Catholic News

With the aim of proclaiming the Gospel on the so-called "digital continent," the Colombian Bishops' Conference launched the Digital Missionaries School last weekend. The school is an initiative of the bishops' Department of Communications in collaboration with their Digital Ministry.

During the first session on May 2, nearly 500 people connected in real time. In a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the Digital Ministry noted that there are "more than 1,400 people who signed up to view a recording of the initial session.

The Digital Missionaries School consists of seven monthly sessions running until October, culminating in an in-person national gathering in the Archdiocese of Cali, "where the aim is to consolidate a network of digital missionaries and officially commission them."

The May 2 session was moderated by Rafael Beltrán, coordinator of Digital Ministry in Colombia and a member of the "The Church Hears You" team, and by Father Martín Sepúlveda Mora, director of the Colombian bishops' conference's Department of Communications.

Participants included Bishop Juan Carlos Cárdenas Toro, president of the bishops' Commission for Communications and Technologies, and Bishop Dimas Acuña, episcopal liaison for the Digital Ministry in Colombia.

Also present was Monsignor Lucio Adrián Ruiz, secretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, who during the launch highlighted the scope and significance of the school, stating that it is a space that manifests "that missionary spirit which the Church has and which lives in our hearts."

"We are called to widen the tent of our hearts and our gaze, to discover all those who need the Lord, even in those places in life where many seek him without knowing it," he noted, referring to digital evangelization.

He also reminded the participants that the digital mission consists "not merely of techniques or strategies" but rather "is called to be a presence: an ecclesial presence, a presence that makes visible the fact that we are not alone."

For this reason, he warned against the risk of reducing evangelization to metrics. "Our mission goes against the current. It's not measured in followers but in communion, in encounter, and in the capacity to get people to undertake real processes in their lives," he noted.

Father Álvaro Serrano Bayán, a collaborator with the Dicastery for Communication, was also present via Rome. He noted that "the digital mission is here to stay," given that more than 70% of the world's population is connected to the internet.

However, he reminded them that "the mission does not depend on the algorithm but on prayer"; therefore, the digital missionary "proclaims the Gospel in the digital environment with responsibility, creativity, and fidelity."

For this reason, he encouraged digital missionaries to "keep alive the inner fire, the one that is not kindled by algorithms but by prayer, community, and the Holy Spirit."

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 Tesfasellassie Medhin of the Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat in Ethiopia has appealed to the international community to urgently intervene and halt the planned execution of 200 Ethiopian nationals reportedly facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

"The cry of the poor and the marginalized must reach the ears of the international community. We cannot remain silent while the lives of so many hang in the balance," Medhin said in a report Tuesday, according to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa.

Medhin called for immediate diplomatic engagement with Saudi authorities and urged the promotion of alternatives to capital punishment that uphold human dignity and the possibility of rehabilitation. Medhin's appeal comes as more than 200 Ethiopian youths detained in Saudi Arabia have been handed mass death sentences over alleged drug-related offenses.

Christian Finnish parliamentarian announces next move in legal battle

Päivi Räsänen, a parliamentarian convicted by the Finnish Supreme Court of hate speech in March, will appeal her case to the European Court of Human Rights.

"The failure of the Finnish Supreme Court to uphold freedom of speech has set a dangerous precedent in my country and across Europe," Räsänen said in a May 7 press release from her legal team Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, which is representing her free of cost. "I make my appeal in the hope that the European Court of Human Rights will recognize that peacefully expressing one's beliefs is never a crime and ensure that this basic freedom is protected for all," she said.

Räsänen's appeal comes after a nearly seven-year legal battle in which she was unanimously acquitted by two lower courts in Finland before the latest Supreme Court ruling acquitted her of charges relating to a 2019 Bible tweet but convicted her of "making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group," under a section of a Finnish criminal code titled "war crimes and crimes against humanity."

Catholics arrested in India after confronting mob of Hindu protesters

Police arrested four Catholics in the western Indian state of Rajasthan on charges including illegal conversion, rioting, and attempted murder after they confronted a Hindu nationalist mob that stormed a local parish celebrating Mass.

"It is very unfortunate that our people have been accused of serious criminal offenses and arrested for opposing right-wing Hindu activists' illegal acts," Father Arvind Amliyar, a parish priest, said following their arrests, according to a UCA report on Monday.

Amliyar said the Hindu nationalist mob entered the building during Communion and started filming with their phones and "alleging religious conversion activity." He also said the mob accused them of killing a cow for a "community feast." When parishioners stepped in to stop the mob, one of the activists threatened them with a knife before the parishioners overpowered him and took it away. When the police arrived, four Catholics were arrested and authorities rejected attempts to file complaints against the mob, "saying a case was already registered," according to the priest. 

Australian Pontifical Mission Societies' 'World Mission Rosary' initiative returns

The Pontifical Mission Societies of Australia is once more calling for participation in its "World Mission Rosary" during the month of May.

The World Mission Rosary, founded by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen in 1951, is a global prayer initiative in which each of the five decades is a different color representing each of the five continents. Prayers will be led online Monday through Friday throughout the whole month.

"By representing each continent with its five decades of colors, the World Mission Rosary is a beautiful reminder of the mission we all live each day on our personal journey," Catholic Mission said in a May 1 statement to Fides News Agency. "By praying together, we hope this initiative will help us pause and reflect on the missionary commitment that the Church, and each one of us, has carried out and continues to carry out every day for those most in need."

South Korean Catholic hospital adopts ethics code for AI

The Catholic Medical Center (CMC) of the Catholic University of Korea in Seoul debuted the country's first Medical Artificial Intelligence Ethics Code.

The code, which offers guidelines centered on human dignity and the common good for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), was announced during its May 7 Ethical AI Transformation Symposium, UCA News reported May 8.

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul emphasized during remarks at the symposium on the new code that "medicine lies not merely in the transmission of knowledge but in a human relationship in which one life recognizes and respects another," according to the report.

Sacred symbolism behind head coverings of Eastern patriarchs

ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, has published a feature tracing the long and symbolic evolution of the head coverings worn by patriarchs and bishops of the Church of the East, especially within the Chaldean tradition.

Drawing on the testimony of Chaldean Archbishop Habib Hormiz, the story follows the development from early silk and colored coverings, known in some sources as the "biron," to the black "shash" or "shushta," which became associated with wisdom. The piece connects these traditions to Mesopotamian culture, biblical priestly garments, monastic influence, and later Catholic history, including the consecration of Yohannan Sulaqa in 1553.

Hormiz also explains that union with Rome did not erase the Eastern tradition, though the zucchetto entered Chaldean episcopal use only later, while the modern shushta gradually became a ready-made black cylindrical cap.

Cambodian Catholics celebrate new church, priest, and deacon

A new parish, the Church of St. Joseph the Worker, was consecrated for Catholics in the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh in Cambodia on Saturday.

The celebration of the new parish was presided over by Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh. "In opening these doors today, we experience immense joy: the joy of a completed church, the joy of having a sacred place worthy of praising the Lord," the bishop said, according to a report from Fides News Agency on Monday. "It is the joy of our people, the people of God in Cambodia, who have been able to build a beautiful church in the city of Phnom Penh to celebrate, praise, and give thanks to the Lord."

European bishops issue reflection on mental health

Catholic bishops in Europe published a reflection paper titled "Mental Health in Europe — A Call for Care" detailing a Catholic approach to mental health "rooted in human dignity, solidarity, and integral care."

The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) said in a press release on Thursday that the publication of the document comes "at a time when Europe is facing a complex and interconnected set of mental health challenges" and that it hopes to highlight "the need for a holistic approach that places the human person at the center."

COMECE said the document "aims to provide EU policymakers, healthcare professionals, and civil society actors with ethical reflections and practical orientations capable of supporting mental well-being across Europe."

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WASHINGTON — Young adult Catholics living in Washington, D.C., are flocking to the Emmaus Happy Hour, a monthly event that its founder says is rooted in authentic friendship and the spirit of the early Church.

"We see all these Catholic communities that are separated from each other, and so the idea behind the happy hour is to bring as many of them as we can in one room and to build that community," said Fady Antoon, the founder and organizer of the event, citing the Acts of the Apostles as his main inspiration for the event.

"It's like in the Book of Acts, when you read the disciples not only broke bread together, but also they prayed together and cared for the people in their community," he said, underscoring the event's charitable aspect.

Attendees are invited to make an optional donation, which Antoon said goes to a local charity. "For example, usually we always donate to the Cathedral of St. Matthew Homeless Ministry," he said, estimating the group to have donated around $1,000 to the D.C.-based ministry since the happy hour started in June 2025.

The most recent happy hour, hosted at a rooftop venue in Arlington, Virginia, called Top of the Town, drew 190 attendees despite a lack of formal advertising, according to Antoon. During Lent, Antoon organized a holy hour that was attended by more than 120 people.

The location of the happy hour — though always in Washington, D.C., or Virginia — changes from month to month, depending on where Antoon can find a venue willing to host the event for free. The Emmaus Hour always begins with a prayer led by a local priest but otherwise bucks additional structure. 

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"The idea is to bring people together who share the same faith and values, but also to support each other, whether its professionally or on a social level," he said, describing the gathering as a "support system" and place "to come after hours and socialize."

Indeed, according to Antoon, the Emmaus Hour has served as the meeting place for 15 couples, while three others have landed jobs through connections made there.

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Beyond this, Antoon emphasized that the happy hour has also acted as space for evangelization, particularly for fallen-away Catholics.

"If some people have fallen away from the Catholic Church, it might be harder for them to go to the church," Antoon said. "But if they showed up to the happy hour and if the happy hour is a gate for them to get into the Catholic Church again, then that's one of the purposes of it."

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Antoon shared that during one of the happy hours, hosted in an event room at a local bar, a military serviceman came up to the Dominican priest who had led the prayer and asked for a blessing.

"He said, 'Father, would you just lay a hand on me and pray? I'm going to get deployed, and I haven't been practicing my Catholic faith,'" Antoon recalled.

For those who leave the happy hour inspired to grow in their faith, foster deeper connections, or even delve into classic literature, Antoon has developed a reading list, posted to the event's website.

The next happy hour will take place on May 20. Further information about the time and location of the event can also be found on the website.

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As children in Haiti face unimaginable conditions, a religious sister and her team are changing thousands of lives by providing protection, education, and faith formation in the nation's most dangerous slum, Cité Soleil.

Sister Paesie was born Claire Joelle Phillipe in Lorraine, France. Raised in a faith-filled Catholic home, she felt called to religious life at a young age.

Inspired by Mother Teresa's dedication to serving those most in need, Sister Paesie was drawn to the Missionaries of Charity. With a strong desire to spend her life loving Jesus through loving the poor, she made her final vows in 1996.

Sister Paesie chose her name in connection to St. Thérèse of Lisieux and a woman who showed great repentance. In St. Thérèse of Lisieux's autobiography, "Story of a Soul," "she refers to a woman who was known as a sinner and who converted and died of love," Sister Paesie said. The woman, known as Paesie, was detailed in "the lives of the fathers of the desert," which tells her story of repentance and salvation.

After various missions around the world, Sister Paesie's service as a Missionary of Charity took her to Haiti in 1999, where she worked for several years.

"I had been a Missionary of Charity … for about 30 years, but in 2017, I founded a new community under the bishop of Port-au-Prince," Sister Paesie told EWTN News during a recent visit to the U.S. "My inspiration for that actually came from Mother Teresa, from one of her visions she had before founding the Missionaries of Charity: She saw Jesus on the cross showing her a group of children in the dark. Then Jesus told her, 'Do you see those children? They do not love me because they do not know me. So go bring my light to them.'"

Sister Paesie continued: "When I was in Haiti … I saw all the children wandering about in the streets. These words of Jesus really came back to me strongly, and I felt the Lord was asking me to do something to protect them from the dangers of the streets, and then to bring his light to them."

"I spoke about it with the bishop, and he encouraged me," she said.

Sister Paesie left the Missionaries of Charity to begin the Kizito Family, a religious community named in honor of St. Kizito, a 14-year-old Ugandan martyr known as a protector of children, especially those facing danger, moral trials, and educational challenges.

On June 3, 2018, the Kizito Family received approval from the archbishop of Port-au-Prince as a pious association of the faithful — the first step in establishing a religious community at the diocesan level.

Sister Paesie then established the Kizito Family as a nonprofit organization to begin her ministry. Today, it runs seven houses for orphaned, abandoned, and in need children as well as eight schools and numerous centers to provide education and catechism in Cité Soleil, Haiti's biggest and most notorious slum.

Combating the 'chaos' in Haiti

Sister Paesie's mission has become even more dire as the state of the nation "has been … sinking deeper and deeper into chaos on the political level," she said.

Haiti is the most impoverished nation in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Children suffer from cholera without clean water to drink, and nearly 2 million people face emergency levels of hunger. Conflict and natural disasters have displaced approximately 1.4 million people — over half of them are children.

Many children are used to perpetual gang violence; they are trafficked and are victims of daily assaults. Grave violations against children surged 490% between 2023 and 2024, according to a World Vision report.

"The gangs are just becoming stronger and stronger as time goes by," Sister Paesie said. "The gang violence before was limited to the slum areas. But then they began attacking and taking over other areas of the country [and] of the city … which had been peaceful places before."

The gangs "burn houses, they kill people, they rape women. And people, they just run away and then they don't come back because the gang members settle there. They just steal everything from the houses, from the shops. And then after a while, they go attack another place," Sister Paesie said.

"On Easter Sunday, there was a little Protestant church in the countryside which was attacked and everyone was killed in that church. It was 80 people — women, children. And then they burnt it."

While Sister Paesie was traveling in the U.S. in April, the area where her organization's homes and schools are located fell under attack.

"My staff members … called me and we had to remove all the children from there because they were scared. They went over to another place. So this is going on, all the time," she said. "I spoke to some of my teachers, and they told me for a week they had been locked inside the house because the gang members just told people, 'Don't come out.'"

"They are ruling, they are deciding everything," she said. "So this is the dark side of it. But there are other sides also."

Offering children 'a safe place'

Despite the increasing violence, Sister Paesie, other sisters, and staff members remain committed to their mission.

In the Kizito Family schools, there are 3,000 children, 1,700 of whom attend school daily, and 1,000 are in the Sunday schools and catechism centers. The schools offer much more than education but are primarily for safety and to ensure the children receive meals.

"We have our teachers [who] are local staff members," she said. "They are young people who live there — right there in the slum area."

"This is what makes it possible for the schools to operate even when there is violence because they are ... not far from the schools. We have 210 staff members altogether — teachers, cooks, drivers, all kinds of people, all Haitians."

The Kizito Family also prioritizes guiding the children to the faith by providing catechism to 800 children and ensuring they are able to receive the sacraments. They often spend time offering prayer intentions and visiting Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

"The country was largely Catholic, because it had been a French colony. But then, like 40 years back, the evangelicals began coming down a lot from the United States and converting many people. So now it's maybe half and half," Sister Paesie said.

She said it's very important to instill the Catholic faith in the children to combat the practice of voodoo, which is common in the nation. "There are people who are Christians and don't practice voodoo at all, but many people are kind of one leg in both sides."

Full-time care

The Kizoto Family staff cares for another 200 children who live with them in the homes full time. They "are kids who were completely on the streets, cut off from their families, or orphans," Sister Paesie said.

"The adoption process has been nearly stopped completely … because of the violence and because [of] the high level of corruption," she said. "So most countries have just decided to stop."

"The children who are with us, they are mostly bigger children because they had been on the streets and then they came to us," she said. But "now, in the last few months, we did receive little ones."

"We have a group of them, 2 to 6 years old. Most of their parents have been killed in these gang attacks, or some [of] their moms died in childbirth because … the women are not eating properly."

"So those little ones actually could be adopted, but the situation of the country now is such chaos that you cannot really think of adoption right now."

Despite adoption being currently closed, the children still receive love and care each day. With the Kizito Family, children in Cité Soleil are able to play, laugh, and worship with a community, Sister Paesie said. Even amid the mayhem, they sense God's presence, which offers "joy." What they really need, Sister Paesie said, are prayers.

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In an op-ed to his flock titled 'Just War 101: Catholic teaching for a dangerous moment," Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, says he feels "a special responsibility to speak up clearly for the Church's teaching and vision" as the U.S.-Iran conflict continues.

Noting that he is "the proud son of a World War II veteran who served as a gunner on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific theater," Conley offers a concise primer on what he calls "Just War Theory 101," writing that while the Catholic Church "is not inherently pacifist and does not mandate the renunciation of all violence," it is also "adamantly skeptical of war."

He recalls Pope Leo XIV's recent and many calls for peace, saying that because "of the evils and injustices that all war brings with it, we must do everything reasonably possible to avoid it."

However, he writes, the "Church teaches one has a right to self-defense against an unjust aggressor, even to use lethal defense if necessary," a right that "also applies to nations when faced with an unjust aggressor-nation."

Conley lays out the "strict and imposing" conditions that the Church teaches must be met for a war to be considered just; namely, "war be a last resort, declared by a proper authority, have a just cause, and be proportional."

These four conditions are known in Latin as the "jus ad bellum, the justification or reason for waging war."

In addition to these, he references the "jus in bello — the law that governs the way in which warfare is conducted."

The prelate notes that two requirements govern the means of war: "Non-combatants and civilians must not be deliberately targeted" and "the harm inflicted must be proportionate to the legitimate military objective."

In his assessment, Conley takes into account the current Iranian regime's evil actions, including the killing of tens of thousands of its own citizens engaging in peaceful protests earlier this year and sponsorship of terrorism by proxy over decades, along with its efforts to build a nuclear weapon.

Conley holds that a country does not "have to wait until an enemy is on the brink of attacking" before it can act.

Nevertheless, he maintains there "remain serious moral questions about several aspects of the Iran conflict" and cites, among other concerns, the use of AI-directed autonomous weapons.

"The Church is clear that such weapons could not be used justly, even in a just war," Conley observes, going on to approvingly cite the position of Catholic moral theologian Charlie Camosy that deadly actions in war "require human beings to be the ones morally responsible — and to take moral responsibility — in order for actions in a war to be just."

Haunting memory of Enola Gay chaplain

Conley's reflections on the subject are sandwiched between his recollection of the haunting story of Father George Zabelka, the Catholic priest who gave a blessing of safety to the crew of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II.

Zabelka regularly blessed the airmen before their missions. After speaking with one who had flown a reconnaissance flight over Nagasaki after the atomic bomb was dropped, however, the priest thought: "My God, what have we done?" The airman "described how thousands of scorched, twisted bodies writhed on the ground in the final throes of death, while those still on their feet wandered aimlessly in shock – flesh seared, melted, and falling off."

Zabelka eventually concluded that "he had denied the very foundations of his faith by lending moral and religious support to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

In a speech Zabelka gave 40 years after the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs, he said: "War is now, always has been, and always will be bad, bad news. I was there. I saw real war. Those who have seen real war will bear me out. I assure you, it is not of Christ. It is not Christ's way."

Conley concludes by saying he stands "in solidarity with Pope Leo and Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in urging Catholics and all people of good will to pray for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Iran."

"More destruction will only lead to more innocent lives being killed in the crossfire," he writes. "Please pray that those in leadership positions can find a way forward without more destruction and bloodshed."

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A Catholic counselor filed a lawsuit this week after being fined nearly $90,000 by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists after he told a client he could not affirm same-sex relationships because of his religious faith.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Christian legal group representing the counselor, Frank Canepa, filed the lawsuit on May 1 at the Oregon Court of Appeals, asking for the order to be overturned.

According to ADF, Canepa had treated the client at least 44 times in over two years and had never mentioned his religious views on same-sex relationships. In one session, however, Canepa's client insisted for 20 minutes that he "personally bless" her same-sex relationship.

Canepa said he tried to politely redirect the client's repeated demands for him to disclose his personal views on her same-sex relationship but because she persisted, he finally told her he could not affirm it.

By doing so, according to the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists, he violated state law as well as the American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics.

The board ordered Canepa to attend six hours of continuing education and pay for his own hearing, which cost $89,636.

"The government can't target counselors for their views and can't force people to say things that go against their core convictions," said Jonathan Scruggs, ADF senior counsel and vice president of litigation strategy.

Scruggs referred to the recently decided Chiles v. Salazar case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision on March 31, ruled that the state cannot silence counselors' personal or professional viewpoints during talk therapy sessions with clients.

The court held that such counseling conversations are protected speech under the First Amendment and that Colorado's law targeting certain viewpoints on sexual orientation and gender identity constituted unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.

ADF lawyer Logan Spena, one of Canepa's attorneys, told EWTN News he is hopeful the Oregon appeals court will follow the U.S. Supreme Court's reasoning in Chiles, which Spena said was "so strong."

"Counseling is speech, which is protected by the First Amendment," Spena said. "Oregon law says counselors can't impose their values on their clients. Canepa did not do that. He answered the client's question when she demanded to know his personal view."

"In the context of a counseling relationship, people want to know about their counselors," he continued. "Transparency and authenticity are required for a good counseling relationship," which, in Canepa and the client's case, lasted two and a half years.

Terry Braciszewski, president-elect of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association, which submitted an amicus brief in the Chiles vs. Salazar case, told EWTN News that Canepa "is not cited for being malicious or non-therapeutic but rather for refraining from abandoning his beliefs ... he was being ethical and moral in adhering to his therapeutic approach and care for the person."

"These personal therapeutic qualities likely contributed to why the client continued seeing Canepa for two and a half years," he said.

Canepa did not "endorse a position that was in opposition to his faith and beliefs," Braciszewski said. Instead, he "chose to affirm his rights" to free speech and the free exercise of his religion.

"The Supreme Court recently took Colorado to task for censoring counselors and mandating orthodoxy in the counselor's office," Scruggs said. "Now, Oregon needs to learn the same First Amendment lesson. We are urging the Oregon appellate court to overturn the board's unlawful demand, restore First Amendment sanity, and halt the state's attempt to weaponize its licensure system."

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An influential Catholic ministry that walks with those experiencing same-sex attraction said a Vatican report that criticized its work was guilty of a "false and unjust depiction" of the decades-old apostolate.

Courage International said in a May 8 press release that the Vatican's General Secretariat of the Synod was guilty of "calumny" against the group when it published an annex to a final report of a synodal study group on May 5.

That report, titled "Theological Criteria and Synodal Methodologies for Shared Discernment of Emerging Doctrinal, Pastoral, and Ethical Issues," included testimonies from two men in putative civil "marriages," one of whom attended Courage meetings in the past.

Since the early 1980s Courage has been offering ministry to men and women who experience attraction to the same sex. The testimony offered by the unnamed man in the synodal report alleged that the Courage meetings he attended were "secretive and hidden" while the people in it were "lonely, hopeless, and often depressed."

In its response on May 8, Courage said it considered the report "to be both calumny and detraction against the organization and its members."

The group said it disputed the implication that it engages in "reparative therapy" for homosexual attraction. It further said the synod was "unjust" in its presentation of Courage meetings.

The report "characterizes the meetings [the man] attended as 'secretive and hidden.' Courage members understand those meetings to be confidential and secure — precisely so that they can speak candidly and vulnerably without fear of someone reporting about them," the statement said.

The statement acknowledged that those experiencing same-sex attraction are indeed often "lonely, hopeless, and depressed," but it argued that Courage "bring[s] them together for support and insist[s] on the confidentiality that enables them to speak freely about their struggles."

"Courage has suffered calumny and detraction before, but usually from secular outlets," the group said. "It is a great sadness and an additional wound to our members to have this false and unjust depiction in a Vatican document."

The statement invited synod officials to meet with group leaders to learn more about the ministry.

The Connecticut-based organization traces its earliest roots to an effort started by New York archbishop Cardinal Terence Cooke, who in 1978 conceived of a same-sex attraction ministry and asked Father John Harvey, OSFS, to lead the effort.

Harvey, who died in 2010, authored the 1979 pamphlet "A Spiritual Plan to Redirect One's Life," offering a program for "homosexually-oriented persons" to "achieve a chaste, productive, and happy life."

The apostolate held its first official meeting the following year on Sept. 26 at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Manhattan.

Father Brian Gannon, the executive director of Courage, told EWTN News on the occasion of the group's 45th anniversary that its members "want to follow exactly what the Church is teaching."

"The secular world has a twisted view of sexuality," he said. "This is such a needed ministry. It helps people find peace."

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WASHINGTON — A coalition of Catholic groups led by the U.S. bishops is urging Congress to bolster federal nutrition and agriculture programs in the 2027 agriculture spending bill.

In a joint letter April 28, the bishops and Catholic aid organizations warned that rising food insecurity, cuts to nutrition assistance, and instability in international food aid programs are placing vulnerable families at greater risk both in the United States and abroad.

The letter was signed by leaders from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Catholic Rural Life.

"It is difficult to make ends meet for many, and families need help," the organizations wrote, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data showing that 13.7% of American households experienced food insecurity at some point in 2024. The letter also noted that grocery prices are expected to continue rising in 2026 despite slower inflation than in previous years.

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Maryland, chair of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, said in a statement that the USCCB should "spend time suggesting how to pay for the hundreds of billions of dollars in additional spending they are recommending in their letter."

"Do they have an opinion on the 'moral dimension' of leaving future generations to pay the added cost of a $2 trillion deficit and $37 trillion federal debt?" he continued. "What is the 'human dimension' of advocating for able-bodied adults (who aren't caring for others but choose not to work even 20 hours a week) to receive welfare benefits, with the cost to be borne by others who choose to work?"

He asked why the bishops aren't "advocating for states to take a larger role in these issues, consistent with federalism?"

Food is a 'human right'

The Catholic leaders framed the issue not simply as a political or economic debate but as a moral responsibility rooted in Catholic social teaching.

Quoting Pope Leo XIV, the letter stated that "only through sincere and constant cooperation can we build fair and accessible food security for all."

The appeal comes during a month in which Pope Leo has focused the Church's attention directly on hunger. The pontiff's prayer intention for May is "that everyone has access to quality food every day," calling Catholics worldwide to pray and work toward an end to hunger and food insecurity.

Speaking to EWTN News, Julie Bodnar, policy adviser in the USCCB Office of Domestic Social Development, described access to food as a "human right."

"We need to make sure that we are giving people the kind of tools to live out their human dignity," she said. "The pope's prayer intention this month ties into this appeal perfectly. The bishops have always advocated … to protect the poor and vulnerable and make sure that everyone has a right to adequate nutrition."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: "Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, healthcare, basic education, employment, and social assistance."

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (SVdP), which operates thousands of food pantries, meal sites, and food programs across the country, highlighted the growing need for assistance.

The organization said in a statement that it has seen an increase in requests for support as "more than 47 million people in the U.S. struggle to put food on the table, and rising food costs only exacerbate their financial strain."

"The Vincentian perspective can inform better policymaking as a result of our more than 80,000 volunteers' direct and daily experience with people in need," the statement continued. "We echo the Holy Father's message on World Food Day in which he stated that 'No one can remain on the sidelines in the fight against hunger.'"

Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, and Catholic Rural Life did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The coalition urged lawmakers to maintain — and in many cases increase — funding for federal nutrition programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), among others.

SVdP said: "At a minimum, Congress should provide level funding for these life-sustaining programs and oppose any proposed funding cuts."

Bodnar noted WIC's assistance to families in need. "The bishops are extremely grateful that WIC has continued to be funded over the past several years by lawmakers, even when it looked like it was going to be very difficult to do so," she said.

Maintaining full funding for WIC, she added, would help preserve the program's fruit and vegetable benefit, which she said would be affected under the House proposal.

The letter also called for continued support for rural housing programs, conservation initiatives, and international food efforts such as Food for Peace Title II and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program.

Particular concern was expressed over recent reductions and structural changes to SNAP enacted through the tax overhaul enacted in July 2025 as well as over administrative actions affecting school meals, food banks, conservation efforts, and international aid.

The Catholic organizations asked Congress to "safeguard programs that Congress has authorized and funded in the past from harmful administrative actions and protect against further cuts that harm those who are hungry and the farmers who feed them."

The groups additionally advocated for increased flexibility in SNAP work requirements, stronger support for food banks, expanded access to nutrition assistance for immigrants and refugees lawfully present in the U.S., and increased funding for sustainable agriculture initiatives.

At the same time, the letter reaffirmed the Church's pro-life teaching, arguing that support for women, children, and families cannot be separated from broader efforts to promote human dignity. The coalition urged Congress to "protect the dignity and sanctity of human life in all conditions and stages" while opposing policies that expand access to chemical abortion.

The U.S. House is next expected to take up the agriculture appropriations bill after the House Appropriations Committee approved it on April 29 in a 35-25 vote.

According to the committee, the legislation would provide about $26.27 billion in discretionary funding, slightly below fiscal 2026 levels. Republican leadership has described the bill as fiscally responsible legislation that prioritizes farmers, rural communities, and nutrition programs. Democratic members of the committee, however, have criticized the proposal, arguing it would increase costs for U.S. farmers and reduce aid supporting rural communities.

Separately, lawmakers are considering the farm bill with overlaps in nutrition and agriculture policies.

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Bishop Michael Bransfield, who was accused of a pattern of sexual harassment and financial impropriety while leading the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, died on May 7 at 82 years old.

The Wheeling-Charleston Diocese said in a statement that Bransfield "passed away peacefully." It urged the faithful to pray for his family and friends.

"As it is the tradition in our Church to pray for the dead as well as for the living, we pray for the repose of his soul, asking God's mercy upon him," the diocese said.

A native of Philadelphia, Bransfield was ordained in that archdiocese in 1971. He served as the first rector at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., after it was named a basilica in 1990.

Pope John Paul II appointed him to lead Wheeling-Charleston in 2004. He served there until 2018 when he reached the customary retirement age of 75.

After Bransfield retired, Pope Francis ordered Baltimore Archbishop William Lori to investigate claims that Bransfield had engaged in sexual harassment of adults. The investigation ultimately uncovered a wide-ranging series of scandals, including a "consistent pattern" of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Bransfield bestowed financial gifts on several bishops, Lori said, adding he received $7,500 worth of gifts from Bransfield and subsequently returned the funds.

The inquiry also found instances of financial mismanagement and impropriety, including what were reportedly huge amounts of money spent on alcohol and millions of dollars spent on a home renovation.

The bishop "adopted an extravagant and lavish lifestyle that was in stark contrast to the faithful he served and was for his own personal benefit," the report found.

Pope Francis subsequently banned Bransfield from participating in public celebration of the Mass, while Bransfield's successor, Bishop Mark Brennan, ordered him to pay nearly $800,000 in restitution to the diocese.

Brennan also barred Bransfield from being buried in the diocesan cemetery. The diocese said on May 7 that his funeral and burial would "not take place in West Virginia."

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POMPEI, Italy — Pope Leo XIV placed his pontificate under the protection of Mary during a visit to two cities in southern Italy on Friday — the first anniversary of his election to the papacy on May 8, 2025.

Leo celebrated Mass for an estimated 20,000 people outside the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei, whose feast day is May 8, during the day trip to Pompei and Naples.

"Exactly one year ago," the pope said in his homily, amid thunderous applause from the assembled faithful, "when the ministry of successor of Peter was entrusted to me, it was precisely the day of the Supplication to the Virgin, this beautiful day of the Supplication to the Virgin of the Holy Rosary of Pompei! I therefore had to come here, to place my service under the protection of the Holy Virgin."

"Having then chosen the name Leo places me in the footsteps of Leo XIII, who, among his many merits, also developed a rich magisterium on the holy rosary. Added to all of this is the recent canonization of St. Bartolo Longo, apostle of the rosary," Leo added.

Before Mass, the pope — who flew about 150 miles from Rome to Pompei by helicopter early on May 8 — visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompei. Despite forecasts of rain, thousands of people filled Bartolo Longo Square from the first light of dawn.

At the shrine, the Holy Father met the "Temple of Charity," an organization that welcomes and assists people coming from situations of hardship.

"Good morning, Pompei! Our Mother Mary — our mom — is always with us," the pope said, informally greeting the faithful who were waiting for Mass. Before the Eucharistic celebration, Leo also greeted the sick and people with disabilities inside the shrine.

The pope's homily at the outdoor Mass focused on the power of the rosary.

"The Hail Mary repeated in the holy rosary is an act of love," he said. "Generations of believers have been shaped and safeguarded by this prayer — simple and popular, yet at the same time capable of mystical heights and a treasure chest of the most essential Christian theology."

He also called the Hail Mary prayer "an invitation to joy."

"It tells Mary, and in her all of us, that upon the ruins of our humanity, tried by sin and therefore always inclined to abuses, oppression, and war, the caress of God has come — the caress of mercy, which in Jesus takes on a human face. Mary thus becomes the mother of mercy."

"When St. John Paul II proclaimed the Year of the Rosary [2002–2003], he wished to place it in a special way under the gaze of the Virgin of Pompei," Leo XIV continued. "Times have not improved since then. The wars still being fought in so many regions of the world call for renewed commitment, not only economic and political, but also spiritual and religious."

"Peace is born within the heart," he added. "We cannot resign ourselves to the images of death that the news presents to us every day. St. Bartolo Longo, reflecting on Mary's faith, called her 'omnipotent by grace.' Through her intercession, may an abundant outpouring of mercy come from the God of peace — touching hearts, calming resentments and fratricidal hatred, and enlightening those who bear special responsibilities of governance. No earthly power will save the world, but only the divine power of love."

At the conclusion of Mass, Pope Leo prayed together with the faithful the traditional Supplication to Our Lady of Pompei.

The Supplication to the Queen of the Holy Rosary of Pompei was written in 1883 by St. Bartolo Longo. It is solemnly recited twice a year, at noon on May 8 and on the first Sunday of October. The supplication was composed in response to the invitation that Pope Leo XIII addressed to Catholics in his first encyclical on the rosary, Supremi Apostolatus Officio, calling for a spiritual commitment to confront the evils of society.

Visit to Naples

After lunch in private, Pope Leo took a helicopter about 16 miles northwest to Naples, the capital city of the Campania region of Italy, where he met with priests and religious brothers and sisters in the Naples cathedral.

During his visit to the cathedral, Leo stopped in the Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius, where the miracle of the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius had taken place on May 3. The pope kissed the relic and with it blessed those in the packed cathedral.

After some time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the pope addressed the Catholic community: "What I therefore ask of you is this: Listen to one another, walk together, create a symphony of charisms and ministries, and in this way find ways to move from a pastoral ministry of maintenance to a missionary pastoral ministry, capable of engaging with the concrete lives of people."

"In a city marked by inequality, youth unemployment, school dropout rates, and fragile family situations, the proclamation of the Gospel cannot be separated from a concrete and supportive presence that involves everyone — priests, religious, and laypeople alike," he added.

Pope Leo XIV then arrived in the popemobile to Piazza del Plebiscito, the main square of Naples, where authorities estimate about 50,000 people were present.

The pope's address focused on peace and justice: a peace that "begins in the human heart, passes through relationships, takes root in neighborhoods and on the outskirts, and expands to embrace the entire city and the world." A peace that needs justice "to be authentic" and that "can never be separated from charity."

Leo also spoke about the "Neapolitan paradox:" on the one hand, the significant increase in tourism, which however struggles to correspond to "economic dynamism capable of truly involving the entire social community." He described a city "marked by a social divide that no longer separates the center from the outskirts but is even evident within every area, with existential peripheries nested even in the heart of the historic center." Faced with these disparities, Pope Leo XIV recalled the presence of the state as "more necessary than ever, to provide security and confidence to citizens and to take space away from organized crime."

He then encouraged moving forward with the projects of hope taking shape in the city: "Gather your strength, work together, walk united — institutions, Church, and civil society — to connect the city, protect your children from the snares of hardship and evil, and restore to Naples its vocation to be a capital of humanity and hope."

This story was first published in multiple parts by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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