Catholic News

Pope Leo XIV has urged Catholic legislators to promote policies that protect families from the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI).

The pontiff delivered his remarks on Aug. 21 in an audience at the Vatican with participants of the 17th annual meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network (ICLN), taking place in Rome from Aug. 20–23.

Cardinals Christoph Schönborn, Béchara Boutros Raï, and Charles Maung Bo were also present at the audience as patrons of the network.

AI must not be allowed to weaken families

In his address, Leo reflected on the theme chosen for the meeting, "Human Dignity and Artificial Intelligence: Challenges, Chances, and Control."

"Artificial intelligence must never be allowed to erode this primary cell of society — whether by reducing persons and relationships to data and simulations, by flooding young minds with content that distorts desire, or by economic models that make family life economically precarious," Leo explained.

"For this reason, I encourage you to promote policies that strengthen marriage and families, support parents in their educational mission, and enable young people to look to the future with confidence."

The pope then reminded those present that their responsibility is not to hinder development but to promote the common good.

"Responsible for providing policies for the administration of technology for the common good, your task is not to hinder innovation but to guide it wisely," Leo said. "[Sound legislation] should protect users from exploitation, preserve personal privacy, ensure transparency in the use of emerging technologies, and guarantee that they strengthen democratic institutions."

The ICLN was founded in 2010 in Austria to serve as a network for Catholic legislators worldwide. Since then, its annual meetings have been held in Rome. During their 2025 meeting, Pope Leo urged members to look to St. Augustine's "City of God" for inspiration.

After its 17th annual meeting concludes, the ICLN will host a peace summit in Assisi on Aug. 24, themed "The Urgent Call for Christian Leaders to Be Effective Peacemakers." The summit will feature Mass, keynote addresses, and fraternal visits as the city continues to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.

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Is Confucianism confusing to Catholics, or did the Church simply take centuries to clarify a stance on the teachings of Confucius and his disciples?

A bit of both.

When the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue held its first Confucian-Christian colloquium in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 4–5, some 150 participants from more than a dozen countries spoke about shared values and universal fraternity, virtuous leadership, and moral formation in a pluralistic society.

Three centuries ago, the tone was different. A Catholic in China who took part in the rites honoring Confucius could be told he had abandoned the faith.

The ceremonies were not just polite gestures: "Li (?)," usually rendered as rites or ritual propriety, is foundational to Confucian thought. They comprise customs that form a person, order relationships, and hold a society together.

The sage who taught this, centuries before Christ, is known in Chinese as "Kong Fuzi (???)," Master Kong. He died in 479 B.C. Missionaries who reached China some two millennia later latinized the name as Confucius.

Arriving in 1582, Father Matteo Ricci observed educated Chinese lighting candles and bowing before Confucius. Ricci, a Jesuit, concluded the rites were civil rather than religious. Dominicans and Franciscans disagreed. They argued that the offerings, the prostrations, and the temple setting could surely not be separated from religious worship.

The quarrel that followed, the famous Chinese rites controversy, was not just about rituals and religious language.

At stake was also imperial authority: The cult of Confucius was bound up with Chinese emperors claiming to govern by the Mandate of Heaven, and officials and scholars had to perform the rites to hold office or earn degrees. So telling Chinese Catholics to stay away from them meant a foreign power ruling on Chinese legitimacy.

From a Catholic perspective, given the role of the rites and the weight of the decision, the popes also took their time to make up their minds — several centuries, in fact.

A scintillating question remains

First Pope Innocent X condemned the rites in 1645. A decade later, Pope Alexander VII permitted them. When asked in 1669 which of the two papal decisions was now in force, the Holy Office answered: both of them.

Several decades later, Pope Clement XI condemned the rites again and confirmed this decision with a papal bull in 1715. In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV backed up the bull and required missionaries to swear an oath never to raise the question again.

That settled the matter for nearly two centuries. Then, in 1939, the Vatican abolished the oath under Pope Pius XII. Rome now judged that the ceremonies had come to carry a merely civil meaning. This stance affirmed that no Catholic doctrine had changed, just the judgment about what a gesture meant.

What remained, however, was a scintillating question: Is Confucianism a religion, a religious philosophy, a cultural good, or something beyond such Western categories altogether?

Confucians themselves give different answers.

Father Gianni Criveller, PIME, who took part in the Seoul meeting, noted on AsiaNews that Confucianism enjoys public or national recognition as a religion in South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In mainland China it is not among the five official religions, even as authorities promote it as the original core of Chinese thought.

The pace of friendship

On the ample evidence of the last 400 years, friendship between the two traditions might look like a matter of slow progress over centuries — but the pace may be quickening.

The Aug. 4-5 gathering was the third step in a sequence, after an expert study group and then a workshop at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan that began drafting formal guidelines. Delegates already know when they will meet again: in Indonesia in 2028 and Hong Kong in 2030.

In Seoul, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad told participants the two traditions converge in what they hope for and differ at the foundation.

Ricci put the method more simply, in a line the Holy See still quotes: "Before engaging in friendship, one must observe; after engaging, one must trust."

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A daughter of a Bissau-Guinean imam has made her first profession as a Catholic religious sister, describing the milestone as a response to God's call and a moment of "joy, emotion, and profound gratitude."

Aicha Settimia Canté, 27, made her temporary profession on Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Congregation of the Sisters of the Divine Spirit (CDS).

The celebration took place in the Diocese of Bissau and was presided over by the bishop emeritus of Bissau, José Câmnate Na Bissign.

"Above all, I want to give thanks to God for calling me, choosing me, and sustaining me until this moment," Canté said in her thanksgiving speech, adding that her heart "overflows with joy, emotion, and profound gratitude."

Canté's religious vocation has particular significance because she comes from a Muslim family. She is the daughter of an imam and originally from Safim. She was baptized at Our Lady of Grace Farim Parish of the Bissau Diocese and received confirmation at St. Anne Mansoa Parish before embarking on her journey to consecrated life.

Her profession highlights the coexistence of different religious traditions in Guinea-Bissau.

'My vocation was strengthened'

In her address at the Eucharistic celebration, the new sister thanked Na Bissign for presiding over the celebration.

"Thank you very much for accepting to preside over this celebration, which is so meaningful to me. Your presence made this day even more beautiful and full of meaning," she said.

She also expressed gratitude to the superior and sisters of her religious congregation for their accompaniment throughout her formation.

"Each one of you contributed to my formation and to the strengthening of my vocation," she said.

Canté also acknowledged those who accompanied her through her formation, including her study of French, postulancy, and the novitiate, saying their teachings, advice, and gestures of love helped her grow as a Christian woman and religious.

She further thanked those who accompanied her spiritually and helped her discern her vocation.

'Vocation is a divine mission'

In his homily, the bishop urged Canté to embrace her vocation as a mission of faith and dedication to God.

He emphasized that responding to God's call requires determination, a generous response, and a willingness to serve, noting that God continues to call men and women to participate in his plan for humanity despite the challenges facing young people today.

According to the bishop, a vocation should not be understood simply as an individual choice detached from mission but as a response to God's plan.

"It is a divine mission," he said, emphasizing the responsibility of those who place themselves at the service of God and humanity.

Na Bissign also described faith as essential for navigating life and overcoming its challenges.

"Those who do not have faith in God find themselves completely disoriented," he said, urging those responding to God's call to keep their relationship with him at the center of their lives.

He also highlighted prayer and thanksgiving as essential elements of the Christian journey and called for a permanent relationship with God amid personal and social challenges.

'In the heart of the Church, I will be love'

The temporary profession was celebrated under the motto attributed to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, "In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love."

Na Bissign presented the Virgin Mary as a model of response to God's call.

"Mary is the complete response to God," he said, adding that she represents "the ark of the new covenant" because of her willingness to receive and fulfill God's will.

The bishop also highlighted the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church's mission, describing the Spirit as "the principal companion of the Church."

Attacks on social media

Canté's religious profession also attracted offensive comments, personal attacks, and hate speech on social media, particularly because of her father's identity as an imam and her decision to embrace Catholic religious life.

The situation prompted the National Confederation of Islamic Youth in Guinea-Bissau to condemn the attacks and defend freedom of conscience and religion.

The organization expressed "deep concern over the wave of offensive comments, personal attacks, and hate speech" that circulated on social media following news of Canté's religious choice.

The Islamic youth organization recalled the Quranic teaching that "there is no compulsion in religion" and called for the Islamic faith to be expressed through peace, mercy, justice, tolerance, wisdom, and respect for human dignity rather than insults, humiliation, threats, or persecution.

"Respecting someone's choice does not necessarily mean agreeing with it," the organization said, stressing that disagreement over religious choices does not justify attacks on another person's dignity.

The group also warned that freedom of expression should not be confused with the freedom to defame, insult, incite hatred, or provoke religious conflict.

It called for a Guinea-Bissau in which Muslims, Christians, and people of other convictions can live "with respect, fraternity, and dignity," describing the episode as an opportunity for reflection and dialogue rather than further division.

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

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The life of Floripes Dornellas de Jesús, known as Lola, the Brazilian servant of God who lived for over half a century without eating, drinking, or sleeping, subsisting solely on the Eucharist, is the subject of the Portuguese-language documentary "Lola of Jesus: Mystery and Devotion" by journalist and writer Rodrigo Alvarez.

The production was screened last month during the third edition of Cinema ExpoCatólica at the ExpoCatólica 2026 event in São Paulo, where Alvarez also gave a talk titled "Lola and the Phenomenon of Genuine Brazilian Faith."

Who is Lola?

Her inexplicable ability to live only on the Eucharist certainly draws attention to her, but for Dr. Claudio Bomtempo, who was her attending physician during the final five years of her life and is now a leading advocate for her cause of beatification, that was never the most important aspect of her person. According to Bomtempo, Lola's mission was to make the Sacred Heart of Jesus better known and loved.

"Lola did not want to be remembered herself; rather, she wanted the Sacred Heart of Jesus to be better known and loved," Bomtempo told ACI Digital, the Portuguese-language sister service of EWTN News.

The Church dedicates the month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as the first Friday of every month. According to Bomtempo, Lola "knew she was the one who could get people in Brazil to reflect on the power of the Sacred Heart of Jesus."

"All that matter of not eating, drinking, or sleeping does not, in reality, constitute the essence of Lola's holiness; rather, it is a sign — a way of drawing attention — that I believe the heart of Jesus allowed, so that she could simply be recognized as a manifestation of the presence of the heart of Jesus," he said.

For him, "her holiness is due to her virtues and her sacrifice, to the martyrdom of all those years … and to her intimacy with the heart of Jesus, which was truly awe-inspiring."

According to the doctor, Lola would often interrupt conversations to pray and ask Jesus, "What do you want from me, Lord? What do you want me to do? What do you want me to say?"

Devotion to the Sacred Heart

Lola was born on June 27, 1912, in Mercês, Brazil, and as a child moved with her family to Rio Pomba, where she died in 1999.

When she was about 16 years old, she fell from a jabuticaba tree, fractured two lumbar vertebrae, and was left a paraplegic.

"Finding herself in that situation — knowing she would never walk again and would not realize the dreams she might have cherished, such as becoming a mother or a religious, Lola decided to dedicate the rest of her life to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the heart of Mary. This was Lola's initial response to a difficult situation, to terrible news," Bomtempo related.

Following this decision, changes began to occur in her body that would mark the rest of her life. According to the doctor, she ceased to feel hunger, thirst, or the need for sleep.

"Over the next five or six years, they insisted that she eat, but she felt no hunger," the doctor explained. On Good Friday in 1943, "she decided she would eat no more. From that moment on, she received only the holy Eucharist each day."

The phenomenon, known as inedia, total abstinence from food, sparked the interest of doctors, researchers, the curious, and pilgrims. According to Bomtempo, this never diverted Lola from what she considered her true mission: leading people to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

"People began coming in large caravans and receiving graces, always through the Sacred Heart of Jesus," he said.

To him, Lola was "simply a secretary of the heart of Jesus."

"She only pointed to Jesus. She also possessed many gifts of the Holy Spirit — gifts of revelation, prophecy, and knowledge — and she always used them for the good of others," he continued.

Allowed to keep the Blessed Sacrament in her room

Since she did not sleep, Lola received permission from the then-bishop of Mariana, Oscar de Oliveira, to keep the Blessed Sacrament in her room.

"Lola remained confined to her bed for those 64 years. She kept a 24-hour vigil before the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Eucharist," Bomtempo recounted.

He recalled asking her once why she never left the room, not even to go out into the courtyard.

"My place is here, before the Blessed Sacrament, before the heart of Jesus," Lola replied.

A devotion that endures

In the Church, the first Friday of each month is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that spread widely, particularly following the revelations received by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century.

Recommended practices include confession, Communion, and making reparation for sins committed against the love of Christ.

According to Bomtempo, it was this devotion that Lola sought to spread throughout her life.

The cause for her beatification was opened in 2005 by the then-archbishop of Mariana, Luciano Mendes de Almeida, who had known Lola personally.

According to Bomtempo, the archbishop once told him: "Lola possesses more virtues than are necessary for sainthood. That will happen at the right moment."

The cause stalled for years due to bureaucratic issues and was resumed just last year, when the current archbishop, Airton José dos Santos, appointed Father Rodney Francisco Reis da Silva as the postulator for the diocesan phase.

Once that phase is concluded, the cause will be sent to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, where it can advance toward the recognition of heroic virtues, the stage at which the person could be declared venerable. Subsequently, the recognition of a miracle is required for beatification and a second miracle for canonization.

For Bomtempo, Lola's entire life pointed toward this devotion. "What she spoke of most was trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus."

Pilgrimage site

Today, Recanto Sítio da Lola (Lola's Retreat Place) in Rio Pomba is under the care of Father Jamilson Inácio da Silva, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, who administers the site at the request of the archdiocese.

The site has become a place of pilgrimage, welcoming the faithful from across Brazil on the first Friday and third Sunday of every month for Masses and times of prayer.

The room where Lola lived for over 60 years remains preserved and can be viewed through a glass partition.

In May, the site was reopened for a special occasion — the celebration of the first Mass since the death of the servant of God in 1999 — celebrated by the archbishop emeritus of Juiz de Fora, Gil Antônio Moreira, and concelebrated by Father Rodney Francisco Reis da Silva, the postulator for the cause of beatification.

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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August is a particularly important month for Augustinians, the Order of St. Augustine of Hippo to which Pope Leo XIV belongs, as the Catholic Church celebrates a number of Augustinian saints.

St. Augustine himself and his mother, St. Monica, are honored just one day apart at the end of August, but mystics, missionaries, and martyrs who lived out the Augustinian call to seek God through prayer, community, and charity also enjoy feast days this month.

Here are the Augustinian saints — and a blessed — the Church celebrates in August:

Blessed John of Rieti — Aug. 2

Blessed John of Rieti was an Italian Augustinian friar whose short life became a remarkable example of holiness lived through simplicity, charity, and joy.

Born around 1318 in Castel Porchiano, near Amelia, Italy, John entered the Augustinian order as a teenager and was sent to the friary in Rieti. Though he died at just 18 years old in 1336, those who knew him remembered him for his humility, friendliness, and deep love for his fellow friars.

John was particularly attentive to the sick and to visitors, treating everyone with kindness and reverence. According to the Augustinian tradition, he never did or said anything contrary to fraternal charity.

His remains can be found at the St. Augustine Church in Rieti, and he was declared blessed by Pope Gregory XVI in 1832.

St. Clare of Montefalco — Aug. 17

St. Clare of Montefalco was an Italian Augustinian nun, abbess, and mystic who developed a profound devotion to the passion of Christ.

Born around 1268 in Montefalco, Italy, Clare joined an order of Franciscan tertiaries at a young age. Her sister, Giovanna, was the abbess and their small community eventually became a formal convent of nuns following the Rule of St. Augustine in 1290. After Giovanna's death, Clare became abbess at just 23 years old.

Clare was especially known for her contemplation of Christ's passion and for mystical experiences connected to the cross. Due to this, she is sometimes called "Clare of the Cross."

During her final illness, she told her sisters that she carried Christ's cross in her heart. After her death in 1308, her heart was examined and the sisters reported finding symbols associated with Christ's passion formed within it. Clare was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1881.

St. Ezekiel Moreno — Aug. 19

St. Ezekiel Moreno was an Augustinian Recollect friar, missionary, and bishop who spent much of his priestly life serving Catholics in the Philippines and Colombia.

Born in Alfaro, Spain, in 1848, he joined the Augustinian Recollects as a teenager and professed his religious vows in 1865. After being ordained a priest in Manila in 1871, he spent 15 years working in the Philippines before returning to Spain and eventually being sent to Colombia, where he devoted himself to missionary work and the renewal of religious life.

In Colombia, Ezekiel became the first vicar apostolic of Casanare and later served as bishop of Pasto. His episcopacy took place amid civil war, anti-Catholic persecution, and significant challenges for the Church.

Despite these difficulties, he remained committed to his people and strongly defended the Church's rights. Diagnosed with cancer, he returned to Spain for treatment and died on Aug. 19, 1906. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1992.

Sts. Liberatus, Boniface, and Companions — Aug. 26

Sts. Liberatus, Boniface, and their five companions were seven monks who were martyred in North Africa in 484 during the persecution of Catholics under King Hunneric.

The monks belonged to a monastery at Gafsa, in present-day Tunisia, that had been founded under Augustinian inspiration. The group included Liberatus, their abbot; Boniface, a deacon; Servus and Rusticus, subdeacons; and three lay monks named Rogatus, Septimus, and Maximus.

The monks were taken prisoner and pressured to abandon their Catholic faith, but they refused. The youngest of the group, Maximus, was only 15 and was especially urged to separate himself from the others, but he remained steadfast. The authorities attempted to burn the monks alive, but when the fire would not ignite, they were ultimately beaten to death.

Pope Clement X granted the Order of St. Augustine the right to celebrate their collective liturgical memorial in 1671.

St. Monica — Aug. 27

St. Monica is best known as the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, but her own life offers a powerful example of perseverance in prayer and trust in God.

Born around 331 in Tagaste, North Africa, Monica was raised in a Christian family and married Patricius, a pagan. She became the mother of three children, including Augustine, and patiently worked to guide her family toward the Catholic faith. Her example and persistent prayers eventually helped lead her husband to conversion.

Monica is especially remembered for the years she spent praying and shedding tears over Augustine, who pursued a very different path from the faith in which she had raised him. Her perseverance was eventually rewarded when Augustine converted to Christianity and was baptized by St. Ambrose in Milan in 387.

Monica died shortly afterward at Ostia while preparing to return to Africa with her son. The Church celebrates her feast on Aug. 27, one day before the feast of St. Augustine. She was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1234.

St. Augustine of Hippo — Aug. 28

St. Augustine of Hippo is one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity and is honored as a bishop, doctor of the Church, theologian, and spiritual father of the Augustinian order. Born in Tagaste, North Africa, in 354, Augustine spent much of his youth searching for truth and happiness outside the Catholic faith. Through the prayers of his mother, Monica, and his own long spiritual journey, he eventually experienced a profound conversion and was baptized by St. Ambrose in Milan in 387.

After returning to North Africa, Augustine established a monastic community and was later ordained a priest and named bishop of Hippo. He became a prolific writer and preacher, producing works that would profoundly influence Christian theology and spirituality.

Augustine died on Aug. 28, 430, as the Vandals were invading North Africa. His feast day follows immediately after that of his mother, St. Monica. Pope Boniface VIII later named him a doctor of the Church in 1298.

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A bill has been introduced in the Colombian Congress to ban surrogacy, commonly referred to as "rent-a-womb," in order to curb "the reproductive exploitation of women and prevent children from being turned into objects of a transaction."

The bill's explanatory statement notes that the initiative responds to calls from the Constitutional Court, which has urged Congress in four separate rulings to legislate on surrogacy, as the lack of regulation "has direct consequences for the fundamental rights of the pregnant women and the children born through this practice."

Rep. Luis Miguel López Aristizábal, the bill's author, noted that this legal loophole has caused the country to become "one of the main destinations for so-called 'reproductive tourism,' where couples come from abroad to buy babies in Colombia."

The bill states that, "for example, the Tammuz Family agency, which works with the Celagem Clinic and four other clinics in Bogotá, claims on its website that 'surrogacy in Colombia is accessible to same-sex couples and single men seeking a more affordable path to fatherhood.'"

The proposed legislation also indicates that "costs for plans in Colombia start at USD $63,500 (for the basic plan involving donation of ova/eggs). At an exchange rate of 3,400 pesos [63,500 x 3,400], this equates to 215.9 million pesos (for a basic plan), of which the surrogate receives between 25 million and 40 million pesos. This demonstrates that more than 85% of the profits from this business remain with the clinics and intermediaries."

What the bill establishes

A statement from López Aristizábal's office notes that "the bill does not criminalize the pregnant woman." Instead it establishes the criminal offense of "reproductive exploitation through surrogacy" — whether altruistic or commercial — and penalizes those who promote, broker, finance, or organize it with "prison sentences of 120 to 192 months [10-16 years] and fines ranging from 500 to 1,500 times the minimum wage, with aggravating factors applicable in cases involving the woman's vulnerability."

These sanctions also apply to Colombian citizens who have engaged in surrogacy abroad, whether in whole or in part.

In addition to protecting the surrogate mother from having to return payments received, the law establishes that "for all legal purposes, the mother of children gestated or born in Colombia is the woman who carries and gives birth to them," i.e., not the individual or couple buying the baby.

The introduction of the measure was attended by international activist Olivia Maurel, author of the Spanish-language book "Where Are You, Mom?" who was born via surrogacy. During a forum, Maurel contributed to the debate "her own experience and the perspective of someone born through this procedure."

"It is crucial that this law be passed at this time, as it will protect Colombia's most vulnerable women" and "prevent children from being born through this practice and having to suffer the consequences of the surrogacy lobby," she noted.

"Do this for your country, for your women, and for your children," said Maurel, spokeswoman for the Casablanca Declaration for the universal abolition of surrogacy.

During the presentation, López Aristizábal stated that the bill has the backing of 15 lawmakers from various parties, such as the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the National Salvation Movement, the Democratic Center, the Historic Pact, and Dignity and Commitment.

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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The bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes in France, Jean-Marc Micas, has revoked the authorization for priests of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) to celebrate Mass or the sacraments at the Lourdes Shrine.

In an Aug. 13 statement, the French prelate explained that his decision is based on the Vatican decree of excommunication declaring the SSPX to be in a state of schism following its July 1 ordination of four bishops without a papal mandate.

"Following the decree of schism and excommunication published by the Holy See, I cannot authorize the celebration of the Mass or the other sacraments, not even the public prayers of the Society of St. Pius X within the shrine," the bishop of Lourdes explained.

Therefore, "the authorization that until now was granted to the SSPX to do so is therefore withdrawn. On the other hand, it is obviously possible that whoever so desires can freely come to the grotto or other places at the shrine to pray privately," the prelate noted.

"I am well aware of the pain and perhaps the lack of understanding that this decision will cause. I entrust my decision to God's mercy. We are deeply pained by the tearing of Christ's tunic caused by our divisions. They scandalize the little ones and hinder our witness to the Gospel," the bishop stated.

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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In the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's appointment of Dr. Heidi Overton, a medical doctor with a history of fighting for life, as head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pro-life groups are urging her to end mail-order abortion.

Since January 2025 and up until now, Overton has worked as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy. Before that, she spent more than three years at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a conservative think tank.

On Aug. 19, Trump appointed her to head the FDA, though she will need to be confirmed by the Senate first, which is likely given the Republican majority.

She has a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johnson Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as well as a medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Overton has been outspoken about the dangers of chemical abortion for women and babies, according to a 2023 AFPI brief she authored where she criticized federal policy that made abortion pills available via telehealth.

"Abortion is corrosive to children, women, and society broadly because it devalues and extinguishes innocent human life," Overton wrote in 2023. "Unfortunately, federal policymakers have recently expanded access to abortion pills, also called chemical abortions, which are far more dangerous to women, enabling rapid access to abortion."

About two-thirds of abortions in the United States are chemical, meaning they happen via mifepristone and misoprostol pills. These pills are available via mail in any state, even states where these drugs are illegal. Abortion by mail is highly unregulated, creating danger for female patients.

The abortion pill has continued to be left largely unregulated by Trump's Food and Drug Administration, in spite of the documented danger to women, including coercion, poisonings, and physical harm.

Advocates for unborn children highlight the importance of opposing chemical abortions and protecting unborn children across state lines, as chemical abortion pills make state pro-life laws moot.

Hope for limitations on chemical abortions

Leading voices for life agree that the FDA should regulate mail-order chemical abortions. After being deeply disappointed so far by Trump's FDA, they hope Overton is the woman for the task.

The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), an organization of medical doctors who believe in protecting unborn children and their mothers, "applauds the nomination," said CEO Dr. Christina Francis.

"Dr. Overton has a track record of recognizing the dignity of all of our patients (including our fetal patients) and recognizing the value of life-affirming healthcare," Francis told EWTN News.

"We are hopeful that Dr. Overton will reinstate vital safeguards around the dangerous abortion drug mifepristone," Francis said. "Too many tragic incidents continue to pile up in which women have been left to handle the consequences of these potentially fatal drugs on their own."

"As physicians, we demand the FDA do its job and reinstate essential safeguards for our patients," Francis said.

Live Action, a group seeking to shift the culture and law on abortion, also viewed the nomination positively.

"Live Action is encouraged by President Trump's nomination of Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration," said Live Action spokesman Noah Brandt.

"During Dr. Overton's time at the America First Policy Institute, she helped lead important work exposing the dangers of chemical abortion and the serious risks posed by the abortion pill," Brandt told EWTN News.

"We pray that if Dr. Overton is confirmed that she brings that same courage and leadership to the FDA, which has an enormous responsibility to protect the health and safety of America's women and children," Brandt said.

Brandt called on Overton to put a halt to chemical abortion pills entirely, beginning with mail-order abortions.

"If confirmed, Dr. Overton should pull the deadly abortion pill from the market completely by first ending mail-order abortions, which are killing babies across the country," he said.

Kristi Hamrick, spokeswoman for Students for Life Action, called for Overton to take serious action against mifepristone.

"It's a good thing to have a nominee who has been skeptical of the kinds of policies the FDA has been pushing, but we are not looking for words; we are looking for deeds," Hamrick told EWTN News. "The reckless rubber-stamping of chemical abortion pills has implications for babies in the womb, their mothers, and even the environment."

"We are looking for a first-ever review of chemical abortion pills, the abusers' dream drug, that is now being mailed illegally into many states with pro-life laws in place," Hamrick said.

Hamrick also urged Overton to investigate the environmental impact of chemical abortion drugs in the nation's drinking water supplies.

"The FDA has never looked into the environmental risks of allowing abortion water pollution nationwide, and you don't have to be pro-life to want clean drinking water," Hamrick said.

"We would ask Dr. Overton to do the work never done before — really evaluate mifepristone, its distribution, and risks to babies, women, and all life, endangered species included," Hamrick said.

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The Catholic Church in India has rejected allegations of a "Christian conspiracy" behind the stalling of legislation to tighten controls on foreign donations after the government postponed the bill a second time and referred it to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) following protests by churches and opposition parties.

Sections of India's mainstream and social media have alleged that the Church orchestrated opposition to the measure and that the United States pressed the Indian government on the Church's behalf.

"We do not indulge in any conspiracy. We put our concerns across to our government and it decided to refer the FCRA Bill [the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] to the JPC," Father Mathew Koyickal, deputy secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, told EWTN News on Aug. 20.

The conference is the umbrella body for Catholics of the Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Churches in India.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act has governed foreign donations in India since 1976. It is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which tracks how domestic groups, trusts, and charities receive and use money from abroad.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government amended the act in 2020 and has tightened FCRA rules several times since coming to power in 2014, curbing the flow of funds to Christian and advocacy groups. Critics say the tightening advances a Hindu nationalist agenda. Fewer than 15,000 of some 52,000 FCRA accounts are now active, according to the government's FCRA online dashboard.

The roughly 37,000 licenses canceled or not renewed include those of Church charities and Christian social action groups, along with Indian and international advocacy networks such as Amnesty International, Bread for the World, Compassion International, and Greenpeace.

In March, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a harsher amendment to the FCRA and listed it to be passed in Parliament on April 1. Opposition protests inside Parliament and public opposition — including from the Catholic Church — forced the government to delay the bill to the monsoon session.

Ahead of that session, the government notified new rules on June 22 requiring groups that receive foreign funds to specify their activities by category and geographical area, to disclose social media accounts, websites, and publications, and to pay a separate fee for each category and each area in which they operate. Political content is barred, and the rules set high penalties for each infringement.

With protests spreading to more areas, including Christian-majority states such as Mizoram, and with opposition parties accusing the government of choking civil society groups and the churches under a Hindu nationalist agenda, the government put the bill on hold on Aug. 5 and referred it a week later to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee that includes opposition members. The committee will scrutinize the bill and report to Parliament during the winter session.

'Join the dots'

Amid steady news coverage of the FCRA amendment, Republic TV — known for speaking up for the BJP government — devoted a segment on Aug. 19 to what it called the link between the bill and the student protests.

"Why is FCRA being linked to the CJP [Cockroach Janta Party] protest? And is there actually a connection?" the anchor asked. "The issue gained traction after the Catholic priest was seen marching with the CJP in New Delhi. This is amid the U.S. also warning that the new FCRA bill could damage the India-America relationship."

The report, presented by the channel's editor Niranjan Narayanswamy, put the question directly: "Are you wondering what does the church have to do with the Jantar Mantar protest? It's about students, but why is the church being a part of it? Why are Americans taking an interest in the protest?"

It went on to allege that foreign money routed through Christian organizations had reached Maoist-affected areas such as Chhattisgarh, where it was "being used by church bodies to convert and to push people into becoming Maoists," and described the funding as part of a push into India by "the American deep state," including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The segment closed: "Join the dots and watch this space."

The protests it referred to were mounted under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical youth movement that grew out of anger over repeated leaks of national entrance examinations, including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, the fiercely competitive national examination for admission to medical courses. Weeks of demonstrations, centered on Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and marked by baton charges and tear gas, ended after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25.

"Vested interests are behind floating baseless conspiracy theories, [as they are] embarrassed by government going soft on FCRA amendment. We challenge them to prove such wild claims," Koyickal said.

Jesuit Father John Chathanatt, former principal of the Jesuit theologate Vidyajyoti in New Delhi, told EWTN News: "We are not surprised with such wild conspiracy theories being spread whenever the BJP government narrative fails. Since it could not pass the FCRA bill, the blame is being put on church."

"They even found a hook to peg the Vatican conspiracy theory linking it to a Jesuit from Kerala working at the Rome Generate," Chathanatt said.

The Kerala allegation

Hindu nationalist outfits alleged that the CJP protest was part of a Vatican conspiracy led by a Kerala priest. The allegation was made by K.S. Radhakrishnan, a philosopher and former vice chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at Kalady, who had long been described as a friend of the Catholic Church and who is now state vice president of the BJP in Kerala.

The claim, which went viral on social media in southern Kerala and drew furious rebuttals from Catholics, named Jesuit Father George Mutholil — former Jesuit provincial of Kerala and, since 2019, the Society of Jesus' regional assistant for South Asia and a general counsellor to the superior general in Rome — as the organizer of the CJP protest.

Mutholil told EWTN News that the claim was "built on a single unverified podcast quote and gets basic facts wrong." He added: "This is the familiar move: when there's anger to redirect, blame the minority."

The American strand

American interest in the bill is a matter of record. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, wrote in May that the amendment would disproportionately affect Christian charities and churches and could "do lasting damage to the relations between our two countries," and he urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise it during his visit to India.

Rubio began that visit on May 23 in Kolkata, at the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, before traveling on for talks in New Delhi. In early August, Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, called the amendments a "clear attack against Christians" and warned they could affect relations between the two countries. Sujeet Kumar, a BJP member of Parliament, wrote to Moore on Aug. 10 rejecting the claim that the bill would enable a government takeover of churches.

Church officials in India say none of this was done at their instance. Savio Rodrigues, a Goa-based journalist and BJP member who founded the news portal Goa Chronicle, has advanced a broader claim in an online video, suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump was trying to "topple Modi" through the FCRA with the Church's support.

"I watched this crazy video. I don't think there is an ounce of truth in his accusations that the Roman Catholic Church has an agenda to dethrone Mr. Modi or his government," Cyril Fernandes, president of the Catholic Association of Goa, told EWTN News.

"The CJP [protest] too has nothing to do with the FCRA demands. The whole interview appears stage-managed to change the narrative for which the central government machinery is famous," Fernandes said.

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HO, Ghana — The Diocese of Ho in Ghana has restored the use of holy water, handshakes during the sign of peace, and reception of Communion on the tongue. The diocese has also urged continued vigilance during liturgical celebrations.

In an Aug. 17 statement, Bishop Emmanuel Kofi Fianu said the remaining restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic had been lifted with immediate effect because health authorities have not issued new cautions.

"Since the onset of COVID-19, the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC) issued guidelines for public worship indicating some liturgical restrictions. Since 2024, a number of these restrictions have been lifted, but a few remained in force as precautionary measures to curtail the spread of the virus and some other infections," Fianu said.

He continued: "As at now, we do not have any new cautions from the health authorities, so I believe it is time to lift the remaining restrictions that we observe during our liturgical celebrations."

During the pandemic, Ghana's Catholic bishops introduced measures that included limiting attendance at religious gatherings, maintaining physical distance, wearing face masks, observing hand hygiene, and taking precautions during the administration of the sacraments.

The measures applied to baptisms, confessions, marriages, funerals, and ordinations.

Under the latest directive, holy water may again be placed in receptacles at church entrances for the people of God to use when making the sign of the cross. They may also shake hands during the sign of peace.

The bishop, however, discouraged the moving around the church to exchange greetings. "As a symbolic act, it is enough to shake hands with those around us," he said.

His directive also allows the faithful to receive Communion on the tongue.

Fianu went on to caution priests administering the Eucharist to avoid contact with communicants' saliva and encouraged continued reception of Communion in the hand.

"We should encourage the faithful to receive holy Communion in the hand," he said.

For concelebrated Masses, the bishop recommended providing additional chalices for hygienic and health reasons.

"We still recommend that extra chalices must be provided so that concelebrating priests can communicate by intinction. The main chalice should be used only by the main/principal celebrant, who should also make sure he purifies it after use," he said.

Fianu also directed that all concelebrating priests join the entrance procession, adding: "Priests who arrive after the entrance procession are not allowed to concelebrate the Mass."

Despite the lifting of remaining restrictions, the bishop urged the clergy, women and men religious, and the laity to maintain appropriate hygiene and take precautions whenever necessary.

"Despite the lifting of the restrictions, I urge all priests and faithful to remain vigilant and use their sanitizers whenever they are in doubt. We should all put our health first," Fianu said in his Aug. 17 message.

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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