Ss. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church

The Catholic Church in France will welcome a record number of adults into the faith in 2025, with particularly strong growth in the numbers of young adults and teenagers, according to newly released statistics from the country’s Conference of Bishops (CEF). / Credit: French Bishops’ Conference

Paris, France, Apr 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A new survey in France illuminates the surprising pathways bringing young people to the Catholic faith in unprecedented numbers at the coming Easter vigil.

The Catholic Church in France will welcome a record number of adults into the faith this weekend, with particularly strong growth in the numbers of young adults and teenagers, according to newly released statistics from the country’s Conference of Bishops (CEF).

A survey of 900 French catechumens conducted by Catholic media outlets Famille Chrétienne and Aleteia has revealed that social media plays a crucial role in attracting young adults to Catholicism, with 78% saying social media played a role in the discovery or deepening of their faith, while 84% said they follow Christian content creators or “influencers.”

Examples given were Dominican Father Paul-Adrien d’Hardemare, who has 481,000 subscribers on YouTube, and Le Catho de Service, which features a lay apologist named Victor who says his goal is to “motivate a generation of saints to re-evangelize France.” He has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok.

However, 54% said it was a priest, a religious, or a catechist who “helped them the most in their faith journey,” while 32% said it was friends.

A striking finding was that 65% said they did not grow up in a religious family, with 50% claiming they had discovered the faith on their own. Catechumens said they came to the faith initially through personal research (40%), through family (23%), or through friends (14%). About 40% said they had a “founding spiritual experience that pushed them to take their journey further,” the report said.

The French bishops reported that 10,384 adults will be baptized this year on Easter Saturday evening, a 45% increase from the previous year. They will stand alongside more than 7,400 adolescents aged 11 to 17, also considerably higher than the year before.

This continues a trend of increased interest in the Catholic faith among young French people that was also seen over Easter 2024.

“These results, which further exceed the record figures collected last year, are the highest ever recorded since the CEF began this survey more than 20 years ago,” said a statement from the French bishops.

It added that 13 dioceses will more than double the number of baptized adults. As well as the surge in catechumens, the CEF said there had been an increase in the number of adults who were baptized as children and are now choosing to be confirmed in the faith.

The data revealed that the trend in adult baptisms is particularly strong in women and those under 40. The conference said 42% of catechumens this year are in the 18-24 age group and nearly two-thirds of catechumens are female. 

“We can already see it as encouragement from the Lord, reminding us that he is the master of the mission; he is the one who draws us to himself, touches hearts, and reveals himself,” said Archbishop Olivier de Germay of Lyon, who is also member of the Commission for Initiation and Christian Life, in a statement.

“Let us give thanks to God,” he said, stressing the importance of discipleship for the new converts.  

Over the English Channel in the United Kingdom, there is also evidence of a surge of interest in Christianity in young adults and suggestions that online content might be influencing them, too. 

A recent report from the Bible Society, a charity based in England that promotes reading Scripture, found that churchgoing had increased significantly in the youngest adult age group over the past six years, with 16% of 18- to-24-year-olds saying they are monthly churchgoers compared with 19% of those over 65. That makes young adults the second most likely age group to attend church in the U.K., and the trend is particularly strong in young men. 

This year across England there were increased numbers of catechumens and candidates at the Rite of Election at the start of Lent. Anecdotally, many of these new entrants are young men, their interest sparked by social media such as content from U.S.-based Bishop Robert Barron and Father Mike Schmitz. 

Young adults in the U.K. are now twice as likely to attend Catholic churches than the Church of England, as only 20% of churchgoers identify as Anglican compared with 41% identifying as Catholic and 18% as Pentecostal, the Bible Society said.

The new White House Faith Office is in high gear for Holy Week. / Credit: DJTechYT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 15, 2025 / 16:52 pm (CNA).

The White House has announced plans for the Christian Holy Week leading up to Easter, which will include a Wednesday dinner and a Thursday religious service with Christians from a variety of communities.

President Donald Trump on Palm Sunday kicked off Holy Week with comments acknowledging Jesus Christ’s “excruciating pain, torture, and execution on the cross” and the gift of redemption and the forgiveness of sins merited through his suffering and death. He added that “through his resurrection, we have hope of eternal life.”

Trump urged prayers for “an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our beloved nation” and for the intention that the United States will “achieve a future that reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christ’s eternal kingdom in heaven.”

Jennifer Korn, director of the White House Faith Office, told CNA that Catholics and Christians from a variety of Protestant communities are expected to be in attendance for the Holy Week events.

To celebrate Holy Week, the White House on Wednesday will hold a dinner and prayer service, which will be livestreamed online. On Thursday, the White House will host a prayer and worship service, which will include Christian hymns performed by musicians associated with Liberty University, a private Christian school.

Korn said Trump is hosting these events to ensure that Holy Week is “honored with the observance that it deserves.” She said the various events are “engaging with America in the way that America celebrates Easter.”

Trump’s motivation for the celebrations

The 2025 Holy Week celebrations are also more robust than the events Trump held during his first administration. Korn noted that in his second administration, Trump has “a resolve that is really different [from] last time.”

Trump has publicly spoken about his belief that God saved him from being assassinated at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

“He’s been very transparent about that day — both publicly and privately — saying that it changed his life and he truly does believe that God spared his life to be president again and to really bring America back,” Korn said.

“We see that appreciation and humility that comes from a very near death experience,” she said, adding that, in private conversations, Trump speaks about that day in the same way he speaks about it in public: “He truly believes that.”

Korn also noted that Trump decorated the Oval Office with “two gold angels on two sides of the office.” During a meeting, she said the president told her to “look up at the ceiling” and said the angels are there “to guard over and look over the Oval Office” and his work and the work of his administration.

Trump in February established the White House Faith Office, which was created to help root out anti-Christian bias, defend religious liberty, and ensure that religious communities are part of the public policy discussions. The new office replaced the former White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Korn said the creation of the Faith Office was historic and that it is different from the initiatives of previous presidents, adding it has “never been done before in the West Wing.” In meetings with the president, she said he frequently asks her: “How are my pastors doing, how are my priests, how are my rabbis doing?”

The separation of church and state, Korn said, “doesn’t mean that people of faith don’t have a voice in the government.” She asserted that this office is “bringing that voice back” with efforts to promote religious liberty domestically and abroad, among other initiatives.

In addition to the Holy Week celebrations, Korn noted that the White House is also hosting a Passover event on Thursday afternoon. The Jewish celebration of Passover, which began on April 12 and ends on April 20, overlaps with the Christian Holy Week this year.

Illinois state capitol in Springfield. / Credit: Paul Brady Photography/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 15, 2025 / 15:59 pm (CNA).

Illinois Catholic bishops are calling on people of faith to actively oppose proposed legislation “that seeks to legalize assisted suicide in Illinois.”

The Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) in a statement urged residents to contact their state senators to express opposition to the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act (Senate Bill 9). The bill passed the Senate Executive Committee on April 9 and a vote on it could be held on the Senate floor between now and May 31.

The act states that it would allow “a qualified patient with a terminal disease to request that a physician prescribe aid-in-dying medication” to die “in a peaceful manner.”

The CCI said “legalizing assisted suicide goes against the Church’s teachings on the sanctity and dignity of human life. It undermines the value of each human person, particularly those who are vulnerable.”

This year, bills proposing the legalization of medical assisted suicide have been introduced in several other states and are continuing to move forward in the legislation process. 

Maryland introduced a bill titled the End-of-Life Option Act that would authorize “an individual to request aid in dying.” The 2025 bill follows a failed attempt to pass a 2024 version of it. The Maryland bishops urged action by asking legislatures “for an unfavorable report” of the bill. 

In Delaware, House Bill 140 was passed by the House in March to legalize medical assisted suicide. The bill states it would allow terminally ill patients to end their life “in a humane and dignified manner.” 

Oregon has active proposed legislation but aimed to extend its Death with Dignity Act to also allow physician assistants and nurse practitioners, not only licensed physicians, to prescribe drugs to facilitate assisted suicide. The bill follows an increase in lethal drug prescriptions in the state.

Illinois bishops said these “laws permitting assisted suicide pose significant risks to the poor, marginalized, and disabled, who may face pressure to end their lives rather than receive the care and compassion they need and deserve.”

“There are documented cases from states where assisted suicide has been legalized, where individuals with rare or life-threatening conditions were denied necessary medical treatment and were instead offered life-ending prescriptions,” the statement said. 

“Illinois does not need to legalize assisted suicide,” the bishops said, adding: “What we truly need is increased access to quality health care, enhanced palliative care options, and loving and compassionate support services for those at the end of their lives.”

The CCI created a pre-written message for Illinois residents to send to their senators.

“In Illinois, suicide is already a growing crisis,” the message states. “A person dies by suicide every five hours and 41 minutes, and the suicide rate rose by 7% from 2021 to 2022. With so many resources committed to preventing suicide, S.B. 9 would send a dangerous and conflicting message.”

“Protect the vulnerable. Promote real care. Please vote NO on S.B. 9,” the message concludes.

null / Credit: Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Apr 15, 2025 / 14:57 pm (CNA).

A federal judge has denied an attempt by religious groups to halt the government’s policy of broadly allowing immigration officials to arrest suspected illegal immigrants at houses of worship. 

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich said in an April 11 memorandum opinion that the religious plaintiffs — which included the Mennonite Church, the Episcopal Church, the Friends General Conference, and several Jewish groups including the New York-based Rabbinical Assembly — had “not established a substantial likelihood” of success in their suit against the federal government. 

The suit originally arose in February after the Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump rescinded Biden-era guidelines that required Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to seek their superior’s approval before arresting people at or near “sensitive locations” such as churches, hospitals, or schools.

The groups argued that the revised policy was “substantially burdening the religious exercise” of their respective congregations and members, including through decreases in attendance. 

In her ruling, Freidrich said the decline in attendance was “not fairly traceable” to the Trump administration’s rescission of the Biden-era guidelines.

Re-implementing the Biden rules, she said, “would not mitigate the risks cited by congregants of leaving their homes generally, or of traveling to or from religious services.” The Biden-era rules “create[d] no legally enforceable rights” and conferred “only limited protections” against arrests, she pointed out. 

Evidence “suggests that congregants are staying home to avoid encountering ICE in their own neighborhoods, not because churches or synagogues are locations of elevated risk,” the judge wrote. 

It is not clear if the plaintiffs plan to file an appeal to the ruling. Attorneys representing the religious groups did not immediately respond to CNA’s request for comment. 

The Trump administration’s immigration rules have generated both legal action and public criticism, including from U.S. Catholic leaders. 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a January statement that “non-emergency immigration enforcement” in places such as churches and schools “would be contrary to the common good.”

“With the mere rescission of the protected areas guidance, we are already witnessing reticence among immigrants to engage in daily life, including sending children to school and attending religious services,” the bishops argued at the time. 

In February, Pope Francis wrote to the U.S. bishops arguing that immigration laws and policies should be subordinated to the dignified treatment of people, especially the most vulnerable.

The letter, which was widely viewed as a rebuke to the Trump administration, acknowledged that the just treatment of immigrants does not impede the development of policies to regulate orderly and legal migration.

But “what is built on the basis of force and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being begins badly and will end badly,” the pope argued.

Father Antonio Aurelio is vicar general of the Trinitarian order. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Apr 15, 2025 / 14:26 pm (CNA).

The Trinitarian order was founded at the end of the 12th century to free persecuted Christians. Today, it continues to quietly and humbly assist those persecuted for their faith.

Among the bustling streets of Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood, a few steps from the Tiber River, stands one of Rome’s oldest basilicas, that of St. Chrysogonus, served by the Trinitarian order — officially known as the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives — since 1850. The basilica was built in memory of a Roman soldier who died a martyr after converting to Christianity.

Father Antonio Aurelio, vicar general of the Trinitarian order, explained with conviction in an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that “we were born to go to the dungeons.” 

In a large hall, under the gaze of all the superior generals of the order whose portraits grace the room, Aurelio — wearing his unmistakable white habit with its blue and red cross — explained why the Trinitarian order marked a turning point in the Catholic Church.

A mission: To liberate Christians

“The founding of the order in 1198 was a unique event in the history of the Church, since until then only monastic life existed,” Aurelio said.

According to Aurelio, St. John of Matha, its founder, created the first order that came out of the convent to help those in need, especially Christians who had been taken prisoner during the years of the Crusades (1096–1291), for whom they paid ransoms and even changed places with.

The Trinitarian order was established with the mission of rescuing and redeeming both Christian captives and Muslims, establishing a new model of religious life centered on action and service outside the monastery. The vicar general also noted that the Trinitarians went to war zones “in the name of peace, not with a weapon but with a cross.”

“They call us redeemers because we follow the same path that the Redeemer follows. He leaves his place, so to speak, of glory and comes down to the world. He goes to seek out the needs, to seek out the weaknesses of man, to free him, to bring him out of that darkness. And the Trinitarians follow the same path. They leave their homes to seek out those in need, to give them the clarity of the God of the day, bringing them out of the darkness of the dungeons,” he said.

In fact, there are currently Trinitarians in the process of beatification, such as Antonio da Conceiçao, a Portuguese Calced Trinitarian, and José de la Madre de Dios and Ignacio Tavares, who died in prison after exchanging themselves for Christian prisoners.

“There were religious who, when money wasn’t coming in and they saw that the prisoners were in dire straits, would take their places, literally offering their lives for the captives,” Aurelio added.

21st-century captives

With a desire to return to the origins of its founding, the Trinitarian International Solidarity (TIS) was founded in 1999. Its mission is to assist persecuted Christians and work for religious freedom.

According to the 2023 World Religious Freedom Report by Aid to the Church in Need, Christians continue to be the most persecuted religious group. A total of 28 countries, home to more than half of the world’s population (51.5%), fall into the “red” category of persecution. Of these, 13 are in Africa, where the situation has seriously deteriorated.

Today, Trinitarians continue their order’s legacy, dedicating their lives to the captives of the 21st century, those who suffer persecution for their faith. The order currently has 54 communities in Europe, 22 in the United States and Canada, 21 in Latin America, 10 in Madagascar, two in India, and two in continental Africa.

In addition to Trinitarian priests, the order also includes Trinitarian nuns and sisters, distributed among houses in Rome and various locations in Spain, as well as lay Trinitarians.

Following St. John of Matha’s example

“Eight Centuries Later” is a Spanish-language documentary that gives voice to and puts a face on forgotten Christians suffering in places like Syria, Nigeria, and northern India but who don’t lose hope thanks to the “silent” help offered by TIS.

“St. John of Matha is one of the most discreet saints in existence; he never spoke of himself,” Aurelio said. Drawing on the founder’s humility, discretion, and silence, the order wanted to make a documentary in which the spotlight is given to those who are suffering extreme situations, today’s captives.

“We wanted them to be the ones to speak. Let them be the ones to express themselves, to tell us,” Aurelio explained.

The documentary reflects the heartbreaking situation of girls in Nigeria, kidnapped and raped by Boko Haram terrorists. It also highlights the abandonment of Christians in Syria, once conceived as the “Switzerland” of the East and now devastated by war, as well as the lack of religious freedom in India. “The Trinitarian family is present there, discreetly, as we say, in silence, but it is present there,” Aurelio emphasized.

For the superior of the Trinitarians, what “is not told does not exist,” although he added that Christians ought to be interested in learning about the reality of their persecuted brothers and sisters without looking the other way.

“We’re so used to our own routines, our own ways, that anything different doesn’t register. In other words, it slides off like water on a raincoat, it doesn’t soak in. And that’s what’s happening in the West, what’s happening in Europe, and what’s happening in the United States,” he lamented.

In this context, he clarified that the Trinitarian order is not a nondenominational, nongovernmental organization (NGO), “but rather we are religious. Our concept is a religious attitude, and since we can’t stop these wars because it’s beyond our power, at least what we can do is not leave the people to fend for themselves, not abandon them.”

Aurelio lamented the relativism in society in developed countries and the lack of “purity of faith.”

“We cannot abandon them. It pains us greatly that the West has such a hard time understanding that there are people who hold fast to the same religion and are willing to give their lives to remain faithful to that religion,” he told ACI Prensa.

When asked about the main motivation that leads to the persecution of Christians or whether there is a common factor among the persecutors, the Spanish priest was clear: “The Christian message is what scares them. Christianity is the only religion that has fostered a democratic context, freedom among people. Where Christians are persecuted, there are essentially dictatorships, and the message of freedom is a message they don’t accept.”

“Christianity,” Aurelio continued, “is the only religion on a philosophical and theological level that looks to the person as he or she is, and therefore seeks his or her well-being.” In Christianity, “one of life’s foundations is freedom.” 

He emphasized that Christianity gives every person a sense of freedom, something that “terrifies dictatorships … Anything that is contrary to the pursuit of the common good of the person, which is Christianity, must be persecuted,” he pointed out.

He also cited the subservience and obedience practiced in some religions, especially Islam. “It is not accepted; the concept of personhood doesn’t exist in these religions. There is the concept of ‘Sunnah,’ a series of regulations that govern social interaction, but the person has no identity,” he maintained.

“It seems like we’re talking a lot about the common good these days,” he said. “That’s a modern idea of ​​the common good, but the first person to use that word was St. Paul, in his letters. This whole desire to look to the person as the center of that freedom, of that well-being, frightens any dictatorship that exists in the world, and, therefore, those who embrace this way of life must be persecuted.”

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

In 1993 Marcus Grodi (left) founded the Coming Home Network. It is currently led by his son JonMarc Grodi (right). / Credit: “The Journey Home”/EWTN screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 15, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Coming Home Network will host its first-ever “clergy convert conference” next month to foster fellowship among former Protestant and other non-Catholic pastors and ministers who have become Catholic or are preparing to enter the Church.

In partnership with the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, the network will hold the weekendlong retreat May 30–June 1 in Steubenville, Ohio. The event will be “focused on fellowship among clergy converts, encouragement on the ongoing journey of faith, and on reigniting the fire for living out and sharing the Gospel now as Catholics.”

The conference is scheduled to feature speakers from different religious backgrounds, including Marcus Grodi, former Presbyterian pastor, founder of the Coming Home Network and longtime host of the EWTN program “The Journey Home.”

The Ohio-based Coming Home Network is an organization with the mission “to help non-Catholic Christians, clergy and laity, discover the truth and beauty of Catholicism and to make the journey home to full communion with the Catholic Church.”

Grodi started the network in 1993 “out of the seemingly isolated experiences” he and several other Protestant clergy experienced, according to the Coming Home Network website. 

“Upon leaving their pastorates to enter the Catholic Church, these clergy and their families discovered with surprise that there were many others being drawn by the Spirit to take the same journey ‘home.’” Since then, the network has offered vital support for convert pastors.

The executive director of the network and current host of “The Journey Home,” JonMarc Grodi, Marcus’ son, told CNA that although the network provides resources including its newsletter, published books, and retreats, “the core of the work has always been pastoral care.”

JonMarc said the network has “a team of people on staff who work one-on-one with people,” including a former Baptist pastor, Ken Hensley, who is the director of the organization’s pastoral care team.

“We do have videos, articles, and books,” but JonMarc said what makes the network unique is that when pastors reach out to them, the “pastoral care team will then form a relationship with them and follow them all the way through [to] make sure they have whatever resources they need and then continue to counsel them and mentor them.”

The network prioritizes support for pastors, JonMarc explained, as “many of them lose their job, their income and enter the Church with some uncertainty about their future.”

JonMarc added that the network continues to provide guidance long after such pastors choose to enter the Church. “Even once they become Catholic, even if they get a job, there’s a continuing journey of learning their new identity,” he said.

Regarding the upcoming conference, JonMarc said it is something the network is “hoping to hold every year.”

The organization’s director of outreach, Matt Swaim, told CNA that since the beginning of 2025, 47 pastors have already reached out to inquire about the journey to becoming Catholic, have converted, or are trying to figure out where they fit in the faith.

He said that in 2024, the network worked with 99 pastors, which was almost double the amount it helped in 2022. The network caters to more than 10,000 Coming Home members from more than 200 religious and denominational backgrounds.

From left to right: Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Father Jeffrey Kirby; Nalin Haley and his parents, Nikki Haley and Michael Haley. / Credit: Courtesy of Father Jeffrey Kirby/screenshot of X post

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 14, 2025 / 19:57 pm (CNA).

Nalin Haley, the son of former U.S. presidential candidate Nikki Haley, was received into the Catholic Church on Palm Sunday.

“As parents, Michael and I always prayed that our children would have a faith and relationship with God,” Nikki Haley posted on social media Sunday.

“Today we were so proud to support Nalin in his faith journey as he was confirmed into the Catholic Church, completed RCIA, and received his first holy Communion,” she said of her son.

Nikki Haley, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor, was born and raised in the Sikh faith but converted to Christianity after marrying her husband, Michael Haley, in 1996. 

In a 2012 interview, Haley said she and her husband “chose Christianity because of the way we wanted to live our life and raise our children.” She was reportedly baptized in a Methodist church but has attended Baptist churches as well. 

Nalin Haley, 23, is a 2024 graduate of Villanova University, a Catholic institution. In 2023 and 2024 he distinguished himself for his steadfast presence on the campaign trail and support for his mother. He is the younger of two Haley children. His sister, Rena, 26, is a pediatric nurse. 

Nalin was received into the Catholic Church by Father Jeffrey Kirby at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Indian Land, South Carolina.

Kirby also posted on social media to celebrate Nalin Haley’s entrance into the Church, writing: “Congratulations to Wiliam Nalin Peter, who was received into the fullness of the Christian faith today! Welcome home, Nalin!”

In addition to serving as pastor at Our Lady of Grace, Kirby is the host of the YouTube channel “Daily Discipleship with Father Kirby” and is a regular contributor to the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner.

Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt at the CPAC D.C. conference at the Gaylord National Resort in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. / Credit: DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 14, 2025 / 17:42 pm (CNA).

U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, announced that he is introducing new legislation to make Easter a federal holiday so families are able to spend “the holiest day in Christianity” together.

In a thread of posts on X, Schmitt explained why the day should be federally recognized, starting with the fact that “81% of Americans celebrate Easter.”

“But,” he continued, “our current holiday schedule makes it way too difficult for families to celebrate together.”

The new bill is in the earliest stage of the legislation process but states its intent is “to designate Easter Monday as a legal public holiday,” which Schmitt said “isn’t a radical idea.”

“It’s a federal recognition of a tradition that is central to Western civilization — a tradition that’s already recognized as a public holiday in nations across (and beyond!) the West, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe,” Schmitt said.

“It isn’t even novel in America,” Schmitt continued. “We already have a ‘National Day of Prayer,’ signed into law by Missouri’s own President [Harry] Truman. A federal Easter Monday holiday allows Americans to celebrate the most extraordinary day in world history, Easter — the day of Christ’s resurrection.”

Schmitt said that Easter is not a “micro-holiday” but rather a day that “unites more than three-quarters of Americans.”

“For generations, many American school calendars gave students the day off for Good Friday and Easter Monday,” he continued.

Schmitt explained that aside from religious elements, the day off would also create a break when “workers and families need it most.”

“Easter is a floating holiday, it can fall from March 22 to April 25. The only two-month gap in our federal holiday calendar is April-May. An Easter Monday holiday fills the gap.”

Schmitt said federal recognition of the holiday is “Pro-worker. Pro-family. Pro-faith.”

“There are plenty of practical arguments for it, too,” Schmitt said. “Easter weekend already generates around $15 billion for our economy. Making it a three-day weekend could boost that by an estimated 10%-15%, adding up to $2 billion in economic activity while strengthening American families.”

“Our holidays and traditions are part of the story we tell about ourselves. This is not partisan. It’s not a ‘Republican’ or ‘Democrat’ holiday. It’s an American holiday, allowing a fuller celebration of the defining moment of the faith that shaped our nation and civilization,” Schmitt said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. / Credit: Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Apr 14, 2025 / 15:32 pm (CNA).

Catholic leaders in Pennsylvania have expressed shock and offered prayers after a man was arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to murder Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family by setting the governor’s residence ablaze early Sunday morning.

Cody Balmer, 38, allegedly managed to scale an iron security fence and enter the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg, quickly setting a fire in a dining room using improvised incendiary devices, police said at a press conference on Monday. Shapiro and his family were able to escape unharmed, but the residence was heavily damaged.

The incident took place in Harrisburg, the state capital. Bishop Timothy Senior of Harrisburg in an April 14 statement said the attack “struck at the very heart of our shared values as a society.”

“I want to unequivocally state that all forms of hate are unacceptable. They have no place in our hearts, our homes, or our communities. Such acts of violence and intolerance threaten the fabric of our society and undermine the principles of love, respect, and understanding that all people of faith are called to embody,” Senior said. 

At a press conference Sunday, Shapiro, an observant Jew who had celebrated a Passover Seder with his wife, four children, and extended family at their home the night before the attack, said he was “overwhelmed by the prayers and messages of support” and vowed not to be deterred if, in fact, the suspect was attempting to intimidate him because of his Jewish faith. 

“No one will deter me, or my family, or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly,” Shapiro said. 

Balmer told police he planned to beat Shapiro with a sledgehammer if he had found him inside the house. Prosecutors have charged Balmer with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and other crimes, NPR reported. He may face federal charges as well. 

Police have not announced whether they have uncovered a motive for the attack other than saying Balmer “admitted to harboring hatred towards Gov. Shapiro.” The suspect’s mother told the Associated Press that her son “wasn’t taking his medicine” at the time of the attack. 

Harrisburg’s Bishop Senior went on to say that as Catholics, “we must be committed to the eradication of any form of hatred, including antisemitism,” and called on his flock to seek to create an environment where “the God-given dignity of every person is respected.”

“I am saddened that any form of political violence, let alone violence that is motivated by an attempt to suppress or intimidate a family because of their religion, is found in our community — especially at this time that is so sacred to our Jewish brothers and sisters and also to all of us as Christians as we celebrate Holy Week,” Senior continued. 

“Our prayers are with the Shapiro family and their guests, whose faithful observance of the sacred tradition of their faith was grievously violated by this act. We Christians must stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in all circumstances, but especially this year as the observance of the days of Passover coincides with the most sacred days of the Christian liturgical calendar, Holy Week, the week leading us to our Easter celebration.”

Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, in his own statement, similarly called to mind the shared patrimony of the Christian and Jewish people.

“Particularly during this Holy Week for Christians and Passover time for the Jewish people, we focus on the deep love that God has for all of us. We must be deeply grateful that Gov. Shapiro and his family are safe, and we must also pray for an end to violence, which goes against everything good about us as human beings,” Zubik said.

This story was updated April 15, 2025, at 6:06 p.m. ET with the statement from Harrisburg Bishop Timothy Senior.

The Diocese of Westminster, which includes much of the capital city London, said it had 252 catechumens and over 250 candidates, making a total of over 500 to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter — the most seen since 2018. / Credit: Diocese of Westminster

London, England, Apr 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

This Easter Vigil, the Catholic Church in England is expecting a decade-high surge of new entrants to the faith. There is anecdotal evidence of a particular increase in young men, who say their interest was sparked initially by Catholic apologists on social media and also by the traditional heritage of Catholicism.

Almost all English dioceses contacted by CNA reported a significant increase in both catechumens and candidates at the Rite of Election at the start of Lent compared with last year. Many had not seen comparable numbers for a decade.

The Diocese of Westminster, which includes much of the capital city London, said this year it has 252 catechumens and over 250 candidates, making a total of over 500 to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter — the most seen since 2018.

The adjacent Archdiocese of Southwark, which has a significant evangelization program, saw over 450 adults complete the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) this year, more than the year before. Such levels have not been seen since Pope Benedict XVI allowed groups of Anglican communities to enter into communion in 2011 through the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus.

“I don’t think it can just be put down to COVID recovery; there seems to be something fresh afoot,” said Mark Nash, Southwark’s director of the Agency for Evangelization and Catechesis. “The Holy Spirit is moving in a very particular way.” 

Although the candidates have a broad variety of backgrounds, some trends he has noticed include young men initially inspired by online U.S.-based evangelists and apologists such as Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire; Father Mike Schmitz, a popular speaker, podcaster, and campus minister; Edward Sri, a theologian, author, and speaker; and Trent Horn, a Catholic apologist and podcaster.

Nash has also noticed more from atheistic countries.

“As part of my work, anecdotally, going to a number of parishes, groups I’ve been in, there has been a large number of younger people — particularly men,” he said. “Increasing numbers of Chinese… in Southwark we are blessed with a panoply of ethnicities. It is really is the Church universal; it is massively edifying.”

The diocese published a video of interviews of four candidates who expressed a variety of reasons and motivations for becoming Catholic, including the witness of the early Church fathers, the experience at a Catholic school, and the powerful faith of a young child. 

A musician living a “rock-and-roll life” spoke of feeling drawn to Mary. “I knew that it was something real and strong and pure,” Vedina-Rose said in the video. “Mary gives me so much comfort and love and understanding, and whenever there have been moments where I felt doubt or I felt lonely or I felt rejected all I have to do is call on Mary and I just feel this comfort… I just love Jesus.”

Across England and Wales similar trends are noticeable: 

• The Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, on the south coast, said it had an increase from 60 catechumens and just under 90 candidates in 2024 to 105 catechumens and 105 candidates this year. 

• In the Diocese of Northampton, just north of London, there were 38 adult candidates for baptism and 62 for reception. Yearly statistics show that this is a level not seen since 2014, and apart from a surge in the mid-2000s, these levels are historically high. 

• The Archdiocese of Birmingham, in the midlands, said there were 201 catechumens and candidates at the Rite of Election compared with nearly 130 in 2024. 

In northern England, the Archdiocese of Liverpool had 140 candidates and catechumens this year. Last year it had 110. One attendee at Liverpool Cathedral is Sarah Yates, 21, who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil. Although her parents were not religious, time spent with her grandparents going to Mass laid a foundation for her more recent interest. She credits young people’s increased interest in Catholicism to the internet. 

“I think the rise in social media has led to the increase,” she said. “People can just express any views. If one person in America says something, I can look and then conduct my own research.”

“Personally I don’t like to use social media that much,” she continued, “but with YouTube and Spotify, you can sit in the comfort of your own home, you can learn the entire history of Catholicism — it’s all out there.”

John Withers, the director of WeBelieve, a new festival in England that aims to reach “seekers” as well as Catholics, said he has observed young men drawn to his parish after watching videos on YouTube that progressively interested them in the faith. They began with psychologist Jordan Peterson, then Bishop Barron, then more spiritual speakers such as Father Schmitz. 

“They literally followed that algorithmic journey into the Church,” Withers said. “Society has been ‘spiritual, not religious’ for some time. Now, Christianity — particularly in its ancient forms — is becoming a socially acceptable spiritual option. There is something in the air.”

The increase in those entering the Church appears to have taken place in many different kinds of parishes up and down England. But there has been particular interest in more traditional expressions of spirituality, often at urban-centered Oratories run by a distinct network of priests and founded by St. Philip Neri. 

One priest of the Oratory told CNA: “There is a remarkable resurgence of interest in the faith, especially among young people, and in particular young men. We have a continual stream of interest, such that I would say that there is a new person asking about becoming a Catholic nearly every week.”

“I would say that most of those coming to the Church have no religious background, or almost none,” he said. “It is precisely the lack of purpose and truth in contemporary society that leads them to seek meaning. For that reason then, watered-down versions of Christianity have no attraction.”

One personal story that illustrates this trend is that of Paul Sapper, 27, who works as a communications officer at faith-based legal advocacy organization ADF International, which has defended many of the Christians prosecuted for pro-life work or for conservative values in the U.K. 

Sapper first engaged with Christians at Oxford University and spent time in evangelical churches. He was drawn to the Catholic Church due to its upholding of traditional sexual ethics including contraception. He now attends the Traditional Latin Mass.

He said he believes his generation is increasingly drawn to Christianity in its historic form and that the “hugely encouraging” increase in people at the Rite of Election is a “promising sign that we may be at a turning point and entering a new era.”

“There is a general consensus between people of various worldviews that things are getting worse and that we are in an age of decline in this country and across the West,” he said. “The solution to the crisis we face today is not political or cultural — it’s spiritual, as we are facing a spiritual crisis. As things get darker, more and more people — especially young people — are coming to realize that the light of Christ and his truth shine all the more brightly in the dark.”

“Decline is not inevitable, but our civilization can only be healed by returning to its founding principles, which are based and wholly dependent on the Christian faith and worldview,” he said.

The interest in Christianity is not confined to Catholicism. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, a Protestant book publisher, said there has been a 87% increase in purchases of the Bible between 2019 and 2024, and there have been anecdotal reports of conversions in some evangelical churches.