Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church

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.

Michael Warsaw, CEO of EWTN. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 17:26 pm (CNA).

EWTN Chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw reacted with joy to the election of the first American pontiff.

“It is with great joy that I welcome the election of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV,” Warsaw said in a statement. “The election of a new pope is always a historic moment in the life of the Church, but the election of the first American-born pope is particularly momentous.”

Reflecting on the new pope’s trajectory, Warsaw noted that “the new Holy Father carries with him enormous experience as a missionary priest and bishop, which no doubt will help to shape his ministry as the 266th successor of St. Peter.”

Warsaw, who under Pope Francis served as a consultor with the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, added that “on behalf of the global EWTN family, I want to assure Pope Leo of our prayers as he begins his service to the universal Church.” 

The 69-year-old new pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected the first pope from the United States on Thursday. A native of Chicago, Leo spoke in Italian and Spanish from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, addressing the tens of thousands of people gathered below. His first words to the faithful were “Peace be with you all.”

The identity of the new pope was announced just over an hour after white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. The cardinal electors watched from balconies flanking the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica as Cardinal Dominique Mamberti declared in Latin: “Habemus papam!”

EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world, with 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels that are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 435 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. 

EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM and FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News operates multiple global news services, including Catholic News Agency; The National Catholic Register newspaper and digital platform; ACI Prensa in Spanish; ACI Digital in Portuguese; ACI Stampa in Italian; ACI Africa in English, French, and Portuguese; ACI MENA in Arabic; CNA Deutsch in German; and ChurchPop, a digital platform that creates content in several languages. It also produces numerous television news programs including “EWTN News Nightly,” “EWTN News In Depth,” “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” and “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” among others.

“What a great honor for our country,” President Trump said of the election of the Catholic Church’s new Chicago-born pope on May 8, 2025. / Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 8, 2025 / 16:32 pm (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, along with former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and scores of other elected officials throughout the country expressed joy and excitement over the selection of the first American pope, who is from Chicago.

Pope Leo XIV — formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — was selected by the College of Cardinals in Rome Thursday on the second day of the papal conclave to serve as the immediate successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21.

He is the first pope from the United States and from North America. Francis was the first pope from South America.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named pope,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

“It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American pope,” Trump added. “What excitement, and what a great honor for our country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Vice President JD Vance, who is a convert to Catholicism, also congratulated the new pontiff in a post on X. 

“I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church,” the vice president said. “May God bless him!”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is Catholic, also shared congratulatory remarks: “May God grant him wisdom, courage, and grace as he carries out his sacred ministry.”

Former President Joe Biden, who was the second Catholic president to serve in the White House, also celebrated the news in a post on X in a joint statement with his wife.

“Habemus papam — May God bless Pope Leo XIV of Illinois,” the former president said. “Jill and I congratulate him and wish him success.”

Chicago officials beam with hometown pride

Former president Barack Obama, who spent much of his adult life living in Chicago, issued a statement with his wife, Michelle, congratulating “a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.” 

“This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith,” Obama said.

Pritzker, who has served as the Illinois governor since 2019, referred to “the first American leading the Catholic Church” as a “historic moment” in a post on X.

“Hailing from Chicago, Pope Leo XIV ushers in a new chapter that I join those in our state welcoming in at a time when we need compassion, unity, and peace,” the governor said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed joy over the news in a post on X and has already encouraged a papal visit back to his hometown.

“Everything dope, including the pope, comes from Chicago!” the mayor said. “Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon.”

In his first address, Pope Leo XIV urged people to build bridges through dialogue and encounter to work toward unity and peace.

The Holy Father expressed his desire to “walk together … as a united Church, always searching for peace, justice, and trying to always work as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, without fear to proclaim the Gospel, to be missionaries.”

Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square shortly after his election on Thursday, May 8, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

CNA Staff, May 8, 2025 / 16:12 pm (CNA).

U.S. bishops on Thursday hailed the election of former Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and the first pope born in the United States of America.

Cardinals elected the newly-titled Leo to the supreme pontificate on Thursday afternoon, with white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel signaling the closing of the conclave with the selection of the new pope.

Leo appeared before hundreds of thousands of faithful and spectators in St. Peter’s Square shortly thereafter, addressing the universal Church and the world for the first time as pope.

“God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail,” the pope said. “We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward.”

U.S. bishops react

In an immediate reaction, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Thursday afternoon shared a photo of the newly elected Holy Father on X. “Our Holy Father, Leo XIV,” the bishops said in the post.

Other bishops took to social media to share their joy over the election. “Omnes Cum Petro ad Jesum per Mariam!” Lansing, Michigan, Bishop Earl Boyea wrote, meaning: “All with Peter to Jesus through Mary!”

Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey Monforton wrote on X: “God bless our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV as he shares the joy of the Gospel with all the world. Together, let us fervently pray for Pope Leo XIV and his papal office.”

Kansas City, Kansas, Archbishop-elect Shawn McKnight wrote that the Church “welcome[s] our Holy Father” with “great thanksgiving.”

“Let the Church find hope in this moment and let us pray together as one people of God, entrusting our new Holy Father to the guidance of the Holy Spirit," the prelate said. “I pledge my loyalty and love to Pope Leo XIV as he takes up the mantle of St. Peter during this challenging time. May God bless him as he serves the Church and our entire world.”

Arlington, Virginia, Bishop Michael Burbidge encouraged the faithful to “offer prayers, sacrifices, and works of charity for Pope Leo XIV and his intentions.”

“United in prayer for Pope Leo XIV, may we ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen him daily with divine grace in order that he may bring the light of faith and the unchanging and life-giving word of God to the challenges of our times,” Burbidge said.

Brooklyn, New York, Bishop Robert Brennan said the Church welcomes the new pope “warmly, with great love.”

“God has given us a new shepherd,” he said. “Let’s pray for him with all our hearts.”

Gary, Indiana, Bishop Robert McClory urged the faithful in a video address to “keep [the new pope] in our prayers ... thank God for the gift that he’ll be for the Church, and take some time to celebrate tonight.”

“And make sure you offer an Our Father, a Hail Mary, [and] a Glory Be for our new Pope Leo,” he said. “What a great joy to all the Church. ... Habemus papam!”

Pope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims in St. Pete’s Square shortly after his election on Thursday, May 8, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Staff, May 8, 2025 / 14:32 pm (CNA).

On May 8, 2025, the first American pope was elected to lead the Catholic Church taking the name Pope Leo XIV.  Here is a prayer for our new pope:

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, 

give to your shepherd a spirit 

of courage and right judgment, a spirit 

of knowledge and love. By governing 

with fidelity those entrusted to his care, 

may he, as successor to the Apostle 

Peter and vicar of Christ, build your 

Church into a sacrament of unity, love, 

and peace for all the world.  

Amen. 

Let us pray for the pope. 

May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him blessed upon the earth, and not hand him over to the power of his enemies. 

May your hand be upon your holy servant. 

And upon your son, whom you have anointed. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen. 

Source: EWTN

Deborah True. / Credit: Vero Beach Police Department

CNA Staff, May 8, 2025 / 11:20 am (CNA).

The former administrator of a Florida Catholic parish pleaded no contest in court this month to charges that she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Vero Beach church years ago. 

Prosecutors had alleged in 2022 that Deborah True and Father Richard Murphy stole nearly $1.5 million in parish funds from Holy Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach between 2015 and 2020.

Murphy died in March 2020. True, meanwhile, was charged with fraud and theft in connection with the alleged crime. She pleaded no contest to a charge of first-degree grand theft in Florida circuit court on May 1.

The former administrator faces up to a decade in prison and two decades of probation. She will also reportedly be required to pay back nearly $700,000 to the parish. 

A “no contest” plea is one in which a criminal defendant neither admits to a charge nor disputes it, effectively conceding that the prosecutor has enough evidence to find him or her guilty. 

Assistant State Attorney William Long told Treasure Coast Newspapers that True will be required to pay back the restitution in monthly installments or else “face being returned to prison,” according to the outlet. 

The plea deal “represented both the state’s pursuit of justice and what we thought was a fair sentence as well as the interest of the victims in this matter,” Long told the news service. 

Police had earlier concluded that from 2015–2020, Murphy and True had funnelled $1.5 million in parishioner donations into a bank account called “Holy Cross Catholic Church.” The account was hidden from the Diocese of Palm Beach, police said. 

Authorities have not taken any action against Murphy because of his death. According to Murphy’s obituary, True was his “longtime” secretary and his caregiver. Murphy was the pastor at Holy Cross for almost 23 years, from 1997 to 2020, True told Vero News at the time of Murphy’s death.

The Society of Catholic Scientists convenes in South Bend, Indiana, in 2019. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Stephen Barr

CNA Staff, May 7, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

The 2025 Conference of the Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) will take place June 6–8 at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with several talks set to address the origins of the human race from scientific, theological, and philosophical perspectives. 

Stephen Barr, a physicist at the University of Delaware and founder of the group, told CNA he expects this year’s convention to attract approximately 150 attendees, including a significant number of young participants, mainly graduate students. The SCS has grown to over 2,000 members worldwide since its founding in 2016, with its first annual conference taking place in 2017.

Key topics this year include studies on the human mind, free will, and the relationship between neuroscience and philosophical views on human nature. In addition, three separate talks on human origins will explore the Catholic Church’s views on evolution.

On the society’s website, the SCS describes itself as an answer to the call of St. John Paul II that “members of the Church who are active scientists” be of service to those who are attempting to “integrate the worlds of science and religion in their own intellectual and spiritual lives.”

He said one of the main goals of the SCS annual conference is to be a place where Catholic scientists meet one another and have spiritual and intellectual fellowship.

“[W]hat we want to do is break that vicious cycle and show the world and each other that there are a lot of religious scientists ... There are a lot of Catholic scientists out there,” Barr said. 

“I think our organization will help younger Catholics in science see that … they’re part of a very large community” and will help them to “overcome their sense of isolation [and] make them more confident.”

Barr previously told CNA that despite the large numbers of scientists who are religious, many of them likely feel they cannot share their faith openly in their workplaces. Despite the Church’s long-standing support of science, Barr said he still encounters the misconception that most scientists are atheists.

“[R]eligious scientists tend to be a little quieter and maybe more cautious because they’re playing it safe … You keep your head down a little bit. Why invite trouble?” he said.

Last year’s conference, held at Mundelein Seminary northwest of Chicago, focused heavily on artificial intelligence. Barr said this year’s event will feature a variety of topics rather than focusing on just one. While most of the speakers are highly trained scientists, “fully a third of the talks” will be given by theologians or philosophers, Barr noted.

Philosopher and Dominican Father Anselm Ramelow will discuss “Free Will, Aquinas, and the Brain,” addressing claims from neuroscience suggesting humans might not have free will and are merely “machines.”

Renowned Harvard mathematician Martin Nowak will present a talk on “Does Mathematics Lead to God?” — the first time an SCS conference has featured a talk specifically on mathematics, Barr said. And a cosmologist from Arizona State University, Rogier Windhorst, will discuss the James Webb Space Telescope and what it has discovered since it launched in late 2021. 

The conference will also feature an after-dinner talk by Ross Douthat from the New York Times, a Catholic convert who will discuss his new book “Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious,” which references scientific evidence through a religious worldview. 

The 2025 conference is open to both SCS members and nonmembers and will be livestreamed for free.

Barr said the talk given by Kenneth Kemp, whose forthcoming book examines the Catholic Church’s view of the evolution of the human race, is deeply connected to questions about the soul and what distinguishes humans from other animals.

“This is one of the big perennial questions. The question of whether we have souls,” Barr said. 

The event will feature a discussion on Neanderthal personhood and its potential implications for the history of humanity and for people of faith. Neanderthals, a species of humanoids that went extinct about 40,000 years ago, are thought to have been outcompeted by modern humans. 

“Did they have language? Did they have reason? ... If Neanderthals had rational souls, that would push the beginnings of humanity back [to] 600,000 years ago instead of 200,000 or 300,000. It’s an interesting question,” Barr said. 

University of Pittsburgh scientist Mark Saxen will rigorously examine near-death experiences in his presentation. Kelly Kearse, a science teacher at Knoxville Catholic High School, will examine Eucharistic miracles from a scientific standpoint.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden, New Jersey. / Credit: Farragutful via Wikimedia

CNA Staff, May 7, 2025 / 12:25 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, said this week that it will drop its fight against the state’s efforts to empanel a grand jury to investigate clergy abuse allegations.

Camden Bishop Joseph Williams earlier this month said he intended to “do the right thing” for abuse victims in the diocese, which has been embroiled in a yearslong fight with the state of New Jersey over whether the government can empanel a grand jury to investigate allegations of abuse by priests and other Church officials. 

The New Jersey Supreme Court heard arguments from both the diocese and the state last month on the matter. But in a Monday letter to the high court, Trenton-based law firm Cooper Levenson said that, per Williams, the diocese “will not object to the empanelment of a grand jury” any further. 

The bishop made the decision “in consultation with the diocese’s board of trustees, college of consultors, and finance council,” the letter said. 

In a letter to the diocese this week, Williams — who became bishop of the diocese on March 17 — told the faithful that diocesan leaders told the state attorney general’s office that they wished to be “partners with them in this public service.” 

“[T]he most important goal of this legal change of direction was to show our sensitivity to the survivors of abuse” and help restore their faith, Williams wrote. 

“I will remain committed to that goal in the months and years ahead,” he said. He further praised the work done previously by the diocese and Bishop Dennis Sullivan to implement “the best nationally recognized safe environment recommendations” in the Camden Diocese. 

“Implementing these protocols can be hard — sometimes exhausting — work, but our children are worth it, the pain the survivors have experienced demands it, and the credibility of the Church we love and Christ died for urges us on,” the bishop wrote. 

The diocese further expressed “concern that the due process rights of any accused members of the clergy be protected” over the course of the grand jury inquiry. 

The Diocese of Camden had previously argued that New Jersey “cannot convene a grand jury to return a presentment unless it addresses public affairs or conditions, censures public officials, or calls attention to imminent conditions.” 

Instances of “clergy sexual abuse that is alleged to have taken place decades ago” do not fall under that purview, the diocese argued before dropping its opposition. 

The New Jersey government moved to convene the grand jury there after the bombshell 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report found allegations of decades of clergy sexual abuse in the latter state.