Catholic News

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Jan 6, 2026 / 17:38 pm (CNA).

Scott Adams, the 68-year-old cartoonist who created the decades-long "Dilbert" comic strip, announced he is converting to Christianity amid his deteriorating health caused by terminal cancer.

Adams, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 2025, had previously been critical of organized religion and expressed skepticism about traditional faiths in blog posts and two fiction books titled "God's Debris" and its sequel, "The Religion War."

On the Jan. 1 episode of his podcast "Real Coffee with Scott Adams," the cartoonist expressed a change of heart following numerous conversations with Christian friends.

"I've not been a believer, but I also have respect for any Christian who goes another way to try to convert me," Adams said. "Because how would I believe [that] you believe your own religion if you're not trying to convert me? So I have great respect for people who care enough that they want me to convert and then go out of their way to try to convince me."

Adams then informed his viewers "it is my plan to convert," adding: "I still have time, but my understanding is, you're never too late."

"And on top of that, any skepticism I have about reality would certainly be instantly answered if I wake up in heaven," he said.

Speaking to "my Christian friends," Adams said: "It's coming, so you don't need to talk me into it."

Adams appeared to invoke " Pascal's Wager," which is an argument about the risks and rewards of following Jesus Christ, which was articulated by the 17th-century French Catholic philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal.

The argument was not meant to be a "proof" for God or even an argument about whether God exists. Rather, Pascal argued that accepting God can lead one to eternal life if he exists and it carries little risk even if he did not exist, but rejecting God will lead to eternal consequences if he exists and does not yield significant benefits even if he did not exist.

As Adams summarized his view: "If it turns out that there''s nothing there, I've lost nothing, but I've respected your wishes, and I like doing that. If it turns out there is something there and the Christian model is the closest to it, I win."

Adams' cancer has spread through his bones and he is paralyzed below his waist. He is also suffering from heart failure.

Father Thomas Petri, a Dominican theologian, said this announcement is "very good news" and that he will continue to pray for Adams.

Petri said he has seen some Christians online try to suggest the conversion is not genuine because "he seems to be doing it merely as a wager in case God exists." Yet, Petri said, "I'm fine with that wager."

"Few people come to God with a perfectly formed faith," he said. "Yet, because we believe God is love, it's hard to think that Scott Adams' gesture would not be received and blessed by him."

"Naturally, as we approach death we become more focused on ultimate things and questions," Petri added. "Trusting in God opens us to the possibility that death is not an end but an avenue to something greater. I pray that even the most hardened sinners have some desire for God even in their last moments. I think that's enough for God to work with."

Jimmy Akin, a senior apologist at Catholic Answers who debated Adams on assisted suicide in 2015, said he is "very glad that [Adams] has decided to seek out God in this difficult time."

"God has many ways of drawing people to himself," Akin said.

"On the human level, we're built to think about events and challenges that we will soon be facing, so as we see that death is drawing near, it's only natural for people to begin thinking about what may come after death and to try to make plans for it," he said. "This can create an openness to the idea of God and to Christianity, even if a person was not religious previously."

In other cases, Akin said some people "have become hardened by years of living without God" but that "God can still reach out by his grace … and being the person to him."

"As Jesus taught us, it is never too late in this life for a person to turn to God," he said. "That's one of the major points of the parable of the workers in the vineyard."

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Jan 6, 2026 / 18:10 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump is asking congressional Republicans to be more flexible on taxpayer funding for abortions as lawmakers continue to negotiate an extension to health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Some federal subsidies that lowered premiums for those enrolled in the Affordable Care Act expired in December.

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that the average increase to premiums for people who lost the subsidies will be about 114%, from $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026. The exact costs will be different, depending on specific plans.

Trump has encouraged his party to work on extending those subsidies and is asking them to be "flexible" on a provision that could affect tax-funded abortion. Democrats have proposed ending the restrictions of the Hyde Amendment, which bans direct federal funding for abortions in most cases.

"Let the money go directly to the people," Trump said at the House Republican Conference retreat at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 6.

"Now you have to be a little flexible on Hyde," the president said. "You know that you got to be a little flexible. You got to work something [out]. You got to use ingenuity. You got to work. We're all big fans of everything, but you got to be flexible. You have to have flexibility."

The Hyde Amendment began as a bipartisan provision in funding bills that prohibited the use of federal funds for more than 45 years. Lawmakers have reauthorized the prohibition every year since it was first introduced in 1976.

A study from the Charlotte Lozier Institute estimates that the Hyde Amendment has saved more than 2.6 million lives. According to a poll conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, nearly 6 in 10 Americans oppose tax funding for abortions.

However, in recent years, many Democratic politicians have tried to keep the rule out of spending bills. Former President Joe Biden abandoned the Hyde Amendment in budget proposals, but it was ultimately included in the final compromise versions that became law.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, criticized Trump for urging flexibility on the provision, calling its support "an unshakeable bedrock principle and a minimum standard in the Republican Party."

Dannenfelser said Republicans "are sure to lose this November" if they abandon Hyde: "The voters sent a [Republican] trifecta to Washington and they expect it to govern like one."

"Giving in to Democrat demands that our tax dollars are used to fund plans that cover abortion on demand until birth would be a massive betrayal," she said.

Dannenfelser also noted that, before these comments, Trump has consistently supported the Hyde Amendment. The president issued an executive order in January on enforcing the Hyde Amendment that accused Biden's administration of disregarding this "commonsense policy."

"For nearly five decades, the Congress has annually enacted the Hyde Amendment and similar laws that prevent federal funding of elective abortion, reflecting a long-standing consensus that American taxpayers should not be forced to pay for that practice," the executive order reads.

"It is the policy of the United States, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, to end the forced use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion," it adds.

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Jan 6, 2026 / 18:30 pm (CNA).

The U.S. State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin about the situation in Venezuela.

During the Jan. 6 call, the State Department indicated that "the two leaders discussed pressing challenges, including efforts to improve the humanitarian situation, particularly in Venezuela, as well as the promotion of peace and religious freedom globally."

Both leaders "reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation between the United States and the Holy See in addressing shared priorities around the world," the State Department added.

At the time of this publication, the Vatican had not provided details about the call. Parolin served as apostolic nuncio to Venezuela from 2009 to 2013.

On Sunday, Jan. 4, during the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV expressed his concern about the situation in the country and called for full respect for Venezuela's national sovereignty following the Jan. 3 U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores.

"With a heart full of concern, I am following the evolution of the situation in Venezuela," the pope stated, emphasizing that "the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above any other consideration."

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

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Jan 6, 2026 / 12:29 pm (CNA).

New York Times bestselling author and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks encouraged attendees at SEEK 2026 to resist the temptation as missionaries to "fight fire with fire."

In his Jan. 4 keynote speech in Columbus, Ohio, Brooks said the world "is not just a cold world" but "a world that attacks you." In this context, he said, it can be challenging not to fight back.

However, he said, "your job isn't to win arguments, it's to win a soul."

Brooks teaches at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School and has written multiple books on finding happiness and meaning in life, including "From Strength to Strength" and "Build the Life You Want," which he coauthored with Oprah Winfrey. He also writes a column for The Free Press.

Some 26,000 attendees have gathered through Jan. 5 in Columbus, Denver, and Fort Worth, Texas, for the SEEK 2026 conference organized by FOCUS.

"The spirit of the missionary will take you into the heart of a culture war," Brooks said. "And in that culture war, you won't win with violence … as you can win with love." Brooks recounted his experience giving a talk in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 2014 for an audience he said was "a very ideologically oriented group."

According to Brooks, he was the only speaker out of the 15 present who was not a presidential candidate. He said that during his address, he told his audience: "You've been hearing from political candidates who want your vote. And what they're telling you is that you're right and the people who disagree with you are stupid people and hate America, but I want you to remember something. Those people, they're your neighbors, and they're your family … It's not that they hate America, it's that they disagree with you."

When acting as a missionary, he said, the goal is to persuade people. "If you want to persuade them, you can't do that with hatred, because nobody has ever been insulted into agreement," Brooks said.

'Entering mission territory'

Brooks concluded by telling about a retreat center that he and his wife, Ester, visit when they give marriage preparation. Inside the chapel of the retreat center, he said, there is a sign over the door to exit the chapel that reads: "You are now entering mission territory."

"So as you leave this beautiful, beautiful gathering tomorrow, the signs on the door of your hotel or this conference facility, any place that you find yourself as you leave this city, and effectively for the last time tomorrow, is that you're entering mission territory," Brooks said. "Let's set the world on fire together."

Katie Tangeman, a sophomore at Northwest Missouri State University, said she came away from Brooks' talk motivated to "just take a step back whenever I'm feeling frustrated or annoyed with somebody, or if they're attacking me, to just see them as a beloved son or daughter of God and approach them with love instead of the contempt and hate that [Brooks] was talking about."

"Because that's not being a good Christian," she added.

"I want to say the biggest thing I took away from Arthur Brooks' talk tonight, his keynote speech, [is] that you can change the trajectory of how a conversation goes by battling it with kindness in a way," said Andrew Stuart, an agricultural business major, also at Northwest Missouri State.

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Jan 5, 2026 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Every Jan. 5 the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Neumann, Redemptorist missionary, fourth bishop of the city of Philadelphia, and organizer of the first Catholic education network in the U.S.

John Nepomucene Neumann was born in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic, in 1811. He attended school in Budweis and years later, in 1831, entered the seminary in that same city.

Upon completing his preparation for the priesthood, he presented himself to his diocese but suffered an unexpected setback. The local bishop had fallen ill and priestly ordinations in his diocese were suspended until further notice.

Neumann, eager to serve the Lord, wrote letters to the bishops of the neighboring dioceses, but none of them wanted to accept him. Despite the obstacles, the saint was not discouraged.

To earn his living, he went to work in a factory where he met a few Americans from whom he learned some English. Later, he contacted some bishops in the United States. Neumann had a missionary soul and was ready to move to America.

Priest and missionary in North America

The archbishop of New York agreed to receive and ordain Neumann, so he left his family and friends to embark on the adventure of proclaiming the Lord in a distant land. After being ordained in the U.S., Neumann joined 36 other priests who were to assist the almost 200,000 Catholics living in the U.S. at the time.

The newly ordained was entrusted with the administration of a parish. The first pastoral difficulty he faced was the vast territory entrusted to him: His parish stretched from Ontario, Canada, to Pennsylvania.

Given the immense need, Neumann spent most of his time visiting villages and towns. He had to cross inhospitable territories, walk long distances in extreme cold and sweltering heat, and trek high mountains and majestic landscapes — all in order to watch over his flock and to assist those in need.

These were long years of providing catechesis, administering the sacraments, and celebrating the Eucharist. It was common to see Neumann preach both in churches and in abandoned huts. He even preached outside taverns, refuges for impenitent souls.

Neumann often had to celebrate Mass in dining rooms and kitchens.

Redemptorist

With time and continued difficulties, the missionary priest discovered the need for the support of a religious community. He knew the Redemptorists well so he applied to join the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. When the time came, he took his vows at the congregation's house in Baltimore in 1842.

Neumann was noted for his piety and kindness as well as his versatility in understanding and accompanying his parishioners, most of whom were European immigrants. Neumann knew up to six languages, so it was not difficult for him to communicate with Catholics who did not speak English well.

In 1847, he was appointed visitator of the Redemptorists in the United States. At the end of his service, the Redemptorists were ready to form an autonomous "province or religious province," which became a reality in 1850.

Promoter of Catholic education in the U.S.

Neumann was then ordained bishop of Philadelphia, and from that city he organized the diocesan system of Catholic schools, becoming a great promoter of religious education in the country. He also founded the congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, dedicated to teaching in schools, and was the promoter of the construction of more than 80 churches throughout the country.

Neumann was a simple man, short in stature and reportedly good-natured. Although he never had robust health, he carried out great pastoral and literary activity. He wrote many articles in magazines and newspapers, and published two catechisms and a history of the Bible for schoolchildren.

Once, in one of his articles, he wrote: "I have never regretted having dedicated myself to the mission in America."

On Jan. 5, 1860, when he was just 48 years old, he suddenly collapsed in the street and went home to the Lord. He was beatified in 1963 and canonized in 1977 by Pope Paul VI.

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

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Jan 5, 2026 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Nearly 2 million people will parade through streets Tuesday in one of Europe's largest Catholic public celebrations, as the Three Kings Procession marks Epiphany across 941 cities and towns nationwide.

The annual event, known as Orszak Trzech Króli (Three Kings Procession), draws participants who dress as biblical characters, wear paper crowns, and sing Christmas carols while following figures representing the Magi to nativity scenes set up in public squares. EWTN Poland will broadcast the main Warsaw procession live in English for the first time, beginning at 11 a.m. local time.

Last year, an estimated 2 million people participated in the processions across 905 locations in Poland and abroad, according to Vatican News. This year's event expands to 941 communities — 36 more than in 2025.

"We have prepared 600,000 crowns, 150,000 songbooks with Christmas carols, and 200,000 stickers," said Piotr Giertych, president of the Three Kings Procession Foundation. In Warsaw alone, about 50,000 participants marched in 2025.

From school project to national tradition

The first Three Kings street parade took place in Warsaw in 2009 as an extension of a nativity play performed by students from a local school. Since Epiphany became a national holiday in Poland in 2011, the processions have grown steadily, spreading to cities and towns across the country.

This year's slogan, "Rejoice in Hope," echoes the Church's Jubilee Year theme, "Pilgrims of Hope," which concludes Tuesday. The phrase comes from the 17th-century Polish Christmas carol "Medrcy swiata, monarchowie" ("Wise Men of the World, Monarchs") by Stefan Bortkiewicz.

"We are referring to the Jubilee Year, which ends on Jan. 6 in the Catholic Church and was held under the motto 'Pilgrims of Hope,'" said Anna Murawska, the event's director. "Therefore, during the procession, we will hear a lot not only about maintaining hope in everyday life, but above all — trusting God, His mercy, and meeting Him in heaven."

Polish President Karol Nawrocki and First Lady Marta Nawrocki sent a message to participants emphasizing the processions' message of reconciliation.

"May the image of three monarchs who, despite adversity, pursued their goal — peace and reconciliation — inspire us all to build relationships based on mutual solidarity, understanding, and respect," the presidential couple wrote.

The ceremonial procession draws on Poland's native traditions of nativity plays and caroling, while also incorporating elements from similar Epiphany parades in Spain and Mexico. Warsaw's procession begins at the Copernicus Monument and proceeds up Krakowskie Przedmiescie to Castle Square, where participants sing carols together in the city center.

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Jan 5, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Key elections in November 2026 could reshape the balance of power in the U.S. government, potentially upending the current Republican trifecta in Washington and offering a referendum on President Donald Trump's second term in office.

Thirty-three seats in the U.S. Senate are up for election, while two states will hold special elections. All 435 districts of the U.S. House of Representatives, meanwhile, are holding elections.

Republicans presently control the White House and both chambers of Congress, but their majorities in both legislative chambers are narrow; Democrats need only a net gain of four seats to flip the Senate and a net of three districts to take control of the House.

As is often the case, many of the races are seen as foregone conclusions, with Republican and Democratic candidates in most states and districts comfortably assured of victory. Yet key toss-up races could end up shifting some control of the national government to Democrats.

Chief among them is the Senate race in Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is facing reelection in a state Trump lost by about 7 points in 2024.

Maine has voted strongly in favor of Democratic presidential candidates for many years — the last time a Republican president took the state was 1988 — and while Collins has easily won election or reelection five times there since 1996, this year's race could present a more significant challenge for the Republican, due in part to Trump's declining favorability ratings.

Collins, who identifies as Catholic, next year may find herself racing against state Gov. Janet Mills, who is currently vying for the state's Democratic nomination. The University of Virginia's Center for Politics switched Maine to a "toss-up" election in October, citing Collins' middling approval numbers and Mills' potential challenge.

The Center for Politics points to three other "toss-up" Senate elections in 2026, those of Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan.

In North Carolina, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis will not seek reelection, presenting an opportunity for Democrats to pick up another seat. Former state Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has declared his candidacy there, as has former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.

A Democratic stronghold for years, the North Carolina state government has overall leaned more Republican since around 2010, though GOP presidential candidates have done well there for longer. Yet the state has overwhelmingly voted for Democratic governors for decades with few exceptions, and Trump's vulnerability — polls show high levels of disapproval of the president there — could give Democrats a boost in a state they likely need to win to obtain control of the Senate.

House considered a toss-up; some states consider life, religion proposals

In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is expected to defend the seat he won in 2021, though he could be ousted in the primary election in May, when Republicans will also choose their candidate.

In Michigan, meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring, leaving Democrats scrambling to elect a new candidate; no clear challenger has yet emerged in either party there, with a primary election set for Aug. 4.

Though Michigan hasn't elected a Republican senator in about 25 years, the state's critical role in national elections will likely render it a competitive race into November. Trump beat Kamala Harris for the state's electors by just over 1% in 2024; he lost that state to Joe Biden in 2020 by about 3%.

Analysts, meanwhile, say the U.S. House is a potential flip for Democrats. The Center for Politics projects a tentative 211-208 Democratic majority there.

Outgoing Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, predicted last week that Democrats would "win the House back" in November, declaring that Republican control of Congress will be "over" in 2027.

Amid the candidate elections, voters in some states will consider numerous ballot issues that could also offer referendums on Republican governance and Trump's second term.

Some states are considering ballot initiatives related to abortion. Missouri voters will decide whether or not to enact sweeping restrictions on abortion in the state, while Nevada voters may amend the state's constitution to create a right to an abortion there.

The Missouri measure, if passed, would also prohibit doctors from performing "gender transition" procedures on underage children. Abortion-related proposals may also appear on the ballots in Virginia, Idaho, and Oregon.

Some states may also consider religion-related ballot proposals. In West Virginia, voters in 2026 may consider a measure that would amend the state constitution to allow churches and religious denominations to incorporate under state law.

A potential proposal in Wisconsin, meanwhile, would prohibit the government from closing churches in response to public health emergencies and other crises.

Ahead of the midterms, Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob last week lamented that politics in the United States has become "so polarized" and warned Catholics not to "get caught in camps" that amplify political differences.

"Bishops, priests, deacons, church leaders that are not Catholic, other leaders — it's easy to get drawn into one camp or another camp, whatever the case may be," the prelate told WISN-TV.

"We have to remain true to ourselves," he said, "and it's not to a particular party, but it is to our Catholic faith."

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Jan 4, 2026 / 23:20 pm (CNA).

New York Times bestselling author and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks encouraged attendees at SEEK 2026 to resist the temptation as missionaries to "fight fire with fire."

In his Jan. 4 keynote speech in Columbus, Ohio, Brooks said the world "is not just a cold world," but "a world that attacks you." In this context, he said, it can be challenging not to fight back.

However, he said, "your job isn't to win arguments, it's to win a soul."

Brooks teaches at Harvard's Kennedy School of Business and has written multiple books on finding happiness and meaning in life, including From Strength to Strength and Build the Life You Want, which he co-authored with Oprah Winfrey. He also writes a column in The Atlantic called "How to Build a Life."

Some 26,000 attendees have gathered through Jan. 5 in Columbus, Denver and Fort Worth, Texas for the SEEK 2026 conference organized by FOCUS.

"The spirit of the missionary will take you into the heart of a culture war," Brooks said. "And in that culture war, you won't win with violence…as you can win with love." Brooks recounted his experience giving a talk in Manchester, New Hampshire in 2014, for an audience he said was "a very ideologically oriented group."

According to Brooks, he was the only speaker out of the 15 present who was not a presidential candidate. He said that during his address, he told his audience, "You've been hearing from political candidates who want your vote. And what they're telling you is that you're right and the people who disagree with you are stupid people and hate America, but I want you to remember something. Those people, they're your neighbors, and they're your family…It's not that they hate America, it's that they disagree with you."

When acting as a missionary, he said, the goal is to persuade people. "If you want to persuade them, you can't do that with hatred, because nobody has ever been insulted into agreement," Brooks said.

'entering mission territory'

Brooks concluded by telling about a retreat center that he and his wife, Esther, visit when they give marriage preparation. Inside the chapel of the retreat center, he said, there is a sign over the door to exit the chapel that reads, "You are now entering mission territory."

"So as you leave this beautiful, beautiful gathering tomorrow, the signs on the door of your hotel or this conference facility, any place that you find yourself as you leave this city, and effectively for the last time tomorrow, is that you're entering mission territory," Brooks said. "Let's set the world on fire together."

Katie Tangeman, a sophomore at Northwest Missouri State University, said she came away from Brooks' talk motivated to "just take a step back whenever I'm feeling frustrated or annoyed with somebody, or if they're attacking me, to just see them as a beloved son or daughter of God and approach them with love instead of the contempt and hate that [Brooks] was talking about."

"Because that's not being a good Christian," she added.

"I want to say the biggest thing I took away from Arthur Brooks' talk tonight, his keynote speech, [is] that you can change the trajectory of how a conversation goes by battling it with kindness in a way," said Andrew Stuart, an agricultural business major, also at Northwest Missouri State.

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Jan 4, 2026 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

Catholic college athletes attending the SEEK 2026 conference in Columbus, Ohio, considered how holiness is built: Not through spotlight moments, but through quiet sacrifice, daily fidelity, and offering what little they have to God.

Some 26,000 attendees have gathered through Jan. 5 in Columbus, Denver, and Fort Worth, Texas for the conference organized by  FOCUS, a Catholic group that sends missionaries to college campuses and parishes to invite students and young adults to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The message about holiness anchored a Varsity Catholic event, a branch of FOCUS ministry for college athletes. The session featured Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams and recently retired Atlanta Braves pitcher J.J. Niekro, who shared personal stories of faith, perseverance, and the ways small sacrifices shape both athletics and spiritual life.

The event was sponsored by NOVUS, a Catholic athletic brand founded by brothers Garrett and Nick Bernardo, both of whom played baseball at the University of Maine. The company encourages athletes to push throughout their trials and "claim their crown," inspired by James 1:12: the promise of a crown for those who remain faithful to God.

Unseen holiness

Williams, the primary speaker, reflected on the Gospel account of the widow's offering from Mark 12:41-44, in which a poor widow gives two small coins while the wealthy contribute from their surplus.

"Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury," Williams read. "Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small copper coins, worth a penny. Calling His disciples to Himself, He said to them, 'Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all the others. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.'"

He urged athletes to see their daily sacrifices as similar offerings — small, consistent acts of faith that may go unnoticed but have profound spiritual value. Drawing on his baseball experience, he compared Christian sacrifice to the often-overlooked fundamental of bunting, a play that advances the team without fanfare.

"Bunting is the 'hardest easy' thing to do on a baseball field," Williams said. "As soon as that 95-mile-per-hour fastball comes at your face, every instinct says, 'Bail.' But if you set your angle and commit, you'll get that bunt down."

Williams connected that principle to daily prayer, fasting, and other small sacrifices. "You're telling me all I have to do is wake up 15 to 20 minutes earlier and pray? That's hard — but it's pretty easy," he told the audience. "As athletes, we understand sacrifice with training, practice, and busy schedules. But when we sacrifice for the Lord, we don't always see an immediate return. That's why it's harder."

He also highlighted saints who exemplified quiet heroism, including Blessed Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest martyred in Mexico, and St. Carlo Acutis, a teenager who combined ordinary interests with extraordinary devotion.

" Saint Carlo loved video games," Williams said, "but he made small sacrifices so he could pray and go to Mass. Small acts of love and sacrifice were offered by him daily."

Williams emphasized that holiness often unfolds in unseen ways, much like the sacrifice bunt.

"No bunt I ever laid down was on ESPN highlights," he said. "The game just moved on. But the runner advanced, and someone else got the RBI. There's heroism in hidden moments!"

Priorities of faith

Niekro, who introduced Williams, shared a personal witness shaped by loss and faith. The son of Astros Hall of Famer Joe Niekro and nephew of Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, he reflected on losing his father, uncle, and grandfather within months during his childhood.

"At a very young age, I was stripped of all the major father figures in my life," Niekro said. "What I kept returning to was my Catholic faith — especially Ignatian spirituality."

After years of injuries and surgeries, Niekro retired from professional baseball in August. He credited his faith for giving him perspective on life and priorities. "My model for life became very simple," he said. "Wake up and love Christ."

He recalled a moment shared with his uncle, who was sick at the time, that reshaped his understanding of success.

"He looked me in the eyes and said, 'JJ, I would trade my entire Hall of Fame career to spend one more hour with my family,'" Niekro said. 

Reflecting on Williams and Niekro's talks, Garrett Bernardo said the event underscored the importance of helping athletes root their identity in Christ rather than in statistics or performance. 

'Don't miss the sign'

"One of the biggest challenges to collegiate athletes is identity," Bernardo said. "There's a real temptation to believe that your performance determines who you are. But when you're rooted in something constant — like knowing you're a son or daughter of Christ — that provides great peace."

Bernardo said bringing normally busy athletes together during SEEK offered a rare opportunity for encouragement and reflection. "When you can get everyone in a room together, share a message, and inspire one another, it's really powerful," he shared. "This experience has fueled me as a former college athlete, and I know it's going to fuel them as well."

For Williams, he expressed his hope for the students present that they would remember the widow's offering and the metaphor of the "two pennies."

"When you're empty, let your prayer be simple," he said. "Lord, all I have is two pennies. You have to do the rest."

"Don't miss the sign," he added. "Just execute the bunt."

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Vatican City, Jan 4, 2026 / 10:20 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV said Christian hope "is not based on optimistic forecasts or human calculations," but on God's decision to share humanity's path so that no one is alone on life's journey.

Speaking Jan. 4 from the window of the Apostolic Palace to hundreds of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square despite the rain, the pope said the foundation of Christian hope is "God's Incarnation," pointing to the day's Gospel reading from the Prologue of St. John: "The Word became flesh and lived among us" (Jn 1:14).

On the Second Sunday after Christmas, before reciting the Angelus, Leo urged believers to rethink their faith and avoid an abstract or distant spirituality. "He is not a distant deity in a perfect heaven above us, but a God who is nearby and inhabits our fragile earth, who becomes present in the faces of our brothers and sisters, and reveals himself in the circumstances of daily life," he said.

The pope also underscored that the Incarnation calls for a concrete and consistent commitment, including examining whether one's spirituality and the ways faith is expressed are "truly incarnate." "God has become flesh; therefore, there is no authentic worship of God without care for humanity," he said, linking Christian faith to solidarity with those who suffer.

After the Angelus, Leo reiterated his closeness to those affected by the New Year's Eve fire in a bar in the Alpine town of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where young people had been celebrating. Swiss authorities have confirmed at least 40 dead and about 115 injured, many of them seriously.

"I wish to express once again my closeness to those suffering as a result of the tragedy in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and to assure them of my prayers for the young people who died, for the injured, and for their families," the pope said.

He also said he was following developments in Venezuela "with deep concern," and that "the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration." His remarks came a day after news of the U.S. capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The pope urged that the country's sovereignty and rule of law be guaranteed.

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

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