Catholic News

Catholic bishops from the United States and Japan cautioned that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is at risk of collapse and urged world leaders to renew commitments to disarmament.

"May you all help lead this suffering world to the promised land of a world free of nuclear weapons," wrote five bishops whose dioceses were shaped by nuclear weapons, either as the birthplace of the bomb, a deployment hub, or the site of atomic devastation. The bishops issued the statement April 27 on the convening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty's 11th review conference.

"For 56 years the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has acted as the cornerstone of nuclear weapons nonproliferation," said Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle; Archbishop Peter Michiaki Nakamura of Nagasaki, Japan; Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki, Japan; Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Bishop Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama of Hiroshima, Japan.

The bishops represent the Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, an international Catholic coalition formed in 2023 by the bishops of Seattle, Santa Fe, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki to promote nuclear disarmament and protect life from all nuclear harm. It was established on the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. 

The bishops described the NPT as "now badly frayed, perhaps even in danger of collapsing," citing "the never-ending refusal of the nuclear weapons states to enter into serious negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament." They further noted that the past two NPT review conferences "have utterly failed to outline any concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament."

"Clearly the nuclear threats are escalating," they said. "The brutal practice of might makes right is ascendant, arms control treaties are gone, and we are sliding backwards with massive modernization programs to keep nuclear weapons forever."

We fervently hope and pray for a favorable outcome that genuinely leads to nuclear disarmament. However, if past is prologue, that outcome is unlikely."

American and Japanese bishops

Partnership for a World Without Nuclear Weapons

The bishops said nuclear states that have failed to disarm on the basis of deterrence are guilty of "deflect[ing] the blame from their own possession of immoral, genocidal weapons."

"One must ask, why is it that Russia and the United States have always rejected the minimal deterrence of just a few hundred nuclear warheads in order to keep thousands of warheads for nuclear war-fighting?" the bishops said. "Why is it that all nine nuclear weapons powers are now spending enormous sums on so-called 'modernization' programs to keep nuclear weapons forever?"

The NPT calls for a review of the treaty's operation every five years, a provision in place since 2000. The ongoing April 27 to May 22 conference was scheduled for 2026 following COVID-19-related delays to the review cycle, according to the conference's website.

"We wish all of you at this Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference the very best of luck," the bishops said. "We fervently hope and pray for a favorable outcome that genuinely leads to nuclear disarmament. However, if past is prologue, that outcome is unlikely."

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The Diocese of Oakland, California, will shutter 13 churches across the East Bay as part of a restructuring effort driven by shrinking congregations, a severe priest shortage, and mounting financial pressures.

Bishop Michael Barber described the move as a necessary next step in an April 28 letter describing the diocese's Mission Alignment Process (MAP), an initiative begun in 2021 "to address a growing gap between the mission of the Church and the operational realities" of mounting challenges.

"The status quo is not sustainable nor is it serving God's people," Barber stated. "We must focus on the activities that foster prayerful celebrations of the Mass, prioritize works of mercy, and form missionary disciples."

He pointed to long-term trends that include falling Mass attendance, reduced sacramental participation, and declining Catholic school enrollment.

These challenges are compounded by the diocese's record-low number of priests serving its roughly 80 parishes, along with an aging clergy and persistent budget shortfalls at churches and diocesan schools.

The parishes slated for closure include Mary Help of Christians in Oakland, Our Lady of Guadalupe at Blacow Road in Fremont, Our Lady of Lourdes in Oakland, Sacred Heart in Oakland, St. Albert the Great in Alameda, St. Andrew Kim Korean Pastoral Center in Oakland, St. Augustine in Oakland, St. Barnabas in Alameda, St. Paschal Baylon in Oakland, St. Patrick in Oakland, St. Rose of Lima in Crockett, St. Stephen in Walnut Creek, and Transfiguration in Castro Valley.

Barber acknowledged the emotional toll of the decision, saying: "I deeply understand the sacrifice this will require. We cannot allow nostalgia and sentimentality to hold back the message of the Gospel. While we love our local church building, the church has never been solely a building. The church has always been a people called by God and united in faith. The faith of our people will continue, just in a different place and with new people."

The bishop said that as he has "full responsibility for the pastoral care of every Catholic in our diocese," he is making it a "priority to ensure all affected parishioners are welcomed at a nearby parish."

"I make a heartfelt plea to the 'receiving' parishes to open your hearts wide to your fellow Catholics who will be joining you," he said. "Love them, make room for them not only in the pew alongside you but in the activities of your parish. Welcome them as your own, for we are all one as Christ's body."

The restructuring occurs as the diocese faces significant legal and financial difficulties. In response to hundreds of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by clergy members, the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2023 to manage claims through a unified court process and reach settlements.

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Catholic bishops are asking lawmakers to reject legislation that would mandate insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization (IVF), a fertility treatment that violates Catholic teachings on life and human reproduction.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sent a letter to Congress on April 29 laying out concerns with the bill (H.R. 8119), which its sponsor, Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, named Helping to Optimize Patients' Experience (HOPE) with Fertility Services Act.

Under the bill, which has support from 18 Republicans and Democrats, insurance companies would face civil penalties of $100 per day if they offer plans that exclude coverage of IVF. The text does not clearly show any exemptions for religious employers, even though IVF is opposed by both the USCCB and the Southern Baptist Convention.

In the letter, the bishops express concern about the loss of embryonic human life integral to the IVF process, stating that, as practiced in the U.S., it "represents a relatively unregulated industry that creates hundreds of thousands or even millions of preborn children who will be interminably frozen, expended in attempts to place them within a mother, or discarded and killed (often in a selective, eugenic manner)."

"In addition to such mass death, IVF poses health risks to both women and the children who are born as a result of it," the letter states. "IVF also commodifies human beings, including children and, in many cases, donors or surrogates. This, furthermore, disregards the right of children to be conceived naturally, free from technological manipulation, by their own married mother and father."

The bishops in their letter also expressed religious freedom concerns. They note that supporters claim that putting the mandate in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) would prevent it from impacting religious employers.

"The fact is many religious employers that are otherwise exempt from ERISA, however, choose to provide their employees' health insurance under ERISA anyway precisely because ERISA's preemption of state law allows them to avoid having their consciences violated by state-level insurance requirements (including for IVF)," the bishops state.

"A mandate within ERISA would therefore place these employers in a new bind between its requirements and those of problematic state laws," they said. "At the same time, certain other religious employers' plans, such as those of independent religious schools, may not qualify as 'church plans' exempt from ERISA in the first place."

The bishops showed concern that an insurance mandate could lead to a problem similar to "the well-known legal saga of the Little Sisters of the Poor in fending off the 'contraceptive mandate.'"

"Any new health coverage mandate is very likely to ignite years of painful litigation for both charitable, faith-based employer organizations as well as private, for-profit employers who are people of faith," they warn.

In the letter, the bishops express grief for "the growing number of families suffering infertility" but advocate for "life-affirming" fertility treatments that seek to address the root cause of infertility as opposed to creating human embryos in a lab. These treatments are often called restorative reproductive medicine.

"The profound desire of couples to have children is both good and natural," they said. "When this is frustrated by an experience of infertility, holistic and individualized restorative approaches to fertility care exist that can often help identify and successfully address the root causes."

"As pastors, we see the suffering that infertility can cause and the deep desire of couples to grow their family," the bishops said. "We strongly encourage licit means of easing this suffering, both medically and emotionally."

The letter is signed by Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, chair of the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty; Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chair of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; and Bishop Edward J. Burns, chair of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth.

"Infertility impacts millions of families and it doesn't discriminate. It can affect anyone who wants to start or grow a family," bill cosponsor Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, said in a statement. "I know firsthand. Thanks to IVF, my husband and I conceived our twins, now both healthy young adults. But after enduring that struggle, I've fought to expand insurance coverage for the prohibitively costly fertility treatments that can make this only accessible to the very few who can afford it."

Bill sponsor Nunn and cosponsors did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the bishops' concerns.

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An international team of scholars led by Professor Garrick V. Allen of the University of Glasgow in Scotland has successfully recovered 42 lost pages of one of the most important New Testament manuscripts, known as Codex H.

The university's College of Arts and Humanities announced April 24 that the codex, a sixth-century copy of St. Paul's epistles, had been partially lost after being disassembled in the 13th century at the Great Lavra Monastery, located on Mount Athos in northern Greece.

Its pages were repurposed as binding material and flyleaves in other books, causing fragments of the manuscript to become scattered across libraries in various European countries.

"The breakthrough came from an important starting point: We knew that at one point, the manuscript was re-inked. The chemicals in the new ink caused 'offset' damage to facing pages, essentially creating a mirror image of the text on the opposite leaf, sometimes leaving traces several pages deep barely visible to the naked eye but very clear with latest imaging techniques," explained Allen, as quoted by the University of Glasgow.

Thanks to a technique called multispectral imaging, researchers were able to recover texts that no longer physically exist.

This allowed them "to retrieve multiple pages of information from every single physical page," the expert added. To ensure historical accuracy, the team also turned to radiocarbon dating analyses conducted in Paris, confirming the parchment's origin in the sixth century.

Although the recovered texts contain passages already known from the Pauline epistles, the discovery offers new clues regarding how the New Testament was transmitted and understood in antiquity. In Allen's words: "Given that Codex H is such an important witness to our understanding of Christian Scripture, to have discovered any new evidence, let alone this quantity, of what it originally looked like is nothing short of monumental."

Among the key findings are ancient lists of chapters considered the oldest known for St. Paul's epistles, which differ notably from the current division of these texts. Furthermore, the fragments reveal how sixth-century scribes corrected and annotated sacred texts, as well as the medieval practice of reusing and repurposing manuscripts once they fell into disrepair.

The project was made possible thanks to funding from the Templeton Religion Trust and the U.K.'s Arts and Humanities Research Council in collaboration with the Great Lavra Monastery.

A printed edition of Codex H will be published shortly, while a digital version is already available to the public for the first time in centuries.

As highlighted by the University of Glasgow, this discovery not only recovers a portion of an ancient manuscript but also provides a better understanding of the living history of the transmission of the Bible throughout the centuries.

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

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The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a lawsuit involving what one Catholic claims is the Church's misleading representation of an ancient papal offering.

In January, lawyers for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) asked the Supreme Court to consider the case, which was originally brought by Rhode Island resident David O'Connell against the bishops over the Peter's Pence offering.

Peter's Pence, variants of which date back centuries to around at least the early Middle Ages, is an annual donation the USCCB describes as "a gesture of solidarity" with the pope's charitable undertakings.

The donation is geared toward "humanitarian initiatives and social promotion projects, as well [as] the support of the Holy See," according to the bishops.

O'Connell filed a class action suit against the bishops in January 2020, alleging that the prelates had misled Catholics about the nature of the donation. He claimed he had been led to believe that the offering was strictly for emergency assistance to victims of war and poverty but that he subsequently found out it was used in part to "defray Vatican administrative expenses."

The U.S. bishops argued in court that the suit should be dismissed on the grounds of the "church autonomy doctrine," a long-standing principle in U.S. case law that bars the government from exercising control over internal church decisions.

Yet a district court and an appeals court both ruled against the bishops, leading lawyers with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who represent the bishops, to appeal to the Supreme Court in January over the matter.

Daniel Blomberg, the vice president of Becket and a senior attorney there, told EWTN News on April 30 that popes have been using the Peter's Pence fund for centuries to "carry out the ministry of the Church in a variety of different ways."

The plaintiff in the suit, however, contends that he "heard something during Mass" that "made him think that his offering to Peter's Pence would only go to one purpose and no others," Blomberg said.

"He not only wants his own offering back, but he also wants the offerings returned for millions of other Catholics around the country," he said.

Blomberg said both of the lower courts ruled against the bishops on the grounds that the case could be decided under "neutral principles of law" that do not implicate the First Amendment. But he described the demands sought by the lawsuit as "wildly unconstitutional."

The plaintiff "wants the courts to tell the Catholic Church how to talk about Peter's Pence and how to preach about Peter's Pence," he said.

Multiple religious advocates have come out in favor of the bishops in the dispute. A coalition of organizations including the Thomas More Society, the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, and several other groups filed an amicus brief at the Supreme Court in January arguing that their respective religious beliefs involve "matters of internal governance that must be protected from government entwinement."

In another amicus filing to the Supreme Court in March, John Garvey, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, said the lawsuit "requires courts to resolve inherently religious questions about church polity, doctrine, and governance."

The suit would force the court to "decide for itself who within the Church controls (or who can control) the contents of homilies, whether a particular homily is inconsistent with Catholic teaching about Peter's Pence, what a reasonable parishioner should believe about Catholic doctrine, and — most importantly — how donated funds should be administered by the pope," Garvey argued.

The suit "effectively invites a civil court to second guess the pope — the successor of St. Peter — on directing Peter's Pence toward keeping the lights on in St. Peter's itself," Garvey wrote.

Blomberg, meanwhile, said the bishops expect to hear from the Supreme Court in the next month or so.

"We're in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to ask them to put the First Amendment first, not last, and to treat it as the threshold of the case," he said.

"We want the court to not force the Church to go through years of litigation just to determine that the First Amendment applies here," he added.

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Multiple parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, are celebrating after the Vatican said they would not have to contribute disputed amounts of cash into the diocesan abuse settlement plan.

Save Our Buffalo Churches said in an April 30 press release that the Dicastery for the Clergy had revoked multiple "assessment allocation decrees" levied by Bishop Michael Fisher amid the diocesan "Road to Renewal" plan.

That plan, first announced in 2024, moved to close and/or merge around a third of the diocese's parishes, driven in part by priest shortages and declining attendance.

Save Our Buffalo Churches has protested against the plan since its inception, winning several victories at the Vatican regarding the closures. The Vatican had said it would also examine the diocese's assessment plan that levied significant cash requirements on closing and merging parishes to pay into the diocesan abuse settlement.

In its April 30 press statement, Save Our Buffalo Churches said that eight parish groups had received word from the Vatican that Fisher's assessment decrees had been revoked.

Several other parishes were awaiting word from the Vatican on their own appeals. The parish group said it "fully expects" those parishes to receive similar decrees.

The parish preservation group said that the Vatican in its decrees cited canon law violations regarding parish fund procurement "as well as the amounts and methods undertaken to procure those monies."

"The amounts assessed, as well as the allocation procedures themselves, are wholly unsupported by canon law," the group claimed, stating the diocese has engaged in a "significant lack of adherence" to both canon law and nonprofit religious corporation law.

In a statement on April 30, the Buffalo Diocese said that the Vatican's decisions "affect only those parishes that appealed their determined contribution levels" to the diocesan abuse settlement. The settlement plan itself will continue unaffected, the diocese said.

The diocese disputed the group's claim that the Vatican had ordered the funds transferred "back" to the parishes.

"It is important to note that no parish funds have ever left the possession or administration of parishes," the statement said. "Parish funds designated for the settlement have been segregated into a separate account administered by the parish until which time they will be turned over to fulfill [the abuse settlement]."

The diocese pointed to Fisher's decision in March to have the diocese contribute an extra $10 million to the abuse settlement fund while lightening the contribution requirements for some parishes. The April 30 statement also denied a claim by the parish group that contribution amounts above $15,000 must be approved by the Vatican.

"The bishop has every intention to abide by the rulings of the offices of the Holy See, as he has confirmed repeatedly," the diocese said. "Several parishes have prevailed in their appeals to the bishop's decree that they merge with another parish or close. Bishop Fisher has accepted those determinations and will continue to monitor those parishes for their ability to be self-sustaining and viable."

The parish advocates had sought civil relief last year by taking their case against the Buffalo Diocese all the way to the New York Supreme Court. That court tossed the lawsuit out in September 2025, citing a long-standing "prohibition against court involvement in the governance and administration of a hierarchal church."

It is unclear if the Vatican's decrees will affect any civil disputes still active in the New York court system, though the Buffalo parish group indicated on April 30 that advocates may pursue more court action in light of the Vatican's rulings.

"[Save Our Buffalo Churches] now looks forward to the effect these decisions will have on the current civil proceedings," the group said. "The victims must receive their settlement, but from legal sources."

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A New York City street acquired a new name this past weekend honoring a Catholic sister's decades of dedication to the East Harlem community.

On Saturday, April 25, more than 100 people gathered to celebrate the newly named street — Sister Susanne Lachapelle Way — named for the life and legacy of Lachapelle and her contributions as a registered nurse, advocate, and Little Sister of the Assumption (LSA).

"With a heart rooted in justice, she dedicated herself to serving the vulnerable through home visits, healthcare, and tireless advocacy, both locally and globally," Rosario Jimenez, director for LSA Family in Mission, told EWTN News.

The event and street naming flowed from Lachapelle's work with Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service, a community-based nonprofit based in East Harlem. Founded by the Little Sisters, the organization offers numerous programs to help vulnerable families and children meet their basic needs.

The group has been in the city for almost 70 years and Lachapelle "really helped to set the trajectory for the organization," Ray Lopez, chief program officer of LSA Family Health Service, told EWTN News.

She was "a foundational visionary staff person and a leader who really, to this day, has a very profound impact on many of us who are on the staff and worked shoulder to shoulder with her, learning from her," he said.

"Since her passing, we've all … redoubled our efforts to find a way to keep LSA's original mission and vision going in this current environment," Lopez said. "We really wanted to find ways to keep her name out there and the legacy going."

The street is on the southeast corner of East 115th Street and First Avenue. "It's almost the exact midpoint of where Sister Susanne Lachapelle lived in the Little Sisters of the Assumption brownstone and where the LSA Family Health Service … center is located," Lopez said.

"She walked there every day for at least two decades," he said. "We thought it was the appropriate place."

Sister Susanne and the Little Sisters: 'Unsung heroes'

Lachapelle entered the LSA order in 1962 and took the religious name Sister Susanne Mary of the Sacred Heart. She made her final vows in 1971.

In her 60 years of religious life, she served in numerous areas and worked with many ministries. But for 45 years she made the community of East Harlem her home, helping to spearhead the LSA Family Health Service's programs.

As a nurse, Lachapelle conducted home visits, which "was a foundational program of LSA Family Health Service," Lopez said. "All of the programs grew out of those interactions, those early interactions of nurses going into the homes to treat the sick and poor and really seeing conditions firsthand, sitting with families at their kitchen table, hearing their stories."

"Sister Susanne and the rest of the leadership created other programs to really provide wraparound services for families," he said. "The Little Sisters set up a food pantry and a thrift store just to make sure that people had the very basics."

"From there, the services were about connecting people with public benefits, providing support around education, education enrichment, education navigation. A lot of … programs focused on maternal child health and early childhood development."

Along with her support for health and families, Lachapelle also had a passion for protecting the environment through her commitment to Pope Francis' Laudato Si', a call to protect our common home.

Lachapelle decided to initiate "an environmental health component to the work that the Little Sisters were doing," Lynn Tiede, a volunteer for LSA Health Service who worked with Lachapelle, told EWTN News.

"She worked with the families and saw problems like asthma and other debilitating health things, she realized that … it's mold, it's the air quality, it's these other things that are really at the root of these health problems."

"Everybody was just so inspired … to see her traipsing into rough, rough buildings and just without any hesitation," Tiede said. "If you went into a home and people were dealing with asthma, you … send in the environmental health team and then they try to work to get the building management to actually address those things."

With the success of her work, she even collaborated with the human rights group and nongovernmental organization Vivat International, where she helped bring voices and environmental issues to the United Nations, but she always remained "very, very humble," Tiede said.

Due to her humility "there were a few people who were against [the street-naming] when we proposed it, because they thought she would hate it — because she was so humble," Tiede said.

Ultimately they chose to honor Lachapelle and the Little Sisters because they are "unsung heroes — these quiet heroes," Tiede said.

The process to get the street renamed began in 2024 and it was found to be an easier process than expected, as the city council was eager to acknowledge Lachapelle and the Little Sisters.

Sister Susanne's lasting impact

At the street naming celebration organizers "were expecting around 80 participants, but I think it was maybe 150 or a little bit more," Jimenez said. "There were community members, families that she served, youth that she served, … volunteers, and of course, our board members and benefactors."

It honored her "simplicity and the way that she used to be a leader," which was "was grounded in integrity, purpose, love," Jimenez said. "Having a street named after her will honor all of that."

Reflecting on the event, Lopez said: "[It] feels like a dream because so many people came that worked with her in the past."

Despite having to move the event inside to avoid the cold and rain, the crowd of people stayed to celebrate. It "was crowded with people, and our center lobby was filled completely," Lopez said. "It was just a very festive atmosphere."

He added: "It was really moving to have so many people there from so long ago that still feel it in their hearts, [how] the work here in East Harlem impacted their careers, impacted their lives, and that it's still a very significant thing for them," he said.

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Pope Leo XIV is aware that among the vocations to which men and women are called by God, marriage is one of the "noblest and highest."

He said as much last October, on the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Now, the pope has set in motion a process to address both marital crises and the growing fear among young people of getting married and forming a family.

Leo XIV has called the presidents of the world's bishops' conferences to Rome this October to seek a response to an issue he considers crucial not only for the Church but also for society.

In preparation for the high-level meeting, the Vatican organized a study day Tuesday titled "The Sacrament of Marriage, Faith, and Munus Docendi" at the Casina Pio IV.

The initiative, hosted by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, brought together about 75 participants by invitation, including representatives of various dicasteries of the Roman Curia as well as rectors, lecturers, and others involved in the formation of future pastors.

According to the dicastery, the study day was devoted to the formation of priests in accompanying "young people, engaged couples, and married couples in faith."

How can the Church form pastors capable of accompanying young people, engaged couples, and spouses so that they live Christian marriage as an authentic experience of faith in a cultural context marked by secularization? Several speakers addressed that question, including Father Andrea Bozzolo, rector of the Pontifical Salesian University.

Speaking with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the Italian priest — who has taught theology of marriage at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family — emphasized the urgent need to form priests who are prepared to accompany young people and help them live Christian marriage as a true event of faith rather than as a mere "formality or social rite."

According to Bozzolo, in large sectors of contemporary society, marriage is no longer perceived as a decisive moment in the formation of a family.

"For many couples, marriage today seems to be a less decisive step in the emergence of the family covenant," he said.

In that context, he added, cohabitation before marriage has become widespread as a kind of trial stage. For many young people, the strength of that relationship, tested in daily life, "has become the condition for eventually considering access to marriage," he said.

Bozzolo explained that this mentality fuels the now widespread phenomenon of couples living together before going to the altar.

Unlike in past decades, when de facto unions were presented as an ideological alternative to marriage, today "they are often understood as a preparatory path," he said.

In what he described as a "liquid society," cohabitation frequently functions as a first family experience, open to being consolidated over time into a more stable relationship.

"Cohabitation in most cases does not seek to exclude the marriage covenant but rather to verify its viability," he said, noting that the increase in separations also reflects this way of understanding the bond.

Not blaming, but not trivializing

In response to this reality, Bozzolo said the Church should "not blame" young people who ask to marry after living together, but it also should not "trivialize" premarital cohabitation, because "it is not the correct way" to arrive at the altar.

He also called on the Church to break with stereotypes that present love as if it were "a simple feeling."

"Love has ontological value — and not merely psychological value — and that is why marriage is a privileged vehicle for the biblical revelation of the face of God," he said.

Bozzolo insisted on the need for priestly formation that helps future priests rediscover the decisive value of marriage as a public and sacramental act.

"The public and religious expression of consent," he said, is no longer usually perceived today as something that substantially affects the stability of the bond — a reality he described as "a pastoral challenge of the first order."

Marriage is not a simple social procedure

For that reason, he said, it is essential for the Church to prepare priests who can accompany young people along a journey of faith that presents Christian marriage not as a "simple social procedure."

The goal, Bozzolo explained, is to help priests accompany married couples so that they learn to "recognize the presence and action of God in the concrete history of their bond."

Such accompaniment, he said, requires a "formative approach" capable of bringing together biblical wisdom, theological understanding, an awareness of contemporary cultural trends, and attentive listening to the real experiences of families.

One current problem among couples, he said, is the tendency to absolutize the relationship and place expectations on the spousal bond that the other person cannot sustain alone.

"We cannot place the entire responsibility for our happiness on our spouse, because he or she will disappoint us. For that, we have Jesus, the true messiah," Bozzolo said.

Only from a well-grounded faith, he emphasized, is it possible to live marriage in a healthy, realistic way that is open to gratuitousness, without making the other person the ultimate source of meaning.

For that reason, and in direct relation to the formation of future priests, Bozzolo highlighted the need to create formation paths in seminaries that integrate these dimensions and prepare pastors for authentic marriage ministry, rooted in life and not reduced to theoretical frameworks.

The last time a pope called together all the presidents of the world's bishops' conferences was in February 2019, when Pope Francis gathered them to address the wound of sexual abuse in the Church. That meeting marked a shift in the global perception of the problem and made it possible to outline a long-term strategy.

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

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The Catholic priest who created Operation Rice Bowl — Catholic Relief Services' annual Lenten program — has died at the age of 95.

Monsignor Robert Coll, a retired priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, died on April 20 in Naples, Florida.

Born on Aug. 13, 1930, Coll grew up in the Philadelphia area in a devout Catholic family. After attending St. Joseph's Preparatory School, he felt called to the priesthood, attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, and was ordained a priest on May 7, 1959.

Early in his priesthood, Coll was a professor at Notre Dame High School in Easton and the chaplain at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In 1961, he became a priest for the then-newly established Diocese of Allentown.

From 1966 to 1980, Coll served as the founding pastor of St. Thomas More Church in Allentown and it was here, in 1975, that he created Operation Rice Bowl.

Operation Rice Bowl was a Lenten response to hunger in Africa and encouraged families to donate the money they saved from fasting and eating meatless meals during Lent to those suffering from hunger.

Today, Rice Bowl is a national program of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and has raised more than $350 million in 12,000 parishes nationwide.

In response to Coll's passing, Sean Callahan, president and CEO of CRS said in a statement: "It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Monsignor Robert Coll, a visionary priest whose legacy of faith and service will endure for generations through CRS Rice Bowl, a program he founded more than 50 years ago."

He added: "Through CRS Rice Bowl, Monsignor Coll gave U.S. Catholics a way to live the Church's call to solidarity — recognizing the God-given dignity of every person and the shared responsibility to care for our neighbors, especially those living in poverty — so we might truly feel connected to our sisters and brothers across borders and oceans. Millions of families use the program each year to put their faith into action and become one global Catholic family."

In 1980, Coll joined CRS as assistant executive director in New York City and later served as its European director in Rome until 1985. His ministry took him into some of the world's most urgent humanitarian crises in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America.

During the Lebanese Civil War, Coll accompanied Mother Teresa through active war zones in order to reach her community, who were caring for children with disabilities and elderly victims.

He also acted as an on-air guide for Mike Wallace, one of the original correspondents featured on CBS news program "60 Minutes," on his report about the devastating Ethiopian famine and helped bring global attention to the crisis.

Speaking on this work, Callahan said: "That commitment to the global Church was never more evident than when he answered the call in 1983 and traveled to Ethiopia to lead the Joint Relief Partnership for the Church's response to the devastating famine. His presence on the ground was a turning point — bringing urgency, organization, and humanity to CRS' response at a moment when the world desperately needed them."

Coll returned to parish ministry in 1987 as pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Bethlehem where he served until his retirement in 1996. During his retirement, the priest helped establish St. Agnes Catholic Church in Naples, Florida. He also regularly helped celebrate Mass at St. John the Evangelist Parish, which is where his burial Mass will take place on May 12.

"His faith never wavered. His enthusiasm never faded," Callahan said. "And the warmth and inspiration he gave to those around him lives on in every Rice Bowl collected and every hungry family fed."

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Citing priest shortages and a dwindling Catholic population, the Diocese of Saint Cloud in central Minnesota is merging 131 parishes into 48 parish groups.

The merger, reportedly the most drastic reduction of Catholic parishes in Minnesota history, will affect many parishioners in the area.

The diocese has only 62 priests for its original 131 parishes. While across the U.S., the ratio of priest to parish is 1:1, in Saint Cloud, it is 1:2.4, according to the diocese's numbers.

The Diocese of Saint Cloud is home to about 120,000 Catholics and spans 16 counties in central Minnesota. As a reference point, the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is home to five times as many Catholics and has 140 parishes. The Diocese of Phoenix — one of the fastest-growing dioceses in the U.S. — has 94 parishes and 2 million Catholics.

Similar restructuring has taken place in other U.S. dioceses, both large and small, including in the archdioceses of Dubuque, Iowa; St. Louis; Detroit; and Seattle.

Bishop Patrick Neary, who took leadership partway through the planning of the reorganization in 2023, said the reorganization "is rooted in a desire to strengthen the mission of our parishes and to ensure that our diocese remains vibrant and sustainable for generations to come."

"This moment invites us to look honestly at our realities, our demographics, our resources, and the needs of our people — and to respond with faith, creativity, and courage," Neary told EWTN News.

Brenda Kresky, director of pastoral planning for the Diocese of Saint Cloud, said there are "many factors that are prompting a restructuring process." Namely, she cited declining Catholic attendance, financial sustainability concerns, and a lack of priests.

While the population in the Diocese of Saint Cloud has grown by 7% since 2019, the number of Catholic parishioners in the diocese has decreased by nearly the same percentage.

Mass attendance, weddings, baptisms, first Communions, and confirmations have all declined significantly since 2010, according to the diocese's numbers.

"Four out of 5 parishes are operating with a consistent budget deficit from annual giving," Kresky noted.

Why are there fewer active Catholic parishioners?

Kresky noted that "there are many interconnected reasons for the decline in Catholic participation."

At a parish level, there are "challenges around engagement," Kresky said.

"In our largely rural diocese, many communities are small and deeply rooted, which is a great strength, but can also make it difficult for newcomers or younger families to feel fully included," Kresky said. "Change can be hard, especially when long-held traditions and roles are closely tied to personal identity and resistance to new approaches can unintentionally create barriers that leave some feeling disconnected from parish life."

She also noted that "many rural areas across the diocese are seeing population decline and aging communities as people move toward urban centers."

"At the same time, families are smaller than in past generations, which has a long-term impact on parish participation and vitality," Kresky noted.

"Some Catholics are turning to other Christian communities that emphasize strong relationships, engaging worship, and openness about faith," Kresky said. "This shift highlights a broader desire for meaningful community and relevant faith experiences, prompting many Catholic parishes to examine how they connect with and engage people today."

"Many of these trends reflected across the Diocese of Saint Cloud are also seen across the country," Kresky said.

"Broader cultural shifts have played a role as society has become increasingly secular; many people no longer see organized religion as central or necessary in their lives," Kresky said. "We see a rise in those who describe themselves as 'spiritual but not religious,' along with a gradual erosion of faith practice and a perception that the Church is less relevant to daily life than it once was."

Kresky also noted "the lasting impact of the clergy sexual abuse crisis," citing abuse claims in the Diocese of Saint Cloud.

"The abuse itself, as well as failures in leadership and accountability, deeply damaged trust in the Church," Kresky said. "Our diocese entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2020 related to more than 70 abuse claims, and the consequences of that history continue to affect participation, confidence, and engagement today."

Kresky also cited a "growing disconnect between some Catholics and Church teaching."

"For a variety of reasons, individuals may struggle with or disagree with teachings on issues such as marriage, sexuality, social questions, or family life," Kresky said. "In many cases, people drift away quietly, sometimes due to disagreement and sometimes due to misunderstanding or lack of formation around what the Church teaches and why."

A December 2025 Pew Research study found that leading reasons for U.S. adults leaving the Catholic Church included not believing in the Church's teaching, scandals involving religious leaders, and being unhappy with teachings on social and political issues.

Other top reasons U.S. adults cited were that the faith was simply not important to their own lives, or their spiritual needs were not being met.

Pew Research also found that Gen Z is the least church-attending generation in American history, with only 17% attending weekly.

How is the Church responding?

The Diocese of Saint Cloud's response is more than just merging parishes, according to Kresky.

The merger is a part of a larger pastoral planning initiative named "All Things New."

"While restructuring is one visible outcome of the process, the broader goal is renewal — strengthening parish life by helping communities focus more intentionally on evangelization, discipleship, leadership development, and stewardship," Kresky said.

The parish merges is a major step in an initiative that began more than a decade ago.

The bishop will lead a diocesan-wide prayer service on Sunday, May 3, at 7 p.m.  local time to pray for unity for the newly-merged parishes, according to the pastoral planning website.

"My hope is that this process will renew our sense of unity and deepen our commitment to being a missionary Church," Neary said.

"I believe the Holy Spirit is guiding us toward a future where our communities are more connected, our ministries more focused, and our parishes better equipped to form disciples," Neary continued.

The diocese hopes to "help parishes move from a mindset of simply maintaining aging structures to becoming vibrant centers of faith where people are welcomed, accompanied, formed, and sent forth in mission," according to Kresky.

"This includes supporting parishes in developing stronger leadership teams, fostering collaboration across churches, and using resources — human, spiritual, and financial — more effectively so ministry can flourish rather than merely survive," Kresky said.

"Our hope is that, through this pastoral process, parish life will become more sustainable, more welcoming, and more mission-focused," Kresky said.

"While the process includes difficult decisions and real experiences of loss, the diocese's long-term vision is one of hope: that the Church in central Minnesota will be well positioned to serve future generations with vitality, authenticity, and faithfulness to the Gospel," Kresky said.

"While change is never easy, I am confident that God is doing something new in our midst, and I am grateful for the openness and trust our people have shown as we walk this path together," Neary added.

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