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Wisconsin archbishop urges change to visa rule that could force foreign priests to leave U.S.

Official Portrait of Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki in 2021. / Credit: Archdiocese of Milwaukee

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 18:15 pm (CNA).

A Wisconsin archbishop is asking the federal government to change a new visa rule that has created a backlog in visa applications, with the archbishop warning that the new rule could force foreign priests to return to their home countries and create a priest shortage in the U.S.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee alone hosts two dozen immigrant priests, Archbishop Jerome Listecki said this week, and Catholics in Wisconsin are at risk of losing their services if the visa rule is allowed to stay in place.

A 2023 change to U.S. visa rules created a backlog of visa applicants that prevents priests from obtaining a green card before their initial religious worker visa expires. The backlog was created when the State Department and Department of Homeland Security increased the number of immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras who are applying for EB-4 visas, the special visa category used by religious workers.

Church officials have warned that the backlog could lead to significant priest shortages in the country, with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stating that, due to the rule change, immigrants on temporary five-year R-1 visas could be forced to return home and wait many more years for a permanent EB-4 visa.

Five immigrant priests in the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, sued the federal government in August, arguing that the government’s reorganization of the visa process will require the priests to return to their own countries and then subject them to lengthy delays when reapplying for visas to serve in the U.S.

‘This issue affects our state and our country’

In a letter this week addressed to Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Listecki warned that the government’s visa changes “will deter all dioceses in the United States that currently rely on the support of international workers” and will “hamper the ability to carry out our religious mission in accordance with our nation’s founding principles.”

In the Tuesday letter, Listecki said the Milwaukee Archdiocese was joining the Dioceses of Madison, Green Bay, LaCrosse, and Superior in petitioning the government to rectify the backlog. 

“Dioceses across the United States” are experiencing similar difficulties with the visa program, the archbishop said. 

Listecki said the archdiocese currently counts 24 priests in its parishes who hold temporary worker visas, subjecting them to the “instability of this current law.” 

The priests not only serve at parishes but as hospital chaplains, the prelate said. There are also two foreign-born seminarians currently prepping for the priesthood in the archdiocese.

The archbishop urged Baldwin to work to address the looming difficulties, though he said the White House could unilaterally act to shorten the amount of time a religious worker must remain outside the U.S. before being permitted to return. That temporary solution could “provide meaningful relief” to the archdiocese, he said.

“This issue affects our state and our country,” the archbishop wrote.

The federal rules should be addressed “not only for the sake of religious workers and their employers but for the many American communities that rely upon them for a wide range of religious and social services,” he said.

In a Wednesday statement, the Diocese of Superior echoed the archbishop’s claims, arguing that the visa revisions “will have a negative impact on our parishes and local communities.”

The Superior Diocese “has struggled to ordain new priests to meet the growing number of retiring and ill priests,” the statement said. The diocese relies greatly on foreign-born priests to fill the gap.

The diocese said it was asking the federal government to “decrease the time required outside the United States” for the priests in question.

It further implored that “all those of faith and goodwill … contact their representatives regarding this important immigration issue.”

Last year the USCCB’s migration committee joined an interfaith letter warning the government of the “increased hardship in staffing houses of worship, community centers, schools, charitable works, and other sites” stemming from the rule change.

The letter asked the government to “do everything within your power to preserve meaningful access” for religious workers seeking visas.

Massachusetts bishop: Priest placed on leave admitted to ‘serious sexual misconduct’

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in Fall River, Massachusetts. / Credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 17:55 pm (CNA).

A priest in Massachusetts who had been placed on leave has admitted to sexual misconduct ahead of a planned student walkout over a lack of information regarding his removal from a school post. 

Students at St. Michael’s School in Fall River, Massachusetts, had organized a protest for Friday over Father Jay Mello’s removal months ago as pastor of the school and two churches.

Fall River Bishop Edgar da Cunha had said in a June letter to parishioners that Mello was removed after the diocese received an allegation of sexual misconduct regarding the priest. The diocese said at the time that there had been “no allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors.”

The Fall River Herald News reported on Thursday that students at St. Michael’s were planning a walkout over the lack of information on the case from the diocese. The protest was reportedly scheduled to take place outside of both the diocesan chancery and da Cunha’s home. 

In a letter published on Thursday, da Cunha noted that he “would not normally provide [a detailed] update until the conclusion of the investigation,” but the bishop said he was prompted to issue the letter due to “a number of false claims and rumors causing confusion” based on “the belief that Father Mello has been unfairly placed on leave.”

The confusion “is now disrupting the school environment,” he wrote.

“I feel it is necessary to inform your parish and school communities of an important development in the investigation in that Father Mello recently admitted to serious sexual misconduct which began while counseling an adult parishioner,” the bishop said. 

The priest had originally denied the allegations, the prelate noted. 

Da Cunha offered no further details of the allegations, though he said the diocesan investigation would continue and would likely conclude early next year. 

“To those who wish to support Father Mello, I encourage you to continue praying for him,” the bishop said. He further asked for prayers for abuse victims “who often feel revictimized when their claims are not believed.”

The Herald News, meanwhile, reported in an update that the walkout organizers would continue the demonstration as planned. 

Mello attended American Seminary in Rome and was ordained in 2007. He has served at parishes in Dartmouth, Falmouth, and Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Here’s how Catholics can get 8 plenary indulgences during the first week of November

Pilgrims gather throughout a sunny St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Angelus address on the solemnity of All Saints, Nov. 1, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 17:35 pm (CNA).

Many Catholics may be unaware that they can obtain not one but eight plenary indulgences for departed souls in the first week of November.

For centuries, the Catholic Church widely observed All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) as an octave, extending the holy celebration to eight days.

The observance was established by Pope Sixtus IV in the 15th century and demoted in the liturgical calendar around the middle of the 20th century, although some Catholics still mark the eight-day observance.

Notably, the Church itself still indirectly acknowledges the ancient eight-day octave in its granting of plenary indulgences for the first week of November.

What is a plenary indulgence?

A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.

It is not a forgiveness of sin but the remission of punishment for sins already forgiven. It may apply either to oneself or to souls already in purgatory.

In order to obtain a plenary indulgence the faithful must — in addition to being in the state of grace — both have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin (even venial sin), have sacramentally confessed their sins and received the Eucharist (either within or outside of Mass), and must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

What about the All Saints’ octave?

The Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary, in its “Enchiridion Indulgentiarum” (“Handbook of Indulgences”), states that the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence for the faithful departed “every day, from the 1st to the 8th of November,” if, in addition to fulfilling the normal terms of a plenary indulgence, one “devoutly visit[s] a cemetery and at least mentally pray[s] for the dead.”

The conditions for a plenary indulgence can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.

The All Saints’ octave was notably extended throughout the entire month of November in both 2020 and 2021 amid concerns about avoiding large gatherings of people in churches or cemeteries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article was been updated on Nov 2, 2024.

Texas bishop: ‘No reason’ for Catholics to attend SSPX Mass if they can go elsewhere

Bishop Michael Olson. / Credit: Diocese of Fort Worth

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 16:35 pm (CNA).

Bishop Michael Olson Fort Worth, Texas, this week stated that Catholics have “no need” to attend Mass or receive sacraments from priests associated with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) so long as they are able to attend other churches run by priests in full communion with the Church.

Olson published the letter on Thursday after he “received several inquiries regarding the ecclesial status” of the traditionalist Catholic society. The “recent frequency and sincerity of inquiries” led him to issue the message, he said.

The inquiries likely stemmed from the SSPX’s involvement in a long-running controversy between the Diocese of Fort Worth and a group of Carmelite nuns in Arlington, Texas. The Vatican dismissed the nuns from religious life last month after they repeatedly defied orders and governance from both Olson and the Holy See itself.

The nuns in September had announced that they were associating with the SSPX. Olson in his Thursday letter did not reference that controversy but rather responded to “commonly asked questions” about the Catholic group, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970.

Olson noted that the SSPX is not in “formal schism” with the Catholic Church, nor is it “in full communion or good standing.” The group has a canonically irregular status stemming from its rejection of formal Church teaching.

The priests of the SSPX “administer valid sacraments,” but they “do so illicitly,” Olson noted. 

“To align with the SSPX knowingly and formally is to align with an illicit and irregular relationship with the Catholic Church, her hierarchy and her teaching,” he said. 

The bishop said that Catholics who are “able to receive the sacraments at a Catholic church from clerics in good standing” have “no reason to attend and receive sacraments at an SSPX church or chapel.”

The prelate acknowledged that Catholics in danger of death would have good reason to receive the sacraments of penance, anointing of the sick, and viaticum “if no other priest in good standing is readily available.”

Yet in the Fort Worth Diocese, he said, there are enough Catholic churches available that a Catholic should have “no acceptable reason” to seek out the sacraments from an SSPX priest. 

The bishop further noted that those looking to worship at a Traditional Latin Mass can attend a parish run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, a traditionalist group with a canonically regular status. 

“There is no need, especially curiosity, to attend an SSPX Mass at a chapel or church within the territory of the Fort Worth Diocese,” Olson said. 

The bishop in his letter called for prayers for “the authentic communion enjoyed by us together with our Holy Father and the members of all those local Churches and their bishops who enjoy full communion with him.”

Olson expressed hope that the faithful in his diocese “might align ourselves with … authentic and sound teaching as we pray for the reunion of all Christians.”

Bishops speak on abortion ballot measures in days leading up to election

The St. Louis Arch. / Credit: Jonah McKeown/CNA

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 16:05 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of the latest pro-life and abortion-related news in the U.S.:

Bishops speak on abortion ballot measures 

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski will lead the Archdiocese of St. Louis in prayer on Nov. 3 to “defeat Missouri Amendment 3,” a ballot measure that would create a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” The archbishop is set to celebrate a special Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis at noon on Sunday, followed by a Holy Hour. He encouraged Catholics to pray and fast in the days leading up to the election, and the archdiocese is offering other prayer opportunities for the week.

In Nebraska, the only state with competing pro-life and pro-abortion ballot measures, Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha urged Catholics on Wednesday to vote for pro-life measures. He recently gave an Oct. 30 video statement urging Catholics to vote against Initiative 439 and in favor of 434. 

Lucas called Initiative 434 “an important step towards ensuring the health and safety of women and their babies.” He encouraged Catholic parishes to ensure that any woman facing an unexpected pregnancy “can be connected with the resources she requires” regardless of the outcome of the election. 

Louisiana sued over abortion pill controlled substance law

A group of health care providers is suing Louisiana over its recent law classifying abortion pills as “controlled dangerous substances” and requiring them to be stored in a secure area within hospitals. In the state court lawsuit on Thursday by Birthmark Doula Collective, a physician, a pharmacist, and two women argued that the classification creates delays during medical emergencies.

The two drugs used in the abortion pill regiment, mifepristone and misoprostol, are often used in non-abortion medical treatments, the lawsuit noted. For instance, misoprostol treats miscarriages and postpartum hemorrhage, while mifepristone is often used in miscarriage treatment and for Cushing’s syndrome, the lawsuit noted. Controlled substances are required to be stored in secure areas within the hospital, which, according to the lawsuit, delays access to the drug. Louisiana has among the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, the lawsuit pointed out.

Three states recently sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after it rolled back its safety regulations. Louisiana state law protects unborn babies from abortion except in cases of threats to the life of the mother or fetal anomaly.

Catholic hospital in California agrees to provide abortions

A Catholic hospital in California agreed to provide emergency abortions in cases of health risk for the mother following a lawsuit against the hospital by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The lawsuit alleged that Providence St. Joseph Hospital refused emergency care to a pregnant woman whose water broke prematurely at 15 weeks, a violation of several California state laws, according to Bonta.

While Providence St. Joseph has not admitted fault in the lawsuit, the hospital agreed to temporarily allow physicians to perform abortions in cases of serious threats to the health of the mother in accordance with California law. According to a statement by Bonta, California’s Emergency Services Law (ESL) requires California hospitals to provide emergency abortions when necessary for a patient's health.

Catholic hospitals are “never permitted” to perform abortions, according to the U.S. bishop’s Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services

The U.S. bishops’ directive does permit non-abortive treatment that may endanger the unborn child indirectly in certain grave circumstances, such as treatments that are intended to cure a woman of an illness that may unintentionally harm the child. The directive also permits other treatments such as inducing labor after the fetus is viable “for a proportionate reason.” 

The bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Bishop Robert Vasa, referred CNA to the hospital for comment. Providence did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Nebraska combats ‘misleading’ ad campaign promoting pro-abortion ballot measure

Nebraska Capitol. / Credit: Steven Frame/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 14:55 pm (CNA).

Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released an advisory clarifying that the state’s preborn protection law does not prohibit miscarriage care or lifesaving care amid a pro-abortion advertisement campaign that told the public otherwise.

“The Department of Health and Human Services has received several inquiries, from physicians and health care providers, expressing concern regarding recent radio and television ads that included incorrect and misleading information regarding the Preborn Child Protection Act,” the Oct. 28 advisory reads.

The health advisory came amid an advertising campaign by advocates of Nebraska’s Right to Abortion Initiative 439, which advocates for a right to abortion up to fetal viability in the state constitution. The campaign featured multiple ads that stated that women couldn’t receive miscarriage care and necessary health care because of Nebraska’s current law.

“Any time misleading information causes confusion among health care professionals, it could cause harm to the health and well-being of their patients,” stated the advisory by Dr. Timothy Tesmer, the chief medical officer of the DHHS in Nebraska.

In the health advisory, Tesmer didn’t name which ads the department was responding to, but he clarified that the current law, which protects unborn children after 12 weeks’ gestational age from abortion, provides exceptions for medical emergencies and for cases of rape or incest.

But an advertisement campaign by pro-abortion group Protect Our Rights: Nebraska for 439 told the public otherwise. In one advertisement, advocates said that in Nebraska, there is “an abortion ban that threatens women’s lives” and that “doctors can’t help them even if the pregnancy won’t survive. It puts their lives in danger.” Other advertisements by the same group state that doctors “can’t properly care for patients” and claim that women get sent home “because of the confusing abortion ban” when they have miscarriages.

Allie Berry, the campaign manager for Protect Our Rights, told NBC News that she believed the advisory referred to her group’s ads but said the advisory was designed to “confuse voters.”

The advisory noted that a medical emergency is legally defined as either a threat to the pregnant woman’s life or a “serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.”

“The act does not require a medical emergency to be immediate,” Tesmer noted in the advisory. “Physicians understand that it is difficult to predict with certainty whether a situation will cause a patient to become seriously ill or die, but physicians do know what situations could lead to serious outcomes.”

Nebraska also has a competing pro-life amendment, Initiative 434, which would prohibit abortions after the first trimester, with exceptions for medical emergencies and cases of rape or incest. Another advertisement by Protect Our Rights claimed that Initiative 434 would make Nebraska’s current law permanent and “opens the door” to banning miscarriage care and IVF. 

The health advisory clarified that a variety of medical treatments are not prohibited by the Preborn Child Protection Act, including the removal of a child’s remains after pregnancy loss and the termination of a preborn child produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) but not implanted in the mother’s womb. The advisory noted that any act intended to save the child’s life, as well as treatment for ectopic pregnancies, is not prohibited under the current law. 

“Physicians should exercise their best clinical judgment, and the law allows intervention consistent with prevailing standards of care,” the advisory continued. “The law is deferential to a physician’s judgment in these circumstances.”

Political context

With two contradicting abortion-related measures on the 2024 ballot, Nebraskans will decide Nov. 5 on protection for unborn children in the nation’s only competing abortion ballots. 

Marion Miner, the associate director of Pro-life and Family Policy for the Nebraska Catholic Conference, told CNA that “these lies … are abortion activists’ attempt to terrify voters into approving a radical pro-abortion constitutional amendment they would never otherwise support.”

“Abortion activists are putting women’s lives at risk in a gambit to advance a pro-abortion political agenda,” Miner added. “There are real potential human costs, including lost lives.”

She noted that “misinformation by abortion activists …is putting women’s lives at risk.”

“These lies have become so rampant in the weeks leading up to this election that public health officials felt the need to correct the record to prevent this misinformation from provoking a public health crisis,” Miner said.

Kelsey Pritchard, director of state public affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, pointed out that this pro-abortion rhetoric is not isolated to Nebraska.

“This falsity that has been parroted by [Vice President] Kamala Harris and unchecked by most of the media leads women to delay seeking care and gives doctors pause when they need to act immediately,” Pritchard said in a statement shared with CNA.

“This falsity that has been parroted by Kamala Harris and unchecked by most of the media leads women to delay seeking care and gives doctors pause when they need to act immediately," said Kelsey Pritchard, director of state public affairs at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. Credit: EWTN News/Screenshot
“This falsity that has been parroted by Kamala Harris and unchecked by most of the media leads women to delay seeking care and gives doctors pause when they need to act immediately," said Kelsey Pritchard, director of state public affairs at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. Credit: EWTN News/Screenshot

“Every state with a pro-life law, including Nebraska, protects women who experience a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or any other medical emergency in pregnancy,” Pritchard emphasized. “This care continues to be available under ‘life of the mother’ exceptions, which allow physicians to rely upon their reasonable medical judgment.”

Recently, Harris amplified claims by several news outlets that two women died as the result of Georgia’s pro-life laws. But doctors say one woman, Amber Thurman, died because of the abortion pill and medical malpractice, while the other woman, Candi Miller, died of side effects from the abortion pill after she didn’t seek medical help.

“Women who need medical care should not be made to believe, because of ads they have seen on TV or in political mailers, that they have no option but to stay home instead of seeking treatment,” Miner said.

Catholic diocese in China conducts ‘Red Tour’ of ‘gratitude’ to Communist Party

null / Credit: crystal51/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 1, 2024 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

A Catholic diocese in China recently announced that it had made a tour of “gratitude” to heroes of the Communist Party of China.

The Yibin Catholic Diocese of the Shian Province announced in a press release earlier this month that it had led all of its priests, nuns, and “heads of grassroots patriotic associations” on a “Red Tour to Express Gratitude to the Party.”

News of the tour comes shortly after the Vatican announced it would renew its agreement with China on the appointment of Catholic bishops in the country for another four years.

The delegation of Chinese Catholics visited several memorial sites associated with Chinese Communist Party history, such as the Nanchang Aug. 1 Uprising Memorial Hall, the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, the Red Army Mint, and the former site of the Lushan Conference.

“By listening to the explanation of revolutionary deeds on the spot, watching patriotic educational documentaries, and offering wreaths for revolutionary martyrs,” the release said the delegation was able to “further enhance the recognition of the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China (CCP), and socialism with Chinese characteristics.”

A group led by Bishop Peter Luo Xuegang of the Yibin Diocese also visited several Chinese Catholic churches “in order to promote the process of Sinicization.” Luo was ordained as a bishop in the Yibin Diocese in November 2011 with the Holy See’s blessing.

Notably, an excommunicated bishop who had been ordained without papal approval participated in the ordination Mass despite being ordered not to do so in a move that highlighted strained diplomatic relations between the Chinese government and the Vatican.

Nina Shea, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and director of the Center for Religious Freedom, told CNA that although Luo was made a bishop with the Vatican’s approval, he appears to have the support of the Communist Party.

“Since the China-Vatican agreement, Chinese authorities are pressing all bishops to join the association and pressing those inside it to show fervor for the party,” Shea told CNA. “This bishop is doing that and is demonstrating his embrace of the CCP’s Sinicization campaign by educating his diocese in Communist Party values and doctrines. This is one of the more extreme examples I’ve heard about.”

In the wake of the recent diplomatic agreements, the Vatican has noted several violations of terms in recent years, such as the government appointment of several bishops without Holy See approval, including one in a diocese not recognized by the Vatican.

According to Shea, the Catholic Church in China is undergoing a “transformation shaped by the CCP with Vatican acquiescence.”

“It is becoming an enthusiastic partner in the United Front, the propaganda department of the CCP, which since 2018 directly controls the Patriotic Association,” Shea said.

The Catholic Church in China has been split between the government-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and the underground Church, which is persecuted and whose episcopal appointments are frequently not acknowledged by Chinese authorities.

The diocese in its statement noted that during the tour further dialogue was also held among the bishops and priests “on adhering to the direction of Sinicization and democratic teaching.”

The diocese lauded the event further, stating: “All members believed that this ‘Red Tour to Express Gratitude to the Party’ was full of revolutionary spirit and cultural heritage, and they benefited a lot.”

“They all expressed that in their future work, they will inherit and carry forward the fine tradition of patriotism and love for the Church,” the statement reads, “[and to] constantly enhance the ‘five identifications,’ firmly adhere to the direction of the Sinicization of Catholicism in our country, listen to the party, feel grateful to the party, follow the party, and actively contribute to the local economic and social development with a more high-spirited state of mind.”

The tour appears to be a continuation of the Communist Party’s objective to subordinate religious groups under government control. According to a report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom earlier this month, Chinese officials have ordered the removal of crosses from churches, replacing images of Christ and Mary with pictures of President Xi Jinping.

Vatican: Holy days of obligation not dispensed if transferred to a Monday

A crowd prays the rosary in Madrid, Spain, on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, patron saint of Spain, Dec. 8, 2023. / Credit: ACI Prensa

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 09:45 am (CNA).

The Vatican has clarified that Catholics in the United States must still attend Mass on holy days of obligation even when they are transferred to Mondays or Saturdays, correcting a long-standing practice in the U.S. Church.

In its complementary norms, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) stipulates that when certain feast days fall on a Saturday or Monday, the obligation to attend Mass on that day is “abrogated.”

Dec. 8 is typically a holy day of obligation celebrating the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, but this year the feast day lands on a Sunday in Advent. As a result, the USCCB transferred it to Monday, Dec. 9, according to the 2024 USCCB liturgical calendar. 

In its complementary norms the USCCB does not list the Immaculate Conception as a solemnity to which the abrogation normally applies. Nevertheless, the bishops’ calendar this year stated that “the obligation to attend Mass … does not transfer” to Monday, Dec. 9.

Yet the Vatican’s Dicastery for Legislative Texts, in a Sept. 4 letter to Springfield, Illinois, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, stated that all of the feasts in question “are always days of obligation … even when the aforementioned transfer of the feast occurs.” 

Paprocki, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, had in July written to the Holy See seeking clarification on whether an obligation transfers when the feast itself is transferred.

Archbishop Filippo Iannone, the prefect of the legislative text dicastery, told Paprocki that “the feast must be observed as a day of obligation on the day to which it is transferred.” 

Iannone noted in the letter that certain feast days are established by canon law as days of obligation. These “must be observed” and “the canon does not provide exceptions,” he noted in the letter.

Iannone clarified that if someone is unable to attend Mass for a “grave cause” such as illness or caring for an infant, then they are excused, as “no one is bound to the impossible.” 

Several U.S. dioceses are already stipulating that Mass attendance is obligatory on that day. The Archdiocese of Boston lists the day as obligatory on its website. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati website cited the Vatican’s clarification in making the announcement.

The Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, also cited the Vatican’s clarification that the obligation transfers with the feast day. 

Multiple other archdioceses confirmed to CNA that the day would be treated as obligatory, including Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas; Miami; Atlanta; St. Louis; Denver; Oklahoma City; and Seattle.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, meanwhile, granted a dispensation for the feast day given the “short notice” of the change. 

DiNardo noted that “many parishes and families already have in place the schedules for Advent and Christmas, and that this will cause confusion due to the short notice of this change.”

He urged the faithful, however, to “make a special effort to attend Mass on Dec. 9 even though there is no obligation to do so this year.”

The Diocese of Tulsa in Oklahoma also granted a dispensation, a spokesman told CNA. 

The USCCB 2024 liturgical calendar had not been updated with the change at the time of publication. The USCCB did not respond to queries on the matter.

Catholic bishops share message on 160th anniversary of Maryland Emancipation Day

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica. / Credit: Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Nov. 1 marks the 160th anniversary of Maryland Emancipation Day, remembering the day the Maryland Constitution of 1864 went into effect and officially abolished slavery in the state.

“This day, when all those still held in bondage were finally set free, is a profound reminder of the dignity of every human person, a dignity that the Catholic Church upholds as sacred and inviolable,” the Catholic bishops of Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Delaware wrote in a joint statement.

The message was signed by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore; Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell of Washington, D.C.; Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar of Washington, D.C.; Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, D.C.; Auxiliary Bishop Juan Esposito of Washington, D.C.; Auxiliary Bishop Adam Parker of Baltimore; Bishop William Koenig of Wilmington, Delaware; and Auxiliary Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, CSsR, of Baltimore.

The bishops remind the faithful in their message that “at the heart of our Catholic faith is the belief that each person is made in the image and likeness of God. Slavery, in any form, is an affront to this divine image, reducing human beings to mere property and denying them their God-given freedom.”

The 1864 decision made Maryland one of the earliest states to abolish slavery. This monumental decision came one year ahead of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States and its territories.

Despite this victory, the bishops pointed out that “the work of justice is never complete.”

“The end of slavery was a monumental victory, but it also reminds us that freedom must be protected, matured, and expanded to ensure justice for all.”

The bishops also highlighted the fact that not only did the abolition of slavery restore the dignity of individuals but also “the sanctity of family life, which had been shattered by the horrors of slavery.”

“Families that had been torn apart, sold, and scattered could now hope to rebuild and thrive, standing as a testament to the power of human resilience and the grace of God,” they added.

Recognizing that the effects of slavery and racism continue to affect society today, the bishops reminded the faithful that “as Catholics, we are called to be active participants in the promotion of justice, standing against all forms of oppression and advocating for the rights and dignity of all. This day reminds us that freedom is a gift from God that must be extended to everyone without exception.”

They continued: “This day is not only a time to look back with gratitude for the progress made, but also a time to look forward, recommitting ourselves to the work of healing, reconciliation, and justice.”

The bishops concluded their message stating: “We stand in solidarity with all who are oppressed, working for a world where the dignity of every human life is recognized and upheld. Let this anniversary inspire us to be instruments of God’s peace, justice, and love, as we continue to journey towards true freedom for all.”

Catholic books and movies for families to get to know the saints better

null / Credit: SeventyFour/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

On Nov. 1, the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of All Saints, a day in which all who have attained eternal life in heaven are honored and celebrated. 

The Catholic Church has tens of thousands of saints, blesseds, and venerables — some of whom have had their life stories told in movies and books.

Here are several Catholic favorites to get to know some of the Church’s beloved saints a little better:

St. John Paul II

The two-part movie “Karol: A Man Who Became Pope,” starring Piotr Adamczyk, who became known around the world for his role portraying Pope John Paul II, tells the true story of Karol Woityla from his childhood and his teenage years to his life as an actor and writer, his entrance to the priesthood, and all the way to his death as well as the lasting impact he left on the Catholic Church and the world.

The film can be purchased through EWTN’s religious catalogue as well as Amazon and can be streamed on Formed and most major streaming platforms. (Editor’s note: EWTN is CNA’s parent company.)

Blessed Carlo Acutis

To learn more about the first millennial to be beatified in the Church, Blessed Carlo Acutis, look no further than the book “Blessed Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers.” Written by CNA Vatican journalist Courtney Mares and published by Ignatius Press, the book takes the reader on a tour through Italy to hear from several individuals who knew Carlo and share their stories about him. 

St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi

“Clare and Francis” is a classic film shot in Italy that tells the story of beloved saint friends Francis of Assisi and Clare of Assisi. Known for its historical accuracy and authentic portrayal of these saints, the film is unique in that it’s one of the only depictions to tell the story of both saints and the role they played in each other’s life. The film can be streamed on Formed as well as most major streaming platforms and purchased from EWTN’s Religious Catalogue, Amazon, and the Catholic Market. 

St. Giuseppe Moscati 

A medical doctor in Naples, Italy, during the early 20th century, St. Giuseppe Moscati treated poor patients free of charge, encouraged his patients to receive the sacraments, and always placed himself in the presence of God before examining a patient. The movie about his life, “St. Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor of the Poor,” received praise when it was released in 2007 for its realistic and moving script telling the saint’s story, cinematic style, and ability to accurately depict Moscati’s humanity, deep faith, and medical achievements. The film can be purchased through EWTN’s Religious Catalogue, Amazon, and the Catholic Market, and streamed on Formed and most major streaming platforms.

St. Gemma Galgani

The Diary of St. Gemma” is a translation of St. Gemma Galgani’s original diary that her spiritual director ordered her to write. The diary was translated by Passionist Father William Browning and published by Sophia Institute Press. The book gives the reader a glimpse into the life of the Italian saint and her numerous encounters with Christ crucified, the Blessed Virgin Mary, her guardian angel, and her physical experience of receiving the stigmata every Thursday evening.

EWTN original productions

EWTN has a plethora of original productions of movies that tell the lives of saints and can be viewed on EWTN OnDemand. Among these movies are “Mother Cabrini,” “St. Rose of Lima,” “Kateri,” and “St. Martin de Porres.”

Books for children

To introduce children to the lives of the saints, “Saints Around the World,” written by speaker, writer, and missionary Meg Hunter-Kilmer, shares the stories of more than 100 saints from over 60 countries.

Theotokos Kids, a small, Catholic company run by husband and wife team Allan and Veronica Caballero, offers wonderful board books for younger kids on the stories of several saints and Marian apparitions. The books are also available in Spanish.

For older children, “57 Saints,” written by Sister Anne Eileen Heffernan, a Daughter of St. Paul, includes biographical information, feast days, reflections, and narratives about the lives of 57 saints including Sts. Lucy, Monica, Katherine Drexel, Edith Stein, Augustine, Juan Diego, and many more.