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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 6, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Sister Magdalene Schafer of the Daughters of Holy Mary of the Heart of Jesus in Steubenville, Ohio, recently described the "beautiful process" of answering her religious vocation thanks in part to the mission of the Labouré Society.

The Labouré Society, a nonprofit organization founded in 2001, serves to assist men and women who aspire to become Catholic priests and religious but face challenges of resolving student debt and other financial obstacles.

Speaking with CNA, Schafer recalled visiting her future order during a retreat in October 2015, where "the Lord, thanks be to God, made it very clear that yes, he was calling me to religious life, and that this was his spot, the community he wanted me to be at. But there was this obstacle of student loan debt."

Schafer shared this with the mother superior of the order at the time. "[Mother] went and grabbed an envelope that she had received from the Labouré Society" at Franciscan University's Religious Vocations Fair.

According to its website, the Labouré Society has given more than $10 million to aspirants such as Schafer, reporting that 70% of these individuals have gone on to ordination, profession of final vows, or are currently still in formation.

Becoming a member of the Labouré Society's July 2016 class, Schafer described beginning in "boot camp," in which participants were trained in fundraising and "equipped to be able to go forth and be part of this mission of Labouré."

"It's this beautiful mission of helping young men and women who have this call to a religious life or to the priesthood but who also have this obstacle of debt," she continued. "But then to also invite other people in the Church into this mission and to share that joy and hope that there are still young people who are responding to God's call, that God hasn't stopped calling, and that he is still faithful."

Acknowledging both the joys and struggles that came with fundraising — including having to complete a second six-month class and boot camp — Schafer expressed how this process helped her to "see the greater reality in that we are inviting others to share in the mission, because not everyone in the Church is called to be a religious or a priest."

"Not everyone is called to take that step, but everyone in the Church is called to pray for and support vocations. And so as the Church is a body, we all have different functions. I think Labouré helps to highlight this," she stated. 

"Some of us are called to be religious and priests," she continued. "And others of us, some members of the Church, are invited to share in this mission as well through their prayer but also through their financial contributions."

Regarding those who wish to answer this call to the priesthood and religious life, a recent Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) study found that debt can be a significant barrier of entry. Seventy percent of religious institutes that participated in this study reported that serious inquirers have been impacted by student loan debt. 

Additionally, the study found that 80% of dioceses face formal applicants with student loan debt, which can be difficult for these applicants to pay when taking a vow of poverty.

Highlighting the need for vocations within the Church today, Schafer would tell those who are discerning a religious vocation but facing the challenges of debt to follow "the example of Jesus, for the sake of the joy that lay before him. He endured the cross."

"I'd say to trust that if God has called you to this, that he is going to bring it to completion," as "being able to overcome that debt, that the joy of being able to respond to your call and of living that out is so much more than any trouble or obstacle that there can be."

Schafer also called on aspirants to trust in the Lord, to "fix your eyes on him and trust that he [who] has called you is faithful and that he will bring about the miracle that is needed for you to respond to your call" during both the "little — and sometimes seemingly big — moments that could happen within this journey at the Labouré Society."

"Any obstacles there may be, whether it is student loan debt or any other ones, if we entrust them to [the Lord] and are faithful in our prayer to him each day, to giving our little yeses like our Blessed Mother did each day, then he will be the one to bring this calling about," she said.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 5, 2024 / 18:28 pm (CNA).

Richard DeGraff, a founding board member at EWTN who was instrumental in helping Mother Angelica launch the network in 1981, passed away on July 31 at age 94.? 

DeGraff met Mother Angelica in 1980 while working for the Family Rosary in Wisconsin. It was DeGraff who connected Mother Angelica, at the time seeking funding to purchase EWTN's first satellite dish, to the De Rance Foundation, a Catholic philanthropic organization that provided crucial early support for the acquisition. 

During those critical moments when EWTN was being birthed as well as for decades to come, DeGraff played a key role in getting the first Catholic satellite television network off the ground and keeping it going.

His pioneering and providential work with Mother Angelica is chronicled in the biography of EWTN's foundress, "Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles."

Prior to his work with EWTN, various philanthropic foundations, and charities, DeGraff had an illustrious career in higher education. In the 1970s, he served as president of Thomas More College in Kentucky. He previously held both academic and development posts at Benedictine University, Saint Mary's College, Tri-State College, DePaul University, and the University of Chicago. 

Before serving in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division during the Korean War, DeGraff graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in music. While a student there, he performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show" several times as part of the Notre Dame Glee Club. 

Following the war, DeGraff earned his master's and doctorate degrees in education at Indiana University. He also later worked as assistant to the chairman of the Grace Corporation as well as executive director of the De Rance and Koch Foundations. 

In addition, he served on the board of Catholic Charities in Chicago and was involved with the Serra Club, an organization that works to foster religious vocations.

DeGraff was a member of the Knights of Columbus and was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Gerry. He is survived by four children, 12 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

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CNA Staff, Aug 5, 2024 / 14:58 pm (CNA).

The Catholic bishops of the United Kingdom are praying for peace amid rioting sparked by the tragic stabbing of several schoolchildren by the son of Rwandan immigrants, saying "such violence threatens the values of our society."

"I condemn the appalling violence over the past week, especially that directed at migrants and their places of residence," Auxiliary Bishop Paul McAleenan of Westminster, the U.K.'s lead bishop for migrants and refugees, said in an Aug. 5 statement. "They demonstrate a complete disregard of the values which underpin the civil life of our country."

The protests follow a stabbing attack at a children's dance class in Southport, England, which left three young girls dead and nearly a dozen people injured in late July. According to the BBC, the 17-year-old suspect was born in the United Kingdom and his parents are immigrants from Rwanda, a predominantly Christian country in central Africa.

Reports have emerged of protestors attacking and damaging hotels housing asylum seekers, including a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Sunday night. About 240 asylum seekers who had been staying at the hotel were moved overnight after clashes between police and a crowd of hundreds of people, the BBC reported. 

Amid promises by Prime Minister Kier Starmer to make rioters feel "the full force of the law," police in the U.K. have arrested nearly 400 people since the protests began last week, and trials for some rioters have already begun.

"Today, and always, we need to continue to pray, work, and stand together for peace in our country. The actions of the few involved in violence stands in stark contrast to the work of charities, church groups, and volunteers who tirelessly extend the hand of welcome to migrants in acts of solidarity. We hope and pray that they will redouble their efforts so that we can rebuild communities after the terrible events of the last few days," McAleenan continued. 

"My prayers are particularly with those who are sheltering in hotels or are feeling threatened. You are loved and welcome here. We all should do what we can to make sure that you feel safe. My prayers are also with the emergency services, who selflessly continue to work despite the risks. Thank you for all that you do in the service of the common good."

Three children — 6-year-old Bebe King, 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and 9-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar — died in the stabbing attack, which occurred at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the northwest English town. Another eight children who attended the dance class suffered stab wounds, according to police. Two adults who were injured remained in critical condition before being later discharged. As of Monday, one child remains in the hospital. 

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of the Archdiocese of Liverpool last week urged Catholics to join him in prayer for the victims. 

"For those who have been injured, for those who are parents, family, and friends of the injured, for all involved in the emergency services, we pray for God's blessing, God's peace, and God's presence today," McMahon said in a statement on Monday, July 29, after the attack.

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CNA Staff, Aug 5, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis has appointed Providence, Rhode Island, Bishop Richard Henning as the archbishop of Boston as longtime Archbishop Cardinal Sean O'Malley is retiring at age 80.

The Vatican said in a statement on Monday that the Holy Father had accepted O'Malley's resignation from the archdiocese where has served for over 20 years. 

At 80, O'Malley is five years past the age at which prelates normally tender their resignation to the Holy See; the archbishop originally submitted his resignation in 2019 but stayed in the position at the pope's request. 

A press release from the Diocese of Providence said the two prelates will concelebrate Mass in Boston on Monday morning and that O'Malley would introduce Henning at a press conference at the diocesan pastoral center at 10 a.m. 

O'Malley has served as the archbishop of Boston since 2003, appointed to the post by Pope John Paul II. Home to nearly 2 million Catholics, the archbishopric is one of the most prominent roles in the U.S. Church. 

A noted leader in confronting clerical sex abuse in the Church, O'Malley has headed the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors as its first president since 2014. He has served as a member of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and sits on the Council of Cardinal Advisers. He participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis; at 80 he is ineligible to participate in future conclaves. 

Born on Oct. 17, 1964, in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, Henning studied history at St. John's University in Queens before studying for the priesthood at the now-closed Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York. He was ordained a priest at Rockville Centre on May 30, 1992. 

Prior to becoming a bishop, Henning served a variety of posts in the New York diocese including as parish vicar of St. Peter of Alcantara in Port Washington, New York, and as an associate professor of sacred Scripture at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception as well as the seminary's rector. 

He also served as vicar for clergy and as vicar for parish evangelization and pastoral planning in the Rockville Centre Diocese and as the diocesan episcopal vicar of the central vicariate.

He was consecrated as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre on July 24, 2018, and subsequently appointed as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Providence on Nov. 23, 2022. 

Upon the retirement of Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin, Henning became the ninth bishop of Providence on May 1, 2023. 

The prelate holds a licentiate in biblical theology from The Catholic University of America as well as a doctorate in that field from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 5, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Members of the United States Congress are demanding immediate answers after the U.S. State Department admitted a $500,000 grant the agency awarded to a humanist group may have been misused to promote atheism in Nepal and Asia under the guise of "religious freedom."

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is demanding the State Department disclose exactly how much it knew about a pro-atheist organization called "Humanists International" (HI) and its efforts to promote atheism before it awarded the group a $500,000 grant.

McCaul has given the State Department until Aug. 6 to comply with demands for more information, threatening a congressional subpoena if the agency fails to comply.

What is going on?

For several months, high-ranking members of the State Department denied accusations that the agency was funding efforts to promote atheism abroad. However, in an April 29 letter to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs Naz Durakoglu acknowledged that the department may have been misled about the exact nature of HI's humanist and atheist activism.

Humanists International is a coalition of dozens of "humanist, rationalist, secular, ethical culture, atheist, and freethought" organizations. According to the group's website, part of its mission is to "encourage the growth" of humanism, which it defines as "a democratic and ethical life stance" that "does not accept supernatural views of reality."

Humanists International Chief Executive Gary McLelland has specifically expressed "disgust" for the Catholic Church and said in a 2019 interview that he considers it his job to "combat the Vatican policies and to push against them."

The State Department awarded HI $500,000 under funds made available by a 2021 program titled "Promoting and Defending Religious Freedom Inclusive of Atheist, Humanist, Non-Practicing, and Non-Affiliated Individuals."

In March of this year, State Department Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Richard Verma testified that he was very familiar with HI's mission and that based on its grant application he considered the group to be a "exactly the right kind of program" for the department to fund.

He asserted that HI's aim was not to advance atheist proselytizing efforts but simply to "support civil society and protect them from persecution."

However, the department has since stated that HI provided the incorrect training materials when applying for the grant and that it was "deeply concerned" about the contents of the actual material being used.

Durakoglu's April 29 letter claimed that the new information sent to the department "directly contradicts Humanists International's previous representation to the department that the slides [training materials] it had earlier provided were the ones used at the training."

She said the department was "deeply concerned" about the contents of the actual materials being used, indicating that the U.S. funds sent to HI could have been abused.

In response, several members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said that "despite all of the evasions by the department, it is now plain that the grant promoted atheism and expanded atheist networks abroad while neglecting Christian and Muslim minorities who, unlike atheists and humanists, face real persecution in the relevant parts of South Asia."

What's next?

In a July 29 letter sent to Verma, McCaul said that though the State Department claimed to have been misled it had still failed to disclose all its correspondence with HI, leaving questions about how much the department knew of the group.

McCaul said he expects the department to turn over all its correspondence with HI by Aug. 6. If the department fails to comply, McCaul said he will issue a congressional subpoena.

"The department has engaged in a pattern of obfuscation and denial regarding the details of the grant as it sought, vis-à-vis its grantee, to expand atheist networks abroad in violation of the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution," McCaul wrote.

He referenced another letter sent by other members of the Foreign Affairs Committee in May in which the members expressed they were "skeptical" the department had any intention to fulfill its promise to take corrective action or recoup the money granted to HI under false pretenses.

McCaul said the department's continued failure to produce its correspondence with HI demonstrates an "unacceptable continuation" of evading responsibility for its misuse of funds. 

"Such revelations are alarming and remain a pressing matter for congressional oversight," McCaul wrote. "The committee has stated its expectation 'to be informed fully, and without delay, of all developments in this matter.' Accordingly, the committee expects a comprehensive update on this matter imminently."

Additionally, Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, who also sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has introduced a bill to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Foreign Assistance Act to "prohibit preferential federal grant treatment for atheist groups.

Michael Finan, a representative for Smith, told CNA that the State Department has been "misinterpreting one of Congressman Smith's four religious freedom laws" and that this new bill would "make sure that they comply with congressional intent."

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Rome Newsroom, Aug 4, 2024 / 13:50 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday urged prayers for those suffering in the world due to political conflict, violence, and natural disasters, highlighting humanitarian crises in Venezuela, the Middle East, and Myanmar.

Protests and violence have erupted in cities across Venezuela after citizens headed to the polls one week ago to vote in the country's controversial presidential elections held on July 28.  

The Venezuelan government declared on Monday that President Nicolás Maduro won the election, however many opposition leaders and citizens continue to contest the results, alleging fraud and corruption against the country's leader and his party. 

"I express my concern for Venezuela, which is experiencing a critical situation. I appeal to all parties to seek the truth and to avoid all kinds of violence and I ask all those involved to have the good of the people at heart," the Holy Father said during his Angelus address Aug. 4 from his balcony in the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square.

Pope Francis also drew attention to escalating violence in the Middle East.

"I follow closely and with great concern with what is happening in the Middle East. I hope that the bloody and violent conflict will end soon. I pray for the victims but in particular for the innocent children," he said.  

The Holy Father expressed his particular closeness with the Druze, an Arab ethno-religious minority, who were targetedin a rocket attack in Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in late July.

"??I express my closeness to the Druze community in the Holy Land, and to the people in Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon," he said.

Pope Francis also addressed the ongoing turmoil in Lebanon. Aug. 4 marked four years since the deadly blast in the Port of Beirut killed more than 220 people and injured some 6,500 people in the capital of Lebanon in 2020. 

According to news site Aljazeera, the investigation into the actual cause of the blast has been stalled due to "legal and political wrangling," Authorities claim the explosion was triggered by a fire at a warehouse that stored ammonium nitrate fertilizer.  

"Today the people of Lebanon are suffering. I am thinking of the victims, and the families of victims, of the explosion in Beirut. I pray for justice and for the new beatified [Patriarch Estephan Douaihy] to intercede for this country," the pope said. 

In his prepared remarks for his Sunday address, Pope Francis stated his hope that the conflict in the Middle East "will not spread even further," as reports of renewed violence and retaliatory attacks between Israel and Hezbollah and Hamas operatives in the region.

"May we have the courage to pick up dialogue for a ceasefire in Gaza and for hostages to be released. May the people be helped with humanitarian aid," the pope implored.

"We must pursue a journey of peace and justice. Enough, brothers and sisters! Enough! Do not drown out the voice of the God of Peace but let it be heard in the Middle East and in the whole world! War is a defeat," he added.

Pope Francis also spoke about the plight of vulnerable populations in two Asian countries — India and Myanmar.

"Let us not forget Myanmar," he said. "I also express my closeness to the people of India — particularly in Kerala — who have been hit by torrential rains which have caused the loss of lives, numerous displaced people and extensive damage."

Pope Francis has addressed the plight of the stateless Rohingya community since he visited Myanmar in 2017, and has often asked those who attend his Sunday Angelus addresses to pray for the persecuted religious minority. 

Since the early 1980s, the Rohingya have been denied citizenship in Myanmar and forced to flee to neighboring countries, such as Bangladesh, to escape violence.

More than 150 people were killed and another 100 people injured last week in Kerala, India, due to the devastation caused by heavy rainfall and flooding. Rescue efforts are still underway as authorities search for those missing following wide-scale landslides in the Wayanad district. 

Last week's natural disaster is the worst to hit Kerala since the deadly floods of 2018.  

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CNA Staff, Aug 4, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

When Sister Pia Maria first set foot in the maximum-security prison that houses Texas' female death row inmates, she was understandably nervous. Not only was she entering what was arguably the most dangerous part of the prison, but she was also about to spend some quality time with a group of women who had committed hideous, unspeakable crimes. 

What would she say to them? Would she even make it out?

But when at last Sister Pia and her fellow nuns from the Sisters of Mary Morning Star actually came face-to-face with the condemned women, "all the barriers just dropped."

"It was like we were just immersed, and we were friends, and we were talking, and we were laughing, and we were just at peace," she recalled, speaking to CNA.

"There was a spiritual presence, and we were able to connect and bond on our first visit. It was just the grace of God — it was just amazing."

The Sisters of Mary Morning Star is a contemplative Catholic order of nuns located near Waco, about 40 minutes from the Patrick L. O'Daniel Unit prison in Gatesville, which houses the state's seven female death row inmates. A relatively young order that originated in Spain and has now spread to 25 convents worldwide, the sisters celebrated their order's 10th anniversary just last month, in July. 

For the past few years, the sisters have visited their friends on death row — the sisters call it "Light Row" — once a month, forging real friendships with the women and leading six out of the seven of them to embrace the Catholic faith. 

In addition, the inmates have committed to being "oblates," which means they are laypeople living outside the religious sisters' community but are nevertheless committed to supporting the community through prayer.

The tradition of oblates — a word that comes from the Latin for "offering" — originated with St. Benedict, who wanted to establish in his Rule a way for men and women outside of a religious order to be affiliated with their work and prayer. 

"They're laypeople who live in the world who want to be committed to our community," Sister Pia explained. 

"They have a connection to our community, like the third order of the Franciscans or the Carmelites … living the spirit of our community in the world, but as a layperson."

'Inspired by the example of conversion and faith'

Sister Pia said despite her initial hesitation and nervousness upon being given the opportunity to enter the prison, she said she is inspired by the example of conversion and faith in God shown by the imprisoned women, who view their incarcerated state as something akin to a monastic life. 

"I think we receive so much more from them than we give to them," Sister Pia said. 

"It's really rewarding when you go in and minister and receive so much from the individual that you go and minister to. It's really the light of Christ that you're receiving from the other."

Texas is one of the most prolific states in the entire country when it comes to the death penalty, having carried out nearly 600 state executions and six federal executions since 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. According to the same group, Texas has executed more women — six — than any other state. 

None of the women on Texas' death row currently have scheduled execution dates, but Sister Pia said she and her fellow sisters have had to mentally prepare for and pray about the possibility that the state could choose at any time to end the life of any one of their friends. 

"It's something we've prayed about … we pray that we will be strong," she said. 

"It will be very difficult for us because we're close to them. We hope that it doesn't happen. We pray that there'd be a miracle, that their executions be stayed … but we leave it in the hands of God, that there be peace and grace that they receive when the time comes."

Deacon Ronnie Lastovica, the Diocese of Austin's pastoral care coordinator for the region where the prison is located, has ministered to the women of the Gatesville prison for over a decade. He was instrumental in coordinating the religious sisters' entry into prison ministry.

"I'm convinced it's the Eucharist that they're drawn to. And they, all on their own, desired to learn more about our faith," Lastovica told CNA, referring to the women on death row. 

Lastovica said women who have converted all individually chose to receive the sacraments and become Catholic. Two of them were baptized while on death row and received full sacraments, and the others were already baptized Christians and came into full communion with the Catholic Church. 

"You'll see that the ladies on death row, when they speak about the power of the Eucharist, what it's done for them … God is there. God is alive. In the very moment, you see, even for the worst of sinners, hope is restored. And there's no greater gift that can ever be given to a soul than the presence of Christ himself."

An observation and an invitation

A couple of years ago, Lastovica was reading about the new order of sisters coming to Waco. He was struck by how similar the womens' prison life was to religious life — living in cells, a structured day of work and rest, not interacting much with the outside world. He called the sisters' prioress and asked if they would consider visiting the women in prison. 

At first, he said, the prioress was hesitant because she wasn't sure that prison ministry fit with their order's contemplative charism. But the order decided to make an exception, in part because the women on death row are unable to come to them — so the sisters had to be the ones to make the first move. 

And it has worked out very well, Lastovica said — to the point where the Waco sisters received permission to continue visiting every month.  

"They all bring their own brokenness to this community of women who, on Light Row, are also broken, but yet they've been healed by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus has restored them to their dignity and their worth and their true identity that they are all precious daughters of God."

"They're teaching them the Liturgy of the Hours. They do Scripture studies. They've introduced them to all the practices that the sisters have which are doable in prison," Lastovica explained.

"The women get up in the morning, they do morning prayers, they go out to the garden, they work for two hours, they come back in. It's just a beautiful way of life that they're living."

Like Sister Pia, Lastovica was certainly apprehensive to enter a maximum-security prison for the first time decades ago. But he said even in the presence of violent offenders, "I've never felt threatened."

"They have a respect for God. Maybe they don't believe in God, but they respect people that come and represent God, and of course, in our tradition, Jesus Christ. And I've always carried the Lord with me. I always had the Eucharist with me," he said. 

"All we can do is our part, and encourage them to do their part, and trust God. God's going to do his … we just bring them the good practices of our tradition of a prayer life, sacramental life."

Lastovica's experience with prison ministry is further confirmation, he said, that God "comes looking for us," even those who seem to be the most sinful and broken.

"A lot of [the prisoners] don't feel like they're worthy; they just don't. And they've got to embrace the fact that they are worthy, that they're not defined by what they've done or what they haven't done or what people say about them or what they don't say about them. And so once they begin to embrace that … it changes them instantly."

"We're called to see Christ in each other. And that's a tall order. Some people are not willing to do that," he said, acknowledging how difficult and painful it can be for a person who is a victim of a crime or is affected by a crime to forgive the perpetrator. 

"None of us are beyond redemption. That's the good news," he said.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 3, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

"What would happen if we prayed more and complained less?" Pope Francis asked Aug. 2 on his official profile on X.

He then invited the faithful to ask the Lord for "the grace to know how to pray for one another."

The Holy Father posted this message as part of the Year of Prayer 2024, which he proposed as a preparation for the upcoming Jubilee of Hope 2025.

The pope inaugurated the current Year of Prayer on Jan. 21, and since then he has invited the faithful to place themselves before the presence of the Lord on numerous occasions, especially through the hashtag #YearofPrayer.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has often reiterated the importance of avoiding complaining about others and "gossip," which he has referred to as "a plague on people's lives."

On the occasion of an Angelus prayer last September, he lamented that "the first thing that is usually created around those who make mistakes is gossip, in which everyone finds out about the mistake, with all the details, except the person affected. This is not right and does not please God," he affirmed.

"I never tire of repeating that gossip is a plague in the lives of people and communities, because it brings division, suffering, and scandal, and never helps [people] to improve and grow," the Holy Father reiterated.

On another occasion, he warned that gossip is a "deadly poison" and something "very bad" that destroys "human communion." 

"Never speak ill of one another. If you have a problem with a sister or brother, go and tell them face to face. And if you can't do it, swallow it, but don't go around spreading unrest that does harm and destroys," the Holy Father advised.

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, Aug 2, 2024 / 18:11 pm (CNA).

Here's a roundup of pro-life-related developments in the U.S. this week.  

Catholic pregnancy center sues California attorney general

Culture of Life Family Services (CLFS), a Catholic pregnancy center network with three locations in the San Diego area, is suing California Attorney General Rob Bonta for what the network is calling a "politically motivated" campaign to limit the free exercise of religion.

CLFS is a nonprofit staffed by a team of medical professionals who offer a range of services including pregnancy care and abortion pill reversal.

The network is hoping its suit, which was filed on Tuesday, can stop Bonta's efforts to ban pregnancy centers from promoting chemical abortion reversal treatments.

Chemical abortions currently account for over 60% of all U.S. abortions. The most common form of chemical abortion involves the ingesting of an abortion pill called mifepristone that works by cutting off the flow of nutrients to the unborn baby, essentially starving the baby to death. Abortion pill reversal works by administering progesterone, a chemical that can restore nutrient flow to the baby.

In 2023 Bonta launched a lawsuit against a group of pregnancy centers to stop them from promoting abortion pill reversal treatments. He claimed the treatments are ineffective and dangerous and that pregnancy centers' promotion of abortion pill reversal amounts to "fraudulent misrepresentation."

CLFS claims that the opposite is true and that Bonta's effort to stop religious nonprofits from promoting abortion pill reversal violates their free exercise of religion and free speech rights.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has also filed a similar lawsuit against pregnancy centers in her state.

Utah Supreme Court upholds block on pro-life law

The Supreme Court of Utah upheld a block on a law protecting life at conception, keeping abortion legal until 18 weeks for the time being.

The 4-1 decision issued on Thursday by Utah's high court reaffirmed a lower court ruling, which keeps the state's "trigger law" from taking effect while the law works its way through the courts.

The trigger law only allows abortion in cases of rape, incest, fetal defect, or serious risk to the mother's health. The measure was set to take effect upon the overturn of Roe v. Wade, which occurred in 2022; however, it has remained blocked due to a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood and several other pro-abortion groups.

The Utah Supreme Court said that the lower court "did not abuse its discretion when it concluded that PPAU [Planned Parenthood] and its patients would be irreparably harmed without the injunction" and that it did not "act outside the bounds of its discretion when it concluded that the injunction would not be adverse to the public interest."

Man charged with assaulting elderly pro-life activists

Patrick Brice, 27, was arrested on July 1 and is being charged with assaulting two elderly pro-life activists outside a Planned Parenthood in Baltimore in May 2023.

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, the firm representing the assaulted pro-life activists, Brice is listed as 6 feet 5 inches tall and 200 pounds and is facing five violent assault charges related to his alleged assault.

The two pro-life activists, Dick Schaefer, then 84, and Mark Crosby, then 73, were offering pro-life sidewalk counseling outside the abortion clinic when the attack occurred.

In June 2023, the Baltimore Police Department released a video of the incident showing a large young man tackling Schaefer into a planter and then shoving Crosby onto the ground before hitting and kicking him in the face. The video shows the man walking away from the scene after the attack. 

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, the beating ensued after a debate about abortion between the pro-life activists and the man.

Brice is being charged with one count of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, and two counts of assault on elderly above 65.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 2, 2024 / 18:31 pm (CNA).

The Venezuelan government is facing increasing pressure to conduct a transparent recount of its July 28 presidential election.

According to the government-controlled National Electoral Council, President Nicolás Maduro secured another six-year term with 51% of the vote against opponent Edmundo González's 44%. 

However, many of those in opposition to Maduro have cited the fact that a detailed breakdown of the official results has not been provided. 

In a July 30 statement, the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference announced it was "uniting its voice" to worldwide demands for the verification of the election results while also urging people to "stand firm in hope."

In Venezuela, voters use electronic machines that print out a receipt showing which candidate they selected and deposit these receipts at ballot boxes before leaving the polls. After these polls close, each machine prints out a tally sheet showing how many votes the candidates received, with copies being given to both electoral authorities and party representatives stationed at polling sites.

Opponents to Maduro have claimed that they acquired 81% of Venezuela's voting machine receipts thus far, thanks to the efforts of its witnesses at the voting centers. According to this opposition, 67% of all votes from these machines went toward González, as opposed to the 30% that Maduro received.

María Corina Machado, a leading opponent of the Maduro government and campaign partner of González, told the Guardian this week that "[Maduro] should understand that he was defeated."

Various countries throughout the world have demanded that Venezuela conduct a fair recount of the ballots and publicize all available electoral records. As a result of their outcry, over the past week diplomats from Argentina, Panama, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic have been expelled from the country by Maduro's government.

On Aug. 1, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement recognizing González as the election's winner, citing "the overwhelming evidence" of González's victory, which has been "clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people."

Under Maduro's administration, Venezuela has been plagued by poverty, food shortage, and rising crime and mortality rates. According to USA for UNHCR, as many as 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2014 as a result of the turmoil.

The current Venezuelan government has also repeatedly come under fire for investigating and silencing opponents, including Catholic priests. In 2018, Maduro reportedly referred to several Catholic clerics who had spoken out against the country's turmoil as "devils in cassocks," stating the Catholic Church in Venezuela as being "full of evil, poison, hatred, perversion, and slander."

In response to the controversy over the election, Maduro has asked Venezuela's high court to conduct an audit of the presidential election. He has told reporters he is prepared to "throw myself before justice" and is "willing to be summoned, questioned, investigated," which drew criticism from opponents who claim that the court is too closely aligned with Maduro's government to conduct a fair review.

Over the past week, demonstrations and violence have also escalated throughout Venezuela. Masked assailants ransacked the headquarters of Venezuela's opposition party around 3 a.m. Friday. According to Machado, who has gone into hiding after Maduro's threats of arrest, the assailants stole valuable documents and equipment pertaining to the election results.

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