Catholic News

The Archdiocese of San Francisco will offer abuse victims nearly $400 million as part of a broad settlement of the substantial number of sex abuse lawsuits brought against it.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said on June 29 that the proposed $395 million settlement would "resolve all lawsuits related to child sexual abuse" brought against the archdiocese under California's expanded statute of limitations.

Cordileone said the archdiocese in the past has helped parishes, schools, and other archdiocesan entities absorb the cost of sex-abuse lawsuits, but he said the "current environment" of abuse lawsuits is "much more challenging."

Schools and parishes "will need to contribute funds" to the settlement both in order to ensure their own legal safeguards and to "share in the work of making amends for the harm of the past," he said.

The archdiocese announced it was filing for bankruptcy in August 2023 in response to more than 500 civil lawsuits filed against it.

The voluminous lawsuits were brought against the archdiocese under California's 2019 Assembly Bill 218, which significantly expanded the statute of limitations in the state regarding civil sex abuse lawsuits.

In a separate release, the archdiocese said it would seek to "preserve the vital ministries of Catholic education and parish life" even as it moves to pay out the major nine-figure settlement.

The archdiocese has "no current plans to close schools or parishes to reach the proposed settlement," it said.

The settlement has yet to be finalized in federal bankruptcy court. The archdiocese said that all litigation involving the lawsuits has been paused while the parties "work in good faith on the details of a consensual Chapter 11 plan of reorganization."

The settlement represents one of the larger abuse payout amounts in U.S. Catholic history, though a few others have been considerably larger. In October 2024 the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced an $880 million clergy abuse settlement, while the New York Archdiocese in May said it would pay out $800 million to abuse victims.

Cordileone on June 29 acknowledged that "no financial settlement can erase the painful legacy of these past actions."

But "we believe this proposal offers a path toward fair compensation for survivors who have carried the burden of this abuse for a lifetime," he said.

The archdiocese "remain[s] committed to fostering healing and reconciliation and to accompanying all who deserve our unwavering respect, attention, and prayers," he said.

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The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit from parents who are challenging a Washington state law that prevents youth shelters from immediately notifying parents when minors who run away from home are seeking gender transitions.

Under the law, adopted in 2023, shelters that house runaway youth cannot immediately tell parents when a child is "seeking or receiving" gender transition medical services. It allows the state to refer the child for "behavioral health services" but does not change parental consent laws generally required for hormone therapy or surgeries.

The law directs shelters to notify the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families when housing a runaway child who is seeking gender transition services and "offer services designed to resolve the conflict" between the child and the parents before the parents will be notified and before the department works toward family reunification.

The legal challenge comes from parents whose children exhibit gender dysphoria. Lower courts ruled the parents did not have standing to sue because their children are not currently in a youth shelter, but the Supreme Court has agreed to review that decision.

In the lawsuit, five sets of parents express concern their child may run away and seek gender transition services. The parents argue the law violates their 14th Amendment right to direct the upbringing of their children. The Supreme Court has affirmed this right as protected under the amendment for more than a century.

"This statute allows shelters and homes to keep children at locations without their parents' knowledge and refer those children for health interventions without their parents' knowledge or approval," it states. "It does not require children to be returned on any particular timetable or under any particular conditions."

It also argues that the law restricts some of the parents' First Amendment rights to the free exercise of religion, including at least one set of parents who are practicing Catholics.

The original lawsuit cites the Catechism of the Catholic Church: "Those plaintiffs … adhere to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church when it teaches, 'By creating the human being man and woman, God gives personal dignity to the one and the other. Each of them, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity'" (No. 2293).

The parents are joined in the lawsuit by two advocacy groups: International Partners for Ethical Care and Advocates Protecting Children.

A spokesman for International Partners for Ethical Care told EWTN News the organization is "heartened that the Supreme Court will finally hear a case that addresses the rights of all parents to protect their children from harmful medical interventions."

"We hope this case will not be cast as a religious liberties issue but as a safeguarding issue for parents and children of any or no faith," the spokesperson said. "Parents should not have to live in fear of the state taking custody of their children if they disagree with a deceptive ideology and dangerous treatments."

Mike Faulk, deputy communications director for Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, told EWTN News the lower courts found that the families did not show how they were "likely to be injured by the law" and "we will be prepared to successfully defend it at the Supreme Court."

"This law was passed to give runaway youth and their families access to reunification and behavioral health services," he said. "The law makes clear that the Department of Children, Youth, and Families must make good faith attempts to contact families with a goal of reunification."

The law has received opposition from the Washington Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of the state's three dioceses. It criticized the bill when it was being considered in a 2023 newsletter, saying the social teachings of the Catholic Church affirm "the family is the most central social institution, and it must be supported and strengthened."

"[This bill] undermines families," the statement added. "In line with the bishops' legislative priorities to protect children and families and respect life, the [conference] opposes [the bill]."

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Local parishes and Catholic nonprofits have mobilized across Venezuela to support earthquake victims, working alongside the U.S. government as it continues to expand disaster assistance. 

Father Edgar Magallanes, SJ, national director of Jesuit Refugee Service Venezuela, told "EWTN News Nightly" on June 29 that the situation in Venezuela is "getting bad," as efforts are split between "rescue on one side and affected populations on the other side."

This comes as the State Department announced June 29 that U.S. funding for relief efforts in Venezuela has increased to more than $300 million. The State Department said: "All U.S. humanitarian funding has been directed to a range of trusted international and nongovernmental partners," including Catholic Relief Services.

Magallanes said ground zero in Venezuela is facing a "difficult situation" as "the number of deceased people generated a smell, a difficult smell, and all people are using masks like the time of COVID-19."

"People in some areas feel invisible to the government, to the aid efforts," he said. "But we're working on it."

Magallanes said JRS is operating under the emergency protocol established by the Conference of Provincials of Latin America, which includes activating an immediate response team, connecting with first responders, and coordinating aid distribution through centers run by the Society of Jesus in Caracas.

"So, we are caring for our affected collaborators, teachers, and their families, as well as participants of our programs, and we are helping with humanitarian aid," he said. "We are coordinating efforts as well to assess damages and needs with national and international NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and with the United Nations."

Victims displaced by the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on June 24 have also been taking shelter at Catholic churches and parish halls in the nation's capital as part of support initiatives coordinated by Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas, according to a local missionary, Brother Deiby Fuenmayor, MSC.

Fuenmayor told Agenzia Fides, the Pontifical Mission Societies information service, that "many people are sleeping outdoors, in parks, because their homes are uninhabitable" and that the Church is working to collect nonperishable food items, drinking water, and mattresses for redistribution.

"Even though we are in a working-class neighborhood, people are very generous," he said.

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Colombia president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced on June 26 that he has begun visiting various Catholic shrines to entrust the country "to God's protection."

On X, de la Espriella described his tour as "a journey of thanksgiving," calling it "the pilgrimage of hope for the miracle homeland."

He noted that during the first stage, he visited the shrine of El Morro, where he consecrated his life, his service, and the entire country "to the protection of the Most Holy Virgin Mary."

De la Espriella said he traveled to La Guajira to visit the cathedral shrine of Our Lady of the Remedies, where he prayed for healthcare workers and the sick, as well as the minor basilica of the Lord of Miracles in Sucre, where he prayed "for Colombia's security, for peace, for our security forces, and for the protection of every Colombian family."

Instagram post

"I concluded this first day at the shrine to St. Peter Claver in Cartagena, giving thanks to God and praying that we never lose sight of the most vulnerable, so that justice, solidarity, and dignity may reach every corner of the nation," he wrote.

De la Espriella, who won the presidency representing the Defenders of the Homeland party, said he would continue "traveling this path with the conviction that, when a people places its destiny in God's hands, it always finds hope."

On the night of June 14, De la Espriella concluded his campaign for the June 20 runoff election in the city of Buga, where during the day he visited the Lord of Miracles shrine.

However, to avoid any political misinterpretation, the Redemptorist missionary community that administers the basilica clarified in a statement that the shrine did not endorse any candidate and that the visit was personal in nature, "motivated by his prayer and devotion, just like that of any other pilgrim or member of the faithful who comes to entrust themselves to the Lord of Miracles."

De la Espriella, who has said that the death of a loved one from COVID-19 led him to embrace the Catholic faith, has also engaged with Christians of other denominations.

On April 15, he attended a gathering at the Tabernacle of Faith evangelical congregation in Bogotá, where the then-candidate signed the "Commitment to Life and Family" promoted by the United for Life platform.

De la Espriella will be inaugurated president of Colombia on Aug. 7 for the 2026–2030 term, succeeding Gustavo Petro, who will conclude his tenure as the country's first leftist president.

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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Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of Orihuela-Alicante, Spain, denounced the "persecution" of Catholics with homosexual inclinations who seek help to live chastely, following the lower house's passage of a reform to the penal code in Spain that bans so-called "conversion therapies."

During his program "Sexto Continente" ("Sixth Continent") on Radio María Spain, the bishop commented on the Congress of Deputies' passage of the amendment that penalizes activities grouped under that term, a term the prelate also rejects.

"So-called conversion therapy doesn't exist," he stated, asserting that it's "an ideological construct of an anti-Christian lobby in an attempt to prevent pastoral accompaniment for individuals with homosexual inclinations who in conscience want to live chastely and are seeking help."

The legislative proposal, which has yet to be sent to the Senate, stipulates that programs providing support to those with homosexual inclinations who wish to live in chastity and in accordance with the Catholic faith be classified as a criminal offense under Title VII, which deals with "torture and other crimes against moral integrity."

The amended penal code would provide for prison sentences ranging from six months to two years and fines imposed for a period of eight to 24 months for anyone who "applies or carries out upon a person, even with their consent or that of their legal representative, acts, methods, programs, techniques, or procedures of aversion or conversion whether psychological, physical, pharmacological, or of any other nature intended to modify, suppress, eliminate, or deny their sexual orientation, sexual identity, or gender expression, resulting in harm to their bodily integrity or physical or mental health, or seriously impairing their moral integrity."

Additionally, a person conducting the prohibited activities could be disqualified from practicing his or her profession or trade for up to five years.

'It's religious persecution'

Munilla argued that the result of this addition to the penal code is "that a homosexual cannot be Catholic, or if he is Catholic, he must be a Catholic who dissents from the teachings of the Church."

"He has to be a dissident Catholic. He is persecuted so that he cannot be a faithful Catholic. Because, if he wants to live chastely and asks for help to live chastely, he is persecuted. We're crazy," he emphasized.

"Deep down it's religious persecution," he asserted, and "an obvious demonstration that they don't believe in the freedom they boast about so much."

"We must obey God rather than men," he added. "We will not stop accompanying homosexual persons who seek the Church's accompaniment in order to live chastely."

Infiltration of the Church by the LGBT lobby

Munilla said his greatest concern is that "within the Church we have unity and communion around faith and morals."

"The LGBT lobby has infiltrated many sectors of the Church, and that is what should concern us," he said.

"The worst thing is that within the Church there are many areas where we are afraid, we dodge the issue or even explicitly deny the Catholic faith with respect to the experience of sexuality," he continued.

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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Representatives of Italy's major religions signed a pact in Rome last week aimed at consolidating an initiative known as "The Italian Path of Dialogue: Religions in the Public Sphere and for Social Cohesion."

The document was signed June 25 by Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Baha'i, Orthodox, and evangelical leaders, including the Italian Bishops' Conference, the Assembly of Rabbis of Italy, and various Islamic and Buddhist organizations.

Following the signing, representatives of the various faiths were received at the Quirinal Palace by the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to whom they presented a copy of the pact.

The document seeks to recognize religious freedom and share "the value and complexity of being believers and practitioners of different faiths in a postmodern, secularized, multicultural, and multireligious society, one wounded by conflicts and extremism, including those of a pseudo-religious nature," the text states.

According to the Italian Bishops' Conference, this agreement is the result of several years of meetings and collaborative work. Leaders from different religions have been meeting since 2023 to reflect on communion and peace.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, emphasized his desire to "reflect openly on shared values ??in order to build a civil community that, even amid diversity, recognizes the sense of a shared commitment to a more just, welcoming, and inclusive society."

The pact proposes nine commitments and lines of action to strengthen harmonious coexistence. Notable among these are the promotion of the equality of all religions before the state through constructive dialogue, the fostering of a culture of peace based on justice and compassion, the defense of the common good, and mutual respect and collaboration among the various religious communities.

Furthermore, the document aims to address the rise of polarization, extremism, and the instrumentalization of religion to justify hatred and conflict, and to "offer a serious and proven contribution to a society overly exposed to polarization and extremism, which drive people to view the other person who is different due to their faith or culture as an enemy."

For its promoters, the pact represents a joint response to social challenges and the complex current geopolitical context, championing interfaith dialogue as a tool to strengthen social cohesion, foster harmonious coexistence, and promote a culture of peace in the service of the common good.

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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Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila, Philippines, exhorted Catholics to go beyond social media criticism of society and be more active in bringing about change in real life.

"It is very easy to complain and criticize. It is very easy to be a keyboard warrior on social media. It is very easy to say that there are many things wrong in society, in the family, in the Church, or in the world," the cardinal said during a homily at Quiapo Church on June 24, according to local reports. "But only a few are willing to initiate change."

New papal nuncio welcomed in Syria

At a Mass in Damascus, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Youssef Absi welcomed Syria's new papal nuncio Archbishop Luigi Roberto Cona, with the leader describing papal diplomats as "messengers of justice, reconciliation, human dignity, hope, and care for the vulnerable," ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported June 22.

In his own remarks, Cona emphasized Pope Leo XIV's call for peace rooted in justice, love, dialogue, diplomacy, and forgiveness, warning that the desire for justice must not turn into revenge.

The nuncio went on to say that the country's wounds must be healed "through mercy, forgiveness, and a renewed spirit of unity" and stressed that Syrians themselves hold the future of their nation in their hands.

Cona called on them to "see one another not as enemies but as partners and brothers." He said the Holy See is ready to contribute to every effort that helps bring about "the birth of a new Syria, built on truth, practical solutions, equal dignity, and shared citizenship."

Scottish diocese warns monks against consecrating their own bishop

The Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen in Scotland has spoken out against plans by the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer to consecrate their superior general, Father Michael Mary, FSsR, without Pope Leo XIV's approval.

"This ordination would be celebrated without a papal mandate, by a group of bishops who deny that Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV is actually the pope," Aberdeen Bishop Hugh Gilbert, OSB, said in a June 18 statement.

"Since this consecration is due to take place within the geographical boundaries of the Diocese of Aberdeen, I am obliged to make clear to the faithful of the diocese that any such episcopal ordination would be unlawful and a grave act of disobedience, separating those taking part from communion with the Catholic Church," he said.

"No member of the faithful should attend. This action is not 'for the good of the Catholic Church' as is falsely claimed."

Iraqi Christians pray novena for beatification of martyred priests

The Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul concluded its novena for the beatification of Father Yousif Zakaria and Father Behnam Mikho, who were martyred in 1915, on June 28.

Bishop Benedictos Younan Hanno of Mosul invited the faithful on June 19 to join in praying the novena. The nine days of prayer began during a solemn ceremony in Qaraqosh, Iraq's largest Christian town, in which the bishop transferred the priests' remains from the Dominican Sisters' convent to the Great Tahira Cathedral, ACI MENA reported.

Preaching at the service, Hanno urged the faithful to "take an active part in these prayers," renewing their fidelity to the faith, their attachment to the Church, and their gratitude for the witness of the two priests, who served the archdiocese with sincerity and remained steadfast in their Christian faith until martyrdom.

Myanmar religious sister sentenced to 8 months in jail

A military tribunal in Myanmar has sentenced a religious sister to eight months in jail after being detained while obtaining medicines for poor patients.

Sister Benedetta Nya Moe, a member of the Institute of Sisters of Reparation, was sentenced under Section 505(a) of the country's penal code, according to a UCA News report on Friday.

Nya Moe has been transferred to Loikaw Prison, a large prison facility in the capital of Karenni state that is notorious for malnutrition among its detainees.

"From what we have learned, she crossed paths with a military column and was arrested while transporting a displaced patient to a hospital in Loikaw," a local religious sister told UCA News.

Nya Moe was detained June 10 after soldiers searched her phones and found records of donations and news about the ongoing conflict, according to the report.

Quebec abuse victims reach $31 million settlement with archdiocese

The Archdiocese of Quebec in Canada, two seminaries, and an insurance agency will jointly pay victims of clergy sexual abuse $31 million.

The archdiocese, along with the Seminary of Quebec, the Collège François-de-Laval, and the Mutual Insurance of Quebec Factories, reached the agreement with representatives of 150 victims on June 18, according to a Catholic Register report on Tuesday.

Once the agreement gains final approval from the Superior Court on July 30, the archdiocese and its cosigners will have 45 days to send the full amount to the firm that represents the victims. Those who receive compensation will receive an apology letter by Auxiliary Bishop Jean Tailleur, who signed the agreement on behalf of the archdiocese.

Irish lawmakers vote to remove 3-day wait for abortion

Politicians in Ireland have voted in favor of removing the three-day mandatory wait for an abortion.

The 86-70 vote in the Dáil (Irish Parliament) on the bill from the opposition party Sinn Féin was carried having received the support of the Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) and Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister), who both voted in favor of the measure.

A similar bill in May proposed by the Social Democrats was defeated by 85 votes to 30, with 36 abstentions. These bills are a free vote as abortion is considered a conscience issue.

The bill is now expected to go before the health committee for further scrutiny.

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During the Mass on June 29 at St. Peter's Basilica for the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV conferred the pallium on the 35 metropolitan archbishops who had been appointed the previous year.

Of these archbishops, four hail from the United States: Archbishops Ronald Hicks of New York, James Golka of Denver, James Checchio of New Orleans, and Mark Rivituso of Mobile, Alabama.

Hundreds of pilgrims were part of delegations accompanying the new archbishops. The pilgrims described the experience as historic, witnessing the first American pope, Leo XIV, bestow the pallium, and expressed their hope that their new shepherds would bring youthful energy to the faithful they now serve.

A 'surreal' experience full of emotion

After the pallium Mass, the new archbishops attended a reception at the Pontifical North American College (PNAC), which has trained American seminarians for the priesthood since 1859.

Golka, appointed to Denver in February, described receiving the pallium as a profoundly emotional experience.

"To hear him [Pope Leo] say, 'Peace be with you' in English. And then I greeted him back, 'And with your spirit.' And then I said, 'I pray for you every day.' And he said, 'Thank you.' And then I was crying on the way back to my chair," Golka told EWTN News.

Scott Elmer, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Denver, added: "It's definitely breathtaking to see so many bishops, priests, laity, and cardinals from all over the world gathering together. Hearing so many languages being spoken, yet all being one in our Catholic faith and worshipping the Lord as one in the holy Mass was really a treat."

Hicks also described his experience at the Mass and its significance for his archdiocese, following Cardinal Timothy Dolan's leadership from 2009 to 2025.

"I thought the experience was beautiful, powerful, holy, sacred, and even a bit surreal. I'm still pinching myself," Hicks told EWTN News.

"I've met him before, and when I introduced myself afterward, I just said, 'Hi, I'm Ron Hicks from New York.' He said, 'Of course I know.' [Pope Leo] wants us to be a Church on mission. He wants us to make sure that what Christ himself has asked us to do is done in the spirit of love and in the spirit of charity."

Laura Moore Brown, an attorney and parishioner at Ascension Parish in Manhattan, added: "I think what's really exciting is that there is such a new surge of youth, meaning people in their 20s and 30s coming back to Mass, getting involved. I think the youthfulness of Archbishop Hicks will be a draw, and his relatability to that age group will increase enthusiasm and participation in the Church."

Receiving the pallium from an American pope

Pilgrims also reflected on the historic nature of the pallium Mass, presided over by Leo XIV, the first American pope.

Checchio, who served as rector of the PNAC from 2005 to 2016, organized receptions for new U.S. archbishops during his tenure. To be on the receiving end, he said, was surreal.

"I had been, as you know, rector here for 12 and a half years, so I have attended many pallium services and hosted many archbishops from across our country for receptions here afterward," Checchio told EWTN News. "But coming to receive it myself was a bit surreal. Receiving it from Pope Leo — an American pope — was even more so."

Checchio also commented on the difference in approach between Leo and his predecessor, Pope Francis, regarding the bestowal of the pallium. During the later part of Francis' papacy, he did not place the pallium on the shoulders of the new archbishops, opting instead to bless the pallium and have the apostolic nuncios place it on them.

Checchio said he was grateful for the change.

"I am grateful for it. It's a beautiful opportunity to make an oath of fidelity to him in his presence, as we shepherd our people in his name."

Raechelle Munna, a parishioner at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in New Orleans, shared about the pilgrimage: "I knew that when I was invited to go on this pilgrimage, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I needed to be part of. We are still hoping for Pope Leo to visit us in New Orleans!"

Hopes for the future

A few of the pilgrims expressed their hopes for the new archbishops, none of whom have yet served a full year in their new dioceses.

Shannon Roh, the executive director of stewardship and development for the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, characterized the new archbishop, Rivituso, as a servant leader.

"I would say that, as a leader, he really comes across as a servant leader from the very beginning," Roh told EWTN News. "He leads by example and gets right in there to help and be part of the solution. Whether it's packing bags at a school or whatever, he wants to be part of it. He's definitely a servant leader, kind, compassionate, with a big heart."

Glynn Stevens, minister for hospitality at the Cathedral of St. Louis in New Orleans, expressed hope that Checchio would successfully lead his new diocese through a challenging financial period.

"We're looking forward to his leadership, his skills. He comes with open arms. We have a lot of healing to do throughout our country, and he is definitely the man who I think can bring it to the city of New Orleans."

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As France looks ahead to its 2027 presidential election, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has thrust surrogacy back into the center of the country's political debate.

Attal, who announced his presidential bid in May and now leads President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party, has called for a national debate on legalizing surrogacy, which remains prohibited under French law. He has openly linked the issue to his personal desire to have children with his partner, European Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné, a former French foreign minister, through surrogacy.

The proposal places Attal at odds with Macron, who has repeatedly described the legalization of surrogacy as a "red line."

With Macron constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, Attal's position has emerged as one of the clearest bioethical dividing lines in the race to succeed him.

Cross-party opposition

Attal's promotion of surrogacy was met with widespread criticism from both sides of the French political aisle. Elected officials, including former French justice and health ministers, published a cross-party op-ed in which they expressed their opposition to "making women's bodies available to satisfy the desires of others."

This initiative was started by Aurore Bergé, minister for gender equality and a member of Attal's own party.

They also reject the notion that surrogacy offers a solution to declining birth rates, instead arguing that demographic challenges should be addressed through family support policies and adoption reform rather than what they describe as the commercialization of reproduction.

Matthieu Le Tourneur, a French jurist with Juristes pour l'Enfance, told EWTN News that such a public intervention from high-profile politicians would have been far less likely only a few years ago.

He sees this as evidence of a changing sociopolitical climate. While some polling suggests a narrow majority of French citizens support legalizing surrogacy, Le Tourneur noted that support becomes weaker when the issue involves same-sex couples. He also argued that public opinion has ceased moving in favor of surrogacy and may be shifting in the opposite direction, referencing growing activism from anti-surrogacy organizations.

Political hurdles and European implications

Le Tourneur said Attal's proposal should be viewed within a broader French political pattern in which successive presidents have pursued major societal reforms, pointing to the legalization of same-sex "marriage" under François Hollande, the expansion of IVF, and the proposed euthanasia bill under Macron. In his view, a future Attal presidency "would make the legalization of surrogacy the societal goal of his five-year term."

However, he noted that legalization would face significant political obstacles. "Opposition to surrogacy comes from both the left and the right," drawing criticism from feminists, anti-capitalists, and conservatives, he said. As a result, Attal would likely need support from extreme-left LGBTQIA+ factions, liberal centrists, and individual lawmakers willing to break with their parties.

Observers have noted that France's influence extends well beyond its borders, particularly on questions of culture and bioethics. In this context, Le Tourneur believes that any French move to legalize surrogacy would likely reverberate across Europe. He noted that legalization in France would almost certainly apply not only to heterosexual couples but also to same-sex couples and single individuals, potentially providing momentum to pro-surrogacy campaigners seeking similar reforms in other countries.

Organized resistance to surrogacy

Ludovine de La Rochère, president of Le Syndicat de la Famille, one of France's leading pro-family organizations, said Attal's endorsement of "ethical" surrogacy is partly an effort to distinguish himself in the 2027 presidential race.

Speaking to EWTN News, she explained that "it would be a humanitarian, social, and ethical disaster if France were to legalize" surrogacy. She noted that the practice is often "championed by LGBT organizations" and that supporters seek to normalize the matter culturally through "personal accounts in books, films, TV programs, and so on," gradually shaping public opinion outside the political arena.

According to de La Rochère, pro-surrogacy campaigners are shifting their efforts from legislative reform to international legal proceedings aimed at securing recognition of children born through surrogacy.

Looking across the continent, she noted that "Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovakia, and Poland" are strongly opposed to surrogacy while "Germany remains a country that could change its stance on this issue."

Despite this, de La Rochère said her organization is working with other nongovernmental organizations to push the European Union toward "an explicit condemnation of all forms of surrogacy." If Attal ultimately includes surrogacy in his presidential platform, she said large-scale public mobilization remains a possibility, although any response would depend on what strategy is judged most effective at the time.

Growing pressure

Attal's proposal comes amid growing international opposition to surrogacy. In her 2026 report, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls Reem Alsalem argued that surrogacy can expose women to exploitation, coercion, health risks, and psychological harm, while raising broader concerns about human dignity and the rights of women and children.

The issue has also gained momentum at the diplomatic level. On June 22, Italy, the Holy See, Chile, and Cameroon convened a side event at the U.N. Human Rights Council calling for an international moratorium on surrogacy as a first step toward its eventual abolition. The initiative followed separate condemnations of the practice by Pope Leo XIV and the Holy See earlier this year.

On June 29, Le Syndicat de la Famille, Juristes pour l'Enfance, and other anti-surrogacy advocates gathered in Geneva to argue that surrogacy constitutes a modern form of human trafficking and to advocate for a coordinated international response.

Taken together, these developments suggest that any effort to legalize surrogacy in France would likely face opposition not only from domestic political critics, including figures within Attal's own political camp, but also from an increasingly organized international coalition of governments, U.N. human rights experts, and civil society organizations.

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Pope Leo XIV has called on Christians to emulate the example of Sts. Peter and Paul in working toward the unity of the Church and of all Christians.

The pontiff's words were delivered during a Mass on June 29 at St. Peter's Basilica for the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patron saints of Rome. During the Mass, Leo also bestowed the pallium — a circular band of lamb's wool worn on the shoulders — on the 35 metropolitan archbishops appointed by the pope the previous year.

Having just concluded a two-day extraordinary consistory of cardinals, which ended on June 27, Leo explained that the example of Peter is an invitation for every Christian to work toward Church unity.

"Moreover, Peter's example is an invitation to every Christian to become a builder of unity," Leo said, "placing God at the center of one's life and drawing close to one's brothers and sisters, attentive to their circumstances and needs. In this way, we learn to live with one another in charity, so that the message might be fully proclaimed."

Referring to the conversion of St. Paul, the pope explained that Paul can teach Christians to choose peace over violence. Quoting a homily by St. Augustine for the feast, he emphasized that God took a "persecutor of the Church and made him a messenger of peace."

"The Apostle to the Gentiles allowed himself to be transformed by the power of God's word, which rescued him from the way of violence and led him onto the path of love."

Addressing the new archbishops present at the ceremony and a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Leo explained the pallium's significance as an expression of the mission of every Christian.

"These bands of white wool adorned with crosses indeed express the commitment of every shepherd — and also of every Christian — to take upon their shoulders the brothers and sisters entrusted to them, like so many lambs of the Lord's flock, and to sacrifice their energy, time, effort, and even their lives for them," Leo said.

In his Angelus address following the Mass, the pope urged the faithful to support his mission by generously donating to the Peter's Pence collection. Peter's Pence is a global initiative that helps fund the pope's activities and the Holy See's charitable works worldwide.

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