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CNA Staff, Feb 1, 2025 / 10:55 am (CNA).

Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Peréz called for all to "unite in prayer" after a private medical jet carrying a pediatric patient, her mother, and four crew members crashed Friday night in northeast Philadelphia.

"My heart sank when I learned that an aircraft crashed at Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard in northeast Philadelphia tonight," Peréz said in a Jan. 31 statement. 

The plane, which was owned by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, crashed just after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. It was headed to Branson, Missouri, before its final destination of Tijuana, Mexico. The six passengers, who were all Mexican nationals, were killed, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. At least six people on the ground were treated at a local hospital and released.

A representative of Shriner's Children's Hospital in Philadelphia said the child had received care at the hospital and was returning home with her mother, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a post on X Saturday morning that "consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families" and "my sympathy goes out to their loved ones and friends."

"This shocking tragedy comes with great loss, pain, and anxiety for the families of the crew and passengers as well as neighborhood residents and business owners whose evening was shattered with sudden violence," Peréz continued in his statement. "We pray fervently that God will bring comfort and healing in this time of anguish."

Peréz prayed that the Blessed Mother would be with the first responders and emergency personnel and extended his gratitude for their service.

"Let us all unite in prayer and do what we can in the days ahead to share the compassionate love of Christ with those suffering as a result of tonight's crash," he said.

The tragedy comes just two days after an American Eagle flight collided with a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29, killing 67 people.

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CNA Staff, Feb 1, 2025 / 05:30 am (CNA).

A priest in South Korea is serving up bowls of rich Korean stew in Seoul via a restaurant ministry as a means to fight youth hunger in the nation's capital.

Father Gabriel Lee Mun-su launched Youth Mungan "out of a desire to help young people in need," Claretian Ministries says on its website.

The restaurant serves "a single, affordable meal to all young people," namely a bowl of jjigae, a traditional Korean stew. The meals are given to customers "regardless of their financial situation, with no standards attached."

Jjigae is ubiquitous throughout much of South Korea, with various forms of the recipe being found in historical records starting at least several hundred years ago.

The stew has been adapted to many different recipes, though a popular version in both Korea and increasingly in the West incorporates kimchi, the country's staple fermented cabbage dish.

Often seasoned with copious amounts of spicy peppers along with garlic and ginger, kimchi's popularity has spread from Korea in recent years and is regularly found in grocery stores and restaurants around the world.

'The value of money truly depends on how it's used'

Lee told the Korea Herald this month that he was inspired to launch Youth Mungan in part after hearing a report of a young man dying alone of starvation in a "gosiwon," or a cramped private dorm. 

The priest said a nun's remark about an affordable restaurant for young people stuck with him and that the Claretian congregation helped him to develop the idea as well.

The restaurant charges about 3,000 won for a bowl of kimchi — the equivalent of about $2 in the United States. The priest told the Herald that, when he first opened the shop, it was losing "about 1 million won a month." The priest attempted to cover the gap with lectures and donations, though the venture "did not look like a sustainable business model." 

An appearance on the South Korean variety show "You Quiz on the Block," however, led to major exposure for the restaurant and a "massive" response including donations of kimchi and other ingredients. 

The donations, Lee said, brought in "too much money to run just one restaurant," leading the priest to open multiple locations. Youth Mungan now includes five storefronts around the city. 

The priest told the Herald of one instance where a woman bought her bowl of jjigae and proceeded to pay for everyone else's bowl as well, a cost of about 100,000 won. 

"It made me realize that the value of money truly depends on how it's used," he said.

The restaurant offers another ministry in the form of hiring workers with "borderline intellectual functioning," according to the Herald. Lee told the paper that the restaurant's simple menu helps those workers acclimate to the job. 

On its website, Claretian Ministries says Youth Mungan offers a variety of other ministries for young people to participate in including "distributing briquettes in winter to the elderly."

In a 2021 talk, meanwhile, Lee said he regularly meets "a lot of beautiful young people" in the course of his ministries. 

They're beautiful, the priest said, in part because they "gladly share their talents for the happiness of others."

Such people, he said, made him realize he could be happy "by living a life of sharing my talents, time, or materials with someone that needs it."

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CNA Newsroom, Feb 1, 2025 / 06:06 am (CNA).

Pope Francis highlighted Mary Magdalene's transformative encounter with the risen Christ as a model for personal conversion during a Jubilee audience at the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Saturday.

"The Jubilee is for people and for the Earth a new beginning; everything must be rethought within the dream of God," the pope told pilgrims gathered for the morning audience Feb. 1.

The encounter was one of a series of Saturday jubilee audiences of 2025, following a first meeting with pilgrims and a heart-to-heart with journalists.

A biblical model of transformation

Drawing from the Gospel of John's account of Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, Francis emphasized how she "turned around" multiple times before recognizing the risen Jesus — a detail the pontiff said was carefully chosen by the evangelist.

"The Risen One is not on the side of death, but on the side of life," the Holy Father explained. "He can be mistaken for one of the people we encounter every day."

The pope connected Mary Magdalene's spiritual journey to the broader meaning of conversion, noting that entering "the new world" often requires changing perspective more than once.

Francis emphasized how Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus only when he spoke her name, suggesting that personal encounter is essential for authentic conversion.

"From Mary Magdalene, whom tradition calls 'the apostle of the apostles,' we learn hope," the pope said, adding that the journey of faith requires a "constant invitation to change perspective."

The pope concluded his catechesis with a challenging question for the faithful: "Do I know how to turn around to see things differently? Do I have the desire for conversion?"

Francis warned that an overconfident and proud ego prevents recognition of the Risen Jesus, noting that even today, "He appears in ordinary people who easily remain behind us."

Following the Paul VI Hall's main audience, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Basilica via video link. After warmly welcoming them, he thanked them for their presence and led them in praying the Our Father.

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Vatican City, Feb 1, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis discussed in a Jan. 30 audience with seminarians and formators from the ecclesiastical province of Valencia in Spain how his mother put up quite a bit of resistance to his entering the seminary.

The bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, José Ignacio Munilla, posted on Facebook that during the meeting, in addition to his formal remarks, there was an exchange in which the Holy Father shared the experience in detail.

"The seminarians of the ecclesiastical province of Valencia were able to spend two whole hours with the pope, during which all those who wanted to freely asked him questions, to which he responded in a very charming way," the bishop indicated.

Munilla explained that the Holy Father's comments about his mother's opposition to his beginning the path to the priesthood was in response to the question of a future priest who is currently experiencing a similar experience.

"One of the seminarians told the pope about his suffering because his mother has not accepted his decision to go to the seminary, because she had 'dreamed' of other paths for her son," the bishop recounted.

He then said that after listening carefully to the concern of this young seminarian, Pope Francis shared with those present that he "also experienced that same situation."

"His mother, although she was Catholic, opposed Jorge Mario Bergoglio's vocation and did not want to visit him in the seminary. But, finally, on the day of his priestly ordination, she knelt before her son and asked for his blessing," Munilla related.

He said the Holy Father's advice for this young seminarian to calm his anguish was "prayer, tenderness, and patience!"

"What a great witness of spiritual fatherhood for the seminarians!" Munilla wrote.

This is not the first time the Holy Father has spoken about this experience. The then-cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires also referenced it in a book interview written together with journalists Sergio Rubin and Francesca Ambrogetti titled "Pope Francis: Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio: His Life in His Own Words" in the 2014 English edition.

"First I told my father, and he thought it was great. What's more, he felt happy. Then he told my mom, who, like a good mother, had begun to have a feeling about it," the pontiff explained.

Using an affectionate Argentine expression, Bergoglio commented "'la vieja' [the dear old lady] got very angry."

"When I entered the seminary, my mother didn't come with me, she didn't want to go. For years she didn't accept my decision. We weren't fighting. It was just that I would come home [for a visit], but she wouldn't go to the seminary," Pope Francis told the seminarians. 

55 years of priesthood

Last Dec. 13 was the 55th anniversary of Pope Francis' priestly ordination. On that day in 1969, just before his 33rd birthday, Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained a priest by Archbishop Emeritus of Córdoba, Argentina, Ramón José Castellano.

According to the above-referenced book, initially titled in Spanish "The Jesuit: Conversations with Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio" and published in 2004 before he became pope, Francis found his vocation to the priesthood while he was on his way to celebrate Spring Day. When he stopped by a church to go to confession, he left the confessional inspired by that priest.

From 1970–1971, Bergoglio continued his formation as a Jesuit in Spain. On April 22, 1973, he made his final vows in the Society of Jesus. When he returned to Argentina, he served as a professor in the San José department of theology in the town of San Miguel (on the outskirts of the city of Buenos Aires) and rector of the college. At the age of 36, he was appointed Jesuit provincial of Argentina.

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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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 31, 2025 / 15:55 pm (CNA).

Pentagon officials have rescinded a Biden administration-era policy that granted paid leave and reimbursed travel expenses for military service members based in states where abortion is restricted. 

Officials at the Defense Travel Management Office announced the move to "Remove Travel for Non-Covered Reproductive Health Care Services" in a memo on Wednesday following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, "Enforcing the Hyde Amendment," last week. 

Passed in 1976, the Hyde Amendment bars federal funding for abortion. 

"It is the policy of the United States, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, to end the forced use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion," Trump's order affirms. 

The Biden administration established travel stipends and paid leave for service members in 2023. At the time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated in a memo that the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade had "impacted access to reproductive health care with readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the force."

In response, pro-life Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville launched what turned into a 10-month-long standoff in which he attempted to pressure the administration to rescind the policy.

"For the past two years, I have been sounding the alarm about the Pentagon's illegal and immoral practice of using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions," Tuberville said in a statement posted on social media in response to the change.

"I took a lot of heat when I stood alone for nearly a year in holding senior Pentagon promotions over this," he stated, "but as of today, it was all worth it."

Tuberville had blocked the promotions of several hundred senior military officials to force the Defense Department to end its policy of paying for service members' abortion travel. 

The Alabama senator's pro-life blockade lasted from February 2023 to December 2023, causing a backlog of over 400 appointments, and was ultimately unsuccessful. 

In light of the change, and of Trump's executive order, Tuberville expressed gratitude that "the Pentagon will once again be focused on lethality, not pushing a political agenda."

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CNA Staff, Jan 31, 2025 / 16:25 pm (CNA).

The U.S. bishops have asked Catholics to reach out to their members of Congress and request the resumption of foreign aid programs following the Trump-Vance administration's decision to temporarily pause funding for many programs pending review. 

The USCCB and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the USCCB's international charitable arm, released an action alert on Thursday urging Catholics to contact their elected officials. 

"Your help is urgently needed! Let your members of Congress know that you are deeply concerned about the administration's recent decision to stop work on almost all U.S. foreign assistance programs," the alert read.

"This freeze will be detrimental to millions of our sisters and brothers who need access to lifesaving humanitarian, health, and development assistance," it continued.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Jan. 26 a 90-day freeze of U.S. foreign assistance funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department following an executive order from President Donald Trump.

Rubio exempted emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt from the aid pause but has since expanded the exemptions to include programs that provide lifesaving medicine, medical services, food, shelters, and subsistence assistance.

The White House also ordered federal agencies on Monday to pause federal grants and loans amid a flurry of executive actions from President Donald Trump. A U.S. district judge temporarily blocked the order on Tuesday, and by Wednesday the administration walked back the directive following widespread confusion but did not revoke the federal funding freeze.

Both freezes are designed to help the new administration review its programs and ensure the programs are in compliance with the recent executive orders. However, charity nonprofits such as Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services have objected, citing concerns about necessary humanitarian aid being cut off.

"The administration has begun to issue immediate stop work orders on almost all foreign aid as they review State Department and USAID programs between now and April 20," the alert from the USCCB and CRS read.

"New administrations usually review ongoing programs against their policy goals. However, ceasing almost all lifesaving humanitarian and development assistance during that time will have real impacts for human life and dignity and on U.S. national interests."

"As people of faith, let us stand shoulder to shoulder with our sisters and brothers in need," the alert continued. "Tell Congress to engage with the administration to continue allowing foreign assistance programs to operate during the review process."

CRS noted that their aid gives infants access to clean water, enables farmers to feed their families, and ensures children receive critical medications.

"U.S. foreign aid is not a handout. It has real impact on human life and dignity and advances U.S national interests," the alert read. "It provides lifesaving assistance in emergencies and supports long-term development programs that help families and communities build resilience, reducing the need for humanitarian aid in the future."

In a Jan. 26 statement, the U.S. Department of State spokesperson noted that "President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people."

"Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative," the statement read. "The secretary is proud to protect America's investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas."

Earlier this week Catholic Charities USA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson released a statement urging the new administration to "rethink" the proposed halt in domestic federal financial assistance.

"The millions of Americans who rely on this life-giving support will suffer due to the unprecedented effort to freeze federal aid supporting these programs," Robinson said. "The people who will lose access to crucial care are our neighbors and family members. They live in every corner of the country and represent all races, religions, and political affiliations." 

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CNA Staff, Jan 31, 2025 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Since last week, Catholic bishops across the country have publicly responded to President Donald Trump's recent executive orders on immigration, with many calling for a more comprehensive and humane approach to immigration policy that respects the dignity of migrants and refugees. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, newly empowered to make arrests at places like churches and schools without needing to seek a superior's approval, have reportedly already begun ramping up arrests in some major cities after Trump promised "the largest deportation operation in American history" focusing primarily on "the most dangerous criminals." 

Trump's other first-day orders, following through on numerous campaign promises, included a declaration of a national emergency at the southern U.S.-Mexico border, a reinstatement of the controversial "Remain in Mexico" border policy from his previous term, and a designation of drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations."

Another Trump-signed order set in motion a process to end birthright citizenship for individuals born within U.S. territory irrespective of the legal status of their parents, though a judge has already blocked that order amid a significant legal challenge led by a coalition of states. 

The Catholic Church teaches that countries, especially wealthier ones, should try to welcome migrants "to the extent they are able" but that nations also have the right to regulate migration.

Trump's immigration plans, many now coming to fruition, have attracted criticism from Catholic leaders at the national level, with U.S. bishops' conference president Archbishop Timothy Broglio saying Jan. 22 that "some provisions" of the immigration orders are "deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us." 

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the U.S. bishops' committee on migration, on Jan. 23 decried "sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, such as describing all undocumented immigrants as 'criminals' or 'invaders' to deprive them of protection under the law." Doing so, he wrote, "is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image."

Bishop Michael Burbidge released a statement responding to the Trump administration's deportation efforts on Friday, Jan. 31, echoing Pope Francis and his brother bishops calling for preservation of human dignity while also affirming the right of every country to secure its borders.

"I encourage President Trump and congressional leaders to develop a national immigration policy that reflects the Catholic commitment to human dignity and the common good," Burbidge wrote in the statement. He also urged law enforcement to refrain from entering sacred spaces unless necessary for safety reasons.

While the Arlington, Virginia, prelate expressed gratitude for the immigrant community in his diocese, whom he said "contribute so much to our Church and our country," he also acknowledged that many migrants who entered the U.S. illegally have committed "serious crimes."

"As the Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes," the bishop wrote, "Catholic teaching does not support an open border policy but rather emphasizes a commonsense approach where the duty to care for the stranger is practiced in harmony with the duty to care for the nation."

"We are a Church that stands for justice, not against the enforcement of law but for its application with mercy and understanding for the good of all persons and our country," he concluded.

Addressing immigrants

Many individual bishops' statements have been addressed directly to immigrants, seeking to offer words of encouragement and support and assurances that the Church welcomes them. 

The Catholic bishops of Michigan in a recent statement expressed concern over "mass deportations and harmful rhetoric that broadly demeans our immigrant brothers and sisters." They pledged "unyielding support and respect for the human dignity of all migrant people" and urged elected officials to support policies that keep immigrant families safe and united. 

The Michigan bishops clarified, however, that Catholic teaching on immigration rejects the idea of completely "open borders" in favor of a balanced approach that prioritizes both border security and compassionate welcome. They called for a "humane immigration system that welcomes refugees and immigrants by providing a fair pathway to citizenship."

The bishops of Maryland released a joint statement Jan. 27 to express their solidarity with immigrants and recommitting to advocating for policies that protect rights and uphold their dignity. Quoting Pope Francis, they called for people to see in every migrant "not 'a problem to be solved but ... brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected, and loved.'"

"The Church has always been a home for those in search of refuge and peace, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to welcome the stranger and embrace the vulnerable," the Maryland bishops wrote. 

Texas is at the epicenter of the immigration debate due to its lengthy and highly contested border with Mexico. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, criticizing the use of sweeping generalizations to refer to immigrants, stated that the bishops of Texas "will continue to work with governmental officials and other people of goodwill to implement policies that recognize the dignity of every person, prioritize family unity, and address the root causes of forced migration while respecting the right and responsibility of our country to secure its borders." 

The Texas bishops said they "urge President Trump to pivot from these enforcement-only policies to just and merciful solutions."

The bishops of Colorado, another state with a large Latino population, said the rhetoric of mass deportations has "created genuine fear for many we shepherd." The bishops committed "to walking in solidarity with you, our migrant brothers, sisters, and families" and advocated for "comprehensive immigration reform... that respects human dignity, protects the vulnerable, and ensures safety and security for all people." 

The bishops of New Mexico had in December articulated a strongly worded statement against a policy of mass deportation of unauthorized immigrants, saying such a policy "will not fix the broken immigration system but, rather, create chaos, family separation, and the traumatization of children." They called for Trump to instead "return to bipartisan negotiations to repair the U.S. immigration system."

Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, building on the New Mexico bishops' earlier statement, said on Jan. 21 that "overly simplistic solutions" to the immigration issue don't tend to work and that comprehensive reform is needed. 

He further stated that as Catholics, "we firmly believe that all human beings are children of God, brothers and sisters created in God's image." 

"We must not treat [migrants] as mere pawns in a game of chess nor politicize them. Instead, we must place their needs and concerns at the forefront of our debates, considering both the citizens of our nation and those seeking refuge at our borders. Our Christian faith urges us to care for the resident and the stranger," Wester said. 

"The truth is that immigrants are a benefit to our country. They help the economy by increasing the labor force, creating jobs, and boosting productivity. It is a fact that immigrants are often among the most law-abiding, religious, hardworking, and community-minded individuals in our country. They have a lower incarceration rate than the native-born population, and research shows that as the immigration population grows, the crime rate declines."

Archbishop Jose Gómez of Los Angeles invoked the maternal protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe, expressing in a statement his solidarity with undocumented migrants facing potential deportation. Emphasizing the Gospel's message of human dignity, he criticized fear-based policies and said any enforcement actions should be "matched by immediate action in Congress to fix our immigration system, which has been broken for decades now."

"For Catholics, immigration is not a political issue. It is a matter of our deeply held religious beliefs. Jesus Christ commanded us to love God as our Father and to love our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable, and regardless of what country they came from or how they got here. Our love for Jesus compels us to continue our works of love and service in our parishes, schools, and other ministries," Gomez said. 

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, prior to Trump's inauguration, condemned reports of planned mass deportations, saying they are "not only profoundly disturbing but also wound us deeply." He stated that "if the reports are true, it should be known that we would oppose any plan that includes a mass deportation of U.S. citizens born of undocumented parents." 

He affirmed that while the government has a responsibility to secure borders, it is also "committed to defending the rights of all people and protecting their human dignity."

Bishop James V. Johnston of Kansas City-St. Joseph urged members of his diocese to "embody the Gospel values of love, mercy, and justice" in light of the recent executive orders. He also called on people to "understand the teachings of the Church on migration and the rights of individuals, articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2241, and as outlined by the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services."

Madalaine Elhabbal contributed to this story.

This story was updated Jan. 31, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. ET with Bishop Michael Burbidge's statement.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 31, 2025 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

Author Mark L. Clifford discussed the role faith has played in the life of imprisoned pro-democracy Catholic activist Jimmy Lai at a Catholic University of America event on Jan. 30 in Washington, D.C. 

"The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident, and China's Most Feared Critic" is an account of Lai's rags to riches story, his resistance to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and his arrest in 2020 following the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

In a presentation sponsored by the Institute for Human Ecology, Clifford, who is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, said that Lai's faith has helped him endure years of unjust punishment.

Born in mainland China, Lai escaped to Hong Kong at the age of 12, where he eventually became a successful factory owner and retailer. After the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre of 1989, he founded a media business advocating for democracy through his newspaper Apple Daily. 

He was arrested on Aug. 10, 2020, during a raid of his newspaper's offices.

"I think people need to understand the power of what one person can do and the power of having values and sticking to them. Jimmy is uniquely frightening to the CCP because he actually believes in something," Clifford said.

"That gives him a power and a confidence that is more than his business success. He has money, he has a media megaphone, and he has values. I think it's his values above all that are the tyrannical government''s fear, because you can't take away somebody's values," he continued.  

Clifford spoke about Lai's Catholic faith — Lai converted in 1998 — and answered questions about how prison has strengthened his trust in God, even while being denied the sacraments. 

"It's a big element of my book, and yet, interestingly, most people don't really understand how important it is to Jimmy," he said. "Jimmy has been in solitary most of these four-plus years. Next Friday, it will be 1,500 days. You think about what faith and what fortitude you need."

Asked by a student if the Vatican has been involved in the mission to free Lai, Clifford called the Church's response "disappointing."

"I just think there's an insufficient appreciation on the part of the Vatican for the danger that China poses to the world and to the Catholic Church," he added.

"I honestly think the best way we can help is to use the media, we can have demonstrations. The most effective way is through government action. We're delighted that we heard President Trump's commitment to freeing Jimmy Lai," he said.

Clifford discussed the urgency of the matter, as Lai's health is declining in prison. 

"Solitary confinement is considered a form of torture for more than 15 days. Four and a half years, mostly in solitary. He doesn't get any sunlight. There's no air conditioning. He's basically sleeping on straw. So very, very tough on his skin and on his body. I think everybody's really concerned," he said.

"He doesn't want to die in jail. He wants to be out tomorrow. He'd like to leave Hong Kong and spend the rest of his time with his family. But if he has to die in prison, he will die there. Of course, we really hope it doesn't come to that," Clifford concluded.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 31, 2025 / 12:50 pm (CNA).

Having spent the past week paying visits to Catholic schools across the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, for Catholic Schools Week, Bishop James Conley has issued a reflection on the value of faith-based education for students and their families.

"In the secular world of education, we often hear words like 'excellence' and 'success,'" Conley wrote. "These are great words, but what do they really mean? The ultimate measure of excellence and success in Catholic education is how well we educate the whole person, body, mind, and soul, by instilling virtue, knowledge, and wisdom." 

"In other words," he continued, "excellence and success in Catholic education is measured by how well we cultivate faith, goodness, and sanctity in our students."

Conley is a prominent advocate for Catholic education and has written extensively on the topic. In September 2024, the bishop published a pastoral letter, "The Joy and Wonder of Catholic Education: Developing Authentically Catholic Schools," describing Catholic education as "the formation of human hearts, minds, and wills for the glory of their Creator," which received widespread accolades. 

Referencing another of his recently published pastoral letters, Conley highlighted five elements needed for a school to be authentically Catholic: "1) inspired by a supernatural vision, 2) founded on a Christian anthropology, 3) animated by communion and community, 4) imbued with a Catholic worldview throughout its curriculum, and 5) sustained by Gospel witness."

The bishop shared that he had visited five of the diocese's six high schools, as well as several of its elementary schools, offering Mass, leading Eucharistic processions, and spending time with students, faculty, and staff. 

"It's an exhausting week of travel but I love every minute of it, because it provides me with an opportunity to see our schools in action, in all their beauty and splendor," he stated. 

Conley also pointed out the special meaning behind the timing of the annual calendar celebration, writing: "It's all about the saints!" 

Situated at the end of January, Catholic Schools Week kicked off on the feast of St. Angela Merici, foundress of the Ursuline order that started the first Catholic school for girls. Tuesday marked the feast of the Angelic Doctor and patron of learning, St. Thomas Aquinas, while Friday is the feast of St. John Bosco, "father and teacher of the youth."

Conley paid special tribute, however, to St. John Henry Newman, whom he quoted at the end of his letter as saying: "We attain to heaven by using this world well, though it is to pass away; we perfect our nature, not by undoing it, but by adding to it what is more than nature, and directing it towards aims higher than its own." 

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CNA Staff, Jan 31, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) committee that oversees migration and refugee services, spoke with EWTN's Raymond Arroyo on "The World Over" Thursday about the multiple changes to U.S. immigration and refugee policy being made by the Trump-Vance administration.

In the wake of the new administration's flurry of executive action on immigration, Catholic bishops across the country are publicly responding to the changes, with many calling for a more comprehensive and humane approach to immigration policy that respects the dignity of migrants and refugees. 

"They do have the prudential judgment to enforce, and it's their obligation to enforce the laws of the land," Wenski said of the new administration. "How they do it or the spirit in which they do it should be one that promotes the common good and does not create more harm than good in the process of implementing the laws," he told Arroyo.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "the more prosperous nations are obliged to the extent they are able to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and means of livelihood." But it also notes that "political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regards to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption" (No. 2241).

Wenski noted that all human beings "have a right to conditions worthy of human life."

"But if a person has not secured those conditions in the place where he is, in the country where he happens to be, where he was born, then he has the right to seek those conditions elsewhere," Wenski affirmed.

Wenski also recalled that the U.S. "has been a welcoming country, with the spirit of what is written in the catechism, over the centuries."

Deportation concerns

When asked about the bishops' concerns over deportations, Wenski specified there is "no argument" about the need to remove criminal aliens who are public safety threats, "but after we get rid of those bad guys or [have] taken care of them, then let's look at some way of honoring the people that have been here for years and have worked hard and not gotten into trouble, that have paid taxes, etc.," he emphasized.

"President Trump has promised to get control of the border, and I think he's going to be successful in doing that," Wenski said. "I think policy-wise, that's a good thing, to get control of the border."

"But he also has promised us the greatest economy ever — that we're going to have the most prosperous economy we ever had. That's a great promise," he continued. "But if he's going to be able to keep that promise, he's going to have to make an accommodation on migration because you're not going to have the best economy ever without immigrants, because immigrants are part of this economy."

The issue of government funding 

When asked about the federal government's funding of various Catholic charitable organizations, Wenski noted that it's ultimately up to the U.S. government to decide who to admit into the country, while Catholic groups will help whoever is there. 

"If the government has given this money to the various Catholic charities or organizations, they're giving this money to carry out services on behalf of the government for people that the government has allowed into the country," Wenski said. "These are people that have been paroled into the country with the understanding that they're going to apply for asylum, etc." 

"Now, that the prior administration's policy perhaps encouraged people that would come across the country that did not have a bona fide case to make, that is another argument," Wenski noted. "But if the government has these people and they say, 'I need help,' and they ask the Church, 'Can you help?' we help."

Wenski said the country's immigration system, including the asylum system in which cases currently take years to resolve, needs a major overhaul.

"A lot of these illegal aliens or illegal migrants or whatever you want to call them, it's not so much that they're breaking the law as the law is breaking them because there is no system or no procedure for them to regulate their status," Wenski said. "We have a broken asylum system where it takes an inordinate amount of time to process an asylum."  

Wenski further emphasized the need for "providing an orderly process" that would be beneficial to both migrants and American society. 

"It would open doors for people that have been here for a long time that are needed here because our economy needs them; but at the same time, it would require that they would show good moral character, so we would make sure we would not admit any bad actors in that case," Wenski said. "That would be a way of providing an orderly process that would benefit not only the migrant but [also] the rest of the American society."

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