Catholic News

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to protect birthright citizenship, warning that abandoning the long-standing practice would be "immoral."

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to prevent children from automatically receiving United States citizenship at birth if their parents entered the country illegally and were residing in the country unlawfully when the child was born.

The order faced an immediate legal challenge from parents of children denied citizenship based on the order. That lawsuit argues that birthright citizenship is a constitutional right, protected by the 14th Amendment. The case is currently before the Supreme Court.

In an amicus or "friend of the court" brief, lawyers for the bishops argued that ending birthright citizenship is not legal, based on the 14th Amendment, and lacks historical support from Western legal tradition.

They wrote that birthright citizenship is also backed by Catholic teaching, "which affirms the inherent dignity of every human person, especially the innocent child."

"As Catholics, our faith compels us to protest laws that deny the dignity of the human person and harm innocent children, particularly when such laws resurrect the very injustices the 14th Amendment was enacted to repudiate," the amicus brief stated.

"At its core, this case is not solely a question about citizenship status or the 14th Amendment," it added. "It is a question of whether the law will affirm or deny the equal worth of those born within our common community — whether the law will protect the human dignity of all God's children."

The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) joined the bishops in the amicus brief.

The U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment was adopted in 1868 with the primary purpose of ensuring formerly enslaved people were recognized as citizens. The amendment states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside."

In 1898, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a broad right to birthright citizenship, based on the amendment, with very limited exceptions. However, the nation's highest court has never directly ruled on a case in which a person was denied birthright citizenship because his or her parents were in the country unlawfully.

The bishops' amicus brief was mostly focused on morality, highlighting their interpretation that abandoning the practice would deny the innate dignity and freedom of the person, would inflict harm on vulnerable people, and would weaken and threaten the family.

"Because every person is created in the image and likeness of God, the Church rejects the notion that some people are considered 'others' and do not possess intrinsic God-given human dignity," the amicus brief stated.

"The executive order is antithetical to the import of the Church's teachings because it deprives people whose parents were not born here, or whose mother has temporary status, of the legal rights necessary to participate in the society of their birth," it added.

Some Catholics push back

The amicus brief prompted some sharp pushback from Catholics who questioned the bishops' interpretation of the 14th Amendment and of Catholic social teaching.

In a post on X, Joshua Hochschild, a philosophy professor at Mount St. Mary's University, suggested there be "another amicus brief for the citizenship case" signed by priests and scholars to reflect what he called "actual Catholic social thought on the political, moral, and legal question of citizenship."

"[It] could easily be conspicuously bipartisan too: The brief should explain actual Catholic teaching, moral principles, the nature of political prudence, and come to the conclusion that Church teaching is compatible with a variety of interpretations and applications of the 14th Amendment," Hochschild added.

Kevin Roberts, a Catholic and president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, posted on X that "none of this is Church teaching" but rather "just a poor argument."

"It's interesting how the 'human dignity' argument is always a one-way street: Everything for the foreigner, including lawbreakers, at the expense of the citizen," Roberts said.

He noted that the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that political authorities "may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption."

The catechism also states that prosperous nations have a greater obligation to accept migrants but that migrants also have an obligation to that nation's laws and customs.

Andrew Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies and a former immigration judge, told EWTN News that he "respect[s] what [the bishops] have to say" but thinks the amicus brief is "more of a political statement than it is a moral one."

He noted that most Catholic countries — apart from the Western Hemisphere — do not have unrestricted birthright citizenship. He added that "the Holy See doesn't have birthright citizenship" and most European countries have moved away from it in recent years.

According to the World Population Review, only 36 countries — including the United States — have unrestricted birthright citizenship. Another 45 have birthright citizenship that is restricted, meaning that it only applies under certain conditions.

Arthur said "the government does have a good argument" but thinks the Supreme Court could rule in a variety of ways. If the ruling is favorable to the administration, he said it is more likely that the court narrows birthright citizenship than that it abandons it altogether. He said it's also possible that the justices find that Congress, rather than the executive, has the authority to limit it.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in about a month, on April 1, in the case of Trump v. Barbara, the birthright citizenship case.

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The owner of a historic 155-acre Vermont college campus is looking to give it away to a suitable Catholic nonprofit at no cost.

Raj Peter Bhakta, a whiskey entrepreneur and former contestant on "The Apprentice," has announced his intention to relinquish the former Green Mountain College campus and surrounding land in Poultney, Vermont, to a qualified Catholic mission-based nonprofit organization.

"I felt five years ago when I bought the place that there was something more important that God was calling me to do with my talents and capacities than business alone," Bhakta told EWTN News. He said he had originally hoped to turn the abandoned campus into a debt-free work-agriculture college himself but found the task to be more work than he anticipated.

Bhakta, a Catholic, said he also realized that "the biggest need in civilization was not necessarily another trade school" but rather "a spiritual revival," which he said is necessary for the U.S. "to turn itself around."

Finding an organization that will use the campus to this end by following the Catholic faith, he said, "is the highest and best use that I could possibly achieve for the place." Bhakta said his vision for the campus is for it to foster "long-term faith formation."

"If we want the future, we have to get the young," he said. "I think what the young people are looking for is something that is not a lukewarm version of our faith, which is in vogue in many places, but the stiff old brew of the Catholic faith." He further emphasized the need for would-be recipients of the campus to be dedicated to the pursuit of "capital T" truth "that's not mitigated by politically correct terminology."

Bhakta said the recipient will need to display the financial capacity to maintain the property. Rebuilding, he said, "will easily cost $200 [million] or $300 million."

So far, he said there have been more than 20 applicants, some which he described as "quite inspired and interesting."

If no applicants prove suitable, Bhakta said he plans to sell the property.

Bhakta is also the founder of BHAKTA Spirits and WhistlePig Whiskey.

The entrepreneur announced in a Feb. 17 release that he is seeking a Catholic entity "with demonstrated leadership, vision, and long-term operational capacity" that can maintain the property's yearly expenses of about $1.5 million.

The release said eligible recipients include dioceses, religious orders, Catholic colleges or seminaries, and faith-based nonprofits or apostolates for the more than 500,000-square-foot property. It also cited satellite campuses, classical schools, youth, family or clergy retreat and formation programs, and Catholic outreach, arts, or cultural centers as ideal uses.

March 31 application deadline

The entrepreneur and hopeful donor is inviting prospective recipients to vie for the Georgian-style brick campus situated along the "crystal-clear Poultney River" by submitting a proposal through a website by March 31. According to the website, interviews and negotiations are scheduled to take place in early April, with the recipient to be announced on April 20.

"Estimated to be worth in excess of $20 million in value by prior Maltz Auctions assessments, the offered properties present a rare chance to repurpose a historically rich, aesthetically beautiful, and strategically located campus for meaningful Catholic mission, education, and service," the release said.

Green Mountain College was founded in 1834 and includes several academic buildings, dormitories, a library, a gymnasium, as well as surrounding land and nearly a mile of river frontage. The campus is also within walking distance of the historic downtown Poultney.

"This is not just a gift of architecturally remarkable buildings — or even of [a] historic, singular campus site originally founded for Christian purpose[s] nearly two centuries ago," Bhakta said in the release. "It's a gift of opportunity — the chance to revive a campus for mission, formation, and future generations of the Catholic Church."

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A group of bishops from the Texas-Mexico border region, informally known as the "Tex-Mex bishops," met in El Paso, Texas, on Friday to discuss immigration and its effects on both the U.S. and Mexico as well as recent drug cartel-related violence in Mexico.

The meeting of the Tex-Mex bishops is now "the longest-running international gathering of Catholic bishops anywhere in the world," according to a press release from the Diocese of El Paso on behalf of the bishops. The group has met twice a year for more than 40 years.

At the press conference, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, the group's coordinator, said the bishops were concerned with the "plight of our brothers and sisters, migrants, which are on both sides of the border."

The prelate said immigration enforcement has "changed drastically" in recent years. Because of these changes, García-Siller emphasized that the bishops "need to learn new ways to serve well" migrants and refugees in order to "bring solutions" and "some solace, some peace, some kind of understanding."

"You need to know that God loves you, and that we love you, too," he said before beginning to address his listeners in Spanish.

At their meeting, the bishops were guided by the November Special Message from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on immigration and the recently released statement of 20 U.S. Catholic bishops from border states and others, who recommended immigration enforcement reforms to the Trump administration.

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso said, however, that "bishops are not politicians. That is not our role … our role is to be pastors."

Echoing García-Siller, Seitz said that "our role is to love the people that we serve. And … it doesn't matter to us whether they've lived here a long time or they're simply passing through. When we see that other person, we see a person created by God and given a special dignity, a value that is unparalleled and unrepeatable."

The bishops also discussed ongoing unrest in Mexico after this week's killing by the Mexican military of cartel leader Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho," and the violence that ensued. They discussed the necessity of a continued pastoral response for those affected.

Among the other bishops who participated in Friday's meeting were Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas, the chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration and Refugees, and Bishop Alfonso Gerardo Miranda Guardiola of Piedras Negras, Mexico.

Others in attendance included Bishop Michael Sis of San Angelo, Texas, and Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas. Father Francisco Gallardo from the Diocese of Matamoros Reynosa in Mexico and the executive secretary of the Mexican Bishops' Committee on Migration also participated.

Minnesota Mass in solidarity with migrants

Meanwhile, in Minnesota on Friday, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C.; Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S.; and Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis along with more than 30 other Catholic bishops participated in a Mass said in solidarity with migrants in conjunction with the Way Forward conference at the University of St. Thomas.

In remarks made following the Mass, addressing the recent immigration enforcement-related violence in Minnesota, McElroy said: "We all need to engage in healing and reconciliation. It will take a long time."

Hebda agreed, saying: "That ministry of reconciliation has to be ours, in the Twin Cities and around the world."

In January, following the shooting deaths of two civilian protesters, Hebda called on all "to lower the temperature of rhetoric" and "rid our hearts of the hatreds and prejudices that prevent us from seeing each other as brothers and sisters," referring both to immigrants without legal status in the country as well as immigration enforcement personnel who "have the unenviable responsibility of enforcing our laws."

On Friday, McElroy called ICE's enforcement actions this past winter "almost a siege" in "the heartland of our country."

"Catholic teaching supports the nation's right to control its border and, in these cases, to deport those who've been convicted of serious crimes," he said.

However, he continued: "Seeking to deport millions of men and women and children — families who often lived here for decades, many children who don't know other countries — is contrary to Catholic faith and, more fundamentally, contrary to basic human dignity."

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Pope Leo XIV closed the Vatican's weeklong Lenten spiritual exercises Friday by thanking retreat preacher Bishop Erik Varden and urging those gathered to live out St. Paul's exhortation to "behave in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ."

Speaking at the conclusion of the retreat in the Pauline Chapel on Feb. 27, the pope said Varden's preaching helped the pope and members of the Roman Curia live "a profound, spiritual" experience at the beginning of Lent, starting Sunday with reflections on "the temptations" and moving through themes including St. Bernard and monastic life.

Leo said he found himself "particularly invited to reflect" at certain moments, including Varden's recounting of St. Bernard's reaction to the election of Pope Eugene III: "What have you done? May God have mercy on you."

The pope also recalled celebrating Mass in the same chapel last May 8 — the day of his election as pope — pointing to an inscription from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians, "For to me life is Christ and death is gain," and said that gathering for prayer during the retreat was an important moment amid the many issues facing the Church.

Leo noted several themes from the week, including a reference to St. John Henry Newman and "The Dream of Gerontius," which he said uses death and judgment as a prism for confronting fear of death and unworthiness before God. Returning to Philippians after Varden's final reflection on hope, the pope quoted Paul's call to live "in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ," describing it as the Word of God's invitation at the end of the retreat.

He thanked Varden for his "wisdom" and witness, as well as the Office for Liturgical Celebrations and the choir, saying music aids prayer in a way words cannot.

Earlier Friday, Varden delivered the retreat's final two talks — the 10th and 11th meditations — focusing on the cross, hope, and the Church's task of proclaiming Christ in the modern world.

In the morning meditation, Varden drew on St. Bernard of Clairvaux's treatise "On Consideration," written for a fellow monk who later became Pope Eugene III. Bernard's "consideration," Varden said, involves seeking truth in contingent human affairs. Rather than proposing institutional fixes, Bernard urged the pope to surround himself with good collaborators marked by "proven sanctity, ready obedience, and quiet patience," people "inclined towards peace and desirous of unity" and "farsighted in counsel."

Varden said Bernard saw these qualities as perennial for Church leadership, adding that a prelate must be principled, holy, and austere — but also "the Bridegroom's friend," delighting to share that friendship with others.

Varden also quoted St. Augustine's image of episcopal office as a burden: It is fearful, he said, only "if we fail to notice who puts the burden on our shoulders," because it is a share in Christ's "sweet yoke," enabling pastors to discover that the cross entrusted to them "is luminous and light," and that sharing it can be joyful.

In the afternoon meditation, Varden turned to the Second Vatican Council and St. John XXIII's opening address, saying the council set the Church the task of proclaiming Christ "clearly and compellingly" as the answer to the age's urgent questions "without compromising for a moment the sacred deposit of doctrine."

From there, he argued that Christian hope is not the same as optimism. "To have Christian hope is not necessarily to be an optimist," he said, describing hope as a determined choice for reality rather than wishful thinking. He pointed to the Passion as the place where God is "at his most active" and said the hope entrusted to Christians is ultimately rooted in resurrection and "a new heaven" and "a new earth."

Varden warned against the temptation to market "a happier Gospel" in a culture that, he said, repurposes sacred spaces for entertainment while many young people voice a deep sense of being wounded. He said Christ's passion "lets us lament without rage," opening the way to compassion and to a recognition that wounds are not final.

"The symbol of Christ's passion is not one we engender," he said. "It has been given us. It interprets us, not we it."

Varden concluded by returning to St. Bernard's preaching on the eve of Easter, presenting Christian life as a "continuous Lent" oriented toward Christ's victory over death — and toward a hope of glory that is already hidden within present trials.

A Vatican statement said Varden's retreat conferences are expected to be published at the end of March as a book.

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

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Deacon Steve Greco, founder of Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry and director of evangelization and formation for the Diocese of Orange in California, has joined with technology company eCatholic to launch the Adore Movement to promote adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

The movement has two components: creation of a website featuring a new adoration finder tool to help Catholics find the location of adoration in their area, and the release of "Adore Him," a full-length feature film promoting adoration. 

The Adore Movement's website went live in February. "Adore Him" is currently in production and will open in U.S. theaters in October.

"In 2022, we launched the 'Jesus Thirsts' movement in conjunction with the kickoff of the U.S. bishops' three-year National Eucharistic Revival to promote the Catholic teaching of the Holy Eucharist," Greco noted. 

"Our movement included a series of in-person diocesan events around the country, which culminated in the release of the 2024 film 'Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist.' It was a major success, and we felt led by the Lord to focus next on Eucharistic adoration."

From business executive to full-time evangelist

Greco is a retired pharmaceutical industry executive who was ordained a permanent deacon in 2007. As a young adult he experienced a conversion from being a "lukewarm to an on-fire Catholic" and has nurtured a passion for evangelization ever since. In 2014, he launched Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry, which engages in a variety of initiatives to promote the Catholic faith. 

Today, he is a full-time evangelist, working under the auspices of the Diocese of Orange from an office in the diocese's famous chancery office, Christ Cathedral (formerly Rev. Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral). He works in conjunction with the bishop of Orange, Kevin Vann, and Orange Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Freyer, both of whom have been regular participants in Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry events. Vann, in fact, is the first on camera to introduce the "Jesus Thirsts" film to viewers.

"The Eucharist is at the heart of our faith. Any revival in our own lives, as well as that of the Church as a whole, must begin with a renewed devotion to Christ in the Eucharist," Greco told EWTN News.

The deacon went on to cite a 2019 Pew Research Center survey that found only 31% of Catholics believe that the bread and wine at Mass "actually become" the body and blood of Jesus at the command of the priest; 69% viewed them as mere "symbols." 

"Combine a survey like this with the reality that many Catholics are leaving the active practice of their faith and it shows us the necessity of focusing on the real presence of Jesus and the power of the Mass and Eucharistic adoration," he said.

Greco came up with the idea for the Adore Movement after prayer. "The Lord wants Eucharistic adoration to be better understood in terms of its grace and power," he said.

The movement's outreach

Visitors to the Adore Movement site can listen to videos featuring Greco; eCatholic CEO Jason Jaynes; Norbertine Father Charbel Grbavac, the movement's spiritual director; and Dan DeMatte, co-founder and executive director of Damascus, a ministry to youth and young adults, and co-host of the radio program/podcast "Beyond Damascus." 

There are print-ready materials suggesting how one may do a Holy Hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament as well as postcards and posters that can be downloaded to promote adoration in one's own parish. The site can be viewed in both English and Spanish.

While he's proud of what his team at eCatholic has accomplished, the site is still very much a work in progress, Jaynes said. eCatholic provides technology services to 40% of Catholic parishes in the United States, he said, which means the company can easily access up-to-date adoration information from those sites. For those not contracted with eCatholic, the team requests parishes to send in their adoration information so it can be added or updated.

The site is a "living, breathing, evergreen organism," Jaynes continued, with new videos, adoration sites, and educational materials being added regularly. eCatholic has worked with Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry on other projects previously, he noted, including "Jesus Thirsts." They were particularly excited to be part of the Adore Movement, he said, "because as we're surrounded by so much noise in society, and our team wants to utilize their capabilities to encourage Catholics to regularly spend time in silence before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament."

Jaynes said he believes that eCatholic's patron saint, Carlo Acutis, would be supportive of the Adore Movement, as Carlo believed that "technology should be a tool to bring people offline and back to the Church."

'Adore Him' film in production

Greco explained that the "Adore Him" film will feature interviews with prominent clergy and lay Catholics, including Chris Stefanick of Real Life Catholic, Father Chris Alar and Father Donald Calloway of the Marian Fathers, Deacon Larry Oney of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Curtis Martin of FOCUS, and Mark Hart of Life Teen, as well as Grbavac and DeMatte. Filming is scheduled through April, with the final release in October.

Greco said he hopes the Adore Movement will help Catholics nationwide to grow in their relationship with Christ and begin attending Eucharistic adoration on a regular basis.

"By allowing Jesus to fill your heart with his love, he will lead you to a better participation in the Mass and to more fully appreciate the blessings of Eucharistic adoration," he said.

The deacon also noted that the work of Spirit Filled Hearts was funded entirely by donors and welcomed donations in support of the Adore Movement, which will begin in the U.S. before being launched overseas.

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A video by Egyptian content creator Mahmoud Dawoud has reignited public controversy after he called for a boycott of shops owned by Christians, claiming that purchasing from them "contributes to insulting Islam." Dawoud also accused Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, of inciting insults against the Islamic faith.

The call drew widespread condemnation, most notably from Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris, who argued that what Dawoud said in the video falls, under Egyptian law, within the scope of incitement and contempt of religion.

The debate quickly moved beyond Dawoud himself, once again drawing attention to Article 98 of Egypt's Penal Code, widely known as the "contempt of religion" law — which provides for penalties that can reach up to five years in prison for those convicted of insulting one of the "heavenly religions."

In practice, recent cases suggest that high-profile rulings have largely targeted Christians, atheists, and critics of Islam. Among them is the Copt Augustinus Simon, who received a five-year prison sentence in early 2026.

In a statement, the International Justice Center for Human Rights Studies expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding Simon's trial. It said the defense was not allowed to review the case file or attend sessions, arguing that imposing the maximum sentence raises questions about fair-trial guarantees and whether the punishment is proportionate to the alleged act.

In the same context, the case of Sherif Gaber is often cited; he has faced repeated in-absentia sentences on contempt-of-religion charges.

Abdel Rahman Al-Jady has faced a similar ruling. While Gaber is often portrayed as representing "confrontational atheism" that mocks religion, Simon is presented as an example of "comparative religious critique" rooted in a different Christian theological perspective.

By contrast, convictions for contempt of Christianity remain rare; the most prominent example is the case of Abu Islam (Ahmed Abdullah) more than a decade ago.

Egyptian journalist Ibrahim Eissa, for his part, argued that Article 98 has shifted from being a tool to confront sectarian strife to becoming a "drawn sword" against researchers who raise views already found within Islamic heritage. He called for the article's complete repeal, noting that Egyptian law contains other provisions sufficient to address incitement to hatred. He also firmly rejected custodial sentences in opinion-related cases.

Eissa bases his position on statistics indicating that roughly 98% of contempt-of-religion cases in recent years have involved Muslims or Christians accused specifically of insulting Islam, while Christianity is almost entirely absent from such lawsuits.

In principle, many countries around the world agree on criminalizing incitement to hatred and discrimination. The United States and some European countries draw a clearer line between criticizing religions, which is legally permitted, and incitement against religious followers.

In some Arab countries, the two are often conflated, and criticism of texts and beliefs can become a criminal offense. For that reason, the need is renewed for an open legal and societal debate that balances protecting civil peace with safeguarding freedom of expression.

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

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Catalina Davis spent 15 years in the New Age movement. After her conversion, she described it as a "Luciferian sect" driven by Freemasonry. Now she is preparing to found a religious order to guide those living in a "personal hell" toward God's mercy.

Davis just published in Spain "The Great Prison: The Hidden Price of Alternative Therapies," a book in which she describes her entire life and spiritual journey, revealing how immersion in practices such as Reiki, crystals, regression therapy, and quantum coaching poses a danger.

"You don't know you're in prison; you think you're riding a wave, that you're becoming more and more powerful … But the reality is that you're digging your own grave and you don't even realize it. And when you open your eyes, the blindfold falls away, you're surrounded by bars and you can't get out," she explained in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Born in Chile in June 1983, Davis grew up in a superstitious family that soon moved to Spain and, as she recounted, "has always been linked in some way to magic and esotericism." Her aunt "read tarot cards" and her mother had dozens of amulets.

As a teenager, the film "The Craft" (known as "Young Witches" in Hispanic America and "Young People and Witches" in Spain) sparked a desire in her and some friends to practice magic: "I asked my mother to buy me a book on white magic, and she bought it for me the next day. Nothing was stopping me," she said.

Despite having "a scare with the Ouija board," she continued experimenting until she became fully immersed in alternative therapies following an illness: "I was 23 years old, and one day I woke up and had lost more than 50% of my sight and hearing."

The doctors couldn't find a diagnosis or a treatment: "We started with magic, witches, shamans, healers. At that point, I wasn't fully immersed in the New Age movement," she explained, until, at 28, she was advised to see a "holistic therapist."

"He laid me down on a treatment table and said, 'Think about what's happening to you.' He didn't even ask me." The therapist applied a treatment called "bio-energetic restoration" using quartz patches.

Davis was tired of so many "treatments" and spending money without results. During the time they left her alone with those patches, she thought: "That's it, I'm not going to any more therapy, I'm not going to look for any more help, I have to accept that I'm going to stay like this."

The devil 'healed' her to keep her by his side

She had been living for years with "a kind of mental fog that prevented me from thinking and a feeling as if my brain were melting all the time." She was "very desperate; I even thought about suicide," she confessed.

Then, when the therapist returned, she felt healed: "It was as if my pupils suddenly came to life, my ears came to life, it was as if an energy flowed through me, and I was healed. I called my parents, who were traveling at the time, and told them, 'I've recovered, I'm fine.' And that's where, let's say, my crusade began."

"Alternative therapies work for different reasons. One, the placebo effect. Two, they're manipulated by the evil one. Three, there's a grain of truth in them. So, in this specific case, I think it's the second one, because I was very determined to stop the therapies," she explained.

It's as if the devil had said, "I'm going to lose her. I'll heal her, keep her, and she'll stay with us," she added.

'I think Freemasonry is behind it'

And stay she did. She began to learn and apply a great number of these practices "because each therapy offers a different promise to heal a specific thing," so much so that she entered "a kind of endless cycle," where she remained for 15 years.

Many of these therapies "have no risks, no occultism, nothing. However, these other therapies come primarily from the occult and hermetic world." In fact, she emphasized, "the initiatory aspect of these therapies is evident. Someone has to teach you, someone has to initiate you; it's not something you can do on your own."

Davis maintains that the fact that all these therapies are part of a larger body, the New Age movement, is no coincidence: "I think it's the great Luciferian sect par excellence driven by Freemasonry. I believe Freemasonry is behind it; I believe there's a movement that encourages society to undergo these kinds of therapies so that under the guise of well-being, people distance themselves from God."

This accusation is inextricably linked to the fact that Davis herself almost joined a Masonic lodge but ultimately did not.

A conversion in 2 stages

Over the course of 15 years, Davis became an internationally recognized medium. On Nov. 20, 2020, she was in Valencia, Spain. It was a Sunday, and the tarot reader she had arranged to meet canceled their appointment, which they had scheduled "to pull my soul out of the well," as she recounts in her book.

In Carmen Square, she encountered an unexpected sight: some 200 women carrying a figure of the Christ Child. It was an event in honor of Our Lady of Quinche, the patron saint of Ecuador. They invited her to join, and after some initial hesitation, she accepted.

Once inside the church, the priest said: "If anyone is struggling and needs help, please raise your hand." Without knowing why, Davis stood up, took the microphone, and, addressing the crowd, said: "I can't talk about what's happening to me, but I need help." The priest blessed her and sprinkled her with holy water. At that point she began a journey of conversion that came to fruition in December 2021.

'When you look the evil one in the eye, you can't doubt God's existence'

Davis is now convinced that all the progress in "states of consciousness" within the New Age movement does not come from God: "All that knowledge, obviously, is given to you by the evil one."

But before her conversion, she couldn't have suspected that she was under the influence of the evil one and that she needed to undergo an exorcism process for a time.

"I feel incredibly fortunate, and I've always said that the Lord couldn't have given me a better cross because it makes me pray more, love him more, and also have the conviction that he exists. Because when you look the evil one in the eye, you can't doubt God's existence."

Davis' life experience gave rise in 2025 to the Creo (I believe) Movement, approved in July 2025 as a private association of the faithful by the bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, José Ignacio Munilla.

"We bring God's love to all those outside the Church, especially those who practice the New Age movement, through contemplation of Christ's passion," Davis explained. This also applies to those within the Church who, "by mistake or out of ignorance, have begun to frequent these types of therapies."

This apostolate is carried out through spiritual accompaniment and special, completely free programs called "Returning Home." In all of these programs, they promote a personal encounter with Christ through his passion and, especially, through Ignatian contemplative prayer on the five wounds of Christ.

Although they operate from Spain, they serve people throughout Latin America, especially Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia.

"The other day, a young woman was telling us that a priest at her parish in Mexico encouraged her to have an energy surgery performed by St. Gregory Hernandez. Of course, in Santería, that means they invoke a spirit — which is obviously a demon — that physically appears at the location and performs surgery on the person," she explained by way of example.

From the Creo Movement to the Order of the Holy Wounds

On her path of spiritual conversion, Davis has not only experienced moments of consolation. She has also experienced spiritual dryness, moments "of great desolation, of a great desert."

"After much prayer and discernment, my spiritual director provided excellent guidance, and we concluded that my true vocation is to be a nun," she told ACI Prensa from Rome, where she has taken up residence and lives as a consecrated laywoman.

The desolation, they concluded in their discernment, stemmed from the need to respond to the call to consecrated life that she felt "almost at the beginning of my conversion, and even before founding the Creo Movement," and which takes concrete form in "a religious congregation, the Order of the Holy Wounds of Christ." Although not yet a reality, it already has "a structure and solid foundations for a male and a female branch" and even candidates to form the first communities.

Their mission will be "to accompany those who are going through a personal hell so that, through contemplation of the passion of Christ and in the spirit of St. Peter, they may discover the love and mercy of God and begin an ascetic and penitential path that leads them to a profound conversion and to living the Gospel in reality, to the healing of their wounds, and to a true spiritual resurgence."

Davis emphasized that many who fall into the New Age movement do so "because there is something that torments them or causes them suffering," and that, as happened to her, they experience veritable hells.

In this regard, she noted that on Sept. 25, 2025, Pope Leo XIV said in speaking about Christ's descent into hell that the underworld is "not so much a place as a condition, where life is depleted, and pain, solitude, guilt, and separation from God and others reign."

"Christ, on Holy Saturday, descended into hell," Davis explained, "and I believe that in this charism of the Order of the Holy Wounds, the Lord wants to descend into the hells of each one of us to lead us to Easter, to the light of Easter."

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

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A statue of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint, will replace a statue of Christopher Columbus at Arrigo Park in Chicago — an area known as Little Italy — Chicago Park District officials announced Feb. 18.

Cabrini, who served poor Italian immigrants in Chicago, received roughly 38% of the almost 4,000 votes cast during an online contest to pick three nominees for the honor.

The park district is now looking for artists who want to create the statue and are asking that applications be submitted by March 1.

Here are 10 things to know about this beloved Catholic saint:

1. She was the first American citizen to be canonized.

Though born in Italy, Frances Xavier Cabrini became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1909. In 1946, she was canonized by Pope Pius XII, becoming the first American citizen to be declared a saint.

2. She originally wanted to be a missionary to China.

Inspired by St. Francis Xavier, Cabrini hoped to evangelize in China. Instead, Pope Leo XIII directed her westward, telling her to serve immigrants in the United States, "not to the East, but to the West."

3. She arrived in New York with almost nothing.

In 1889, Cabrini landed in New York City with six fellow sisters and limited resources. What awaited her was not a warm welcome but housing instability and overwhelming poverty among Italian immigrants.

4. She founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

In 1880, she established the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a religious order dedicated to education, health care, and missionary work. The order continues its work worldwide today.

5. She built an empire of schools and hospitals.

By the time of her death, Cabrini had founded nearly 70 institutions, including orphanages, schools, and hospitals across the United States, Europe, and Latin America.

6. She served Italian immigrants during a time of intense prejudice.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian immigrants faced widespread discrimination in America. Cabrini advocated fiercely for their dignity, education, and health care.

7. She became a U.S. citizen in 1909.

Cabrini's naturalization reflected her long-term commitment to serving American communities, particularly in cities like New York and Chicago.

8. She died in Chicago in 1917.

Cabrini passed away on Dec. 22, 1917, in Chicago after years of tireless travel and work. The doctor attributed her death to chronic endocarditis, or heart disease. Her body is preserved for veneration at the National Shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.

9. She is the patron saint of immigrants.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII officially named her the patron saint of immigrants, recognizing her lifelong dedication to displaced and marginalized communities.

10. Her legacy remains visible across the U.S.

Hospitals, schools, and institutions bearing her name continue her mission of faith-driven service and education.

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The head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, stated that Cuba is at a decisive moment and that the country will soon achieve "the freedom it hasn't had in 67 years."

"If there is freedom, there will be no suffering because there will be the necessary change. How will it happen? Well, that's what we're working on," the diplomat stated in an interview with "EWTN Noticias," the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

Hammer confirmed that there are currently "high-level exchanges with people within the Cuban regime" as well as "conversations to see what can be done to take the country in a new direction" that would allow for a transition to democracy.

The interview took place shortly after his Feb. 20 meeting with the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, and Vatican Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

According to official statements from the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, the meeting addressed the political, economic, and social crisis in Cuba and the role the Catholic Church can play acting as a facilitator or mediator.

Church support for a peaceful transition in Cuba

Hammer said he conveyed to the Church in Cuba the need for it to openly denounce the Castro regime's disrespect for the human rights of the Cuban people.

"It doesn't do so openly, publicly; it does so through Masses, but the perception is that it is not declaring itself in favor of the dignity and rights of the people," the diplomat said.

He also addressed the situation of political prisoners: "More than hundreds are imprisoned because they dared to complain about the economic situation, the lack of electricity, the lack of water, and because of those peaceful demonstrations. It's important that the Vatican, that the Church, give them a voice so they can speak out and say: These political prisoners must be freed."

The Vatican's role in the Cuban equation has a historical dimension that Washington is well aware of. The Holy See mediated the diplomatic thaw between Cuba and the United States initiated by President Barack Obama in 2014, and Pope Francis facilitated part of the negotiations.

In fact, although the United States has not had an ambassador in Cuba since 1960, diplomatic relations were reestablished in 2015. However, the U.S. mission is headed by a chargé d'affaires, a position that does not hold the rank of ambassador.

A diplomat out on the streets

During his 15 months in Havana, Hammer has displayed an unusual diplomatic approach. He has traveled the island — to all its provinces — to listen directly to citizens and learn firsthand about their concerns and aspirations.

"Many feel that the revolution has betrayed them, and why? Because their parents, grandparents, fought with Fidel, and what happened? When they reached adulthood, there was no state to protect them, to take care of them, it abandoned them, and at the same time they see how members of the Castro regime go to stroll along the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid or to be educated in Europe," he said.

This closeness with the Cuban people has not pleased the Castro regime, which has tried to scare off onlookers of these encounters by organizing staged harassment by groups tied to the regime. However, the diplomat maintains that the message he receives on the street is unequivocal: "The people want change, that's what they tell me."

Along the same lines, he questioned the privileges of the ruling elite: "How is it that the luxury cars driven by the elite get in [the country]? Where do they come from? How is it that there are restaurants, paladares [high end restaurants], as they say there, frequented by the upper class? This is a dictatorship where those who are part of it live well and the rest of the people are abandoned."

Hammer also denounced a climate of control and restrictions that extends to various aspects of daily life: "They control everything. There is no freedom of the press, of expression, of religion. That has to change. And the world has to see it."

When asked specifically about the degree of religious freedom on the island, he said: "They are arresting women who want to go to Mass."

Humanitarian aid channeled through the Church

Since late 2025, the United States has channeled $9 million worth of humanitarian aid through the Catholic Church and Catholic Relief Services without any mediation from the communist regime. Hammer noted that this is an alternative to prevent the misappropriation of funds.

"Experience has taught us throughout history that one cannot rely on the regime to allow assistance to reach those who need it most, and that is why, I regret to say, this is the reality of Cuba today," he said, after confirming that humanitarian aid from the United States will continue to be distributed through nongovernmental channels to ensure it reaches the most vulnerable sectors.

"Now at least they are allowing the United States to send humanitarian aid, and through the Church — the Church's role. In fact, the Church has been supporting the Cuban people for decades now, and the role of the Church remains extremely important," he indicated.

Washington's objective, he insisted, is a peaceful transition that avoids bloodshed and guarantees the release of those imprisoned for political reasons.

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

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Students at the University of Notre Dame gathered on Feb. 27 for a candlelit prayer service to offer thanksgiving for the university's Catholic identity.

The event was originally planned as a protest in response to the university's appointment of abortion advocate Professor Susan Ostermann as the head of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.

After Ostermann withdrew from the position earlier this week, the student organizers turned the event into a prayer vigil offered "in thanksgiving and support for Notre Dame's Catholic mission."

A group of about 150 students, community members, faculty and priests from the Congregation of Holy Cross met on the south quad of campus, where they were greeted by students Luke Woodyard and Gabe Ortner, the event's organizers.

After a blessing of candles, those present processed to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, where they prayed the Rosary.

The event was co-sponsored by the major Catholic clubs on campus: Right to Life, Militia Immaculata, Children of Mary, the Knights of Columbus, and Students for Child-Oriented Policy.

According to Woodyard, while a protest would have drawn a greater number of attendees, organizers agreed that changing the event to a prayer vigil would be a more appropriate response to the news of Ostermann's withdrawal.

"The big reason we changed the protest to a prayer vigil was because we won, we got Ostermann to not be appointed. And even though this was a victory in a battle, not the [larger] war, we can celebrate this victory now," Woodyard said.

"If we came here with a bunch of protests, it would make us seem like we weren't grateful for the university listening to us," he added. "And we really are. We praise [President] Father [Robert] Dowd for any impact that he had on Ostermann withdrawing, and we pray for the future of Notre Dame."

Ostermann, whose appointment was announced in January, has publicly supported abortion on multiple occasions, calling it "freedom-enhancing" and "consistent with integral human development that emphasizes social justice and human dignity."

She has also argued that the pro-life movement has its roots in "white supremacy and racism" and has described pregnancy resource centers "anti-abortion propaganda sites."

Since the appointment was announced in January, the university has faced backlash from Catholics across the country, including students, alumni, faculty, and more than a dozen bishops including local Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The university continued to defend Ostermann's promotion amid the criticism, citing her expertise in Asian studies and her past research.

When Ostermann withdrew from the position on Feb. 26, students were surprised at the unexpected reversal but grateful for the desired outcome.

Maria Madigan, a sophomore who serves as the head of service for Notre Dame Right to Life, told EWTN News that the grateful and loving spirit of the prayer service was the same spirit in which the protest had been planned.

"[The planned protest] was never filled with hate or any [kind of] malicious intent. …We love Notre Dame because of her Catholic mission and her identity," she said.

"We wanted to protest the Ostermann appointment because we felt that it went against our mission. And then when Ostermann withdrew, the focus shifted, because… we want to think about having a positive vision going forward for Notre Dame."

Regarding Ostermann's withdrawal, Woodyard said: "We don't know what happened behind the scenes — hopefully that will come out in the coming weeks — but what we do know is that she did withdraw, and so we're thankful for that, and that's why we're here, but at some point, we have to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Organizer Gabe Ortner emphasized that although the planned protest was turned into a prayer vigil, the defense of Notre Dame's Catholic mission is far from over.

"We have to recognize the work that Father Dowd has done in leading this university. He's clearly been working tirelessly on this with Bishop Rhoades, and I admire the direction that he seems to be taking Notre Dame in, and that gives me a lot of hope," Ortner said.

"However, at the same time, there also seem to be particular members of the administration who do not entirely share the Catholic vision of Notre Dame," he said.

"Ultimately, Notre Dame should be united in its Catholic identity among all of the members of administration, with no exception."

If the protest had gone forward, speakers would have included Anna Kelley,  president of the school's Right to Life group; Lucy Spence, editor-in-chief of the Irish Rover student newspaper; and Theo Austin, vice president of Students for Child-Oriented Policy.

Students have expressed concern that the appointment shows a willingness of university administration — particularly on the part of Provost John McGreevy, who approved the appointment — to deviate from the university's Catholic mission.

Max McNiff, a student who attended the prayer vigil, shared his hopes that the controversy that precipitated Ostermann's withdrawal would send a clear signal to the university.

"I think this sets a good precedent for stuff like this in the future. I think that the administration is going to be very cautious, and hopefully nothing like this will happen again."

"I think this also sets a precedent that researchers who are considered maybe 'elite' by secular academic standards, but who very manifestly publicly contradict Catholic doctrine [on matters] such as abortion, should not expect to come into leadership positions at Notre Dame," he said.

Ultimately, however, students expressed their gratitude at the reversal of Ostermann's appointment, calling it a "victory" in the battle for Notre Dame's Catholic identity.

"Having the opportunity to gather together and to thank God for his faithfulness, and the faithfulness of the university, is really beautiful, and I think you can see it in the passion of the students," Madigan said. "Everyone here knew it wasn't a protest anymore, but they were still coming."

"We're all here because we care and we love this university and we want to uphold its Catholic mission and its pro-life mission as much as possible," she said. "And at the end of the day, whether one person showed up, or whether 200 people showed up, this was a prayer service, and it was to God, and the words that were said here were to him."

"And that's what I really want the focus of this whole event to be on, praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for his faithfulness and to Our Lady for protecting her university."

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