Pope Francis greets His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales at the canonization of St. John Henry Newman at the Vatican on Oct. 13, 2019. / Credit: Vatican MediaCNA Staff, Mar 25, 2025 / 18:35 pm (CNA).King Charles and Queen Camilla postponed their visit to the Vatican at the advice of Pope Francis' doctors, who say the Holy Father needs more rest time following his recent illness. The royal couple was set to visit the Vatican in early April to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee but announced the postponement of their visit on Tuesday due to Pope Francis' health. Their audience with Pope Francis, now canceled, would have been on April 8. The postponement was mutual, according to a March 25 statement from Buckingham Palace."The king and queen's state visit to the Holy See has been postponed by mutual agreement, as medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation," read a post on X by the royal family.The royal...
Pope Francis greets His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales at the canonization of St. John Henry Newman at the Vatican on Oct. 13, 2019. / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Staff, Mar 25, 2025 / 18:35 pm (CNA).
King Charles and Queen Camilla postponed their visit to the Vatican at the advice of Pope Francis' doctors, who say the Holy Father needs more rest time following his recent illness.
The royal couple was set to visit the Vatican in early April to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee but announced the postponement of their visit on Tuesday due to Pope Francis' health. Their audience with Pope Francis, now canceled, would have been on April 8.
The postponement was mutual, according to a March 25 statement from Buckingham Palace.
"The king and queen's state visit to the Holy See has been postponed by mutual agreement, as medical advice has now suggested that Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of rest and recuperation," read a post on X by the royal family.
The royal family also shared their good wishes for Pope Francis' recovery.
"Their majesties send the pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in the Holy See once he has recovered," the statement continued.
Pope Francis, 88, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis. More than a month later, he was discharged from the hospital, making his first public appearance in 38 days this past Sunday.
The initial visit, according to the palace, was designed to "mark a significant step forward in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England."
The visit would have included an ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel focused on the theme "Care for Creation."
As part of the visit, King Charles was also set to visit the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, "with which English kings had a particular link until the Reformation," according to the palace press release.
King Charles would have also met with a reception of British seminarians, while Queen Camilla had been set to meet with Catholic religious sisters from the International Union of Superiors General, which highlights girls' education, health care access, and prevention of human trafficking.
The royal couple will go ahead with the other components of their April state visit to Italy.
A poster of "polysexual" flags is displayed at Upper Elementary School in North Hanover Township, New Jersey, and is plaintiff Angela Reading's exhibit attached to the complaint of a now-federal lawsuit. / Credit: Screenshot/Thomas More SocietyNational Catholic Register, Mar 25, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).A New Jersey woman who complained about student-made posters with flags labeled "polysexual," "pansexual," "nonbinary," and "genderqueer" at a public elementary school is suing state and federal agencies, saying they are punishing her by making it harder for her to travel by airplane. Angela Reading of North Hanover Township, New Jersey, said she lost her "trusted traveler status" that allowed her to avoid certain aspects of security screening at airports and that on seven domestic flights in 2023 and 2024, she was "subjected to repeated and unusual requests by TSA agents for additional identification and photographing."Reading, whose lawyers describe her as a devout Christia...
A poster of "polysexual" flags is displayed at Upper Elementary School in North Hanover Township, New Jersey, and is plaintiff Angela Reading's exhibit attached to the complaint of a now-federal lawsuit. / Credit: Screenshot/Thomas More Society
National Catholic Register, Mar 25, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).
A New Jersey woman who complained about student-made posters with flags labeled "polysexual," "pansexual," "nonbinary," and "genderqueer" at a public elementary school is suing state and federal agencies, saying they are punishing her by making it harder for her to travel by airplane.
Angela Reading of North Hanover Township, New Jersey, said she lost her "trusted traveler status" that allowed her to avoid certain aspects of security screening at airports and that on seven domestic flights in 2023 and 2024, she was "subjected to repeated and unusual requests by TSA agents for additional identification and photographing."
Reading, whose lawyers describe her as a devout Christian, said the agencies and certain individuals violated her First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion because she publicly opposed what she considers inappropriate material at the school.
Her opponents say her actions undermined the safety of students and families by exposing them to what one called "right wing extremists."
Reading says in court papers that her problems began in November 2022 when she posted on a Facebook group page about posters she saw displayed on the wall.
"Last night, I attended an elementary 'Math Night.' My 7 YO daughter, while reading posters at the school's main entrance, asked me what 'polysexual' means. To say the least, I was livid," Reading wrote in the Facebook post. "Why are elementary schools promoting/allowing elementary KIDS to research topics of sexuality and create posters? This is not in the state elementary standards (law) nor in the BOE [board of education]-approved curriculum. It's perverse and should be illegal to expose my kids to sexual content."
The superintendent of schools confirmed the content in a December 2022 message to parents, saying that students made posters as part of grades 4–6 Upper Elementary School's "Week of Respect" and that "some included content that was supportive of the LGBTQ+ community."
"On a couple of the posters, this included flags that were labeled for various groups like transsexual, bisexual, lesbian, pansexual, polysexual, etc., along with messages that all people were accepted at their school," wrote Helen Payne, superintendent of North Hanover Township School District, according to court papers.
At the time, Reading was an elected member of the Northern Burlington County Board of Education, which has oversight over a grades 7–12 regional school district that includes North Hanover Township, while her husband was an elected member of the local school board that has oversight over the elementary school.
Both school districts include parents and children associated with a military facility known as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Email messages included as exhibits in Reading's complaint show that officials who work at the base contacted local and federal authorities about Reading. The first was Maj. Christopher Schilling, a member of the United States Army Reserve, who said in one online post that Reading's Facebook posts complaining about the posters had "caused safety concerns for many families."
"The Joint Base Security Forces are working with multiple law enforcement agencies to monitor the situation to ensure the continued safety of the entire community," Schilling wrote in an undated online post included among the exhibits with Reading's complaint.
His efforts had an effect.
In one email message dated Nov. 30, 2022, the local police chief, Robert Duff, said he contacted the administrator of a Facebook group page with "concerns about the post" from Reading and that the administrator "respectfully removed the post from Facebook" — after, according to court papers, he told the administrator of the page "that students could die if she did not remove the post, drawing parallels to the devastating incidents at Uvalde Elementary School and the Colorado Springs nightclub," mass shootings that occurred in May 2022 in Texas and in November 2022 in Colorado, respectively.
The same day as the police chief's email message, the anti-terrorism program manager of the 87th Security Forces Squadron at the military base, Joe Vazquez, sent an email message saying he was contacting "our partners with N.J. Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness as well as the N.J. State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center," explaining: "Both agencies' analysts keep an eye on far-right/hate groups."
Reading resigned from the regional school board Dec. 7, 2022, during the uproar over her online posts about the posters. Her husband also resigned from the local school board.
In March 2023, lawyers from the Thomas More Society, a conservative public interest law firm in Chicago, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Reading in U.S. District Court in New Jersey claiming civil rights violations and naming as defendants the township, the superintendent, the police chief, six officers at the base, and a civilian U.S. Air Force employee.
Earlier this month, on March 12, Reading's lawyers filed an amended complaint bringing federal agencies into the case. The newly named defendants, sued in their official capacity, are U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem; Adam Stahl, the senior official performing the duties of administrator of the federal Transportation Security Administration; and Laurie Doran, director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
The National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, on Friday contacted spokesmen for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the federal Transportation Security Administration, and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness but did not hear back by publication of this story.
Lawyers for the other defendants — including Schelling, Vazquez, Payne, and Duff — also did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.
The lawsuit is pending. In December 2024, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit rejected Reading's request for a preliminary injunction against several government officials to prevent them from censoring her speech but found that "much of the government actors' behavior was beyond the pale."
"Reading's allegations are serious and raise important questions under the free speech clause of the First Amendment," the panel said in its decision. "Reading expressed concern about whether her 7-year-old daughter was being exposed to sexual topics that have no place in an elementary school. Regardless of whether one agrees with Reading's concern, the record suggests that defendants' response to her blog post was, to put it mildly, disproportionate."
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, on March 24, 2025, and has been adapted by CNA.
Bishop Mark Seitz speaks at a rally for immigrants and refugees at the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, on Monday, March 24, 2025. / Credit: Father Miguel Briseño, OFMWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 25, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).The Diocese of El Paso, Texas, held a march and vigil in solidarity with migrants and refugees in the city center on Monday evening, with Bishop Mark Seitz criticizing the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement as a "war on the poor." "I am very grateful that we have come together this evening as a borderland community," Seitz said during remarks delivered at the vigil. "How wonderful it is to have moments when we can celebrate and recommit to who we are, and to do so in the presence of God." Clergy participate at a rally for immigrants and refugees in the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, on Monday, March 24, 2025. Credit: Father Miguel Briseño, OFMThe event fell on the 45th anniversary of the killing of St. Oscar Romero, an El Salvador...
Bishop Mark Seitz speaks at a rally for immigrants and refugees at the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, on Monday, March 24, 2025. / Credit: Father Miguel Briseño, OFM
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 25, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).
The Diocese of El Paso, Texas, held a march and vigil in solidarity with migrants and refugees in the city center on Monday evening, with Bishop Mark Seitz criticizing the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement as a "war on the poor."
"I am very grateful that we have come together this evening as a borderland community," Seitz said during remarks delivered at the vigil. "How wonderful it is to have moments when we can celebrate and recommit to who we are, and to do so in the presence of God."
Clergy participate at a rally for immigrants and refugees in the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, on Monday, March 24, 2025. Credit: Father Miguel Briseño, OFM
The event fell on the 45th anniversary of the killing of St. Oscar Romero, an El Salvadoran bishop who was assassinated at a hospital chapel in 1980 amid a civil war between leftist guerrillas and the right-wing government that eventually left about 75,000 dead.
"We place ourselves and our community under [Romero's] protection this night," said Seitz, who also serves as the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration.
Several bishops from across the country and from Mexico and Canada attended the march and vigil, including Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico; Bishop Emeritus Noel Simard of Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada; Archbishop Gustavo GarcÃa-Siller of San Antonio; Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky; and Cardinal Fabio Baggio, undersecretary for the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Faith leaders of various other traditions were also present.
Participants march at a rally for immigrants and refugees at the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, on Monday, March 24, 2025. Credit: Father Miguel Briseño, OFM
In his remarks, Seitz reflected on what he described as Romero's Christ-like disposition of sacrifice for his country, quoting an interview the saint gave before his death, during which he said: "If they kill me, I will rise again in the people of El Salvador. If they manage to carry out their threats, as of now, I offer my blood for the redemption of El Salvador."
"We are here tonight to celebrate our community. Community is an exchange of gifts, where we gift our lives to one another, for the benefit of one another; we grow together, and we bear one another's burdens," Seitz said. "Jesus offered his life in sacrifice for that body. Romero offered his life in sacrifice for that body."
"When we look around the world right now, it is that sense of community for which Jesus and Romero gave their lives that is under attack," the bishop continued. "This is what the denial of asylum and the threat of mass deportations represent. A fundamental attack on human community. On the body. On Jesus' vision of a fully reconciled humanity."
Faith leaders listen as Bishop Mark Seitz speaks at a rally for immigrants and refugees at the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, on Monday, March 24, 2025. Credit: Father Miguel Briseño, OFM
The bishop went on to describe the Trump administration's border closure as a "war on the poor" and mass deportation efforts as "another tool to keep people afraid, to keep people divided, to extinguish the charity and love that keep a people alive."
"To my people here tonight and to all across our country who live in fear of deportation and family separation: know of our love and commitment, which like the love of Jesus, goes all the way down, to the limits. The Church stands with you in this hour of darkness," he said.
"And to those in a position of responsibility for our country, who steward our common good, I make this urgent plea: Stop the asylum ban! Stop the deportations!"
Additional participating organizations and community leaders included the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande; Iglesia Delta; Trinity First United Methodist Church; Abara; Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino of the Diocese of El Paso; Ruben Garcia of Annunciation House; Melissa Lopez of Estrella del Paso; and other faith and civic leaders from El Paso.
null / Credit: Cassiohabib/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 25, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).Catholic nurse practitioner Gudrun Kristofersdottir recently agreed to a settlement in a religious discrimination case against CVS, her lawyers have announced. Kristofersdottir initially filed a lawsuit in 2024 following her termination from a Florida CVS MinuteClinic after she refused to prescribe contraceptives or drugs that could cause abortions.The nurse practitioner was originally granted a religious accommodation from 2014 to 2022 that allowed her to refuse to prescribe contraceptives and abortifacients.First Liberty Institute, which represented Kristofersdottir in the suit, said that when patients sought out contraceptives from Kristofersdottir, she would simply refer them to a different provider who would prescribe the medication. In 2021, CVS announced it would revoke all such religious accommodations. Kristofersdottir was subsequently fired in April 2022. Upo...
null / Credit: Cassiohabib/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 25, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).
Catholic nurse practitioner Gudrun Kristofersdottir recently agreed to a settlement in a religious discrimination case against CVS, her lawyers have announced.
Kristofersdottir initially filed a lawsuit in 2024 following her termination from a Florida CVS MinuteClinic after she refused to prescribe contraceptives or drugs that could cause abortions.
The nurse practitioner was originally granted a religious accommodation from 2014 to 2022 that allowed her to refuse to prescribe contraceptives and abortifacients.
First Liberty Institute, which represented Kristofersdottir in the suit, said that when patients sought out contraceptives from Kristofersdottir, she would simply refer them to a different provider who would prescribe the medication.
In 2021, CVS announced it would revoke all such religious accommodations. Kristofersdottir was subsequently fired in April 2022.
Upon filing the lawsuit, First Liberty Institute attorney Stephanie Taub described it as "illegal to issue a blanket revocation of all religious accommodations when CVS can accommodate its employees."
"CVS is sending a message that religious health care workers are not welcome and need not apply," Taub said at the time.
The pharmacy "could have accommodated Ms. Kristofersdottir in several ways," the suit argued, including by "transferring her to a virtual position, a larger clinic, an education or training position, or a location specializing in COVID-19, or continuing to honor the religious accommodation that worked successfully for years."
In her lawsuit, Kristofersdottir said she believes the teachings of the Church regarding human dignity and marriage, and therefore that "the procreative potential of intercourse may not be subverted by device or procedure."
"Further, Ms. Kristofersdottir believes that abortion constitutes a moral evil in violation of humanity's obligation to protect life with the utmost care from the moment of conception," the suit said.
On March 21, First Liberty announced a settlement between the two parties. "We are happy to announce that we were able to reach a resolution of the case," Taub said.
The details of the agreement have not been made public, but Taub said Kristofersdottir "is pleased with the settlement."
This is not the only instance of a medical official suing CVS over religious accommodations. Robyn Strader, a Texas-based nurse, sued CVS in 2023 after losing her religious exemption from prescribing contraceptives or abortion-causing drugs.
Similar to Kristofersdottir, Strader also had a long-standing accommodation that was honored for more than six years before the company dismantled it. Her case was settled with CVS in 2024.
Rody Sher, editor-in-chief of ACI MENA, speaks on the second anniversary of ACI MENA in 2024 at the Catholic University in Erbil, Iraq, where the agency is based. This year marks three years since ACI MENA began its mssion to report on the Church and the lives of Christians in the Middle East. / Credit: ACI MENAACI MENA, Mar 25, 2025 / 15:15 pm (CNA).March 25 marks the third anniversary of ACI MENA, the Association for Catholic Information in the Middle East and Northern Africa, CNA's Arabic-language news partner. A service of EWTN News, ACI MENA was established in 2022 and currently operates from the Catholic University in Erbil, a city in northern Iraq. Since its founding, ACI MENA has established itself as a trusted news source, committed to shedding light on the struggles of Middle Eastern Christians. In a short time, the news agency has become their voice, highlighting their resilience, creativity, and determination, showcasing their rich religious and cultural herita...
Rody Sher, editor-in-chief of ACI MENA, speaks on the second anniversary of ACI MENA in 2024 at the Catholic University in Erbil, Iraq, where the agency is based. This year marks three years since ACI MENA began its mssion to report on the Church and the lives of Christians in the Middle East. / Credit: ACI MENA
ACI MENA, Mar 25, 2025 / 15:15 pm (CNA).
March 25 marks the third anniversary of ACI MENA, the Association for Catholic Information in the Middle East and Northern Africa, CNA's Arabic-language news partner.
A service of EWTN News, ACI MENA was established in 2022 and currently operates from the Catholic University in Erbil, a city in northern Iraq.
Since its founding, ACI MENA has established itself as a trusted news source, committed to shedding light on the struggles of Middle Eastern Christians. In a short time, the news agency has become their voice, highlighting their resilience, creativity, and determination, showcasing their rich religious and cultural heritages.
The agency captured the moment when Gaza's Christians breathed a sigh of relief at the announcement of the ceasefire, weeping twice — once in joy for the war's end and once in sorrow for its victims. ACI MENA also followed Pope Francis' continuous calls for peace and his unwavering spiritual support for the Church in Gaza, even as he battled illness.
ACI MENA's launching ceremony on March 25, 2022, at the Catholic University in Erbil. Pictured are Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda (center); Alejandro Bermudez, CEO at the time of ACI Group (far right); and other dignitaries and staff. Credit: ACI MENA
Cardinal Robert McElroy speaks at the conference "Catholic Social Teaching and Work with Migrants and Refugees at a Time of Uncertainty" on March 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNAWashington D.C., Mar 25, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).Washington, D.C.'s newly minted archbishop, Cardinal Robert McElroy, made his first public appearance since his installment at a conference on immigration policy Monday, offering a "spiritual and moral" reflection on the "American situation at this moment."Appealing to the teachings of Pope Francis as articulated in his recent letter to the American bishops and his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, McElroy centered his remarks on the parable of the good Samaritan. "We've got to remember the call of Jesus is constant, to always be attentive to the needs and the suffering that lie around us, to perceive it, and then to act," he said, comparing the plight of migrants to the robbers' victim in the parable of the good Samaritan.&...
Cardinal Robert McElroy speaks at the conference "Catholic Social Teaching and Work with Migrants and Refugees at a Time of Uncertainty" on March 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA
Washington D.C., Mar 25, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).
Washington, D.C.'s newly minted archbishop, Cardinal Robert McElroy, made his first public appearance since his installment at a conference on immigration policy Monday, offering a "spiritual and moral" reflection on the "American situation at this moment."
Appealing to the teachings of Pope Francis as articulated in his recent letter to the American bishops and his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti, McElroy centered his remarks on the parable of the good Samaritan.
"We've got to remember the call of Jesus is constant, to always be attentive to the needs and the suffering that lie around us, to perceive it, and then to act," he said, comparing the plight of migrants to the robbers' victim in the parable of the good Samaritan.
Following the Holy Father's reflection on the same parable, McElroy asserted that "each of us victimizes others consciously in a variety of different ways" and that "when we place our own interests and well-being ahead of others and cause harm, we must be in touch with that side of ourselves with the darkness, which is the robber inside every one of us."
He continued: "That is one of the great calls of Christian conversion, to root out that darkness, to face it where it lies and to fight against it always."
During his remarks, McElroy sharply criticized the administration's foreign aid suspension as "unconscionable through any prism of Catholic thought."
"If we look at the figure of the robber at this moment," he stated, "I think we must say to ourselves quite clearly and categorically, the suspension of the U.S. Agency for International Development monies for humanitarian relief is moral theft from the poorest and the most desperate men, women, and children in our world today."
He further condemned the administration's mass deportation efforts, which he said victimizes migrants as in the parable and "generates fear ... which uproots everybody's understanding of the bonds which so many undocumented men, women, children, and families have formed in our society in the often decades that they have been here."
"The undocumented are the victims of this moment and of these policies," he said.
McElroy further called for solidarity among Catholics and migrants, saying that "we must not only advocate but also act in support of them in every way possible." The archbishop gave an example of mothers he knew several years ago in the Diocese of San Diego, who he said would text each other if they saw an ICE truck in front of their children's school.
While the archbishop acknowledged border security and the exclusion of criminals as "legitimate," he said "we must always also understand the many themes that are supporting the effort to undermine the rights and dignity of the undocumented come from the blackest parts of our history."
Ultimately, he concluded that there are two pathways forward for the U.S. on immigration. The first pathway, supported he said by Catholic social teaching, "is to change our laws so that they have secure borders and dignity for the treatment of everyone at those borders and a generous asylum and refugee policy."
"The other pathway is a crusade, which comes from the darkest parts of our American psyche and soul and history," he continued. "These are the two choices we have. We as a nation will have to make one choice. The pathway of crusade and mass deportation cannot be followed in conscience by those who call themselves disciples of Jesus Christ."
A Chase bank building in Wilmington, Delaware. / Credit: Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsCNA Staff, Mar 25, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).Legislators in several states are moving to address the practice of "debanking" as part of an effort to stop what some critics say are anti-conservative measures employed by major U.S. financial institutions.The Cambridge Dictionary defines debanking as "the act by a bank of closing someone's account because they are regarded as a risk legally, financially, or to the bank's reputation." Critics have claimed that the practice is used by banks to antagonize certain groups, including conservatives and other political activists. For example, the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit earlier this month against one of the largest banks in the United States. President Donald Trump claims he was a victim of debanking after Capital One allegedly closed hundreds of his organization's accounts soon after his supporters' Jan. 6, 2021, storming ...
A Chase bank building in Wilmington, Delaware. / Credit: Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
CNA Staff, Mar 25, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Legislators in several states are moving to address the practice of "debanking" as part of an effort to stop what some critics say are anti-conservative measures employed by major U.S. financial institutions.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines debanking as "the act by a bank of closing someone's account because they are regarded as a risk legally, financially, or to the bank's reputation." Critics have claimed that the practice is used by banks to antagonize certain groups, including conservatives and other political activists.
For example, the Trump Organization filed a lawsuit earlier this month against one of the largest banks in the United States. President Donald Trump claims he was a victim of debanking after Capital One allegedly closed hundreds of his organization's accounts soon after his supporters' Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol.
In her recently-released memoir, Melania Trump alleged that she and her son, Barron, were also debanked.
The Ruth Institute, a global coalition designed to equip Christians to defend the family, alleged it was debanked in 2017. Just two years ago, a Memphis-based Christian charity called the Indigenous Advance Ministries also claimed that it had been debanked by Bank of America.
In another high-profile case, in 2022 former U.S. senator and ambassador Sam Brownback announced that his nonprofit group the National Committee for Religious Freedom had been debanked.
Ambassador Sam Brownback speaks on Feb. 6, 2018. Credit: Jonah McKeown/ CNA
Over the past decade, other high-ranking individuals and grassroots organizations have reportedly faced debanking, including Nigel Farage, who led the Brexit effort in the United Kingdom; evangelist and motivational speaker Nick Vujicic; Moms for Liberty, a parental rights advocacy group; Christian author and preacher Lance Wallnau; and Timothy Two Project International, a Christian ministry.
U.S. bishops 'monitoring' debanking; legislators move to address
While it's unclear to what extent debanking has affected U.S. Catholics, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops acknowledged the phenomenon in its 2025 religious liberty report.
"In recent years, individuals have raised concerns that banks are discriminating on the basis of political and religious viewpoints," the report read.
"In response to incidents like these, some states have begun passing laws intended to prevent politically motivated debanking," the bishops noted. "However, the U.S. government argues that these laws hamstring banks, who need to be able to account for potential customers' exposure to foreign actors. The lack of transparency, though, makes it difficult to ascertain why someone like Ambassador Brownback would be debanked."
According to the report, the USCCB is "monitoring this issue but has not taken a position on it."
Taking action against debanking
Some lawmakers are moving to address the controversy via legislation.
An anti-debanking bill in Idaho was sent to the state governor for signature last week.
The Transparency in Financial Services Act would prohibit "large financial institutions from discriminating against customers based on their political or religious views" and would give customers the right to request the reason for denial from an institution.
Montana's Republican-sponsored Equality in Financial Services Act and South Carolina's anti-debanking bill — similar to Idaho's bill — have made some progress in the state Legislature, while Georgia's Freedom of Speech and Belief Act failed to pass at the beginning of March.
Some see changes in bank policy, or even legal changes, as potential solutions to debanking.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) — a legal group committed to protecting religious freedom and freedom of speech — worked with Indigenous Advance Ministries to file a consumer complaint following its alleged debanking in 2022.
"No American should ever fear losing access to their bank account due to their religious or political beliefs," Lathan Watts, ADF's vice president of public affairs, told CNA.
In its 2023 Viewpoint Diversity Score Index, ADF found that 7 out of 10 of the largest commercial banks — including Chase — have "hate speech" or "reputational risk" policies that contribute to debanking.
JPMorgan Chase, a top American bank, recently adjusted its policy, agreeing to protect clients against political and religious debanking in its code of conduct after 19 attorneys general petitioned the bank to cease its debanking practices in 2023.
"Chase's policy change is a significant step by our nation's largest bank to uphold financial access for all Americans," Watts said. "This change provides necessary protections for customers like Ambassador Brownback, whose account at the National Committee for Religious Freedom was unexpectedly canceled in 2022."
Watts shared his hope that other banks will take similar measures.
"Alliance Defending Freedom actively engaged with Chase in these negotiations, and we are hopeful that other banks will follow suit in safeguarding fundamental financial freedoms," Watts said.
Jennifer Roback Morse, the founder and president of the Ruth Institute — an organization dedicated to combating the effects of the sexual revolution — recalled her own experience allegedly being debanked.
"In 2017, the Ruth Institute was one of the first organizations to be attacked in the banking arena," Morse told CNA. "In our case, our credit card processor cut us off with no notification, or explanation, except to say that we 'violated its standards.'"
Ruth Institute President Jennifer Roback Morse speaks on "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo" on June 13, 2019. Credit: "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo/EWTN News screenshot
While there was no clear explanation, Morse believes it was due to a leftist law center labeling the organization as a hate group.
"We surmised this was because we were listed on the Southern Poverty Law Center's 'Hate Map' for our opposition to the redefinition of marriage and other LGBT-issues," Morse said. "Thankfully, we were able to secure another credit card processor fairly quickly."
Morse told CNA that banking "is a highly regulated, semi-monopolistic industry, comparable in some respects to public utilities such as electricity and water."
"I am in favor of banks being legally required to be transparent and even-handed in their standards," she said.
"Alternatively, if banks are permitted to engage in viewpoint discrimination," she argued, "I would urge that bakers, florists, therapists, and other professionals also be permitted to refuse service to potential customers for any reason they choose."
"A disappointed customer can find an alternative photographer a lot easier than they can find an alternative bank," Morse noted. "And it is a lot easier to participate in the business world without a photographer or florist than to survive without banking services."
'A balanced approach'
While conservative legislators are pushing these anti-debanking bills, support for this legislation is not entirely united within the conservative movement.
A recent poll found that while a majority of conservatives are concerned about debanking, nearly three-quarters of conservatives expressed support for banks having the right to choose their own clients.
The poll by the Tyson Group found that conservatives "do not support broad government intervention that prevents financial institutions from making risk-based assessments when determining their customers."
"When informed that legislation could force businesses to provide services to customers at odds with their values and the conservative movement, many expressed hesitations," the study noted.
"As conservatives push for greater accountability from regulators, they also seek a balanced approach to debanking that avoids unintended consequences and protects the rights of both consumers and businesses."
Some opponents of anti-debanking laws maintain that restrictions against debanking could have unintended consequences.
In South Carolina, for example, an anti-debanking bill under consideration, the Equality in Financial Services Act, would prevent financial institutions from discriminating when providing financial services.
But a Republican executive committeeman from Richland, South Carolina, is concerned that such an anti-debanking law could require pro-life banks to work with abortionists.
"Stopping abortion and protecting children requires winning hearts and minds but also cutting off the financial pipeline that enables these activities," Eaddy Roe Willard, Richland GOP executive committeeman, told CNA. "Misguided legislation at the state level will only make it harder to do that."
null / Credit: Tudoran Andrei/ShutterstockACI Africa, Mar 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).Church leaders in Zambia have denounced what they have termed "unpalatable remarks" against faith leaders who have reportedly criticized the Zambian government for various misdeeds, including unfair distribution of resources and poor infrastructure.In a March 19 statement, the church leaders, including representatives of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), emphasized the churches' role as a voice for the voiceless. CCZ general secretary Rev. Emmanuel Chikoya; EFZ executive secretary Bishop Andrew Mwenda; and ZCCB secretary-general Father Francis Mukosa signed the statement. "We observe that church leaders, in the course of fulfilling their role of providing checks and balances, have been subjected to unpalatable remarks with no consequences," they lamented. "We strongly object to...
null / Credit: Tudoran Andrei/Shutterstock
ACI Africa, Mar 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Church leaders in Zambia have denounced what they have termed "unpalatable remarks" against faith leaders who have reportedly criticized the Zambian government for various misdeeds, including unfair distribution of resources and poor infrastructure.
CCZ general secretary Rev. Emmanuel Chikoya; EFZ executive secretary Bishop Andrew Mwenda; and ZCCB secretary-general Father Francis Mukosa signed the statement.
"We observe that church leaders, in the course of fulfilling their role of providing checks and balances, have been subjected to unpalatable remarks with no consequences," they lamented.
"We strongly object to the demeaning language used against church leaders. We believe that it is essential to uphold the dignity of all people, regardless of their role in society," they said. "This incident exemplifies the ongoing tensions between political figures and religious leaders, especially when the church fulfills its responsibility to provide checks and balances."
Phiri has criticized President Hakainde Hichilema's government of failing to realize promises — particularly regarding the rehabilitation of roads in Eastern Province, one of Zambia's 10 provinces.
Phiri highlighted the dire state of roads leading to areas such as Vubwi, Chadiza, and Lundazi, adding that residents were compelled to use routes through Malawi, incurring additional border fees.
In his criticism, the bishop expressed concern about delays in fertilizer distribution, noting that agriculture is the primary livelihood in the region and that such a setback adversely affects farmers' welfare.
Reacting to the criticisms, chief government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa threatened Phiri.
In his March 4 press release, Mweetwa said the Zambian government was going to isolate him and deal with him in person for challenging the government.
The president of the Association of Zambian Diocesan Catholic Clergy, Father Augustine Mwewa, is said to have defended Phiri, asserting that Phiri's homilies represent the broader Catholic Church and the Holy Father, not just personal opinion.
Mwewa cautioned the Zambian government against isolating and targeting the bishop for speaking truth to power.
In their March 19 statement, the Church leaders in Zambia said: "We have a duty to speak to the moral conscience of the nation, a task that we are committed to do informed by our Scriptures and not coercion by any other forces."
They added: "The three church mother bodies have consistently and actively spoken on matters of public and national interest. We do not rush to comment on issues, as we strive to ensure that our messages are informed, thoughtful, and balanced."
In their statement, the leaders reaffirmed their responsibility to their respective congregants.
"The various churches and parishes continue to actively provide ongoing pastoral care, counseling, and sermons that speak directly or indirectly to issues promoting Christian values and principles in our society," they said.
The leaders of all three bodies — the ZCCB, CCZ, and EF — also weighed in on a couple of other issues, including what they describe as "the rushed and hasty constitutional amendment process" and "the ever-increasing cost of living for Zambians."
"Our repeated calls for constitutional amendments have largely gone unanswered. Why is the government drafting documents in isolation without public consultation?" they asked in their statement.
The church leaders denounced the "growing culture of miscommunication" in the country as well as the "emergence of cadre militancy with the wearing of military regalia and the blatant disregard for traffic rules." They also called out "the lack of urgency and attention given to calls for national dialogue, reconciliation, and national unity."
In the statement, the church leaders reaffirmed their stance of autonomy, resisting any form of coercion.
"We reserve the right to speak or remain silent as we see fit, and we will not be dictated to by any political party or individual. We will not be coerced into speaking at your pace or on your timeline," they said.
Zambia's church leaders urged the government to "address the underlying causes of poverty, such as the need for sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective energy, as well as comprehensive poverty alleviation strategies."
This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapated by CNA.
null / Credit: Ulf Wittrock/ShutterstockCNA Staff, Mar 24, 2025 / 17:15 pm (CNA).Editor's note: This story contains graphic descriptions of an abortion procedure.A woman is suing an abortionist for allegedly leaving more than half of her unborn child inside her after an abortion.The 32-year-old woman, identified as "Jane Doe," was about five months pregnant with her fifth child when she traveled from Indianapolis to an abortion facility in Champaign, Illinois. Days later, she needed emergency care and surgery to remove remnants of her 22-week-old child from her body. Now, Doe is suing the abortionist for medical negligence.Doe and her lawyers filed the lawsuit against Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle and his Equity Clinic last week in the Circuit Court of Champaign County. On April 1 and 2, 2023, Doe visited the Equity Clinic for a late-term abortion. The next day, she called the clinic to report heavy cramping. When Doe first reported something had gone wrong, th...
null / Credit: Ulf Wittrock/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Mar 24, 2025 / 17:15 pm (CNA).
Editor's note: This story contains graphic descriptions of an abortion procedure.
A woman is suing an abortionist for allegedly leaving more than half of her unborn child inside her after an abortion.
The 32-year-old woman, identified as "Jane Doe," was about five months pregnant with her fifth child when she traveled from Indianapolis to an abortion facility in Champaign, Illinois.
Days later, she needed emergency care and surgery to remove remnants of her 22-week-old child from her body.
Now, Doe is suing the abortionist for medical negligence.
Doe and her lawyers filed the lawsuit against Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle and his Equity Clinic last week in the Circuit Court of Champaign County.
On April 1 and 2, 2023, Doe visited the Equity Clinic for a late-term abortion. The next day, she called the clinic to report heavy cramping.
When Doe first reported something had gone wrong, the clinic told her to take Tylenol and laxatives, the lawsuit alleges.
But by April 4, the clinic recommended she have an enema or go to the emergency room. That day, Doe checked into the Community Hospital South Emergency Room in Indianapolis.
When Doe went to the emergency room soon after her abortion procedure, the days-old remains of the unborn child had to be surgically removed from her body, according to the suit.
Reisinger-Kindle, the suit alleges, had perforated her uterus during the procedure, leaving a hole the size of a quarter.
The emergency room surgeon found half of the remains of Doe's unborn child in her right pelvis as well as pieces of the child's skull adhered to her intestines, according to the suit.
The lawsuit claims that on April 5, the emergency room general surgeon called Reisinger-Kindle, who refused to provide information about the abortion.
The lawsuit alleges that Reisinger-Kindle did not adequately examine Doe after discharging her from the clinic. In a medical report included in the files, an obstetrician-gynecologist consulted on the matter said the remnants should have been obvious had the doctor performed an "adequate exam."
The lawsuit states that Doe "will continue to experience irreversible suffering and emotional damages" as a result of the events.
Reisinger-Kindle founded the Equity Clinic in response to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, according to a profile about the clinic published by the Chicago Tribune.
According to the profile, Reisinger-Kindle has volunteered in abortion clinics as a medical assistant since he was 18.
"The only reason I went to medical school was to be an abortion provider," he told the Tribune.
A large percentage of the clinic's patients are out-of-state women, as abortion is legally considered a "fundamental right" in Illinois under the 2019 Reproductive Health Act.
The Equity Clinic provides surgical and chemical abortions as well as late-term dilation and evacuation abortions on unborn children in some cases up to 26 weeks old.
At 22 weeks, Doe's baby was nearing the age of viability — the age when an unborn child can survive outside of the womb, usually determined to be about 24-26 weeks. In Illinois, abortions are allowed up until fetal viability.
In some cases, prematurely-born babies have survived as early as 21 to 22 weeks.
Eucharistic hosts. / Credit: L.A. Faille/ShutterstockCNA Staff, Mar 24, 2025 / 17:50 pm (CNA).Following an investigation into a possible Eucharistic miracle at a local parish, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis announced Monday that scientific analysis indicated that the cause was natural, not miraculous. Last month, a post on X drew attention to what the post called a "'potential' Eucharistic miracle" after a parish in southern Indiana discovered a host with red spots on it, which the parish sacristan thought could be blood. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis said in a statement shared with CNA that laboratory analysis of common bacteria had caused the discoloration. "A biochemical analysis of a host from St. Anthony Catholic Church in Morris, Indiana, that was displaying red discoloration revealed the presence of a common bacteria found on all humans," the statement read. "No presence of human blood was discovered." The host had fallen and was later discovered w...
Following an investigation into a possible Eucharistic miracle at a local parish, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis announced Monday that scientific analysis indicated that the cause was natural, not miraculous.
Last month, a post on X drew attention to what the post called a "'potential' Eucharistic miracle" after a parish in southern Indiana discovered a host with red spots on it, which the parish sacristan thought could be blood.
The Archdiocese of Indianapolis said in a statement shared with CNA that laboratory analysis of common bacteria had caused the discoloration.
"A biochemical analysis of a host from St. Anthony Catholic Church in Morris, Indiana, that was displaying red discoloration revealed the presence of a common bacteria found on all humans," the statement read. "No presence of human blood was discovered."
The host had fallen and was later discovered with red spots, and biochemical analysis found that the discoloration was due to common bacteria and fungus.
"The host had fallen out of a Mass kit used at the parish, and when it was discovered, red spots were present," the archdiocese stated. "Following policy established by the Holy See, the host was submitted for professional, biochemical analysis at a local laboratory. The results indicate the presence of fungus and three different species of bacteria, all of which are commonly found on human hands."
The archdiocese noted that there have been many carefully-reviewed miracles in the history of the Church.
"Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, there have been well-documented miracles and apparitions, and each has been thoroughly and carefully reviewed," the statement read.
Last year, the Vatican developed its practice regarding potential supernatural events, issuing new guidelines that give the Disastery for the Doctrine of the Faith the final say.
Previous norms established by Pope Paul VI in 1978 left the discernment process for possible miraculous occurrences to local bishops. Under the new guidance, the task remains with the local bishop, but the dicastery must be consulted throughout the process.
Pope Francis greets His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Wales at the canonization of St. John Henry Newman at the Vatican on Oct. 13, 2019. / Credit: Vatican Media
