Pope Leo XIV warns of Western ‘paradox’ on individual freedom
Pope Leo XIV warned Wednesday of a “paradox” in Western societies where a growing emphasis on individual freedom coexists with an increasingly widespread fear of being judged.
Speaking to bishops from various countries who are friends of the Focolare Movement, the pontiff warned of the effects of individualism in the West, “where the once-stable networks of family, friendship, and community are giving way to greater fragmentation.”
In this context, he said, freedom “is increasingly presented as absolute autonomy — the ability to pursue happiness without any moral, natural, or even human limits,” as he noted in his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.
“And yet we observe a paradox,” he continued. “For all the emphasis on individual freedom, people today frequently feel less free to be their genuine selves or follow their highest ideals out of a hidden fear of being judged or of not fitting in.”
Unity as an answer to polarization
During his address, the pope called for a renewed commitment to unity as a response to the divisions afflicting the contemporary world.
Highlighting the contribution of the movement founded by Chiara Lubich, he said that “in an age sadly marked by increasing polarization, Our Lord enabled her to give witness to both the sense and service of unity, thus becoming a sign for her own and for future generations.”
“If that was Chiara’s task 40 years ago, it is ours even more urgently today,” he said. “I think of the difficult social situations, the circumstances, the divisions which some of you, my brothers, endure in your countries, situations such as prejudice, racism, religious intolerance, even violence.”
Leo said the loss of openness to others “exacerbates a sense of disunity” and ultimately deprives people “of the happiness for which we were created, since we are made in the image of the Triune God, who is himself a communion of persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
Addressing the participants as heirs to Lubich’s spiritual legacy and ministers of the Church in a fragmented world, the pope urged them to bear witness to the unity of the human family.
“The answer to the sad divisions that plague our world lies not in forming more committees or launching more projects but in going back to the source of our unity in the Holy Trinity,” he said.
‘We must become contemplatives’
“Indeed, we must become contemplatives!” the pope told the bishops, encouraging them to strengthen their interior lives.
He urged them to do so “with generous and sustained prayer before Our Lord in the tabernacle, with a calm and attentive celebration of the Office and holy Mass, and finally by frequent contemplation of the indwelling of the Persons of the Trinity in the depth of our being.”
“In this way, you will be witnesses to each other and to those you serve of that unity which builds lasting peace,” he said.
Reform of the Focolare Movement
This was not the first time Leo had received members of the Focolare Movement, also known as the Work of Mary, which Lubich founded in 1943. In March, he met with representatives of the ecclesial movement following the conclusion of its general assembly.
Present in 182 countries, the movement has about 110,000 active members and approximately 2 million supporters and adherents, according to figures published on its official website.
The Holy See approved the Work of Mary in 1962. Its General Statutes were subsequently approved in 1990 by the then-Pontifical Council for the Laity, whose functions are now part of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life.
In recent years, the movement has also faced allegations of abuse. Revelations that a former consecrated member in France had sexually abused minors prompted the organization’s leaders to commission an official investigation by an independent body, the British firm GCPS Consulting.
A report published in March 2022 as a result of that investigation detailed confirmed cases of sexual abuse as well as instances of spiritual and power abuse identified through testimony gathered during the inquiry.
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.
Liechtenstein parliament backs abortion initiative, but prince has the last word
Although Liechtensteinʼs parliament approved an initiative to allow elective abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy by a vote of 13-12 last week, the law has not yet taken effect, as Hereditary Prince Alois previously announced his veto.
“It gives one pause to consider that, on the one hand, women are seeking inpatient obstetric care in neighboring countries to give birth to their children, while on the other hand, we are currently discussing the creation of conditions for terminating pregnancies within our own country,” said Bishop Benno Elbs, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vaduz, in a statement dated Aug. 21. “It seems to me that something has become unbalanced here.” The principality has not had its own maternity ward for several years.
“The Churchʼs concern is directed in particular toward all people in vulnerable life situations: unborn children and their parents, people with disabilities, refugees, as well as the elderly and the sick. They all depend in a special way on care, guidance, and concrete support,” Elbs wrote.
The initiative, titled “Fristenlösung für Liechtenstein” (“term-based solution for Liechtenstein”), calls for the legalization of elective abortion during the first 12 weeks, the lifting of a ban on doctors providing information about abortion services, and the transfer of costs to health insurance providers. Under Sections 96–98a of the criminal code, abortion is prohibited, with exceptions for cases of rape or serious danger to the life or health of the pregnant woman. Since 2015, women who travel abroad for an abortion have not been subject to criminal prosecution.
At the end of July, the initiative committee submitted 4,970 signatures; 1,000 would have been required. Nearly a quarter of all eligible voters in the principality backed the initiative. “Criminalization and the ban on providing information make it considerably more difficult to make an informed and self-determined decision,” the committeeʼs website states. There are no official statistics on abortions in Liechtenstein.
In a separate vote, the 25-member Landtag rejected, by the same margin of 13-12 on Sept. 2, a proposal to put the measure to a popular referendum. A referendum would have been mandatory only if the parliament had rejected the initiative. The public vote, which had been expected in the fall, will therefore not take place.
Hereditary prince has the last word
The law has not yet come into effect. “For any law to take effect, in addition to the approval of the Landtag, the princeʼs sanction, the countersignature of the responsible head of government or his deputy, and publication in the Official Gazette are required,” states Article 65 of the Liechtenstein constitution. “If the princeʼs sanction is not granted within six months, it is deemed to have been refused.”
Hereditary Prince Alois, who exercises sovereign authority on behalf of his father, Prince Hans-Adam II, has not yet formally exercised his veto. The head of state did not comment following the vote. He has six months to sign the law.
“The main reason is that, when it comes to time-limit regulations, the central legal principle of the protection of life is not sufficiently upheld,” the communications department of the Princely House told the news agency Keystone-SDA, explaining the rationale behind the anticipated veto.
In June, the hereditary prince stated in an interview with the newspaper Liechtensteiner Vaterland that the regulation in Liechtenstein must continue to be “based on a criminal-law framework with a system of specific exceptions.”
“With the time-limit regulation, the state effectively withdraws from its responsibility to grant the unborn child a right to protection during the permitted period,” he said. For him, it is a matter of “a fundamental commitment to the protection of life and not a ban on abortion.”
Regarding his earlier announcement, he said: “On such fundamental issues as the protection of life, a head of state should take a clear stand and also bear responsibility — even if that is the more difficult path.”
Bishop calls for support for families
For Elbs, the protection of life and support for families go hand in hand. “From my experience as a pastor and psychotherapist, I am aware of the often difficult situations in which women and young families can find themselves,” Elbs wrote. “The protection of life must therefore not be considered in isolation from comprehensive support: through empathetic counseling, sustainable social networks, and financial and practical assistance.”
“Our goal must be a society in which women and couples are not left to fend for themselves and in which saying ‘yes’ to life becomes possible,” he said.
Elbs praised the work of the Sophie von Liechtenstein Foundation, which has supported pregnant women, young parents, and families in challenging situations in Liechtenstein, Austria, and Switzerland for many years.
According to Church teaching, human life is under Godʼs special protection from the moment of conception. “With the authority conferred by Christ upon Peter and his successors, I therefore affirm, in communion with the bishops of the Catholic Church, that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always a grave moral offense,” declared St. John Paul II in 1995 in Evangelium Vitae.
This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pope Leo XIV: Respect for human dignity ‘excludes self-centered isolation’
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV at his Wednesday general audience urged people to take responsibility for the dignity of each human person and to embrace an identity centered on gift of self.
“This dignity is entrusted to the responsibility of each person: at the same time, it also demands solidarity and mutual care, overcoming the many falsifications and manipulations that still disfigure our perception of it and hinder its realization,” the pontiff said on Sept. 9.
Addressing pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, the pope continued his catechetical cycle dedicated to the Second Vatican Council’s constitution Gaudium et Spes, whose first chapter addresses the dignity of the human person.
In particular, the Church’s magisterial document underscores that human dignity is the foundation and condition for “those values which are most highly prized today,” while warning that these must not lose sight of their “divine source,” in order to avoid possible distortions arising from the “taint in man’s human heart.”
The pontiff noted that “the path ahead is not yet complete and must address the contradictions, both old and new, which prevent its full realization.”
He also recalled that the Church offers a clear contribution in this area by reaffirming that human dignity arises from the very being of the person, citing in this context his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.
He explained that the infinite dignity of the human being is rooted in his identity as a creature made “‘to God’s image’ … capable of knowing and loving his Creator” and noted that “the person always implies relationship, communion, and participation in relation to God and to others.”
Struggle between good and evil
He also emphasized that the dignity of the person “excludes self-centered isolation. To be a person means to perceive oneself as a gift to be shared, growing and maturing through acceptance, reciprocity, and service.”
The Holy Father presented decisions contrary to human dignity throughout history as one of the causes of humanity’s “inner division.”
“All of human life, whether individual or collective, shows itself to be a dramatic struggle between good and evil, between light and darkness,” he said, quoting Gaudium et Spes.
He also called for overcoming “dualistic views” that separate the body from the soul, recalling that “human dignity concerns the whole person.”
The body is not an object
“Reducing the body to an ‘object’ to be disposed of arbitrarily is always a denial of the dignity of the person,” he said.
In this context, he recalled that “man is not allowed to despise his bodily life” and “is obliged to regard his body as good and honorable since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day,” while ensuring that it does not become enslaved by “the evil inclinations of his heart,” since all are wounded by sin.
According to the pope, “it is only in him that the mystery of the human person finds true light; from him we receive light on the enigma of suffering and death; and with him we journey towards the Resurrection.”
“Dear brothers and sisters, created in God’s image, through Christ and for his sake, we have received a unique and indelible dignity. Let us commit ourselves to promoting and defending it always, with the light and strength of the Gospel,” he concluded.
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.
U.S. dioceses to receive tilma replicas for 500th anniversary of Marian apparitions at Tepeyac
The U.S. bishops have published a pastoral plan calling for a faithful replica of St. Juan Diego’s tilma to be enthroned in every diocese in the United States as the Church prepares for the 500th anniversary of the Guadalupe Marian apparitions in 2031.
The proposal is set out in “One Tilma, One Heart: Walking with Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Footsteps of Saint Juan Diego” and is part of the Intercontinental Guadalupe Novena’s 2025–2028 strategic plan, which aims at “a profound spiritual renewal and unity under the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe.”
Bishops from Mexico, the U.S., and Canada each carried home tilma replicas after their historic meeting last week at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Bishop Oscar Cantú of San José, California; Bishop Eugenio Lira Rugarcía of Matamoros, Mexico; and Bishop Pierre Goudreault of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Canada, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, attended the meeting.
Under the plan, each diocese in the U.S. will receive a tilma for enthronement in its cathedral followed by two years of missionary activity including pilgrimages, service, and catechesis as the image travels to parishes beginning in 2027.
The original tilma, the cactus-fiber cloak on which Mary’s image miraculously appeared on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico in 1531, remains at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
The replicated images are printed on cloth similar to the original, and those touched to the original tilma will be treated as third-class relics.
The pastoral plan presents the tilma not only as an object of devotion but also as a “living catechetical witness” meant to make Catholics messengers of hope like St. Juan Diego.
Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn, New York, said at the bishops’ June plenary that a tilma for each diocese could be ordered at a low cost and that images would be presented to ordinaries in Baltimore in November for veneration in cathedrals or other sites designated by the local bishop.
After enthronement, the image is to travel through parishes and what organizers call “contemporary Tepeyacs,” or places marked by suffering, exclusion, migration, and violence. Local missionaries known as Juandieguitos will accompany the image, listen to community concerns, and help establish “sacred little houses” as sites of welcome, reconciliation, and Guadalupan formation, according to the pastoral plan.
A bilingual Order of Enthronement of the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, originally prepared by the Mexican bishops’ liturgy commission, was also posted by the USCCB. The rite envisions a solemn diocesan Mass with procession, a prayer of consecration, and a blessing of the community “under the mantle of Mary.”
The bishops noted that the effort is in preparation both for the 2031 anniversary of Mary’s apparitions at Tepeyac and for the Great Jubilee of 2033, the Church’s planned extraordinary Holy Year of Redemption, marking 2,000 years since Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection.
Citing Pope Francis’ Dec. 12, 2022, homily at the beginning of the Guadalupan novena, hoped-for fruits of the effort include the “renewal of a Christocentric faith through Marian mediation,” reconciliation of polarized communities, strengthening of Hispanic cultural identity, and a network of Marian shrines as “privileged spaces for the rebirth of hope.”
Francis said in his 2022 homily on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe that “although this horizon seems bleak and disconcerting ... this too is a propitious time of salvation, in which the Lord, through the Virgin Mother, continues to give us his Son.”
A suggested timeline has dioceses naming Guadalupan ambassadors in late 2026, initial formation in January 2027, and diocesan enthronements from February through December 2027, with pastoral follow-up continuing through 2031.
‘No more ego lifting’: How one Catholic gym is putting God at the center of fitness
As you walk into one new gym in the Archdiocese of Denver, the first thing you’ll notice isn’t the equipment. A large crucifix hangs on the wall above a Bible, while a nearby whiteboard is covered with prayer intentions. The gym’s workout equipment fills the rest of the space.
Grow the Kingdom gym opened in 2025 in the former Augustine Institute building in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Founded by Jayce Rastrelli and Hayden Dalton, the gym aims to integrate faith and fitness, teach the importance of taking care of the body as a way to serve God and family, and equip individuals to be servants of God.
Rastrelli and Dalton, who are best friends, felt inspired to open the gym after experiences they had working out at a secular gym, where they were surrounded by music, conversations, and attire that they considered immodest and inappropriate.
“I realized I had been lifting in an environment that just wasnʼt beneficial to my faith,” Rastrelli told EWTN News in an interview. “It was like a battle ground.”
Each had a background in personal training and sports. After prayer and discernment, the two friends decided to open Grow the Kingdom as a “safe space to glorify God,” where individuals “get to lift with the right purpose and know that you couldnʼt do without God.”
The gym serves people of all ages and demographics — from preteens to older adults — and even local parish priests.
Rastrelli said the gym’s members all have the “understanding that God needs to be at the center of everything that you do.”
The gym incorporates faith into fitness in other tangible ways.
“The first thing you see is going to be Our Lord giving his body for us on the cross. And then youʼre going to get to come in here and work on your body for God,” Rastrelli said.
Across from the crucifix is a large whiteboard covered with people’s names. This is the gym’s prayer intentions board, where members are encouraged to write the names of individuals they’re offering their workouts for and are keeping in prayer.
“Having that [intentions board] up there is, I would argue, the best way to automatically take yourself out of it. Youʼre now doing it for someone else. Youʼre building someone else up,” Rastrelli explained. “Youʼre allowing God to take your workout and transform it into a prayer and send it back to someone in the form of grace. So, no more ego lifting. Youʼre not doing this for yourself. Youʼre doing it for the names on the board. Youʼre doing it for the person you put up there.”
The gym also enforces a modest dress code and plays “clean and appropriate” music.
A common obstacle many face when working out, according to Rastrelli, is falling into vanity and focusing too much on one’s ego. Rastrelli said he has seen this too and admitted that he has also struggled with it in his own fitness journey.
He said he uses Scripture to explain that people’s bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and gifts from God, and that they work out to build those bodies and use them to their fullest potential.
With that in mind, Rastrelli said there are “going to be great bonuses that are going to come along with that,” and even if “aesthetic appearance” is part of those benefits, he suggested people ask themselves truthfully why they are training: “Is it just for that ego, that vanity? ‘I want to look big. I want to have this appearance.’ What are you going to use that for?”
While Rastrelli said he believes there’s nothing wrong with working out a specific muscle group, for example, but the danger “comes down to your intent.”
“Itʼs OK to want to look good for your spouse … but if your intent becomes too inwardly focused, thatʼs where the danger really comes,” he said. “‘I want to look good for my spouse.’ Thatʼs a beautiful thing. Know that itʼs from God that youʼre able to do that. Praise God that youʼre able to do that, that you have a body that is capable of pursuing difficult things.”
Rastrelli emphasized that the key is “refocusing people[’s minds] into ‘Your body is built to serve God.’”
He pointed out how this mindset can be beneficial in various aspects of a person’s life.
“To have results in the gym, to actually better your body, is going to take consistent work,” he explained. “When you’re not feeling it, you have to show up. You have to stay disciplined. So you start building on these routines and habits and they start forming into these great virtues.”
Rastrelli also noted how an understanding of delayed gratification is also developed through working out. “I think thatʼs a huge one for us in our current culture. Everyone wants something immediately — myself included. In the gym, thereʼs no immediate; itʼs consistently built,” he said.
“Itʼs the same thing when weʼre walking with God. We want that immediate fix. ‘Lord, just take this sin away from me right now. I donʼt want it anymore.’ Thatʼs not how itʼs going to work. You face that battle over and over, consistently, for you to build up those tools with God to then be able to deny it, say no to it, have that self-mastery. So I think the correlation is just so strong and it can be so evident that youʼre proving with Godʼs grace that you can do difficult things.”
Beyond the weight room
As the gym approaches its one-year anniversary, new programs are being planned to foster more growth among the community. Currently, the gym offers basic, open access as well as group training classes, which are split into an adults’ class and a class for 11- to 21-year-olds.
Soon, Rastrelli said, he will roll out eight different training programs he created, which members can access on an app. It will lead them through each exercise with a video demonstration as well as include numbers of sets and repetitions. In addition, Rastrelli will offer individualized programs created for members’ specific needs.
Grow the Kingdom will soon offer a mentorship program for 11- to 21-year-olds that will focus on “vice versus virtue training,” Rastrelli explained. The program will include a course that takes them through the four cardinal virtues as well as monthly Bible studies, virtue talks, Q&A sessions, saint studies, live seminars, and a 24/7 live community in their age group. The program will be offered to young men first until a female coach is hired.
The idea behind it is to “build this community — letʼs get them into the gym. Letʼs get this well-rounded mind, body, and soul all together and have them understand youʼre not walking this alone. Weʼre actually walking with you,” Rastrelli said.
Rastrelli said he hopes the gym will help its members “get to know their worth in Godʼs eyes.”
“I just think thereʼs so much in our culture right now that is … infiltrated with a lot of false narratives,” he said. “Coming in here, I would hope that they get to see how much God loves them. He … gave his body for us, so can we not do the same?”
EWTN to air film on St. Peter Claver, slave of the slaves
St. Peter Claver was a Spanish Jesuit priest who dedicated his life to the care of African slaves. On Sept. 9 — the saint’s feast day — EWTN will release an original docudrama on his life titled “Saint Peter Claver — Slave of the Slaves.”
The docudrama was filmed on location in Spain, Colombia, and Cape Verde and uses interviews and dramatizations to present the life of Claver, who tirelessly ministered to the spiritual and physical needs of African slaves in Cartagena, Colombia, for 40 years.
The film will air on EWTN TV and EWTN+ on Sept. 9 at 9:30 p.m. ET and re-air on Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET. At this time, the program will not air on YouTube.
Who was St. Peter Claver?
Born on June 26, 1580, in Catalonia, Spain, Claver grew up in a devout Catholic farming family. He attended the University of Barcelona and at age 20 joined the Jesuits.
During his studies as a novice, Claver met an older lay Jesuit brother, Alphonsus Rodriguez. It was Rodriguez who encouraged Claver to become a missionary in the Spanish colonies in the Americas.
In 1610, Claver traveled from Spain to Cartagena, Colombia, where he was ordained a priest five years later.
At that time, the African slave trade had been in place for several decades in the Americas, and Cartagena was one of the busiest slave ports in the Spanish empire.
While there, Claver witnessed the cruelty with which the slaves were treated firsthand, despite Pope Paul III’s repeated condemnations of slavery. It is estimated that tens of thousands of enslaved Africans passed through Cartagena during Claver’s ministry.
Moved by their suffering, Claver worked to bring both bodily and spiritual aid to the slaves. Despite his own health problems and the language barrier, he dedicated himself to his vocation.
Claver would meet slave ships upon arrival in the harbor and board them to care for the poorly treated passengers on board who had made the journey from Africa in diseased and cramped conditions over the course of several months. He would tend to the sick — bringing food, water, and medicine — and treat wounds and illnesses. He would immediately baptize babies and those near death.
After a slave was sold, Claver would continue to visit the individual, providing physical and spiritual support.
When it came to catechesis, due to the language barrier, Claver used pictorial representations of the Gospel stories he was teaching.
Throughout his ministry, Claver lived on small amounts of food and sleep. His lifestyle led to several miraculous occurrences, including when he healed the sick with the touch of his cloak or appeared surrounded by a supernatural light during his hospital visits.
After suffering for several years from poor health, Claver died on Sept. 8, 1654. He had baptized and taught the faith to more than 300,000 slaves during his 40 years in Colombia.
He was beatified by Pius IX on July 16, 1850, and canonized along with his friend St. Alphonsus Rodriguez on Jan. 15, 1888, by Pope Leo XIII.
Claver is the patron saint of enslaved peoples, African missions, and interracial justice, and one of several patron saints of Colombia.
Coalition backs parental rights lawsuit over California transgender student policy
A coalition of lawmakers, state attorneys general, and advocacy groups filed dozens of legal briefs in support of California parents who are challenging a state law that excludes parents from decisions about “socially” transitioning a child’s gender.
California law does not allow school districts to adopt policies that require teachers and school administrators to tell parents when their child identifies as transgender and wants to be treated as the opposite sex. The law does not forbid voluntary notification by a teacher.
In March, the U.S. Supreme Court halted enforcement of the state law, warning it cuts parents out of the conversation. The 6-3 decision did not offer a final ruling on the constitutionality of the law but found that it likely violates constitutionally protected rights to freedom of religion and to direct the upbringing of one’s children, and sent the case back down to the lower courts.
A lower court’s permanent injunction that blocks the law indefinitely is in effect, and the case is in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
The parents, represented by the Catholic nonprofit legal group The Thomas More Society, are getting support from 17 state attorneys general, five senators, and dozens of organizations that filed legal briefs with the appellate court in their defense.
Paul M. Jonna, special counsel for Thomas More Society, said in a statement that the legal briefs “all converge on the same point,” which is that the law will not survive “strict scrutiny,” which is the highest standard of review, required in cases when constitutional rights are at risk.
“Parents, not school bureaucrats, have the right to raise their children and to direct their religious upbringing,” Jonna said. “That means a school may not facilitate a childʼs gender transition without their knowledge and consent.”
Legal briefs backing parents
Five Republican senators signed on to a joint brief supporting the parents: Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; Sen. Mike Lee of Utah; Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota; Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas; and Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana.
“America’s history and tradition affirm that parents bear the primary responsibility for their children’s upbringing and have ‘natural bonds of affection’ with their children leading them to act in their children’s best interests,” the senators wrote.
“The state must presume that parents are fit to direct their children’s upbringing and education,” they wrote. “It follows that parents are also in the best position to help their children with life’s struggles. That includes mental health struggles like gender dysphoria. When children engage with their school for help regarding their gender dysphoria, the school must tell the parents.”
Republican attorneys general from 17 states also filed a brief: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
In the brief, they stated their intent is “to ensure that parents retain their fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their minor children.”
“The need for parental involvement and oversight is only more pressing when the ideology pushed by the state confuses innocent and impressionable children experiencing ‘gender dysphoria,’” they wrote.
A large coalition of more than 70 nongovernmental organizations, which includes Catholic and other Christian organizations, signed a separate brief. The signatories include Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.; the Christian Law Association; and the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, along with Catholic former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
“Parents, whether religious or not, have the responsibility as well as the right to monitor the ideas to which their children are exposed and to protect them from those ideas likely to confuse and harm them,” the brief said.
“When officious school officials use their access to children absent parental supervision to instill in those children ideas to which the parents are likely to object, they subvert the trust upon which family strength, and child wellbeing, depend,” it adds.
Three legal scholars also filed a legal brief with the court: Professors Robert P. George, Melissa Moschella, and Eric A. DeGroff. George and Moschella are Catholic.
“Anglo-American law has long recognized that parents — not the state — are the primary decision-makers for their children’s medical care,” the brief said. “This reflects a considered judgment that parents are best positioned to know their children’s needs, weigh risks and benefits in light of family values, and act in their children’s interests.”
“Our legal tradition has never treated parental authority as absolute,” it added. “But the limits history has placed on that authority reflect two principles that, properly understood, reinforce rather than diminish the primacy of parental decision-making.”
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which secured a religious liberty and parental rights victory at the Supreme Court in Mahmoud v. Taylor, also filed a brief in defense of the parents, as did a parent represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, who is fighting against a similar school policy in Wisconsin.
Colombian government to help finance restoration of earthquake-damaged basilica
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced an initial disbursement of 1.2 billion pesos ($320,000) to restore the Minor Basilica of the Lord of Miracles, which was damaged by the Aug. 10 earthquake.
The basilica, located in the city of Buga in the Valle del Cauca department (administrative district), sustained damage to its dome. As a safety precaution, Masses inside the church have been suspended and are currently being held in the town’s central square.
In addition, as the basilica has the legal designation of an asset of cultural interest, any restoration work must be supervised by the Ministry of Culture.
During his Sept. 5 visit to Valle del Cauca, De la Espriella expressed the governmentʼs commitment to “protecting the spiritual symbols of the Colombian people.”
“We already have 1.2 billion pesos [approximately $320,000] to repair our Basilica of the Lord of Miracles, and we are working with the private sector to secure another 5 billion [$1.6 million] to rebuild and repair the basilica so that Masses can be held there,” he announced Sept. 5.
Referring to the image of Christ crucified in the church, which depicts the Savior with dark-colored skin, the president stated the state-funded repairs are intended to “honor our beloved [Black Christ],” as the Lord of Miracles of Buga is also known, “and to defend that symbol of faith and spirituality that means so much to us Colombians.”
The announcement comes just days before the feast of the Lord of Miracles in Buga, celebrated on Sept. 14, which draws thousands of pilgrims.
In a Facebook video, Father Alcides de Jesús Orozco, rector of the basilica, explained that although the basilica is closed, the part of the church where the image of Christ is enthroned suffered no damage and the faithful may enter there.
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.
Indianapolis becomes seventh U.S. diocese to grant Mass dispensation to migrants fearing deportation
The archbishop of Indianapolis has granted a dispensation from Mass for parishioners who fear deportation, making Indianapolis the seventh U.S. diocese to issue such a decree amid rising federal immigration-enforcement activity nationwide.
Catholic parishioners, regardless of documentation, are permitted to miss Sunday Mass if they “reasonably fear being detained, separated from their families, or experience intimidation due to the increased immigration enforcement,” according to the decree, showing how the archdiocese is accompanying migrants.
The dispensation took effect Sept. 4 and runs through Sept. 30 unless extended. With Indianapolis added, dioceses that have issued similar decrees encompass about 3.5 million Catholics, according to the Official Catholic Directory 2025.
During the pandemic in 2020, all Catholic dioceses and archdioceses issued Mass dispensations. Canon 1245 allows a diocesan bishop or pastor to grant a dispensation from Mass obligation “for a just cause.”
“The decision to grant the dispensation at this time came as a response to requests from our pastors who work closely with our immigrant communities,” Sally Krause, the archdiocese’s director of communications, told EWTN. “They are experiencing fear and uncertainty due to an increase in immigration enforcement in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. By granting the dispensation, we wished to express the Churchʼs solidarity and care for those who are afraid to leave their homes.”
Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis said the dispensation and his statement came after what he described as a “recent surge in immigration enforcement activity in Indiana,” which he said “has caused fear and uncertainty for many families, particularly when detention results in the sudden separation of parents and children.”
Thompson encouraged the faithful who use the dispensation to supplement with prayer, reading the Sunday readings, praying the rosary, and watching livestreamed Mass.
“Pastors and all those who minister to the faithful within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis are encouraged to attend to the spiritual care of those who must make use of this dispensation to the best of their ability, especially regarding the Sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick, or the distribution of Holy Communion to the homebound,” he said.
Thompson said the dispensation applies to immigrant parishioners fearing detention, adding: “This applies even to those with proper legal documentation.”
“While recognizing the need for law enforcement to protect and defend, it is gravely concerning to witness families being torn apart,” Thompson said in the statement. “The family, the fabric of stability in our society, must be cherished and defended. The inherent dignity of being created in the image of God demands that every person be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.”
Krause said: “It is our practice that dispensations have a specific time frame delineated for which they have legal force. One month is a measured amount of time for such a decree, and we knew that we would discern the situation again in a monthʼs time.”
Dispensations across the U.S.
The dispensation in Indianapolis marks the seventh such dispensation granted in the U.S. for migrants fearing deportation by immigration enforcement officers since the start of the Trump administration.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans and the dioceses of Columbus, Baton Rouge, Charlotte, San Bernardino, and Nashville have granted dispensations.
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee has said he would consider granting dispensation from Mass obligations to migrants fearing deportation, should the situation in his archdiocese require it. No dispensation has been announced in Milwaukee to date.
Bishops in other dioceses along the border, including the Diocese of El Paso, the Diocese of Brownsville, and the Diocese of Tucson, have not granted dispensations but issued strong statements of condemnation over mass detentions and deportations of migrants in their respective communities.
Faith on the Hill: Catholic members of Congress share how faith shapes their lives and work
For many of the 150 Catholics serving in the 119th Congress, faith plays an important role in their lives and work.
The current number of Catholic lawmakers on Capitol Hill is slightly higher than the previous Congress, with Catholics accounting for more than 28% of the members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate. Of the Catholic members, 126 serve in the House and 24 in the Senate, according to a report from the Pew Research Center.
In this special report, EWTN News Capitol Hill correspondent Erik Rosales spoke with various Catholic members of Congress about their faith and how they live it in their work.
Sen. Eric Schmitt
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, grew up a cradle Catholic and said his parents instilled in him the importance of having a personal relationship with Christ at a young age.
“I grew up in St. Louis, which is a very Catholic town and has been referred to as the Rome of the West because per capita, very Catholic,” Schmitt told Rosales.
A “conversation back home, it might very easily start … ‘What parish are you at? or ‘What parish did you grow up in?’” Schmitt said.
At 17, Schmitt went to a Jesuit retreat house that had a profound impact on him. Later, when his son was born with a rare genetic condition, Schmitt would often return to the Jesuits for prayer.
It “was a seed that was planted … when I was confronted with this really kind of difficult situation. I went back there, and it was a profound experience,” he said. “I go back every year. Itʼs a … weekend silent retreat. And that keeps me very rooted.”
When working busy days on the Hill, Schmitt said he looks to prayer.
“Iʼll listen to a podcast by Bishop [Robert] Barron or Father Michael Schmitz,” he said. “I think technology now too has allowed a different avenue for people to … maintain their faith and grow their faith.”
Even “if itʼs five or 10 minutes, it really does help me kind of start the day right,” Schmitt said.
Rep. John Rutherford
Rep. John Rutherford, R-Florida, also spoke about leaning on his faith when working in a hectic position, often by attending Mass and saying the rosary.
“In Ephesians 2:10, it says, ‘for we are all Godʼs workmanship, created in the image of Christ Jesus to do good work,’ which he prepared … in advance for us to do,’” Rutherford said. “So heʼs got work out there that heʼs prepared for me to do,” he continued.
While Rutherford’s Catholic faith is incorporated into his day-to-day life, he shared that was not always the case. He grew up in the United Methodist Church, but at about 14 years old, “fell away from the church,” he said.
After becoming a police officer in Jacksonville, Florida, Rutherford’s perspective on faith changed. Witnessing crimes made him question his own mortality.
“So I went back to the Bible, and I read the Bible literally cover to cover, not once but twice,” he said.
Rutherford returned to the Methodist Church, while his wife and kids attended Catholic Mass. After reading about the Methodist Churchʼs seven principles, he realized he didnʼt agree with them.
“It was a long process, but I finally read a book by Pope John Paul II, ‘Crossing the Threshold of Hope,’ and that explained where the authority of the Church is,” Rutherford said. “And how itʼs passed down through the papacy.”
After his research, and inspired by the true Church and presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, Rutherford entered the Catholic Church.
Rep. Mark Messmer
Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Indiana, said he has spent his life putting God, family, and community first.
It was during his time as a state legislator that a colleague invited Messmer and his wife to attend a Cursillo, a retreat focused on showing Christian laity how to become effective leaders and how to use the Gospel in daily life.
“It ignited a passion and a love for Christ, and a love for the Eucharist that I always said I wanted. And then it gives you the tools [for] your prayer life, study life, and evangelization, how to live that out on a daily basis,” he said.
Messmer said he stays grounded with daily Mass and his Friday morning prayer group. He and his family also all join together for a weekly group call to catch up and join for “spiritual reinforcement.”
Rep. Stephanie Bice
Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma, converted to Catholicism in college after she started going to Mass with her now husband.
Bice served six years in the Oklahoma Senate and later ran for U.S. Congress. She joined a number of women who have been elected over the past two cycles.
“Not every woman believes that … you should be able to terminate pregnancies up to birth,” Bice said. “So you had a groundswell of women consider running for congressional seats and Senate seats,” she said.
While serving on Capitol Hill, Bice said she turns to prayer and the comfort of the Blessed Mother.
“I stumbled across a group of staffers that actually pray the rosary on fly-in days in the morning,” she explained. “I said, ‘Hey, can a member come?’ And they were delighted that I would even ask.”
One highlight of her congressional career was meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican. The invitation came from Rep. James Langevin, a fellow Catholic and Democrat from Rhode Island.
Pope Francis “looked at my husband and I after blessing us both, and he said: ‘Will you pray for me?’ And that was pretty profound,” Bice said.
Rep. Robert Onder
“Really, my Catholic faith has motivated me my whole life, my whole career, and really motivated in many ways the direction my life has taken,” Rep. Robert Onder, R-Missouri, said.
Onder said his faith was present in his work trying to pass a religious liberty bill in the Missouri Senate and through his fight to protect the conscience rights of physicians who are forced to perform abortions.
As a medical doctor, Onder detailed the present problem in some states and hospitals, which “want to force physicians to participate in abortions, participate in vitro fertilization or artificial contraception, and, of course, more recently, participate in euthanasia.”
Onder said his political service has been motivated by love of God, family, and country. He said he stays rooted in faith by attending daily Mass. He said he also enjoys talking with other lawmakers about their love for Christ.
“Speaker [Mike] Johnson is absolutely a brother in the Christian faith and a very, very strong believer,” Onder said. “It does give me a lot hope and a lot of encouragement to serve with other people who really take their faith seriously.”
Rep. Riley Moore
Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, said his Catholic faith is “is the most important thing” in his life.
“It forms me — every decision I make, everything that I do here on the Hill, it is central to my life. Iʼm always praying to be able to deepen my faith, be a strong family man, and then also my service.”
“So itʼs my faith, my family, my service to my state, my country. But faith comes first.”
“Canʼt always be easy to discern Godʼs will, particularly in a place that is more about individual will and not Godʼs will,” Moore said. “Iʼm trying to re-center myself towards that. Thatʼs that gravitational pull for me that Iʼm always trying to get back to.”
Moore started as a Hill staffer on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, working under the late Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Illinois. One of his priorities is drawing attention to the persecution of Christians around the world, especially in Nigeria.
While in Nigeria, “I met a woman who had had all five of her children murdered, murdered by Islamic terrorists,” Moore said. “I met another woman who had her two daughters and husband killed right in front of her, and then they killed her unborn child.”
“As we know and weʼve heard many times, and itʼs so true that there is salvation through suffering. I think that … their suffering offers us salvation as well by doing something here,” he said.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer
Majority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives Tom Emmer discussed how his faith was largely inspired by his family, including his father, who attended daily Mass.
“The example that they set is, I believe, why I am who I am,” said Emmer, R-Minnesota.
Emmer also detailed the trials of his faith, including the loss of his sister Bridget, who died of breast cancer at 38 years old.
Emmer said he was angry at the Lord and had doubts about Godʼs will because of his sisterʼs suffering. A conversation with Bridget during her chemotherapy treatment was a pivotal moment for him and his faith.
“She looked at me and she said, ‘Tom, would I love to live forever? Absolutely. But Iʼm not going to,’” he explained. His sister added: “I have lived a good life. If God comes and calls me today, so be it.”
Emmer said her words brought him away from his own anger with the Lord. Now his message to others is to put God first while living each moment to the fullest.