Catholic News

NAIROBI, Kenya — Catholic leaders in Africa have described the Church's growth there as an opportunity to share its faith, vocations, and missionary experience with the universal Church while continuing to receive gifts from other local Churches.

According to the latest statistics published by Agenzia Fides, Africa's Catholic population has now surpassed Europe's, rising to 288.3 million compared with Europe's 287.2 million. Africa now has the second-largest Catholic population, after the Americas, which the organization counts as one region.

The data Fides used comes from the Church's Book of Statistics, which is updated yearly. The latest edition includes data through Dec. 31, 2024.

In responses shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa,  Catholic leaders in Africa pointed to families, catechists, pastoral presence, and the witness of missionaries among factors they believe have contributed to the growth.

Catholics in the world numbered 1.4 billion, with an overall increase of 15.8 million Catholics compared with the previous year. As in previous years, increases were registered above all in Africa and in the Americas, followed by Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

The African continent recorded the largest increase in Catholics, adding 7.58 million compared with an increase of 6.99 million in the Americas. Africa gained 1,676 priests, the largest continental increase, compared with a worldwide net increase of 425 priests.

According to the Fides report, Africa was the only continent to register growth in seminarians, adding 786, while the global total declined by 2,891.

Sharing the gift of faith

For Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala of South Sudan's Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, the findings are a reason for gratitude and renewed missionary responsibility.

"Having received the gift of faith through the missionary witness of others, we are now blessed to share that gift with the universal Church," Hiiboro said.

As bishop of Tombura-Yambio since 2008, Hiiboro also serves as president of the Integral Human Development Commission of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference. He said that growth of faith is not a competition.

"Africa is not competing with any continent in the growth of faith. We are part of one universal Church, united in Christ and enriched by the gifts of different peoples and cultures," he said.

Father Vincent Simba, rector of Nairobi-based St. Thomas Aquinas Senior Seminary, said the increase in Catholics and priests offers hope for Africa and the universal Church.

Simba expressed hope that Africa would have opportunities to send missionaries to places from which the continent received the Christian faith.

Bishop Joseph Kacou Aka of Ivory Coast's Diocese of Yamoussoukro said the figures are an invitation to deepen communion among local Churches.

"Africa is called to share its gifts: its vocations, its community experience, its theological reflection, and its witness of faith," he said. "But mission remains a fraternal exchange in which each Church both gives and receives."

Aka, who was consecrated bishop in 2023, said pastoral action in his diocese is guided by the theme "Autonomous and Missionary Church, Communion of Communities."

Families, communities, and pastoral presence

In his response to ACI Africa, Hiiboro pointed to family bonds, community life, and openness to God as among the conditions he believes have helped the growth of Christian faith in Africa, alongside the work of missionaries, catechists, priests, women and men religious, and laypeople.

In Nigeria, Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa of the Diocese of Katsina identified the continent's youthful population, family life, liturgies, and the work of Catholic institutions among factors contributing to growth.

"In Nigeria, parish communities, Catholic schools, hospitals, and lay movements help transmit the faith across generations," Musa said.

Musa, who also chairs the Communications Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said his diocese had seen its number of seminarians rise from about 21 in 2023 to more than 40 in 2026. 

He cautioned that "demographic growth alone does not explain conversion."

Father George Omondi, a Kenyan-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, commonly known as the Spiritans, pointed to the accessibility of pastoral services.

Omondi, who previously served as vice provincial superior and councilor for formation in the Spiritans' Kenya and South Sudan Province, recalled seeing an increase in parishes in Kenyan Catholic dioceses, bringing services closer to the faithful.

Omondi said during his parish ministry he also observed adult baptisms and received converts from other churches into the Catholic Church.

In his own response, Aka cautioned against assigning a single cause to the growth. The statistics, he said, "describe a development without, by themselves, establishing its causes," and do not determine the respective contributions of family transmission, adult baptisms, and demographic factors.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that holiness is a calling for everyone, not an achievement reserved for a select group, as he reflected on the Solemnity of All Saints during his Angelus address in St. Peter's Square.

"The Solemnity of All Saints, which we celebrate today, invites us to share in the joy of that countless family of men and women who, following the Lord Jesus, have made their lives a gift to God and to their neighbors," the pope said.

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical Spe Salvi, Leo said the saints, along their different paths to holiness, "have longed for 'the ocean of infinite love.'"

The pope noted that the Church celebrates not only canonized saints on Nov. 1 but also "the countless others who have not been formally recognized but are known to God."

"It is indeed true that it is impossible to count this multitude of brothers and sisters, and not just in numerical terms," he said. "Holiness, in fact, cannot be reduced to any calculation, for such is the good that all the saints have spread around them in the world."

Leo said the saints brought forth "actions and choices of love that transcend the calculations of greed and the arrogance of evil, which at times seems to prevail."

"The saints are the most beautiful and powerful sign of the Kingdom of God that is coming — or rather, as Jesus teaches us, is already among us," he said.

The pope emphasized that the multitude of saints includes people "from the most diverse backgrounds, cultures and walks of life."

"Holiness is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a universal vocation that speaks to each of us where we live," Leo said.

"This is the hope-filled message of today's feast: God sees the good that we do not see, knows stories that we do not know and reaches hearts to which we have no access."

He entrusted the faithful to the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that she would accompany them "along the path to holiness, so that we may never grow weary of fostering peace, both in the most important situations and in the ordinary circumstances of everyday life."

Pope recalls newly beatified Georgia martyrs

After the Angelus, Leo recalled the beatification the previous day in Savannah, Georgia, of Pedro de Corpa and four companions, Franciscan friars killed in odium fidei, or "in hatred of the faith," in 1597.

"Originally from Spain, they responded generously to the Lord's call to evangelize the peoples of the Americas, even to the point of giving their lives," the pope said. "Let us invoke the intercession of these martyrs for all missionaries of the Gospel."

Leo also spoke about a recent humanitarian operation to assist civilians in Oleshky, expressing hope that cooperation between the parties involved would lead to further steps toward peace.

"I hope that the cooperation between the parties, which made this necessary humanitarian act possible, will strengthen the desire for dialogue and lead to new concrete peace initiatives," he said.

The pope then highlighted the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, calling the first Olympic event held on the African continent "a sign of hope coming from the world of sport."

He also noted that the Friars Minor will hold a Mission with the Poor in Rome from Nov. 8–15.

"I congratulate the sons of Saint Francis who, through this initiative, are placing the poor at the center, as the Lord Jesus did and as Saint Francis of Assisi did," Leo said.

Finally, ahead of the Nov. 2 Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, the pope announced that he would celebrate Mass at Rome's Verano Cemetery.

"During these days, let us feel united in the Communion of Saints with the immense family of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us on our earthly pilgrimage," he said, "and let us pray for the departed, especially those whom no one remembers."

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

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A group of 50 people from the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, recently walked in the footsteps of Servant of God Adele Brice during a 10-day pilgrimage to Belgium where they visited locations associated with the Marian visionary at the center of the story behind the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion — the only approved Marian apparition site in the United States.

Led by Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay, the group visited the cities of Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Dion-le-Val, and Leuven from Oct. 10–20 on the first-of-its-kind pilgrimage.

Among the stops were the Church of Our Lady, home to The Madonna of Bruges sculpture created by Michelangelo; the Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel, Belgium's most visited Marian shrine; the tomb of St. Damien of Molokai, a Belgian priest known for his service to the leper community on the island of Molokai in Hawaii; the Catholic University of Leuven, the oldest Catholic university in the world; and several locations associated with Brice, including her hometown of Dion-le-Val, her home parish, the site of her confirmation, and the port where Brice and her family embarked for New York in 1855.

In an interview with EWTN News, Ricken described the pilgrimage for those who took part as a "discovering of roots."

He explained that most of the pilgrims were from Door County in Wisconsin, which is one of the largest Belgian communities in the United States.

"There's a Belgian heritage center here and lots of deep connections, and they haven't forgotten those," he shared. "And they just loved Adele from the time she came."

With this in mind, and since Brice's cause for canonization was officially opened in February, Ricken and others involved with the pilgrimage thought it could serve as a "moment of connecting with her [Brice's] roots so that we can understand her better" as well as give the pilgrims in attendance "a chance to reconnect" with their Belgian roots.

Ricken recalled that one of the most impactful stops on the pilgrimage was the Mass celebrated at Brice's home parish, the Church of St. Martin in Dion-le-Val. This small parish typically has roughly 20 people in attendance — as Catholicism in Belgium is currently at a low point, Ricken explained — but for this Mass, 250 people crammed into the space to celebrate the special occasion.

"I think it gave them a whole new sense of pride in their own history over there. So it was a renewal for them. You could see that. The people were so thrilled to have us," he shared.

After the Mass — which was concelebrated by Ricken, several other priests from the Diocese of Green Bay who were on the pilgrimage, and local Belgian priests — a reception was held. Despite having a language barrier, Ricken said everyone was still able to communicate and many of the local Belgians recognized the family last names of the American pilgrims and found family connections. He shared that one of his priests from the diocese found a relative of his that he "never knew existed before."

"It was just beautiful and it's going to take quite a while to unpack all of that and understand exactly what happened, but it was deeply enriching for everybody, including me," he said.

The Church of St. Martin was also the recipient of the Our Lady of Champion Adele Brice icon done by Father Paul Czerwonka from the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin. The icon depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary appearing to Brice and has two angels holding a banner with the message the Blessed Mother gave Brice: "I am the Queen of Heaven … Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation. Teach them their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the cross, and how to approach the sacraments. That is what I wish you to do. Go and fear nothing, I will help you."

The icon is 8 feet tall by 4 feet wide and took two months to complete.

Ricken said one moment that was very personal for him during the pilgrimage was when the group visited the Catholic University of Leuven. The bishop received his graduate degree in sacred theology and completed his seminary formation at this university in 1980. While the seminary building is now used for student housing, the chapel from the seminary is still in use.

"We were able to arrange for an anointing service of the pilgrims … there in the seminary chapel where I attended Mass every day as a student and loved it so much," he shared. "And I was able to lead the anointing service. And many people took advantage of that … not everybody, but many did, and it was so beautiful that right there in the former seminary chapel to be able to take care of my own people from here who went on that pilgrimage. That was very touching."

Reflecting on the pilgrimage as a whole, Ricken said he believes "there will be a lot of answered prayers" through Brice's intercession.

Ricken said he hopes those who went "see all of their instincts and their love of their culture and language as something that's still alive, still vibrant in certain places, and that the shrine is their connection with home."

"They've always felt that, but now they actually saw it themselves. They were able to go to her hometown and experience that connection," he added.

"And my hope is that they'll continue to volunteer and do all the beautiful things they do and have even more commitment to it and be able to identify the work of grace and the Holy Spirit in everything that's happening today in and around the shrine through Adele [Brice] and through the Blessed Mother."

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SAVANNAH – More than 400 years ago, Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodríguez, Miguel de Anon, Antonio de Badajoz, and Francisco de Veráscola surrendered their lives standing for the sanctity of marriage.

"We do well to lovingly speak their names, for they are holy members of the family of God," said Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto while declaring them "blessed" on Oct. 31 in Savannah.

It was a milestone for the Catholic Church in America: The Georgia Martyrs are the first American martyrs for marriage and the first to be beatified in the southern U.S.

Approximately 9,000 people streamed through the doors of the Savannah Convention Center, breaking city attendance records for an indoor event. They traveled from all over Georgia, the U.S., and around the world, arriving by bus, car, and trolley. Some ferried across the Savannah River. Others flew, including priests and lay Catholics representing the hometowns of several friars.

María Isabel Inoriza De Villota, a 12th generation descendent of one of Friar Francisco's brothers, came from Spain with her 16-year-old son, Imanol.

"Ever since I was a child, I have witnessed the deep devotion my parents held for Francisco," she said. "We have always turned to him, seeking his protection and help."

Her mother prayed "fervently" for the beatification, which is "a dream come true," she said.

Father Pablo Migone, the vicar for mission advancement in the Savannah Diocese and a longtime promoter of the cause, said 2,000 attendees "tops" were projected. But registrations kept pouring in.

U.S. beatifications are rare. But it was more than that. The diocese has been educating the faithful about the martyrs for a decade. "The fruit and the story are resonating in people's hearts and minds," Migone said.

Until learning of the beatification, many residents of La Albuera, Spain, where Friar Antonio was baptized, hadn't heard of him. Now the town square is being renamed in his honor.

"God is full of surprises," said Father Antonio Jesús Marín Romo, the town's parish priest. "This comes at a crucial moment when we were in need of a catalyst for the work we wish to begin in the parish."

The Franciscans' story began in the 16th century when they arrived from Spain. By 1595, they had established missions along the Georgia coast, evangelizing the Indigenous Guale people. Serving like Peace Corps volunteers, they succeeded where other orders had failed.

Two years later, however, faith clashed with local custom. A baptized convert in line for chiefdom insisted on a second wife. When the friars refused to compromise Christ's teaching on marriage, a war party murdered the friars, mission by mission. A sixth friar, Francisco de Ávila, was tortured, but lived to tell the tale. The missions were eventually reestablished, and Catholicism thrived.

The bilingual service on Oct. 31 began with a procession down the runway-like aisle created from joining four exhibition spaces, the center's largest configuration.

More than 200 clergy, including Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Cardinal Leo, 31 bishops and archbishops, over 100 deacons and seminarians, and the apostolic nuncio, were joined by nearly 200 members of the Knights of Columbus, the Knights of Malta, Knights (and Dames) of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Knights of Peter Claver. Seventy ciboria waited at the altar. 

Cardinal Leo read the apostolic letter and declared the Georgia Martyrs "blessed," by having "placed the saving truth of the Gospel before their own safety."

Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer and Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives i Sicilia, bishop emeritus of Urgell, who represented the Spanish Episcopal Conference, read English and Spanish translations of the apostolic letter, respectively.

The letter declared the martyrs' feast day as Sept. 22, the octave day of Friar Pedro's martyrdom. 

Thunderous applause erupted at the unveiling of the official portrait of the martyrs, showing them in humble repose and bathed in golden light. Before and after the beatification, the crowd toured the adjacent Georgia Martyrs Museum and art exhibition.

By worldly standards, it might seem like the martyrs failed, Cardinal Leo said during his homily. "But it is not so."

They succeeded by embracing "the call to holiness, which further led them to embrace the call to consecrated life, the call to the sacred priesthood, the call to missionary work, the call to evangelize, the call to share and defend the faith and, ultimately, the call to give their very life."

But "how compelled are we" to "follow Jesus' call to follow him?" he asked.

A holy life requires defending the truth and "always put[ting] Christ first," he stated, even while striving for unity in the world. "Polarization is not from God."

The martyrs also bore witness to "the Christian doctrine of marriage and held to that divine truth to the shedding of their own blood," he said, stressing the sacred nature of the family "founded upon the covenantal, sacramental, indissoluble union of one man and one woman."

In his first public audience after recent surgery, Pope Leo XIV said that protecting marriage and family "is more urgent than ever before."

The beatification itself was "perfect timing," said Christine Camp, who came from Atlanta with more than a dozen other Catholics who had just attended a three-day retreat to pray for restoration of their marriages.

Moms and dads with children had traveled from near and far. "It's our pilgrimage," said Theodora Ferrant, who came from Pensacola with her husband and two children.

"I truly believe through the intercession of Blessed Pedro de Corpa and four companions there will be greater respect for the dignity and character of holy matrimony," Savannah Bishop Stephen Parkes said.

"May the witness of these holy men inspire fidelity between spouses called into the covenantal bond of holy matrimony and help create a renewed commitment to the growth of faith-filled families in the state of Georgia and beyond."

The celebration will continue Nov. 1 with a Mass of thanksgiving at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.

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ROME - Pope Leo XIV welcomed around 7,000 team members, students, and fans from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame at the Vatican Saturday morning, the day before both schools' men's and women's teams will kick off the college basketball season in a historic doubleheader.

Fans of all ages packed into the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall in Rome for an audience with the pope, who is himself a Villanova graduate.

"Growing up on the south side of Chicago, we oftentimes heard, 'Go Irish!'" Pope Leo told the crowd. "But as you all know, Prevost graduated from Villanova. So, the pope doesn't take sides. Prevost has another opinion, but we won't do that now," he added, to cheers from the Villanova supporters.

The Nov. 1 event, called the Eternal City Tip-Off, will open the 2026-27 college basketball season for the Division 1 teams. Organized as a collaboration between Fox Sports, On Location, and Players Era, inspiration for the event came from Leo's election as the first American pope.

Leading up to the Sunday games, supporters of both universities — including alumni, faculty, staff, students, and fans — were able to participate in a special Mass in St. Peter's Basilica along with the papal audience.

Father Peter Donohue, OSA, president of Villanova, and Father Robert Dowd, CSC, president of Notre Dame, began the audience by addressing the pope on behalf of their universities. Four student-athletes from each school then presented the pope with gifts, including commemorative basketballs, jerseys, and a special prayer for athletes written by the late Holy Cross Father Theodore Hesburgh, a past president of Notre Dame.

Pope Leo drew laughs and cheers from the crowd when he began to dribble the basketball offered by Villanova team representatives.

The pope then addressed the gathered fans, speaking about a "vision of sport" proposed by the Catholic Church centered on "the dignity of the human person, on his or her integral development, on education, and on relationships with others."

He pointed out that the games will take place on the feast of All Saints' Day, saying that the occasion was a valuable reminder "that God calls everyone to be a saint. … We are invited, therefore, to ensure that every aspect of our lives, including our athletic endeavors, will help us to love God and our neighbor."

Pope Leo emphasized the importance of sport as "a concrete means of bringing people together," particularly in an age "marked by the distance that can be created by technology." He added, "Sport is a medicine for both body and spirit when it is practiced well."

Ambrose Weidmann, an architecture student from the University of Notre Dame studying abroad in Rome, attended the papal audience with his friends. "It was great to hear each school's president's viewpoint on sports, school, and faith, and even better to hear the Holy Father's comments on sports and especially our universal calling to sainthood," he said.

Eric Heinz, who was at the audience with his wife and two sons — one of whom graduated from Villanova, the other from Notre Dame — echoed Weidmann's sentiments.

"I think it's really great to have so many people that you know [in the room]," he said, citing the thousands of supporters from both universities who filled the hall. "It's really attributed, I think, to the love of not just their schools, but Pope Leo, and having an American as the pope. … Everyone's in a great mood about it."

Shannon Murphy and Gabriel Alvarez, sitting a few rows down from the Heinz family, had already planned on a trip to Rome for their honeymoon, but when they saw that the dates lined up perfectly with the Eternal City Tip-Off weekend, they were thrilled.

"We put it on the calendar, and the minute they went for sale we were refreshing [the page] to get the best tickets we could that were available… we're very excited," said Murphy, who is a Villanova alumna. She added that sharing both an alma mater and the Catholic faith with Pope Leo made seeing him "pretty great."

Before the papal audience, fans had the chance to attend a special morning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mass was presided over by Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia and concelebrated by the presidents of both universities.

During the homily, Perez praised the discipline, perseverance, and sacrifice of the student-athletes, quoting St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians to remind the faithful that sport is a model for the spiritual life, and offering Mary as a model of this excellence: "She played the game of life, the game of grace, in such a beautiful, powerful, profound way," he said, offering Mary's humility and service as an example of "true greatness."

Weidmann commented that the Vatican events on Saturday tied basketball and Catholicism together in an "ideal connection" between faith and sports, and even served as a means of evangelization.

"I know a few of my peers who are atheist or agnostic, but went to the papal audience and Mass today and got to hear the voice of the Church calling to them through the Word of God and the pope's words, which I thought was a really great way to expose more people to our faith," he said.

Villanova and Notre Dame will face off on Sunday beginning with the men's basketball game at 3:30 pm CET (9:30 am EST), which can be viewed on Fox. The women's game, aired on FS1, will follow at 6:00 pm CET (12 pm EST).

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New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks this week joined a lawsuit alongside several orders of religious sisters, suing to stop the state from forcing Catholics to adhere to its newly created suicide regime.

The archbishop added his name to a lawsuit that includes Rockville Centre Bishop John Barres, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Hicks's addition to the suit was announced by the religious liberty law firm Becket on Oct. 30.

The New York Archdiocese joins the suit after it was launched in July of this year by Catholic objectors to the state's new suicide law. The Catholic plaintiffs in that suit argued that the state's assisted suicide rules would force them to participate in the process of helping suicidal patients kill themselves, a violation of core Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, a federal court ordered that the state could not enforce the suicide rules against the Catholic objectors while the suit itself played out.

Hicks said on Oct. 30 that Catholics "are guided by the compassion of Jesus to serve those of every background who are in need of healing."

"We refuse to allow New York to force us to harm the very ones we've been called to care for," he said.

Hicks is the latest Catholic prelate to join the legal fight against assisted suicide in the U.S. A total of four bishops and dozens of religious sisters have sued the governments of New York and Illinois after the states enacted assisted suicide programs.

In addition to the New York ruling, the Catholic objectors in Illinois — which include the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Springfield — have secured victories at federal court, with a judge ordering the state to hold off on enforcing suicide rules against them while the suits play out.

In New York, the Catholic healthcare ministry ArchCare also joined the lawsuit against the state. Among ArchCare's facilities is Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, which offers hospice care for those with six months or less to live.

Becket describes the Calvary facility as "the only fully-accredited acute care hospital in the U.S. devoted exclusively to the palliative care of adult patients with life-limiting illnesses."

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Many Catholics may be unaware that they can obtain not one but eight plenary indulgences for departed souls in the first week of November.

For centuries, the Catholic Church widely observed All Saints' Day (Nov. 1) as an octave, extending the holy celebration to eight days.

The observance was established by Pope Sixtus IV in the 15th century and demoted in the liturgical calendar around the middle of the 20th century, although some Catholics still mark the eight-day observance.

Notably, the Church itself still indirectly acknowledges the ancient eight-day octave in its granting of plenary indulgences for the first week of November.

What is a plenary indulgence?

A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.

It is not a forgiveness of sin but the remission of punishment for sins already forgiven. It may apply either to oneself or to souls already in purgatory.

In order to obtain a plenary indulgence the faithful must — in addition to being in the state of grace — both have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin (even venial sin), have sacramentally confessed their sins and received the Eucharist (either within or outside of Mass), and must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

What about the All Saints' octave?

The Vatican's Apostolic Penitentiary, in its "Enchiridion Indulgentiarum" ("Handbook of Indulgences"), states that the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence for the faithful departed "every day, from the 1st to the 8th of November," if, in addition to fulfilling the normal terms of a plenary indulgence, one "devoutly visit[s] a cemetery and at least mentally pray[s] for the dead."

The conditions for a plenary indulgence can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.

The All Saints' octave was notably extended throughout the entire month of November in both 2020 and 2021 amid concerns about avoiding large gatherings of people in churches or cemeteries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article was updated on Oct. 31, 2026.

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is marking Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week by celebrating the work of pro-life pregnancy resource centers, which offer life-affirming support to pregnant women and mothers of young children in need.

"We express our sincere gratitude for all those who work to provide necessary resources to women, babies, and families during pregnancy and beyond," Bishop Daniel Thomas, chair of the bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in an Oct. 27 statement.

"Pregnancy help organizations, maternity homes, medical and resource help centers, and adoption agencies provide heroic services every day to anyone in need," he said. "Many pregnancy care centers offer free medical services, including ultrasounds, prenatal and postnatal care, and referrals for free or low-cost childbirth."

"They also provide resources such as baby clothes and diapers, childcare, career services, referrals for housing, and much more," the bishop said.

Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, which will be celebrated from Nov. 9-13 this year, is a celebration created by Heartbeat International — a network of pregnancy centers that offer pregnancy help as an alternative to abortion clinics.

A report published last November by the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that in 2024, pro-life pregnancy resource centers provided over $452 million worth of support to women in crisis pregnancies and struggling women with young children, including medical care, support and education services, and material goods.

The bishops' statement noted that about 2,750 life-affirming pregnancy centers currently operate in the United States.

To mark the celebration, Thomas also recognized "the life-changing help being provided by the countless volunteers in our parishes that accompany vulnerable women and families through our nationwide Walking with Moms in Need initiative," a parish-based initiative, created by the bishops, to provide support to pregnant women and mothers who need support.

"May all those who serve and protect life be encouraged by our prayers, our good works and our financial support to build a culture of life," the bishop said.

Florida attorney general talks fetal personhood with Lila Rose

Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who is Catholic, discussed the prospect of "fetal personhood" — the belief that unborn children should be legally recognized as persons at the moment of conception — on a podcast this month with Live Action President Lila Rose.

When Rose — who is also Catholic — asked Uthmeier whether there will be a day when abortion has fully come to an end in Florida, Uthmeier told her: "I certainly pray so; I do believe we have the truth on our side and the truth will prevail."

"But we as faith-driven people, as pro-life advocates, we've got to continue going out and educating and explaining, getting people to soften their hearts and listen," he said.

Uthmeier discussed his opposition to surrogacy and expressed concerns about people coming to Florida to "purchase a baby." He called the practice "very dangerous and horrific," but said he hopes it can raise discussions about whether this is a form of slavery.

"It is going to bring the conversation of fetal personhood and life front and center," Uthmeier said. "Is this a human being? Which I believe truthfully, factually, the answer is unequivocally yes. If it is a human being, you cannot contract to buy and sell this individual."

Pro-life activists mark 59 years since UK's Abortion Act

In London on Oct. 27, pro-life advocates gathered in Parliament Square to mark 59 years since the passing of the UK's Abortion Act, which legalized abortion in England, Wales, and Scotland under certain conditions.

More than 11 million abortions have taken place in the UK since the act was passed, according to government statistics compiled by Right To Life UK.

Bede Teeton from March For Life UK told EWTN News: "It is our duty to commemorate those who have been affected by abortion, and those who have sadly lost their lives through it too."

Former Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg told EWTN News: "59 years ago was a black day in the civilization of the UK. We did something that was fundamentally wrong, and it's gotten worse. We now allow abortion up to birth. We kill disabled babies because they are disabled. Society is quite schizophrenic about this, because we all have all sorts of disability rights acts, but then we murder disabled babies. So I think it is a day of infamy."

Pro-life runners complete global relay

Thousands of pro-life runners cumulatively completed a 5,124-mile relay this week, which concluded at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, with the men's and the women's cross-country and track teams finishing the final stretch.

The 2026 A-Cross America Relay, which is organized by the pro-life organization LifeRunners, had 26,257 participants in 4,061 cities across 53 nations. EWTN Global Catholic Network was a sponsor of the event.

Many of the runners wore jerseys displaying the Trinity and a cross with "Jer. 1:5," written on it, in reference to the Bible verse: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you."

The jersey displays the text, "REMEMBER The Unborn," as runners seek to promote a culture of life to the public in every location they run.

Elliot Hartley contributed to this article.

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In 1963, Albanian Cardinal Ernest Simoni was arrested and sentenced to death by Albania's communist, officially atheist government after celebrating a Mass for the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy for the repose of his soul.

In an interview with Mark Irons of "EWTN News In Depth," the 98-year-old Simoni explained how he escaped death through remaining steadfast in faith.

Simoni was imprisoned and tortured for practicing his faith, and eventually his death sentence was commuted to forced labor. Simoni continued secretly to say daily Mass as the Communist Party tried to eradicate religion across their region.

Though many understood the risks involved, no one informed the communist authorities. Had the regime discovered what he was doing, he said, he likely would have been hanged. He credited his survival solely to God's grace.

After the Party of Labor of Albania was dissolved in 1991, Simoni was freed from manual labor under state surveillance. He doesn't speak much about torture he experienced.

"They also took me into the army…and had me march, for 16 hours marching...without eating, or drinking, I was dying," Simoni said. "Thank God, he wanted me to be saved. There it was the Hand of God that protected me."

In 2014, Pope Francis was moved by this priest's testimony and named him one of 17 international bishops and priests to the College of Cardinals in 2016. Pope Francis described him as "a living martyr."

Simoni travels across countries bringing the Gospel to all people while also speaking of his experience in communist Albania. His visit to the United States this November comes 63 years after the assassination of Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

Simoni said he holds no resentment toward those who persecuted him and his fellow Catholics. Earlier this year he returned to the prison where he was tortured and was able to celebrate Mass publicly.

"We are required to pray for every enemy, that God has mercy, to see them all in heaven, because Christ has shed his blood for us all," he said.

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A new three-part documentary series is set to explore the reality of evil, exorcism, demonic oppression, and the spiritual battle for the human soul.

"In Jesus' Name" takes viewers into the world of what an exorcist does and why exorcisms were established, and offers guidance on things that the faithful should consider staying away from in order to keep themselves safe.

The docuseries features prominent exorcists, theologians, and survivors of demonic oppression and examines how evil operates, how it enters human lives, and how it can be overcome. Through personal testimonies and expert insight, the docuseries explores the tension between good and evil, biblical teaching on exorcism, the reality of spiritual warfare, and, above all, the hope and power of Jesus Christ.

The creators of "In Jesus' Name" seek to take exorcisms out of the sensational and instead provide an accurate view of how they are conducted and how people have found deliverance.

"With 'In Jesus' Name,' we wanted to demystify the rite of exorcism and invite audiences to see how the Church responds to the presence of evil in an authoritative but compassionate and deeply human way," Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, said in a press release.

"By giving viewers rare access to experienced exorcists, theologians and those who have confronted profound spiritual darkness firsthand, the series reveals not only the reality of spiritual warfare but the truth at its heart: the battle is real, but God's love and grace is greater," Gagnon said.

Father Dan Reehil, pastor at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Columbia, Tennessee, and an appointed exorcist for the Diocese of Nashville, is one of the authoritative figures in the docuseries, alongside Father Vincent Lampert, who served for nearly 20 years as the designated exorcist for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, as well as Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee, a theological expert on the history of the Catholic rite of exorcism.

In an interview with "EWTN News Nightly," Reehil emphasized that "the devil is real" and that while "there's a lot of banter on social media and also the internet about the devil," the faithful should focus their time "on God, particularly on Jesus Christ, who is the one who crushes Satan."

He explained that when Lucifer rejected God's plan and one-third of the angels followed Lucifer, those angels became the demons that were cast down to earth.

"They're cast down to earth, and now they roam the earth, and their No. 1 enemy, according to Revelation Chapter 12, is they're making war against those who keep God's commands and bear witness to Jesus Christ," he said. "So if that's you, you should at least be aware there's a target on your back, [but] not to be afraid of it. It's actually a badge of honor because you're in this great elect group of people that he hates because of who we are."

Reehil shared that "the best thing you can do is have a very robust prayer life, have a deep relationship with Jesus Christ as a true disciple. And we use the same weapons. We use obedience to God, we use humility, we use purity, all the aspects of Our Lady would be the weapons we use in this battle."

Created by EWTN Studios and Cumberland Creative, "In Jesus' Name" is available for streaming on EWTN+ and EWTN.com as of Oct. 28. The first episode will also be available on the EWTN YouTube channel.

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