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Ann Arbor, Michigan, Oct 3, 2025 / 14:23 pm (CNA).

Freedom of speech and religion in Spain is in play as Father Custodio Ballester faces a possible three-year prison sentence and fines after a trial this week found him guilty of making allegedly "Islamophobic" statements in print and in an interview. 

Questioned by CNA about his upcoming sentencing, Ballester said: "The survival of freedom of expression in today's Spain depends on the ruling in this case. Otherwise, we'll be headed toward a new Cuban dictatorship. One where you were arrested for what you said as well as for what you thought, if it differed from what [Cuban communist dictator] Fidel Castro decided."

Ballester and two others, fellow priest Father Jesús Calvo and journalist Armando Robles, were accused of making allegedly Islamophobic statements in complaints filed before Spain's socialist government by the Association of Spanish Muslims Against Islamophobia. On Oct. 1, those complaints were examined for several hours at the Provincial Court of Málaga.

Ballester told CNA that his "statements have never been discriminatory or hateful," in reference to an interview he gave in 2017 to online talk show "La Ratonera" and previous writings. 

Speaking to the media after exiting the court, the priest said he is calm, adding: "This is the final hearing, and now we are awaiting the result."

He told CNA: "In the Spanish army's special forces, we used to say: 'Prepare for the worst. The easy stuff has already been planned for.' That's why I'm calm. If everything goes well, I'll be even happier."

The case against Ballester and his co-defendants has sparked considerable debate in Spain and Europe over its perceived threat to free speech and claims that hate-crime laws are selectively applied. 

In 2016, Ballester responded to a pastoral letter from Cardinal Juan José Omella Omella of Barcelona. In his answer to Omella, Ballester wrote that dialogue with Islam is "impossible," despite the prelate's claim that such dialogue is "necessary."

The priest wrote: "This renewed revival of Christian-Muslim dialogue, paralyzed by the alleged 'imprudence' of the beloved Benedict XVI, is far from a reality. Islam does not allow for dialogue. You either believe or you are an infidel who must be subdued one way or another."

In 2017, Ballester appeared in an online interview with Robles and Calvo in which the three discussed the threat of radical Islam to Europe. Robles owns the YouTube channel where "La Ratonera" broadcast the interview in question.

A 'one-way crime': They only charge Christians, never Muslims

Ballester told CNA: "The prosecution demonstrates with its actions that so-called hate crimes exist to restrict freedom of thought and expression. The Hate Law is legally a 'blank law,' or a blank check. Not even the prosecutors themselves know how to define 'hate.' They fabricate the crime in each case based on who allegedly committed it, and it's a one-way crime. They only charge Christians, never Muslims."

Ballester has been criticized also for his advocacy of Catholic doctrine regarding, for example, homosexuality and procured abortion. Leftist LGBTQ activists have accused him of "homophobia." He has said that Spanish justice appears to prosecute supposed Islamophobia and homophobia with rigor but looks the other way when Christians are involved. He has also denounced the persecution of Christians in places like Nigeria, Syria, and Bangladesh. 

A public advocacy law firm, Abogados Cristianos, has gathered more than 28,000 signatures demanding Ballester's acquittal. Outside the courtroom in Málaga on Oct. 1, dozens of the priest's supporters could be seen holding placards demanding his acquittal. Supporters outside the courthouse collected signatures on petitions, which are circulating online. Groups such as HazteOir, the Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience, and the Spanish Institute for Social Policy have added their voices to the protests.

Ballester said the threat to free speech is very real. If the court does sentence him to prison, he said he will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

"The ruling from the Málaga Provincial Court could be delayed somewhat. People are very angry about the excessive sentences being sought for 'hate crimes,' which are comparable to those sought for sexual assault or leaving someone paralyzed in a fight. Political pressure may delay the ruling," he said.

The priest was philosophical with regard to a possible prison sentence, reflecting on his military training in special forces. While he never saw combat, he wrote that he experienced everything else, including "training, weapons, hand-to-hand combat, topographical surveys day and night, and obstacle courses," which forged in him "obedience and resignation in the face of adversity, much more than in the seminary."

The Spanish Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience quoted its president, María García, expressing her alarm that Ballester is facing prison "simply for warning, in the exercise of his freedom of expression and conscience, about the threat of radical jihadism. Defending religious freedom also means protecting the freedom of those, like Father Custodio, who warn of realities that have already caused deaths in our country and in Europe." 

García recalled that in January 2023, a Muslim jihadist murdered sacristan Diego Valencia and wounded a priest at a church in southern Spain, asking: "Is the crime committed by those who denounce violence or by those who carry it out?"

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ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 3, 2025 / 15:08 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Friday said that old age is both a gift and a challenge, and in response the Catholic Church is called to develop missionary pastoral care that involves the elderly as witnesses of hope.

On Oct. 3, the pontiff received at the Vatican Apostolic Palace participants in the Second International Congress on Pastoral Care of the Elderly, organized by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life.

In his address, Leo XIV emphasized that the theme of the meeting, "Your Elders Shall Dream Dreams," taken from the book of the prophet Joel, contains words dear to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who often spoke "of the need for an alliance between young and old."

The pontiff explained that in this biblical passage, "the prophet announces the universal outpouring of the Holy Spirit, who creates unity among generations and distributes different gifts to each person." He also lamented that today, "relationships between generations are often marked by divisions and conflicts that pit them against each other."

Specifically, he referred to two criticisms: that the elderly "do not leave room for young people in the workforce" or that they are "consuming too many economic and social resources to the detriment of other generations, as if longevity were a fault."

In this regard, Leo XIV expressed his conviction that "the elderly are a gift, a blessing to be welcomed," and that longevity "is one of the signs of hope in our time, everywhere in the world."

At the same time, the pontiff emphasized that this is "a challenge, because the growing number of elderly people is an unprecedented historical phenomenon that calls us to discern and understand the reality in new ways."

In this sense, in the face of the current mentality that "tends to value existence if it produces wealth or success, if it exercises power or authority, forgetting that the human being is always a limited creature with needs," Pope Leo XIV emphasized that the fragility that appears in the elderly is "hidden or removed by those who cultivate worldly illusions, so as not to have before their eyes the image of what we will inevitably become."

However, he added, "it is healthy to realize that aging is part of the marvel of creation," as he expressed during the Jubilee of Youth last August.

The pope invited people to stop being ashamed of human weakness so that "we will in fact be led to ask for help from our brothers and sisters and from God, who watches over all his creatures as a Father."

"The Church is called to offer times and tools for understanding old age, so that we can live it in a Christian way, without pretending to remain forever young and without letting ourselves be overcome by discouragement," continued the pope, who recommended the catechesis Pope Francis dedicated to this topic as "very valuable."

Active participants in evangelization

Pope Leo XIV valued the presence of older people who, once their working life is over, "have the opportunity to enjoy an increasingly long period of good health, economic well-being and more free time" and who are often "the ones who attend Mass assiduously and lead parish activities, such as catechesis and various forms of pastoral service."

"It is important to find an appropriate language and opportunities for them, involving them not as passive recipients of evangelization but as active subjects, and to respond together with them, and not in their place, to the questions that life and the Gospel pose to us," he added.

Coming from different life experiences and relationships with the faith, the pontiff noted: "For all of them, the pastoral care of the elderly must be evangelizing and missionary, because the Church is always called to proclaim Jesus Christ the Savior to every man and woman, at every age and stage of life."

This involves, first and foremost, bringing "them the good news of the Lord's tenderness, to overcome, together with them, the darkness of loneliness, the great enemy of the lives of the elderly" in a missionary task that "challenges all of us, our parishes, and, in a particular way, young people, who can become witnesses of closeness and mutual listening to those who are further along in their lives."

"In other cases, missionary evangelization will help older people to encounter the Lord and his word. With advancing age, in fact, many people begin to question the meaning of existence, creating an opportunity to seek an authentic relationship with God and to deepen their vocation to holiness," the pontiff noted.

Finally, Leo XIV recalled that "proclaiming the Gospel is the primary task of our pastoral ministry: By involving older people in this missionary dynamic, they too will be witnesses of hope, especially through their wisdom, devotion, and experience."

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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ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 3, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The archbishop of Arequipa, Javier Del Río Alba, recently ordained five new priests in southern Peru, encouraging them to be holy priests who give their lives for others and defend them from the devil.

In his homily for the Mass he celebrated in the Arequipa cathedral on Sept. 29, the feast of the Archangels, the prelate referred to the battle of the angels against the devil, the dragon in the Book of Revelation. 

The devil seeks the damnation of mankind, which the archbishop described as "a battle that is going on and will continue until the end of time" against "humanity and especially against the Church," because the demon cannot bear that men and women have the possibility of going to heaven.

The end of that fight, the archbishop continued, is the victory already won by "the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ," which the new priests, Junior René Alanoca, Martín Adán Bernales, Emmanuel García, Gino Elías Michelli, and Luis Anthony Tellez now participate in.

"This is a very beautiful thing: Today you will be constituted ministers who participate in the priestly ministry of Christ, constituted as servant priests," he said.

Certainly, the prelate added, "we trust that, little by little, you will discover the indescribable beauty of priestly service, of what it means to be pastors shepherded by the Supreme Pastor and at the same time pastors who give their lives" for others.

The archbishop also emphasized that it is God himself who entrusts priests with "the beauty of that love that resonates so deeply within us that it causes the desire to serve to spring forth from the depths of our being, the desire to occupy the last place, the desire to spend our lives gram by gram, all our energy, our years, our entire being and our work in the service of God, serving our brothers and sisters."

When priestly life, he noted, is not lived in holiness and lacks intimacy with the Lord in prayer, it becomes something merely functional, leading to boredom, something for which the priest is not made.

This boredom, the archbishop warned, can lead priests to fall into "the jaws of that dragon who is still in this world waging war against the children of the Woman [of Revelation]."

After encouraging the five new priests to be holy, the archbishop reminded them that "the holy Church of God needs shepherds like Jesus the Good Shepherd, who will defend them from the dragon and defend them from the empire of death."

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, Oct 3, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).

A federal court awarded nominal damages to a Christian photographer after the city government of Louisville, Kentucky, sought to enforce an anti-discrimination ordinance that could have forced her to provide photography services for same-sex civil weddings.

Judge Benjamin Beaton found that Louisville's Fairness Ordinance contained "two provisions" that limited the expression of Christian wedding photographer Chelsey Nelson, who sought $1 in damages. The court awarded Nelson the requested damages. 

According to the ruling, the ordinance prohibited "the denial of goods and services to members of protected classes," which includes people with same-sex attraction. 

The publication provision of the ordinance also prevented her "from writing and publishing any indication or explanation that she wouldn't photograph same-sex weddings, or that otherwise causes someone to feel unwelcome or undesirable based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity." 

Both provisions, Beaton ruled, "limit Nelson's freedom to express her beliefs about marriage."

The court stated Nelson "suffered a First Amendment injury" because she decided to limit the promotion of her business, ignore opportunities posted online, refrain from advertising to grow her business, and censored herself, which was done to avoid prosecution.

"The government can't force Americans to say things they don't believe, and state officials have paid and will continue to pay a price when they violate this foundational freedom," Nelson said in a statement through her attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom following the ruling.

"The freedom to speak without fear of censorship is a God-given constitutionally guaranteed right," she added.

In his ruling, Beaton noted the Supreme Court set nationwide precedent when it ruled on 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. In that decision, the court ruled a Colorado law violated a web designer's First Amendment rights because it would have forced him to design websites for same-sex civil weddings in spite of his religious beliefs.

Beaton wrote that in spite of the Supreme Court precedent, "Louisville apparently still 'actively enforces' the ordinance … [and] still won't concede that the First Amendment protects Nelson from compelled expression." 

His ruling noted that the mayor publicly stated that he would keep enforcing the ordinance, including against Nelson, after the 303 Creative decision.

Although the city's lawyers argued in court that the city did not intend to enforce the law against Nelson, Beaton wrote: "Nothing in Louisville's informal disavowal would prevent the city from making good on that promise [to enforce the rule against Nelson] tomorrow."

"Anyone who's tussled with the city's lawyers this long and who continues to do business in and around Louisville might reasonably look askance at the city's assurances that enforcement is unlikely," Beaton wrote in his ruling.

Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said in a statement that "free speech is for everyone" and the precedent set in 303 Creative ensures that Americans "have the freedom to express and create messages that align with their beliefs without fear of government punishment."

"For over five years, Louisville officials said they could force Chelsey to promote views about marriage that violated her religious beliefs," he said. 

"But the First Amendment leaves decisions about what to say with the people, not the government. The district court's decision rests on this bedrock First Amendment principle and builds on the victory in 303 Creative."

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Vatican City, Oct 3, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The Swiss Guards, who have protected popes for the last five centuries, now have a new uniform.

The mostly wool uniform is the recreation of a historic military dress for use at galas and other important dinners and will not replace the iconic red, orange, and blue "grand gala" uniforms for which the guards are famous.

The Swiss-made garments were paid for by a benefactor and cost 2,000 euros (around $2,300) apiece. According to Swiss Guard Commander Christoph Graf, they represent "a link between the present and the past."

The 135 guards in the world's smallest but oldest army will don the new uniforms for the first time at a dinner the night before the Oct. 4 ceremony to swear in this year's recruits.

The swearing-in ceremony, when the new guards promise to protect the pope, if necessary with their lives, was postponed from the traditional date of May 6 due to the timing of the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV, who is expected to attend.

The May 6 date marks the 1527 battle known as the Sack of Rome, when 147 guards lost their lives defending Pope Clement VII from the army of the mutinous Holy Roman Empire. It is the most significant and deadly event in the history of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which was established by Pope Julius II in 1506 and is responsible for Vatican security together with the Vatican gendarmes.

The new dress uniform presented Thursday is an update of one used from the late 1800s until 1976. In 2015, the Swiss Guards reintroduced a version of the same uniform, but the latest interpretation, according to Graf, "is more faithful to our tradition."

Pope Leo thanks new recruits

The pope met the recruits and their families at the Apostolic Palace on Oct. 3, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

"From the first steps of my pontificate, dear Swiss Guards, I have been able to count on your faithful service," he said. "The successor of Peter can fulfill his mission in service to the Church and the world in the certainty that you are watching over his safety."

He encouraged the new guards to draw inspiration from the stories of the first Christian martyrs in Rome to deepen their relationships with Jesus and to cultivate their interior lives "amid the frenzy of our society."

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, who will attend the ceremony, also had a private audience with Pope Leo on the morning of Oct. 3.

Swearing-in ceremony

The ceremony in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Vatican on Oct. 4 will be preceded by Mass. The day before there will also be a prayer service and an award banquet. The two days' events will be attended by representatives of the Swiss army, Swiss government, and Swiss bishops' conference. Former guards, and family and friends of the new recruits, will also participate.

Press officer and guard Eliah Cinotti said 4,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony, during which recruits take an oath "to faithfully, loyally, and honorably serve the reigning pontiff and his legitimate successors, to devote myself to them with all my strength, sacrificing, if necessary, even my life in their defense."

During the hourlong event, punctuated by music and drumming from the Pontifical Swiss Guard Band, each new guard places his left hand on the flag of the Swiss Guard while raising his right hand with three fingers open as a sign of his faith in the Holy Trinity.

He then proclaims in a loud voice: "I, Halberdier [name], swear to observe faithfully, loyally, and honorably all that at this moment was read to me. May God and our patron saints assist me!"

Cinotti told journalists this week that 27 new guards in 2025 is an "OK" number, but they are continuously working to recruit more — including by visiting Swiss military bases and attending job fairs.

When it comes to papal security, since the election of Pope Leo, the guards have noticed "an increase in objects being thrown" at the pope, he said, and "it bothers us a bit."

But, Cinotti added, though it "is very difficult to anticipate the throwing of an object," guards are trained to spot potentially dangerous items, most of which are confiscated at security before entering St. Peter's Square.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has also been an increase in what he called "incivility," including isolated security threats mostly from people under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"Our weapon is the word," he said, emphasizing that guards work to avoid ever needing to use deadly force, though he acknowledged, "without giving away all our secrets," that they are also armed.

'That's our job'

The biggest challenge for a recruit, Cinotti said, is to "set aside his life and dedicate himself to a cause greater than himself."

Dario, 25, is one of the new guards who will take the oath to protect the pope on Oct. 4. The Swiss Guards declined to give the full name of the recruit citing security reasons.

Now, six months into his service, he called it an "amazing experience."

Dario, who started just a few weeks before Pope Francis' death, said that with the conclave and a jubilee year, it has been a very intense time for the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

"What we have experienced this year, other guards haven't experienced in their whole service time," he said.

"What surprised me the most was the effect of the pope on the people, seeing people overwhelmed with feelings when they see him," Dario, whose father also served as a Swiss Guard, told CNA. "And you just stand there, protect the pope, but you see how much respect he gets from the people."

You can watch a livestream of the Swiss Guards swearing-in ceremony at the Vatican on Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. ET here.

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CNA Staff, Oct 3, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

Abortion declines even in states where it is still legal

The number of abortions in clinics in pro-abortion states saw a decline in the first half of 2025, according to a recent report.

The report by the pro-abortion group Guttmacher found a 5% decrease in abortions provided by clinics from for the same period in 2024.

The review found declines in clinician-provided abortions in 22 states, all states that did not have "abortion bans." The report also found an 8% decline in out-of-state travel for abortion to states with fewer protections for unborn children.

States with protections for unborn children at six weeks, such as Florida and Iowa, also saw a decline in abortions so far this year.

The report did not take mail-in or telehealth abortion pill numbers into account.

Michael New, a professor at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America and a scholar at Charlotte Lozier Institute, called the report "good news" but noted that the survey wasn't "comprehensive."

"It does not appear that Guttmacher collects data on telehealth abortions from states where strong pro-life laws are in effect but abortion is not banned," he told CNA. "Pro-lifers should take these figures with a grain of salt."

In terms of mail-in, telehealth abortions, New noted that pro-lifers should "continue to push for more timely action to protect mothers and preborn children."

"The Trump administration is within its power to halt telehealth abortions," he said, noting that "Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy  Jr. recently said the FDA would conduct a new review of abortion pills."

Florida's Heartbeat Act, which took effect in May 2024, played "a large role in this decline," New said.

"The Heartbeat Act is protecting preborn children in Florida and is preventing women from other states from obtaining abortions in the Sunshine State," he said. "Birth data from Florida shows that the Heartbeat Act is saving nearly 300 lives every month."

Government takes action against Virginia school system following alleged abortions for students

The U.S. Department of Education has called on a Virginia public school system to investigate reports that high school staff facilitated abortions for students without their parents' knowledge. 

The department took action against Fairfax County Public Schools under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendments, according to a Sept. 29 press release.

The investigation follows reports that a Centreville High School social worker scheduled and paid for an abortion for a minor and pressured a second student to have an abortion. The federal agency is requiring that Fairfax investigate whether this practice has continued. 

The Fairfax report "shocks the conscience," the department's acting general counsel, Candice Jackson, said in a statement.

"Children do not belong to the government — decisions touching deeply-held values should be made within loving families," Jackson said. "It is both morally unconscionable and patently illegal for school officials to keep parents in the dark about such intimate, life-altering procedures pertaining to their children." 

Jackson said the Trump administration will "take swift and decisive action" to "restore parental authority."

Virginia bishop speaks out against potential 'abortion rights' amendment

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, this week spoke out against a proposed amendment to create a right to abortion in the Virginia Constitution. 

"While the amendment is not yet on the ballot, the outcome of this fall's elections will determine whether it advances or is halted," he said in an October "Respect Life Month" message. 

"If adopted, this amendment would embed in our state constitution a purported right to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy with no age limits," he said.

He noted that Virginia has "some modest protections" for life, but "the proposed amendment would likely make it impossible … to pass similar protective laws in the future."

Protections for unborn children, for parental consent, and for conscience rights "would be severely jeopardized under this amendment," he added.

"Parents have the sacred right to be involved in the most serious decisions facing their daughters," Burbidge said. "No one should ever be forced to participate in or pay for an abortion." 

"Most importantly, the lives of vulnerable women and their unborn children are sacred and must be welcomed and protected," he said.

He called on Catholics to not "remain silent," urging the faithful to inform themselves and others about "the devastating impact this amendment would have."

"Our faith compels us to stand firmly for life, in prayer and witness, and also in advocacy and action," he said.

"We must speak with clarity and compassion in the public square, reminding our legislators and neighbors that true justice is measured by how we treat the most defenseless among us," he concluded.

Planned Parenthood closes its only 2 clinics in Louisiana

The only two Planned Parenthood locations in Louisiana closed this week following the Trump administration's decision to halt federal funding for abortion providers for a year.  

The president of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast cited "political attacks" as the reason for the closures of the two facilities located in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. 

The closures follow a court ruling last month enforcing the Trump administration's defunding of Planned Parenthood, which halted government funding for abortion providers.

Louisiana authorities issue arrest warrant for California abortionist 

Louisiana authorities issued an arrest warrant for a California doctor for allegedly providing abortion drugs to a woman without consulting her. 

The woman, Rosalie Markezich, said she felt coerced into the abortion by her boyfriend at the time, who arranged for an abortionist in California to prescribe drugs to induce a chemical abortion.

The same abortionist, Remy Coeytaux, has faced charges for telehealth abortions after the abortionist allegedly sent abortion pills to Texas, where they are illegal.

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CNA Staff, Oct 3, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The day after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, renowned Catholic sculptor Timothy Schmalz began working on a sculpture no one had commissioned: Jesus comforting the slain conservative Christian activist, the fatal wound on his neck covered by Christ's pierced hand. 

"Shocked and devastated" upon hearing of the Turning Point USA founder's assassination, in an exclusive interview Schmalz told CNA he entered his studio at 4 a.m. the following day and began building up the sculpture with his hands as "a form of prayer." 

"I had an audio recording of the Old Testament playing in the background and Charlie's voice debating at the same time as I sculpted," he said. 

When he first formed the face of Jesus, Schmalz said it was screaming with rage, reflecting the rage he himself felt at the time. 

"This was the murder of a human being. It was also a violent attack on the premise that we can have discussions as decent human beings," said Schmalz, who had listened to Kirk regularly and admired him for his courage and energy. "When he was murdered, it was like our freedoms were murdered as well."

"Another reaction I had was horror at seeing the murder on video over and over again," he said. "Can you give this person some dignity? Not only are people absolutely barbarically rude when it comes to social media, but now you have this other layer of removing things that are sacred: the idea that a human life should not be murdered."

Seeing it posted everywhere made it "seem more barbaric and animalistic," he said. 

"All of this really compelled me to do something positive within this horrible situation," Schmalz said. "I wondered, how would Charlie, who loved Jesus, want to be represented?"

"As I worked, Jesus' face became less angry and more compassionate," he said.

"Hopefully, that will be how our society becomes. Hopefully, like my sculpture of the face of Christ, it will change. I had him enraged and then it turned. I hope our world will also turn from that rage."

"My hope with the sculpture is that it gives some dignity to the human life of Charlie and to all of us. We are slowly moving away from this dignity in culture today," he lamented, saying he wanted to do what he could to make the world "more kind and peaceful."

'If we are in a culture war, we have to fight it with culture'

"We are in a culture of nihilism, and our secular society has to be challenged," he said. "If we are in a culture war, we have to fight it with culture." 

"I have spent my life doing sculptures like my sculpture 'Angels Unawares' that presents the truth that all human life is sacred," he said.

The day after Kirk's death, Schmalz and his 16-year-old daughter, who he had been unaware also followed Kirk, began talking about "important issues like abortion." She told Schmalz she had joined the high school debating club because of Kirk.

"It was the first time I had such a conversation about deep issues with my daughter," Schmalz told CNA.

A fortuitous meeting

Schmalz told CNA that after showing Ave Maria University President Mark Middendorf photographs of the sculpture, which was still in its early stages, at a fortuitous meeting in Orlando in mid-September, Middendorf told him "that belongs on our campus" and asked if the school could receive the first bronze casting.

Schmalz agreed, and the sculpture will soon be installed at the Catholic school in southwest Florida. 

Middendorf told CNA that the Ave Maria University community, which has had an active Turning Point USA chapter for years, responded immediately to news of Kirk's passing. An on-campus Mass was offered for the repose of Kirk's soul on the evening of his death.

"I admired Charlie's search for truth," Middendorf said. "Engaging in peaceful dialogue with others who believe things contrary to ourselves is profoundly needed in our current climate. My hope is that our students will continue to engage our culture with courage, sharing the truths of our faith."

On Sept. 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Middendorf said Deacon Mark Miravalle in his homily recalled one of Kirk's own remarks: "When asked, 'Why does God allow suffering or evil?' Kirk had once responded: 'Wrong question. The right question is: What did God do about it? The answer: the cross.'"

Middendorf said both he, Tom Monaghan, who founded the university with part of his Domino's Pizza fortune, and Patrick Rainey, the school's board chairman, had the same thought as they watched Erika Kirk's speech a few days after her husband's tragic death: Let's invite her to speak to the school's Turning Point USA chapter and honor her for her work.

Statue to stand as 'lasting tribute to Charlie Kirk's fearless witness'

Middendorf is hopeful she will accept the invitation and attend the unveiling of the sculpture, which he said he hopes will serve as a "profound and lasting tribute to Charlie Kirk's fearless witness, bold defense of life, and unwavering love for Jesus Christ."

The university president told CNA he also wants the sculpture "to serve as inspiration for students to live and share their faith with heroic courage and to use their God-given gifts to transform the culture and seek the salvation of souls, which is why Tom Monaghan built this university, and why I and all our faculty and staff are here."

The bronze sculpture will not be the first piece of Schmalz's work on campus. Monaghan commissioned him to make the university oratory's crucifix, which Middendorf said is the largest bronze cast corpus ever produced. In addition, along the school's rosary wall, Schmalz also made a sculpture depicting the Annunciation.

Art as a form of evangelization

The acclaimed artist attributes his success to seeing his work as a form of prayer and his studio as a chapel, in a sense. He also sees his work as a form of evangelization, which he said is "unique" in the current art world that does not value beauty or truth.

"If the truth of our faith were presented in an awesome way, you would have more people coming to Christ. People are spiritually starving out there. We need to reach out to them however we can," including through beautiful art, he said.

"My mission is to use artwork to bring peace to the world," Schmalz said. "We have to be better humans."

Pope Leo-inspired statue in the offing

Earlier this week, the artist met with Pope Leo XIV to present his idea for a new sculpture titled "Peace Be With You," inspired by the pope's first message to the world upon being elected pontiff in May.

Schmalz's works are on display all over the world. He created a sculpture of the Blessed Virgin Mary pregnant with Jesus that will be displayed on the grounds of the state capitol in Austin, Texas, after that state's Legislature approved in May the installation of what it calls the "Texas Life Monument."

Earlier versions of the 8-foot-tall statue were erected in Rome in 2022 at the Church of San Marcello al Corso and at the national seminary of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

The Canadian artist's "Homeless Jesus" statue, inaugurated in March 2016 during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in Vatican City, is now installed in more than 50 locations around the world, including Hong Kong, the end of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and in Capernaum in Israel.

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CNA Staff, Oct 2, 2025 / 16:13 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week approved a new abortion pill made by a company that explicitly says it seeks to "normalize" abortion.

A Sept. 30 letter obtained from the office of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said the FDA approved the abbreviated new drug application for "mifepristone tablets" from Evita Solutions, a Virginia-based pharmaceutical company.

The FDA said in the letter that it had "concluded that adequate information has been presented to demonstrate that the drug meets the requirements for approval" under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

On its website as of Oct. 2, Evita Solutions was advertising a "new generic mifepristone product" coming to the U.S. Mifepristone constitutes one of the major components of abortion pill prescriptions.

The company says it "assist[s] the medical community in recognizing the utility and freedom that medical abortion provides patients."

"[W]e seek to normalize abortion care, and we commit to making care accessible to all," it says. 

Evita Solutions did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 2. The drug's approval, meanwhile, was met with criticism and pushback from pro-life advocates. 

In an X post, Hawley called the approval "shocking." 

He wrote that the approval came "when the evidence shows chemical abortion drugs are dangerous and even deadly for the mother. And of course 100% lethal to the child." 

Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a media statement that the "reckless" approval by the FDA was "unconscionable." 

"These dangerous drugs take the lives of unborn children, place women and underage girls at serious risk, empower abusers, and trample the pro-life laws enacted by states across the nation," she said. 

Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, said in a statement that the Trump administration's approval of the drug "represents a true failure." 

"More babies will die; more women will be harmed; and more Americans [will be] exposed to abortion water pollution as a direct result of this unfathomable decision," she said. "This is a stain on the Trump presidency and another sign that the deep state at the FDA must go."

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Ann Arbor, Michigan, Oct 2, 2025 / 17:02 pm (CNA).

The faithful are gathering in Michigan, where the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux are on display at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, near Detroit. A Mass of installation was celebrated on Oct. 1 by Archbishop Edward Weisenburger and rector Father John Bettin as the beautiful, glass-encased reliquary was present near the altar. 

In an interview with CNA, Bettin said the saint's bones and reliquary first visited the United States and the basilica named for her over a quarter of a century ago, in 1999. The 2025 tour is the first stop of 40 in 11 states. According to the StThereseusa2025.com website, her relics will go to California; Washington, D.C.; Texas; Wisconsin; and various Carmelite convents through December.

Bettin pointed out that the "simplicity and depth" of the saint's spirituality has a growing appeal that transcends national boundaries. "She is a doctor of the Church and one of the most beloved saints of all time. The last time she was here, approximately 70,000 pilgrims visited the shrine in one day. We are planning for even bigger crowds," he said.

Over 400 volunteers are supporting the shrine's staff to accommodate the many pilgrims who will visit from Oct. 1–8. During a recent visit, volunteers could be seen signing up duty rosters while others were busy festooning the beautiful sanctuary with roses. 

Born in Alençon, France, on Jan. 2, 1873, Thérèse Martin was the daughter of Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin. When Zélie died, young Thérèse and her family moved to Lisieux in northern France. When her sisters entered the Carmel of Lisieux, she wished to follow them but was turned down because of her youth. But during an audience with Pope Leo XIII, she was granted permission. She entered the Carmel in 1888 and made her religious profession in 1890.

During her nine years in the Carmel, she was ultimately wracked with doubt. Even so, she wrote fervently about her love of God, much like the Carmelite saints Teresa de Avila and John of the Cross. Following her death from tuberculosis at the age of 24 in 1897, her Carmelite sisters gathered her writings, which have since formed the basis of "The Story of a Soul," a book that has been translated into numerous languages and millions of copies.

Bettin spoke warmly of the special devotion that Chaldean Catholics, for example, have for the saint, and said he expects many to visit the relics. Father Patrick Setto, a priest of Iraqi origin of the Chaldean Catholic Church in the Detroit area, told CNA that he and his community are grateful for being able to celebrate their liturgy at the basilica. He noted that he recently held a silent retreat for adults, centering on the life of St. Thérèse and her Little Way. 

In an interview, Setto said his relationship with St. Thérèse goes back to his childhood. When he was in the sixth grade in 1999, he and his mother waited for hours to venerate the relics. He recalled that when the reliquary came around in a procession, he wanted to reach out and touch it.

"But I was so short, I couldn't get to it. So, a man — out of nowhere — lifted me out of the pew and I got to touch it," Setto said. "Soon, 26 years later, I will celebrate a Mass in the shrine with her reliquary there."

"It's a very powerful, special blessing that God has bestowed on me," he added. He never saw the man again, he said.

The priest said that Dominican and Redemptorist missionaries to Iraq spread devotion to St. Thérèse in the early 20th century. The Catholics in Iraq feel a connection to her amid their suffering during war and Muslim domination, and during their flight as refugees. In a 2014 video message, Pope Francis referred to Iraqi refugees as "the reeds of God," in parallel to the saint's spirituality of perseverance and faith despite adversity.

Bettin also has a special relationship with St. Thérèse. As the youngest of 11 children in his family, he was often chided as "spoiled," much like the saint, who was also the youngest in her family. In her memoir, St. Thérèse recalled that when she was 14, she was tearful upon overhearing her father say that it would be the last Christmas she would receive gifts typical for children. 

"St. Thérèse's spirituality began as a little girl when she was not sure that there was a world outside of herself. But she had an epiphany, if you will, on Christmas in 1886 when she experienced a profound conversion," Bettin said. "She realized there was a world outside, and she gained a great devotion for God. It was not so much for herself, but for others."

Both priests called on Catholics to come to the shrine to venerate the relics. When Bettin was asked what Christians can expect from venerating the relics, he said: "It's interior for each pilgrim who comes, whether they are parishioners, from Detroit, or other countries."

Some may even see miracles, said Setto, who cited the Old Testament, where in 2 Kings 13:21, a dead man was brought back to life after his body touched the bones of the prophet Elisha. "Come and see her," he said. 

Dominican Sister Mercedes Torres, who serves as vocations director of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in nearby Ann Arbor, invited the world, especially young people, to visit with the saint while her relics are in the U.S.

In a video, Sister Mercedes said: "Faith is essential to who we are. But it's really that call of love that we have all been called to live. St. Thérèse is making herself known to young people in the country right now. Go and see her as she is making herself known, and you can make yourself known to her. Make your intentions known to St. Thérèse. It is such a gift, and I want everyone to participate in that gift."

Setto said that those who are discouraged in their search for closeness to God can go to the writings of the saint and experience renewal. When people experience shame and discouragement, he said St. Thérèse can help them "refocus on God's mercy rather than their weakness, just as St. Paul says that in my weakness, God is able to be strong in me. She was able to flesh that out in a very human and practical way that is easy to understand."

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CNA Staff, Oct 2, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

During the month of October, the Catholic Church celebrates guardian angels.

Guardian angels are instruments of providence who help protect their charges from suffering serious harm and assist them on the path of salvation.

It is a teaching of the Church that every one of the faithful has his or her own guardian angel, and it is the general teaching of theologians that everyone has a guardian angel from birth.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their [angels'] watchful care and intercession. 'Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.' Already here on earth, the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God" (No. 336).

Several of our greatest saints have also shared their thoughts on guardian angels. Here's what they had to say:

St. John Vianney

"Our guardian angels are our most faithful friends, because they are with us day and night, always and everywhere. We ought often to invoke them."

St. John Bosco

"When tempted, invoke your angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped. Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him; he trembles and flees at the sight of your guardian angel."

St. Jerome

"How great is the dignity of souls, that each person has from birth received an angel to protect it."

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

"My holy Guardian Angel, cover me with your wing. With your fire light the road that I'm taking. Come, direct my steps… help me, I call upon you. Just for today."

St. Basil the Great

"Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd, leading him to life."

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

"We should show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father."

St. Francis de Sales

"Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit. Without being seen, they are present with you."

St. Josemaría Escrivá

"If you remembered the presence of your angel and the angels of your neighbors, you would avoid many of the foolish things which slip into your conversations."

St. John Cassian

"Cherubim means knowledge in abundance. They provide an everlasting protection for that which appeases God, namely, the calm of your heart, and they will cast a shadow of protection against all the attacks of malign spirits."

This story was first published on Oct. 2, 2022, and has been updated.

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