Mother Angelica’s enduring legacy celebrated at Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica
A memorial Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica was held on the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Angelica, the foundress of EWTN, the world’s largest Catholic media network.
The principal celebrant at the Mass, Father Michael Baggot, LC, a bioethics professor, recalled in his homily in the basilica’s Chapel of the Choir that Mother Angelica “conveyed the faith with wit and wisdom.”
“Her message was both consoling and challenging,” he said.
“Mother Angelica understood that the fruitfulness of the apostolate depends on union with the Lord. What she proclaimed on air, she first pondered in adoration,” Baggot continued. “Mother Angelica also knew from experience that God works through humble, unexpected instruments to spread his Gospel.”
During the homily, Baggot praised Mother Angelica’s determination and repeated one of her famous quotes about serving the Lord, even when it seems difficult and frightening.
“As Mother said, ‘You want to do something for the Lord … do it. Whatever you feel needs to be done, even though you’re shaking in your boots, you’re scared to death — take the first step forward. The grace comes with that one step and you get the grace as you step. Being afraid is not a problem; it’s doing nothing when you’re afraid.’”
Baggot said it is “fitting” to honor Mother Angelica just two days after the celebration of the Annunciation and in a chapel “dedicated to Our Lady.” He said the Blessed Mother was also “deeply troubled by the angel’s message” and both “afraid” and “scared,” but she trusted God.
“Before such a daunting mission, she abandoned herself to Divine Providence. She was sustained by a love greater than any fear,” he said.
In view of the testimony of the Virgin Mary — whom he defined as the “definitive bearer of the Eternal Word” — the priest highlighted that Mother Angelica’s life also reflected the paschal mystery, including her suffering following a stroke in 2001. “Mother knew from Mary that the ‘fiat’ given in youth must be renewed at the foot of the cross,” Baggot noted.
Baggot added that because Mother Angelica followed God’s calling, EWTN is accessible in hundreds of millions of homes in more than 160 countries and territories, and “its programs reach areas where conflict or persecution deprives citizens of other means of religious formation.”
He further commended the network for continuing to be a beacon of beauty and inspiration.
Although EWTN “has outgrown its first Alabama garage,” he said, “it has never outgrown — and could never outgrow — the reliance on Divine Providence that characterized Mother Angelica’s life.”
In addition to the Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, EWTN marked the anniversary with special programming throughout the day, including “Remembering Mother Angelica, 10 Years Later.”
The EWTN Global Catholic Network is broadcasting these events across its television and digital platforms — including its YouTube channel, the streaming platform EWTN+, and live and on-demand at www.ewtn.com — making the tribute to Mother Angelica’s life and legacy accessible to viewers worldwide.
U.S. chemical abortions as a result of telehealth rise by 25%, report finds
The U.S. saw a slight increase in all abortions in 2025 and a more than 25% increase in chemical abortions obtained through telehealth, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute.
There were 1,126,000 total abortions recorded in 2025 in the U.S., a less than 1% increase from 2024.
The report concedes, however, that the numbers are an “underestimate” of the total number of abortions nationally because abortions that are not provided by U.S. clinicians are not included.
The report also found that women traveled less frequently to obtain an abortion, coinciding with an increase in the number of chemical abortions obtained through telehealth provision.
“What’s really concerning is that we see a big increase in telehealth abortions,” Michael New, a scholar at The Catholic University of America, told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.” “They found that in states with abortion bans, over 91,000 women obtained abortions by telehealth. That was over a 25% increase from the previous year.”
“This really shows telehealth abortions are increasing abortion numbers,” New said. “Putting some limits on these telehealth abortions needs to be a top priority for pro-lifers.”
U.S. senators launch investigation into chemical abortion drug manufacturers
Five U.S. senators launched an investigation this week into chemical abortion drug manufacturers’ compliance with FDA safeguards, urging the FDA to take action on issues surrounding chemical abortions obtained through telehealth.
Led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the senators in a March 25 letter pressed the FDA to “take immediate action,” citing concerns about women’s safety, fraud risks, and illegal sales of abortion drugs.
Cassidy and Sens. Steve Daines, R-Montana; James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi; and Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, requested records from abortion drug manufacturers Danco Laboratories, GenBioPro and Evita Solutions.
“It is unclear how the three FDA-approved chemical abortion drug manufacturers, Danco, GenBioPro, and Evita, ensure that prescribers and pharmacies comply with the few remaining [Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy] requirements, especially when pills are sold online and without the in-person oversight of a medical professional,” the press release from the senators read.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley investigates abortion drug manufacturers
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley launched his own investigation into abortion drug manufacturers last week, requesting records from Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro.
Hawley is concerned that drug companies profited from abortion pills while knowing the risks to women.
“Mounting evidence suggests that mifepristone poses grave risks to women,” Hawley wrote in the letter. “Yet your company has continued to profit from the widespread distribution of this drug even as serious questions have emerged about hemorrhage, infection, sepsis, and other dangerous complications associated with its use.”
Judge grants $1 murder bail, $2,000 for drug possession for Georgia woman after infant daughter dies
A Georgia judge granted a $1 bond for a woman accused of murder after introducing oxycodone into her infant daughter’s system and also ordered a $1,000 bond for each of two drug charges.
In late December 2025, Alexia Moore allegedly took eight misoprostol pills when she was between 22 and 24 weeks pregnant and “introduced illegal oxycodone into the infant’s system,” according to the arrest warrant. She gave birth prematurely to a baby girl who died within the hour.
Moore was arrested on March 4, facing one count of murder for unlawfully causing the death of the infant with “malice aforethought” and two drug-related charges.
Reports circulated blaming Georgia’s pro-life law for the arrest, but the Georgia law does not criminalize women who have abortions — no U.S. state does.
Ohio bill would recognize unborn babies with heartbeats with certificate of life
A recently proposed Ohio bill would require a certificate of life for unborn babies whose heartbeats are detectable.
The bill, backed by Republican state Rep. Jean Schmidt, would recognize unborn babies with detectable heartbeats through a certificate of life.
In Ohio, if an unborn baby dies, a death certificate is only required after 20 weeks’ gestation. The new bill would also move this requirement date to when the unborn baby has a heartbeat.
The bill would amend the law to “require the registration of all fetal deaths” and “the filing of a certificate of life after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.”
Another recent Ohio bill, backed by state Reps. Johnathan Newman and Jennifer Gross, would inform women who obtain abortion pills about abortion pill reversal.
“More than 8,000 babies have been saved from the abortion reversal pill,” Newman said. “This is important legislation that supports women and protects life.”
Missouri bishops urge prayer, fasting for passage of pro-life amendment
Missouri bishops are urging people to pray and fast for the passage of a pro-life amendment.
An amendment enshrining a right to abortion in the state constitution passed in 2024, eliminating pro-life laws and other safeguards.
“This year, Missourians will have the opportunity to restore those safeguards by voting for Amendment 3,” the bishops wrote. “The proposed constitutional amendment will protect women’s health and safety and restore protections for the unborn.”
The bishops encouraged the faithful to pray the nine-month “Novena for the Dignity of Human Life” on the 25th day of each month. The novena began in February.
“We ask the faithful and all people of goodwill to join us in prayer and fasting for the success of Amendment 3 and to support each human person from conception to natural death,” the bishops wrote.
Republican lawmakers oppose former Chilean president’s UN bid over abortion views
Republican lawmakers are actively opposing the nomination of Dr. Michelle Bachelet for United Nations secretary-general due to her “pro-abortion zealot intent.”
Bachelet, a Chilean politician, supported abortion access during her time in leadership positions including her two terms as the 33rd and 35th president of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018.
The next secretary-general will begin a five-year term on Jan. 1, 2027. To be elected, a candidate must receive at least nine votes from the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council, and none of the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — can veto the decision. Chile’s newly elected president withdrew support for Bachelet on March 24.
“Nevertheless, out of respect for former President Bachelet’s distinguished career — and should she decide to proceed with her candidacy — Chile will refrain from supporting any other candidate in this electoral process,” according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Nearly 30 Republican lawmakers are urging the U.S. to “use its veto power” to prevent Bachelet from being selected “to preserve the role for a more qualified candidate,” they wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 25.
In the letter, the 23 representatives and five senators outlined their “deep concern” with Bachelet’s past performance and priorities in her previous roles, arguing that her selection would only harm the Trump administration’s vision for the U.N.
A State Department spokesperson outlined what the U.S. is seeking in a secretary‑general.
“The United States is looking for a practical, driven, and reform-focused candidate who will safeguard the valuable contributions of member states, restore competent management, and streamline the organization significantly,” a spokesperson for the State Department told EWTN News.
“Any new secretary-general needs to return the U.N. to its primary purpose — maintaining peace and security in the world rather than the absurd, politicized, woke ideology that has undermined the institution’s effectiveness,” the spokesperson said.
“The United States will be actively assessing the candidate field to determine the best individual with the most exceptional qualifications and will not be prejudging a candidate based on immutable characteristics,” the spokesperson said.
No woman has ever held the post of U.N. secretary-general.
Lawmakers list concerns about Bachelet’s stance
“In her previous roles with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as executive director of UN Women, and as president of Chile, Dr. Bachelet has repeatedly prioritized an extreme abortion agenda at the expense of state sovereignty,” lawmakers wrote to Rubio.
They specifically noted when she called the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision a “huge blow to women’s human rights” and referred to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade as “a major setback.”
She also expressed her view that “abortion is firmly rooted in international human rights law and is at the core of women and girls’ autonomy,” in an OHCHR statement.
“The truth is that killing an unborn child by abortion can never be construed to be a human right,” lawmakers said. “Every person — born and unborn — deserves to have his or her human rights secured and protected.”
When Bachelet was appointed to be the first executive director of UN Women, “Planned Parenthood Federation of America celebrated,” they said. In her position, “Bachelet declared that ‘reproductive rights,’ a euphemistic term that encompasses elective abortion, was ‘absolutely fundamental’ to that mission,” they said.
During her second race for president, “Bachelet campaigned on weakening Chile’s pro-life law protecting unborn life in all circumstances,” they said. After her reelection, she authored “a bill to legalize abortion in certain situations.”
The U.S. lawmakers also addressed Bachelet’s “failure to oppose coerced abortion in China” and other violations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In May 2022, Bachelet traveled to China at the invitation of the CCP “to investigate years of reports of severe human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” they wrote. Instead of identifying “the atrocities committed by the CCP against the Uyghurs as a genocide,” she “released a watered-down report literally minutes before her term expired,” lawmakers wrote.
“She has demonstrated that she is not a candidate who will respect state sovereignty, refrain from divisive ideologies,” or focus on mutual concerns of U.N. member states, lawmakers concluded.
Signers included Republicans Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, chair of the Select Committee on Ethics; Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa; and Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies.
After storms devastate Hawaii, Catholic groups and parishes mobilize to aid victims
Widely regarded as a tropical paradise, Hawaii was anything but from March 20–22 as two Kona low-pressure systems unleashed heavy rain and strong winds, causing widespread destruction and at least one reported fatality.
The hardest-hit areas included Oahu’s North Shore and southeast Maui, which were struck by as much as 46 inches of rain in areas triggering floods, landslides, and widespread destruction. An estimated $1 billion in damage to homes, businesses, and farms has been reported, with hundreds of structures torn off their foundations, roads destroyed, vehicles swept away, and residents left homeless. Surviving structures in impacted areas are not only flooded but also coated with mud.
Among the islands’ many Catholic facilities, varying degrees of damage have been reported and relief efforts are underway. Among those taking a leading role are Catholic organizations, including EPIC Ministry, the Knights of Columbus, and Catholic Charities Hawaii — as well as many Catholic parishes.
Father Romple Emwalu is pastor of St. Michael Church in Waialua and serves a parish mission, Sts. Peter and Paul Mission near Waimea Bay, located eight miles away. Both are located on Oahu’s North Shore, popular for its surfing, and were the hardest-hit Hawaii Catholic churches in the storms.
Emwalu recalled that for three days “it was windy and rained continuously.” While St. Michael’s is located on a hillside and did not suffer significant flooding, many homes just below it were severely damaged and one washed away. The surrounding streets were also flooded, as was the parish parking lot and parish school lawn. The Sts. Peter and Paul Mission church also escaped serious damage, but the halls and offices around it were flooded.
As the storms subsided, St. Michael’s became a hub for a variety of relief organizations. Food and clean water were distributed, and volunteers arrived to begin the process of clearing debris and cleaning homes.
“Many of the homes of our parishioners were unlivable, with as much as 4 feet of water inside,” Emwalu told EWTN News.
Among the Catholic groups that mobilized to help was EPIC Ministry, a lay association of the faithful. While its main purpose, according to its president Dallas Carter, is “to help young adults encounter Christ,” a second focus is to help those in need, including helping those in emergency situations.
In the 2023 fire that killed 102 and wiped out the Maui town of Lahaina, for example, EPIC sent 300 volunteers and raised $500,000 to help victims.
Carter lives on Oahu and directly participated in helping North Shore victims. He noted that as the water receded, homes were filled with mud that destroyed residents’ possessions, including carpets, furniture, appliances, and clothing. Many of these homes are uninhabitable, he said, “and people are living out of suitcases.”
St. Michael’s has offered temporary shelter to the displaced, Emwalu explained, while others have gone to live with relatives elsewhere in the islands or to homeless shelters.
Besides housing, the priest said, transportation is difficult as well due to flooded roads and cars covered in water after the storms.
Yet there is plenty of reason to hope, Emwalu said, as many have stepped up to volunteer to help victims and donations have poured in.
“Tragedies like this can really bring out the best in people,” Emwalu said. “It’s wonderful to see people working together to help one another.”
Another particularly hard-hit region of the island was the Kihei area of Maui. Pastor of Kihei’s St. Theresa Parish, Father William Kunisch, told EWTN News: “I’ve lived in Hawaii for 35 years, and it’s the worst storm I’ve ever seen. The rain was torrential.”
The parish church flooded, and portions of its parking lot were underwater for a week. The community around the parish was devastated, with roads washed out, telephone poles overturned, power outages widespread, and homes destroyed.
“We had parishioners whose homes were up to their waists in water,” Kunisch said. He joined other religious leaders at a local Red Cross relief site to offer spiritual support to victims.
“People were traumatized. They were in disbelief, confused and overwhelmed,” he recalled.
Referencing the Lahaina fire, the priest said: “People are bearing a lot.”
Karen Powers, director of faith formation at St. Theresa, said the Kona storms reminded her of the flash floods she experienced when she had previously lived in Arizona.
“I had seen that before and how devastating it can be; many people living in Kihei haven’t,” she said, noting the difficulties with transportation, as portions of the main shoreline road South Kihei were lost to sinkholes, and vehicles parked on roadways were swept away.
Area businesses were also heavily impacted, and according to Powers “employees were afraid to drive their vehicles on the road, concerned the water would push them into the ocean.”
Monsignor Terry Watanabe, vicar for Maui and pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Wailuku, was born and reared in Maui and has spent much of his life there. He, too, noted: “It was the worst rainfall I’ve ever seen; we had 1 to 2 inches come down an hour. The wind was strong, too. It was very unusual.”
While the damage to St. Anthony’s was minimal, there were catastrophic losses within his parish boundaries. These include the storm’s first reported death — a 71-year-old woman who fell into the Wailuku River and was swept out to sea. Friends of a parishioner who built a home in the same area a few years before also saw the structure swept out to sea.
Watanabe also noted that the region was heavily dependent upon the tourist industry and that visitors were either canceling trips due to the rain or leaving early. He said: “I had friends from Kentucky who came for a visit leave 10 days early because of the rain.”
Father Kuriakose Nadooparambil, MF, pastor of Maria Lanakila Church in Lahaina, miraculously untouched by the 2023 fire while structures around it were destroyed, expressed his gratitude that flooding in Lahaina was minimal.
“We are blessed. The good Lord continues to protect us,” Nadooparambil said.
St. Michael Parish has set up a relief fund to assist flood victims. EPIC Ministry also welcomes donations for its flood relief work.
St. Dévote: The saint who inspired the chapel Pope Leo will visit in Monaco
When Pope Leo XIV arrives in Monaco for a one-day trip on March 28, he will attend a welcome ceremony with the prince of Monaco, meet with Catholics at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and visit the Chapel of St. Dévote, a historic Roman Catholic chapel dedicated to the principality’s patron saint.
During the brief visit to the chapel, the pope will meet with young people and catechumens from Monaco outside the church.
Located in the Ravin de Sainte-Dévote, the chapel devoted to St. Dévote dates back to before 1070 and is a key site for Monegasque traditions, including the annual burning of a boat and the royal bride’s bouquet-laying.
Although relatively unknown beyond Monaco, St. Dévote remains a deeply admired figure in the small city-state where her legacy has been honored for centuries after her martyrdom. But who was this beloved young woman whom Monaco still celebrates?
Legend of St. Dévote
The sources of the legend of St. Dévote have survived in the form of manuscripts. The oldest known version dates back to the early 12th century and is now housed at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France.
According to the ancient legend, Dévote lived in the third century in Corsica, a small mountainous Mediterranean island. She was a young Christian when openly following Jesus could mean prison, torture, or death. As a devout follower of her faith, she consecrated her virginity and life to Christ.
When persecution rose, Dévote was arrested. The young woman refused to deny Christ, so she was brutally tortured and killed. It is believed she was martyred by the prefect Barbarus during the reign of Emperors Diocletian and Maximian in 303 or 304.
Her persecutors planned to burn her body so Christians would have no relics or body to venerate, but a small group of Christians secretly recovered her body. They placed it on a boat sailing to North Africa, hoping to bring her relics to a community that would bury her with honor and invoke her as a martyr.
The legend says that as the boat journeyed, a mysterious dove appeared and guided it along the coast, but a violent storm broke out and the sailors prayed for Dévote’s intercession and the storm suddenly calmed. The boat finally made its way to a port in Monaco.
The Christians believed the diversion was a sign that God had chosen Monaco as Dévote’s final resting place. She was buried there and a small and simple oratory was built over her tomb.
The faithful in Monaco never forgot the teenage martyr whose body arrived on their shore in the storm‑tossed boat. St. Dévote became the patron of Monaco and of the ruling Grimaldi family — which has reigned in Monaco since 1297.
She is also a protector for sailors, fishermen, and all who travel by sea.
Monaco’s deep devotion to the young martyr
The legend of St. Dévote is one of Monaco’s oldest traditions, influencing a deep devotion to the faith and to the saint. It has also shaped national life in Monaco including its literature, arts, music, coins, and stamps.
The Chapel of St. Dévote, where Pope Leo will visit, is first mentioned around 1070 as belonging to the Abbey of St. Pons. The chapel was rebuilt and expanded several times. It became a priory in the 13th century and then was acquired by Honoré I, Lord of Monaco, in 1536. It later became a parish church in 1887.
St. Dévote’s feast day falls on Jan. 27 and has become an important day for Catholics in Monaco. It is celebrated as a solemnity and a national public holiday.
Her feast day is honored in many ways, but most notably with the burning of the boat. On the evening of Jan. 26, the prince and royal family, the archbishop, clergy, locals, and visitors gather at the chapel. The group prays as the prince and archbishop set a small wooden boat on fire outside the church. The crowd prays, sings, and watches the boat burn, which serves as a reminder of the boat that once carried the martyr to safety and the fire that threatened to erase her memory.
The day after the burning of the boat, on Jan. 27, the faithful continue to celebrate. Catholics attend Mass and then process with relics of St. Dévote past the Prince’s Palace of Monaco and through the Rock of Monaco.
Throughout the year the saint is also honored with statues, artwork, and symbols around Monaco, especially near the port where her legend is centered.
In St. Dévote’s honor, it is also customary for brides to offer their wedding bouquet to the saint as a way of asking her to bless their marriages. It is a long-standing tradition for the bride of the sovereign prince to lay her bridal bouquet at the Chapel of St. Dévote after the royal wedding ceremony.
Pope Leo XIV set to meet with first female archbishop of Canterbury
Pope Leo XIV is set to meet with Sarah Mullally, the first female archbishop of Canterbury, as part of Mullally’s planned visit to Rome from April 25–28.
The announcement of the visit came from Lambeth Palace just two days after Mullally’s installation, which made her the first woman to hold the highest-ranking role in the Church of England.
It is also notable that the ascension of Mullally to that post continues to have significant repercussions within Anglicanism. Earlier this month, the Global Anglican Future Conference — which represents approximately 80% of Anglicans worldwide — announced that its member churches should “remove any reference to being in communion with the See of Canterbury.”
On the occasion of her March 25 installation as the highest spiritual authority in Anglicanism, Pope Leo sent a message to Mullally in which he underscored the responsibilities of the office, particularly during “a challenging moment in the history of the Anglican family.”
The pope also recalled the progress made in ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans and emphasized the need to continue advancing toward Christian unity.
For her part, Mullally expressed her gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for his closeness and prayers, and acknowledged the value of ecumenical dialogue between churches as well as unity among Christians.
She also asked the pope for prayers for the Church of England and for the Anglican Communion as a whole, “so that we may be guided by the Holy Spirit in faithfulness, unity, and charity.”
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.
‘A clear statement of guilt’: Diocese of Albany announces $148 million settlement for abuse victims
The Diocese of Albany, New York, will pay survivors of sexual abuse a $148 million settlement in restitution for what Bishop Mark O’Connell called a “shameful chapter” of abuse in the diocese’s history.
The diocese announced the settlement in a press release on March 27. The nine-figure amount was still subject to court approval, but the amount itself had been accepted by the committee of survivors suing the diocese.
In the press release, O’Connell admitted a “clear and un-nuanced statement of guilt on the part of the diocese in its handling of our predator priests and others within the diocese.”
“It is a shameful chapter in our history, and no monetary settlement such as the one reached today will erase the pain caused to survivors,” he said while apologizing.
The bishop vowed to be “exceedingly diligent” in working to “prevent anything like this occurring again.”
Representatives of the survivors’ committee, meanwhile, said the settlement pointed the way to “closure for all survivors.”
The committee said it “looks forward to working further with the diocese to enhance its child protection protocols.”
The diocese in its statement said that diocesan insurers may contribute additional funds to the global settlement; the statement noted that it is “typical” for insurance carriers to provide “a significant portion” of abuse settlements.
The diocese had declared bankruptcy in 2023 while facing hundreds of abuse lawsuits under the state’s Child Victims Act of 2019.
In April 2025 then-Bishop Edward Scharfenberger announced that the Albany Diocese would launch a campaign to “rechannel [diocesan] efforts and resources” amid a major financial crisis.
The plan included the closure or merging of “perhaps one-third” of the diocese’s 126 parishes. The bishop said at the time that, among other things, “clergy health and well-being, quality sacramental ministry, consistent attendance, participation, and volunteerism” were “heading in the wrong direction.”
Pontifical Academy for Life member weighs in on euthanasia of 25-year-old Spanish woman
Elena Postigo, a corresponding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, weighed in on the March 26 death by euthanasia tragedy of Noelia Castillo Ramos, a 25-year-old Spanish woman, from the perspective of her scientific field — bioethics — in a post on X.
At the outset of her message, Postigo acknowledged that the young woman’s story has deeply affected her: “I have been profoundly moved,” she noted, before summarizing the tragedy of Castillo’s life.
“A young woman — the daughter of divorced parents facing severe difficulties — was taken into the care of Social Services and placed in a juvenile detention center. There, she was gang-raped and received neither the psychological care nor the human support she so desperately needed. Following a failed suicide attempt, she was left wheelchair-bound, plunging even deeper into her pain,” Postigo explained.
This story “lays bare the deepest fissures within our system: It reveals a victim of institutional abandonment who was left utterly alone to face her suffering,” the specialist asserted.
Her request for euthanasia “is presented as an act of freedom, yet in reality, it expresses the hopelessness of someone who was never truly embraced or treated with the dignity she deserved. We are not dealing with a case of euthanasia here but rather one of assisted suicide.”
‘A grave failure that sets a precedent’
The Pontifical Academy of Life member emphasized that Castillo did not “suffer from a terminal illness but rather from profound depression stemming from unhealed trauma. Even so, the law permits opening that door without distinguishing between irreversible physical suffering and psychological suffering that can be treated and alleviated.”
In her view, this consideration constitutes “a grave failure that sets a precedent: a regulation that is today being applied to individuals who could regain their lives if they received the appropriate help, therapy, and support.”
The law — rather than offering genuine compassion — ends up legitimizing the renunciation of life by those who most need support and hope.
Elena Postigocorresponding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life
“The law — rather than offering genuine compassion — ends up legitimizing the renunciation of life by those who most need support and hope,” Postigo observed. “Noelia didn’t need to be offered death but rather someone to restore her sense of purpose, provide assistance, and offer the possibility of healing.”
Postigo further maintained that Castillo’s case is “the reflection of a profound collective failure. When life hurts, what is truly human is to care, to accompany, and to sustain — not to kill.”
Sharing her personal perspective, the bioethics specialist said that in such cases, compassion “ought to translate into presence, accompaniment, and care, not into authorization to die.”
“The fact that the state would even contemplate assisted suicide for such a young person strikes me as a grave error and, above all, a moral defeat.”
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.
Bangladesh gets ninth diocese as Pope Leo XIV appoints first bishop
DHAKA — Pope Leo XIV has erected a new diocese in northern Bangladesh, naming a veteran seminary rector as its first bishop in what local Catholics are calling an Easter gift to the region’s predominantly Indigenous faithful.
The Diocese of Joypurhat was established March 25, carved out of territories belonging to the dioceses of Rajshahi and Dinajpur and made a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Dhaka. The announcement was made by Archbishop Kevin Randall, apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh.
Father Paul Gomes, 63, a priest of the Diocese of Rajshahi and rector of the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Banani, Dhaka, has been appointed the diocese’s first bishop.
Gomes was born in the Diocese of Rajshahi on Sept. 3, 1962. He studied philosophy and theology at the Holy Spirit Major Seminary and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Notre Dame College in Dhaka. He later completed a master’s degree and licentiate in dogmatic theology at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 29, 1992, and has served in pastoral and academic roles across the Rajshahi Diocese ever since, including as vicar general and rector of the Good Shepherd Cathedral in Rajshahi before returning to seminary leadership.
Speaking to Radio Veritas after the announcement, Gomes said he would work to strengthen the faith, education, moral and social values, and overall development of the faithful in the new diocese.
“There is no infrastructure here except for the parishes. I have to build a new bishop’s house and other infrastructure, and I hope to complete it with everyone’s cooperation,” Gomes said.
‘An Easter gift from Pope Leo XIV’
The new Joypurhat Diocese has 10 parishes and two quasi-parishes, serving approximately 23,000 Catholics, the majority of whom belong to Indigenous communities.
“I think the new bishop and the diocese are an Easter gift from Pope Leo XIV to us. I hope the new bishop will carry out his pastoral work properly with our laypeople,” said Hilarius Mardy, a father of two.
Mardy told EWTN News that lay Catholics would provide every kind of support within their means to the new bishop, but he added that the development of the diocese would require cooperation from Catholics across Bangladesh, not only within the new diocese.
Questions over Indigenous representation
With the erection of Joypurhat, Bangladesh now has nine Catholic dioceses. Less than 1% of Bangladesh’s approximately 180 million people are Christian; the country’s roughly 400,000 Catholics include a large proportion from Indigenous communities.
However, the appointment has prompted some differences of opinion. A 55-year-old Catholic who asked not to be named said an Indigenous bishop would have encouraged more Indigenous people to enter religious life.
“I think the bishop who has been appointed is qualified, but was there no qualified Indigenous priest? If not, then it is a failure of the Church,” the Catholic said.
Although Gomes has been formally appointed, his episcopal consecration is scheduled for June 5 in Joypurhat, Chancellor Father Premu T. Rozario of the Diocese of Rajshahi told EWTN News. Since no bishop’s house yet exists, the installation will take place at a local parish church near the city of Joypurhat.
California grandmother aims for 10,000 signatures on petition against second-trimester abortions
Mary Waldorf didn’t know anything about organizing petitions, but when a hospital worker and fellow parishioner told her that staff were forced to participate in second-trimester abortions, she felt called to do something.
Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, about 80 miles north of Sacramento, is the primary hospital in the area.
“It’s the only hospital in a huge county. We all have to use it,” Waldorf told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”
Waldorf still remembers how she felt the day she found out about the abortions being performed there.
“I spent the rest of the day just bawling because I know what a second-trimester abortion is,” she said.
“Everybody was shocked,” she added.
Waldorf went with a small group to peacefully protest in front of the hospital, holding signs. Hospital staff approached, asking why they were there.
“They didn’t even know” about the later-term abortions being performed at the facility, Waldorf said.
Waldorf claimed that local media will not cover the controversy. She said she has sent several letters to the editor of local papers but described the situation as a “media blackout.”
A pediatrician at the hospital told her the hospital administration might reconsider if there was enough concern. “Why she told me, God only knows,” Waldorf said. “But I thought, well, if that’s the case, then what if we do a petition?”
“I’m just somebody who goes to church, has grandkids, goes to work — I don’t know how to do [a petition],” she told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”
“I am not a media [figure]. But when God gives you an opportunity, you got to go for it.”
The petition had about 800 signatures as of March 27. Waldorf is aiming for 10,000 — 10% of the size of the town.
Waldorf said staff members have told her that the hospital allegedly has refused to allow some medical workers to opt out of assisting with abortion procedures.
“They were told that the pre-op and the post-op nurses and personnel could not opt out,” Waldorf said.
Waldorf runs a local chapter of 40 Days for Life, a nationwide effort aimed at praying for women seeking abortions and for their children, usually in front of abortion clinics during Lent. She says she wants women to have “true choice.”
“If the mindset of people is about death, they don’t consider the child — and you have to consider both,” Waldorf said. “They’re not counseling these women. What about giving them true choice?”
“The dignity of the human person is so paramount,” Waldorf added. “And I think that that is what’s being lost here completely.”