Catholic News

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289382&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 27, 2025 / 15:53 pm (CNA).

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology is launching a new Bible study program to help Catholics prepare for the Advent and Christmas seasons. 

The Bible study, titled "Bible Across America," is set to begin Nov. 5 and aims to gather Catholics "around God's Word to prayerfully study Scripture, grow in discipleship, and build one another up in the Lord," the organization announced. The course represents the latest addition to the St. Paul Center, whose offerings include online courses, academic books on Scripture and theology, and in-person events for clergy and laity across the country.

Based in Steubenville, Ohio, the St. Paul Center is an independent, nonprofit research and educational institution dedicated, according to its website, to promoting "life-transforming Scripture study from the heart of the Church" and through its programming seeks "to raise up a new generation of priests who are fluent in the Bible and laypeople who are biblically literate."

The initiative builds on the center's previous "Journey Through Scripture" video Bible studies, which have as their goal empowering "Catholics and Christians across North America to experience an 'Emmaus moment,' encountering Christ in the pages of sacred Scripture and through the doctrine of the Catholic Church."

In preparation for Advent and Christmas, the new course will help Catholics understand "who Christ is as 'Teacher and Lord' (Jn 13:13)." The Bible study will include seven weekly sessions starting Nov. 5 that will each focus on a different theme including the Infancy Narratives, exorcisms, the Sermon on the Mount, the healing of the synagogue ruler's daughter, Martha and Mary, the Lost Sheep and Luke 15, and the Transfiguration of Jesus. 

The center's "Bible Across America" initiative is billing itself as "a nationwide Catholic Bible movement," encouraging Catholics to create and organize Bible study groups with their families, friends, or fellow parishioners. Leaders can register with St. Paul Center to receive a guide to help conduct discussions with their groups. Use of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, which was released last year and whose general editor is St. Paul Center founder Scott Hahn, is also being promoted as part of the initiative.

As "Bible Across America" is expected to simultaneously welcome thousands of participants, St. Paul Center anticipated it will be the "largest Bible study" in the United States. The organization is working in partnership with other Catholic organizations on the project, including Hallow, FOCUS, and Mount St. Mary's University. The sessions are slated to include insights from Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks, Heather Khym, Shane Owens, Katie McGrady, and Alex Jones, the CEO of Hallow.

"By witnessing the transformative power of studying Scripture in community, 'Bible Across America' will inspire Catholics across the nation to introduce communal Scripture study in their own homes and parishes," the center noted.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289381&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 27, 2025 / 17:08 pm (CNA).

Russian President Vladimir Putin is voicing concern about the ongoing internal problem of "falling birth rates" in his own country and suggesting state action to address the issue.

Putin said in an Oct. 23 meeting with the Council for the Implementation of State Demographic and Family Policy that drops in birth rates have become "a global trend and a global challenge in the modern world" that is especially affecting economically developed countries, "and Russia is unfortunately no exception."

Russia, he noted, has had "demographic pitfalls" from losses in World War II and problems that coincided with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Though he did not mention the ongoing war with Ukraine, Russia has also lost between 137,000 and 228,000 soldiers in the war approaching its fourth year, according to an analysis by The Economist.

Putin said some countries respond to falling birth rates with "uncontrolled, and even chaotic migration to replace the native population" but that Russia's approach would be different.

"Our choice is unequivocal," the president said. "We support the family as the fundamental basis of Russian society and aim to protect and preserve genuine family values and traditions, which have united and strengthened our country for centuries."

The country's fertility rate is less than 1.5 children per woman — which is far less than the 2.1 births per woman that's needed to simply maintain a nation's population. It's less than half of what Putin sees as his ideal, which is that "families with three or more children should be seen as a standard and natural way of life in our country."

Russia is the ninth most populous country in the world, but it has dropped from 147.6 million people in 1990 to about 146.1 million today, according to The Independent. The latter number includes 2 million people gained from the annexation and occupation of Crimea.

Putin said "no pressure should be exerted" to force couples to have children, because it is "a private and personal matter." Yet, he said Russia should ensure young people "would sincerely aspire to a happy motherhood, would aim to effectively raise their children, and that they would feel confident that the state will support them whenever necessary."

"It is now very important … to promote and uphold the internal attitude that I have mentioned … so that the desire to create a family, to marry and to have many children becomes prevalent in the public mentality," Putin said.

State solutions to incentivize families

Putin sees the government as an essential partner in addressing the falling birth rates. He noted Russia's low-interest mortgages and flat-rate benefits for low-income families and an initiative scheduled for early next year to reduce income tax for low-income families raising at least two children.

Another concern Putin noted is that young people postpone starting families when they focus on studying or their early career. He said young people should "not have to choose one path over another" and highlighted the country's increase in pregnancy and childbirth benefits for full-time students, along with some universities offering day care. 

"Fatherhood and motherhood are a source of joy, and there is no need to postpone happiness," Putin said. "That is what truly matters."

Putin noted that housing expansions and better infrastructure are also needed, along with the promotion of "fundamental value-based attitudes" and engagement with cultural figures and the mass media.

Concerns of Orthodox and Catholic leaders

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has similarly expressed concerns about the declining birth rates in the country. Last year, he highlighted the "tragedy" of abortion as a contributing factor.

Putin did not mention abortion at last week's meeting. In Russia, elective abortion is legal up to the 12th week of pregnancy, but the government has banned promoting "child-free propaganda," and many regions have banned people from pressuring women to have abortions.

Last year, Kirill sent letters to encourage women early in their pregnancies to carry their unborn children until birth. He wished them "good health, peace of mind, and many blessings from Christ, the giver of life" and discussed the blessing of children.

Earlier this month, Pope Leo XIV expressed concern about declining birth rates in Italy when he met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. He urged a "concerted effort" to promote family and protect life "in all its phases."

"In particular, I wish to emphasize the importance of guaranteeing all families the indispensable support of dignified work, in fair conditions and with due attention to the needs related to motherhood and fatherhood," Leo said. "Let us do everything possible to give confidence to families — especially young families — so that they may look to the future with serenity and grow in harmony."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289380&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Vatican City, Oct 27, 2025 / 17:49 pm (CNA).

In separate audiences on Monday, Pope Leo XIV received two political leaders with very different views on the migration issue. In the morning, he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and in the afternoon he met with Magnus Brunner, European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration.

Orbán maintains a restrictionist stance on migration and has repeatedly criticized the migrant redistribution policies promoted by the European Union. For his part, Brunner defends a common migration policy and supports the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, an agreement the Hungarian leader firmly rejects.

Orbán arrived promptly at 9 a.m. at the Courtyard of San Damaso in the Apostolic Palace for his first official meeting with the Holy Father. He later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Holy See, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations.

The Vatican did not provide details on the content of the private audience with the pope nor did it specify whether the migration issue was among the topics discussed. For his part, the Hungarian prime minister stated on his X account that he requested the pope's support in his country's efforts for peace.

During the meeting at the Secretariat of State, the strong bilateral relations and appreciation for the Catholic Church's commitment to promoting social development and the well-being of the Hungarian community were highlighted.

According to the Vatican, special attention was paid to the role of the family and the formation and future of young people as well as the importance of protecting the most vulnerable Christian communities.

The discussions also addressed European issues, especially the conflict in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.

Last Thursday, during his meeting with delegates from popular movements, Pope Leo XIV defended each state's right and duty to protect its borders, which he said must be balanced with "the moral obligation to provide refuge" and warned against "inhumane" measures that treat migrants as if they were "garbage."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289376&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Vatican City, Oct 27, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV drew laughter and applause on Oct. 24 when he recalled asking his mother in the 1970s whether she wanted equality with men. "No," she replied, "because we're already better."

The pope shared the memory during a discussion on the role of women in the Church at the opening of the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies, a three-day gathering for representatives involved in implementing the global synodal process.

The story, he explained, came from a time when debates about equality between men and women were just beginning to take hold in his native United States. His mother's response, he said, was not a joke but an affirmation of women's distinctive gifts. "There are many gifts that women have," he added, recalling their vital roles in family and parish life.

Pope Leo then described a community of sisters in Peru whose charism is to serve where there are no priests. "They baptize, assist at marriages, and carry out a wonderful missionary work that is a testimony even for many priests," he said.

But the pope warned that in many parts of the world, cultural barriers still prevent women from exercising their rightful roles.

"Not all bishops or priests want to allow women to exercise what could very well be their role," he said. "There are cultures where women still suffer as if they were second-class citizens."

The task of the Church, he added, is to help transform those cultures "according to the values of the Gospel," so that discrimination can be eliminated and "the gifts and charisms of every person are respected and valued."

Turning to the wider synodal process, the pope insisted that synodality "is not a campaign, it is a way of being and a way of being for the Church." He said the goal is not to impose a "uniform model" but to foster a spirit of conversion and communion through listening and mission.

Responding to questions from representatives of the Church in Africa, Oceania, and North America, Pope Leo emphasized the importance of patience and formation.

"Not all things move at the same rhythm or speed," he said. "Oftentimes, the resistances come out of fear and lack of knowledge." Without proper formation, he warned, "there are going to be resistances and a lack of understanding."

On the environment, he called for courage in responding to the "cry of the earth," urging Catholics not to remain passive but to "raise our voice to change the world and make it a better place."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289347&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 26, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Jonatan Medina Espinal is a young Catholic influencer who, as the son of evangelical pastors, was considered unlikely to embrace the Catholic faith, but he did so five years ago after a long and intense spiritual journey.

Now, with clearer ideas about the faith, the young Peruvian has become a defender of Catholic doctrine, promoting it on his social media as well as in his Spanish-language book "Toward the Barque of Peter: My Journey from Protestantism to the Catholic Church."

For Dante Urbina, a Catholic author, teacher, and lecturer who also influenced Medina's conversion, the book is "a testimony of profound conversion and intellectual depth that invites us to enter and persevere in the Catholic Church."

Medina is a professional audiovisual communicator and describes himself as "a truth seeker." In an interview with "EWTN Noticias," the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, he shared that he had already felt Catholic "at heart" since 2017, when he "began this journey that took [him] about two or three years."

On Dec. 8, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Medina received the sacrament of baptism, officially becoming part of the Catholic Church.

Medina pointed out that it was necessary for him to receive the sacrament in the Church, considering that the one he had received in his Christian group might not have been entirely valid.

The entire process that led to his conversion, continued Medina — who is part of the Catholic Advancement Movement — began "paradoxically, with a period of agnosticism ... I was agnostic for a good few years of my life, then tried to embrace a more reasonable faith, one based on evidence."

Guided by various Christian figures such as Protestant C.S. Lewis and Catholic G.K. Chesterton, Medina questioned his affiliation with an evangelical church. "I began to embrace a more historical faith, with greater cogency."

After "discovering all the fragmentations … of Protestantism, I said: How can the Gospel be so divided? And I saw that the Church appears with its unity, although obviously that doesn't imply that there aren't tensions or certain divisions, but there is a teaching that helps us to be bound together and gives us that guarantee of unity."

Professor Scott Hahn's influence

"I earned a master's degree in theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. I was with Professor Scott Hahn. I remember hearing his conversion testimony… He was converted by starting to pray the rosary, because he was practically convinced by all the arguments, but he didn't know what he was missing until someone gave him a rosary," Medina recounted in the interview with "EWTN Noticias."

"He prayed it, an impossible situation was resolved for him, and then he forgot about the issue. Then he realized he had been ungrateful and began praying it regularly, and that cemented his conversion," he explained.

"Without a doubt, the subject of Mary is always important, because as a Protestant by birth, I've never had any affection for her," Medina emphasized.

Hahn grew up in the Presbyterian Church, eventually becoming a theologian and minister in that Christian denomination. His journey of conversion began after he and his wife, Kimberly, became convinced that contraception is contrary to God's law, a concept abandoned by many Protestants during the 20th century but always upheld by the Catholic Church.

Hahn converted to Catholicism at Easter 1986. His wife followed him four years later, in 1990. They have six children, one of whom, Jeremiah, has been a Catholic priest since 2021.

Medina also explained that another milestone in his conversion was overcoming the Protestant concept of "sola Scriptura" ("Scripture alone"), which postulates that the Bible is the sole source of Christian faith and practice, ignoring tradition, a source of revelation that is accepted by the Catholic Church.

"I had discovered the error of sola Scriptura: I remember when I discovered it and realized that obviousness, that lack of logic, was so clear," he recounted, and he understood "that Scripture itself was already tradition, only written down. That's when I said, 'Hey, this makes sense to me.' Sola Scriptura began to fall apart for me."

Medina, also the author of the short Spanish-language film "Neighbors" about guardian angels, is grateful for having come to love the Virgin Mary through the example of another convert, Urbina, a Catholic professor and lecturer and author of several Spanish-language books such as "Does God Exist?" and "What Is the True Religion?"

"He also worked at the university where I work, and it was providential that we met one day, and I started asking him questions about Mary specifically, and he helped me a lot. I definitely believe that Mary has been key in my conversion," Medina emphasized.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289346&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Vatican City, Oct 26, 2025 / 08:10 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV said at a Mass on Sunday that no one in the Church "should impose his or her own ideas" and asked that tensions between tradition and novelty not become "ideological contrapositions and harmful polarizations."

"The supreme rule in the Church is love. No one is called to dominate; all are called to serve," Leo said in St. Peter's Basilica on Oct. 26.

"No one should impose his or her own ideas; we must all listen to one another," he continued. "No one is excluded; we are all called to participate. No one possesses the whole truth; we must all humbly seek it and seek it together."

The pontiff celebrated Mass on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time for the closing of the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies, part of the Church's wider Jubilee of Hope in 2025. 

In a call for communion, Pope Leo addressed all the participants in the synodality meeting and asked for their help to expand "the ecclesial space" and make it "collegial and welcoming."

Leo also spoke about synodality with the jubilee pilgrims during an Oct. 24 event at the Vatican.

The Holy Spirit transforms 'harmful polarizations'

"Being a synodal Church means recognizing that truth is not possessed but sought together, allowing ourselves to be guided by a restless heart in love with Love," he emphasized.

The pontiff called on Christians to live "with confidence and a new spirit amid the tensions that run through the life of the Church: between unity and diversity, tradition and novelty, authority and participation. We must allow the Spirit to transform them, so that they do not become ideological contrapositions and harmful polarizations." 

It is not a question of resolving these tensions "by reducing one to the other, but of allowing them to be purified by the Spirit, so that they may be harmonized and oriented toward a common discernment," he said.

He also made it clear that, "prior to any difference, we are called in the Church to walk together in the pursuit of God, clothing ourselves with the sentiments of Christ."

Resolving tensions in the Church

In his homily on the day's Gospel passage, the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector, the pope warned of the danger of spiritual pride displayed by the pharisee: "The pharisee is obsessed with his own ego, and in this way, ends up focused on himself without having a relationship with either God or others."

Leo pointed out that this can also occur in the Christian community.

For example, "when the ego prevails over the collective, causing an individualism that prevents authentic and fraternal relationships," he said.

He also criticized "the claim to be better than others, as the pharisee does with the tax collector, [because it] creates division and turns the community into a judgmental and exclusionary place; and when one leverages one's role to exert power rather than to serve."

The pope highlighted the tax collector's humility as an example for the entire Christian community: "We too must recognize within the Church that we are all in need of God and of one another, which leads us to practice reciprocal love, listen to each other, and enjoy walking together."

Leo urged Catholics to dream of and build a more humble Church, capable of reflecting the Gospel in its way of living and relating.

"A Church that does not stand upright like the pharisee, triumphant and inflated with pride, but bends down to wash the feet of humanity; a Church that does not judge like the pharisee does the tax collector but becomes a welcoming place for all," he said.

He also invited the entire ecclesial community to commit itself to building a Church that is "entirely synodal, ministerial, and attracted to Christ," dedicated to serving the world and open to listening to God and to all the men and women of our time.

Angelus

After the Mass on Oct. 26, Pope Leo led the Angelus prayer in Latin from a window of the Apostolic Palace, which overlooks St. Peter's Square.

In his message following the Marian prayer, he expressed his closeness to the people of eastern Mexico, who were hit earlier this month by devastating floods and landslides, leaving 72 dead and dozens still missing.

"I pray for the families and for all those who are suffering as a result of this calamity, and I entrust the souls of the deceased to the Lord, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin," the pope said.

Leo also renewed his call to "unceasingly" pray for peace, especially through the communal recitation of the rosary. 

"Contemplating the mysteries of Christ together with the Virgin Mary, we make our own the suffering and hope of children, mothers, fathers, and elderly people who are victims of war," he said. 

"And from this intercession of the heart arise many gestures of evangelical charity, of concrete closeness, of solidarity. To all those who, every day, with confident perseverance carry on this commitment, I repeat: 'Blessed are the peacemakers!'"

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289333&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Vatican City, Oct 25, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

There is no single model for what synodality should look like in all countries and cultures, Pope Leo XIV said in a discussion with synod leaders from around the globe, held at the Vatican on Friday.

"We have to be very clear, we're not looking for a uniform model. And synodality will not come with a template where everybody and every country will say this is how you do it," the pope said in the Paul VI Hall Oct. 24.

"It is, rather, a conversion to a spirit of being Church, and being missionary, and building up, in that sense, the family of God."

Leo spoke about synodality in unscripted remarks in English, Spanish, and Italian during the opening session of a meeting for the jubilee of synodal teams and participatory bodies, taking place in Rome Oct. 24-26, part of the Church's wider 2025 Jubilee of Hope.

Around 2,000 people are attending the synod-focused jubilee, which includes a two-day meeting "aimed at translating the orientations of the [Synod on Synodality's] Final Document into pastoral and structural choices consistent with the synodal nature of the Church," according to the Vatican's synod office.

The pope joined part of the program on Friday evening to listen to representatives from different regions give reports on the implementation of synodality in their parts of the world, and to answer their questions about the synodal process. 

Synodality, Leo said, "is to help the Church fulfill its primary role in the world, which is to be missionary, to announce the Gospel."

He added that synodality "is not a campaign. It's a way of being and a way of being Church. It's a way of promoting an attitude, which begins with learning to listen to one another."

The pope recalled the value of listening, "beginning with listening to the Word of God, listening to one another, listening to the wisdom we find in men and in women, in members of the Church, and those who are searching who might not yet be members of the Church."

He also addressed resistance to the synodal process, such as worry by some that it is an attempt to weaken the authority of the bishop.

"I would like to invite all of you … to reflect upon what synodality is about and to invite the priests particularly, even more than the bishops, to somehow open their hearts and take part in these processes," Leo said. "Often the resistance comes out of fear and lack of knowledge."

He emphasized the need to prioritize formation and preparation at every educational level.

"Sometimes ready answers are given without the proper, necessary preparation to arrive at the conclusion that maybe some of us have already drawn, but others are not ready for or capable to understand," he said.

"We have to understand that we do not all run at the same speed. And sometimes we have to be patient with one another," Leo said. "And rather than a few people running ahead and leaving a lot behind, which could cause even a break in an ecclesial experience, we need to look for ways, very concrete ways at times, of understanding what's happening in each place, where the resistances are or where they come from, and what we can do to encourage more and more the experience of communion in this Church which is synodal."

Asked if groupings of churches, such as regional bishops' conferences, will continue to grow in the life of the Church, Leo said, "the brief answer is yes, I do expect that, and I hope that the different groupings of churches can continue to grow as expressions of communion in the Church using the gifts we are all receiving through this exercise if you will, this life, this expression of synodality."

The pontiff also weighed in on the topic of women and their participation in the Church, though he set aside the most controversial questions, which he said are being examined in a separate study group.

"So leaving aside the most difficult themes," he said, "there are cultural obstacles, there are opportunities, but there are cultural obstacles. And this has to be recognized, because women could play a key role in the Church, but in some cultures women are considered second-class citizens and in some realities they do not enjoy the same rights as men."

"In these cases, there is a challenge for the Church, for all of us, because we need to understand how we can promote the respect for the rights of everyone, men and women," he encouraged.

The Church can promote a culture in which there is co-participation of every member of society, each according to their vocation, Leo continued. "We have to understand how the Church can be a strength to transform cultures according to the values of the Gospel."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289331&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Oct 25, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

New York and California are pouring taxpayer dollars into Planned Parenthood, joining several other states in counteracting the federal defunding of the abortion giant. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged $140 million to Planned Parenthood locations in California on Oct. 24. On the same day, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul committed $35 million in funding to Planned Parenthood locations in New York.

Both states are known for their abortion shield laws, which protect abortionists who mail abortion pills into states where they are illegal. Several women are suing California and New York abortionists after being poisoned by or coerced into taking the abortion pill by the fathers of their children.

New York and California join several other states that have made similar moves in light of the yearlong federal defunding of Planned Parenthood. Colorado, Massachusetts, and Washington have all taken similar steps to replace lost federal funding for Planned Parenthood over the past few months.

Newsom said on Thursday that California is "protecting access to essential health care" by providing funding for more than 100 locations across the state. 

"Trump's efforts to defund Planned Parenthood put all our communities at risk as people seek basic health care from these community providers," Newsom said in a statement.

Hochul in a similar vein said she is putting funding toward the 47 Planned Parenthood clinics in New York, alleging that pro-life politicians will "stop at nothing to undermine women's health care."

"In the face of congressional Republicans voting to defund Planned Parenthood, I've directed the state to fund these vital services, protecting access to health care that thousands of New Yorkers rely on," Hochul said in a Friday statement.

Hundreds of alternative clinics exist in both states 

A spokeswoman for Heartbeat International, a network that supports life-affirming pregnancy centers, told CNA there are many low-cost and even free alternatives to Planned Parenthood across the country — including hundreds of clinics and pregnancy centers in both New York and California. 

Andrea Trudden said that "women in California and New York already have access to a vast network of life-affirming care." 

"California has more than 300 pregnancy help organizations and New York nearly 200," Trudden said, citing Heartbeat International's Worldwide Directory of Pregnancy Help.

"These centers offer practical support, compassionate care, and resources to women facing unplanned pregnancies, empowering them to choose life for their children and themselves," she continued. 

For women who need health care not related to pregnancy, Trudden noted that both states are "well served" by Federally Qualified Health Centers, which are centers that provide "comprehensive, low-cost medical care for women and families." 

As of 2024, California had more than 170 of these clinics, while New York had more than 60, Trudden said, citing a report by KFF, a health policy institute. 

"If leaders truly cared about women's health, they would invest in these community-based organizations that meet the needs of women before, during, and after pregnancy — not in the nation's largest abortion provider," Trudden added. 

Kelsey Pritchard, a spokeswoman at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told CNA that in California, Planned Parenthood "is choosing to shutter primary care rather than give up profiting from abortions."

In Orange and San Bernardino counties, Planned Parenthood will continue to offer abortions while closing primary care facilities. 

"In California, New York, and across the country, Planned Parenthoods are outnumbered by far better options and the pro-life movement is happy to help women locate the care they need," Pritchard said, citing reports by the Charlotte Lozier Institute on community care centers and pregnancy centers for women. 

Jennie Bradley Lichter, the president of the March for Life, criticized politicians for prioritizing abortion funding instead of care for women and children. 

"Political leaders who prioritize funding for Planned Parenthood leave no doubt where their priorities lie: and it is not with women and children," Bradley Lichter told CNA.

"It's a shame that the leaders of states like California and New York aren't choosing to pour their resources into institutions that truly support moms, like the huge number of pregnancy resource centers located in each of those states," she said.

Women deserve better than the "tragedy" of abortion, Bradley Lichter said.

"We at March for Life want women to know that when their state leaders fall short and leave them in the hands of Big Abortion, pro-life Americans will stand in the gap and help them find the love and care they need," she continued.

Defunding Planned Parenthood: a 'life-saving' act 

A spokesman for Live Action called the defunding of Planned Parenthood "one of the most lifesaving acts Congress has taken in decades," noting that the federal government stopped funding the organization that "kills over 400,000 children every year."

"That victory must be made permanent when the one-year cutoff expires next July," Noah Brandt told CNA. "Yet pro-abortion states like California and New York are working to undo that progress, using taxpayer money to expand abortion through all nine months and to ship abortion pills nationwide."

"Federal funding for Planned Parenthood must never return, and states that promote abortion should be held accountable for enabling the mass killing and sterilization of American children," Brandt said.

Pritchard added that although Planned Parenthood is "constantly scheming to grow their grip on taxpayer money," the pro-life movement has seen wins around the nation — most especially, the federal defunding of Planned Parenthood.

"Make no mistake, they are losing big in Congress, in courts, and increasingly in the hearts and minds of Americans," Pritchard said.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289328&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Father Burke Masters' first dream was to be a major league baseball player, but after feeling a call from God to the priesthood he now uses the sport "to speak about Jesus and the Church."

"I played college baseball at Mississippi State University, and then played briefly in the minor leagues," Masters said. "That was my dream to be a major league baseball player, but that didn't work out."

"God eventually called me to be a priest," Masters said in an Oct. 24 interview with "EWTN News Nightly." He added: "It really wasn't what I wanted, but it was this persistent and gentle call from the Lord."

"I went to seminary fully thinking I would go … not like it, and then go back to my plans," Masters said. "Yet when I got to seminary I just felt this overwhelming peace, and that's one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit."

Masters was ordained in 2002, serving as priest in Illinois. Eventually though, baseball did become a part of his career when he was named the chaplain of the Chicago Cubs in 2013.

"God brought baseball back into my life in a way that I never expected," Masters said. "Since then, people have called me the 'baseball priest,' because I love to connect faith with sports."

While Masters' "full-time job" was as a pastor in the Diocese of Joliet, he attended all the Cubs' home games. As the "baseball priest," Masters was chaplain when they won the World Series in 2016.

"One of my big messages to the players then and to the players now would be: 'Just remember your identity, you're beloved sons of God. Your identity is not in the sport of baseball.' And what I find that helps players … relax to say: 'Yes, this is a big game. Millions of people are watching, but in the end, it's still just a game. And life goes on,'" he said.

Connecting faith and sports

In 2023, Masters published a book, "A Grand Slam for God: A Journey from Baseball Star to Catholic Priest." He wrote about his childhood outside of Chicago, his success in baseball, his conversion to Catholicism, and his acceptance of his vocation.

His story discusses his doubts and personal loss, and how he learned to embrace his identity not as an athlete but as a son of God and spiritual leader. 

"Baseball taught me a lot of things, among them, discipline, hard work, and how to work with people of a lot of different backgrounds," Masters said. "I find that to be so helpful in my life as a priest, as a vocation director, as a pastor, that I try to invest a lot of time in my spiritual life."

"Also, baseball has given me a way to … reach people who are not close to God at the moment by bringing stories about baseball and my sports background," Masters said. "It gives me an opening to speak about Jesus and the Church. It's just been a great gift."

In homilies, Masters said he will "bring up the sport of baseball." He added: "I can see some of the people who love the sport perk up and then can bring the Gospel message to them more easily."

Ahead of the 2025 World Series on Oct. 24, Masters shared with EWTN his predictions for the outcome. He said: "If I go off my head, the Dodgers will win, but I love pulling for the underdog. So my heart is going with the Toronto Blue Jays."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=289322&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Africa, Oct 24, 2025 / 12:32 pm (CNA).

A Catholic priest in Burkina Faso has appealed for prayers for the safe release of an evangelical Christian missionary abducted in Niger on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

Kevin Rideout, an American missionary, was abducted from his home in the country's capital, Niamey, by three unidentified armed men suspected to be jihadists, said a note shared with ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa.

The note further said the American missionary is "dedicated to training missionary aviation pilots serving evangelical, medical, and church-planting ministries as well as providing emergency humanitarian air transport."

"Preliminary findings from the investigation indicate that the kidnappers headed toward the Tillabéri region," the note said.

In an interview with ACI Africa on Oct. 23, Father Etienne Tandamba, a member of the clergy of Burkina Faso's Fada N'Gourma Diocese, appealed for prayers for the release of Rideout.

"We pray for his safe release. Burkina Faso just like Niger faces insecurity challenges due to jihadists' presence," Tandamba, the director of communications for the Diocese of Fada N'Gourma, told ACI Africa.

Rideout's abduction in Niger comes amid worsening insecurity in the Sahel region, where Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have all fallen under military rule following coups in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively.

Rideout since 2010 has lived in Niamey, where he worked as a pilot for the U.S.-based Serving in Mission organization.

In response to the abduction, the U.S. Embassy in Niger issued a security alert on Oct. 22, saying: "American citizens remain at a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger, including in the capital city."

"Due to heightened concern about the threat of kidnapping, the embassy has modified its security posture to require armored vehicles for all travel of embassy personnel and family members, restricted movements of embassy personnel and family members, and instituted a mandatory curfew and routine accountability," the embassy said. 

It added that "all restaurants and open-air markets are off limits to U.S. embassy personnel and family members."

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Full Article