Auxiliary Bishop Andreas Laun / Archdiocese of SalzburgCNA Newsroom, Jan 4, 2025 / 08:19 am (CNA).An Austrian bishop who played a pivotal role in shaping Catholic television in German-speaking countries died on New Year's Eve at the age of 81.Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Andreas Laun of Salzburg was "closely connected with EWTN's history from the beginning," EWTN Germany Program Director Martin Rothweiler told CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner."We bid farewell to a man of Faith whose commitment to the Church, life, and evangelizing leaves a lasting legacy."Foundational figure"Bishop Andreas Laun was closely connected with EWTN's history from the beginning," Rothweiler recalled. "As the first chairman of the program commission, he significantly shaped the development of the Catholic television broadcaster in Germany in its early days."The prelate created some of the first German-language productions at EWTN, including the foundational series "In the Light of Faith," w...
Auxiliary Bishop Andreas Laun / Archdiocese of Salzburg
CNA Newsroom, Jan 4, 2025 / 08:19 am (CNA).
An Austrian bishop who played a pivotal role in shaping Catholic television in German-speaking countries died on New Year's Eve at the age of 81.
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Andreas Laun of Salzburg was "closely connected with EWTN's history from the beginning," EWTN Germany Program Director Martin Rothweiler told CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner.
"We bid farewell to a man of Faith whose commitment to the Church, life, and evangelizing leaves a lasting legacy."
Foundational figure
"Bishop Andreas Laun was closely connected with EWTN's history from the beginning," Rothweiler recalled. "As the first chairman of the program commission, he significantly shaped the development of the Catholic television broadcaster in Germany in its early days."
The prelate created some of the first German-language productions at EWTN, including the foundational series "In the Light of Faith," which provided a comprehensive introduction to Catholic teaching.
Born on Oct. 13, 1942, Laun entered the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales after studying philosophy. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1967 and served in various pastoral roles. He earned his doctorate in moral theology in 1973 and completed his habilitation in 1981.
From 1995 until 2017, when he reached retirement age, Laun served as auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Salzburg.
Rothweiler noted Laun's "unwavering commitment to protecting unborn life" and described him as "a prophetic voice" in defending Christian ethics, marriage, and family during times of social change. "At the same time, he was always committed to interreligious dialogue and religious freedom."
This article was first publishedby CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.
During his audience with Italian Catholic educators, Pope Francis interacts with a young girl at the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican on Jan. 4, 2025. / Vatican MediaCNA Newsroom, Jan 4, 2025 / 08:58 am (CNA).Pope Francis warned that bullying in schools prepares students for war rather than peace in a powerful appeal to Catholic educators gathered at the Vatican on Saturday.Speaking to around 2,000 Italian teachers, educators, and parents, the pontiff repeatedly emphasized his message against bullying, having participants pledge "No bullying!" during the audience."If at school you wage war among yourselves, if you bully girls and boys who have problems, you are preparing for war, not peace," Francis told the Paul VI Audience Hall gathering.The meeting on Jan. 4 marked the 80th anniversary of the Italian Association of Catholic Teachers and the 50th anniversary of the Association of Catholic School Parents. Francis used the occasion to outline "God's pedagogy" of closeness, ...
During his audience with Italian Catholic educators, Pope Francis interacts with a young girl at the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican on Jan. 4, 2025. / Vatican Media
CNA Newsroom, Jan 4, 2025 / 08:58 am (CNA).
Pope Francis warned that bullying in schools prepares students for war rather than peace in a powerful appeal to Catholic educators gathered at the Vatican on Saturday.
Speaking to around 2,000 Italian teachers, educators, and parents, the pontiff repeatedly emphasized his message against bullying, having participants pledge "No bullying!" during the audience.
"If at school you wage war among yourselves, if you bully girls and boys who have problems, you are preparing for war, not peace," Francis told the Paul VI Audience Hall gathering.
The meeting on Jan. 4 marked the 80th anniversary of the Italian Association of Catholic Teachers and the 50th anniversary of the Association of Catholic School Parents. Francis used the occasion to outline "God's pedagogy" of closeness, compassion, and tenderness.
Warning against a "remote pedagogy, distant from people," the Holy Father stressed that effective education requires proximity and engagement. He illustrated this point with an anecdote about a family he had heard about, where parents and children sat together at a restaurant but remained fixated on their mobile phones instead of conversing.
"Please, in families, let's talk!" the pope implored, emphasizing that "family is dialogue, it is dialogue that makes us grow."
The papal address coincided with the beginning of the Jubilee journey, which Francis noted has "much to say" to the world of education. He called educators to be "pilgrims of hope" who devote themselves with trust and patience to human growth.
"Their hope is not naive," Francis explained, "it is rooted in reality and sustained by the conviction that every educational effort has value and that every person has dignity and a vocation worthy of being cultivated."
The pontiff concluded by encouraging the formation of a "pact between associations" to better witness to the Church's presence both in and for schools, reminding participants once more to stand firm against bullying.
The Holy Father's strong message against bullying came on the same day he addressed another group of Catholic educators, the Union of St. Catherine of Siena Missionary Teachers, where he emphasized the importance of joyful witness in Catholic education.
Speaking to the teaching sisters in the Vatican's Clementine Hall, Francis warned against what he called "vinegar faces," saying stern countenances drive people away from the faith. The dual addresses highlighted the pope's vision for Catholic education: combining warm, welcoming pedagogy with firm opposition to behaviors that undermine human dignity and peace.
A statue of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in the Seton Legacy Garden at the Seton Shrine in Maryland. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Seton ShrineCNA Staff, Jan 4, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose feast is celebrated on Jan. 4, led a bold and faith-filled life, which led to her becoming the first native-born American to be canonized in the Catholic Church on Sept. 14, 1975. Now, 50 years later, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, has begun its yearlong celebration honoring the anniversary of the saint's canonization. The special events and programming kick off on Jan. 4 with a Mass at the shrine celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, which will be aired nationally on EWTN at 6 p.m. ET.The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, begins two years of celebration on the saint's feast day, Jan. 4, 2024. Credit: Seton ShrineOn the same day, a new exhibit will open in the shrine's museum called "On...
A statue of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in the Seton Legacy Garden at the Seton Shrine in Maryland. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Seton Shrine
CNA Staff, Jan 4, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose feast is celebrated on Jan. 4, led a bold and faith-filled life, which led to her becoming the first native-born American to be canonized in the Catholic Church on Sept. 14, 1975.
Now, 50 years later, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, has begun its yearlong celebration honoring the anniversary of the saint's canonization. The special events and programming kick off on Jan. 4 with a Mass at the shrine celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, which will be aired nationally on EWTN at 6 p.m. ET.
The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, begins two years of celebration on the saint's feast day, Jan. 4, 2024. Credit: Seton Shrine
On the same day, a new exhibit will open in the shrine's museum called "One of Us," which tells the backstory of Seton's canonization — one of the most monumental days in the American Catholic Church during the 20th century.
The exhibit aims to take visitors back to 1975 to give them an understanding of the magnitude of Seton's impact and her relevance today. In addition, there will be special artifacts on display including the canonization decree from Pope Paul VI and personal scrapbooks from those who attended the proceedings in Rome or watched them in Emmitsburg.
Rob Judge, executive director of the Seton Shrine, told CNA in an interview that the shrine wants to use the celebration and the anniversary "as an opportunity to remind people of the significance of that event for the Church in our country."
"If you take yourself back to 1975, our country had been in existence for 200 years, almost, and we hadn't had an American saint," he said. "So, that was just a tremendous boost for the Church, for Americans to see one of their own be recognized for her life of holiness."
He added that the exhibit aims to "take them [visitors] back to the emotion behind that moment."
An original mural will also be unveiled by Frederick, Maryland, artist Ellen Byrne, which will depict Seton's journey to sainthood. A separate wall will contain information about other Americans in various stages of the canonization process.
The shrine will also be organizing a series of events throughout the year leading up to the 50th anniversary of Seton's canonization in order to bring people closer to better understand the saint's life and legacy.
These events include an outreach program to more than 200 parishes and schools in the U.S. under her patronage to reintroduce the faithful to Elizabeth Ann Seton through a variety of resources, a digital content campaign showing the personal impacts she and the shrine have had on the faithful, and the expansion of the shrine's "Seeds of Hope" program, which offers retreats to those living in poverty.
The shrine will also host a series of pilgrimage initiatives, including a partnership with the Camino of Maryland, a 14-day, 218-mile journey in June that will end at the shrine.
"As a shrine, we're a pilgrimage destination and, of course, that is very analogous to life — we're on a lifelong pilgrimage to be with God. So, we try to promote pilgrimage in everything we do as an opportunity to encounter Our Lord, to grow closer to him," Judge explained.
The series of events will end on Sept. 14 with a "Day of Joy," which will include the celebration of Mass followed by an afternoon of food, music, and prayer at the shrine.
Judge said he hopes that those who participate in the various events celebrating Seton this year will come to realize "that holiness is something that we can all achieve through grace in very little, simple ways."
He added that he hopes people will see St. Elizabeth Ann Seton "as an ordinary woman who believed that God could be sought and found in this life, that he would take care of her, that he loved her, that he had a plan for her, and [see] those little steps he used that, through his grace, transformed her."
"To me as just a layperson, that gives me a lot of hope," he said. "I don't have to do great things, I can do simple, little things and respond to God's grace knowing that he'll use that."
The heads of Churches and their representatives in Syria meet the de facto leader. / Credit: Add Alsama/FacebookACI MENA, Jan 4, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).As Syria navigates a transitional phase, questions abound regarding the Church's role in shaping the new Syrian nation. Has the picture become any clearer after the meeting between Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of the new Syrian transitional administration, and Church leaders at the People's Palace in Damascus?The recent gathering included significant participation from Franciscan friars, including Father Ibrahim Faltas, deputy custodian of the Holy Land, along with other Church representatives.In a press conference, Father Rami Elias, SJ, revealed that the purpose of the meeting between al-Sharaa and Christian clergy was introductory, allowing Church leaders to voice their concerns and questions.Church leaders in Syria and their representatives meet with the de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa. Credit: Add Alsama/FacebookThe clerics discus...
The heads of Churches and their representatives in Syria meet the de facto leader. / Credit: Add Alsama/Facebook
ACI MENA, Jan 4, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
As Syria navigates a transitional phase, questions abound regarding the Church's role in shaping the new Syrian nation. Has the picture become any clearer after the meeting between Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of the new Syrian transitional administration, and Church leaders at the People's Palace in Damascus?
The recent gathering included significant participation from Franciscan friars, including Father Ibrahim Faltas, deputy custodian of the Holy Land, along with other Church representatives.
In a press conference, Father Rami Elias, SJ, revealed that the purpose of the meeting between al-Sharaa and Christian clergy was introductory, allowing Church leaders to voice their concerns and questions.
Church leaders in Syria and their representatives meet with the de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa. Credit: Add Alsama/Facebook
The clerics discussed issues related to the Syrian Constitution, democracy, and equality. Al-Sharaa responded by citing his long years living alongside Christians in Damascus and Daraa. He affirmed that Christians are an integral component of Syrian society.
When asked about al-Sharaa, Elias remarked: "It is ambiguous — we cannot discern his true intentions."
He noted that al-Sharaa openly expressed his desire to implement a civil legislative system of governance.
"There are no guarantees, and we remain in limbo," Elias added. "In my opinion, if the United States and European nations maintain their current stance on Syria, we could see the establishment of a civil state, possibly with an Islamic but moderate tone. However, we will be powerless if these nations shift their position."
Heads of Churches in Syria and their representatives met with the de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa. Credit: Add Alsama/Facebook
Elias did not hide his unease about the uncertain reality, as the future path for Syrians remains unknown. Nonetheless, he urged Christians not to fear, stating: "Our situation will not be worse than it was before."
Elias emphasized the importance of the Church taking advantage of the present moment to draft its proposal for the upcoming constitution. He foresees that the 1950 constitution might gather widespread approval, albeit with certain amendments.
The meeting did not include the three patriarchs of the Antiochian See residing in Damascus but rather their representatives.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Religious sisters mingle at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City on Jan. 3, 2025. / Credit: Kate Quinones/CNASalt Lake City, Utah, Jan 3, 2025 / 19:35 pm (CNA).Next year's SEEK Conference is scheduled to be held in Denver; Columbus, Ohio; and Fort Worth, Texas, the annual Catholic event announced this week.Denver is the headquarters of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), which runs the yearly event, while the Fort Worth location may draw students from Texas A&M, the University of Dallas, and beyond.The Columbus location, meanwhile, is near Franciscan University of Steubenville. Columbus Bishop Earl Fernandes on Friday shared his excitement at the announcement of the new location. "We are pleased and excited to be able to host SEEK26! It will be a boost for our diocese and our city," Fernandes said in a press release shared with CNA. "People will see that the Church is young and alive! It will be a tremendous opportunity for our young people to encounter Ch...
Religious sisters mingle at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City on Jan. 3, 2025. / Credit: Kate Quinones/CNA
Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan 3, 2025 / 19:35 pm (CNA).
Next year's SEEK Conference is scheduled to be held in Denver; Columbus, Ohio; and Fort Worth, Texas, the annual Catholic event announced this week.
Denver is the headquarters of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), which runs the yearly event, while the Fort Worth location may draw students from Texas A&M, the University of Dallas, and beyond.
The Columbus location, meanwhile, is near Franciscan University of Steubenville. Columbus Bishop Earl Fernandes on Friday shared his excitement at the announcement of the new location.
"We are pleased and excited to be able to host SEEK26! It will be a boost for our diocese and our city," Fernandes said in a press release shared with CNA.
"People will see that the Church is young and alive! It will be a tremendous opportunity for our young people to encounter Christ and other young people from around the country," Fernandes continued.
"It is another sign of the commitment of the Diocese of Columbus to college students, young adults, and their families. Together we will proclaim the joy of the Gospel!"
2025 conference breaks records
SEEK25, which has been held in both Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., this year, brought a record-breaking 21,115 attendees hailing from all over the United States and Canada. Hundreds of priests attended, with a total of 617 at both locations.
This year's SEEK featured a "holy competition" between Texas A&M and the University of Nebraska regarding which university could send more students, with the University of Nebraska winning the competition with about 390 attendees.
On Thursday Catholic priest and podcaster Father Mike Schmitz gave a keynote address in which the popular priest spoke on original sin, vice and virtue, and God's love.
"Every sin is an attempt to be happy apart from God," he said, referencing Adam and Eve's first sin in the Garden of Eden.
Schmitz also discussed virtue and vice, noting that we can't escape the consequences of our choices.
"We get what we've chosen," he noted. "We become what we repeatedly choose."
Schmitz in his talk noted that "God is infinite attention" and that he "doesn't take us in line."
"Everything you do matters to him," he said. "It's the cost of being loved — that everything you do matters."
Friday morning began with a reverent Mass. Held in the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City, the space was given a reverent atmosphere through Catholic music as well as screens with images of the local Catholic Cathedral of the Madeleine.
Priests bow during the consecration at the opening Mass at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Kate Quiñones/CNA
Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, said he was "struck by the reverence" of the Masses at SEEK.
"It seems that every year, the celebration of the liturgy becomes more beautiful and more transcendent," Conley told CNA.
Attendees gather at SEEK25 on Jan. 3, 2025. Credit: Kate Quiñones/CNA
"It's hard to have 20,000 college students in a big, huge hotel space to create a sacred environment," he said. "With the backdrops of the beautiful cathedral here in Salt Lake City, the music, particularly, and all the priests and the religious sisters and the bishops — it just tells me that young people are really looking for the transcendent."
On Friday night, attendees will gather in Eucharistic adoration — the culmination of the week — at three different locations.
"Our Lord is ever-present at SEEK this year and it's incredible that we have three simultaneously," Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS, said in a press release.
"The personal transformations happening are palpable," Martin said. "SEEK was founded upon a desire to bring people of faith from all walks of life together, to reinvigorate their love for Christ and their zeal to spread the Gospel."
"Especially during a time where so much of the world needs the merciful love that our Church has to offer, we have hope in the future of Catholicism and the role that SEEK will continue to play in the vibrant life of our Church," he continued.
Event features breakout sessions, Mass, fellowship
The atmosphere at SEEK is reverent and prayerful, but it is also lively and energetic. One young attendee wore a cheese hat on Friday. When asked why, he explained simply: "Because we're from Wisconsin."
A Wisconsin native proudly represents his culture at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City, Jan. 3, 2025. Credit: Kate Quiñones/CNA
Friday's breakout sessions featured a range of speakers and topics, including a talk by Crookston, Minnesota, Bishop Andrew Cozzens on "Why Discipleship Fails Without the Fire of the Holy Spirit," while writer Noelle Mering spoke on combatting "woke" ideology.
In addition to daily talks, Mass, and prayer, people gathered and chatted in the Mission Way — a large section of booths manned by representatives of Catholic apostolates, colleges, and religious orders.
Members of the Fraternity Poor of Jesus Christ, a group based in Brazil, pose at their booth at Mission Way at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City, Jan. 3, 2025. Credit: Kate Quiñones/CNA
Some booths get creative with their outreach. One group advertising a new St. Maximilian Kolbe film, "Trump of the Heart," hosted a daily planking competition, the "Kolbe Challenge."
Young men vie to win the Kolbe challenge at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City, Jan. 3, 2025. Credit: Kate Quiñones/CNA
The Fraternity Poor of Jesus Christ, a group based in Brazil, displayed dolls dressed in handmade religious habits. Members of the order made several of the unique dolls to give to families with young children back in Brazil.
Monsignor James Shea, president of the University of Mary in North Dakota, and Sister Miriam James Heidland of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) were set to give the keynote session Friday night, which will be livestreamed by EWTN.
Sister Veronica Higgins of the Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Infant Jesus died in a car accident Jan. 2, 2025, after running off a rural highway northwest of the city, according to local news reports. / Credit: Archdiocese of Oklahoma CityCNA Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 16:35 pm (CNA).A religious sister who ministered in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City died in a car accident Thursday afternoon after running off a rural highway northwest of the city, according to local news reports.Sister Veronica Higgins of the Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Infant Jesus was killed after her vehicle left the road, struck a tree, and came to rest in a creek, authorities said.The accident happened on Oklahoma Highway 3, about four miles south of Okarche, the hometown of Blessed Stanley Rother.Higgins, 74, was "apparently ill," and troopers wrote in the report that the cause of the collision was a medical incident, KOCO reported.Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City paid tribute to...
Sister Veronica Higgins of the Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Infant Jesus died in a car accident Jan. 2, 2025, after running off a rural highway northwest of the city, according to local news reports. / Credit: Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
CNA Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 16:35 pm (CNA).
A religious sister who ministered in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City died in a car accident Thursday afternoon after running off a rural highway northwest of the city, according to local news reports.
Sister Veronica Higgins of the Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Infant Jesus was killed after her vehicle left the road, struck a tree, and came to rest in a creek, authorities said.
The accident happened on Oklahoma Highway 3, about four miles south of Okarche, the hometown of Blessed Stanley Rother.
Higgins, 74, was "apparently ill," and troopers wrote in the report that the cause of the collision was a medical incident, KOCO reported.
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City paid tribute to Higgins shortly after the accident, writing on social media: "I have just learned of the sudden and unexpected death of Sister Veronica Higgins, CST, earlier today, Jan. 2. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Veronica, the Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse, and all who grieve her passing."
"Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord," the bishop continued, adding that "funeral arrangements are pending and will be provided in the near future."
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Higgins was the case manager at the Center of Family Love, a ministry to the intellectually disabled, in Okarche, according to the Okarche Warrior. She was also a past administrator and principal at the former Villa Teresa School in Oklahoma City.
According to The Oklahoman, she was a convert to the Catholic faith and celebrated the 40th anniversary of her vows as a religious sister in 2016.
On the website for her order, Higgins wrote that her favorite Bible verse is Micah 6:8, which reads: "The Lord asks of us only this: to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God."
An archdiocesan spokesman told CNA that the sisters are "still struggling with the loss" and that more information will be available next week.
The Carmelite Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Infant Jesus say on their website that the members of the order work to serve "the special needs of those who experience poverty, spiritual deprivation, moral disorders, and indifference."
The Catholic Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Minsk, Belarus. / Credit: nastya_krii/ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 17:05 pm (CNA).Father Henrykh Akalatovich was sentenced on Dec. 30 in Belarus to 11 years in prison for "high treason," a charge that President Alexander Lukashenko's regime applies to political prisoners, a representative of a human rights organization reported.The Viasna Human Rights Center stated on X that the 64-year-old Catholic priest has denied "all charges."Viasna noted that the priest had already suffered a heart attack and had undergone surgery for cancer before his arrest in November 2023. "He needs special care and treatment, but instead he has been thrown into harsh conditions on political charges," the organization noted.In a statement to the Associated Press, Viasna representative Pavel Sapelka said Akalatovich is the first Catholic priest since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 to be sentenced in Belarus ...
The Catholic Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Minsk, Belarus. / Credit: nastya_krii/Shutterstock
ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 17:05 pm (CNA).
Father Henrykh Akalatovich was sentenced on Dec. 30 in Belarus to 11 years in prison for "high treason," a charge that President Alexander Lukashenko's regime applies to political prisoners, a representative of a human rights organization reported.
The Viasna Human Rights Center stated on X that the 64-year-old Catholic priest has denied "all charges."
Viasna noted that the priest had already suffered a heart attack and had undergone surgery for cancer before his arrest in November 2023. "He needs special care and treatment, but instead he has been thrown into harsh conditions on political charges," the organization noted.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Viasna representative Pavel Sapelka said Akalatovich is the first Catholic priest since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 to be sentenced in Belarus "on criminal charges that are leveled against political prisoners."
"The harsh sentence is intended to intimidate and silence hundreds of other priests ahead of January's presidential election," Sapelka said.
In December 2024, The Tablet cited a statement from the Belarusian Catholic bishops calling on priests to limit their media appearances.
"Clerics and religious must remember they are called to preach Christ's teaching, not their own opinions and views, especially those that could cause confusion, scandal, or division … This includes abstaining from political statements and expressions," the Tablet reported, quoting a statement from the bishops' conference.
The AP reported that Akalatovich's conviction "comes as Belarusian authorities have intensified their sweeping crackdown on dissent ahead of the Jan. 26 presidential election that is all but certain to give President Alexander Lukashenko a seventh term."
Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union in December 1991 and held its first free elections in 1994, which Lukashenko won.
However, the ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained in power by imposing an authoritarian regime. According to Viasna, there are more than 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus.
Religious freedom in Belarus
According to the 2023 Report on Religious Freedom by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Lukashenko declares himself to be an "Orthodox atheist" and carries out authoritarian repression with "devastating consequences for civil society and human rights, including religious freedom."
The ACN report notes that Catholics make up 10%-12% of the population and that groups "not within the Orthodox structures of the Belarusian Orthodox Church and Moscow Patriarchate" suffer restrictions such as, for example, "arbitrary work permission denials to clerics other than those Moscow Orthodox Patriarchate-related."
The report recalls the pressure exerted against the then-archbishop of Minsk and Mogilev, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, for calling for an end to violence against protesters who claimed there was fraud in the 2020 elections that kept Lukashenko in power.
In addition, the report says, the regime monitors believers through the secret police and controls them through its Plenipotentiary for Religious and Ethnic Affairs. "Surveillance is extended to publications by censorship and internet publications by the penalization of users for content posted," ACN notes.
"Most human rights, including religious freedom, are endangered due to the authoritarian nature of the government in Belarus," the ACN report summarizes.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
null / Credit: Sasapin Kanka|ShutterstockCNA Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 14:50 pm (CNA).Ascension's latest podcast, "The Rosary in a Year," topped the Apple Podcast charts after its release on Jan. 1. The latest "In a Year" podcast landed ahead of other popular podcasts including "The Joe Rogan Experience," "Dateline," and "The Daily." This is Ascension's third podcast to reach the No. 1 spot on the Apple charts. The Catholic publisher and digital content producer first topped the charts in 2021 with its breakout podcast "The Bible in a Year" with Father Mike Schmitz. This was followed by "The Catechism in a Year," also hosted by Schmitz, in 2023. Hosted by Father Mark-Mary Ames of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, "The Rosary in a Year" podcast consists of daily 15-minute episodes that guide listeners through a deeper encounter with all the elements of the rosary. In an interview with CNA, Ames said he hopes these phases will help to build "the muscle of prayer.""I...
null / Credit: Sasapin Kanka|Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 14:50 pm (CNA).
Ascension's latest podcast, "The Rosary in a Year," topped the Apple Podcast charts after its release on Jan. 1. The latest "In a Year" podcast landed ahead of other popular podcasts including "The Joe Rogan Experience," "Dateline," and "The Daily."
This is Ascension's third podcast to reach the No. 1 spot on the Apple charts. The Catholic publisher and digital content producer first topped the charts in 2021 with its breakout podcast "The Bible in a Year" with Father Mike Schmitz. This was followed by "The Catechism in a Year," also hosted by Schmitz, in 2023.
Hosted by Father Mark-Mary Ames of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, "The Rosary in a Year" podcast consists of daily 15-minute episodes that guide listeners through a deeper encounter with all the elements of the rosary.
In an interview with CNA, Ames said he hopes these phases will help to build "the muscle of prayer."
"I think there's a reason the rosary is so popular across demographics, across centuries, [and it's] because it is really in many ways a great unmatched means of prayer," he said.
The podcast aims to serve as a form of accompaniment and guidance by taking listeners through six phases of deepening their understanding of the rosary. These include looking at what it means to pray in general and focusing on the actual prayers of the rosary and what they mean. The longest phase will be diving deeper into the mysteries of the rosary, practicing "lectio divina" and "visio divina," reflections from the saints, and finally praying the rosary.
Ames said he hopes those who listen to the podcast will "grow in their life of prayer and that particularly they fall in love, maybe for the first time, maybe again, with prayer and with the Lord and with Our Lady and with the rosary because they experience the rosary as this privileged doorway in which they get to encounter the Lord."
Part of the roof of San Luis Obispo Church in the town of Calkiní located north of the Campeche, the capital of the Mexican state of the same name, collapsed on Dec. 29, 2024. No injuries were reported. / Credit: Civil Protection Secretariat of CampecheACI Prensa Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 10:55 am (CNA).Part of the roof of San Luis Obispo (St. Louis Bishop) Church in the town of Calkiní located north of the Campeche, the capital of the Mexican state of the same name, collapsed a few hours before Mass was to be offered for the feast of the Holy Family. No injuries were reported.Father Luis Ángel Mendoza Pérez, spokesman for the Diocese of Campeche, told ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that around 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 29, the vault of the church collapsed "from the entrance of the main door extending approximately 14 meters [45 feet] in length."The cave-in occurred almost two hours before the Eucharistic celebration, which was scheduled for 5 p.m.San...
Part of the roof of San Luis Obispo Church in the town of Calkiní located north of the Campeche, the capital of the Mexican state of the same name, collapsed on Dec. 29, 2024. No injuries were reported. / Credit: Civil Protection Secretariat of Campeche
ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 10:55 am (CNA).
Part of the roof of San Luis Obispo (St. Louis Bishop) Church in the town of Calkiní located north of the Campeche, the capital of the Mexican state of the same name, collapsed a few hours before Mass was to be offered for the feast of the Holy Family. No injuries were reported.
Father Luis Ángel Mendoza Pérez, spokesman for the Diocese of Campeche, told ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that around 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 29, the vault of the church collapsed "from the entrance of the main door extending approximately 14 meters [45 feet] in length."
The cave-in occurred almost two hours before the Eucharistic celebration, which was scheduled for 5 p.m.
San Luis Obispo Church in Calkiní, Campeche state, in Mexico. Credit: San Luis Obispo Church
Mendoza noted that the area where the roof fell, as well as a quarter of the church, "had been cordoned off to the faithful with barricade tape for more than a month" as a measure to protect the faithful from the deterioration of the structure.
The priest also pointed out that the church's pastor, Father Fernando Manzo, had requested the "intervention of the competent authorities," including the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH by its Spanish acronym).
Like all Catholic churches built in Mexico before 1992 — the year in which relations between the state and the Catholic Church were reestablished in the Mexican Constitution — the church is federal property, so repairing it is the responsibility of the civil authorities. Only churches built after 1992 can legally belong to the Catholic Church.
According to posts on the parish's social media, on Aug. 1, 2023, a part of the church's ceiling came loose. Faced with this situation, the intervention of INAH Campeche was urgently requested to begin the repairs. However, according to one post, "we have had no response; we can't wait for it to deteriorate further."
What caused the collapse?
The construction of the San Luis Obispo church, located in the central square of Calkiní, began in 1548 and was officially opened on Aug. 29, 1561, with the celebration of the first Mass. Completed in 1776, this baroque church is especially known for its wooden altarpiece that is more than four centuries old, its carved pulpit, and its baptistery, constituting an important cultural heritage of the region.
According to the spokesman for the Diocese of Campeche, the INAH detected "a structural fault dating back to when the church was finished in 1776, since the central part of the vault was thicker than the sides, resulting in a crack."
The spokesman explained that this detail explains the constant leaking of water into the church, despite the efforts of the parish priests, who, although "they attended to the situation, a definitive solution to the problem was not found."
Only two days before the collapse, a budget had been approved for the repair of the roof, financed by the national insurance of the Federal Ministry of Culture. "Unfortunately, the inclement weather accelerated the deterioration of the roof until it collapsed," the spokesman lamented.
On Dec. 30, Anuar Dager Granja, head of the Civil Protection Secretariat of Campeche, appeared at the site of the collapse and, according to his report, permission was granted to use the side chapels of the church and the cloister, which don't pose a risk for religious services.
Catholics 'feel homeless without the church'
Mendoza said the Catholics of Calkiní are deeply dismayed by what happened, "since it's a community with great religious fervor, and the church was in great demand for worship services."
He emphasized that this church, located in an Indigenous Mayan community, has a "very significant value for them, because it represents their identity as a Christian community. Without the church, they feel homeless, since they consider the parish as a place of faith and encounter with God."
This is not the first church in Mexico whose roof collapsed. In July 2024, St. Gregory the Great Church's roof came crashing down in the town of Cerralvo in Nuevo Leon state, injuring no one. On June 30, 2024, the roof of St. Joseph the Worker Church in the town of Tala in Jalisco state fell in just as a priest was about to enter it. The church was cordoned off as it had been previously damaged by an earthquake. On Oct. 1, 2023, the roof of Holy Cross Church in Ciudad Madero in Tamaulipas state caved in, killing 11 and injuring 60. In December 2023, the roof of St. Joseph Church in San Luis Potosí came tumbling down. The church had been closed for three weeks due to structural faults.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus. / Credit: Unidentified painter, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsACI Prensa Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).Spain's bishops are speaking out after the host of a new year's countdown on Spanish public television showed during the broadcast a picture with the face of the mascot of a well-known program in place of the face of Jesus on a traditional image of the Sacred Heart.Laura Yustres Vélez, known as "Lalachús," is a Spanish actress and comedian who appears on the program "La Revuelta" ("The Revolt"), a nighttime comedy show on Spanish public television characterized by its irreverent humor and asking the show's guests about their sex life and financial worth.Yustres starred on the New Year's Eve episode along with David Broncano, host of "La Revuelta," in a segment from the Puerta del Sol, a large plaza in Madrid, as its famous clock chimed the last few moments of 2024.At one point during the broadcast, Lalachús showed an image in which the fa...
The Sacred Heart of Jesus. / Credit: Unidentified painter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 3, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Spain's bishops are speaking out after the host of a new year's countdown on Spanish public television showed during the broadcast a picture with the face of the mascot of a well-known program in place of the face of Jesus on a traditional image of the Sacred Heart.
Laura Yustres Vélez, known as "Lalachús," is a Spanish actress and comedian who appears on the program "La Revuelta" ("The Revolt"), a nighttime comedy show on Spanish public television characterized by its irreverent humor and asking the show's guests about their sex life and financial worth.
Yustres starred on the New Year's Eve episode along with David Broncano, host of "La Revuelta," in a segment from the Puerta del Sol, a large plaza in Madrid, as its famous clock chimed the last few moments of 2024.
At one point during the broadcast, Lalachús showed an image in which the face of a bull that is a character on "El Gran Prix," a well-known family entertainment show in Spain, was superimposed over where the face of Jesus would be in an image of the Sacred Heart.
The image includes a halo behind the character's head, a Sacred Heart on the chest on which the left hand rests, and the right hand is raised with three fingers extended and two folded, symbolizing the Trinity.
"I always carry my little image of the Vaquilla ['the cute bull'] of the 'Gran Prix' with me," said Yustres, showing it to the viewers as one of her amulets for the new year.
Spanish bishops react
The president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Luis Argüello, said he was saddened by the controversial image. "With the excuse of freedom of expression and the excesses of the festivities, TVE [Spanish public television] makes fun of the symbol of the heart so dear to all Catholics," he said.
"The saddest thing is that those responsible are not aware of what they're doing. Once again banality surrounds us," he added.
The archbishop of Seville, José Ángel Saiz Meneses, also criticized the mockery and asked: "How long will they take advantage of our patience?"
Televisión Española despidió el año con una burla de los presentadores al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús. Viene a mi memoria la célebre frase de Cicerón: "Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?", que, aplicada a la actualidad, nos lleva a preguntarnos hasta cuándo se… pic.twitter.com/oSChhCdf3R
The archbishop of Oviedo, Jesús Sanz Montes, emphasized that "if she tried to do [the same thing] with [an image of] Mohammed, it wouldn't be funny at all."
The bishop of Vitoria, Juan Carlos Elizalde, pointed out that "Catholics are not second-class citizens, and even less so in a country where the vast majority of citizens are baptized or are children of Catholics."
Fernando Prado, the bishop of Bilbao, invited people to protest the incident by choosing other television options next year.
Conocidas hoy las audiencias, decir que más de 43.000.000 de habitantes no siguieron las campanadas por la cadena pública TVE. El año que viene seremos muchos más. Invito a "protestar" eligiendo entre otras opciones. pic.twitter.com/4euNhHOTbe
The Spanish Christian Lawyers Foundation filed a complaint against the president of Spanish Radio Television, José Pablo López, and Yustres for an alleged hate crime under Article 510 of the Spanish Penal Code and another complaint in violation of religious sentiments under the code's Article 525.
In addition, the complaint points out that López posted on his social media the image of Yustres holding the altered holy card, together with other images from the program, stating he is "happy to work with people who take risks."
For the lawyers, "this message on social media shows that the mockery of Christians had, at the very least, his approval or was even orchestrated by him."
The organization also charged "that attacks on Christians are being used to create controversy and thus increase viewership, something that already happened with the opening gala of the Olympic Games" and that "the use of the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the [bull] on the 'Gran Prix' denotes clear contempt and mockery toward the rites and symbols of Catholicism and constitutes an affront, an insult, and an outrage toward religious sentiments and Catholic beliefs."
Eliminating crimes against religious sentiments
Last July, the Spanish government announced it would address the issue of eliminating the crime against religious sentiments from the penal code, which has been criticized by different entities and personalities, including the president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference.
The announcement became official last September when the measure was included in the so-called Action Plan for Democracy.
Argüello noted on X that "feelings have been elevated to a category in the law, for example, to be able to change one's sex; more and more expressions are considered hate crimes. In this environment of paying tribute to emotions in the law, religious sentiments cease to be a protected good in the law."
The government's intention has also been opposed by Christian denominations other than the Catholic Church as well as by the Jewish and Muslim communities.
In a recent joint statement they stressed that "as citizens and believers, we also claim the right of our faithful to be able to live their faith in a climate of respect for religious sentiments, protected by other rights also protected by the constitution, such as the right to religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and the right to one's dignity and moral standing."
This measure would remove Spain from the majority of the countries in the European Union that protect religious freedom, since 21 of the 27 member states provide penalties for actions against religious sentiments.
The minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with Parliament, Félix Bolaños, reacted to the complaint by Christian Lawyers with a message on X stating that their complaint represents an "attempt by the right-wing opposition to intimidate" in which he reiterated the government's intention to repeal the crime of offending religious sentiments.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Auxiliary Bishop Andreas Laun / Archdiocese of Salzburg
