Pope Leo XIV builds on teachings of prior pontiffs with apology for slavery, Church’s role
Pope Leo XIV built on teachings laid out by his predecessors when he apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in slavery in his May 15 encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, but the Holy Father also critiqued papal bulls issued in the late Middle Ages on the subject.
“It is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their immeasurable dignity as persons infinitely loved by the Lord,” Leo XIV wrote of the institution of slavery.
“For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon,” he wrote.
The Holy Father explained that in antiquity and the Middle Ages, Catholic individuals and some ecclesiastical institutions participated in slavery. Though the Church never taught doctrinally that slavery was morally good or neutral, he wrote about popes who “intervened several times in order to regulate and legitimize forms of subjugation” at the request of political leaders.
Leo XIV wrote that “a formal, absolute, and universal condemnation of slavery” was not issued until Pope Leo XIII’s 1888 encyclical on the abolition of slavery. Leo XIV added that “we [cannot] deny or diminish” the Church’s delay in its denouncement.
“In the development of her doctrine, the Church has gradually come to a deeper awareness of the gravity of these issues,” Leo XIV wrote.
Church’s role in slavery
In a footnote in the encyclical, Leo XIV cited four papal bulls from the 1400s as his examples for when the Holy See sought to “regulate and legitimize” subjugation: Pope Eugenius IV’s Sicut Dudum and Etsi Suscepti, and Pope Nicholas V’s Dum Diversas and Romanus Pontifex.
“Political and, at times, even economic needs overcame the demands of the Gospel,” the footnote reads. “The need for evangelization was frequently compromised or at least misunderstood with regard to the needs of worldly powers, thus relativizing the problematic incompatibility of slavery with the Christian conscience.”
Nicholas V’s bulls, for example, authorized the Portuguese to impose slavery on specific non-Christians, particularly Muslims and pagans, related to specific conflicts. Eugenius IV condemned the enslavement of converts to Christianity without condemning the institution of slavery as a whole.
Tom Nash, a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, told EWTN News that St. John Paul II apologized for Christian participation in slavery as well and many popes condemned slavery (including when it was ongoing) but did not critique specific papal bulls on the subject in the way Leo XIV does.
Although Leo XIV’s comments on slavery are substantial, the topic only takes up a few paragraphs of the encyclical, which mostly deals with the Church’s social doctrine in the modern world and technological developments such as artificial intelligence.
Nash emphasized that the faithful should not interpret these paragraphs as a change in Church doctrine, however, because in spite of Catholic participation in slavery, “the Church has never definitively taught that chattel slavery was morally just.”
Although Leo XIV cited Sicut Dudum as an example, one of Eugenius IV’s main priorities was to “oppose the mistreatment of all African natives,” according to Nash. He quoted the bull: “They have deprived the natives of the property, or turned it to their own use, and have subjected some of the inhabitants of said islands to perpetual slavery, sold them to other persons, and committed other various illicit and evil deeds against them.”
The bull did not sanction slavery but instead excommunicated anyone who enslaved Christians or those seeking baptism. The punishment could only be lifted if the person freed the slaves and returned their property.
Nicholas V’s bulls were different because they explicitly authorized enslavement in certain cases, but Nash said the directives on slavery in Dum Diversas “are not an attempt to teach definitively,” are not pronouncements on doctrinal matters, and they “are certainly up for questioning and criticism.”
“They are prudential judgments and don’t even attempt to invoke the specific doctrinal criteria of a definitive teaching, let alone an ‘ex cathedra’ pronouncement,” Nash added. “And thus the Church’s teaching on infallibility is not [in] play and therefore not in doubt.”
One condition for infallible doctrinal pronouncements is that they must apply to all people at all times. The bulls from Nicholas V apply only “in a particular geographical situation in a particular time in history,” he said, and emphasized that “we cannot treat every papal statement as if it’s an infallible declaration.”
Papal condemnations of slavery
Although Leo XIII delivered one of the strongest condemnations of slavery in the late 1800s, Nash noted Pope Paul III’s papal bull Sublimis Deus in 1537 strongly rebuked enslavement of Indigenous Americans more than three centuries earlier.
The 16th-century pontiff blamed Satan for chattel slavery and for the mindset that Indigenous Americans “should be treated as dumb brutes created for our service.” He urged evangelization of the people and said they should not be enslaved or deprived of liberty or property.
Paul III’s bull expressly stated that this prohibition on enslavement of the Indigenous Americans applies regardless of anything that has been issued before, effectively superseding Nicholas V’s papal bulls from a century earlier.
Other popes in between Paul III and Leo XIII issued similar antislavery statements, with Pope Gregory XIV issuing an apostolic brief in 1591 demanding an end to the enslavement of people in the Philippines and Pope Urban VIII writing the 1639 papal bull Commissum Nobis, which condemned the enslavement of South Americans.
In the early 1800s, Pope Pius VII wrote to government leaders to urge the abolition of the slave trade and Pope Gregory XVI in 1839 issued the papal brief In Supremo Apostolatus, which was the first to condemn the slave trade in its entirety.
Nash noted that Christian opposition to slavery, however, is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, who “reaffirms the inherent dignity of every human person in a Roman-Empire milieu that had chattel slavery as a societal institution.”
“He did so in giving the doctrinal command, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Mt 22:39),” he said. “Indeed, ‘neighbor’ includes everyone (see Gn 1:26-27), including the heretical Samaritans and other despised persons (Lk 10:25-36). Similarly, ‘the least of these my brethren’ unmistakably includes chattel slaves within a Roman-Empire milieu (Mt 25:40, 45).”
St. Paul wrote about slavery several times. In Ephesians 6, he told slaves to “obey your human masters” and for masters to “stop bullying,” adding that both have the same Master in heaven, before whom “there is no partiality.” In 1 Corinthians 7, he told slaves to “make the most of it” if they gain freedom but not to be concerned about it because “the slave called in the Lord is a freed person in the Lord, just as the free person who has been called is a slave of Christ.”
In contrast to norms of the time, Paul wrote about the equal human dignity of slave and master in Galatians 3, saying “there is neither slave nor free person” because “you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In the Epistle to Philemon, Paul writes to St. Philemon on behalf of the runaway slave, St. Onesimus, asking Philemon to receive him “no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother.”
At least one pope — St. Callistus I, who reigned from A.D. 218 until he was martyred in A.D. 222 — was a former slave. Nash noted that although slavery existed in the Roman Empire and within Europe under Christendom, the practice was reduced significantly when Christianity replaced paganism.
Meet Jules Rimet: The devout Catholic who helped create the FIFA World Cup
As the world prepares for the spectacle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — billions of fans will once again gather around a game that transcends language, politics, and borders. Yet few realize that the tournament’s origins are intertwined with the Catholic faith.
The FIFA World Cup is one of the most-watched sporting events with roughly 5 billion people tuning in to the tournament that brings together soccer’s best athletes from around the world.
This year’s men’s tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19 and will be held in all three host countries. The last time the U.S. hosted a World Cup was in 1994, while Mexico has hosted the event in 1970 and 1986, and this will mark the first time Canada will host the prestigious soccer tournament. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the 23rd edition of the quadrennial international menʼs soccer tournament.
Long before the World Cup became the globe’s most-watched sporting event, its founder, Jules Rimet, was shaped by a vision deeply influenced by his faith and a belief in the dignity and unity of humanity.
Rimet was born on Oct. 14, 1873, in the village of Theuley in France to a devout Catholic family. He was known to have a heart for the poor and was inspired by Catholic social teaching.
In 1891, Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed the harsh conditions, poverty, and labor exploitation brought on by the Industrial Revolution. This encyclical inspired Rimet to help create an organization that provided social and medical aid to the poor. He was 17 years old.
The Catholic Frenchman also had a love for sports and believed it could unite people from all different races and social classes. At 24 years old he started a sports club called Red Star, which was open to anyone regardless of social class. He also included soccer in the club despite the sport being looked down upon as being only for Englishmen and the lower class.
In 1904, Rimet helped establish the Fédération Internationale de Football Association — International Federation of Association Football, or FIFA. After serving in World War I, he returned to FIFA and became its president in 1921.
Nine years later, the first World Cup was held in Uruguay. He viewed the World Cup as an opportunity to bring nations who may be at war together, promote universal fraternity and solidarity among all people, and prevent future global conflicts. He also worked hard to professionalize soccer so that working-class athletes could earn a living doing what they loved.
Rimet served as the president of FIFA for 33 years. From 1930 to 1970, the championship trophy was named the Jules Rimet Trophy.
He died in 1956 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize due to his part in creating the World Cup tournament.
In the book “A History of Football in 100 Objects,” Rimet’s grandson, Yves, remembered his grandfather as a “humanist and idealist who believed that sport could unite the world. Unlike many others in his time, he realized that, to be truly democratic, to truly engage the masses, international sport must be professional.”
Pope Leo scores goal for the Gospel at soccer stadium
Before a packed Santiago Bernabéu stadium and a crowd fully swept up in the moment, a figure dressed in white made his entrance. Yet it was neither Mbappé nor Cristiano Ronaldo nor any other Real Madrid soccer team legend but Leo XIV.
It was a particularly significant moment for the pope at the arena where the team he loves — though, as pontiff, he’s for everyone — has achieved its greatest sporting feats. No match was being played, but the faithful of the Archdiocese of Madrid, together with the suffragan dioceses of Alcalá de Henares and Getafe, welcomed Leo with a euphoria comparable to that of a decisive goal in a World Cup final.
“For a soccer player, scoring a goal in this stadium is a moment that leaves a bit of a mark on your life. Today, the Church in Madrid has scored a spectacular goal for all time," the pope said before beginning his address.
The event brought together representatives from parishes, movements, and consecrated life, as well as priests and pastoral workers, with a special presence from parish pastoral councils. Young people performed a short play for the pope modeled after a soccer match, and David Bustamante, a famous Spanish singer, also performed. There were also deeply moving personal testimonies, such as that of a 33-year-old man who shared with the gathering that he had been baptized last year and is now preparing to get married.
When he addressed the priests, consecrated persons, and bishops of Madrid, the pope told them: “Your joy will be contagious if, moving from being just a fleeting emotion, it becomes a stable way of being, a deep sentiment that renews individuals, groups, and the diocesan community.”
“Baptism truly changes one’s life ... thereʼs no need to fear the fact that it never produces uniformity,” the pontiff stated during his second to last gathering in the Spainʼs capital city, prior to beginning the second leg of his journey, which will take him to Barcelona on Tuesday, June 9.
To illustrate this idea, he referenced the New Testament as an antidote to uniformity, thanks to the “testimony of the variety of its voices.” He also drew attention to the episode of the Tower of Babel, where, according to the biblical account, people in a "totalitarian and merely human project ended up unable to understand their neighbor.”
In contrast to this, and in line with the proposals in his recent encyclical Magnifica humanitas, he presented the figure of Nehemiah who involved the entire community in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
The pope used this gathering with some of the faithful of the diocesan community in the Madrid region to outline the keys to effective evangelization in the twenty-first century. He emphasized the importance of “not scattering or shutting ourselves away in the group or environment where we already feel secure among people who always sing the same tune.”
“To reach the heart of the city, we must cultivate the awareness that truth is symphonic and always transcends us, and cultivate the desire to encounter the Risen One, who always goes ahead of us, preceding us and perhaps already present where we have not yet sought him,” he noted.
Therefore, he continued, “seeking and following him is the condition for proclaiming him; otherwise, there is no evangelization, and today we can understand this better than in the past.”
Quoting St. Teresa of Avila, he said, “‘Let nothing trouble you, let nothing frighten you!’ Together, as a diocesan Church, you can offer the Gospel witness that unleashes the best strengths of a humanity bombarded by images and words, yet hungry for justice and thirsty for truth,” he added.
He also highlighted the special relationship between the Church and the city, which, as he explained, takes shape “among flesh-and-blood people, in workplaces and close relationships, but also within the different communities, associations, and neighborhood organizations,” and which gains even greater significance “amidst the change of epochs we are currently experiencing.”
“When we reduce ecclesial life to a routine where everyone remains locked within their own habits and roles, what we lack is the Spirit,” he stated.
His words seemed to resonate in the testimony of Sister María San José of the Congregation of the Daughters of Holy Mary of the Heart of Jesus. She is an educated, independent woman with two careers and two masterʼs degrees who left a comfortable life at Santander Bank to consecrate herself to religious life, demonstrating how God’s call reaches into every walk of life.
“I realized that there was something more that fulfilled me — beyond everything I had and everything I had built — and that was this consecrated life, this total dedication to the Lord,” she explained to EWTN News while on her way to the gathering.
“God knows the hearts of his people individually. He knows them as only he can — that is, in love and, therefore, in freedom,” the pope said, underscoring that God is “infinite mercy and wants everyone to be saved.” “He desires this to the point of becoming flesh and taking upon himself all the sin, evil, and negativity of the world,” he emphasized.
Among those present at Bernabéu stadium was Father Antonio Sánchez, a priest of the Diocese of Getafe ordained last October. He shared with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the deep emotion he felt participating along with the pope in the Corpus Christi procession following the Mass celebrated in the Plaza de Cibeles on Sunday, June 7.
It was, in his words, “a privilege to be selected without any merit; all they said was that the priests of the ecclesiastical province should be at the procession,” he explained.
“With an attitude of adoration, seeing the pope who was a great witness, because being close to the procession during such a unique moment was truly special. We were on the same [ground] level as the pope, and seeing him in the procession, adoring and focused on Christ ... it was a moment of realization: amidst all the commotion, we were focused on Christ, to whom we have consecrated our lives,” he told ACI Prensa shortly before the pontiff entered the stadium where he was welcomed with tremendous enthusiasm.
Prior to this gathering, the pope visited Santa María la Real de la Almudena Cathedral, which became the setting for one of his most touching moments in Madrid.
The Holy Father placed the Golden Rose at the feet of the image of the Virgin of Almudena as a symbol of his filial love, a gesture reflecting the pope’s deep Marian devotion. This marks the fourth Spanish image of the Virgin to receive this gift; the other three are the Virgin of Hope Macarena, the Virgin of La Cabeza and the Virgin of Montserrat.
This pontifical distinction is a recognition of the popular piety and Marian devotion of Madrid. It has ancient roots and symbolizes the papal blessing.
The tradition dates back to Pope Leo IX, who established it in 1049. Over the centuries, it has been bestowed upon monasteries, shrines, sovereigns, and prominent figures in recognition of their commitment to the faith and the common good. In the past, the Golden Rose was also awarded to queens, including Isabella the Catholic Monarch, who was the first queen to receive it in 1493, granted by Innocent VIII.
In the solemn act, Pope Leo climbed the steps leading to the base of the image to lay the floral offering and pray.
His most notable previous visit to the Almudena Cathedral took place on the occasion of the 2002 canonization of Alonso de Orozco, an Augustinian who died in Madrid, in the convent that occupied the site of the current Senate building. The saint’s remains now rest in the chapel of the Contemplative Augustinian Nuns’ convent on La Granja street.
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.
Rubio imposes visa restrictions on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials and their families
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials associated with the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship following the death of political prisoner Brooklyn Rivera.
“Today the Trump administration took decisive steps to impose additional visa restrictions on more than 100 dictatorship officials and their family members,” Rubio said in a June 8 statement.
“With this new set of restrictions, the U.S. government has now taken steps to impose visa restrictions on over 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members for their complicit role in Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega’s dictatorship,” Rubio said.
Since 2007, Ortega and Murillo, his wife and co-president, have established an authoritarian regime in the country, repressing opposition through arrests, exile, and violence, suppressing civil rights, canceling elections, and persecuting the Church.
The move comes in response to the dictatorship’s "responsibility for the horrific death of political prisoner Brooklyn Rivera,” according to the statement.
Rivera, an Indigenous leader and political prisoner, died at 73 after being held incommunicado by the Murillo-Ortega regime for more than 970 days.
“Despite the enormous and intense medical efforts undertaken to restore the health of our Brother Brooklyn, whose physical and neurological deterioration was the result of a bacterial infection triggered by the COVID-19 virus, we regret to confirm that unfortunately he has departed this plane of existence,” asserted a communiqué dated May 31 from Nicaragua’s Ministry of Health.
Rubio alleged the direct involvement of U.S.-sanctioned Lumberto Ignacio Campbell Hooker, a loyal member of the oppressive regime, in denying medical care to Rivera and with preventing Rivera’s family from burying his remains.
The visa restrictions place increased pressure on the dictatorship, which has carried out systematic persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua for years.
Religious persecution at the hands of the dictatorship has included restrictions on the sacraments and the celebration of the Mass; heightened surveillance; forced disappearances and detentions; exile for bishops, priests, and religious; and the forced closure of Catholic institutions. The regime has also banned the ordination of priests and deacons in dioceses with exiled bishops.
In a social media post, Rubio further described the Murillo-Ortega regime as “an enemy of humanity,” noting that “the Trump administration will not ignore their crimes and brutality.”
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At least six of Riveraʼs relatives remain in detention, according to the U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Irish American ‘rosary priest’ who was miraculously healed entombed near Boston
The tomb of Irish American immigrant Father Patrick Peyton, known as “the rosary priest,” was moved on June 6 to the newly reopened pilgrimage site, the Father Peyton Center, as families gathered to pray and honor his legacy.
Peytonʼs tomb was moved from the Holy Cross Community Cemetery in North Easton, Massachusetts, to the chapel at the Father Peyton Center, also in North Easton.
Now on the path to sainthood, Peyton (1909–1992) was hospitalized with tuberculosis in 1939 and on the brink of death when he felt like he was losing his faith. His priest friend encouraged him to seek out the Virgin Mary’s intercession.
Inspired by memories of growing up praying the rosary with his family, Peyton asked all of his friends and family members to ask for Maryʼs intercession for him. He promised that if he was healed, he would dedicate his life to encouraging devotion to Mary through the family rosary.
After a miraculous recovery, Peyton followed through on his promise. Two years after his recovery, he was ordained a Holy Cross priest and went on to lead a widespread campaign to encourage families to pray the rosary through billboards, radio shows, television, and rosary rallies that drew millions worldwide.
Peyton has since taken an important step in the canonization process. In December 2017, Pope Francis declared him venerable, recognizing him for his heroic virtue.
President of Holy Cross Family Ministries Father Fred Jenga said at a press conference of Peyton’s devotion to Mary through the family rosary: “We need it at this time more than even in the past. Family life has been going through some kind of crisis. There [are] a lot of divisions and hurts.”
At the reopening of the center, five families took turns leading decades of the rosary as part of the opening ceremony at the center’s grotto. The grotto is a replica of the grotto at Lourdes, France, which was one of Peyton’s favorite religious sites.
In addition to Peyton’s tomb, the revamped pilgrimage site now has an immersive rosary exhibit, a rosary walk, and a museum of Peyton’s life. The priests of the Holy Cross congregation, Peyton’s order, run the center.
“When we pray together as a family regularly, we invite God to become the center of our lives,” Jenga said. "As we know, God is love, God is patience, God is kindness, God is generosity — those are the kinds of blessings that we pray upon our families when we give ourselves that opportunity to pray together.”
Father David Marcham, a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston who serves as vice postulator and guild director of the canonization cause, encouraged people to pray for Peyton’s sainthood cause.
“Weʼre at the point now where weʼre asking people to pray through his intercession for a miracle in their lives,” Marcham said. “And if one were to be declared a medical miracle by the Vatican, then he would reach the next level, which would be blessed.”
“There’s this great synergy between the life of a holy person and their ongoing effect even after theyʼve gone home to God,” Marcham said. “So we want to invite people to join us, and hopefully through that, in Godʼs grace, itʼll strengthen their families.”
The Father Peyton Center currently draws about 2,500 visitors per year, but organizers anticipate a growth to 7,500.
“When we have role models that lead us to grow in virtue and holiness ourselves and bring that to our families, then we start to pray more intentionally for our needs and pray together,” Marcham said.
Father Charles McCoy, vice president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, said having Peyton’s remains at the center transforms it into a place of pilgrimage.
“To have his own physical presence with us here now with the transfer of his body to our center, itʼs just an opportunity for us to really see this as a place, not just of education or prayer, but even pilgrimage in support of the legacy of prayer that he gave on to us in Holy Cross and in the Church,” McCoy said.
Catholic Relief Services gets $240 million in U.S. humanitarian aid
The U.S. State Department has awarded more than $240 million in foreign aid to Catholic Relief Services for humanitarian and disaster response efforts.
The grant to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) marks “the first of a series of global State Department awards to trusted and vetted implementing organizations,” according to a June 5 press release. The $240 million awarded to Catholic Relief Services comes from U.S. State Department humanitarian assistance funds appropriated by Congress and administered through the department’s disaster‑response bureau.
“These awards will focus on the rapid deployment of time-bound, lifesaving assistance in response to crises around the world, with implementers able to respond within 24 hours,” the State Department said, noting that its staff is “working closely” with CRS and other aid implementers to ensure the aid is delivered in a timely manner “while reducing administrative overhead and duplicative efforts.”
CRS will use the aid to provide assistance in countries “with significant levels of humanitarian need,” the State Department said, citing Ethiopia, Haiti, Nigeria, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where CRS is working to stop the latest Ebola outbreak.
State Department Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response Senior Bureau Official Ryan Shrum announced the grant in Rome alongside U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch, CRS Vice President for Humanitarian Response Jennifer Poidatz, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations Agencies in Rome Lynda Blanchard, and Caritas Internationalis Secretary-General Alistair Dutton.
The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See posted several images of the event on social media, writing: “This grant will allow CRS to address urgent humanitarian needs arising from disasters and complex emergencies around the world. CRS’ expertise, its deep roots in disaster response, and its network of local partners will help us deliver a fast, flexible, and efficient model of global humanitarian assistance.”
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“CRS is grateful for the opportunity to reach more people affected by crisis at a time when humanitarian needs far exceed available resources,” Poidatz said in a June 5 statement following the announcement. “We appreciate the leadership of the United States and of national governments committed to responding to new and enduring crises."
News of the foreign aid grant comes more than a year after the Trump administration effectively shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2025 following an executive order by President Donald Trump during the first month of his administration. USAID, formerly the government’s lead foreign‑aid and development agency, focused on long‑term development such as health systems, agriculture, education, and economic growth.
Catholic Relief Services did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Scientists unethically experiment on the unborn to improve gene editing techniques, bioethicist says
Genetic researchers are increasing the accuracy of gene editing through experiments on unborn babies that could have been done on animals, one bioethicist says.
At Columbia University, researchers have now edited the DNA of human embryos with “unprecedented accuracy,” according to a recent report by the New York Times.
Dieter Egli, a professor of developmental cell biology in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia, led the research, using a technique called base editing to replace individual genetic letters in sequences of DNA, according to the report.
Egli’s work did not cause the damage that the gene editing technique “CRISPR,” or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, usually causes. Potential side effects are still unknown, according to the researcher, and the technique is not ready to be implemented clinically.
The developing technology comes with its own ethical implications, as it could be used to help cure disease-causing mutations in the early stages of life, but it could also be used in a eugenic way to select traits of unborn children.
Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, a neuroscientist and senior ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, drew attention to ethical concerns with these experiments.
“Trying to make genetic modifications in a more efficient manner than had been previously achieved is precisely the kind of experiment that should have been carried out in animal embryos, not human embryos,” he told EWTN News.
“The same basic biological information reported in these studies could readily have been obtained that way,” Pacholczyk said.
Ethical concerns with embryo experimentation
In addition to the unethical nature of the experiments themselves, Pacholczyk considered the way researchers obtained the unborn children to be unethical as well.
“Parents were asked to hand over their extremely young ‘leftover children’ in fertility clinics to allow scientists to carry out experiments on them, while other subjects of experimentation were created via IVF to be used as ‘research fodder,’” Pacholczyk said.
Scientists either got the embryos from parents who had “leftover children” or created the human embryos for experimentation — both of which Pacholczyk said the Church calls unethical.
“Researchers sought out eggs from women for the purpose of fertilizing those eggs to create embryonic humans in glassware, so they could then serve as raw materials for research and experimentation,” Pacholczyk said. “From the get-go, these experiments at Columbia University were unethical.”
“Also of note, the human embryos produced in these experiments were oftentimes intentionally sacrificed to obtain their embryonic stem cells, which were used for additional research,” Pacholczyk continued.
“Creating humans for the purpose of destroying them is invariably unethical and should be illegal,” he continued.
Some embryos were obtained from parents who created children through in vitro fertilization (IVF), which Pacholczyk said neglects the consent of the unborn human being.
Parents could not give consent for their unborn children to be experimented on, he said, because “ethical consent by definition focuses on the improvement of health and excludes any approval of directly causing their death or otherwise using subjects as mere means to an end.”
“Informed consent is particularly important when dealing with very vulnerable research subjects, and human embryos are among the most vulnerable of God’s creatures,” Pacholczyk said. “Human embryos are a special class of individuals deserving of special protections.”
Looking to the future: Ethical concerns of gene editing
Pacholczyk noted that the Catholic Church would support gene editing as medical therapy but not at the risk of the unborn child.
“It is important to note that the Church would allow for gene editing to fix genetic abnormalities, as long as the risks were very low for the embryonic patient, and heritable changes to the DNA of our species were not made,” Pacholczyk said. “Such repair is simply a form of direct medical therapy for the individual.”
He noted, however, that at this point, gene editing still poses huge risks to the unborn.
“The complex science of genetic modification at this point in time still involves enormous risks to the embryo,” he said.
Pacholczyk also raised concerns about Catholics' acceptance of genetic enhancement, warning that their widespread acceptance of IVF is a harbinger of things to come.
“Catholics need to be concerned about the prospects of genetically modifying future generations,” Pacholczyk said.
“In the past, Catholics seem to have largely missed the boat when it came to recognizing and articulating the moral unacceptability of creating children in test tubes and glassware via IVF, and now Catholics participate in such technologies at rates that probably donʼt differ much from the general population,” he continued.
“Similarly, when genetic enhancement of children takes place in the future, considering the widespread lack of understanding and serious reflection on the moral and ethical issues involved, Catholics are likely to end up being swayed by the technological temptation and may end up, once again, ‘going along to get along,’” he said.
Research finds parents play decisive role in children’s religious future
Parental practice is the strongest predictor of whether children remain Christian as adults, a study found.
The study, “Passing the Torch: How Faith Moves Across Generations,” released in June by the Institute for Family Studies and Communio, examined data from four national studies involving tens of thousands of Americans raised in Christian households.
Researchers sought to identify which behaviors most strongly influence whether children retain their faith into adulthood. The study found that the family home is the single-most critical factor in determining whether faith is successfully passed on from one generation to the next.
The power of parental example
According to the report, children whose parents regularly attended church, prayed consistently in front of them, spoke openly about their faith, and fostered strong family relationships were significantly more likely to remain active Christians as adults. The results showed that adults whose parents attended church weekly were more than twice as likely to attend church regularly themselves decades later (26% versus 12%). The effect was even stronger when both parents participated in religious life together.
The study also highlighted the importance of simple spiritual practices within family life. Saying grace before meals, evening or morning prayers together, and having frequent conversations about faith all corresponded with higher levels of religious belief and practice in adulthood. Children raised in homes where religion was discussed several times a week were substantially more likely to identify as Christian, pray daily, and consider faith an important part of their lives as they went through adulthood.
The domestic church
For Catholics, the findings reflect what the Church has always taught regarding the role of parents as the primary educators of their children in the faith. The Church has often referred to the family as the “domestic church,” emphasizing that parents are called not only to teach religious truths but also to model a life of discipleship through daily prayer, sacramental participation, and Christian witness.
The study further found that the quality of family relationships had a tremendous impact on children as well. Adults who reported having strong and loving relationships with both parents were more likely to remain religious than those who experienced distant or conflict-ridden family environments. About 41%of children who attend church weekly with both parents go on to attend church weekly as an adult, the study said. This percentage drops to 29% if children attend with only one parent. In particular, researchers noted the significant role fathers play in shaping the spiritual lives of their children.
Marriage stability also emerged as an important factor. Children raised in homes characterized by strong and happy marriages showed higher rates of adult religious practice. When their lived experience corresponds with what they learned in Sunday school and the Bible, they are more likely to accept those truths in adulthood. Also, compared with non-married individuals, married individuals have significantly more faith conversations with their children, suggesting more frequent and intentional engagement within the home.
While cultural forces may be difficult to control, many of the factors most closely associated with transmitting faith remain within the reach of families themselves, the study showed.
“In a culture where religion is no longer reinforced by broader society,” the study’s authors, Jesse Smith and Jane Lankes Smith, wrote, “parents cannot assume faith will simply rub off on their children.” Instead, faith is most effectively passed on when it is lived openly, discussed regularly, and woven into the ordinary rhythms of family life.
“Parents cannot assume their children will carry on the faith they were raised with. Passing on faith requires intentional effort from both mothers and fathers. Parents serve as their childrenʼs most influential teachers, role models, and guides in matters of faith. What they do will make a difference long after their children grow up and leave home,” Jesse Smith said in an email.
“For churches, that means youth programming alone is not enough. Congregations should invest not only in children but also in parents, equipping them to fulfill their central role in shaping the next generationʼs religious lives,” Smith said.
The study draws on four longitudinal datasets: the Global Flourishing Study (GFS), Communio’s 2024-25 congregational survey, Add Health, and the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), using descriptive statistics and logistic regression with demographic controls. Analyses using GFS, Add Health, and NSYR are weighted. Everything reported in the study is a statistically significant finding based on 95% confidence intervals, Smith said.
Father Mitch Pacwa celebrated for his 50 years of priesthood
Father Mitch Pacwa, SJ, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination and is being honored for his decades of service to his community and the faithful.
“This golden anniversary is a blessed occasion to offer gratitude for the abundant graces God has bestowed upon you throughout the past 50 years,” Bishop Elias Zaidan, bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, wrote in a letter to Pacwa.
Pacwa is celebrating decades as a Jesuit priest following his ordination on June 12, 1976, in Chicago and entrance into the Society of Jesus on Aug. 21, 1968.
Pacwa has also had a successful media career after he began his work with EWTN under its foundress, Mother Angelica, in 1984.
After working in numerous cities, Pacwa relocated to Birmingham, Alabama, in 2001 to work full time with EWTN, where he has hosted several radio and television shows, series, and documentaries that teach and discuss the Catholic faith.
To honor his work, the Alabama Legislature enacted a resolution in April that recognizes his decades of service, theological contributions, and media work.
The priest has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology, a master of divinity and a sacred theology baccalaureate, and a master’s and doctorate in Old Testament studies from Vanderbilt University.
Pacwa has taught high school, college, and seminary courses. He is the author of more than 20 books, the founder of Ignatius Productions, a publishing company, and is a senior fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.
Pacwa engages in prison ministry by evangelizing and serving the spiritual needs of prisoners. He has also led thousands of pilgrims to the Holy Land and other Christian sites in Europe and the Middle East.
Republican Rep. Chris Pringle introduced Alabamaʼs resolution, which honors Pacwaʼs “vocation” and “career that has touched the lives of innumerable people, many of them residents of Alabama, but also worldwide through his efforts in theological education, service to others, and ministry,” according to the measure.
The legislation acknowledges Pacwaʼs “tremendous contributions … to Alabamians and those that he has trained throughout the country, and through his worldwide impact through Alabama-based EWTN, with hopes that he may continue his exceptional ministry and continue to serve others in a way that reflects well on this state and nation, and on his Church.”
50 years of priestly ministry
In addition to his publications and media presence, Pacwa also serves his community through celebrating the Maronite Catholic Mass at St. Elias Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic church in Birmingham.
During a June 7 Mass at the church, a letter from Zaidan was read to Pacwa.
“This is a wonderful milestone in your ministry and life,” Zaidan said. “We give sincere thanks to Almighty God for calling you and for your disposition to follow him in the religious and priestly life.”
The anniversary is “an opportunity for us to express our heartfelt appreciation for your steadfast dedication and faithful service to the people of God,” Zaidan said.
“As you reflect upon 50 years of priestly ministry, you can look back with gratitude on the countless lives you have touched, how you captivated so many people through your programs on EWTN, as well as providing care and guidance through the mission retreats you held over the years,” he said.
“May God continue to bless you abundantly and grant you many more years of faithful and fruitful ministry. I hope and pray you will have many more years filled with Godʼs grace,” the bishop said.
Archbishops of San Antonio, New York announce ‘friendly wager’ as Spurs face Knicks in NBA finals
The archbishops of San Antonio and New York announced a “friendly wager” as the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks continue to face off in the NBA Finals this week.
Of the championship, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller said in a video posted on social media on June 3 that “when the Spurs win," New Yorkʼs Archbishop Ronald Hicks will send him a box of bagels, cream cheese, and lox.
San Antonioʼs chief pastor continued: "If by some slight possibility, hard to think, the Spurs arenʼt victorious, I will send him Texas gift boxes with items from HEB,” a favorite Texas grocery store based in San Antonio.
“I am really looking forward to enjoying those bagels,” García-Siller teased.
The San Antonio archbishop said that he and “thousands” of Salesian sisters, some of whom have attended games for years and have been seeing cheering on the Spurs during the playoffs, are also praying for the Spurs’ victory.
He also said both he and Hicks are “united in prayer for the safety of the players.”
According to the Archdiocese of San Antonio, García-Siller will be watching Game 3 on Monday, June 8. Asked for additional thoughts by EWTN News, the archbishop replied only: “Go Spurs go!”
For his part, Hicks said in a video on social media that he has “caught Knicks fever.”
He mentioned Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart, who all attended Villanova University, “the alma mater of our Holy Father, who reminds us that he praises the Lord for the gift of sport, for those who glorify God through the exercise of their bodies, for the friendship born on the field, and for the joy of playing as a team."
Hicks said he is “looking forward to this friendly wager with my friend, Archbishop Gustavo,” confirming he will send bagels if the Knicks lose, and said he looks “forward to whatever he’s going to … send my way from San Antonio."
“I’ve lit my candles, I’ve said my prayers … Go Knicks!” New York’s archbishop concluded.
The Spurs and Knicks are the last two teams standing in the 2026 NBA season. The Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals.
They are now in a best-of-seven series for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, with the Knicks currently leading 2-0 after winning both Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio.
Entering Game 3 of the Finals on Monday night, the Knicks have won 13 consecutive playoff games — the second-longest single-postseason winning streak ever, trailing only the 15-game run by the Golden State Warriors in 2017.
After sweeping the 76ers and Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoffs and winning the first two games of the Finals in San Antonio, New York has outscored opponents by 273 points, the best 13-game margin in playoff history.
It has been 53 years since the Knicks' last championship, the longest drought for any NBA franchise.
The last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999, when they faced the Spurs.
A Knicks victory in Game 3 would put them on the brink at 3-0, while a Spurs win could spark a comeback and extend the series.
As a longtime Knicks fan, President Donald Trump, who was invited by team owner James Dolan, will attend Game 3. This will mark the first time a sitting president attends an NBA Finals game.
In Game 1 on Wednesday, June 3, the Knicks rallied from a double-digit deficit to defeat the Spurs 105-95, with Brunson leading the way with 30 points.
Game 2 on Friday, June 5, proved even tighter: New York built a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter only for San Antonio to storm back, but the Knicks held on for a thrilling 105-104 victory after Victor Wembanyama, age 22, the tallest player in the NBA at 7 feet 4 inches and a record-setting rookie, missed a potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer following a late turnover.
“Wemby,” as he is called, made NBA history in his 2023-24 rookie season with the Spurs, becoming the first player ever to record at least 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks, and 100 three-pointers in a single season. He was the unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie First Team selection in 2024.
In 2025-26, he captured NBA Defensive Player of the Year, making him the youngest and first unanimous winner ever.
The series now shifts to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Monday, June 8, at 8:30 p.m. ET, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, at the same time and venue. Subsequent games, if necessary, return to San Antonio for Game 5 on June 13, followed by Game 6 in New York on June 16 and a potential Game 7 back in San Antonio on June 19.
The winner earns their franchise’s next title. If they win, the Knicks will earn their first since 1973, while the title will be the Spurs’ first since 2014.