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CNA Staff, Sep 26, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The Word on Fire Institute, founded by Bishop Robert Barron, launched a program earlier this month designed to support young men amid a national mental health crisis.

Amid a crisis of loneliness and mental health, especially for young men, the ministry "Redemption" is a resource for young men struggling with depression, suicidal ideation, or other mental health issues. Redemption also seeks to address "the existential crisis of meaning that is gripping young men," Barron told Fox News Digital. 

When asked about the timeliness of the ministry, Word on Fire CEO Father Steve Grunow told CNA: "Alarming studies indicate that large numbers of men in our culture are in crisis and that help and support that is specific to their needs and concerns is not in proportion to the problems they face."

He added: "I do think this outreach is of particular importance now, not just because there is a real crisis that is having a devastating impact on men, but also because this kind of work is essential to the mission of the Church, particularly the mission of evangelization, which is, for me, a search-and-rescue mission."

Mental health and meaning crisis among men 

Men often are often underdiagnosed for mental health issues. Nearly 1 in 10 men experience some form of depression and anxiety, but fewer than half seek treatment, according to the Anxiety and Depression Society of America (ADAA). 

Men also die by suicide at a rate four times higher than women but are diagnosed with depression and mood disorders at far lower rates, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). When they do seek help, men are more likely to go underdiagnosed for depression.

"Some indicators of this crisis are the numbers of boys and young men who are failing to thrive in schools and universities, suffering elevated rates of addiction, lacking in mentors or friends, and drifting without meaning and purpose for their lives," Grunow continued. "Perhaps most troubling [is] that men between the ages of 25 and 50 represent the largest group prone to take their own lives."

"This is all compounded by the perception that men are expendable, are pilloried by the culture as being either toxic or buffoons, and if they find themselves in crisis or in trouble that have few resources or opportunities available to help them to set their lives right," Grunow added.

The Redemption program seeks to help men struggling with mental health issues while also addressing the cultural crisis of meaning. The program will hold weekly meetings led by the Word on Fire Institute and the Capuchin Franciscan Friars.

The program will feature spiritual counseling as well as virtual meetings and other digital resources for men around the world. 

Shia LaBeouf's role 

Redemption was launched because of a request from actor Shia LaBeouf, who joined the Catholic Church after his on-screen portrayal of Padre Pio in a 2022 film led him to a love of the Catholic faith. 

"Shia Labeouf asked Bishop Barron if Word on Fire could provide help to men who, like himself, are alone and in crisis," Grunow said.

LaBeouf had stayed with a monastic community of Capuchin friars to prepare for the role of Padre Pio, but he "found in the Capuchin friars mentors and friends who were willing to let him into their community despite the fact that he was, in his own words, 'on fire, radioactive,'" Grunow explained. 

"[Labeouf] asked if Bishop Barron, through the auspices of Word on Fire, could facilitate, with the help of Capuchin friars, an outreach to men who were at a limit and had run out of options," Grunow explained. "The Word on Fire Institute Redemption community emerged from Shia's request and the Capuchin friars' willingness to help."

Loneliness and cancel culture 

Grunow noted that cancel culture has a "devastating" effect on young men. 

"It seems to me there is the shattering impact of a culture that insists that everything is permitted while at the same time nothing is forgiven," Grunow noted. "The impact of this on men has been particularly devastating as it means there is no opportunity for another chance. The result is that far too many men have become pariahs or outcasts — throwaway people who are the product of a throwaway culture." 

Having a faith community and support can be "very important" to an individual recovering from mental health issues, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA). 

"From a public-health perspective, faith community leaders are gatekeepers or 'first responders' when individuals and families face mental health or substance use problems," read an APA Mental Health Guide for Faith Leaders. "In that role they can help dispel misunderstandings, reduce stigma associated with mental illness and treatment, and facilitate access to treatment for those in need."

"It is spiritually decadent for Catholics to virtue-signal regarding Christ's offer of undeserved mercy and grace rather than to practice it through offering to others the mercy and grace that we ourselves have received from the Lord," Grunow noted. 

"The loneliness epidemic" has hit men hard. A 2023 study by Equimundo found that two-thirds of men surveyed said "no one really knows me." Additionally, men's social circles are shrinking, according to a study by the American Survey Center. The number of men who report having no close friends has quintupled since the 1990s, and while more than half of men in the 1990s reported having at least six close friends, that number has been cut in half as of 2021.

"Bishop Barron has often said that grace and mercy grows in proportion for us in our willingness to give grace and mercy to others. We imitate Christ when the grace and mercy we give away is given to those who the world deems as unworthy of the gesture," Grunow said.

"In the midst of a culture that has facilitated the destruction of so many lives in its brutal insistence that 'everything is permitted, but nothing is forgiven,' the Church needs to offer those in need the grace and mercy of forgiveness and another chance — redemption is possible, and it is not just a prize for the perfect but a gift for all," Grunow said. 

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 25, 2024 / 17:10 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Timothy Dolan said on Tuesday that Vice President Kamala Harris' decision to skip the Al Smith dinner, a prominent Catholic charity event in New York, wasn't a wise political move.

While Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Harris' decision to skip the dinner reveals her "anti-Catholic" sentiments, Dolan, who leads the Archdiocese of New York, blamed bad advice.

"Different people are reading motives into it; I don't know the motives," he said, speaking on his podcast. "She simply said she's got to use it for campaigning. This isn't a campaign event, but it certainly is good visibility, you know, I mean it's a national audience and everybody covers it; now the news is that she's not there. So, I don't know who's advising her but she's not getting good advice."

The $5,000-a-plate charity event taking place on Oct. 17 is hosted by the Archdiocese of New York; the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner has been attended by nearly every major presidential candidate since 1960. 

According to Dolan, President Joe Biden had committed to attending the dinner earlier this year before dropping out of the race. Harris' campaign team, however, reportedly notified the archdiocese on Saturday that she would not be attending the event. 

Instead of attending the event, Harris' team has said she will use the time to campaign in critical swing states, according to the New York Post. 

Dolan pointed out on his podcast after the news broke that the last candidate who refused an invitation to the dinner, Walter Mondale in 1984, lost his election in a massive blowout. 

"I don't want to say its cause and effect," Dolan quipped, "[but] Walter Mondale went on to lose 49 states." 

On a more serious note, the cardinal noted that he is "doubly disappointed" by Harris' decision. 

As head of the Archdiocese of New York, Dolan typically sits between the two presidential candidates on the main dais atop the stage. Dolan said he was looking forward to presiding over an evening in which both candidates got to put aside their differences in the interest of charity.

"We were looking forward to giving both candidates an enthusiastic welcome, which we always do," Dolan said. "It's not supposed to be a campaign, it's kind of an evening of patriotism, joy, friendship, and unity. Well, those are values she's been talking about, and this evening is supposed to showcase that, so we're kind of doubly disappointed that she's not coming."

Despite this, Dolan noted that he still hopes Harris will change her mind "when she becomes aware of how important this is."

He said that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats and regular attendees of the dinner, have been "pestering her, saying, 'You got to come.'"

"They [Hochul and Schumer] say there still might be a chance because this may have just been her handlers saying, 'No, no we can't,'" Dolan said.

Trump will still attend

Trump, meanwhile, has confirmed that he will be attending the dinner. 

Dolan praised Trump's commitment to the event, saying he has been "extraordinarily good," participating in the event every election year since 2016.

Trump made headlines at the 2016 Al Smith dinner because of jokes he made about then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, which some said went too far and broke with the friendly spirit of the event. In 2020, both Trump and Biden sent recorded video messages for the event, which took place online due to COVID-19.

Catholic comedian Jim Gaffigan, who is scheduled to serve as the dinner's master of ceremonies, confirmed with the Daily Beast that he will still be headlining the event.  

A missed opportunity

Brian Browne, an adjunct professor of political science at St. John's University in Queens, New York, told CNA that while Harris' decision likely won't make much of a difference to the average Catholic voter, more engaged Catholic voters "could perceive this as a misstep or insult."

He said that "a modest investment of a few hours" at the dinner would provide an opportunity to demonstrate "bipartisan camaraderie and an ability to present humor, humility, and a human touch."

"It is a missed opportunity to appear at a historic, traditional, and overwhelmingly enjoyable event that raises much-needed funds for Catholic Charities," Browne said. "At a minimum, it exposes the Harris campaign as not completely understanding or appreciating the history of one of the friendlier traditions of presidential elections. It fuels the ongoing criticisms that Vice President Harris is scripted, risk-averse, and not ready for prime time."

Browne, who has attended the dinner several times, described it as "a classic and special New York City experience that showcases and celebrates just how far Catholics have come in the United States."

Maybe the right decision for Harris?

John White, a professor of politics at The Catholic University of America, told CNA he believes the reaction to Harris' decision is being blown out of proportion.

"It's perfectly understandable that Harris would want to spend the remaining days of the campaign in the swing states," he said. "Moreover, it's important to remember what happened at the last live Smith dinner in 2016. Trump did not adhere to the spirit of light banter and humor and delved into personal attacks against Hillary Clinton. Undoubtedly, he would do the same again."

White said: "I don't think this matters much to Catholics."

"Frankly, I think the Smith dinner is losing its salience in terms of a political benefit," he added. "And while Cardinal Dolan likes to recite history, saying Walter Mondale didn't show up in 1984 and lost 49 states, Richard Nixon did not appear in 1972 — sending Vice President [Spiro] Agnew instead — and he won 49 states."

Meanwhile, Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, told CNA that the dinner plays to Trump's strengths and Harris' weaknesses, creating what he called a "lose-lose situation" for the vice president.

"It seems obvious that her handlers, who are ever so cautious about her public comments, are afraid she might stumble, and therefore come to regret going," he said. "But playing it safe is like playing not to lose in sports — it is not a surefire way to win. No matter, the lack of confidence her handlers have in her ability to think quickly and succinctly is not unfounded."

Despite this, Donohue noted that Harris "should know that if she were to attend the Al Smith dinner, New York Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan would ensure that she was treated with respect" despite her policy record, he said, "most of which is inimical to Catholic values."

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CNA Staff, Sep 25, 2024 / 17:40 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Myanmar and Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego will lead the inauguration of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence on Sept. 29 in Rome at the Istituto Maria Santissima Bambina, a convent just outside St. Peter's Square.

The institute's goal is to deepen "Catholic understanding of and commitment to the practice of Gospel nonviolence," according to a Sept. 25 press release.

Sister Teresia Wachira of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and renowned author and researcher Maria Stephan will lead the inauguration alongside the two cardinals.

The Institute is "aimed at facilitating nonviolence research, resources, and experiences for Catholic Church leaders, communities, and institutions" and has a 21-member advisory council featuring nonviolence scholars, researchers, and Church leaders.  

The council will focus on several areas of research including "Gospel nonviolence," which relates to understanding nonviolence as a "way of life." It will focus on "how the Church can integrate Gospel nonviolence throughout its life and work" as well as highlighting how the Church can work with other religions to spread the practice of nonviolence.

There will also be a concentration in "nonviolent practices and strategic power," which will investigate nonviolent strategies for real-world problems. The third concentration, "contextual experiences of nonviolence," will connect those who have lived out nonviolence and will emphasize "case studies of nonviolent practice."

Next month, the institute will contribute to the 2024 Synod on Synodality by offering seminars on questions of nonviolence and legitimate self-defense as well as discussing formation in nonviolent conflict management.

The advisory council includes Maria Clara Bingemer, a professor of theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Archbishop Peter Chong of Suva, Fiji; and Erica Chenoweth, dean and professor at Harvard University known for her work on nonviolence. 

The inauguration takes place amid debates over what constitutes a just war according to Catholic just war theory. McElroy recently said in a Sept. 23 interview with Vatican News that "just war theories are a secondary element in Catholic teaching; the first is that we should not engage in warfare at all." 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that all citizens and governments "are obliged to work for the avoidance of war," though "governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed" (CCC, 2308, 2309).

The institute originates from Pax Christi International's Catholic Nonviolence Initiative. Pax Christi is a Catholic nonviolence movement that seeks to address the root causes of violent conflict. 

The event will take place on the same day as the Pax Christi International Peace Award ceremony, which has been awarded to men and women who have stood up for nonviolence since 1992. This year's recipient is Sister Gladys Montesinos, a Peruvian Carmelite missionary who works with Indigenous peoples in the Bolivian Amazon. 

Pax Christi International will stream the inauguration on its YouTube channel.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 25, 2024 / 18:25 pm (CNA).

The large-scale bombings Israel unleashed this week against Hezbollah in Lebanon are affecting all of Lebanon's residents, including Christians, according to the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

ACN's project coordinator in Lebanon, Marielle Boutros, indicated that many Christian families residing in the bombed areas have been affected.

"Some have lost their homes and are now moving from the south to other places in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and the north to find safety," she said.

Boutros explained that even Beirut, the country's capital, has been the target of attacks mainly confined to the areas with the largest Muslim population, where Hezbollah has most of its support.

"But Beirut is not a big city, so if a part of Beirut is targeted, all of Beirut will feel it, and all day people hear the sound of military aircraft or drones," she said.

"I am 37 years old and I have lived through more than five wars in Lebanon. It is not easy to live in a country where one day you are OK and the next you are hiding from missiles. It's not the kind of life young people like to live. The trauma that people are experiencing now, and the trauma of having yet another war, will not be easily forgotten," Boutros added.

Boutros said that despite the bombing, projects carried out by the Catholic Church through ACN have not stopped and that "they are now more necessary than ever."

"People are now living in church halls so they will need food, sanitary products, mattresses, blankets, and if it continues we will need heating for the winter, though of course we hope it won't last that long," said Boutros, who also called on all believers to pray for peace in Lebanon and the entire region.

'No one wants war'

Another prominent Catholic voice who is speaking out about the situation is the Maronite archbishop of Tyre, Charbel Abdallah, who stated in an interview with Vatican News that the Lebanese are worried and "fearful for the future."

"Everyone seeks peace. Nobody wants war," he reiterated. "If the situation worsens, the war would not only affect the south, but it is all of Lebanon that is affected by the war. In October, children and young people will start school. We spent an entire year without school, and if schools do not open this year, we risk losing a lot, because people and families will be forced to leave the region."

Finally, the archbishop highlighted that the Catholics of Lebanon have made the decision to pray fervently for an end to the conflict.

"All the priests in the parishes have taken steps to pray. The rosary is prayed every day. There is an hour of worship with the people, and we always try to encourage the spirit in prayer to ask for the peace of the Lord," 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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St. Louis, Mo., Sep 25, 2024 / 13:20 pm (CNA).

Missouri executed Marcellus "Khaliifah" Williams on Tuesday evening for the brutal murder of a St. Louis journalist in 1998 despite significant local and national outcry from Catholics and others who begged state authorities not to carry out the execution, citing opposition to the death penalty and doubts about Williams' guilt.

Williams, 55, died by lethal injection just after 6 p.m. local time. Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who has never granted clemency to a death row inmate during his governorship, declined to do so in Williams' case, and the U.S. Supreme Court also rejected a plea brought by Williams' attorneys. 

Felicia "Lisha" Gayle, a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was found brutally stabbed dozens of times in her home in the St. Louis suburb of University City in 1998. 

Circumstantial evidence, including the discovery of several of Gayle's personal belongings in Williams' car, tied him to the break-in and murder, though none of his DNA was ever found on the murder weapon. Williams allegedly confessed to the murder to his girlfriend and a fellow inmate, but critics have questioned the veracity of those witnesses.

Williams, who was already serving jail time for two unrelated robberies, was charged with Gayle's murder in 1999 and convicted in 2001. St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Hilton upheld Williams' conviction earlier this month.

Attorneys for Wiliams had argued before the state Supreme Court on Monday that Williams did not receive a fair criminal trial in part because of the racial makeup of the jury and the fact that the trial prosecutor struck at least one juror in part because the juror and Williams, who is Black, "looked like brothers."

The Catholic Church teaches that the death penalty, even for those who have committed heinous crimes, constitutes an attack on human life and dignity. The Missouri Catholic Conference, which advocates for public policy on behalf of the state's bishops, had encouraged Catholics to contact Parson to express their opposition to Williams' execution. 

Led by the St. Louis Archdiocese's Office of Peace and Justice, about 25 people protested the scheduled execution on Tuesday afternoon in downtown St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch reported. Outside the prison where the execution took place, about an hour south of St. Louis, more than 90 protesters gathered. 

Williams' attorneys had recently pushed for his release after new DNA testing revealed at least two other people's DNA on the knife used in the murder, although it later came to light that the DNA belonged to law enforcement professionals who had handled the knife without gloves.

Williams, a Muslim, had his imam with him during the execution. His final statement reportedly read, "All Praise Be To Allah In Every Situation!!!"

Missouri is among the most prolific of all U.S. states when it comes to the death penalty; it was one of only five states to carry out executions in 2023, carrying out four that year. In April, Parson denied a death row inmate's clemency request despite protests from Catholics and others, clearing the way for the state's first execution of 2024.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, reflecting an update promulgated by Pope Francis in 2018, describes the death penalty as "inadmissible" and an "attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person" (CCC, No. 2267). 

The change reflects a development of Catholic doctrine in recent years. St. John Paul II, calling the death penalty "cruel and unnecessary," encouraged Christians to be "unconditionally pro-life" and said that "the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil."

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Vatican City, Sep 25, 2024 / 09:50 am (CNA).

Pope Francis said Wednesday he is praying for the dozens of victims of a deadly coal mine explosion in Tabas, Iran, that happened last Saturday.

The Sept. 21 incident in the South Khorasan Province killed at least 51 people and injured another 20, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). The explosion was caused by a methane gas leak.

In a message of condolences signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope expressed his sorrow for those affected and sent "the assurance of his prayers for those who died and for their grieving families."

"Likewise expressing his spiritual solidarity with the wounded, His Holiness invokes upon all affected by this tragedy the Almighty's blessings of strength, consolation, and peace," the short telegram to victims concluded.

A similar coal mine explosion in Iran in 2017 killed 42 people and injured at least 75 others.

The mine in Tabas, located about 340 miles from Tehran, is owned and operated by Madanjoo Company. There were 69 workers inside the coal mine at the time of the explosion at 9 p.m. local time.

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Vatican City, Sep 25, 2024 / 05:55 am (CNA).

Pope Francis at his general audience on Wednesday called pornography a work of the devil, and warned Christians to reject this and other temptations accessed through the internet.

"Any cell phone has access to this brutality, this language of the devil," the pope said at the weekly audience in St. Peter's Square Sept. 25.

While modern technology has many positive resources to appreciate, he noted, it also gives the devil an opportunity to tempt us, "and many people fall for it."

"Think of internet pornography, which there is a thriving market behind," he continued. "We all know the devil works there."

Pope Francis spoke about pornography and how to avoid the temptation to sin during the 500th general audience of his pontificate. 

Addressing thousands at the Vatican, he said pornography "is a very widespread phenomenon, but one that Christians must be very careful to guard against and strongly reject."

At the Wednesday audience on the eve of a four-day trip to Luxembourg and Belgium, the pontiff spoke softly and had to pause occasionally to cough, after canceling two meetings on Monday morning due to suffering from "flu-like" symptoms, according to the Vatican.

The pope's catechesis was the latest in a series of reflections on the Holy Spirit as a guide, and took inspiration from the beginning of the fourth chapter of Luke, when, "filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil."

"In the wilderness, Jesus freed himself of Satan, and now he can deliver from Satan," Francis underlined, noting that by going into the wilderness Jesus was following an inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Pope Francis offered advice for avoiding sin when tempted by the devil, including not to believe in superstition or to become involved with occultism, spiritualism, astrologers, sellers of spells and amulets, and satanic sects, which are prevalent despite modern society's denial of the existence of Satan.

He also said, when temptation hits, to ask the Virgin Mary for help, and to immediately send the devil away — "do not dialogue with the demon."

"Be careful because the devil is clever, but we Christians, thank God, are smarter than he is," the pope reminded.

Quoting from a Father of the Church, Saint Caesarius of Arles, Francis said, "after Christ on the cross, defeated forever the power of the 'ruler of this world,' the devil … 'is bound, like a dog on a chain; he cannot bite anyone except those who, defying the danger, go near him... He can bark, he can urge, but he can bite only those who want.'"

While it is true, the pontiff continued, that the devil is present and working in extreme forms of evil and wickedness in human history, do not be discouraged.

"The final thought must be, also in this case, of trust and safety," he said. "Christ overcame the devil and gave us the Holy Spirit to make His victory our own. The very action of the enemy can turn to our advantage, if with God's help we make it serve our purification."

He concluded by encouraging everyone to ask the Holy Spirit for help, using words from the hymn, "Veni Creator:"

"Drive far away our wily Foe,

And Thine abiding peace bestow;

If Thou be our protecting Guide,

No evil can our steps betide."

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CNA Staff, Sep 25, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Dallas Jenkins, the creator, director, and writer of the hit series "The Chosen," made several big announcements regarding the future of the show and the launch of new projects during the second annual "Chosen" fan convention, ChosenCon, on Sept. 20 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida.

The announcements included details about several new shows, ranging from an animated children's series to a reality show in partnership with celebrity survivalist and adventurer Bear Grylls, as well as the creation of a new production studio.

5&2 Studios, created by Jenkins, is the new independent studio that will oversee the production of "The Chosen" franchise and will produce future film and television projects set in the biblical world. 5&2 Studios is currently in production of "The Chosen Adventures" and "The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls."

"The Chosen Adventures" is an animated series following 9-year-old Abby in the city of Capernaum and her friend Joshua and features the voices of actors Paul Walter Hauser and Yvonne Orji as well as Grammy-nominated artist Jordin Sparks and cast members from "The Chosen" including Jonathan Roumie, Paras Patel, Elizabeth Tabish, and Noah James.

"This is a show that kids are going to love, parents are going to love watching it with them, grandparents are going to love watching it with them," Jenkins told CNA in an interview at ChosenCon. "We're taking the stories of Jesus, the stories of the Gospels, the biblical concepts and truths and showing you them through the eyes of children."

Elizabeth Tabish, the actress who portrays Mary Magdalene in "The Chosen," will be a voice in the animated series and said the new show is "very family-friendly, very charming, and very smart and funny too — I think parents are going to like it as much as their kids."

"The Chosen in the Wild With Bear Grylls" is a six-episode, unscripted adventure series where Grylls takes one cast member from the show into the wild to explore their personal stories of faith and dive deeper into their perspectives on the series and the characters they portray. 

"It's a really exciting partnership bringing together what I do, which is 'Running Wild' and taking Hollywood folk into the wild, and then 'The Chosen' and what they do, and we've never done a partnership where we actually do like a bespoke version of 'Running Wild' for a TV show, but it felt like the right time, with the right partners," Grylls told CNA in an interview at ChosenCon.

Grylls shared that he has "been a sort of quiet fan of 'The Chosen' from the beginning" and that it has helped him in his own faith journey.

"I love everything that 'The Chosen' stands for, showing faith in a beautiful kind of real light," he said. 

Four out of the six episodes have been filmed so far and their "stories are beautiful and empowering," Grylls said.

He added that he believes fans of the show will enjoy getting to know "the actors as people, what they're really like, their journeys, their journeys of faith through the whole thing, from different backgrounds, different cultures, and the friendships they've made, to get to know them in a real way."

5&2 Studios is also developing three new shows including a three-season series about Moses, a limited series following the story of Joseph, and then, following "The Chosen," a series about the Acts of the Apostles.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 25, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

In the wake of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signing an executive order banning "conversion therapy" for children, some experts are raising the alarm that the move could have a "chilling effect" on beneficial mental health counseling.

The order, signed by Beshear last week, defines conversion therapy as "any practice, treatment, or intervention that seeks or purports to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender."

The order prohibits state and federal funding for conversion therapy and counseling and gives state licensing boards authority to penalize practitioners offering such services to minors.

In a Sept. 18 press statement, the state's Democratic governor said conversion therapy "has no basis in medicine or science, and it can cause significant long-term harm to our kids, including increased rates of suicide and depression."

"Kentucky cannot possibly reach its full potential unless it is free from discrimination by or against any citizen — unless all our people feel welcome in our spaces, free from unjust barriers and supported to be themselves," the governor said. "This is about protecting our youth from an inhumane practice that hurts them."

Free speech experts raise alarm

According to Liberty Counsel, a law firm specializing in religious freedom and free speech, the order's broad definition of conversion therapy means that therapists are prohibited from simply counseling patients who want to overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion.

The law firm also called the order an "unconstitutional" sidestep of the Kentucky Legislature after that branch of the state government has repeatedly protected children by rejecting attempts to enact an actual law banning counseling.  

"Counseling for gender confusion is actually talk therapy," Liberty Counsel said in a Sept. 19 press release. "Gov. Beshear's order ignores minors with unwanted same-sex attractions or gender confusion and makes it illegal for them to get professional help to stop their mental distress."

Daniel Schmid, an attorney with Liberty Counsel, told CNA that since only the legislature can ban conversion therapy the order is largely a "paper tiger" with little legal effect and cannot prohibit counseling.

Nevertheless, he said the order "creates a significant First Amendment problem" for counselors, children, and parents. He said the order will likely have a significant chilling effect on therapists who may be intimidated by the threat of losing their professional license.

"If you're a licensed professional, loss of your license is loss of your livelihood," he said. "If all you do is listen to the media or listen to what the governor said, which is that we're prohibiting this and we're going to come after the people who do it, that is a significant enough cause for concern for many counselors."

"There may be counselors out there who say, 'Well, I don't like the idea in here that I could be referred for professional discipline.' That's, of course, a chill," he said.

Conversion therapy bans

Currently, 28 states and the District of Columbia restrict or ban conversion therapy on minors, according to data gathered by the pro-LGBTQ think tank the Movement Advancement Project.

Melissa Moschella, a professor specializing in biomedical ethics and parental rights at the University of Notre Dame, told CNA that these bans effectively put a gag on therapists from seeking out the underlying causes of gender dysphoria and instead mandate "really bad therapy."

"A lot of the support for these bans, at least initially, came from horror stories about electroshock therapy for people with same-sex attraction and things like that," she explained. "But now the term conversion therapy is defined so broadly that it basically means any form of therapy that doesn't completely affirm and support either a same-sex attraction or a transgender identity."

Moschella said there is "no evidence at all" that so-called conversion therapy, which she said seeks to explore the underlying mental health issues surrounding gender, increases suicidality or exacerbates mental health problems. On the contrary, she said this type of therapy appears to be "the only therapy that in the long run actually seems to help."

Ultimately, Moschella said these bans will "make it much harder" for parents to find good therapists and will "require a great deal of courage" on the part of therapists to offer genuine counseling to children suffering from gender dysphoria.

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http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=Catholic-News&view=post&articleid=279233&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 24, 2024 / 18:25 pm (CNA).

In an address to the United Nations' "Summit of the Future" in New York, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's secretary of state, emphasized the need for promoting the dignity of the human person and voiced the Vatican's disapproval of the assembly's promotion of abortion and gender ideology.

Parolin addressed U.N. members gathered for the summit on Monday. Though praising summit attendees for engaging in dialogue, Parolin commented that there is a "need to rethink actions in a number of areas."

The cardinal voiced the Vatican's concerns with a document titled "Pact for the Future," which was passed by summit attendees on Sunday. He said that "in conformity with its nature and particular mission, [the Holy See] wishes to express its reservations" regarding the assembly's promotion of abortion and gender ideology.

The Holy See retains the status of a nonvoting "permanent observer" in the United Nations.

What did Parolin say?

Parolin emphasized the need to promote the dignity of the human person across the world. He praised the summit as a "reason for hope" amid a time of crisis in which there is an ongoing "erosion of trust between nations, as evidenced by the growing prevalence and intensity of conflict."

"Today, the sense of belonging to a single human family is fading, and the dream of working together for justice and peace seems outdated and utopian. This need not be the case, if there is a will to engage in genuine dialogue," Parolin said. "If dignity is the foundation and integral human development is the goal of our future, dialogue is the necessary means."

Though the "Pact for the Future" passed by the summit does not mention abortion explicitly, it states the summit's goal to "ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights." "Reproductive health" and "reproductive rights" are terms used to refer to an array of primarily women's health services, often including abortion.

"Regarding the terms 'sexual and reproductive health' and 'reproductive rights,' the Holy See considers these terms as applying to a holistic concept of health, which embrace, each in their own way, the person in the entirety of his or her personality, mind, and body, and which foster the achievement of personal maturity in sexuality and in the mutual love and decision-making that characterize the conjugal relationship between a man and a woman in accordance with moral norms," Parolin said.

"The Holy See does not consider abortion or access to abortion or abortifacients as a dimension of these terms," he clarified.

"With reference to 'gender,'" Parolin continued, "the Holy See understands the term to be grounded in the biological sexual identity that is male or female."

What other issues did Parolin emphasize?

Parolin went on to emphasize the Vatican's belief that the "eradication of poverty" through global development must be the "overarching goal of all future action."

He also stressed the need for the pursuit of peace through global disarmament and the "total elimination of nuclear weapons," saying that "narrow geopolitical considerations must be put aside and strong economic lobbies must be resisted in order to uphold human dignity and ensure a future in which all human beings can enjoy integral development, both as individuals and as a community."

Finally, Parolin also said there is an "urgent need" for governments to regulate the development of artificial intelligence to promote "AI ethics that encompasses the life cycle of AI and addresses, inter alia, data protection, accountability, bias, and the impact of AI on employment."

"Above all," Parolin said, "thinking of the future should take into account the needs and interests of future generations. It is imperative that a dignified future is guaranteed for all, ensuring the provision of the requisite conditions — including a nurturing family environment — to facilitate flourishing while simultaneously addressing the myriad challenges that impede this, including those resulting from poverty, conflict, exploitation, and addiction."

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