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CNA Staff, Aug 20, 2025 / 13:26 pm (CNA).

Pro-life activists in New York state were awarded $1 this month after a court found that a county abortion clinic rule violated their constitutional free speech rights. 

The Thomas More Society brought suit in federal district court in 2022 against New York's Westchester County over its rule forbidding "interference" with abortion access there. 

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York found in favor of pro-life sidewalk counselors Oksana Hulinsky and Regina Molinelli, with District Judge Philip Halpern ruling on Aug. 12 that the county ordinance violated the activists' free speech and due process rights. 

The plaintiffs were only seeking "nominal damages" in the suit, the court noted, leading Halpern to order the $1 award. The county had already repealed the ordinance in question prior to the ruling.

Thomas More Society attorney Christopher Ferrara said in a press release that the ruling sends a "powerful message to municipalities nationwide" that "vague laws targeting pro-life speech will not stand."

"Westchester County's pro-life sidewalk counselors seek only to offer compassionate, life-affirming alternatives on public sidewalks — as is their First Amendment right," he said. 

"Westchester's arrogant overreach tried to silence their voices, but this decision helps reaffirm their constitutional freedom to share the pro-life message."

The law firm, however, noted that it would appeal an earlier court ruling that upheld parts of the law that forbid so-called "following-and-harassing" behavior.

Rules regarding conduct outside of abortion clinics have become legal flashpoints in the abortion debate around the U.S. and internationally in recent years. 

The Supreme Court earlier this year refused to hear a case involving a "buffer zone" around abortion clinics in Carbondale, Illinois. That rule criminalizes approaching within eight feet of another person without his or her consent for purposes of protest, education, or counseling within 100 feet of a health care facility.

In 2023 a Washington state county judge ordered a pro-life group to pay nearly $1 million to Planned Parenthood for gathering and praying outside of one of its abortion clinics. 

Earlier this month, a 28-year-old man was found guilty of assaulting two elderly pro-life activists in front of a Planned Parenthood facility in Baltimore, though the perpetrator was sentenced to just one year of home detention. 

Last year, meanwhile, a national "buffer zone" law went into effect across England and Wales barring protests outside abortion facilities. Officials stipulated that silently praying outside of abortion clinics is "not necessarily" a crime under the new rules.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 20, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

During the Jubilee of Youth in Rome, young people from around the world gathered to celebrate a mosaic of universal faith. In the midst of this gathering, an inevitable question arose for young Cubans: How can they live their faith in a country fraught with challenges?

ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, spoke with Fernando Mario Díaz Hernández and Cynthia Izaguirre Roldán, both 19 and university students whose lives bear witness to a Catholic faith that steadfastly perseveres in everyday life despite the precarious conditions.

They live in Camagüey, a province located in the heart of Cuba, between the Atlantic and the Caribbean. According to the website Catholic Hierarchy, the Archdiocese of Camagüey has 15 parishes and 26 priests for approximately 800,000 inhabitants. Nationally, Aid to the Church in Need estimates that there are only 370 priests in the 11 dioceses.

Spiritual challenges

Hernández indicated that the large number of churches in his city is a factor that makes the Catholic faith present in the daily life of society. However, he contrasted this impression, noting that despite this, "being a young Catholic is difficult."

Izaguirre agreed, adding that "there is a lack of priests" and "consistency in the faith, so that young people live their lives according to their convictions, not otherwise."

Father Alberto Reyes Pías from St. Joseph Parish in Esmeralda has a vision that is not very different from that of the young people. The priest noted that there is a need to "find a path that leads them to a spiritual experience, to an encounter with a transcendent dimension."

Reyes emphasized that today they face the challenge of "choosing the values of the spirit in a world where those values are viewed with indifference or even as disadvantages for progressing in life."

In this regard, he emphasized that it's a real challenge for young people "to get to the point where life has a meaning beyond the daily demands of survival." The priest considers that the main task of the new generations is "not to lose hope that a different homeland is possible, in the midst of an environment of survival, precariousness, and lack of horizons." 

The priest also warned about "an accelerated rise in Afro-Cuban religions," which offer "an illusion of security and control over life, which in Cuba today is a very complicated issue, because you never know what will happen on a given day, much less in the long term." He also emphasized that these religions "make no claims on moral behavior, which makes it easy and convenient to 'get hooked' on them."

Other challenges for youth

The challenge is not only spiritual. According to figures from Human Rights Watch (HRW), Cuba's population decreased by 10% between December 2021 and December 2023, primarily due to migration. Between January and August 2024 alone, the United States Border Patrol apprehended Cubans more than 97,000 times, which may include multiple encounters with the same persons.

Furthermore, the report describes an "economic crisis" that has caused power outages of up to 20 hours a day in some areas, along with "acute shortages of food, medicine, and other essential items." According to HRW, in February, the government requested assistance from the United Nations World Food Program for the first time to obtain powdered milk for children under 7 years of age.

The same report warns that Cubans who criticize the government "risk criminal prosecution" without being guaranteed due process. In practice, "the courts are subordinate to the executive branch." Furthermore, the state "controls virtually all media."

Signs of hope

Amid precarious conditions, faith remains a source of hope. Izaguirre said that "through my faith and that of many others, we can aspire to a better future" and she dreams of "a country free from the shackles that limit us, where we can hold processions and Stations of the Cross with the hope that they won't tell us 'you can't.'"

She noted that one of the things that inspires her is that, despite everything, hope "still persists in those who seek and find purpose in faith, as well as in those who fight daily for change in our country, despite the oppression and what this can mean."

Far from being discouraged, Izaguirre is committed to "creating spaces for debate and activities that demonstrate that faith is still alive in Cuba. There are still young people willing to fight for change and keep that spark of hope alive in our homes."

For his part, Hernández confessed that, although at times it's difficult for him to "maintain hope," his faith has saved him. "When I feel like I can't go on, that it's impossible to continue, I go before the Lord, and he comforts me, fills me with encouragement and strength to endure."

That's why he actively participates in youth ministry, so that, together with other young people, he can create "a space where they can receive formation, feel safe, and recover that source of energy that drives their lives, always for the greater glory of God."

Reyes shared that he has noticed an increase in children who "grow up without fear of openly acknowledging their faith. Many children go to church alone, without their parents taking them," and it's the example of many children "that their parents have started attending church."

The priest noted that, despite the emigration of young people, communities are "being renewed by young people who keep coming and who ask to undergo a process of growing in faith, and the change in their lives is a source of hope, seeing in them that beautiful reality we call 'conversion.'"

Reyes also noted that in his experience, "couples are increasingly requesting the sacrament of marriage, and more and more people are baptizing their children, even if they don't attend church."

Catechumenate groups have also increased, and despite constant emigration, "communities are renewing themselves."

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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National Catholic Register, Aug 19, 2025 / 18:43 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV made a private visit Tuesday to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mentorella, Mother of Graces, near Rome, underscoring his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A favorite pilgrimage site of St. John Paul II and close to the picturesque mountain town of Capranica Prenestina, it is the fourth Marian shrine the Holy Father has visited since his election on May 8.

The Vatican said in a short statement that after visiting and praying at the shrine, Leo XIV spent some time with members of the Polish Resurrectionist congregation who run the shrine before returning to Castel Gandolfo.

Perched on the top of a small mountain overlooking a vast valley below with breathtaking views, the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace at Mentorella is said to have been founded in the fourth century by Constantine, who wanted to commemorate the site of St. Eustachius' conversion. Pope Sylvester I had it consecrated around 335, and in the sixth century the land was given to the Benedictine monks at nearby Subiaco.

The shrine's small church, with its gable façade and ogival windows, dates to the 13th century; behind it is a mystical grotto where St. Benedict is alleged to have lived for two years. During his visit on Tuesday, Pope Leo XIV lit a candle and prayed there.

The shrine as it is seen today was developed by Jesuit scholar Father Athanasius Kircher in the 17th century, believing it to be one of the 12 abbeys St. Benedict founded. The pope at that time, Innocent XIII, asked for his heart to be buried there.

The Polish Resurrectionist congregation has looked after the shrine since 1857.

The shrine was the first Marian shrine Pope John Paul II visited after his election in 1978. He made several pilgrimages to Our Lady of Mentorella throughout his pontificate, using it as a place for personal prayer and reflection. During his visits, he used to cherish a hiking path leading to the shrine, now known as the Wojtyla Trail, which makes its way through a captivating landscape of small waterfalls surrounded by red rock.

Benedict XVI also visited the holy site soon after his election in 2005, celebrating Mass there exactly 27 years to the day of John Paul II's first visit.

Leo's fourth Marian shrine

Pope Leo has so far visited three other Marian shrines, the first being the Augustinian-run Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano about an hour's drive from Rome, on May 10, two days after his election. While in Genazzano he left a written note for Our Lady expressing his devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel and asking for her help in his new mission.

He has also prayed before the "Salus Populi Romani" icon in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome soon after his election — a special place of devotion also for Pope Francis, who is buried there — and on Aug. 17 he celebrated Mass at the Shrine of Santa Maria della Rotonda in Albano near his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.

This week's visit is therefore just the latest example of Pope Leo's very apparent Marian devotion. Mariologists such as professor Mark Miravalle of Franciscan University of Steubenville have noted clear devotion to Mary in Leo's pontificate so far — in common with Leo XIII — as well as possibly providential indications such as his papal election on the previous feast of the Mediatrix of All Graces. 

The pope has repeatedly referred to the Blessed Virgin in his addresses and homilies as a source of consolation, hope, and help, particularly for those facing illness and suffering, and encouraging the faithful to grow in devotion to Our Lady. 

This week, the Vatican disclosed that he had responded in a magazine to a letter from a mother who shared some of her struggles with faith, inviting her to keep the Virgin Mary as a firm point of reference amid difficulties.

In an address during a 1978 pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mentorella, Pope John Paul II said the holy site, "hidden among the mountains, particularly fascinated me."

Noting that the "Mother of Christ went to the hills to say her 'Magnificat,'" he said that "this is a place in which man opens to God in a special way: [A] place where, far from everything, but also at the same time close to nature, one can speak confidentially to God himself. One feels within one what is man's personal call."

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

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CNA Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

A federal district court has ordered that a California school district must grant a Christian children's club equal access to school facilities, arguing that the denial of that access violates the club's free speech rights.

The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) will be required to provide "equal access to available spaces and benefits" to the group Child Evangelism Fellowship of NorCal, District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. said in an Aug. 15 ruling.

The court order found that the school district apparently engaged in "viewpoint discrimination" in violation of the U.S. Constitution when it barred the group from after-school use of campus facilities.

The district had argued that the Christian group did not meet the administrative requirements to be allowed access to school space and that allowing the group on campus could constitute a violation of the Constitution's establishment clause, which forbids government favoring of religion.

The school district's arguments were "remarkably short on caselaw," Gilliam noted, while court precedent "clearly favor[s]" the Christian group's position.

The court order said the district was forbidden from enforcing rules "in any manner that denies [the Christian group] access to OUSD facilities on an equal basis to the access provided to similarly situated nonprofit organizations."

The evangelical organization was represented in its bid by the legal group Liberty Counsel. Group founder Mat Staver described the decision as a "great victory."

"Child Evangelism Fellowship gives children a biblically-based education that includes moral and character development," he said. "Good News Clubs should be in every public elementary school."

Gilliam in his order directed the school district and the Christian group to present a jointly-agreed-upon plan to implement the ruling by Sept. 16.

The judge said the court would determine "what if any additional language is needed" to ensure the ruling is carried out.

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ACI MENA, Aug 19, 2025 / 14:03 pm (CNA).

Marking the 11th anniversary of forced displacement of Christians in Iraq, Father Benedict Kiely presented an icon of Our Lady of Persecuted Christians to Bishop Benedictus Younan Hanno, Syriac Catholic archbishop of Mosul and its dependencies, on Aug. 6 in Qaraqosh, Iraq.

The bishop announced that the icon will be placed in St. Ephrem Church in Qaraqosh, which is currently under construction and expected to open in November.

Kiely, a priest of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, England, has spent the last decade supporting persecuted Christians. In 2015, while visiting Iraq to assist in Aid to the Church in Need's efforts to shelter and feed victims of forced displacement, he became deeply bound to the Christians there who suffer for their faith, leading him to return many times and expand his support.

His efforts bore fruit in 2016 with the official founding of Nasarean.org, dedicating his priesthood to preaching, writing, and raising global awareness of the persecution of Middle Eastern Christians "as well as working to create job opportunities to help them remain in their historic homeland, something that cannot be achieved without a source of livelihood," he told ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner.

"Over 10 years of service, our organization has supported more than 60 small projects in Iraq alone in addition to other initiatives in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Armenia, and Jordan," Kiely said. "We focus on small and family-run projects to help families remain rooted in the land of their forefathers."

Spiritual support before humanitarian aid

Driven by a sincere desire to call Church members to intensify prayer for their persecuted brothers and sisters worldwide and to draw attention to their suffering, Kiely has launched a spiritual initiative to establish shrines dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title "Our Lady of Persecuted Christians." 

"A Catholic organization founded by a priest cannot be just like any other humanitarian NGO [nongovernmental organization] that provides material aid only," Kiely explained. "Prayer must be at the heart of our mission. That is why we have created these shrines, to offer a space for prayer for suffering Christians, many of whom are in the diaspora, so they can also be a sign of hope."

This year, the group launched an annual World Day of Prayer for the Persecuted on July 24, which will be observed every year at all shrines.

After the dedication at the Church of St. Michael in New York City — which featured an icon of the Virgin in traditional Chaldean dress holding the Child Jesus — there were dedications at six more shrines around the world: Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Gregory in Warwick, London; St. John Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton, Massachusetts; Akalla Church in Stockholm; Byzantine Chapel of Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, Wyoming; and Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Astana, Kazakhstan. The seventh shrine in Qaraqosh will have its dedication this October.

Most of the dedication ceremonies included the local bishop who celebrated the Divine Liturgy and blessed the icon.

Middle Eastern Christian artists

While the icons share stylistic similarities, they all bear their title in Syriac. "I wanted it to express the identity and continuity of Iraq's Christians and remind the world that the language of Christ is still alive and spoken in this land," he explained. 

Kiely prefers the icons to be created by Middle Eastern Christian artists to carry symbolic meaning and offer them both encouragement and support. The Qaraqosh icon was written by Deacon Ibrahim Lallo, an artist from nearby Bartella.

Kiely concluded with a message of hope to Iraq's Christians: "You are not forgotten. The Church in the West prays for you and supports you so you can remain in your historic homeland, keep your faith, your language, and your heritage. You have been here for 2,000 years, and these shrines are a sign of our concern for you and our commitment to stand by your side."

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 14:33 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram to the bishops of the Amazon region participating in a meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, this week, reminding them of the importance of caring for nature without becoming slaves or worshippers of it.

In his message, addressed to Cardinal Pedro Barreto Jimeno, president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, the Holy Father thanked the prelates for their "efforts made to promote the greater good of the Church in favor of the faithful of the beloved Amazonian territory."

Recalling what was learned during the Synod on the Amazon in 2019, the pontiff urged the bishops to seek, based on the unity and collegiality proper to an "episcopal body," ways to help "diocesan bishops and apostolic vicars concretely and effectively carry out their mission."

To achieve this, Pope Leo XIV proposed three dimensions: the Church's mission to proclaim the Gospel to all people, the just treatment of the peoples who live there, and the care of our common home.

"It is necessary that Jesus Christ, in whom all things are encompassed, be announced with clarity and immense charity among the inhabitants of the Amazon," the pope affirmed, emphasizing the need to "give them the fresh and pure bread of the good news and the heavenly food of the Eucharist, the only means to truly be the people of God and the body of Christ."

He also emphasized that "wherever the name of Christ is preached, injustice recedes proportionally, for, as the Apostle Paul asserts, all exploitation of man by man disappears if we are able to receive one another as brothers and sisters."

Within this "perennial doctrine," the Holy Father emphasized the importance of caring for the "home" that God the Father "has entrusted to us as diligent stewards, so that no one irresponsibly destroys the natural goods that speak of the goodness and beauty of the Creator."

"Nor, much less, subjects oneself to them as a slave or worshipper of nature, since things have been given to us to attain our end of praising God and thus obtaining the salvation of our souls," the Holy Father stated, citing St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises. 

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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National Catholic Register, Aug 19, 2025 / 11:51 am (CNA).

Ever since his brother was named pope, John Prevost hasn't been shy about talking to the press. Pope Leo XIV's first phone call with his brother went viral after a reporter captured it on video ("Why don't you answer the phone," the newly elected pontiff had snapped at his brother in a highly relatable sibling interaction captured for posterity). 

Now, in a wide-ranging, half-hour interview with NBC's Chicago affiliate that aired over the weekend, the 70-year-old retired high school principal opened up again. 

Here are some highlights from their talk:

Prevost still speaks with his brother every day.

Yes, they still talk on the phone each day, and they still play "Wordle" and "Words With Friends" together, Prevost told NBC's Mary Ann Ahern.

"I usually now ask him, 'Who did you meet famous?' to see who came to see him because he's always with audiences," Prevost said.

The two haven't lost their taste for gentle sibling ribbing. 

When asked if he says, "Hey, Bob" or "Hi, Pope," when they get on the phone, Prevost said they often joke about that. 

Sometimes, Prevost said, he will ask: "Is this [His] Holiness?" to which the pope responds: "Yes, my child, how may I help you."

Pope Leo enjoys going to Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence near Rome.

The Holy Father resumed the tradition of going to Castel Gandolfo, which had been on pause during Francis' papacy. 

"He's going to make it a permanent thing. He's spent two weeks there and now he has been back already one more time and they're going to try to do it more often because it just is relaxing and away from the crowd — away from the grind, so to speak," Prevost said.

"There really is an opportunity to relax, and he doesn't have to be dressed in his papal outfit all the time."

The pope is apparently taking advantage of the swimming pool and tennis courts at Castel Gandolfo.

Prevost didn't explicitly say his brother is working on his backhand and swimming laps, but he did say that he is "making use" of the facilities there.

Pope Leo misses driving.

The pope, he said, is not particular about where he likes to go on vacation if he can get behind the wheel.

"I think he likes anything. I think he likes the mountains. I think he likes the shore, so long as he has an opportunity to drive. Driving to him is totally relaxing," Prevost said.

In the past, when they would get together, Prevost always let his younger brother drive.

"Otherwise, then he would criticize my driving," he said.

Not being able to drive anymore "bothers him," his brother said. 

Pope Leo really did eat that pizza.

When the pope stepped off his popemobile to receive a gift of a pizza from Aurelio's, one of his favorite Chicago pizzerias, he ate the whole thing. And it was sausage.

"He did take it. His bodyguards took it from him to make sure it was safe. He did reheat it. He did eat every bit of it," his brother told NBC.

His favorite kind of pizza? Pepperoni.

As children, the Prevost brothers did "everything any child would do."

"It was in the days when you just went out and played," he said. "Everyone met on the street. Do whatever you're going to do. Go ride your bikes, go play baseball, four-square. We just did that with all the neighborhood kids."

The boys, however, were not allowed to go out trick-or-treating on Halloween as children.

"My mom thought it was begging," Prevost said.

His brother was "very close" to Pope Francis.

"He was close with Francis. Very close. They were very good friends," he said.

The pope promised he would return to Chicago for one reason.

When asked whether the pope was planning to return to his hometown, Prevost said "anything's likely" since he is, of course, the pope.

"The only thing we know for sure is he's going to be here for my funeral," he said.

Prevost said he asked his younger brother if he would return under those circumstances, and he reportedly responded: "They may have to keep the body on ice for a while, but I'll get there."

The pope's favorite candy is not what you'd expect.

When asked what he plans to bring his brother when he travels to Rome in October (along with several members of his extended family), Prevost said: "Peeps."

"That's his favorite candy on Earth."

The pope was the handy one in the family.

His brother told NBC that the family would save certain household chores for their younger brother.

"I used to have to say, 'Well, I'll save this for when Rob's here because he'll take care of it.'

"Anything on a ladder, I don't do, but he will," he said.

Pope Leo likes upbeat movies.

When asked which kind of movies his brother likes, Prevost said: "I think things that are generally entertaining that have a positive outcome."

Before he was pope, Leo might have enjoyed a John Grisham novel.

"He liked legal thrillers," his brother said.

Pope Leo warned his brother to be careful about what he says in interviews.

Prevost was accompanied by Augustinian Father Ray Flores during his interview with the NBC station.

When asked if his brother, the pope, asks him to "be careful," Prevost said that he does.

"Yes, absolutely," he said. "That's why this gentleman is here."

The pope is praying for us.

Prevost said: "I think what people don't know is he's taking this very seriously. It may not look that way when you see him enjoying himself, but this is quite a burden on his shoulders and he's praying for the world."

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

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Vatican City, Aug 19, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV named Father Ralph O'Donnell of the Archdiocese of Omaha as the new bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri. He will succeed Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who in May was installed as archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas.

Bishop-elect O'Donnell has most recently served as pastor of Saint Margaret Mary Parish in Omaha.

Born on August 31, 1969, in Omaha, he earned a bachelor's degree in religious studies from Conception Seminary College and a Master of Divinity from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He later obtained a master's degree in spirituality from Creighton University.

Ordained a priest in 1997, O'Donnell has served in various pastoral and administrative roles, including vocations director, seminary vice rector, and executive director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations (2015–2019).

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 19, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Two weeks ago, 1 million young people returned to their countries after participating in the Jubilee of Youth, an experience that undoubtedly left a profound mark on their lives of faith. Now, beyond what they experienced in Rome, they have a mission: to take that message and testimony home.

In the days leading up to the long-awaited event, Pope Leo XIV exhorted a group of young Peruvian pilgrims to "keep everything you live in these days in your heart, but not to conserve it only for yourselves. This is very important: Let what you will experience here be not only for yourselves. We must learn how to share."

Being an example of the love of Jesus Christ

Marta Zambrano, a 25-year-old Spaniard who participated as a volunteer in the jubilee, reflected on this calling. Speaking to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, she noted that those of us "who have been fortunate enough to experience the jubilee have a very important mission."

The young woman from Cádiz is clear about that mission: "To be witnesses of the faith and pass on the teachings of everything we have learned from the testimonies, catechesis, homilies of the Holy Father... even from our own experience or encounter with Jesus Christ."

For the young Spaniard, the best way to share everything she experienced is "by setting an example with our attitude and reflecting the love that Jesus Christ poured out on us."

In particular, she emphasized the need for others "to see in us that joy and that we know we are loved by Christ, which makes us different from the rest of the people in this world" that tries to pull people in the wrong direction. 

Zambrano said she hopes that by exuding that light and joy, the people around her can say: "I want that in my life too."

She explained that people will thus be able to "bring the world closer to the path of truth and life, of fulfillment and true happiness and peace of heart, which is Jesus Christ."

A clearer and more hopeful outlook

Claudia Arrieta, 29, from Madrid, said the best way to bear witness is by example: "changing our way of thinking, speaking, interacting, working, and relating to others in our daily lives. That those around us see a change in us, that they ask themselves why we have this way of being with others."

"The best way to tell the world about what we experienced in Rome this summer is for each of the pilgrims who attended the gathering with the pope to return to our lives with a clearer and more hopeful outlook," she added.

She also told ACI Prensa her hope that the words Pope Leo XIV addressed to young people inviting them to seek holiness would be "a message that comes directly from God for mankind." 

"The pope," the young Spaniard added, "is an instrument that God uses to tell us all to be holy in our relationships."

She said one of the gifts given in the pilgrim's "kit" was a rosary and that "since I returned, I see people with the jubilee rosary on the street, in a restaurant, at the supermarket, at Mass," she said.

Prayer and discernment to take in what they experienced

María Fernanda de Luna Martínez, a 34-year-old Mexican, traveled to Rome with 48 young people from different parts of her country. For her, sharing what she experienced in Rome "is a very great responsibility and duty."

De Luna, who works in the social communications department of the Salesians in Mexico, said she believes an experience like this generates "many emotions and feelings that take time to settle in."

When young people return home, she noted, they sometimes "arrive all revved up and eager to take on the world." She therefore advised "discernment, prayer, accompaniment, and community" so that they don't quickly forget what they've experienced and avoid becoming discouraged.

In this context, she specified that it's important to ask three questions: "What moved me during the jubilee? What impacted me the most? What does God want from me with this?"

The answers, she said, "can shed light on where to begin," and it should begin at home, with friends and the community. "Let our commitment be to bring someone else to an upcoming event, like World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027, so that that person may also bear witness that the Church is alive and that there are indeed young people in it, in love with Jesus."

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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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 16:04 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released a report examining the religious liberty implications for women and minorities in Afghanistan four years after the Taliban's takeover. 

"Religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan continue to decline dramatically under Taliban rule," the USCIRF wrote in an Aug. 15 report examining the Taliban's Law on the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice one year after its enactment. "The new morality law reinforces a systematic and overt erasure of religious freedom in Afghanistan and facilitates the ongoing repression of religious minorities."

According to the USCIRF, the morality law "impacts all Afghans" but "disproportionately affects religious minorities and women, eradicating their participation in public life and systematically eliminating their right to [freedom of religious belief]."

The August 2024 law contains 35 articles and centers on mandating the Taliban's interpretation of Islam and sharia law. Authorities are granted "broad powers to arrest, detain, and monitor Afghans who are perceived to have violated its provisions," the USCIRF noted.

Among the 35 articles is the criminalization of adherence to any religion apart from Sunni Islam. According to the USCIRF: "Non-Muslims are forced to practice in secret or risk arrest and torture."

The report quoted the Taliban's minister for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, Khalid Hanafi, as saying Hindus, Jews, Christians, and Sikhs are "worse than four-legged animals" for holding "beliefs that go against sharia and the Quran."

All Afghan women — Muslim or otherwise — under the morality law are mandated to cover their entire body and face. They are also barred from leaving their homes without a male guardian. The law "characterizes women's voices as intimate and therefore something to be concealed." As such, Afghan women are barred in public from speaking, singing, or reciting the Quran. 

"While the morality law impacts all Afghans, it disproportionately affects Afghan women and girls. As of 2025, Afghan women and girls are still barred from attending school beyond age 12. The education ban, coupled with the morality law, makes it impossible for Afghan women and girls to participate in public life, including religious expression," the report stated. 

"The requirement of a male guardian, reinforced under the morality law, has created significant barriers for Afghan women," the report continued, noting that Afghan widows who may not have any male relatives are especially impacted.  

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which was reestablished for societal reform shortly after the Taliban took over in 2021, oversees all enforcement of the Taliban's morality law.

According to USCIRF, there are approximately 3,330 male enforcers employed in 28 of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Heightened surveillance, arbitrary arrests and detention, forced conversions, physical assault, death threats, and torture are used as tactics by enforcers across the country, the USCIRF stated, citing a U.N. report that as many as 50 Ismaili Muslims were forced to convert to Sunni Islam and that one Ismaili man was killed in the Badakhshan Province.

The man "was severely tortured prior to his death," the USCIRF said, further noting that "while in Taliban custody, individuals' ethnic or religious identity influenced the severity of torture inflicted, including for Christians and Hazaras."

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