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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 31, 2025 / 15:55 pm (CNA).

Pentagon officials have rescinded a Biden administration-era policy that granted paid leave and reimbursed travel expenses for military service members based in states where abortion is restricted. 

Officials at the Defense Travel Management Office announced the move to "Remove Travel for Non-Covered Reproductive Health Care Services" in a memo on Wednesday following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, "Enforcing the Hyde Amendment," last week. 

Passed in 1976, the Hyde Amendment bars federal funding for abortion. 

"It is the policy of the United States, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, to end the forced use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion," Trump's order affirms. 

The Biden administration established travel stipends and paid leave for service members in 2023. At the time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated in a memo that the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade had "impacted access to reproductive health care with readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the force."

In response, pro-life Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville launched what turned into a 10-month-long standoff in which he attempted to pressure the administration to rescind the policy.

"For the past two years, I have been sounding the alarm about the Pentagon's illegal and immoral practice of using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions," Tuberville said in a statement posted on social media in response to the change.

"I took a lot of heat when I stood alone for nearly a year in holding senior Pentagon promotions over this," he stated, "but as of today, it was all worth it."

Tuberville had blocked the promotions of several hundred senior military officials to force the Defense Department to end its policy of paying for service members' abortion travel. 

The Alabama senator's pro-life blockade lasted from February 2023 to December 2023, causing a backlog of over 400 appointments, and was ultimately unsuccessful. 

In light of the change, and of Trump's executive order, Tuberville expressed gratitude that "the Pentagon will once again be focused on lethality, not pushing a political agenda."

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CNA Staff, Jan 31, 2025 / 16:25 pm (CNA).

The U.S. bishops have asked Catholics to reach out to their members of Congress and request the resumption of foreign aid programs following the Trump-Vance administration's decision to temporarily pause funding for many programs pending review. 

The USCCB and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the USCCB's international charitable arm, released an action alert on Thursday urging Catholics to contact their elected officials. 

"Your help is urgently needed! Let your members of Congress know that you are deeply concerned about the administration's recent decision to stop work on almost all U.S. foreign assistance programs," the alert read.

"This freeze will be detrimental to millions of our sisters and brothers who need access to lifesaving humanitarian, health, and development assistance," it continued.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Jan. 26 a 90-day freeze of U.S. foreign assistance funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department following an executive order from President Donald Trump.

Rubio exempted emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt from the aid pause but has since expanded the exemptions to include programs that provide lifesaving medicine, medical services, food, shelters, and subsistence assistance.

The White House also ordered federal agencies on Monday to pause federal grants and loans amid a flurry of executive actions from President Donald Trump. A U.S. district judge temporarily blocked the order on Tuesday, and by Wednesday the administration walked back the directive following widespread confusion but did not revoke the federal funding freeze.

Both freezes are designed to help the new administration review its programs and ensure the programs are in compliance with the recent executive orders. However, charity nonprofits such as Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services have objected, citing concerns about necessary humanitarian aid being cut off.

"The administration has begun to issue immediate stop work orders on almost all foreign aid as they review State Department and USAID programs between now and April 20," the alert from the USCCB and CRS read.

"New administrations usually review ongoing programs against their policy goals. However, ceasing almost all lifesaving humanitarian and development assistance during that time will have real impacts for human life and dignity and on U.S. national interests."

"As people of faith, let us stand shoulder to shoulder with our sisters and brothers in need," the alert continued. "Tell Congress to engage with the administration to continue allowing foreign assistance programs to operate during the review process."

CRS noted that their aid gives infants access to clean water, enables farmers to feed their families, and ensures children receive critical medications.

"U.S. foreign aid is not a handout. It has real impact on human life and dignity and advances U.S national interests," the alert read. "It provides lifesaving assistance in emergencies and supports long-term development programs that help families and communities build resilience, reducing the need for humanitarian aid in the future."

In a Jan. 26 statement, the U.S. Department of State spokesperson noted that "President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people."

"Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative," the statement read. "The secretary is proud to protect America's investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas."

Earlier this week Catholic Charities USA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson released a statement urging the new administration to "rethink" the proposed halt in domestic federal financial assistance.

"The millions of Americans who rely on this life-giving support will suffer due to the unprecedented effort to freeze federal aid supporting these programs," Robinson said. "The people who will lose access to crucial care are our neighbors and family members. They live in every corner of the country and represent all races, religions, and political affiliations." 

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CNA Staff, Jan 31, 2025 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Since last week, Catholic bishops across the country have publicly responded to President Donald Trump's recent executive orders on immigration, with many calling for a more comprehensive and humane approach to immigration policy that respects the dignity of migrants and refugees. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, newly empowered to make arrests at places like churches and schools without needing to seek a superior's approval, have reportedly already begun ramping up arrests in some major cities after Trump promised "the largest deportation operation in American history" focusing primarily on "the most dangerous criminals." 

Trump's other first-day orders, following through on numerous campaign promises, included a declaration of a national emergency at the southern U.S.-Mexico border, a reinstatement of the controversial "Remain in Mexico" border policy from his previous term, and a designation of drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations."

Another Trump-signed order set in motion a process to end birthright citizenship for individuals born within U.S. territory irrespective of the legal status of their parents, though a judge has already blocked that order amid a significant legal challenge led by a coalition of states. 

The Catholic Church teaches that countries, especially wealthier ones, should try to welcome migrants "to the extent they are able" but that nations also have the right to regulate migration.

Trump's immigration plans, many now coming to fruition, have attracted criticism from Catholic leaders at the national level, with U.S. bishops' conference president Archbishop Timothy Broglio saying Jan. 22 that "some provisions" of the immigration orders are "deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us." 

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the U.S. bishops' committee on migration, on Jan. 23 decried "sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, such as describing all undocumented immigrants as 'criminals' or 'invaders' to deprive them of protection under the law." Doing so, he wrote, "is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image."

Bishop Michael Burbidge released a statement responding to the Trump administration's deportation efforts on Friday, Jan. 31, echoing Pope Francis and his brother bishops calling for preservation of human dignity while also affirming the right of every country to secure its borders.

"I encourage President Trump and congressional leaders to develop a national immigration policy that reflects the Catholic commitment to human dignity and the common good," Burbidge wrote in the statement. He also urged law enforcement to refrain from entering sacred spaces unless necessary for safety reasons.

While the Arlington, Virginia, prelate expressed gratitude for the immigrant community in his diocese, whom he said "contribute so much to our Church and our country," he also acknowledged that many migrants who entered the U.S. illegally have committed "serious crimes."

"As the Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes," the bishop wrote, "Catholic teaching does not support an open border policy but rather emphasizes a commonsense approach where the duty to care for the stranger is practiced in harmony with the duty to care for the nation."

"We are a Church that stands for justice, not against the enforcement of law but for its application with mercy and understanding for the good of all persons and our country," he concluded.

Addressing immigrants

Many individual bishops' statements have been addressed directly to immigrants, seeking to offer words of encouragement and support and assurances that the Church welcomes them. 

The Catholic bishops of Michigan in a recent statement expressed concern over "mass deportations and harmful rhetoric that broadly demeans our immigrant brothers and sisters." They pledged "unyielding support and respect for the human dignity of all migrant people" and urged elected officials to support policies that keep immigrant families safe and united. 

The Michigan bishops clarified, however, that Catholic teaching on immigration rejects the idea of completely "open borders" in favor of a balanced approach that prioritizes both border security and compassionate welcome. They called for a "humane immigration system that welcomes refugees and immigrants by providing a fair pathway to citizenship."

The bishops of Maryland released a joint statement Jan. 27 to express their solidarity with immigrants and recommitting to advocating for policies that protect rights and uphold their dignity. Quoting Pope Francis, they called for people to see in every migrant "not 'a problem to be solved but ... brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected, and loved.'"

"The Church has always been a home for those in search of refuge and peace, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to welcome the stranger and embrace the vulnerable," the Maryland bishops wrote. 

Texas is at the epicenter of the immigration debate due to its lengthy and highly contested border with Mexico. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, criticizing the use of sweeping generalizations to refer to immigrants, stated that the bishops of Texas "will continue to work with governmental officials and other people of goodwill to implement policies that recognize the dignity of every person, prioritize family unity, and address the root causes of forced migration while respecting the right and responsibility of our country to secure its borders." 

The Texas bishops said they "urge President Trump to pivot from these enforcement-only policies to just and merciful solutions."

The bishops of Colorado, another state with a large Latino population, said the rhetoric of mass deportations has "created genuine fear for many we shepherd." The bishops committed "to walking in solidarity with you, our migrant brothers, sisters, and families" and advocated for "comprehensive immigration reform... that respects human dignity, protects the vulnerable, and ensures safety and security for all people." 

The bishops of New Mexico had in December articulated a strongly worded statement against a policy of mass deportation of unauthorized immigrants, saying such a policy "will not fix the broken immigration system but, rather, create chaos, family separation, and the traumatization of children." They called for Trump to instead "return to bipartisan negotiations to repair the U.S. immigration system."

Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, building on the New Mexico bishops' earlier statement, said on Jan. 21 that "overly simplistic solutions" to the immigration issue don't tend to work and that comprehensive reform is needed. 

He further stated that as Catholics, "we firmly believe that all human beings are children of God, brothers and sisters created in God's image." 

"We must not treat [migrants] as mere pawns in a game of chess nor politicize them. Instead, we must place their needs and concerns at the forefront of our debates, considering both the citizens of our nation and those seeking refuge at our borders. Our Christian faith urges us to care for the resident and the stranger," Wester said. 

"The truth is that immigrants are a benefit to our country. They help the economy by increasing the labor force, creating jobs, and boosting productivity. It is a fact that immigrants are often among the most law-abiding, religious, hardworking, and community-minded individuals in our country. They have a lower incarceration rate than the native-born population, and research shows that as the immigration population grows, the crime rate declines."

Archbishop Jose Gómez of Los Angeles invoked the maternal protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe, expressing in a statement his solidarity with undocumented migrants facing potential deportation. Emphasizing the Gospel's message of human dignity, he criticized fear-based policies and said any enforcement actions should be "matched by immediate action in Congress to fix our immigration system, which has been broken for decades now."

"For Catholics, immigration is not a political issue. It is a matter of our deeply held religious beliefs. Jesus Christ commanded us to love God as our Father and to love our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable, and regardless of what country they came from or how they got here. Our love for Jesus compels us to continue our works of love and service in our parishes, schools, and other ministries," Gomez said. 

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, prior to Trump's inauguration, condemned reports of planned mass deportations, saying they are "not only profoundly disturbing but also wound us deeply." He stated that "if the reports are true, it should be known that we would oppose any plan that includes a mass deportation of U.S. citizens born of undocumented parents." 

He affirmed that while the government has a responsibility to secure borders, it is also "committed to defending the rights of all people and protecting their human dignity."

Bishop James V. Johnston of Kansas City-St. Joseph urged members of his diocese to "embody the Gospel values of love, mercy, and justice" in light of the recent executive orders. He also called on people to "understand the teachings of the Church on migration and the rights of individuals, articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2241, and as outlined by the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services."

Madalaine Elhabbal contributed to this story.

This story was updated Jan. 31, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. ET with Bishop Michael Burbidge's statement.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 31, 2025 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

Author Mark L. Clifford discussed the role faith has played in the life of imprisoned pro-democracy Catholic activist Jimmy Lai at a Catholic University of America event on Jan. 30 in Washington, D.C. 

"The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident, and China's Most Feared Critic" is an account of Lai's rags to riches story, his resistance to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and his arrest in 2020 following the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

In a presentation sponsored by the Institute for Human Ecology, Clifford, who is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, said that Lai's faith has helped him endure years of unjust punishment.

Born in mainland China, Lai escaped to Hong Kong at the age of 12, where he eventually became a successful factory owner and retailer. After the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre of 1989, he founded a media business advocating for democracy through his newspaper Apple Daily. 

He was arrested on Aug. 10, 2020, during a raid of his newspaper's offices.

"I think people need to understand the power of what one person can do and the power of having values and sticking to them. Jimmy is uniquely frightening to the CCP because he actually believes in something," Clifford said.

"That gives him a power and a confidence that is more than his business success. He has money, he has a media megaphone, and he has values. I think it's his values above all that are the tyrannical government''s fear, because you can't take away somebody's values," he continued.  

Clifford spoke about Lai's Catholic faith — Lai converted in 1998 — and answered questions about how prison has strengthened his trust in God, even while being denied the sacraments. 

"It's a big element of my book, and yet, interestingly, most people don't really understand how important it is to Jimmy," he said. "Jimmy has been in solitary most of these four-plus years. Next Friday, it will be 1,500 days. You think about what faith and what fortitude you need."

Asked by a student if the Vatican has been involved in the mission to free Lai, Clifford called the Church's response "disappointing."

"I just think there's an insufficient appreciation on the part of the Vatican for the danger that China poses to the world and to the Catholic Church," he added.

"I honestly think the best way we can help is to use the media, we can have demonstrations. The most effective way is through government action. We're delighted that we heard President Trump's commitment to freeing Jimmy Lai," he said.

Clifford discussed the urgency of the matter, as Lai's health is declining in prison. 

"Solitary confinement is considered a form of torture for more than 15 days. Four and a half years, mostly in solitary. He doesn't get any sunlight. There's no air conditioning. He's basically sleeping on straw. So very, very tough on his skin and on his body. I think everybody's really concerned," he said.

"He doesn't want to die in jail. He wants to be out tomorrow. He'd like to leave Hong Kong and spend the rest of his time with his family. But if he has to die in prison, he will die there. Of course, we really hope it doesn't come to that," Clifford concluded.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 31, 2025 / 12:50 pm (CNA).

Having spent the past week paying visits to Catholic schools across the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, for Catholic Schools Week, Bishop James Conley has issued a reflection on the value of faith-based education for students and their families.

"In the secular world of education, we often hear words like 'excellence' and 'success,'" Conley wrote. "These are great words, but what do they really mean? The ultimate measure of excellence and success in Catholic education is how well we educate the whole person, body, mind, and soul, by instilling virtue, knowledge, and wisdom." 

"In other words," he continued, "excellence and success in Catholic education is measured by how well we cultivate faith, goodness, and sanctity in our students."

Conley is a prominent advocate for Catholic education and has written extensively on the topic. In September 2024, the bishop published a pastoral letter, "The Joy and Wonder of Catholic Education: Developing Authentically Catholic Schools," describing Catholic education as "the formation of human hearts, minds, and wills for the glory of their Creator," which received widespread accolades. 

Referencing another of his recently published pastoral letters, Conley highlighted five elements needed for a school to be authentically Catholic: "1) inspired by a supernatural vision, 2) founded on a Christian anthropology, 3) animated by communion and community, 4) imbued with a Catholic worldview throughout its curriculum, and 5) sustained by Gospel witness."

The bishop shared that he had visited five of the diocese's six high schools, as well as several of its elementary schools, offering Mass, leading Eucharistic processions, and spending time with students, faculty, and staff. 

"It's an exhausting week of travel but I love every minute of it, because it provides me with an opportunity to see our schools in action, in all their beauty and splendor," he stated. 

Conley also pointed out the special meaning behind the timing of the annual calendar celebration, writing: "It's all about the saints!" 

Situated at the end of January, Catholic Schools Week kicked off on the feast of St. Angela Merici, foundress of the Ursuline order that started the first Catholic school for girls. Tuesday marked the feast of the Angelic Doctor and patron of learning, St. Thomas Aquinas, while Friday is the feast of St. John Bosco, "father and teacher of the youth."

Conley paid special tribute, however, to St. John Henry Newman, whom he quoted at the end of his letter as saying: "We attain to heaven by using this world well, though it is to pass away; we perfect our nature, not by undoing it, but by adding to it what is more than nature, and directing it towards aims higher than its own." 

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CNA Staff, Jan 31, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) committee that oversees migration and refugee services, spoke with EWTN's Raymond Arroyo on "The World Over" Thursday about the multiple changes to U.S. immigration and refugee policy being made by the Trump-Vance administration.

In the wake of the new administration's flurry of executive action on immigration, Catholic bishops across the country are publicly responding to the changes, with many calling for a more comprehensive and humane approach to immigration policy that respects the dignity of migrants and refugees. 

"They do have the prudential judgment to enforce, and it's their obligation to enforce the laws of the land," Wenski said of the new administration. "How they do it or the spirit in which they do it should be one that promotes the common good and does not create more harm than good in the process of implementing the laws," he told Arroyo.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "the more prosperous nations are obliged to the extent they are able to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and means of livelihood." But it also notes that "political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regards to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption" (No. 2241).

Wenski noted that all human beings "have a right to conditions worthy of human life."

"But if a person has not secured those conditions in the place where he is, in the country where he happens to be, where he was born, then he has the right to seek those conditions elsewhere," Wenski affirmed.

Wenski also recalled that the U.S. "has been a welcoming country, with the spirit of what is written in the catechism, over the centuries."

Deportation concerns

When asked about the bishops' concerns over deportations, Wenski specified there is "no argument" about the need to remove criminal aliens who are public safety threats, "but after we get rid of those bad guys or [have] taken care of them, then let's look at some way of honoring the people that have been here for years and have worked hard and not gotten into trouble, that have paid taxes, etc.," he emphasized.

"President Trump has promised to get control of the border, and I think he's going to be successful in doing that," Wenski said. "I think policy-wise, that's a good thing, to get control of the border."

"But he also has promised us the greatest economy ever — that we're going to have the most prosperous economy we ever had. That's a great promise," he continued. "But if he's going to be able to keep that promise, he's going to have to make an accommodation on migration because you're not going to have the best economy ever without immigrants, because immigrants are part of this economy."

The issue of government funding 

When asked about the federal government's funding of various Catholic charitable organizations, Wenski noted that it's ultimately up to the U.S. government to decide who to admit into the country, while Catholic groups will help whoever is there. 

"If the government has given this money to the various Catholic charities or organizations, they're giving this money to carry out services on behalf of the government for people that the government has allowed into the country," Wenski said. "These are people that have been paroled into the country with the understanding that they're going to apply for asylum, etc." 

"Now, that the prior administration's policy perhaps encouraged people that would come across the country that did not have a bona fide case to make, that is another argument," Wenski noted. "But if the government has these people and they say, 'I need help,' and they ask the Church, 'Can you help?' we help."

Wenski said the country's immigration system, including the asylum system in which cases currently take years to resolve, needs a major overhaul.

"A lot of these illegal aliens or illegal migrants or whatever you want to call them, it's not so much that they're breaking the law as the law is breaking them because there is no system or no procedure for them to regulate their status," Wenski said. "We have a broken asylum system where it takes an inordinate amount of time to process an asylum."  

Wenski further emphasized the need for "providing an orderly process" that would be beneficial to both migrants and American society. 

"It would open doors for people that have been here for a long time that are needed here because our economy needs them; but at the same time, it would require that they would show good moral character, so we would make sure we would not admit any bad actors in that case," Wenski said. "That would be a way of providing an orderly process that would benefit not only the migrant but [also] the rest of the American society."

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ACI Africa, Jan 31, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The vice chancellor of Nigeria's Veritas University, a priest in the Awka Diocese, has encouraged journalists in the west African nation to expose Christian persecution, which is at its highest peak in the country.

In an interview with ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, on the sidelines of an event that members of St. Josephine Bakhita Community of Salesians of St. John Bosco organized to mark the feast of Don Bosco, Father Hyacinth Ementa Ichoku described persecution as an enduring feature of Christian history.

"Persecution has always been part of the Christian story, right from its inception. There's no moment when believers are not being persecuted," Ichoku told ACI Africa on Jan. 29.

"Persecution doesn't always mean people are being killed," he said. "When you deny people their rights because of their beliefs, that's persecution. For instance, being denied a promotion at work or access to land for building a church, these are subtle yet significant forms of oppression."

"When the government makes it a policy to persecute people because of their faith and beliefs, it becomes dangerous. Using the power of the state to target a group is a grave injustice," he said.

Ichoku noted that persecution that goes unnoticed eventually becomes more heinous. "But if those who have a voice can give publicity to these injustices, it transforms the issue into a public concern that demands action," he said.

"Christian journalists and media practitioners must see their job as a vocation that they need to use to expose any form of Christian persecution and any form of discrimination against the body of Christ. Media advocacy is important to bring to the fore the plights of Christians in Nigeria; don't be silent in the face of persecution and oppression," Ichoku said.

He faulted favoritism and advantage perceived to be given to the Islamic religion in the Nigerian governance system and the institutionalization of Sharia law using public funds, noting that Christians lack an equivalent framework or legal system. 

"The constitution provides for Sharia law, funded by taxpayers, yet Christians have no comparable legal system. This disparity is unfair and gives undue advantage to the Islamic religion," he said.

To counter the imbalance, Ichoku, who was ordained a priest in 1988, proposed that Christians should advocate for the recognition of canon law as an official legal system. 

"Canon law predates Sharia law," he asserted. "If Muslims can operate under Sharia, Christians should also have the right to use canon law as their legal system in Nigeria."

Ichoku also called for greater unity among Christians to resist systemic oppression. He cautioned against complacency amid the widespread Christian persecution in Nigeria, saying: "If you keep retreating, they will keep advancing. At some point, Christians must stand their ground and assert their rights."

Ichoku underscored the importance of creating common platforms for advocacy and ensuring that Christians do not cede their rights in the face of systemic challenges. 

"We need a united voice to say, 'This doesn't have to be.' If we continue to allow the imposition of Sharia law without resistance, it will encroach further into areas where it does not belong," he told ACI Africa.

Ichoku underlined the importance of resilience and advocacy, saying: "Christians must stand against persecution, whether it's subtle or overt. We have a responsibility to defend our faith and our rights." 

On the misconception that Catholics do not engage with the Bible, Ichoku said: "We read the Bible every day, particularly if you're going to Mass. There's no way you wouldn't read at least two passages daily." 

However, he acknowledged the need for greater individual devotion to Scripture outside liturgical settings. 

"I always like to encourage people, especially Catholics, to read the Bible more. It is to our advantage because being the word of God, it is the source of our nourishment," Ichoku said.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 31, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The Vatican Observatory's summer school, known as "Specola," has already selected students for its next edition.

During the month of June, 25 students who were selected from among 120 candidates from different countries around the world will have the opportunity to advance their education at this renowned institution of the Catholic Church located in Castel Gandolfo on the outskirts of Rome.

The director of the "Specola," Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, explained to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that all of the students "are between 20 and 30 years old and plan to pursue doctorates in astronomy or astrophysics."

He also noted that "the only limit is that no more than two students from the same country are chosen." This year's lucky winners are 25 students from 21 countries on several continents: two from Africa, two from Asia, 11 from Europe and North America, eight from Latin America, and two from Oceania.

Since 1986, the Vatican Observatory has organized this summer school at Castel Gandolfo every two years to offer young scientists from all over the world the opportunity to learn from the world's leading experts in astronomy.

Alumni of this school are now leading many fields of astronomical research, such as notables Fernando Comeron, deputy director for science at the European Southern Observatory, and Heino Falcke, chair of the Scientific Council of the Event Horizon Telescope, which captured the first image of a black hole in 2001.

In addition, students in this year's course will have access to the James Webb telescope, which has revolutionized astronomy through advanced research. The 2025 summer school will offer a global overview of the main achievements made possible by this telescope in its first three years of operation.

Professors at the summer school include Eiichi Egami of the University of Arizona; Consolmagno; Jesuit Father David Brown, the dean of the Vatican Observatory; Roberto Maiolino of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom; former student Almudena Alonso-Herrero from the Center for Astrobiology; and Thomas Greene from NASA.

Consolmagno confirmed to ACI Prensa that "there are no religious requirements to participate in the school."

Furthermore, the selection process is not related to the student's financial situation, as no tuition is charged and additional financial support for travel and accommodation is provided by benefactors through the Vatican Observatory Foundation.

This is the 19th Specola Vaticana summer school. Since the first edition in 1986, more than 450 students have participated in these summer schools.

In addition to the Specola at Castel Gandolfo, the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, located on Mount Graham in southeast Arizona, is operated by the Vatican Observatory Research Group in collaboration with the University of Arizona. 

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, Jan 30, 2025 / 16:05 pm (CNA).

A federal judge granted a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop criminal charges against former Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, a Catholic and prominent pro-life leader who left Congress after being charged with making false statements during a probe into alleged illegal campaign donations.

Court records show Judge Trevor N. McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia signed the order on Wednesday, Jan. 29, on the same day the DOJ filed a legal motion to dismiss the charges.

Fortenberry's charges were dismissed with prejudice, which prevents a future administration from bringing the same charges against the former Republican lawmaker from Nebraska at a later date.

"President [Donald] Trump knows better than anyone what false accusations and political persecution mean," Fortenberry said in a statement, according to the Nebraska Examiner.

"The American people gave President Trump a mandate to end witch hunts like these and restore confidence in our justice system," he said. "He kept his promises to America, in the very first days of his presidency, and we are so grateful. I want to thank all who loved and supported my family and me through this ordeal."

Fortenberry represented Nebraska's 1st District in the House from 2005 until 2022 when he resigned following his initial conviction. He had an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and introduced the Care for Her Act in 2021 to support women who face unplanned pregnancies. He also cosigned a congressional amicus brief that urged the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The motion to dismiss was brought by four attorneys for the DOJ, including Edward R. Martin Jr., who was recently appointed by Trump to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Trump has been critical of the DOJ's case against Fortenberry and praised the DOJ's decision to drop the charges.

"It is great to see that the [DOJ] has dropped the witch hunt against former Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, a longtime proud and highly respected American public servant," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Jeff and his family were forced to suffer greatly due to the illegal weaponization of our justice system by the radical-left Democrats."

Fortenberry was accused of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about his 2016 House of Representatives campaign receiving $30,000 in illegal campaign donations from a foreign national.

The former lawmaker was first indicted in 2021 for the alleged crimes in the Central District of California. Although he was convicted, an appellate court overruled that conviction, finding that he had been charged in an improper venue because he was interviewed by federal agents in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C., but not in California.

That ruling, however, permitted the charges to be refiled in an appropriate court. In May 2024, federal prosecutors refiled the charges in Washington, D.C., which was one of the locations at which he was interviewed by the FBI agents.

In a Jan. 29 post on TruthSocial, Trump said the federal prosecutors "would not leave it alone" when they chose to refile charges and asserted "the charges were totally baseless."

"That scam is now over, so Jeff and his family can go back to having a great life together and be a part of our country's future as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," the president said. "I am very proud of our Department of Justice, something I have not been able to say for many years!"

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CNA Staff, Jan 30, 2025 / 16:35 pm (CNA).

The state of California has agreed to a plea deal with pro-life activists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt this week after a yearslong criminal prosecution of the two journalists.

State prosecutors launched the probe following the release of a series of undercover videos that appeared to implicate Planned Parenthood officials and the National Abortion Federation in the illegal sale of unborn baby parts. 

On Monday, Daleiden and Merritt pleaded "no contest" to one charge of unlawful recording of confidential communication in exchange for the dropping of several felony charges. 

As part of the plea deal, Daleiden and Merritt will receive "no jail time, no fines, no admission of wrongdoing, and no probation," according to a Monday announcement by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), a pro-life group founded and headed by Daleiden.

According to the CMP, the terms of the plea deal mean the pair will face "zero punishment."

"The new 'no contest' plea — which cannot be used adversely — will be entered into judgment as a misdemeanor in six to 12 months and then converted to a 'not guilty' plea, dismissed, and expunged," CMP said in a statement.

Daleiden welcomed this week's settlement as a "huge victory" and noted that he planned to continue his pro-life work. 

"After enduring nine years of weaponized political prosecution, putting an end to the lawfare launched by Kamala Harris is a huge victory for my investigative reporting and for the public's right to know the truth about Planned Parenthood's sale of aborted baby body parts," Daleiden said in a statement Monday. 

"Now we all must get to work to protect families and infants from the criminal abortion-industrial complex," Daleiden said. 

When CMP in 2015 released the incriminating videos that showed Planned Parenthood officials discussing the selling of baby body parts, California officials launched the investigation into Daleiden and Merritt. 

Former Vice President Kamala Harris — then California's Democrat attorney general — met with Planned Parenthood staff before ordering criminal investigations into Merritt and Daleiden, including a raid on Daleiden's home.

California's next attorney general, Xavier Becerra — who went on to become the director of the Department of Health and Human Services under the Biden administration — charged the two with 14 felony counts of unlawfully recording a conversation and one felony count of criminal conspiracy. 

In 2019, a California judge ruled that only nine of the 15 charges could be brought to trial. The case never went to trial amid delays. In a separate civil case in 2019, a federal jury awarded Planned Parenthood over $2 million in damages. Daleiden and Merritt appealed to the 9th Circuit, which upheld the jury's findings. 

Steve Cooley, the former Los Angeles County district attorney who led Daleiden's legal defense team, called the prosecution "vindictive." 

"In my five decades as an attorney, 40 years of which were as a prosecutor, I have never seen such a blatant exercise of selective investigation and vindictive prosecution," Cooley said in a Jan. 27 statement. 

"The California attorneys general who initiated this case and pursued it for nearly 10 years should be ashamed for weaponizing their office to pursue people who were merely exposing illegality associated with the harvesting and sale of fetal body parts," Daleiden's lawyer said.

Though Daleiden and Merritt were neither convicted nor found guilty, the state of California stated on Tuesday that California Attorney General Rob Bonta secured a "felony conviction" of Daleiden and Merritt.

Attorney General Bonta said his "office is securing criminal convictions to ensure that Californians can exercise their constitutional rights to reproductive health care" in a Jan. 28 press release.

But Daleiden said the statement is a misrepresentation of the case. 

"The attorney general's press release misrepresents our agreement," Daleiden told CNA. "The judge explicitly stated at the hearing yesterday that we would only be 'convicted' and 'found guilty' if we break the agreement."

The attorney from Liberty Counsel who represented Merritt called the deal "essentially a complete victory for Merritt," who was initially charged with 16 felonies and faced more than 10 years in prison. With the plea deal, the charges will be dropped and she will receive no prison time. 

"The plea agreement ends an unjust criminal case by dropping these baseless criminal charges without any prison time, fines, or other penalties," Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel founder and chairman, said in a statement.

"Sandra deserves to be applauded and acclaimed for revealing these horrors and then enduring this selective and vindictive prosecution as a result," Staver continued. "Murdering human babies to harvest their body parts for profit is evil and there is no excuse for Sandra's political persecution."

Daleiden plans to continue exposing injustices in the abortion industry. 

"Taking the San Francisco case off the board allows me to focus fully on CMP's mission to report on the injustices of taxpayer-funded experiments on aborted babies and continue to expand our groundbreaking investigative reporting," Daleiden said.

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