Catholic News

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CNA Staff, Mar 3, 2025 / 13:20 pm (CNA).

Catholic schools outranked public schools in recently released mathematics and reading test scores for 2024. 

The Nation's Report Card by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released national scores for fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics and reading. Catholic school students in both grades surpassed public school students in both categories.

In fourth-grade math, Catholic schools had a score of 247, while public schools were ranked 237, according to the NAEP's scoring system. In fourth-grade reading, Catholic schools outpaced public schools by 16 points. In eighth grade, Catholic schools outpaced public schools by 21 points in math and 20 points in reading. 

The data is based on mandated standardized testing given between January and March 2024. 

Notably, public school scores have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, while public school reading scores continue to decline.   

Catholic schools have consistently outpaced public schools in recent decades, with higher-ranking scores going back to the 1990s.  

The National Catholic Educational Association highlighted Catholic schools' scores in a recent press release, noting that "NAEP assessments are considered the gold standard of testing."

NCEA President and CEO Steven Cheeseman emphasized that the primary goal of Catholic education is to "form saints."

"In Catholic schools, faith and academics are seamlessly woven together, fostering not only intellectual growth but also moral and spiritual formation," Cheeseman said in a Jan. 30 statement. "While academic excellence is a hallmark of our schools, our true goal is to form saints and to prepare students to lead with wisdom, compassion, and integrity."

Catholic leaders are pushing for a national school choice bill to enable students who could not afford Catholic school to attend. An unprecedented number of school choice programs have been launched in various states in recent years. The programs are designed to help low- and middle-income families send their children to private schools of their choice, including the nearly 6,000 Catholic schools across the nation.

Following a record expansion of state school choice programs in 2023, the NCEA found that more than 1 in 10 Catholic school students used school choice programs to help them attend Catholic school in the 2023-2024 school year.

Last year, reports showed that Catholic school enrollment remained stable, following three years of modest growth. The growth followed the sharpest drop in enrollment in decades in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCEA is set to release enrollment data by April.

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Vatican City, Mar 3, 2025 / 11:50 am (CNA).

Pope Francis addressed what he called a "planetary crisis" that is adversely affecting the world in multiple ways in a message Monday to the general assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

"The term 'polycrisis' evokes the dramatic nature of the historical juncture we are currently witnessing, in which wars, climate changes, energy problems, epidemics, the migratory phenomenon, and technological innovation converge," the pope said in his message, dated Feb. 26 from Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

"The intertwining of these critical issues, which currently touch on various dimensions of life, lead us to ask ourselves about the destiny of the world and our understanding of it," the pope said.

The Vatican academy is holding a meeting of scientists, theologians, and historians March 3-4 at the Augustinianum Conference Center near the Vatican on the theme "The End of the World? Crises, Responsibilities, Hopes."

Academics from across the scientific and theological fields, including Nobel laureates, planetologists, physicists, biologists, paleoanthropologists, theologians, and historians, are attending the Pontifical Academy for Life's plenary meeting this week.

In a presentation of the conference to journalists March 3, academy president Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia explained that "we felt the urgency to save the common human."

"The frontier before us is a planetary frontier," it affects all people, he said. With the meeting, the archbishop added, they desire "to design a future of hope for all without leaving anyone behind."

"It's obvious we cannot be indifferent," Paglia said.

Pope Francis in his message said the first step in the face of the world's "polycrisis" is to examine "with greater attention our representation of the world and the cosmos."

"If we do not do this, and we do not seriously analyze our profound resistance to change, both as people and as a society, we will continue to do what we have always done with other crises," he said, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said was "squandered" as an opportunity to transform consciences and social practices.

The pope also warned against "endorsing utilitarian deregulation and global neoliberalism means imposing the law of the strongest as the only rule; and it is a law that dehumanizes."

Francis also lamented the "progressive irrelevance of international bodies, which are also undermined by shortsighted attitudes, concerned with protecting particular and national interests."

He said people of goodwill must continue to be committed to more effective world organizations so that "a multilateralism is promoted that does not depend on changing political circumstances or the interests of the few."

The pope said hope is of fundamental importance. "It does not consist of waiting with resignation but of striving with zeal toward true life, which leads well beyond the narrow individual perimeter," he said.

Hope, Francis said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical Spe Salvi, "is linked to a lived union with a 'people,' and for each individual it can only be attained within this 'we.'"

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Vatican City, Mar 3, 2025 / 02:05 am (CNA).

Pope Francis was admitted to Romes' Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis.

Follow here for the latest news on his health and hospitalization:

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CNA Newsroom, Mar 3, 2025 / 06:44 am (CNA).

Pope Francis spent a restful night at Rome's Gemelli Hospital and has begun his daily treatments after waking Monday morning, having breakfast with coffee, and reading newspapers as part of his normal routine, according to Vatican sources.

The pope's condition remains stable, with Vatican sources reporting that his bilateral pneumonia is neither worsening nor causing immediate concern. No special examinations beyond routine daily tests are currently scheduled.

Recovery for the 88-year-old Holy Father "will certainly not be imminent," Vatican officials cautioned, indicating a potentially extended hospital stay as the pope continues to receive medical care.

Regarding the upcoming spiritual exercises scheduled for next Sunday, Vatican sources stated that no decisions have been made about how the pope might participate in these Lenten observances.

The faithful will gather in St. Peter's Square this evening to pray for the pope's recovery. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, will lead the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 9:00 p.m.

Marco Mancini contributed to this report.

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Vatican City, Mar 3, 2025 / 02:05 am (CNA).

Pope Francis was admitted to Romes' Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis.

Follow here for the latest news on his health and hospitalization:

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Vatican City, Mar 2, 2025 / 14:42 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis was admitted to Romes' Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis.

Follow here for the latest news on his health and hospitalization:

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Vatican City, Mar 2, 2025 / 04:02 am (CNA).

Pope Francis spent another restful night at Rome's Gemelli Hospital after being admitted on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis.

Follow here for the latest news on Pope Francis' health and hospitalization:

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Rome Newsroom, Mar 2, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Though many Catholics may associate the liturgical season of Lent more with the practice of fasting and abstaining from food, many families around the world use the 40-day season to prepare specific homemade delicacies to remind them of the life of Jesus Christ as he made his way to the cross.  

Mexico

Capirotada, which is similar to a bread pudding, is a treat served by many Mexican families on the Fridays of Lent. Though recipes may vary from one family to the next, the traditional sweet and savory ingredients carry rich religious symbolism linked to Jesus' crucifixion.

Bread rolls used in the dish represent the body of Christ; honey or piloncillo syrup, made from cane sugar, is meant to symbolize the blood of Christ; whole cloves are used to represent the nails of the crucifixion; cinnamon sticks are used to symbolize the wooden cross of Christ; and the melted cheese coating the pudding represents the shroud used for Jesus' burial.

Aguas fresca — a drink made with still water, fresh fruits of your choice, sugar, oats, and other cereals, seeds, and floral teas — are prepared and served by families to passersby in Oaxaca on Good Friday. Though not solely a Lenten beverage, this Good Friday tradition is an opportunity for Oaxaca families to quench the thirst of Jesus on his way to Jerusalem — just like the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (cf. Jn 4:4-42) — by serving a fellow neighbor.

Ecuador     

Fanesca, a soup eaten during Lent and Holy Week made with cod and 12 kinds of beans and legumes, is said to represent Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles at the Last Supper.  

The dish's religious significance dates back to the 16th century and is believed to be connected to a monastery in Quito, Ecuador, during the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Some families take advantage to make this lunch dish together — preparing the fish and shelling the many beans and legumes — with a spirit of prayer, contemplating the Last Supper in the upper room just hours before Jesus began his passion in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Malta 

Kwarezimal, which derives its name from the Latin word "Quadragesima," meaning the "40 days of Lent," are sweet cakes made with almond paste, honey, and orange rind.

This Lenten sweet treat is also given to children who want to embark upon a one-day, 14-church pilgrimage to remember Jesus' 14 Stations of the Cross.

Qaghaq tal-appostli or "Apostles' Rings" are sweet, savory, unleavened circular bread loaves topped with almonds and sesame seeds eaten on Holy Thursday. 

The treat is associated with the events of Holy Thursday when Jesus made his apostles priests and instituted the Eucharist and the celebration of the Mass. 

Lebanon

Zenkoul, a dish of bulgur wheat balls (or pumpkin balls) combined with chickpeas, rice, garlic, onion, and pomegranate molasses, is eaten by Lebanese families during Lent and Good Friday.  

Some families add vinegar to their Zenkoul instead of lemon juice to remind them when Jesus told the Roman soldiers "I thirst" (cf. Jn 19:28) before dying on the cross and fulfilling the prophecy "for my thirst they gave me vinegar" (cf. Ps 69:22).

Iraq

Christ's Feast is a traditional dish shared and eaten together in Iraqi villages on Good Friday. Made with habbiyeh wheat, several types of grains, and a variety of beans and legumes, the most distinctive ingredient of the dish is "akoub," a prickly plant that grows abundantly during spring.

By combining all the ingredients with a little water, Christ's Feast is turned into a soup and cooked slowly until it is ready to be mashed and served to families on Good Friday.  

For some Iraqi Christians, the difficulty in preparing the dish — particularly removing the thorns of the akoub — is a form of participating in Jesus' passion. The prickly plant is also said to symbolize the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head before he was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate.

Germany, Luxembourg, France, and Belgium

Pretzels, the iconic bread twist simply made with salt, yeast, flour, and water linked to several parts of Europe, are believed to have been invented specifically as a Lenten food by an Italian monk in the early Middle Ages, according to a Vatican Library document.

With the purpose of helping Catholics to live the penitential season with prayer and simplicity, the treat's shape resembles hands in prayer, forming three holes representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand 

Hot cross buns are believed to have first been distributed to poor English Catholics on a Good Friday between the 12th and 14th centuries. Today, the sweet-spiced buns are eaten in England and in Commonwealth countries such as Australia and New Zealand during Lent and Holy Week.

While some historic accounts suggest the buns — traditionally made with flour, eggs, yeast, currents, and cardamom — have ancient pagan origins, other records hint that medieval monks Christianized the recipe by baking the buns with distinct crosses to represent the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and using different spices to symbolize his burial.

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CNA Staff, Mar 2, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

As Lent begins on March 5, we are reminded of the opportunity to grow in faith as we journey in the desert with Jesus for 40 days. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three areas in which we are called to focus throughout the Lenten season as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter.

Here are five resources to help you grow in your faith this Lent:

'Set Free' with Father Josh Johnson on Ascension

Exclusively on the Ascension app, "Set Free" by Father Josh Johnson promises to guide listeners through daily reflections on overcoming the seven deadly sins in our lives. The reflections are designed to help participants know what the seven deadly sins are and how they appear in our lives. The program will outline specific fasts to use to combat each one of these sins and show you how to pray with Scripture and surrender yourself to God. The reflections end with a powerful, step-by-step examination of conscience with the goal of helping you experience more deeply the sacrament of confession.

The "Set Free" program is based on Johnson's book "Pocket Guide to Overcoming the Seven Deadly Sins." In an interview with CNA, Johnson, vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, explained that the idea for the book first came from feeling the need to help his brother priests with penances for people in confession.

"I think as a priest we have a responsibility to not only absolve them from their sins but to help them to identify what's at the root of their sins and as a spiritual father to give them practical and biblical remedies that can help them to combat against those vices that they might be struggling with," he said.

After praying further about his idea, he realized that it could be helpful for all of the laity in order to help them overcome their struggles with sin.

"I wanted to have a book for the laity … who want to experience freedom and to be able to go deeper into an understanding of what are the seven deadly sins, how are they operative, how might they be masked, what might precede me falling into them, and then what are some ways that I can pray and fast and some wisdom I can gain from Church Fathers, the catechism, and the Bible to fight against these vices," Johnson shared.

Johnson has three hopes for those who take part in the Lenten program: First, "that people fall more in love with Scripture and rely on Scripture for everything"; second, for "people to have a better capacity to examine their conscience prior to going to confession to really be able to discern deeper vices"; and lastly that they have "an experience of God's love and mercy in the midst of our ongoing struggles."

CNA's full interview with Johnson about the program can be viewed here:

Hallow's Lent Pray40 Challenge: 'The Way'

Hallow will be taking listeners on a journey to grow closer to Christ this Lent through "Pray40: The Way." Jonathahn Roumie, Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt, Father Mike Schmitz, Sister Miriam James Heidland, and Cardinal Robert Sarah will help listeners dive deeper into the writing of St. Josemaría Escrivá, author of "The Way." 

Listeners will meditate on the lives of those who followed Christ's way, including the life of Servant of God Takashi Nagai, a Japanese physician who survived the atomic bombing in 1945 and had a powerful conversion as shared in his biography "A Song for Nagasaki."

Roumie will take participants through reflections and prayers on "The Way" and "A Song for Nagasaki." Wahlberg and Pratt will lead listeners in fasting challenges and Scripture readings encouraging the faithful to give their hearts fully to Christ. Heidland will guide listeners through imaginative prayer; Schmitz will give Sunday homilies; and Sarah will offer guidance for silent meditation.

"Our Lenten challenge is always our biggest challenge of the year and it's an honor to get to pray with so many incredible voices and our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world," CEO and co-founder of Hallow Alex Jones told CNA.

Word on Fire online Lent retreat

Father Boniface Hicks, OSB, will be conducting Word on Fire's first-ever Lenten retreat. 

The seven-part online retreat will provide an opportunity for participants to deepen their prayer lives and intimacy with Christ by focusing on the interior life. 

Hicks, a renowned spiritual director and author, will guide participants in reflections each week focusing on different topics in order to grow closer to the heart of Jesus. Some topics include slowing down and returning to the heart, loving Jesus like St. Thérèse of Lisieux did, receiving Christ's love and mercy, and more. 

Blessed Is She 'Under the Olive Tree' devotional

In "Under the Olive Tree," author Olivia Spears guides readers to the Mount of Olives to console the heart of Jesus in his sufferings and be consoled in our sufferings as well.

Each week offers meditations on Jesus' agony in the garden, praying the Psalms, and diving more deeply into Jesus' sacrificial love.

Readers will also be invited to contemplate Jesus' love in Eucharistic adoration.

Lenten books

If you're looking for powerful reads for the Lenten season, there are several to choose from: 

"Mother Angelica's The Way of the Cross" by Father Joseph Mary Wolfe, MFVA, dives deeper into the beauty of the Stations of the Cross. 

"Remember Your Death: Momento Mori Lenten Devotional" by Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP, is Lenten devotional that helps readers meditate on their own mortality and the gift of salvation in preparation for Easter. 

"Praying with Jesus and Faustina During Lent and in Times of Suffering" by Susan Tassone includes daily meditations featuring the words of Jesus and St. Faustina on the Passion. Each day also includes reflections for times of suffering.

"Lenten Journey with Mother Mary" by Father Edward Looney takes readers through the journey of Lent alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary in order to view Lent and Easter in a completely new way.

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CNA Newsroom, Mar 2, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis expressed heartfelt gratitude on Sunday for the prayers and support he has received during his hospitalization while offering his own prayers for those suffering around the world.

Vatican sources reported that the 88-year-old pontiff met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin on the morning of Mar. 2, in his hospital room. The Secretary of State was accompanied by Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.

The Vatican officials visited the pope following his restful night, during which he reportedly slept well. According to the same sources, Pope Francis woke up Sunday morning, had coffee, read the newspapers, and continued his prescribed treatments.

Feeling "carried by all God's people"

In his Sunday message released by the Vatican's press office, Pope Francis said, "I would like to thank you for the prayers, which rise up to the Lord from the hearts of so many faithful from many parts of the world."

The pontiff continued: "I feel all your affection and closeness and, at this particular time, I feel as if I am 'carried' and supported by all God's people."

The message accompanied the text for the Angelus prayer, which the pope was unable to deliver publicly for the third consecutive time due to his ongoing health issues. Francis has been receiving treatment at Rome's Gemelli Hospital since Feb. 14.

Faith forged in fragility

In his Sunday message, Francis reflected on the day's Gospel reading (Luke 6:39-45), particularly Jesus' words about removing the "wooden beam from your eye" before attempting to remove the "splinter in your brother's eye."

The pope emphasized the importance of fraternal correction rooted in charity rather than condemnation. "I feel in my heart the 'blessing' that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord," the pope wrote. "At the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people."

Prayers in times of war

The pontiff also turned his thoughts to areas of conflict around the world, saying: "I pray for you too. And I pray above all for peace. From here, war appears even more absurd. Let us pray for tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and Kivu."

A medical update on the pope's condition is expected Sunday evening. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, will lead a rosary for the pope's health Sunday evening at 9 p.m. local time in St. Peter's Square.

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