Catholic News

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Congress to include immigration reform in the budget reconciliation package that is being negotiated by lawmakers and seeking protection of the pastoral needs of detainees and changes to enforcement practices.

"We encourage members of both parties to reject partisan appropriations funding and instead rededicate yourselves to a collaborative process that pursues the common good and promotes human dignity and flourishing," they wrote in a letter to Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

The letter was signed by Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the USCCB, and Victoria, Texas, Bishop Brendan Cahill, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration.

In the letter, the bishops acknowledge "the legitimate role of the state to regulate immigration, including by bringing to justice those among us who seek to inflict harm," but raise concerns about enforcement practices.

"Enforcement of immigration laws cannot truly advance the common good without reasonable conditions that ensure respect for the God-given dignity of each person, inherent in which is the exercise of certain fundamental rights," they wrote.

The bishops asked for enforcement to be better aligned with "the moral order," such as avoiding enforcement near sensitive locations like churches when there are not extreme circumstances and "mandating consistent access to religious and pastoral services" for detainees.

"Rather than pursuing such measures through a bipartisan process, Congress now risks setting a concerning precedent — one in which furthering the common good is undermined for the sake of political expediency," they wrote.

Under President Donald Trump's administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded a rule that put limits on immigration enforcement at "sensitive locations" like churches. DHS officials still urge officer discretion and contend such enforcement would be rare.

DHS also says it encourages clergy to reach out for accommodations to ensure spiritual needs are met for detainees, although officials denied faith leaders' requests to bring the sacraments to an immigration processing facility in Illinois until a federal lawsuit was filed in November 2025 following repeated denials.

DHS recently emerged from a prolonged fiscal 2026 funding impasse, the longest DHS shutdown on record. Congress passed a bill that funded most DHS components, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) funding was left unresolved, requiring separate legislative action. The ongoing complexity may influence the fiscal 2027 appropriations timeline, and Republicans have proposed giving ICE and CBP $70 billion in additional funding, on top of $170 billion Congress already allocated last year.

The bishops requested lawmakers "limit additional funding increases for immigration enforcement after the unprecedented amounts provided through last year's reconciliation bill." They expressed concern over "an enforcement-only approach to immigration," which they said "can never meet the demands of the moral law."

"Nor does such an approach truly support the welfare and prosperity of American communities," the bishops said.

Fifty-four people have died in ICE custody since the start of fiscal 2025, which is 125% more detainee deaths than occurred during all four previous fiscal years combined (24 deaths), according to ICE detainee death reporting data.

In their letter to Congress, the bishops quoted a speech by Pope Leo XIV on Jan. 9 in which the Holy Father said: "To be authentic, democratic processes must be accompanied by the political will to pursue the common good, to strengthen social cohesion, and to promote the integral development of every person."

The bishops asked Congress to follow that guidance when putting together the budget bill.

"Through this reconciliation effort and the circumstances that gave rise to it, we see the unfortunate absence of that will and therefore the failure to achieve reasonable and necessary reforms to current immigration enforcement practices," they said.

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Sometimes clad in alb and chasuble, other times in a wrestling costume: Such was the life of the Mexican priest Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, better known as "Fray Tormenta" ("Friar Storm"), a man who celebrated Mass by day and wrestled in a mask by night.

With the goal of sustaining an orphanage that provided a home for dozens of children, Gutiérrez decided to enter the world of freestyle wrestling, which combines sport and spectacle and is deeply rooted in Mexican popular culture.

The name of Friar Storm echoes through wrestling arenas from Mexico to Japan, but his story achieved global fame thanks to a 2006 film inspired by him: "Nacho Libre," starring Jack Black (though the priest has always been quick to clarify that the movie is not his biography, because, he said, "I never stalked a nun").

Today, at the age of 80, Friar Storm is waging a different kind of battle. He still celebrates Mass occasionally, and facing advancing blindness as well as the ailments typical of old age, he supports himself by selling wrestling-themed merchandise.

A life marked by violence

Gutiérrez was born in 1945 in a town in the state of Hidalgo, although he grew up in Mexico City near the Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. As he told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, it was a neighborhood "of kicks and punches," a place where violence was a daily reality.

There he fell in with "gang kids" who introduced him to the world of drugs. That addiction, he confessed with sadness, led him to a life of crime; he was even arrested for homicide, but he managed to prove his innocence.

Upon reaching adulthood, he wanted to leave that life behind. He sought help at a church, and this led him to consider a priestly vocation. "I said to myself: 'If there weren't cool priests, good guys, really down-to-earth, how many of us wouldn't change?'"

Gutiérrez recounted that he found spiritual support in a religious brother from the Mercedarian order who took him to a detox clinic and subsequently helped him enter the Order of Poor Regular Clerics of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools, known as the Piarists, where he completed his novitiate around 1962.

Before professing the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, his formator asked the novices to share their life stories. Gutiérrez recalled feeling afraid that the others would discover who he truly was and he considered running away. Then his formator told him that he need not fear, because "it is precisely people like you that the Church needs."

While serving as a deacon in the port of Veracruz, where he taught classes and assisted at a parish, he recalled that the young people told him: "We don't want priests here." He won their friendship over time and was ordained a priest there on May 26, 1973.

Thus began his ministry, marked by his work helping young people whom he affectionately called his "cubs," kids who accompanied him wherever he went. His bond with them was such that, even when he was transferred to other parishes, they would follow him, and he would take it upon himself to find them temporary homes.

Around 1976, acting on the suggestion of a Piarist superior, he decided to leave the order and seek out a bishop who would accept him "along with all my 'chamacos'" (as children are known in Mexico).

In the state of Mexico in the Diocese of Texcoco, he was welcomed by Bishop Magín C. Torreblanca Reyes, who gave him a chapel and the opportunity to embark on his dream of building a children's home, a project he began with 15 youths. "The most I ever had living with me at one time was 350," he noted.

From the altar to the ring: The origins of Friar Storm

With no money to build his orphanage, he recalled an old inspiration: the 1962 film "El Señor Tormenta" ("Mr. Storm"), in which a priest becomes a masked wrestler. He originally fantasized about becoming a boxer, fighting a couple of bouts, earning $2 million, and using that money to build the shelter.

He couldn't find anyone to teach him to box, however, but it was in that search that he met José Ramírez, "El Líder" ("The Leader"), an amateur wrestler who taught him how to do basic moves.

To launch his wrestling career, he adopted the name of the character who had inspired him. "Mr. Storm was a 'mister'; I'm a friar so I took the name Friar Storm," he recalled. He then went to see Ranulfo López, one of the most prominent mask-makers in the industry, who helped him design his mask.

"The yellow signifies the quick reflexes that Friar Storm sought to display in the ring; the red signifies the blood which he is willing to shed for his orphans' home, and [at the center of the mask] the diamond, to attain eternal life," he recalled.

In his first fight in 1977, he earned a mere handful of pesos, yet he didn't hesitate to donate the entire sum to lay the foundations for the "Casa Hogar de los Cachorros" ("Home for the Cubs").

From modest neighborhood arenas, he gradually climbed the ranks to reach the most professional venues. His name began to spread by word of mouth, though his career did not truly take off until 1983, when the wrestler "Hurricane Ramírez" revealed his true identity, a secret he had kept guarded for six years.

On one occasion "Hurricane" challenged Gutiérrez to a match, but he declined because he had to officiate a wedding. Much to Gutiérrez's disbelief, he showed up on the day of the religious ceremony, unmasked, among those in attendance.

"He winked at me, and I winked back. The wedding Mass ended; I went to the sacristy, and there he was. He said to me: 'You really are a priest — and those scoundrels [the wrestlers], look how they beat you up!'

From then on, everyone wanted to see the man who, in addition to delivering homilies, delivered blows in the ring. His fame grew, and with it, so did his apostolate within the world of freestyle wrestling. "I began baptizing [the other wrestlers'] children; I began hearing their confessions and [giving them] their first Communions," he recalled.

"I would be leaving after a match, and even the wrestlers themselves would say to me: 'Won't you give me your blessing, Father? Where can I find you? I'd like to go to confession,'" the priest related.

Although inside the ring "they showed me no mercy since I was already among the stars — everyone wanted to beat Friar Storm," outside the ring, "they never once disrespected me."

A legacy that impacted lives

Although Gutiérrez admitted he did not understand how he managed to balance his life — juggling his wrestling career, the children's home, and the priesthood — he attributes it all to divine providence. "God helped me a great deal," he affirmed.

"It was very difficult for me because for instance I would finish wrestling at 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and then I would drive back from wherever I happened to be. I would arrive just in time to celebrate [Mass] on Monday morning."

With a smile, he declared: "No one can tell you that there was no Mass because I went off to wrestle."

Among the many children he helped was "Storm Jr.," who arrived at the orphanage when he was barely 12 years old, hailing from a small town in the state of Nayarit. In an interview with ACI Prensa, he recalled: "We would sleep three, four, or five to a room or sometimes on the floor."

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He, too, wanted to dedicate himself to professional wrestling. In doing so, he gained not only a mentor but also a close friend, a bond that has endured ever since, as the two now live together: "Since he is getting on in years and is quite elderly, there is no one to look after him but me."

Currently, both men support themselves by selling official Friar Storm merchandise such as keychains, masks, and other items to attendees at wrestling events.

"Storm Jr." said he feels a great sense of responsibility "because I bear this name and have a godfather, a very famous mentor like Friar Storm."

From the orphanage, which Gutiérrez eventually sold to pay for the university studies of his "cubs," came three doctors, 16 teachers, two accountants, 20 computer technicians, 13 lawyers, and a priest. In addition, he sponsored several young wrestlers.

One of them is Father "Fuerza Divina" ("Divine Force"). Although he didn't live in the orphanage, he was inspired by the priest's example. Today, he combines his priestly ministry with professional wrestling. In the courtyard of his parish in Mexico City, he installed a small wrestling ring where young people train while simultaneously receiving spiritual formation.

He shared with ACI Prensa that he uses that ring "not only to give them actual wrestling lessons but also to impart a message about values, a message of evangelization."

"Thanks to this, many are drawing closer to the parish. Many of them are leaving negative things behind. Many of them are behaving better, both with their families and in their own personal lives," Father "Divine Force" said.

The story of Friar Storm has inspired films, vocations, and hundreds of lives. Today, at 80 years old, the old wrestler lives an austere life, yet one with a heart full of gratitude. "I wrestled with a single objective: that everything I earned would go to the children's home... I never did get that $2 million, but I do want to say that I am proud."

And if he had to choose between the wrestling ring and the altar, his choice is clear: "Friar Storm would never have existed had I not been a priest."

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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Last week, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 45-day extension of a ceasefire following two days of U.S.-hosted talks described by Washington as "very productive." The negotiations carry major consequences for Lebanon, a country caught between Israeli pressure, Hezbollah's weapons, and the risk of deeper internal instability.

But while diplomats discuss security arrangements, military withdrawals, and the future of the border, the damage left in southern Lebanon from the latest war triggered by Hezbollah also includes a religious wound: the desecration of Christian symbols and the destruction of places of worship.

Desecration of Christian symbols

In several southern villages, the war has not only left homes destroyed and families displaced but has also affected churches, crosses, and statues of the Virgin Mary — sacred signs that mark the Christian presence in villages where questions of return, protection, and dignity are supposed to be inseparable from the diplomatic discussions.

Recently, two incidents in southern Lebanon brought renewed attention to the desecration of Christian symbols during the war. In one case, an image circulated showing an Israeli soldier placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary. Before that, another widely reported image showed a soldier damaging a statue of Christ on the cross in Debl.

These incidents were not isolated, however.

During an earlier phase of the war in 2024, a video reportedly showed Israeli soldiers inside a church in Deir Mimas, turning the sacred space into a scene of mockery. In the footage, soldiers appeared to stage a mock wedding between two servicemen, with others laughing, singing, filming, and moving through the church as though it were a place of entertainment rather than worship.

Israel has said the soldiers involved in the desecration incidents were punished and that such behavior is incompatible with the army's values. After the image of the Virgin Mary statue circulated, the Israeli military said one soldier had been sentenced to 21 days in military prison and another to 14 days, adding that it viewed the incident with "great severity."

In the earlier Debl case, two soldiers were reportedly removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in military detention after an image showed a soldier damaging a statue of Christ on the cross.

The destruction of Christian places of worship

The incidents involving individual soldiers are only one part of a wider picture. Christian places of worship and religious institutions in southern Lebanon have also been targeted and destroyed during the war.

In Yaroun, a Catholic convent and former school belonging to the Salvatorian Sisters were destroyed by the Israeli army earlier this month. Israel denied that the monastery had been demolished, but Yaroun's mayor, Adib Ajaka, rejected the Israeli account.

The same village had already seen its church affected earlier in the war, as early as 2024. The Israeli army had also destroyed a statue of St. George.

Around the same period, in October 2024, other Christian villages in southern Lebanon were likewise hit. In Derdghaya, a church of the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Tyre was struck by an Israeli missile. A priest's house and three-story building housing parish offices were also destroyed by another missile.

The human toll in Christian villages

Beyond the desecration of symbols and the destruction of churches, Christian villages in southern Lebanon have also mourned civilian deaths during this latest war.

On March 8, Christian farmer Sami Youssef al-Ghafri, from Alma al-Shaab, was killed in shelling. The following day, Father Pierre al-Rahi was killed in an Israeli strike on Qlayaa, prompting an outpouring of tributes online, with many portraying him as a symbol of Christian steadfastness for refusing to leave his parishioners. That same day, Lebanese Red Cross paramedic Youssef Assaf died of wounds sustained during a rescue mission after an Israeli strike in the Tyre district.

On March 12, three young men from Ain Ebel — Chadi Ammar, Elie Attallah, and Georges Khreich — were killed in an Israeli drone strike while trying to repair an internet connection.

Later, on March 28, Georges Soueid and his son Elie were killed by Israeli gunfire while traveling in a pickup truck on the road between Debl and Rmeish.

Some Christian villages in southern Lebanon were heavily damaged or emptied during the war. A few, such as Rmeish near the Israeli border, are mostly untouched. In the few where residents managed to stay, daily life remains extremely difficult: Aid is limited, infrastructure is fragile, and even basic services have been disrupted.

Local accounts point to damaged solar panels, targeted roads, and municipal equipment, including vehicles used for waste collection, destroyed or rendered unusable, making it harder for remaining families to sustain life in their villages.

Aid convoys as a lifeline

Aid convoys have been crucial for the remaining residents of southern Lebanon's Christian villages. Local Church sources have repeatedly pointed to the role of the apostolic nuncio, who became a key figure in coordinating and encouraging aid efforts to reach isolated communities.

Organizations such as Caritas Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross, and L'Œuvre d'Orient have also played an essential role in helping residents receive basic assistance and remain in their villages despite the hardship. This weekend, the local nongovernmental organization Nawraj also reached several of the affected communities, bringing additional support to families still living under difficult conditions.

As U.S.-hosted negotiations between Lebanon and Israel continue, the protection of Christian places of worship, sacred symbols, and livelihoods should be part of the equation, according to the local Christian community.

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

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On Monday, May 18, Pope Leo XIV received at the Vatican His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the most prominent figures in Eastern Christianity.

The Armenian Apostolic Church, part of the Oriental Orthodox Church, is headquartered in Antelias, Lebanon.

During the audience held at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father underscored the profound bond uniting the two churches, marked in a special way by the figure of St. Paul, whom he described as the "apostle of communion."

In addition to St. Paul, the pontiff cited other saints who worked for Christian unity, such as St. Nerses, considered a "pioneer of ecumenism." In this context, Leo underscored "the tireless ecumenical zeal" of Aram I, 79 years old and one of the founders of the Middle East Council of Churches.

Pope Leo XIV also thanked him for his closeness to the Church of Rome and especially for his personal commitment to promoting theological dialogue.

"I sincerely hope that, despite recent difficulties, this dialogue will continue with renewed vigor, for there can be no restoration of communion between our churches without unity in faith," he emphasized.

The pope recalled his visit last December to Lebanon, a land that continues to "face severe trials" and that, for so long, "has shown the whole world that it is possible for people of diverse cultures and religions to live together as one nation."

"At a time when the unity and integrity of your country are once again under threat, our churches are called to strengthen the fraternal bonds that unite not only Christians amongst themselves but also with their brothers and sisters from other communities in their shared homeland," he noted.

Pope Leo XIV assured Aram I of his prayers for the nation and conveyed his "deep concern" for the people of Lebanon and for the Churches of the Middle East.

The pontiff asked the Holy Spirit to grant them the gift of unity and lasting peace.

At the close of the audience with the Holy Father, a moment of ecumenical prayer took place in the Urban VIII Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

This marks the first official meeting between Leo XIV and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, who will also participate in the pope's general audience on Wednesday, May 20.

During his visit to the Vatican, Aram I will also meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and visit the Dicasteries for Promoting Christian Unity, Interreligious Dialogue, and Eastern Churches, as well as the Pontifical Armenian College.

On May 19, he is scheduled to deliver a lecture titled "The Challenges of the Churches in the Middle East" at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.

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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DIMAPUR, India — The cemetery of the Salesian province of Dimapur in northeast India was the scene of a solemn remembrance May 15 marking the 25th anniversary of the killing of three Salesian members at a novitiate in neighboring Manipur state.

Father Raphael Paliakara, the 46-year-old novitiate rector; Father Andreas Kindo, the 32-year-old newly appointed administrator; and 23-year-old Brother Shinu Joseph were shot dead at the Salesian novitiate at Ngarian Hills in Manipur on the night of May 15, 2001.

"I remember the deep pain of May 15, 2001," recalled Father Joseph Pamplackal, Salesian provincial of Dimapur, presiding over the memorial Mass held at the cemetery with dozens of Salesian priests, including 10 who had been novices at the time and were present at the novitiate during the attack.

"Today we remember the beauty of Salesian missionary spirit. When Father Raphael was shot, Father Andreas rushed forward to protect him, and Brother Shinu too was shot. They died for the faith and inspired many to witness to the faith," Pamplackal said at the Mass.

Twenty-eight relatives of the three slain Salesians traveled from the southern state of Kerala and from Jharkhand in eastern India for the occasion.

'Shepherds who did not flee'

A memorial card distributed at the event described the three as "shepherds who did not flee" and summarized the events of 2001: "They laid down their lives for us … when armed militants stormed the novitiate demanding money and the novices' lives."

"Money was handed over, but [they] refused to surrender any novice. They died as true shepherds standing between the wolf and the flock," the card said.

Father Josekutty Madathiparambil, one of the 27 novices sheltered during the attack, told EWTN News on May 19 that the events of that night shaped his vocation.

"What happened that night influenced my life a lot. Their sacrifice has given a new meaning to life," said Madathiparambil, who is originally from Kerala and now serves in eastern Arunachal Pradesh state.

"The militants had asked the fathers to bring out the novices, separating them as 'locals' [from Manipur] and 'outsiders.' That would have been the end of our lives. But they fulfilled what Jesus has said: 'There is no greater love than laying down one's life for others,'" he said.

After the memorial service, the Salesians — including 10 of the novices who went on to become priests — joined the family members of the slain Salesians in a two-hour gathering that included the screening of the documentary "They Laid Down Their Lives for Us" produced for the occasion.

"Today we are celebrating the silver jubilee of their martyrdom, which has not gone in vain. We are the proof for that," said Father Anthony Kangba Rang in his testimony.

"We were heartbroken when we came here for the funeral 25 years ago," recalled John Paliakara, elder brother of Father Raphael, who brought eight members of the Paliakara family, including three siblings, from Kerala for the anniversary.

"But it is no more a tragic memory. They saved the lives of 27 novices. We are proud of it," he told EWTN News.

Ethnic tensions persist

As the Salesians prepared for the anniversary, they received a grim reminder of the continuing ethnic tensions in Manipur when two Salesian brothers were kidnapped on May 13.

"I was very tense hearing about this, and that too round the jubilee time," said Father Shyjan Chemmaparappallil, another 2001 novice who was in Manipur that day.

"Our prayers were heard, and they were released unharmed the next night," he said during the jubilee commemoration.

Father Suresh Innocent, from whose care the two ethnic Naga Salesian brothers were taken at an impromptu road checkpoint by Kuki groups, described the ordeal.

"I was shattered. Because of their ethnic [Naga] identity, they were taken away. It is reported that it was a tit-for-tat kidnapping, as some ethnic Kukis had been kidnapped earlier in the day," Innocent told EWTN News on May 16 after bringing the brothers to the Dimapur provincial house.

"Due to prayers and high-level interventions, they were released in 24 hours," he said.

The kidnapping took place on the same day that three Kuki Baptist pastors were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi district, an attack that has further deepened the ethnic crisis in the state.

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San Diego Bishop Michael Pham condemned the "senseless act of violence" at a local Islamic mosque on May 18, an attack that left five people dead — three victims and two teenage suspects who died by suicide.

The city government said police responded to the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego just before noon on May 18. Three adult victims, including a security guard, were found dead outside of the center, while the two suspects — aged 17 and 19 — were found dead several blocks away with self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

The FBI is helping with the investigation, the city said. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.

In a statement released on May 18, Pham said the local Catholic community "stand[s] united in solidarity and prayer with the Muslim community" in San Diego.

Decrying the "senseless act of violence" at the mosque, Pham said the Islamic Center of San Diego "has been a longtime partner in our collaborative work for justice, especially in accompanying immigrants."

"Houses of worship must always be sanctuaries of peace, safety, and prayer," the bishop said. "An attack on one faith community is an attack on the sacred dignity of all human life."

The bishop offered his "deepest condolences, solidarity, and fervent prayers to the families of the victims and the entire Muslim community."

As of the morning of May 19 police had not yet released information about the suspects in the shooting; their names were being withheld "pending notifications," according to the city government.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the Islamic Center said it had lost "three pillars of our community," including the security guard, who "gave his life protecting the children and community members" of the facility.

The three men who were killed "put themselves on the line for our [mosque] and our community," the center said, describing them as "men of courage, sacrifice, and faith."

In another post the mosque said it had established a victim support fund for those impacted by the tragedy.

On its website the center said it was "closed until further notice." The facility opened in 1989 and is the largest mosque in San Diego County.

The mosque was the target of a bomb attack in 1991 when an explosive device was found in a bathroom there. The device did not explode and nobody was injured in the incident.

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A Catholic priest forced by Israel to leave the West Bank said farewell to his parishioners with a message of obedience, sorrow, and faith, saying he was returning to Jordan after serving the Christian community near Bethlehem.

"I have left Palestine, the land I loved, to return to my beloved homeland, Jordan, continuing the mission of the Gospel and justice," Father Louis Salman wrote in a farewell message to the faithful.

Salman had served in Beit Sahour, at the Shepherds' Field near Bethlehem, where he had become a much-loved figure among local Christians.

"In a spirit of priestly obedience, I accept all divine will and wisdom with hope and faith despite the deep pain," the priest said in a message shared by the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice. "I knew that speaking the truth is costly, and here I am paying the price. Not with regret, but with great love, like my crucified Christ."

The priest described Jesus as his "example and teacher" and concluded his farewell by recalling the words of the Gospel: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Young priest with great pastoral potential

In comments to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Bishop William Shomali, vicar general of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said Salman's visa "was not renewed because he had made some political statements on Facebook that were considered by Israel to be incitement."

"The Church did everything possible to resolve the situation, but Shabak [Israel's internal security service] did not give a positive response," Shomali said. "The Christian community in general — especially his parish and the young people he served as spiritual director — was deeply affected, especially during the farewell gathering they organized for him."

Shomali clarified that Salman "was not physically expelled."

"However, since his visa was not renewed, he was asked to leave discreetly to avoid any further tension," the bishop said. "That is how the situation unfolded."

Shomali said the priest's future has already been arranged, adding that Salman will "soon receive a new assignment in one of our dioceses, since he is a good young priest with great pastoral potential."

Interrogation and departure

According to sources familiar with the case cited by The Pillar in late April, the priest underwent an unusually lengthy interrogation.

Afterward, authorities of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem reportedly advised Salman to leave Palestine for his own safety. He later received official notification that his visa would not be renewed, with no formal justification provided. The deadline for him to leave was May 11.

According to The Pillar, Jerusalem sources who requested anonymity said the case may mark the first time Israel has intervened so directly in internal Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem personnel decisions.

The same sources said the patriarchate does not plan to make public statements for the time being as it prepares for a possible legal battle expected to be long and complex.

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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Cultural shifts regarding sex and unwed childbearing as well as heightened material expectations for marriage are the driving forces behind America's falling marriage rates, according to a Heritage Foundation report.

While declining wages among working-class men is sometimes cited as reason for declining marriage rates, especially among moderate- to low-income brackets, Rachel Sheffield, a Heritage Foundation research fellow, said "the data tell a different story."

Over the past 50 years, the report said, marriage rates have declined from more than 90% of Americans having married by ages 30-35 in 1962 to 55% as of 2025.

"While inflation-adjusted earnings did decline among working-class and lower-income men during the 1970s and 1980s, earnings rose thereafter and have fluctuated since then — even as marriage rates have steadily dropped," the report said. "Although economic factors may explain why marriage declined during some periods across the past several decades, cultural shifts instead have been the main drivers."

"The economic argument doesn't really hold up to scrutiny," Sheffield told EWTN News. Sheffield said census data about the median earnings of men in their 20s and 30s has been "mostly flat" or fluctuated but not gone down consistently overall. Though "at certain times there were downturns," she said, wages have "reached some of the highest levels they have had in the last 50 years."

"I think the bigger point is that in the past," she said, "owning a home or having a particular size of home was less of a prerequisite to entering marriage than it is today."

Sheffield said one of the factors driving higher material expectations is that "people go into marriage today with more of an expectation that this might not last because of shifts over time in divorce rates."

According to Pew Research Center data, 1 in 3 Americans who have ever been married have also experienced a divorce. However, Pew Research Center notes that divorce rates have been down since the 1980s, partly due to the married population shifting to adults with higher levels of education and people with lower levels of education becoming less likely to marry at all.

While Sheffield said cultural norms about sex and childbearing have shifted across income levels, the shift has been most impactful on the working class, which she said is more likely to have children out of wedlock.

"People at all education and income levels have embraced the cultural push to disconnect marriage and sex, but among the college-educated, roughly 90% of children are born within marriage," the report said. "While the college-educated are most likely to promote the cultural messages that marriage is unnecessary, outdated, and even oppressive, they do not practice what they preach."

Furthermore, she said, "having a child [outside of marriage] is going to make it less likely for you to get married down the road because it is just a greater family complexity."

On a policy level, Sheffield called for funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to be used for "strengthening marriages," including through high school marriage education programs.

She highlighted Utah's "Healthy Marriage Initiative" as a strong example of a state providing marriage-preparation resources, including a discount on marriage licenses for couples who complete premarital education programs.

In addition to front-loading marriage education at the high school level, Sheffield called for a reorientation of cultural messages in the media, TV shows, and advertisements that "have information on why marriage is important and that can lead people to educational resources on how to strengthen marriage."

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One of the questions that often weighs on a Catholic's conscience when elections approach is how to decide which candidate to vote for.

Father Duberley Salazar has developed the "Discern" method, which is presented through short videos available on the "Clínica del Alma" ("Clinic for the Soul") Instagram account. Salazar explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the videos serve "as a practical tool to guide and form one's conscience in making responsible political decisions."

"We live in complex times: times of moral confusion, social polarization, and political decisions that profoundly shape the destiny of individuals, families, and peoples. In this context, a decisive question arises: How should a Christian discern when faced with concrete political choices?" the Colombian priest states in the introductory video.

He also points out that Christianity possesses "an inescapable social and political dimension"; consequently, the method he has developed is grounded in that "which seeks the common good and which the Gospel illuminates, purifies, and elevates" and seeks to enlighten those believers who "experience a disconnect between the faith they profess and the decisions they make in public life."

"They believe, but they don't always discern. They vote, but not always from a formed conscience. From this dissonance is born a weak, disembodied faith incapable of transforming history," he notes.

The videos have been developed based on the "principles of sacred Scripture, the social doctrine of the Church, moral theology, philosophy, political science, bioethics, and psychology, uniting faith and reason, spirituality and social responsibility."

The program "is neither an ideological manual nor a partisan guide. It is an ethical and spiritual compass, designed to inform the conscience without imposing decisions," the priest explains.

For example, the first video, titled "God First," invites viewers to pray and place their vote in God's hands before making a decision, because "it's not about choosing what suits me best but rather what glorifies God and promotes the common good."

The second video, titled "Get Informed," urges viewers not to vote "blindly" but rather to inform themselves beforehand regarding the situation in their country or locality, each candidate, their platforms, and "their respect for the rule of law, the constitution, and democratic norms."

"Faith does not exclude reason; on the contrary, it enlightens and purifies it," the video notes.

Thus, the method proceeds, reflecting on service, consistency with Christian values, listening to that voice within, responsibility, the need to be exemplary in virtue, inspiration that edifies, and resilience.

What to do when there is no ideal candidate

In a document shared with ACI Prensa, Salazar explains that if, after evaluating the candidates, it is discovered that "none fully meet" the outlined criteria, one may "apply the moral principle of the 'lesser evil' or the 'choosing the possible good.'"

"This principle teaches that, in situations where no option is ideal, it is licit to choose the least harmful one or the one that offers greater consistency with Christian values, thereby avoiding contribution to a greater evil or to the deterioration of society," he states.

The priest points out that "the intention is not to seek human perfection, which no one possesses, but rather to act with responsibility, prudence, and faithful obedience to the Gospel, insofar as is possible."

He also noted that St. Thomas Aquinas referred to this moral principle when he noted: "Do not do evil so that good may come of it; always do whatever good you can, and avoid whatever evil is possible."

"This means that when voting, it is not merely a matter of choosing what comes closest to the good, but also of avoiding options that could gravely harm the common good or human dignity," Salazar explains.

However, if one determines that no candidate respects fundamental values, "the option of casting a blank ballot exists in some electoral systems as a way to express your dissatisfaction."

The priest points out that "from a moral and Christian standpoint, this option may be legitimate when, in truth, none of the candidates represents the common good or consistency with fundamental values."

But he noted that it is also important "to discern whether this gesture responsibly expresses your will or if, on the contrary, it could indirectly favor an option contrary to those values."

"For this reason, the principle of the 'lesser evil' invites you not only to choose the least harmful option but also to evaluate the real consequences of your vote within the specific context of your country and of society as a whole," Salazar notes.

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 a marathon ecumenical prayer and praise celebration ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary, top U.S. political figures gathered with major faith leaders and several thousand Americans on May 17 to reflect on the role of Providence in American history and rededicate the country as "One Nation under God."

The event, which was held under the auspices of Freedom 250, the country's public-private initiative leading the celebration of the United States' 250th birthday, also commemorated the act of the American colonies' Continental Congress which ahead of the Revolutionary War proclaimed for May 17, 1776 a "Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer."

In that proclamation, the leaders of the nascent nation urged their fellow citizens to "confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease his [God's] righteous displeasure, and through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon and forgiveness."

Catholic participants at the "Rededicate 250" event, held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., included U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Bishop Robert Barron and actor Jonathan Roumie who plays Jesus in "The Chosen" television series.

President Trump did not attend or offer a customized message for the event. Instead, a video of the president from last month's "America Reads The Bible" event was played in which Trump reads from 2 Chronicles, including verse 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

In a video message to the gathering, Cardinal Timothy Dolan noted that "in every chapter of the American story our faith in God has been the bedrock of our greatness."

"Our deepest values as a country have always been rooted in our identity as a people of God and anchored in the reality that we're not only American citizens — you bet we are and grateful for it — but that we are bound some day to be citizens of Heaven," Dolan emphasized, adding that "our founders knew that. They knew that in order to be faithful and productive citizens and true patriots, well we must recognize that we're children of God first."

Driving home the point, Dolan cited the nation's preeminent founding father and first president, George Washington, who in 1778 said "While we are zealously performing the duties of good Citizens and soldiers we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of Religion — To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian."

Dolan also took the occasion to inform the audience that the nation's bishops will "consecrate the United States of America to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 12th of this year."

The central prayer of the event was led by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson, who at the outset of his prayer recalled the nation's legislative forebears' act of May 17, 1776, which he noted they did "to humble themselves and to seek Your guidance at the dawn of their fight for freedom."

The resulting nation, Johnson continued, "would become, by Your mercy and grace, the most successful, most benevolent nation in the history of the world."

"Lord, today our people gather once again in your Name," Johnson prayed. "We have humbled ourselves before You. We acknowledge that the miracle of our founding and the countless miracles that have followed are Your doing."

"We pray that You bestow on all Americans a renewed love of country, hope for the future and faith in Your everlasting mercy and grace," Johnson continued. "Father we pray mercy upon our land, mercy upon us for our mistakes, forgive us of our sins individually and collectively and help us to devote ourselves with renewed piety and patriotism to the eternal truths of Your Word."

As he concluded his prayer, Johnson declared that "Today, here Lord, in this 250th year of American independence, we hereby rededicate the United States of America as one nation under God" and he asked for the Holy Spirit to descend upon the American homeland.

Johnson was followed by one of the country's best known Catholic prelates, Bishop Robert Barron, who referenced Blessed Fulton Sheen's saying that America's Declaration of Independence amounts to a "Declaration of Dependence" upon God.

"Lord, on this great national anniversary we gather to rededicate our country to You," Barron prayed. "Not because You need our devotion, but because by praising You we receive grace upon grace."

Recalling that the United States rests on theological foundations, Barron concluded his prayer by declaring that "as a bishop of the Catholic Church and as a proud American, I make bold to dedicate our country once more to God and to say Lord, let the light of Thy face shine upon our land. Amen."

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