Catholic News

A priest from the Diocese of Derry in Ireland has admitted to 109 child sex offense charges from June 22, 2023, to April 18, 2025.

Bishop Michael Router said he would ask the Vatican to dismiss Father Edward Gallagher from the clerical state after he admitted to the charges, which include possession of child pornography, attempted solicitation of sexual activity from a child, and attempted sexual communication with a minor, the BBC reported Oct. 5. Gallagher awaits sentencing on Dec. 9.

"I have already instructed that the documentation required by the Holy See be finalized and transmitted without delay," Router said in a statement on Oct. 5, according to a BelfastLive report.

"The Church cannot undo the harm that has been caused. Nor can any canonical penalty remove the suffering experienced by victims and survivors. Nevertheless, the Church has a responsibility to respond truthfully, justly, and decisively."

New Vatican ambassador appointed to United Arab Emirates

Polish priest Monsignor Grzegorz Piotr Bielaszka has been appointed by Pope Leo XIV to be the Vatican's new ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), raising him to the rank of archbishop, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Oct. 5.

Born in Poland in 1974 and ordained in 1999, Bielaszka entered the Holy See's diplomatic service in 2006. His assignments have included Iraq, Panama, Hungary, Peru, and Gabon. He succeeds Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis, who was appointed the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations in July.

The appointment comes amid continuing tensions in the Gulf following military confrontation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. The Vatican has repeatedly called for dialogue and negotiations, while maintaining close diplomatic relations with the UAE, particularly since Pope Francis' historic 2019 visit to Abu Dhabi and the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity.

Catholic Church in Korea switches to Italian, Australian liturgical wine

Parishes across Korea will no longer use domestic wine for liturgical celebrations after the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea announced on Oct. 7 that an Australian and an Italian brand would become the country's official liturgical wines.

"Starting from this year's Advent season (the four weeks before Christmas), the Australian 'Seven Hill' and Italian 'Alagna Vini' wines have been selected as the liturgical wines to be used in all Catholic Masses across Korea," they said in a statement, according to an Oct. 8 Chosun report.

The change is due to aging grape farmers and diminishing land in Korea, the report said. It marks the first in 49 years since the conference signed a contract in 1977 to use local Majuang liturgical wine.

Ethiopia bishop urges reconciliation amid renewed fighting

Bishop Lisane-Christos Matheos Semahun of Ethiopia's Eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie has urged Christians to reject hatred and refrain from rejoicing over the suffering or death of those they regard as enemies as renewed fighting intensifies in parts of the country.

"Every life lost is a tragedy," the bishop said in an Oct. 3 reflection, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported. Lisane-Christos further called on Catholics to pray for their enemies, care for people affected by the conflict, and support efforts toward dialogue, justice, reconciliation, and peace.

The bishop's statement comes as BBC reports that Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of an "all-out invasion" in northern Tigray, and Eritrea says in response that it is facing "an unprovoked war of aggression" by Ethiopia.

Hundreds of Catholic young people celebrate care for creation in Baghdad

More than 300 young Catholics gathered in Baghdad for a spiritual event marking the Season of Creation, an annual Christian observance dedicated to prayer and care for the environment.

Through Scripture readings, prayer, and reflections on Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si', participants were encouraged to see protecting nature as part of their responsibility toward God and others, ACI MENA reported Oct. 5. Father Amir Kammu explained that environmental problems are also spiritual and moral concerns, particularly because their consequences often fall hardest on the poor.

At the end of the gathering, each participant received a small plant or fish to care for, turning the message of environmental responsibility into a personal commitment.

Glasgow Archdiocese to reduce parishes by half

Archbishop William Nolan has announced widespread cuts to the Archdiocese of Glasgow in Scotland amid dwindling attendance and a shortage in available priests.

"For years now there has been much talk of the need to restructure and reduce the number of parishes in the archdiocese. A plan for that restructuring has now been drawn up, reducing the number of parishes by half and seeing the closure of two dozen churches," Nolan said in an Oct. 7 statement on Facebook.

The statement noted the number of parishes will be reduced by half and 24 churches will be closed as part of the restructuring plan.

"There are too many parishes but too few people, too many churches but too few priests," he said. "As for priests, I have been archbishop for less than five years and the number of our active priests is down by a third in that time. Only one of our priests is under the age of 45, most are over the age of 60. Thank goodness we have foreign priests and religious willing to serve in the archdiocese, otherwise the situation would be even more critical than it is."

Irish priest blocks Nathan Carter concert from taking place at parish

A concert by country music singer Nathan Carter set to take place at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Boyle, Ireland, has been canceled after its parish priest objected to the event.

Father John Gannon contacted Carter and informed the musician he could no longer perform at the church after approval had been given to the singer by the parish's former pastor, according to an Oct. 5 report from the Irish Independent.

Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran backed up the priest's decision, telling the Irish Independent that the diocesan policy barring such concerts was to "preserve the sacredness of the church as a place of worship." He added: "That does not mean that it has to be specifically liturgical music, but it should be spiritual, and where singing is involved, the lyrics should be consistent with the message of the Gospel."

Catholic Church in Egypt opens beatification cause for former Coptic patriarch

The Catholic Church in Egypt has formally begun the cause for the beatification and canonization of Cardinal Stephanos II Ghattas, who served as Coptic Catholic patriarch of Alexandria from 1986 to 2006.

The Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt, led by Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac, has invited the faithful to submit information about Ghattas, who died in Cairo in 2009, ACI MENA reported Oct. 6. The request includes testimonies both supporting and questioning his reputation for holiness, as well as personal writings, letters, and other documents that could assist the investigation.

The opening of the cause marks an important step in examining the life and legacy of the former patriarch but does not mean he has yet been declared blessed or a saint.

Canada hosts rosary rallies across the country

A Catholic group in Canada is hosting rosary rallies across the country on Oct. 10 to pray for its conversion.

The campaign from Canada Needs Our Lady started in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, and has grown from 1,083 to more than 1,550 rallies, according to an Oct. 8 report from Independent Catholic News. "The reaction from Canadians has been very encouraging," Joseph Gensens, Fatima custodian for Canada Needs Our Lady, said in the report. "We hear from people who are so grateful to have the opportunity to come together and pray the Rosary publicly — not only for Canada, but for their families and their communities."

Canada Needs Our Lady is an organization that advocates for a return to Christian values in Canada.

Full Article

Bishop Dennis Walsh of Davenport, Iowa, is joining a chorus of voices calling for the federal government to release an immigrant mother facing deportation as advocates argue that she is legally permitted to be in the country.

Walsh said in an Oct. 2 letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin that Iowa City resident Fatou Traore has resided in that community for more than two decades and has been a legal resident since a 2011 withholding of removal order. A withholding of removal order bars deportation to a country where an immigration judge found the person would likely face persecution.

Davenport Letter

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested Traore on Sept. 24. The federal agency told the Cedar Rapids Gazette that she "admitted to using a fake birth certificate and fake passport" to enter the U.S.

Traore's family has denied those allegations. Walsh, meanwhile, said in his letter that Traore "has raised her family [in Iowa], lived peacefully, and has no criminal history."

Traore's family has said the government is preparing to deport her to Sierra Leone, a country with which, Walsh said, "she has no connection and where violence and human rights violations remain serious concerns."

The bishop said he was "deeply troubled" by the government's actions, which he argued were proceeding "despite the absence of any lawful or humanitarian justification."

"Proceeding with this deportation is [a] grave violation of [Traore's] human dignity and the rights that are intrinsic to each one of us," the bishop said. He urged the government to stay the deportation and allow Traore to return to her family.

Walsh in his entreaty joined several other religious and community leaders in Iowa in urging the government to hold off on the deportation. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is not the first time the leader of the Davenport Diocese had advocated on behalf of immigrants.

In 2020, then-Bishop Thomas Zinkula — now the Archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa — urged the government to release several Guatemalan immigrants from custody, citing the risks of COVID infection while in detainment.

Full Article

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) condemned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's announcement that the military execution of the Fort Hood mass shooter, Nidal Hasan, will be livestreamed for the public to view.

"It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War's decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan," Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, said in a statement on Oct. 9.

"Our God is the God of life," he said. "In no way can Hasan's actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered."

Coakley quoted Romans 12:17, which commands: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil."

"The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people," the archbishop said. "I pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel that we as a nation may always choose life even in the most trying times and circumstances."

Hasan, a man from Arlington, Virginia, was convicted of murdering 13 people and injuring 32 others in a mass shooting at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009, while working as a psychiatrist for the Army. Public witnesses said he screamed "Allahu Akbar" immediately before he began firing. He had email communications with Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born al-Qaeda recruiter.

On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump approved a military execution via firing squad for Hasan, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood. On Oct. 8, Hegseth said in an interview with the news outlet Real America's Voice that the execution will be livestreamed and later reaffirmed this plan on social media.

The announcement of the execution and livestream also faced criticism from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Archbishop Timothy Broglio reaffirmed the Catholic Church's opposition to the death penalty in a statement to EWTN News.

"Catholic teaching about the death penalty is clear," Broglio said. "Already the Catechism of the Catholic Church, even before its revision by the late Pope Francis, indicated that in a country such as the United States where the means exist to protect society from such criminals, the death penalty was inadmissible."

The archbishop said that now, "the teaching is even clearer and more universal" and cited CCC 2267: "Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that 'the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,' and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide."

Broglio added: "Even in the case of the most heinous crimes, the Church begs for clemency."

'A grotesque display of hatred'

The Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works closely with the USCCB on efforts to oppose the death penalty, condemned both the decision to execute Hasan and the decision to livestream his death.

"Beyond the fact that executions do not deter crime or increase safety, it's appalling that a public official would try to introduce it as a livestream arcade," Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, said in a statement.

"It's been almost a century since our country's last public execution, and we must not fall into the abyss of such a vengeful practice," she said. "We undermine our own humanity when we treat another person's death as something to watch, celebrate, or use for entertainment. It is reminiscent of the horrors of lynching in our nation's past, and would be a grotesque display of hatred witnessed in the public executions of some authoritarian countries today."

Murphy quoted a Sept. 28 address from Pope Leo XIV, in which he said "the greatness of a civilization is not measured by its material achievements, but by the way it cares for, protects, and upholds the human person."

She warned that "we violate human dignity" with every execution "because every person is created in the image of God." She said "the Church instructs us to not seek cruel retribution, but a justice that holds people accountable without perpetuating the cycle of death."

"What Mr. Hasan did at Fort Hood in 2009 ought not be condoned in any way," she said. "He inflicted horrible pain and caused terrifying trauma. … But we must not be blinded by bloodlust. The macabre spectacle proposed by Secretary Hegseth is not what our Lord asks of us—it will neither honor victims nor bring healing."

Full Article

The bishops of El Salvador asked Pope Leo XIV to proclaim St. Óscar Arnulfo Romero a doctor of the Church and to visit the Central American country to pray at the tomb of the martyred archbishop.

The requests were made during an audience on Sept. 11 as part of the ad limina visit the Salvadoran prelates made to Rome from Sept. 7–11.

The Episcopal Conference of El Salvador announced the request in a press release issued Oct. 4 that noted the meeting with the Holy Father "was marked by closeness, fraternity, and the paternal character of the Pontiff."

In that setting, the bishops presented both petitions concerning St. Óscar Romero, who was assassinated on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass in the chapel of Divine Providence Hospital in San Salvador and who was canonized by Pope Francis on Oct. 14, 2018.

According to Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas of San Salvador, president of the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador, the Holy Father received the proposals with "a very positive and welcoming attitude." The prelate explained, however, that "both decisions require a process of consultation and discernment before a definitive response can be given."

Pope Leo XIV's devotion to St. Óscar Romero

During the meeting, Leo also told the Salvadoran bishops of his particular devotion to St. Óscar Romero.

Escobar said the pope used to carry "a holy card of Monsignor Romero together with a third-class relic and commended himself daily to his intercession."

During the meeting, the bishops of El Salvador gave the pope a first-class relic of St. Óscar Romero.

What is a doctor of the Church?

The title "doctor of the Church" recognizes canonized men and women who possessed deep knowledge, were outstanding teachers, and contributed significantly to the theology of the Church.

Traditionally the title has been granted on three conditions: evident holiness of the candidate, confirmed by canonization as a saint; eminence in doctrine, shown by a body of teaching that made significant and lasting contributions to the life of the Church; and a formal declaration by the Church, usually by a pope.

There are currently 38 doctors of the Church.

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.

Full Article

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has been elected dean of the College of Cardinals, succeeding Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who has held the position since 2020. The Filipino prelate is the first Asian to serve as dean.

The Vatican announced Tagle's appointment on Oct. 9. In the same announcement, Pope Leo XIV approved Tagle's election one day earlier, on Oct. 8, and accepted Re's resignation that day.

According to canon law, the cardinal dean is elected from among the cardinal bishops (12 cardinal-bishops as of October 2026). Among the dean's responsibilities is to summon the cardinals to Rome on the pope's behalf, particularly for a papal conclave. However, he has no governing authority over them.

After Leo XIV's election to the papacy, all curial officials automatically lost their positions. However, Leo confirmed Re as dean and Argentine cardinal Leonardo Sandri as vice-dean, a position Sandri still holds.

Pope Francis approved Re in 2020 as dean of the college while setting a new five-year term of service for deans with the possibility of renewal. Previously, the position of dean, considered "first among equals," was a lifetime appointment.

Re, 92, was made a cardinal by St. John Paul II in 2001 and has worked in the Roman Curia since 1963. He officiated the 2013 conclave, which elected Pope Francis, as the most senior cardinal-bishop.

Tagle, 69, has served as the pro-prefect for the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization since 2019. Before his appointment to the Roman Curia, he served as archbishop of Manila from 2011–2020.

Tagle has also been appointed as papal legate to several milestone Church events, including in the United States. He was appointed legate to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July 2024 and to the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen in St. Louis in September 2026.

Before being elected pope in 2025, Leo XIV, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, was chosen by Francis as the titular cardinal-bishop of Albano. Soon after his election, the pontiff assigned his former cardinal title to Tagle, and Tagle formally took possession of the see in October of the same year.

Full Article

ROME — Pope Leo XIV will open an international congress on fertility and infertility on Oct. 16, bringing together specialists from a range of disciplines to address the scientific, anthropological, and ethical challenges related to sexuality and human reproduction.

The conference, titled "The Splendor of the Human Person: Safeguarding Fertility, Healing Infertility," will be held Oct. 16–18 at the Rome campus of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.

According to the Vatican, the Holy Father will inaugurate the event during an audience at the Vatican following a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

The congress will mark the 25th anniversary of the International Scientific Institute Paul VI (ISI), which conducts research on human fertility and infertility in support of responsible procreation, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Center for Natural Fertility Regulation.

The initiative is being promoted by the ISI-Paul VI Foundation, the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, the Toniolo Institute of Higher Studies, and the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital Foundation, along with other academic and cultural institutions linked to the Church.

Following the audience with Pope Leo XIV, the congress will officially begin at the university auditorium with an opening address by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, on "the dignity and beauty of procreation in the Church's magisterium."

Organizers have structured the program around four main themes: "The Transmission of Life Between Society and Science," "The Fertility Roadmap for Couples," "Preconception Health and the Prevention of Infertility," and "Safeguarding the Human Person Amid Hypertechnology and the Culture of Waste."

In addition to academic presentations, the event will feature scientific and interdisciplinary panels aimed at sharing clinical research, medical experience, and testimonies from health professionals, married couples, and parents.

Participants will reflect on the causes of infertility, therapeutic approaches compatible with Christian ethics, and ways to foster a culture that values human life from conception.

The congress is intended to continue the teaching of St. Paul VI on human fertility and responsible procreation, later developed by St. John Paul II. According to the organizers, the event seeks to highlight the importance of protecting fertility and accompanying married couples who face difficulties conceiving, while encouraging integration between scientific research, medical care, and a Christian anthropological vision.

The concluding session will be led by Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, president of the ISI Foundation and general ecclesiastical assistant of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, and Professor Tullio Ghi, director of the Obstetrics and Obstetric Pathology Unit at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

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.

Full Article

EWTN Global Catholic Network on Friday named Ursula Murua, a longtime leader of digital strategy, as the next president of EWTN News, effective Nov. 1.

Murua, a native of Peru who is director of digital strategy and social media for EWTN News, succeeds Montse Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News since 2023, whom Pope Leo XIV appointed in June as prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication. Alvarado takes up the Vatican post the same day.

A story that began with Mother Angelica

Murua's path into journalism is linked to EWTN's foundress. When Mother Angelica visited Peru, she gave a talk that Murua, then 20, covered for the then-fledgling ACI Prensa, EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael P. Warsaw told staff in a message announcing the appointment.

"Mother could not have known that one of the young women listening to her would someday help take that same message around the world and eventually be entrusted with leading one of the divisions of the apostolate she founded," Warsaw wrote. "In many ways, it feels designed by Providence."

Murua's career in Catholic media spans more than 30 years and predates EWTN's acquisition of ACI Prensa. At EWTN, she has held leadership roles across digital, editorial, and broadcast operations, including on the team of "EWTN Noticias," the network's flagship Spanish-language nightly newscast.

She played a central role in launching the network's social media presence and has led digital coverage of three papal conclaves, multiple World Youth Days and jubilees, International Eucharistic Congresses, and Synods of Bishops.

"Ursula understands both the mission of EWTN and the rapidly changing ways people encounter news, faith, and one another," Warsaw said in a statement. "She has helped shape the digital transformation of EWTN News from within while remaining deeply committed to the truth of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church."

In a first comment on her appointment, Murua said: "I have had the extraordinary privilege of watching Catholic media transform from radio and broadcast to websites, social media and mobile platforms, and now confront the challenge and promise of artificial intelligence."

"But the reason we do this work has never changed. People are hungry for truth, for meaning, and ultimately for Christ. Our responsibility is to understand where they are, how they are searching, and how we can faithfully meet them there."

Speaking of her successor, Alvarado noted Murua, in her role as president of EWTN News, will "continue the work we began together, expanding EWTN News' digital presence and developing new ways to reach audiences while strengthening our commitment to journalism rooted in fidelity to the Gospel."

"I have watched Ursula devote particular attention to understanding audiences at every point in their journey of faith, from deeply engaged Catholics to people encountering the Church, or even the Gospel, for the first time. That audience-centered approach has shaped EWTN News' digital strategy and offers a powerful model for how digital missionary discipleship can be done well."

From EWTN News to the Vatican

Alvarado joined EWTN in 2021 as host of "EWTN News In Depth." As prefect, she will be the first woman who is not a religious sister to head a dicastery of the Holy See. She succeeds Paolo Ruffini, who has led the dicastery since 2018.

Her tenure brought a global overhaul of EWTN News. In January, EWTN brought Catholic News Agency and the ACI Group under a single EWTN News identity and launched EWTNNews.com. Spanish- and Portuguese-language versions of the site are due to launch next.

About EWTN

In its 46th year, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world. EWTN's 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 435 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.

About EWTN News

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News is the global, multilingual news service of the EWTN Global Catholic Network. With language teams based in the United States, Peru, the Vatican, Kenya, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Iraq, along with correspondents throughout the world, EWTN News delivers coverage in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, and Arabic, serving Catholic audiences worldwide on its new platform: ewtnnews.com. EWTN News operates leading digital and print platforms including ChurchPOP and the National Catholic Register, a nearly 100-year-old biweekly newspaper with a robust digital presence. It also produces television news programs such as "EWTN News Nightly," "EWTN Noticias," "EWTN News In Depth," "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly," "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo," and "Vaticano."

Full Article

VATICAN CITY — Why are fewer young people choosing to marry in the Catholic Church, and how does contemporary society understand the relationship between sexuality, procreation, and the sacrament of marriage?

Those are among the questions being addressed at an international gathering on the family at the Vatican, taking place behind closed doors through Oct. 14 with the participation of presidents of bishops' conferences from around the world.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, said in his presentation Friday, Oct. 9, that in his country, and possibly many others, "the concept of a necessary link between sexual activity and procreation, and the importance of this in Christian marriage is no longer widely understood or accepted."

To illustrate the problem, he cited the observations of a religious education director in Western Australia who is married and has teenage children.

"Many of our young people have inherited cultural assumptions about sexuality that differ substantially from those of the Church — they may understand the Church's position, but they do not find it easy to embrace," the educator told him.

Costelloe said this reflects a tension between Church teaching and prevailing cultural attitudes, reinforced by social media, entertainment, peer culture, and online influencers, which frequently promote relationships that prioritize "personal fulfillment, autonomy, and immediate happiness over permanence, sacrifice, and covenant."

Moral failures of Church leaders

Compounding the problem, Costelloe said, many young people have experienced painful circumstances, including broken marriages in their own families, domestic violence, inequality between men and women, and the moral failures of Church leaders whose credibility has been damaged.

"We are competing with many other approaches to the meaning of marriage," he acknowledged.

Despite these difficulties, the archbishop emphasized that many young people continue to seek lasting relationships that bring out their best qualities and provide a solid foundation for a meaningful future.

He called for supporting these aspirations and accompanying young people as they seek to build stable relationships.

At the same time, Costelloe observed, the prevalence of divorce and failed relationships has led many young people to question "whether lifelong commitment is possible or even desirable."

In this context, he emphasized the importance of the example provided by stable marriages and families.

As one married couple told him: "The most persuasive argument for Christian marriage is often a married couple living it well."

Costelloe suggested that parishes and dioceses should find ways to make such examples more visible, including through marriage preparation programs and Catholic schools.

He also advocated presenting the Church's teaching on marital intimacy positively, as an ideal worth pursuing rather than merely a set of rules and prohibitions.

Understanding why young people reject marriage

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, warned participants that marriage rates are declining worldwide, both for civil marriages and those celebrated in the Church.

"We cannot ignore the fact that the number of marriages is currently declining throughout the world, both civil marriages and marriages celebrated in the Church," he said. "We will seek to interpret this phenomenon, taking into account whether its causes are the same everywhere."

The gathering marks the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia, the apostolic exhortation published by Pope Francis in 2016 following two synods marked by intense debate over the Church's pastoral approach to families.

The document's proposals for accompanying newlyweds and couples experiencing marital difficulties were partly overshadowed by controversy over its implications for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.

Bishops from the Buenos Aires pastoral region interpreted the document as permitting some divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist following a process of accompanied pastoral discernment, including in circumstances in which a person believes that abstaining from sexual relations would cause further harm to children of the new union.

In 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith confirmed that this interpretation forms part of the authentic magisterium, having been published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the Holy See's official record.

Farrell noted that priests are not alone in worrying about young people's reluctance to marry. Many Christian parents share that concern as they watch their children struggle with loneliness and uncertainty about lifelong commitments.

"Pastors are not alone in facing this concern. It is felt first and foremost by the many Christian parents whose children suffer from loneliness, remain hesitant to make a lasting commitment, or categorically reject the path that their parents themselves had embraced with joy," he said.

Among the factors contributing to this trend, Farrell cited divorce, different forms of cohabitation, and prevailing cultural attitudes.

"But at a deeper level, we might ask whether God has perhaps ceased to speak to the hearts of young people, stirring in them a desire for marriage," he said.

The cardinal said participants would look for signs of hope and consider initiatives, individuals, and circumstances that could open new paths toward marriage.

"We will also consider how attentive our communities are to the witness of those who, despite everything, choose marriage — whether early in life or later on — and how their experience can help us understand and present the vocation to marriage more effectively."

What are young people seeking when they speak of love?

Auxiliary Bishop Stephen Fernandes of Bombay, India, argued that the Church's central challenge is not simply to ask why young people are reluctant to marry but to understand what they are seeking in relationships.

"The challenge before the Church, therefore, is not to begin by asking why young people are failing to accept marriage, but rather what are they seeking when they speak about love, freedom, dignity, and their future," he said.

Fernandes explained that young people experience relationships in a cultural environment very different from that of previous generations.

"The culture of immediacy and continual choice can enter their experience of intimacy, while marriage requires patience, presence, forgiveness, and perseverance," he observed.

He also pointed to economic insecurity as a significant obstacle to marriage, citing employment difficulties, housing costs, migration, and social instability.

"For some, therefore, postponing marriage is not simply a rejection of marriage. It can reflect a crisis of confidence in the possibility of building a stable and enduring life with another person," he said.

Fernandes stressed that many young people have not abandoned the desire for lasting love, even if they increasingly doubt that it is attainable.

"Young people have not ceased to thirst for love. What has weakened for many is confidence that love can endure," he said.

He urged the Church to listen more carefully to young people's experiences and to present marriage not simply as an obligation or social institution but as a vocation grounded in freedom, fidelity, and mutual self-giving.

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.

Full Article

The sainthood of John Henry Newman, who was declared a doctor of the Church on Nov. 1, 2025, rested on two inexplicable healings that the Catholic Church officially recognized as miracles that paved the way for his beatification in 2010 and his canonization in 2019.

The second and most recent of these miracles was lifesaving. During her fifth pregnancy, Melissa Villalobos, a lawyer from Chicago, suffered severe internal bleeding caused by a partial placental abruption — a condition that seriously endangered both her life and that of her unborn child.

The day it happened, Villalobos, alone at home and without the strength to call for help, turned to prayer. "Please, Cardinal Newman, stop the bleeding," she said with difficulty. As she later recounted: "Just as I finished those words, the bleeding stopped, and I noticed in the bathroom the strongest scent of roses in my life. When it stopped, I asked, 'Cardinal Newman, did you do this?' and the scent returned a second time. I knew it was him."

That same afternoon, the doctors confirmed what they could not explain: The tear in the placenta had disappeared. Months later, Villalobos gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl, whom she named Gemma.

Five years later, Gemma and her entire family participated in the canonization ceremony for Newman officiated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square on Oct. 13, 2019.

For Sister Kathleen Dietz, FSO, a renowned specialist on St. John Henry Newman, the healing of the pregnant woman should be seen as a "sign of the times" when "the culture of death permeates everything."

"He performed this miracle for the sake of life, not only the life of the young mother but also that of her child. It's very significant," she told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Unexplained healing of a debilitating spinal disorder

The first miracle attributed to Newman's intercession was on behalf of American deacon Jack Sullivan, who was suffering from a severe degenerative spinal cord disease that had left him almost paralyzed.

In great pain and with little hope of recovery, he prayed for Newman's intercession. According to his own testimony, on Aug. 15, 2001, he experienced a sudden and complete recovery, which allowed him to walk unaided and shortly afterward to be ordained a permanent deacon.

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints officially recognized the healing as scientifically inexplicable, and on July 3, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI officially announced that it constituted a genuine miracle. It led to Newman's beatification on Sept. 19, 2010, in Birmingham, England, the city where the saint lived for much of his ministry.

Sullivan served as deacon and read the Gospel at the Mass celebrated by Benedict in Rednal, England, very near Newman's burial site.

Sullivan, who has the only first-class relic of Newman outside the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in England, has given numerous presentations with it and has held healing prayer services.

Dietz — who has collaborated on various studies on the spirituality and legacy of St. John Henry Newman — emphasized that miracles authenticate Newman's holiness and reflect his ongoing mission within the Church.

"Miracles show that Newman continues to have a role as an example and intercessor. He will soon be named a doctor of the Church and thus will also be a teacher of truth," she noted at the time.

Inspiration for daily life

For the religious, Newman can inspire the faithful in their daily lives with a faith "lived in everyday circumstances."

Dietz cited Newman's 1856 work "A Short Road to Perfection" in which he points out that to be saints, "we need nothing more than to fulfill the ordinary duties of the day well."

"It's not a matter of heroic or extraordinary feats but of performing the actions of each day with rectitude and consistency: getting up on time, dedicating one's first thoughts to God, visiting the Blessed Sacrament, praying the Angelus and the rosary, keeping one's thoughts in order, examining oneself daily, and going to bed at a reasonable hour. If this is done consistently, one is already on the path to perfection," the saint counseled.

Joy: An essential Christian virtue

Dietz emphasized that Newman saw joy as an essential Christian virtue, even in the midst of sadness, and that his example can guide believers to live their faith in a "practical, tangible, and consistent" way in daily life.

For Dietz, Newman's life and miracles remind us that holiness is not an unattainable ideal but a "reality accessible to all" through faithfulness to small daily acts and trust in God's providence.

"His teaching combines theological depth with pastoral application, showing how a saint can be a model and guide for the contemporary Church and for every believer in their daily life," she explained.

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.

Full Article

About 120 exorcist priests met in Italy for a five-day conference on possession cases and on the place of sacred music and the Virgin Mary in exorcisms.

The 15th Italian National Conference of the International Association of Exorcists (IAE) took place Sept. 21–25 at the Fraterna Domus center in Sacrofano, Italy, near Rome. The meeting focused on the pastoral experience of attendees.

3 cases of demonic possession

Father Benigno Palilla, an exorcist of the Archdiocese of Palermo, Italy, described a young woman who was freed after two and a half years of demonic possession, according to IAE's website. The association said her suffering is common among younger people and is often tied to ceasing reception of the sacraments, atheism, spiritist sessions, and occult practices. Her troubles had led to aggression toward others and self-hatred that reached suicidal thoughts, the association noted. Palilla said her liberation came on the liturgical memorial of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. He said that after she gave her life fully to God, she felt a deep interior peace and a renewed love of life.

Father Angelo Barra, an exorcist of the Diocese of Salerno, Italy, spoke of a young woman who was a victim of domestic violence. After a trip, she began to complain of severe pain that started during Mass. The association said that a priest's simple reading of passages from Acts 16 revealed an extraordinary demonic action and set off an "interior earthquake." Blessings, together with the spiritual support of two Catholic communities in Africa, led to her liberation. She later said she had been the victim of a ritual consecration by a sect in the place she had visited.

Father Michele Tenzon, a former exorcist of the Diocese of Ventimiglia-Sanremo, recalled a South American woman whose relatives had "offered her to the spirits." He said in that case, and in an exorcist's life generally, what matters is living an authentic Christian life, ongoing formation, and the intercession of the Virgin Mary in prayer.

Sacred music and the Virgin Mary

Father Giuseppe Grassi, an exorcist and director of the Office of Sacred Music of the Archdiocese of Brindisi-Ostuni, Italy, said sacred music and song are closely tied to the heights of the angelic ministry and can be used fruitfully in exorcism, according to the association. The more sacred the music, he said, the more closely it is connected to the liturgical action, because it prefigures the liturgy of the heavenly Jerusalem — from the psalms to Gregorian chant and popular songs in honor of the Virgin.

Mariologist Father Salvatore Perrella, a Servite and former dean of the Pontifical Marianum in Rome, stressed the importance of the Virgin Mary's place in exorcisms. He pointed to her constant rooting in the word of God, "since Mary is intimately involved in the heart of the mystery of the Incarnation." Mary, he said, "lived and served with fidelity, intelligence, and sobriety the role of collaborator with the Trinity in the salvation and eschatological glorification of the 'scattered children of God.'" She is "essential in the life of the Church, interceding and praying for good to triumph over evil," according to the association.

10 years since Father Amorth's death

Several exorcists remembered Father Gabriele Amorth, the well-known exorcist of the Diocese of Rome and founder of the association, who died on Sept. 16, 2016, and who is credited with tens of thousands of exorcisms.

Father Francesco Bamonte, vice president of the association, recalled Amorth's early work with the Servant of God Father Candido Amantini, exorcist at the Scala Santa. Amorth, he said, "understood that for a novice exorcist, simply being appointed by the bishop and receiving the ritual was not enough. It was like being an inexperienced surgeon. Hence the need for the conferences, courses, and regular training sessions promoted by the association."

Father Aldo Buonaiuto, an exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, recalled Amorth's warnings about choices that expose a person to extraordinary demonic action: dangerous occult situations, fascination with the supernatural, personal ambition, an interior predisposition, and the devaluing of affections.

Father Marcello Lanza of the Diocese of Acerra, Italy, highlighted "the mystical component in the life, vocation, and teachings of Father Amorth, understood as a process of conformity to Christ. This is of great importance in the practice of exorcism, because if the ministry is mystically united to the Liberator, who is Christ, the devil is defeated all the more."

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.

Full Article