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ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 15:25 pm (CNA).

"Martyred" Ukraine has occupied a special place in Pope Francis' heart since the Russian army invaded the country in February 2022.

The pontiff has regularly called for prayer for the Ukrainian people and appealed for peace. But not only that, the Holy Father has also made concrete gestures of solidarity with the victims of the conflict.

The latest is a special gift as Christmas draws near: a vehicle converted into a small mobile hospital to care for the inhabitants of this country devastated by war.

The person in charge of delivering the vehicle where the injured can be operated on will be the pope's almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajweski.

In addition, the Holy Father is sending six ultrasound machines that will be donated to destroyed and bombed hospitals.

During his trip to Ukraine, Krajewski will visit several communities to meet the suffering people, to bring them hope and the closeness of Pope Francis.

The cardinal has already visited the most affected areas on at least eight occasions at the request of the Holy Father.

In June, he brought the third ambulance donated by the pope to Ukraine. On that occasion, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity visited the district of Zboriv ??in the Ternopil region.

He also brought with him a large quantity of essential medicines from the Vatican Pharmacy and the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Pharmacy.

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

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CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 10:55 am (CNA).

An online presentation Tuesday sponsored by the National Eucharistic Revival explored the question of how Catholics can use technology for good, inspired by the life of soon-to-be-saint Carlo Acutis. 

Acutis, a young Italian who died in 2006, is due to be canonized during the Catholic Church's 2025 Jubilee Year. He is known for his skillful use of technology to spread his Catholic faith, particularly his creation of a still-extant website cataloging Eucharistic miracles.

Born in 1991, Carlo's mother remembers the young whiz kid proudly describing himself as a "computer scientist" well before he got his first computer as a gift around the year 2000. He is often described as the Catholic Church's first "tech-savvy" saint.

Tim Moriarty, director of the new film "Roadmap to Reality: Carlo Acutis and Our Digital Age" and co-host of the Dec. 17 webinar, highlighted statistics that suggest the average teen spends half of his or her waking hours looking at screens, and the troubling evidence of mental health issues and suicidal ideation linked to excessive digital engagement. 

He described Acutis as a "digital missionary" who masterfully used the internet as a tool in his pursuit of holiness while the Eucharist kept him anchored to reality — unlike so many of his peers who, Moriarty argued, fell into the distractions, vices, and prideful pursuits that the burgeoning internet had to offer.

In the face of such challenges posed by imprudent use of technology, "in a world losing itself to screens," Moriarty called Acutis "absolutely a saint for our times ... the saint we need."

Acutis' deep devotion to Christ in the Eucharist, which informed his prudent use of technology, is an example for people today, he said.

"[Acutis was] online to get people offline," Moriarty said, explaining that Acutis sought to encourage people to have a tangible encounter with God in the sacraments, as Acutis himself so often did in Eucharistic adoration and at Mass.

Brett Robinson, associate professor of practice at Notre Dame's McGrath Institute and the co-host of the webinar, called for a critical examination of Catholics' relationship with technology, urging them to try to use technology intentionally and focus on cultivating meaningful relationships outside of the digital sphere.

He asserted that Catholics would do well to take an approach to technology more like the Amish — a group that contrary to popular belief does not reject technology, he added — and ask in the face of technological advancements not "What can this do for me?" but rather "What will this do for my community?"

Because society has become so dependent on technology, many people believe there is no choice but to accept the "collateral damage" of a teen mental health crisis driven largely by social media, the scourge of pornography, and a decay of public discourse online, Robinson argued. 

An "atomized" approach to life and a lack of "formation" in virtue has led to the misuse of technology and many of the problems of modern society, he asserted.

Robinson similarly presented Acutis as a model for navigating this digital landscape, emphasizing a balance between embracing technology's benefits and maintaining a grounded spirituality — particularly within devotion to the Eucharist — as well as human connection.

Robinson closed by offering several pieces of advice for a better relationship with technology that he compiled from his students at Notre Dame; slow down and take moments of rest, reflection, and silence; go outside and spend time in nature to escape digital noise and find peace; be present and prioritize human connection, rituals, and habits; set boundaries and use technology intentionally; and seek meaning, defining yourself by your values and passions rather than your achievements.

Above all, he said, Christians are called to "contextualize" the world, helping those they encounter to understand the bigger picture.

"Something is being revealed in all this [technological] change; something's being revealed about what it means to be human. And that's actually a really good thing for the Church, but it's up for us to discern," Robinson said.

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CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 11:25 am (CNA).

A Louisiana priest who pleaded guilty to raping a teenage boy decades ago will spend the rest of his life in prison, a criminal court ruled this week. 

Lawrence Hecker was handed the life sentence in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court on Wednesday. The sentence was given by Judge Nandi Campbell "without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension." Campbell was reportedly weeping for Hecker's victim as she ordered the life sentence. 

"He admitted to some very horrible crimes," Hecker's lawyer Bobby Hjortsberg told media after the sentencing. 

"He took responsibility for that and I believe that sparing the victims from having to go through the anguish of a trial should give them some closure and allow them to walk away from this knowing they got justice," Hjortsberg added.

Hecker had pleaded guilty earlier this month to the kidnapping and raping of his teenage victim in the 1970s. The last-minute plea headed off a long-delayed trial that launched with an indictment last year. 

In September of last year, the 93-year-old priest was indicted on charges of aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, an aggravated crime against nature, and theft. The sex abuse crimes are alleged to have occurred between Jan. 1, 1975, and Dec. 31, 1976.

The trial was repeatedly delayed this year amid Hecker's ill health and uncertainty over his mental competency to stand trial. Orleans Parish First Assistant District Attorney Ned McGowan had promised to "roll him in on a gurney" to try him.

District Attorney Jason Williams told media on Wednesday that he would request Hecker serve his sentence at Louisiana State Penitentiary, known popularly as Angola. Hjortsberg, meanwhile, said the convicted rapist will likely serve his sentence at a medical facility.

In a statement provided to CNA, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond said: "Today, it is our hope and prayer that the survivors of abuse perpetrated by Lawrence Hecker have some closure and some sense of peace in his sentencing."

"On behalf of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, we offer our sincere and heartfelt apologies to the survivors for the pain Hecker has caused them to endure for decades," the archbishop said, telling survivors the archdiocese "commend[s] your bravery" for coming forward.

"Our prayers are with all survivors," the prelate said, adding that when the archdiocese has concluded its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, he will "meet with those survivors who wish to do so."

The Archdiocese of New Orleans lists Hecker as among the priests who "are alive and have been accused of sexually abusing a minor, which led to their removal from ministry."

The archdiocesan website says it received allegations against Hecker in 1996 and removed him from ministry in 2002. 

The archdiocese says the "time frame" of Hecker's abuse spans the late 1960s and the early 1970s. The priest had in 1999 reportedly confessed to abusing multiple teenage boys during those years.

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CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 04:44 am (CNA).

The Canadian government is actively soliciting citizen input for a proposal to legalize "advance requests" in which citizens can pre-arrange to be euthanized at a time when they are unable to consent to the procedure. 

The country's federal government is inviting citizens to "share [their] thoughts" from December into February, soliciting input from "patients, health care providers," Indigenous citizens, and "persons with lived experiences." 

The move toward potentially allowing "advance requests" comes after the provincial government of Quebec implemented its own policy earlier this year. In that province, "advance requests" for medical aid in dying (MAiD) may be made by individuals who have "been diagnosed with a serious and incurable illness leading to incapacity" such as Alzheimer's disease.

The request "must be made while the person is still capable of consenting to care," the Quebec government said, acknowledging that the lethal procedure will be carried out "when they become incapable of [consenting]."

The Canadian federal government describes advance requests as a "complex and serious topic." The results of the country's "national conversation" on the matter will be published in a report next year, the government said. 

The "conversation," the government said, will help to ensure the country's euthanasia program "reflects the evolving needs of people in Canada," "protects those who may be vulnerable" and "supports autonomy and freedom of choice."

Alex Schadenberg, the executive director of the Ontario-based Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC), wrote on Wednesday that "euthanasia by advance request is technically euthanasia without consent," insofar as it is administered to individuals who cannot consent at the time.

"Once a person becomes incompetent, they are not legally able to change their mind, meaning that some other person will have the right to decide when the person dies, even if that person is happy with life," he pointed out. 

The EPC is urging readers to use the group's guide for completing the national consultation, one that argues in favor of the sanctity of life and which puts forth "strong opposition" to the country's euthanasia law and its expansion. 

Euthanasia "was originally legalized in Canada under the guise of being limited to mentally competent adults, who are capable of consenting and who freely 'choose'," the group says on its blog. 

"Euthanasia by advanced request undermines these principles," it says. 

Activists in Canada have regularly pushed to expand MAID since the law was first implemented in 2016. 

A group of pro-euthanasia advocates sued the federal government in August to allow physician-assisted suicide for those suffering from mental illness. 

The government earlier in the year paused a planned expansion of the MAID program that would have included the mentally ill, although it said it would consider the policy again in three years' time in order to allow provinces to "prepare their health care systems" for the expansion.

Health Canada's fifth annual medical assistance in dying (MAID) report, released last week, revealed that MAID accounted for nearly 1 in 20 deaths in the country last year.

Government statistics indicated that 15,343 people were euthanized by medical officials in Canada in 2023, out of a total of just under 20,000 requests. 

Those numbers represent "an increase of 15.8%" over 2022, the report says.

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CNA Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 05:15 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Baton Rouge announced it would be lowering its confirmation age, just days after the Diocese of Salt Lake City shared it would adjust its process for youth converts to ensure thorough catechesis. 

These decisions indicate a growing desire to strengthen the formation of youth in the Catholic faith. 

Tim Glemkowski, who heads Amazing Parish, a ministry designed to support Catholic pastors and help parishes flourish, spoke to the challenges of remaining Catholic that young adults face in the culture today.

"The pressures of the culture are away from, not toward, religious belief and practice," Glemkowski told CNA. "It is fair to say that our culture, broadly speaking, does not lend itself to preconditions."

As the Church strives to address how to properly form youth in such a culture, in recent years many dioceses have lowered the confirmation age from high school to middle school or even younger, including the Archdiocese of Seattle, to seventh grade; the Boston Archdiocese to eighth grade; and the Archdiocese of Denver to third grade before young people have received communion. 

Requiring confirmation before communion is known as "the restored order" — a celebration of the sacraments of initiation as the Church originally instructed them to be dispensed: baptism, confirmation, and then first communion. The U.S. bishops allow reception of confirmation for youth between ages 7 and 17. 

According to a study by St. Mary's Press and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University (CARA), the median age of those who left the Church was 13 years old. The study found that many former Catholics who reported leaving usually between ages 10 and 20, said they had questions about the faith as children but never discussed their doubts or questions with their parents or Church leaders.

"We need to ensure that youth learn how to pray with their heart, have their questions about the faith answered in robust ways, and have many opportunities to hear the Gospel and respond to God by handing over their life to him," Glemkowski said. 

"Young saints should show us that holiness and heroic mission is possible for young people; we should not underestimate what kids are capable of."

Addressing a hostile culture 

The Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, recently lowered the confirmation age to seventh grade, citing the challenges that face youth today.

"Our children are experiencing a culture which, at times, is hostile to our faith," Bishop Michael Duca of Baton Rouge wrote in a Dec. 8 letter. 

"Through social media of all forms, young people are confronted at a surprisingly younger age with challenges to their Catholic faith and morals," Duca explained. "Given this new reality, I believe it is time to lower the age of confirmation to give our children the full grace of the Sacrament of Confirmation at an earlier age to meet these challenges. 

Duca announced they would begin a transition plan to lower the age from 10th to seventh grade gradually. 

"This gift of the Spirit is given to all of us in a special way in the sacrament of confirmation that fully initiates us into the Church and fills us with these gifts and the enthusiasm to take on the mission of Christ to renew the world," he wrote. 

"Many older Catholics remember that the age of confirmation was younger when we were confirmed," Duca continued. "After the Second Vatican Council, in many places, the age was raised to high school since many leaders felt that the sacrament would be better understood at an older age. This practice has worked well, but times have changed."  

Strengthening formation 

The diocese of Salt Lake City is also developing its catechetical program for youth converts who are too old for infant baptism, citing a need to strengthen catechesis within the diocese. 

The diocese announced last month that children above the age of seven who are joining the Catholic Church will not receive all three sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil after the diocese temporarily paused the standard practice. 

After baptism, children joining the Church in the diocese are to attend a faith formation class at their age level, rather than receiving several sacraments at once, according to the diocesan announcement. The pause is temporary as the diocese develops its faith formation plans.

The Church considers children older than seven to be at the "age of reason" and able to make some decisions of faith for themselves, so unbaptized youth are usually enrolled in the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) adapted for children, a year-long preparation program for becoming Catholic. 

The Church broadly requires that for sacramental initiation after the age of reason, recipients should receive the three sacraments of initiation at the same time, except with grave reason. 

However, the diocese of Salt Lake City cites "many challenges and our limited ability to overcome them in a missionary diocese" as the reason for the temporary moratorium on OCIA for children.  

Through the moratorium, the diocese hopes to ensure that catechesis is adequate and that children understand the sacraments they are participating in; the diocese is also looking to develop its programs in order to enable unbaptized children to fully assimilate into the faith, according to the announcement. 

This pause will end after the diocese develops a "comprehensive faith formation plan," according to Lorena Needham, director of the Office of Worship for the diocese.

Needham noted that OCIA generally comes with many challenges across dioceses. 

"There is still a classroom-school year mentality in which both catechumen and directors try to work within a timeline of one year or less, instead of allowing each person to discern their journey (along with the discernment of the initiation catechist)," Needham told CNA. 

Both the parents and the child must consent to joining the Church — but children "cannot adequately give [consent] if they do not know and understand what the sacraments of initiation are," she noted in the diocesan announcement in Intermountain Catholic. 

"There is little training in the seminaries on the OCIA — often it is just an optional class," she noted, adding that other groups such as LTP, TeamInitiation, and the Association for Catechumenal Ministry offer ongoing training. 

To remedy this situation, the diocese of Salt Lake City hopes to place a greater emphasis on training for Christian initiation. 

"Some bishops have taken Christian Initiation to heart and made it a focus for the professional development of their priests and central to their pastoral plans," Needham observed.  

The biggest change under the temporary moratorium mandates that youth baptized above the age of seven will receive sacraments one at a time, rather than all at once. This will entail attending first communion and confirmation classes within their age groups.

Under the moratorium, the requirements for obtaining baptism for youth over age seven are unchanged. The current pastoral directives of the diocese require a parent interview at least 60 days before the baptism, as well as discernment of the parents' readiness to help the child live a Christian life. In addition, parents must be registered in the parish or live within its boundaries, and the parish must provide baptismal preparation for the child, parents, and godparents.

"The hope for our youth, our families, and indeed for all of us in this diocese, is that we have the best possible opportunities to learn and live our faith, regardless of when the Holy Spirit moves us or our parents to take the next step of faith," Needham said in the announcement. 

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ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 19, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A priest prevented a man from taking off with an unconsumed consecrated Host after approaching to receive Communion during the Mass for the second anniversary of the St. Lucy shrine in the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán in Honduras.

Father Nery Adalberto Gómez Pérez, parish priest of St. Mark the Evangelist in Ocotepeque, was invited last Friday, Dec. 13, the saint's feast day, to celebrate Mass at the St. Lucy shrine, where a large crowd of faithful had gathered.

At Communion time during Mass, among the faithful was a man with a mustache, taller than average and wearing a white T-shirt and a baseball cap.

Waiting his turn, he stood before the priest, who pronounced the words "the body of Christ" without getting a response from the man who would later be confirmed as the desecrator.

The sequence, which can be seen beginning at 1:06:11 on the Facebook page of Channel 16 in Ocotepeque, shows how the man makes an unusual gesture, moving his mouth forward to take the Host from the priest's hand, instead of waiting for the priest to place it on his tongue.

With the Eucharist between his teeth and half sticking out of his mouth, the desecrator stands for a moment without knowing what to do and looks at the priest, with a smile that betrays his nervousness.

Without consuming the Host, the man turns around to return to his place in the pews, but the priest immediately realizes what had happened. First he points at him with his hand, but then he has to pause distributing Communion to follow the man to his place and get him to give back the unconsumed Host.

After reserving the profaned Eucharist, the priest resumed distributing Communion and concluding the Mass without any major incidents.

The Eucharist, 'the greatest treasure of the Church'

At the end of the liturgical celebration, Father Gómez took the opportunity to catechize on the importance of the Eucharist and the responsibility of all Catholics to safeguard it.

The priest stressed that the Eucharist "is the greatest treasure of the Church" and, given that priests, religious, and lay people are part of the Church, he reminded the faithful that "we must all be zealous for this treasure."

"That is why at the moment of Communion, instead of being distracted," the celebrant continued, "something that we all must do, if the Eucharist is our treasure, is to be vigilant that no one does something wrong. 

"This time it was my turn today. But it's not just my problem. It's also everyone's problem. Everyone must be vigilant," he insisted.

He also pointed out that, in these situations, the lay person has "the authority as a Christian" to demand of a desecrator: "Give me the consecrated Host, please. Give it to me. Because if you are not going to honor it, give it to me, and I will honor it," and then give it to a priest.

Before concluding, Gómez recalled that the Eucharist is "the presence of God among us, real and alive. If not, this is a theater."

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, Dec 18, 2024 / 16:50 pm (CNA).

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a six-year-old case about whether South Carolina can prevent Medicaid funds from covering non-abortion services at Planned Parenthood facilities and other abortion clinics.

On Wednesday, the justices announced they would take the case in their 2024-2025 term. The case stems from a lawsuit Planned Parenthood filed in 2018 after Gov. Henry McMaster blocked abortion clinics from receiving those funds through an executive order.

Under federal law, federal Medicaid funds cannot be used to pay for abortion unless the life of the mother is at risk or the pregnancy results from rape or incest. However, federal law does allow those funds to pay for other services at abortion clinics. The court's ruling will determine whether states can prevent those funds from covering non-abortion services at those facilities.

"Taxpayer dollars should never fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood," McMaster said in a post on X after the court agreed to hear the case. 

"In 2018, I issued an executive order to end this practice in South Carolina," he added. "I'm confident the U.S. Supreme Court will agree with me that states shouldn't be forced to subsidize abortions."

The state government has argued that it has the authority to determine which organizations can access the federal funds it receives for family planning services and that it can allocate funds to other organizations that provide family planning services while exempting abortion clinics. The lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood argues that the state is interfering with a patient's ability to obtain health care services at "the qualified provider of their choice."

"Taxpayer dollars should never be used to fund facilities that make a profit off abortion," Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel John Bursch said in a statement. 

Alliance Defending Freedom lawyers are representing the state's interests in the lawsuit. 

"Pro-life states like South Carolina should be free to determine that Planned Parenthood and other entities that peddle abortion are not qualified to receive taxpayer funding through Medicaid," Bursch added. "Congress did not unambiguously create a right for Medicaid recipients to drag states into federal court to challenge those decisions, so no such right exists."

Jenny Black, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said in a statement that "every person should be able to access quality, affordable health care from a provider they trust, no matter their income or insurance status."

"This case is politics at its worst: anti-abortion politicians using their power to target Planned Parenthood and block people who use Medicaid as their primary form of insurance from getting essential health care like cancer screenings and birth control," Black said.

In March of 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit issued a ruling in favor of Planned Parenthood and ordered the state to grant abortion clinics access to those federal funds. Alliance Defending Freedom appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court. 

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Madrid, Spain, Dec 18, 2024 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

The faithful of the city of Naples in Italy experienced profound relief when they witnessed the liquefaction of the blood of Saint Januarius, the miracle that kept the city in suspense during the day on Dec. 16.

The extraordinary event, which did not occur in the morning as usual, finally happened at 5:40 p.m. (local time) in the Naples cathedral.

Since 9 a.m., the reliquary containing the blood of the saint had been exposed to the faithful by Father Gregorio Vincenzo, but it remained solid until the afternoon. 

After the miracle, the liquefied blood of the patron saint of the city was taken to the Treasury Chapel of the cathedral, where a Holy Mass was celebrated.

The miracle consists of the mass of blood adhering to one side of the ampoule turning into completely liquid blood, covering the entire glass.

This extraordinary event has occurred since 1389 on three occasions: every Sept. 19, on the feast day of the saint; on Dec. 16, the anniversary of his intervention to prevent the effects of an eruption of the Mount Vesuvius volcano in 1631; and on the Saturday before the first Sunday in May, in memory of the transfer of his remains to Naples.

Tradition has it that on Dec. 16, 1631 the faithful of Naples carried the relics of their patron saint in a procession to prevent the eruption of Mount Vesuvius volcano from destroying the city. During the procession, the lava miraculously stopped. Since then, this event has been known as the "lay people's miracle".

The liquefaction process sometimes takes hours or even days, and sometimes it doesn't happen at all, which Neapolitans interpret as a bad omen, as happened in 1939, before the outbreak of World War II.

The Catholic Church believes that the miracle, without scientific explanation, happens thanks to the dedication and prayers of the faithful.

With the exclamation "The miracle has happened!", the faithful go to the altar to kiss the relic and sing the Te Deum in thanksgiving, after the archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, has walked around the church holding the relic.

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, Dec 18, 2024 / 17:50 pm (CNA).

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reassuring Republican senators that he will back certain pro-life policies if the Senate confirms him to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

In November, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump nominated Kennedy to serve as the United States secretary of the HHS, a position that requires Senate confirmation. HHS oversees 10 agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Kennedy is a former Democrat. He ran for president as an independent in 2024 before dropping out and endorsing Trump. 

Although Kennedy has supported legal abortion for his entire public career, he told pro-life senators in closed-door meetings that he would oppose taxpayer funds for abortion domestically and abroad and restore conscience protections.

"Today I got to sit down with [Kennedy] —  we had a substantive discussion about American healthcare … [and] a good discussion, at length, about pro-life policies at HHS," Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a series of posts on X.

According to Hawley, Kennedy told him that, if confirmed, he would reinstate the Mexico City Policy, which ends federal funding for overseas organizations that promote abortion. Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy during his first term and said in an October interview with EWTN News that he would consider doing so again in a second term.

Hawley said Kennedy's plans include "ending taxpayer funding for abortions domestically" and "reinstating the bar on Title X funds going to organizations that promote abortion." He said that Kennedy also "pledged to reinstate conscience protections for healthcare providers."

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, told reporters that he and Kennedy also talked about abortion, saying, "The big thing about abortion is that he's telling everybody … whatever President Trump [supports], I'm going to back him 100%." 

"Basically, [Kennedy] and President Trump have sat down and talked about it and both of them came to an agreement," Tuberville said. "Roe v. Wade is gone, [abortion has] gone back to the states. Let the people vote on it." 

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, told reporters that Kennedy told him he "serves the will of the [incoming] president of the United States and he'll be pushing his policies forward."

"[Kennedy's] first thing is [that] we have too many abortions," Mullin said. "...His follow up to that is [that he is] serving at the will of the president of the United States. …I think that should clear up that question for anyone."

Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, said in a post on X that he also spoke with Kennedy about abortion. 

"I had a productive discussion with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. this evening about the future of our nation's healthcare system, preventing taxpayer-funded abortion, and Americans' long-term well-being," Scott said. 

During his independent presidential campaign, Kennedy first endorsed abortion in all stages of pregnancy, including late-term abortion. He later retracted that position and said he would back restrictions at the point of fetal viability. 

Kennedy also said during his campaign that he would support a "massive subsidized day care initiative" to reduce abortion without limiting legal access.

No word on chemical abortions

Tuberville, however, said that he did not speak with Kennedy about chemical abortions, which are regulated by the FDA. Trump himself has said he will not restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Chemical abortions account for about half of all abortions in the country. 

The FDA first approved mifepristone to be used in chemical abortions in 2000. Under current law, the drug is approved to abort an unborn child up to 10 weeks' gestation, at which point the child has a fetal heartbeat, early brain activity, and partially developed eyes, lips, and nostrils.

Mifepristone kills the child by blocking the hormone progesterone, which cuts off the supply of oxygen and nutrients. A second pill, misoprostol, is taken between 24 to 48 hours after mifepristone to induce contractions meant to expel the child's body from the mother, essentially inducing labor.

Pro-life advocates have been urging the incoming administration to restrict abortion drugs. Many activists have argued that the executive branch could prohibit the delivery of abortion drugs in the mail by enforcing the Comstock Act — a plan that has not been embraced by Trump.

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Vatican City, Dec 18, 2024 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Wednesday prayed especially for Cyclone Chido victims in the French territory of Mayotte during his weekly general audience.

Before greeting thousands of pilgrims crowded inside the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father paused to pray before the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux brought to Rome by French pilgrims attending the pope's Wednesday audience.

"I express my concern for all the inhabitants of the Mayotte archipelago devastated by a cyclone and I assure them of my prayers," the pope shared with pilgrims. 

"May God grant rest to those who lost their lives, the necessary help to all those in need, and comfort to the bereaved families," he continued.

Mayotte, France's poorest overseas territory located in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mozambique, was hit by its worst tropical cyclone in 90 years with wind speeds at more than 124 mph, reports the World Meteorological Organization.

Though official tolls are unclear and continue to rise, thousands are feared dead or injured. According to Al Jazeera, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou stated on Tuesday more than 1,500 people were injured as a result of Cyclone Chido. 

'Jesus Christ our Hope'

Pope Francis this week introduced a new catechesis series, titled "Jesus Christ our Hope," that he said will continue for the entirety of the 2025 Jubilee Year. 

Starting the series with reflections on Jesus' genealogy and childhood, the Holy Father told his listeners that the "infancy gospels" of St. Matthew and St. Luke, recorded in the New Testament, are in fact told through the perspectives of Jesus' parents on earth, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.     

"We are presented with an infant child and adolescent Jesus submissive to his parents and, at the same time, aware that he is wholly devoted to the Father and his Kingdom," he said. 

"The difference between the two Evangelists is that while Luke recounts the events through the eyes of Mary, Matthew does so through those of Joseph, insisting on such an unprecedented paternity." 

The Holy Father also drew attention to the women mentioned in Jesus' ancestry and of their importance in salvation history. 

"The first four women are united not by the fact of being sinners, as is sometimes said, but by being foreigners to the people of Israel," he said.

"What Matthew brings out is that, as Benedict XVI wrote, 'through them the world of the Gentiles enters ... into the genealogy of Jesus - his mission towards Jews and pagans is made visible.'"

Preparations for Christmas, prayers for peace

Before imparting his paternal blessings the Holy Father asked international pilgrims to spiritually prepare for Christmas.

"Christmas is now here and I'd like to think that there is a nativity scene in your homes," he said. "This important element of our spirituality and culture is a wonderful, wonderful way to remember Jesus who came to dwell among us."

Praying alongside pilgrims crowded inside the hall, Pope Francis asked the "Prince of Peace" for his grace and peace to fill the world. 

"Let us not forget all those who suffer because of war. Palestine, Israel, and all those who are suffering in Ukraine, in Myanmar. Let us not forget to pray for peace [and] for wars to end" he said.

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