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Vatican City, Jun 13, 2025 / 17:09 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has recognized two miracles attributed to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati's intercession that make possible his canonization on Sept. 7. The most recent miracle involved the healing of an American seminarian.

Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is beloved by many Catholic young people today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches "to the heights."

The young man from the northern Italian city of Turin was an avid mountaineer and Third Order Dominican known for his charitable outreach.

Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati together with Blessed Carlo Acutis on Sept. 7 as the first new saints declared in his pontificate.

The miracle

Pope Francis recognized the miraculous healing in a decree on Nov. 25, 2024, of a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who was ordained a priest in June 2023.

Father Juan Gutierrez, 38, then a seminarian at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, California, tore his Achilles tendon while playing basketball with other seminarians in 2017. 

Concerned about the long and painful recovery and expenses, Gutierrez headed for the seminary chapel the day after getting an MRI "with a heavy heart." 

As he prayed, Gutierrez felt inspired to make a novena to Frassati. A few days into the novena, Gutierrez went into the chapel to pray when nobody was there. As he prayed, he recalled feeling an unusual sensation around his injured foot.

"I was praying, and I started to feel a sensation of heat around the area of my injury. And I honestly thought that maybe something was catching on fire, underneath the pews," Gutierrez recalled at a press conference on Dec. 16, 2024, at St. John the Baptist Parish in Los Angeles County, where he now serves as an associate pastor. 

The seminarian remembered from his experiences with the charismatic renewal movement that heat can be associated with healing from God. He found himself gazing at the tabernacle, weeping. 

"That event touched me deeply," Gutierrez said.

He was not only touched spiritually, but he was also healed physically. Incredibly, he was able to walk normally again and no longer needed a brace.

Monsignor Robert Sarno, a former official of the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints who served as the archiepiscopal delegate in the diocesan process in Los Angeles that examined the healing, told CNA that when Gutierrez went to the orthopedic surgeon a week later, "the orthopedic surgeon, after seeing the MRI and conducting physical investigations, said to him, 'You must have someone in heaven who likes you.'"

Gutierrez was able to immediately resume playing the sports that he loved without any difficulties. The healing was verified by a diocesan inquiry and the examination of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints' medical board, theologians, and the cardinals and bishops.

Sarno noted that it is fitting that a young man playing basketball received the healing given that Frassati was known for his love of sport and outdoor activities.

'To the heights' of holiness

Born on Holy Saturday, April 6, 1901, Frassati was the son of the founder and director of the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to taking care of the poor, the homeless, and the sick as well as demobilized servicemen returning from World War I.

Frassati was also involved in the Apostleship of Prayer and Catholic Action. He obtained permission to receive daily Communion.

On a photograph of what would be his last climb, Frassati wrote the phrase, "Verso L'Alto," which means "to the heights." This phrase has become a motto for Catholics inspired by Frassati to strive for the summit of eternal life with Christ.

Frassati died of polio on July 4, 1925. His doctors later speculated that the young man had caught polio while serving the sick.

Pope John Paul II, who beatified Frassati in 1990, called him a "man of the Eight Beatitudes," describing him as "entirely immersed in the mystery of God and totally dedicated to the constant service of his neighbor."

For Gutierrez, his healing is a reminder "that prayer works." 

"The saints can help us to pray for our needs and that there is somebody listening to our prayers," he said. "God is always listening to our prayers."

A version of this story was originally published on Nov. 24, 2024, and was updated on June 13, 2025.

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Vatican City, Jun 13, 2025 / 17:39 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV will canonize seven blesseds on Oct. 19, including two Venezuelans: José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, considered the "doctor of the poor," and María del Carmen Rendiles Martínez, a nun and founder of the Sister Slaves of Jesus.

The canonizations were confirmed by the Holy See Press Office on June 13 following the decision by the pope during the first consistory of his pontificate.

In addition to Hernández and Rendiles, who are highly venerated in Latin America, the blesseds who will be proclaimed saints in October are: Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, an Armenian bishop and martyr killed in 1915 during the Ottoman genocide; Peter To Rot, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea, martyred during the Japanese occupation in World War II; Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona; Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian missionary known for her work among the Shuar Indigenous people of Ecuador; and Bartolo Longo, an Italian lawyer, former Satanic priest converted to Catholicism, promoter of the recitation of the rosary, and founder of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii.

This consistory, held in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, was originally convened by Pope Francis at the end of February while he was hospitalized, although no specific date was set at the time.

At that meeting with cardinals, Leo XIV also decreed that Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati would also be canonized along with Blessed Carlo Acutis on Sept. 7. This will be the first canonization ceremony presided over by the new pontiff.

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

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 13, 2025 / 18:09 pm (CNA).

The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security and Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability have announced the launch of an investigation into more than 200 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including two major Catholic nonprofits, that provided taxpayer-funded services to migrants during the Biden administration. 

Catholic Charities USA and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) are among those named in the investigation. According to a June 11 press release, the probe will investigate whether the NGOs "used taxpayer dollars to facilitate illegal activity" by migrants who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration.

All the NGOs named in the investigation have been sent a letter requesting that they fill out a survey. The letter also expresses concern that some of the NGOs continue to actively advise "illegal aliens on how to avoid and impede law enforcement officials, which can only be seen as an attempt to undermine the work of the federal government."

"The chairmen request each NGO complete a survey that includes questions on the government grants, contracts, and disbursements they have received; any lawsuits against the U.S. federal government they are petitioning; amicus briefs they have filed in any lawsuit brought against the U.S. federal government; any legal service, translation service, transportation, housing, sheltering, or any other form of assistance provided to illegal immigrants or unaccompanied alien children since January 2021; and more," the press release stated. 

USCCB spokesperson Chieko Noguchi told CNA that "we have received the questionnaire and will respond." 

"For over 45 years the USCCB has entered into agreements with the federal government to serve groups of people specifically authorized by the federal government to receive assistance," Noguchi said. She added that "this included refugees, people granted asylum, unaccompanied children, victims of human trafficking, and Afghans who assisted the U.S. military abroad." 

The investigation comes after the USCCB announced in April that it would not renew its cooperative agreements with the federal government on migration and refugee services, which had been ongoing for nearly half of a century. The USCCB began phasing out its programs shortly after.

The Biden administration provided the USCCB with more than $100 million annually, which the bishops allocated to affiliated Catholic nongovernmental organizations, according to the USCCB's audited financial statements. In recent years, federal funding covered more than 95% of the bishops' spending on the programs.

Other non-Catholic NGOs named as subjects of the probe include the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), and the Haitian Bridge Alliance.

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Vatican City, Jun 13, 2025 / 15:09 pm (CNA).

It's official! Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis on Sept. 7 together with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati as the first new saints of his pontificate. A gamer and computer coder who loved the Eucharist, Carlo Acutis will be the first millennial Catholic saint.

So who is Blessed Carlo? Here's what you need to know:

1. Carlo Acutis was born May 3, 1991, in London, where his father was working. Just a few months later, he moved with his parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, to Milan, Italy, where he grew up.

2. Carlo was diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager. Before his death in 2006, he offered his sufferings for Pope Benedict XVI and for the Church, saying: "I offer all of my suffering to the Lord for the pope and for the Church in order not to go to purgatory but to go straight to heaven."

3. From a young age, Carlo had a special love for God, even though his parents weren't especially devout. Antonia Salzano, his mom, said that before Carlo, she went to Mass only for her first Communion, her confirmation, and her wedding. But as a young child, Carlo loved to pray the rosary. After he made his first Communion, he went to Mass as often as possible at the parish across from his elementary school. Carlo's love for the Eucharist also inspired a deep conversion for his mother. According to the postulator promoting his cause for sainthood, he "managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but it was he who managed to get himself to Mass and to convince others to receive Communion daily." Salzano spoke to "EWTN News Nightly" in October 2023 about her son's devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She said: "He used to say, 'There are queues in front of a concert, in front of a football match, but I don't see these queues in front of the Blessed Sacrament' ... So, for him the Eucharist was the center of his life."

4. Carlo's witness of faith as a child led adults to convert and be baptized. Rajesh Mohur, who worked for the Acutis family as an au pair when Carlo was young, converted from Hinduism to Catholicism because of Carlo's witness. Carlo taught Mohur how to pray the rosary and told him about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Mohur said that one of the things that most impressed him as a non-Christian was the witness of Carlo's love and concern for the poor — how he interacted with the homeless man who would sit at the entrance of the church and would bring tupperware dishes filled with food out to people living on the streets.

5. Carlo wasn't afraid to defend Church teaching, even in situations when his classmates disagreed with him. Many of Carlo's high school classmates remember Carlo giving a passionate defense for the protection of life from the moment of conception when there was a classroom discussion about abortion. 

6. Carlo was a faithful friend. He was known for standing up for kids at school who got bullied, particularly a classmate with special needs. When a friend's parents were getting a divorce, Carlo made a special effort to include his friend in the Acutis' family life. With his friends, he spoke about the importance of going to Mass and confession, human dignity, and chastity.

7. Carlo was fascinated with computer coding and taught himself some of the basic coding languages, including C and C++. He used his computer skills and internet savvy to help his family put together an exhibition on Eucharistic miracles that has gone on to be displayed at thousands of parishes on five continents. His spiritual director has attested that Carlo was personally convinced that the scientific evidence from Eucharistic miracles would help people to realize that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist and come back to Mass.

8. Carlo loved playing video games. His mother recalls that he liked Nintendo Game Boy and GameCube as well as PlayStation and Xbox. He had conversations with his gaming buddies about the importance of going to Mass and confession and limited his video game playing to no more than two hours per week. Carlo also liked Spider-Man and Pokémon.

9. Carlo died on Oct. 12, 2006, and was buried in Assisi. Initially, there were reports that Carlo's body was found to be incorrupt, but the bishop of Assisi clarified before his beatification that his body was not incorrupt. His body lies in repose in a glass tomb in Assisi where he can be seen in jeans and a pair of Nike sneakers. Thousands came to pray at his tomb at the time of his beatification in October 2020.

   ??VIDEO | Highlights of the Beatification Mass of Carlo Acutis celebrated in Assisi, Italy. His parents and siblings attended the ceremony. His heart was presented as a relic. Blessed #CarloAcutis, pray for us! pic.twitter.com/GcZog96vyZ

   — EWTN News (@EWTNews) October 10, 2020

10. Pope Francis recognized a second miracle attributed to Carlo's intercession in a decree on May 23, 2024. The miracle involved the healing of a 21-year-old girl from Costa Rica named Valeria Valverde who was near death after seriously injuring her head in a bicycle accident while studying in Florence in 2022. The first miracle that led to his beatification involved the healing of a 3-year-old boy in Brazil in 2013 who had been diagnosed with a malformation of his pancreas since birth.

This article was originally published Oct. 20, 2020, and was updated June 13, 2025.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 13, 2025 / 15:39 pm (CNA).

The number of adults in the U.S. who believe religion is experiencing a resurgence in America has gone up significantly, recent polling has found.

"Thirty-four percent of U.S. adults believe religion is increasing its influence in American life, similar to the 35% measured in December but up from 20% a year ago," the latest Gallup poll reads.

Gallup conducts polling on religious influence at least twice per year as part of an effort to gauge "U.S. religious attitudes and behavior." 

Last year, 75% of adults said they believed religion was losing its influence on American society. While the majority of Americans still maintain this belief, according to the poll, that number has come down to 59%. 

"These recent shifts represent a departure from the trend over the past 15 years that has generally seen larger percentages of Americans saying religious influence is decreasing rather than increasing," the Gallup poll noted.

Republican presidential victory, first American pope possible factors

In its analysis of the recent positive trend regarding religion, Gallup noted the election of U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV on May 8 as having taken place during its most recent May 1–18 survey period. 

However, it pointed out that the pope's election took place several months after the earlier spike in December. 

More likely, Gallup said in its analysis, is the possibility that "the change in religious attitudes is a reaction to the Republican sweep of the federal government in last fall's elections." 

The polling outfit noted that a similar spike had occurred after Republicans won Congress for the first time in 40 years in 1994, but not in the more recent GOP victories in 2000, 2010, and 2016. 

Gallup also observed that two of the most recent low points of confidence in religion's increase — 18% in 2009 and 16% in 2021 — were both "the first readings after Democrats won control of the federal government." 

Polling also found that although all major subgroups "are significantly more likely to believe that religious influence is increasing," Republicans showed the largest increase of any subgroup, jumping from 11% to 35%. 

Democratic and liberal respondents, in comparison, jumped nine points from 32% to 41%, while independents increased from 21% to 31%. 

"These results suggest that election outcomes, under certain circumstances, may shape Americans' perceptions of religion's influence by making the connection between politics and religion more prominent," Gallup stated. 

According to Gallup, the U.S. has experienced numerous spikes in reports of increased religious sentiments, particularly after certain major events in recent decades. 

One of "most notable" increases Gallup said it recorded took place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, when 71% of Americans polled in December 2001 said they believed religious influence was going up. 

This was up from 39% in February that same year and was the highest recorded number since Gallup began its recordings in 1957. 

Another surge in religiosity was recorded amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when the number jumped from 19% in December 2019 to 38% in April 2020. This number was the highest recorded since 2006.

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Vatican City, Jun 13, 2025 / 04:42 am (CNA).

The Vatican announced Friday that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized together on Sept. 7.

The date was set during the first ordinary public consistory of cardinals of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate, held June 13 at the Apostolic Palace. Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, will become the first millennial to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church.

Acutis' canonization had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Vatican's Jubilee of Teenagers. That ceremony was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Despite the change, thousands of young pilgrims from around the world who had traveled to Rome for Acutis' canonization attended the late pope's funeral and the jubilee Mass, which drew an estimated 200,000 people.

In an unexpected move, the consistory also decided to move the date for Frassati's canonization, which had been set for Aug. 3 during the Jubilee of Youth.

Carlo Acutis: The first millennial saint

Acutis, an Italian computer-coding teenager who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his great devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

He became the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church in 2020 and is widely popular among Catholics, particularly youth. Known for his deep faith and digital savvy, he used his computer-coding skills to draw attention to Eucharistic miracles around the world. His miracles' exhibit, featuring more than 100 documented miracles involving the Eucharist throughout history, has since traveled to thousands of parishes across five continents.

The Vatican formally recognized a second miracle attributed to Acutis' intercession on May 23, 2024. The case involved the healing of 21-year-old Valeria Valverde of Costa Rica, who sustained a serious brain injury in a bicycle accident while studying in Florence in 2022. She was not expected to survive but recovered after her mother prayed for Acutis' intercession at his tomb in Assisi.

Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Acutis attended daily Mass from a young age and was passionate about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Shortly after his first Communion at the age of 7, Carlo told his mother: "To always be united to Jesus: This is my life plan."

Carlo called the Eucharist "my highway to heaven," and he did all in his power to make the Real Presence known. His witness inspired his parents to return to practicing the Catholic faith and his Hindu au pair to convert and be baptized.

Many of Carlo's classmates, friends, and family members testified to the Vatican how he brought them closer to God. He is remembered for saying: "People who place themselves before the sun get a tan; people who place themselves before the Eucharist become saints."

Shortly before his death, Acutis offered his suffering from cancer "for the pope and for the Church" and expressed a desire to go "straight to heaven."

Known as a cheerful and kind child with a love for animals, video games, and technology, Acutis' life has inspired documentaries, digital evangelization projects, and the founding of schools in his name. His legacy continues to resonate strongly with a new generation of Catholics.

Pier Giorgio Frassati: 'To the heights' of holiness

Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is also beloved by many today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches "to the heights."

The young man from the northern Italian city of Turin was an avid mountaineer and Third Order Dominican known for his charitable outreach.

Born on Holy Saturday, April 6, 1901, Frassati was the son of the founder and director of the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to taking care of the poor, the homeless, and the sick as well as demobilized servicemen returning from World War I.

Frassati was also involved in the Apostleship of Prayer and Catholic Action. He obtained permission to receive daily Communion.

On a photograph of what would be his last climb, Frassati wrote the phrase "Verso L'Alto," which means "to the heights." This phrase has become a motto for Catholics inspired by Frassati to strive for the summit of eternal life with Christ.

Frassati died of polio on July 4, 1925. His doctors later speculated that the young man had caught polio while serving the sick.

Pope John Paul II, who beatified Frassati in 1990, called him a "man of the Eight Beatitudes," describing him as "entirely immersed in the mystery of God and totally dedicated to the constant service of his neighbor."

The canonization Mass for Acutis and Frassati is expected to take place in St. Peter's Square.

During Friday's consistory, the College of Cardinals approved the upcoming canonizations of seven other blesseds, including Bartolo Longo, José Gregorio Hernández, Peter To Rot, Vincenza Maria Poloni, Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, and Maria Troncatti, who will be canonized together on Oct. 19.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 13, 2025 / 10:56 am (CNA).

Women in America and the United Kingdom are taking legal action against Pfizer and other birth control producers after a study indicated that injectable contraceptives were found to cause brain tumors.

A case management conference regarding the multi-district litigation was held on May 30 in Pensacola, Florida, to discuss the next steps in the lawsuits filed against New York-based Pfizer. 

The legal action follows a 2024 French study that found that the use of the contraceptive medication medroxyprogesterone, often known under Pfizer's brand name Depo-Provera, renders a woman five times more likely to develop a meningioma brain tumor.

Meningiomas are slow-growing tumors that are usually benign but can cause severe injury or death if they become large enough to compress the brain or spinal cord.

The research study conducted by the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety examined data on 18,061 women. The participants were on average around 57 years old and had all undergone intracranial surgeries for meningiomas between 2009 and 2018. 

The observational study found that women who had used progestational hormones including medrogestone, medroxyprogesterone acetate, or promegestone for a year or longer had a heightened risk of suffering from a meningioma that required surgical intervention.

The research showed that the risk of developing a meningioma tumor was 5.6% higher among women who had used Depo-Provera.

After the study was released, Pfizer acknowledged the "potential risk associated with long-term use of progestogens." The company said it was working to update "product labels and patient information leaflets with appropriate wording," but as of 2025 the drug still does not have a written warning in the United States.

According to a press release filed on behalf of the roughly 400 plaintiffs, "the lawsuits allege that Pfizer and other generic producers of Depo-Provera were aware of the link between these birth control injections and brain tumors and that they failed to adequately warn of the risk and promote safer alternatives."

Women in the United Kingdom are also starting to take legal action against pharmaceutical companies that have issued the drug. According to Britain's National Health Service, in the U.K. about 10,000 women receive an injection of the contraceptive every month.

In 2021, a study published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care estimated that 42 million reproductive-age women were using injectable contraceptives and reported that the shot was ranked the fourth most prevalent contraceptive worldwide. 

The French research was released about a year after a study at the University of Oxford found that use of any progestogen-only hormonal contraceptives is associated with a 20%-30% higher risk of breast cancer.

The Catholic Church has held for centuries that artificial contraception of any kind is immoral and prohibited. That was articulated most famously in Humanae Vitae, the 1968 encyclical by St. Paul VI.

In the encyclical, the pontiff wrote that "each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life."

The Holy Father said that "similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse is specifically intended to prevent procreation — whether as an end or as a means."

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Vatican City, Jun 13, 2025 / 04:42 am (CNA).

The Vatican announced Friday that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized together on Sept. 7.

The date was set during the first ordinary public consistory of cardinals of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate, held June 13 at the Apostolic Palace. Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, will become the first millennial to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church.

Acutis' canonization had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Vatican's Jubilee of Teenagers. That ceremony was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Despite the change, thousands of young pilgrims from around the world who had traveled to Rome for Acutis' canonization attended the late pope's funeral and the jubilee Mass, which drew an estimated 200,000 people.

In an unexpected move, the consistory also decided to move the date for Frassati's canonization, which had been set for Aug. 3 during the Jubilee of Youth.

Carlo Acutis: the first millennial saint

Acutis, an Italian computer-coding teenager who died of cancer in 2006, is known for his great devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

He became the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church 2020 and is widely popular among Catholics, particularly youth. Known for his deep faith and digital savvy, he used his computer-coding skills to draw attention to Eucharistic miracles around the world. His miracles' exhibit, featuring more than 100 documented miracles involving the Eucharist throughout history, has since traveled to thousands of parishes across five continents.

The Vatican formally recognized a second miracle attributed to Acutis' intercession on May 23, 2024. The case involved the healing of 21-year-old Valeria Valverde of Costa Rica, who sustained a serious brain injury in a bicycle accident while studying in Florence in 2022. She was not expected to survive but recovered after her mother prayed for Acutis' intercession at his tomb in Assisi.

Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, Acutis attended daily Mass from a young age and was passionate about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Shortly after his first Communion at the age of 7, Carlo told his mother: "To always be united to Jesus: This is my life plan."

Carlo called the Eucharist "my highway to heaven," and he did all in his power to make the real presence known. His witness inspired his parents to return to practicing the Catholic faith and his Hindu au pair to convert and be baptized.

Many of Carlo's classmates, friends, and family members testified to the Vatican how he brought them closer to God. He is remembered for saying, "People who place themselves before the sun get a tan; people who place themselves before the Eucharist become saints."

Shortly before his death, Acutis offered his suffering from cancer "for the pope and for the Church" and expressed a desire to go "straight to heaven."

Known as a cheerful and kind child with a love for animals, video games, and technology, Acutis' life has inspired documentaries, digital evangelization projects, and the founding of schools in his name. His legacy continues to resonate strongly with a new generation of Catholics.

Pier Giorgio Frassati: 'To the heights' of holiness

Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925, is also beloved by many today for his enthusiastic witness to holiness that reaches "to the heights."

The young man from the northern Italian city of Turin was an avid mountaineer and Third Order Dominican known for his charitable outreach.

Born on Holy Saturday, April 6, 1901, Frassati was the son of the founder and director of the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to taking care of the poor, the homeless, and the sick as well as demobilized servicemen returning from World War I.

Frassati was also involved in the Apostleship of Prayer and Catholic Action. He obtained permission to receive daily Communion.

On a photograph of what would be his last climb, Frassati wrote the phrase "Verso L'Alto," which means "to the heights." This phrase has become a motto for Catholics inspired by Frassati to strive for the summit of eternal life with Christ.

Frassati died of polio on July 4, 1925. His doctors later speculated that the young man had caught polio while serving the sick.

John Paul II, who beatified Frassati in 1990, called him a "man of the eight beatitudes," describing him as "entirely immersed in the mystery of God and totally dedicated to the constant service of his neighbor."

The canonization Mass for Acutis and Frassati is expected to take place in St. Peter's Square.

During Friday's consistory, the College of Cardinals approved the upcoming canonizations of seven other blesseds, including Bartolo Longo, José Gregorio Hernández, Peter To Rot, Vincenza Maria Poloni, Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, María del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez, and Maria Troncatti, who will be canonized together on Oct. 19.

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CNA Staff, Jun 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

For many years in the United States, Catholic dioceses have periodically announced major settlements involving victims of Catholic clergy abuse, with the payouts coming as part of bankruptcy proceedings related to abuse claims. 

Since 2004, when the Archdiocese of Portland declared bankruptcy, dioceses and archdioceses have used Chapter 11 law to navigate the complex and often financially crushing process of resolving decades of sex abuse claims. 

In recent years, many U.S. bishops have announced major nine-figure settlements for abuse victims. Most recently, the Archdiocese of New Orleans last month agreed to pay a massive $180 million to victims of clergy abuse there, bringing an end to years of bankruptcy proceedings in federal court.

Where does the money come from? 

Marie Reilly, a professor of law at Penn State University and an expert in bankruptcy litigation,  including Catholic diocesan bankruptcy proceedings, told CNA that the popular perception is that dioceses and archdioceses simply have tremendous amounts of money lying around to contribute to settlements. 

That's far from the truth, she said — and the process is unique for each diocese.

"In general, the plans of reorganization in diocesan and religious order bankruptcy cases are structured so that [the diocese and] the committees that represent sex abuse claimants agree on an amount of money to be contributed to this settlement trust," she said.  

The parties "also agree on the process and criteria by which the claims are going to be paid by the settlement trust," she said. "Then they agree on where and how the diocese will fund the settlement trust."

In many cases, she said, a diocese will fund a trust by selling property it may have in its portfolio. In the New Orleans case, for instance, the archdiocese is moving to sell a set of low-income housing properties it owns. 

"In other cases I've seen dioceses proposing to sell property that was once used maybe for a church, but the church has been closed and is just sitting there as a deferred maintenance nightmare," she said. "They'll sell the properties and use the proceeds to fund the settlement trust. In more than one case the diocese has sold buildings that they used as offices or retreat houses."

Reilly noted that insurance is a "huge component" of many payouts. 

Multiple U.S. dioceses and archdioceses, including Baltimore and New York, have recently sued their insurance providers, alleging that the companies are refusing to help pay abuse claims even though they are reportedly legally obliged to do so. 

Reilly said that insurance companies largely changed how they cover such incidents in the 1990s. "Up until about the mid-'90s, a general liability policy used to include coverages for employee liability," she said. "It would cover sex abuse claims against the diocese stemming from an employee's abuse. After 1996, insurance policies issued under new revised standards just don't provide that coverage anymore." 

Data indicate that the vast majority of credible abuse allegations in the U.S. occurred prior to the 1990s. 

In some cases, Reilly said, dioceses will borrow money to help pay settlements, including from affiliate organizations and services such as cemeteries. 

"It's very challenging to hypothetically value a lot of property that is entitled in the name of the diocese," she said. "What is a cemetery worth? It's subject to so many public health restrictions. Most cemeteries are zoned in a way that they always have to be used as cemeteries." 

"Even Church property that is no longer actively being used for worship is sometimes subject to a restrictive trust," she pointed out. 

Parish funds 

Among the more controversial sources for diocesan settlement payments are funds from individual parishes. Reilly said it's "very common" for parishes to pay into settlement trusts. 

When a diocese files for bankruptcy, she said, it will usually ask the court to halt any litigation against individual parishes, in part because a parish being sued for the actions of a diocesan priest could claim the diocese itself is liable and sue the diocese in turn. 

"The diocese will say it wants any settlement to be the ultimate solution for both their liability, and for the parishes too," she said. "In order to get that to happen, parishes typically have to contribute to a settlement." 

Parishes in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, she noted, were recently required to contribute to a settlement trust after the diocese said last year it would pay $323 million to abuse survivors. 

The Diocese of Buffalo, meanwhile, said this week that its parishes would be required to pay up to 80% of their "unrestricted cash" to help fund a $150 million settlement there. 

Bankruptcy plans, Reilly said, are advantageous not just for a diocese but for those seeking compensation from it, as the alternative is for a plaintiff to "prove their case on a trial of evidence against the diocese," which requires considerably more effort with less chance of payment.

Committees of survivors usually agree that bankruptcy is the better option, she said, insofar as it ensures that everyone gets some form of compensation instead of just a few big payouts being limited to the quickest litigants. 

"Outside of bankruptcy, we call it 'the race of the diligent,' where the speediest get the spoils," she said.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Here's a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

China recognizes Pope Leo XIV's first bishop appointment 

The People's Republic of China has officially recognized Pope Leo XIV's first bishop appointment, the Vatican announced, signaling what some say is an indication that the new pontiff intends to continue operating under the controversial Vatican-China deal.

Chinese officials recognized Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan, who was installed as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou on June 11, just six days after Leo announced the appointment. "This event constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the journey of communion of the diocese," Vatican Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said in a statement. 

Historic St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev damaged in deadly drone attack 

The historic Holy Wisdom Cathedral, also known as St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, has been damaged following a deadly Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city, which left seven people dead and 13 injured.

According to Reuters, the blast damaged the cornice on the main apse of the cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Iraqi Christian village faces cultural and religious identity crisis 

Residents of the Christian town of Ankawa, Iraq, are raising alarms over rapid changes threatening the community's cultural and religious identity, reported ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner. Local activists, clergy, and officials are condemning the unchecked spread of nightclubs, tourism venues, and real estate acquisitions by outsiders often through legal loopholes as signs of a slow erosion of the town's Christian heritage. 

Chaldean patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako and Iraqi Member of Parliament Farouq Hanna Atto have both blamed poor planning, government negligence, and weak representation for the worsening situation. Catholic and Orthodox bishops have voiced support for efforts made by youth to defend the town's values, encouraging responsible public discourse. Ankawa traces its Christian roots back nearly two millennia and many fear the changes may permanently alter one of the last strongholds of Christianity in the region. 

Nigerian clergy directed to take longer route to avoid abduction

Nigerian priests and religious have been directed to take the longer route when traveling in northeast Nigeria to the city of Maiduguri, where their diocese is headquartered, due to a surge in cases of targeted abductions.

"Given the recent resurgence of Boko Haram and the constant attacks, the diocese has now placed a ban on the use of the road between Mubi through Gwoza to Maiduguri by all priests, religious, and even the laity of the Diocese of Maiduguri," Father Fidelis Joseph Bature, a diocesan priest, told ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa. The ban follows the killing of a diocesan staff member and the abduction of a priest by suspected Boko Haram militants. 

German archdiocese joins TikTok: 'Our Church is not unworldly' 

The Archdiocese of Paderborn has launched its own TikTok account in a bid to appeal to young people on the controversial app, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner. 

The account will seek to proclaim the Gospel in "the language of the respective platform and of the young people on it," in order to show that the Church "is not unworldly," a spokesperson for the archdiocese, Till Kupitz, explained. Though the app "is not without controversy," Kupitz emphasized that TikTok "is also the platform par excellence on which young people look for their information." 

Centennial visit of St. Thérèse's relics to Lebanon 

As Lebanon marks 100 years since the canonization of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the saint's relics are once again touring the country from June 13 to July 20, ACI MENA reported. The initiative aims to offer Lebanese faithful a renewed encounter with the "Little Flower." This will be the second time her relics have visited Lebanon, the first being over two decades ago.

According to Father Charbel Sawaya, the pilgrimage's theme, "I Travel Through Lebanon for Love and Peace," reflects St. Thérèse's mission of drawing people closer to Jesus. Her relics will travel from the south to the north of the country, stopping at churches and dioceses.

Africa's bishops to hold plenary assembly in Rwanda 

The need for a common vision in witnessing "hope, reconciliation, and integral development" across the continent will be the central focus for African bishops at their 20th plenary assembly in Rwanda next month.

In a document shared with ACI Africa, bishops explained that the idea for this year's focus comes as the country "remains deeply wounded by persistent conflicts, political instability, coups, and widespread human suffering, leaving millions displaced, traumatized, or living without hope."

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