Pope Leo XIV, in France, says protection of life a duty for everyone
PARIS – Pope Leo XIV, in his first speech during a four-day visit to France, lamented the use of science and technology for profit instead of moral and ethical human progress and said that everyone is responsible for the protection of life.
Addressing French President Emmanuel Macron and other government members at the Élysée Palace, the head of state’s official residence, on Sept. 25, the pontiff said he was concerned “by those trends in society that risk turning science and technology into profit-driven ventures promoting genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs or the possibility of arranging one’s own death.”
“Let us not forget that mutual respect and the protection of every human life is a duty incumbent upon each and every one of us,” he said.
End-of-life questions are among the most sensitive issues the pope is expected to address while in France Sept. 25-28. France legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia this summer, becoming the fifth European country to do so after Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Spain. In addition, Switzerland and Austria permit assisted suicide.
Euthanasia is the intentional ending of a person’s life to relieve suffering. It differs from assisted dying, in which the patient takes life-ending drugs himself, under a physician’s guidance. Both practices are prohibited by Catholic teaching.
The duty to protect and respect life, Leo continued, is “an expression of the authentic ‘secularity’ (laïcité) of the earthly city” since a “Christian engaged in public service and guided by the light of his or her conscience illumined by faith, cannot be considered a proselytizer or a threat to the unity of the nation.”
Laïcité is a legal principle strictly separating Church and state in France.
Leo urged the country’s political, civil and cultural leaders, as well as French and foreign diplomats, to see that “an authentic secularity” does not exclude religion but values it as an educational resource.
Leo echoed a 2018 speech by Macron, in which the president told the French bishops that “a Church that claims to be uninterested in temporal matters would not be fulfilling her vocation; and that a President of the Republic who claims to be uninterested in the Church and in Catholics would be failing in his duty.”
“An authentic secularity, then, consists not in excluding religion from the public sphere or from education, but in striving to ensure that the State and religious institutions maintain dialogue and join forces in the service of the common good, that the world may have life,” the pope said.
Speaking before the pope, Macron said that “it is precisely because France is a homeland of freedom and intellect that it is diverse. It is a nation that nurtures a particular passion for constant debate. One must understand it in this way in order truly to love it.” The two leaders met privately for 50 minutes before delivering their speeches.
Leo noted France’s “deep Christian roots” but also praised the French national motto of “liberty, equality, and fraternity” as a set of “ethical imperatives” and guides to follow as technology — including artificial intelligence — advances.
He cited the French Catholic author Georges Bernanos, who “saw the threat that blind obedience and irresponsibility could lead to a ‘Paradise of Machines,’ and pointed out that French civilization had instead sought for centuries to form free men and women who are fully responsible for their actions.”
The pope, who earlier in the day told reporters accompanying him on the flight from Rome that he was traveling to France “as a follower of Jesus Christ who wants to bring peace of Christ throughout the world,” called in his speech for a ban on nuclear weapons and lamented war in the Middle East.
Also present for the pope’s address were firemen who responded to the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral and artisans and architects who worked on the landmark’s subsequent restoration. The pope celebrated that undertaking, which he said “showed that something considered irreparably destroyed can be reborn through mutual cooperation.”
Pope Leo XIV landed in Paris on Friday for a four-day visit to France that began with a packed first day with stops at UNESCO headquarters, Notre-Dame, and the French national stadium for a prayer vigil with 80,000 young people. Leo is the first pope to visit Paris since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Curious Parisians stopped what they were doing to watch the pope pass by in a car on his way from the airport to the center of Paris.
After a break for lunch, the Holy Father will visit the headquarters of UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — a specialized UN agency that preserves cultural heritage sites and promotes peace, sustainable development, and human rights.
His journey will also bring him to the towns of Lourdes and Metz, before returning to Rome Sept. 28.
Catholic Relief Services aid convoy comes under attack in Ethiopia
A Catholic Relief Services humanitarian aid convoy came under drone attack in Tigray, Ethiopia, according to a report in Addis Standard. The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said on X Sept. 22 that it “condemns the recent drone strike on a Catholic Relief humanitarian assistance convoy in Tigray” and called for “a full investigation.”
The convoy was reportedly carrying 41 metric tons of food for internally displaced people (IDPs) in the region. The attack injured the driver and a young girl. The humitarian assistance was operating under the Joint Emergency Operation Program (JEOP) and contracted through the Adigrat Diocesan Catholic Secretariat (ADCS).
The Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat condemned the strike and called for “protection of humanitarian workers, supplies and aid routes in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
Kazakhstan abolishes death penalty in new constitution
Kazakhstan’s new constitution has abolished the death penalty, according to Fides News Agency. The change was approved by referendum on March 15 and officially became law on July 1.
Father Gabriel Jocher, an Austrian priest of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus and Mary and national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Kazakhstan, told Fides: “Kazakhstan has once again explicitly confirmed the ban on the death penalty. From a Christian perspective, this is a reason for joy. Human dignity is not lessened even when a person has committed a serious crime. At the same time, respect for human life does not mean turning a blind eye to unlawful acts: justice, accountability, and the protection of society remain fundamental.”
South African archbishop condemns killing of 9 women
Archbishop Zolile Peter Mpambani of South Africa’s Bloemfontein Archdiocese has condemned violence against women in the country, urging men to respect and protect women following the discovery of nine women’s bodies and the arrest of three related to the killings, according to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa.
Police confirmed that the bodies of the women were discovered in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, beginning in July with the ninth body found on the morning of Sept. 17.
In a video recording published Sept. 21, the archbishop said the killings are “a sign of the brutality and cruelty faced by women,” noting that there could be other victims whose bodies have not yet been discovered. He called on South African men to respect women and reiterated the Catholic Church’s condemnation of gender-based violence, saying women should not be subjected to violence in either private or public spaces.
Decision for Catholic schools in France to mark pope’s visit sparks criticism
Euro News reported that a “compulsory day” in Catholic schools celebrating the upcoming papal visit to France has sparked controversy.
According to the report, the General Secretariat for Catholic Education (Sgec), headed by Guillaume Prévost, “asked state-funded private schools under contract to treat Friday 25 September, the day Leo XIV arrives, as a special day and to replace regular lessons with activities focused on the Pope, the Catholic Church and various social issues.”
The move, however, has been critized, in part, because “state-funded private schools under contract are required to follow the national curriculum,” according to the report.
Debate in France around religion in the public square is common. After criticism of President Emmanuel Macron’s presence at a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Marseille in 2023, the head of state will not be attending any papal Masses celebrated by Leo XIV during his visit.
Lebanese and French dioceses unite in prayer for Pope Leo’s visit
A 35-year relationship between the Maronite Diocese of Antelias in Lebanon and the Diocese of Lyon in France is taking on new meaning as Catholics in both countries pray a novena to accompany Pope Leo XIV on his apostolic journey to France, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported.
The nine-day prayer, which began Sept. 20 and will end Sept. 28, began simultaneously at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyon and in Antelias. Regina Karam, who prepared the prayer text, said the initiative grew from a desire among Lebanese Catholics to stand spiritually with the French, recalling the material and moral support France offered Lebanon through periods of hunger, war, and the Beirut port explosion.
Each day carries a different intention, including prayers for the pope and priests, the universal Church, political leaders, young people, and the spiritual fruits of the papal journey. On Sunday, participants will unite their prayers with Pope Leo during his time at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Antelias Bishop Antoine Bou Najem backed the initiative and later personally presented the novena text to Pope Leo in Rome.
Music and prayer in Bahrain mark Franciscan jubilee
Catholics in Bahrain marked the Franciscan jubilee with an evening of music, storytelling, and prayer at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali, ACI MENA reported. The celebration, titled “San Francesco 800: A Musical Journey of Faith,” brought together clergy, parishioners, diplomats, and other guests under the guidance of Bishop Aldo Berardi, apostolic vicar of Northern Arabia.
Prepared by Capuchin Father Marcus Fernandes, the performance retraced the life and spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi through hymns, narration, and dramatic scenes. Adults and children took part alongside musicians, with the program focusing on Franciscan themes including simplicity, humility, fraternity, prayer, peace, and care for creation.
Berardi used the occasion to emphasize the Christian understanding of peace as first a gift from God rather than simply a human achievement, recalling St. Francis’ commitment to carrying that peace to others.
Caritas Indonesia officially hands over 100 homes to flood victims
Caritas reported that the Caritas Indonesia network on Sept. 16 "officially handed over permanent housing to residents affected by the flash floods and landslides that struck the Sumatra region in November 2025.”
Over 100 completed houses were provided, and the organization, according to Caritas’ website, is currently finalizing the construction of approximately 200 more homes. The initiative is part of the “Gerakan Rumah Belarasa” (Compassionate Home Movement) — a humanitarian initiative of the Caritas Indonesia network.
Eastern Canadian bishop, local Catholics seek to save historic cathedral
The bishop of Bathurst, New Brunswick, an eastern Canadian province, said he plans to meet with the city’s mayor to seek ways to prevent the loss of the Catholic cathedral there.
Bishop Michel Proulx, O Praem, told Canadian Catholic News he wants to save the city’s historic Sacred Heart Cathedral, currently slated for demolition next spring. After Masses on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, Oct. 10–12, the church will close for the winter due to heating costs.
Local Catholics are also moblizing to save the cathedral, according to the report. Bathurst Catholic and rally organizer James Risdon is planning a prayer event in front of the cathedral on Oct. 10 “as part of the 2026 Public Square Rosary Crusade across Canada to pray for the revitalization of the Church in Canada.”
“We can’t just keep closing down church buildings, shrug our shoulders, and pretend this is normal and inevitable. It’s not,” Risdon said in a statement.
Financial professionals focus on aligning investment with Catholic social teaching at summit
More than 100 financial professionals and clergy from various faiths gathered in New York City Sept. 16-17 to attend the second annual Catholic Faith Investor Summit organized around the theme “Empowering Catholic Leaders to Align Their Investments with Their Faith and Create Impact.”
Catholic business leaders “can’t just check a box” when it comes to faith, Pierre LeCocq told attendees on Sept. 17 after the event’s opening Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “You’re in charge of a community of persons. Every decision you make has to be done with that in mind. You’re not here to check a box … you’re here to love.”
In his remarks, LeCocq, past president of UNIAPAC, the International Christian Union of Business Executives, along with other conference speakers, often cited Mensuram Bonam: Faith-Based Measures for Catholic Investors — A Starting Point and Call to Action, a 2022 document from the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
While not a binding magisterial text, the document offers faith-based guidelines for finance and investment drawn from Catholic social teaching.
Conference founder and chairman, Roger Aguinaldo, a Wall Street veteran, said in his opening address that “most Catholic institutions inherited their investment processes from the broader market, which was never built with Catholic social teaching in mind. Your consultantʼs model portfolio doesn’t know what Mensuram Bonam (“A Good Measure”) is. Your benchmark doesn’t scream for human dignity.”
He told EWTN News he organized the summit after a “reversion” to the Catholic faith several years ago, saying he believes “Jesus wants me to dedicate the last third of my career to helping Catholics align institutional dollars with the Catholic faith and create real social impact … not the ESG screens [environmental, social, governance] Wall Street pushed on us. That was virtue signaling. We have 2,000 years of Church teaching to guide us.”
Aguinaldo, who is a former member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Advisory Council, said Catholics do not have to sacrifice returns when they invest in alignment with their faith and values.
“Without a deliberate act of will,” however, he said “a portfolio drifts toward whatever the market calls responsible, which is not the same thing as what the Church calls faithful.”
Exclusion, engagement, impact
Several speakers discussed the three-part investment process of exclusion, engagement, and impact.
Exclusion, or negative screening, means ruling out companies whose products or practices contradict human dignity, such as abortion drugs and contraceptives, pornography, and gambling, among others.
Engagement means using ownership: writing to management, voting proxies, and filing shareholder proposals under Securities and Exchange Commission rules so a resolution can appear on a company’s proxy ballot.
Aguinaldo said Catholic investors need not “just throw away oil stocks. You can engage with the companies as a stockholder,” asking them to bring practices into line with Catholic principles.
Father Séamus Finn, who served on the working group that produced Mensuram Bonam with Cardinal Peter Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, told attendees that stockholders can file proposals under SEC rules and use their ownership to press for change.
Engagement sometimes changes policy. When it does not, investors may sell the stock, thus creating impact. Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, executive vice president of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, described that sequence from her work.
She said many of the group’s members, including non-Christians, have welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, which focuses on human dignity as economies are reshaped by rapidly advancing technologies like artificial intelligence. That concern also ran through a summit session on new financial infrastructure.
Eddie Cullen, who with Karl Kilb cofounded a digital assets firm that has issued a stablecoin called Catholic USD, told attendees that AI automation of finance “is coming like a freight train” and Catholic financial professionals should be prepared.
The question, as he framed it, was not whether the rails get built but who writes the rules. Cullen said Catholics must get out in front of emerging technologies.
Blockchain, Cullen said, can make transactions faster and more transparent and “will empower the poor” who have been shut out of ordinary banking — an impact play that speakers contrasted with the ESG screens they called insufficient.
Financial consultant Carolyn LaRocco, who works largely with women religious, discussed the challenges of bringing financial products aligned with Catholic social teaching to investors, who might fear making less money with such investments.
“You can make money and do good at the same time,” LaRocco said. “You can keep up with the indexes, but you have to push your financial adviser or consultant, to prove Catholic products do not yield worse returns.”
She said a problem with her industry is "we want it to scale. We love capitalism; we want to make a lot of money, but it takes time.”
In the long run, “how much money do we need?” she went on to ask. “Are we just trying to make money, or are we trying to do good?”
LaRocco said Catholics should challenge themselves and “drive their whole portfolios to mission.”
James Good, the chief investment officer at an investment advisory firm, told EWTN News he was “impressed to see a remarkably diverse group of financial professionals converge with a unified mission” centered on aligning faith and financial management, saying “this demonstrates that Catholic values can influence our world for good … while also fulfilling fiduciary and stewardship responsibility.”
Pope Leo XIV arrives in Paris at start of 4-day visit to France
PARIS — Pope Leo XIV arrived in France on Friday for a four-day visit to the country that begins with a packed first day, with stops at UNESCO headquarters, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the national stadium for a prayer vigil with 80,000 young people. Leo is the first pope to visit Paris since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Leo was welcomed at Paris Orly Airport by President Emmanuel Macron. Two local children presented flowers as the pontiff was given military honors — a formal ceremonial tribute — before entering a room of the airport with the French president for a private conversation.
During the flight from Rome, the pope told reporters that he would address “a number of very important topics” during his visit. “I above all am traveling to France, as anywhere else in the world, as a follower of Jesus Christ who wants to bring peace of Christ throughout the world,” he said.
The pope’s first stop in the French capital will be the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French president, an 18th-century mansion surrounded by elaborate landscaped gardens.
There, Leo will again have time to speak with Macron, before delivering the first official speech of the trip, addressed to political authorities and members of civil society, the business world, and the diplomatic corps.
Among the most sensitive issues that the pope is expected to address are end-of-life questions. France legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia this summer, becoming the fifth European country to do so after Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Spain.
After a break for lunch, the Holy Father will visit the headquarters of UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — a specialized UN agency that preserves cultural heritage sites and promotes peace, sustainable development, and human rights.
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Blessed Fulton J. Sheen: His beatification in photos
The beatification Mass for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen took place at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis on Sept. 24 with tens of thousands of the faithful in attendance. Pope Leo XIV issued a papal decree granting that Fulton Sheen “may henceforth be called blessed.” Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, acting as the pope’s legate, read the apostolic letter at the Mass in St. Louis.
Blessed Fulton Sheen’s feast day will be Dec. 9, the anniversary of his death. That date also marks the first apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego in 1531.
A ‘porter’ who led others to Christ: Archbishop Fulton Sheen declared ‘blessed’
ST. LOUIS — Archbishop Fulton Sheen, despite his humble origins in small-town Illinois, aspired to great things as an academic and as a communicator of the Catholic faith. On Sept. 24, before a crowd of tens of thousands at The Dome at America’s Center, the farm-boy-turned-mass-media star was declared “blessed” after the reading of a decree signed by Pope Leo XIV, a fellow Midwesterner.
Via his decree, Pope Leo announced Blessed Sheen’s feast day will be on Dec. 9, the anniversary of his death. His feast day is expected to be on the calendar of the Catholic Church in the United States.
Cardinal Luis Tagle, the pope’s representative and the principal celebrant of the beatification Mass, reflected on the meaning of “blessed” during his homily — noting that throughout history many who shared the Christian faith suffered persecution, yet their lives were still marked by joy. It is Sheen’s deep, humble relationship with Jesus Christ and his radical solidarity with the poor and vulnerable that characterized his life as a missionary, one that all Catholics should emulate, Tagle said.
Despite his massive worldly popularity and the fact that he personally accompanied countless converts in their journey to become Catholic, Tagle noted that Sheen did not “claim” the converts as his own but rather described himself as a mere “porter” who led people to the “open door of the house of God.”
“It is for being a zealous and creative evangelizer, an advocate for mission that Fulton Sheen is called ‘blessed’ or ‘fortunate’ or ‘happy’… Blessed is the Evangelizer, converted by beholding and touching the wounds of the risen Christ in wounded brothers and sisters, blessed is the missionary who digs deep into the heart of the poor to meet Jesus there. Blessed Fulton J. Sheen!” Tagle proclaimed.
Jam-packed crowds of Catholics of all ages — from the elderly who were around when Sheen’s shows first aired, to numerous families with small children — had descended on the stadium for the Mass, which began with a lengthy procession of some 1,000 priests, 89 bishops, and hundreds of seminarians and deacons.
The actual moment when Sheen became “blessed” happened early in the proceedings, following the proclamation of a decree signed by Pope Leo XIV. As is customary at beatifications, the decree was read first in Latin by Tagle, the pope’s representative and the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, and afterward in the vernacular — in this case English — by Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, in whose diocese Sheen was born.
Immediately following the reading, a portrait of Blessed Sheen was revealed showing him with a halo, to thunderous applause. The same portrait was simultaneously unveiled at his tomb at the Cathedral St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria.
Earlier in the day, Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, announced that six purported miracles are attributed to the intercession of Sheen as part of the process that could lead to his canonization. Any purported miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession that has taken place since Pope Francis announced his beatification in July 2019 can count toward his eventual canonization, which typically requires a second miracle to move forward.
James Fulton Engstrom, recipient of the confirmed miracle that cleared the way for Sheen’s beatification, survived in spite of having spent 61 minutes without a heartbeat. The healthy 16-year-old presented several of Sheen’s relics during the beatification Mass today.
Catholics from all over the world hailed Sheen’s example as a highly creative and effective missionary, who used every means available to him to share the love of Christ.
Father Solomon Patrick Zaku, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, flew to the U.S. for his first-ever visit to the country to attend the beatification of Sheen, who previously served as the Pontifical Mission Societies’ national director for the U.S.
“While I was in the seminary, I read about his book and about his life, and I was somewhat touched by his life. One of the things I have learned from him is the Holy Hour, spending an hour daily, and that has been part of my daily routine, which has been my source of inspiration,” Zaku said. “As the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, [we] promote the Mission Rosary, which Archbishop Fulton Sheen introduced … I pray it daily.”
Bishops ask Supreme Court for Catholic inclusion in Colorado universal preschool program
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Catholic schools in Colorado that want to be included in the state’s universal preschool program.
Two parents, two Catholic parishes, and the Archdiocese of Denver are suing the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the state’s Universal Preschool Program. The USCCB’s amicus brief argues Catholic schools should be allowed to participate without compromising their faith.
Although Colorado permits secular and faith-based schools to participate in the program, schools are prohibited from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in the admissions process. The schools argue that this prevents them from only admitting children if their parents agree with Church teachings on those issues.
The USCCB’s amicus brief said the case was the latest example of states and cities using nondiscrimination rules to quietly pressure or sideline certain religious beliefs.
“If this trend continues, it will impair the ability of Catholic organizations and other faith-based service providers to partner with state and local governments to serve the public,” it adds. “The resulting harm to the nation’s social support infrastructure would be immense.”
The bishops urged the court to rule in favor of the Catholic schools and provide “clear instruction to courts across the country that religious organizations cannot be barred from participation in public life merely because they live out their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
“[This] will ensure that these organizations can continue providing vital, irreplaceable services in partnership with the states while freely exercising their faith,” the court filing adds.
Benedictine College gets candidate status for medical school
Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, announced that its proposed School of Osteopathic Medicine received candidate status by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.
“Achieving Candidate Status is a significant milestone for Benedictine College. It reflects the dedication and hard work of many people who have helped bring this vision forward,” Dr. Marla Golden, the founding dean, said in a statement. “Our attention now turns to the next major step of achieving Pre-Accreditation Status.”
According to a news release, receiving candidate status allows the college to move forward toward the process of being accredited.
Study shows economic impact of Franciscan University
A study by the analytics company Lightcast found that Franciscan University of Steubenville generates $81.2 million in its annual economic impact and supports 1,146 jobs in the Ohio Valley.
According to a news release from the university, Franciscan’s economic impact was equal to about 1.6% of the Ohio Valley’s gross regional product. It found the university and its students supported 1 in every 45 regional jobs.
“Franciscan University’s first mission is to form men and women in Christ and prepare them to serve God and others through their families, professions, and communities,” Father Dave Pivonka, university president, said in a statement.
“This study gives us a remarkable glimpse at another dimension of that mission,” he said. Franciscan is also an economic anchor for the Ohio Valley — providing jobs, supporting businesses, bringing students and visitors to the region, and sending graduates into the world prepared to contribute and serve.”
New Catholic head of Intercollegiate Studies Institute
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) — founded by William F. Buckley and Frank Chodorov to support conservative college students — named Christopher Fisher, who has a background in Catholic education, as its new president.
Fisher serves as superintendent of Catholic schools at the Archdiocese of San Francisco and previously worked as the executive director of the Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture at Portsmouth Abbey, a Catholic monastery and boarding school.
“Chrisʼs deep commitment to the enduring ideas of the Western tradition, his record of institutional leadership, and his passion for forming the next generation of thoughtful, engaged citizens make him exceptionally well-suited to lead ISI into its next chapter,” read an ISI post on X.
In a post on X, Fisher said he is “honored and humbled to be chosen as the next President of ISI, and am deeply grateful to the Board for the opportunity to lead an institution that shaped my own education and vocation.”
Tennessee school district adds Ten Commandments in schools
The Hamilton County School Board in Tennessee voted 6-4 to require all public schools in the county to display the Ten Commandments, joining at least five other counties that have adopted similar rules.
These mandates come less than three months after a state law became effective, which expressly allows public schools and charter schools to display the Ten Commandments alongside the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Pastor resigns after employee sues, saying he dismissed her report of sexual assault
A pastor in the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, has resigned after a parish employee filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was sexually assaulted by her supervisor and her concerns were dismissed.
Father David Sanchez resigned as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and School in St. Matthews, Kentucky, after a civil lawsuit filed last week accused him of dismissing janitor Gladis Garcia Gomez’s claim that she was sexually assaulted by her supervisor, former facilities manager Cesar Barahona.
Archbishop Shelton Fabre accepted Sanchez’s resignation and the priest has been placed on administrative leave, according to a letter the archbishop wrote to the parish Sept. 23. He wrote that Sanchez “does not want to be the source of further unrest in the parish” and remains a priest in good standing.
Father John Schwartzlose, the parish’s associate pastor, has been named temporary administrator. Fabre said he plans to appoint a new pastor in July 2027.
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 17 in Jefferson County, names the Archdiocese of Louisville, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and School, Sanchez, and Barahona. In it, Garcia Gomez says she was hired as a janitor in April 2025 and that Barahona sexually harassed and assaulted her at work over subsequent months. According to the lawsuit, he regularly forced her into the boiler and maintenance room, where he would rape and sodomize her.
Gladis Garcia Gomez v. Archdiocese of Louisville, et al.
She alleges in the lawsuit that when she reported the attacks and sexual abuse to Sanchez in June 2025, he told her he was a close friend of Barahona, did not believe her, and warned her against speaking further. She claims she met with the archdiocese’s human resources department in October 2025, which told her to file a police report, which she did that same month.
Her attorney, John Spalding, said in a statement shared with EWTN News: “It is deeply regrettable that this case exists at all. No person should have to wonder whether a report of sexual violence will be taken seriously and promptly investigated and acted upon. Justice for victims requires more than policies. It requires truth, accountability, and the courage to protect people rather than institutions.”
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Louisville told EWTN News it does not comment on pending litigation.
Polish police make arrest after stabbing at Catholic convent leaves 1 dead, 4 injured
Police in southeast Poland arrested a man after a stabbing at a Catholic convent on Thursday, Sept. 24, left one person dead and four others wounded, according to a news release from the regional police.
Police received a report at 9:30 a.m. local time that a Ukrainian man stabbed someone with a knife at the Benedictine Abbey in Jarosław, Poland, a small town near the border with Ukraine.
The police report states that initial findings indicate that the 31-year-old man stabbed four men and one woman. It also states that all five were taken to the hospital and three of the men had serious injuries.
Local media reported that one of the injured men died in the hospital, citing the hospital and the police. Some outlets identified the victim who died as a Catholic priest, but EWTN News has not been able to independently confirm this information.
EWTN News reached out to the police and the convent but did not receive a response by the time of publication.