Pope Leo XIV laments ‘growing deterioration’ of the Amazon’s natural environment
Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to the participants of the sixth assembly of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA, by its Spanish acronym). The region is the largest tropical rainforest on the planet, covering an area of approximately 2.59 million square miles shared by nine South American countries. The pontiff lamented the “growing deterioration” of the natural environment.
“You have made me keenly aware of the sufferings and hopes of the region’s inhabitants, as well as the growing deterioration of their natural environment. To all those suffering from this situation, I wish to express my closeness,” the pope said in the message for the gathering, which is being held in Bogotá from March 17–19 and which marks a new step in the ecclesial journey of the Amazon region.
The gathering brings together pastors, men and women religious, and lay faithful from the Amazonian territories with the aim of laying the foundations to promote synodality within local Churches during the 2026–2030 period, foundations that could serve as an instrument to guide the evangelizing mission in the Amazonian territory.
The pontiff also referenced another key part of the meeting: the election of the presidency of the CEAMA for the 2026–2030 term.
He noted that the new team’s tasks will include continuing to advance the implementation of the Synod for the Amazon and preparing contributions drawn from the Amazonian experience for the ecclesial assembly scheduled to take place in Rome in 2028.
“Know that I accompany you with my prayers in this important step,” assured the pope, who also described the assembly as “a privileged time of listening to the Holy Spirit” to discern the path of Christian communities in the Amazon region.
In this regard, he cited Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonía, recalling that the Church’s mission is to proclaim “a God who loves every human being infinitely, a love he has fully manifested in Christ.”
‘Something new is being born’
The participants in CEAMA’s sixth assembly have chosen as their theme a verse from the prophet Isaiah: “I am about to do something new: It is already springing forth, do you not perceive it?” (Is 43:19).
The pope revisited this image to highlight the process currently underway within the Amazonian Church. “It’s true: Something new is being born; it is still fragile, but it is already in process,” he affirmed.
To illustrate this, he drew upon the image of the “shihuahuaco” — known as the “giant of the jungle” — a tree that grows slowly but can live for over a thousand years and become an ecosystem in itself, serving as a sanctuary for numerous species.
Through this metaphor, the pope explained that the Church must “be a sign of unity in diversity and a safe haven that generates and protects life.”
Furthermore, he noted that the current context demands an “adequate response to the numerous social, environmental, cultural, and ecclesial challenges that persist in the Amazon — a region threatened by situations of abuse and exploitation.” In this context, he made reference to the passion flower, “whose distinctive shape makes a striking allusion to the passion of Christ” and which the participants have chosen as the symbol of the assembly.
“It represents the prophetic role of the Church and of all its members — each according to their own mission: to proclaim the ‘kerygma’ [Gospel message] and new life in Christ, to accompany those who suffer, and to safeguard creation and respect for life in all its forms, especially human life,” he stated.
A Church with an Amazonian face
Another objective of the ecclesial conference, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, is to advance toward the construction of a Church with an “Amazonian face,” one of the great aspirations that emerged during the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region.
According to the Holy Father, this process is achieved through the inculturation of the faith, which allows the Church to be enriched by new cultural expressions and to manifest the mystery of Christ with greater fullness.
However, he warned that it is a demanding path. “Inculturation is a difficult, yet necessary, path,” he affirmed, encouraging the participants to “courageously embrace the newness of the Spirit, capable of always creating something new with the inexhaustible treasure of Jesus Christ.”
At the conclusion of his message, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the Amazonian communities to continue strengthening the identity of missionary disciples in the region, recalling the witness of so many men and women who gave their lives for the Gospel in those territories.
“I encourage you to press forward together — pastors and faithful alike — in strengthening the identity of missionary disciples in the Amazon. Continue sowing in the furrow that has been watered even with the blood of so many men and women who have preceded you, and who, united to the passion of Christ, have become the root of a ‘giant tree’ growing in the Amazon,” the pontiff said.
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.
House bill targets environmental impact of chemical abortion and doctors’ role in the process
A recent bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would regulate abortion pills due to their potential environmental impact.
The Clean Water for All Life Act would also require a physician to be present for the chemical abortion and a “catch kit” for contaminated blood and aborted tissue. It would also require an in-person exam to prescribe abortion pills.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois, is designed to address claims that chemical abortion procedures may contribute to environmental contamination. Supporters say the bill would tighten disposal requirements, while critics question the science behind those concerns.
“The murder-for-profit abortion industry is not only ending innocent life but is also polluting our water, endangering women, and operating with virtually no accountability,” Miller said at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on March 18. “Every year, more than 50 tons of chemically contaminated medical waste, including blood, placental tissue, and the remains of preborn children are flushed into America’s water systems as a direct result of chemical abortion pills.”
In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration did an environmental assessment of mifepristone tablets and found “no significant impact.”
The drug was first approved for chemical abortions in 2000, however, and mifepristone-induced abortions now account for more than 60% of abortions in the U.S., not including un-facilitated abortions, such as mail-order abortions in states where chemical abortions are illegal, many of which go unrecorded.
A Students for Life of America report claims that “more than 50 tons of abortion pollution and human remains enter our water system every year,” including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) that affect hormones.
Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins spoke about the research on “EWTN News Nightly” on March 17.
“What we have found through our own research is that in three metropolitan areas where we tested the water, the three active metabolites that are only found in the chemical abortion drug mifepristone are actually in our drinking water,” Hawkins said.
Mifepristone, a synthetic hormone, blocks the reception of progesterone, a hormone essential for maintaining pregnancy. When mifepristone is taken during pregnancy, it prevents the unborn child from receiving vital nutrients, causing an abortion.
“Chemical abortions are the leading cause of infant death in our country,” Hawkins said. “You’re talking over 700,000 abortions a year are happening this way.”
Miller called the issue “a growing and deeply alarming public health and environmental crisis.”
“Our water systems were never designed to filter these toxic substances,” Miller said. “The fact is, the abortion pill ingredients used to starve a preborn child remain active and unfiltered in our water treatments. That means families across the nation may be unknowingly ingesting abortion-related chemicals in their drinking water, exposing them to potential health risks like infertility and cancer.”
“Innocent life should never be discarded as waste; our environment should not be contaminated; and women deserve full transparency about the dangers of the abortion pill,” Miller said. “When women are fully informed of the harms of chemical abortion pills, I believe they are far more more likely to choose life, sparing not only the life of their unborn child but also preserving the health of our population.”
“This is more than about policy; it’s about protecting life, defending public health, and holding an industry accountable for its actions that has led to the death of millions,” Miller said.
Catholic legal group ‘hopes and prays’ Supreme Court will side with Haitian, Syrian migrants
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), which works closely with the U.S. bishops, told EWTN News that it “hopes and prays” the U.S. Supreme Court will order President Donald Trump’s administration to keep protections in place for Syrian and Haitian migrants.
On March 16, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a lawsuit that challenges the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to revoke temporary protected status (TPS) for migrants from Haiti and Syria.
The court ordered that the protections will remain in place for the time being, until the justices make a final decision. This prevents deportations while the case is litigated. The court will hear oral arguments in the last week of April.
More than 300,000 Haitians and more than 6,000 Syrians are protected from removal based on the TPS status but would lose the ability to live and work in the United States if it is ultimately terminated.
“CLINIC hopes and prays that the Supreme Court recognizes that the administration cannot abuse its executive authority and play with human lives,” Elnora Bassey, a policy attorney for CLINIC, told EWTN News.
Bassey said “this constant back-and-forth” between the administration and the courts has put migrants who rely on those protections “in a state of despair as their future remains unknown.”
“The administration’s lawless attempts to interfere with humanitarian protections for immigrants must come to an end, and they must adhere to the legal process set in place to ensure the integrity of that process remains intact,” Bassey said.
“Immigrants, just like all other human beings, ought to be treated with dignity and respect, and the administration must follow the law of the land and provide humanitarian protections rather than disregard the plain language of the statute to protect vulnerable human beings,” she said.
The lawsuit comes as the Trump administration seeks to revoke TPS status for migrants from nearly a dozen countries, action that has faced legal challenges. These moves are part of Trump’s broader efforts to restrict immigration and enforce mass deportations.
Andrew Arthur, former immigration judge and resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), told EWTN News he is “reasonably sure” the Supreme Court will ultimately side with the Trump administration in the lawsuit.
He said the court’s decision to allow the TPS designation to remain in place until the case is settled “keeps everybody in place until the decision is made.”
“It basically maintains the status quo until the case is completed, to err on the side of caution,” Arthur said.
He said he believes the Trump administration will prevail because law permits TPS designations to be offered in response to a “substantial but temporary disruption of living conditions” that prevents people from returning to their home countries safely. He said it’s “meant for a very short period of time.”
Arthur said conditions in Syria are more stable than amid the 2012 designation during the civil war. Haiti’s issues, he said, are more long-standing and Haiti is “no more dangerous … than it was 10 years ago.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) declined to comment on this specific development and referred to previous statements in which the bishops have urged the administration to keep TPS status in place.
Specifically regarding Haiti, USCCB Committee on Migration Chair Bishop Brendan Cahill and Committee on International Justice and Peace Bishop A. Elias Zaidan issued a joint statement in January that said “there is simply no realistic opportunity for the safe and orderly return of people.”
Jurors given piano performance, crash course in music as part of copyright suit over Catholic hymns
A years-old copyright lawsuit over Catholic hymns saw jurors in Oregon this week receive a crash course in music reading along with a livestreamed performance of the songs at the center of the dispute.
The suit, originally filed by American Catholic composer Vincent Ambrosetti in May 2020, accuses songwriter Bernadette Farrell and Oregon Catholic Press of copyright infringement against Ambrosetti’s 1980 hymn “Emmanuel.”
The suit alleges that Farrell’s 1993 hymn “Christ Be Our Light” illegally copied elements of “Emmanuel,” with Ambrosetti arguing for a “striking similarity” between the two songs.
Part of Farrell’s work contains “the same notes, the same key, and the same time signature,” the suit alleges.
The suit was dismissed in March 2024, with U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut arguing that Ambrosetti had not shown that the defendants had had “access” to his song prior to writing their own song or that there was a “striking similarity” between the two works.
But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit reversed that decision in August 2025, reviving the lawsuit and arguing that there were “genuine issues of material fact” regarding the similarity of the songs.
The appeals court noted that in 1985, Oregon Catholic Press then-publisher Owen Alstott allegedly met Ambrosetti at a convention, where Ambrosetti gave Alstott a copy of “Emmanuel.” Alstott would go on to meet and eventually marry Farrell.
The trial began anew on March 16. The Oregonian reported that the panel of eight jurors were instructed on several basic principles of musical comprehension, including how to read music, “how to distinguish between a quarter note and a half note,” and “how many beats each measure holds.”
Lawrence Ferrara, a professor of music at New York University, also performed several musical samples of the disputed works via video during the trial.
Ferrara has participated in court proceedings and copyright disputes for decades, including analysis and professional opinion. In a February preliminary report filed to the court he pointed to similarities in the two songs that he said provide “strong objective musicological evidence of copying.”
Ambrosetti in his 2020 lawsuit said he had sent an infringement notice to the plaintiffs alleging the copyright violation but that they continued to use their song, leading to his filing the suit. The trial is expected to continue through the week.
Catholic ethicists file amicus brief backing Anthropic in Pentagon dispute
A group of Catholic moral theologians and ethicists have filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in federal court in support of Anthropic, an American artificial intelligence (AI) company that is suing the Department of Defense over the Pentagon’s insistence that it should be free to use Anthropic’s AI products without restriction, including for mass surveillance and autonomous weaponry.
Anthropic, creator of the widely adopted AI assistant Claude, ran afoul of the Pentagon’s leadership late last month when its CEO, Dario Amodei, told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the company refused “in good conscience” to allow Claude to be used specifically for those purposes.
In addition to Anthropic subsequently losing a $200 million contract with the Defense Department, Hegseth announced Anthropic would be designated a “supply chain risk” — a first for an American company. President Donald Trump has directed all government agencies to halt the use of Anthropic’s products within six months. Fearing financial annihilation, Anthropic on March 9 filed two lawsuits against the Department of Defense, challenging the “supply chain risk” designation as an inappropriate retaliation.
The falling out between Anthropic and the Pentagon sparked a major debate on the ethics and morality of AI, with many commentators expressing appreciation for Anthropic’s decision to make a principled stand against the government’s demands.
In the brief filed March 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, the group of 14 Catholic scholars — including professors, authors, and at least one priest, Legionary Father Michael Baggot — said the teaching of the Catholic Church supports Anthropic’s decision to reject the Pentagon’s demands on its technology related to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.
“Anthropic, in the red lines it has drawn for the use of its products on domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons systems, sought to uphold minimal standards of ethical conduct for technical progress. In doing so, Anthropic was acting as a responsible and moral corporate citizen, not as a threat to the safety of the American supply chain,” the authors of the brief wrote.
The substance of the brief was written by four scholars: Charles Camosy, an associate professor of moral theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.; Joseph Vukov, an associate professor of philosophy and the associate director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago; Brian J.A. Boyd, a moral theologian; and Brian Patrick Green, a lecturer in ethics at the Graduate School of Engineering at Santa Clara University, a Catholic institution in California.
‘A threat for man and for the world’
In the brief, the scholars note that Anthropic has said it is not categorically opposed to the idea of autonomous weaponry or mass surveillance; rather, the company believes its systems are not yet “sufficiently reliable, interpretable, or controllable to be entrusted with decisions that directly take a human life without human oversight, or to conduct population-scale surveillance.”
While the scholars indicated agreement with Anthropic on the criticisms of such systems’ reliability, they stressed that the Catholic tradition has “consistently emphasized that decisions affecting human life, freedom, and dignity must remain the responsibility of human actors and that not every technically feasible or legally permissible use of a tool is therefore appropriate,” and that “when technology is capable of violating life, dignity, and freedom, it is reasonable to draw clear boundaries around its use.”
On the topic of mass surveillance, the scholars note that the Church’s teaching on the right to privacy is rooted in the dignity of every human person. A widespread surveillance regime by the military would undermine the dignity of those being surveilled, the scholars argued.
Such a centralized surveillance system would also tread on the Catholic idea of subsidiarity — the idea that decisions and oversight should be handled by the smallest, most local competent body — by undermining state and local governments, which are not only more likely to understand context better than a distant AI but which must also live with the effects, the scholars continued.
On the topic of lethal autonomous weapons systems, or LAWS (sometimes called “killer robots”), the scholars firmly asserted that the use of weapons capable of making wartime decisions on their own violates the Catholic principle of “just war.” In a just war, human judgment must be employed to ensure, for example, that a violent act is a proportionate use of force, or in the selection or avoidance of targets. Human involvement in such decisions is crucial, the scholars said, because “judgments of proportionality and discrimination are prudential — not mere pattern matching.” This and other reasons are why the Vatican has repeatedly and forcefully expressed opposition to the idea of LAWS, going back as far as 2013.
“[LAWS] circumvent the kind of practical judgment and careful decision-making that should inform all human decisions, and especially those that involve matters of life and death,” the scholars wrote.
The scholars conclude their brief by quoting Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi on the topic of technological progress. “If technical progress is not matched by corresponding progress in man’s ethical formation, in man’s inner growth (cf. Ephesians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 4:16), then it is not progress at all but a threat for man and for the world,” the encyclical states.
Green, one of the authors of the amicus brief, previously told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, that Anthropic’s principled stand, especially coming from a commercial company, is important.
“You can imagine an alternate universe where Dario Amodei just said, ‘OK, we’ll sign it. It’s no big deal.’ They would be doing fine as a business, and the rest of the world would not be talking about AI ethics right now. [But] this universe that we’re living in is one that has been fundamentally changed in a lot of ways because somebody decided to take an ethical stand. I think that’s important,” Green said.
“I think this ethical stand is good, potentially — assuming that the government does not actually destroy Anthropic and reduce their value to zero,” he added.
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
U.S. Catholic bishops express solidarity with Church in South Sudan as over 170 killed
KHARTOUM, Sudan — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace has expressed solidarity with the Church in South Sudan following the reported killing of at least 170 people in two separate incidents in the country.
In a statement issued by the chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace and shared with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on March 16, the bishops echoed the position of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SSS-CBC), stating that the killing reflects a disregard for the sanctity of human life.
“I write to express our profound ecclesial solidarity with the Church in South Sudan, as you mourn the killing of approximately 200 innocent civilians in Ayod County in Jonglei state and Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative area,” Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan said.
Zaidan added in reference to the March 2 statement by SSS-CBC: “These acts represent not only a tragic loss of life but a fresh descent into the abyss of human depravity, where the sanctity of life, a sacred gift from God, is trampled upon with alarming impunity.”
He added: “Our committee has long voiced urgent concern over the mass destruction and loss of life caused by civil conflict in South Sudan. We are deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence and further intensified humanitarian crisis,” he said.
Zaidan, the local ordinary of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, said that the Catholic bishops in the U.S. share in the conviction that “every massacre is a defeat of our humanity” as highlighted by SSS-CBC.
“We urge the Catholic faithful in the U.S., and all people of goodwill, to pray and work for an end to the cycles of trauma, retaliation, and violence gravely afflicting communities across the country,” he said.
The USCCB solidarity statement comes amid growing concern over renewed violence in parts of South Sudan, where armed clashes and intercommunal attacks reportedly continue to undermine fragile peace efforts.
Reports from Ayod County in Jonglei state indicated that on Feb. 21, government-linked forces allegedly lured villagers in Pankor village with promises of food aid before opening fire on the gathering.
At least 22 people, including women and children, were reportedly killed in the attack.
Witnesses described the incident as a “death trap,” fueling fears that unarmed civilians are increasingly being deliberately targeted in the country’s continuing conflicts involving rival armed factions.
A second and more deadly incident reportedly occurred in Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area between March 1–2.
Local officials have reported that armed youths from neighboring Unity state stormed the county headquarters, attacking government offices and civilian areas. The assault reportedly left at least 169 people dead, including civilians, security personnel, and local government officials such as the county commissioner and executive director.
During the attack, homes and markets were set ablaze before government forces regained control of the town.
Women, children, and elderly residents were among those killed, while more than 1,000 civilians fled to seek refuge at a United Nations peacekeeping base as fighting intensified.
In their statement dated March 10 and addressed to the president of the SSS-CBC Integral Human Development Commission, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, the Catholic bishops in the U.S. pledged to reach out to the international community for humanitarian assistance.
“We also seek to amplify your call for international assistance in addressing needs for basic humanitarian services, pastoral care, and psychosocial support for the millions currently in distress,” Zaidan said.
He indicated that in the coming days, the faithful in parishes across the U.S. will contribute to the annual Catholic Relief Services (CRS) collection, one of the means through which the U.S. Catholic community can offer tangible support to the people of South Sudan.
The U.S. bishops further applauded the work of organizations like Solidarity with South Sudan, through which Catholic religious congregations help strengthen the people’s capacity to build a more just and peaceful society.
“We trust that Our Lord accompanies the people of South Sudan through their unthinkable suffering, particularly in this Lenten period,” said Zaidan, who is also a member of the Congregation of the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries (Maronite).
“We pray that the recent cascade of violence may be imminently halted and the most vulnerable protected. Through the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace, may justice and peace reign throughout South Sudan.”
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Immigration enforcement harms children, drives family separation, speakers at Democratic forum say
A forum hosted by Senate Democrats spotlighted trauma experienced by children who have been detained or separated from their families during immigration enforcement operations across the country.
According to data shared by Immigrants’ Rights Clinic Director Elora Mukherjee during the March 17 forum, more than 3,800 children, including 20 infants, were detained by immigration authorities from January to October 2025. Mukherjee has represented 68 children and parents detained at the Family Detention Center in Dilley, Texas, where she said her youngest clients “have been babies and toddlers.”
The forum, titled, “The Kids Are Not Alright: How Mass Deportation is Traumatizing Children,” was hosted by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois.
Despite 20 days being “the general legal limit” for how long a child may accompany his or her parent in federal immigration custody, Mukherjee said more than 900 children have been detained past the 20-day mark and 270 children past 40 days. She cited multiple cases of children who have been detained for longer than 100 days.
“Dilley is a hellhole,” she said. “It’s a prison for babies, toddlers, and children. Children and parents detained at Dilley do not have access to sufficient drinking water. Children and parents detained at Dilley have found live worms, bugs, and mold in their meals.” She said lights are kept on in the facility through the night, making it difficult to sleep.
The Department of Homeland Security has vigorously denied allegations of subprime conditions. EWTN News reached out to the department for comment on the allegations mentioned in the forum but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Mukherjee said the facility is run by CoreCivic, a for-profit prison corporation that receives $180 million annually from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Children and families should be immediately released from Dilley. Alternatives to detention programs are far more cost effective and humane than detaining children,” she said. “Protecting children from needless cruelty is not an enormous ask. It is what our humanity demands of us.”
Clinical psychologist Lisa Fortuna testified during the forum that children held in detention centers often “present with trauma, hyper vigilance, sleep disturbance, depression, and persistent anxiety about their safety and future.” She also listed school disengagement, learning problems, and disruption in health care” among immigrant children as a result of enforcement operations.
“The psychological burden created by uncertainty, family separation, chronic fear,” she said, “can profoundly shape children’s emotional and development and their sense of safety and stability.”
Maria Heavener, a first-grade teacher at Funston Elementary School in Chicago, told senators about ICE officers’ use of tear gas near school buildings and around children in Chicago during the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz.
Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, praised those who testified and cited a Bible verse he said was sent to him by a priest friend earlier in the day: “When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you who have the same love for him as for yourself. For you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33-34).
“That’s the responsibility that we have and that’s the responsibility that we’re trained to uphold,” he said.
Holy See calls on UN to eradicate surrogacy ‘in all its forms’
The Holy See has reaffirmed its position against surrogacy in a statement to the United Nations, urging the complete eradication of the practice and calling for the protection of women and children from exploitation.
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the U.N., highlighted the urgency and sensitivity of the issue, lamenting that “technology and practice have run laps around the law and ethics.”
Although he acknowledged that many view surrogacy “as a compassionate solution for those wishing to be parents,” he urged the adoption of measures that respect the dignity and rights of women and children.
Women choose it due to financial need
Caccia lamented that because of financial need, many women agree to carry a child in their womb and subsequently hand the child over to others for money. This situation could be remedied through the development of “social protection, education, and economic opportunities,” he said.
The statement asked whether the surrogacy industry could survive if poverty were eradicated. It warned that the demand for this practice “already exceeds the supply” and that many women who do not wish to participate may find themselves pressured or even coerced into doing so by family members.
The text also addressed the rights of children, who are reduced to an item to be ordered “within an industrial and dehumanized logic.” The statement from the Holy See also denounced the commodification of babies and the fact that many are considered “a defective product” when they have a disability.
This attitude “runs contrary to a just society in which children can grow and flourish. Children, in fact, possess rights and interests that must be respected, beginning with “a moral right to be created in an act of love,” as well as the right “to know their parents and to be cared for by them,” according to the statement.
Although the Holy See acknowledged the “very real and understandable desire to have children,” it maintained that these issues cannot simply be resolved through the regulation of surrogacy.
The Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. commended the decision of the Hague Conference on Private International Law not to proceed with the drafting of a convention on legal parentage in cases of surrogacy.
Caccia also recalled the words of Pope Leo XIV, who affirmed that, by transforming gestation into a negotiable service, one “violates the dignity both of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and of the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational calling of the family.”
The Holy See urged that new steps be taken “toward ending this practice in all its forms and at all levels,” with the aim of protecting women and children “from exploitation and violence.”
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.
Scottish bishops say ‘prayer moved hearts’ after Scottish Parliament rejects assisted suicide
In a final vote, members of Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have rejected a bill that would have made assisted suicide legal — a dramatic turn of events that Scotland’s Catholic bishops are attributing to the power of prayer.
Reacting to the result immediately after its announcement on March 17, Scotland’s bishops told EWTN News: “Prayer is what moved hearts on this important issue. We are over the moon. Glory be to God that life has triumphed tonight!”
Bill sponsor Liam McArthur and his supporters were confident of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill becoming law. In the first vote in May 2025, Parliament voted 70 to 56 in favor of the bill progressing to Stage 2. The bill was then amended at Stage 2 before moving to Stage 3 for a decisive vote. in the end, however, MSPs rejected it, voting 69 to 57 against the bill.
After an emotional debate, 12 MSPs changed sides, moving from supporting the Bill at Stage 1 to opposing it. Notable MSPs who swapped sides included Jamie Hepburn (Scottish National Party), Daniel Johnson (Labour), and Brian Whittle (Conservative), who publicly announced their decisions during the debate.
This followed other notable announcements in the buildup to the vote by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Scottish National Party MSPs Audrey Nicoll and Collette Stevenson, who had initially supported the bill and then shared their decisions to vote against it.
Commending MSPs for voting against the legislation, Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said after the vote: “I would like to express my gratitude to all MSPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable.”
The Catholic Church teaches that assisted suicide is inherently immoral. In advance of the final vote, Keenan commented that a vote against the bill would “protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.”
“Every human life possesses inherent value,” he said. “Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognizes their dignity.”
Pro-life groups opposing the bill also highlighted the importance of the vote for the vulnerable. In a message to EWTN News, Alisdair Hungerford-Morgan, chief executive of pro-life charity Right To Life UK, called the result “a great and deeply significant victory for the most vulnerable people in Scotland.”
Hungerford-Morgan told EWTN News: “People nearing the end of their lives, no matter what their condition, need love and support, not a pathway to suicide, which is exactly what the Scottish assisted suicide bill would have done."
The vote followed an intense and long debate over five sessions, culminating in the final debate and vote on March 17.
Hungerford-Morgan said: “If this bill had passed in the Scottish Parliament and gone on to become law, it would have ushered in an irrevocable change that would have put the vulnerable at risk and seen the ending of thousands of lives through assisted suicide in Scotland.”
He added: “After two years of debate, and the most intense scrutiny that the question of assisted suicide has ever received in Scotland, Holyrood, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most socially and politically progressive legislatures, has come to the conclusion that introducing assisted suicide is unsafe and dangerous.”
Paul Atkin, pro-life officer at the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, highlighted “the strength of engagement across our archdiocese” due to the fact that, from the 12 MSPs who changed their votes to opposing the bill, eight represent constituencies within the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh.
Atkin told EWTN News: “The defeat of this bill is a welcome result, reflecting the strength of engagement across our archdiocese. From the archbishop’s leadership to parishes who organized hundreds of letters, this was a united effort which made the difference.”
Praising the “remarkable contribution” of the archdiocese, Atkin paid tribute to the “polite, persistent engagement from the Catholic community,” which helped “shape outcomes and protect the most vulnerable.”
Opponents of the bill called for attention to now move away from assisted suicide toward investment in palliative care. “Our next priority must be to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it,” Keenan said.
Echoing this viewpoint, Hungerford-Morgan urged MSPs to “unite to focus on renewed efforts to promote and improve palliative care.”
Following the defeat of the bill, Hungerford-Morgan turned his attention to a separate bill currently being debated in the House of Lords in London that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales, initiated by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.
Calling on the Leadbeater Bill’s sponsors to “reject assisted suicide,” he said: “This victory will have an impact far beyond Holyrood as the Leadbeater Bill is being debated in the House of Lords. Instead of pushing ahead with this dangerous bill, its sponsors should follow Scotland’s example and reject assisted suicide.”
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage registration opens; schedule released
The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has opened registration for the 2026 pilgrimage and announced the schedule for its public events.
In celebration of the 2026 theme, “One Nation Under God,” and the nation’s 250th anniversary, many of the events will not only bring the faithful together in prayer but also will reflect U.S. history.
The journey will take place from Pentecost through Independence Day weekend. Pilgrims will travel the Eastern seaboard on the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Route, named for the first U.S. citizen to be canonized.
A group of nine Perpetual Pilgrims will carry the Blessed Sacrament through several of the original 13 colonies, 18 dioceses, and two Eastern-rite eparchies. The faithful are invited to join the public processions and other events.
“In the past few years we’ve witnessed a powerful renewal of Eucharistic faith across the country,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress.
“The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is one of the most visible expressions of that renewal, as believers bring Jesus in the Eucharist out into our streets and communities and inviting people everywhere to encounter him,” he said.
Schedule highlights
The procession will pass through the dioceses of St. Augustine, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Richmond and Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Wilmington, Delaware; Camden and Paterson, New Jersey; Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Boston, Springfield, and Fall River, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Philadelphia.
The events hosted by the dioceses will offer opportunities for Mass, prayer, and community service.
In St. Augustine, the faithful can walk the grounds at the Our Lady of La Leche Shrine, the oldest Marian shrine in the U.S., while learning about the Florida martyrs’ cause for canonization.
There will also be a testimony from Monsignor James Boddie Jr., the first Black diocesan priest ordained in Florida, at Christ the King Catholic Church.
In Savannah, the faithful can learn about the Georgia martyrs who will be beatified on Oct. 31. Father Pablo Migone will share the story of the martyrdom of Friars Pedro de Corpa, Blas, Miguel, Antonio, and Francisco during a bilingual presentation.
The faithful can attend Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, celebrated by Bishop Barry Knestout. There will be a Holy Hour with prayers and songs of praise led by Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Grupo Carismatico.
There will also be a presentation on the theme of mosaics and the communion of saints at St. Bede Catholic Church. Attendees can learn about a few of the saints who are being highlighted in St. Bede’s mosaic project.
The nation’s capital will serve as the halfway point for the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. On June 6, the pilgrimage will partner with the annual Catholic Information Center Eucharistic procession that brings the real presence through Washington, D.C., near the White House and past the U.S. Capitol.
Near Baltimore, there will be a procession and hymns on the grounds of the Washington Monument State Park, which has the country’s first monument to President George Washington.
There will be a Mass in the Basilica of the Assumption celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori. The basilica is the first cathedral constructed in the United States and was designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe under the guidance of Bishop John Carroll, America’s first bishop.
The final mainland procession will be from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine, to the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal. The diocese chartered a ferry to make multiple trips to Peaks Island so passengers can travel while adoring the Eucharist.
In Boston there will be adoration available at multiple historic sights including Plymouth Memorial Park and Bunker Hill.
The pilgrimage will conclude over Independence Day weekend in Philadelphia. There will be 24 hours of Eucharistic adoration in the Cathedral Basilica, showings of the feature film “Cabrini,” and a solemn closing Mass and Eucharistic procession through the city.
“It’s my joy, and that of the Church in Philadelphia, to host the closing events of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which will be held in what I affectionately call the City of Saints,” Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia said in a press release.
“As the only diocese in the country that houses two saints, St. Katherine Drexel and St. John Neumann, this is the place that Catholics can reference to remember our history in this great country and the future we are building here,” Perez said.
For the full list of events and detailed schedule, those interested can visit the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage website.
Other prayer opportunities
For the faithful who cannot attend in person, people can participate by submitting prayer intentions and spending time in Eucharistic adoration. The pilgrimage aims to gather 250,000 Holy Hours of prayer for the renewal of the nation, which will be presented to national leaders.
People can also participate by utilizing the online lecture series. Every week, a new lecture will be released on the Manna app exploring the intersection of faith, culture, and what it truly means to be American.
“As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation, this pilgrimage is a powerful reminder that the deepest foundation of our country is our dependence on God,” Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the National Eucharistic Congress, said in a press release.
“By carrying the Eucharist across our nation and gathering in prayer, we are asking the Lord to renew the Church and to bless our country so that we may truly be one nation under God,” he said.