Catholic News

Winona-Rochester Bishop Robert Barron and "The Chosen" star Jonathan Roumie will be among the headliners at the first annual "Sheen Awards" taking place this month in Archbishop Fulton Sheen's home diocese of Peoria.

On Sept. 3 the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation and Peoria Bishop Lou Tylka announced the list of speakers for the gala event, which will be held Sept. 25th at the Peoria Civic Center, the day after Sheen himself is beatified in St. Louis.

"We're thrilled to bring the inaugural Sheen Awards to Peoria as we celebrate the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen," said Peoria diocese COO Royce Hood. He said the goal is to make the event an annual production "celebrating Sheen's legacy and recognizing people who are using their platforms to promote the faith."

Hailed during and after his life for his use of mass media to promote and explain the Catholic faith, Sheen has long been celebrated for his pioneering work in Catholic radio and television.

Barron, founder of the Word on Fire ministry and host of the popular documentary series "Catholicism," is widely viewed as a leading successor to Sheen's legacy; his evangelistic work led the Wall Street Journal to dub him the "bishop of Catholic social media."

Roumie, meanwhile, has found global fame portraying Jesus Christ in the spectacularly successful series "The Chosen."

In a press release Bishop Tylka expressed admiration for Roumie's "deep Catholic faith" which the actor "practices each day and which influences his acting in bringing Jesus to life through the Chosen."

Roumie told the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation that when he first began learning about Sheen, he immediately recognized how he could relate to the archbishop given Roumie's own acting work.

"When you watch him, it's no wonder he had such a gift for being evangelistically present on television, serving the people he was trying to reach," Roumie said. "It continues to be an inspiration to me as to just how much work there is for me to do to try to aspire to the reach and impact he had on culture."

Tylka also announced the participation of the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Gabriel Caccia, at the awards ceremony. The nuncio's presence "shows the importance of the beatification of Fulton Sheen for the Church in the United States and around the world," the bishop said.

Other special guests include actor, producer and director David Henrie, host of the EWTN series "Seeking Beauty;" Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States Director Monsignor Roger Landry; Hallow CEO Alex Jones and Catholic author and media personality Katie Prejean McGrady.

Launching the same week that Archbishop Sheen will be beatified on Sept. 24,  the Sheen Awards are meant to "recognize individuals whose work in media, evangelization, mission, and liturgy continues his mission of bringing Christ to the world with creativity, conviction, and joy," the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation emphasized.

The Foundation added that more details and ticket information can be found at sheenawards.com. Tickets are still available, but space is limited.

The event is scheduled to air on EWTN on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

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The Vatican is hosting its annual formation course for newly appointed bishops from Sept. 2-10, bringing together 147 prelates from five continents to strengthen ecclesial communion and provide practical tools for the exercise of episcopal ministry.

The program has been a fixture of the Church calendar since 2000, when it was launched by St. John Paul II. Described by Vatican media as a condensed "master's program" for new bishops, it is designed to foster the exchange of experiences among pastors from widely differing cultural, social, and ecclesial contexts while offering practical guidance for governing local churches.

This year's participants come from countries across Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America, including Algeria, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Ghana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Central African Republic, Senegal, the Seychelles, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Kyrgyzstan, and Thailand.

Most of the world's bishops fall under the jurisdiction of the Dicastery for Bishops, which oversees the creation of dioceses, episcopal appointments, and matters related to episcopal governance in the Latin Church. Bishops serving in missionary territories, however, are under the Dicastery for Evangelization, specifically its Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches.

Of the 147 participants, 98 are following the program organized by the Dicastery for Bishops under the theme, "In Christ, Guardians of the Magnifica Humanitas in Times of Transformation." The remaining 49 are participating in a course sponsored by the Dicastery for Evangelization titled, "Servants of Communion in the Church."

Both tracks combine lectures, liturgical celebrations, fraternal gatherings, and working sessions led by cardinals, archbishops, and senior officials of the Roman Curia.

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Liturgy, mission, and safeguarding against abuse

The program addresses key issues facing the Church, including liturgy, evangelization, child protection, financial administration, transparency, priestly formation, synodality, interreligious dialogue, the growth of new sects, and the handling of clergy-related crises.

The course organized by the Dicastery for Bishops includes presentations by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, who will reflect on episcopal ministry, and Archbishop Vittorio Viola, secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, who will discuss liturgical matters.

On Sept. 4, Archbishop Luis Javier Argüello García, president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, will offer reflections on the bishop's mission within the family and society.

That afternoon, attention will turn to safeguarding minors, promoting a culture of prevention, and handling abuse cases, with a presentation by Archbishop Thibault Verny, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

The day will conclude with a lecture by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, on the Holy See's role in a globalized world and its efforts to promote peace.

On Sept. 5, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, will examine the cultural changes reshaping the contemporary world.

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, as head of the Church tribunal responsible for matters of conscience, will provide a detailed explanation of the norms, theology, and limits of the Church's absolute seal of secrecy, particularly regarding sacramental confession.

Tribalism, sects, and missionary challenges

The program for bishops from territories under the Dicastery for Evangelization is being held at the Pontifical Missionary College of St. Peter the Apostle.

Formal activities began Sept. 3 with a session focused on missionary work and the services provided by the dicastery to churches in mission territories.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is serving as host, while Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu will address issues such as tribalism, caste discrimination, racism, and exclusionary regionalism in the contemporary Church.

Topics scheduled for the opening days also include clergy discipline, consecrated life, administration of Church property, associations of the faithful, and other pastoral challenges unique to missionary churches.

The Sept. 4 session will focus on faith and inculturation. Speakers include Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, who will reflect on interreligious dialogue in the current context, and Archbishop Aurelio García Macías, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, who will discuss liturgical continuity and developments in territories of first evangelization.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, will close the day with a presentation on sects and new religious movements.

Episcopal governance and canon law

On Sept. 5, participants will delve into legal aspects of episcopal governance. Archbishop Anthony Randazzo, prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, will discuss diocesan structures of communion and collaboration, as well as the operation of ecclesiastical tribunals.

Archbishop John Joseph Kennedy, secretary of the disciplinary section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, will provide guidance on handling cases involving delicta graviora, the most serious crimes prosecuted within the Catholic Church.

The day will also include reflections on pastoral accompaniment and the formation of lay faithful, led by Archbishop Dario Gervasi and Dr. Gabriella Gambino, secretary and undersecretary, respectively, of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

Pilgrimage to Assisi and joint sessions

Participants will have a free day on Sunday, with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Assisi during the Jubilee Year marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis.

Activities will resume Sept. 7 at the Pontifical Urbaniana University with joint sessions bringing together participants from both programs. For the third consecutive year, this format is intended to foster fraternity and the exchange of experiences among bishops from very different pastoral realities.

Among the topics to be discussed is Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, which will be presented by Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, and Cardinal Roberto Repole, archbishop of Turin, will offer reflections on synodal ecclesiology.

On Sept. 8, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the newly appointed bishops will participate in a Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, celebrated by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar of the Diocese of Rome.

During the final days of the course, sessions will focus on priestly formation, the relationship between local churches and the Holy See, and the Church's responsibility to protect minors and vulnerable adults.

Experts from the Institute of Anthropology at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, including Archbishop Peter Beer and Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, one of the Church's leading international voices on safeguarding, will participate in these discussions.

The program will conclude Sept. 10 with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, followed by an audience with Pope Leo XIV. The papal meeting will bring to a close several days of formation, prayer, and fraternity in the Italian capital.

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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A panel of three appellate judges in Hong Kong this week upheld convictions for retired Cardinal Joseph Zen and four other pro-democracy advocates who operated a legal defense and medical fund that supported people engaged in widespread protests in 2019 and 2020.

In a Sept. 3 decision, the judges dismissed the appeals filed by Zen, Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, Hui Po-keung, Cyd Ho Sau-lan, and Denise Ho Wan-see. They were found guilty of failing to legally register the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund as a "society" under the Societies Ordinance, which carries monetary fines. It's unclear whether they will face additional charges.

Zen and his co-defendants created the fund to support Hong Kong protesters who opposed the 2019 extradition bill, which would have streamlined the process of extraditing people from Hong Kong to mainland China for prosecution. Protesters opposed subjecting people to prosecutions under the Chinese Communist Party.

Lawmakers ultimately withdrew the bill, but more than 10,000 protesters were arrested and nearly 3,000 people faced charges.

Zen and the co-defendants argued they did not believe the fund qualified as a "society" when they established it to help the protesters, and that they did not believe they had to register it under the Societies Ordinance. This ordinance provides civil authorities broad discretion to control, monitor, or dismantle private associations.

In its decision, the court ruled that a "society" under the ordinance has "an expansive definition" and cited the text, which includes "any club, company, partnership or association of 10 or more persons, whatever its nature or object." It notes some exemptions, such as charities, religious organizations, and social clubs, but that organizers must apply for an exemption.

The judges rejected objections to the registration scheme on a constitutional basis, asserting the law maintains a "reasonable balance" between freedom of association and public safety, public order, and national security.

"Self-evidently, the societal benefits arising from the aim are enormous," they ruled. "Nothing in the evidence suggests that any individual including the appellants would be subject to an unacceptably harsh burden by the restrictions imposed by the registration scheme on their exercise of the right to freedom of association."

"We are satisfied that the prosecution has proved the charge against each of the appellants beyond reasonable doubt," the judges decided unanimously.

Penalty and legal fights

The convictions under the Societies Ordinance carries fines for each person equivalent to about $500. However, Zen and the other defendants were initially arrested on suspicion of violating a 2020 national security law, which could have carried penalties of up to life in prison.

Although all five defendants were arrested on that suspicion, none faced charges. Those initial arrests were based on the allegation they colluded with foreign forces when they set up a fund to help the protesters.

Officials defended the 2020 law on the basis of national security, but critics allege it is primarily used to punish political dissidents, such as Jimmy Lai — a Catholic pro-democracy activist who was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the age of 78 on claims he colluded with foreign forces.

Lai operated the newspaper Apple Daily, where he openly criticized the Chinese Communist Party. Hong Kong shut down the organization based on authority under the national security law. The government also used the national security law to justify its investigation of the fund operated by Zen and the other pro-democracy advocates.

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A coalition of religious sisters has joined Chicago's Cardinal Blase Cupich in suing the state of Illinois to prevent enforcement of its assisted suicide law.

The law, which was signed by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in December 2025, allows doctors in the state to prescribe lethal doses of medication to patients in order to help them end their own lives. Among other rules, patients must have a terminal illness in order to qualify for receiving help to kill themselves.

The rule has received strong criticism from Catholic bishops in the state.

On Sept. 3, meanwhile, the religious liberty law firm Becket announced that Cupich and two orders of religious sisters had filed a lawsuit against the state seeking to halt enforcement of the law against the Catholic plaintiffs.

The suit, filed in U.S. district court, argues that the sisters — who belong to the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and the Little Sisters of the Poor — will be forced to either "abandon their religious beliefs regarding the sanctity of life or face significant fines and penalties" if they refuse to participate in the suicide regime.

The suit notes that by Sept. 12, healthcare providers in Illinois, including the sisters through their care homes, will have to proactively discuss the "option" to commit suicide with those in their care. Caregivers will also "have to allow patients to commit suicide in their facilities," the suit says.

The suit argues that the First Amendment prohibits the state from requiring the Catholic caregivers to violate their faith by participating in the suicide regime.

In a statement announcing the filing, Cupich said the Catholic Church "oppose[s] efforts to undermine human dignity by pushing our brothers and sisters toward suicide."

"We pray that the courts will protect our freedom to continue advocating and caring for the sick and dying as our faith demands," he said.

Mother Mary Rose Heery, O. Carm., prioress general of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, said patients in their care "come to us at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives" and that the sisters have a vocation "to give witness to them, through everything we do, that their lives remain precious and that they will never be abandoned."

"Illinois cannot ask us to replace that promise with help ending their lives," she said.

Becket President Mark Rienzi described the suicide law's provisions as "awful."

"The state should stop trying to make Catholic nuns help patients kill themselves," he said, arguing that sick patients "deserve the freedom to seek healing, hope, and accompaniment without the government forcing suicide into the conversation."

This is not the first lawsuit filed against a state assisted suicide measure, nor the first in Illinois.

In August, Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki joined a Lutheran nursing home and a group of doctors to sue the state over the assisted suicide law, with the coalition arguing that the state's suicide regime abandons "nearly two millennia of medical practice" while requiring objectors to participate in it.

The state agreed to a temporary block of the law later in the month, though the block only applied to the plaintiffs in that suit.

In July, meanwhile, Rockville Centre Bishop John Barres joined several communities of New York religious sisters in suing the state over its own assisted suicide law. Those plaintiffs also won a temporary block of the state's suicide law.

Separately, groups of disability advocates have filed lawsuits against the suicide laws in New York and Illinois, as well as in Colorado and Delaware, alleging that those laws discriminate against people with disabilities.

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A Maine father will be allowed to prevent his daughter from attending a local Christian church with her mother, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court said in a ruling this week.

The decision from the high court upheld a lower court ruling in favor of Matthew Bradeen that found it was "psychologically unsafe" for Emily Bickford to take their daughter to Calvary Chapel in the Portland region.

The young girl reportedly suffered from panic attacks and psychological distress after attending the church; she reportedly became fixated on the rapture (an end-times belief held by some Christians) as well.

The Maine high court said in its ruling that at one point the church's pastor openly prayed about the dispute between Bickford and Bradeen, including referencing both the parents and the child "by name almost 30 times."

The court dismissed Bickford's constitutional claims in the dispute. The father "is better suited to determine whether certain religious activities are in the child's best interest," it held.

In a press release, the legal group Liberty Counsel, which represented Bickford in the dispute, said it would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case. Mat Staver, the group's chair, said the ruling "rejects the First Amendment right" of Bickford and goes against U.S. court precedent.

"Depriving one parent their right to instill their religious views into their child and granting sole authority to the other parent fails to give proper protection to parental rights and religious freedom under the First Amendment," Staver argued.

He claimed that the ruling "pose[s] a serious threat to religious freedom" in the U.S.

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VATICAN CITY — "Ecology is the result of how the equation of the interaction between cosmology and anthropology is resolved. Therefore, an ecological approach that seeks to get to the root of the issues cannot avoid addressing both of these dimensions."

That is the premise of the lengthy and complex text by the International Theological Commission, "Caring for Our Common Home – A Responsible and Fraternal Response to the Triune God."

Released Sept. 2 during the Season of Creation, the document examines "a Trinitarian vision of the creation of the cosmos, highlighting the resulting Trinitarian imprint on creation and its repercussions."

The book also addresses "the foundation and scope of the role of the human being in the Common Home" as well as "a series of guidelines and guiding principles for care of the Common Home and ecological conversion."

The full text is currently available from the Vatican only in Italian, with the official Vatican News outlet providing an English-language summary.

The text is complex, but summaries at the end of each chapter offer guidance emphasizing the theological meaning of creation. "The ultimate purpose of creation is not exhausted by the usefulness it may have for the human being and for the development of human life," one summary notes.

Humans "cannot claim the right to indiscriminately subject creation to [their] own purposes, reducing its meaning and value to the merely instrumental usefulness it can provide: This is the temptation of absolute anthropocentrism," the document says.

The human being is a servant and steward of creation, and "this role of the human being among the other creatures and the fulfillment of God's plan finds its deepest inspiration in the celebration of the Eucharist: The human being offers creation to God in Christ and, in return, implores God's blessing in Christ for all things."

This story was first published 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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The Lourdes Shrine in France has confirmed that 150,000 of the faithful will be in attendance for Pope Leo XIV's visit to the site of the Virgin Mary's apparitions to St. Bernadette Soubirous. The pontiff is scheduled to arrive on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 26, and will celebrate Mass the following day.

With the official registration period now closed, shrine officials reported that, due to the "exceptionally high turnout expected," they will ensure "the best possible conditions for welcoming visitors, safety, and organization," as the site reaches "maximum capacity."

"There will be 150,000 of us praying with the pope at the shrine. Millions more will be tuning in via television and radio," the shrine said in its latest news bulletin.

The shrine noted that registrations can no longer be modified and that instructions regarding the assignment of sectors and access routes to the venue will be sent via email in the coming days.

Preparations for Leo XIV's visit

In recent weeks, preparations have continued at the venue to welcome the pontiff, including permanent improvements that will remain in place after the pope's departure.

Marking the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions, Leo's visit will take place 18 years after the last visit by a pontiff — that of Benedict XVI in 2008.

With that visit in mind, the shrine states that "enthusiasm is already palpable here in Lourdes at the prospect of praying with the successor of Peter."

Various departments are putting forth great effort to ensure the event is unforgettable — from the sewing workshop, where Sister Martha is quietly making the liturgical vestments to be worn by Pope Leo XIV, to the workshops where "the large podium cross is gradually taking shape." In addition, those responsible for decorating the venue are designing ways to ensure the shrine looks suitably adorned for the occasion.

Leo XIV will land in Paris on Sept. 25 where, after the official reception at the Elysée Palace, he will visit the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters and hold a meeting with young people. The next day, he will visit the Maison Bakita Center for Accompaniment and Social Integration, which provides support services for migrants, and will hold a meeting with the members of the Provincial Synodal Assembly, the catechumens and the neophytes at the Catholic Institute of Paris.

After celebrating Mass in the Place de la Concorde, he will fly to Lourdes. At the end of his stay at the shrine, he will head to the city of Metz, where he will hold an interreligious meeting at the Robert Schumann Congress Center and celebrate Mass in the cathedral before returning to Rome.

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 Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, is moving to settle its long-running bankruptcy proceedings with an $83 million fund for abuse victims, Bishop Terry LaValley has announced, with a significant portion of that amount coming from insurance providers.

The bishop announced the proposed settlement in an Aug. 25 letter to the diocese. The diocese had earlier announced a $45 million agreement in May.

A diocesan spokeswoman confirmed that the additional roughly $38 million would come from insurance contributions.

In his August letter, LaValley said the diocese was hoping to have the plan approved by the bankruptcy court "in the next few months." The Ogdensburg Diocese filed for bankruptcy in July 2023, the sixth diocese in New York state to do so.

The bishop urged Catholics to pray for both abuse victims as well as the diocese itself. He described the reparation payments as a "moral obligation" on the part of the diocese.

'Rapid pre-pack' bankruptcy

In his letter, LaValley said the parishes in the diocese will undergo a notable bankruptcy proceeding called "rapid pre-pack Chapter 11," one that will settle current abuse allegations while protecting parishes from future litigation.

"Each of our parishes will file a Chapter 11 case at the very last moment, after we know whether we have sufficient votes to confirm the plan," the bishop said. Parishes are anticipated to be in bankruptcy for about 48 hours before emerging "quickly," he said.

"The result is that the diocese and parishes will receive a bankruptcy discharge of all alleged abuse claims as of the date the parish's pre-packed bankruptcy is filed," the bishop said. "Going forward, no abuse claims may be brought against parishes from prior to that date."

The bishop said the unique strategy emerged after a June 2024 Supreme Court decision on bankruptcy, likely a reference to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that month in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P.

That ruling on a complex provision of U.S. bankruptcy law meant that individual parishes and schools in diocesan abuse proceedings could be sued, greatly expanding the possibility of large numbers of expensive lawsuits against Catholic entities.

LaValley said the diocese had been advised that the "rapid" bankruptcy proceeding "is the only viable and realistic way to obtain comprehensive relief" for all diocesan entities there.

A similar strategy had been used in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, and the Archdiocese of New Orleans, he said.

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"Big news. God exists. Christ is Lord, and he established the Catholic Church."

That's how Joe Schmid announced his conversion to Catholicism on his YouTube channel, "Majesty of Reason," on Aug. 21.

Conversion is always a cause for celebration, but in Schmid's case it was likely unexpected among his channel's 55,000 subscribers.

For years, Schmid has used his YouTube channel to explore a broad variety of philosophical and naturalistic arguments and principles — and Schmid himself has openly identified as an agnostic for most of that time.

Schmid, who was raised Catholic, told EWTN News that he adopted atheism and then eventually agnosticism in high school. He said he was originally led to atheism because of "the problem of evolutionary animal suffering," a well-known topic of philosophical and theological debate.

Philosophers such as Joshua Rasmussen and Alexander Pruss led him to consider "contingency arguments" in favor of God's existence, he said, but his own "arduous conversion process" would ultimately last a decade.

Schmid launched his YouTube channel in April 2020. Broadly, "my videos focused primarily on philosophy of religion, and secondarily on other areas of philosophy like metaphysics, metaethics, and epistemology," Schmid told EWTN News, and "criticizing arguments for God's existence was one of my central focuses."

To that end, he created a wide variety of videos, including interviews and debates with scholars, lengthy lectures, and episodes responding to other YouTube content, "primarily theist and Christian and Catholic creators." 

Those videos have undergone a marked shift in recent weeks. Videos over the last year have included debates about whether Jesus rose from the dead and an extended case for veganism, among numerous other topics.

On Aug. 21, however, Schmid posted a nearly half-hour-long video revealing his conversion to Catholicism, and in the roughly two weeks since then his videos have focused on topics such as "the best-ever cumulative case for God" and "the best objections to Catholicism answered."

Schmid, who is a a fourth-year doctoral candidate in philosophy at Princeton University, told EWTN News his return to the faith "wasn't my own making."

"Conversion is a gift of God's grace, and I've seen its transformative impact in my life," he said. "So God is ultimately what led me to Catholicism."

Yet, he said a "huge confluence of factors" convinced him of the truth of the Catholic faith "on an intellectual level." Chief among them are the "vindicatory miracles," or "miracles wrought by God in confirmation of distinctive Catholic doctrines."

He cited the charisms of Padre Pio, the healing miracles at Lourdes, the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima, Eucharistic miracles, "and much more besides."

"I converted after a long process of working through my many objections to Catholicism and appreciating the many powerful arguments in its favor," he said. In his video he described the process as a "culmination" of "head factors and heart factors."

"God is good," he told his viewers.

The high-profile conversion was noted by the Aquinas Institute, the Catholic campus ministry at Princeton, which urged the Catholic community there to "pray for Joe as he continues to grow in his Catholic faith and begins this new chapter of his public work."

Schmid also appeared recently in a two-hour-long interview with Catholic apologist Trent Horn, who described Schmid as "one of my smartest critics." Horn praised Schmid's rigorous approach to philosophical and theological debate even when Schmid himself was an agnostic.

"I've learned a lot from you in your rebuttals, and it has helped in my own path and trying to grow as an apologist and a philosopher," Horn told Schmid during the interview.

Speaking to his own viewers when announcing his conversion, Schmid said he has significant plans to continue his YouTube channel in service to Catholicism, and "we will see where the Lord takes me."

"Debates and discussions will be continuing," he said. He asked for patience from viewers during the transition.

"And I also ask for your prayers," he added. "Know that I will be praying for you."

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Father Silas Bogati, apostolic administrator of the apostolic vicariate of Nepal, said the Catholic Church, a small minority of about 10,000 faithful in the Asian nation, is committed to aiding those affected by the recent major flooding.

According to authorities, the number of dead from last week's flood exceeds 1,000, while more than 4,000 people remain missing across both countries, CNN reported.

"By being there, providing relief now and, later, contributing to reconstruction, we give hope. Our presence among those who are suffering will give them hope," the priest said in an interview with the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Bogati explained that in Nepal, "the Catholic Church has 13 parishes and 10,000 Catholics, but it has always worked for the Nepali population irrespective of their religion, and we will continue to do so as they suffer in this hour of need."

Caritas Nepal has set up community kitchens and dispatched food supplies for 300 affected families to last for 15 days. Given the forecast of additional rainfall and the fact that many people are still sleeping outdoors, the organization said there is a need for tarpaulins, blankets, and sleeping mats.

After noting that "no Catholic churches or chapels have been destroyed," the Nepalese priest recalled that "the Holy Father, Pope Leo, was the first to pray and to show his sympathy and closeness to the victims of these flash floods. In the same way, we are receiving prayers and support from the Catholic Church around the world."

Leo XIV has encouraged prayers for those affected and for rescue teams, and has urged the international community to provide aid in a spirit of solidarity.

Bogati described the affected area of Rasuwa, located on Nepal's border with Tibet. He said an important trade route with Tibet runs through the region, as well as the city of Syabrubesi, "one of the main departure points for tourists traveling toward the Langtang Valley."

One of this concerns is that "members of one of the Catholic communities [who] go down to Syabrubesi to work … may have been swept away by the waters. We do not have any figures yet."

"All these hotels and settlements were swept away. There has been a high death toll in this area, and the river continued downstream, wreaking havoc across five districts. The flood has caused enormous devastation, as a huge mass of water surged downstream, destroying everything in its path. Some communities are still cut off, and search and rescue operations are proving difficult," he recounted.

The apostolic administrator asked for prayers for all the victims and those affected by the tragedy, and expressed gratitude for ACN's closeness and solidarity.

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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