Catholic News

Hundreds of Chaldean Catholics from Iraq and diaspora communities around the world gathered at the Vatican last week, joining Patriarch Paul III Nona for Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Oct. 15.

Celebrated according to the Chaldean rite, the Mass filled St. Peter's Basilica with prayers and chants in Aramaic, bringing the traditions of the ancient Chaldean Church to the heart of Catholicism. The occasion expressed the unity of the Catholic Church across its different rites and traditions.

The celebration followed a Mass in St. Peter's Square on Oct. 14, during which Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, acting on behalf of Pope Leo XIV, publicly affirmed the ecclesiastical communion the pope granted to Nona following his election as patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans in April.

For a community scattered across continents, the gathering was also an opportunity for Chaldean Catholics to come together in prayer, celebrate a shared heritage, and reflect on the challenges facing Chaldeans both in their homeland and abroad.

"This was a beautiful, spiritual, and historic day for all of us — one that we are going to cherish for the rest of our lives," Father Fawaz Kako, a Chaldean priest serving in the United States, told EWTN News. "It is such a blessing to come together in one place, under one holy Catholic Church."

For Kako, the faith of earlier generations, particularly those who suffered martyrdom, continues to sustain Chaldeans wherever they live. "Our connection to our Church is about more than just language. It is deeply rooted in Christ and in all the martyrs who gave themselves to him and whom we look to," he said.

"Those who came before us shed their blood for Jesus. Today, we see that as a source of strength, something we can cling to as we continue to follow Christ."

Preserving that identity far from the homeland presents its own difficulties.

Father Christopher Somo, another Chaldean priest serving in the United States, described the pressure that smaller communities face within the societies where they have settled.

"When you go to another culture, there's a temptation to let your culture become diluted in the midst of a larger and more powerful culture," he said.

At the same time, Somo stressed that the Church faces the challenge of preserving its presence and heritage in Iraq after many years of persecution.

Father Albert Hisham, a Chaldean priest based in Iraq, described how successive waves of violence, particularly since 2003, had driven Christians to leave. He recalled church bombings, the kidnapping and killing of clergy and other Christians, and the Islamic State group's expulsion of Christians from Mosul and villages in the Nineveh Plain. 

"This has led our people, our Chaldean faithful, to almost lose confidence in the possibility of remaining in Iraq, which deeply saddens us," Hisham said. He also estimated that more than 1 million Christians had emigrated over the past two or three decades. Yet leaving Iraq has not necessarily brought an end to their longing for home.

For those abroad, Hisham said, the desire to return remains, but the difficulties of resettling prevent many from acting on it.

"There are many Christians who find it very difficult to return to Iraq after settling in countries abroad," he stressed.

Kako also acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding a permanent return, even among those who maintain close ties with their homeland. "We always travel back home and visit. But we are also very well established in the diaspora," he said. "It all depends on how peaceful that region will be."

Hisham said Patriarch Nona has emphasized that encouraging Christians to return must be accompanied by practical measures to help them rebuild their lives. These include housing, employment, and opportunities for investment.

"There must be job opportunities for Christians to return; otherwise, the invitation alone is not enough," he said.

While the question of return remains unresolved, communities abroad continue to support those in Iraq. Father Mahir Murad, a Chaldean priest serving in Australia, described efforts that range from raising funds to advocating for their protection.

"In Australia, we're doing a lot of lobbying with members of Parliament about how we can keep our people safe, what we can do to protect them, and how we can help them leave the country if we can," he said.

Parish communities also collect donations and send financial assistance to people back home, he added. Murad acknowledged the difficult choices involved in supporting both those who wish to remain and those who feel they must leave. He expressed a desire to preserve the community's presence in its homeland while respecting the needs of people who fear for their safety.

"We are the indigenous people of Iraq. We want our people to stay, but to feel protected also," he said. "For those who want to leave because they feel persecuted, we want to help them leave the country."

Nevertheless, Murad said he hopes peace will allow more Chaldeans to return.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish national soccer team coach, brought the World Cup trophy to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza and presented it to the Virgin Mary during an Oct. 19 ceremony.

The coach was accompanied by Rafael Louzán, president of the Royal Spanish Football (Soccer) Federation (RFEF, by its Spanish acronym) and other representatives from the Spanish soccer scene.

"It is a tremendously moving experience. You all know of my devotion to the Virgin of the Pillar, and I feel very happy and proud to be here with all of you," said De la Fuente following the offering of the trophy, as reported by la Iglesia en Aragón (The Church in Aragon) website.

The national team coach, who personally carried the trophy for much of the visit, also spoke about what it meant to him to return to the shrine. "Above all, it was an emotional experience, an indelible memory that I will carry with me forever," he remarked.

Hundreds of people followed the ceremony both inside and outside the basilica. Among those in attendance were Archbishop Carlos Escribano of Zaragoza, and Father Juan Sebastián Teruel, dean of the metropolitan chapter of the cathedral.

'With gratitude, humility, and emotion'

The offering of the cup to the Virgin was led by Louzán, who addressed her on behalf of the federation.

"Today we come to your feet, on behalf of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, to offer you this World Cup with gratitude, with humility, and with emotion," he stated, as reported by the official RFEF website.

In his remarks, the president of the RFEF recalled the bond connecting the Virgin of the Pillar to the history and faith of Hispanic peoples, "who also find a shared passion in football."

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Louzán also prayed that the Virgin might accompany those who are part of the Spanish football community, helping them to experience their wins with humility and to show solidarity toward others.

"Help us to make football a school of camaraderie, effort, and solidarity — a place where we learn to reach out a helping hand and to place the good of the team above our own self-interest," he added.

Before concluding, he once again entrusted the trophy to the Virgin: "Our Mother, receive this cup and the affection with which we offer it to you. May we, under your guidance, find the strength to continue working together and to bear the name of Spain with pride and responsibility. Long live the Virgin of the Pillar."

Archbishop's remarks

Escribano also spoke, highlighting what in his view enabled the national team to achieve its goals.

"Teamwork, conviction, faith, and leadership have shown us everything we can accomplish," he stated.

The prelate noted that Spain already holds two world titles and expressed his hope for further victories: "There are already two stars, and hopefully there will be many more in the future much like the ones you see in the Virgin's chapel."

The president of Aragon's petition

Jorge Azcón, president of the Aragon autonomous regional government, asked Louzán to deliver some special gifts to the entire team: ribbons that represent the approximately 14 inches height of the statue of the Virgin of the Pillar for every member of the Spanish national team.

"I believe, my dear president, that you must commit to me to ensure they reach each and every one of them," he said.

The World Cup returns to Zaragoza

The visit took place three months after thousands of people in Zaragoza celebrated Spain's World Cup victory.

Before heading to the basilica, the delegation took part in an official event at city hall. The mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca, recalled the joy the city experienced during the tournament.

The delegation's itinerary also included a visit to the construction site of the new La Romareda stadium. Zaragoza is preparing for the 2030 World Cup, for which the sports venue is expected to have a capacity of over 40,000 spectators.

This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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A group of Catholic moral theologians is urging a federal appeals court to rule in favor of "caution" and "responsibility" regarding military artificial intelligence (AI) usage, with the scholars weighing in on a dispute between the U.S. government and one of the most prominent AI companies.

The scholars — which include University of Dayton professor Jana Bennett, Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum bioethics professor Father Michael Baggot, and Loyola University Chicago philosophy professor Joe Vukov — told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that it should support "defined normative boundaries" for the use of AI in warfare.

Amicus brief from Catholic moral theologians

The dispute stems from the U.S. Department of War's usage of AI models from Anthropic, a major California-based AI developer. The company had been providing intelligence technology for the government but had forbidden its usage in both lethal autonomous warfare and mass surveillance of U.S. citizens.

The War Department ultimately ended its contract with Anthropic and subsequently labeled the company a national security risk. The D.C. appeals court upheld that decision in a September ruling.

In their filing supporting Anthropic's request for an "en banc" hearing at the appeals court, the theologians said they were backing the company's "principled ethical stance on AI use" by the military.

The scholars said they agreed that AI "ought not to be used for mass domestic surveillance," citing the Catholic Church's teachings on privacy. They pointed to the Catechism of the Catholic Church's instruction that "no one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it."

Privacy "is not an absolute right," they acknowledged, but mass surveillance "clearly oversteps" the principle of privacy and would amount to a "clear violation" of human dignity.

Autonomous weapons, meanwhile, "obscure human agency" and shift responsibility "away from human decision-makers to machines."

"They accelerate the already rapid military decision-making processes, perhaps to the point of eliminating even the possibility of human involvement," the scholars said, arguing that "practical judgment and careful decision-making" should "inform all human decisions," particularly involving life and death.

The theologians quoted Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical Spe Salvi, in which the late pope acknowledged that developing technology offers "new possibilities for good" as well as "appalling possibilities for evil."

In the boundaries it set, Anthropic "was acting as a responsible and moral corporate citizen, not as a threat to the safety of the American supply chain," the scholars argued.

Catholic leadership has been regularly warning of the risks of AI in recent months. The U.S. bishops launched a task force in September to help promote human dignity among the rapid rise of AI technology.

Pope Leo XIV, meanwhile, has been a global voice urging caution on AI, including with his landmark May encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, in which the Holy Father warned that the "pervasive technocratic paradigm" of which AI is a part "threatens to normalize an antihuman vision."

Earlier this month, meanwhile, the pope cautioned against the spread of AI-produced art, with the pontiff citing the "urgent" need to "distinguish human art from what is produced by machines."

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will livestream the public portion of its November meeting, where bishops will discuss artificial intelligence, immigration, and evangelization, while voting on liturgical texts, canonization causes, and conference leadership positions.

The 2026 Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore is set for Nov. 16–19, with public portions on Nov. 17–18.

The gathering, which has been livestreamed for the past 15 years, also will include addresses by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, USCCB president, and by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, papal nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Oscar Cantù of the Diocese of San José, California, will address the bishops on AI. He chairs the Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, which the USCCB created this year to advance the Church's priorities on AI, as laid out in Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

An address by Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of the Diocese of Victoria, Texas, who chairs the Committee on Migration, will provide an update one year after U.S. bishops adopted a special message that opposes "the indiscriminate mass deportation of people."

Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Brooklyn, New York, who chairs the Committee for Cultural Diversity in the Church, will address the bishops on the Guadalupan Novena. The bishops are also expected to vote on an annual observance of a Day of Prayer for Racial Justice.

The bishops also plan to discuss evidence of increased conversions and a reported resurgence of religious interest among young adults in a panel presentation on new life in the Church.

Catholics can also expect votes on whether the bishops support investigating the canonization causes for Maria Middleton and Thomas Steven Vander Woude, two Americans whose causes are being investigated by their dioceses.

There will also be a vote on a new edition of the Lectionary for Mass and Book of the Gospels.

The bishops will vote on whether to approve the USCCB budget. There will also be a vote to approve a review and update of the pastoral plan for the Secretariat on Pro-Life Activities. The bishops also will vote on updates to the USCCB's Diocesan Financial Reporting Guidelines and Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines.

With terms expiring for certain leadership positions, the USCCB will also elect replacements.

The bishops will elect a new secretary, choosing between Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, and Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio.

They will also vote on who will chair the committees on Catholic Education, Communications, Cultural Diversity in the Church, Doctrine, National Collections, and Pro-Life Activities.

Each bishop selected will serve as bishop-elect for one year and will then take over the role in the fall of 2027 and serve three-year terms.

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VATICAN CITY — The Vatican Press Office issued an important statement Wednesday evening on Pope Leo XIV's recovery following his Oct. 13 surgery, confirming that no further treatment is necessary.

The brief statement provided a significant update on the pope's postoperative condition.

"Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora report the following regarding the pope's postoperative recovery: Today, the final histological examinations and molecular biology tests on the tissue removed during the Holy Father's surgery were completed. The results confirmed that it was pulmonary adenocarcinoma and that the disease was localized. A subsequent oncological assessment confirmed that no further treatment is necessary," the statement said.

The news that Pope Leo XIV will not require additional treatment following his surgery is an announcement that the world had been awaiting.

Pope Leo XIV was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 17 and returned to the Vatican.

On Oct. 21, he held his first general audience since the operation. Appearing to be in excellent spirits, the pope was undeterred by the rain in Rome.

He wanted to be close to the faithful and thank them for their prayers for his health.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The archbishop of Oviedo in Spain, Jesús Sanz Montes, defended the presence of God in public life during a forum titled "What the Catholic Faith Contributes to Spain and Europe," held at the Spanish Senate. "I engage in politics whenever I can," he stated.

The event, organized by the Enraizados Foundation under the heading "God: A Light in Public Life?", took place Oct. 19. It began with a prayer that included the following petition: "Transform our homeland into an anteroom to the heavenly homeland."

During the gathering, the Franciscan archbishop took part in a roundtable discussion with Higinio Marín, rector of Cardenal Herrera CEU University; Sen. Fernando Gutiérrez, who represents Melilla; and Bieito Rubido, director of El Debate online news.

Sanz explained that he is frequently accused of being a bishop "who gets involved in politics," a charge he acknowledges is fair, noting that he "rarely disappoints" in that regard with some of his homilies and writings.

"I say everything I can. I engage in politics whenever I am able," he stated, further clarifying that by "politics," he is referring to "the ministry of bearing witness within the 'polis' — in the city."

He explained that in these statements, he's not sharing "nonpartisan proposals, but rather values ??in which I believe, values ??I have learned from God and his Church."

"When I point out lies and liars, I never mention their names, nor do I ever cite their political affiliations or acronyms. They provide those themselves when they take it as being directed at them," Sanz noted.

Furthermore, the prelate maintained that there is a place for God in society, a "legitimate possibility for him to accompany us" as a God who "is not a rival, who does not replace us, but who, with discretion, always accompanies us."

'There are no atheists and believers, but rather believers and idolaters'

When asked about the invitation extended by St. John Paul II in his homily inaugurating his pontificate to open "wide the doors to Christ" within "the boundaries of states, economic and political systems, and the vast fields of culture, civilization, and development," Sanz highlighted that the Polish pontiff had first issued a call not to be afraid.

Sanz further pointed out how Europe, "from the French Revolution onwards, has increasingly leaned toward a kind of suspicion, indifference, and hostility toward the presence of the Christian event."

The archbishop of Oviedo also stated that "in our society, there are no atheists and believers, but rather believers and idolaters."

Citing the poet T.S. Eliot, the prelate contended that "when a person has lost faith in the true God, he has ceased to be a believer," because he is always left with three lesser gods which are not gods, yet ones that people are unwilling to renounce: power, money, and sex.

"You tell me if the people who strut about and impose a thousand and one barriers on you to prevent you from freely expressing your faith are not the people who claim to be atheists or agnostics, yet who are the ones who believe with complete conviction in power, money, and lustful sex," he challenged.

The temptation of going underground

Furthermore, the prelate warned against the temptation of going underground, because "it could reduce us Catholics within the public sphere, at the heart of the city, to silence and invisibility."

"If we don't speak up and don't make our presence known, we might even receive subsidies," he remarked ironically. "But if we voice our views rooted in the long Christian tradition and maintain a presence that is critical but not fault-finding, we become a nuisance. Consequently, not only will we never be granted a subsidy — thank God for that because we will continue to be free — but they will also attempt to censure us to the point of pushing us underground by our silence and invisibility," he explained.

Finally, the prelate argued that Catholics not living in the shadows should be present in "the church, where we celebrate the mystery; the public square, where we bear witness to it; and the atrium, which lies between the two — moving back and forth from the church to the square, and from the square to the church" as witnesses to the truth.

This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Pope Leo XIV, in his first private audience since undergoing surgery on Oct. 13, said the history of the world is inseparable from the history of the saints.

"The history of the world without saints would be immeasurably poorer; that is, less human," Leo said in his address.

The pontiff met on Wednesday with participants of the "Holiness in History" conference, held at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum center in Rome from Oct. 19–21. Organized by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the conference explored the role of historical research in determining whether to declare someone a saint.

Rigor in canonization causes

In his remarks, Leo referenced Pope Pius XI, who established the dicastery's historical section in 1930, and emphasized that recent causes for canonization must continue to be carefully evaluated against historical evidence of one's holiness.

"The treatment of 'recent causes' likewise cannot dispense with a serious and rigorous examination of all the material collected," Pope Leo said. "Causes of saints make use of the tools proper to the study of history, even though their aim is not to produce historiography, but rather to bring to light the exemplary nature, spirituality, and reputation for holiness of those proposed for the altars."

Saints must be understood in context

Leo also explained the importance of placing canonized saints in the context in which they lived, eliminating stereotypes and misunderstandings.

"As the ages pass, even the profile of saints may undergo development: not to follow the stereotypes of the moment, but to interpret a particular experience through the categories of the Gospel lived out," Leo said.

"For this reason, placing the witness of a saint within the context in which he or she lived is very important. The people of God seek models for living in the present, intercessors who help members of the Church face today's challenges and recognize their opportunities."

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A prominent priest who hosts a popular podcast about exorcisms is suing two lay Catholic commentators for defamation, alleging that they falsely told listeners of another podcast that he is not an exorcist. The two commentators are associates of a well-known exorcist, Father Chad Ripperger, who is not a defendant in the lawsuit.

Father Carlos Martins, host of "The Exorcist Files" and author of a book with the same title, filed the lawsuit, which is pending, in November 2025 against Jesse Romero (identified in court papers as Jesus O. Romero Jr.) and Kyle Clement. At the time, Romero was the principal host of the podcast "Jesus 911," while Clement, director of formation and training for a religious society of priests that Ripperger founded, was a guest on Romero's podcast.

The lawsuit also names as a defendant Catholic Resource Center Inc., of Los Angeles, which operates Virgin Most Powerful Radio, the broadcaster of "Jesus 911." According to Martins' complaint, Clement made false statements about Martins while appearing on the podcast in November 2024.

"Clement asserted that Fr. Martins 'is not who he says he is'" and that Martins is "opining and talking about things which he does not know," according to Martins' complaint, which calls Clement's statements "false and defamatory" because, it says, "Fr. Martins has functioned as an exorcist and has both the knowledge and experience to perform and speak on exorcism."

"These statements harmed Fr. Martins' credibility as a religious figure and exorcist and directly affected the sale and reception of 'The Exorcist Files' book that was newly released at the time these episodes aired," states Martins' complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. "In addition, these statements caused 'The Exorcist Files' to lose advertisers and listeners, which resulted in financial losses."

But Romero and Clement "deny any allegation that they published false or misleading statements" about Martins during the podcasts and maintain that the priest is not an exorcist, according to a formal answer to Martins' complaint filed in court in September 2026.

"It is Defendants['] strongly held belief that Plaintiff is not an exorcist …," the defendants state in court papers, questioning Martins' credentials and describing the priest's "traveling across the United States to perform exorcisms" as "both improper and out of the ordinary."

Private inquiries

The statements Clement and Romero made about Martins during three late-2024 "Jesus 911" podcast episodes (Nov. 20, Nov. 27, and Dec. 4) followed inquiries Romero made privately in the summer of 2023.

Romero sent Martins an email message Aug. 29, 2023, asking for his "status as an exorcist" while identifying himself as a radio and podcast host and as a "member of the Liber Christo team under Fr Ripperger," according to an exhibit filed in court by Martins' lawyer.

Liber Christo is an organization founded by Ripperger and Clement for "training priests, deacons and laity in the ministry of liberation" from purported demonic possession.

Martins referred Romero to the priest's website without answering his questions, according to court papers.

Romero also solicited an email message from Martins' religious society, Companions of the Cross, about the priest, to which the society responded.

"In answer to your inquiry Fr. Carlos has not been appointed as an exorcist by a particular diocese. His full-time ministry is Treasures of the Church, however, due to his travels, he has been involved in exorcisms with the appropriate permission and or by request of the corresponding bishop," the society's email message states.

According to court papers, Romero quoted from the email message during a podcast episode released Nov. 27, 2024, but stopped at "Treasures of the Church" and left out the part about Martins receiving "appropriate permission" from diocesan bishops to perform exorcisms.

Crossing a line?

Romero's partial quotation of the society's email message about Martins during the podcast is a flashpoint in the case.

On Aug. 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge F. Kay Behm denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the case, writing that "the court agrees that Plaintiff has the better argument." The judge highlighted a particular statement that, according to her ruling, Romero made on the podcast about Martins: "I just don't understand why he's purporting to be an exorcist when his Order says he's not."

With that statement, the judge wrote, Romero "appear[s] to have crossed the line between an opinion that Fr. Martins is not an exorcist to statements of fact that the email from his own Order says he is not an exorcist."

The email message from the Companions of the Cross "does not say that Plaintiff is not an exorcist," the judge wrote.

The ruling allowed the lawsuit to proceed but did not determine whether the defendants had defamed Martins.

Two weeks later, on Sept. 4, 2026, the defendants in their formal answer to Martins' complaint acknowledged that "Romero only read a portion of the e-mail in question" during the podcast but described it as a choice the defendants made "consistent with their beliefs" that Martins is not an exorcist.

Unspecified damages

Martins is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit for harm to his reputation, earning ability, and physical well-being allegedly caused by the podcasters' statements about him.

On the financial side, Martins' complaint says he had to cancel "worldwide speaking engagements" associated with the publication of his book "The Exorcist Files," published in November 2024, and that his podcast lost advertisers and listeners.

Martins' complaint says "multiple priests contacted" him following the "Jesus 911" podcasts in November and December 2024 and that "at least one priest advised Fr. Martins that multiple people in his parish were scandalized by the podcasts and asked if Fr. Martins was a fraud."

"Everywhere he goes, he fears people believe him to be a fraud, who is not worthy of the priesthood and not to be trusted as an exorcist," the complaint states.

Martins' complaint also alleges that he "suffered severe emotional distress, including anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, dread, grief, and a sense of hopelessness," as well as a brain injury called dendritic atrophy, allegedly caused by emotional distress. The complaint says the injury makes the brain "more susceptible to anxiety and depression."

"Fr. Martins' cognitive abilities have been permanently diminished because of the Defendants' conduct," the complaint states.

Neither Martins nor his religious community nor the lawyer representing him in the case could be reached for comment by the time this story was published.

Clement and a spokesman for Catholic Resource Center also could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman for Romero, who currently hosts "The Jesse Romero Show" podcast, declined an interview request from the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News.

"Jesse would welcome an interview after the case is adjudicated and talk about the case from the beginning to end," said Anita Romero, Jesse Romero's event coordinator, by email.

The defendants' lawyer, H. William Burdett, declined a request for comment.

Ripperger, who, at the request of Denver Archbishop James Golka, has agreed to a one-year moratorium on public speaking and interviews, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday night. The Register attempted to contact him through the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother, known as the Doloran Fathers, a semi-contemplative society of priests he founded in the Archdiocese of Denver.

A scheduling conference in the case is set for Oct. 29.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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The majority of Catholic voters cited the cost of living, inflation, and unemployment as higher priorities than life issues in polling ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to a Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) survey that has not yet been made public.

Mark Gray, CARA director at Georgetown University, told anchor Veronica Dudo on "EWTN News Nightly" on Oct. 19 that the nationwide poll, conducted over the summer, will be released later this week.

Gray, who directs the Catholic research institute that conducts surveys, demographic studies, and social-science research on the Catholic Church, said respondents ranked marriage as the most important Church-related issue, ahead of life issues, but that economic concerns, including unemployment, ranked higher overall.

"We did ask respondents about the importance of Church teachings. And life issues are certainly important," Gray said. "But also economic justice is also right there. It's actually above the life issues at the current moment."

According to Gray, the majority of Catholics said "high cost of living and inflation and unemployment" rank ahead of life issues as the Nov. 3 elections loom.

Gray said he anticipated the Catholic vote will be most "important" in Midwest states and Florida. "Those tend to always be the places where Catholic voters are really important," he said, noting that Catholic voters in Texas will also play a notable role as well.

Speaking on the impact of young Catholics in the midterms, Gray said that while the turnout for midterm elections is always lower than presidential ones, CARA's polling found that "young voters do seem to be well-energized."

Besides voting trends, CARA often studies topics such as Mass attendance, vocations, parish life, and Catholic demographics.

Pew's findings on Catholic voters

Statistics from the CARA report come after polling by Pew Research Center found that Catholic registered voters prefer Democratic candidates over Republicans in the upcoming U.S. House of Representatives races by a narrow margin.

With the midterms approaching on Nov. 3, the survey found Catholics favoring Democratic House candidates by 3 percentage points. Pew polled 5,062 adults, which included 3,917 registered voters from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 for its American Trends Panel. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.6 percentage points.

The poll shows President Donald Trump's approval rating plummeting among Catholics since he began his second term, with 30% approving of how he has handled his job as president and 67% disapproving. In January 2025, his approval was about 47% among Catholics.

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To celebrate the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi and the 250th anniversary of Misión San Francisco de Asís — a historic Catholic Church in San Francisco also known as Mission Dolores — the Knights of St. Francis of Assisi along with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the national Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, and the Benedict XVI Institute are hosting a rare exhibit.

From Oct. 16 to Nov. 28, the public is invited to visit San Francisco's Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption to view a special relic of St. Francis, pieces of art, and models of the historic 21 missions in California, and to pray before an illuminated manuscript of the "Canticle of the Creatures" commissioned by the Benedict XVI Institute.

The relic available to venerate is a first-class relic of St. Francis' blood taken from the side wound of the stigmata he received, which is kept in La Verna, Italy. After experiencing a visitation from a crucified angel on Sept. 14, 1224, St. Francis developed wounds in his hands, feet, and side. The Franciscan friars of La Verna have guarded St. Francis' blood for 800 years.

The art pieces in the exhibit include Dono Doni's late-Renaissance Franciscan devotional painting "Stigmata of Saint Francis" and "Crucifixion of Saint Francis," the Cimabue painting of "Saint Francis of Assisi" by Cenni di Peppo, the famous painting of the veil of St. Clare, Adamo di Cladaro's "St. Francis," and the 17th-century anonymous painting "St. Francis Watched Over by the Angels."

"It's incredible that it's in our city," Angela Alioto, founder of the Knights of St. Francis, told ABC7 Eyewitness News Bay Area in an interview. "And I absolutely believe it's in our city because we're the city of St. Francis."

Father Saul Tambini, OFM, from the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, Italy, added: "We have to celebrate St. Francis because we know how much the Franciscan presence deeply shaped this place."

Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV decreed that from Jan. 10, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027, "a special Year of St. Francis shall be proclaimed, in which every faithful Christian, following the example of the saint of Assisi, shall become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace."

Catholics around the world have honored this jubilee year in several different ways. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco designated several locations where the faithful can make a pilgrimage in order to receive a plenary indulgence — bearing in mind that all the conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence must be met.

While there are six total missions within the broader San Francisco Bay Area region — including Mission San José in Fremont, Mission Santa Clara, Mission Santa Cruz, Mission San Rafael, and Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma — only Mission Dolores resides directly inside the city of San Francisco. It was founded on June 29, 1776, when the first Mass was celebrated, and was formally dedicated on Oct. 9, 1776, by Father Francisco Palóu and St. Junípero Serra.

There are a total of 21 missions in the state of California spanning a 600-mile trail known as El Camino Real — stretching from San Diego in the south to Sonoma in the north. They were founded between 1769 and 1823 by Franciscan friars, starting with St. Junípero Serra and were built by the Spanish empire to secure the California coast, spread Catholicism, and integrate Native American populations into Spanish colonial society. Most are still standing today and function as active Catholic parishes, museums, and historical landmarks open to the public.

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