From e.l.f. Cosmetics to the Catholic priesthood: The unlikely journey of Scott Borba
Once known for building the beauty empire behind e.l.f. Cosmetics into a household name, Scott Borba spent decades immersed in boardrooms, branding, and the fast-moving world of consumer culture.
Today, however, his focus has shifted from profit margins to parish ministry. After years serving as a Catholic deacon, Borba now stands on the threshold of an even more profound calling: ordination to the priesthood.
In 2004, Borba — alongside father and son Alan and Joseph Shamah — founded the cruelty-free makeup brand e.l.f. Cosmetics, which stands for “eyes, lips, face.” By the mid-2010s the brand had reached immense levels of success thanks to its affordable prices and ethical products. By 2014, the makeup brand reached $100 million in sales.
Living a life of luxury, in his 40s Borba began to experience a call from God. In 2019, Borba gave up the fortune he had acquired from e.l.f., donating it all to different charities, and entered seminary in the Diocese of Fresno, California.
Borba was ordained a transitional deacon on June 21, 2025, and will be ordained a priest on May 23.
In an interview with “EWTN News Nightly,” Borba shared that he first felt the calling to the priesthood when he was 10 years old but, feeling unworthy, he “ran away from the call and in the process I was running away from my faith also.”
“I had a very big conversion when I was 40,” he added. “At that time, I was in transition of different businesses and through the help of God I was able to understand the state of my soul and where I was headed. I really wanted to recalibrate my life with him and to re-entertain what he offered me when I was 10.”
It was during a house party that Borba realized how lonely, empty, and unloved he felt, despite having everything in terms of material wealth.
“That was another grace from God that he gave me to understand my unhappiness,” he said. “Then he allowed me to ask him the question, ‘Help me be the man you created me to be, but I can’t do it without your help.’ And that’s when the love and mercy came into my life.”
Borba explained that after that moment, his journey continued with the sale of one of his luxury cars. All proceeds were donated to charity, and when he saw “how it could affect people’s lives with positive change — helping with the poverty and the homelessness — that was the key that God, Our Lord, used with me to open the floodgates for the rest of it to go.”
Letting go of the material wealth was one of the hardest aspects of the transition from secular life to religious life, Borba shared. The former beauty mogul went from owning houses to “living in a little tiny room” when he entered St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California.
“You can’t fit everything in there, so you have to make a decision to hold onto it or not. And the seminary gives you the opportunity to figure that out — to either unite to his will or not,” he said. “So, for me, it was to have to give that up. It took me years to get comfortable with that, but now I’m actually in tons of peace knowing that I don’t have many possessions and that I can actually travel and focus on where ministry and Our Lord takes me.”
“Once I surrendered to him and understood the reality of why I’m here, why we’re all placed here, is to get back in union with him, it literally changed my life,” he shared.
Borba encouraged those who might also be ignoring God’s call in their lives to “not give up.”
“If Our Lord is calling you and you’re just not ready for the call, ask him to have patience with you and to direct you in the life that you’re currently in. But let me tell you, if we orient ourselves to God right now, he takes care of everything for us in this life as well as prepares us for the next,” he said.
“If we’re able to do his will, the joy and the love and the success will come, but itʼs oriented to his divine providence. That’s what I didn’t know, that is the truth, and that’s what I want to let everyone know: Put him first and everything will fall into place, I promise you.”
U.S. bishops urge Congress to restore environmental funding
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging lawmakers to prioritize the environment and conservation in the budget reconciliation package being negotiated by Congress.
In a letter to leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees, Louisville, Kentucky, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre, chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, wrote that conserving the environment is a command from God and necessary for the common good.
“In the Book of Genesis, God commands humanity ‘to cultivate and care for’ the Earth and its resources,” Fabre wrote, quoting Genesis 2:15.
He listed the environmental priorities of both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV and said one important way to fulfill that mission is with federal funding to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI).
Fabre encouraged the restoration of previous levels of funding after the fiscal 2026 budget decreased EPA funding by $277 million and DOI funding by $211 million. The Trump administrationʼs fiscal 2027 budget proposal called for cutting the EPA’s budget by more than half and decreasing the Interior Departmentʼs budget by nearly 13%.
Fabre said adequate funding and staffing is necessary for the agencies to fulfill their responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act, and to support certain initiatives.
“Notable initiatives from these agencies that foster care for creation and the common good include the Superfund Program to clean up toxic waste contamination; State Revolving Funds (SRF) programs that provide loans, matched by states, to upgrade aging infrastructure to improve access to clean and safe drinking water, improve the health of our nation’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands, and support economic opportunities; and programs that monitor air quality from power plants and industrial facilities, schools, and ports,” the letter said.
The bishop further expressed concerns about cuts to programs that were meant to promote clean energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and safeguard endangered species and wilderness areas, among other things.
“Adequate funding for EPA and DOI is necessary for our nation to safeguard our God-given, life-sustaining natural resources such as water, air, lands, and wildlife,” Fabre wrote.
“These investments further promote economic opportunity and healthy environments where people live and recreate,” he added. “Congress should take care to ensure that these funds address environmental risks to God’s creation, especially for the most vulnerable amongst us.”
Fabre thanked the lawmakers for efforts to protect ecosystems and public health, ensure safe drinking water and clean air, address climate change, and support sustainable livelihoods.
“The common good requires sound stewardship of the environment and respect for the human dignity of all who share our common home,” he added.
Minnesota bishops praise new limits on addictive social media features for children under 15
Minnesota’s Catholic bishops are applauding the passage of a bipartisan bill this week that restricts what critics say are the addictive aspects of social media for children below age 15.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the Church in Minnesota, issued a statement May 16 saying it is “encouraged” that lawmakers in both legislative houses overwhelmingly passed the Stop Harms from Addictive Social Media Act.
The bill is aimed at curbing the purportedly addictive design of social media for young children by imposing new requirements on large social media platforms earning $1 billion or more in global advertising revenue.
It prohibits several features for accounts of children 15 and younger, including infinite scrolling, algorithmic or profile-based feeds, push notifications for new content or likes, autoplay videos, visible engagement metrics such as likes and shares, and usage-based awards, badges, or streaks.
“No more ads, no more push notifications, no more infinite scrolling … and the strongest privacy protections,” state Rep. Peggy Scott, the author of the bill in the state House, said when presenting the bill.
Targeted or paid commercial advertising based on the child’s activity or personal information is also banned for youth accounts.
“This legislation puts parents back in the driver’s seat and helps them foster healthy dialogue with their kids about social media use,” said Maggee Hangge, assistant director for family policy at the Minnesota Catholic Conference, in a press release. “It will mean happier kids who are less anxious, less worried, and more focused on the present moment.”
After passing with a vote of 132-2 in the House and a vote of 66-0 in the Senate, the bill now requires Gov. Tim Walz’s signature to become law.
“I’ve seen the addiction, the mental health issues — this is an area [of concern] that crosses party lines,” said state Sen. Michael Kreun, who co-authored the bill.
“Parents really need help right now with all this technology,” he said. “Kids themselves are asking for help, as we have seen from the data.”
The bishops’ conference cited a recent Minnesota Student Survey that found that almost 20% of students are online between midnight and 5 a.m. at least five nights a week, along with a 2023 study that showed that 97% of students report using their smartphones during the school day.
Johann D’Souza, a Catholic psychologist who focuses on the destructive effects of screen overuse on youth, told EWTN News that the Minnesota bill is “a laudable step in the right direction given the documented mental health crisis in youth starting in 2010, the year Instagram came out.”
“Let’s build momentum from this small but real win to further protect children from toxic screen use and digital destruction,” he said.
If signed by Walz, the law would take effect July 1, 2027, for both new and existing accounts. It includes exemptions for email, direct messaging, streaming services, online games, and e-commerce platforms where social features are not central.
Enforcement includes a private right of action for families, with potential statutory damages of $10,000 per knowing or reckless violation, plus possible punitive damages and state attorney general enforcement as a deceptive trade practice.
EWTN News explains: What is a papal encylical?
With the announcement of Pope Leo XIVʼs first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: “On the Protection of Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," there is much anticipation as to what guidance the pope will provide on the digital revolution and emerging technologies such as AI.
But what are papal encyclicals, and what can they reveal about the popeʼs priorities on the world stage and for the Church?
The pope’s pastoral letter
A papal encyclical is a pastoral letter written by the pope, primarily addressed to bishops but also to Catholics and all people, typically reflecting on Church teachings and suggesting ways to apply them to modern issues.
According to the 1917 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia, encyclicals were “letters sent to all the bishops of Christendom, or at least to all those in one particular country, and intended to guide them in their relations with their flocks.”
Encyclicals are part of the pope’s everyday teaching authority, known as his “ordinary magisterium.” They are among the most common ways he presents Church doctrine and serve as authoritative and valuable sources of Catholic teaching and guidance on contemporary topics, including sexuality, Catholic social teaching, and stewardship of the earth.
Since Pope Leo XIII, encyclicals have become one of the most common means by which popes are heard across the globe on the most pressing issues of our time.
Are Catholics required to believe them?
A pope does not normally use an encyclical to make an "ex cathedra" declaration — a solemn, and rare, statement on faith or morals, normally promulgated in an apostolic constitution. Modern examples of "ex cathedra" proclamations include the popes' definitions of the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Assumption (1950).
Encyclicals, however, are not merely letters or expressions of the popeʼs opinion. They carry significant doctrinal weight and are frequently cited as important sources of Catholic teaching.
According to canon law, Catholics are required to give “a religious submission of the intellect and will” to these letters and to “take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it.”
Simply put, Catholics are to presume that the pope teaches the truth in these letters and to sincerely respect the teachings they contain.
Recent encyclical trends
Initially addressed exclusively to bishops, papal encyclicals began reaching broader audiences in the modern period, beginning with Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum. It marked the first time in many years that the bishop of Rome had written a pastoral letter on matters other than doctrine or internal affairs of the Church, instead addressing workers’ rights, the right to private property, and the dangers of socialism.
With St. John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris in 1963, pontiffs increasingly addressed their letters to “all men of goodwill,” shifting from a mainly Catholic audience to the global stage.
Since the Second Vatican Council, papal encyclicals have increasingly focused on threats to the dignity of the human person and authentic human development. St. Paul VI wrote Humanae Vitae in 1968, reiterating and applying Church teaching to the question of artificial birth control. St. John Paul II dedicated four encyclicals to promoting Catholic social teaching, building on Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum. Pope Francis’ four encyclicals largely addressed the preservation of ecology and universal fraternity.
Despite the importance given to these letters in the modern period, the average number of encyclicals per pope is relatively small. Francis wrote only four, while Benedict XVI, his immediate predecessor, wrote just three. John Paul II wrote 14, but the average number of encyclicals per pope since the Second Vatican Council has been just seven.
Leo XIII has the most encyclicals of any pope, with 88, 11 of which are dedicated to the rosary.
Pope Leo XIVʼs first encyclical builds on others
Pope Leo XIV indicated at the beginning of his pontificate that he intended to follow in the footsteps of Pope Leo XIII, his predecessor, by responding to todayʼs industrial revolution: “developments in the field of artificial intelligence.”
May 15 marked the 135th anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical on capital and labor, Rerum Novarum: “Of New Things” — the first in a long line of social encyclicals produced in the modern era of the Catholic Church.
Addressing the College of Cardinals on May 10, 2025, Leo said: “In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.”
Magnifica Humanitas is expected to be released on May 25 at 11:30 a.m. Rome time in the Vaticanʼs Synod Hall.
New York Diocese of Ogdensburg will pay $45 million to sex abuse victims
The Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, will pay out $45 million to abuse victims, part of a yearslong bankruptcy process that began after dozens of sex abuse cases were filed against it.
The diocese said in a May 19 statement that the diocesan administration, along with “parishes, schools, and other Catholic entities,” would contribute into the settlement, which would be organized as a “survivor trust.”
“Once the plan is confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, the $45 million contributed to the survivor trust ... will be available for distribution to survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers,” the diocese said.
Ogdensburg Bishop Terry LaValley prayed that the settlement “will bring peace and healing to all survivors and to all the faithful whose hearts were broken by the gravely sinful conduct of Church leaders.”
“The great harm that has been caused by this sinful behavior must never be allowed to happen again,“ he said. ”It is my sincere hope that this process has brought the survivors some comfort and peace.”
The diocese "is committed to ensuring the safety of all persons entrusted to our care,” the bishop said.
The New York-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said in a May 19 press release that the diocese and abuse victims “will continue negotiations regarding significant nonmonetary provisions,” including “enhancements to child protection policies and the public disclosure of information related to clergy and other personnel accused of sexual abuse.”
The Ogdensburg Diocese filed for bankruptcy in July 2023, the sixth diocese in New York state to do so.
The bankruptcy filing came as the diocese was facing dozens of abuse lawsuits filed under the stateʼs 2019 Child Victims Act, which significantly expanded the window in which abuse victims could file lawsuits against abusers and institutions.
At the time of the bankruptcy filing, LaValley said dealing with the lawsuits on a case-by-case basis would be “slow” and “unpredictable.”
“Reorganization ensures that each survivor receives just compensation," the bishop said at the time. "It eliminates a race to the courthouse in which the earliest cases settled or brought to judgment could exhaust the resources available to pay claims, leaving nothing for victims whose cases are resolved later."
Earlier this month it was announced that the Archdiocese of New York would pay $800 million into an abuse settlement there, with the amount covering around 1,300 victims who also filed under the state Child Victims Act.
Champion for the unborn in Canada, Jim Hughes, passes away
Jim Hughes, a towering and beloved Canadian champion of the preborn for over half a century, passed away on the morning of May 18 surrounded by loved ones. He was 82.
He had endured several health challenges in recent years, including a stroke in March 2025.
Tributes are pouring in for the man who shepherded Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), the political arm of the Canadian pro-life movement, for over 34 years as national president before passing the leadership reins to his successor Jeff Gunnarson in late 2018.
Gunnarson penned a poignant missive to the dedicated husband, father, and grandfather who was “a mentor and a fatherly presence to so many” he encountered.
“His tireless work helped shape, strengthen, and mobilize the movement across the country, saving countless lives and inspiring generations of pro-life Canadians,” Gunnarson wrote. “Yet Jim’s impact extended far beyond public leadership. If someone needed help, he would help, often quietly, without recognition and without ever seeking praise.”
Hughes devoted more than 80 hours a week advocating against abortion during his years actively leading Campaign Life, and remarkably he still devoted more than 60 hours per week to this fight during his retirement years.
During Hughes' tenure the Campaign Life mailing list grew from 200 names in 1978 to nearly 200,000 today. He also brought the National March for Life to Ottawa in 1997. And he was active in the political arena by supporting pro-life legislation and lobbying against bills that he deemed did not go far enough in safeguarding life.
He was deemed a great bridge-builder between people and a man who empowered the next generation of pro-life leaders.
Alissa Golob, the co-founder of Right Now, an organization striving to effectuate the election of pro-life MPs, saluted Hughes for his role in her formation as an advocate.
“Jim gave me my start in the pro-life movement by hiring me right out of university as the youth coordinator for Campaign Life Coalition,” Golob wrote on X. “He gave me many amazing opportunities and helped shape me to become the pro-life woman I am today. Although we had our differences, at the end of the day he was an amazing man who wanted to protect babies and is the reason why so many pro-life organizations exist today. He is greatly loved and will be missed.”
After his passion for the pro-life cause was kindled at a Campaign Life retreat as a teenager, Patrick Craine, the president of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College, stated in a Facebook tribute that it was an honor to work alongside Hughes for many years as president of Campaign Life Coalition Nova Scotia.
Of Hughes, Craine wrote that “the movement is immeasurably poorer for his absence. But the leaders he formed, the institutions he built, and the lives he helped protect are his lasting legacy.” All of Hughes' deeds on behalf of the unborn, Craine added, were guided by his faith in Christ.
“Jim was a committed Catholic, and it was that faith, not mere ideology or politics, that animated everything he did. He understood the defense of the unborn not as a cause among many but as a profound moral and spiritual calling. His was the conviction of a man who truly believed every life is made in the image and likeness of God and who ordered his entire life accordingly.”
Hughes’ efforts to emulate Jesus was evident in the love he exhibited for figures who espoused pro-choice doctrine. He once told the famous Canadian abortionist Dr. Henry Morgantaler that “I’m still praying for you” during an encounter in a downtown Toronto restaurant.
Father Thomas Lynch, president of Priests for Life Canada, lauded Hughes' tireless advocacy for the unborn amid an discouraging Canadian cultural landscape.
"I admired Jim for never losing hope, never giving up, and never failing to speak up for the preborn and the defenseless," Lynch wrote. "We worked together for many years with CLC, in its various forms, and in too many organizations to count. Positive, funny, indefatigable, and always on the lookout for another opportunity to speak, to organize, and to achieve the goals of the pro-life movement — he will be sorely missed.”
This story was first published by Canadaʼs The Catholic Register and is reprinted here, with adaptations, with permission.
Pope Leo explains why Vatican II’s reform did not change only ‘the rites’ of the liturgy
Pope Leo XIV said Wednesday that the liturgy occupies a central place in the life of the Church, since it “touches the very heart” of the mystery of Christ — because it is “at once the space, the time, and the context” in which the Church receives from him “her very life.”
The liturgy, he said at the general audience in St. Peterʼs Square, is where “the work of our redemption is accomplished,” which makes us “a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people whom God has acquired for himself.”
On May 20, the pontiff began a new series of catechesis about the Second Vatican Councilʼs constitution on the sacred liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium.
The conciliar text marks a shift in emphasis in the understanding of the liturgy: Whereas the Tridentine Mass prior to Vatican II focused primarily on the sacrificial dimension, the conciliar liturgical reform placed at the forefront Christ acting in the liturgy, setting at the center the paschal mystery — his passion, death, resurrection, and glorification — which is made sacramentally present in every celebration.
Not just a reform of the rites
The pope explained that the council fathers at Vatican II sought not only an external reform of the rites but also a broader spiritual deepening: “In drafting this constitution, the council fathers sought not only to undertake a reform of the rites but to lead the Church to contemplate and deepen that living bond which constitutes and unites her: the mystery of Christ.”
The pontiff thus affirmed that “every time we take part in the assembly gathered ‘in his name’ we are immersed in this mystery,” stressing that Christ continues to act in the Church as “he who is present in the proclaimed word, in the sacraments, in the ministers who celebrate, in the gathered community and, in the highest degree, in the Eucharist.”
Referring to St. Augustine, Leo recalled that in celebrating the Eucharist the Church “receives the body of the Lord and becomes what she receives,” thus becoming the body of Christ and “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
The pope also insisted that the liturgy is not an isolated act but “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed … the font from which all her power flows.”
Leo highlighted the missionary and universal dimension of the liturgy, which “represents a sign of the unity of the entire human race in Christ,” and, quoting pope Francis, recalled that “the world still does not know it, but everyone is invited to the supper of the wedding of the Lamb.”
The pontiff concluded by inviting the faithful to allow themselves to be transformed by the liturgical action. “Let us allow ourselves to be shaped inwardly by the rites, symbols, gestures, and above all the living presence of Christ in the liturgy,” he said.
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, the head of the Armenian Church and one of the most important figures in Eastern Christianity, was also present during the general audience. The pope said the fraternal visit by the Armenian Orthodox leader “represents an important opportunity to strengthen the bonds of unity that already exist between us, as we move toward full communion between our churches.”
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.
Contemplative life proclaims God is worthy of being sought and loved, Spanish bishops emphasize
The bishops of the Commission for Consecrated Life of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference underscored the importance of the contemplative life in a message issued on the occasion of Pro Orantibus Day (“for those who pray”), which will be observed on May 31, the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.
The celebration was instituted by Pope Pius XII to foster awareness of and prayer for those who consecrate their lives to prayer and contemplation in cloistered convents.
Under the theme "Vida contemplativa, ¿por quién eres?" ("Contemplative Life, for Whom Do You Exist?"), the bishops said this observance invites the faithful "to turn our attention toward those who, called by the Lord, have consecrated their lives to prayer, praise, and constant intercession for the people of God and for all of humanity."
The question “For whom do you exist?” is intended as a call to “return to the origin and center: the One from whom contemplative life flows, is configured, and sustained.” In other words, the bishops said this involves “reflecting on God, who is love, who takes the initiative, calls, draws people in, and consecrates them” as well as “recognizing the ecclesial and missionary fruitfulness” of this form of consecrated life.
“In a time and cultural context marked by being in a hurry," the bishops said, "interior distractedness and the temptation to measure life by immediate efficacy along with a thirst for spirituality on many levels, the contemplative life reminds the entire Church that the decisive question is not merely what we can do and hope for but also and above all for whom we exist, live, and act, for whom we lift up our eyes."
The bishops also emphasized that “an existence dedicated to contemplation proclaims just by the entire dedication of one’s life that God is worthy of being sought and loved for his own sake and that placing one’s life before him represents in and of itself a profound and silent service both to the Church and to humanity as a whole, a humanity often lost in the depths of hatred and destruction. It is a service and a mission that the Church and men and women of all times need.”
Of God, for God, for the world and in community
The bishops of the Commission for Consecrated Life presented four distinctive characteristics of contemplative life: to be of God, for God, for the world, and in community.
This means that it “is born of a divine initiative that precedes any human response and takes concrete form in a total consecration, lived out in stability, silence, listening to the Word, and persevering praise.”
This consecration “for God” means that “contemplative persons order their days, renounce other good and legitimate projects, and remain faithful even amid aridity, trials, and anonymity.”
This “radical orientation toward God” is the reason why the contemplative life “exists for the Church,” the prelates noted, because “the personal and communal prayer of contemplatives sustains communion, strengthens the faith of the people of God, and serves as a reminder that all pastoral and missionary action is born of and returns to listening to the Spirit and to one’s brothers and sisters, as the synodal journey highlights.”
The bishops said that “the contemplative life is also for the world, even when the world neither knows nor understands it,” insofar as “its constant intercession reaches men and women of every walk of life, and becomes a hidden source of hope for a wounded humanity in need of meaning, reconciliation, and a profound joy of living.”
Pro Orantibus Day is an ecclesial act of gratitude, reciprocity, and co-responsibility, the prelates said, one that should help “to rediscover, value, and sustain the contemplative life, to pray for vocations, and to learn in the light of your witness that mission begins on one’s knees and is sustained by daily fidelity to the Lord.”
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.
Nearly 500,000 already signed up for main events of pope’s visit to Spain
The organizers of Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to Spain have confirmed that nearly half a million people have registered for some of the major public events along the itinerary, particularly those in Madrid and the Canary Islands.
Rafael Rubio, the communications coordinator for the pontiff’s apostolic visit, said during a press briefing that 160,000 people have already registered for the vigil scheduled for June 6; 250,000 for the Corpus Christi Mass and procession; 36,000 for the Mass to be celebrated at Gran Canaria Stadium on June 11; and another 25,000 for the event taking place the following day at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canaries.
However, they are unable to provide figures regarding the events to be held in Barcelona as the local organizers “have decided that the ticket distribution system will be different,” Rubio explained.
Nevertheless, the Archdiocese of Barcelona reported that the Olympic Stadium will accommodate approximately 37,000 people.
The organizers also confirmed they have over 20,000 volunteers who will assist at the various venues during the pope’s visit. They will be wearing four different-colored T-shirts depending on their role: red for the organizing team, orange for general duties, blue for assisting people with reduced mobility, and green for those providing information to participants at the various events.
To ensure that “there is no one in Spain unaware of the pope’s visit,” Rubio emphasized, a communication strategy has been developed, one that is still in progress but already features two commercials: “Metro” and “Amigos.”
Its creation involved the participation of over 100 contributors and 45 volunteers, with the support of Omnicom Media for strategic planning, Ábside Media for production, and The Cyranos for creative direction.
The campaign aims to invite people “to no longer be indifferent, listen to others, and rediscover them,” which goes along with the trip’s theme, “Lift Up Your Eyes,” Rubio noted.
This communication effort will be rolled out not only through social media but also across some 400 advertising displays distributed throughout Spain.
Listening centers
During the Holy Fatherʼs visit to Madrid, the archdiocese will set up listening centers along the Paseo de la Castellana — the city’s main north-south thoroughfare — a pastoral initiative that has been underway for several years, coordinated by the Camillian religious order.
Through this initiative, the Catholic Church hopes to minister to the personal, spiritual, and psychological concerns of those generous enough to share them in a welcoming and confidential environment through a model of accompaniment based on the humanistic psychology of Carl Rogers.
Dedicated to this ministry of listening are not only priests but also laypeople, who undergo training courses before joining the listening centers.
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.
Agreement allows daily pastoral access at Illinois ICE facility, faith leaders say
A group of Catholic and Christian faith leaders said it has been granted daily access to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, since May 15 under a milestone agreement with immigration officials.
The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), a Chicago-based Catholic and Christian advocacy group, said in a May 19 press release that it has struck a deal with ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that allows “daily pastoral visits.”
The temporary agreement follows a nearly 10-month-long campaign and lawsuit filed by CSPL and other faith leaders in November. CSPL faith leaders were permitted to provide pastoral care for Ash Wednesday and Holy Week but were denied entrance at Christmas.
The group noted that the agreement is not permanent and that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois requested a July status update.
“During the pendency of this federal litigation, as ordered by the court, plaintiffs may access the ICE Broadview Service Staging Area Facility,” the agreement states, according to CSPL, “to offer pastoral services on a daily basis to detainees who wish to receive pastoral care, including spiritual care, prayer, or facility-approved sacramental ministry, which may include rites tied to specific religious observances.”
Access to the facility will be allowed for up to five religious leaders per day between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., CSPL said. ICE personnel are required under the agreement to provide “sufficient space for religious services to be carried out within reasonable operational parameters,” CSPL said. The agreement also requires ICE to “make reasonable efforts” to facilitate privacy for detainees during the sacrament of confession, CSPL said.
Visits may only take place after detainees have completed intake and must be concluded with enough time for detainees to be transported out of the facility, CSPL said. ICE is permitted to limit visitation based on safety threats and operational concerns under the agreement, CSPL said.
‘Emergency room treatment’
The group provided religious services to 12 detainees at Broadview under the agreement on May 17, CSPL said.
“One detainee, facing deportation, expressed his gratitude for the visit and said, ‘Me siento como a volver a vivir,’ which loosely translates to a feeling of being brought back to life,” the organization said in the release.
“To my mind, it’s emergency room treatment,” said Father Paul Keller, CMF, the provincial for the Claretian Missionaries and a member of the CSPL Clergy Council. “Someone is there right when the trauma has happened to attend to the immediate emotional and spiritual wounds.”
“This agreement represents a recognition of the human dignity and basic human rights of our detained sisters and brothers,” CSPL Executive Director Michael N. Okińczyc-Cruz said.
Another civil suit (Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem) in federal court alleged detainees at the Broadview facility faced overcrowded, “inhumane” conditions, insufficient nutrition, inadequate medical care, lack of privacy, and a squalid living environment.
Although detainees are only meant to be held at Broadview for a few hours, with the maximum being 72 hours, some alleged last year that they were held there for several days and even up to one week during ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz, which detained about 3,000 immigrants illegally residing in the state.
A DHS spokesperson said “religious organizations are more than welcome to provide services to detainees in ICE detention facilities” and disputed detainees' claims that the Broadview facility functions as a detention center, not a temporary processing facility.
“Even before the attacks on the Broadview facility, it was not within standard operating procedure for religious services to be provided in a field office, as detainees are continuously brought in, processed, and transferred out," according to a DHS spokesperson.