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New York archdiocese announces $300 million settlement for victims of clergy abuse

A view of St. Patrick’s Cathedral near Rockefeller Center in Manhattan on Feb. 2, 2023, in New York City. The cathedral was completed in 1878 the Gothic Revival style by architect James Renwick Jr. / Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of New York will pay out nearly a third of a billion dollars to victims of clergy sex abuse, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said this week, offering one of the biggest Church payouts in U.S. history in order to compensate for the “horror of abuse” by clergy there.  

Cardinal Dolan said the archdiocese will pay out “a total of more than $300 million” to abuse survivors as part of a “global settlement” with victims. 

The archdiocese has made “a series of very difficult financial decisions” to help fund the settlement, Cardinal Dolan said in the Dec. 8 statement, including staff layoffs and a 10% reduction in the archdiocese's operating budget. 

“We are also working to finalize the sale of significant real estate assets,” the prelate said. He pointed to the recent sale of the former archdiocesan headquarters in Manhattan, which was bought by a development group for about $100 million. 

The settlement comes a decade after the founding of the archdiocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, which seeks to “promote healing and bring closure” by offering compensation to clergy abuse victims.

Cardinal Dolan said the settlement came after talks with a third-party mediator who helped negotiate a “global settlement,” a process which allows for rapid resolution of cases while avoiding lengthy court proceedings. 

The archdiocese and lawyers are working with retired California Judge Daniel Buckley to help mediate the process. Buckley last year helped mediate the Los Angeles archdiocese’s own abuse settlement, one that saw a record $880 million agreement for abuse survivors. 

Cardinal Dolan said the archdiocese is seeking to ensure “the greatest possible compensation to victim-survivors” while still pursuing “vital ministries for the good of our parishes, families, and communities.”

The cardinal also said the archdiocese is still engaged in a legal conflict with its longtime insurer Chubb. In 2024 the archdiocese launched a lawsuit against Chubb, claiming the corporation was “attempting to evade their legal and moral contractual obligation” to pay out financial claims to sex abuse victims.

"Despite accepting millions in premiums from the archdiocese, Chubb has steadfastly refused to honor the policies it issued,” Dolan said on Dec. 8. 

Cardinal Dolan urged the faithful to pray “for the victim-survivors, their families, and all who have experienced the horror of abuse.”

The New York payout comes at the same time that a federal judge in Louisiana approved a $230 million settlement to be paid to abuse victims by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The archdiocese had agreed to the payout in October.

The Los Angeles archdiocese’s near-$1 billion payout still stands as the U.S. record for an abuse settlement by an archdiocese or diocese. The official record for a diocesan settlement is $323 million, by the New York Diocese of Rockville Centre, though it’s unclear if the New York archdiocese’s payment will ultimately top that. 

Earlier this year the Diocese of Rochetser, New York agreed to a near-$250 million settlement for abuse victims. The Diocese of Syracuse this year also agreed to a $176 million settlement.

Polish leaders decry EU court ruling as overreach into national family law

null / Credit: Guillaume Paumier via Flickr, filter added (CC BY 2.0)

EWTN News, Dec 9, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Conservative factions across Europe have responded with concern to a recent ruling by the European Union’s Court of Justice requiring Poland to recognize “same-sex marriages” performed in other EU member states, despite such unions having no legal status under Polish law.

The situation arose when two Polish citizens who had “married” in Germany in 2018 returned to Poland and requested that officials register their union in the country’s civil records. Polish authorities declined, explaining that national law did not provide legal recognition for “same-sex couples.”

Following this legal challenge, a Polish court referred the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg for clarification on how EU law should be interpreted. It is a standard procedure available to national courts before issuing their own rulings.

In its November ruling, the CJEU determined that refusing to recognize a “marriage” between two EU citizens lawfully concluded in another member state violates EU law by infringing on freedom of movement and the right to respect for private and family life. The court stated that member states must recognize marital status lawfully acquired in another EU country for the purpose of exercising rights conferred by EU law.

Concerns over sovereignty

The ruling has sparked immediate and strong criticism from Polish leaders and advocacy organizations, who view it as a significant overreach into matters of national competence.

Olivier Bault, communications director for Ordo Iuris, an international institute focused on life, family, and national sovereignty issues, responded to the ruling as “yet another overreach by the Court of Justice of the European Union.”

Bault said that family matters are reserved for member states under EU treaties, stressing that all 27 nations had ratified through their democratic institutions the principle that “each of them has a right of veto over any decision regulating marriage or family matters at the EU level.” He contended the court invoked broadly interpreted rights like freedom of movement and private life to regulate areas meant to fall under national rather than EU law.

Addressing concerns about the precedent this decision may set, Bault noted that in theory the ruling should have no impact in Poland, where the constitution defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. He pointed out that Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal has previously affirmed the supremacy of the Polish Constitution over EU law and CJEU interpretations.

Going further, Bault added that similar constitutional supremacy positions have been taken by the highest courts in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Romania, particularly regarding CJEU rulings that imply sovereignty transfers not previously approved through democratic procedures.

Political reactions

These sovereignty concerns have been forcefully echoed by senior Polish political figures across the spectrum. Former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki criticized the CJEU ruling as a deep interference in member state affairs with significant implications for Polish families.

He drew a pointed analogy to drug legalization, arguing that the court’s logic would be equivalent to requiring Poland to accept drug imports simply because countries like the Netherlands have legalized them. Morawiecki said that Poland cannot consent to such impositions and that national sovereignty remains fundamental to member state functioning.

The criticism has extended to Poland’s representatives in Brussels. Polish members of the European Parliament also voiced strong opposition to the decision. Among them, Tobiasz Bocheński characterized the decision as “an example of the attack on the rule of law,” arguing that it deprives Polish citizens and others of the right to determine their own future and therefore fails to respect democracy or freedom.

Adding to the chorus of opposition, former Polish presidential candidate Krzysztof Bosak publicly reaffirmed the importance of the natural family in Polish society, stating that only a man and a woman can marry and start a family. Bosak stressed that opposing the legalization of “same-sex marriage” does not mean people living with same-sex attraction should be treated with disrespect or any type of aggression.

Regional implications

The ruling has prompted wider regional discussions across Eastern and Central Europe, where “same-sex marriage” remains either unrecognized or unregulated in most countries.

In neighboring Lithuania, which shares both a border and significant cultural ties with Poland, Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė addressed the decision by clarifying that “this obligation does not mean that national law must provide for same-sex marriage.” Tamašunienė belongs to the Lithuanian Polish Electoral Action-Union of Christian Families, a faction within the current ruling coalition that has explicitly carved out certain issues it will not support, including the legalization of partnerships and “same-sex marriage,” as part of the coalition agreement. The coalition receives strong support from Lithuania’s Polish minority.

The Catholic Church affirms that marriage is the exclusive union of one man and one woman, as the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, reiterated Nov. 25 during the presentation in Rome of the document titled “Una Caro (One Flesh): In Praise of Monogamy.”

The EU court’s decision highlights growing tensions between EU institutions and member states over issues touching on national identity and values. As similar cases may arise in other Central and Eastern European nations with traditional marriage laws, the ruling could become a flashpoint in ongoing debates about the limits of EU authority and the preservation of national sovereignty in matters of family law.

Knock Shrine event highlights urgent call to revive First Saturdays practice

Bishop John Keenan speaks at the First Saturdays Conference in Knock, Ireland, on Dec. 6, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of First Saturdays Conference

Dublin, Ireland, Dec 9, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

At Knock Shrine on Saturday, Dec. 6, hundreds came from across Ireland to mark the centenary of the First Saturdays devotion and the promises given by Our Lady to Sister Lucia at Fátima in an apparition on Dec. 10, 1925.

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, Scotland, told participants: “We need to respond to Our Lady not with half-measures.”

Urging a wider devotion in parishes worldwide to the First Saturdays, Keenan said: “A mother’s gut reaction is very visceral, the desire to save and to protect. We need to respond to Our Lady not with ‘half-measures’; we need to respond to her wounded Immaculate Heart and practice the First Saturdays.”

The five First Saturdays devotion is an act of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which requires devotees on five consecutive first Saturdays to go to confession, receive holy Communion, pray five decades of the rosary, and keep Mary company for 15 minutes of meditation.

Conference organizer Father Marius O’Reilly told CNA: “The First Saturdays seem to be the forgotten part of the Fátima message. Our Lady promises that there will be peace in the world and that many souls will be saved if we do what she asks. The consecration was, of course, fulfilled by St. John Paul II in 1984, but we have not responded to Our Lady’s call in relation to the First Saturdays. The effect of this is seen everywhere.”

Christine O’Hara, First Saturday Apostolate and conference chair, told CNA about the First Saturdays in her own parish. “One simple but powerful message that we hope will come out of our conference is that people will take Our Lady’s promise to heart and consider starting a group within their own parishes to observe the First Saturdays devotion,” she said. “I started a group in my own parish in 2022, and it has been a great success. Parishioners have received great graces from practicing the devotion.”

O’Hara’s parish group prays the rosary before Saturday vigil Mass, completing the 15-minute meditation afterward. “Meditation brings us into deeper communion with the Lord. I feel that I am honoring Our Lady by responding to her plea for the First Saturdays.”

The Five Saturdays devotion can be practiced privately or publicly. A priest does not need to be present for the rosary and meditation.

Robert Nugent, who runs a popular YouTube channel called “Decrevi Determined to be Catholic,” told CNA he was encouraging people to do the First Saturdays in their parish. “By starting in January you’ll finish in the month of May, which is the month of Mary. We encourage people to pray this devotion and also to come to the All Ireland Rosary Rally here in Knock.”

Keenan explained how St. John Paul II and St. Louis de Montfort emphasized “devotion to the heart of Mary is devotion to Jesus. When someone you love is hurt; that hurts you more than if you are hurt yourself.”

Damien Philpott of the First Saturday Apostolate told CNA: “I think it is a very important event simply because Our Lady told Sister Lucia 100 years ago at Pontevedra that peace in our world depends on the First Saturdays devotion. We want to establish it in parishes all around Ireland. Sometimes people feel alone and isolated in starting up the First Saturdays. At this event you can meet people who are involved in the First Saturdays.”

Antonia Moffat from Walsingham Shrine spoke about the urgency of this message to bring peace to the world and how the plight of the 300 children abducted from St. Mary’s School in Nigeria would greatly wound the tender and compassionate heart of Mary.

She said: “Heaven’s peace plan is the daily rosary and the First Saturdays each month.”

Representatives from many apostolates and First Saturday groups were at Knock to share their experiences and learn. Karen Clancy of Totus Tuus magazine told CNA: “I’m here to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the First Saturdays; it’s such a great movement and so important in the times we are living in with all the disruptions in our world these days with wars in various places. Our Lady has told Sister Lucia that it’s a matter of war or peace if the First Saturdays are completed or not. I would encourage more people to come to events like this, to learn more about the First Saturdays and promote it more in our parishes and get more people involved.”

Karen Brady of Human Life International explained to CNA that she was there to learn more about First Saturdays. “I already follow them but I would like to have a greater in-depth understanding. It is something that is so important for us to know about as Catholics.”

In his address, Father Philip Kemmy made a powerful connection between Jesus’ words to his friends the night before he died, “keep watch with me,” and Our Lady’s request to “keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the rosary.”

Kemmy said: “This is such a beautiful connection to make between son and mother. The 15-minute meditation can be a neglected aspect of Our Lady’s request but it is a very powerful part. Meditating on the mysteries of Jesus’ life brings us into deeper communion with him.”

At a French shrine for the dead, a quiet revival among the living

Pilgrims gather for Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon in Normandy, France, on Nov. 16, 2025, during the annual “Heaven’s Pilgrimage,” dedicated to prayer for the souls in purgatory. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon

EWTN News, Dec 9, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

At the Shrine of Our Lady of Montligeon in rural Normandy, workers restore its century-old slate roof and windows. Inside the neo-Gothic basilica, pilgrims arrive and light candles, enroll loved ones in Masses, and pray for the souls of the dead — and, increasingly, to seek hope for themselves.

Known internationally for its mission of prayer for the deceased and its archconfraternity for the souls in purgatory, Montligeon welcomes pilgrims year-round and hosts “Heaven’s Pilgrimages” each November. Shrine staff say interest is steadily growing, especially among young people and those approaching or returning to the Catholic Church.

“Yes, indeed, the shrine seems to have gained notoriety in the past 20 years,” said Father Paul Denizot, rector of the shrine, in a statement shared by Marie Houdebert, who works in its international office. 

“I believe it stems from a growing interest in topics like death, the afterlife, and praying for the dead. Among the increasing number of young people rediscovering the Catholic Church and asking to get baptized, many are wondering about hope in the face of death. They are deeply touched by the message of Montligeon.”

Denizot said those coming to Montligeon are diverse — practicing Catholics, the non-baptized, “lapsed” believers, tourists, and organized pilgrimages — many of whom carry grief. 

“I think there are two main reasons for today’s youths’ return to the Catholic Church,” he said. “First, a need for identity, for roots in an ever-changing world where family isn’t always a safe space to grow. Second is a need for hope. A lot of people go back to Church following the death of a loved one.”

“Believing that there is a way for them to help their deceased through prayer brings them hope in a seemingly hopeless world.”

While pilgrims seek consolation within, the basilica’s exterior is undergoing major restoration. The project — expected to take another three years — includes replacing the roof and repairing the stained-glass windows in the choir at an estimated cost of 3.6 million euros (about $4.2 million), much of it funded by the shrine itself.

“I was pleasantly surprised that so many people, rich or poor, came together to support this project,” Denizot said.

“People feel responsible for the basilica because they feel at home there. We’ve had support from many different countries.”

Montligeon’s local experience echoes a broader development in France: a notable rise in adult baptisms. 

At Easter 2025, more than 10,384 adults were baptized across the country — a 45% increase over the previous year and the highest figure in decades. Many catechumens are in their late teens or 20s, often discovering the faith through personal exploration and contact with vibrant Catholic communities.

Every November, the month the Church dedicates to prayer for the dead, Montligeon hosts its annual pilgrimages to commend the departed to God’s mercy. Denizot encourages the faithful to see this intercession as both a duty of charity and a source of hope.

For many burdened by loss, the shrine dedicated to the dead has become a place where the living encounter renewed faith.

Daughter of political prisoner Jimmy Lai speaks out for the first time

Claire Lai, daughter of imprisoned Hong Kong activist and Catholic Jimmy Lai, speaks with EWTN News President Montse Alvarado on “EWTN News Nightly” on Dec. 8, 2025. / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 9, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Daughter of imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai spoke out for the first time ahead of her father’s 78th birthday. 

“As a daughter, every day I wake up and I hope that today is the day we get my dad home ... the day we get to go to Mass together, or to eat dinner around the table, things that years ago I almost took for granted,” Claire Lai said in an interview with EWTN News.

Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy entrepreneur and human rights activist, was arrested in 2020 in Hong Kong. He underwent a trial that lasted nearly two years for allegations of colluding with foreign forces under a national security law put in effect by the communist-controlled Chinese government.

The trial ended in August, and Lai continues to wait for the verdict in prison where he faces inhumane living conditions, deteriorating health, and is denied the Eucharist, his daughter said. 

In an interview with Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News, Lai’s daughter Claire said: “We’re still waiting for a verdict, five years after he was charged. He is turning 78. We have waited a very, very long time for his cases to be resolved. We do not believe that they will be through the domestic system. Our only hope is outside, and that’s why I’m here now.”

Dec. 8 was Jimmy Lai’s 78th birthday, which falls on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. His daughter highlighted Lai’s deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. 

She said her family has tried to send him a rosary in prison, but “each attempt failed.” She said he fell down once in the shower, and “because of his waist pain he wasn’t able to get up.”

“Even some of the guards came over and tried to help him … but he couldn’t get up. So he pretended as though he had a rosary in his hand and prayed to the Blessed Mother. Then he was able to get up without pain,” Claire Lai said.

“When you’re a daughter … and you hear stories like that, you wish you could yourself physically pull him up when he is in pain like that. But you find such great comfort in the fact that Our Lady is protecting him,” she said.

Conversion to the faith

Lai said her father’s conversion to Catholicism has been a stable presence during his time in prison. 

“My father had quite an unconventional childhood. He came to Hong Kong when he was 12. He had nothing to his name, nothing in his pockets. But he was full of optimism and he had a yearning for freedom,” she said.

“It was only later on that he understood that there was something, a higher force, guiding him all along, which was why he was able to go from child laborer to a successful entrepreneur and do so almost without fear. It was later on that he understood that to be God,” she said.

Jimmy Lai converted the year of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China when “people were filled with doubt and with a certain amount of fear,” his daughter said. “As Our Lady has taught us, there is nothing that conquers doubt and fear except for the love of God. And that was a time when he was ready to receive it.”

“My father converted one year after I was born. Really, the only memories I have are of growing up in a very loving Catholic family,” she said.

Legal saga

Claire Lai studied law and has been involved with her father’s case and lengthy trial. “There’s an equal amount of outrage, but also it’s a privilege to be able to be there and witness it as closely as I have,” she said. 

“As someone who grew up admiring the Hong Kong legal system … it has been heartbreaking to see the rule of law break down, but even more so to see my father and his case is at the helm of it.”

The bench was “not neutral in any sense of the word,” she said. “They just grilled him repeatedly. There were gag orders that were imposed when the evidence just did not suit the narrative ... it was just so deeply unfair.”

The trial had unexplained delays that were “clearly meant so that people would forget about my father and so that it would crush his spirit,” she said. But “with the good Lord as his guide, his spirit remained just as strong.”

Prison conditions 

Lai has been in prison for five years, but “his incarceration has just deepened his faith,” his daughter said. 

“I think there isn’t anything quite as much as suffering that opens your heart to God’s love. We are so grateful that Our Lord has accompanied my father. He wakes up around midnight every night to pray,” she said.

“Before the crack of dawn, he would read the Gospel,” Lai said. “At first, he would ask the guards if they could turn on the light so that he could read … For about the first six months, they said ‘yes.’ Afterwards, they always said ‘no.’”

“The conditions he’s kept in have just gotten worse over time. They aren’t a natural byproduct of prison. In the prison cell, there is a window that leads outside that should give access to sunlight. His is deliberately blocked so that he doesn’t have access,” she said.

“He’s been denied holy Communion for over two years and got it only very, very intermittently this year,” she said. “It’s something that costs them nothing … for him to get. It costs them nothing for him to get the rosary, and it costs them nothing to turn on the light so that he can read the Gospel.”

Kept in solitary confinement, he faces extreme heat conditions in his small cell. “In summer, the heat can get up to … 111 degrees Fahrenheit,” she said. “To say that it’s sweltering is a massive understatement.”

“He gets heat rushes all over his body, and they last until the middle of autumn. It is outrageous, and it is torturous,” she said.

“We have typhoon seasons in Hong Kong … and the cells get wet. Almost everything in there gets wet. Once that happened, the first thing he checked was his Bible, and it was the one thing that remained dry. We’re very grateful that Our Lord and Our Lady continue to watch over him,” she said.

Lai’s health has declined rapidly while behind bars. 

“In less than a year, he lost 10 kilos … after already having lost a significant amount of weight the last few years. His nails are rotting … He has infections that last for months in spite of antibiotics. And his limbs get swollen, very red, and they’re agonizingly painful,” she said.

“My dad is not someone who complains. He doesn’t even make faces. You know that when he does, it’s very painful,” she said. “There are times when even from a distance, you can tell that he’s pale and he’s shivering.”

“Then there’s the less visible signs,” she said. “He’s diabetic, and he’s had heart issues. He had a perfectly healthy heart before he went to prison.” He has said “that every few days he would have heart palpitations and they would be disabling,” his daughter said.

Call for international involvement 

Jimmy Lai is a British citizen and his daughter said that any communication between Britain and the Chinese government should include discussion of her father. 

“He is in prison for basically standing in defense for the freedoms he first came to know as a child in Hong Kong when it was still a British embassy and for hoping that they would keep the promise made during the sign of the British Joint Declaration,” she said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to do “everything” possible to “save” Lai. A White House official told EWTN News in October that Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about his imprisonment. 

“We are so extremely grateful to President Trump and his administration,” Claire Lai said. “They have a long, proven record of freeing the unjustly detained, and we hope that my father will follow soon.”

“We are also very, very grateful for members of the public. My father is sustained by your prayers,” she said.

She shared that Pope Leo XIV is also praying for her father during this time. In October, Lai’s wife, Teresa Lai, and his daughter met Pope Leo after a general audience. “It was such a privilege and a blessing to have an audience with our Holy Father,” Claire Lai said. 

Hope for a release 

“The government has no case,” she said. “All they’ve proven is that my father is a good man, a man who loves God, a man who loves freedom, who loves truth, and loves his family.”

If she could speak with the Chinese government, Lai said she would say to “do the only just and … only honorable thing, which is to release a 78-year-old man, my father, Jimmy Lai, against whom no case has been made.”

“Don’t let him die a martyr in these conditions, in this health. It is a stain on your history that you will never be able to wipe off,” she said.

She said she does “worry” that her father could die in prison, but she is “hopeful.”

When her father “reflected on his earlier years, he said that even before he converted and before he opened his heart to the love of God, he was always guided by him — even before he knew it,” she said. “I think that’s how he wants to be remembered, as a faithful servant of Our Lord.”

Remnants of chapel where image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was originally kept still exist

Traces of the first chapel where the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was first kept within the Old Parish of the Indians. / Credit: EWTN News

Puebla, Mexico, Dec 9, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

The story of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe began with the well-known apparitions of 1531. The Indigenous visionary remained for years dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the message of the Virgin Mary at a chapel that is still preserved and forms an essential part of the Marian complex of Tepeyac.

Next to the current Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City is the old chapel built to house the image miraculously imprinted on St. Juan Diego’s cloak. This historical site is little known to pilgrims.

The origin of the chapel

St. Juan Diego was the Indigenous man to whom the Virgin Mary appeared from Dec. 9–12, 1531, asking him to intercede with the first archbishop of Mexico, Friar Juan de Zumárraga, that a chapel be built “on the plain of Tepeyac” as a sign of her love for all nations.

It was on his tilma (cloak) that the image of the Virgin Mary was miraculously imprinted.

After the apparitions, the archbishop ordered the construction of a small chapel to house the tilma. St. Juan Diego lived next to it for 17 years, dedicated to recounting the events and caring for the sacred image until his death in 1548.

A Virgin for the ‘completely forgotten’

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Father José de Jesús Aguilar of the Archdiocese of Mexico explained that at that time, Tepeyac — the place where the Virgin appeared and asked for her “sacred little house” to be built — was a valley on the outskirts of the city.

He noted that this request from the Virgin had a profound meaning, since many Indigenous people lived outside the urban center and “felt completely forgotten, without rights, or anything.”

The priest pointed out that the Mother of God wanted a place there as a gesture of closeness to those who “lived on the social and geographical margins.”

St. Juan Diego: Protector and herald of the faith

Aguilar emphasized that St. Juan Diego was the first to spread devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. “He recounted what had happened in his own words, and in this way, the news spread more and more, until it finally became very well known among the people,” he noted.

Aguilar said that the visionary of the Virgin Mary received pilgrims at that chapel and therefore requested permission to build his house next to it. Although the house no longer exists, a cross marks the site where it once stood.

According to the priest, St. Juan Diego died and was buried right there, after dedicating 17 years to caring for the image of the Virgin Mary.

From the chapel to the Old Parish Church of the Indians

The original chapel made of adobe was modified over time. Due to the growing devotion, in 1649, what is now known as the Old Parish Church of the Indians was built.

Inside the church, a wall from the first chapel is preserved, the exact spot where the tilma remained on display for more than 100 years before being moved to the new basilica in April 1709. That edifice is now known as the Old Basilica since the construction of the modern basilica was completed in 1976.

A message that resonated

Aguilar explained that the choice of Juan Diego as her messenger was no coincidence. He commented that the Virgin Mary “chose an Indigenous man to speak to the Indigenous people.”

In addition to sharing the same language, St. Juan Diego could recount details of the apparitions: “whether it was hot or cold, how the little birds sang that day, exactly where she first appeared, what the Virgin’s face looked like.”

The priest added that St. Juan Diego also faithfully conveyed the message that the Virgin entrusted to him: “Do not be afraid, am I not here, I who am your mother?”

These words — recorded in the Nican Mopohua — were spoken when the visionary was worried about his uncle Juan Bernardino’s serious illness. The Virgin assured him that he had been miraculously healed.

This message, the priest noted, remains the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe for her people, “so that anyone facing death, fear, unemployment, or a difficult situation can hear these words and have the certainty that things will work out for the best. 

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Meet the Franciscan friar who baptized St. Juan Diego

A painting of Franciscan missionary Pedro de Gante with Juan Diego, whom the friar baptized along with Diego’s wife in 1525. / Credit: Jerónimo de Mendieta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Dec 9, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Many are familiar with the story of St. Juan Diego, whose feast is celebrated on Dec. 9 in the worldwide Church. However, the story of the Franciscan friar who baptized this beloved saint is less well known.

In 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortes defeated the Aztec empire, tore down the pagan temples, and in their place built Catholic churches. Franciscans were the first missionaries to arrive in the region and began their work sharing the Gospel with the native people in 1524.

One of the first three Franciscan missionaries to arrive in Mexico was Brother Pedro de Gante, also known as Pieter van der Moere. Originally from Ghent, Flanders (present-day Belgium), Gante was trained in the choral style of the low countries — Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. He took this musical foundation to Mexico where he trained the Indigenous singers who worked at the cathedral in Mexico City.

Gante believed that education and religion should be natural parts to one’s everyday life. He studied the native language of the Indigenous people and was able to teach them in their own dialect as well as Spanish.

During this time, Juan Diego — who was a member of the Chichimecas but lived in the region that was part of a vast Aztec empire — and his wife began to attend Mass at the Church of St. Diego. In 1525, at the age of 50, he and his wife were baptized by Gante and took new names: Juan Diego and Maria Lucia. The two are considered one of the first native couples to be baptized in Mexico.

In 1526, Gante founded San José de los Naturales to teach Indigenous boys reading, writing, music, and the Catholic faith. The school also taught them Spanish artisanal skills, which led to many painters and sculptors helping adorn the many churches that were built.

The friar published “Christian Doctrine in the Mexican Language” in Nahuatl, the Aztec language, in 1528.

Gante was never ordained a priest and remained a brother his entire life, dying on April 19, 1572, in Mexico City. 

This story was first published on Dec. 9, 2023, and has been updated.

Trump honors Mary’s ‘freedom from original sin’ in Immaculate Conception message

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on Dec. 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 8, 2025 / 18:09 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump honored the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, which appears to be the first time an American president formally recognized the Catholic holy day.

The presidential statement recognized the role Mary played in the salvation of humanity and the importance she has in American history. The statement does, however, contain one theological error about the Incarnation. It says God became man when Christ was born, although Catholic doctrine recognizes God becoming man at the Incarnation: when Mary conceived him.

“Today, I recognize every American celebrating Dec. 8 as a holy day honoring the faith, humility, and love of Mary, mother of Jesus and one of the greatest figures in the Bible,” the statement said. Trump, who is not Catholic and describes himself as a "non-denominational Christian," has cultivated strong bonds with a broad range of Christians and frequently referenced religious holidays and symbols in ways that resonate with supporters.

CNA could not find similar proclamations on the Immaculate Conception from other presidents, including none from the only two Catholic presidents: John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden. Other presidents have spoken about Mary and the Immaculate Conception, sometimes in messages relating to Christmas or other topics, but not in a formal recognition of this feast.

“On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Catholics celebrate what they believe to be Mary’s freedom from original sin as the mother of God,” the statement read.

The feast day celebrates the miracle in which Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. Every person — with the exception of Mary and Jesus Christ — receives the hereditary stain of original sin, which was brought onto humanity through the first sin of Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God by eating fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Mary’s importance to humanity and the United States

The presidential statement said Mary’s agreement at the Annunciation to conceive and bear the child Christ was “one of the most profound and consequential acts of history,” and Mary “heroically accepted God’s will with trust and humility.” 

It cites Luke 1:38: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” 

“Mary’s decision forever altered the course of humanity,” the statement read, adding that Christ “would go on to offer his life on the Cross for the redemption of sins and the salvation of the world.”

President Trump's statement also describes the annunciation by the archangel Gabriel, who calls the Blessed Mother “favored one” and tells her “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”

Later in the document, the presidential message says “we remember the sacred words that have brought aid, comfort, and support to generations of American believers in times of need,” and includes the text of the Hail Mary.

Trump's statement also acknowledges the “distinct role” Mary has played “in our great American story.”

The president's statement also specifically references Bishop John Carroll’s consecration of the United States to the Blessed Mother. Carroll was the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence. In addition, the statement references the annual Mass of Thanksgiving in New Orleans on Jan. 8, in which Catholics celebrate Mary’s perceived assistance to U.S. troops under the command of General Andrew Jackson in winning the Battle of New Orleans.

The message notes that “American legends” including St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, and Venerable Fulton Sheen “held a deep devotion to Mary” and that many American churches, hospitals, universities, and schools bear her name. It adds that many Americans will also celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12.

“As we approach 250 years of glorious American independence, we acknowledge and give thanks, with total gratitude, for Mary’s role in advancing peace, hope, and love in America and beyond our shores,” the presidential message reads.

The presidential message also recognizes Pope Benedict XV dedicating a statue of Mary, Queen of Peace, to encourage Christians “to look to her example of peace by praying for a stop to the horrific slaughter” occurring in World War I, which then ended just a few months later.

“Today, we look to Mary once again for inspiration and encouragement as we pray for an end to war and for a new and lasting era of peace, prosperity, and harmony in Europe and throughout the world,” Trump’s statement added.

Catholics react to Trump’s message

Chad Pecknold, a political science professor at The Catholic University of America, said he welcomed the president’s recognition of the feast day.

“The more America publicly honors Christian feast days such as Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter, and the more we remember our greatest saints, as well as our national heroes, the better oriented our nation will be to God,” he said. “This is the spiritual key to raising up the Res Americana for the next 250 years.”

Susan Hanssen, a history professor at the University of Dallas (a Catholic institution), called the presidential message “a jaw-droppingly historic event.” For a president to celebrate Mary as “full of grace” and celebrate “the centrality of the Incarnation,” she said “goes beyond anything that Americans have ever heard in presidential public speeches.”

“This pronouncement, along with the first American pope in world history, marks a watershed moment in American cultural history,” Hanssen said. 

Caleb Henry, a political science professor at Franciscan University, told CNA Trump’s message appears to be an extension of the president’s America Prays campaign, which asks Americans to pray for the country ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year.

Henry said the initiative seeks to “reconnect America’s people of faith with ... the signing of the Declaration of Independence.” He said the Immaculate Conception statement appears to be “a message to America’s Catholic faithful,” that the country’s history “while complicated, is rooted in these truths of natural law, laws of nature, and of nature’s God.”

“We have a Marian tradition here in our country as well,” he said. 

The statement comes as the nation's Catholic bishops have welcomed some of Trump’s policies, such as regarding gender ideology. Bishops also have expressed dismay about indiscriminate immigration enforcement and a plan to expand in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a unified special pastoral message against “indiscriminate mass deportations” on Nov. 12.

Henry said a message like the one issued on the Immaculate Conception is “a typical Trump move” by “ignoring all existing hierarchies and going straight to the people.”

Theological error in the message

The statement contains a theological error. After discussing the Annunciation, the message states “nine months later, God became man when Mary gave birth to a son, Jesus.”

Christ became man at the moment of the Incarnation, when Mary conceived him, not when he was born. 

Father Aquinas Guilbeau, OP, told CNA that although early councils clarified this teaching, the misunderstanding “endures today.” He said: “Even among Christians, sadly. It remains a favorite of poets.” 

He noted that even in “Silent Night,” the verse that says “Jesus, Lord, at thy birth” falls into this error because: “Jesus is Lord before his birth. He is Lord at his conception.”

“Wherever it appears, the error may be pious and well-intentioned but it remains theologically inaccurate,” Guilbeau said.

Bethlehem lights Christmas tree again while conflict still echoes nearby

Spectators gather in Nativity Square during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Bethlehem on Dec. 6, 2025. / Credit: HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Dec 8, 2025 / 17:39 pm (CNA).

For the past two years — while the war in Gaza has been taking place — all Christmas celebrations have been canceled in Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born. However after the recent ceasefire, the famous town decided to have its Christmas celebrations return, starting with the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in front of the historic Church of the Nativity on Dec. 6. 

“It’s been a bad two years of silence; no Christmas, no jobs, no work,” Bethlehem Mayor Maher Canawati said in an interview with the BBC. “We’re all living here from tourism, and tourism was down to zero.” 

He added: “Some may say it’s not appropriate and others say it’s appropriate, but deep inside my heart, I felt that this was the right thing to do because Christmas should never be stopped or canceled. This is the light of hope for us.”

Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, two neighboring towns, will also be having Christmas tree lightings in the coming days. Hotels are also receiving more bookings from tourists as well as Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Despite the ceasefire, actions of war continue in the area. Father Gabriel Romanelli, the priest at Holy Family Church in Gaza, the only Catholic church in the area, shared on X that on the same day of the Bethlehem tree lighting a bomb went off approximately 200 meters (650 feet) from his parish. No one was injured.

On July 17, Romanelli sustained an injury to his leg during a bombing on his parish that left three dead and 15 injured, including himself. 

“Thanks be to God more people weren’t harmed,” Romanelli said in an exclusive interview with EWTN on July 24. 

He called the experience “shocking.”

“That iconic cross you’ve seen — it’s about 2 meters [6.5 feet] tall — was heavily damaged,” the priest said of the crucifix fixed atop the church structure.

“Shrapnel flew in all directions,” he recounted. 

“The area is quite small, and while we hear bombings daily and metal fragments often fall, there hadn’t been such a severe incident since the war began,” Romanelli continued, adding: “The recent strike has left a deep mark.”

Mariologists publish scathing critique of Vatican note on Mary’s titles

The Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus. / Credit: Zwiebackesser/Shutterstock

National Catholic Register, Dec 8, 2025 / 16:58 pm (CNA).

One of the Catholic Church’s foremost associations of Mariologists has issued a strongly critical response to Mater Populi Fidelis, a recently published Vatican doctrinal note that has been criticized for its diminution of some long-established devotional Marian titles.

In a 23-page document published Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the International Marian Association Theological Commission (IMATC) points to various elements of Mater Populi Fidelis (“The Mother of the Faithful People of God”) that it calls erroneous, “unfortunate,” and says are in need of “substantial clarification and modification.” 

They describe a significant element of the document as resembling Protestant rather than Catholic theology and urge, “in a spirit of true synodal dialogue,” for Mater Populi Fidelis to be reevaluated.

Published on Nov. 4 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Mater Populi Fidelis teaches that Mary’s unique cooperation in salvation must always be understood as entirely dependent on, and subordinate to, Christ’s one mediation and universal redemptive sacrifice, rejecting any formulations that would blur this asymmetry.

The doctrinal note reaffirms approved Marian titles such as Mother of God and Mother of the Church but judges the titles “Co‑Redemptrix” and certain uses of “Mediatrix of All Graces” pastorally and theologically ambiguous, discouraging their use in official teaching or liturgy, while not denying the truths they seek to express. 

In Catholic theology, the title “Co‑Redemptrix” expresses Mary’s unique and entirely subordinate cooperation in Christ’s one redemptive work, above all through her fiat at the Incarnation and her union with his sacrifice, without adding a second redeemer alongside him. The title “Mediatrix of All Graces” signifies that every grace won by Christ the sole mediator is distributed by God through Mary’s maternal intercession, so that she participates as a secondary, dependent channel in the communication of Christ’s grace to humanity. 

The 2010 edition of the New Catholic Encyclopedia states that the title Co-Redemptrix first appeared in Catholic literature toward the end of the 14th century and that “Catholics no longer question its legitimacy” as the title has been used at various times in the intervening centuries, including by the Holy See in the 20th century. The encyclopedia says the genesis of the title Mediatrix of All Graces is “rather obscure” but dates back to eighth-century saints and “was applied to Our Lady with ever-increasing frequency until it became generally accepted in the 17th century.” 

The DDF’s diminution of the titles has drawn considerable criticism from Mariologists concerned that it adopts a minimalist view of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her role in salvation. The concern is that it could lessen popular devotion to her and risks ending new Marian dogmas related to these titles after decades of Mariological work. Still, others have praised it as a clarifying and ecumenically unifying move, re-centering Marian language clearly on Christ and discouraging titles they believe can be easily misunderstood. 

The International Marian Association comprises theologians, bishops, clergy, religious, and lay leaders who seek to promote full Marian truth and devotion throughout the world.

The association’s theological commission comprises cardinals, bishops, and over 40 internationally respected theologians and Mariologists such as U.S. scholars Scott Hahn, Mark Miravalle, and Michael Sirilla.

It begins by praising some of the positive aspects of the DDF document. They like its strong emphasis in affirming Christ as the sole divine redeemer, important scriptural references to Mary’s cooperation in salvation history, and that it “affirms in general the cooperation of the faithful in the saving work of Christ,” and refers to “the singular and distinct cooperation of Mary.”

But the authors, recalling their canonical right to express their concerns to pastors, soon list a plethora of criticisms, noting from the outset that although an expression of the ordinary magisterium, the doctrinal note is on a “lower level” than direct pronouncements from the pope. 

Co-Redemptrix title 

On the title Co-Redemptrix, the theologians push back against the note’s warning that it is “always inappropriate” — or, according to some translations, “always inopportune” — to use the title to define Mary’s cooperation. The DDF note says that the title “risks obscuring Christ’s unique salvific mediation” and can therefore cause confusion. 

The IMATC counters that statement stating that if the title Co-Redemptrix is always inappropriate or inopportune to use, “then the popes who approved or used the title were acting in an inappropriate and imprudent manner.” They add: “If it is always inappropriate to use the title, then the saints and mystics who used this title were irresponsible and inappropriate.” 

The theologians welcome a later clarification from DDF prefect Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández who told the journalist Diane Montagna on Nov. 25 that the title Co-Redemptrix is, “from now on,” “always inappropriate” to use in “official documents of the magisterium,” but it can still be used in discussions, prayer groups, and private devotion.

But the IMATC says the document still has a “substantial omission of the redemptive value of Mary’s unique active cooperation in objective redemption, as well as what we see to be an unnecessary prohibition of the legitimate Co-Redemptrix title from future official documents of the Holy See and from liturgical texts.” The move, they say, represents “an anti-development of doctrine.”

The theologians dismiss various other claims in the DDF note, including its argument that the Marian titles are best not used as they are “unhelpful” as they require “repeated explanations.” Many theological terms require perennial explanation, counters the commission, and cite as examples the title “Mother of God,” the Holy Trinity, transubstantiation, and papal infallibility. 

They note how, despite ruling not to use the term Co-Redemptrix, the DDF acknowledges the title has been used for centuries, and stress that Co-Redemptrix had been preferred instead of Redemptrix precisely to emphasize Mary’s subordination and dependency on Christ, the Redeemer.

The theologians cite how often popes have used the title and state that it is “unfortunate” these examples “are not given greater respect or presence in the actual text.” They also recall previous warnings against the contents of the DDF note, quoting Father Rene Laurentin, regarded as “one of the world’s foremost students” of Mariology, who wrote in 1951 it would be “gravely temerarious to attack the legitimacy” of the title Co-Redemptrix, and another respected Mariologist, Jesuit Father J.A. De Aldama, who wrote in 1950 that it is “not permitted to doubt its appropriateness.” 

Citing prominent theologians of the past, they dispute the DDF’s claim that the Second Vatican Council refrained from using the title, calling the claim “not entirely accurate,” as Lumen Gentium, especially No. 58, “explicitly affirms the doctrine of Mary as Co-Redemptrix without using the term.” 

They also stress that previous popes, such as Pius XI, Pius XII, and John Paul II, have explained the meaning of the title and taught that Mary is the “new Eve.” The DDF document, they conclude, “is not merely discouraging the Co-Redemptrix title; it is also failing to teach in a positive way Mary’s truly redemptive role with and under Jesus in redemption as put forth by the papal magisterium.” 

They further contend that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s negative response in 1996 to a dogmatic definition of Mary as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces “concerned the maturity” of the proposed dogma, “not a repudiation of the titles,” and he never forbade use of the term.

Mediatrix of All Graces

Concerning Mary’s title as Mediatrix of All Graces, the IMATC criticized the DDF note for seeking to reduce Mary’s maternal mediation only to intercession and for omitting the teaching of 12 popes, including Pope Francis, over four centuries, that upholds Mary’s universal mediation, each of which it lists. 

The Marian association also notes that the DDF failed to mention three pontifical commissions established by Pius XI that resulted in 2,000 pages of theological support in favor of the papal definition of Mary’s universal mediation of grace. After presenting further arguments in support of the title, the IMATC asks that the “long-standing doctrinal teaching” of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces be affirmed and celebrated. 

Mater Populi Fidelis states that Marian mediation should not be understood in terms of producing grace, but while the IMATC agrees that true grace only comes from God, it says the note “fails to affirm the active and causal secondary mediation of Mary in the distribution of graces” — something, it says, that previous popes such as Pius X clearly taught. It states that the DDF note “again does not appear reconcilable with papal doctrine.”  

Further criticisms of the DDF note the IMATC makes is that the document misses a “true presentation of Mary’s authentic motherhood” and Mary’s intimate union with Christ in the sanctification of souls — a teaching St. John Paul II espoused in his 1987 encyclical Redemptoris Mater. Furthermore, it says the DDF note minimizes Mary’s merits and, it believes, therefore “undermines all human merit and cooperation in the work of redemption.” 

The IMATC expresses concern that by lessening the magisterial doctrine of Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces, the DDF has thrown many Marian practices, such as those connected with the Miraculous Medal, the rosary, and scapular, “into unnecessary confusion and doubt.” It asks how religious communities who use the Co-Redemptrix title in their name are to proceed, and how the 10 million members strong Legion of Mary will respond given that the organization’s handbook has 10 references to Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces. 

More importantly, the theologians believe the document will undermine the faithful’s confidence in the papal magisterium, and notes “confusion and frustration” in this area “are already being voiced.” 

A week before the publication of the IMATC response, Mariologists launched a filial appeal to Pope Leo XIV, noting the “dismay and consternation” among many of the faithful following the publication of Mater Populi Fidelis and calling on Leo to restore the “honor, truth, and special veneration owed to the Blessed Virgin Mary.” 

Protestant more than Catholic 

The IMATC theologians contend that it is “precisely the teachings” of Mary as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix that “constitute the perpetual doctrine of the Church” as they have been taught from Scripture to the Patristic model of Mary as the new Eve, up to modern and contemporary popes. 

They believe the risks mentioned by the DDF “appear more theoretical than real” and add that, on the contrary, the titles become “excellent opportunities for authentic Catholic evangelization” along with other key Catholic truths that require appropriate explanations. 

Catholic theology affirms that God willed the Virgin Mary to have a role in the work of redemption, the theologians stress, and God wished to associate the contribution of an immaculate human woman and mother to his saving design. “To propose, instead, a redemption based on ‘Jesus alone’ bereft of any human redemptive value on the part of Mary, seems to resemble more a Protestant theology of redemption than that of the Catholic Church,” the IMATC says.

They close by stating it is their “sincere hope and prayer” that their response will contribute, “in a spirit of true synodal dialogue, to a reevaluation of Mater Populi Fidelis” and that such a reevaluation “will lead to a new expression of the magisterium concerning these critically important Marian doctrines and titles in greater consistency, development, and harmony with the doctrinal teachings of previous popes.” 

“Among such teachings,” it says, “are those that recognize the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.