Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church

Young girls hold posters that translate to “Every Life is Important and Precious” at the March for Life in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Oct. 4, 2025. / Credit: Erlendas Bart

Vilnius, Lithuania, Oct 6, 2025 / 13:32 pm (CNA).

The heart of Lithuania’s capital came alive with music, speeches, and powerful personal stories as thousands gathered on Saturday for the “Žygis už gyvybę” (“March for Life”), an event dedicated to celebrating the sanctity of life and raising awareness about the necessity of its protection.

The march drew participants from across Lithuania as well as from neighboring countries including Latvia, Estonia, and Poland.

The event on Oct. 4 began in the early afternoon near the Martynas Mažvydas National Library, drawing a diverse crowd of families, students, activists, artists, and clergy. Promoted by a range of civil and religious organizations, the march focused on affirming the value of every human life.  

Religious figures outside of Lithuania vocalized support of the initiative, including Latvian Catholic Archbishop Zbigņevs Stankevičs of Riga and Latvian Lutheran Bishop Rinalds Grants, both of whom expressed solidarity with the march’s aims. Auxiliary Bishop Saulius Bužauskas of Kaunas, Lithuania, participated in the march in person.

Attendees gathered near the Lithuanian National Library for the event’s opening ceremony, where speakers shared insights from personal, medical, social, and philosophical perspectives. Among them was Dr. Lina Šulcienė, who highlighted the moral and spiritual need for a more compassionate society.

“The depths of our conscience cry out for a path other than the culture of death,” she said. “Our inner humanity calls for a culture of life, one marked by solidarity, genuine compassion, and sensitivity to human beings, respecting their lives.”

Agnieszka Gracz, coordinator of pro-life marches for Poland’s Centrum Życia i Rodziny  (Centre for Life and Family), also addressed the crowd. The Warsaw-based organization has been active for over two decades, advocating for the protection of life, family, and parenthood.

Gracz noted that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the center helped organize an average of 150 marches annually across Polish cities. She spoke about how these public demonstrations have played a key role in promoting the protection of unborn children, particularly those with disabilities. She highlighted that the marches have helped build public support leading up to Poland’s 2020 Constitutional Court ruling, which strengthened legal protections for children diagnosed with disabilities before birth.

After the opening event, the crowd set off in a peaceful procession from the National Library to Vilnius Cathedral Square via Gediminas Avenue, carrying banners and flags with messages of hope and support for families. A commemorative concert and a series of personal testimonies followed.

Among the highlights of the event was a national drawing contest for schoolchildren titled “Aš esu dovana” (“I Am a Gift”). More than 300 submissions were received from across the country. The winning artists were presented awards onstage for their creative reflections on the value of life.

The musical program included performances by well-known artists such as Voldemars Peterson, Dalia and Julius Vaicenavičiai, and popular singer Sasha Song. Performances were accompanied by the personal testimonies of individuals whose lives have been shaped by issues surrounding life and family. International speakers from Latvia and Estonia also addressed the crowd, offering cultural and moral perspectives from across the Baltic region.

Among the speakers at Cathedral Square was lawyer and social activist Dr. Salomėja Fernandez Montojo, who addressed prevailing societal attitudes toward parenthood, stating: “Today, I see how deeply rooted is the idea that having children means losing — losing money, time, career, opportunities, and a good figure. I disagree. Having children is not losing but giving meaning to money, time, energy, opportunities, and beauty.” 

Markus Järvi, editor-in-chief of Estonia’s Objektiiv and one of the speakers, expressed his appreciation for the Vilnius march and the hope that it would inspire similar initiatives throughout the Baltic states.  

Speaking afterward in an interview, he described the limited public discourse on abortion in Estonia as a lingering consequence of the Soviet era, during which abortion was legal and widely practiced. Over time the prevalence of the procedure contributed to its emergence as a social taboo.

“Despite this, many Estonians value marriage and family life,” he said. “We need to break the societal silence on this matter in order to have honest conversations about life.”

He added that both civil society and religious institutions have a role to play in fostering more open and thoughtful dialogue on the issue. In a message directed at young people, he noted that “the sanctity of life and its reverence must be recognized as truth. Search, and you will find it.”

Professor Benas Ulevičius, dean of the faculty of Catholic theology at Vytautas Magnus University, spoke at the event and later in a brief backstage interview reflected on shifting societal values in post-Soviet Lithuania.

“Lithuania during the Soviet occupation was quite isolated,” he said. “After winning independence, the nation went through gradual changes, with more foreign products available, higher salaries, and greater comfort.”

While acknowledging the benefits of economic growth, he noted that it led to people prioritizing careers and wealth over family life and suggested that this shift left some with a sense of emptiness. He encouraged young adults to seek deeper fulfillment through family, which offers a unique kind of joy and happiness that material success alone cannot provide. 

Alongside the main stage program, Cathedral Square hosted a family-friendly educational and creative zone where visitors were invited to explore nongovernmental organization booths, sign petitions, take part in children’s activities, and learn about family support services offered by various participating organizations such as Nacionalinė šeimų ir tėvų asociacija (National Association of Families and Parents), ProLife Vilnius, and more.

The event culminated in a special Mass in Vilnius Cathedral celebrated by Father Deividas Stankevičius.

Organizers and participants expressed optimism that the March for Life in Vilnius will continue to grow in both size and impact. With increasing collaboration between civil, religious, and cultural voices, many said they see this year’s march as a turning point, one that may inspire broader conversations about life, family, and the future of society in Lithuania and across the Baltics.

Pope Leo XIV receives the latest edition of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church,” by Martha Patricia Molina, on Oct. 2, 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of Muriel Saenz

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 4, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV this week received the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church” by researcher Martha Patricia Molina, which details the prohibition of more than 16,500 processions and acts of piety as well as more than 1,000 attacks against the Catholic Church by the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo.

Activist Muriel Sáenz, a Nicaraguan by birth who fled the dictatorship in the 1980s and now works to help immigrants in the United States, presented Molina’s report to Pope Leo on Oct. 2 during the Holy Father’s audience with participants in a Vatican conference on migrants and refugees.

“I am happy to know that my friend Muriel Sáenz has personally delivered to Pope Leo XIV the study ‘Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church,’ which is an expression of the Catholic Church and the Nicaraguan people that reflects the persecution of bishops, priests, and laypeople by the Sandinista dictatorship,” Molina told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

“The repression continues daily, and it is important that the Holy See knows that everything is being documented,” she stated.

Molina said she also sent Leo XIV a letter stating that the Catholic Church in Nicaragua is “in total communion with the pope and united in prayer despite the adversity and repression.”

Sáenz, founder of Nicaraguans in the World Texas, Inc., an organization that helps people present their asylum cases before immigration courts in the U.S., told ACI Prensa that she also presented Leo with letters from victims of the dictatorship, including priests, and gave him Nicaraguan coffee.

“I hope the pope continues his support in the global denunciation [of the dictatorship], since remaining silent only allows criminals to continue causing more and more harm. My intention is also for the world to learn about what is happening in Nicaragua, where the criminals who make people call them president and co-president have an entire country — which has no weapons to defend itself — in their hands,” Sáenz said.

“If one does not obey their absurd demands, one is shamelessly imprisoned in inhumane conditions, enduring degrading treatment and torture. Priests and laypeople are not exempt from such treatment. I am sure that if we manage to force [the regime] to leave, the more than 1 million Nicaraguans scattered around the world would return tomorrow,” she added.

On Aug. 23, Pope Leo XIV received three bishops in an audience at the Vatican: Bishop Silvio Báez, who was confirmed by the Holy Father in his position as auxiliary bishop of Managua, although he has been in exile since 2019; Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna; and Bishop Carlos Herrera, president of the Nicaraguan Episcopate, who is in exile in Guatemala.

“He encouraged me to continue my episcopal ministry and confirmed me as auxiliary bishop of Managua. I sincerely thank him for his fraternal welcome and his encouraging words,” said Báez, who currently resides in the United States, regarding his meeting with the pope.

The seventh edition of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church” was released on Aug. 27.

Molina explained that the ban on processions has been intensified since 2022 and that the dictatorship imposed this measure annually throughout the country, but the report does not consider all parish churches or chapels, which number 400 in Managua alone.

“So the figure presented in the study could be at least three or four times higher than what is being recorded,” she pointed out.

In an interview with the Spanish-language edition of EWTN News, Molina explained that so far in this year alone, 32 attacks against the Church by the dictatorship have been recorded, a figure that could be much higher, considering the increasing control of the Ortega-Murillo government.

“There is constant surveillance of priests and bishops. Some of them are even followed 24 hours a day,” Molina said, adding: “The clergy meetings held by bishops with priests continue to be constantly monitored by the police, who take photographs and videos of the religious who attend.”

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

A 13th-century fresco of St. Francis of Assisi by the Florentine painter Cimabue, one of the earliest depictions of the saint, is located in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy.  / Credit: Jacob Stein/Crux Stationalis

CNA Staff, Oct 4, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis of Assisi every year on Oct. 4. Known as the patron saint of animals and ecology, the 13th-century Italian friar is often remembered for his deep humility, his life of prayer, and for founding the Franciscan order.

Here are seven things to know about this beloved saint:

1. Francis was a party-loving rich kid before his conversion.

Before giving his life completely over to the Lord, Francis lived a life of luxury. His father, Pietro di Bernardone, was a wealthy silk merchant in Assisi, and Francis lived a carefree, pleasure-seeking life in his youth. He was known for partying, fine clothes, and his dreams of glory on the battlefield. It wasn’t until he was captured during a war between Assisi and Perugia — and spending nearly a year in prison — that he began to reflect on a different path.

2. Francis voluntarily gave up his wealth.

After hearing God’s call to “rebuild my church,” Francis renounced his family’s wealth in a dramatic and public fashion. In front of the bishop and townspeople, he stripped off all his clothes — literally — and gave everything back to his father. He declared that from that point on, he would have no father but “Our Father who art in heaven.” It was at this moment that he completely rejected worldly goods and embraced a life of poverty.

3. Francis never became a priest.

Many assume that St. Francis was a priest, but he was never ordained beyond the role of deacon. Due to his great reverence for the Eucharist, he felt unworthy to become a priest. Therefore, he remained a friar and lived a life of poverty, charity, and devotion to God. 

4. Francis was the first recorded person to receive the stigmata.

In 1224, while on retreat at Mount La Verna, Francis experienced a vision of a seraph bearing the image of Christ crucified. When the image ended, the wounds of Christ appeared on his body — piercings in his hands, feet, and side. 

5. Francis wrote one of the first known works of Italian literature.

Francis’ “Canticle of the Sun,” written around 1225, is considered one of the earliest works in the Italian language. At the time, most literary pieces were written in Latin. However, Francis chose to write it in his native language so more people could understand it. “Canticle of the Sun” is a poem in which Francis encourages all of creation to praise the Creator and consists of 23 verses dedicated to different aspects of creation. 

6. Francis created the first living Nativity scene. 

In 1223, Francis staged the first-ever live Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy. He used real people and animals with the hope of helping people connect more with the birth of Christ. To this day, the people of Greccio stage a live, historical reenactment of St. Francis and the first Nativity scene every year at Christmas. 

7. Francis’ order continues his legacy over 800 years later.

The Rule of St. Francis was approved in 1223, which marked the beginning of the Franciscan order. The order has three main branches: the First Order (Friars Minor), the Second Order (Poor Clares), and the Third Order (Secular Franciscan Order for laity). Franciscans take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Today, Franciscans are active in over 100 countries and have roughly 650,000 members across its various branches.

Father Custodio Ballester. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Hazteoir.org

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Oct 3, 2025 / 14:23 pm (CNA).

Freedom of speech and religion in Spain is in play as Father Custodio Ballester faces a possible three-year prison sentence and fines after a trial this week found him guilty of making allegedly “Islamophobic” statements in print and in an interview. 

Questioned by CNA about his upcoming sentencing, Ballester said: “The survival of freedom of expression in today’s Spain depends on the ruling in this case. Otherwise, we’ll be headed toward a new Cuban dictatorship. One where you were arrested for what you said as well as for what you thought, if it differed from what [Cuban communist dictator] Fidel Castro decided.”

Ballester and two others, fellow priest Father Jesús Calvo and journalist Armando Robles, were accused of making allegedly Islamophobic statements in complaints filed before Spain’s socialist government by the Association of Spanish Muslims Against Islamophobia. On Oct. 1, those complaints were examined for several hours at the Provincial Court of Málaga.

Ballester told CNA that his “statements have never been discriminatory or hateful,” in reference to an interview he gave in 2017 to online talk show “La Ratonera” and previous writings. 

Speaking to the media after exiting the court, the priest said he is calm, adding: “This is the final hearing, and now we are awaiting the result.”

He told CNA: “In the Spanish army’s special forces, we used to say: ‘Prepare for the worst. The easy stuff has already been planned for.’ That’s why I’m calm. If everything goes well, I’ll be even happier.”

The case against Ballester and his co-defendants has sparked considerable debate in Spain and Europe over its perceived threat to free speech and claims that hate-crime laws are selectively applied. 

In 2016, Ballester responded to a pastoral letter from Cardinal Juan José Omella Omella of Barcelona. In his answer to Omella, Ballester wrote that dialogue with Islam is “impossible,” despite the prelate’s claim that such dialogue is “necessary.”

The priest wrote: “This renewed revival of Christian-Muslim dialogue, paralyzed by the alleged ‘imprudence’ of the beloved Benedict XVI, is far from a reality. Islam does not allow for dialogue. You either believe or you are an infidel who must be subdued one way or another.”

In 2017, Ballester appeared in an online interview with Robles and Calvo in which the three discussed the threat of radical Islam to Europe. Robles owns the YouTube channel where “La Ratonera” broadcast the interview in question.

A ‘one-way crime’: They only charge Christians, never Muslims

Ballester told CNA: “The prosecution demonstrates with its actions that so-called hate crimes exist to restrict freedom of thought and expression. The Hate Law is legally a ‘blank law,’ or a blank check. Not even the prosecutors themselves know how to define ‘hate.’ They fabricate the crime in each case based on who allegedly committed it, and it’s a one-way crime. They only charge Christians, never Muslims.”

Ballester has been criticized also for his advocacy of Catholic doctrine regarding, for example, homosexuality and procured abortion. Leftist LGBTQ activists have accused him of “homophobia.” He has said that Spanish justice appears to prosecute supposed Islamophobia and homophobia with rigor but looks the other way when Christians are involved. He has also denounced the persecution of Christians in places like Nigeria, Syria, and Bangladesh. 

A public advocacy law firm, Abogados Cristianos, has gathered more than 28,000 signatures demanding Ballester’s acquittal. Outside the courtroom in Málaga on Oct. 1, dozens of the priest’s supporters could be seen holding placards demanding his acquittal. Supporters outside the courthouse collected signatures on petitions, which are circulating online. Groups such as HazteOir, the Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience, and the Spanish Institute for Social Policy have added their voices to the protests.

Ballester said the threat to free speech is very real. If the court does sentence him to prison, he said he will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

“The ruling from the Málaga Provincial Court could be delayed somewhat. People are very angry about the excessive sentences being sought for ‘hate crimes,’ which are comparable to those sought for sexual assault or leaving someone paralyzed in a fight. Political pressure may delay the ruling,” he said.

The priest was philosophical with regard to a possible prison sentence, reflecting on his military training in special forces. While he never saw combat, he wrote that he experienced everything else, including “training, weapons, hand-to-hand combat, topographical surveys day and night, and obstacle courses,” which forged in him “obedience and resignation in the face of adversity, much more than in the seminary.”

The Spanish Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience quoted its president, María García, expressing her alarm that Ballester is facing prison “simply for warning, in the exercise of his freedom of expression and conscience, about the threat of radical jihadism. Defending religious freedom also means protecting the freedom of those, like Father Custodio, who warn of realities that have already caused deaths in our country and in Europe.” 

García recalled that in January 2023, a Muslim jihadist murdered sacristan Diego Valencia and wounded a priest at a church in southern Spain, asking: “Is the crime committed by those who denounce violence or by those who carry it out?”

Britain’s new archbishop of Canterbury-designate, Sarah Mullally, speaks at Canterbury Cathedral in southeast England following the announcement of her posting on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. / Credit: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

Vatican City, Oct 3, 2025 / 11:53 am (CNA).

Anglican Bishop of London Sarah Mullally will become the first woman archbishop of Canterbury after her nomination was approved by King Charles III.

Archbishop-designate Mullally will be installed as the Church of England’s highest-ranking bishop in March 2026. That will formally make her the spiritual leader of approximately 85 million Anglicans living in 165 countries — even as the Anglican Communion’s cohesion is under increasing strain from disagreements over teaching and practice on LGBT issues.

In an Oct. 2 statement released on the archbishop of Canterbury website, Mullally said she wants to “respond to the call of Christ” in her new ministry with the “spirit of service to God” that has motivated her since her youth.

“I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican communion,” she said.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales president Cardinal Vincent Nichols welcomed the news of Mullally’s appointment as Canterbury’s 106th archbishop, saying on X “she will bring many personal gifts and experience to her new role.”  

Vatican prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity Cardinal Kurt Koch congratulated Mullally in a letter on Friday, imparting the “good wishes of the Catholic Church” in spite of “occasional tensions” in theological dialogue between the two churches.

“I know that the challenges facing the Church of England and the Anglican communion at this time are considerable and the appointment of a new archbishop has been awaited with much interest and expectation,” Koch wrote.

Mullally’s appointment comes nearly one year after her predecessor, former archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, resigned from the post in November 2024, facing criticism of how he handled historical child abuse cases that occured in the U.K. and Africa and controversy over his support for allowing blessings of same-sex relationships. During the church’s July 2024 general synod, services for the blessings of same-sex couples were approved to take place in its parishes. 

The archbishop-designate supported the move to allow Anglican ministers to offer blessings to same-sex couples and she has led processes to review the Church of England’s teachings and policies regarding marriage and sexuality.

Conflict over these issues has continued to shake the Anglican Communion since Welby’s departure.

In July, the Church of England voted to remove a 1991 teaching document, “Issues in Human Sexuality,” from its requirements for clergy selection, citing the document, which condemned homosexual activity, as “contextually inappropriate” and “prejudicial and offensive to many people.”

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), a grouping of conservative Anglicans especially strong in Africa and Asia, protested the decision, saying Friday it is “clearer than ever before that Canterbury has relinquished its authority to lead” the church founded by King Henry VIII 1534. 

Mullally will legally become the archbishop of Canterbury at her “confirmation of election” at St. Paul’s Cathedral in January 2026.

CORRECTION (October 4, 2025): An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Justin Welby as Mullally's successor as archbishop of Canterbury, rather than her predecessor.

Candle lights in Fourvière Basilica, in Lyon, France, on Dec. 8, 2022. / Ccredit: Diocèse de Lyon

ACI MENA, Oct 3, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The term “Christianophobia” has returned to the forefront of public debate in Europe, fueled by a growing number of incidents targeting churches, religious symbols, and believers. 

While the word recalls wounds long familiar to the continent, its resurgence signals a fresh challenge to the Christian presence in public life. What has reignited these simmering tensions, and could campaigns denouncing Christianophobia also be encouraging many to rediscover faith and the Church?

More than 1,000 people recently gathered in Paris’ Place de la Nation to break the silence surrounding Christian persecution. The march — the first of its kind in Paris — was organized in response to the killing of Iraqi Christian refugee Ashur Sarnya, whose death was captured on camera. Christians from multiple denominations joined together in demonstration, holding crosses and waving flags of France, Lebanon, Iraq, and other countries.

The data

The term Christianophobia isn’t new, but it gives a name to realities documented by statistics. 

In a written response to a European Commission inquiry, it was revealed that in 2023 alone there were 2,444 incidents of violence against Christians across 35 European countries, including 1,000 cases in France.

According to the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, the attacks ranged from the desecration of churches and Christian symbols (62% of cases), to arson (10%), threats (8%), and direct acts of violence (7%).

The term is also not foreign to international discourse. The United Nations adopted the phrase in Resolution 72/177, which calls on states to combat actions motivated by Christianophobia, alongside antisemitism and Islamophobia. In some contexts, alternative terms such as anti-Christian discrimination or hatred of Christians are used to soften the psychological weight carried by the word phobia.

‘A striking spiritual renewal’

Amid the rising tensions and attacks, the Church in France — and in Europe more broadly — is experiencing a striking spiritual renewal, particularly among young people. Statistics show a notable rise in the number of baptisms and confirmations, with many young adults rediscovering their Christian roots.

For example, during Easter 2025 alone, 10,384 people in France received the sacrament of baptism, alongside more than 7,400 adolescents who received confirmation. Remarkably, 42% of these new baptisms were among 18- to 25-year-olds, a sign of a growing youth-driven revival of faith.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

Archbishop Giuseppe Baturi (left), the secretary-general of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, meets with Latin patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa in the Holy Land during a Sept. 27–30, 2025, trip to the region. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Italian Bishops’ Conference

Rome Newsroom, Oct 2, 2025 / 14:46 pm (CNA).

The secretary-general of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI, by its Italian acronym), Archbishop Giuseppe Baturi, has concluded a significant visit to the Holy Land, the CEI announced. The visit took place Sept. 27–30.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, in the CEI statement said: “In this difficult moment of solitude and abandonment, closeness and presence are important: for this we wish to express our sincere gratitude. We know that these visits are not to be taken for granted, and we know, as we have said in recent days, that all this is true and heartfelt. We have perceived it in recent months from many Italian churches — a real closeness.” 

During the visit, Baturi had the opportunity to meet “some priests gathered on retreat: They told us they felt the need and were grateful for this empathy and closeness they have needed, more so than any projects,” Pizzaballa said.

In addition, during the same visit, Baturi announced a major joint project between the CEI and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem: the opening of a hospital in Gaza. The archbishop noted that “there is a very serious health problem, and we want to address it together with the patriarchate: It is a concrete commitment, which will take a great deal of effort,” Baturi explained.

The visit was also an opportunity to explore the possibility of a pilgrimage by representatives of the Italian episcopate, as has already happened with several regional bishops’ conferences, the statement added.

In this regard, Baturi said: “We want to relaunch pilgrimages as a practice capable of forging bonds with communities, not just visiting places. This appeal has come to us from many parish priests, both in Judea and Galilee. We will therefore make a pilgrimage as Italian bishops and promote many others: It is a concrete form of closeness and solidarity.”

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

An armed police officer talks to a member of the local community outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester, England, on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. / Credit: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

EWTN News, Oct 2, 2025 / 10:40 am (CNA).

Bishop John Arnold of Salford has condemned a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur, calling for solidarity and prayer with the Jewish community.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales released Arnold’s statement on Thursday following the morning assault at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, where a knife-wielding assailant reportedly struck worshippers gathered for prayer.

“The local Catholic community stand united in our prayers for the Jewish community following the tragic attack on a synagogue in Manchester,” Arnold declared Oct. 2. “We condemn such acts and pray for the injured, emergency responders, and all affected.”

The British prelate emphasized the need for interfaith unity against extremism, stating: “Let us work together in hope to strengthen our community solidarity. We must remain united in our common beliefs against those who sow hatred and division. We also pray for peace and tolerance around the U.K. and the world.”

According to BBC News, police officers reported being alerted at 9:31 a.m. local time to a car-ramming and stabbing outside the synagogue. Armed officers shot a man believed to be the suspect at 9:38 a.m. 

Since the man was found with “suspicious items” strapped to his body, bomb disposal teams were called and later carried out a controlled explosion. 

The suspect is presumed dead, though official confirmation remains pending. Three additional victims remain in serious condition.

The timing of the assault during Yom Kippur — the holiest day in the Jewish calendar — has fueled fears of targeted religious violence. 

A large congregation had gathered for morning prayers when the attack commenced.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer abbreviated his attendance at the Denmark summit to chair emergency meetings, announcing enhanced police protection for synagogues nationwide.

“We will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe,” Starmer emphasized, calling the Yom Kippur timing particularly “horrific.”

King Charles III expressed being “deeply shocked and saddened” by the violence. The monarch commended emergency responders’ swift action.

The investigation continues with heavy police presence maintaining security around the synagogue.

A 13th-century fresco of St. Francis of Assisi by the Florentine painter Cimabue, one of the earliest depictions of the saint, is located in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy.  / Credit: Jacob Stein/Crux Stationalis

Rome Newsroom, Oct 2, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Italy’s Senate Constitutional Affairs Committee, deliberating in session Wednesday, Oct. 1, approved a bill reinstating Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy, as a national holiday. The measure had been approved in first reading by the Chamber of Deputies last month, with only two votes against.

Oct. 4 will therefore be a public holiday starting in 2026, after having been a public holiday until 1977.

“I welcome with joy and satisfaction,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni commented, “the news of the Senate’s final approval of the parliamentary bill reintroducing, after 50 years, Oct. 4, the day on which we celebrate St. Francis, the patron saint of Italy, as a national holiday. The government has wholeheartedly supported the [legislative] process of the bill, which has taken up and made its own the appeal launched a year ago by Davide Rondoni, poet and president of the National Committee for the Celebrations of the Eighth Centenary of the Death of the Poverello [Poor Man] of Assisi.”

“The bipartisan and virtually unanimous support for the bill is an important sign of the unity found in politics around one of the most representative and distinctive figures of [our] national identity. A saint beloved by the entire Italian people and in whom all Italians identify. The national holiday will be an opportunity to celebrate an extraordinary man and remind us, every year, who we are and what unites us profoundly,” Meloni said.

The president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, also released a comment following the Senate’s approval:

“We welcome with joy the news of the passage of the law restoring the national holiday of St. Francis of Assisi to Oct. 4. This decision offers an opportunity to rediscover the figure of the patron saint of Italy, who has profoundly shaped the character of our country. This is even more so in this time, torn by divisions, growing international tensions, and a dramatic escalation of global violence. St. Francis, whose primary goal was to proclaim peace, reminds us that a fraternal, unarmed world is possible, where everyone has their own space, starting with the poorest and most vulnerable.”

“His life and work,” the archbishop of Bologna continued, “can inspire political love and love for creation, so that the common good prevails over speculative logic and the logic of the strongest, over partisan interests and polarization.”

“By virtue of his faith,” the cardinal said, “he initiated a religious experience that, through his descendants, now eight centuries old, has contributed greatly to improving the history of humanity in our Italy and throughout the world. Celebrating the saint of Assisi, therefore, means believing that we can dialogue with everyone and that peace begins when we consider others as brothers and sisters. Francis of Assisi still encourages us today to be authentic Christians [wherever we may be in] the world.”

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

null / Credit: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

London, England, Oct 1, 2025 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

One of the United Kingdom’s leading experts in bioethics has warned that hospices may be forced to offer assisted death out of fear of losing their funding.

Pia Matthews, senior lecturer in health care ethics at St. Mary’s University, London, told CNA on Oct. 1 that if assisted dying is legalized in the U.K. this November, “there is real risk that funding to a hospice will depend on whether the hospice engages in the practice of facilitating assisted deaths, and this will put further pressure not only on staff but also on the survival of some hospices, which are already underfunded… Given that the very nature of assisted dying means that it is the cheaper option, this will inevitably have serious consequences for the funding of hospice care.”

She continued: “The argument in favor of assisted dying is that assisted dying offers choice to patients. Purely on a cost basis, choice will be taken away if hospices are not adequately funded and more people will be implicitly coerced into assisted suicide because they will feel they have no choice.”

The law on assisted suicide is expected to change in England and Wales after Member of Parliament Kim Leadbeater successfully introduced a private member’s bill in November 2024 called the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. The bill would legalize “assisted dying” for terminally ill adults with less than six months to live. Under current law in England and Wales, assisted suicide is illegal with the potential for imprisonment for up to 14 years.

Although Leadbeater’s bill passed successfully through the House of Commons, its passage has now slowed due to growing concerns about its safety and application. In a vote in the House of Lords on Sept. 19, peers voted in support of establishing a select committee to further scrutinize the highly controversial law.

Against this political climate, a report by BBC News on Sept. 29 revealed that hospices are being forced to cut services, despite growing demand.

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, told the BBC: “Over the last three years, hospice charities have seen accumulated cost pressures, but the money that they’ve received from the government has stayed flat, and that’s seen services cut back.”

“What would it say about us as a country if someone decided to opt for an assisted death because they were worried that they wouldn’t be able to get the care they needed to control their pain or manage their symptoms, or that their family wouldn’t be properly supported?”

Matthews told CNA that the very ethos of “assisted dying” was a threat to hospice care. 

“Hospice care does offer real choice at the end of life: choice about where to die, who will accompany the person, treatment and care options. This model of care is under threat from inadequate funding and it is under threat from the contrary ethos of assisted suicide because assisted suicide tells people that their fears are correct — they may die in pain and no one can help them, they can only rely on themselves, and their only recourse is to go for assisted suicide,” she said.

“Where hospice care is about solidarity and hope, assisted suicide entrenches fear of loss of control and therefore despair. If assisted dying is legalized, the line between recognizing when treatment is burdensome or futile for this patient and so should be withdrawn and deciding that this patient’s life is no longer of any worth so the patient can choose to have death hastened, will be blurred. Recognizing when treatment is appropriate is good medical practice; helping patients to take their own lives is not.”

Meanwhile, pro-life campaigners in the U.K. have also echoed concerns about the future of hospices under an “assisted dying” regime. 

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK, told CNA that “the apparent commitment in the form of a ‘blank check’ to fund a state-assisted suicide service, and the lack of any corresponding commitment to ensure full state funding for palliative or hospice care, risks creating a perverse push towards assisted suicide since one service could be readily available while the other is not.”

She added: “For vulnerable people near the end of their lives, it is especially concerning that assisted suicide could end up becoming the default, simply because it is available and better funded than palliative or hospice care.”

Robinson further said that “hospices urgently need more funding to perform their current duties of care.” She explained that introducing assisted suicide “would stretch an already over-encumbered sector dangerously thin.”

“It is also worrying that hospices would not be able to opt out of assisted suicide being provided on their premises,” she said. “This would likely mean that many hospices opposed to facilitating the deliberate ending of patients’ lives could be forced to close, further reducing the availability of end-of-life care.”