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St. Louis, Mo., Nov 19, 2024 / 09:15 am (CNA).

A St. Louis pro-life group has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional a rural Illinois town's now-defunct "buffer zone" law, which previously impeded the group's peaceful protests and counseling outside the town's abortion clinics. 

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide whether or not it will take up the case on Nov. 22.

The case, Coalition Life v. City of Carbondale, Illinois, concerns a law restricting protests outside three abortion clinics in Carbondale, a small college town about two hours southeast of St. Louis and three hours north of Memphis, Tennessee, both major cities in states that currently have strong pro-life protections in place. 

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Illinois leaders have leaned in to the state's status as a destination for women seeking abortions throughout the Midwest. Democratic leaders in the state had been expanding protections for abortion in the state for years before the fall of Roe, removing all criminal penalties for performing abortions and lifting regulations on clinics. 

Notably, in 2019, Planned Parenthood opened an 18,000-square-foot, $7 million "mega" abortion clinic in southern Illinois just a dozen miles from downtown St. Louis, originally expected to see 11,000 patients a year.

Coalition Life, a St. Louis-based pro-life organization, had been engaging in peaceful sidewalk counseling of women outside Carbondale's abortion clinics, offering information about free ultrasounds and pregnancy tests, STD testing, and recommending "options coaching" at a pro-life pregnancy center.

The pro-life group was engaged in this work until the town, citing what people associated with the abortion clinic described as "aggressive and misleading tactics," amended its "disorderly conduct" ordinance to criminalize approaching within eight feet of another person without their consent for purposes of protest, education, or counseling within 100 feet of a health care facility.

Such ordinances, which have been enacted in various local municipalities and at least three states at large across the country, are often known as "buffer zone" or "bubble zone" laws.

Buffer zone laws

Carbondale's ordinance was modeled after a Colorado law upheld in the seminal 2000 U.S. Supreme Court case Hill v. Colorado, a precedent that has faced numerous legal challenges from pro-life advocates over the years as pro-lifers argue such laws chill their right to free speech. In 2023, the Supreme Court declined to hear a similar case, which challenged a "bubble zone" ordinance in Westchester County, New York.

The Supreme Court has ruled in the past, however, against very large buffer zones, striking down a 35-foot buffer zone ordinance in Massachusetts in McCullen v. Coakley in 2014. In 2020, though, the high court turned away challenges to eight-foot and 20-foot buffer zones in Chicago and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, citing the Hill precedent. 

Coalition Life is asking the Supreme Court to overturn Hill v. Colorado, which it says would allow ordinances and laws nationwide modeled after the Colorado statute to be challenged and potentially struck down, creating a more level playing field for public discourse on abortion, especially after the overturning of Roe v. Wade returned the issue of abortion policy to the states. 

A federal district court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 7th Circuit have already ruled against Coalition Life in the case, and a similar case challenging a buffer zone law in Englewood, New Jersey, has also faced roadblocks in federal courts.  

Peter Breen, the executive vice president and head of litigation for the Thomas More Society, which is helping to represent Coalition Life, said in a statement that "Hill v. Colorado was egregiously wrong on the day it was decided, and it remains a black mark in our law to this day."

"'Bubble zones,' like the one in Carbondale, are an unconstitutional and overzealous attempt to show favor to abortion businesses at the expense of the free speech rights of folks who seek to offer information, alternatives, and resources to pregnant women in need," Breen added. 

"It's time to end, once and for all, the political gamesmanship places like Carbondale play with our free speech rights."

According to Capitol News Illinois, this past July the Carbondale City Council quietly and unanimously repealed the buffer zone language from its disorderly conduct code — which had been in place only 18 months and was never enforced — only a few days prior to Coalition Life's petition to the Supreme Court. 

Opportunity to correct 'flawed precedent'

Coalition Life argues in its petition to the Supreme Court that its case presents a clear opportunity to correct a flawed precedent that continues to undermine First Amendment rights, adding that Carbondale's attempt to moot the case by repealing the ordinance highlights the urgent need for the Supreme Court to act. 

Carbondale and other municipalities will readily reenact similar ordinances if the Supreme Court declines to take up the case, the group argues. 

"It took them four minutes to repeal that, and assuming that we stopped fighting, it will take them four minutes to put the bubble zone back in," Coalition Life founder Brian Westbrook told Capitol News Illinois.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 19, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pro-life advocates plan to push federal- and state-level legislative and policy reforms on abortion when the United States Congress and many state legislatures enter into session in January 2025.

Many plans look toward regulating the abortion drug mifepristone, which is used in chemical abortions. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion policy group, chemical abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023, which is an increase of 10 percentage points from 2020 and more than double what it was in 2014.

Other efforts will include rolling back the abortion policies of President Joe Biden's administration, supporting conscience protections for doctors and hospitals opposed to abortion, and backing a federal law that restricts abortion by a certain point in pregnancy. There is currently no federal abortion cutoff, and nine states permit elective abortion for any reason through the ninth month of pregnancy, until the moment of birth.

Abortion policy has become a major battle over the past two and a half years after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. With this decision, states and the federal government can restrict abortion. More than 20 states adopted laws to restrict abortion and protect life, but pro-abortion activists pushed back in several states through the referendum process.

President-elect Donald Trump will provide the movement with an executive branch more friendly to their cause. However, he has also changed his position on abortion in recent years — rejecting a ban on chemical abortion drugs and promising to veto a federal law to ban abortions, instead favoring a state-by-state approach.

Pro-life efforts are further complicated by voters who support Republican candidates but also want abortion to remain legal. For example, in 2024 voters in Montana, Missouri, Arizona, and Nevada voted to elect Trump but also voted in favor of pro-abortion ballot initiatives.

The effort to regulate abortion drugs

Students for Life of America (SFLA) unveiled its "Make America Pro-Life Again" roadmap, which makes chemical abortion pills the primary focus. The organization sees opportunities to regulate and restrict those drugs, even in the states where voters have enshrined a legal right to abortion in their state constitutions.

SFLA President Kristan Hawkins told CNA "there's a lot that you can do" in states that have a constitutional right to abortion, noting that a right to abortion "doesn't mean [every] type of abortion should be permitted."

For instance, Hawkins said states could follow a new law in Louisiana to classify mifepristone and misoprostol — two drugs used for chemical abortions — as controlled substances. 

She also pointed to state and federal efforts to pass legislation that regulates the disposal of human remains of the unborn child expelled from the body after taking chemical abortion pills. She said the remains are commonly flushed into American waterways, which pollutes the water supply.

Other state-level measures include bans on the sale, manufacture, and distribution of chemical abortion pills within a state. Such a measure successfully passed in Wyoming but was temporarily blocked by a judge. Another route would be to impose civil and criminal liabilities on abortionists who mail abortion drugs into their state.

At the federal level, Hawkins suggested enforcement of the Comstock Act, which prohibits the delivery of "obscene" and "vile" products through the mail, including anything designed to produce an abortion. The law was first adopted in 1873 but was updated as recently as the 1990s. 

During Trump's campaign, the president-elect said he would not enforce the Comstock Act to prevent the mail delivery of abortion drugs and said chemical abortion is "going to be available" during his presidency. Hawkins said that if Trump "wants to be the president of law and order," he should enforce the law as it is written.

Other federal efforts would focus on issuing regulations through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. 

Reversing Biden's policies

At the federal level, pro-life advocates hope to work with Trump on reversing some of Biden's policies.

"We're very focused on encouraging the Trump administration to undo all of the harm [from] the Biden administration," Kelsey Pritchard, the director of state public affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, also told CNA. 

Biden's policies include federal funds for abortion overseas, a policy at the U.S. Department of Defense to fund abortion travel costs for service members and their families, and the prosecution of pro-life protesters charged with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

Hawkins also referenced the "weaponization of the government against Americans who are pro-life" in reference to recent FACE Act convictions. She criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for its harsh prosecution of peaceful protesters and its failure to prosecute more individuals who have attacked pro-life pregnancy centers. 

Pardoning the "pro-life prayer warriors," as Hawkins referred to them, should be a priority on his first day in office, she said. Trump has said if he is elected he would get those protesters "back to their families." 

During his campaign, Trump signaled his openness to reversing other elements of Biden's abortion agenda. He told EWTN News he would look into reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits taxpayer funds for overseas organizations that provide abortion.

"We're going to be giving that a very good, serious look," Trump said, without committing to reinstating the Mexico City Policy. The president-elect did reinstate it during his first term.

Hawkins said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must also ensure that Catholic hospitals will have their freedom of faith and conscience respected and tell them they will not be "threatened and forced to commit abortions as the state of California is currently doing with Catholic hospitals there."

Abortion restrictions and support from Republicans

Pro-life advocates still aim to eventually secure congressional passage of federal restrictions on abortion, a goal that will be challenging to achieve given the House's narrow Republican majority and the Senate's 60-vote threshold for most bills.

"We need some sort of national minimum standard when it comes to abortion because we are one of eight countries in the world that allows abortion at any point," Pritchard said, adding that many Americans are open to restricting most abortions at the 15-week mark. 

"That's something that's not going to be achieved overnight," she said.

Hawkins called Trump's position that abortion should remain a state issue a "shortsighted view" but that she believes "we can work with him on that."

Pritchard added that the pro-life movement needs stronger support from Republicans and referenced Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign against the the Florida abortion referendum, which narrowly failed to reach the 60% threshold needed for adoption.

"We need more Republicans to do that," Pritchard said. "Democrats are so far out of step with the American people." 

Although the amendment failed to reach the 60% threshold, 57% did vote in favor of it. However, the pro-life movement succeeded in referendums in two other states. In Nebraska, voters supported a ballot initiative to restrict abortion at the 12-week mark and in South Dakota, voters rejected an initiative to enshrine a right to abortion in the state's constitution.

Pritchard pointed out that Democrats spent a lot of their money running advertisements on abortion but still lost the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, which shows "abortion is not the silver bullet that the Democrats believed it was."

"We can only win in states where the [Republican Party] is willing to be bold about what these measures actually do," Pritchard said.

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CNA Staff, Nov 18, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Police in Arizona are investigating an October parish fire as an act of arson, with authorities seeking help identifying a suspect in the blaze amid warnings from federal law enforcement over increased arson activity against houses of worship. 

Fire officials at the time indicated that the incident was not initially considered an act of arson. But Casa Grande police said over the weekend that a suspect was being sought in connection with the fire. 

The Casa Grande Police Department said in a Facebook post on Saturday that the fire at St. Anthony of Padua "was purposely set" and that investigators need "help identifying [the] suspect." 

The police have "been working closely with the Casa Grande Fire Department and the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives] to complete this investigation," the post said. 

The police department did not immediately respond to a query about the status of the investigation. 

The investigation comes after the ATF earlier this month urged houses of worship to exercise "increased vigilance" and adopt new security measures amid a series of recent arson incidents against churches in the Northeast.

The federal agency cited several fires at churches in New England in recent months, including a fire at a Catholic parish in Franklin, Massachusetts, which investigators have determined was an act of arson.

The ATF in its statement suggested churches should employ several methods of enhanced security, including video cameras, restricted facility access, and updated emergency plans. 

The bureau also said houses of worship should "maintain open communication with local police and ATF, report any suspicious activity immediately, and explore options for regular patrols in the area."

Last month Tucson, Arizona, Bishop Edward Weisenburger said he was "deeply grieved by the damage and destruction" to St. Anthony of Padua Parish.

"A characteristic true to Catholicism is that our houses of worship are not simply places where we pray," the bishop said. 

"Rather, they are imbued with holiness by the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, the waters of baptism, consecrated vessels for worship, and the grace that flows from the celebration of the sacraments," he said. 

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CNA Staff, Nov 18, 2024 / 17:15 pm (CNA).

President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend nominated Brendan Carr, currently serving as the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to be the commission's next chairman. 

The FCC is an independent agency overseen by Congress that governs, among other things, radio stations transmitting on AM or FM frequencies, satellite radio and TV stations, cable networks, and broadcast TV stations. Its top leadership includes five presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed commissioners, by law a mix of Republicans and Democrats, who serve five-year terms.

A graduate of Georgetown University and The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law, Carr has enjoyed bipartisan support during his tenure at the FCC, having been first nominated to sit on the commission during Trump's first term and renominated twice under current Democratic President Joe Biden. The Senate unanimously confirmed him as a commissioner after each nomination. 

Before being named a commissioner, Carr was a legal adviser for the FCC and then served as its general counsel. He has generally favored the cutting of regulations on smaller broadcasters and increased regulation on Big Tech. The FCC does not currently have regulatory oversight over tech giants such as Google and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, the New York Times noted. 

As a commissioner, Carr strongly opposed requirements rolled out under the Biden administration that would have mandated that all U.S. radio and television stations publish information about the race and gender of their employees. 

A group of Catholic radio stations, including several affiliated with EWTN, CNA's parent company, filed suit earlier this year against the requirements, arguing that the new regulations would "adversely affect them as well as all religious broadcasters generally."

Carr said in a statement dissenting from the FCC's February ruling introducing the mandate that he would not have opposed such a requirement if the filings remained confidential. The fact that such filings will be made public, however, means that the FCC will soon "post a race and gender scorecard for each and every TV and radio broadcast station in the country."

"This is no benign disclosure regime. The record makes clear that the FCC is choosing to publish these scorecards for one and only one reason: to ensure that individual businesses are targeted and pressured into making decisions based on race and gender," Carr asserted at the time. 

Carr is a critic of "net neutrality," a policy previously endorsed by U.S. Catholic leaders that bars internet service providers like Comcast or AT&T from blocking or slowing down content from particular websites or web-based services, treating the internet more as a public utility than a commodity. Trump's first administration under FCC commissioner Ajit Pai rolled back net neutrality rules, while Biden's administration reinstated them earlier this year. 

The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), a trade association for Christian communicators, offered its endorsement of Carr for FCC chairman on Nov. 15, saying Carr has "comprehensively supported policies that allow smaller, independent, and religious broadcasters to conduct their business without burdensome government interference."

How Carr might lead the FCC

Carr authored a chapter of "Mandate for Leadership 2025: The Conservative Promise," also known as Project 2025, expounding on the qualities he says will be crucial in the next FCC commissioner. 

In the chapter, Carr wrote that the FCC ought to address the issue of Big Tech corporations abusing their dominant market positions and attempting to stifle diverse political viewpoints online. 

He also recommended that the FCC demand more transparency from Big Tech, suggesting that the FCC issue an order clarifying Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which has generally been interpreted to protect the operators of websites such as Facebook and Instagram from legal liability for content posted by third parties, unless those sites knowingly promote sex trafficking and prostitution. 

Carr suggested the FCC should clarify the liability protections afforded to online platforms when it comes to censoring users' speech, saying Section 230 has thus far been interpreted to "confer on some of the world's largest companies a sweeping immunity that is found nowhere in the text of the statute." 

The FCC should work to safeguard U.S. communications networks from foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, Carr urged, expressing skepticism about Chinese telecom operators as well as TikTok. 

Carr has for several years strongly backed the building out of the U.S. network of 5G coverage and suggested that the FCC should work to modernize its infrastructure regulations to encourage the expansion of fiber networks and streamline the permitting process for new infrastructure projects. 

He also wrote that the agency should prioritize transparency and accountability in its operations, proposing that the FCC eliminate unnecessary regulations and ensure its rules are grounded in sound data and analysis.

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Vatican City, Nov 18, 2024 / 17:45 pm (CNA).

Nov. 18 is celebrated in the Catholic Church as the feast day of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul. Here are three things to know about the historical, architectural, and spiritual significance of these two papal basilicas.  

1. Historical significance of the Nov. 18 feast day 

In the fourth century, the world's first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine, commissioned the construction of two separate basilicas over the burial sites of St. Peter and St. Paul to enable the public veneration of the two great apostles, martyrs, and evangelizers of Rome.

After Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire following the Edict of Milan issued by Constantine in 313, construction of the first Basilica of St. Peter began in 319 and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester on Nov. 18 in 326. Historical records indicate that Sylvester consecrated the first basilica built by Constantine dedicated to the apostle St. Paul on Nov. 19 around the year 330.

The masses of pilgrims who came to pray at the tombs of the "Prince of the Apostles" and the "Apostle to the Gentiles" required constant repairs, renovations, and expansion of the two basilicas built by Constantine.

In 1506, Pope Julius II ordered the demolition of the original basilica dedicated to St. Peter to construct the second Basilica of St. Peter, which still stands today. Pope Urban VIII solemnly consecrated the magnificent Basilica of St. Peter 120 years later on Nov. 18, 1626.  

Over the centuries the basilica dedicated to St. Paul underwent several renovations and two major reconstructions. The current Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls is the third basilica built above the apostle's burial site. In 1854 — after the great fire of 1823 and over 30 years of construction work — Pius IX consecrated the newly-built basilica and fixed Nov. 18 as its commemoration date.

2. Architectural significance of the two basilicas 

With histories that span nearly two millennia, both the Basilica of St. Peter and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls bear the marks of changing architectural designs dating back from the Paleo-Christian period to the present day.

The world-famous 16th-century Basilica of St. Peter, visited by millions of tourists and pilgrims yearly, took over 100 years to construct and was heavily influenced by Western artistic styles of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Designed by the Italian architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the 94-foot-tall bronze canopy, known as the baldacchino, is a Baroque masterpiece that towers above the central altar and stands directly above the tomb of St. Peter. To highlight the primacy of Peter among the apostles, the baldacchino features sculptures of cherubs holding the papal tiara as well as the "keys to the kingdom of heaven," which Jesus entrusted to St. Peter and his successors. Bernini also designed the keyhole shape of St. Peter's Square.

Throughout its history, the Roman basilica dedicated to St. Paul was a testimony to the Catholic Church's ancient past. Before the 1823 fire, the basilica housed artworks and historical artifacts from the Paleo-Christian, Byzantine, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.

Reconstructed to be identical to the basilica destroyed by fire, the art and architecture of St. Paul Outside the Walls has taken its inspiration from different architectural styles dating back from the 11th century to contemporary designs of the 21st century.

The holy door of this major basilica was designed by Enrico Manfrini in preparation for the 2000 Jubilee Year. Inside this door stands the Byzantine door, created in 1070, depicting scenes of the life of Christ and the first Christians.

3. Spiritual significance of the two basilicas 

The burial sites of the two patron saints of Rome remain significant places of pilgrimage for Christians.

St. Peter's Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls, two of the four papal basilicas of Rome, are visited by millions of tourists for their historical, architectural, and artistic importance. For Christian pilgrims, the two major basilicas hold a greater spiritual significance that links their faith in Jesus and his Church to two of its most faithful apostles who led the way for Christians throughout the ages through their teachings and witness.

On the June 29 solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Francis invited all of the Catholic faithful to imitate their example and "open the doors" of the Church during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. 

"The jubilee will be a time of grace, during which we will open the holy door so that everyone may cross the threshold of that 'living sanctuary' who is Jesus," the Holy Father said in his homily.

The holy door in the Basilica of St. Peter opens on Christmas Eve to usher in the jubilee year. The holy door of St. Paul Outside the Walls will open on Jan. 5, 2025.

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CNA Staff, Nov 18, 2024 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis' call for an investigation into claims that a genocide may be happening in Gaza has garnered criticism. 

In a passage of a new book published ahead of the 2025 Jubilee Year and released on Sunday, Pope Francis noted that according to some experts, "what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide" and called for a careful investigation, according to Vatican News.

The book by Hernán Reyes Alcaide is titled "Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims Toward a Better World" and was written for the occasion of the 2025 Jubilee, which is scheduled to begin Christmas Eve. It includes interviews with Pope Francis and will be released Nov. 19 in Italy, Spain, and Latin America by Edizioni Piemme Publishers. It will be published in other languages at a later date.

Pope Francis said in the book that, "according to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies."

"In the Middle East, where the open doors of nations like Jordan or Lebanon continue to be a salvation for millions of people fleeing conflicts in the region: I am thinking above all of those who leave Gaza in the midst of the famine that has struck their Palestinian brothers and sisters given the difficulty of getting food and aid into their territory," Pope Francis continued.

Israel's ambassador to the Holy See pushed back against the claim.

Yaron Sideman responded to the pope's comments on X, highlighting the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Israeli citizens by Hamas and pointing to Israel's right to self-defense.

"There was a genocidal massacre on 7 October 2023 of Israeli citizens, and since then, Israel has exercised its right of self-defense against attempts from seven different fronts to kill its citizens," Sideman stated. "Any attempt to call it by any other name is singling out the Jewish state." 

In a Nov. 18 press release, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), a global coalition combating antisemitism, also criticized the pope's remarks, calling them "an eighth front" of the war against Israel.

"The State of Israel is currently facing a war of intended annihilation on seven fronts, and these remarks look like a possible opening of an eighth front, from of all places, the Vatican, which can also lead to the spilling of Jewish blood around the world," said Sacha Roytman, CEO of CAM. "For a pope who appears to prize even-handedness and peace, we see that the Jewish state once again appears to be the exception." 

In December 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice for alleged violations against the Genocide Convention, according to Reuters. The court has yet to rule on the charges. 

A United Nations Special Committee on Nov. 14 released a report claiming that "Israel's warfare in Gaza is consistent with the characteristics of genocide, with mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians there."

"Since the beginning of the war, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that strip Palestinians of the very necessities required to sustain life — food, water, and fuel," the committee stated. "These statements along with the systematic and unlawful interference of humanitarian aid make clear Israel's intent to instrumentalize lifesaving supplies for political and military gains."

Pope Francis on Nov. 14 met with several hostages recently freed from months of captivity in Gaza. Sixteen people attended the meeting last Thursday. One attendee, a young boy, gave the pope a football jersey with the name "Tal Shoham," the name of a family member who was taken hostage along with his wife, children, mother-in-law, and other relatives, Vatican News reported.

On Oct. 7, 2023, 1,200 people died after Islamic terrorists attacked Israel, taking 252 people hostage. According to Reuters, Palestinian health authorities say more than 41,500 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza.

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Puebla, Mexico, Nov 18, 2024 / 14:00 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has approved a series of liturgical adaptations for Indigenous communities in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

According to Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de las Casas, this decision transforms certain Indigenous expressions into "liturgy of the Church," eliminating the perception that they were simply "uses and customs that were viewed with suspicion."

The Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted "confirmatio" on Nov. 8, endorsing the "adaptations to the Ordinary of the Mass in Spanish" for the Tseltal, Tsotsil, Ch'ol, Tojolabal, and Zoque ethnic groups. It also granted "recognitio" for the translation into Tseltal of key magisterial documents, such as the apostolic constitution Missale Romanum and the motu proprio Mysterii Paschalis.

Arizmendi, who led the efforts of the Mexican episcopate to promote these adaptations, said in a message shared with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that these practices are a form of "incarnation of faith in expressions specific to these cultures." Their acceptance by the Holy See represents a sign that "if in some Indigenous customs there are deviations, we can help them reach their fullness in Christ and in his Church."

The cardinal expressed his hope that this approval "will encourage the process to promote similar adaptations in other Indigenous groups." To this end, he invited his brother bishops and pastoral workers to "have an interest in giving liturgical value to many Catholic expressions of our native groups and not see them as simple folklore."

What are the adaptations approved by the Vatican?

The cardinal explained that "ritual dances were approved for the offertory, the prayer of the faithful, or the thanksgiving after Communion," pointing out that these "are not folklore but simple movements of the entire assembly, monotone, contemplative, accompanied by traditional music, which express the same thing as the Roman rite, but in a different cultural form."

"The content of the Mass is not changed but the way of expressing it," the cardinal said.

Another point approved is that women will be able to perform the ministry of thurifers during the Mass. Once the priest "places [on the coal] and blesses the incense," the women will proceed to incense the altar, the images, the Gospel book, the ministers, and the assembly.

"They do it not with the common censer but with an incense that is proper to the culture," the cardinal indicated.

The cardinal emphasized that this sign "is not a feminist demand" but one that responds to the customs of Indigenous communities, where "it is usually the woman who incense during traditional prayers."

In another change, it was approved that a layperson of "recognized moral relevance" can lead "certain parts of the community prayer."

This can be done "at the beginning of the Mass, to initiate the community into the celebration, to name intentions, and to ask forgiveness" as well as "in the prayer of the faithful, after the priest makes the initial invitation and closes with the concluding prayer."

It can also occur "after Communion as a thanksgiving, which the priest concludes with the post-Communion prayer."

"This is not about removing the priest from his role as president of the assembly," the cardinal explained, "since he is the one who is in charge of the celebration and who authorizes these moments." With this, he pointed out, the aim is to provide a way for the assembly to participate.

"The content of the Roman rite is not being changed, but rather its cultural expression," 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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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 18, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen several Catholics to serve in his Cabinet and other parts of his administration, including environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., three-term Sen. Marco Rubio, and Rep. Elise Stefanik.

The 45th and soon-to-be 47th president made more than a dozen announcements within 10 days of his electoral victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Many of his Cabinet nominees and other administration official picks have yet to be announced.

Among the Catholics Trump has chosen for his Cabinet are Kennedy, who was nominated to be the secretary of Health and Human Services; Rubio as secretary of state; Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations; and John Ratcliffe, nominated as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

These four Cabinet-level positions require Senate confirmation. 

Trump also announced he will appoint Tom Homan as the "Border Czar," a position that does not require Senate confirmation. Homan is a Catholic and was previously the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the president-elect's first administration.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and the son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, was nominated by Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees 10 agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

"For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to public health," Trump said in his announcement. "... HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming health crisis in the country."

A lifelong Democrat before launching an independent bid for president of the United States during the 2024 election, Kennedy dropped out of the race in August and endorsed Trump after the former president promised him a health-related role. He is Catholic and credits "a profound spiritual enlightenment" for his recovery from drug addiction in his early adulthood. However, he deviates from Church teaching on life by supporting legal abortions.

Kennedy has been critical of the childhood vaccine schedule. Kennedy has said he would not "take vaccines away from anybody" as secretary of Health and Human Services but that he would promote more inquiry into side effects. He has long been critical of large pharmaceutical companies influencing regulations and the impact that processed food has on the nation's health.

"I look forward to working with the more than 80,000 employees at HHS to free the agencies from the smothering cloud of corporate capture so they can pursue their mission to make Americans once again the healthiest people on Earth," Kennedy said in a statement.

Marco Rubio

Trump nominated Rubio, a one-time rival for the presidency, to serve as secretary of state.

"Marco is a highly respected leader and a very powerful voice for freedom," a statement from the Trump transition team read. "He will be a strong advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries." 

Rubio has served as a senator from Florida since 2011 and was previously in the Florida House of Representatives. His parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba. He was raised in the Catholic faith at an early age, but his family began attending a Mormon church during his childhood before returning to Catholicism. Although the senator is Catholic, he sometimes attends a Baptist church with his wife. 

"As secretary of state, I will work every day to carry out [Trump's] foreign policy agenda," Rubio said in a statement after the announcement. "Under the leadership of President Trump, we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else."

Rubio has historically supported a hawkish foreign policy, which is at times at odds with Trump's campaign rhetoric that is skeptical of American involvement in foreign wars. In recent years, however, he has moved closer to Trump's view on foreign policy. He was initially in favor of the United States providing aid to Ukraine but voted against the most recent aid bill.

Elise Stefanik

The president-elect nominated Stefanik to serve as the United States ambassador to the United Nations, which primarily represents American interests in the international organization. 

"[Stefanik] was the first member of Congress to endorse me and has always been a staunch advocate," Trump said in a statement. "... [She] led the charge against antisemitism on college campuses. She will be an incredible ambassador to the United Nations, delivering peace through strength and America First national security policies." 

Stefanik is the chair of the House Republican Conference, which makes her the fourth-ranking Republican in the chamber. She will be replaced by Rep. Lisa McClain in this role. Stefanik is a strong and vocal supporter of Israeli military action in the Palestinian Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon. She is Catholic and is opposed to abortion but supports same-sex marriage. 

"The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries," Stefanik said in a statement.

"I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump's restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day 1 at the United Nations," she said.

Stefanik, like Rubio, has historically been more hawkish on foreign policy but has moved closer to Trump's views of late. She initially backed American aid to Ukraine but later opposed it. She has previously supported Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

John Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe, who briefly served as the director of national intelligence during Trump's first term and is a former congressman, will head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 

"From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation to catching the FBI's abuse of civil liberties at the FISA court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for truth and honesty with the American public," Trump said in a statement. "When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden's laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American people."

Like Rubio and Stefanik, Ratcliffe has also been historically hawkish. He has been strongly critical of Chinese officials and Iran. He has criticized the Biden administration for not providing more intelligence and military aid to Israel. 

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 17, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

"With God, everything; without God, nothing": This maxim of her mother left a deep impression on Luz Maribel Jiménez, director of human resources at Carnicerías Jiménez, an award-winning Catholic family grocery store chain in Chicago. 

In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, Jiménez shared her family's guiding principles to inspire entrepreneurs who aspire to lead a business with values ??and purpose.

"The most important lessons I learned from my parents include putting God and family first, maintaining a strong work ethic, feeling pride and love for what you do, treating everyone with respect, and offering help whenever possible. These are just some of the lessons," said Jiménez, one of the family's daughters.

A legacy born from faith, effort, and sacrifice

In 1975, José Jiménez and his wife, Guadalupe, opened a fruit store on the corner of 26th and Pulaski, marking the beginning of the Jiménez family's legacy in Chicago. From that first business, they were able to expand and transform their venture into Carnicerías Jiménez, now a chain of eight stores that offers fresh produce to the community.

Today, José and his children manage the business, which is much appreciated for the contribution it makes to the local community. In addition, the company's employees appreciate its family atmosphere. 

"My parents built this business from scratch. They built it on a foundation of faith, love, respect, hard work, dedication, and sacrifice," Luz Maribel Jiménez shared.

Guadalupe, the mother of the family and one of its pillars, passed away on Feb. 7, 2022, leaving a great void but valuable lessons, her daughter related.

"Without a doubt, the most significant challenge we have encountered as a family and as a business has been the death of my mother. Although she will always be in our hearts, she played a huge role in our lives."

Jiménez, who continues her legacy, shared with ACI Prensa some of the lessons her mother lived by.

1. 'Faith is fundamental.'

According to Jiménez, the Catholic faith has been the driving force that undergirds the family in all its decisions. "My parents always put God as the basis of every action, from the smallest to the most consequential."

A clear example of this was when the family opened its store on Fullerton Avenue. José, the patriarch of the family, decided to build a private chapel in the store to keep alive his devotion to St. Martin de Porres, which he practiced growing up in Mexico. This decision allows him and his team to pray to the saint and also to the Virgin of Guadalupe and St. Jude Thaddeus.

"Faith has been fundamental" in the development and growth of the business," Jiménez said.

"Prayer and reflection have been guiding forces, helping us clarify our vision and make crucial decisions. It has strengthened our resilience during difficult times, allowing us to maintain a positive attitude and continue moving forward," Jiménez explained.

2. 'Sustaining and transmitting family values.'

The continuity of family values, according to Jiménez, is another of Carnicerías Jiménez's mainstays.

"My parents have upheld and passed down our family values ??throughout the generations by fostering open communication, sharing stories, encouraging participation in traditions, and leading by example," she recounted.

In particular, her father has been an exceptional storyteller: "For as long as I can remember, he would engage us directly, using examples from his experiences to illustrate his points, always concluding with a moral lesson."

In this regard, she addressed future generations of Latino youth to urge them to "always remember their roots and embrace and celebrate their faith, family, traditions, and talents."

"Their faith will guide them on the right path, while gratitude for their blessings will empower them. Family traditions and the shared values ??they maintain are vital connections to the future," she advised.

3. Be grateful: 'We cannot achieve success alone.'

Another of the main lessons that the Jiménez family can leave to future generations of Catholic entrepreneurs, she said, is having learned "to lead [their employees] with integrity, respect, and gratitude." 

"Although business and financial growth is crucial, we recognize that we cannot achieve success alone. We must be grateful to our employees, customers, the communities where we are located, suppliers and advisers: all those who have contributed to building our business," she noted.

4. Constantly educate yourself; 'never lose sight of your dreams.'

Jiménez also advised entrepreneurs to commit to continuous learning since, according to her, "education is essential to create positive changes in your life and in the lives of others."

"Never lose sight of your dreams; you have the ability to achieve them. Also, always remember to appreciate those who supported you on your path to your goals," she added.

5. 'Maintain an environment where employees feel like family.'

One of the priorities of the Jiménez family has always been the well-being of its employees. Jiménez emphasized that the company has worked to create "an environment in which they feel like family, valued and appreciated."

"Our mentality has been to provide for our employees, our community, and all those who have helped us reach our 50th year in business," she said.

In addition, she recalled that the company's policies are based on solid principles of "honesty, humility, service, and gratitude."

6. 'Money is a tool, never an end.'

For the Jiménez family, business should not be just a means to make a profit. The human resources director emphasized that "business for the sake of making a profit is never the way" and added that "the end result and decision-making based solely on numbers should not be the only metric to define whether our business or company is profitable."

"Money is a tool, never an end," she pointed out, emphasizing that the true measure of their success is what they can do for the community.

"Our business has always measured itself and its profitability by what we can do to continue to provide employment and stability in our neighborhoods. We do our best to provide/donate financial assistance to the local community, the Catholic Church, and on the global level," Jiménez noted.

Being a successful business, Carnicerías Jiménez has managed to engage locally by donating financial and food assistance to charities, churches, and schools. In addition, it sponsors community events and offers educational programs and job training for disadvantaged groups.

Globally, the company — under the leadership of José Jiménez — has provided disaster relief, sending supplies to diverse regions such as Mexico, Central America, Haiti, and Puerto Rico, and helping to build schools, clinics, and homes in impoverished areas.

7. One last piece of advice: 'Pray always; always pay attention to the words of Jesus.'

At the end of the interview, Jiménez emphasized to young people that the key to running a business with values ??is to always remain in prayer: "Always pray; always pay attention to the words of Jesus, his teachings, and his example in everything we do in this life."

She also emphasized the importance of cultivating both oneself and one's employees, avoiding the temptation to exploit resources for financial gain alone. 

"Know that the quality of life you create, the quality of the work environment for yourself and your people will have a huge impact on the profitability of your efforts," she explained.

Finally, Jiménez shared two quotes that have always accompanied her and sum up her philosophy of work and life:

• "No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence" — Martin Luther King Jr.

• "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" ("For the greater glory of God"), the motto of the Society of Jesus

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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London, England, Nov 17, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The new president of the bishops of Scotland is taking the Church's message to "the streets" by joining in the evangelistic efforts of a Scottish railway mission. 

Bishop John Keenan, who was announced as the new leader of the Church in Scotland on Nov. 4, recently participated in the mission of Rail Pastors in Inverclyde, Scotland. He told CNA: "It is the Church on the streets where the Spirit wants us to be and where we feel his unique presence in almost every encounter."

Keenan defined the Rail Pastors' mission as "creating a little bit of community and warmth" at train stations where he shared "the joy of the Gospel," using the phrase popularized by Pope Francis in his 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. 

The Rail Pastors are familiar to many Scots, as they have been active in Scotland for a number of years and operate at train stations in Fife, Inverclyde, and Paisley. 

The group's mission is "to listen, care, and help travelers who otherwise might feel a little unsafe, or needing a helpful person to chat to." Easily recognizable in bright sky-blue uniforms, Rail Pastors send people to relevant agencies for further support and are urged to be on the lookout for people contemplating suicide. 

One Friday evening last month, Keenan, who is also the bishop of Paisley, joined an ecumenical team of Rail Pastors as an observer on the trains and stations from Port Glasgow to Wemyss Bay, and then Paisley to Greenock in the west of Scotland. 

Reflecting on the mission, he said: "Uniformed as Rail Pastors, they engaged passengers of all ages from teenagers to seniors creating a little bit of community and warmth on a dark and wet Scottish autumn night." 

Mental health statistics among Scotland's young people are concerning, with 1 in 6 young adults aged 18–34 having self-harmed. In addition, 76% of parents have reported that their child's mental health deteriorated while waiting for professional mental health support.  

Keenan explained that he sees the Rail Pastors as offering "a safe and reassuring presence to the young people who appreciate this pastoral care even while they are making merry." He was able to reach out to some young people who were "amazed" to see him operating as part of the Rail Pastors team.

"A group of teenage girls recognized me from my visit to their Catholic primary school, while they were preparing for the sacrament of confirmation, and we had a nice conversation," the bishop recalled. "Another asked me to pray for her mum. They were amazed to see me engaging with them in this role."

He added: "In the station bar, a young man recognized me and, as we got on the train and shared his journey home, he opened up about his faith and his parents' deep Catholic convictions. Our meeting made his day, and he got off the train renewed in faith and spirit."  

During the evening mission, Keenan also spoke to retired police officers, transport police officers, and rail safety officers. "By midnight we had been six hours out and about as salt, leaven, and light and, where the occasion allowed, sharing the joy of the Gospel," he said. 

Rail Pastors team leader Chris Jewell said the team was "delighted" to be joined by the bishop. 

In Scotland, Keenan has emerged as a proponent of the new evangelization, which was championed by St. John Paul II and subsequent popes. Keenan is also well known for promoting the rosary and supporting Pope Francis' rosary "marathon" for an end to the pandemic in 2021.

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