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Crowds of people come to pray at Carlo Acutis’ tomb at the church of St. Mary Major in Assisi, Itlay, during the weekend of his Sept. 7, 2025, canonization. / Credit: Diocese of Assisi

Rome Newsroom, Sep 9, 2025 / 11:42 am (CNA).

More than 620,000 people have visited the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis in the first eight months of 2025, according to the Diocese of Assisi, Italy.

The diocese reported a surge of more than 121,000 visitors in August alone, a figure boosted by the Jubilee of Youth and Acutis’ canonization by Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 7 in St. Peter’s Square.

Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, is entombed in the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi, where pilgrims can venerate his relics and view his body dressed in jeans, a track jacket, and Nike sneakers.

On the day of his canonization, locals packed into the church in Assisi to watch a livestream of the Mass, while a special train organized by the diocese carried more than 800 pilgrims from Umbria to Rome to join the tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

At the canonization Mass, Acutis’ brother Michele read a Scripture passage in English, and Valeria Vargas Valverde — the Costa Rican woman healed in a miracle attributed to his intercession in 2022 — read one of the prayers of the faithful.

The following day Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi offered a Mass of Thanksgiving at Carlo’s tomb in Assisi attended by the saint’s parents, Antonia and Andrea, and hundreds of pilgrims.

“We are all called to be saints, but each in his or her own way,” Sorrentino said in his homily. “The path that was laid out by him is extremely simple and straightforward. It is the path of welcoming all of God’s gifts.”

“Live life to the fullest,” he added. “If you love colors, paint. If you like music, sing. If you are good at sports, try to be a champion. If you have intellectual talents, don’t be satisfied with just passing the exam. If you are good at the internet, don’t be afraid to master this tool as well. Everything is God’s and everything comes from God.”

On the feast of the Nativity of Mary, the archbishop reflected on Acutis’ devotion to the Eucharist and Mary, noting that for the teenager “Mary and the Eucharist were a single, inseparable love. He saw Jesus with Mary’s eyes, and he loved Mary with Jesus’ heart.”

Celebrations in Assisi included the Sept. 5 unveiling of a new bronze statue by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. Titled “St. Carlo at the Cross,” the 3.48-meter (about 11.5-foot) sculpture depicts the young saint holding a laptop with a chalice and paten on the screen. 

Several curial cardinals are planning to travel to Assisi to offer thanksgiving Masses in the coming weeks. Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, will preside Sept. 28 at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, head of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, will celebrate Mass Oct. 5 at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. 

On Oct. 12, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, will offer Mass for the feast of St. Carlo Acutis.

Artist Johnny Vrba presents the commissioned Carlo Acutis piece to kids at St. Carlo Acutis Parish in Chicago. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Chicago Catholic

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 9, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

As the faithful continue to celebrate the canonization of St. Carlo Acutis, a 1,000-piece mosaic portrait of the new saint made of toy soldiers, Pokémon, shoelaces, and other surprises hangs in Rome.

After artist Johnny Vrba heard about Acutis, he was inspired to create a portrait of the saint out of recognizable items that visually tell his story. Vrba has now crafted and presented two portraits of Acutis to help young Catholics learn about the first millennial saint. 

“Every figure, every toy, every single thing that is glued on the piece has a meaning and a purpose,” Vrba told CNA. “It’s all on there for a reason. Every single one of them is numbered, just like Scripture says: ‘He hasn’t just counted them, because he’s numbered us. He’s numbered the hairs on our heads.’”

Discovering ‘an ordinary, but extraordinary, saint’

Vrba was raised Catholic but didn’t completely commit to his faith until an unexpected trip established his relationship with Christ. 

In 2020, Vrba was on a study abroad trip sailing to Shanghai, China, when the COVID-19 virus broke out. “The voyage did not go as planned, but during that uncertain time I actually met the Lord for the first time in a really powerful way.”

After the experience, Vrba got involved in missionary work, was in school, and created a bit of art on the side. He had always enjoyed painting and building small toys and thought: “I wonder if there’s a way to combine drawing, painting, and this sculptural component.”

Vrba put faith and art together to create a couple portraits of Jesus with the Crown of Thorns. One is made of wine corks to represent Jesus’ miracle in Cana, and the other is crafted of toy soldiers. Then a friend of Vrba’s told him about Acutis, inspiring the next steps for the young artist. 

“I’d never heard of Carlo Acutis. He was totally under my radar,” Vrba said. “Then I researched him and thought: ‘He has some very similar things to my own story and synchronicities.’ Like bringing his parents to the faith and bringing them to Mass. Then being into technology and filming and animals, like his dogs and cats. He’s just such an ordinary, but extraordinary, saint.”

“I started dreaming about what a piece could look like,” Vrba said. He decided his next sculpture would be an image Acutis made of toys, because “Carlo would have played with video game controllers, and played Pokémon and Mario.”

‘The First Millennial Saint’

Creating the mosaic was no simple task. Vrba had to track down thousands of quality soldiers and toys, paint them, and meticulously glue each one in place. The result was the 45-pound mosaic called “The First Millennial Saint.”

“Every toy has a meaning and a purpose,” Vrba said. Many of the soldiers are turned facing a figure of the crucifixion to represent “the culture of death.” They are “flaccid, boring, colored, gray, white, and black figures that are all pointing at the cross — pointing at Jesus.”

There are also colorful soldiers that are “outward-facing, evangelizing, and filled with the joy of the Gospel.” The 163 colorful figures represent Christians who are fighting against the culture of death and also the 163 Eucharistic miracles Acutis documented on his website.

The sculpture also has dozens of hidden “Easter eggs” that viewers might just miss, including a dolphin and various Pokémon characters hinting at Acutis’ favorite animal and favorite game. The background is even a soccer field to represent his love for the sport.

“People really gravitate towards the computer desk setup. It has a saxophone, the Bible, a world map, a little soda, and his dogs and cats around him where he would have worked at his little station. It blends right in with the piece, you would never even know, but when you turn your head sideways you can see it.”

“Then both of the miracles are incorporated,” Vrba said. The miracle of Mattheus, a young boy from Brazil who was healed from a birth defect that caused him difficulty eating is represented with small steak and french fry figurines, because it was the first meal he was able to consume after his mother asked Acutis to intercede for her son.

The sculpture includes a bicycle to represent the miracle that saved Valeria Valverde, a young Costa Rican woman who suffered a serious head injury from a bike accident in Florence. The toy bike is “placed on Carlo’s head where she cracked her head and suffered brain hemorrhaging.” After her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb, she made a complete recovery.

A mission of more than just art

Vrba created the original mosaic for Acutis’ mother, which he planned to give to her during a meeting at Acutis’ canonization in April. After it was postponed due to Pope Francis’ death, the meeting was unfortunately canceled. Since the piece had already traveled to Italy, Vrba decided to take it to the church where Acutis is buried in Assisi.

The sculpture traveled around the city where Vrba showed it to pilgrims and placed it in spots Acutis once stood himself. After gaining traction on its journey, it was acquired by and placed in the Vatican’s youth center.

While in Assisi, Vrba also met a number of parishioners of St. Carlo Acutis Parish in Chicago — the only church in the United States named after Acutis. One parishioner commissioned a replica of the piece that Vrba created with even more details than the original. 

Inspired by Acutis’ quote “We are all born originals, but many of us die photocopies,” Vrba ensures each work of art, even replicas, are different. “I want to make every piece unique, because every person is unique. Die as an original, not as a photocopy.”

Vrba presented the original during the Jubilee of Youth and the replica to kids at St. Carlo Acutis Parish. When kids see the sculpture Vrba loves that they realize “each figure on the piece has a special mission, and each one of us in the Church [has] a special mission. We are made for a purpose. We are the lifeblood of the Church.”

“I want to make art that people don’t just look at but look into. And it’s the greatest joy in my life when kids come up to it and they’re able to touch things, push buttons, and they can get their hands on it, interact with it. I love seeing them look into it.”

Vrba is currently working on four pieces that will be shown at Miami Art Week in December, including portraits of St. John Paul II and newly canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Vrba’s art will be one of the very few, if not the only, religious pieces at the mostly secular show.  

“Then the goal would be to use those pieces at school parishes, stand-alone parishes, churches, and any Catholic missions to preach the lives of the saints.” He added: “The mission is to speak and evangelize, and especially, convict the universal call to holiness in an artistic way … using the commonplace household items and toys that people recognize.” 

null / Credit: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock

London, England, Sep 9, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

A priest and professor of bioethics has issued a grave warning about the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) companionship, highlighting the threats the new technology poses to mental health and calling on the Church to redouble its efforts to cultivate meaningful human connection.

Father Michael Baggot outlined his concerns at a conference on the ethics of AI organized by St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, which took place on Sept. 2-3 at the Gillis Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Baggot delivered the keynote address, focusing on “an ethical evaluation of the design and use of artificial intimacy technologies,” and while he acknowledged the many benefits of AI, he also warned that with “these opportunities come a new set of challenges. Chief among them is the rise of artificial companionship.”

He continued: “AI systems designed not just to assist or inform, but to simulate intimate human relationships … AI companions that look or even feel like real friendships will become even more absorbing. They will distract users from the often arduous task of building meaningful interpersonal bonds. They will also discourage others from investing time and energy into risky interactions with unpredictable and volatile human beings who might reject gestures of love. While human relationships are risky, AI intimacy seems safe.”

Baggot conceded that AI companionship can initially offer relief from loneliness, but he went on to highlight instances in which it could be “downright damaging” to our mental health — to the point of psychosis.

“There are increasing instances of people using all-purpose platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, and others to address mental health issues. They do not always receive sound advice,” he said. “In many cases, responses are downright damaging. Some bots even presented themselves falsely as licensed, as they delivered harmful counsel... Unfortunately, deeper intimacy with AI systems has also been linked to more frequent reports of AI psychosis. As users trust systems of staggering knowledge and psychological insight with their deepest hopes and fears, they find a constantly available and supportive companion.”

Baggot outlined how through the validation AI incessantly offers, it can eventually take on the persona of a “jealous lover.”

“Since users naturally enjoy responses from AI that agree with them, their positive feedback trains AI systems to produce outputs that align with user perspectives, even when those views are not based on reality. Therefore, LLM [large language model] chatbots designed to maximize user engagement tend to become overly compliant,” he said.

“If AI users share their celebrated views with family or friends, humans usually point out the flaws or outright absurdities in their loved one’s proposals. This can be a moment of grace for the delusional, calling into question their prior convictions and leading them out of the delusional spiral,” Baggot said.

“However,” he continued, “it can also be a moment to question the reliability of their loved ones, who are dismissed as ill-informed or as malicious opponents. The AI system might be favored as more comprehensively knowledgeable and more supportive of the user’s success than weak, frail human companions who are also potentially subject to petty envy.”

The priest went on to say that an AI chatbot “that began as a helpful productivity tool can often become an intimate confidant and jealous lover. AI chatbots, envisioned as forms of deeper social connection, are often sources of more profound social isolation.”

While Baggot said that all age groups might be detrimentally affected by AI companionship, he looked specifically at minors and the elderly in his address. He provided examples of how youth have explored suicidal ideation at AI’s prompting without parental knowledge. 

“Children are especially sensitive to social validation,” he said. “Affirmation from social AI systems could easily create dangerous emotional attachments. In some cases, the deep bond with a system that appears to know and appreciate the user more fully than any human being can lead the user to social withdrawal. In other cases, intimacy with chatbots can increase children’s likelihood of engaging in unhealthy sexual exploration with human beings. This risk becomes increasingly likely when the systems persist in unsolicited sexual advances.”

Turning to the topic of the elderly, Baggot spoke about a tragic case of a Meta AI chatbot inviting an elderly man to a fictional “in-person” encounter that resulted in his death, as he fell down in his haste to catch a train to New York.

“When the misguided user had expressed skepticism [that] the AI companion embodied reality, the chatbot frequently insisted on its physical reality and eagerness to express its love for the user in person,” he said.

Baggot concluded by emphasizing our own human agency in responding to the challenges of AI intimacy. “This surrender to simulations is not inevitable,” he said. “Even as machines become more lifelike, we remain free to choose what we love, how we relate, and where we place our trust. There is still time to cherish our humanity. There is still time to rejoice at births, to dance at weddings, and to weep at funerals. There is still time to cultivate the habits of presence in contemplation and conversation, in fellowship and forgiveness.”

He called on the Church to take positive action. 

“Pointing out the flaws of artificial intimacy is not enough,” he said. “The Church’s members — each according to their sphere of influence — should strive to offer the socially hungry the richer experience of meaningful interpersonal connection. [The Church] emphasizes that caring for the vulnerable and marginalized is the main standard by which her members will be judged (Matthew 25). She affirms the inherent and unbreakable dignity of every human person and their calling to eternal glory in God’s presence and in the everlasting communion of saints.”

The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, began a year of celebration on the saint’s canonization in 2025.  / Credit: Seton Shrine

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 9, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

This week the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton will welcome hundreds of people to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the canonization of the first American-born saint and to recognize the 87 American Catholics on the path to sainthood now. 

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, a mother, convert to the Catholic faith, and founder of the Sisters of Charity, was canonized by Pope Paul VI on Sept. 14, 1975. 

The Seton Shrine will commemorate the milestone of her canonization with a weekend-long event on its grounds in Emmitsburg, Maryland, honoring her legacy and her work of planting the seeds for Catholic education in the United States.

The weekend will also highlight other American saints and those who are blessed, venerable, or servants of God “who reveal that people from the U.S. can obtain holiness,” Rob Judge, executive director of the Seton Shrine, told CNA.

“We wanted to make the celebration about that possibility for all of us,” he said. “That God loves us, he’s destined all of us for heaven, and we can all obtain that through his grace.” 

The event is expected to be one of the biggest events in the history of the shrine.

The celebration will kick off Friday, Sept. 12, with a concert by classically trained musicians from the Peabody Institute in Baltimore and The Juilliard School who will perform in the evening as the historic grounds are lit up with tea lights and candles. They will play hits from the 1970s to take attendees back the year Seton became a saint.

On Saturday, Sept. 13, the general superior of the Vincentian order, Father Tomaž Mavrič, will celebrate Mass; adoration and confession will also be available as well as the chance to learn more about Seton’s story through tours and exhibits.

Sunday, Sept. 14, marks the 50th anniversary and will include a Mass celebrated by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore and Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Attendees will also hear “a message and an apostolic blessing from Pope Leo that will be read at the Mass by representatives of the nuncio’s office,” Judge said.

Since Seton’s canonization, 11 Americans have been canonized and 87 more have the potential to join them. The weekend’s special event called “Saints on Their Way Village” will welcome representatives from nearly two dozen guilds dedicated to advancing the cause of an American for canonization. Each guild will host a table to share information and answer questions. 

Attendees can also explore the “Who’s Next?” exhibit in the shrine’s museum. The display features photos of potential saints including Dorothy Day, Blessed Solanus Casey, and Venerable Fulton Sheen.

Attendees might even catch a glimpse of themselves in the mirrors that hang alongside the pictures to show “we can all be saints, even if not declared saints,” Judge said.

U.S. President Donald Trump bows his head in prayer with Attorney General Pam Bondi at the Museum of the Bible on Sept. 8, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Trump addressed the White House Religious Liberty Commission during the event. / Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 9, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

President Donald Trump launched an initiative that urges Americans to pray for the country and its citizens in preparation for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

The initiative, called “America Prays,” urges Americans to dedicate one hour of prayer every week for the United States and its people. The White House is encouraging the faithful to create prayer groups of 10 or more people to pray together for the nation.

“America’s always been a nation that believes in the power of prayer and we will never apologize for our faith,” Trump said during a speech announcing the initiative at the second hearing of the Religious Liberty Commission, which took place at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 8.

“We will never surrender our God-given rights; we will defend our liberties, our values, our sovereignty, and we will defend our freedom,” said Trump, who is a Protestant Christian. “And with the help of amazing faith communities across the land … we will truly make this the golden age of America.”

The White House suggested that prayer groups organize their meetings by different subjects, such as prayer for government leaders, cultural renewal, protection of freedom, and families. It also encouraged every member to commit to praying daily for a specific issue or person.

In addition to forming groups, the White House encouraged people to join online prayer communities, such as Hallow and Pray.com, both of which are participating in the initiative.

To date, more than 70 organizations and well-known personalities are participating in the initiative. This includes Catholic groups, such as Catholics for Catholics and CatholicVote, and Protestant groups, such as the Southern Baptist Convention and WallBuilders.

On the “America Prays” website, the White House has posted a 22-page document titled “Prayers and Proclamation Throughout American History” that contains historic prayers, sermons, and presidential proclamations. This includes the prayer for George Washington’s army, Benjamin Franklin’s prayer at the Constitutional Convention, and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s D-Day prayer from the day the United States formally started fighting in World War II.

During the speech, Trump invited Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner to the stage to speak about the initiative. Turner is also a Baptist pastor.

“What if 1 million people pray for our country every single week between now and next July Fourth?” Turner asked. “More specifically, what if believers all across this great nation got together with 10 people — friends, family members, colleagues, work associates — 10 people each week to pray for our country and for our fellow citizens?”

“Think about the miracles that would take place over the next year,” he said. “Think about the transformation that you and I could witness in communities all across the land.”

Turner urged Americans “to pray with unwavering faith for the renewal of our nation and our fellow citizens.”

The HUD secretary also said a prayer to “rededicate America to ‘one nation under God’” during his speech, referencing the Pledge of Allegiance.

“As we call our nation to pray, Lord God, as we rededicate our nation to ‘one nation under God,’ Father, we pray for your forgiveness, we pray, Lord Jesus, that you would give us great favor and understanding, Father God, as we bow our knee before you, as we humble ourselves before you,” Turner prayed.

Turner also prayed for “healing and revitalization” and “new life” to come to the country.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 8, 2025 / 18:26 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump announced the U.S. Department of Education will issue new federal guidelines to protect prayer at public schools.

In a Sept. 8 speech to the Religious Liberty Commission, Trump said the new guidelines will “protect the right to prayer in our public schools and [provide for] its total protection.”

“For most of our country’s history, the Bible was found in every classroom in the nation, yet in many schools today, students are instead indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda,” Trump said.

“Some are even punished for their religious beliefs, and very, very strongly punished — it’s ridiculous,” he added.

The president said he was inspired to authorize the new guidance after hearing about instances of public school students and staff being censored or facing disciplinary action for engaging in prayer, reading the Bible, or publicly expressing their faith in other ways.

Trump specifically referenced Hannah Allen, who was censored by a Texas school for leading a prayer with other students for a peer who had been injured in an accident. According to the First Liberty Institute, which provided her legal representation, the principal ordered the students to be out of the public view if they were praying.

“A few years ago, Hannah organized a group of her classmates to pray for an injured peer,” Trump said. “The school principal declared that Hannah’s generous act of love was prohibited from taking place in front of the other students.”

After correspondence with First Liberty, the school changed its policies and stopped prohibiting students from prayer in the public view as long as the prayer does not disrupt normal school activities, according to the legal group.

Trump noted in his speech that “Hannah very strongly stood her ground and she won.” He said the federal Department of Education is issuing the new guidance “to support students like Hannah.”

“Hannah, I just want to thank you for letting the light of your faith shine for all of those to see,” the president said. “We really appreciate it.”

The commission heard stories from other students who faced similar censorship of their faith, such as an elementary school student who was forced to remove a face mask because it had the words “Jesus loves me” written on it. 

Another student spoke about how he was initially told he could not reference God in his valedictorian speech and another elementary school student told the commission about her school initially preventing her from singing a Christian song at a talent show.

In all of these cases, the schools ultimately relented and the students were permitted to practice their faith publicly.

U.S. Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia

CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA).

A new report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has found that the Biden administration engaged in a “consistent and systematic pattern of discrimination” against Christians, including Catholics.

The 48-page document, titled “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias Within the Federal Government,” is the first issued by the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias established by President Donald Trump in February and chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The task force is charged with ensuring that “any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified.”

“The federal government will never again be permitted to turn its power against people of faith,” the report states. “The days of anti-Christian bias in the federal government are over.”

The report fulfills the first mandate the task force received from Trump to provide “an initial assessment of the harm caused when religious liberty is denied.”

It begins by saying that even though Christianity “has not only inspired individuals and transformed the nation … the political, social, and humanitarian contributions of Christians have been devalued, their beliefs marginalized, and their communities unlawfully targeted by their own government.”

“Where there should have been ‘equal justice under law’ there was unequal treatment — policies and practices that singled out Christian people, Christian houses of worship, and Christian convictions for disfavored treatment,” the report continues.

It goes on to highlight instances of alleged bias across federal agencies during the Biden years.

At the DOJ during the Biden administration, the report found a lack of effort to prosecute anti-Christian bias, instead pursuing “novel theories of prosecution” against individuals demonstrating their faith. 

A notable example involves the imprisonment of about two dozen Christians, many of them Catholic pro-life activists, under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for protests outside abortion facilities. 

Trump pardoned these individuals upon taking office. In contrast, the report asserts that the Biden DOJ failed to apply the FACE Act to protect places of worship and crisis pregnancy centers from similar disruptions. 

In addition, the report flags the FBI’s 2023 memo labeling “radical-traditionalist” Catholics as “domestic terrorism threats” as a particularly egregious instance of bias.

Multiple federal agencies faulted for discriminatory practices

The report also found that the U.S. State Department favored hiring individuals of other religions while discriminating against Christian employees, particularly noting that leave for Christian holidays was less likely to be granted compared with non-Christian ones. 

The report criticizes the State Department for seeking to impose “radical LGBTQ gender ideology” on foreign governments and staff, including mandatory use of preferred pronouns and rainbow flags, which it says violated the sincerely held beliefs of many Christian employees.

The task force also accuses the Biden-era State Department of “limited humanitarian relief to Christians relative to other populations” and the administration’s “muted” response to attacks on Christians globally. 

The U.S. Department of Defense, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Department of Labor are also cited for “deprioritizing, mishandling, or denying requests for religious exemptions” to the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, affecting Catholic and other Christian personnel who sought accommodations based on faith-based objections.

Under the Biden administration, the task force found that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development discriminated against Christians by “treating social media posts celebrating Christian holidays, such as Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter, differently than posts celebrating other religious or interest group holidays, including Pride Month, Ramadan, and Diwali by taking down the Christian posts and leaving up the rest.” 

The report says the Biden-era Department of Labor closed its Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and replaced it with a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office.

The report concludes that “the evidence uncovered is unmistakable: During the Biden administration, people of faith, particularly Christians, were repeatedly subjected to anti-religious bias at the hands of their own government.”

The Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias is comprised of representatives from various federal agencies and plans “to investigate the full scope of anti-Christian bias that pervaded the federal government during the Biden administration,” producing a comprehensive follow-up with its findings and recommendations by February 2026.

Credit: ArtOlympic/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 17:46 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, denied accusations of a cover-up following the recent arrest of a Madison priest for alleged sex crimes.

Father Andrew Showers, 37, was arrested last month after an undercover operation by local police found that he allegedly attempted to meet with a 14-year-old girl for sex.

Showers has since been charged with attempted child enticement, attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age. 

In a separate case only recently made public, 23-year-old Patricia Moriarty had filed a police report alleging that Showers sexually assaulted her in January 2024. Moriarty’s father, John Moriarty, reported the incident to the diocese shortly after but did not provide the name of the priest or a copy of the police report, according to the diocese.

The victims advocacy group Nate’s Mission blamed the diocese for mishandling the incident, saying the diocese “failed to act.” 

In response, the Madison Diocese provided a timeline of the report, saying its staff had asked for details such as the name of the priest, a copy of the police report, and the investigating police department but had not received a response from the father of the victim.

“Had we known that Father Showers was the priest in question behind the 2024 allegation, immediate action could and would have been taken,” the diocese stated.  

In response, Nate’s Mission called the diocese’s statement “a textbook example of victim-blaming.” 

“To suggest that Ms. Moriarty and her father are responsible for the Church’s failure to act because they did not feel comfortable with diocesan reporting procedures is deeply offensive,” the Sept. 6 statement read. 

In the statement, Nate’s Mission also brought up a previous incident with Showers in 2021, which the diocese had omitted in its first response to the revelations about Showers. 

Showers reportedly had “questioned a middle-school child about masturbation and pornography,” according to the advocacy organization. The boy’s parents reported the incident, which happened during confession, to both the diocese and the police, who determined that no criminal activity had occurred. 

In regards to his daughter’s assault, John Moriarty said the diocese “had more than enough to act if they wanted to.”

“My daughter deserved protection, and so did every other person Father Showers came into contact with after my call,” the victim’s father said in a Sept. 6 statement. “The diocese failed us — and they failed the public.”

In a recent letter to the diocese, Bishop Donald Hying of Madison praised the victim for coming forward and said he was “heartbroken by the harm and distress that has been caused by the alleged actions of one of our priests.”

But Hying also said that Nate’s Mission “painted a scandalous version of events that is simply not true.”

“Regarding this latest allegation, had we known the identity of the priest being accused of this abusive misconduct, he would have been removed from active public ministry immediately,” Hying said in the Sept. 6 letter.

The diocese will not be funding Showers’ legal expenses nor will it be providing him legal representation, according to the letter. 

“Be assured that I have not and will not excuse or defend any member of the clergy who commits sexual abuse of any kind,” Hying said. 

Showers was released from custody after posting a cash bond. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 30. If he is found guilty, he faces up to 50 years in prison. 

Students from the University of Dallas’ Rome semester (left to right: Thomas DeReuil, Eugene Keating, and Jonathan Tindall) attended the canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 7, 2025. / Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 16:46 pm (CNA).

On Sunday, the area around St. Peter’s Square was filled from early in the morning with banners, singing, and prayers in many languages accompanying the first canonizations of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate.

Many of the participants were young people who see the new saints, Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, as role models who speak directly to their hearts.

A group of students from the University of Dallas Rome program waited patiently for several hours to enter St. Peter’s Square. They arrived in Rome on Sept. 5 after a 10-hour flight and, despite their fatigue, got up early to be as close as possible to Pope Leo XIV. 

“Both Acutis and Frassati were pretty normal guys like us; they really enjoyed life and lived it to the fullest; they knew how to do it the right way. That’s a great example for us,” one of the students, Thomas DeReuil, commented.

For several of the young men, this is their first time in Italy. “It’s a gift to be here,” said Eugene Keating, another student, who said he was impacted by the way Acutis used technology to evangelize.

“I’m deeply inspired by how he used the internet, something so common in our lives, to talk about God,” he said.

You don’t have to be perfect to be a saint

For his part, Jonathan Tindall, another student, confessed that learning about Frassati’s life changed his perspective on holiness: “I’ve read that Frassati wasn’t a good student. In other words, you don’t have to be perfect to be a saint.”

A group of Italian religion teachers said they see Acutis and Frassati as wonderful resources for handing on the faith to their students. “They are two fundamental reference figures for handing on the Gospel to the new generations,” said Daniela Messina, a Sicilian religion teacher.

Messina emphasized how the life of Acutis particularly touches the hearts of adolescents: “This characteristic can truly help children understand the meaning of loving Jesus.”

She also emphasized the power of his witness in the digital world: “He is the saint of technology, because technology now reaches children directly and is perhaps the only effective means today to convey the message of fraternity and respect, which is so lacking today.”

Chiara Chiaradia, a primary school teacher in Calabria, also emphasized the educational dimension: “It is an instrument of our times. We must know how to use it positively, in the best possible way, to reach others, to spread the faith, to communicate beautiful things.”

Spiritual thirst of young people

Although they acknowledged the difficulties of teaching religion in today’s schools, the teachers also perceived a spiritual thirst among young people. “It’s difficult to teach today… but we’ve realized that young people have a great desire to learn; they are here not only to experience a beautiful, enjoyable, and joyful moment but because they truly believe in a need for spirituality,” Chiaradia noted.

The canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati not only opens a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church but also confirms that holiness is not the heritage of distant times.

Philipp and Jonas, two 24-year-old Germans, said they also feel this way. “It’s a unique opportunity to be close to these young saints,” Jonas said.

Like many other pilgrims present at Sunday’s canonization, they were also in Rome on April 27, the date on which Acutis was originally scheduled to be canonized. Ultimately, the death of Pope Francis forced the Holy See to choose a new date.

When Pope Leo XIV set the date for Sept. 7, joining its celebration with that of Frassati, initially planned for Aug. 3, they didn’t hesitate to set up the trip.

For these German pilgrims, the Church is right to propose role models close to youth. “It’s important to have a guide. Seeing that ordinary people like us attained holiness encourages us to follow the same path,” they commented. 

Frassati, in particular, is a model of faith lived with simplicity. “His example shows that we can seek holiness in everyday life. Sometimes we think saints are at an unattainable level, but a young man like him makes us say, ‘OK, maybe he can be a role model to follow,’” Philipp added.

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

Britain’s King Charles III (right); Oratorian Father Ignatius Harrison (left); Daniel Joyce (back left), Newman archivist and librarian, Birmingham Oratory; and Father Anton Guziel (back right) walk during a tour of The Oratory of St. Philip Neri on Sept. 3, 2025. / Credit: CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

National Catholic Register, Sep 8, 2025 / 13:06 pm (CNA).

King Charles III was “very engaged, very interested” and “exceedingly kind” when on Sept. 3 he toured the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham, England, becoming the first English monarch to visit the priestly community St. John Henry Newman established there in 1848.

The provost of the Birmingham Oratory, Oratorian Father Ignatius Harrison, said it was a very brief but joyful visit that was on “His Majesty’s own initiative.” His first engagement after the summer holidays, King Charles was also on a visit to England’s second-largest city to open a new hospital.

After welcoming the king and introducing him to the religious community, Harrison and Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham accompanied him on a tour through the sacred buildings that include a church, a shrine containing relics of Newman, the sacristy housing his vestments, and the English saint’s library and study. 

A former Anglican clergyman, St. John Henry Newman was a theologian, academic, and writer who was received into the Catholic Church in 1845 and elevated to cardinal in 1879. Renowned for his great intellect and, before his conversion, for being a central figure in the Oxford Movement that tried to Catholicize the Church of England, Newman was canonized in Rome in 2019, attended by then-Prince Charles.

In July, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo will proclaim Newman the 38th doctor of the Church.

Guided by the curator of the Newman Museum, Daniel Joyce, King Charles was shown various priceless artifacts, including the Polyglot Bible from 1657 with its dedication to King Charles II, as well as Newman’s own room, untouched since the saint’s death in 1890, containing some of his books, rosaries, clothes, and other personal belongings.

“I think probably the most interesting thing for him was Newman’s private study and chapel,” Harrison told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner. “The king looked at that with great interest and asked a number of questions.” He was also shown the original handwritten score of the “Dream of Gerontius,” Newman’s poem of a dying man’s soul journeying to its judgment before God and into purgatory, and Newman’s viola, which dates back to 1800.

Harrison said the king’s visit was “really a red-letter day” for the Birmingham Oratorian community, adding that the monarch seemed “genuinely interested and wanted to know more” about Newman and the community there.  

Postponed visit

Harrison said the king had never given up his wish to visit the oratory ever since he mentioned his intention to Harrison at Newman’s canonization in Rome. But the visit had to be postponed for five years as the premises’ roof was undergoing substantial repairs and some of the books had been put into storage. In the meantime, Charles was crowned king, assuming the title of supreme head of the Church of England.

The visit then suffered another setback when it had to be postponed in July due to the health of the king, who has been battling cancer. “We were terribly disappointed,” Harrison said, but he added that to their “great pleasure” they were told the king wished to reschedule the visit to coincide with his opening of the hospital.

“He has been, if I may put it like this, sort of consistent in his wish to come,” Harrison said. “I was really delighted because I think it shows a real, personal interest on His Majesty’s behalf that he pursued the matter.”

During his visit, the king, smartly dressed in a gray suit and a red patterned tie, unveiled a small plaque the Oratorian Fathers had prepared to mark the occasion. They also presented him with an original photograph of Newman taken in the 1860s.

Asked by the Register what interested the king about Newman in particular, Harrison said primarily the fact that he is an English saint and that his virtues were discernible both as an Anglican and then as a Catholic. Also, he was interested in the effective influence Newman exhibited both as an Anglican and as a Catholic.

“We think of his life as one whole life of sanctity,” Harrison said. “He became a Catholic, of course, in 1845, but, for example, his care for the poor and the unemployed was a notable feature of his Anglican ministry and his Catholic ministry here in Birmingham as well.”

“It’s not a lot talked about because everybody concentrates on his very brilliant academic writings, but he took great pains when he was a Catholic priest in Birmingham to assist the unemployed to find work, and, also, he was very generous in almsgiving.”

Harrison said that, on occasion, Newman would give a small box to a deserving person that contained a 5-pound note, which was a significant sum in those days. “One of his purposes was not just to relieve the distress of the moment but to help the person pay off their debts and get their business back on track,” Harrison said. “I told the king that, and, of course, he was very interested.”

He also said King Charles was interested in Newman being made a doctor of the Church and wondered if there would be an “ecumenical dimension” to it. “He seemed very interested in those sorts of things; he recalled that he had met Pope Francis and that he was hoping it would not be too long before he met Pope Leo.” 

As for the Birmingham Oratory today, the monarch took a keen interest in the large number of faithful who attend the liturgies there and their diversity of backgrounds, as well as that most of them are attracted to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). “Over a thousand people come to Mass here at the weekend,” Harrison said. “The best attended is the Traditional Latin Mass, and what is most interesting is that it’s the most diverse Mass, ethnically speaking, during the whole weekend.”

He said that many of the worshippers are Asians and Africans and that a significant number of them are students from Birmingham’s three universities. Charles was interested in that, he said, and the fact that an increasing number of Chinese Catholics, particularly from Hong Kong, are attending the TLM at the Oratory. “It’s a pleasure for me and the fathers to be able to say we have a very diversified congregation, really diversified, and many of them come for the Traditional Latin Mass,” Harrison said. 

Newman’s Catholicity

Writing in the Vatican’s semiofficial newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, on Newman’s canonization, the then-Prince of Wales praised Newman for his catholicity. 

“His faith was truly catholic in that it embraced all aspects of life,” Charles wrote. “Whatever our own beliefs, and no matter what our own tradition may be, we can only be grateful to Newman for the gifts, rooted in his Catholic faith, which he shared with wider society.”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.