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Washington D.C., Mar 11, 2025 / 20:25 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Robert McElroy emphasized the importance of Christian hope, mercy, and respecting human dignity in a homily in the nation's capital during his solemn installation Mass in which he assumed the role as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington. 

More than 100 priests, bishops, dozens of religious sisters, and hundreds of Catholic laity attended the Mass on Tuesday afternoon at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The basilica sits adjacent to the campus of The Catholic University of America in the Brookland neighborhood of the city.

McElroy is replacing Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who is retiring from his position at the age of 77. 

"With jubilant hearts, we say 'welcome,'" Gregory said during a brief speech before the Mass began, which yielded a round of applause from Mass-goers.

McElroy devoted his first homily as the archbishop of Washington to highlight the need for Christian hope, which is the theme of the 2025 Jubilee Holy Year. He also spoke at length about the importance of mercy, compassion, and respect for human dignity.

The cardinal called on Catholics to be "pilgrims of hope in a wounded world" and pointed to the hope displayed by St. Mary Magdalene in Tuesday's Gospel reading. John 20: 11-18 recounts Magdalene's arrival to Christ's empty tomb, where she weeped when she saw his body was gone, but maintained hope in Christ before ultimately encountering the resurrected Christ.

"She realized that every presupposition that she had about her life, her mission, her purpose in the world, needed to be changed," McElroy said, and urged the faithful to "embrace the same risen Lord that Mary Magdalene encountered in the garden." McElroy referenced Francis' emphasis on mercy and compassion, saying the pontiff understands that "all of us are wounded, all of us are in pain, [and] all of us are sinners in need of mercy and forgiveness." 

"Mercy and compassion must be our first impulse when confronted with sin and human failure," McElroy said. 

"For hope arises when we confront ourselves as we truly are, understanding that the bountiful, merciful love of God is without limit, and undertake the call to live out the teachings of the church and be sacraments of mercy to others," he added. "We are a Church which believes that love and truth do meet. That is precisely our glory as the children of God." 

The cardinal stressed the human dignity of every person, such as the unborn, migrants, and the poor. 

"The search for genuine encounter and unity lie at the heart of God's vision for our world, alongside special care for those who are most vulnerable among us," he said. "What hope we could bring to our world as the Church of Washington if we could truly help our society to see others more as God sees them: beloved children, brothers and sisters."

The Mass was multilingual, including some prayers and readings in English and Spanish. The intercessions included several additional languages, including Haitian Creole, Tagalog, Igbo, and Chinese. The intercessions included prayers for Pope Francis, civil and political leaders, unborn children, migrants and refugees, and increased vocations.

At the end of the Mass, McElroy led the congregation in a decade of the rosary to pray for the continued recovery of Pope Francis, who has spent weeks in the hospital.

McElroy is taking charge of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. less than two months after President Donald Trump's inauguration for his second non-consecutive term. Days after his appointment in January, the cardinal wished Trump success in the White House but also criticized his plans for mass deportations of immigrants who entered the country illegally. 

"We are called always to have a sense of the dignity of every human person," McElroy said on Jan. 6. "And thus, plans which have been talked about at some levels of having a wider indiscriminate massive deportation across the country would be something that would be incompatible with Catholic doctrine. So we'll have to see what emerges in the administration."

McElroy mostly avoided a discussion of politics during his homily, but spoke about concerns he has with division in the country. 

"God is the Father of us all, and God sees us as equal in dignity and moral worth," he said in the homily. "How deeply that contrasts with the world that we have made. Divisions of race and gender and ideology and nationality flourish in the world of politics, religion, family life and education."

Pope Francis announced in early January that the 71-year-old McElroy would leave his post at the Archdiocese of San Diego to assume his new role in the Church. McElroy, who holds a doctorate of sacred theology and a doctorate of political science, was made a cardinal by Francis in 2022.

Other concelebrants included Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop emeritus of Washington. Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich were also in attendance.

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CNA Staff, Mar 11, 2025 / 17:15 pm (CNA).

Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines who was rebuked by Catholic leaders for overseeing thousands of extrajudicial killings, has been arrested on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity. 

Duterte, 79, was detained shortly after landing at Manila's international airport on a flight from Hong Kong, NPR reported. The outspoken former mayor of the city of Davao won election to the presidency in 2016 in large part because of his pledge to be tough on crime, especially the illegal drug trade. 

As president, Duterte reportedly dispatched police "death squads" nationwide to carry out extrajudicial executions of suspected drug dealers and drug users, which attracted worldwide attention and criticism. 

The United Nations investigated Duterte's tactics during his drug war beginning in 2018 and concluded in 2020 that young men in poor and urban areas were being routinely gunned down in the street by police without any due process. Testimonies and reports gathered over the years suggest that the police were incentivized to carry out the extrajudicial killings with financial rewards. 

Estimates vary widely, but the Philippine government has officially acknowledged just 6,248 deaths due to the anti-drug campaign. However, the ICC prosecutor has said the death toll could be as high as 30,000, Reuters reported. 

Duterte in 2019 withdrew the Philippines from the treaty that created the ICC in order to avoid an investigation into the drug war, but the ICC has reiterated that it retains jurisdiction over crimes committed when the Philippines was still a member, AsiaNews reported. 

The country's Catholic bishops had long been vocal in their opposition to Duterte, including his "war on drugs," and opposed his call in 2020 to reinstate the death penalty for illegal drug use and other crimes. 

In a March 11 statement, Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, welcomed the developments in the ICC case against Duterte. The group appealed to Duterte's supporters and political allies to "set aside personal loyalty and choose to stand with the rule of law" over and above partisan interests.

"These killings were not random; they were part of a policy that violated the fundamental right to life," emphasized Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice president of Caritas Philippines. 

"The families of the victims deserve truth, reparations, and justice. As a nation, we must ensure that such crimes never happen again."

Duterte was openly hostile to religion and to the Catholic Church — to which the vast majority of Filipinos belong — during his time in office. Just prior to his election as president, Duterte called Pope Francis a "son of a wh-re" after a papal visit caused increased traffic in Manila. Duterte later apologized to the pontiff in a letter. 

In June 2018, Duterte called God "stupid" and a "son of a b-tch" during a speech. He also claimed that the majority of Philippine priests were homosexual.

Later that month, Duterte said he was willing to enter into a dialogue with the country's bishops' conference in an effort to repair relationships, and the president's spokesperson announced that a committee would be created to better collaborate and communicate with the Catholic hierarchy.

But then, later that same year, Duterte said citizens should "kill and steal" from Catholic bishops, stating that "this stupid bunch serves no purpose — all they do is criticize."

In a September 2021 pastoral message, the archbishops of Nueva Segovia, Lingayen-Dagupan, and Tuguegarao in northern Luzon lamented the spate of drug-related killings in the country and attacks on journalists, members of the political opposition, lawyers, activists, and priests. The bishops urged the faithful to resist the "culture of murder and plunder." 

In 2020, four bishops and two priests were accused of attempting to overthrow Duterte, but the charges were dropped. And several Catholic priests and Catholic laypeople who were arrested under Duterte's administration for criticizing the drug war were later acquitted in 2023. 

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ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 11, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis and the Catholic Church in Argentina expressed their solidarity with flood victims in the city of Bahía Blanca located in Buenos Aires province.

In addition to prayers, the Catholic Church in Argentina has sent material aid to Bahía Blanca, which suffered severe flooding on Friday after 16 inches of rain fell in just a few hours. So far, 16 fatalities have been reported, more than 900 people have been evacuated, and significant damage has been reported.

In a Monday telegram, Pope Francis sent a message of hope and solidarity to the hard-hit community through Archbishop Carlos Azpiroz Costa, OP, of Bahía Blanca.

"Saddened to learn of the natural disaster that is affecting the region of Bahía Blanca, which has [resulted in] so many victims and material damage, I offer fervent prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased," the Holy Father said in his message.

He also assured his spiritual closeness to the population, beseeching the Lord "to grant comfort to the bereaved and to all those who are suffering in these moments of pain and uncertainty" and prayed that the Lord would also "sustain with his grace" all those committed to searching for the missing and undertaking "the arduous process of rebuilding the devastated areas."

Finally, Pope Francis assured his prayers to Our Lady of Mercy, that she may intercede for those affected, and sent his apostolic blessing.

The executive committee of the Argentine Bishops' Conference said it shared "the pain and uncertainty of our brothers and sisters from Bahía Blanca, asking the Lord to alleviate the anguish of those who have been affected in different ways."

They also prayed that the Lord would "strengthen the volunteers in their dedication to care for the lives of their brothers and sisters" and prayed for the intercession of Our Lady of Mercy, patroness of the Archdiocese of Bahía Blanca.

Azpiroz and his auxiliary bishop, Pedro Fournau, addressed the people "in these hours of anguish" that the city is going through.

"We want to be at the side of those who are suffering the most from the consequences of the storm: to assure our prayers for each of the victims of this flood and to be close to those who have lost a loved one, those who still cannot find the whereabouts of a family member, or those who have seen their homes flooded and have had to evacuate," they said.

The bishops asked God to grant comfort and "sustain everyone's spirit to stay afloat together" and encouraged the population to trust in the Lord and offer him "all the pain, uncertainty, fear, or helplessness" in their hearts.

They also urged "mutual compassionate help" at this time. "In the midst of the storm, we want to say with you: We are not alone, God walks with us and never abandons us!" they exclaimed.

Caritas Argentina immediately launched a campaign to address the emergency. A donation can be made at this link. 

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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CNA Staff, Mar 11, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Two more Catholic Charities agencies have announced layoffs in the wake of the Trump administration's 90-day federal funding freeze.

Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump issued a directive to pause foreign aid for a 90-day review as well as a domestic funding pause designed to prevent federally-funded incentives for illegal immigration. 

The directive has led to a freeze on federal funding for Catholic Charities programs across the U.S., most predominately affecting their migrant and refugee service programs.

This week, Catholic Charities in San Diego and Fort Wayne, Indiana, cut employees amid federal funding cuts to migrant resettlement programs, according to news reports.    

San Diego  

Catholic Charities of San Diego has ceased bringing in asylum-seeking migrants to its Mission Valley Shelter amid funding cuts, according to a local report by NBC. The charity group is laying off more than 70 employees working in its migrant programs, which include a refugee services program and a migrant shelter.

The charity's CEO, Vino Pajanor, said released employees are being offered other opportunities in the company at programs in the agency that have openings. The company will lay off 42 people in San Diego and 31 in Imperial County at the end of April.

Headquartered less than two dozen miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, Catholic Charities of San Diego began operating migrant shelters in April 2021 amid a surge of illegal immigration to the U.S.

Over four years, Catholic Charities of San Diego aided 405,000 migrants from 146 countries. The group received about $9 million of its $46 million budget from the federal government at the peak of the migrant surge, Pajanor told NBC.

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is letting go of 17 employees following funding cuts, according to a local report. The layoffs followed the federal government's termination of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). 

Last year, the Indiana-based agency resettled 380 refugees in northeast Indiana. The agency received $3 million for the refugee service in 2024. The agency's reception and placement contract was cut this year, one of nearly 10,000 contracts that were cut.  

The agency's CEO, Dan Florin, told a local news service that aid to newly arriving migrants will be on pause "for the foreseeable future."

In recent weeks, Catholic Charities organizations have laid off staff and shut down programs following the 90-day federal funding freeze. 

Local Catholic Charities agencies in Dallas; Syracuse, New York; and Santa Rosa, California, scaled back program operations and laid off employees on account of the freeze. Catholic Charities in Jacksonville, Florida; the panhandle of Texas; and southwest Kansas have also been impacted by the funding freeze. 

Soon after the Trump administration paused the funding, Catholic Charities USA urged the administration to reconsider the freeze, citing the "crucial care" the funding helps provide. 

Last month, the U.S. bishops sued the Trump administration, arguing the suspension of the funding for refugee programs was unlawful. 

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London, England, Mar 11, 2025 / 14:45 pm (CNA).

Leading pro-life campaigners in England and Wales have expressed alarm following reports that Westminster's proposed "assisted dying" process might be outsourced to private companies.

Following a report in The Times that the U.K. government is considering contracting out assisted death to the private sector, should it become legal, a spokesperson for Right to Life UK said the plans were "a disaster waiting to happen."

Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in favor of an assisted dying bill in November 2024 at its second reading, and the bill is now under the scrutiny of a parliamentary committee, which is examining how "assisted dying" might work in England and Wales.

The report in The Times stated that resorting to an arrangement with the private sector would be a means of easing pressure on the taxpayer-funded National Health Service (NHS), which has notoriously long waiting lists.

However, Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK, said the move would be a mistake. "Introducing assisted suicide to the U.K. would be a disaster waiting to happen, made potentially even worse if outsourced to the private sector," she said. 

"It could easily create a perverse incentive to push assisted suicide on patients where, in a specialized Dignitas-like service, an assisted suicide business seeks to assist in ending the lives of their clients as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to maximize profits," she added.

Robinson continued: "Under such a system, the existing checks and safeguards will likely be increasingly viewed as an inconvenience and a barrier to business. The welfare of vulnerable patients will be especially at risk due to the profit motive."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops' Conference for England and Wales said: "We have consistently opposed the bill to legalize assisted suicide in principle. We encourage all Catholics in England and Wales to make their voices heard and contact their MPs to ask them to vote against it at third reading."

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is expected to reach its next stage, known as the report stage, later in the spring and then MPs will be given a chance to vote again on the bill at third reading, having assessed the committee's recommendations on the bill.

If it passes, the bill will then have to progress through the House of Lords before it can receive royal assent and become law.

The government health secretary, Wes Streeting, has made no secret of his concern that legalizing "assisted dying" would place too much pressure on the NHS.

"There would be resource implications for doing it. And those choices would come at the expense of other choices," he told Times Radio in November 2024.

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ACI MENA, Mar 11, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

The Syrian coast in the western part of the country has become a theater for unprecedented unrest since the onset of the Syrian crisis in 2011. This past weekend, at least 745 Alawite civilians lost their lives in what the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights described as ethnic cleansing. The clashes have reportedly killed at least 1,000 people.

The incidents unfolded as armed Alawites, opposing the new authorities in the country, killed members of the general security forces. Subsequently, government authorities sent reinforcements to the region and clashes erupted between the two groups. The violence escalated to include looting, random acts of vandalism, and targeting civilians based on sectarian grounds.

Christians, while not targeted specifically for their religious affiliations, were not spared. Some lost their lives simply for living in the region — among them Jihad Bechara, the father of a priest in the coastal city of Banias.

The Latin bishop of Aleppo, Hanna Jallouf, issued a statement on March 7 "supporting the Syrian state" against those who seek to destabilize the country and do her ill, a reference to the Assad loyalists, according to the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner.

In a joint statement issued the next day on March 8, the patriarchs of Syria condemned acts that threaten civil peace and denounced the "massacres targeting innocent civilians," emphasizing the "urgent need to put an end to these horrific actions that contradict human and moral values."

The patriarchs' statement underscored the importance of Syrian territorial unity and firmly rejected any attempts at division. It also called for "swift measures to create favorable conditions for achieving national reconciliation among the Syrian people and fostering an environment that enables a transition to a state that respects all its citizens, builds a society founded on equal citizenship and genuine partnership, and moves away from notions of revenge and exclusion."

In his sermon at the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X (Yazigi) expressed support for the establishment of a fact-finding committee to hold accountable those responsible for civilian bloodshed and public security violations. 

His call was echoed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, in its own statement, strongly condemned "the atrocities committed against civilians on sectarian grounds."

Addressing President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Yazigi remarked: "The sanctity and dignity of individuals have been violated. The chants and slogans being used fuel division, foster sectarianism, and undermine civil peace. Numerous towns and villages have had their homes burned and their possessions looted. The targeted areas are predominantly inhabited by Alawites and Christians, many of whom have fallen victim to these tragic killings."

He added: "Mr. President, the icon of the Virgin Mary — honored by Muslims and Christians alike — has been desecrated and destroyed. This is not the Syria you envision in the aftermath of the revolution. We call upon you to exercise your wisdom and efforts to immediately stop these massacres and restore security and stability for all Syrians, regardless of their backgrounds."

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 10, 2025 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a lawsuit that challenges Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy" for minors who have gender dysphoria or same-sex attraction and will consider religious freedom and free speech concerns about the prohibition.

Justices announced on Monday, March 10, that they would hear a legal challenge to a Colorado law that expressly prohibits licensed psychologists and therapists from engaging in what it calls "conversion therapy." This ban does not apply to actions or statements from parents, clergy members, or others.

State law defines "conversion therapy" as "any practice or treatment" that attempts to change a person's "sexual orientation or gender identity," such as efforts to change a person's "behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex."

The law states that permitted therapy includes treatments that provide "acceptance, support, and understanding" to help facilitate a person's "coping, social support, and identity exploration, and development."

A Christian counselor named Kaley Chiles filed a lawsuit to challenge the law in 2022, arguing that her clients come to her for faith-based counseling, and some are referred by churches or word of mouth. The lawsuit asserts that the law constitutes viewpoint discrimination because it expressly permits therapy that is supportive of gender transitions but prohibits therapy that is rooted in "a religious viewpoint that aligns with her religious beliefs and those of her clients."

"Chiles' clients voluntarily and specifically seek her counsel because they want the help her viewpoint provides," the lawsuit states. "Yet Colorado's law forbids her from speaking, treating her professional license as a license for government censorship."

According to the lawsuit, Chiles does not impose her beliefs on her clients. Rather, it states she discusses her client's objectives and goals and his or her religious and spiritual values to better formulate a unique plan for her client.

The lawsuit states that some clients wish to discuss issues that "implicate Christian values about human sexuality and the treatment of their own body." It adds that some of her clients are living lifestyles inconsistent with their faith that cause "internal conflict, depression, and anxiety" and desire Christian-based counseling to change their behaviors or eliminate unwanted urges.

Chiles is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is a Christian legal group that has won religious freedom victories at the Supreme Court level in the past. This includes a 2023 Supreme Court ruling in favor of a Christian web designer who refused to design websites for same-sex civil weddings. 

ADF President Kristen Waggoner said in a statement that the Colorado government "has no business censoring private conversations between clients and counselors, nor should a counselor be used as a tool to impose the government's biased views on her clients."

"There is a growing consensus around the world that adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria need love and an opportunity to talk through their struggles and feelings," she continued. "Colorado's law prohibits what's best for these children and sends a clear message: The only option for children struggling with these issues is to give them dangerous and experimental drugs and surgery that will make them lifelong patients."

The lawsuit argues that the Colorado law violates Chiles' First Amendment rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion. 

"We are eager to defend Kaley [Chiles'] First Amendment rights and ensure that government officials may not impose their ideology on private conversations between counselors and clients," Waggoner said.

In the past, the Supreme Court has declined to take up lawsuits related to "conversion therapy" bans. In December 2023, the court decided 6-3 to refuse to hear a challenge to a Washington law that is nearly identical to Colorado's law.

More than 20 states either restrict or outright ban this form of therapy. The Supreme Court's decision could set nationwide precedent on whether states can restrict or ban so-called "conversion therapy."

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National Catholic Register, Mar 10, 2025 / 11:15 am (CNA).

Males who identify as transgender women shouldn't be allowed to play female sports and the Democratic Party should make room for pro-lifers, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on a podcast Thursday.

Newsom, 57, governor of one of the most Democratic states in America and often lampooned by conservatives as an unhinged left-winger, made the comments during an 82-minute interview with an unlikely guest: conservative Christian activist Charlie Kirk.

Newsom, widely considered a likely presidential candidate in 2028, is a strong supporter of legal and publicly funded abortion, despite being a baptized Catholic. As mayor of San Francisco in 2004, he ordered the clerk's office to issue same-sex civil marriage licenses, which was against state law at the time.

But his comments during his "This Is Gavin Newsom" podcast have drawn widespread attention.

Newsom's newsmaking statements came in response to Kirk's prodding, which was spurred on by Newsom's repeated pumping of Kirk for political advice.

"But what do you do? Seriously, Charlie Kirk, give us some advice," Newsom said at one point.

"Get better ideas, Governor," Kirk said. "… Like for example — you have an opportunity to, like, run to the middle and seize this mantle. Obviously you're talking to me about people. 

"You right now should come out and be like, 'You know what? The young man who's about to win the state championship in the long jump in female sports, that shouldn't happen.' You as the governor should stay up and say, 'No.' Would you do something like that? Would you say, 'No men in female sports'?"

"Well, I think it's an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It's deeply unfair," Newsom said.

Kirk, the co-founder of the politically conservative advocacy organization Turning Point USA, noted that a recent poll found that 80% of Americans oppose males playing female sports. He said he could see Newsom wrestling with the issue.

"No, I'm not wrestling with it, the fairness issue. I totally agree with you," Newsom said.

Newsom also seemed to downplay the value of using alternative pronouns for people who identify as other than male or female, saying he has only seen it happen once during a meeting during his time as governor. He also said no one in his office has ever used the purportedly gender-neutral term "Latinx."

Again under Kirk's prodding, Newsom praised as "brilliant" a Trump campaign spot before the presidential election last fall saying that "Kamala is for they-them. President Trump is for you."

"Devastating. Devastating. Devastating. And she didn't even react to it, which was more devastating," Newsom said.

Kirk also raised the issue of abortion. He said the Democratic Party has what he called "an unhealthy purification process" that leaves the party "a bunch of people who are talking to each other."

"For example, if there's a pro-life Democrat, is there a place for a pro-life Democrat in the party?" Kirk asked.

"There should be," Newsom said. "That's principle. There should be. That's a deeply held personal point of view. God bless."

"And I say this as one of the biggest champions for reproductive freedom on the planet," Newsom said.

Newsom, who still identifies as a Catholic, praised Kirk "as a man of faith, and I deeply admire that about you."

Kirk occasionally chided Newsom for taking the Lord's name in vain, which he did several times during the interview.

At times, Newsom sounded as if he were doing what is known in politics as opposition research — but with the goal not of discrediting his opponent but rather learning from him.

"These things are important — and by the way, it's the reason we're having this conversation," Newsom said. "This is very illuminating and helpful to me, to understand sort of the animus. What is it about, you know, that animus?"

Newsom said his own 13-year-old son wanted to skip school on Thursday so he could meet Kirk, 31, who makes popular online videos based on his frequent visits to college campuses. Kirk often debates liberal students outside while inviting them to ask him anything.

Asked by Newsom how often he talks to President Donald Trump, Kirk said: "Once or twice a week."

The conversation between Newsom and Kirk was cordial, bordering on friendly, but the two clashed on certain issues, including whether what Kirk called "pornographic" books should be eliminated from elementary schools, which Newsom called "book banning."

On another matter, Kirk said teachers should be fired if they withhold a student's gender transitioning at school from the child's parents. Newsom responded: "There's so much extreme rhetoric in this space."

Kirk said Democrats will lose on that issue.

"Sometimes you lose on principle. It's one of those things; everything's not political, is the point," Newsom said.

Newsom said Kirk and Republicans are on the unpopular side on abortion and same-sex civil marriage, which Kirk acknowledged.

But Newsom said he agreed with Kirk that Democrats are hurt by their stance on gender-identity issues.

"I deeply am mindful of the politics of this, which are very unhelpful personally," Newsom said. "It's unhelpful more broadly, professionally [to] the Democratic Party and our brand and one of the reasons — to your point — the Democratic Party brand has just been crushed."

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 10, 2025 / 14:40 pm (CNA).

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, signed legislation late last week to bolster religious freedom from state-level rules and regulations.

The Wyoming Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which mirrors the federal law with the same name, prohibits the state government and local governments from enacting any policies that "substantially burden a person's right to the exercise of religion" in most cases. It also creates a framework for people to sue government entities that violate this policy.

With the adoption of this law, Wyoming becomes the 29th state to enact these protections at the state level. Most Republicans in the state Legislature supported the bill, and Democrats were split on the legislation.

Under the bill, which goes into effect July 1, a "burden" is defined as any action that directly or indirectly "constrains, inhibits, curtails, or denies the exercise of religion." A "burden" includes, but is not limited to, withholding benefits, assessing administrative penalties, exclusion from government programs, or the denial of access to government facilities.

This protection applies to all state and local laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, and policies even if they are already in place. It applies to rules that are generally applicable to the public, which grants more assurances for religious freedom exemptions when universal rules could threaten a person's exercise of his or her religion.

According to the new law, the state or local governments could only substantially burden a person's exercise of religion if the rule is "essential to further a compelling government interest" and "the least restrictive means of furthering that … interest."

A person who believes his or her religious exercise has been substantially burdened or is likely to be substantially burdened can appeal to this law in administrative or judicial proceedings.

A spokesperson for the governor's office told CNA the legislation "is a process-related bill that ensures every Wyomingite receives a fair hearing when the question arises as to whether the government is seeking to force that person to violate his or her religious beliefs."

Greg Chafuen, senior counsel for the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement that the new law "provides a sensible balancing test for courts to use when reviewing government policies that infringe upon the religious freedom rights of Wyomingites." 

"The law doesn't determine who will win every disagreement, but it does ensure that every person — regardless of their religious creed or political power — receives a fair hearing when government action burdens a person's freedom to live out his or her religious beliefs," Chafuen said.

Chaufen praised the lawmakers who voted for the legislation and the governor for signing the bill, adding that "our laws should protect the freedom of every person to live and worship according to their faith."

In 1993, then-President Bill Clinton signed the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law, which established these protections at the federal level. However, the federal law does not apply to state or local rules because the United States Supreme Court ruled that enforcement of this law on state or local rules was outside of Congress' authority.

At the time, enacting the federal law was bipartisan. However, in recent years, Democrats in Congress have sought to scale back religious freedom exemptions, particularly when they apply to antidiscrimination laws regarding sexual orientation and transgenderism and health care laws when applied to abortion or transgender drugs and surgeries.

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Rome Newsroom, Mar 9, 2025 / 13:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday thanked volunteers for the closeness and tenderness they show others in need of their care.

As the Holy Father continues medical treatment at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, the Vatican released his March 9 Sunday homily and Angelus message dedicated to the approximately 25,000 men and women participating in the March 8-9 Jubilee of the World of Volunteering. 

At the conclusion of his homily, the pope thanked volunteers associated with non-profit and non-governmental organizations for following Jesus by serving others.

"On the streets and in homes, in the company of the sick, the suffering and the imprisoned, with the young and the elderly, your generosity and commitment offer hope to our entire society," the pontiff shared in his prepared homily. 

"In the deserts of poverty and loneliness, all those small gestures are helping to make a new humanity blossom in the garden that is God's dream, always and everywhere, for all of us," he continued.

In his Angelus message, the 88-year-old pontiff said volunteers bear witness to the "primacy of gratuitousness, solidarity and service to those most in need." 

"In our societies, too enslaved to market logic, where everything risks being subject to the criterion of interest and the quest for profit, volunteering is prophecy and a sign of hope," the pope said.

"I express my gratitude to those who are engaged in this field: thank you for offering your time and abilities; thank you for the closeness and tenderness with which you care for others, reawakening hope in them!"

Calling those who care for the sick "a sign of Lord's presence," the Holy Father expressed particular gratitude towards the doctors and medical staff caring for him at Gemelli Hospital.   

"Brothers and sisters, during my prolonged hospitalization here, I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care," he said. "We need this, the 'miracle of tenderness' which accompanies those who are in adversity, bringing a little light into the night of pain."

The pope on Sunday also thanked those who have and continue to pray for his health and healing since being admitted to hospital more than three weeks ago on Feb. 14: "Heartfelt thanks to you all! I pray for you too."

In a March 9 statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican said it will hold the Roman Curia's annual spiritual exercises from March 10-14 this year.  

"In accordance with tradition, this time of contemplation and prayer represents a moment of silence and discernment for the Holy Father's collaborators, who will gather in a spirit of reflection and listening to the Word of God, continuing to pray for his health," the Vatican statement said.

The pope said he will "join spiritually" those participating in this month's spiritual exercises, in his Angelus message.

During the March 10-14 spiritual exercises, the Vatican said the recitation of the Holy Rosary for the Holy Father's health will be held at 5 p.m. local time inside the Paul VI Audience Hall, instead of 9 p.m. local time in St. Peter's Square.    

Since Feb. 24, cardinals of the Roman Curia have led daily prayer evenings, open to the public, in St. Peter's Square for the pope's recovery.

At the end of his Sunday Angelus message, the pope asked people to pray for the "gift of peace" for Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Syria.

"I entrust you all to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary," he said. "Happy Sunday, and arrivederci (goodbye)!"

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