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CNA Staff, Feb 24, 2025 / 16:35 pm (CNA).

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. government will not be permitted to conduct unrestricted arrests of suspected unauthorized immigrants at some religious sites while a lawsuit over the policy plays out in federal court. 

In an injunction on Monday, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang blocked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from carrying out "potential or actual immigration actions" at houses of worship belonging to several groups, including the Quakers and a Sikh temple in Sacramento. 

DHS under President Donald Trump last month rescinded Biden-era guidelines that previously required ICE agents to seek their superior's approval before arresting people at or near "sensitive locations" such as churches, hospitals, or schools.

The religious groups filed suit against the federal government shortly after, arguing in part that the policy's enforcement would infringe on constitutional religious rights.

The policy creates "the threat of federal officers surveilling and arresting meeting attendees, rendering [the religious groups] unable to encourage anyone who feels called to join to do so," the suit said. 

In his order on Monday, Chuang directed the federal government to re-implement the Biden administration's guidelines regarding arrests at "sensitive locations."

Chuang's ruling only bars the government from carrying out broad "immigration enforcement." The judge in his directive said the government can still perform arrests at places of worship "when authorized by an administrative or judicial warrant."

The government will be blocked from immigration enforcement at the plaintiff institutions while the lawsuit plays out in federal courts. 

In an opinion filed with the order, Chuang said he "does not question that law enforcement, when necessary, must have the ability to conduct operations in or near places of worship."

But the broad nature of the government's policy, he said, warrants the injunction "until the exact contours of what is necessary to avoid unlawful infringement on religious exercise are determined later in this case."

The ruling comes nearly two weeks after the filing of a similar lawsuit in federal court by a coalition of more than two dozen religious groups.

Those groups, which included the Mennonite Church, the Episcopal Church, the Friends General Conference, and several Jewish groups including the New York-based Rabbinical Assembly, argued that the enforcement of immigration arrests in churches was "substantially burdening the religious exercise" of the plaintiffs' congregations and members.

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Vatican City, Feb 24, 2025 / 07:34 am (CNA).

Pope Francis' condition remains serious but has shown "slight improvement" as he continues treatment on his 11th day in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican said Feb. 24. The pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis.

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St. Louis, Mo., Feb 24, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case challenging what are known as abortion "buffer zone" or "bubble zone" laws, which numerous municipalities have enacted to restrict pro-life ministries outside abortion clinics. 

Coalition Life, a St. Louis pro-life group, had last summer petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the buffer law enacted by Carbondale, Illinois. A federal district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit had earlier ruled against Coalition Life in the case. 

Coalition Life had been engaging in peaceful sidewalk counseling of women outside Carbondale's abortion clinics, offering information about free ultrasounds and pregnancy tests, STD testing, and recommending "options coaching" at a pro-life pregnancy center. 

Citing what people associated with the abortion clinic described as "aggressive and misleading tactics," Carbondale had amended its "disorderly conduct" ordinance to criminalize approaching within eight feet of another person without his or her consent for purposes of protest, education, or counseling within 100 feet of a health care facility.

Coalition Life argued in its petition to the Supreme Court that its case presented an opportunity to correct a flawed precedent that undermines First Amendment rights, adding that Carbondale's attempt to moot the case by quietly repealing the ordinance highlighted the urgent need for the Supreme Court to act.

Carbondale's ordinance was modeled after a Colorado law upheld in the Supreme Court's 2000 Hill v. Colorado decision, a precedent that has faced numerous legal challenges from pro-life advocates over the years over claims that the rule chills the First Amendment right to free speech.

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the Feb. 24 decision, contending that the 25-year-old Hill ruling is "defunct" and an "aberration" in First Amendment jurisprudence that has been effectively dismantled by subsequent Supreme Court rulings.

Thomas in his dissent quoted from a previous dissent from the late Justice Antonin Scalia in arguing that buffer zone laws are "obviously and undeniably content-based" and thus should be subjected to "strict scrutiny" to ensure they do not violate the Constitution.

Hill v. Colorado altered the Supreme Court's First Amendment jurisprudence "precisely to disfavor 'opponents of abortion' and their 'right to persuade women contemplating abortion that what they are doing is wrong," Thomas argued. He noted that since 2000, lower courts have felt compelled to uphold Hill-like buffer zones around abortion clinics across the country.

The Supreme Court is responsible for resolving that confusion, "and we should have done so here," he wrote.

"This court has received a number of invitations to make clear that Hill lacks continuing force … I would have taken this opportunity to explicitly overrule Hill. For now, we leave lower courts to sort out what, if anything, is left of Hill's reasoning, all while constitutional rights hang in the balance," Thomas wrote. 

Brian Westbrook, founder and executive director of Coalition Life, said in a statement Monday that the court's decision not to hear the case will make it harder for pro-life people across the country to communicate to women that they have options other than abortion. 

"As we expand our operations to serve more women across the United States, we will continue to go wherever we are called. Our appeal may have been denied but across this nation, at hundreds of abortion facilities, a different sort of tragic 'denial' continues," Westbrook said. 

"Cities and states across America are denying sidewalk counselors and law-abiding citizens their rights to inform women about their options ... Women are being denied true choice as they are bullied into the only option that is offered by the abortion advocates."

In 2023, the Supreme Court declined to hear a similar case, which challenged a "bubble zone" ordinance in Westchester County, New York. The Supreme Court has ruled in the past, however, against very large buffer zones, striking down a 35-foot buffer zone ordinance in Massachusetts in McCullen v. Coakley in 2014. 

In 2020, however, the high court turned away challenges to eight-foot and 20-foot buffer zones in Chicago and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, citing the Hill precedent.

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CNA Staff, Feb 24, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Catholics around the world continue to pray fervently for Pope Francis as the Holy Father battles a series of medical emergencies at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

The pope was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after struggling for several days with bronchitis. Over the weekend the Vatican said the Holy Father had suffered a respiratory crisis and required a blood transfusion, with the Holy See on Sunday evening stating that Francis' condition was "critical."

The Holy See Press Office on Monday indicated that the pope's condition is stable. "The night went well, the pope has slept and is resting," the Vatican said Monday morning.

Francis is expected to stay in the hospital at least through Friday of this week. 

'Let us gather so that our prayer may accompany him'

Around the world, Catholics over the weekend and into Monday offered prayers for Pope Francis amid his stay in the hospital.

On Saturday, dozens of Catholics gathered in front of Gemelli Hospital in Rome to pray the rosary for the health of the Holy Father. 

Local Catholics and jubilee pilgrims in Rome had earlier prayed for Pope Francis' recovery, with visitors from France and Poland offering prayers while visiting the Eternal City. 

The Vatican announced on Monday that cardinals would lead a nightly rosary in St. Peter's Square for Pope Francis. Cardinal Pietro Parolin was set to preside over the first prayer service on Monday.

Dioceses and bishops worldwide, meanwhile, have responded with prayers and Masses for the pope. In Kenya, Catholics gathered for Mass at Nairobi's Holy Family Basilica on Sunday to pray for the Holy Father.

On Monday the Irish bishops said they had been praying for the pope's recovery since his initial hospitalization earlier this month.

The prelates invited the faithful to join in the Vatican-led rosary on Monday evening.

In Buenos Aires on Monday, an evening Mass "for the health of Pope Francis" was scheduled to take place at the Plaza de la Constitución.

Francis served as archbishop of the Buenos Aires Archdiocese from 1998 to 2013. Current archbishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva said in a statement that the pope had "prayed so many times for his people" at the public plaza.

"Let us gather so that our prayer may accompany and encourage him in this moment of weakness," the archbishop said. 

In the U.S., New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan said on X on Saturday that "our prayers are with the Holy Father." 

"We entrust him to the hands of the Lord. We love him, and we're with him all the way!" the prelate wrote.

Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Pérez called on Catholics "to join in prayer for Pope Francis as he continues to battle serious illness."

On Saturday evening, St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop Bernard Hebda noted that Saturday marked the feast of the Chair of Peter.

"[W]e join Catholics and those of goodwill around the globe in praying for Pope Francis: May he be restored to good health and be comforted at this critical time by our prayers and the maternal intercession of Mary, Help of the Sick," the archbishop said. 

On Monday, Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, said the faithful "continue to offer their love and support for Pope Francis."

Knestout "asks all to join him in praying for an outpouring of grace upon the pontiff," the diocese said in a statement. 

On Sunday the Archdiocese of Miami shared on Facebook the Hail Mary in both English and Spanish in response to the pope's health crisis. "We ask Our Lady of Good Health to intercede for Pope Francis in his hour of need," the archdiocese said. 

On its website on Monday the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops invited the faithful to join in "praying the rosary for Pope Francis." The bishops included instructions on how to pray the rosary, including a list of the various mysteries associated with it. 

At the Mass for the Jubilee of Deacons on Sunday, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who celebrated the Mass, said the faithful could feel the Holy Father "close to us, present among us" at the Eucharistic celebration. 

"This compels us to make our prayer even stronger and more fervent, so that the Lord may assist him in this time of trial and illness," he said.

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Vatican City, Feb 24, 2025 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis' condition remains serious but has shown "slight improvement" as he continues treatment on his 11th day in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican said Monday evening.

The 88-year-old pontiff is still receiving oxygen therapy through his nose, though at a slightly reduced flow and concentration, according to the Holy See Press Office.

Doctors reported no further episodes of respiratory distress following a "respiratory crisis" on Saturday. Some of the pope's laboratory tests have improved, and his "mild kidney insufficiency" remains under observation but is not a cause for concern, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis received the Eucharist on Monday morning and resumed some work in the afternoon. Later in the day, he called the parish priest in Gaza to express his solidarity.

Prayers for the pope's recovery have continued worldwide since he was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 with bronchitis. Concerns over his health escalated over the weekend when the Vatican reported that he had suffered "an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity" while suffering from pneumonia in both of his lungs. The episode required high-flow oxygen therapy, and the pope received a blood transfusion for platelet deficiency.

At Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where Francis is being treated, the chaplain led prayers and Eucharistic adoration at the St. John Paul II Chapel on Monday, followed by a Mass.

On Monday evening, Catholics will gather in St. Peter's Square to pray the rosary for the pope, led by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. It marks the first of a series of nightly rosary prayers for the pope at 9 p.m. this week led by members of the College of Cardinals living in Rome.

"Pope Francis thanks all the faithful who have gathered to pray for his health in recent days," the Vatican said in its statement.

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CNA Staff, Feb 24, 2025 / 15:05 pm (CNA).

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem spoke about the dire situation for Palestinian Christians at a showing of the film "Via Dolorosa" at the United Nations on Feb. 18.

The film depicts the Christian presence in Palestine and is narrated through the eyes of its Christians, capturing important moments that have shaped their history, resilience, and identity.

"We proudly commend this blessed work as well as the granted auspices of the World Council of Churches and the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine, as well as all the other international organizations that lent their name and support," the patriarch said, according to the World Council of Churches.

The patriarch also touched on the dire economic situation there, saying: "The economic situation continues to deteriorate because of the lack of pilgrims, the scarcity of jobs, and the unstable security situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem."

Filmmaker Amira Hanania spoke to those in attendance before the showing and said this is the first documentary to tell the history of Palestinian Christianity through the eyes of the Christians themselves.

"It tells their story as they have lived it — free from distortion, free from erasure. It is a living testament to the role of Palestinian Christians in the struggle for justice and a powerful rebuttal to those who seek to erase their identity from the national and international arena," she said.

Hanania added: "In the face of attempts to erase our history and displace our people, we stand here to declare that this land is not just a relic of the past but a living identity that will never be silenced nor erased."

Father Ibrahim Faltas, vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, said at the event: "This documentary is Via Dolorosa for every Christian person in Palestine. Living in Palestine is a part of sorrow. I have been living in Palestine for 36 years."

He shared that during his time living in Palestine he witnessed the first and second intifadas and the siege of the Church of the Nativity. Now, he is witnessing Christians leaving their homes in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth amid mounting challenges and difficulties. 

Theophilos said in an interview after the screening that Christians have "a moral obligation to raise our voice and to show to the people that we are very much concerned about the Holy Land, and the holy city of Jerusalem, and its Christian character."

"Jerusalem is the only place that keeps and guards the values of the Bible," he said.

The documentary can be viewed here.

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Rome Newsroom, Feb 24, 2025 / 15:35 pm (CNA).

Feb. 24 marks three years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a major escalation of a war that began in 2014, and it was marked with a day of prayer announced and organized by the Ukrainian embassy to the Holy See in Rome, according to Vatican News.

The Pan-Ukrainian Day of Prayer included a Mass for peace at St. John Lateran Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope's vicar for the Diocese of Rome, and included Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches and former nuncio to Ukraine.

During the Mass, the prayers of the faithful were read by the ambassadors of Chile, Poland, Lithuania, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Hungary, while the dean of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, Ambassador George Poulides of Cyprus, read the first reading from the Book of Sirach.

Thanks to mediation by the Holy See, two Redemptorist priests of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church — Father Bohdan Geleta and Father Ivan Levytsky, who were arrested on Nov. 16, 2022, by Russian forces — were released on June 28, 2024.

In a meeting organized with the participation of Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, Geleta said he was able to endure the pain thanks to his faith in God and the offering of his suffering to "save his enemies" — although he admitted that this resolution was "very difficult in an environment of brutal contempt for the human person, where one has the constant feeling of being in a place of death." 

Geleta said that God helped him to resist, adding that he was "very tormented by the fact that other prisoners who did not know God could not bear everything and there were cases of suicide and other painful things."

"All this will remain in my memory and I will never forget those groans, those agonies, every type of mistreatment," he said. "But I also dedicate it for the salvation of others, to testify that only God can sanctify us if we take a step from darkness to light."

The two priests were the only civilians among 1,800 prisoners in the war prison. Geleta said he was able to hear confessions and even able to hold short prayers in the mornings and evenings. 

Kulbokas said these are signs of humanity in a terrible situation and that "this dialogue here between us is a dialogue of prayer." 

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CNA Newsroom, Feb 24, 2025 / 07:32 am (CNA).

The Vatican announced Monday that cardinals will lead a nightly rosary in St. Peter's Square for Pope Francis' recovery, with the first prayer service scheduled for 9 p.m. Rome time on Monday evening.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will preside over the inaugural gathering, which will be broadcast live across EWTN's television networks and digital platforms.

"Starting this evening, the cardinals residing in Rome, along with all collaborators of the Roman Curia and the Diocese of Rome, responding to the sentiments of the people of God, will gather in St. Peter's Square at 9 p.m. to recite the holy rosary for the health of the Holy Father," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.

The prayer initiative comes as the 88-year-old pontiff continues his recovery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted on Feb. 14 for what the Vatican then described as a mild flu condition.

During his Sunday Angelus message, which was read on his behalf, the pope expressed gratitude for the "closeness and prayers" he has received during his hospitalization.

The Vatican reported Monday that Pope Francis had a "peaceful night" at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he continues to receive medical treatment.

While Vatican sources said the pope was "in good spirits" and following his prescribed therapies, his condition remains critical, with the Holy Father receiving supplemental oxygen through nasal tubes and being monitored for mild early-stage kidney insufficiency.

The pope has been hospitalized since Feb. 14 and experienced a concerning respiratory episode on Saturday that required a blood transfusion due to anemia. The Vatican said both conditions are currently under control, with an additional medical update expected Monday evening.

The rosary will be available on EWTN's television channels worldwide and through the network's digital platforms, including its mobile app and YouTube channel.

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Vatican City, Feb 24, 2025 / 07:34 am (CNA).

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis, the Vatican said. After a full week in medical care, the Vatican announced Feb. 22 the Holy Father had suffered a respiratory crisis and required a blood transfusion. 

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ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 24, 2025 / 10:40 am (CNA).

The Salesian Congregation is in the midst of its 29th General Chapter, during which it will elect the successor of Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime as rector major. The cardinal has had to resign in order to take up his new duties in the Vatican Curia at the request of Pope Francis.

The proceedings began Feb. 16 in Turin, Italy, and are scheduled to conclude on April 12. Participating in the chapter are 227 representatives of the more than 14,000 Salesians present in 136 countries.

The assembly is usually held every six years, but on this occasion the time frame was shortened by one year due to the appointment of Fernández Artime, their superior general, as cardinal in September 2023 and his episcopal ordination in April 2024.

On Aug. 16, 2024, the Spanish cardinal resigned from his position as superior of the Salesians, who were placed under the authority of his vicar, Don Stefano Martoglio.

The theme of the Salesians' general chapter is "Passionate About Jesus Christ, Dedicated to Young People" and aims to develop its work around three areas of reflection: caring for vocational life, the joint work of the Salesians with young people, and the reorganization of the government of the congregation.

The person chosen as rector major will become the 11th successor of St. John Bosco and will have a new general council.

The meeting is taking place in Valdocco, the Turin district where the mother house of the congregation is located and where Don Bosco first began his ministry to youth. Cardinal Roberto Repole, archbishop of Turin, offered the opening Mass held in Mary Help of Christians Basilica in the Piedmontese capital.

In his homily, the prelate invited participants to have "God's way of looking at the world, at society," pointing out that there are "great challenges, but they must be faced in an evangelical way, trusting in Christ, in his strength, in his presence."

In the opening ceremony, the vicar of the rector major emphasized that the mission of the chapter assembly is to "rethink the governance of the congregation at all levels" with an attitude of "allowing ourselves to be challenged, not being passive, and offering responses both personally and institutionally. This is the path of the whole Church, guided by Pope Francis."

Sister Simona Brambilla, prefect of the Vatican Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, also spoke. Referring to the Gospel passage on the road to Emmaus, she said: "The journey takes us far from Jerusalem, from the painful experience of the cross. But after the encounter with Jesus, [the disciples] start heading back, even in the night, but without fear, toward the community and life."

The superior general of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sister Chiara Cazzuola, said that "this is an event of grace and synodality. It can radiate its strength into the daily life of the new generations and assure them a better future."

Antonio Boccia, world coordinator of the Salesian cooperators, invited participants to "strengthen their interior life and discover reasons for improvement. Your duty is to keep alive the flame of Don Bosco's charism, which is rooted in the spiritual community formed by the entire Salesian family."

The process of discernment and election of the new rector major and the general council will take place March 23–29, and the chapter members will travel to Rome April 11–12 to conclude their work and make a pilgrimage to St. Peter's in this jubilee year.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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