Was Squanto Catholic? What we know about this hero of the first Thanksgiving

Image from page 155 of "Young Folks' History of the United States" (1903). / Credit: Public domainSt. Louis, Missouri, Nov 27, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).In 1621, lacking both the skills and the resources necessary to survive in the harsh territory of New England, European pilgrims encountered a miracle: a Native American who not only spoke English but who also used his skills and knowledge to help them adapt to their environment and survive the brutal winter.This was Squanto, a man who occupies a special place in the hearts of many people who celebrate Thanksgiving because of his willingness and ability to help the newcomers to his land.Squanto's full name was Tisquantum, and he was a member of the Patuxet tribe, which lived in and around modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was probably born around 1585 in the area that is now Boston.Little is known about Tisquantum's early life, but what is known is that he was abducted from his homeland as a slave by an Englishman, Thomas Hunt...

U.S. lawmakers introduce bill to protect medical residents from coercive abortion training

Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2025. / Credit: VALERY HACHE/Getty ImagesWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 27, 2025 / 13:35 pm (CNA).Here is a roundup of recent pro-life- and abortion-related news.U.S. legislators introduce bill to protect medical residents from coercive abortion training U.S. legislators have introduced a bill to protect the conscience rights of medical students and residents who often feel pressured or even coerced into participating in abortions during their training. U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, Senator James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, and others introduced the Conscience Protections for Medical Residents Act, designed to "ensure medical students and residents are never pressured or coerced into abortion training that violates their moral or religious beliefs," according to a press release.  The bill would establish federal protections for students, making abortion training an "opt-in" rather than "opt-out" system as "residents often fear th...

Vatican's 2025 Christmas tree installed in St. Peter's Square

Workers erect the Vatican's 2025 Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Nov 27, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).A towering Christmas tree now stands in the center of St. Peter's Square, after the spruce arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning. The 88-foot-tall spruce tree from Italy's Bolzano province was erected next to the ancient Egyptian obelisk which stands in the middle of the 17th century Baroque square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.This year, the northern Italian municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo gifted the Christmas tree to the Vatican. The tree was harvested in the alpine valley of Ultimo.In an Oct. 20 interview published on the Vatican State website, Bishop Ivo Muser of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone said the tree reaffirms the local church's "spiritual and emotional bond" with the pope. "It is a way of saying: 'We are with you, Pope Leo; we wish to pray with you and share the joy of ...

LIVE UPDATES: Pope Leo XIV lands in Istanbul, concludes first day in Turkey

Pope Leo XIV disembarks from his plane upon his arrival at Istanbul Ataturk airport on November 27, 2025. / Credit: BERK OZKAN / AFP via Getty ImagesCNA Staff, Nov 27, 2025 / 18:12 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV ended Nov. 27 in Istanbul, concluding the initial day of his first papal trip abroad in Turkey. The Holy Father will spend Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 in the country. Watch LIVE the major events of this trip at youtube.com/@ewtnnews and follow our live updates of his historic trip:

Pope Leo XIV appoints new archbishop of Krakow, Poland

Cardinal Grzegorz Rys is the new archbishop of Krakow, the archdiocese that Pope St. John Paul II led in Poland. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez / EWTN NewsRome Newsroom, Nov 26, 2025 / 19:30 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cardinal Grzegorz Rys, until now the archbishop of Lódz, as the new archbishop of Krakow, the archdiocese in Poland that was formerly led by Pope St. John Paul II.The cardinal succeeds Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski, 76, whose resignation has been accepted by the Holy Father, as reported by the Vatican Press Office on Nov. 26.Rys was born on Feb. 9, 1964, in Krakow and is 61 years old. He will lead the archdiocese where Karol Wojtyla, who would later become Pope St. John Paul II, served as a priest, auxiliary bishop, and archbishop from 1946 to 1978, the year he was elected Successor of St. Peter.Who is the new archbishop of Krakow in Poland?Rys studied at the major seminary in Krakow and was ordained a priest on May 22, 1988. He worked on and received a doctorat...

LIVE UPDATES: Pope Leo XIV's historic first papal trip to Turkey and Lebanon

Pope Leo XIV. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN NewsCNA Staff, Nov 26, 2025 / 16:15 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV is embarking on the first apostolic journey of his papacy to Turkey and Lebanon from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2. Follow here for live updates of his historic trip:

Report details persecution of Turkish Christians ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit

The scene outside a Catholic church in Istanbul, Turkey, where a reported armed attack took place on Jan. 28, 2024. / Credit: Rudolf Gehrig/EWTNWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 26, 2025 / 16:15 pm (CNA).A Christian advocacy group's report details "legal, institutional, and social hostility" toward Turkish Christians as Pope Leo XIV begins his six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon Thursday.The report from The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), titled "The Persecution of Christians in Turkey," explores government interference against clergy and Christian entities, restrictions on foreign Christians who visit the country, and widespread social animosity toward the faithful, which sometimes includes direct violence."Communities that were once integral to the cultural, religious, and historical fabric of Anatolia have been reduced to a fragile remnant," the authors state."Their disappearance is not the product of a single event but the cumulative result of restrictive legi...

Pope Leo praises 'wonderful adventure' of parenthood despite hardships

Pope Leo XIV greets a baby during the general audience in November 2025. / Credit: Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Nov 26, 2025 / 18:04 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV praised "the wonderful adventure" of becoming parents that many families are choosing to embark on today, even in a time marked by economic and social difficulties.The pontiff dedicated part of Wednesday's general audience to "trusting in the God of life," and promoting humanity "in all its expressions," above all in the "wonderful adventure of motherhood and fatherhood.""In your families, may you never lack the courage to make decisions about motherhood and fatherhood. Do not be afraid to welcome and defend every child conceived. Proclaim and serve the Gospel of life. God is the lover of life. Therefore, always protect it with care and love," he said in his greetings to the Polish-speaking pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square.Pope Leo XIV acknowledged, however, that this vocation is developing today in a challenging context...

Pope Leo centralizes oversight of St. Peter's and St. Mary Major basilicas

The main altar of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. / Credit: Jorge Royan (CC BY-SA 3.0).Vatican City, Nov 26, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV has issued a new decree revising the financial and administrative norms governing the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Mary Major, bringing both institutions under the ordinary oversight of the Vatican's Council for the Economy, in the latest act of fine-tuning of economic reforms undertaken by his predecessor Pope Francis.The pope writes that the Holy See's economic and financial reform requires "periodic reevaluation and redefinition" of the applicable regulatory framework. The letter motu proprio, dated Sept. 29, 2025, was promulgated this month when it was posted in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. It has not previously been reported by the media. The decree abrogates two earlier such decrees concerning the Fabric of St. Peter's and the Chapter of St. Mary Major. Under the updated provisions, bo...

Texas attorney general sues state housing agency for alleged religious discrimination

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Nov. 24, 2025, sued his own state's housing agency for rules that allegedly restrict Christian and other religious organizations from receiving public funds to serve homeless and low-income people. / Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 25, 2025 / 17:31 pm (CNA).Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued his own state's housing agency for rules that allegedly restrict Christian and other religious organizations from receiving public funds to serve homeless and low-income people. The lawsuit alleges that rules established by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) only allow organizations to receive federal and state funds for homeless and low-income housing programs if they agree those programs will be entirely secular and will not include any religious activities.According to the lawsuit, those rules violate religious liberty protections in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and in Arti...