Catholic News

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CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2024 / 12:45 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop to lead the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, more than a year after the Holy See removed its Bishop Joseph Strickland amid questions over management of the diocese. 

Dallas Auxiliary Bishop J. Gregory Kelly will lead the Tyler Diocese, apostolic nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre said on Friday. 

He will take over diocesan leadership from Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez, who has served as apostolic administrator in Tyler since last year. 

Pope Francis relieved Strickland from the Tyler bishopric last November after an apostolic visitation concluded it was "not feasible" for Strickland to remain in that position. Strickland had days earlier refused to submit his resignation voluntarily.

Strickland, 65, had served as bishop of Tyler since 2012. The widely popular though polarizing Texas bishop had faced criticism for his firebrand social media posts, including a tweet last year that suggested Pope Francis was "undermining the deposit of faith." 

'I am grateful for this new responsibility'

The Texas Catholic, the newspaper for the Diocese of Dallas, said on Friday that Kelly will be installed in Tyler on Feb. 24, 2025. 

"I am grateful for this new responsibility and will do my best to serve the priests, deacons, religious, and faithful of the Diocese of Tyler," the paper quoted Kelly as saying. 

The bishop-elect was born on Feb. 15, 1956, in Le Mars, Iowa. He received a degree in philosophy from the University of Dallas while in priestly formation at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas. He later received a master of divinity from the university. 

He was ordained in the Dallas Diocese on May 15, 1982, by Bishop Thomas Tschoepe. He served in numerous roles throughout the diocese, including as pastor at multiple churches and as the chaplain at the University of Dallas. From 2008 to 2016 he served as the vicar of clergy for the Dallas Diocese.

In 2016 he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of the diocese, where he has served since. He also serves as the vicar general and moderator of the curia. 

His other responsibilities have included serving as the diocesan vocations director and as a member of the diocesan review board. He also served as apostolic administrator there from 2016–2017. 

Dallas Bishop Edward Burns said on Friday that the pope "has chosen a loyal and committed bishop to serve in the Diocese of Tyler," though he said that "our beloved brother will be missed here in the Diocese of Dallas."

"We acknowledge that Pope Francis has chosen a man who possesses the heart of the Good Shepherd and will serve the people of God in the Diocese of Tyler well," Burns said. 

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Rome Newsroom, Dec 20, 2024 / 13:35 pm (CNA).

Rome during the Christmas season is a feast for the senses. Twinkling lights drape over the city's cobblestone streets, towering Christmas trees adorn piazzas, and Nativity scenes beckon from churches and storefronts alike.

Against this dazzling backdrop, the first pilgrims for the Catholic Church's 2025 Jubilee, which begins on Christmas Eve, have the unique opportunity to enjoy the Eternal City's many Christmas traditions. 

Pope Francis will open five jubilee Holy Doors in the Christmas season between Dec. 24 and Jan. 6.

And 38-year-old Immaculate Atieno, a jubilee pilgrim from Nairobi, Kenya, is hoping to witness all of the solemn door openings with the pope.

"It's worth it," Atieno told CNA. "This is a once-in-every-25-years thing to do. So why not give it your all?"

Atieno brought with her a long list of prayer intentions from family and friends in Africa in addition to her desire to pray for the needs of the world as she receives her jubilee indulgence.

"We are at a time where the world really needs lots of prayers," she explained. "That is why we put forth our prayers, also praying for the intentions of the Holy Father in this time and remembering others."

Jubilee pilgrims spending the Christmas season in Rome will also get to enjoy the Italian capital's many culinary delights, including the ubiquitous Christmas bread, panettone.

Panettone, the egg-rich, butter-laden Italian bread speckled with candied fruit, is everywhere — stacked in brightly wrapped boxes in grocery stores, showcased in bakery windows, and served in slices at cafes. Some bakeries have taken things up a notch, crafting edible Nativity scenes out of panettone and chocolate.

And while many Italian families will sit down to elaborate seafood feasts on Christmas Eve, pilgrims and locals alike enjoy wandering through the city's streets, soaking in the holiday atmosphere.

A group of Catholic sisters from Indonesia took in the lights of Via del Corso and snapped photos at the Spanish Steps, where a modern Christmas tree sparkled against the historic landmark.

"Every store, every church has also prepared really wonderful decorations to welcome in Christmas," Sister Angela of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary told CNA.

"I'm really excited to be welcoming the jubilee here. I'm also feeling so lucky because this year will be the opening of the holy doors."

Her companion, Sister Tarcisia, shared that she is praying for all of the jubilee pilgrims who will be coming to Rome during the Christmas season as well as for people in the world to experience peace and justice.

This year, large Christmas trees are displayed in Rome's Piazza di Popolo, the Spanish Steps, and St. Peter's Square.

Pilgrims strolling through Piazza Navona can browse Rome's small-scale Christmas market, where vendors sell Nativity figurines, ornaments, and Befana dolls — Italy's traditional Christmas witch. 

Over in St. Peter's Square, visitors marvel at the Vatican's grand Nativity scene, which this year features a replica of the lagoon of Grado, a picturesque Italian town on the Adriatic Sea.

Under Bernini's colonnade, the Vatican's "100 Nativity Scenes" exhibit draws visitors with its international collection, including Nativities made from coral, pine cones, papier-mâché, and even pasta.

Nearby the Basilica of Sant'Andrea della Valle also showcases an array of Nativity scenes and the Basilica of Saints Cosma and Damiano features a monumental display of historic Neapolitan figurines.

At the Basilica of St. Mary Major, pilgrims can venerate a relic of Christ's manger and pray at the site where St. Cajetan had a vision of the Virgin Mary handing him the infant Jesus. 

For those willing to venture beyond Rome, Assisi is illuminated during the Christmas season with light displays of Giotto's famous frescoes, while the nearby town of Greccio is the site of the first Nativity scene created by St. Francis.

For Atieno, the spiritual aspect of the season is central to her pilgrimage. She said her favorite Christmas tradition is the great homilies that she looks forward to every Advent and Christmas. 

"It's a time when we have to remember peace, joy, and prepare ourselves to welcome Our Lord," she said.

Pope Francis, who celebrated his 88th birthday on Dec. 17, has a packed liturgical schedule for the first few weeks of the jubilee. 

On Christmas Eve, he will preside over the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica at 7 p.m. followed by the Christmas "Mass during the Night."

Pilgrims unable to secure tickets for the Christmas Eve Mass told CNA that they plan to gather in St. Peter's Square, hoping to witness the historic opening of the Holy Door from outside.

The following day, Francis will deliver his "urbi et orbi" blessing to the city and the world from the basilica's central balcony.

The pope's jubilee itinerary also includes opening the Holy Door at Rome's Rebibbia prison on  the Dec. 26 feast of St. Stephen; at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran on the Dec. 29 feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph; at St. Mary Major on the Jan. 1 solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; and at St. Paul Outside the Walls on Jan. 5.

Pope Francis asked pilgrims to spiritually prepare for Christmas in his last general audience before the start of the jubilee.

"Christmas is now here and I'd like to think that there is a Nativity scene in your homes," the pope said. "This important element of our spirituality and culture is a wonderful, wonderful way to remember Jesus who came to dwell among us."

Praying alongside pilgrims crowded inside the Vatican hall, Pope Francis asked the "Prince of Peace" for his grace and peace to fill the world.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 20, 2024 / 14:05 pm (CNA).

The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has blessed the Nativity scene at the historic French landmark church ahead of the first Christmas celebrations since its restoration after a devastating 2019 fire.

"You know, for the past 10 days, we've been feeling very joyful," said Notre Dame rector Monsignor Olivier Ribadeau Dumas during the ceremony. "My greatest joy is to see people happy because they have a cathedral again, not only because they see these stones again but also because it's a place for prayer that they got back."

During the ceremonial blessing of the 17th-century-style creche, Dumas shook an olive branch soaked in holy water over the Nativity scene, while those of the faithful in attendance prayed and sang hymns. 

"I am the rector of a cathedral that had burnt down," Dumas said, adding: "and I am now the happy rector of a cathedral that has reopened to welcome all of those who will enter it: pilgrims, visitors, and believers." 

Notre Dame Cathedral underwent five years of renovation after a fire in April 2019 broke out across its roof and spire, causing significant damage to the beloved cathedral and monument of French culture. 

The archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, celebrated the first Mass at the cathedral on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The altar of the restored cathedral was consecrated during the liturgy, and celebrants wore vibrant chasubles designed by Jean-Charles Castelbajac, a 74-year-old designer who has dressed the likes of Madonna, Beyonce, Rihanna, and St. John Paul II. 

At the Mass, which was attended by the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, some 170 bishops from the country and around the world concelebrated with Ulrich as well as one priest from each of the 106 parishes of the Archdiocese of Paris and one priest from each of the seven Eastern-rite Catholic churches.

Macron, initially scheduled to speak on the cathedral's forecourt to respect the law of separation between the church and the state, wound up speaking inside the building due to inclement weather, as previously announced in a press release from the Archdiocese of Paris.

Expressing "the gratitude of the French nation" to the cathedral's rebuilders during his address, Macron asserted that Notre Dame "tells us how much meaning and transcendence help us to live in this world."

Pope Francis also sent his regards in a message read by the apostolic nuncio to France, Archbishop Celestino Migliore.

"May the rebirth of this admirable church be a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France," the pontiff said. "I invite all the baptized who will joyfully enter this cathedral to feel a legitimate pride and reclaim their faith heritage."

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Vatican City, Dec 20, 2024 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis has appointed five new auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Chicago and assigned each bishop-elect a titular see in the Middle East and North Africa region, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced Dec. 20.

Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich expressed his gratitude to the Holy Father on Friday for the appointments of bishops-elect Father Timothy J. O'Malley, Father Lawrence J. Sullivan, Father José Maria Garcia Maldonado, Father Robert Fedek, and Father John S. Siemianowski.

"These fine archdiocesan priests reflect the people of this particular Church and the many talents of our local presbyterate," Cupich shared in a Dec. 20 news release.

"Each has a solid and notable record of pastoral service rooted in their shared fidelity to the Gospel and their generosity in using their unique gifts for the good of the Church and society," he added.

While each of the five bishops-elect will "remain in their present assignments for the time being," according to the Archdiocese of Chicago release, the Vatican's announcement states Pope Francis has also assigned each a titular see outside of the U.S.

To titular sees in Algeria, the Holy Father appointed O'Malley, parish priest of Most Blessed Trinity in Waukegan, Illinois, to the see of Numida; Sullivan, parish priest of Christ the King in Chicago, to the see of Lambhua; Maldonado, parish priest of San José Sanchez del Rio in Chicago, to the see of Fallaba; and Siemianowski, parish priest of St. Juliana in Chicago, to the see of Gratianopolis.

The Holy Father assigned Fedek, personal secretary to Cupich in the Chicago Archdiocese, the titular see of Dardano in Turkey. The last titular bishop of Dardano was Bishop Nicolas Coëffeteau, OP, who held the seat over 400 years ago from 1617–1621.

All five bishops-elect attended Mundelein Seminary in Illinois before being assigned to parishes in the Chicago Archdiocese. 

The episcopal ordination of the five bishops-elect will take place at Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral in early 2025.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 20, 2024 / 15:05 pm (CNA).

President-elect Donald Trump selected CatholicVote president and co-founder Brian Burch to serve as the United States ambassador to the Holy See, he announced on Truth Social Friday afternoon.

"Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and president of CatholicVote," Trump wrote in the Dec. 20 post. "He has received numerous awards and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the country."

CatholicVote is a political advocacy group that endorsed Trump in January and ran advertisements in support the president-elect during his campaign. According to CatholicVote, the organization spent over $10 million on the 2024 elections.

Some of CatholicVote's ads, running in key swing states, accused Vice President Kamala Harris of supporting taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for minors.

"[Burch] represented me well during the last election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any presidential candidate in history!" Trump wrote. "Brian loves his Church and the United States — he will make us all proud. Congratulations to Brian, his wife, Sara, and their incredible family!"

According to a Washington Post exit poll, Trump won the Catholic vote by a 15-point margin this year — a 10-point swing in his favor from the previous election. Exit polls also showed Trump winning the majority of Catholic voters in vital swing states.

Burch wrote in a post on X that he is "deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated" for the position.

"The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance," he wrote. "I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good."

Burch wrote that he looks forward to "the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church." He thanked his colleagues and his family, including his father, "who passed to eternal life this past June, who taught me to love the Church and the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of the U.S."

"To God be the glory," Burch wrote.

Burch, who lives in the Chicago suburbs, is a graduate of the University of Dallas, a private Catholic school. In 2020, he wrote a book called "A New Catholic Moment: Donald Trump and the Politics of the Common Good." 

According to his biography on CatholicVote, Burch has received the Cardinal O'Connor Defender of the Faith Award from Legatus International and the St. Thomas More Award for Catholic Citizenship by Catholic Citizens of Illinois.

As ambassador, Burch will represent the United States in diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The United States first established formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1984, under the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

During Trump's first term, he selected Callista Gingrich — the president of Gingrich Productions, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and a Catholic — to serve as ambassador. She stepped down in 2021. President Joe Biden selected former Sen. Joe Donnelly, who is Catholic, as ambassador to the Holy See during his term. He stepped down earlier this year.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 20, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A Nigerian Christian mother of five has been fully acquitted of "blasphemy" charges after a two-and-a-half-year legal battle. 

A judge in the northeast Bauchi state in Nigeria has granted Rhoda Jatau, 47, full acquittal of blasphemy charges, according to a Dec. 19 press release from her legal team at ADF International. Bauchi practices a form of Sharia law, under which blasphemy is a crime punishable by execution. 

"We are thankful to God for Rhoda's full acquittal and an end to the ordeal she has endured for far too long," stated Sean Nelson, legal counsel for ADF International, in the release. "No person should be punished for peaceful expression, and we are grateful that Rhoda Jatau has been fully acquitted. But Rhoda should never have been arrested in the first place."

"We will continue to seek justice for Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria who are unjustly imprisoned and plagued by the draconian blasphemy laws," he added.  

A Nigerian ADF lawyer who represented Jatau and is remaining anonymous responded to the news, stating: "After a two-and-a-half-year ordeal, including 19 long months in prison, we are happy that Rhoda finally has been acquitted of any wrongdoing. We thank all who have been praying for Rhoda, and we ask for your continued prayers as Nigerians continue to push back against persecution." 

Jatau was arrested by Nigerian authorities on May 20, 2022, after forwarding a video to her colleagues at work of a Muslim denouncing the mob killing of Nigerian Christian college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakabu. 

According to local news source Light Bearer News, when news of Jatau's actions reached the public many immediately called for her death. One Muslim group posted her photo online and called her "the one God has cursed." 

During the riots that ensued, 15 Christians were seriously injured, and several buildings were burned down, according to Light Bearer News. 

The young woman's killing had taken place eight days before Jatau's arrest, when a mob of Islamist students dragged Yakabu from a safe room where she had been hiding, stoned her to death, and set her body on fire. She was reportedly accused of committing blasphemy after she posted on social media that Jesus had helped her pass her exams. 

Initially denied bail, Jatau spent 19 months in prison after her colleagues at the Primary Healthcare Board of the town of Warj reported her for the post she had sent them. She was "detained incommunicado" until December 2023. 

During Jatau's trial, a Bauchi state judge had denied her lawyers' attempts to have the charges dismissed, citing a lack of evidence to back up the prosecution's claims. News of the acquittal follows international backlash and appeals from ADF International and other religious freedom activists. United Nations experts had also sent a joint letter to the Nigerian government on Jatau's behalf, condemning the country's blasphemy laws. 

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 19, 2024 / 15:55 pm (CNA).

A school district in Ohio must pay a teacher a $450,000 settlement after it forced her to resign for refusing to participate in the "social transition" of minor students.

Attorneys representing Ohio teacher Vivian Geraghty at the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) announced news of the substantial settlement in a Dec. 18 press release, stating that the Jackson Local School District would pay damages and attorney fees for violating Geraghty's freedom of speech. 

ADF had filed suit against the district in December 2022 over the dispute. 

"No school official can force a teacher to set her religious beliefs aside in order to keep her job," stated ADF Legal Counsel Logan Spena in the release following news of the settlement.

"The school tried to force Vivian to accept and repeat the school's viewpoint on issues that go to the foundation of morality and human identity, like what makes us male or female, by ordering her to personally participate in the social transition of her students," Spena said.

"The First Amendment prohibits that abuse of power, and Jackson Local School District officials have learned that comes at a steep cost," she added. "Vivian resisted this unconstitutional demand and explained that her Christian faith made her unable to participate in her students' social transition, and she has received just vindication for taking this stand."

Geraghty was working as an English teacher at Jackson Memorial Middle School in the northeast Ohio city of Massillon when two students approached her asking that she use pronouns and names that were inconsistent with their biological sex in order to facilitate "social transition." 

Because of her firmly held Christian beliefs, Geraghty attempted to reach a solution with the school's administration. However, the principal and the district's curriculum director told her "she would be required to put her beliefs aside as a public servant" and that her refusal would "not work in a district like Jackson."  

When she refused to affirm the students' "gender identity," the district curriculum director "handed Geraghty a laptop and ordered her to draft her letter of resignation in the adjoining room for immediate submission," according to ADF.

ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, also condemned the district's violation of Geraghty's religious beliefs in an ADF press release at the time of the filing.

Geraghty wished to "avoid using her voice to validate ideas that violate her faith and jeopardize her students' well-being," Langhofer said at the time. 

"Increasing evidence suggests that this approach may lead adolescents to unnecessarily pursue dangerous medical interventions like puberty-blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones, or life-altering surgeries," he pointed out. 

"Vivian treated every student with equality and respect, and it was unlawful for school officials to terminate her employment." 

The payout comes several months after a similar ADF victory in which a school board in Virginia agreed to pay a teacher more than half a million dollars after he was fired for refusing to use a student's transgender pronouns.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 19, 2024 / 17:35 pm (CNA).

House Republican lawmakers discussed repealing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act on Wednesday after hearing testimony alleging the law has been weaponized against pro-life protesters.

The FACE Act, which has been federal law for 30 years, imposes harsher prison sentences for people who obstruct access to abortion clinics or pro-life pregnancy resource centers. However, under President Joe Biden's Department of Justice (DOJ), the law has almost exclusively been used to convict pro-life demonstrators.

Rep. Chip Roy introduced legislation to repeal the FACE Act in 2023, but the bill failed to make it out of the Judiciary Committee. If a repeal effort were to pass the House, it would need to overcome the filibuster in the Senate by garnering support from seven Democrats in the upcoming session. The effort has not gotten support from any Democratic lawmakers.

On Wednesday, Dec. 18, lawmakers heard testimony about the alleged targeting of pro-life activists in a House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government hearing.

Unequal enforcement against pro-life advocates

Roy, who chairs the subcommittee, noted during the hearing that the Biden DOJ brought 25 FACE Act cases against more than 50 offenders.

Only two of those cases were against pro-abortion activists who vandalized pro-life pregnancy resource centers despite the numerous attacks following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade. The remainder have been invoked against pro-life demonstrators. 

More than a dozen pro-life activists, several of whom are elderly and in poor health, are either in prison or awaiting sentencing for FACE Act violations. 

Lauren Handy, 31, who was given the longest sentence, is serving four years and nine months in prison. Other activists serving at least two years include 75-year-old Paulette Harlow and 74-year-old Jean Marshall. The oldest activist convicted under Biden's tenure is 89-year-old Eva Edl, who is a survivor of a communist concentration camp in the former Yugoslavia and is currently awaiting sentencing.  

"Unequal application of the law is not truly law," Roy said. "It is tyranny imposed on those who didn't have the power by those who do have it. That's contrary to everything we believe as Americans."

Paul Vaughn, who was convicted of violating the FACE Act for his role in a March 2021 protest at an abortion clinic in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, testified at the hearing that he peacefully prayed but never personally blocked anyone from entering the clinic. Others at the demonstration engaged in a nonviolent sit-in in front of the clinic doors and were also convicted. 

"I did nothing that was outside my constitutionally protected free speech and religious freedom," Vaughn said. "I did nothing that day that I've not done many times since [the FACE Act] was passed in 1994. I did not sit in, I broke no laws, federal or local, and I was not arrested the day of the event." 

Although local police did not arrest him, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided his home in October 2022 to arrest him under FACE Act charges, nearly a year and a half later. 

"My house was assaulted, my wife and children were terrorized, and I was kidnapped at gunpoint by four armed men," he said. "I had just sent three of my children to the car so I could take them to school when the house began to shake from a loud banging near the front door. I heard men shouting on my porch, 'Open up, FBI!'"

"I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch, staring down the barrels of both a pistol and an automatic weapon pointed at my head," he added.

Vaughn did not get prison time but was given three years of supervised release. He testified that for him, "all this process is [still] a punishment." 

"There are those who are in jail today while we are discussing this abuse, some of them for over a year at this point," Vaughn said. 

Republicans and Democrats disagree

During the hearing, Roy reiterated his call to repeal the FACE Act and urged President-elect Donald Trump to pardon or commute the sentences of pro-life activists convicted under the law — something that Trump has said he intends to do. 

Rep. Dan Bishop, one of the Republican members of the committee, said during the hearing that "it just seems to me troubling." 

"You got guns drawn and pointed at a man's head and [you have] his children … stopped at the side," Bishop said, adding that "we're in an environment where we're always talking about [how] police officers should deescalate [situations]." 

Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman said the "abuse of the FACE Act is an attempt to criminalize the free thought and the ability for people to … peacefully protest."

"It's a sad day in America when someone who is praying … [to] be arrested years later for that behavior," she added.

Republican Rep. Tom McClintock added that the FACE Act is "being administered by people with political biases" and questioned whether there was a way to prevent weaponization without repealing the entirety of the law. 

Democrats, however, disagreed that the law has been weaponized and stressed that lawmakers should keep the FACE Act rules in place. 

"[Republicans] are really just giving themselves another opportunity to signal their support to the extremists plotting to criminalize or block access to abortion across the country," Democratic Rep. Mary Scanlon said.

Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler said: "Republicans have found no — zero — credible or direct evidence that supports their specious claims regarding what they alleged is the Department of Justice's uneven enforcement of the FACE Act."

"Anti-abortion extremists continue to use violence, threats, and disruption to curb access to abortion," Nadler said. "So Republicans want to repeal the law that explicitly protects patients, providers, and facilities that provide reproductive health services from these ongoing threats."

FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland have denied that the FBI or DOJ have been targeting pro-life activists with FACE Act prosecutions.

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CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 13:55 pm (CNA).

Here's a roundup of recent pro-life, pro-family, and abortion-related updates.  

Missouri's maternity home program saves money

A pro-family tax credit program in Missouri saves taxpayers nearly $600,000 a year while supporting mothers, a report found. The St. Raymond's Society maternity home report found that the program, which offers tax credits for donations to pro-life maternity homes, saved hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars by limiting public spending on other programs, such as homelessness.

"Pregnant women and new mothers are highly vulnerable to the financial impacts of these precarious circumstances," the report noted. "Early intervention to address poverty is important as studies show the longer one is in poverty, the less likely they are to exit poverty."

Maternity homes do more than just house women — they often provide coaching and mentoring services as well as financial and emotional support. The program's long-term impact means that women are less likely to fall into poverty and more likely to receive higher levels of education. This decreases their need for future public resources in the long term, the report found. 

In addition, these services help the child long-term by providing essential prenatal services that help prevent health issues. The report found that by supporting women during pregnancy, Missouri saves about $28,700 per person seeking maternity services, totaling almost $600,000 in savings. Missouri's policy also gives donors to maternity homes a 70% return to use on their taxes.  

Housing for pregnant women and mothers

A prominent research institute released a report on Dec. 12 encouraging the U.S. government to do more to support pregnant and parenting women facing housing challenges. The Charlotte Lozier Institute urged the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — which currently allocates $70 billion to housing programs — to extend support to pregnant and parenting women in need of housing aid. 

The report highlighted the housing crisis and its effect on expecting mothers. Housing instability increases risks for a mother and her unborn child — including poverty, health complications, and even adverse birth outcomes, the report noted. In addition, housing instability and poverty are key reasons that women cite for having abortions. 

The Lozier Institute encouraged HUD to amend definitions in its programs to include pregnant and parenting women in need — and to place them at the front of the line. These changes, the report noted, would allow expecting mothers priority access to housing assistance programs. Current policy generally focuses on youth pregnancy, but the report noted that programs should be expanded to include better support for pregnant and parenting mothers of varying ages.

Canadian city to restrict pro-life flyers with abortion images

A city in British Columbia, Canada, is set to restrict flyers containing graphic images of aborted fetuses. The New Westminster council on Monday unanimously supported the bylaw, which applies to graphic images of aborted fetuses but not to graphic images in general. The bylaw will require mailed materials with graphic images of victims of abortion to be delivered in an opaque envelope with a content warning as well as the name and address of the sender. Advocates of the bylaw argued that the flyers could be harmful to receivers' mental health. 

If approved, the bylaw would make New Westminster the first city in British Columbia to restrict abortion images, though other cities in Canada have made similar bylaws restricting pro-life materials with graphic images of what abortion does to a fetus. Abortion is legal in Canada and publicly funded through all nine months of pregnancy. The government of British Columbia's website states that in the province, every person has a medical right to abortion. 

Kansas abortions skyrocket in 2023

A Kansas report found that abortions spiked 58% in 2023, with nonresidents representing three-quarters of Kansas abortions. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported an increase from 12,319 abortions in 2022 to 19,467 in 2023. The number of nonresidents having abortions in Kansas nearly doubled from 8,475 in 2022 to 15,111 in 2023. Kansas became an "abortion destination" following abortion restrictions in neighboring states, with abortions in Kansas rising since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Before the overturn, there were 7,849 abortions reported by the KDHE in 2021.

While the Kansas Supreme Court in 2019 ruled that the state's Bill of Rights contained a right to self-determination, which included a state right to have abortions, several states surrounding Kansas limit abortion, including Missouri and Oklahoma. Missouri's current pro-life law, which allows abortions only in medical emergencies, is being challenged in court after the state voted to enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution. 

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CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 14:25 pm (CNA).

The U.S. bishops on Tuesday designated the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., as a special pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee Year. 

A jubilee is a special holy year of grace and pilgrimage that happens at least once every 25 years. The pope can call for extraordinary jubilee years, such as the 2016 Year of Mercy, more often. During the jubilee, Catholics are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to Rome. For pilgrims who can't travel to Rome, the bishops are expected to designate important local shrines and pilgrimage sites as special sites for the jubilee, according to the USCCB. 

"Visiting the basilica is a powerful way to take advantage of the grace of the jubilee and to be filled with the hope that flows from the embrace of our Mother," Archbishop Timothy Broglio, archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the USCCB, said in a statement shared with CNA. 

One grace that "pilgrims of hope" on the jubilee may obtain is the "jubilee indulgence." This grace is granted by the Holy Father to anyone who travels to any sacred jubilee site, whether in Rome, the Holy Land, or a locally designated sacred site.  

Monsignor Walter Rossi, rector of the National Shrine, shared his gratitude "for the privilege of designating Mary's shrine as a special place of pilgrimage for the holy year."

"This honor will provide a moment of grace for all 'pilgrims of hope' during the jubilee year and will be especially beneficial to those who are unable to travel to Rome to pass through the Holy Doors and obtain the jubilee indulgence," Rossi said in a statement shared with CNA. 

The National Shrine is the largest Roman Catholic church in North America and is dedicated to the patroness of the United States — the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Immaculate Conception. 

A spokesperson for the U.S. bishops told CNA that the National Shrine is the only special place of pilgrimage designated by the U.S. bishops — but diocesan bishops may designate their own cathedrals and basilicas.   

"While the USCCB hasn't given this distinction to other sites in the United States, you will see in the guidance published by the Holy See that various sacred places such as diocesan cathedrals and minor basilicas may be given the special designation by the local bishop to allow the faithful to obtain the jubilee indulgence," Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs for the USCCB, told CNA. 

Bishops around the U.S. are beginning to designate special places of pilgrimage within their dioceses. 

In Michigan, for instance, the archbishop of Detroit designated 12 local pilgrimage sites. Archbishop Allen Vigneron noted that certain pilgrimage sites would be available for the faithful to receive graces. These 12 pilgrimage sites include the Basilica of Sainte Anne de Detroit, the Blessed Solanus Casey Center, and the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica. 

In the Archdiocese of Miami, Archbishop Thomas Wenski designated five churches as jubilee pilgrimage sites, including the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity and St. Mary Star of the Sea Basilica. 

In the Archdiocese of Denver, Archbishop Samuel Aquila established nine jubilee pilgrimage sites including the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Golden and the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

In Pennsylvania, Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia designated 10 sites, including the National Shrine of St. John Neumann as well as the Blessed Carlo Acutis Shrine and Center for Eucharistic Encounter.

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