Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church

null / Credit: Kelleher photography/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 17:58 pm (CNA).

Before he was pope, he was a math major at a Catholic liberal arts university in Pennsylvania.

Pope Leo XIV is the 267th head of the Catholic Church. He’s also a class of ‘77 alumnus of Villanova University, which is run by the Order of St. Augustine.

When he was elected to the papacy on May 8, Pope Leo made history as the first pope from the United States. 

A campus abuzz

Amid a busy finals week, bells began to ring on Villanova’s campus Thursday afternoon. Helicopters circled above. Throngs of students hurried to the chapel.

The campus slowly began to discover that the newly-elected pontiff was an alumnus. 

“It was pure shock in the moment — there’s no other way to put it,” said Villanova student Drew Figge, a freshman from Missouri. “No one really expected it and it took a while for us to realize that we were on the same campus as a pope had been.”

Despite it being finals week, with many students having already started to move out, there was a “buzz” all around campus, Figge said. The church bells were “ringing for hours playing our alma mater,” and at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, “numerous people of all ages” had gathered. 

“It’s really cool to think that we are the only college in the country that had a pope graduate from it, so it really sets us apart,” Figge told CNA. 

The buzz even made its way online.

Pope Leo’s alumni status made the Trending page on X: “New pope’s academic background stirs online buzz,” it read on Thursday.  

“This is crazy!” one priest said, according to the university’s senior associate athletic director, Dana O’Neil, who described on X the scene on Thursday afternoon.

“Villanova has God’s divine approval. Is it ever a bad day to be a Wildcat?” quipped one user.  

Jaisy Joseph, an assistant professor of theology at Villanova, told CNA that everything has felt “surreal.”

“From the announcement onwards, the church bells were ringing nonstop in celebration,” Joseph said. “Students, faculty, and staff transition from shock to tears to joy.”  

“What an exciting time to be here at Villanova!” added Alex Dailey, a freshman from Raleigh, North Carolina. 

“Villanova has always been a big part of my family, and my Catholic faith is super important to me,” Dailey told CNA. “So seeing a Villanova alum leading our Church is really inspiring to the university community.”  

Dailey added that he “look[s] forward to this fresh new start for the Catholic Church, for my school, for my country, and for my classmates and myself.” 

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, an alumnus of Villanova, said the news “overwhelmed” him with joy.  

“I think the Augustinians, Villanova, our country, believe that we’ve given, through the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, a great gift to the universal Church,” he told “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Catherine Hadro.  

With the papal election, Villanova has “lots of joy and every reason to be proud,” Burbidge said. 

The president of Villanova, Father Peter Donohue, reflected on the future of “this new chapter of Catholic leadership” and what it means for the school and the world. 

“May we be challenged to reexamine our role in fostering an academic environment that remains steadfast in faith yet boldly engages with the complexities of the modern world,” he said. 

The university is named for a 16th-century Spanish Augustinian friar, St. Thomas of Villanova. Nicknamed the “Beggar Bishop,” the saint is remembered for his simple life and inspiring preaching. 

What was the pope like on campus? 

As a child, Robert Francis Prevost already had an inkling that he might want to be a priest. Born on Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago, he decided to attend a seminary school run by the Order of St. Augustine. After graduating from St. Augustine High School Seminary in Holland, Michigan, in 1973, he went on to attend Villanova University. 

While at Villanova, Prevost was an active member of the university’s long-standing pro-life club “Villanovans for Life,” the oldest pro-life college club, according to its website. Prevost was a close friend of the two founders of the group and attended various marches for life with the group. 

As a young college student, Prevost joined the Order of St. Augustine’s pre-novitiate, an early stage of preparation before becoming a religious. The year he graduated from Villanova, he joined the Order of St. Augustine as a novitiate. 

Prevost has stayed connected to Villanova over the years, usually stopping by campus whenever he returned to the United States, according to Donohue.

In 2014, Prevost returned to campus to receive an honorary doctorate of humanities. He also served as a board member at the university for a brief amount of time when he was the provincial for the Midwest province of the Augustinians. Last October, he said Mass in St. Peter’s Crypt beneath St. Peter’s Basilica for a group of visiting Villanova students. 

Now, Pope Leo XIV has become the first Augustinian friar to be pope. 

‘An Augustinian papacy’

As an Augustinian priest himself, Donohue reflected on what an “Augustinian papacy will mean to our university community and our world.”

“Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason — between spirituality and wisdom,” Donohue said in a statement shared with CNA.

The new pope’s educational background encompasses reason and faith — mathematics and theology — as it includes a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, a master of divinity degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. 

But the new pope is also “known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence, and warmth,” Donohue said. 

The earliest origins of the Order of Augustine trace back to St. Augustine of Hippo and his rule of monastic life in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, but it was Pope Innocent IV who officially founded the Augustinians in 1244. 

St. Augustine, a doctor of grace, is known for his countless theological contributions to the early Church, most famously his works “Confessions” and “The City of God.” He penned the line “our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God,” around the year 400, which still resonates with people today.  

“Something tells me … we’re going to be hearing a lot about St. Augustine,” Burbidge said. 

As a Villanova theology professor, Joseph said that “many of us are thinking about how to help our students deepen their understanding of the Augustinian charism.”

“This moment brings the Augustinian charism of unitas, veritas, and caritas [unity, truth, and love], which also happens to be the Villanova motto, to the centers of Rome,” she reflected.

Crowds of the faithful fill St. Peter’s Square awaiting smoke from the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 17:28 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:

Indian and Pakistani cardinals leave St. Peter’s Basilica together ahead of conclave

Cardinal Oswald Gracias of India and Cardinal Joseph Coutts of Pakistan were spotted leaving St. Peter’s Basilica together on Wednesday after the Mass “Pro Eligendo Romano” (“For the Election of a Pope”). “Cardinal Gracias, 81, leaned on Cardinal Coutts, 79, who extended his arm and conversed with his confrere,” Agencia Fides reported on Thursday. 

“In the general congregation before the conclave on May 6, the entire College of Cardinals issued a public appeal for peace, citing scenarios such as Ukraine and the Gaza Strip,” the pair reportedly told Fides, adding: “The appeal also includes the expression ‘in many other parts of the world,’ and this certainly includes the current situation between India and Pakistan, in which we implore the Lord for a just and lasting peace.” 

The display of unity between the two cardinals comes after a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 Indian civilian tourists, one of whom was a 57-year-old Catholic man, last week. 

Maltese government proposes discussion on legalizing assisted suicide  

The Maltese governement has launched a two-month-long “public consultation” on the prospect of legalizing assisted suicide for terminally ill patients who have six months left to live, with Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg insisting that the proposed reforms would have “strict” parameters, according to a Times of Malta report.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta is urging members of the faithful to engage actively with the government’s consultation process. “I suggest you participate in this consultation and tell the government you are not interested in killing yourself but you are very interested in being assisted and supported as you embrace death with dignity and support,” he said. 

Conference in Jordan calls for unity and enlightenment amid rising extremism

A conference titled “Christians in the Arab East: Aspirations for Unity and Enlightenment” concluded in Amman, Jordan, gathering five patriarchs and religious leaders under the patronage of Prince El Hassan bin Talal, ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported. 

Organized by the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, the conference addressed the rising tide of extremism and discrimination in the Middle East. 

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan condemned violence committed in the name of religion, recalling the tragedies inflicted by ISIS, including the 2010 massacre at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad. He called on religious leaders to present honest messages of love and coexistence, and urged governments to translate supportive words into policies that uphold justice, citizenship, and equal rights for all.

Prince El Hassan emphasized that freedom of belief is a cornerstone of modern societies and warned against sectarian and political divisions rooted in historical agreements like Sykes-Picot. He highlighted the Middle East’s rich cultural and religious diversity, calling for policies that promote unity, shared citizenship, and mutual respect. 

Tanzanian bishops’ conference vice president: Attack on secretary-general ‘horrific, evil’

Leaders of the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference (TEC) are calling on government security agencies to take action following a violent attack on the conference’s secretary-general, Father Charles Kitima. According to ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, Kitima was left bleeding from the head and calling for help after he was ambushed by two assailants who struck him with a blunt object before fleeing the scene. 

“The Tanzania Episcopal Conference is deeply saddened and strongly condemns the evil act of assault and injury inflicted on the TEC secretary-general, Father Charles Kitima,” said TEC vice president Bishop Eusebius Nzigilwa in a statement. “We call upon the police force and other security agencies to take swift action to identify and apprehend all those involved in planning and carrying out this brutal crime and bring them to justice,” he said. 

Bishop Bätzing: Chancellor Merz should fall back on the ‘expertise’ of the Church

The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), Bishop Georg Bätzing, congratulated the new chancellor Friedrich Merz and encouraged him to fall back on the “expertise” of the Church in many politically relevant questions, CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported on Wednesday. 

“I sincerely wish you success in your work, necessary and courageous decisions, and, above all, God’s rich blessings,” Bätzing wrote in a statement. “You know that the Catholic Church is a reliable and constructive partner in many matters that affect your government program. Please draw on the expertise that we as a Church can bring to the political context.”

Then-Cardinal Robert Prevost speaking at St. Jude Catholic Church in New Lenox, Illinois, on Aug. 7, 2024. / Credit: Courtesy of St. Jude Catholic Church in New Lenox, Illinois

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 16:58 pm (CNA).

Nine months ago, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost sat down for an interview at a parish in the Chicago area before celebrating Mass. Now that he is Pope Leo XIV, his words on the National Eucharistic Congress, Pope Francis, synodality, and more have taken on extra significance. 

Here are some highlights from the videotaped interview at St. Jude Church in New Lenox, Illinois.  

On the National Eucharistic Congress:

“I was not there, I watched it on the internet, but it was a magnificent experience.”

“There are dynamic, life-giving experiences that do fill us with hope, and we have to learn to share that message with others — it depends on all of us.” 

“There’s a lot of good things going on, a lot of hope-filled things that each and every one of us can take part in.” 

On Pope Francis:

Prevost recalled the homily at Pope Francis’ first public Mass about the passage where Jesus showed mercy to the woman caught in adultery. 

“That’s a big part of who Francis is: Justice in terms of seeking true justice for all people, especially for the downtrodden — reaching out to help the poor and the suffering and the immigrants and those who most need the mercy of God, who most need the Church, perhaps — that’s who Francis is.” 

“And all the other stuff has to be interpreted and placed in that context because he really believes deeply, and he really struggles to find the best way to express that message of the Gospel.”

On Francis being elected pope:

“I wasn’t there, but I truly believe that Pope Francis was elected by that College of Cardinals in 2013 because the Church at this time needs Francis. At a different time, we needed Pope Benedict, and at a different time, we needed St. John Paul II, et cetera, et cetera.”

“But the Holy Spirit will never abandon the Church. And if we can live placing our trust in that, then we might be shaken up a bit. We might need to ask questions, and there’s a lot of people we can ask questions to. But we continue to walk placing our trust and our confidence in the Lord, whose Spirit is indeed with us.”

“Let’s relax a little bit and trust in the Lord.” 

On mercy: 

Prevost recalled Pope Francis showing him an image of a Gothic cathedral in France with a carving of Jesus holding the body of Judas in his arms after Judas had taken his own life. 

“Is it possible to think that God’s mercy can indeed reach out to the worst of sinners?” 

“And that message in Francis’ life … Some people get terribly upset. They say, ‘Well, he should speak stronger on this, and he should condemn that. Pope Francis says, ‘Everybody, there’s a lot of people who are condemning things already. We don’t need that. We need people, and especially ministers, who can live and express and offer to others the mercy and forgiveness and healing of God.’”

On the Synod on Synodality:

“Francis has a very keen mind and a very keen sense of the vision of where he wants to move the Church. And he recognizes that any large institution can become just as any person; we become very set in our ways. ‘We always did it that way. We don’t want to change. We’ve been doing it like this forever.’

“And one of the risks of that attitude, which is comfortable for us, it’s like we create a safety zone or security zone for ourselves, and that’s wonderful — but one of the risks of that is we miss the presence of the Holy Spirit.

“The synod is, you hopefully have heard, ‘synodos,’ Greek, means to walk together, following on an initiative that goes all the way back to the Second Vatican Council and Pope St. Paul VI.”

“But it really goes back to the early centuries of the Church. Pope Francis has, along with others, been looking for a way to help people understand that the Church is not Father up here on Sunday with a lot of spectators, but that rather all of us in different ways, and each one according to his or her vocation and ministry and calling —  we’re all called to be a part of this Church.” 

“It does not take away at all the authority or the ministry of those who are called to specific services in the Church, such as a bishop or a priest — but it does call the best gifts out of each and every one to bring them together.” 

“There’s the real synod, and then there’s the stuff you read on the internet and in different places. There’s a lot of key issues that are saying, ‘Well, what do they do about this? Or what do they do that? And who’s on this side? Who’s on that side?’ That’s not what the synod is about.” 

“There’s magnificent hope in this experience of bringing people together from around the world, literally, and saying, ‘We want to be a part of what the Church is and what the mission of the Church is in the world today.”

On the media:

“Media sites, nowadays, we’re all familiar with a lot of them. Some of them are very good and some of them are not. One of the difficulties that’s out there is the ordinary person who comes along and starts reading doesn’t know which one you can trust. That’s a big problem.”  

“You’ve got to learn to read with a very critical eye or mind, because it’s very easy to distort the truth or to mix the truth with absolute falsehood and to look for ways to do harm.”

On the Jubilee of Hope:

“But we can live jubilee right here, and we can live hope when in our hearts we recognize that everything does not have to be doom and gloom and the pessimism which sometimes comes over us; it can truly color our vision.” 

“Let’s go back to listening to the word of God. Let’s go back to understanding what it means to be [an] authentic community, communion, parish community, where we care about one another, where we recognize as the Lord promised, ‘Where two or three gathered in my name, there I am in, their midst,’ and we say, ‘We as believing Catholics have a magnificent message.’”

null / Credit: Taiga/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 15:23 pm (CNA).

Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Boston who are in the United States on visas have been urged to avoid international travel amid the Trump administration’s immigration policies and deportations. 

“As many of you may be aware, recent policy changes by the U.S. government have significantly impacted foreign travelers coming into the United States,” the archdiocese’s Director of Clergy Personnel Father Paul Soper told priests in an email acquired by the Boston Globe. 

“While none of our priests have encountered significant issues to date,” Soper said, “we cannot predict if or when challenges may arise.”

It is unclear what “recent policy changes” the letter refers to. The Trump administration has pursued aggressive immigration policies since President Donald Trump took office in January, mostly involving the intended deportation of millions of illegal immigrants and the strengthening of border policies.

Soper said the archdiocese was “advising those of you holding visas or employment authorization documents (EAD) and currently serving in official assignments to consider refraining from international travel until further notice.”

“Our primary concern is minimizing the risk of any of our priests being unable to reenter the United States due to unforeseen circumstances, where we would be in no position to assist you.” 

The priest wrote that he understood clergy could not completely give up travels, especially following trips abroad for Pope Francis’ funeral, but said “to avoid it whenever possible” and to alert him of any international trips. 

He asked that “any priests who are currently traveling outside the United States and are not U.S. citizens” to notify the archdiocese office “with details of their location and travel plans.”

Terrence Donilon, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, told the Globe that this request does not reflect the archdiocese’s view of the U.S. government and is not to be taken as a criticism but is  meant “to provide practical proactive guidance given recent policy changes.”

Soper said the plan is subject to change as they “learn more in the coming months,” but the archdiocese wanted priests to be aware since many of them travel abroad to see family or to serve at parishes, schools, and ministries.

Catholic advocates have been warning for months of a looming crisis in which many U.S.-based priests could be forced to leave their ministries and return to their home countries, after which they would be subject to lengthy wait times before coming back, due to changes in U.S. visa laws under the Biden administration. It’s unclear if the visa issue is related to the letter from the Boston Archdiocese.

In April a group of U.S. senators introduced the Religious Workforce Protection Act, which would allow some immigrants to “stay in the U.S. while waiting for permanent residency,” potentially addressing that issue. 

U.S. Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 13:32 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Department of Justice says a recent data breach of a California consulting firm exposed data of Catholic clergy abuse survivors in nearly a dozen bankruptcy lawsuits. 

In a May 6 letter addressed to attorneys at law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, the Justice Department’s Nan Eitel, the associate general counsel for Chapter 11 practice in the Executive Office for United States Trustees, said that late last month multiple government trustees received notice of a data breach at Berkeley Research Group (BRG).

The Emeryville, California-based BRG offers corporate finance and economic consulting, including to Catholic dioceses in bankruptcy proceedings. The government’s letter said the data breach had occurred on March 2 but that trustees were only first informed on April 28. 

The breach “affected multiple Chapter 11 cases … and the security of data maintained by BRG in its role as a financial adviser to official committees in those cases,” the letter said. 

The breach included data associated with 10 Catholic bankruptcy cases, nine of which are diocesan or archdiocesan cases and one of which was filed by the Franciscan Friars of California. 

“Although such a large-scale data breach would be of concern to the United States Trustee in any bankruptcy case, that the breach occurred in archdiocesan and diocesan cases — where the claims information of sexual abuse survivors is the most sensitive and confidential of all information — is very concerning,” the government said. 

The “incident update” provided by the Berkeley Research Group “raised more questions than it answered about what transpired and what BRG has done and intends to do going forward to remediate the breach in each case,” the government said. 

BRG “file[d] a single generic notice on each affected case docket” and did not contact each affected party individually, the government alleged.

The company’s response appears “wholly deficient” to the scope of the breach, the Justice Department argued. It demanded the company provide information on each affected case as well as clarify why the company “delayed two months” before notifying trustees and whether or not the company has contacted federal law enforcement over the breach. 

Among the affected bankruptcy cases include those of the archdioceses of Baltimore and New Orleans as well as the dioceses of Albany and Rochester, among others.

New York-based law firm Proskauer Rose LLP did not immediately respond to an email from CNA asking if it was the legal representative of BRG.

An explosive device detonates at St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 12:56 pm (CNA).

Police in a small Pennsylvania town have arrested a man they claim detonated an explosive on the altar of a small Catholic chapel this week. 

Father Kevin Gallagher, the pastor at St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Mahanoy City, told CNA on Friday that on Tuesday, May 6, a man came into the parish chapel at around 9 p.m., “placed an explosive device on the altar, lit it, and then ran out.” 

The device subsequently exploded, damaging a monstrance, the altar, the ceiling, and some stained-glass windows.

Investigators thought the explosive might have been a quarter-stick of dynamite, Gallagher said.

Police arrested 32-year-old Kyle Kuczynski shortly after the incident. He was charged with multiple crimes including arson.

The priest said he wasn’t aware of what might have motivated Kuczynski to allegedly detonate the device, though he said the suspect had visited the chapel prior to the explosion and had disturbed the nuns who were there at the time. 

“The cops knew him. They said he’s a troublemaker,” Gallagher said. He speculated that mental issues could have played a role in the suspect’s behavior. 

“Luckily nothing caught fire” after the explosion, the priest said, adding that the parish would undertake repairs of the chapel soon. 

In a statement after the explosion, Allentown Bishop Alfred Schlert said the attack was “an act of darkest evil.”

“I thank God that no one was injured in the incident and that the suspect has been taken into custody by law enforcement,” the bishop said. 

“At the same time, I am heartbroken that such a heinous, hateful, and evil act occurred at St. Teresa of Calcutta. This act of religious hate is an affront to the long and devout history of faith among the people of Mahanoy City.”

“While offering forgiveness, I pray the person who perpetrated this crime will receive the help needed and the justice demanded for their actions,” the prelate added.

At a leper colony in the Kon Tum area in Vietnam in April 2025, Pontifical Missions Society USA President Monsignor Roger Landry celebrated Mass, brought Communion to people, and distributed food and sandals. / Credit: The Pontifical Mission Societies/Margaret Murray

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 11:47 am (CNA).

The American arm of the worldwide Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) is celebrating yesterday’s election of Pope Leo XIV.  

“The Pontifical Mission Societies in the USA rejoices in the historic election of the first pontiff from the United States of America, Leo XIV, Chicago native Robert Cardinal Prevost, a missionary at heart who served for many years as a priest and bishop bringing Christ and his Gospel to the people in rural Peru,” said Monsignor Roger Landry, the organization’s national director since January.  

“Together with all of our fellow American Catholics and citizens, and with all those served in the 1,124 missionary dioceses and territories across the world,” Landry continued, “we commit ourselves to praying for him and his intentions as he continues the work of Peter as a fisher of men throughout the globe.”

Funded in large part by a special collection at Catholic parishes each October, TPMS includes the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Missionary Childhood Association, and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.

The societies support missionary activity by building churches, helping to form present and future priests and religious, sustaining fledgling missionary dioceses, and erecting schools and catechetical centers.

Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was elected 267th pope on Wednesday evening, with white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel at around 6:09 p.m. Rome time. The new pontiff then appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at approximately 7:25 p.m., where Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals and prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, announced in Latin: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam!” (“I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope!”)

Before appearing on the balcony, the newly elected pope spent time in the “Room of Tears,” a small chamber adjacent to the Sistine Chapel. This traditionally named room is where new pontiffs first don the papal vestments and have a moment of private prayer and reflection as they absorb the magnitude of their election to the chair of St. Peter.

Following the announcement, Pope Leo XIV addressed the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square and watching around the world, offering his first blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) as the new Roman pontiff.

The cross of the German “Synodal Way.” / Credit: Maximilian von Lachner/Synodaler Weg

Magdeburg, Germany, May 9, 2025 / 10:42 am (CNA).

The German Synodal Committee will meet this weekend to prepare for a council to consolidate the German Synodal Way. Four German bishops are not participating in the body due to the Vatican’s warning that the synodal committee is not legitimate. 

The German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) announced a few days ago that the meeting in Magdeburg will include the presentation of the foundational text “Renewing the Catholic Church Synodally” and discussion of a draft statute for a nationwide synodal body.

“There will also be a status report on the monitoring of the implementation of the Synodal Way’s resolutions,” said the DBK and ZdK, the two sponsors of the Synodal Way. “Furthermore, continued work on the action texts ‘Respecting Conscience Decisions in Matters of Contraception — Rehabilitating Injured Spouses’ and ‘Measures Against Abuse of Women in the Church’ is on the agenda.” 

In February 2024, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, along with Cardinals Víctor Manuel Fernández of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and Robert Prevost, OSA, (now Pope Leo XIV) of the Dicastery for Bishops, emphasized that a synodal committee is fundamentally not legitimate. Indeed, the cardinals warned the members of the DBK against deciding to establish such a body: “Such an organ is not provided for in current Church law, and therefore any such decision by the DBK would be invalid — with the corresponding legal consequences.”

“The approval of the statutes of the synodal committee would therefore contradict the instruction issued by the Holy See on the special mandate of the Holy Father and would once again present it with a ‘fait accompli,’” the cardinals further wrote.

After a meeting of German bishops with representatives of the Vatican Curia in March 2024, a subsequent joint press release stated: “A regular exchange between representatives of the German Bishops’ Conference and the Holy See regarding the further work of the Synodal Way and the synodal committee was agreed upon. The German bishops have pledged that this work aims to develop concrete forms of synodality in the Church in Germany that are in accordance with the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, the provisions of canon law, and the outcomes of the world synod, and will subsequently be submitted to the Holy See for approval.”

Against this backdrop, the statutes of the German Synodal Committee were adopted in April 2024 at a meeting of the permanent council of the DBK. This body includes all 27 diocesan bishops. In contrast, the plenary assemblies involve all bishops, including auxiliary bishops, provided they are not yet retired.

The last meeting of the synodal committee took place in December 2024. At that time, the focus was already on “questions regarding the composition” of the synodal council. Additionally, discussions were held about “its competencies and decision-making processes.” 

In March of this year, the New Beginning Initiative, a group that critically examines the Synodal Way, sharply criticized a “suggestive survey” conducted by the synodal committee. In a circular sent to all 27 diocesan bishops and diocesan Catholic councils, the initiative stated that the survey “pretends nonexistent facts and creates false impressions among recipients. It is therefore unusable. We therefore call on you to withdraw this ‘survey’ and to no longer consider its ‘results,’ which were generated under false pretenses.”

Several survey questions refer to “the action text of the Synodal Way, ‘Deliberating and Deciding Together,’ which was never adopted by the Synodal Way,” according to the letter, which was signed by theologian Martin Brüske and publicist Bernhard Meuser, members of the New Beginning Initiative.

The letter addressed Rome’s concerns regarding some of the survey questions, which, according to the New Beginning Initiative, have not been adequately considered by the Synodal Way and represent an “attitude of ignorance toward the universal Church.”

For example, the third question on the survey deals with decision-making by synodal bodies at the diocesan level. This “not only ignores the instructions of the Holy See and the results of the world synod, which has since concluded,” according to the New Beginning Initiative’s letter, “but also cites a SW text that was never adopted and appropriates it.”

Another product of the Synodal Way is the recently published guide titled “Blessings for Couples Who Love Each Other.” The text was adopted by the joint conference, consisting of members of the DBK and ZdK, but explicitly refers to the corresponding reform efforts of the Synodal Way.

The document states: “Couples who are not married in the Church, divorced and remarried couples, as well as couples in the full diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities are naturally part of our society. Many of these couples desire a blessing for their relationship.”

“Such a request is an expression of gratitude for their love and an expression of the desire to shape this love from faith,” according to the joint conference.

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

Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Australia. / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 10:12 am (CNA).

Pro-life activists in Australia this week protested against a bill that would force health care workers with conscientious objections to refer patients for abortions.

The Abortion Law Reform Amendment (Health Care Access) Bill 2025 comes six years after the southeastern Australian state decriminalized abortion and allowed doctors to perform the procedure up to 22 weeks’ gestation.

Controversially, the bill states that persons with conscientious objections may be exempted from performing abortions “only by giving information to the person on how to locate or contact a medical practitioner who, in the practitioner’s reasonable belief, does not have a conscientious objection.”

A broad coalition of pro-lifers, including Catholic clergy, participated in a rally that took place outside of the state Parliament on Wednesday night as the bill moved through the upper house.

“I was one of six bishops who attended the rally outside Parliament last night, with dozens of clergy and thousands of faithful of all religions, and none[s],” Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney wrote on Facebook. “They were united in their disgust regarding the radical Greens abortion bill currently before the state Parliament. I thank each one for their participation.”

The bill’s stated purpose is “to increase access to abortion health care.” It was introduced by Amanda Cohn, a member of Parliament and member of the progressive Australian Greens party, in February. 

If passed, the bill will also allow nurse practitioners and midwives to perform abortions.

“For a state with some of the most permissive abortion laws and highest abortion rates in the world to move to kill the bodies of even more babies is dumbfounding,” Fisher continued, adding: “But the determination to kill the souls of health professionals and institutions as well, by forcing their participation or by co-opting our nurses and midwives is truly fearsome, indeed hellish.”

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott also spoke at the rally, telling news outlets that the bill is “a fundamental assault” on freedom of conscience.

“It’s designed to force Catholic and other Christian hospitals … out of the health care system unless they are to sacrifice their principles. It’s really about cancelling faith in our public life.”

Actor Kelsey Grammer speaks during a memorial for actor James Earl Jones at The James Earl Jones Theater on April 7, 2025, in New York City. / Credit: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 09:42 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:

Frasier actor says aborting son ‘The greatest pain I have ever known’ 

Kelsey Grammer, an actor and producer known for his role in the television series “Cheers” and “Frasier,” opened up in his recent memoir about how abortion affected him. 

In his memoir “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” Grammer, 70, revealed that the abortions that his former partners had still haunt him.

“I know that many people do not have a problem with abortion, and though I have supported it in the past, the abortion of my son eats away at my soul,” Grammer wrote.

In 1974, Grammer’s girlfriend became pregnant and wanted an abortion. Grammer shared that though he was “willing” to keep the child, he “did not plead with her to save his life.”

Grammer said that he still supports “the idea that a woman has the right to do what she wants with her own body.”

“But it’s hard for me,” he said. 

Grammer also shared that when he and his fourth wife, Kayte, were expecting twins, one of the twins’ sacks ruptured. The doctors recommended abortion, saying that otherwise, the other twin would be in danger. 

Grammer and his then-wife decided to abort the male twin in order to save the female twin, a decision that he said was “the greatest pain I have ever known.”

The male twin died, but the daughter, Faith, is now 12 years old. 

“We killed our son so Faith might live,” Grammer wrote. “We wept as we watched his heart stop.” 

“Kayte’s scream was enough to make a man mourn a lifetime,” he continued.

Grammer said he didn’t want to bring “controversy,” but he criticized the “so-called doctors who have executed generations of children in this manner.”

“I have no idea how they call themselves doctors,” he continued. “Something about the ‘first, do no harm’ thing. But I offer no controversy.” 

Indiana governor signs prenatal development bill 

On May 6, Indiana’s governor signed a bill requiring schools that offer sexual education to include instruction on consent and human growth and development during pregnancy.

For prenatal education, the bill specifically requires that students view several videos depicting human prenatal development. Students will watch both a high-definition ultrasound video showing the development of the brain, heart, and other vital organs in early fetal development as well as a rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization and fetal development within the uterus.  

The bill also requires written informed-consent forms for parents of students in the sex education classes.

Other states that require education on fetal development include Idaho, North Dakota, and Tennessee.

Judge denies Indiana request for abortion records 

An Indianapolis judge recently denied the state attorney general’s request to publicly release state-mandated abortion data reports.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita appealed the judge’s previous determination that the records were confidential. In the 20-page order, the judge maintained that current state law exempts abortion data from release under the state’s Access to Public Records Act.

South Bend pro-life group Voices for Life requested copies of “terminated pregnancy reports” (TPRs), public records that contain details about abortion procedures in the state. Voices for Life reviews the reports every month for violations against Indiana’s code.

But in March, Marion County Superior Court Judge James Joven issued a preliminary injunction, saying that the Indiana Department of Health could not provide the reports filed since August 2023, when many of Indiana’s protections for unborn children went into effect. The state health department changed its policy following increased restrictions against abortion.

Montana governor signs bill protecting families from religious discrimination in adoption

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill last week designed to protect families and faith-based adoption and foster care groups from religious discrimination. 

The bill prohibits discrimination during the adoption process based on families’ religious beliefs. Greg Chafuen, senior counsel at the legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, applauded the law, saying that in some states “the government can discriminate against people of faith, allowing vulnerable children to suffer.”

“Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow,” Chafuen said in a statement May 2. 

“By signing this law, Gov. Gianforte is ensuring that Montanan children benefit from as many adoption and foster care agencies as possible — faith-based and non-faith-based,” he said.