Aug. 7 marks 90th anniversary of Spanish ‘execution’ of Sacred Heart of Jesus statue
Aug. 7 marks the 90th anniversary of the day when militiamen from the Popular Front, one of the factions in the Spanish Civil War, fired upon the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, before which King Alfonso XIII in 1919 had consecrated Spain.
The original monument, the work of architect Carlos Maura and sculptor Aniceto Marinas, was built on the Cerro de los Ángeles, the geographical center of Spain, and was funded through public subscription, although the statue itself was donated by the count of Guaqui, Juan Marino de Goyeneche.
The monumental complex, standing 92 feet tall, consisted not only of the central figure of Jesus Christ but also of two sculptural groups representing, respectively, sanctified humanity and humanity journeying toward holiness.
The first group featured St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Jesus, Blessed Bernardo de Hoyos, and St. John the Evangelist, among others. The second group comprised figures representing the path of charity, virtue, and the love essential for conversion and sanctification.
Its inauguration, originally scheduled for 1918, was postponed due to the Spanish flu pandemic until May 30, 1919. It was then that, in the presence of the government, the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Francesco Ragonesi, and a large group of bishops and cardinals, Alfonso XIII pronounced the formula for the consecration of Spain to the Sacred Heart: “Spain, the people of your heritage and predilection, bows reverently today before that throne of goodness raised for you in the heart of the peninsula. Reign in the hearts of men, in the bosom of our homes, in the minds of the wise, in the halls of science and letters, and in our laws and national institutions.”
Tried, shot by firing squad, and blown up with dynamite
The Spanish Civil War broke out on July 18, 1936. Just five days later, five young men who had remained near the monument to defend it against potential desecration were killed.
On Aug. 7, the first Friday of the month, Popular Front militiamen staged a mock summary trial of Jesus; after passing sentence, they fired upon the monument while shouting, “Aim with hatred! Fire with rage!”
They subsequently attempted to topple and demolish the monument using various tools, including cables and sledgehammers, but failed. They then decided to blow it up with dynamite. They subsequently dragged the head of the Christ figure behind a horse to further humiliate the image.
The site, renamed Cerro Rojo (Red Hill), was retaken by Nationalist forces on Nov. 6, 1936, which was another first Friday of the month. Troops under the command of Gen. José Enrique Varela attended a Mass of reparation officiated by a military chaplain.
New monument
Following the end of the Civil War in 1939, reconstruction of the site began in 1944. This coincided with the 25th anniversary of the consecration of Spain, an occasion for which the Holy See had granted a jubilee year.
The sculptor of the original work was engaged for the 38-foot-tall statue of the Sacred Heart, which stands atop an 85-foot pedestal.
Four sculptural groups by Fernando Cruz were placed around the base. The first group, representing “Missionary Spain,” features Isabella the Catholic, Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés, and St. Junípero Serra.
The second group, representing “Spain: Defender of the Faith,” includes Bishop Osio of Córdoba, Don Pelayo, Diego Laínez, John of Austria, and Blessed Anselmo Polanco, a bishop martyred during the war.
The third group, dedicated to the Church militant, consists of figures representing charity, virtue, and love. The final sculptural ensemble, representing the Church triumphant, reproduces the saints from the original monument.
The new monument, inaugurated in 1965, is located on the site of the original, the ruins of which are preserved on the other side of the complexʼs large esplanade. Ten years later, a sanctuary was inaugurated featuring a temple carved into the rock.
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.
Baltimore Archdiocese suspends deacon from ministry after arrest over solicitation of a minor
A deacon in the Archdiocese of Baltimore has been removed from ministry after he was arrested by law enforcement on charges of sexually soliciting a minor.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said Deacon Kenneth Goedeke was arrested after arranging a meeting with what he believed was a 15-year-old boy.
Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said in an official statement on Aug. 6 that the 45-year-old Goedeke had been communicating with an undercover detective rather than an underage boy. He was charged with two counts of soliciting a minor.
Gahler in the statement said he was “angry” and “disgusted” but added that he was “deeply thankful” to detectives for “intervening before a child was harmed.”
In a separate statement on Aug. 6, the Archdiocese of Baltimore confirmed Goedeke’s arrest and said it had “removed Goedeke’s faculties to function as a deacon and suspended him from ministry and employment” pending the results of the investigation.
The archdiocese said the charges were “not related to anyone at the parishes or schools” where Goedeke served. He was ordained as a deacon in 2023, the archdiocese said, and he passed a “thorough employment screening” including background checks and a fingerprint criminal history check.
In his statement, Gahler expressed “anger and resolve, and an unwavering commitment to the safety of our children.”
He urged parents to talk to their children not only about Goedeke’s arrest but “about the broader dangers posed by trusted adults who misuse their positions and by online predators who target our youth.”
Under Maryland law, Goedeke faces up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $75,000.
Poland prepares for possible papal visit
Polish government and Church officials have begun preparations for a possible visit by Pope Leo XIV, although no date has yet been announced.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski met with Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdańsk, president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, to begin coordinating preparations for what would be Leo’s first pilgrimage to Poland as pope.
The papal visit would be organized jointly by the Polish government and the Catholic Church.
Formal invitations have already been extended to Pope Leo XIV by both the Polish state and the Church, Vatican News reported. On behalf of the Republic of Poland, invitations have come from Presidents Andrzej Duda and Karol Nawrocki as well as Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The presidium of the Polish Bishops’ Conference has also invited the pope.
Because of the international nature of the visit, Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate preparations on the government’s side.
A date for the pilgrimage has not yet been determined. Once it is established, a working group composed of representatives of the relevant Church and state authorities will be created to organize the visit.
Three popes have visited Poland a total of 11 times.
St. John Paul II, a native of Poland, made nine papal visits to the country. Benedict XVI visited in 2006, while Pope Francis traveled to Poland in 2016 for World Youth Day in Kraków.
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
The pope is ‘very eager to come to Mexico,’ Vatican secretary of state tells Mexican president
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reiterated the invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the country during a meeting she held with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who assured her that the pontiff “is very eager to come.”
Parolin visited Mexico from Aug. 4–6, a trip that, according to a statement from the country’s bishops, “rekindles” the hope of “counting on the presence and direct blessing of His Holiness Leo XIV in our Mexican homeland.”
As part of his activities, the Vatican secretary of state met with the president on Aug. 5 at the National Palace, the seat of the Mexican government. After the meeting, Sheinbaum reported on social media that among the topics discussed was Magnifica Humanitas, the pope’s first encyclical.
“The pope’s calls for peace, fraternity, and closeness to the most vulnerable represent a humanitarian vision that is indispensable at a time when the world needs to strengthen dialogue, solidarity, and cooperation among nations,” she stated.
Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay: The pope’s priorities
Speaking about her meeting with Parolin during her morning press conference on Aug. 6, the president said that one of the topics addressed was the possibility of the Holy Father visiting Mexico.
According to Sheinbaum, Parolin told her that Pope Leo first wants to visit Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay, as these are countries “that Pope Francis did not visit.” She also indicated that the Holy Father has a “special relationship” with Peru “because he lived there for many years.”
The Holy See confirmed that Leo XIV will make an apostolic journey to Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina from Nov. 6–17.
A visit possible after 2027 elections
Sheinbaum said the pontiff “obviously could not come to Mexico during the electoral period,” so his visit would have to wait until after the midterm elections of 2027.
Mexico will hold federal and state elections on June 6, 2027. At the federal level, the 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies are up for grabs, while in 17 states a total of 19,609 positions will be renewed, including 17 governorships and 1,098 local legislative seats.
“We continue to extend the invitation to him,” Sheinbaum said. “They told us ‘yes,’ that ‘he really wants to come to Mexico,’ … but there is still no established date.”
Sheinbaum indicated that during the meeting she and Parolin also discussed some initiatives developed jointly by the Mexican government and the Catholic Church, among them the program “Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace,” which promotes the exchange of firearms for economic incentives. They also talked about the restoration of historic churches.
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.
Parish priest: Israeli settlers’ push to drive Christians from Taybeh continues
Attacks by Israeli settlers against the population of Taybeh have intensified significantly in recent months, according to the local parish priest, Father Bashar Fawadleh, who also urged the faithful worldwide to not forget this small Christian enclave in the Holy Land.
Taybeh is the modern name of the biblical town of Ephraim, which the Lord Jesus visited shortly before his passion (see John 11:54). In addition to being the only remaining entirely Christian village in the region, it is also globally renowned for its beer.
“The situation in Taybeh has deteriorated drastically in recent months,” Fawadleh said in a statement sent to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. “We are facing settler attacks almost daily, repeated incursions onto private property, the destruction of agricultural land, restrictions on movement due to road closures, military barriers, checkpoints, and growing fear among the population,” the parish priest indicated.
Fawadleh explained that this week, settlers broke into a Christian family’s property, a situation he described as “very alarming.” The home, which had recently been prepared for the family to move into, has become a target of repeated attacks by settlers.
“Settlers have entered the property several times, cut the fence, and even brought their sheep inside the house and onto the surrounding grounds. This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern of intimidation intended to make Palestinian families feel unsafe and to force them to abandon their homes and land,” he stated.
The parish priest reported that the affected family is out of danger, as they were not in the home at the time of the attacks. However, he lamented the immense psychological suffering they have endured.
“Imagine preparing your home for your future, only to find strangers repeatedly entering it without fear or accountability,” he said.
“In addition, several new settler outposts have been established around the village, increasing pressure on our community and putting the future of the Christian presence in this land at risk,” Fawadleh added.
A message to Christians around the world
“We ask you not to forget us,” the priest said. While highlighting the miraculous power of prayer, he noted that Taybeh needs more from Christians worldwide. “We ask you to raise your voices, speak the truth, visit us, and stand with the Christian community of the Holy Land,” he emphasized.
He pointed out that the solidarity of Christians across the globe “gives us hope” and “reminds us that we are all one body in Christ.”
“Together, we can help protect these Christians — living witnesses and ‘living stones’ in the land where our faith was born and where the first generation of Christianity was raised up. May God bless you all and keep you safe. Keep praying, and continue the work and the struggles you are engaged in. We are praying for you, too,” Fawadleh concluded.
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.
Vatican releases schedule for Pope Leo’s September trip to France
The Vatican on Aug. 7 published the official schedule for Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to France, where he will visit Paris, Lourdes, and Metz from Sept. 25–28.
The Vatican also announced that, as he did during his recent journey to Spain, he will meet with victims of clerical sexual abuse during his France trip. The victims themselves will help organize the meeting, with further details to be announced later.
The motto for Leo’s trip, “Pour que le monde ait la vie" (“That the World May Have Life”), is drawn from the Gospel of John 6:51. According to the official Vatican News outlet, the motto “resonates with” the debate over the assisted-dying legislation recently approved by Franceʼs National Assembly.
As announced by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff will begin his journey by departing Rome on Sept. 25 at 7:50 a.m. and arriving at Paris Orly International Airport at 10 a.m.
Paris
At 11 a.m., Leo will pay a courtesy visit to French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, followed by meetings with authorities, where he will deliver his first address. Then, at 3 p.m., he will visit the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
That evening, at 5:15 p.m., the pope will celebrate vespers with clergy and religious at the Notre Dame Cathedral. It will be the first time a pope has visited the cathedral since the 2019 fire. A prayer vigil with young people will follow at the Stade de France at 9 p.m.
The next day, Sept. 26, Leo will visit the Maison Bakhita Center for Social Support and Integration and meet with members of the provincial synod assembly at the Institut Catholique de Paris.
At 3 p.m., Leo will celebrate his first Mass of the trip at Place de la Concorde before traveling to Lourdes at 5:45 p.m.
Lourdes
The pontiff is scheduled to arrive in Lourdes at 7:05 p.m. From there, he will visit the renowned grotto at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes for a prayer service.
The next day, Sept. 27, he will meet with the French bishops at the shrine at 9 a.m. before celebrating there the second Mass of his trip at 11 a.m.
Leo is scheduled that afternoon to meet at the shrine with the staff and sick community of the Accueil Notre Dame. He will then privately meet with Carmelite nuns at their monastery in Lourdes.
At 9 p.m., Leo will lead a rosary and a candlelit procession at the Lourdes grotto.
Metz
For the final day of his trip on Sept. 28, Leo will depart Lourdes at 7:40 a.m. and arrive in Metz at 9:20 a.m., becoming the first pope to visit the city since St. John Paul II in 1988.
There, at 10 a.m., he will join an interreligious meeting at the Robert Schuman Conference Center and then attend another meeting, “To the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity.”
The pope will then celebrate the third and final Mass of his trip at the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Metz. He will then depart Metz at 7 p.m. to arrive in Rome at 8:50 p.m.
Beatification cause of Tanzania’s first president now at witness interrogation stage
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — The beatification cause of Servant of God Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Tanzaniaʼs first president, has reached the stage of interrogating witnesses, a Tanzanian Catholic bishop involved in the process said, describing the phase as critical in establishing the late leaderʼs reputation for holiness and heroic virtue.
In an interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, Bishop Henry Mchamungu, the episcopal delegate in Nyerereʼs cause, said the diocesan inquiry is currently gathering testimony about the late presidentʼs life, faith, and virtues.
"We are in the process of interrogating witnesses,” Mchamungu said. “This is a very important stage because we have to ask people many questions to obtain sufficient information about the life, virtues, and faith of Mwalimu Nyerere.”
The bishop, who spoke to ACI Africa on the sidelines of the 21st AMECEA Plenary Assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) July 19–26 in Nairobi, Kenya, explained that the tribunal conducts detailed interviews with each witness.
“Each witness is asked many questions — sometimes one person can be asked 30 or even 40 questions. We have to listen to many witnesses because we need to gather enough evidence concerning his life and his virtues,” Mchamungu said.
Nyerereʼs cause was initiated in 2005 after the late Bishop Justin Samba of the Diocese of Musoma, together with the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), petitioned the Holy See to open the canonization process.
Pope Benedict XVI declared the former president a servant of God on May 13, 2005.
Mchamungu explained that the cause was later transferred from the Diocese of Musoma to the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam.
"The president of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference informed the archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, who at that time was Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, that the cause should be transferred from Musoma to Dar-es-Salaam," he explained.
On May 2, 2014, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued a rescript authorizing the transfer of the competent forum for the diocesan inquiry from Musoma to Dar es Salaam.
According to Mchamungu, progress slowed after the transfer because Pengo experienced prolonged health challenges.
The process was revived in 2023 when the president of TEC appointed a new postulator to oversee the cause.
"In 2023, it became necessary to revive the cause again,” Mchamungu told ACI Africa. “The president of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference appointed a postulator, who is the person responsible for guiding the cause.”
He noted that the process required further reorganization after the first postulator stepped down for personal reasons.
“We had to look for another person. After some time, we found another postulator who accepted the responsibility. Although he does not live in Tanzania, he agreed to help us continue with the cause,” Mchamungu said, referring to Nairobi-based Brother Reginald D. Cruz.
He acknowledged that the work of the diocesan tribunal remains demanding because its members also carry pastoral responsibilities.
“Everyone has other pastoral duties. Therefore, finding time to meet and conduct the sessions is not easy. However, the cause is continuing after having remained inactive for a long time,” he said.
Mchamungu appealed to Catholics to pray for the progress of the cause, expressing hope that Nyerere may one day be declared blessed.
“We continue asking God that the cause may continue,” he said. “The day will come, God willing, when he will be declared blessed.”
Mchamungu encouraged those who believe they have received extraordinary graces through Nyerereʼs intercession to report them to the tribunal.
“If someone receives a grace through his intercession, that person should inform the tribunal so that it can be investigated and recorded. Later, it can help in the process of declaring him blessed and, God willing, later a saint,” the bishop said.
Reflecting on Nyerereʼs early life, the Tanzanian bishop recalled his close relationship with the Catholic Church before entering politics.
“Before becoming involved in politics, he was a teacher. He taught at St. Francis Secondary School in Pugu, a school that was run by the Holy Ghost Fathers,” he said.
Mchamungu added that the future presidentʼs experience within the Church helped shape his character and approach to public service.
“He was close to the Church and to the priests who managed that school. They knew him and saw that he was a special person, a young man with good values and commitment,” he told ACI Africa.
The Catholic Church leader continued: “Nyerere received many good values from the Church. Those values helped him become a leader who put people before his own interests. That is why many people continue to remember him as an example of leadership with integrity and service to society.”
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Peruvian researcher: Big mistake to think ‘the Catholic faith was imposed on the Incas’
Peruvian researcher and author Rafael Aíta asserts that one of the most widespread beliefs about the evangelization of Peru is also one of the most mistaken: the belief that Catholicism was forcibly imposed upon the Incas.
The period of Inca rule in Peru spanned from 1200 to 1532, while Spanish rule began in 1532 and ended in 1821, the year of the country’s declaration of independence.
In an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the network’s Spanish-language television news program, the author of the new book “The Catholic Incas” contended that the conversion of many members of the Inca nobility was a far more complex process, marked by dialogue and the discovery of common ground between their beliefs and Christianity.
“I believe the biggest mistake, even among us Catholics, is thinking that our faith was imposed upon us,” Aíta affirmed.
“The numbers donʼt add up, because a small handful of Spaniards cannot convince thousands or hundreds of thousands of people,” Aíta indicated. “What we find in this historic process is a series of convergences that are far removed from imposition and much closer to negotiation,” he explained.
According to Aíta, who is also known on social media as Capitán Perú (Captain Peru), the encounter with Christianity sparked interest among the panacas (the family clans of the Inca nobility), who found similarities between certain aspects of their worldview and the Christian message.
“The first to convert were Incas. I am not speaking only of Atahualpa, whom many would say was baptized to avoid being burned to death. After him, there were other Incas who voluntarily requested baptism,” he stated.
The historian also highlighted a little-known episode in Peruvian history: the founding of the first parish in Cusco.
“The San Cristóbal parish was founded by an Inca, the son of Huayna Capac. It was not founded by a Spaniard, nor even by a priest. An Inca founded the first chapel that later became the first parish in Cusco,” Aíta pointed out.
He recounted that his interest in reexamining Peruʼs history began during his first visit to Machu Picchu. “That was when I realized there was much more to it than what I had been taught in class,” he recalled.
Upon returning to Cusco, Aíta began reading historians such as María Rostworowski, José Antonio del Busto, and Donato Amado.
“I discovered an entire history that, unfortunately, is not taught. If what they wrote reached the schools, it would not only change the history of Peru; it would change the way we see our country,” Aíta asserted.
Corpus Christi and the Catholic Incas
A prime example Aíta presents in “The Catholic Incas” is the set of traditional Corpus Christi paintings housed in the Archbishopʼs Palace in Cusco.
Aíta explained that one of these paintings depicts the Incaʼs royal standard-bearer walking behind the monstrance carrying the Eucharist. Instead of wearing the traditional imperial tassel on his head, a servant carries it ahead of him on a cushion.
“He is placing the Incaʼs crown at the feet of Jesus Christ, who is the Eucharistic Sun,” he explained.
“The Incas worshipped the sun, but through the Gospel, they discovered that the true Sun is Jesus Christ. For them, the feast of Corpus Christi brought the ancient festival of the Sun to its fulfillment, because the Sun was now present among them,” he added.
Consequently, he noted that the solemnity of Corpus Christi became one of Cuscoʼs most important religious celebrations and continues to draw massive public participation to this day.
The historian noted that his book includes documents, paintings, and other historical evidence that demonstrates the presence of Inca nobility who fully embraced the Catholic faith.
Among these, he cited the portrait of Marcos Inca, a member of royal Lloque Yupanqui lineage, who is depicted bearing the symbols of Inca nobility alongside the inscription “Inca, Catholic knight by the grace of God.”
As Aíta sees it, this evidence helps explain why Catholicism remains deeply rooted in Peru.
“Faith remains so important in Peru to this day because it is part of our roots, not something imposed. Had it been imposed, we would have changed once the Spaniards left. Yet the Spaniards departed, and we carried on, perhaps even more Catholic than they were,” he concluded.
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.
Federal court hears arguments on Oklahoma’s ban for religious charter schools
A federal court heard oral arguments on Aug. 5 about whether an Oklahoma law banning religious charter schools violates the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion.
Oklahoma established a charter school system in 1999, which provides public funds for privately run K–12 schools to which parents can send their children instead of a public school operated by a school district. The law only allows “nonsectarian” applicants, which prevents any participation from schools that have a religious identity.
In 2023, the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board (SCSB) approved an application from a proposed Catholic charter school — St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School — which led to a legal challenge from Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who opposed religious charter schools.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court sided against the school, finding that charter schools are public schools and that public schools must be secular. St. Isidore appealed this to the U.S. Supreme Court, but that resulted in a 4-4 deadlock with no majority opinion because Justice Amy Coney Barrett had a conflict of interest and recused herself.
Amid no clear guidance from the federal courts, a Jewish organization — National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation — filed an application to set up a charter school, which was denied. The group, represented by lawyers at the Becket Fund, filed a new lawsuit and asked a federal district court to require the SCSB to consider religious applicants.
“Oklahoma makes room in its charter program for schools of all shapes and sizes, from those focused on science and fine arts to language immersion and classical education,” Daniel Chen, a Becket attorney representing the Jewish foundation, said in a statement.
“The one it refuses to make room for is a faith-based school,” Chen added. “That is religious discrimination, plain and simple, and the state deserves a failing grade for it.”
Chen told EWTN News that Becket is asking the federal court to immediately allow National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation to set up a charter school, citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent that requires government programs to allow religious institutions the same access as secular institutions.
“They’re private actors,” he said. “And because they’re private actors, they cannot be excluded from participating in a public benefits program.”
Chen said the federal district court is not bound by the precedent of the Oklahoma Supreme Court because that is a state court, so it could rule in favor of the school. He also said if the case goes to the U.S. Supreme Court, he hopes Barrett can weigh in to break the 4-4 deadlock.
“We’re hoping that [for] our case, there wouldn’t have to be any recusals,” he said.
School board’s hands are tied
Although the charter school board denied the application from the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation, one of its lawyers at First Liberty Institute explained to EWTN News that its hands are tied by the statute and the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision.
“They’re following that order,” said Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel for First Liberty and the lawyer representing SCSB. “But [they] would be happy if the federal court didn’t [require the school board] to engage in that kind of discrimination.”
Sasser said the SCSB does not want to exclude an applicant “simply because it’s religious” and would rather evaluate applicants “just based on the merits.” But he said the order “makes them exclude religious schools just because they’re religious.”
“They want to maximize all of the various choices and opportunities for parents,” he added.
Sasser said he hopes the question goes to the U.S. Supreme Court again so “we’ll get an answer — a real answer.” He said it would provide more clarity for the school board, which “needs an answer.”
John Meiser, director of the Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic at the University of Notre Dame and the lawyer who represented St. Isidore at the Supreme Court, told EWTN News that the question ultimately comes down to whether charter schools are private or public institutions.
In Oklahoma, he said charter schools “are called public schools” and that label “introduces a confusion that I don’t think would be present if they chose any other word.”
He said Supreme Court precedent is clear that religious institutions must have equal access to government programs available to private institutions, but if a charter school is a “government school,” that “doesn’t apply” because the government “doesn’t and can’t run religious schools.”
In spite of the label, Meiser said charter schools in Oklahoma are “formed and designed and run by private groups” and people who work there “are private employees.” He said the structure “looks just like a government contract” and funding from the government “doesn’t turn all those private contractors into the government itself.”
“The dispute is really just about, ‘Well is a charter school in some way different?’” he said.
Although Meiser said he is not aware of any ongoing Catholic efforts to recreate a charter school, he said that a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation’s constitutional arguments for equal access “would presumably apply to all religious operators of schools, and so it would open the door to a Catholic charter school or other religiously based charter school.”
Attorney general stands firm
Drummond, who remains Oklahoma’s attorney general, is standing firm in opposing the creation of religious charter schools and is fighting against National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation’s efforts.
"This matter was resolved when the state Supreme Courtʼs ruling to prevent taxpayer funded religious charter schools was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last year,” Leslie Berger, press secretary for the attorney general’s office, told EWTN News.
Drummond has also criticized the charter school board in public statements surrounding this legal battle in March, accusing the SCSB of “playing politics with the taxpayers' money” and alleged it “manipulated the record [about why National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation’s application was rejected] to make that lawsuit easier to lose — not win.”
"A state agency that deliberately hobbles its own legal position is not doing its job — it is betraying Oklahoma taxpayers,” he said. “I will not allow that.”
Drummond has garnered support from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) for opposing the creation of religious charter schools.
Attorneys for FFRF are representing seven Oklahomans who oppose their tax money being used to support religious charter schools.
“The federal court should rule according to constitutional principles,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a statement. “A religious public charter school has no place in our secular public education system.”
It’s unclear when the federal court will issue its ruling, but National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation has asked the judge to issue a preliminary injunction against the state so it can begin operating a school while the litigation plays out.
Family learns hospice bed opened as father faced scheduled assisted suicide
As New Yorkʼs Medical Aid in Dying Act takes effect amid legal challenges, one Canadian woman is sharing her familyʼs experience with physician-assisted suicide, saying it convinced her that vulnerable patients need greater access to hospice and palliative care — not assisted death.
Speaking with “EWTN News Nightly” in an Aug. 5 interview with anchor Veronica Dudo, Colleen De Vos recounted the final months of her father’s life. He died through Canadaʼs medical assistance in dying (MAID) program in 2023 at age 85 after being diagnosed with terminal chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“My father wasnʼt very forthcoming with his intentions, unfortunately,” De Vos said. “We did see some very fragile moments during the course of his illness.”
As his condition worsened, De Vos said her family worked to arrange hospice or in-home palliative care, believing those services would provide the compassionate support he needed.
“We were advocating very strongly for hospice care or at-home palliative program,” she said. “He seemed to agree with that.”
But the familyʼs efforts were unsuccessful.
“He was turned down on two occasions, deeming that his diagnosis wasnʼt enough to warrant hospice care,” De Vos said. “That was a surprise to us because we could see he was deteriorating very quickly.”
Instead, she said, a nurse practitioner overseeing his care at home spoke privately with her father about pursuing MAID as his symptoms worsened.
De Vos said the contrast between accessing hospice and obtaining assisted suicide was striking.
“The irony of the availability of MAID that could be arranged very quickly ... sidelined us very much,” she said.
She recalled receiving “literally the cardboard box in the mail” containing the drugs and supplies needed for the procedure.
“Obtaining [hospice care] was very difficult,” she said. “And this was very simple.”
On the day her father was scheduled to die, De Vos said the family finally learned that a hospice bed had become available.
She called it “very heartbreaking” that he declined the hospice bed.
“I think he proceeded because of his loss of hope,” she said. “We absolutely were prepared to provide him with round-the-clock care.”
Religious freedom challenge in New York
De Vos' story comes as Catholic ministries in New York are challenging the stateʼs new assisted suicide law in federal court.
Speaking on Aug. 5 with “EWTN News Nightly,” Adele Keim, senior counsel at Becket Fund, said New Yorkʼs law differs significantly from those in states such as Oregon and Washington.
“New York has created an opt-out law,” Keim said. “The presumption is youʼre in unless you opt out.”
While some providers may decline to prescribe or administer the lethal drugs, Keim argued that Catholic ministries are still required to participate in other aspects of the process.
“You canʼt opt out of your obligations to counsel patients about assisted suicide and the ‘benefits’ it would provide,” she said. Nor can Catholic providers refuse to refer patients elsewhere if they object to assisted suicide on religious grounds, she said.
Keim said those requirements prompted the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne and other Catholic ministries to seek relief in federal court.
Hope, dignity, and the court’s decision
She also spoke with hope in a federal judgeʼs decision to temporarily block New York from enforcing the law against the Catholic plaintiffs while the case proceeds.
“The right to assisted suicide is not a fundamental right,” Keim said, noting that both the U.S. Supreme Court and New Yorkʼs highest court have ruled there is no constitutional right to assisted suicide. “But... there is a fundamental right to religious freedom.”
According to Keim, the injunction ensures the state cannot enforce the law against the Catholic ministries while their constitutional claims are considered.
The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide and euthanasia are gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person while encouraging compassionate palliative and hospice care that accompanies patients through natural death.
De Vos said she hopes lawmakers instead “think about the sacred gift of life that we are given by God,” adding: “I donʼt believe that itʼs up to the lawmakers... to give someone the autonomy to end their life.”