Catholic News

In an unexpected gesture as he was greeting people at the general audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV stopped at the exact spot where, 45 years ago, St. John Paul II was shot in an assassination attempt.

Leo got out of the vehicle and remained in silence to pray before the white marble plaque marking the place where the Polish pope was struck by four gunshots fired by the Turkish gunman Ali Agca on May 13, 1981. Leo then knelt and touched the plaque before continuing his ride around the square.

The attack on John Paul II coincided with the anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady to three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal.

Days after the attempt on his life, while still recovering, John Paul II read the third part of the secret of Fátima, until then known only to the popes and later made public. Written by one of the seers, Sister Lucia, it describes the vision of the Holy Father "afflicted with pain and sorrow," praying "for the souls of the corpses he met on his way."

Pope John Paul II never ceased to express his gratitude to the Virgin Mary for saving his life. "One hand fired; another guided the bullet," he said in an interview with the French writer André Frossard. After being discharged from the hospital and resuming general audiences in St. Peter's Square following five months of hospitalization, he also said he had experienced "the extraordinary maternal protection which proved stronger than the deadly projectile."

In 1982, St. John Paul II celebrated Mass in Fátima and consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On May 13, 2000, he beatified the shepherd children Francisco and Jacinta at the Portuguese shrine.

'Mary, model of the Church'

Today, Leo XIV wanted to underscore that the attempt on John Paul II's life was not fatal "thanks to the protection of Our Lady, as he himself confirmed in many ways."

For this reason, he explained, he dedicated his May 13 catechesis to "the Virgin Mary, model of the Church" and to his predecessor, whose motto was "Totus Tuus."

The pope thus continued his cycle of catechesis on the Second Vatican Council, pausing on the final chapter of the dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Leo said Mary "is hailed as a preeminent and singular member of the Church, and as its type and excellent example in faith and charity."

"Mary is the perfect model of what the whole Church is called to be: a creature of the Word of the Lord and mother of the children of God, begotten in docility to the action of the Holy Spirit," the Holy Father said. "Furthermore, as she is the believer par excellence, in whom we are offered the perfect form of unconditional openness to the divine mystery within the communion of God's holy people, Mary is an excellent member of the ecclesial community."

He also explained that the Virgin Mary is the "woman who is the icon of the Mystery," who was granted the grace to live "the extraordinary experience of becoming the mother of the Messiah."

"In her, both God's gratuitous election and her free consent of faith in him shine forth. Mary is therefore the woman who is the icon of the Mystery, that is, of the divine plan of salvation, once hidden and now revealed in its fullness in Jesus Christ," he said.

In the Virgin Mary, he continued, there is also reflected "the mystery of the Church: in her, the people of God find the representation of their origin, their model, and their homeland."

Model of maternal charity

In the mother of the Lord, the Church contemplates its own mystery, "not only because she finds in her the model of virginal faith, maternal charity, and the spousal covenant to which she is called but also and above all because in her she recognizes her own archetype, the ideal figure of what she is called to be," Leo said.

The reflections contained in Lumen Gentium, he concluded, teach us to love the Church and to serve within her the fulfillment of the kingdom of God, which is coming and which will be fully realized in glory.

He invited the faithful to allow themselves to be challenged by the example of Mary, virgin and mother, with concrete questions: "Do I live my participation of the Church with humble and active faith? Do I recognize in her the community of the covenant that God has given me to respond to his infinite love? Do I feel that I am a living part of the Church, in obedience to the pastors given by God? Do I look to Mary as a model, an outstanding member and mother of the Church, and ask her to help me be a faithful disciple of her son?"

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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LAHORE, Pakistan — A minority rights advocacy group has linked the recent deaths of sanitation workers in Pakistan to what it describes as systemic discrimination against Christians, who are disproportionately employed in high-risk sewer cleaning jobs.

In a statement issued on May 12, Minority Concern said Christian sanitation workers continue to face unsafe working conditions, inadequate protective equipment, and limited employment opportunities beyond sanitation work due to entrenched discrimination.

On May 7, Shabbir Masih, a 33-year-old father of three, died after inhaling toxic gases inside a 25-foot-deep sewer line in Faisalabad. Three days earlier, Shakeel Masih and Samar Masih died while cleaning a sewer line in Sahiwal district.

In April, three Christian sanitation workers also died in similar incidents in Karachi in the southern province of Sindh.

"Sanitary workers are indispensable members of society. No individual should risk their life simply for carrying out essential public service work," said Aftab Alexander Mughal, director of Minority Concern.

"Protecting the rights and safety of Christian sanitary workers is not only a labor issue — it is a matter of human dignity, equality, and justice."

Christians make up about 1.37% of Pakistan's population and have long complained of being pushed into low-paid sanitation work historically associated with marginalized castes in South Asia.

'The death toll is higher than reported'

Speaking from Lahore, 49-year-old Catholic sanitation worker Shafiq Masih rejected official claims that proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided to workers.

"Each of the Water and Sanitation Authority field office responsible for sewer maintenance reportedly has only one PPE suit, shown only to visiting officials or media," he told EWTN News.

"Even that imported suit from Japan is not suitable for local conditions — it is heavy and impractical. The death toll is higher than reported."

Masih, who helped form a union of nearly 2,900 sanitation workers in Lahore's Johar Town area in 2023, said little has changed in more than two decades of service.

"The Church has no concern for us," he said, adding that he received assurance of only spiritual support when he raised the issue with his parish priest.

He also said that after Christian workers refused to enter manholes without PPE, authorities began hiring daily wage laborers to perform the same tasks.

Court rulings and government response

Rights groups such as Minority Concern have urged Pakistan's federal and provincial governments, municipal authorities, and employers to end discriminatory hiring practices that channel minorities into hazardous work.

In December 2025, the Islamabad High Court barred the use of the phrase "Christians only" in sanitation job advertisements and called for urgent safety reforms to reduce fatalities among sewer workers.

According to Manzoor Masih of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), violations of the ruling have decreased.

"Concerned departments apologized and re-advertised after we notified the violations," he said, expressing concern over the rising number of deaths.

He added that the commission has taken notice and sought reports from provincial Water and Sanitation Authority offices.

In November 2025, the NCHR filed a petition before the Federal Constitutional Court seeking an end to manual sewer cleaning, arguing that forcing workers into toxic environments without protection violates constitutional guarantees of life, dignity, equality, and safe working conditions.

A 2024 NCHR inquiry report titled "Risk of Sanitation Work in Pakistan" warned that sanitation workers continue to face deadly conditions due to the absence of occupational safety standards, weak enforcement of labor laws, and discrimination against religious minorities.

The report estimates that sanitation workers make up about 2% of Pakistan's 225 million population and that approximately 80% are Christians.

Based on a survey of 42 sanitation workers in Karachi, it found that 78.6% were never provided personal protective equipment, while 57.1% reported workplace injuries, including lung damage and dislocated joints.

It documented at least 14 deaths between 2022 and 2024, mostly in Punjab, caused by toxic sewer gases and unsafe working practices.

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Hundreds of Greek Catholic faithful gathered in the eastern Slovak village of Hrabské on May 10 to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Blessed Vasil Hopko, a bishop imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.

The archieparchial celebration was held in Hopko's birthplace on the eve of the anniversary of his episcopal consecration on May 11, 1947. The blessed bishop died on July 23, 1976, his health broken by years of incarceration and torture.

Metropolitan Archbishop Jonáš Maxim of Prešov presided over the hierarchical Divine Liturgy, concelebrated by Bishop Kurt Burnette of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, New Jersey, who is currently on a pastoral visit to Europe. Burnette also serves as apostolic administrator of the Exarchate of Sts. Cyril and Methodius of Toronto for Slovaks of the Byzantine rite. More than 30 priests concelebrated, and religious sisters and laypeople from across the region attended.

'He did not search for glory'

In his homily, Maxim drew on the testimony of Father Atanáz Pekár, OSBM, who described Hopko as a bishop who never sought glory, never demanded justice for himself, and forgave everyone.

"In today's Church and in Slovakia, there are still people who seek their own glory and not Christ's — may God be merciful to them," Maxim warned.

The archbishop recalled that in 1968, Hopko wrote to the Czechoslovak government requesting the reestablishment of the Greek Catholic Church, which had been dissolved at the so-called Sobor of Prešov — a staged assembly orchestrated by the communist regime in 1950. Hopko sought justice for his Church, not for himself, Maxim said, quoting from the letter: "We are not dead. We live and we want to live! We claim all the rights we had in the past… Please take it for granted that we have never, not even for a moment, given up our rights."

Maxim described Hopko as "highly educated and wise," a man who "suffered a lot" yet "remained an ordinary, simple, and humble person" and "a sincere lover of his nation." The metropolitan called him "a saint."

Bishop Burnette: Freedom brings its own dangers

Burnette, addressing the pilgrims at the close of the liturgy, praised Hopko as a man who remained faithful to the word of God and to the pope during the harshest years of communism. He warned that in the present day, when there is no restriction on religious freedom, the pursuit of power and money makes people even less free.

On the same day, Bishop Milan Lach of the Eparchy of Bratislava celebrated a separate Divine Liturgy in Hopko's memory in Brezno.

A life of suffering and fidelity

Vasil Hopko was born on April 21, 1904, in Hrabské in what is now eastern Slovakia. He was consecrated a bishop of the Eparchy of Prešov on May 11, 1947, as Soviet pressure on the Greek Catholic Church intensified.

After the Sobor of Prešov in 1950 — at which the communist regime declared the Greek Catholic Church dissolved and transferred its assets to the Russian Orthodox Church — Hopko was arrested on April 28, 1950. He was imprisoned, starved, and tortured.

Released in 1964 in broken health, he was transferred to a care home. After the Prague Spring of 1968, the Greek Catholic Church was legally restored, and Hopko resumed episcopal ministry, encouraging the faithful, ordaining priests, and rebuilding Church life despite his frailty.

Hopko died on July 23, 1976, in Prešov. His remains are interred in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Prešov. St. John Paul II beatified him at a ceremony in Bratislava on Sept. 14, 2003.

The liturgy was broadcast live on the Slovak public broadcaster STVR.

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A New Mexico Catholic diocese is facing the potential seizure of some of its land by the U.S. government in order to facilitate the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

A civil action filed by the federal government in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on May 7 names the Diocese of Las Cruces in the eminent domain request.

The filing was made at the request of the Department of Homeland Security. It says it seeks the land "to construct, install, operate, and maintain roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors, and related structures designed to help secure the United States/Mexico border within the state of New Mexico."

The disputed land is located northwest of El Paso, Texas. Government schematics show an extensive border wall planned for the site.

The government said it would compensate the defendants in the case with just over $183,000. The treasurer of Doña Ana County was also named in the filing.

The Las Cruces Diocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the dispute. But in a court filing on May 8 the diocese said the land seizure would "substantially burden" the religious freedom of both the diocese and "the other faithful who seek to commune with God on diocesan property."

The disputed land parcel runs along the base of Mount Cristo Rey, the diocese said in its filing. Atop of that mountain is a 29-foot-tall statue of Christ, marking a shrine the diocese said is the "site of annual pilgrimages" that draw thousands to the mountain.

The diocese had earlier told the government that the land seizure would "constitute a significant infringement on religious freedom and the rights of worship" given the religious significance of the site.

The filing asked the court to halt the proceedings until the First Amendment dispute could be fully adjudicated.

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Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap, as the third bishop of Venice, Florida, on May 13. The Capuchin Franciscan priest has been pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C., since 2018 and served for more than 20 years as a missionary in Papua New Guinea and Cuba.

The pope also accepted the resignation of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, 76, who has reached the usual age of retirement after leading the diocese since 2007, after having first served for nine months as its coadjutor bishop.

Agüero, who was born in Fairfax, Virginia, on Dec. 15, 1964, entered the Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin in 1987. He was ordained a priest on May 21, 1994.

With his consecration and installation, the bishop-designate will become the second active Capuchin Franciscan bishop currently leading a U.S. diocese, the other being Bishop Marc V. Trudeau, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles.

Agüero begins his new role in Florida after having served as a missionary for more than two decades. He served as a missionary in Papua New Guinea from 1994–2006 and in Cuba from 2007–2019.

According to a press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Agüero speaks Spanish and Tok Pisin (a Creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea) in addition to English.

The bishop-designate also holds several academic degrees, including a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Borromeo College earned in 1987; master's degrees in theology and divinity from Oblate College earned in 1992; and a licentiate in sacred theology from the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C., earned in 2007.

His most recent assignment has been pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C. He belongs to the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Augustine in Pittsburgh.

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A Filipino-American priest of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception (MIC) is inviting Catholics around the world, beginning May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fátima, to enter into a 153-day spiritual crusade: to pray the full rosary every day until Oct. 13 "for the salvation of souls."

Father James Cervantes, MIC, known for his initiative calling for Eucharistic revival in the Philippines and co-launching the Philippine Rosary Crusade during the EDSA Revolution's 40th anniversary, is calling the faithful to respond to what he described as heaven's urgent appeal for our time.

"The premise is simple," he said. "We are living in a time of deep moral confusion, widespread indifference to God, and a growing loss of souls. Our Lady has already given us the remedy. The answer is prayer, sacrifice, and the holy rosary."

The initiative, called "The 153-Day Fátima Invitation," asks the faithful to offer 153 Hail Marys a day for 153 days, from May 13 to Oct. 13 — the exact span of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima.

At Fátima in 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children and pleaded with the world: "Pray, pray much, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to sacrifice and pray for them."

For Cervantes, that appeal remains as urgent today as ever.

"This is an act of love, an act of faith, and a great work of mercy for the salvation of souls," he said. "It will be an intense time of spiritual harvesting, done with great love and sacrifice, to honor and console Our Lord and Our Lady and to heed their request to help save many souls."

Why 153?

The number 153 is not arbitrary. Cervantes points to several striking spiritual and biblical connections.

First, Our Lady's apparitions at Fátima lasted from May 13 to Oct. 13 — a span of exactly 153 days.

Second, at the time of the Fátima apparitions, the full traditional rosary consisted of 15 mysteries — the joyful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries — containing 153 Hail Marys. The luminous mysteries were later added by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

Third, in the Gospel of John, after the Resurrection, the disciples cast their nets at Christ's command and caught 153 large fish. According to St. Jerome, 153 represented all the known species of fish at the time — a symbol that all nations would be gathered into the net of the Church.

"It is a time of spiritual fishing," Cervantes explained. "A time to cast the net for souls lost in the sea of sin and death. As the call of Jesus goes: 'Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.'"

He also noted another striking providence: Our Lady appeared in 1917, and the sum of the numbers from 1 through 17 equals 153.

"In subtle but beautiful ways," he said, "heaven keeps pointing us back to 153."

A spiritual battle for souls

The invitation comes at a time when some Catholics sense that the world is entering deeper spiritual darkness.

Families are under strain. Faith is growing cold. Many young people are drifting from God. War, terrorism, and global instability dominate headlines. The battle is no longer merely social or cultural. At its core, it is spiritual, according to Cervantes.

"Our Lady of Fátima showed the children a vision of hell," he said. "She warned that many souls are lost because there is no one to pray and sacrifice for them. That warning should move us."

He added that the rosary is not merely a devotional practice but a spiritual weapon entrusted by heaven.

"The method to catch souls will be the holy rosary — a spiritual net," he said. "For the next 153 days, we are being invited to do spiritual harvesting."

The rosary and the salvation of souls

Throughout history, saints and popes have spoken of the power of the rosary.

St. Louis de Montfort taught that God gave the rosary as a means to convert even the most hardened sinners.

St. Dominic called it one of heaven's most powerful weapons for the conversion of souls.

Pope Pius X described the rosary as "the most beautiful and the richest in graces of all prayers."

Blessed Pius IX famously declared: "Give me an army saying the rosary and I will conquer the world."

And one of the children of Fátima, St. Francisco Marto, once said with childlike simplicity: "Oh, Our Lady! I'll say as many rosaries as you want." The children of Fátima were said to pray as many as nine rosaries a day.

A simple invitation

Cervantes emphasized that the invitation is simple: Place prayer at the center of daily life.

"Step into a sacred rhythm of prayer," he said. "For the next 153 days, place the rosary at the heart of your day and gently witness how God begins to move."

The purpose is not merely personal devotion but a concrete response to Our Lady of Fátima's request to help save souls through the power of the rosary.

"This is a great work of mercy for souls," he said. "The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few. Who will be the 'few' to respond?"

From May 13 to Oct. 13, Catholics are invited to pray the full rosary — the 15 traditional mysteries — offering 153 Hail Marys each day for sinners, for souls in danger, and for those who are far from God.

YouTube evangelizer Gabriel Castillo, featured in the National Catholic Register about his book "The Power of the Rosary" and his "Rosary Testimonies" documentary, has spoken extensively about the power of praying the full rosary every day versus only one or two a day.

In a world marked by confusion, moral relativism, and spiritual darkness, Cervantes said heaven's answer remains astonishingly simple.

"Let us be the few who answer the call of Our Lord and Our Lady," he said.

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The inaugural Africa Digital Assets Summit concluded in Nairobi, Kenya, on April 30 with organizers declaring it a "resounding success," even as the event's keynote speaker issued a stark warning: Rapid advances in digital systems risk making the continent's poorest citizens "invisible."

The summit's organizers said their purpose was to bring "together investors, regulators, innovators, and policymakers to accelerate Africa's digital economy — from policy to prosperity."

ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, first reported on the summit in February and said Kenya was preparing to host the summit at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) under the theme "Ethical Stewardship for the Love of the Poor" with the aim of examining "how digital innovation can serve humanity."

One of the summit's organizers, Eddie Cullen, said he drew inspiration from Pope Leo XIV's first apostolic exhortation on love for the poor, Dilexi Te, a copy of which all participants received. 

Cullen, CEO of Crescite Innovation Corporation, which sponsored the event, called it a "a resounding success."

The former papal nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Bert van Megen, delivered the keynote address titled "The Intersection of Faith, Ethics, and Technological Development: Toward Ethical Stewardship in Service of the Poor." 

Van Megen framed technological development as a moral question with direct implications for vulnerable communities, cautioning that modern financial and technological infrastructure, while promising inclusion, could instead sideline vulnerable populations if not designed with them in mind.

"Artificial intelligence, fintech ecosystems, and digital identity infrastructures are not merely tools; they are rapidly becoming systems of governance," he said, adding that "they determine access to credit, healthcare, mobility, and even citizenship itself."

He noted that "in previous eras, exclusion was visible. Today, it is increasingly encoded."

The Dutch-born archbishop, whom Pope Leo XIV appointed as the new apostolic nuncio to Germany on April 9, cautioned that digital systems presented as neutral or efficient can quietly exclude people who lack stable digital records or formal participation in financial systems.

"The danger is not only that technology may fail the poor," he said. "The deeper danger is that it may systematically exclude them while appearing neutral, efficient, and even progressive."

Drawing from Dilexi Te, van Megen said Christian love must become the standard by which technological systems are evaluated.

"If this is true, then love is not one value among many," he said, referring to the apostolic exhortation's opening words: "I have loved you."

"It is the criterion by which all systems, including technological ones, must be judged," he said.

He warned that societies focused on speed and optimization often marginalize vulnerable populations.

"In a world driven by speed, scale, and efficiency, attention to the poor becomes structurally inconvenient," the Vatican diplomat said. "We must ask: Are we building systems that can still afford to notice the vulnerable?"

He said the poor increasingly risk becoming "statistically invisible" within modern digital systems.

"Modern technological systems operate through abstraction," he said. "They convert persons into data points, profiles, and probabilities."

According to the archbishop, many economically disadvantaged people lack "stable digital identities," "formal financial histories," and "continuous data trails," making them difficult for algorithmic systems to process.

"The poor are the privileged recipients of the Gospel," he said, quoting Dilexi Te, while warning that they risk becoming "present in life, but absent in the data that drives decisions."

"This is not simply exclusion; it is invisibility by design," the apostolic nuncio said.

Using examples from AI-powered credit systems and fintech ecosystems operating across Africa, he explained how algorithmic systems can interpret poverty itself as a financial liability.

"Irregular income becomes 'risk'; informal economies become 'instability'; community-based sharing becomes 'lack of ownership,'" he said.

"The poor are not excluded explicitly ... They are filtered out silently," he noted.

It is 'false' to call technology 'neutral'

The archbishop also challenged the widely repeated claim that technology is neutral.

"We often hear that technology is neutral. While this is convenient, it is equally false," he said.

"Technology is never simply a passive tool," he went on to say, adding: "Every system is shaped by human decisions such as what to measure, what to prioritize, what to optimize, and what to ignore."

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI's June 2009 encyclical letter on integral human development in charity and truth, Caritas in Veritate, he said: "Technology is never merely technology. It reveals man and his aspirations."

He also warned that technology "can give those with knowledge and economic resources an impressive dominance."

"When access to essential goods, credit, healthcare, and education is mediated through digital systems, then control over those systems becomes a form of social authority," van Megen said, adding: "If that authority is concentrated, inequality is not merely preserved, it is amplified."

'Structural ethics' must shape design of digital systems

The Vatican envoy called for what he termed "structural ethics," arguing that ethical responsibility must shape the design of systems themselves.

"Ethics today must move from personal virtue to system design," he said.

He went on to propose that technological systems prioritize vulnerable users, preserve non-digital alternatives, create accountability structures, and accept exceptions where justice requires flexibility.

"Systems should not be designed around the most efficient or profitable user but around those who are most vulnerable," van Megen said.

He linked those principles to Catholic social teaching, including "the dignity of the human person, the common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity."

Catholics called to 'shape ethical frameworks for emerging tech

The Vatican diplomat further urged Catholics to play a more active role in shaping emerging technologies.

"The Church must do more than critique. It must also propose," he said. "It is called to shape ethical frameworks for emerging technologies; advocate for policies that protect the most vulnerable; form leaders capable of integrating faith, ethics, and innovation; offer a vision of development rooted not in domination but in dignity."

Van Megen said technological advancement cannot be separated from moral responsibility.

"We are not merely building technologies," he said. "We are constructing the moral architecture of the future — the conditions under which human life will flourish or fail."

For him, "the question is not whether technology will shape the future. It will."

"The question is: Will it recognize the poor or render them invisible?" van Megen said, and affirmed: "The answer will not be found in code alone. It will be found in conscience."

Cullen said he hopes to expand faith-driven technological initiatives "inspired by Dilexi Te to more projects in Africa."

"We are hopeful of continuing to spread the love of Christ across the continent," Cullen added.

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

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Daughter of imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai said she is feeling "hopeful" ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to China where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"My father, his fight, the rights and values that he stands for, and the urgency of his case is one that speaks to a lot of people," Claire Lai said in an interview with EWTN News. "And we're just extremely grateful for the people who have taken his case to heart."

Jimmy Lai, founder and publisher of the pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Feb. 9 over what Chinese officials claim were national security violations. He has already spent more than five years in detention, much of which was in solitary confinement.

Trump is traveling to Beijing this week to meet with Xi Jinping about numerous topics including trade, Taiwan, and emerging technology issues. He has also said he will raise the release of multiple prisoners including Lai, whose case he  previously brought up to the Chinese president.

The U.S. House of Representatives was set to vote May 12 on a resolution that would condemn the People's Republic of China for its prosecution and imprisonment of Lai and call for his immediate release. Catholic Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, sponsored the measure.

"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) jails people to silence their faith, speech, and conscience — and to scare their families here in America and beyond," Smith said. "The CCP's unacceptable and unfair practice of politically motivated detention must end."

The push by lawmakers "absolutely does give more hope," Claire Lai said. She also noted a May 7 letter to Trump spearheaded by Smith and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, and signed by more than 100 lawmakers "from both sides of the political aisle urging President Trump to bring up my father in the upcoming summit," she said.

"There were 68 senators, which is over two-thirds of all senators, which we are so incredibly grateful for," she said. "Someone said once, 'When's the last time … two-thirds of senators agreed on anything?' It's such a privilege, and … we are just so extremely humbled that this is the one thing that they have agreed on."

"President Trump and his administration have continuously mentioned my father, and they have continuously mentioned their commitment to freeing him," Claire said. "At least speaking for myself, I am extremely confident that it will be this administration that does secure my father's freedom."

Need for a humanitarian release

Lawmakers are urging a humanitarian release as Jimmy Lai's health continues to worsen. While Claire Lai said her family has "basically stopped" receiving reports on her father and his health, they do "hear things here and there."

"He's lost weight, he still has heart issues, he still has high blood pressure," Claire Lai said. It is becoming increasingly urgent as it is "getting close to summer," as the weather in Hong Kong will reach extremely hot temperatures and humid and wet conditions.

"I heard that it's not too hot in Hong Kong yet, but every summer he gets heat rashes and they're … painful red bumps," she said. He also gets "frequent and pretty severe back pains and waist pains."

His "infections that last for months are … just another sign of a compromised immune system," she said. "He has nails starting to fall off. He has teeth that are rotting and just skin that is drying and just a lot, a lot, of things that are … just cascading health issues."

"In terms of detailed reports — we just haven't received those without really any reason since January. Not because we stopped asking; we're still asking, but we haven't received those," she said.

The feast of Our Lady of Fátima offers hope ahead of summit

"It would mean so much to have our father back," Claire Lai said. "I think that tomorrow is when President Trump arrives and it's the feast day of Our Lady of Fátima."

Our Lady of Fátima presented herself to three shepherd children "during the first World War," Claire Lai explained. "So it was a sign of hope. It was a sign of hope during a time of turmoil."

"It reminds us of the power of prayer for the conversion of souls and just … that the Blessed Mother appears to the weakest among us. And my father is physically very weak right now," she said.

Claire Lai also noted an incident when her father fell in the shower while imprisoned, which "happened actually three days right before the feast day of Our Lady of Fátima." She added: "And he prayed to the Blessed Mother and suddenly he was able to get up again."

"The Blessed Mother is watching over my father and … she continues to guide us under her mantle," she said. "This month is dedicated to the Blessed Mother and I'm just extremely grateful that in times of doubt, in times where I have thoughts or emotions that I know don't come from God, I can turn to her."

"My father's trust in the provisions of divine providence has never wavered. So … it's a reminder for mine not to either," she said. "My father's story isn't really one of religious persecution per se, because he's not in prison because of his faith, but his faith is a huge driving force of why he had the courage for the things that he did."

"As his physical conditions got from bad to worse, he came to know … the abundance of God's mercy and God's grace," she said. "It's something that's almost limitless."

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Four months after U.S. special forces captured and removed President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela remains trapped in a political no-man's-land.

The leadership of the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference updated the pope at the Vatican on May 4 about the situation: "Change has arrived, yes — but democracy has not yet," Archbishop Jesús González de Zárate, president of the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

"Many unresolved questions remain regarding what Venezuela's immediate future will be like," Zárate explained, following the meeting with the leadership team held with Pope Leo XIV, to whom they laid out the complex and uncertain situation the country is currently facing.

"Throughout these past months, we have asked ourselves many questions, and we still do not have sufficient answers," he explained in a statement to ACI Prensa.

The bishops "constantly" receive requests to mediate the release of political prisoners. However, "the channels are not always open," Zárate said.

More than 450 political prisoners remain behind bars, according to the count by Foro Penal, the promised amnesty has stalled, and fear of arbitrary detention persists in the streets.

As pastors, he noted, the Venezuelan bishops "have highlighted the need to restore the primacy of human dignity, which is the fundamental point of the Church's social doctrine."

"Upon this," he clearly affirmed, "would rest the freedom of citizens, the right to participate, the paths toward democratization that we need, and overcoming of merely partisan or private interests for the sake of the common good."

Political continuity following Maduro's departure

Although he acknowledged that since Maduro's capture, "there is a change, a result of the fact that the person who previously held the highest office is no longer there," he pointed out that "there is also continuity among the political actors," which casts doubt on whether there will be political change.

The prelate emphasized that the outlook remains uncertain: "More concrete decisions were expected in the political sphere, which have yet to materialize."

Relations with the United States have been normalized, but for Zárate, the advent of democracy does not appear to be imminent. "The reconstruction of political institutions, economic recovery, and the establishment of a new social dynamic constitute a slow, complex, and difficult undertaking," he said.

In this process, he insisted that "the participation of everyone is required," particularly to overcome the "constant confrontation and conflict-ridden political rhetoric that have impoverished Venezuelan social life."

The prelate issued an urgent call to rebuild trust: "It is necessary to restore the population's trust in institutions such as the National Electoral Council, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, and other state institutions" in order to reestablish "healthy democratic coexistence."

The National Electoral Council tallies and announces election results and declared Maduro the winner of the last presidential election despite strong evidence to the contrary.

The amnesty law passed in February benefited 8,616 people. However, that process appears to have stalled since Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced that it had come to an end.

For the Church, this represented a key opportunity to advance national reconciliation, even though the law's implementation has been inconsistent.

"What was particularly significant was the full liberty of political prisoners, not merely their release," Zárate said.

"Release would mean that they leave the detention facility, but their activities would still remain restricted; we are speaking of full liberty, that is, the recognition of full freedom for all," the archbishop explained.

The prelate acknowledged a loss of momentum after initial progress: "At first, there was greater diligence in the implementation of the amnesty law; subsequently, however, there has been something of a delay."

In light of this, he warned that as long as there remains a Venezuelan "imprisoned for their political ideas or personal opinions, we can hardly rest easy or build a better society in peace."

Víctor Hugo Quero, a Venezuelan political prisoner who died in custody, is one of many on a long list of citizens who have perished at the hands of the state over more than 25 years of authoritarian socialist rule.

"Doubts therefore remain regarding the whereabouts of many others. At this moment, there is the open question whether those about whom there is no news may have met a similar fate," he added.

From initial hope to discouragement

Maduro's removal from power sparked a certain "hopeful expectation" among Venezuelans, he said, yet now there is growing frustration. "There is much talk of investments in oil, of better prices, and of agreements with various companies, but the concrete reality is the average Venezuelan continues to suffer from the same deprivations," Zárate lamented.

Among these difficulties, he cited "the constant rise in prices, the depreciation of buying power, the inability to access certain services, or the deficiencies within those very services" such as electricity or water supply. It's a situation that "breeds discouragement."

The harsh reality of the Venezuelan diaspora

After years of crisis, many who fled the country have been unable to return. "There are more than 8 million Venezuelans outside our country," the archbishop noted.

The impact of the diaspora is part of families' daily lives: "There are children who don't have the opportunity to be close to their parents, and parents who cannot enjoy their children or their grandchildren."

This also impacts ecclesial life: "The migration of many Venezuelans also leaves parishes without catechists, without their ministers, and without the young people who were part of the youth ministry."

Economic deterioration further exacerbates this scenario. "The widespread impoverishment of the population — to which the Church has sought to respond through social programs [providing] food and healthcare — also affects the life of the Christian community," he noted.

Zárate said this reality even limits the Church's pastoral outreach: "It finds itself weakened in its capacity to carry out its programs and to provide assistance to people."

The bishops' priority: 'Preserving internal unity'

The president of the bishops' conference stated that one of the episcopate's constant efforts has been "to preserve internal unity."

Unity was one of the key issues discussed during the meeting at the Vatican on May 4. The pope, he said, was "very attentive; he is well-informed about the reality in the country."

The pontiff centered his interest on the Church's role as an agent of reconciliation: "His questions focused on the role we can play in the reunification of the Venezuelan people and in the internal unity of the Church."

Zárate emphasized that the credibility of the message depends on the witness: "We could hardly proclaim reunification, reconciliation, or harmonious coexistence if divergences were visible within the Church itself."

Some things never should have happened

Zárate clarified that the Church's message of reconciliation to Venezuelan society "is not that forgiving means forgetting."

"There are situations that never should have happened, and there are people who are responsible," he pointed out.

Nevertheless, Zárate emphasized that the response cannot be based on vengeance: "We cannot believe that revenge or retaliation will provide the answer. The healing of hearts must be based on the truth."

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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Many pro-life advocates cheered Marty Makary's resignation as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while raising concerns that the agency's acting leader once represented a Planned Parenthood affiliate in court.

Makary, who resigned on May 12, drew the ire of the pro-life community throughout his tenure for inaction to reimpose regulations on the abortion pill mifepristone.

Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Kyle Diamantas will serve as the acting commissioner of the FDA until President Donald Trump nominates and the Senate confirms a replacement. Some pro-life advocates lamented Diamantas' elevation to acting commissioner, saying he once served as counsel for Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando.

Court documents show that while he worked at the Baker Donelson law firm, he was part of the legal team that represented the Planned Parenthood affiliate in a property dispute. He was not an employee of Planned Parenthood, and a Trump administration adviser says it was just an assignment that he eventually backed out of due to moral objections.

Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins posted concerns about Diamantas on X, saying: "Quite frankly, this is why our team at Students for Life did not call for Dr. Makary to resign, because I know the FDA is filled with pro-abortion leftists."

"The new FDA commissioner must be 100% committed to protecting innocent children in the womb AND their mothers," she said.

Live Action President Lila Rose posted on X that "we cannot allow someone who represented Planned Parenthood to oversee rules surrounding the deadly abortion pill mifepristone that has killed MILLIONS of babies."

In response to the concerns, Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz said in a post on X that Diamantas was working as a junior associate "but he later removed himself from the case because of his personal beliefs."

"Kyle is a good man, is pro-life, and he is focused on delivering on President Trump's promise to MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN," he said.

Makary's tenure

During his tenure, Makary faced repeated criticism from pro-life advocates, who are expressing hope that Trump will nominate someone who will take stronger action against abortion.

Makary launched a study in coordination with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to review the safety of the abortion drug mifepristone in September 2025. No action has been taken to restrict the drug, but the FDA did move in the opposite direction by approving a generic version of mifepristone that same month.

The Department of Justice also filed a motion on behalf of the FDA in January asking a federal court to pause a lawsuit from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill that challenged the 2023 deregulation of mifepristone based on claims that it led to harm against residents.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, who has been one of Makary's top critics for months, said on X that "we must return immediately to the [first] Trump administration standard of in-person dispensing to protect women from coercion and abuse and allow the enforcement of pro-life state laws."

Live Action President Lila Rose similarly rejoiced about Makary's exit, saying: "He tragically continued to allow sending the abortion pill through the mail and approved a new version of the abortion pill."

"The abortion pill has killed over 7 million preborn American children and harmed countless mothers," she said and appealed to Trump to appoint a pro-life commissioner who will "ban the abortion pill now!"

Some pro-life senators joined the voices cheering his resignation, including Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, who called the announcement "welcome news" in a post on X and accused Makary of being "uniquely destructive to the pro-life movement."

Hawley, who initially supported Makary's nomination in January 2025, has been publicly critical of his leadership since December. In his post, he said Makary "slow walked" the mifepristone review while approving a generic version in spite of safety risks.

The senator called Makary's resignation "an opportunity for the FDA to reset."

Sarah Zagorski, senior director of public relations and communications for Americans United for Life, told EWTN News the Trump administration "has the opportunity to demonstrate real moral leadership by appointing a commissioner dedicated to protecting women and girls from the harms associated with abortion drugs" upon Makary's resignation.

"With these drugs increasingly available online, the risks of coercion, misuse, and medical complications have grown substantially. Strong oversight and patient safety must come first," she said.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, called Makary's tenure "part of a broader symptom of an administration that has not paid attention to pro-life issues" in a post on X.

"I care deeply about life, and I anticipate the next FDA nominee shall as well," he said.

Although many pro-life advocates see an opportunity for change, it's unclear whether their criticisms contributed to Makary's resignation, considering Trump himself committed during his campaign to ensuring the FDA would not threaten access to the abortion pill.

Trump did not reference the life issue when asked by reporters about Makary's resignation and declined to say whether he asked him to step down.

"He was having some difficulty," Trump said. "You know he's a great doctor and he was having some difficulty, but he's going to go on and he's going to do well. We have — everybody wants that job, everybody."

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