Bishop of Columbus grants Mass dispensation to immigrants who fear deportation
Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, carries the Blessed Sacrament during a procession at Pickaway Correctional Institution on June 28, 2024, at one of the stops on the Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. Credit: Catholic Times/Ken Snow
Dec 29, 2025 / 14:18 pm (CNA).
The bishop of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, has granted a dispensation from Mass for parishioners who fear deportation by immigration enforcement officers, who have increased activity in the area since mid-December.
Bishop Earl Fernandes announced in a letter and video last week that those who fear immigration enforcement action are free from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass until Jan. 11, 2026. The bishop said the dispensation was precipitated by increased immigration enforcement activity in Ohio stemming from Operation Buckeye, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiative launched Dec. 16 that is allegedly targeting “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Columbus and throughout Ohio.”
Fernandes told EWTN News on Monday that after he began receiving messages from pastors throughout his diocese informing him that Hispanic parishioners were afraid to attend Mass due to the increased enforcement by ICE officers, he asked diocesan personnel in the Office of Catholic Social Doctrine and the Hispanic ministry office to help him get a clearer picture of “what is happening on the ground.”
“They told me there were ICE trucks in front of parishes; even in front of schools,” Fernandes said. “All of a sudden, there were half or fewer attendees at the Posadas [traditional pre-Christmas] celebrations.”
He said he decided to issue the dispensation “even though I did not want to” because “people need Mass and the sacraments more than ever” and he wanted families to be together without fear for Christmas.
During a Mass he celebrated on Saturday, Dec. 20, Fernandes told EWTN News the pastor of the church remained at the front door and saw an ICE truck nearby. Because of this, the Posada [traditional pre-Christmas] procession was moved from outdoors to a hallway inside the building because “the people were too afraid to go outside.”
The procession took place inside the building. “We had a meal, there was a piñata and some celebrations,” Fernandes said. “But it was clear there were a lot of people who weren’t there.”
The bishop said he began receiving calls from pastors more than two hours from Columbus who were reporting ICE’s presence.
Sharp drops in Mass attendance
“The atmosphere of fear was keeping people away,” he said. One pastor reported that only one-third of his congregation attended weekend Mass. Another said only one-quarter were present, Fernandes said.
Of the increased enforcement against immigrants, Fernandes reflected: “It’s easy to say immigrants should have come to our country legally. But what if your parents came here illegally and you are a U.S. citizen? … What if one spouse is documented and the other is not. What’s in the best interest of their children and society at large?”
Of the Mexican population in Columbus, Fernandes said that “many are the grandchildren of the Cristeros,” resistors to the Mexican government’s attempts in the 1920s to suppress Catholicism in the country.
He said a large group of Hispanics came to the midnight Mass on Christmas at the cathedral because they did not think ICE would be there. “I think they felt safe at the cathedral.”
Fernandes said the Diocese of Columbus also has large numbers of Catholic African migrants who have “tons of children” and make up “young communities full of life and full of faith.”
Fernandes said he talked to the pastor of a multiethnic parish made up of Nigerians, Filipinos, and others, and “they’re afraid too.”
He is concerned for the Haitian community as well, whose temporary protected status (TPS) is set to expire on Feb. 3, 2026.
He said the Mass dispensation expires on Jan. 11, the end of the Christmas season, at which time he will reevaluate the situation.
Northern Ireland’s only Catholic college celebrates 125 years of training teachers
Graduates pose with their degrees at St. Mary’s University College in Belfast, Northern Ireland. / Credit: St. Mary’s University College
EWTN News, Dec 29, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
Four generations of teachers, a Nobel Prize winner, and a kicker with the New Orleans Saints are among those who have graduated from Northern Ireland’s only Catholic higher education institution.
St. Mary’s University College in Belfast is marking the 125th year of a remarkable journey that began in 1900.
Since its foundation, St. Mary’s has been synonymous with training Catholic teachers. It is rooted in a profound commitment to Catholic education, with its alumni teaching in every Catholic school in Northern Ireland and in schools around the world.
Principal Peter Finn told CNA: “At Christmastime, St. Mary’s University College in Belfast celebrates an institutional identity which reflects a Christian, explicitly faith-inspired worldview.”
“We are the only Catholic higher education institution in Northern Ireland, with an identity which is not defined by what proportion of our students are Catholic or any other denomination or none. Our identity has the core characteristics of faith and service as well as a commitment to the values of the Gospel.”
When St. Mary’s opened in 1900, Bishop Henry Henry, bishop of Down and Connor, welcomed “many intelligent, earnest young ladies from different parts of the country.” He assured them: “The good Dominican nuns placed over you will see that you will be proficient in religious knowledge, theoretical and practical.”
Finn said: “In our 125th anniversary year, we celebrate the pioneering work of our founders, Bishop Henry of Down and Connor and the Dominican sisters. We also celebrate what St. Mary’s has become today — a small, specialist, and distinctive institution of higher education in the model of a liberal arts college, which performs very highly. Key to our performance is a partnership of collaborative provision with Queen’s University, Belfast.”
The college campus is situated on the Lower Falls Road in West Belfast, a location that placed it at the very front line during the conflict in Northern Ireland. Over the decades, St. Mary’s has thrived in West Belfast, weathering global and local challenges with unwavering resolve.
Students who boarded there during World War II recalled adapting to the harsh realities of life behind heavy blackout curtains and under curfew, as fears of Nazi bombing raids loomed over Belfast. Even amid the turbulence of the Troubles, the college continued its mission, undeterred by social unrest in the surrounding streets.
St. Mary’s is embedded in the West Belfast community, which is rich in history and culture. The college attracts applicants from across Northern Ireland and beyond, now complemented by a growing international student community.
Finn explained: “There is a special place at St. Mary’s for both community and international engagement. Each year we host events and activities with over 100 community groups, and at the other level we maintain membership of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and the European Federation of Catholic Universities, as well as facilitating international student mobility.”
Finn pointed to St. Mary’s widened international links. “For example, we have established an international summer school in partnership with Féile an Phobail, which is a major community festival held annually in West Belfast during the month of August.”
“We have been delighted to welcome students from partner universities in the United States who travel here to learn about conflict resolution and the Northern Ireland peace process.”
It is for its role in training generations of educators that St. Mary’s is most famous. Since the 1980s, when the former St. Joseph’s teacher training college merged with St. Mary’s, it has educated male and female trainee teachers together. Distinguished alumni include Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney and playwright Brian Friel, author of “Dancing at Lughnasa.”
The college’s governing body is chaired by Bishop Alan McGuckian, bishop of Down and Connor and episcopal successor to founder Henry. Priests have traditionally formed part of the teaching faculty contributing to the certificate in religious education, which is an award of St. Mary’s University College, validated by the Church authority, and a requirement for Catholic primary school teachers in Northern Ireland.
Teachers educated at the college find their way to schools not only in Northern Ireland but also across the globe. The college is supplemented by a liberal arts program empowering students as they contemplate their future pathways. It also has a key role in training teachers for schools where pupils are taught through the medium of the Irish language.
One alumnus making his mark is New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth. In 2024, Smyth completed his master’s in education degree at St. Mary’s University College in Belfast, having previously graduated from the college as a primary school teacher qualified to teach through the Irish language.
As the 125th milestone is celebrated, the legacy of Henry and the founding Dominican sisters ensures St. Mary’s University College continues and endures in the achievement of its teachers in educating successive generations of Catholic children.
6 Catholic public figures who made major headlines in 2025
Pope Leo XIV, Pope Francis, Michael Iskander, Bishop Mark Seitz, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Andrea Bocelli. Credit: Vatican Media; ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images; Jason Davis/Getty Images; Hakim Shammo/EWTN News; Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem; Franco Origlia/Getty Images
ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
The year 2025 will be etched in the memory of the Catholic Church for various profoundly significant events, including the death of Pope Francis, the election of a new pontiff, and a series of testimonies of faith that resonated throughout the world.
Below we take a look back at six Catholic public figures who made major headlines this past year.
1. Pope Francis
Pope Francis passed away on April 21, Easter Monday, after a pontificate marked by pastoral closeness, defense of the poorest, and a missionary approach of reaching out to the peripheries. His legacy of mercy and dialogue left a profound mark on the universal Church, and his death was a moment of sorrow for millions.
His last act of love for the Church was on Easter Sunday, April 20, during the urbi et orbi blessing. Francis appeared on the balcony of the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to impart the blessing to the crowd of pilgrims that filled St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding area.
2. Pope Leo XIV
Elected in May following the conclave convened after the death of Pope Francis, Leo XIV began his pontificate with a strong emphasis on ecclesial communion, doctrinal continuity, and pastoral closeness to the poor. In October, he released his apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”), focused on love for the poor and the urgency of placing those most in need at the heart of the Church’s mission.
The Holy Father marked significant milestones throughout 2025, such as the canonization of contemporary saints — including Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati — his ongoing strong support for the Jubilee of Hope, and repeated calls for ecumenism, dialogue, and peace, especially during his first apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon.
3. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was one of the clearest voices of the Church amid the tragedy of war in the Holy Land. As Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, he bore witness to the suffering of Christians and civilians in Gaza and Israel, denouncing the violence and reminding everyone that Christ is present, “crucified in the wounded.” His messages to young people, the faithful, and international leaders solidified his position as a moral authority who consistently called for peace, reconciliation, and respect for human dignity.
His pastoral leadership was also expressed in concrete actions: visiting communities affected by the war, celebrating the feast of Our Lady Queen of Palestine, accompanying persecuted Christians, and traveling to the United States to raise awareness and funds for the Holy Land.
4. Bishop Mark Seitz
The bishop of El Paso, Texas, Mark Seitz, has established himself as one of the country’s strongest voices in defense of migrants. From a diocese located right on the border with Mexico, he clearly affirmed that immigration is above all a “matter of the Gospel” and not merely a political debate. His encouragement for bipartisan legislative initiatives such as the Dignity Act and his criticism of immigration policies that he considered “contrary to moral law” reflected a pastoral approach centered on human dignity, the preferential option for the poor, and the formation of consciences.
In addition, his leadership went beyond the national scene as he presented Pope Leo XIV with testimonies and letters from migrant families living in fear of deportation, a gesture that visibly moved the pontiff. He also promoted the “Cabrini Commitment” during National Migration Week and, along with his diocese, received the 2025 Pax Christi International Peace Award.
5. Michael Iskander
The American-Egyptian actor Michael Iskander, known for playing King David in the Prime Video series “House of David,” delivered one of the most inspiring testimonies of faith of the year when he converted to Catholicism in 2025.
Although he was raised in the Coptic Orthodox Church, Iskander shared that his conversion was a “calling from God” that he felt deeply after an inner experience during a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
6. Andrea Bocelli
The renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli was one of the most influential Catholic figures of 2025 thanks to his testimony of faith and his participation in key events in the life of the Church.
On Sept. 13, Bocelli sang in St. Peter’s Square during the historic “Grace for the World” concert, held at the Vatican to close the World Meeting on Human Fraternity, where he offered performances of profound spiritual content and emphasized the centrality of faith, peace, and fraternity. Days earlier, after singing before Pope Leo XIV at the inauguration of the Borgo Laudato Si’ ecological project, he stated that the Holy Father is “a beacon to guide us in these complex times.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
U.S. executions rise in 2025 amid shifting public opinion
The lethal injection chamber at the Oklahoma State Penintentiary, May 7, 2010. Credit: Josh Rushing via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Dec 29, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
A rise in executions in the United States in 2025 occurred alongside “shifting public opinion” against the death penalty, offering anti-death-penalty advocates a hopeful sign going into 2026 even amid high levels of capital punishment.
The Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit group that tracks and catalogs executions in the United States, said in its year-end report that 48 prisoners were executed in the U.S. in 2025, up from 25 the year before.
The near-100% increase in executions was driven in large part by Florida, which at 19 executions counted for about 40% of the year’s total, the group noted.
The year also saw the expanded use of a controversial method of execution, that of nitrogen gas. Louisiana and Alabama both killed two condemned prisoners using this method, which advocates have said poses the risk of a slow, agonizing death. Alabama murderer Anthony Boyd reportedly took around 20 minutes to die during his execution by gas.
South Carolina executed two inmates by firing squad, the first such executions in the U.S. in 15 years. Lawyers alleged that one of those executions was botched, leading to the inmate suffering before dying.
The U.S. Supreme Court, meanwhile, “denied every request to stay an execution” in 2025, the Death Penalty Information Center noted, while several states passed laws expanding the death penalty or otherwise supporting it.
Public opinion shifts against death penalty; new death sentences decline
Though executions were up in 2025, data indicate a growing public opposition to the death penalty, both in poll numbers and in the declining number of prisoners condemned to death in the United States.
The Death Penalty Information Center noted that new death sentences were down in 2025, declining to 22 from 24, with “only 14 juries nationwide” reaching unanimous death verdicts.
Though the decline was relatively small, it reflects a decades-long overall trend in the reduction of death sentences in the U.S., which peaked at 325 in 1986.
A Gallup poll this year, meanwhile, found that public support for the death penalty reached a 50-year low of 52%, while 44% of Americans oppose the death penalty, the highest level recorded since 1966.
A majority of those under 55, meanwhile, oppose the death penalty.
The shift suggests changing opinions in a country known for its relatively high levels of executions. The U.S. ranked third in 2023 for the number of executions in countries where that number was known.
And while countries such as China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia regularly record significantly more executions than the U.S., many of the United States’ traditional geopolitical allies outlaw executions entirely, including effectively all of Western Europe.
A near-majority of U.S. states outlaw executions, which could help to explain decreasing public support for the practice.
Yet while opinion is shifting, Catholics notably remain largely supportive of the practice: A November poll from EWTN News and RealClear Opinion Research found a majority of Catholic voters in the U.S. support it.
‘Vengeance’s empty promises’
Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, the executive director for the anti-death penalty group Catholic Mobilizing Network, admitted that 2025 was a “tough year” for pro-life advocates looking to abolish capital punishment in the U.S.
“We started off the year on a high note,” she told CNA, pointing to former President Joe Biden’s December 2024 commutations of 37 federal prisoners on death row. The beginning of the Catholic Church’s jubilee year, meanwhile, offered a spiritual bolster to life advocates.
But “executions have been happening at breakneck speed” in 2025, she said.
“The Trump administration was talking about the death penalty from day one,” she said. “They haven’t been able to do much in terms of executions [at the federal level], but it’s kind of permeated things and given political cover to elected officials in states.”
Murphy acknowledged that Florida carried out “the lion’s share” of executions in 2025. “I’ve talked to almost every Catholic bishop in the state of Florida,” she said. “They’re stumped. It’s very troubling.”
Like many bishops in the U.S., the Florida bishops regularly petition the state government to commute death sentences, though to no avail. The last clemency granted by an executive in Florida was in 1983, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Executive clemency is somewhat rare in the U.S., though at times it has been used dramatically, including Biden’s mass clemency order as well as North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s commutation of 15 death row cases at the end of 2024.
In spite of the grim execution numbers in 2025, Murphy admitted there are “encouraging signs” for life advocates.
“The jubilee year has been a true reminder that our compass, our North Star, is life — the sanctity of life,” she said. “There’s something about a jubilee year and about the promise it holds. It has exposed vengeance’s empty promises.”
She pointed out that the executions being carried today are actually reflective of “the standard of three decades ago.”
“When you look at the sentencing of the average person being executed today, that sentence happened 25, 30 years ago,” she said. “When you look at the number of death sentences now, it’s low.” She pointed to the well-documented decline in death sentences both this year and overall from decades before.
Murphy said life advocates are looking to 2026 to continue those encouraging trends. Catholic Mobilizing Network in December joined a broad coalition of more than 50 organizations seeking to end the death penalty in the United States.
Activists are generally required to “go state by state” in their efforts to abolish the death penalty, Murphy said. She pointed to promising abolition efforts in Ohio and Oklahoma, among others.
One of the Catholic group’s key focuses, she said, is in speaking to younger generations.
“Young people don’t have the baggage around the death penalty that some older generations might,” she said. “We’re bringing exonerees and murder victim family members to campuses and younger communities and helping them really grab onto the issue and make it their own.”
“Young people are sometimes our best advocates,” she said. “They have lots of energy and a real commitment to a broad consistent life ethic.”
Among the more notable developments in death penalty advocacy in recent years was the Catholic Church’s 2018 update of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that declared the death penalty “inadmissible” and stated that the Church seeks its abolition around the world.
Pope Francis regularly spoke out against the death penalty, while Pope Leo XIV has signaled his own opposition to it. In September he said support for the death penalty is “not really pro-life,” a remark that drew controversy even as it appeared to line up with the catechism’s directive.
Elsewhere, Church leaders have turned to Catholic tradition as part of efforts to abolish the death penalty. In August the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops called for a novena asking the faithful to pray for an end to Florida’s death penalty.
Murphy acknowledged that the 2018 catechism revision “threw some people,” though she said there are opportunities at hand for Catholics to evangelize on the need to save the lives of those condemned to die.
“There’s catechesis we need to do, and formation, about how we can be reconcilers and restorers,” she said. “It’s Jesus’ way. But we need to spend time walking with one another and figuring this out together.”
Pope Leo XIV sends 3 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for recitation of the Angelus on Dec. 28, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Dec 28, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has sent three trucks carrying humanitarian aid to parts of Ukraine hit hardest by bombardments, where residents are facing severe shortages of electricity, water, and heat.
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the pope’s almoner, disclosed the delivery to Vatican media on Dec. 27, saying the convoy carried special food that can be dissolved in a small amount of water to produce energy-rich soups with chicken and vegetables.
Krajewski described the shipment as a small gesture of closeness from the pope to Ukrainian families on the feast of the Holy Family, celebrated Dec. 28.
The trucks, he said, arrived in the Vatican shortly before Christmas loaded with supplies donated by South Korean food company Samyang Foods. As had happened on previous occasions, including during the pontificate of Pope Francis, the aid was then redirected to war zones most severely affected by strikes, where basic utilities are often unavailable.
Krajewski said the delivery underscores that the pope not only prays for peace but also wants to be concretely present with families who are suffering.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Pope Leo XIV urges families to keep the flame of love alive
Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the recitation of the Angelus on Dec. 28, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Dec 28, 2025 / 08:30 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged Christian families to “cherish the values of the Gospel” and protect the “flame of love” in their homes against modern myths of success, power, and comfort that he said often leave people isolated and divided.
Speaking to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square before the Angelus on Dec. 28, the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the pope reflected on the Gospel account of the family’s flight into Egypt and contrasted the trust of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with what he called the fear-driven cruelty of King Herod.
“It is a moment of trial for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Leo said, adding that “the bright image of Christmas is suddenly almost eclipsed by the disturbing shadow of a deadly threat.”
The pope described Herod as “a cruel and bloodthirsty man” who is “deeply lonely and gripped with the fear of being deposed.” After hearing from the Magi that the “king of the Jews” had been born, Herod “decrees that all children of the same age as Jesus should be killed,” the pope said.
“In Bethlehem there is light and joy,” Leo noted, recalling the shepherds who “have glorified God before the manger,” but he said “none of this can penetrate the armored defenses of the royal palace, except as a distorted echo of a threat to be stifled with blind violence.”
Against that backdrop, the pope said the Holy Family reveals “the only possible answer of salvation,” namely, “God who, in total gratuitousness, gives himself to men without reserve and without pretension.”
Leo pointed to St. Joseph’s obedience in protecting Mary and Jesus, saying that “the gesture of Joseph is revealed in all its redemptive significance.” He added: “In Egypt, the flame of domestic love, to which the Lord has entrusted his presence in the world, grows and gains strength in order to bring light to the whole world.”
Turning to families today, the pope warned that “the world always has its ‘Herods,’ its myths of success at any cost, of unscrupulous power, of empty and superficial well-being” and said societies often “pay the price in the form of loneliness, despair, divisions, and conflicts.”
“Let us not allow these mirages to suffocate the flame of love in Christian families,” he said.
Instead, Leo urged families to cultivate “prayer, frequent reception of the sacraments, especially confession and Communion, healthy affections, sincere dialogue, fidelity, and the simple and beautiful concreteness of everyday words and gestures.” He said such family life can make homes “a light of hope for the places in which we live; a school of love and an instrument of salvation in God’s hands.”
After the Angelus, the pope greeted pilgrims from several Italian parishes and groups. He also renewed his appeal for peace, asking Catholics to remember those suffering because of conflict.
“In the light of the Nativity of the Lord, let us continue to pray for peace,” he said. “Today, in particular, let us pray for families suffering because of war, especially for children, elderly, and the most vulnerable.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Vatican expert: Co-Redemptrix title of Mary not absolutely prohibited
Monsignor Maurizio Gronchi. Credit: EWTN Noticias
Dec 28, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
Monsignor Maurizio Gronchi, an expert consultant for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, clarified that the measure established last month regarding the use of the titles “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix” for the Virgin Mary is “not an absolute prohibition” and that these titles can still be used in popular piety, provided their meaning is understood.
“It’s not an absolute prohibition, but it will no longer be used in official documents or in the liturgy. But if used in popular devotion, understanding its meaning, no one will be reprimanded for it,” the expert said in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.
The interview took place after the Nov. 4 publication of the doctrinal note “ Mother of the Faithful People” in which the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, led by Cardinal Víctor Fernández, stated that the use of the title “Co-Redemptrix” is “always inappropriate” and encourages “special prudence” regarding the title “Mediatrix of All Graces.” The text has sparked controversy among the faithful, especially among those who use these terms within the Catholic Church.
Gronchi explained that “the issue is an old one. This problem has been discussed for 99 years, since 1926. We have studied it on several occasions, and the dicastery has received numerous requests for clarification regarding these terms. These titles present a problem. There is a risk of obscuring, of not clearly explaining that the centrality of the paschal mystery of salvation lies in Jesus Christ.”
“For this reason,” the expert indicated, “now is the time to clarify these titles, so that when it is said that they have been used in the past, it will mean that it was done inappropriately. It doesn’t mean that it was wrong, but rather that a definition of these titles was not yet mature and clear.”
The consultant emphasized that the pontifical document is a doctrinal note that “deepens, clarifies, and states that these terms are not appropriate, they are not opportune, simply because Mary participates in the redemption, she collaborates in the redemption, but not in the same way as Jesus.”
After noting that the Virgin Mary is like the moon reflecting the light of the sun, a symbol of Jesus, Gronchi said that “Mary gives birth to Jesus, but on the cross, Jesus dies, not Mary. Mary participates with her heart, with her affection, with all that she is, but it is a participation that the document calls dispositive, meaning that Mary disposes us to receive the grace of Christ, but she is not the source of grace, nor the mediatrix of all graces.”
What does he say to those who are confused?
When asked what he would say to those who are confused by the new Vatican document, the expert stated that “they shouldn’t feel any confusion. They should pray to Mary and they should pray to her with the holy rosary. The rosary contains the mysteries of the life of Jesus; therefore, one prays to Mary by meditating on the mysteries of the life of Jesus.”
“This is the simplest, most popular devotion, the one that leads to heaven. The saints have already said it, and we pray to Mary with serenity. If we wish, we can also use the Litany of Loreto, which has very beautiful titles; there is no need to add anything else,” Gronchi emphasized.
“What we must say about Mary,” he concluded, “is that she is the mother of the Lord, the mother of God, the mother of the Church, the mother of the faithful people who accompany us and guide us with tenderness and great love.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
2025 saw expanded access to physician-assisted suicide
Empty wheelchairs were used during a Nov. 4, 2025, anti-assisted suicide event in Rome. | Credit: Photo courtesy of ProVita & Famiglia
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 28, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Despite opposition from advocacy groups and Catholic leaders, multiple states and countries advanced legislation in 2025 to expand access to physician-assisted suicide.
Delaware
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed a bill in May legalizing physician-assisted suicidefor terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live. The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, allowing patients to self-administer lethal medication.
After the bill was signed, several disability and patient advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Delaware on Dec. 8 alleging that the law discriminates against people with disabilities.
Illinois
The House passed a bill in May to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Illinois, and it stalled in the Senate during the regular session. After it was taken up during the fall veto session, senators passed it on Oct. 31.
The bill, which allows doctors to give terminally ill patients life-ending drugs if they request them, was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Dec. 12. The law “ignores the very real failures in access to quality care that drive vulnerable people to despair,” according to the Catholic Conference of Illinois.
Illinois joined states that permit the practice including California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia.
New York
The New York State Assembly advanced an assisted suicide measure in May, which Cardinal Timothy Dolan called “a disaster waiting to happen.” Despite calls from Catholic bishops, the New York Legislature passed the “ Medical Aid in Dying Act” in June.
The legislation is expected to be signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Colorado
Assisted suicide has been legal in Colorado since 2016. In June 2025, a coalition of advocacy groups sued the state over its assisted suicide law, claiming the statute is unconstitutional for allegedly discriminating against those who suffer from disabilities.
The suit was filed on June 30 in U.S. district court by organizations including Not Dead Yet and the Institute for Patients’ Rights. It calls Colorado’s assisted suicide regime “a deadly and discriminatory system that steers people with life-threatening disabilities away from necessary lifesaving and preserving mental health care.”
France
The National Assembly approved a bill in May that would allow certain terminally ill adults to receive lethal medication. The bill passed with 305 votes in favor and 199 against.
In a statement released after the vote, the French Bishops’ Conference expressed its “deep concern” over the so-called “right to assistance in dying.”
United Kingdom
British lawmakers in the House of Commons passed a bill in June to legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients in England and Wales.
In order to become law, the bill must pass the second chamber of Parliament, the unelected House of Lords. The Lords can amend legislation, but because the bill has the support of the Commons, it is likely to pass.
Uruguay
Legislators in Uruguay passed a bill in August to legalize euthanasia in the country. In October, Uruguay’s Parliament approved the “Dignified Death Bill,” making the bill law and allowing adults in the terminal stage of a disease to request euthanasia.
Canada
A Cardus Health report released in September found the legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada led to disproportionately high rates of premature deaths among vulnerable groups.
MAID passed in 2012 with safeguards and provisions that the report said Canada has not upheld. It said: “Those who died from MAID were more likely to have been living with a disability than those who did not die from MAID, even though both groups had similar medical conditions and experienced diminished capability.”
People suffering from mental illness are also dying by assisted suicide at disproportionate rates, the report said.
Italian family preserves 300-year tradition of handmade Nativity scenes
Bottega Ferrigno is located in the iconic “Christmas Alley,” part of the southern Italian city of Naples’ historic San Gregorio Armeno neighborhood. | Credit: Gianpiero Passalia/EWTN News
Rome Newsroom, Dec 28, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
On a small street in the center of Naples, Italy, artisans like Giovanni Giudice work to preserve the custom of handcrafted Neapolitan Nativity scenes, a tradition dating back more than 300 years.
“The story of the Neapolitan Nativity scene begins with the Bourbon domination, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and between them … a competition of who made the most beautiful and unique Nativity scene,” Giudice, a third-generation artisan, told Valentina Di Donato of EWTN News. “So from there, the whole story began here in Naples.”
Giudice’s Nativity workshop, Bottega Ferrigno, located in the iconic “Christmas Alley,” part of the southern Italian city’s historic San Gregorio Armeno neighborhood, has been around for more than 120 years.
“Here, just walking these streets you return to being a child,” the craftsman said. “You live the warmth of the birth of Jesus Christ. The Nativity scenes that were made when you were little, we try to transmit this tradition to our children, even if the youth of today are really focused on innovation, and maybe it’s getting a little out of hand.”
“But we have to do everything possible to help them learn these skills too and honor these things,” he said.
Neapolitan Nativity scenes reflect the style and dress of the 1700s in Naples, the century in which they became popularized by the nobles of the era, who would commission well-known artists of the time to create the elaborate scenes for display in their homes.
Another unique aspect of a Neapolitan Nativity, Giudice pointed out, is that “it brings everyday life into the Nativity scene.”
Beyond the typical figures of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and shepherds, in a Neapolitan Nativity scene, one can also find statuettes of ordinary people going about their daily lives.
The pieces are made from hand-molded terracotta that is then hand-painted before fabric clothing is attached.
“This is very particular work. It’s born totally out of passion,” Giudice said. He explained that on one side of the scene is the birth of Jesus, the most important part, and then around it are characters such as a fish vendor or a person selling cheese: “Everyday people living everyday life.”
The “Gobbo Scio Scio” is a characteristic figure found in the Neapolitan Nativity — the beggar is considered a good luck charm in Naples.
Another distinctive piece is Pulcinella, a masked character from comedic theater and a universal symbol of Naples. Craftsmen began to include Pulcinella in their Nativity scenes in the 18th century as a sign of joy and lightheartedness.
Situated between the “profane” characters and the Holy Family, there is the “purification,” the artisan Giudice said. “It’s represented through a fountain or a waterfall — there must be water, because water purifies from the profane to the sacred.”
“The faces here [in Naples] are particular, grotesque even!” Giudice said. “And sometimes we use them and transform them into our shepherds, turning those faces into our Nativity scene characters. Of course, the older people here give us so much inspiration. Those faces have so much history.”
“Naples is a fantastic city. A city full of inspiration, full of culture. The stones here are hundreds of years old — they speak.”
Chile’s president-elect on the decision that changed his life forever
José Antonio Kast | Credit: Photo courtesy of Goya Productions
Dec 27, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
In an exclusive 2024 interview with Goya Producciones for the documentary “ Valientes” (Brave Ones), the now president-elect of Chile, José Antonio Kast, addressed topics such as defending life, his family history, and the problem of leftist ideological imposition on society.
Discussing both his personal background and political career, Kast asserted that young people “have the power to bring about change” and put an end to individualistic societies that lead to loneliness.
The decision that allowed him to be born
A staunch defender of life from conception, Kast — the youngest of 10 siblings — shared a “very important” personal story that shaped his family’s future: “When my mother had her second child, she suffered from eclampsia [a serious pregnancy complication], and they raised the possibility that she wouldn’t be able to have any more children,” he recounted.
His father believed that wasn’t right, and despite the risk to his wife’s life, he told her: “I believe God doesn’t want that for us.” That determination allowed them to have eight more children, including Kast. Without that decision, “I wouldn’t have been born,” he noted.
“My parents are German immigrants, and we have an extended family of almost 200 people. My mother’s first two children passed away. Therefore, none of this would have been possible, and that leaves a lasting impression on you from a young age,” he emphasized.
“Thanks to that decision, I’m here; thanks to that decision, I met my wife. Thanks to that decision, we were able to have nine children. Thanks to that, today we are expecting our third grandchild,” he commented.
“It’s amazing how one decision can affect the lives of so many,” he reflected.
With his wife, María Pía Adriasola, he has nine children, born from the conviction of “being open to life.”
“God accompanied us in that decision, and today we are happy parents of nine children,” he said, “and we couldn’t imagine life without any of them.”
Political trajectory
In his early days in politics, he recalled, he wasn’t “a great communicator,” but through hard work he became a congressman, a party leader, and a presidential candidate, “always being very clear about things, never deceiving people, never falsifying my position,” and with the purpose of “winning people’s hearts, whatever the result may be.”
His continued involvement in politics was a family decision that he discussed with his wife and children, based on the premise that “he who has a mission must fulfill it.”
Analyzing Chile’s sociopolitical landscape at the time (prior to the 2025 elections) Kast pointed out that “leftist ideology has been gaining increasing influence in governments, promoting laws that go against life and against the family as constituted by a man and a woman.”
He warned about the imposition of an agenda that, in the case of Chile, legalized abortion on three grounds and “seeks to change the constitution” by decriminalizing abortion up to the ninth month, based on a misinterpretation of the concept of a woman’s autonomy over her own body. “She is not the owner of the body of another being that is inside her,” Kast explained.
“Generally, I don’t use religious arguments to defend the pro-life stance, because there is ample evidence from the nature of human beings, from science, and from the fact that life begins at conception,” he stated, expressing hope that “the future depends on us” because “the nature of human beings is on our side.”
In this context, Kast has faced violence, intolerance, and the cancellation by those who think differently. “As a politician in my early years, it was mostly verbal violence from those who thought differently,” he recalled.
“Some people mixed things up because they would say, ‘No, you’re speaking from a religious perspective.’ And I would tell them, ‘I’m not speaking from a religious perspective; I’m speaking from a scientific perspective, from the nature of the human being, because the moment you were conceived, at that very moment, the characteristics you exhibit to society today were already present.’” That, he recalled, “was met with verbal violence in Parliament.”
“Later, they began influencing other environments. And on some occasions, I have experienced severe physical violence,” he recounted, detailing situations in which he suffered fractures and needed police protection. “You always feel fear, but I have never had the intention of backing down.”
Kast lamented that the young people who commit these acts of aggression “are instruments in the hands of an ideologue.” Therefore, he said, “I don’t feel resentment, I don’t feel hatred; I sometimes feel frustration at not being able to be with these people individually to explain to them the joy one feels when giving of oneself to save another, and they would feel the same way if they had the opportunity to experience the richness that exists in human nature.“
Recognizing the struggle between good and evil
Kast then proceeded to speak out against “a kind of empire that is beginning to dominate the actions of society,” coordinated with vast financial resources, so that “violence is being used to create a new kind of human being.”
Although he has seen “an ideological totalitarianism” that aims at canceling the individual, Kast noted that ideology “will never be able to overcome the nature of the human being, which seeks freedom, transcendence, the preservation of life, and love between people.”
“We don’t have the resources, but we do have a voice, we do have heart ... and that strength is more powerful than money,” he emphasized, really wishing that people would wake up and “realize that we must occupy all the spaces we have to act in, that with the power of the Spirit one can defeat the spirit of evil, because ultimately this is a struggle between good and evil.”
Evidence much stronger than ideology
“There is no good value that seeks the death of another. There is no good value that seeks the disintegration of the family, which is the fundamental nucleus of society,” Kast emphasized. “Two women can love each other. Two women can live together. Two women can work together. But two women by themselves cannot procreate. The same is true for two men,” he explained.
“What I always propose and try to promote is that people consider the evidence. And that evidence is much stronger than ideology,” he indicated.
Left has been ‘very clever’ at appropriating causes
Kast acknowledged that the left has been “very clever” because it has appropriated causes such as the environment, women’s rights, and health, and used them to its advantage. However, he asked: “Who cares more about the environment? The leftist ideology or those of us who believe in life? We do.”
“Who defends people with disabilities more? Who truly cares about them? Those of us who believe in life. The others use their suffering to say, ‘They are discriminated against,’” he stated.
“The Indigenous cause is used by the ideological left to claim that they have been oppressed and repressed, which may have been true 100, 200, or 300 years ago, but today we are all part of the same nation. We have equal value. Today, there are more slaves in the world than when slavery was legal. Who is fighting against this slavery of children whose rights are violated? Who is fighting against the slavery of women who are victims of human trafficking? We are, because we believe in life and in freedom.”
‘Don’t wait for someone else to do what you can do’
To those who from the comfort of their homes declare “Someone has to do something,” the Chilean leader responded: “Don’t wait for someone else to do what you can do. What are you doing with your children? Do you dedicate time to them, or are you always busy? Because the root of this problem lies in the family,” he pointed out, urging people to set aside time exclusively for their spouses and children.
In this context, he highlighted a Chilean tradition called “dating Tuesdays,” which he himself practices with his wife every week, and which consists of “two hours a week of direct, face-to-face conversation, looking each other in the eyes, with no one else around.”
In this way, “a solid foundation is built for what is the core of the family, the union of the couple. If the couple is doing well, it’s more likely that the children and their environment will also be doing well,” he summarized. “And then it’s easier to go out and motivate others, because I can’t give what I don’t have,” he added.
‘Abortion is murdering an innocent person’
“You can see in Chile that what I was saying 20 years ago was the same as today,” Kast said. “I still say the same thing. And that’s why I'm closer to convincing people today.”
“In the coming years, how many people will realize that abortion is murdering an innocent person? How many people in 20 years will say, ‘What did we do to these children, giving them up for adoption to same-sex couples?’ Those children have the right to know their identity.”
“Just as the radical left, through its ideology, often captures the hearts and minds of young people, we, without trying to control them, but appealing to their freedom, are certain that they will be the force for change. Because these individualistic societies lead to loneliness. And man is a social being who seeks connection, who seeks joy,” Kast pointed out.
“It is young people who are the first to rebel against state totalitarianism. It is young people who are the first to realize that modern welfare systems, those governments that are gradually seizing complete power, turn their citizens into slaves of the welfare state,” he maintained. Therefore, he expressed his hope “that it will be young people who reverse the situation we are experiencing today.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.