligns with their personal values....

Economics paper suggests Mass decline tied to Vatican II implementation

General view of the Council Fathers in St. Peter's Basilica on Dec. 8, 1962, at the Vatican, at the end of the first session of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II. / Credit: AFP via Getty ImagesWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 12:41 pm (CNA).An economics paper published last month on religious service attendance trends in 66 countries concluded that the implementation of reforms associated with the Second Vatican Council likely contributed to subsequent Mass attendance declines.The working paper, "Looking Backward: Long-term Religious Service Attendance in 66 Countries," was published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) on July 21.NBER economists delved into historical trends for religious service attendance in historically Catholic and historically Protestant countries based on 1,900 religious affiliation statistics.According to the researchers, attendance rates declined significantly faster in historically Catholic countries th...

Pennsylvania priest placed on administrative leave after confessing cheating

null / Credit: Andy via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)CNA Staff, Aug 15, 2025 / 13:11 pm (CNA).A Pennsylvania priest has been placed on administrative leave after he confessed to local prosecutors last month to falsifying the results of a high-level fundraising raffle at his parish.Father Ross Miceli allegedly "admitted to publicly falsifying the results of the grand prize winner" of a raffle for either a Corvette or a $50,000 cash prize at St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Erie.In an Aug. 14 statement, the Diocese of Erie told CNA that Miceli will be placed on administrative leave as part of the ongoing investigation into the priest's actions. Erie Bishop Lawrence Persico has also recommended that St. Jude Parish hire "an independent forensic auditor to review all finances."The priest announced his resignation from the parish on the weekend of July 20, though he did not give a reason at the time. The Erie Diocese said last month that Miceli would be heading to St. Timothy Parish in Curwen...

Remembering Mother Angelica's reflections on Mary's assumption: 'It just makes sense'

Assumption of the Virgin Mary, fresco painting in San Petronio Basilica in Bologna, Italy. / Credit: Zvonimir Atletic/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).Today, Aug. 15, is the feast of the Assumption, a solemnity commemorating the end of the Virgin Mary's earthly life and the assumption of her body and soul into heaven. The day also marks the anniversary of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). On this day in 1981, EWTN's foundress, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, started her television show out of a garage studio in Alabama. The broadcast launched what is now the largest global Catholic media network in the world. (Note: CNA is a service of EWTN News, an affiliate of EWTN.)As Catholics celebrate the Assumption and EWTN commemorates 44 years of spreading the Eternal Word, we look back at what Mother Angelica said about Jesus' mother and her assumption into heaven.Assumption of Mary "This is the feast of Our Lady's assu...

Israel denies entry to Italian priest over criticism of war in Gaza 

Palestine and Israel border. / Credit: AntonMislawsky/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:Israel denies entry to Italian priest over criticism of war in Gaza An Italian Catholic priest who has accused Israel of genocide and criticized its ongoing war in Gaza was recently denied entry into the country and sent on a return flight to Greece, according to reports.Father Nandino Capovilla, founder of the "Bridges, Not Walls" Campaign for Palestine of Pax Christi Italy, was planning to take part in a "pilgrimage of justice" organized by the group but was stopped at Ben Gurion Airport on Aug. 11 and told he would not be permitted to enter the country.Capovilla, who regularly posts on Facebook about Gaza, wrote a post after his release instructing journalists who cover his situation to demand sanctions on Israel.Iran admits to arrest of over 50 Christians since e...

Pope calls for peaceful resolutions to Gaza and Ukraine wars ahead of Trump-Putin meeting

Before the Angelus on July 13, 2025, Pope Leo XIV celebrated a Mass for local Catholics, religious leaders, and civil authorities at the 17th-century Pontifical Parish of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo's main square. / Credit: Vatican MediaACI Prensa Staff, Aug 14, 2025 / 15:27 pm (CNA).Upon arriving at Castel Gandolfo on Aug. 13, Pope Leo XIV called for a peaceful resolution to the war between Russia and Ukraine ahead of the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.The meeting, scheduled for Aug. 15 in Alaska, will address the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which the Russian army invaded three years ago.The Holy Father stated: "We must always seek a ceasefire; the violence, the many deaths must stop. Let's see how they can reach an agreement. Because after all this time, what is the purpose of war? We must always rely on dialogue, on diplomatic work, and not on violence or weapons."According to Vatican News, Pop...

Study: 9 in 10 cradle Catholics leaving the Church; experts urge stronger faith community

null / Credit: Photo Spirit/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).A recent study has found an increase in the number of Americans Catholics leaving the Church. To combat the issue, the study's authors suggest creating stronger community ties among Catholics, especially among children. Michael Rota, philosophy professor at the University of St. Thomas, and Stephen Bullivant, theology and sociology professor at St. Mary's University, conducted the study examining the decline in religious practice among Catholic-born Americans using data from the General Social Survey (GSS). The GSS has asked a large representative sample of Americans a number of questions about religion for the past 50 years, which Rota and Bullivant analyzed to write "Religious Transmission: A Solution to the Church's Biggest Problem," published by Notre Dame's Church Life Journal.The data revealed that in 1973, 84% of the participants raised Catholic still identified as ...

Uruguay's lower House passes euthanasia bill, which now heads to Senate

null / Credit: HQuality/ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Aug 13, 2025 / 15:19 pm (CNA).After a lengthy session in Uruguay's Chamber of Representatives, legislators passed a bill this week that, if passed in the Senate, would legalize euthanasia in the country, making it the third in South America to permit the practice.Introduced by the Broad Front political coalition at the beginning of the year and approved in July by the lower House's Committee on Health, the bill will now move to the Senate for consideration. It passed by a margin of 64-29 in a plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives on Aug. 12.Nearly the entire ruling party bloc as well as members of the opposition voted for the bill, which states that any person over 18 years of age "who suffers from one or more chronic, incurable, and irreversible pathologies or health conditions that seriously impair their quality of life, causing unbearable suffering" may request assisted death.If approved, Uruguay would become ...

Report finds over 400 cases of vandalism, other 'hostile' acts against churches in 2024

A vandalized statue of Mary, the Mother of God, at St. Leo Parish in Hartford, Arkansas, in July 2024. / Credit: Father Joseph ChanWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 13, 2025 / 15:49 pm (CNA).A report published by the Family Research Council (FRC) documented more than 400 cases of "acts of hostility" against Catholic and other Christian churches in the U.S. in 2024.The report, published on Aug. 11, found 415 incidents, which included 284 acts of vandalism, 55 cases of arson, 28 gun-related incidents, 14 bomb threats, and 47 other hostile acts.In every month, there were at least 20 hostile acts against churches, with the highest numbers occurring in June with 49 incidents and February with 45 incidents. The average was 35 incidents per month.This is a slight downtick from FRC's 2023 numbers, when the evangelical nonprofit found 485 incidents. Yet, the number is still significantly higher than in previous years: 198 in 2022, 98 in 2021, 55 in 2020, 83 in 2019, and 50 in 2018, the yea...

Federal court rules against Little Sisters of the Poor in latest contraception lawsuit

Religious sisters show their support for the Little Sisters of the Poor outside the Supreme Court, where oral arguments were heard on March 23, 2016, in the Zubik v. Burwell case against the HHS mandate. / Credit: CNACNA Staff, Aug 13, 2025 / 16:25 pm (CNA).A federal court has ruled against the Little Sisters of the Poor in their long-running legal dispute over government contraception mandates, dealing a blow to the religious order of sisters even after multiple court victories, including at the Supreme Court.The legal advocacy group Becket said on Aug. 13 that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled in favor of both New Jersey and Pennsylvania in finding that the federal government had not followed protocol when issuing exemptions to contraceptive requirements, including for the Little Sisters.The district court said that a set of religious exemptions granted by the federal government during the first Trump administration were "arbitrary [and] c...