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CNA Staff, Nov 28, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

November is National Black Catholic History Month in the United States, a time to honor the history, heritage, and contributions of Black Catholics across the nation. The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCCC) first established Black Catholic History Month in 1990. 

Here are six prominent Black Catholics on their way to sainthood: 

Venerable Pierre Toussaint

Venerable Pierre Toussaint was born on June 27, 1766, in Haiti and was brought to New York City as an enslaved person. After his master died, he was determined to support the household. In his early 20s Toussaint became an apprentice to a hairdresser and quickly learned the trade. He became very successful and was able to support himself, his master's widow, and the other house enslaved people, whose freedom he eventually bought. Toussaint himself was freed from slavery soon before his former master's widow died in 1807.

Toussaint attended daily Mass and is credited by many as being the father of Catholic Charities in New York. He played a major role in raising funds for the first Catholic orphanage and began the city's first school for Black children. He also helped provide funds for the Oblate Sisters of Providence, a religious community of Black nuns founded in Baltimore.

Toussaint died on June 30, 1853, and was declared venerable by Pope John Paul II on Dec. 17, 1997.

Venerable Henriette DeLille

Born on March 11, 1813, in New Orleans, Henriette DeLille was a religious sister who devoted her life to improving the welfare of her community, especially African Americans who were currently or formerly enslaved. She was born in New Orleans; her father was from France, and her mother was a free woman of African descent.

After being confirmed in 1834, she began pursuing religious life and sold her possessions to use the money to establish the Sisters of the Presentation, the second Black religious order in the United States. The sisters — whose name was eventually changed in 1942 to the Sisters of the Holy Family — educated enslaved people, which was illegal at the time. DeLille also established the Lafon Nursing Facility, which is the first and oldest Catholic nursing home in the U.S. 

After 20 years as mother superior, DeLille passed away on Nov. 17, 1862, and was declared venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

Venerable Mother Mary Lange

Mother Mary Lange, who was born in Cuba, came to the United States in 1813 and settled in the Baltimore area. She quickly realized that the children of her fellow Caribbean immigrants needed an education and decided to use her own money and home to educate children of color.

In 1829, Lange became the founder and first superior of the Oblate Sisters of Providence. Her deep faith helped her persevere against all odds and she gave herself completely to help her Black brothers and sisters. In addition to establishing a religious order, she also opened an orphanage, a widow's home, and a school. 

Mother Lange died on Feb. 3, 1882, and was declared venerable by Pope Francis in 2023. 

Venerable Father Augustus Tolton

Augustus Tolton was born into slavery in Brush Creek, Ralls County, Missouri, on April 1, 1854, to Catholic parents Peter Paul Tolton and Martha Jane Chisley. In 1862, he, along with his mother and two siblings, escaped by crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois.

Called to enter the priesthood, Tolton sought to enter the seminary but none in America would accept him because he was Black, so he studied for the priesthood in Rome and was ordained in 1886 at the age of 31, becoming the first African American ordained as a priest.

Tolton returned to the U.S. where he served for three years at a parish in Quincy, Illinois. From there he went to Chicago and started a parish for Black Catholics — St. Monica Parish. He remained there until he died unexpectedly while on a retreat in 1897. He was just 43 years old.

During his short but impactful life, Tolton helped the poor and sick, fed the hungry, and helped many discover the faith. He was lovingly known as "Good Father Gus." Pope Francis declared him venerable in 2019. 

Servant of God Julia Greeley

Julia Greeley, also known as Denver's Angel of Charity, was born into slavery near Hannibal, Missouri. When she was a child, her master, while beating Julia's mother, caught Julia's right eye with his whip and destroyed it. After she was freed in 1865, she spent her time serving poor families mostly in Denver.

In 1880, Greeley entered the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver. She attended daily Mass and had a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. She joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was active in it until her death in 1918. Her cause for canonization was opened by the Archdiocese of Denver in 2016.

Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman 

Born in Canton, Mississippi, in 1937, Thea Bowman converted to Catholicism as a child inspired by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, who were teachers and pastors at Holy Child Jesus Church and School in Canton. Bowman witnessed Catholics around her caring for the poor and those in need, and this is what drew her to the Catholic Church.

At the age of 15, she told her family she wanted to join the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. She left her home in Mississippi and traveled to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where she would be the only African American member of her religious community. 

In 1978, Bowman accepted a position to direct the Office of Intercultural Affairs for the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, and became a founding member of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans. She became a highly acclaimed evangelizer, teacher, speaker, and writer. 

In 1984, after the death of both of her parents, Bowman was diagnosed with breast cancer, which eventually metastasized to her bones. Despite the pain she was in, she continued her rigorous schedule of speaking engagements to share her love for God and the joy of the Gospel with others. Bowman would arrive in her wheelchair, with no hair due to chemotherapy, but always filled with joy and smiling from ear to ear. 

She died peacefully in her childhood home on March 30, 1990, and in 2018 the Diocese of Jackson opened her cause for canonization.

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Rome Newsroom, Nov 28, 2024 / 06:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis told a group of theologians on Thursday he plans to visit Turkey for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 2025.

Bartholomew I, the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, anticipated that Francis would be making the trip in comments to reporters in May. In September, he confirmed that the joint trip is expected to happen at the end of May 2025.

The Council of Nicaea took place in the ancient city of Nicaea in 325 A.D. in the former Roman Empire, which is now the present-day city of Iznik, in northwestern Turkey, about 70 miles from Istanbul.

"I plan to go there," Pope Francis told members of the International Theological Commission on Nov. 28.

The Council of Nicaea, he said, "constitutes a milestone in the journey of the Church and also of all humanity, because faith in Jesus, the Son of God made flesh for us and for our salvation, was formulated and professed as a light that illuminates the meaning of reality and the destiny of all history."

Pope Francis met with the International Theological Commission during their plenary gathering at the Vatican. He noted it is important that the commission's meeting includes drafting a document about "the current meaning of the faith professed at Nicaea."

"Such a document may be valuable, in the course of the Jubilee year, to nourish and deepen the faith of believers and, starting from the figure of Jesus, also offer insights and reflections useful for a new cultural and social paradigm, inspired precisely by the humanity of Christ," the pope said.

The Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council in the Church. It is accepted by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and other Christian communities that accept the validity of early church councils.

It predates the Chalcedonian Schism — which separated the Oriental Orthodox communion from Rome — by more than 100 years and predates the Great Schism — which separated the Eastern Orthodox Church from Rome — by more than 700 years.

During the council, the bishops condemned the heresy of Arianism, which asserted that the Son was created by the Father. Arius, a priest who faced excommunication for propagating the heresy, did not accept that the Son was coeternal with the Father.

Pope Francis said during a meeting with a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in June that he wished "wholeheartedly" to make the journey to Nicaea to mark the important anniversary with Bartholomew I.

If he travels to Turkey, a trip that has yet to be confirmed by the Vatican, it will take place amid a busy Jubilee Year for the pontiff.

"The Council of Nicaea, in affirming that the Son is of the same substance as the Father, highlights something essential: in Jesus we can know the face of God and, at the same time, also the face of man, discovering ourselves sons in the Son and brothers among ourselves," Francis said on Thursday. "A fraternity, one rooted in Christ, that becomes a fundamental ethical task for us."

"Today, in fact, in a complex and often polarized world, tragically marked by conflict and violence, the love of God that is revealed in Christ and given to us in the Spirit becomes an appeal to everyone to learn to walk in fraternity and to be builders of justice and peace," he added.

In his speech to the theologians of the international commission, the pope also emphasized the importance of synodality.

"I would say that the time has come to take a courageous step: to develop a theology of synodality, a theological reflection that helps, encourages, and accompanies the synodal process, for a new, more creative and bold missionary stage that is inspired by the kerygma and involves all components of the Church," he said.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 27, 2024 / 16:20 pm (CNA).

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court calling on the justices to uphold a state law that requires porn websites to verify the age of their users. 

According to a Nov. 26 press release, Paxton has filed a brief with SCOTUS asking that it uphold House Bill 1181, a Texas law that requires online pornography companies to implement "reasonable age verification measures to safeguard children from obscene online material." 

"Let me put this simply: these companies do not have a right to expose children to pornography," Paxton stated in the release. "Texas has a clear interest in protecting children, and we have been successful defending this commonsense age verification law against a powerful global industry."  

Without age verification, Paxton's brief points out, widespread availability of smartphones and other devices gives children "instantaneous access to unlimited amounts of hardcore pornography—including graphic depictions of rape, strangulation, bestiality, and necrophilia."

"Like 'doomscrolling' on social media, online pornographers use sophisticated algorithms to keep adults who have greater maturity than children on their sites," the brief states, describing widespread child access to pornographic content as a "public health crisis.'" 

The brief cites multiple studies which have found childhood exposure to pornography has led to increased likelihoods of mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia, as well as increased chances of using tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. 

Children who are exposed to pornography were also found to be at an increased risk of "behavioral problems." Critics have pointed out that much of the content that pervades pornographic websites contains sexual violence, including involving minors.

The document also points out that age verification measures have become a widespread practice for a variety of online services such as gambling or tobacco purchasing, and do not pose a demonstrable threat to constitutional rights. 

Countries around the world such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom currently require online porn sites to use age verification measures. 

Porn industry has challenged laws

When HB 1181 first passed in 2023, several online pornography companies, including Pornhub, filed a lawsuit alleging the mandate violated their First Amendment rights.

After lower courts ruled that the law did not violate the First Amendment, the companies appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. Earlier this year, SCOTUS denied a request by the Free Speech Coalition, which includes a porn trade association and several pornography creators, to issue a stay on the law during legal proceedings. 

Paxton has been aggressive in his efforts to enforce the law, filing multiple lawsuits against porngraphy companies as litigation continues. 

Texas currently issues fines of up to $10,000 per day that a company fails to comply with age verification requirements, an additional $10,000 per day "if the corporation illegally retains identifying information," and $250,000 if a child is found to have been exposed to pornographic content due to lack of age verification. 

"Several of these companies, when faced with a choice between protecting children from pornography and complying with Texas law, have stopped doing business in Texas," Paxton noted. Pornhub made headlines in March of this year after it opted to disable its website in the state instead of adopting age verification practices.

 "Good riddance," Paxton added. 

Amicus briefs submitted in support of Paxton's efforts include a coalition of two dozen state attorneys general, 60 lawmakers from 15 states, and over 20 U.S. congressmen and senators, as well as health organizations such as the Foundation for Addiction Research

"Texas has a right to protect its children from the detrimental effects of pornographic content," Paxton said. "As new technology makes harmful content more accessible than ever, we must make every effort to defend those who are most vulnerable."

Texas is currently slated to argue its case before the nation's highest court on Jan. 15.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 27, 2024 / 16:30 pm (CNA).

North Koreans who are repatriated from China and who have had contact with Christians are sent to North Korean political prisoner camps, according to the latest report on religious freedom by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

"Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith 2022-24" was published this month during Red Week and is an initiative by ACN to draw attention to religious persecution around the world. The 2024 edition addresses the situation in 18 key countries, including North Korea.

North Korea is a communist nation ruled since 1948 by the Kim dynasty, and although "gauging the true number of Christians or the extent of their faith in North Korea is exceedingly difficult," says ACN, "they are estimated to comprise around 0.38 percent of the population, which equates to just over 98,000 people."

However, despite the small number of believers, Christianity is considered a threat to the state, which is why Christians are forced to go underground.

According to the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), the entire population is forced to follow Juche, "an ideology of Marxist 'self-reliance' created by the country's founder, Kim Il-Sung." 

To escape the country, North Koreans often use the extensive 880 mile border with China. If they manage to get past the tightly controlled border, the fugitives must reach a third border undetected, mostly Thailand, and seek asylum in the South Korean embassy, ??which will send them to South Korea.

However, those who are apprehended by the Chinese authorities are repatriated to North Korea. According to Human Rights Watch, in April the Beijing government deported some 60 North Koreans.

In its report, ACN refers to the defectors who were repatriated in October 2023 and said there is cause for concern for those "who had interacted with Christians while they were outside the country. They were all sent to political prisoner camps, known for the harsh treatment of inmates there."

The report notes that while many served reduced sentences, "those who came into contact with Christianity" were interned "in political prisoner camps, which is in fact a life sentence without parole."

Citing a source In North Korea who spoke anonymously for security reasons to Daily NK, the ACN report said that "North Korean state security departments base their interrogations of repatriated defectors on files provided by the Chinese police."

"If anything related to religion is mentioned in the files, the defectors will be inexorably interned in camps" no matter what they say concerning what happened, the report notes.

Believers are considered 'a hostile class'

The pontifical foundation states that in North Korea, "considered the worst country in the world to be a Christian," people are classified according to their loyalty to the state and "believers are automatically considered a 'hostile class' and subjected to relentless persecution."

"Although there are widespread violations of human rights throughout the country and religious oppression affecting all areas of life and all religious groups, according to the U.S. State Department, Christians and followers of Mugyo (a shamanic religion) are the most persecuted," the report explains.

Illyong Ju, a North Korean defector who is now a Christian, told ACN that repatriated defectors are being forced to confess anything they may know about the 1,000 people who have not yet been repatriated to North Korea before they actually arrive in the country.

However, Illyong Ju emphasized that among the defectors "there will be people who believe in Jesus and who will spread the Gospel wherever they go. Like Sister Kim, who works with me and who evangelized eight people while she was in a North Korean prison due to her forced repatriation."

"Therefore, we have faith that those forcibly returned to North Korea will become amazing members of God's People who will rise up against the oppression of the North Korean regime," he said.

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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St. Louis, Mo., Nov 27, 2024 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

A Missouri circuit judge on Monday upheld the state's ban on the provision of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries to minors for purposes of "gender transitions," a law which took effect last summer and halted the procedures at some of the state's largest clinics.

The law, the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, also prohibits adults who identify as transgender from accessing transgender health care under Medicaid. It further bars "gender-affirming" surgery for prisoners and inmates. It is set to expire on Aug. 28, 2027.

Lambda Legal, a law firm focused on LGBT activism, filed a lawsuit last year against the state challenging the new law on behalf of several medical professionals engaged in "gender-affirming care" as well the parents of several minors who identify as transgender. The trial began in late September. 

In his Nov. 25 opinion, Wright County Circuit Judge R. Craig Carter cited U.S. Supreme Court precedent in cases such as 2007's Gonzalez v. Carhart in which the high court held that states have broad power to regulate in areas "fraught with medical and scientific uncertainties."

State governments can prohibit treatments that are shown to be "fundamentally incompatible with the physician's role as healer," the high court held.    

The medical ethics of providing transgender interventions to minors are "entirely unsettled," Carter noted this week, while the potential harms, including irreversible bodily mutilation and infertility, are serious. 

Carter said he was presented with an "almost total lack of consensus as to the medical ethics of adolescent gender dysphoria treatment." The plaintiffs challenging the ban were able only to present "low" or "very low" quality evidence in favor of transgender treatments for minors, he wrote. 

"None of these interventions corrects any biological or physical abnormality. Rather, the thought process behind these novel procedures is that even though these adolescents are physically healthy, altering their bodies might reduce distress associated with the mismatch between their bodies and how they perceived their identity," Carter wrote. 

Carter went on to write that "credible evidence" shows that most children with gender dysphoria —  a persistent feeling of identification with another sex and discomfort with one's biological sex — grow out of the condition. 

In addition, many patients who seek transgender interventions have "serious mental health comorbidities," many of which remain unaddressed and untreated. 

None of the commonly-used drugs in transgender interventions are FDA-approved to treat gender dysphoria, he noted, but their use, especially for young girls, has markedly increased in recent years. According to evidence cited by the judge, the prevalence of gender dysphoria among 15-year-olds increased by a factor of 20 between 2017 and 2021, to around 340 per 100,000 people. 

Also mentioned was the fact that in addition to "more than half" of U.S. states, other highly developed nations such as Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands have begun in recent years to restrict the use of puberty blockers for minors, citing insufficient evidence of their efficacy outweighed by evidence of harm. 

Finland and Sweden further reserve transgender surgery for adults.

The judge also pointed to a 400-page study out of the U.K. known as the Cass Review which found "remarkably weak evidence" in favor of transgender interventions for minors as a means of treating the mental health condition of gender dysphoria. 

That study prompted the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) earlier this year to end the practice of prescribing puberty blockers to children to facilitate a gender transition, a decision that was later upheld in U.K. courts. 

The ruling this week goes on to cite the "unrebutted," "credible" testimony of Jamie Reed, a former employee at a major Missouri transgender center who in a Feb. 2023 sworn statement said she witnessed doctors prescribing puberty-blocking drugs to minors without parental consent and, in her view, "permanently harming the vulnerable patients in our care."

In addition, Reed claimed her former clinic "regularly refers minors for gender transition surgery" and performed at least one double mastectomy on a minor at St. Louis Children's Hospital. 

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey initiated an investigation into the hospital's practices based on Reed's allegations. He later led a seven-state-coalition in suing the Biden administration over a rule that would force doctors to provide sex-change procedures and require health insurers to cover them. 

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley also announced an investigation into the clinic's practices after the allegations surfaced.

In a two-year period from 2020 to 2022, the clinic "initiated medical transition for more than 600 children. About 74% of these children were assigned female at birth," Reed, who describes herself as a "queer woman" who is married to a formerly transgender person, wrote in her sworn statement.

Also testifying in the present case and cited as a credible witness by Carter was Chloe Cole, a young woman from California who in 2022 sued the doctors who performed transgender procedures on her, including a double mastectomy, beginning when she was 12 years old. 

Cole testified about the regret she carries for allowing doctors to remove her breasts, saying she wants to have children and will never be able to breastfeed them. 

In the end, Carter ruled that the plaintiffs' arguments against Missouri's law "simply [fail]" and noted that the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a similar law in Indiana. 

Lambda Legal has vowed to appeal the ruling. 

After the law's Aug. 2023 implementation, Washington University in St. Louis became the second major hospital in Missouri to shut down the practice of gender transition for minors following University of Missouri Health Care, based in Columbia. 

MU Health Care cited "significant legal liability for prescribing or administering cross-sex hormones or puberty-blockings drugs to existing minor patients."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 27, 2024 / 05:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. bishops are calling on faithful Catholics across the country to join them in person or virtually at their National Prayer Vigil for Life in Washington D.C., which takes place every year on the eve of the March for Life. 

Co-hosted by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB), The Catholic University of America's Office of Campus Ministry, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., the vigil will take place from the evening of Thursday, Jan. 23 to the morning of Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. 

"I enthusiastically invite Catholics from all around the country to join me in-person or virtually, in praying for an end to abortion and building up a culture of life," stated Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, in a press release. 

"Together, we must pray to change hearts and build a culture of life as we advocate for the most vulnerable. I look forward to opening our Vigil with Holy Mass together with many other bishops, hundreds of priests, consecrated religious, seminarians, and many thousands of pilgrims," he added. 

The event will kick off with an opening Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas in the main sanctuary at the Basilica of the National Shrine on Thursday evening. Mass will be followed by a Eucharistic procession and Holy Hour, which will include a Rosary and the Benediction. 

The vigil will conclude on Friday morning before the March for Life with an 8 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn. 

U.S. Catholics may participate in the vigil via livestream on the Basilica's website, or view EWTN's live television broadcasts on Thursday from 5-8 p.m. and Friday from 8-9 a.m.

Full schedule: 

Thursday, January 23:

4:45 p.m.      Chaplet of Divine Mercy

5:00 p.m.    Opening Mass with Bishop Thomas

7:00 p.m.    Holy Hour for Life

Friday, January 24:

8:00 a.m.    Closing Mass with Bishop Brennan

The March for Life will begin with a pre-rally at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 24. Professional surfer and EveryLife founder Bethany Hamilton will be the keynote speaker at this year's event, for which the theme is "Every Life: Why We March."

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CNA Staff, Nov 27, 2024 / 05:30 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life related policy developments in the United States.

Lawmakers ask for investigation into abortion funding

More than 100 members of Congress asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the amount of federal funding given to abortion providers nationally and internationally over the past three years, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates.  

One hundred and twelve members of Congress signed the Nov. 22 letter spearheaded by House Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY). Eighty-one House members and 31 Senators signed the letter, including top leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).

A 2023 GAO report found that from 2019-2021, the U.S .government provided $1.89 billion in federal funding to abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America and MSI Reproductive Choices. 

Republican congressmen seek to stop expansion of IVF for military 

Two Republican representatives urged the House and Senate Armed Services committees to not expand health insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for military personnel, citing high costs and ethical concerns.

In a Nov. 21 letter, Reps. Matt Rosendale (MT) and Josh Brecheen (OK) asked committee leaders in both chambers to not include provisions that expand access to the method of fertility treatment that involves artificially creating many embryos, most of which are never born.

In the letter, Rosendale and Brecheen noted, "There are no limits under current law on how many embryos can be created in an IVF cycle." The two said that the Centers for Disease Control could not provide "basic information" such as how many embryos are screened for sex selection or genetic abnormalities, or how many embryos are destroyed each year.

The representatives noted that in 2021 there were "4.1 million embryonic children created through IVF, but only 97,128 of those children were born," meaning only 2.3% of embryonic children are ever born, according to numbers from the CDC and the Family Research Council.  The representatives called on Congress to "protect the most vulnerable and reject any provision that leads to the destruction of innocent human life." 

When it comes to IVF, lawmakers hold opposing views. Proponents tout the technology as pro-family, while opponents point to the loss of unborn life that is an inherent part of the process. Rosendale, a Catholic who is retiring from Congress, shares these latter, moral and ethical concerns. 

The Catholic Church teaches that IVF is not a moral method of fertility treatment because it separates conception from the marital act and because multiple embryos are created only to be discarded. 

Texas bill could reclassify abortion pills as controlled substances

A bill has been introduced in the Texas legislature to reclassify abortion pills as Schedule IV substances, meaning the drugs would be considered controlled substances. The drugs are used in abortions, as well as for miscarriage care and other uses. The first pill in the regimen, mifepristone, deprives the unborn child of necessary nutrients, while the second pill, misoprostol, induces the delivery of the deceased child. 

Pat Curry, Republican from Waco, filed HB 1339 Nov. 14. If passed, the bill would take effect Sept. 1, 2025. It would also designate the muscle relaxant carisoprodol as a controlled substance, in addition to the two abortion drugs. The Texas Controlled Substance Act dictates that possession of a fraudulent prescription is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 or 180 days in jail. 

The measure follows the state of Louisiana's abortion pill reclassification earlier this year.

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Puebla, Mexico, Nov 27, 2024 / 06:30 am (CNA).

The life of Carlo Acutis, who is slated to be canonized next year as the first millennial saint, inspires thousands of people around the world. Among them is 9-year-old Alex Espinosa in Mexico, who both considers Acutis a "friend" and enthusiastically expresses that he wants to be like him when he grows up.

On Nov. 20, Pope Francis announced that Carlo Acutis will be proclaimed a saint during the Jubilee of Teenagers, which will take place in Rome April 25-27, 2025. Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, of the Diocese of Assisi, specified that the ceremony will take place the morning of Sunday, April 27, in St. Peter's Square.

Alex Espinosa is the eldest son of María and Alejandro Espinosa. Alex's mother says her family's devotion to Carlo Acutis began in 2020, the year Acutis was proclaimed a blessed.

Although he was only four years old at the time, Alex, seeing the interest shown by his parents, was curious about the life of Carlos. 

After learning about Acutis' story and understanding how he lived "an ordinary life, in an extraordinary way," the little boy was deeply impacted. That same afternoon, he took some suitcases and said to his mother: "We have to be ready for heaven, Mom. We have to have our suitcases ready," María recalled.

Subsequently on All Saints' Day, Alex dressed up as the soon-to-be saint, who is also known as "God's influencer." As the boy's affection for Acutis grew, his mother began to share moments of family life on Instagram, drawing admiration from Catholics around the world for the devotion her son showed towards the young saint.

Thanks to this devotion, the family received relics of Carlo Acutis, which according to María, has been key in Alex's spiritual growth. The mother commented that her son was also encouraged to "help the poor, as Carlo did, wanting to imitate his life in a small way."

In December of 2023, the boy expressed his desire to make his First Communion "like Carlo Acutis, at the age of seven."

According to the Code of Canon Law of the Church, "the administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion."

Thus, Alex received his First Communion two days before his eighth birthday. His mother recalled that "it was something very special for him to say 'I did it just like Carlo Acutis, when he was seven years old. '"

Alex's devotion has been reflected even in small details of his daily life. He celebrated a recent birthday with the image of Carlo Acutis and his mother says he has shared the story of the blessed with other children.

Reflecting on the impact Alex's words and example have on his classmates, María said "I don't know how much sticks with them, but in the end, it's an important testimony of faith at that age."

A healing attributed to Carlo Acutis

In March 2024, Alex's father, Alejandro, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in one of his lungs. 

While they were waiting for treatment, a close friend offered Alejandro a relic of Carlo Acutis. One evening, Alex expressed his concern: "I'm worried that he's in pain, I don't like my dad being in pain." Following his mother's advice, the boy asked Carlo Acutis to intercede with Jesus for his father's health.

That same evening, María placed the relic on her husband's chest as she stayed next to him in the hospital. The next morning, her husband's health improved markedly. Doctors confirmed that the swelling had dramatically decreased, allowing surgery to be scheduled earlier than planned.

María said with certitude that what happened was "a miracle, something inexplicable," attributing the improvement to the intercession of Carlo Acutis and her son's prayers. The healing, she says, "was a response to a sincere, pure prayer, from a pure heart."

Budding friendship and advice for other parents

During a trip to Assisi, Alex's parents brought him a book that tells the story of Acutis in detail. According to his mother, this allowed the little boy to perceive the blessed in a "closer and more real" way. The boy commented that "he's my friend, and yes, I pray to him. He likes soccer, Nutella and video games."

Based on her experience with her five children, María shared some advice on how to bring up children in the faith. She firmly believes that the best way to transmit spiritual values ??is "by example, that's important."

In her experience, children learn by observing how parents treat others, how they express themselves and in this case, "they see how we conduct ourselves in our faith, how we are at Mass, how we pray. I think that has a lot to do with it."

She and her husband have made faith an integral part of family life, without imposing it, so that the experience of faith is natural, including prayer before meals and when leaving the house. In addition, they try to teach their children to be thankful for small blessings, from "bread with Nutella to having a house."

The most important thing, according to María, is never to force children, but to make faith a part of their lives "in a natural and fun way," always showing them that "God loves you very much and you have to thank him."

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, Nov 26, 2024 / 16:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis called for an end to global production and use of anti-personnel explosives in a message delivered at an international summit on abolishing landmines, one week after U.S. President Joe Biden approved Ukraine's use of American land mines in the Russia-Ukraine war. 

"Conflicts are a failure of humanity to live as a single human family," the Holy Father expressed in his letter, which was read by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin at the Fifth Review Conference on the Convention of Anti-Personnel Landmines in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

"These treacherous devices continue to cause terrible suffering to civilians, especially children," he added. 

The International Mine Ban Treaty, also known as the Ottawa Treaty, is an international agreement to end the production and use of anti-personnel mines that went into force in March 1999. One hundred and sixty-four state parties have formally agreed to abide by the agreement, including Ukraine. 

The pope "urges all states that have not yet done so to accede to the convention, and in the meantime to cease immediately the production and use of land mines," Parolin stated to the delegation. 

The United States, Russia, and China are among the 33 states which have not yet agreed to abide by the agreement. 

Francis also appealed to countries that have already entered into the agreement, urging them to renew their commitment to end use of the explosives, stressing that any delays in doing so "will inevitably increase the human cost." 

The Holy Father's urgent appeal to the convention comes one week after President Biden approved the provision of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, in order to bolster its defense against Russian advances in the east. 

Biden's move to authorize the controversial explosives follows closely his decision to give Ukraine permission to fire long-range American missiles at Russia. The Kremlin has responded by lowering the threshold in which it would use its nuclear arsenal. 

The Pope this week further recognized the work of the land mine conference, and all of those dedicated to ending use of land mines, as well as those who assist victims' families.

The Holy Father prayed that the objectives of the conference inspired by the treaty "may become an important step towards a world free of landmines and ensure a truly integral and restorative assistance to victims." 

Francis himself delivered a similar pro-peace message at an event on the same day, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Argentina and Chile. 

"We do well to commemorate those intense negotiations that, with papal mediation, avoided the armed conflict about to set two brother peoples against each other and concluded with a dignified, reasonable and equitable solution," the Holy Father said in his address. 

"In this regard, how can I not refer to the many ongoing armed conflicts that remain still unresolved, despite the fact that they cause immense sufferings for the countries at war and the entire human family," Francis said, further rebuking countries "where there is much talk of peace [but where] the highest yielding investments are in the production of arms."

"I simply mention two failures of humanity today: Ukraine and Palestine, where people are suffering, where the arrogance of the invader prevails over dialogue," he told the delegation. Francis has been vocal in his opposition to the ongoing conflicts in both regions since their respective beginnings.

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CNA Staff, Nov 26, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

When Georgetown Law student Brittany Lovely, who is scheduled to give birth in December, shortly before final exams, asked for permission to take her test early, late, or remotely, the answer she got from the Catholic university was a flat denial. 

Citing university policy, the school's administrators told Lovely that granting her accommodations would be "inequitable to other non-birthing students in her class," she told the Washington Post. 

"Motherhood is not for the faint of heart," she said she was told. Her was given a choice: she could either take the exam soon after childbirth with her newborn or fail and request to withdraw from the class. Even when her doctor weighed in, calling Lovely's request both "reasonable and necessary," the law school refused to budge. 

Only after students banded together to organize a petition, which quickly went viral, did Lovely get permission to schedule her exam ahead of the birth of her baby.  

Lovely said in a letter shared with CNA that she has "finally received the accommodations I've been requesting for months for my upcoming finals," but shared her fear that other pregnant students may face similar challenges with the administration. 

The university changed its exam accommodations and deferral policy "for this semester only," Lovely explained. She requested that the university "make a public commitment to reforming its policies regarding accommodations moving forward," she noted in the letter. 

"They agreed to work with me on a just and equitable policy agenda for pregnant, childbearing, and childrearing students in the coming months," Lovely said of Georgetown Law.

A university spokesperson confirmed with CNA that the administration "reached a mutually agreeable solution" with Lovely. The university declined to comment on the specifics of Lovely's case. 

"Georgetown is committed to providing a caring, supportive environment for pregnant and parenting students," the spokesperson said, noting that Georgetown provides resources for students "while they are pregnant or parenting including pregnancy-related adjustments from the Office of Title IX Compliance, and disability accommodations from our Academic Resource Center."

But for Lovely, "the fight is not over yet." 

"No student should be forced to choose between their education, health, or the health of their family," she said. "My classmates and I will continue advocating until it is certain Georgetown Law does not force any students to make that choice again."  

At Georgetown Law, only the Office of Registrar has the power to grant exam deferrals and exam rescheduling for finals, not the professor. 

Georgetown Law will consider exam deferrals for several reasons, including "childbirth during the exam period or immediately preceding the exam period," according to its website. The administration will also consider deferrals for physical or mental illness, a death in the family, car accidents, religious observance, military commitment, and other "extraordinary circumstances." 

But according to Lovely, she is not the only one who has faced challenges getting accommodations. 

Peers and alumni "have shared their own horror stories of trying to get reasonable accommodations at Georgetown Law for their childbirth, medical emergencies, and disabilities, only to be offered a generalized solution of more time for an exam," Lovely said. "They have told me the callous responses to their requests during their most vulnerable times."

"As I have said from the beginning, this was never just about me — this is about all pregnant, childbearing, and childrearing students and about all students with disabilities or those needing accommodations, present and future," Lovely said. 

A moral duty 

Lovely's classmates launched the petition on her behalf last week, stating that "Georgetown Law has a legal and moral duty to support pregnant students during the regular school year or finals." 

Post-partum recovery usually takes about six weeks after childbirth. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, "the weeks following birth are a critical period for a woman and her infant, setting the stage for long-term health and well-being." Childbirth often comes with medical challenges that require a long recovery, especially if a woman faces medical issues such as tearing or Cesarean section. 

"Georgetown Law suggested Brittany bring her days-old child to campus a few days after birth, with minimal recovery, to take the exam with more time so she can breastfeed her newborn baby during the exam," the petition noted. "They told her, 'Motherhood is not for the Faint of Heart.'" 

Newborn babies need to be fed every two to three hours and are more susceptible to germs as their immune systems are not fully developed, meaning they are at a higher risk of developing infections. Few babies are born on their exact due date, and physicians often advise that parents avoid bringing their newborn to crowded places. 

Based in Washington, D.C., Georgetown University is a Jesuit university and the first Catholic higher education institution in the United States. According to its website, Georgetown University aims to approach education from the central Jesuit tenet of "cura personalis," a Latin phrase meaning "care of the whole person." 

One alum, Max Siegel II, argued that the administration's refusal of Lovely's accommodation "contradicts this fundamental value." 

"Cura Personalis calls on us to provide care and individualized attention to each person, respecting their unique circumstances and concerns," Siegel said in a post in which he urged students to sign the petition. Siegel heads the Student Bar Association, the law school's student government. 

The Catholic Church teaches the importance of the "Life and Dignity of the Human Person," one of seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching. "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception," according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2270).

In line with this teaching, some Catholic colleges such as Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina and the University of Mary in North Dakota offer maternity housing programs for student mothers. UMary's maternity home program made headlines last year after its first student mom graduated with her daughter. 

In addition to concerns that the administration's attitude goes against the university's Jesuit Catholic values, supporters of Lovely said that Georgetown's decision violated Title IX, the federal civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination against women in higher education institutions that receive public funding. 

Siegel, and the student-led petition, noted that the administration "fails to meet the requirements of Title IX, which ensures a fair and equitable educational environment for all students." 

"Title IX prohibits education institutions from discriminating against students based on sex, including current, potential, or past pregnancy or related conditions," the petition noted. "An accommodation is not unreasonable and must be offered by the school unless it 'fundamentally alters' the nature of its program." 

Lovely said she was particularly concerned that Georgetown cited equity as a reason for denying pregnancy accommodations. 

"I want to make it clear — an inequitable policy, for example, is one that forces me (or any student) to spend time fightingfor a basic right under the law rather than preparing for my finals like the rest of my peers," she said. "An equitable policy is one where no student has to go to these great lengths  again to receive reasonable accommodations." 

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