‘The Chosen’ releases official trailer for Season 6
“The Chosen” released its official trailer for Season 6 on Oct. 15. The upcoming season of the hit series focuses on the 24 hours of Good Friday — culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Season 6 of “The Chosen” will include six episodes — the first three of which will debut on Nov. 15 on Prime Video, followed by the release of a weekly episode through Dec. 6.
The season finale will be a stand-alone theatrical release on March 12, 2027.
“It was painful to shoot, and it’s painful to contemplate,” Dallas Jenkins, creator of the show, wrote on the show’s Instagram account.
He added: “But if there’s one thing I want you to take away from this season, it’s that Jesus chose this path. He even tells the apostles he could be rescued from it if he wanted. He chose surrender and humility and sacrifice. Knowing that should make this story a little less painful.”
“Season 5 was the powder keg. In Season Six, it explodes,” he concluded.
The trailer depicts the moments leading up to Jesus’ scourging and crucifixion. The episodes will depict the events from the perspective of those who were close to Jesus and those who took part in his condemnation — the Pharisees speak of justice, the Romans of peace, and Jesus’ followers see it as a murder.
In a press release earlier this year, Jenkins said: “Everyone knows the basics of this part of the story, but not everyone knows the ‘why’ of the crucifixion and the extraordinary events of these 24 hours. We realized this not only deserved a season of television but a standalone full-length theatrical event as well. We wrote and filmed all of it with this in mind.”
The show’s star, actor Jonathan Roumie, has spoken about his experience portraying Jesus’ passion and crucifixion.
In an interview with EWTN News at ChosenCon on Feb. 20 he said: “For the first few months afterwards going to Mass — and even thinking about it now — I just get weepy. I get emotional. It’s hard. It’s left an indelible impression on me — mentally and emotionally sharing even just a percentage, a micron of a percentage, of the Lord’s passion; playing it and reenacting it has left me absolutely humbled and moved.”
The new trailer already has over 1 million views on YouTube in the 24 hours since its release.
Bishop: ‘Indiscriminate’ ICE raids incite anxiety, fear in California’s Central Valley
Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno, California, warned that immigration raids in California’s Central Valley are instilling “unrest, anxiety and even fear” in the community and that many of his priests are reporting that their parishes have been affected.
“Even if you have not been personally affected by the increased immigration enforcement in our region, many of those who sit alongside you in the pews have been affected, with some already having been detained,” wrote Brennan, whose diocese covers a large portion of the southern Central Valley.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have not announced any specific operations targeting California or its Central Valley. However, local media have reported a surge in enforcement in recent weeks.
In his pastoral letter, Brennan said pastors reported to him that “members of their congregations have been taken away abruptly and with little or no information coming from federal agents.” He said he has been in contact with priests and interfaith and advocacy partners about ways to “help, comfort and accompany our people” amid the reported surge.”
“It breaks my heart,” the bishop wrote. “... Many of those caught up in this recent immigration enforcement in our Valley are not strangers to us — they are family, neighbors, and parishioners who are being uprooted from the lives they have built over many years among us.”
‘Indiscriminate’ raids
Brennan noted that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted 216-5 to approve a special message that the bishops oppose “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” during the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly. He then expressed concern that Central Valley raids appear to be indiscriminate.
“These people are valued and beloved, they are part of the fabric of our community,” he said. “It is frightening to them and disturbing to us that these current operations seem to have taken on an indiscriminate nature with little regard for the dignity of the human person.”
“Our Church teaches that every human person possesses an inherent dignity,” the bishop continued. “This dignity is not granted by governments, economic status, citizenship, or legal documentation. It is given by God.”
A spokesperson for DHS did not confirm any specific operation targeting California.
“For operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations,” the spokesperson said. “Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California.”
The spokesperson defended ongoing immigration enforcement: “To most Americans our ICE officers are heroes as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists.”
The spokesperson provided a list of five people they labeled as “public safety threats” arrested in California, which included people convicted of vehicular manslaughter, aggravated assault with a gun, burglary, homicide, and selling drugs.
Church ‘will not be silent’
In his pastoral letter, Brennan said the Church “will not be silent” and “will accompany our vulnerable neighbors in concrete, sustained ways.”
“We will strive to be a loving presence in our society for our brothers and sisters,” Brennan said.
“Our parishes will be present to them for healing and comfort,” he said. “Accompaniment might take the shape of walking with families through long and complicated legal proceedings, showing up at immigration court, organizing transportation and childcare, and refusing to let anyone face this situation alone. We will speak up for them and will encourage one another to see this work of justice as a part of our baptismal call.”
Accompaniment might take the shape of walking with families through long and complicated legal proceedings, showing up at immigration court, organizing transportation and childcare, and refusing to let anyone face this situation alone. We will speak up for them and will encourage one another to see this work of justice as a part of our baptismal call.”
Bishop Joseph BrennanDiocese of Fresno, California
The bishop called for “real change and real reform,” saying “our country and our elected officials must do better,” calling for “tangible results that reflect meaningful and just immigration reform.”
“Until such reform is achieved, the dignity of our immigrant brothers and sisters must remain in the forefront of whatever shape our efforts might take,” he wrote. “In the midst of those efforts, to be sure, we are navigating in a chaotic and emotionally charged time. I encourage the faithful to pray for one another and to act out of a spirit of communion in all things, bridging divisions and treating one another peacefully and with compassion.”
“We are in this together,” Brennan wrote. “God bless you and those you love, always and in every way.”
In wake of deadly shooting at Oregon elementary school, bishops call for prayer
Oregon’s Catholic bishops are urging prayer after a shooting Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, which left five people dead — including three young children — and two critically wounded.
According to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, a 16-year-old forced his way into the elementary school by shooting through locked doors before opening fire inside. The gunman killed three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, alongside a teacher before he was shot and killed at the scene by a bystander who had spotted him entering the building. A 7-year-old student and another teacher were rushed to a local hospital with critical injuries.
A teacher who was in a classroom on campus during the entire ordeal, Kathy Sheil Smith, spoke with CNN affiliate KPTV on Thursday night, saying of the students: “They were so afraid. The looks on their faces was really hard to see.”
Speaking to what occurred on the ground, she saw the shooter enter the school from her classroom window. After alerting the main office, she moved her students to a corner of the classroom to shelter in place. “Some kids were praying; some kids were consoling other kids,” Smith said.
As shots were heard across the school, she said some teachers imagined they wouldn’t make it out alive.
“I’m sure that every teacher at the school thought, ‘Today is the day that I am going to die,’” she said through tears.
The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of pastoral care and community support across the state, with hundreds attending a candelight vigil Thursday night.
“We expect that our schools are safe places for our children and all who pass through their doors. When a tragedy like this occurs, it shakes us to our core,” wrote Bishop Thomas Hennen of the Diocese of Baker — which encompasses the city of Bend — in a letter offering his “heartfelt prayers for those whose lives were taken in the shooting.”
Acknowledging the overwhelming wave of emotions confronting the city, Hennen pointed to faith, solidarity, and action as the path forward.
“It is only natural that we would be flooded with emotions at a time like this — shock, grief, fear, confusion, anger,” Hennen wrote. “Even as more is known about what happened, there are no adequate answers for why this happened. We can only mourn, support each other, and pledge ourselves to doing everything in our power to prevent such tragedies in the future.”
The prelate said the entire “Catholic community of central and eastern Oregon mourns with the families of the victims, the Silver Rail community and the city of Bend.”
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, emergency responders transported surviving students and staff by bus to a nearby church, where families and guardians were reunified with their loved ones.
Speaking at an evening media briefing, Krantz noted that law enforcement notified all victim families and that an active, thorough investigation remains underway.
Local officials and state leaders emphasized the need for communal healing, counseling, and mutual support in the days ahead.
“In the coming days, there will be opportunities to gather, including a community vigil tonight, to mourn together, honor those affected and those lost, and begin the difficult process of healing,” Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said.
At the state level, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek confirmed that the Department of Emergency Management is actively coordinating resources to assist the local community.
“We must come together and support each other, neighbor to neighbor, Oregonian to Oregonian,” Kotek said.
Crisis counselors have also been mobilized across the school district to help students and families.
Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland also issued a statement, offering spiritual closeness to the grieving families and the broader community.
“No family should ever have to experience such fear and heartbreak. Please know that you are not alone,” Sample said. “I hold you close in prayer, and the Church stands with you in this time of sorrow.”
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Federal funding restored to Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has restored federal funding to the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) after suspending it last year over concerns about the charity’s past recordkeeping for programs that provided services to asylum seekers and migrants.
In November 2025, the charity faced a potential six-year debarment based on concerns DHS identified after a review of CCRGV’s administration of several federal programs, including the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s Emergency Food and Shelter program and its Shelter and Services Program.
CCRGV received approximately $16.2 million in federal grant awards from the DHS for fiscal year 2024, its last funded cycle before the program ended. The money came through FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program in two rounds: $7,421,965 in the April 2024 and an additional $8,788,186 that September, according to figures released by Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, whose district includes part of the Rio Grande Valley.
Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of CCRGV, said in February 2025, however, that the organization left much of the fiscal year 2024 money undrawn as the number of migrants arriving at its McAllen respite center fell to nearly zero after President Trump took office.
In an interview with EWTN News, Pimentel said that after DHS had reviewed the organization’s records, “there was a percentage of incorrect data” that had been entered by staff who were “inputting, registering, and taking down [immigrants’] information.”
She said that previously, a large influx of immigrant families “were arriving on a daily basis,” and “100% of them were brought to us by the U.S. Border Patrol.”
DHS told EWTN News that it had found “deficiencies in grant-related recordkeeping, data accuracy, and internal controls,” including missed deadlines and inaccuracies in migrant intake data.
In a statement she made concerning the matter last November, Pimentel said: “I take very seriously every single dollar entrusted to us,” adding that CCRGV was “committed to compliance with federal grant requirements” and would “work expeditiously with DHS to resolve this matter.”
Pimentel, a sister of the Missionaries of Jesus, said that after a meeting with DHS this past spring, the federal agency “notified us that the debarment was lifted as long as we proceeded to follow through with our commitment to report how we were using the funding in the future” in order “to make sure that those errors would not happen again.”
DHS said the matter was resolved this past May through an administrative agreement that remains in effect for 36 months and requires CCRGV to “maintain enhanced compliance and oversight measures.”
“Failure to comply may result in further administrative action, including suspension or debarment,” DHS said.
In its November 2025 letter to CCRGV obtained by Fox News, DHS Acting General Counsel Joseph Mazzarra told Pimentel that “regardless of whether these problems stem from gross mismanagement or an affirmative intent to facilitate lawlessness, this pattern must end.”
Pimentel told EWTN News that “the good thing about funding being restored is that we receive funding for many reasons, not just for immigrants,” including “for emergency assistance for our communities, one of the poorest areas in the United States.”
She said that though the flow of immigrants has stopped, the agency still materially aids many individuals and families in the Rio Grande Valley.
“No matter how limited we are in resources, even when we can barely make it, we are still wanting to help our neighbor that is struggling,” Pimentel said. “Itʼs so important that you donʼt hold back from doing whatʼs good.”
Wisconsin voters to weigh ban on church closures in health emergencies
Voters in the Wisconsin midterm elections will decide whether to ban the local government from closing places of worship in a state of emergency, six years after a diocese threatened to sue over Mass restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ballot measure, titled “Prohibit Government Closure of Places of Worship During Emergencies Amendment (2026),” would alter Section 18 of Article I of Wisconsin’s state constitution to include the sentence: “nor shall the state or a political subdivision of the state order the closure of or forbid gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency at the national, state, or local level, including an emergency related to public health.”
“Although the Wisconsin Catholic Conference did not take a position on the constitutional amendment, we discussed possible changes with the authors,” David Earleywine, executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, told EWTN News. Earleywine declined to elaborate on what changes were discussed.
“Religious liberty is the fundamental right to practice one’s faith openly without fear or coercion. Pope Leo XIV recently said that it is the ‘cornerstone of any just society,’” he said. “Freedom to gather for worship is only one important aspect of religious liberty and religious conduct, both of which extend beyond the four walls of a house of worship.”
The measure comes more than six years after the Diocese of Madison threatened to sue the local government of Dane County over its imposition of a 50-person cap on Mass attendance in 2020.
Bishop Donald Hying of Madison told EWTN News at the time that “as bishop, it is my duty to ensure that our sacraments are available to the Catholic faithful, while following best practices when it comes to public health.”
"Religious liberty enshrines freedom of conscience, the right to worship, and the right of religious organizations to serve the common good in the public square. A ballot initiative this fall speaks to that right,” Hying said in his Oct. 15 column in the Madison Catholic Herald.
Similarly, in an Oct. 2 video message on voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Hying addressed the ballot initiative, saying: "Thereʼs a ballot initiative in Wisconsin this year that speaks about the importance of the primacy for houses of worship to remain open during potential future pandemics.”
“We know that that right to worship, that religious liberty, is a foundational part of our Constitution but also our life as Christians,” Hying said. “The Mass for us is everything.”
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee declined requests for an interview or comment.
Australia’s antislavery chief, who praised Catholics as ‘national leader,’ says reforms fall short
Australiaʼs antislavery commissioner, who has hailed the Catholic sector as a national leader in fighting modern slavery, says proposed new penalties against forced labor do not go far enough.
Chris Evans demanded that large companies should be legally required to root out exploitation in their supply chains.
In a paper released Thursday, Evans estimated that Australia imports about $17.4 billion (AU$25 billion) worth of goods each year that may have been produced with forced labor, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Oct. 16.
The Catholic Church in Australia has made the issue a priority. Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher set up an antislavery task force to lead the Churchʼs response to modern slavery in Australia, according to the archdiocese. The task force works on compliance with the Modern Slavery Act across the supply chains of Catholic schools, universities, welfare, and health and aged-care agencies as well as trains parish and agency staff to identify and support possible victims.
Speaking at a Sydney Catholic Business Network luncheon on Nov. 13, 2025, Evans praised the Catholic prelate.
He said the archbishop’s “leadership on this issue has been exemplary,” given his support for the Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network and his establishment of Domus 8.7.
“Through the Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network and Domus 8.7, the Catholic sector has become a national leader in implementing the Modern Slavery Act,” Evans said at the time.
Under the 2018 act, large Australian companies must report risks of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains but have no legal obligation to address them. Evans wants to close that gap as part of a planned overhaul of the law.
The federal government announced in July that it would introduce a criminal offense for companies that fail to prevent modern slavery along with civil penalties for businesses that breach existing reporting rules.
“The governmentʼs announcement sends a clear signal that modern slavery is a serious crime and must be treated that way,” Evans said.
His four-part proposal would place mandatory due-diligence obligations on large businesses and the federal government, set criminal penalties for serious wrongdoing, give victims the right to sue for compensation, and strengthen annual reporting.
“Australians donʼt want the clothes they wear or the food they eat to be made with forced labour,” Evans said. “They expect government and business to take responsibility and action.”
Business groups have pushed back. Minerals Council of Australia chief Tania Constable said there were better ways to address the issue than threatening executives with criminal penalties over other companies' actions, and the Business Council of Australia has also raised concerns, according to the Herald.
Pope Leo XIV has strongly spoken out against trafficking. In his message for the World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking on Feb. 8, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, the pope renewed “the Churchʼs urgent call to confront and bring an end to this grave crime against humanity.”
“Awareness enables us to identify the hidden mechanisms of exploitation in our neighborhoods and in digital spaces,” he wrote.
Pope Leo speaks with Russian President Putin by phone
Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Oct. 16 while the pope remains hospitalized.
According to a Holy See statement, the pope expressed concern about Oleshky in the Kherson region, a city in the Russian-occupied portion of Ukraine where a severe humanitarian crisis is underway and where, according to the United Nations, 1,700 people are trapped in what have become ghost towns because of ongoing attacks. The pope sought a truce to enable the arrival of food and medical aid and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the population, and he reaffirmed the Holy Seeʼs commitment to dialogue and peace.
The conversation with the Russian president is the pope’s first reported direct communication with a head of state since undergoing lung cancer surgery Oct. 13. The statement issued by the Holy See Press Office was brief. It said: "Today, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with His Excellency Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.”
Besides calling for a ceasefire, the statement concluded by reaffirming “the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace.”
A Kremlin statement was more detailed. It said that, while expressing his sincere wishes for the popeʼs health and speedy recovery following his recent surgery, Putin emphasized “the importance of Russian-Vatican cooperation in promoting shared spiritual and moral values and protecting Christians and Christian holy sites in various regions of the world.” Both sides reaffirmed their interest in continuing dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
The Kremlin also said that, during an exchange of views on Ukraine, “Vladimir Putin thanked the pope for his willingness to contribute to resolving the conflict and for his ongoing humanitarian efforts.”
In addition, the Kremlin stated that, in response to the popeʼs concern for civilians in the Russian-held city of Oleshky in the Kherson region, Putin provided what it described as a detailed explanation of the responsibility of the Kyiv government for the areaʼs humanitarian situation. It added that Putin supported the Vaticanʼs intention to help create the conditions necessary to ensure public safety and organize the delivery of essential supplies. According to the Kremlin, cooperation toward that goal was agreed upon.
The Kremlin described the conversation as “constructive and conducted in a spirit of mutual respect.”
Pope initiated call, Parolin says
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told reporters it was Pope Leo who initiated the Oct. 16 phone call with Putin, according to the SIR news agency of the Italian bishops' conference. Parolin said he hopes that, in response to the popeʼs request, Putin will agree to implement the humanitarian measures. He added that Putinʼs willingness to take the call could be a positive sign.
The call followed visits in August to Russia by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher and later by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the popeʼs envoy for humanitarian affairs.
A source familiar with the organization of the Oct. 16 meeting said the conversation had been planned during Zuppiʼs trip to Russia at the end of September. This date coincided with the popeʼs hospital stay.
Leo XIV had previously spoken with Putin by telephone on June 4, 2025. According to Vatican News, that conversation focused on matters of mutual interest, with particular attention given to the war in Ukraine and prospects for peace. During the call, the pope urged Russia to make “a gesture fostering peace” and stressed “the importance of dialogue in establishing positive contacts between the parties and seeking solutions to the conflict.”
Putin visited the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican three times for meetings with Pope Francis.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
This story was updated at 4:10 p.m. ET on Oct. 16, 2026, to include comments from the Vatican secretary of state.
Vatican cardinal visits UK to promote interfaith dialogue and peace
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Vaticanʼs Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, is undertaking his first official visit to the United Kingdom.
Running Oct. 16–22, the high-profile visit centers on the theme "Together in Prayer and Dialogue for Peace.”
Koovakad’s itinerary includes visits to London and Birmingham, featuring meetings with representatives from various faith traditions, including members of the Dharmic and Sikh communities.
The weeklong journey includes marking the 10th anniversary of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain and addressing seminarians to emphasize grassroots bridge-building.
The last official visit to the U.K. by the head of the Vaticanʼs Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue took place in 2013, when Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran undertook a similar high-profile journey to engage with faith communities in Britain.
As Pope Leo XIV recovers at Romeʼs Gemelli Hospital following a successful surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, high-profile diplomatic initiatives like Koovakad’s U.K. visit are vital for maintaining the Vaticanʼs active global engagement and reinforcing the Holy See’s continuous commitment to interfaith bridge-building and peace.
Speaking ahead of the trip, the cardinal stressed that interreligious dialogue remains a fundamental opportunity for Catholics to witness to their faith. He noted that fostering mutual understanding, respect, and enduring peace is a shared responsibility for all believers.
Catholic leaders call on Congress to protect disability rights after DOJ legal shift
Catholic leaders are urging the U.S. Congress to defend disability rights, warning that a new Justice Department (DOJ) legal interpretation could threaten community-based care and increase the risk of unnecessary institutionalization.
In a Oct. 14 letter, six Catholic leaders expressed concern over a June 18 legal opinion in which the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) reversed its long-standing interpretation of Olmstead v. L.C.
Olmstead v L.C. is a 1999 Supreme Court decision that ruled that unjustified institutional isolation of people with disabilities is a form of unlawful discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In its June opinion, the OLC said that neither Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) nor Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act imposes a general legal obligation on states to provide services to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.
The OLC also said that the Supreme Court’s decision did not establish the broad integration mandate that the DOJ and most federal courts had understood it to require, and that the ADA does not require community placement whenever a treating professional considers it appropriate, an individual wants it, and community services can reasonably be provided.
The OLC opinion also argued that these factors are relevant but do not necessarily exhaust the justifications states may offer for institutional care. It stressed that the Supreme Court had not conclusively resolved which justifications are legally permissible.
The practical implication of the OLC’s interpretation is that it would give states greater latitude to maintain institutional care and narrow the legal basis for requiring states to expand or provide community-based alternatives.
The Catholic signatories to the letter described the OLC opinion as “deeply troubling” and urged Congress to “do everything in its power to affirm the rights of persons living with disabilities to flourish in their families and communities.”
“Congress must act to protect the programs, policies, and resources that persons with disabilities and their families rely on to thrive,” the letter stated.
The letter’s signatories include Archbishop Shelton Fabre, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop Edward Burns, chair of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth; Sister Mary Haddad, RSM, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States; Leo Zanchettin, board chair of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability; Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA; and Father Chris Kellerman, SJ, secretary of justice and ecology for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.
The leaders grounded their appeal in Catholic teaching on the dignity and rights of people with disabilities. The 1978 “Pastoral Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities” states that the Church’s defense of the right to life “implies the defense of other rights that enable the disabled individual to achieve the fullest measure of personal development of which he or she is capable.” These include equal opportunities in education, employment, and housing as well as access to public accommodations, facilities, and services.
With this in mind, “institutionalization should be a last resort because it deprives persons of these rights and opportunities while also stripping communities of the presence and participation of such persons,” the letter declared.
The letter emphasized that parishes, schools, and social and health ministries across the country “are enriched and blessed by the opportunity to worship with, serve alongside, and learn from persons with disabilities.”
The signatories of the letter said that the path forward begins with the family, “which Church teaching regards as essential for persons to flourish.”
“In this vein, when the Supreme Court decided Olmstead in 1999, it recognized that most persons with disabilities can thrive with their families or in community-based settings, and that the government has an obligation to support them to the extent possible,” the letter stated. “As a result, Catholic hospitals, charities, schools, ministries, and parishes across the country work with public services to ensure persons with disabilities and their families have the resources they need to live healthy, vibrant, and productive lives.”
Therefore, the Catholic leaders called Olmstead v L.C. a “linchpin” of this system and warned that “without its civil rights framework, persons with disabilities, their families, and the community organizations that support them simply will not have access to the resources they need and deserve.”
The signatories expressed support for members of Congress who have already called on the administration to rescind the OLC opinion and encouraged other lawmakers to join the effort.
“Congress should do everything in its power to protect persons living with disabilities — including reaffirming that the ADA requires states and local governments to provide services to persons with disabilities in their communities when appropriate,” the letter stated.
Pope Leo XIV calls world hunger a ‘terrible offense’ against human dignity
Pope Leo XIV on Friday called world hunger a “terrible offense” against human dignity and emphasized that adequate food is a basic human right.
“It is a terrible offense against human dignity to prevent bread from reaching any person or to destroy the means by which it is produced,” the pontiff wrote in a message published for World Food Day.
Still recovering from surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, Leo addressed his message to Qu Dongyu, director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). World Food Day, celebrated every year on Oct. 16 to highlight world hunger, also marks the organization’s founding in 1945.
‘World hunger remains due to lack of charity’
In his message, Leo lamented the challenge of world hunger and questioned how some can speak of technological innovation while food shortages persist.
“Hunger cannot be considered a statistical anomaly, for it is caused mainly by a lack of political will and collective charity,” Leo said.
“Today, people speak of innovation with great confidence,” Leo said. “However, this term is often used only in reference to the development of devices and algorithms, or the optimization of performance merely for the sake of financial gain.”
A new global food order
According to FAO’s annual report for 2025, an estimated 645 million people worldwide experienced hunger, mainly distributed across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. According to the same report, 35.5 million children were severely malnourished, and war remained the “primary driver of acute food insecurity and malnutrition.”
Leo also said that food shortages should never be “used as a weapon of war” and encouraged the United Nations to work toward a “new global food order” in which technology ensures food for all.
“Regular access to safe, adequate and sufficient food, in keeping with the dignity of every person, is a basic human right,” the pope wrote.
“A new global food order is essential — one in which technological innovation is unconditionally subordinated to respect for God-given human dignity and the universal common good.”
The pope’s remarks on world hunger follow his June visit to the headquarters of the World Food Programme in Rome, where he emphasized the need to focus on humanity to combat hunger worldwide.