Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church

FDA sign outside their headquarters in Washington, D.C. / Credit: JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Catholic bishops sharply criticized the Trump administration’s recent approval of the generic abortion drug mifepristone, saying that women and children deserve better care. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug even as the administration is currently investigating the abortion drug for safety concerns. 

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has previously acknowledged concerns over the safety of the drug and said in a hearing last month that the investigation is ongoing. Even so, the FDA’s approval of the generic version will make the drug even more accessible. 

“Mothers in need and their preborn children deserve better,” said Bishop Daniel Thomas, who heads the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, in response to the FDA’s decision. 

In a statement, Thomas called the decision “jarring” and “contradictory.”

“At the same time that the Food and Drug Administration is conducting a much-needed review of the supposed safety of the abortion pill for women, it is nonetheless approving a new generic for this deadly drug,” Thomas said.

“The FDA took shortcuts in originally approving and loosening protocols for mifepristone, which enabled the killing of more children and placed the health of more women in danger,” he continued.

More than 1 in 10 women who take the abortion pill mifepristone to complete a chemical abortion will suffer a serious health complication within 45 days of taking the drug, a study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center found.

The study also found that the rate of serious adverse side effects occurs at 22 times the rate that the FDA-approved drug label currently indicates.

“Even if it eventually had to be approved as a generic version of the same drug, to do so now and make it more available before a recently-announced safety study can be completed and potentially save lives, is a shocking inconsistency,” Thomas said. 

Dangers of drug 

Dr. Susan Bane, vice chair of the board of directors of American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, called the FDA’s decision “a serious misjudgment that will have deadly consequences.” 

Mifepristone poses a danger “not only to preborn babies but to unsuspecting pregnant women as well,” Bane, an OB-GYN with more than 25 years of experience in women’s health care, told CNA.

“When the side effects of this drug are already misreported and under-investigated, expanding access to it is the wrong course of action,” she said. 

Jennie Bradley Lichter, March for Life president, said she is “devastated” by the decision. 

“I’m devastated that this dangerous drug, which has serious adverse effects for 11% of women who take it, is getting a stronger and stronger foothold,” she said in a statement shared with CNA. 

Noting that the agency “has limited discretion under the law to decline approval for a generic that matches an approved name-brand drug,” Lichter expressed concerns for women and children.  

“Every day that mifepristone remains on the market, with very few safeguards in place around it, heaps danger upon danger for American women and results in more and more babies being killed,” Lichter said. 

Evita Solutions, LLC, the pro-abortion company producing the generic drug, has said it seeks to “normalize abortion.” 

But Thomas highlighted the importance of support and care for women and children.

Mothers and children “deserve the fullest, most authentic care that we can offer in all respects,” the bishop said.

Thomas looked ahead to the FDA investigation of the abortion drug mifepristone.

“I pray that the forthcoming review of mifepristone will undo many of these tragic developments and that we may, instead, meet women with hope and meaningful support,” he said.

The Tomb of St. Francis. / Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Convent Press Office

Rome Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

For the first time, the body of St. Francis of Assisi will be visible to all, from Feb. 22 to March 22, 2026. This religious and historical event was announced on the memorial of the saint of Assisi (Oct. 4) and will coincide with the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis in 1226.

The announcement was made from the Loggia delle Benedizioni by Fray Giulio Cesareo, director of the press office of the Sacred Convent, following Mass celebrated in the Upper Basilica of the Umbrian city, presided over by Monsignor Camillo Cibotti, president of the Episcopal Conference of Abruzzo and Molise, along with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, papal legate for the papal basilicas of Assisi, the bishop of Assisi, and the general and provincial ministries of the Franciscan families.

In his homily, Cibotti emphasized the “newness of life” that Francis presents to the world. “A new way of feeling, of thinking, of living Christ,” Cibotti noted. The mayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi, lit the votive lamp of the Municipalities of Italy, representing the Italian people during the celebration.

The first part of the celebration for the feast of St. Francis, patron saint of Italy, concluded with speeches from the authorities from the loggia of the sacred convent. Reference was also made to the reinstatement of Oct. 4 as a national holiday in that country.

“In recent days, Parliament approved the law making Oct. 4 a national holiday,” declared the custos of the Sacred Convent, Friar Marco Moroni, OFMConv, at the beginning of the celebration in the basilica. “This is not just a tribute to the patron saint of Italy, but a recognition of values ​​that speak to everyone. For this celebration to be truly fruitful, everyone must draw concrete consequences from it: our communities with their daily lives; local governments with their choices for justice and inclusion; Parliament and the government with laws and policies consistent with what is proclaimed today; each of us with sober and fraternal lifestyle choices.” 

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, also present at the celebration, addressed Italy from the loggia of the Sacred Convent: “The devotion of Italians to St. Francis is strong, authentic, and visceral, which can be seen in the faces of the pilgrims present here. Today the Italian people turn their gaze here, to Assisi, because St. Francis is one of the founding figures of the Italian identity. Francis of Assisi was a man of action, extreme but not extremist. Today we celebrate Francis not because he needs us, but because we need him.”

At the celebration the exposition of the remains of St. Francis in 2026 was also announced. The press release from the Sacred Convent of Assisi stated: “This exposition, rooted in the evangelical theme of the seed that dies to bear fruit in love and brotherhood, invites us to consider the life of the saint, who continues to bear fruit after 800 years and to inspire all humanity on the path of peace, brotherhood, service to the least, joy and care for creation.”

“The eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis, in 2026, is a time of remembrance and renewal. We do not celebrate death, but, recognizing it as a ‘sister’ to St. Francis, we celebrate the life that blossoms from the gift and offering of self,” the statement continued.

“It is in this spirit that, thanks to the approval granted by the Holy Father Leo XIV through the Vatican Secretariat of State, the public display of his mortal remains will take place,” the statement said.

The body of St. Francis will be moved from his tomb, located in the crypt, and placed at the foot of the papal altar in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis. The tomb’s history itself holds significant historical and religious significance: after the death of the Poverello saint, “the body was made inaccessible,” the press office of the Sacred Convent explained, “beneath the basilica’s high altar to prevent any possible theft. It remained hidden for centuries, until, after a long and arduous search, it was finally discovered on the night between Dec. 12 and 13, 1818.”

The first official recognition took place in 1819, confirming the identity of the remains of the saint of Assisi. There are also other recognitions, such as the one in 1978, in preparation for the 750th anniversary of his death, and the most recent one in 2015.

For more information: www.sanfrancescovive.org

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA/ACI Prensa.

Virginia State House. / Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Richmond, Virginia, Oct 8, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Virginia’s two Catholic bishops are urging voters to “form [their] consciences and vote” in the state’s upcoming gubernatorial election that could also see the state poised to pass a far-reaching pro-abortion constitutional amendment.

The Virginia Catholic Conference at its “Election 2025 Resource Hub” tells voters that every seat in the state House of Delegates is up for vote, while the state’s top-ranking executive positions of governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general are also in play. 

“While every year in Virginia is an election year, this November’s elections are poised to have an outsized impact on our Commonwealth,” the bishops said. 

They pointed to the state government’s ongoing consideration of an “extreme constitutional amendment” that would establish a so-called “right” to abortion. 

A letter from Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge and Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout said the amendment would “allow virtually unlimited abortion at any stage of pregnancy.” 

The text of the proposal would establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” and would only allow regulating abortion in the final three months of pregnancy. 

The state, however, would be forbidden from restricting an abortion if a doctor determined it would negatively affect the “physical and mental health” of the mother, a provision that pro-life advocates have argued essentially preempts any regulation of abortion whatsoever.

In a voting guide the state Catholic conference noted that the “extreme, radical, and deadly” amendment includes no age restrictions or safety standards and also “jeopardizes” the state’s parental consent laws and conscience protections for health care workers. 

Other proposed amendments include one that would remove a “one man and one woman” definition of marriage from the state constitution as well as a proposal backed by the state bishops that would restore voting rights to criminals who have completed their prison sentences. 

“The legislators we elect this November will decide whether the proposed amendments are advanced or stopped,” the state conference said. 

Democratic candidate supports abortion, assisted suicide, opposes conscience protections

Competing in the state gubernatorial race this year are current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia. 

In a candidate comparison handout, the state bishops noted that Spanberger has voiced support for assisted suicide, while Earle-Sears has argued against it, stating: “We don’t want to be in the business of death.” 

Earle-Sears, meanwhile, has expressed support for legal conscience protections for health care professionals and other religious objectors, while Spanberger has explicitly said she opposes allowing religious institutions to opt out of medical procedures with which they disagree. 

The bishops further highlighted the state races for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Former State Del. Jay Jones, a Democrat who is running for attorney general, has voiced support for abortion and for now-repealed state rules that allowed teachers to hide a child’s chosen “gender identity” from his or her parents. Current Attorney General Jason Miyares has spoken out against such rules. 

In a separate handout, the state Catholic conference emphasized the “four principles of Catholic social teaching” articulated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, including “the dignity of the human person” and “the common good.”

Protecting human dignity, the bishops said, includes opposing abortion, euthanasia, and human cloning as well as “overcoming poverty, ending use of the death penalty, and opposing racism, torture, unjust war,” and other injustices. 

“With so much at stake, we must prepare to engage in this year’s critical voting decisions — through conscience formation, prayer, and fasting,” Burbidge and Knestout wrote. 

“United in the Eucharist, let us pray for one another and join together as active participants in promoting the common good.”

null / Credit: Stephen Kiers/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A New Jersey teacher’s dismissal from her Catholic school classroom over her role as a surrogate mother has raised the question of just when Catholic employers can dismiss workers for not adhering to the faith. 

The teacher, Jadira Bonilla, was put on paid administrative leave after school officials discovered that she had agreed to serve as a surrogate for another couple. She told a Philadelphia news station that she had previously served as a surrogate for the same couple without incident while working at another Catholic school.

Administrators at St. Mary Catholic School in Vineland “said I was possibly in violation of my contract and that I would be suspended or placed on administrative leave,” the teacher told the news outlet. 

Bonilla “is a valued teacher and one we hope will one day again teach in our school with the full knowledge of our faith, which guides our educational principles,” the school told the media in a statement. 

Court rulings protect Catholic employers

L. Martin Nussbaum, an attorney who specializes in First Amendment and religious freedom protections and who serves as counsel for the Catholic Benefits Association, said there are “many protections for Catholic employers” in the United States. 

The Catholic Benefits Association says on its website that it “advocates for and litigates in defense of our members’ First Amendment rights to provide employee benefits and a work environment that is consistent with the Catholic faith.” 

The organization notes that “new regulations, laws, legal outcomes, and legislation” can affect how Catholic employers can do business, though Nussbaum said there are “a number of very powerful protections” for Catholic businesses in the U.S. 

It is unclear if Bonilla, the New Jersey teacher, has filed a lawsuit against the school over its policies, but Nussbaum said if she did, “she would probably file it under a discrimination lawsuit, under the basis of pregnancy, which is a protected class under some laws.”

Yet the school and other Catholic employers can cite multiple Supreme Court rulings in their defense, Nussbaum said. Among them is the landmark 2012 Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In that decision the high court ruled unanimously that the First Amendment allows religious organizations to hire and fire ministers without regard to federal discrimination laws. A ruling in 2020’s Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru further strengthened that principle. 

The rule applies to teachers as well, “especially if they’re involved in helping inculcate the faith,” Nussbaum said.

“[That’s] the only reason Catholic schools exist,” he noted. “You can hire a secular atheist to teach a child to read. But parents make tremendous sacrifices to put their children in Catholic schools, not only to read and write, but to transmit the faith.”

More broadly, for decades U.S. case law has recognized the right to “freedom of association.” 

In the Supreme Court’s landmark 2000 ruling in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, the court held that the government is not allowed to “compel [an] organization to accept members where such acceptance would derogate from the organization’s expressive message.” In that ruling, the court denied efforts by a gay man to force the Boy Scouts of America to allow him to be a scoutmaster. 

Nussbaum said that state laws can offer protection in addition to federal shields. In 2023, for instance, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that a “religious tenets” exception to a state nondiscrimination law allowed a Catholic school to fire a teacher who became pregnant out of wedlock.

Nussbaum said there is “some variation around the edges” regarding state laws but that the federal rulings make religious protections “really quite strong across all the states.”

He said Catholic employers can take care to ensure they are within the law in hiring and firing decisions in part by outlining the religious dimensions and roles of jobs. “That should be articulated,” he said.

The attorney said disputes over transgender identity and ideology have opened up new avenues for plaintiffs to potentially sue Catholic employers over religious employment decisions.

But “the law is quite strong for vindicating the freedom of religious institutions to insist that those who are advancing the religious mission are in line with that mission,” he said.

Bishop Pavel Konzbul of Brno, Czech Republic. / Credit: Diocese of Brno

Rome, Italy, Oct 7, 2025 / 09:47 am (CNA).

Czech Catholic bishops welcomed the results of the parliamentary elections on Oct. 3–4, which saw a populist party win the most votes but fall short of a majority, while a far-left coalition that bishops had warned had an explicitly anti-church platform failed to enter Parliament.

The ANO 2011 party, led by billionaire former pime minister Andrej Babiš, won 35% of the vote, while the Stačilo! coalition, led by communists and proposing restrictions on religious freedom, received only 4.3%, below the 5% threshold needed to enter the Chamber of Deputies.

Archbishop Josef Nuzík of Olomouc, chairman of the Czech Bishops’ Conference, issued a statement congratulating Babiš and pledging to “pray for the newly elected legislators” so that “we can live in peace, mutual respect, and together strive for the well-being of our home.”

“I wish that our new parliamentary representatives would be able to build bridges, be sensitive to the weak and needy, honestly seek the truth, strive for understanding in society, and be ready to defend the rule of law and a just peace,” Nuzík stated.

The archbishop thanked citizens who participated in the elections and “showed interest in our common future.”

Bishops assess outcome

Bishop Pavel Konzbul of the Diocese of Brno told CNA that “the Czechs have rejected extremist parties, although both the far left and the far right had a strong campaign.”

“This is good news,” Konzbul said.

The bishop noted that a “slightly different course in foreign policy is to be expected, namely toward Ukraine and the EU.”

He said he is “curious to see how many of the numerous promises” the new government likely to be formed by ANO 2011 “will be able to fulfill, as promises were made to all groups of the population during the campaign.”

Election results impact relationship with EU

The outgoing government coalition SPOLU, formed by the parties ODS, TOP09, and the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), received 23% of the vote, finishing second. The STAN party (Mayors and Independents) received 11%.

Other parties entering Parliament include the Czech Pirate Party, the SPD (Freedom and Direct Democracy), and the newcomer Motoristé sobě (Motorists for Themselves).

Turnout was almost 70% of eligible voters in a country of nearly 11 million people.

Stanislav Balík, dean of the faculty of social studies at Masaryk University in Brno and an independent senator, told CNA the results suggest the new government will likely “not be inclined to wider cooperation with Western states” and be “more friendly with Russia and less so toward Ukraine.”

However, the Czech political system “has checks and balances to prevent change from being rapid and absolute like the Senate, president, etc.,” Balík said.

The Czech Parliament consists of two chambers, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Citizens voted for the Chamber of Deputies, which determines the composition of the government. The prime minister is the head of government, who is formed by a majority of political parties that enter the Chamber of Deputies after elections every four years. The president has a more representative function.

Preelection concerns about religious freedom

In the weeks leading up to the election, the Czech Bishops’ Conference issued a prayer novena and specifically warned about the threats to religious freedom posed by the Stačilo! coalition.

Archbishop Jan Graubner of Prague stated before the vote that he would not support populists, financially irresponsible politicians, or those who do not support Ukraine.

“Responsible people do not go into debt, and if they do, not for unnecessary things,” Graubner said.

He said he could not vote for politicians who want to leave the European Union and NATO, which the Czech Republic is part of, or for those who “spread hatred toward any group of people, (Ukrainians, Jews, people with a different orientation...).”

Graubner said he could not vote for the Stačilo! movement.

Konzbul told CNA that the far-left coalition “had an explicitly anti-church program.” The bishops issued a formal statement warning that the Stačilo! coalition had proposals to limit financing of Christian and private schools and to invalidate marriages celebrated in churches.

“It was for the first time the ČBK clearly named the choice of a specific party, and those who would like to cooperate with it, as evil,” Balík said.

Analysts: No culture wars expected

Roman Joch, a political scientist who served as adviser to former prime minister Petr Nečas, told CNA that regarding religious freedom, “nothing bad happened, nothing got worse, it is very good as far as possible.”

“Andrej Babiš is a pragmatist who does not want to wage cultural wars against Christian civilization,” Joch said. He will not be pro-Russian as he is also a businessman with economic interests in the European Union, and not in Russia, Joch explained. 

“The progressive Czech Pirate Party will be in opposition and have no chance to damage anything,” he added.

Alexander Tomský, a Jewish commentator and promoter of Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton, told CNA that the communists are “primarily concerned with benefits” and “would have little potential” to be invited into government.

The communists “cannot influence religious freedom or harm the Catholic Church either,” Tomský said.

He considers communism “a dead ideology” and thinks its representatives “will not enter the Chamber of Deputies again.”

For many years, the Communist Party of the Czech Lands and Moravia (KSČM) was present in Parliament but ran this election within the Stačilo coalition headed by Kateřina Konečná, a member of the European Parliament for KSČM.

null / Credit: Amy Lutz/Shutterstock

Vatican City, Oct 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

A new institute at Pope Leo XIV’s undergraduate alma mater wants to change the “mental pattern” that associates immigrants with crime.

In the 19th century, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini embraced the travails of millions of recently arrived Italian immigrants to the United States. Inspired by this legacy of the first American saint, Villanova University — the flagship institution of the Order of St. Augustine — has just launched the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration.

It was from this institution of higher learning in Philadelphia that Robert Francis Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977.

The initiative is based on the Augustinian values ​​of “veritas, unitas, and caritas” (truth, unity, and charity) and seeks to bring together the academic community and other external stakeholders to promote concrete actions to address the contemporary challenges of migration.

“Currently, there is a mentality that associates immigrants with crime, drug trafficking, or human trafficking. However, immigrants are the ones who care for our children and our elders; we open the doors of our homes to them so they can clean our homes. We invite them into the most intimate parts of our lives, yet the media generates contrary images that make it difficult to recognize their humanity,” explained Professor Michele Pistone, director of the center, which was inaugurated at the Vatican on Sept. 30.

The institute seeks to reverse negative perceptions through an interdisciplinary approach based on four pillars: teaching, research, advocacy, and service.

“We want to transform hearts and minds, work with all Villanova colleges, and connect with centers, alumni, and community partners to create systemic change,” the professor said.

For Pistone, the university is an ideal setting for this type of work. “What better place to do it than at a university, where we can study it, be active on the ground, learn from the experience, and teach students — the future leaders of our country and businesses — to understand the migrant experience?”

The scholar also participated in the event “Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home,” which took place in Rome from Oct. 1–3 ahead of the Jubilee of Migrants (Oct. 4–5). The more than 200 participants in the global gathering from over 40 countries were welcomed to the Vatican last week by Pope Leo XIV.

As Pistone explained in conversation with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, the seed of the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration was planted in 2022 when Pope Francis called on universities to research and teach more about migrants and refugees.

“I was in the front row and felt like he was speaking directly to me. I felt a personal calling to be part of the solution,” said the law professor at Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law.

Personal inspiration and lifelong commitment

Pistone’s passion for migration is deeply rooted in her family history. During her studies in Italy, she visited Sicily in search of the origins of her grandparents, who immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.

“Seeing my relatives, who didn’t know my father, and seeing how they rejoiced in his accomplishments in New York, changed my life. I began to understand the history of migrants from a lived perspective, and that led me to work with asylum seekers since 1999,” Pistone said.

For Pistone, migration is part of the identity and mission of the United States. “My state, Pennsylvania, was founded as a refuge for those fleeing religious persecution. That’s what asylum is all about: offering refuge to those who cannot live according to their beliefs or express themselves freely,” she explained.

Inspired by the life and work of Mother Cabrini, canonized by Pius XII in 1946, Pistone emphasized the value of the newly inaugurated center as an intellectual and social hub: “Mother Cabrini was a visionary and social entrepreneur. Her charisma guides us today in asking ourselves: What is Mother Cabrini’s work in the contemporary world? We want to carry out that mission through education, research, public advocacy, and service.”

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

A woman prays the rosary at the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, on Sept. 28, 2024. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 7, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

October is designated by the Catholic Church as the Month of the Rosary, and Oct. 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Here are seven common myths and facts about this devotion to Our Lady:

1. Only Catholics can pray the rosary. 

False. While rosaries are typically associated with Catholics, non-Catholics can certainly pray the rosary — and in fact, many credit it to their conversion. Even some Protestants recognize the rosary as a valid form of prayer.

2. Praying the rosary is idolatry. 

False. Some have objections to the rosary, claiming it idolizes Mary and is overly repetitive. 

Just like any practice, the rosary can be abused — just as someone might idolize a particular pastor or priest, a form of worship, or fasting. But the rosary itself is not a form of idolatry. 

The rosary is not a prayer to Mary — it is a meditation on the life of Christ revealed in five mysteries “with the purposes of drawing the person praying deeper into reflecting on Christ’s joys, sacrifices, sufferings, and the glorious miracles of his life.” 

When we pray the Hail Mary, we are not adoring Mary, we are asking for her intercession — just as we might ask a friend or family member to pray for us. 

Second, any prayer can lose its meaning if we do not intentionally meditate on it. Focusing on the mysteries with purpose and intention is key to the rosary’s transforming power. As one author encourages: “The rosary itself stays the same, but we do not.”

3. You can wear a rosary as a necklace.

It depends. It is typically considered disrespectful and irreverent to wear a rosary around one’s neck as jewelry, even though the Church does not have an explicit declaration against doing so. 

However, Canon 1171 of the Code of Canon Law says that “sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons.”

It is important to treat the rosary with respect and intention. If you intend to wear the rosary as a piece of jewelry, this would not be respectful and should be avoided. It goes without saying that wearing the rosary as a mockery or gang symbol would be a sin.

But if it is your intention to use the rosary and be mindful of prayer, then it could be permissible. It is not uncommon in some cultures, like in Honduras and El Salvador, to see the rosary respectfully worn around the neck as a sign of devotion.

Rosary rings or bracelets might be a better option if you want to keep your rosary close at hand as a reminder to pray, as they are kept more out of sight and would not be as easily misconstrued to be a piece of jewelry. 

4. The rosary is an extremist symbol.

False. A widely-shared 2022 Atlantic article went viral for accusing the rosary of being an “extremist symbol.” 

“Just as the AR-15 rifle has become a sacred object for Christian nationalists in general, the rosary has acquired a militaristic meaning for radical-traditional (or ‘rad trad’) Catholics,” the article read.

The author also cited the Church’s stance on traditional marriage and the sanctity of life as evidence of “extremism” and claimed that Catholics’ tendency to call the rosary a “weapon in the fight against evil” as dangerous.

As CNA reported in 2022, popes have urged Catholics to pray the rosary since 1571 — often referring to the rosary as a prayer “weapon” and most powerful spiritual tool.

5. The rosary is not biblical.

Untrue! Most of its words come directly from Scripture.

First, the Our Father is prayed. The words of the Our Father are those Christ taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9–13.

The Hail Mary also comes straight from the Bible. The first part, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,” comes from Luke 1:28, and the second, “Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,” is found in Luke 1:42.

Finally, each of the decades prayed on the rosary symbolizes an event in the lives of Jesus and Mary. The decades are divided into four sets of mysteries: joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious, the majority of which are found in Scripture. 

6. A rosary bead, or pea, can kill you.

Somewhat true. A rosary pea, or abrus seed, is a vine plant native to India and parts of Asia. The seeds of the vine, which are red with black spots, are often used to make beaded jewelry — including rosaries. Rosary pea seeds contain a toxic substance called “abrin,” which is a naturally-occurring poison that can be fatal if ingested. However, it’s unlikely for someone to get abrin poisoning just from holding a rosary made from abrus seeds, as one would have to swallow them.

Today, most rosaries are made from other nontoxic materials, such as olive wood or glass — eliminating this concern.

7. Carrying a rosary can protect you.

True. The rosary has proven to be a miraculous force for protecting those of faith and bestowing upon them extra graces, such as the victory of the Christian forces at the Battle of Lepanto after St. Pius V implored Western Christians to pray the rosary.

Many great saints across history, including Pope John Paul II, Padre Pio, and Lucia of Fátima, have also recognized the rosary as the most powerful weapon in fighting the real spiritual battles we face in the world. 

We know that spiritual warfare is a real and present danger: “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Eph 6:11–12). 

“The rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin … If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors,” Pope Pius XI said. 

This story was first published on Oct. 1, 2022, and has been updated.

Gerard Bradley (left), Bishop Thomas Paprocki (center), and Father David Pignato (right) speak on a panel at Ave Maria School of Law Conference on Oct. 3, 2025, at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Ave Maria School of Law

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 6, 2025 / 18:13 pm (CNA).

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki and other figures emphasized the importance of faith formation for Catholic lawyers and the role that Catholic law schools have in helping shape perspectives of soon-to-be lawyers.

“Law certainly follows values,” Paprocki said in a panel discussion at an Ave Maria School of Law conference on Oct. 3, hosted at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Paprocki — the bishop of Springfield, Illinois, and an adjunct professor at Ave Maria School of Law — said a person’s values, whether they come from theology or a secular notion of virtue, influence the way laws are crafted for all issues, including marriage or abortion.

For Catholic law schools, he said Scripture and doctrine “should be the basis for what we’re teaching” about values. He said values consistent with Church teaching should “influence the way we go about” addressing those issues.

Paprocki said he’s heard Catholics say they are “personally opposed to abortion” yet support legalized abortion. But he said he has never heard a person say he is “for open borders, but I don’t want to impose that belief on others.”

The bishop said faith formation for Catholic lawyers should ensure they have “a more robust understanding of the natural law,” as understood through Catholic social teaching. He said Christ instructs us to “go out and make disciples” and “not to be bashful about [our faith].”

Paprocki told CNA that in some contexts “you don’t necessarily have the opportunity to be very explicit” about matters of faith when employed as a lawyer, but “you should still be informed by your faith life.” Regarding lawmaking, he said “[you should] have religious principles that inform your [views] … and help shape what a policy should be.”

According to Paprocki, the nation’s founders saw the United States as a “religious country” to be informed by religious beliefs. He said that views informed by faith pose no threat to the First Amendment’s establishment clause, which prohibits “an establishment of religion.” The clause, he said, prohibits “an official church of the government.”

“That has been misinterpreted by some people to mean that you can’t mention God at all,” the bishop said.

Gerard Bradley, a retired Notre Dame law professor, said at the conference that the distinction between a secular law school and a Catholic law school ought to be that a Catholic school is “wed … not just to this truth or that truth, but the whole concept of truth.” He said a Catholic law school must reflect the view that Catholic doctrines “are truths that permeate everything we do.”

Lee Strang, executive director of Ohio State University’s Salmon P. Chase Center, spoke earlier in the day about the history of Catholic law schools in the United States, noting that they were initially created to advance the upward mobility of Catholic immigrants, bolster university reputations, and establish a culturally distinct law school. 

Over time, he said some schools began to teach a more intellectually Catholic understanding of law rooted in Catholic law tradition, which is focused on “a Catholic theory of the human person within the context of law.” 

Retired Loyola University Chicago law professor John Breen said modern Catholic law schools ought to ultimately be “directed toward worship of the Holy Trinity” with an understanding of human anthropology “that comes to us through the Church: the ‘imago Dei.’” 

“You can’t understand the human person if you don’t also contemplate God,” Breen said. 

He said alternative anthropologies lack an understanding of human exceptionalism and the soul, which distorts the understanding of law and emphasize an “atomized self” focused solely on “desire” or “choice.” 

Ave Maria law professor Ligia Castaldi noted an understanding of natural law rooted in Catholic doctrine is important for discussions about the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until natural death.

Richard Myers, another law professor at the university, noted the importance of Catholic legal thought on the issue of same-sex civil marriage. He said in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, “[most] advocacy scholarship [was] on the wrong side of the issue.” 

Catholic legal thought, he said, “served an important function, a corrective function … [that was] important to the debate on those issues at that time.”

Over 200 Christians were murdered by Islamist militants in Nigeria on June, 13, 2025. / Credit: Red Confidential/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 6, 2025 / 17:43 pm (CNA).

Members of Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) are pushing to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC) as religious persecution continues across the west African country.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced legislation in September that would require the Trump administration to adopt the CPC designation in addition to imposing targeted sanctions against Nigerian government officials who facilitate or permit jihadist attacks against Christians and other religious minorities. 

Under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, the U.S president must designate countries that engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations of religious freedom” as CPCs. Violations include torture, prolonged detention without charges, and forced disappearence, according to the State Department. 

“Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups and are being forced to submit to sharia law and blasphemy laws across Nigeria,” Cruz said in a statement announcing a bill he named the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025. 

“It is long past time to impose real costs on the Nigerian officials who facilitate these activities, and my Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act uses new and existing tools to do exactly that,” Cruz said, adding: “I urge my colleagues to advance this critical legislation expeditiously.”

Republican Sens. Ted Budd of North Carolina, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and James Lankford of Oklahoma endorsed redesignating Nigeria in a Sept. 12 letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Budd posted on X.

Legislation is not likely to move forward until Congress settles an impasse over funding that has shut down the government for nearly a week. The State Department is expected to break its two-year moratorium on CPC designations later this year, likely in December. 

The last CPC designations were made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in December 2023, when Blinken revoked Nigeria’s CPC designation that was put in place by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020. 

Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, introduced legislation in March calling for Nigeria’s redesignation “for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”

Similarly, the USCIRF also recommended the State Department designate Nigeria as a CPC in its latest update on religious freedom in the country in late July. 

“Twelve state governments and the federal government enforce blasphemy laws, prosecuting and imprisoning individuals perceived to have insulted religion,” the USCIRF said in its report, adding: “Despite efforts to reduce violence by nonstate actors, the government is often unable to prevent or slow to react to violent attacks by Fulani herders, bandit gangs, and insurgent entities such as JAS/Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).”

The latest congressional effort to bring about the designation comes as testimonies of Nigerians kidnapped by jihadist Fulani herdsmen have revealed that hundreds of Christians are still being held by the Islamist group in the infamous Rijana Forest in the southern part of Nigeria’s Kaduna state, ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, reported on Oct. 1. 

Cathedral of St. Matthew, Washington, D.C. / Credit: Ron Cogswell via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 6, 2025 / 14:06 pm (CNA).

A New Jersey man was arrested on Sunday outside of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., on charges of unlawful entry, threats to kidnap or injure a person, and possession of a molotov cocktail, according to authorities.

The cathedral held its Red Mass on Sunday, Oct. 5, “to invoke God’s blessings on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials,” St. Matthew’s reported. Supreme Court justices and lawmakers usually attend the annual Mass.

The Mass is traditionally held on the Sunday before the first Monday in October, which marks the opening of the Supreme Court’s annual term. Due to the expected high-profile attendees, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers were surveilling the area ahead of the 9 a.m. Mass.

Shortly before 6 a.m., officers noticed an individual who set up a tent on the steps of the cathedral, MPD said. The suspect charged with possessing a molotov cocktail, a hand-thrown incendiary weapon, was identified as 41-year-old Louis Geri from Vineland, New Jersey, according to an MPD statement.

Officers said they learned that Geri had been banned from the cathedral, but the department did not specify the reason. After Geri refused to leave, he was placed under arrest without incident.

Officers said they found vials of liquid and possible fireworks inside of his tent. Members of MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and the Arson Task Force responded to the situation to search and secure the belongings. 

The scene was quickly secured but due to the situation, none of the Supreme Court Justices attended the Mass, according to the Catholic Standard.

Power to ‘bring hope’

In his homily, Cardinal Robert McElroy addressed the “men and women of the law” in attendance and said they have the power to “bring hope” amid political violence. 

The arrest outside the cathedral follows a number of recent acts of political violence and the Minnesota and Michigan attacks on houses of worship. 

“It is certainly true that political violence has been a part of our history as a nation and that political dialogue has often been confrontational,” McElroy said in his homily. “But we live at a moment in which politics is tribal, not dialogical, and where party label has become a shorthand for worldview on the most volatile topics in our national life. The result is explosive, within politics, family life, and friendships.”

“As students of the law, as leaders in the law, whether as judges or legislators or public advocates or as counsel, you are by that commitment privileged and obligated to raise the plane of our political and social discussion,” McElroy said. “No group in our society has a greater capacity to remold our political discourse. No group has a deeper calling to bring hope.”

The investigation into the situation at the cathedral is ongoing in coordination with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, authorities said.