Catholic News

Pope Leo XIV on Aug. 22 arrived in San Marino, launching a pastoral visit on the occasion of the country's 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

The Holy Father was also scheduled to visit the Italian city of Rimini, where the Meeting for Friendship Between Peoples takes place.

The pope left Rome by helicopter around 8 a.m. and arrived 45 minutes later at the Torraccia airfield in San Marino. There he was received by the Captains Regent Alice Mina and Vladimiro Selva who were accompanied by various local officials.

Also present in the welcome delegation was the apostolic nuncio in Italy and the Republic of San Marino, Monsignor Edgar Peña Parra, as well as Monsignor Domenico Beneventi, the bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro.

In a telegram addressed to Italian President Sergio Mattarella — sent by custom as the pope was leaving Italian territory — Leo expressed his greetings, accompanied "with fervent wishes for the spiritual, civil and social progress of my beloved Italy."

Upon his arrival, military honors were given to the pope, after which a private conversation was held between the pontiff and the captains regent in the Palazzo Publico. The Holy Father also met with local authorities and representatives of civil society.

Later, the captains regent addressed a few words to the pope, who in turn gave a speech in which he said he was enormously pleased to visit San Marino, which has the honor of being "the oldest republic in the world."

The pope thanked the captains regents for their invitation and for the warm welcome they gave him. He stressed the importance of the 100 years of relations between the Vatican and San Marino.

"This connection is old due to its long historical coexistence, but at the same time recent if we consider that just a century ago, in April 1926, diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the serene Republic of San Marino were formalized," he said.

The pope then reflected on the value of freedom in personal life and in the events of a nation, pointing out that "there is no true civil freedom without personal freedom."

"This freedom is granted and guaranteed, ultimately, by God, whose voice resonates in the consciousness of every human being," he said.

"Promoting freedom means defending the space of consciousness. And here our thoughts are addressed to the many men and women who, in all times and places, are martyrs of freedom because they testify to the primacy of conscience," he added.

The pope highlighted the value of figures such as Saint Thomas More, patron saint of rulers and politicians, who inspire those who exercise power to remain faithful to their consciences "even in times of great adversity, witnesses of true freedom, the freedom that comes from being sons and daughters of God."

At the same time, Pope Leo remarked that freedom is realized "in giving, in communion, in encounter and in dialogue," being lived according to the Gospel. In addition, he continued, freedom is also "a constant commitment to active and positive participation in peacebuilding."

Finally, the Holy Father pointed out that San Marino can be a "laboratory" of good policies, highlighting the "human care" that is expressed in "the protection of every life, at every stage, from conception to natural death."

"This concern for others has been a distinctive feature of the history of San Marino since its beginnings," he said.

"This sensitivity is also the result of the Christian tradition of this country and the constant and positive collaboration between the political authorities and the bishop in the pursuit of the common good," he said.

This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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In the small landlocked country of San Marino on Aug. 22, Pope Leo XIV called on young people to open "the door of their heart" to God, assuring them that the faithful "only find authentic freedom in Jesus Christ."

After his arrival in San Marino, one of the smallest and oldest republics in the world, and following a meeting with the country's captains regent, the pope went to the Basilica of San Marino. There, together with priests and the faithful, he worshiped the Blessed Sacrament and venerated the relics of Saint Marinus.

"I'm glad to meet you in this basilica," the pope said in a speech after the moment of prayer. "I would like us to live this moment together as a pause in our common path in the footsteps of Christ."

Addressing especially young people, the Holy Father recalled the words spoken by his predecessor Benedict XVI when visiting San Marino in 2011: "Do not stay in the partial, immediate answers [...], easier at first and more comfortable, which can give some moments of happiness, of exaltation, of drunkenness, but that do not lead you to the true joy of living."

Benedict XVI had told pilgrims at the time: "Your heart is an open window to infinity!" Addressing the faithful on Aug. 22, Pope Leo said: "Well, dear young people: keep that window open!"

"Follow with the gaze of the soul the paths that trace in you the great longings for beauty, goodness and life that you carry in your heart," the pope said.

"If you carefully observe their journey and listen to your voice, they will lead you to the top, to meet God, where He seeks and waits for you; and, with his help, your dreams will have the necessary strength to leave a mark on history and improve it," he added.

As a "second call," the pope said to young people: "Enthusiastically embrace your mission in the world! Do it, first of all, trying to understand what the call is for you, unique for each one, and value its greatness."

"Then, give yourself to him and invest without reservation all the richness of the gifts that God has granted you," he continued, encouraging them not to be "fear of making demanding decisions, such as marriage, consecration, orderly ministry, professional life or social and political commitment."

The Holy Father also expressed his "sincere gratitude to the priests, catechists and educators," who "work for the human and Christian growth of young people," and highlighted their "hidden, but very important" work of helping parents, who are "first responsible for the education of their children in faith."

"The family, in fact, is the first place of formation in the faith, the natural bosom in which the Gospel is learned from childhood and breathed on a daily basis," he said.

He encouraged the faithful to establish "an educational pact, so that parents feel involved, rediscover the faith themselves in a new way and have the joy of transmitting to their children the Christian values of which they are custodians."

While warning that "we live in a world wounded by numerous conflicts," the pope assured the assembly that, in the face of "these disturbing tendencies," the response of believers "can be no other than to travel the path of the Gospel with an even greater conviction."

Towards the end of his address inside the basilica, the pope encouraged the faithful to live in communion, giving "testimony of unity in our communities: among the parishes and, within them, between pastors and faithful, among the different charisms and ministries."

After concluding the meeting inside the basilica, the Holy Father addressed a greeting to the faithful who were outside and spoke again in a special way the young people present: "Open the door of your heart, always listen to Jesus Christ and never be afraid to listen to what Jesus wants to say to each of you."

"Recognize in yourselves the value of life. The value of your life, of you, who were created by God and are loved by God: your life has a great value for us, for the Church, for your family and for the whole world," said the pope.

This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, EWTN News' Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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From practicing law to answering a call to the priesthood, Bishop Robert Boxie's faith journey has led to multiple milestones, including becoming the youngest U.S. bishop and the first African American to be appointed to the leadership role in nearly a decade.

With an Ivy League law degree, a successful career, and the ability to travel, Robert Boxie III seemed to have it all. Yet, he said he felt the Lord calling him to something even greater: religious life.

Originally from southern Louisiana, Boxie grew up where "Catholicism runs deep in the soil," he said in an Aug. 21 interview with "EWTN News In Depth" host Catherine Hadro.

With that faith instilled in him, Boxie went on to attend Vanderbilt University, where he received a degree in chemical engineering and a second degree in music. He then worked for a year in France teaching English.

Upon returning to the U.S., he continued his education at Harvard Law School before working as a law clerk in Maryland and then as an associate at a law firm in Washington, D.C.

Then, following much discernment, he entered seminary for the Archdiocese of Washington and was ordained a priest in 2016.

After a decade as a priest, Pope Leo XIV appointed Boxie an auxiliary bishop of Washington. Cardinal Robert McElroy ordained him into the order of bishops at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on July 8.

"It's still new. It's still fresh," he said. "The ordination … was tremendous. It was a real gift to me, and my family, and my community."

"It's a new reality that I've never experienced before, but it's one where I know that the Lord has prepared me for this moment," he said. "There have been a number of graces before the ordination, at the ordination itself, and since then. Lord's just been incredibly generous with me."

From lawyer to priest

Before attending law school, "my faith was just something very personal and very private," Boxie said. "But it was really in law school where my faith became more public, and I was able to share it with others."

Boxie joined the Catholic Law Student association and attended his first vocation retreat for the Archdiocese of Boston, where he really began to consider the priesthood.

"I eventually went on another vocation retreat for the Archdiocese of Washington to see if the first one was a fluke, or if that was just a happenstance," he said.

While discerning, "I had a great clerkship. I was at a great law firm. I was doing some good work, making some good money, living in a great part of town, really living the D.C. life, if you will. And it was fun."

"I felt as though I'd worked so hard to achieve this and wanted to see that to its natural end," he said. But, "the Lord called, and he placed this desire that kept growing, and growing, and growing that I couldn't simply ignore, or couldn't simply disregard."

A few years after his priestly ordination, Boxie began serving as chaplain at Howard University in Washington, D.C., which is "one of the premier historically Black colleges and universities in the United States."

"For the six years that I spent at Howard, I had the best job as a priest in the United States, hands down. And I would put that to any other priest in the United States," he said.

He also served as a priest in residence at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

Ministry to youth and African American communities

At 45, Boxie said he has "no problem being John the Beloved [who is believed to be the youngest of the Twelve Apostles] of the bishops' conference."

Boxie feels "a responsibility" to Catholic youth who have "an incredible amount to offer — their creativity, their ideas, their perspective, their zeal and enthusiasm," he said.

Boxie's appointment marked another milestone. It was the first time since 2017 an African American has been selected as a U.S. bishop.

"It's huge, and it's much bigger than me," Boxie said. "There has been a fraught history within the Catholic Church when it comes to Black people."

"There was a significant period in the Church where African Americans were relegated as second-class citizens in the Church and in the house of God —  having to sit in the back of the church or in the choir rafters, receiving sacraments last, being denied even entry into the church."

The "Church has done an incredible amount of good as well in the Black community, especially when it comes to education and schooling," he said. "But there is still some healing that has to take place."

Following his appointment, Boxie said he believes "people feel hope" and "that the Church hasn't forgotten them."

"Black Catholic faith, Black spirituality in general, is one where you can find joy and suffering. And there's so much suffering that's going on around, and our experience is one where we can still find the joy in that. We can still find God's plan and God's providence in that," he said.

'Kindredness with the pope'

The bishop said he believes his appointment is a way to better minister and evangelize to the U.S. Black Catholic community. There are about 3 million Black Catholics in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center.

Pope Leo "has African ancestry in his blood," including family in "the Creole community in New Orleans," Boxie said. "I'm also part of that Creole community in southwest Louisiana, and so I feel a kindredness with the pope."

"He's recently spoke about his own African history and how he's had both those who were enslaved and those who enslaved other human beings. And so he's aware of that. He's sensitive to that," Boxie said.

"Even his recent statement in Magnifica Humanitas, his first encyclical, apologizing for the sin of slavery and the horrors that ensued from that," he said. "I'm so grateful for that."

"It's going to open up so many more avenues and doors for folks who have been disillusioned by the Church to take another look," Boxie said.

"Leo is different," he said. "I think he's very much continuing the tradition of past popes" while also "putting his own stamp, his own mark on it."

In continuity with Pope Francis, Pope Leo "wants to select bishops and shepherds that are close to the people, that really have a sense of where people are, the smell of the sheep, and who are on the ground, in the trenches with folk."

Mission as bishop

"I will be assisting Archbishop Cardinal McElroy, but as an auxiliary that gives me more flexibility to be out with the people," Boxie said.

For those in D.C. "who are … working on the Hill, or in law firms, or lobbying groups — I've been there and I've had that experience as well," he said.

"I feel as though I can have a special connection with the young people, young adults, that are here in the city, who are trying to navigate this space and this world, and figure out where the Lord is really calling them," he said.

"I look forward to just connecting with so many people," he said. "Because there are a number of folks who are seeking and who are searching."

"And I was there too. Seeking and searching: 'Where is the Lord in this? How is he calling me to glorify him with my life, with the gifts that he has given to me?'"

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The Dicastery for Culture and Education has confirmed to the parents of students at Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Hamburg in Germany that the Vatican document "Male and Female He Created Them" remains the authoritative guide for sex education.

With this, the Vatican appears to contradict a framework regarding sex education that the archdiocese's vicar general said must be used in all Catholic schools and that some parents reject.

Father Sascha-Philipp Geißler, SAC, implemented the document "Male, Female, Diverse: Framework for Sexual Education at Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Hamburg" first in 2025, and all Catholic schools in the archdiocese are expected to use it beginning with the 2026–2027 school year.

The framework, in line with influential sexologist Uwe Sielert, describes sexuality as "general life energy." On the issue of gender, it states: "Biological sex does not necessarily have to correspond to social identity."

Regarding conflicts of values with parents, the document notes that it may be "the school's role to 'stand on the children's side.'"

After receiving a response to their complaints to the Vatican, the Parents' Network for Child Protection and Prevention asked Hamburg's Archbishop Stefan Heße once again to withdraw the framework. They asked that it be replaced by guidelines that "in particular guarantee parental rights and child protection and are in full accordance with Catholic doctrine and the requirements of the Holy See."

Monsignor Matthias Ambros, the undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, wrote in the letter dated July 6, which was obtained by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News: "After due consideration of its contents, this dicastery confirms that, with regard to the question of possible guidelines on sex education, the position remains the one set forth in the document 'Male and Female He Created Them' … published by the Congregation for Catholic Education on February 2, 2019."

According to the dicastery, the parents' petition was received on July 2. The letter thanks the parents for their "commitment to Catholic education." It does not explicitly mention the framework the Archdiocese of Hamburg wants Catholic schools to use. In fact, the dicastery did not comment on the substance of the parents' objections at all.

Based on the answer from Rome, the parents' network compared the Vatican document from 2019, which firmly rejects gender ideology, with the Hamburg framework. The comparison lists 20 contradictions the parents see. These relate to the view of human nature, the assessment of marriage and family, and parents' rights to educate their own children. The framework concept "adopts, in essential parts, the premises of that gender ideology which the congregation's letter … has expressly rejected in the spirit of respectful dialogue," the parents' network concluded.

"We ask you: Do not view our concern merely as the protest of a group of parents. Read the response from Rome and compare it with the concept that is to be implemented in Catholic schools in Hamburg. Rome has once again reaffirmed the Church's continuing position on sexual morality. If you, too, recognize the contradiction we have pointed out, we ask you: Do not remain silent! This is not merely a matter of defending our children and families but also of standing up for the teaching of our Church and remaining faithful to what it itself proclaims," the network's spokeswoman, Varinia Arauco Vera, said.

When the framework first took effect in 2025, the archdiocese described it as a sign of "contemporary, values-based, and scientifically sound sex education."

"We advocate for the acceptance of diversity with regard to sexual orientations and gender identity," said Geißler, the vicar general, at the time.

Christopher Haep, head of the Department of Schools and Higher Education in the archdiocese, added: "We want Catholic schools to be safe places where sexuality is not treated as a taboo but is recognized in all its complexity and dignity."

The department's spokesperson, Christoph Schommer, told CNA Deutsch in March that "as the school operators, we are in regular and intensive dialogue with parents and parent representatives."

When the policy was implemented, it received "broad approval from the general parents' council, school administrations, and the representatives for school pastoral care."

"But of course, we also engage constructively with critical voices," Schommer said.

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Armenian Catholic Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian emphasized the significance of his Church's centuries-old and continuing presence in the Middle East, despite the grave challenges its faithful have endured, including massacres, genocide, famine, and other hardships.

He described this endurance as a sign of hope and resilience that strengthens him to continue in the footsteps of his forebears and live the faith according to their example.

In an exclusive interview with EWTN News, conducted in cooperation with its Middle East and North Africa sister news outlet ACI MENA, Minassian said the Armenian Catholic Church, like all Churches in communion with the universal Church, remains committed to its vocation of living out and bearing witness to the faith through good example and serving its people with love and an open heart.

Our Lady of Bzommar Monastery: A witness to resilience

Minassian pointed to the resilience of Our Lady of Bzommar Monastery, which has housed the historic seat of the Armenian Catholic patriarchal see in Lebanon for several centuries. Despite the many hardships endured by the monastery and its residents over the years, it remains standing today.

"There are no challenges or difficulties that we cannot overcome before returning to continue our mission and bear witness to the whole world," he said.

Minassian expressed confidence that the difficulties currently taking place in the Middle East and around the world will eventually pass.

"After the storm, the sun always shines, and a brighter future comes," he said.

He said his personal experience as a member of the first generation born after the Armenian genocide of 1915, and as the son of a father who was orphaned because of it, taught him that severe challenges and persecution can deepen hope and strengthen Christians to continue their vocation, safeguard their faith, and take pride in their Christian identity.

Absence of an effective international Christian presence

Minassian also addressed the responsibility carried by the patriarchs of the Eastern churches as fathers and servants of their communities. He said they must work diligently to provide for the spiritual and social needs of their people.

"This is a great responsibility, and the Western world sometimes does not understand its magnitude," he said.

At the same time, he expressed disappointment over the absence of an effective international Christian presence during recent events. Nevertheless, he affirmed his absolute trust in Jesus Christ, "who is present with us in the Eucharist," and in God's ability to provide everything his children need.

Amid growing pressures targeting Christians and Church properties in the region and around the world, Minassian said he believes that sincere work for genuine peace, rather than political peace, will restore rights to their rightful owners and allow every person to have a home, a church, and a land.

"This is my faith. It may be somewhat idealistic, but I believe deeply in God's divine providence and place my trust in it," he said.

Youth and the diaspora

Minassian drew attention to the difficulties facing the Armenian Catholic Church because it is not always able to establish parishes in different parts of Europe and the Americas.

As a result, many Armenian Catholic families in the diaspora do not have access to a church or priest who can serve them according to their own rite.

He also noted the lack of cooperation his church sometimes encounters from Latin-rite churches, despite the Armenian Catholic Church's willingness to cooperate with and welcome everyone without conditions.

"We do not always receive the same treatment from the Western mentality," he said.

Minassian called on Armenian Catholics in their homelands and throughout the diaspora to continue their journey and remain committed to their mission of bearing witness to the Lord and his saving work, through which the world is redeemed and granted eternal life.

He also encouraged young people serving in the Church to carry out their ministry with joy and humility.

He expressed hope that the synodal journey within the universal Church would pave "a path that enables us to walk together," allowing the Eastern and Western Churches to fulfill their mission of drawing closer to one another "and walking together toward our Savior, Jesus Christ."

One Church

Speaking about the relationship between the two branches of the Armenian Church, Minassian stressed that, in reality and at its deepest level, it is one Church. He explained that global politics, wars, and massacres imposed the division seen today, but that the Lord Jesus remains one and continues to unite his people.

Minassian described the communion, cooperation, and mutual respect shared among the Eastern Churches as a practical expression of unity and a source of genuine hope. He pointed to their openness, love, and readiness to serve, make sacrifices, and support one another during difficult times.

Drawing on the words of Jesus — "As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples" — the Armenian Catholic patriarch concluded with a message to Christians around the world: "May every Christian be ready to sacrifice himself for the good of others."

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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Catholic fiber artist Holly Guertin creates wool-based 3D artworks, especially depicting sheep, with a "sacramental worldview."

Guertin is based in Philadelphia, and her work is currently on display at a visual arts center in North Carolina. Her debut solo art exhibition, "Hand in Hand," is on view at Waterworks Visual Arts Center in Salisbury until Oct. 31.

Guertin also works as a fiber arts teacher and chair of the Craftsmanship Department at Martin Saints Classical High School, where she teaches students felting, embroidery, and repeat pattern design.

EWTN News spoke to Guertin about her unique art and the ways in which her faith inspires it.

EWTN News: What is fiber art? What drew you into this art form?

Guertin: Fiber art is a medium that utilizes textile and cloth-making processes for the purpose of beauty and expression. It is a very open art category and the techniques in fiber art are often repetitive and labor intensive.

When I was a freshman in college at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), I happened upon an open studio event at the fibers department. The artworks and projects I saw in the building were some of the most interesting I'd ever seen, and once I saw the variety of careers that were possible with a fibers degree, I changed my major from fashion to fibers and never looked back.

In the fibers program, I learned everything that goes into cloth making (such as knitting, weaving, and felting) and cloth decoration (such as dyeing, screen printing, and embroidery). I never tried a technique I didn't like.

How has faith played a role in your art? How do you pull from scriptural imagery and religious symbolism in your artwork?

My faith has been intertwined within my artwork from the very beginning. Throughout my life, art has been a way I explore different themes and ideas. By being made in the image of God, his creative power that crafted the universe is woven into our very being. When I am creative, I am participating in the Lord's creativity. This cooperation inspires and fuels my work.

I love to read the Bible, and the Lord has shown me his creativity and his love for textiles and patterns throughout the Old and New Testaments. From the making of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1) to St. Paul's handkerchiefs (Acts 19:11-12), the Bible is filled with references to textiles and the making of cloth.

I also find so much inspiration from the natural world, his creation, and view it as an invitation to creativity with and for the Lord (cf. Romans 1:20). The Lord has been so generous with me and I am constantly inspired by his word and his world.

How is wool and sheep imagery important in your artwork?

Wool has been integral to my development and formation as an artist. As soon as I began working with wool in our 3D Fibers class at SCAD, I wanted to explore the Good Shepherd and Lamb of God symbols in the Bible. Seventeen years later, I'm still plumbing the depths of this imagery, and it is so rich.

I have been researching and exploring why sheep and shepherds are mentioned over 400 times in the Bible. What is so special about this creature? Through the Lord's own words, the sheep and shepherd relationship mirrors our relationship with him (Psalm 100:3).

Throughout the Scriptures, God likens his people to sheep (Ezekiel 34). We are the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3), he is our shepherd (Psalm 23), and Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18), to name just a few. The simile is apt and the Lord has so much to tell us through this symbol. Like sheep, we are dependent, communal, habitual, and full of potential.

The way we view sheep, even today, mirrors our understanding of ourselves. Especially in our increasingly digital and artificial ways of living, I have found wool to be an antidote to our divisive and isolating culture. Wool has revealed our innate human dignity, the value of manual labor, the meaning in material, the beauty in pattern, the sacred in the ordinary, and the power of creativity.

What has your faith journey been like, and how has art been a part of it?

I am a Catholic convert from evangelical Protestantism. I was received into the Church during the Easter Vigil 15 years ago during my senior year at SCAD.

When, in my sophomore year, I discovered the power of my hands to transform wool into felt, my eyes were opened to a sacramental worldview. Especially because I was working with wool, a material so steeped in religious and scriptural symbolism, I understood the immense value in the creative act. Suddenly, the work of my hands held meaning!

I saw how beauty isn't superficial or unnecessary but is an essential channel that reveals the goodness and truth of the Father.

After I became Catholic two years later, I discovered the thousands of years of theological development that catalyzed and put language to everything I had experienced in fiber arts. St. John Paul II especially has had a great influence on my artwork and how I understand creativity and beauty.

To follow Guertin's work, view her artwork here, visit her Instagram here, or visit her weekly newsletter here.

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When Archbishop Paul Coakley was a seminarian and first learned of Father Stanley Rother's martyrdom, he immediately considered the Oklahoma priest a role model. Decades later, on July 28, Coakley, now the archbishop of Oklahoma City, attended the premiere of the new film "American Martyr: The Stanley Rother Story" and spoke to EWTN News about how America's first martyr has remained a source of inspiration.

Rother, who grew up on a farm in Oklahoma, became a diocesan priest and went to work with the Indigenous Tz'utujil people of Santiago Atitlán in Guatemala, which ended with his murder in 1981. He was beatified on Sept. 23, 2017.

Rother attended Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where Coakley studied some years later. The archbishop recalled being in his third year of seminary when he received word that Rother had been killed.

"From the very beginning, from the earliest two days, when the news was still getting out about the death of this American missionary from Oklahoma, I was curious and inspired," he said.

"At that stage of my own formation, I was looking for role models and witnesses and Stanley Rother appeared on the horizon as somebody that I was very attracted to. So, for all of those years ever since then, I've read everything, I've learned everything I could possibly find that was being produced about him."

Coakley explained that when he received the phone call that he would be the next archbishop of Oklahoma City — due to the retirement of Archbishop Eusebius Beltran, who opened Rother's cause for canonization — he knew he would be the one to carry Rother's cause forward.

"When I had been appointed archbishop, but before it was even announced, I received that phone call telling me I was coming here; I disguised myself quite literally," he recalled. "I was the bishop in Salina, Kansas, and I drove down to Okarche, Oklahoma [Rother's birthplace], one Saturday morning, incognito, to pay my respects and to lay my ministry at the feet of Stanley Rother and pray for his intercession. So, he's been my companion all along the way since 1981, all these years."

While Coakley said he believes many Catholics are still "becoming acquainted" with Rother's life, his story resonates with those who do encounter him due to the fact that he was "just an ordinary priest, with ordinary struggles."

"He struggled academically in seminary and yet he put his gifts at the service of others. He cultivated his gifts and he used his gifts as the Lord gave him the opportunity to do so," he said.

Coakley added: "I think the one thing we can take from the life of Blessed Stanley … is to cultivate the gifts that God has given us. We don't need to go to Guatemala. We don't need to go anywhere. God has endowed each one of us with particular gifts. Develop those gifts, be generous in sharing those gifts, and that's the way God is glorified."

The archbishop also pointed out the impact Rother has had on vocations in Oklahoma City.

"He's a very attractive figure I think for young men who are considering seminary for sure. We have seminarians that visit the shrine regularly from all over the country, actually," he said. "But I think for our seminarians and priests here in Oklahoma, there's a great sense of pride that he's one of us. He was formed by this local Church and he inspires us by his ordinary and yet heroic life."

When speaking about the film, Coakley said the most important reason behind making it was to "make Blessed Stanley Rother more widely known to the wider Church."

"We're aware of him here in Oklahoma and we think we have a beautiful figure, an authentic, inspiring, attractive role model for priests and for all of the faithful, but we want more people to know about Blessed Stanley Rother," he explained. "So, it's really in the interest of advancing his cause, introducing him to a much, much wider audience that we wanted to produce this documentary film."

Coakley said he hopes viewers will leave the theater after watching the new film reminded that "all of us are called to holiness."

"Stanley Rother would not have been the one in high school in the yearbook that said 'most likely to become a saint' … And yet all of us are called, it's our vocation if you're baptized, you're called to be a saint. All of us are called to be saints. And Stanley Rother gives us a hope that for each one of us that is a possibility that is real."

"American Martyr" will be shown in English in theaters Aug. 25 and 26 and in Spanish on Aug. 27.

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The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has launched a petition campaign calling on the United Nations and the Council of Europe to protect religious freedom in the face of the religious persecution occurring in 62 countries.

On its website, the Catholic organization states that "no one should have to choose between their faith and their life." However, "5.4 billion people, almost two-thirds of humanity, live in countries where individuals and communities continue to face harassment, violence, and even death because of their beliefs."

ACN is therefore inviting people to sign the petition addressed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres; U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk; the U.N. General Assembly; European Council President António Costa; as well as democratic governments, ambassadors, and diplomatic representatives.

The goal is to call upon international leaders to permanently protect the fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, "as enshrined in Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

ACN notes that its "Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025" warns that "some 5.4 billion people live in 62 countries where persecution, oppression, or discrimination by both state and non-state actors has intensified."

The pontifical foundation states that "this grave human rights crisis can no longer be ignored" and therefore urges democratic governments and international bodies to "publicly condemn all forms of religious persecution."

Likewise, ACN calls for "religious freedom to be a priority in foreign policy and diplomatic relations," for "enforcing appropriate measures against regimes that repeatedly violate this fundamental right," and for concrete measures to be adopted "to prevent violations, ensure the effective protection of this right, and promote the socioeconomic development of religious minorities."

The letter also calls for the protection of "at-risk religious communities to be granted protection, especially in countries suffering from sectarian violence or religious extremism. This is aimed at preventing forced migration, thereby enabling communities to stay in their ancestral homes and lands."

Finally, the letter requests that "individuals and groups suffering religious persecution receive the emergency aid and legal aid they need."

Those wishing to sign the petition can visit this link.

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

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New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Aug. 20 signed a bill that criminalizes "interference" with "reproductive" or "gender-affirming" care, a law that opponents say has serious implications for freedom of speech.

The law criminalizes inflicting "emotional harm" against those seeking or providing "reproductive health care services." It also bans filming and sharing videos within 100 feet of an abortion clinic.

Under the new law, an officer can "order the immediate dispersal of a gathering that substantially impedes access to or departure from an entrance or driveway to a reproductive or gender-affirming health care facility during the business hours of the facility."

The measure is a type of "bubble" law, which creates zones around abortion clinics where free speech is limited in "buffer zones."

Violations of the law could be punished by up to 18 months' imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine.

New Jersey Right to Life Executive Director Marie Tasy criticized the law, describing its provisions as "inherently subjective" and the law itself as "a serious danger to free speech."

"Peaceful sidewalk counseling, prayer, holding signs, or simply offering help and alternatives outside a facility can easily be labeled 'intimidation' by someone who claims to feel threatened, leaving pro-life advocates open to criminal charges that are difficult to disprove and chilling constitutionally protected expression," Tasy said.

Catholic diocese leads campaign against abortion amendment referendum

The Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, is leading a campaign to oppose an amendment referendum that could create a right to abortion in the state constitution as well as another measure that would remove a same-sex marriage ban in the state.

The campaign Catholics Vote No is opposing the ballot measure titled the "Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment" as well as the "Virginia Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment."

Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge describes the measures as "very serious legal threats to human life and marriage" in a video statement.

"If written into Virginia's Constitution, these unjust amendments would be extraordinarily difficult to reverse," the campaign website states. The abortion amendment would "effectively" make Virginia "a sanctuary for abortion and commercial abortion businesses," it states.

"Basic health and safety standards that protect women from harm would be eliminated, parents would be pushed out of life-altering decisions involving their family and children, and unregulated abortions would be possible, performed even on healthy babies up to the moment of birth for any reason with no limits," the campaign says.

Live Action says it will keep referring to abortion as 'killing'

The pro-life group Live Action has said it will not stop calling abortion "killing" after a pro-abortion group threatened the organization with legal action.

Live Action made the declaration in response to a cease-and-desist letter sent by the abortion-supporting legal group Amplify Legal. The dispute is over claims made by Live Action in multiple articles about abortion cases where the unborn baby had a serious life-threatening diagnosis.

"Each of our clients has described the decision to end their wanted pregnancy as the most compassionate choice for their own health, future fertility, and family's wellbeing," the letter read, arguing that Live Action News "repeatedly [wrote] about our clients intentionally 'killing' their babies."

In its response Live Action said it would not follow the request to "delete years of reporting and commentary on the most contested moral and political question in American public life."

"We are fighting for a culture and legal system that respects every human life and refuses to treat the sick, disabled, or unborn as disposable," said Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose in a statement. "Legal threats against our First Amendment right to speak will not change that mission."

Catholic dad Mark Houck continues pro-life work after federal legal battle

Catholic father Mark Houck is joining CatholicVote's development team as a gift officer, the group announced this week.

Houck and his family are adjusting to life after their home in rural eastern Pennsylvania was raided by 20 armed federal agents in the early hours of Sept. 23, 2022. Houck was arrested in front of his family and interrogated for six hours. The incident led to nearly four years of legal battles, which concluded with the family earning a seven-figure settlement for damages.

"I am still very much unpacking spiritually what happened to us — very profound and certainly God is revealing his ultimate plan for us through it all, CatholicVote being the latest direction he has taken us," Houck told EWTN News.

"We are so happy to be with an organization that shares our passion for our faith, the pro-life cause, and, of course, advocacy in the public square."

Houck's role in the organization "will extend beyond that [of a gift officer]," CatholicVote spokeswoman Laurie Olsen told EWTN News. He will "have a voice in all our pro-life efforts," she said.

Houck, meanwhile, told EWTN News: "We measure success by one soul at a time."

"Save a soul, you save your own soul. It is that one soul that gets me going and up early to head into Philadelphia and serve the common good with sidewalk advocacy," he said.

Federal court strikes down Indiana abortion parental-consent law

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled on Aug. 18 against an Indiana law that prevents doctors from providing abortion assistance to minors without parental consent.

The 54-page ruling struck down a law that required parental consent to aid or assist a minor in obtaining an abortion. The ruling said that the parental-consent law violated the First Amendment.

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Two statues of Catholic saints will remain off of a Massachusetts city's new public safety building for the foreseeable future now that the state's highest court has upheld a lower court order prohibiting them from being erected.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday that the $850,000, 10-foot-tall bronze statues of St. Michael and St. Florian are so closely allied with Catholicism that putting them on a public building would amount to "government preferential treatment of a particular religion," thus violating the state constitution.

"The likelihood that these statues of religious figures closely associated with the Catholic faith could be viewed by the public as endorsement of a particular religion, and thus subordination of others, is enhanced by the fact that the statues are not part of a larger collection of statues and monuments that includes nonreligious ones, or statues of figures of particular importance to other religions," the state's highest court said in a 34-page decision.

The unanimous court upheld a preliminary injunction on behalf of a dozen residents of the city of Quincy who object to the statues, which are currently in storage in a town south of Boston.

City officials have argued that the statues have secular purposes because the city is attempting to honor police officers, whose patron saint is St. Michael the Archangel, and firefighters, whose patron saint is the early Roman martyr St. Florian. Lawyers for the city have also argued that while both figures are Catholic saints, they are also honored by other religious traditions.

Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, which brought the initial lawsuit, praised the decision of the state's highest court.

"Here in Massachusetts, our state constitution is clear: The government must remain neutral in matters of religion and must not elevate one faith above others. With today's landmark ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court affirms those principles, which are the essential foundation of a pluralistic society where people of all faiths and no faith can flourish," Rossman said in a written statement.

Rachel Laser, president and chief executive officer of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, called the decision "a win for religious freedom and church-state separation."

"Police and fire services are for all Quincy residents, regardless of their religious belief. By trying to install large religious statues in front of the government building dedicated to public safety, [Quincy] Mayor [Thomas] Koch and the city are violating the constitutional promise of church-state separation and sending a message to all who rely on city services that one faith is favored over all others," Laser said in a written statement.

The decision sends the case back to a state superior court, where a judge has already ruled that the plaintiffs have a high likelihood of succeeding. But it also sets up a potential appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court — as the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, reported in April — if the city's mayor decides to go that route.

"This ruling is disappointing but is only preliminary," said Joe Davis, senior counsel at Becket law group and lead attorney for the city.

"Quincy chose these statues to honor the courage and sacrifice of its firefighters and police. The City should not have to hide public art simply because some people may think of religion when they see it," Davis said in a written statement. "As the Court noted today, this is not the final word for these statues, and we will continue defending Quincy's right to honor its heroes."

Koch, who chose the statues and authorized them quietly before a local newspaper reported their existence, also implied that the city will continue its legal fight to erect the statues.

"Quincy's firefighters and police put their lives on the line for this city every day, and these statues were chosen to honor their bravery, service, and sacrifice," Koch said in a written statement. "This decision is disappointing, but it is preliminary, and we will continue to fight for the ability to commemorate our first responders as the law permits."

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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