Posted on 03/21/2025 19:45 PM (CNA Daily News)
Bishop Markus Büchel of the Diocese of St. Gallen in Switzerland. / Credit: Aurelius1717, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 21, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).
Here are some of the major stories about the Church from around the world that you may have missed this week:
Bishop Markus Büchel of the Swiss Diocese of St. Gallen spoke out in favor of women’s ordination during a podcast appearance for a German-language online news outlet, kath.ch, CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported Tuesday.
The bishop argued his position stating that the Church has a “consecration emergency” due to the fact that only celebate men may enter the priesthood.
Following backlash over what some have called Bishop Robert Barron’s “conservative” theological and political views, the director of the Münster Academy Franz-Hitze-Haus, Johannes Sabel, has defended plans to award the American bishop and Word on Fire founder with the academy’s Josef Pieper Prize, CNA Deutsch reported.
Sabel stated in a guest article in a German-language outlet that Barron’s theological and political views should not be a reason to cancel his award ceremony. He further called it “a good sign” that there was debate surrounding the award, saying it is the academy’s mission to represent a plurality of positions.
The ruling military junta in Myanmar torched a Catholic cathedral dedicated to St. Patrick in the northern Kachin state on the eve of his feast day last weekend, according to the Vatican news service Agenzia Fides.
The cathedral, its three-story office building, high school, and rectory were all destroyed in the fire, which soldiers of the SAC (State Administration Council) set during military operations around 4 p.m. on Sunday.
President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia celebrated his government’s partnership with the Catholic Church during a speech on Wednesday, stating that “the Catholic Church and the government are development partners, we are not competitors,” according to ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa.
He further emphasized the bond between the two institutions, adding: “The Catholic Church and the government will always be one and we will work together, and I want to assure you that you have our full support.”
The Fransiscan Monks of the Custodian of the Holy Land living in Syria issued a statement condemning the recent violence, which they said “increases the suffering of the Syrian people and threatens civil peace and the future of the country at this sensitive stage,” ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported on Tuesday.
The statement comes after an onslaught of civilian revenge killings along the coastal region of Syria earlier this month, which took place after remnants of former president Bashar al-Assad regime supporters launched a series of attacks on the country’s interim government that were met with immense retaliatory force targeting mostly Alawite civilians.
During his recent visit to Lebanon, the grand chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta met with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Raï to reaffirm the order’s support for Lebanon in its recovery phase, ACI MENA reported Sunday. The meeting highlighted the international community’s recognition of Lebanon’s sovereignty and neutrality, essential for the country’s stability and rebuilding efforts.
Following the escape of a fellow inmate, the roughly 200 Christian inmates contained at Rawalpindi Central Jail in the Punjab Province are now being denied usual access to the facility’s church, Asia News reported Thursday.
Human rights activist Xavier William — who visits the prison frequently — told the outlet: “[Christians] are already facing many difficulties, both inside the prison and with the judicial system. They are forced to clean the cells and suffer repeated abuse. Now they are even denied access to the church, to pray or engage in activities for their spiritual growth.”
The patriarch of the Chaldean Church, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that Chaldean churches and monasteries have been praying for Pope Francis’ health daily and have been joined as well by Iraq’s Muslim community, ACI MENA reported.
Sako stated that “a large number of Muslims call me daily to check on his health condition.” The Holy Father has been hospitalized in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for 35 days.
Posted on 03/21/2025 19:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
Young men attending the encounter with youth with Pope Francis at the Sir John Guise Stadium, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 9, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Vatican City, Mar 21, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).
The “2025 Annuario Pontificio” and the “2023 Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae” have been released, providing a detailed analysis of the life of the Catholic Church globally. Both reports, prepared by the Vatican’s Central Office for Church Statistics, reveal a notable growth of the Catholic population worldwide during the two-year period 2022-2023.
Concretely, there has been a 1.15% increase in the global Catholic population, going from approximately 1.39 billion Catholics in 2022 to 1.406 billion in 2023.
Africa has registered the greatest growth, with the Catholic population on the continent increasing by 3.31%, from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023. This growth is particularly dynamic, with countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, which leads the region with nearly 55 million Catholics, and others such as Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, which have also experienced significant increases in the number of faithful. Africa currently represents 20% of the world’s Catholic population.
Meanwhile, the Americas continue to be the region of the world with the highest proportion of Catholics, accounting for 47.8% of the global total. This increase is moderate, with a growth of 0.9% over the period.
In South America, Brazil remains the country with the largest number of Catholics, with 182 million, representing 13% of the world’s total. Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay stand out with more than 90% of their population being Catholic.
In terms of distribution, 27.4% of Catholics in the Americas reside in South America, while 6.6% are in North America and 13.8% in Central America.
In Asia, the Catholic population grew by 0.6% between 2022 and 2023. Although the region represents only 11% of the world’s total Catholics, countries such as the Philippines and India register significant numbers, with 93 million Catholics in the Philippines and 23 million in India, corresponding to 76.7% of the total Catholic population in Southeast Asia.
Europe, home to 20.4% of the world’s Catholics, remains the least dynamic continent in terms of Catholic growth. The European Catholic population increased by only 0.2% between 2022 and 2023, reflecting a near-stagnant dynamic. Italy, Poland, and Spain continue to be countries with a high proportion of Catholics, with more than 90% of their population identifying as Catholic. However, the European continent continues to demonstrate a slower rate of growth and increasing secularization.
In Oceania, the Catholic population experienced an increase of 1.9%, with a total population of just over 11 million Catholics in 2023. Although this growth is moderate, it reflects steady growth in this region.
The number of bishops also experienced an overall increase, rising by 1.4% between 2022 and 2023. The total number of bishops increased from 5,353 in 2022 to 5,430 in 2023. This growth occurred in all regions except Oceania, where the number of bishops remained constant. Most of the increase was observed in Africa and Asia, with more modest variations in Europe and the Americas.
As for priests, the Catholic Church globally recorded a slight decrease in their number, with a 0.2% reduction, from 407,730 priests in 2022 to 406,996 in 2023. However, Africa and Asia saw significant increases in the number of priests, with an increase of 2.7% in Africa and 1.6% in Asia.
In Europe and Oceania, on the other hand, a decrease in the number of priests was observed (-1.6% in Europe, -1.0% in Oceania).
Globally, the number of priests per 259,000 Catholics reflects regional disparities. While the ratio is higher in Africa and the Americas, in Oceania, for example, the number of priests per Catholic is much lower, suggesting a relative excess of priests compared with other regions.
When it comes to men and women religious, a continuation of the downward trend in the number of professed men who are not priests and professed women religious worldwide has been observed.
There was a 1.6% decline in men and women religious between 2022 and 2023, falling from 599,228 to 589,423. Although the number has fallen globally, Africa has recorded a slight increase of 2.2% in the number of women religious, while Europe, North America, and Latin America have seen significant reductions.
In terms of geographical distribution, Europe continues to be the continent with the largest number of women religious, representing almost 32% of the world’s women religious in 2023, followed by Asia with 30% and the Americas with 23%. In Africa, the presence of women religious remains significant, accounting for 14% of the world total.
Finally, one of the most significant phenomena is the decline in the number of seminarians, which has continued its downward trend since 2012. Globally, the number of seminarians decreased by 1.8% between 2022 and 2023, falling from 108,481 to 106,495. This decline primarily affected Europe, Asia, and the Americas, while Africa saw a slight increase of 1.1% in the number of seminarians.
In comparative terms, Africa and Asia account for 61.4% of all seminarians worldwide, a small increase from 61% in 2022. In Europe and America, however, the proportion of seminarians has declined, reflecting a growing trend toward a shortage of priestly vocations in these regions.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 03/21/2025 18:30 PM (CNA Daily News)
null / Credit: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels
CNA Staff, Mar 21, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.
A Virginia judge this week ruled that embryos aren’t property in a lawsuit between two ex-spouses over their two IVF-produced embryos.
Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Dontae Bugg dismissed Honeyhline Heidemann’s case against her ex-husband, Jason Heidemann, for access to embryos produced during their marriage.
In 2019, Honeyhline Heidemann, a breast cancer survivor, requested permission to use the embryos, but her ex-husband refused, and so she sued her former spouse.
In the bench trial, Heidemann testified that the embryos were her last chance to have another biological child due to her cancer treatment and that she would agree to her husband not being involved in raising the new children.
The husband is currently the primary custodian of the couple’s born daughter and maintained that he did not want to become a biological father again. He also referenced alleged poor parenting decisions made by his former wife.
Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard Gardiner, who is no longer assigned to the case, ruled in 2023 that human embryos could legally be considered property, citing a 19th-century state law saying that slaves could be considered “goods or chattels.”
But Bugg wrote in an opinion letter that because of the “unique nature of each human embryo,” an “equal division” could not be easily made and that one of the embryos was “better suited for viability than the other.”
Bugg also noted that the Virginia law was not intended to apply to human embryos and concluded that the human embryos “are not goods for chattels subject to partition” under state law.
He further expressed doubt over “reliance upon a version of [the state law] that predates passage of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution,” which outlawed slavery.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a fertility treatment opposed by the Catholic Church. In the procedure, doctors fuse sperm and eggs to create human embryos and implant them in the mother’s womb.
To maximize efficiency, doctors create excess human embryos and routinely destroy undesired embryos.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday announced the arrest of a midwife for operating an illegal abortion network in northwest Houston.
Paxton announced the arrest of Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, a midwife known as “Dr. Maria,” according to a press release from the prosecutor’s office.
The state charged Rojas with illegal performance of abortions, a second-degree felony, and practicing medicine without a license.
Paxton alleged that Rojas owned and operated multiple clinics with unlawfully employed unlicensed employees who were presenting themselves as licensed medical professionals. She also allegedly performed illegal abortions that violated the Texas Human Life Protection Act.
Texas pro-life law protects unborn children from abortion when the fetal heartbeat can be detected — usually around six weeks of pregnancy. In a statement Paxton cited the state’s pro-life laws, proclaiming: “In Texas, life is sacred.”
“I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state’s pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,” Paxton said.
Texas officials under Paxton’s direction filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down the clinics under the names Clinica Waller Latinoamericana in Waller, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge in Cypress, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic in Spring.
Attendees at a Florida Mass this week applauded Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his work against a proposed pro-abortion amendment last year.
The governor was attending the 50th annual Red Mass of the Holy Spirit at St. Thomas More Co-Cathedral in Tallahassee on Wednesday.
As Mass concluded, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski thanked DeSantis for advocating against a proposed amendment that would have enshrined a right to abortion in the Florida Constitution.
Referring to a breakfast event that had taken place earlier that day, Wenski said to DeSantis: “Governor, your ears must have been ringing because we were talking a lot about you during the breakfast, and it was all in praise, especially for the good work that you did in stopping Amendment 4.”
The governor was given sustained applause after Wenski’s remarks.
Amendment 4 fell short of the 60% approval requirement in November.
Participants of the widely-attended Red Mass include Catholics and non-Catholics and often include Florida legislators, judges, attorneys, state officials, and members of the executive branch such as DeSantis.
The Red Mass dates back to a nearly-800-year-old tradition in France, where lawyers and judges would begin each term of court by attending a Mass together. At the Mass, priests and judges wore red to show their commitment to the Holy Spirit.
Posted on 03/21/2025 18:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
Idaho Capitol in Boise. / Credit: Through the Lens of Life/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 21, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).
Idaho Gov. Brad Little this week signed legislation that bolsters religious freedom protections for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals when they object to performing certain procedures or providing certain services.
The new law, signed on Wednesday, amends the Medical Ethics Defense Act to clearly establish that Idaho recognizes “that the right of conscience is a fundamental and inalienable right” whether one’s conscience “is informed by religious, moral, or ethical beliefs or principles.”
Under the law, no health care professional, health care institution, or health care payer can be forced to participate in or pay for any medical procedure, treatment, or service to which he or she objects as a matter of conscience.
The law also prevents employers from retaliating or punishing an employee based on his or her conscience objections to any medical service. It states that a person should communicate his or her conscience objection to the employer as soon as reasonably possible to ensure necessary staffing adjustments can take place.
Under the law, a health care provider cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for refusing to provide a medical service because of the institution’s conscience objection.
Some objections from Catholic institutions or health care professionals could include procedures and services related to abortion, contraception, and transgender drugs and surgeries.
Greg Chafuen, who serves as legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement that “patients are best served by health care professionals who are free to act consistent with their oath to ‘do no harm.’”
“Unfortunately, doctors and nurses have been targeted for caring for their patients by refraining from harmful and dangerous procedures,” he said. “What may be worse, countless young professionals are kept out of the health care field because of fear that they will be forced to violate their conscience.”
Chaufen added that the Idaho law “ensures that health care professionals are not forced to participate in procedures that violate their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs.”
Idaho’s law also establishes stronger free speech protections by prohibiting departments and regulatory boards from punishing health care providers for engaging in speech, expression, or association that is protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution from government interference.
The law also creates a framework for health care institutions and health care professionals to file lawsuits to remedy any violations of the new regulations.
Posted on 03/21/2025 17:30 PM (CNA Daily News)
null / Credit: Gts/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 21, 2025 / 13:30 pm (CNA).
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has signed into law a bill that bans biological males from entering women’s spaces in the state’s prisons and jails.
The legislation, dubbed the Dignity and Safety for Incarcerated Women’s Act, prohibits men who self-identify as transgender women from accessing women’s changing rooms, restrooms, showers, sleeping quarters, and other facilities.
Under the law, all jails and prisons operated by the state’s Department of Corrections that house inmates of both sexes must provide separate facilities for men and for women. The law defines men and women on the basis of biological characteristics, as opposed to self-asserted “gender identity.”
The new law goes into effect on July 1.
Sara Beth Nolan, who works as legal counsel for the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement that “states have a duty to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women.”
“Letting men intrude into women’s spaces is an invasion of privacy, a threat to their safety, and a denial of the real biological differences between the two sexes,” she said. “[This law] safeguards against these harms to women in Mississippi correctional facilities.”
The law also establishes a framework that allows a person to sue a state correctional facility if the person encounters someone of the opposite sex within one of the protected spaces.
A person can obtain civil damages if the jail or prison gave someone of the opposite sex permission to enter the space or failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the person from entering the space. All civil actions must be brought within two years of the violation.
Mississippi’s actions mirror efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to prevent men from accessing women’s spaces and to reflect the biological distinctions of men and women in federal regulations.
Trump signed an executive order to clarify that within federal regulations, there are two sexes that are determined by biological characteristics. His orders also blocked men from women’s prisons and in women’s sports and women’s spaces at all educational institutions that receive federal funding.
Many of Trump’s executive orders have been challenged in court and are being held up by judges.
Posted on 03/21/2025 17:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Justin Kozemchak/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 21, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).
On March 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities” designed to eventually eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.
The order will not immediately close the department — that requires an act of Congress — but will make it “much smaller,” according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Leavitt said the order directs the U.S. Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to “greatly minimize the agency.” Before signing the order, Trump said he hopes Democratic members of Congress will vote for the dismissal of the department.
The U.S. Conference of Bishops (USCCB) responded to the new order stating that it “does not take a position on the institutional structure of government agencies,” but “the Catholic Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of their children and should have the freedom and resources to choose an educational setting best suited for their child.”
“The conference supports public policies that affirm this, and we support the positive working relationships that the dioceses, parishes, and independent schools have with their local public school system partners.”
“As this executive order is implemented, it is important to ensure that students of all backgrounds in both public and nonpublic schools, especially those with disabilities or from low-income backgrounds, will continue to receive the resources they need,” the statement concluded.
While private schools do not receive federal funds, they often work with the Department of Education to receive benefits from the department’s taxpayer-funded programs. The department does not give directly to private institutions but rather to programs the schools may utilize to support their students.
Jonathan Butcher, a senior research fellow for the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, told CNA that the new order should not have an impact on Catholic schools and will not prevent students in public or private schools from receiving the resources they need. He said “the president has said in his executive order that all of the essential services … will continue.”
The department’s two biggest programs for K–12 education are the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Title I program.
Butcher, a supporter of the order, said: “The president has committed to keeping programs for children in disadvantaged backgrounds or disadvantaged areas.”
Butcher said he believes the executive order will not influence students in public or private schools in their day-to-day lives.
“The Department of Education’s role is to move money from the treasury to state departments of education and local districts, handle federal loans, and enforce federal law,” he said. “They don’t operate any schools and they don’t teach in any classrooms.”
While the administration has received support for this decision, some critics say it will cause “challenges.” President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten told Newsweek that a “gutted department would mean fewer teachers, more crowded classrooms, and increased mental health and behavioral challenges for students.”
Advocacy groups for special needs students have also expressed concern, including Katy Neas, CEO of The Arc, which states it “protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
In a press release following the executive order, Neas said: “Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education is more than a policy shift — it will reverse five decades of progress for students with disabilities.”
“Children with disabilities who do not receive appropriate education services will face greater isolation, unemployment, and poverty,” she said.
Posted on 03/21/2025 16:30 PM (CNA Daily News)
null / Credit: Ulf Wittrock/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, Mar 21, 2025 / 12:30 pm (CNA).
The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is arguing in federal court that a state “human rights” law is infringing upon its freedoms of religion and speech as well as the freedoms of a pregnancy resource center in the state.
A lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. district court by the diocese and the Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford alleges that the Illinois Human Rights Act “dictates how religious employers must speak and act about employees’ voluntary reproductive decisions like abortion, contraception, and sterilization.”
The recently amended law forbids employers from engaging in “harassment” against employees; the state has defined harassment to include “unwelcome conduct” regarding whether an employee has “use[d] contraception, fertility treatments, or abortion care.”
The law further “prohibits employers from disciplining or refusing to hire employees” regarding their decisions about abortion and further “requires employers to grant employee accommodations” regarding abortion, the lawsuit alleges.
The measure renders both the diocese and the pregnancy center “powerless to control deeply theological internal matters and to separate themselves from conduct that fatally undermines their mission and message,” the suit states.
The law specifically prevents the diocese from hiring a pro-life advocate and an associate general counsel, the suit argues. Overall the act allegedly interferes with both the diocese’s and the pregnancy center’s religious autonomy “by preventing them from only hiring and retaining employees who abide by their religious beliefs.”
The plaintiffs allege that the law violates both the First Amendment and the 14th Amendment.
The lawsuit asks the court to forbid the state from enforcing the act against the two parties “in connection with [their] speech and conduct related to reproductive decisions.”
The plaintiffs are being represented in the suit by the religious liberty law firm Alliance Defending Freedom.
State Attorney General Kwame Raoul and state Department of Human Rights Director James Bennett were named as defendants. Neither office immediately responded to CNA’s requests for comment on the suit as of Friday morning.
Posted on 03/21/2025 16:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
Cardinal Peter Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, speaks at a press conference on “Risks and Opportunities of AI for Children: A Common Commitment for Safeguarding Children” on March 20, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Vatican City, Mar 21, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
The Vatican is collaborating with tech leaders and companies, governmental institutions, scholars, and nongovernmental organizations to fight “a war on two frontiers” — the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in person and online, including in the sphere of artificial intelligence (AI).
“We are really currently in a war at two frontiers when it comes to protecting children — the old ugly child exploitation, one-on-one, is not overcome — and now we have the new AI, gender-based violence at scale and sophistication. These are two things which are interacting,” Joachim Von Braun, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences, said at a March 20 press conference.
“The Church,” Von Braun added, “has a role to play in both of these, and it needs to work on a science base and deeply engage in the regulatory debate, otherwise we cannot win.”
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is hosting a March 21-22 conference with the safeguarding-centered Institute of Anthropology (IADC) at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Sweden-based World Childhood Foundation to address risks and opportunities presented by AI for protecting the safety of children and adolescents.
Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, director of the IADC, also emphasized on Thursday the role of the Church to provide education at a national and international level about the importance of “creating a safe space, safe relationships, and safe processes” to safeguard children’s dignity online.
“The mission that Jesus Christ has given us includes the well-being of all people, and especially, if you look into the Gospel, those who have been wounded or are exposed to greater risk of being harmed: children, adolescents, vulnerable populations,” the priest and child sexual abuse expert said.
The Church has a “responsibility to raise our voice to point out where governments and tech companies fail.”
Cardinal Peter Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, reinforced that “AI is with us” and Catholics cannot miss the chance to be an influential voice for protecting children from the negative effects of this “exciting but fearsome tool,” as Pope Francis described it in his message for peace in 2024.
That is why, the cardinal continued, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is glad to be partnering with scientists, tech leaders, and child well-being organizations from around the world to solve the issue at the root, through the promotion of ethically compliant AI models and data, rather than going after the systems “like a firehose after they are already created.”
The two-day Vatican conference, titled “Risks and Opportunities of AI for Children: A Common Commitment for Safeguarding Children,” features a number of high-level participants, including Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, the founder of World Childhood Foundation, and Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden.
Also participating: Michelle DeLaune, president and CEO of the U.S.-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; parliamentarian Brando Benifei, rapporteur of the EU AI Act and president of the EU Parliament-U.S. Delegation; Mama Fatima Singhateh, U.N. special rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children; parliamentarian Neema Lugangira, chair of the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance; and Julia Hiller, office of the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM) for the German government.
Similoluwa Okunowo, a Google DeepMind scholar in the AI for Science Program at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Nigeria, will also present as one of four young adults providing a “youth perspective” during the conference.
Zollner said some of the risks of AI for children and adolescents include bullying, sextorsion, and entering relationships with digital partners they do not know.
Mandatory reporting laws in many parts of the world, including in the EU, are inadequate, he noted, and the risks are also exacerbated by a lack of consistency in policy and by tech companies who make enormous amounts of money but do not engage enough in child safety.
“We need to talk about the digital environment that for many of the young people today is perhaps the most important environment in which they communicate and relate,” he said.
Zollner also emphasized the important role families play as the front line for education about artificial intelligence and internet safety. He has noticed that parents are concerned, but there is also a huge “illiteracy” and feeling of overwhelm about the challenges and about how to engage in meaningful conversations with children and adolescents about the issue.
“It’s not about black and white,” he encouraged. “All of us use these instruments more than we are aware of, all of us are dependent on these instruments, how do we educate to a proper and healthy use of them, so that it’s not harming myself or others, but it’s meant to create a space of safe interaction and growth and well-being.”
Families, parishes, dioceses, and Catholic schools “could and should be promoters of an education for a safer way to engage with the social media world and digital world in general,” Zollner added. “We have a huge ethical impact here potentially but unfortunately we have not made much use of that.”
“AI is galloping away,” Von Braun said. He offered a practical suggestion: that each diocese set up an academic group from the community as an AI council to give evidence-based advice to bishops on the risks and influence of artificial intelligence.
At the press conference, Britta Holmberg, deputy secretary general of the World Childhood Foundation, urged the public to not be afraid to confront the issue of AI.
While the quickly-changing world of AI can be scary, everyone has a responsibility, she said, to be open and curious, and to learn more in order to be role models for the world and to spread awareness about AI’s risks.
“If we don’t act, that also has consequences,” she underlined.
Posted on 03/21/2025 15:30 PM (CNA Daily News)
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas. / Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” screenshot
CNA Staff, Mar 21, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).
Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, on Thursday settled a lawsuit against the leaders of a Kansas Satanist group after the defendants testified under oath that the hosts and wine they plan to desecrate in a Satanic ritual are not “Catholic in origin.”
Naumann had on March 14 filed a lawsuit in Leavenworth County District Court seeking an order to secure the safe return of the Eucharist from the co-founder of the Satanist group, who had allegedly boasted online of possessing a “consecrated host” that the group intends to desecrate during an upcoming “black mass.”
The defendants in the suit were Michael T. Stewart and Travis L. Roberts, both Kansas residents who, according to the suit, are co-founders of the Satanic Grotto, also known as the Grotto Society, which is a nonprofit registered in Linwood, Kansas.
In the suit, Naumann alleged that Stewart had posted online that the group has “secured a consecrated host” that they intend to desecrate during a planned “black mass” set to be held March 28 on the grounds of the Kansas state capitol.
“Satanist” groups intending to stage so-called “black masses” — a direct mockery of the Catholic Mass — have on at least one other occasion boasted of possessing a stolen consecrated host with an intent to desecrate the Eucharist in an unspecified but profane ritual.
The Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist, while retaining the appearance of bread and wine, is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.
As the leader of the Catholic Church in the region, Naumann appealed to Kansas law related to the return of personal property, saying the Satanists are not authorized to possess the consecrated bread and wine and, if they do in fact have them, must have obtained them illegally.
“[A]ny and all consecrated host(s) and any amount of consecrated wine is the property of the Catholic Church, and thus Archbishop Naumann, as the custodian of such property being located within the territory of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, is entitled to immediate delivery of such property,” the lawsuit reads.
As evidence that Stewart and Roberts had the Eucharist, Naumann submitted screenshots of Reddit posts in which a user “xsimon666x” said they had “already secured a consecrated host” and “wine too” for the desecration ritual. The defendants admitted during the proceedings that the xsimon666x username is one of their pseudonyms.
A promotional flyer for the “mass” posted on Reddit lists the “components” of the ritual, which include the “Denounciation [sic] of Christ,” the “Desecration of the Eucharist,” and the “Corruption of the Blood.”
Naumann stressed the “incalculable” value of the Eucharist as one of several reasons the court should compel its safe return to the Church.
“A host is simply a piece of bread. However, a consecrated host — including the consecrated host that [is] the subject of this action — is a host that has undergone the transubstantiation and is now the body of Jesus Christ,” the suit notes.
“Likewise, the wine used at the Mass is simply common wine. However, once the wine has undergone transubstantiation it becomes consecrated wine, and thus the blood of Jesus Christ.”
For his part, Stewart, who has described himself as an atheist who does not believe in Satan, denied the theft allegations in comments to the Kansas Reflector and said that “no one asked” what consecration means to him.
“I find it very entertaining that [Naumann] is convinced that I have Jesus trapped in a cracker and he would take it to court,” Stewart is quoted as saying.
Court documents show that Stewart and Roberts answered the lawsuit’s allegations, in part, by contending that “there is no evidence that the host to which defendants refer in their posts is a Catholic Eucharist host” and that “the Catholic Church does not have a monopoly on Communion or the consecration of hosts or wine.”
“The hosts that are the subject of this lawsuit are not Catholic in origin,” the defendants maintained.
The Kansas Catholic Conference, in a statement provided to CNA, called the Satanist group’s assurances that they did not steal and do not possess the Eucharist an “unexpected but welcome development” that alleviates many of the Church’s “grave concerns.”
However, they noted that the Satanist group is still planning to defile a Bible, crucifix, and other Christian symbols and that Catholics should still pray for the conversion of those planning to take part.
“We now have a sworn statement before a judge that the group does not possess a validly consecrated host,” said Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.
“This alleviates a major concern. It is still sad that a group can get permission to use the statehouse grounds when their sole purpose is mockery and denigration of not just Catholics but people of all denominations,” he said.
Amid a heated debate among Kansas lawmakers as to whether the event should be allowed to go forward March 28, Gov. Laura Kelly last week said she has “limited authority” to cancel the event, instead decreeing that the event must take place outside and not inside the building itself. A Catholic-led petition asking Kelly to shut down the event has attracted over 40,000 signatures as of Thursday.
The Catholic bishops of the state are urging the faithful to counter the planned event through prayer, good works such as seeking out volunteer opportunities with Catholic Charities, and by contacting their lawmakers to ask them to shut the event down.
During the Satanic event, Naumann will be leading a Holy Hour at Assumption Catholic Church, which is directly across the street from the capitol. The Holy Hour will begin at 11 a.m. followed by noon Mass. Similar Holy Hours and Masses are planned in the neighboring Kansas dioceses of Wichita, Salina, and Dodge City.
The planned Satanic ritual is an “affront to all Christians,” Naumann noted in the statement, but he urged the faithful not to “succumb to anger and violence, as that would be cooperating with the devil.”
“Rather, approach this situation with confidence in God’s ultimate victory over Satan, sin, and death as stated in Matthew 16:18,” the archbishop concluded.
Nearby Benedictine College announced March 10 that students and staff will be dedicating the month’s weekly Holy Hours, rosaries, and Memorare prayers to the intention of the conversion of those involved in the sacrilegious event and to the intention that faith will grow in Kansas.
Catholic opposition to “black mass” events has a history of success in recent years.
Last October, Catholics in Atlanta were outraged and called to prayer when a “black mass” event was announced by the Satanic Temple, a provocative Salem, Massachusetts-based political organization that denies belief in the supernatural and is known for protesting religious symbolism in public spaces.
After legal action by the Atlanta Archdiocese, the Satanic Temple admitted it did not have a consecrated host and did not intend to use one in its “mass.”
In 2014, a planned “black mass” at Harvard University sparked considerable outcry from Catholics, as did another one later that year in Oklahoma City. The latter led to a successful lawsuit from the Oklahoma City Archdiocese against an occult group that claimed to have obtained a consecrated host, leading to the host’s safe return.
Posted on 03/21/2025 13:45 PM (CNA Daily News)
Sister Mary Casey O’Connor, SV, and her twin sister, Casey Gunning, who has Down syndrome, speak at the March for Life Rally in 2023. / Credit: Screenshot EWTN YouTube
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 21, 2025 / 09:45 am (CNA).
As Americans become more conscious of the importance of welcoming people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those with Down syndrome, the Catholic Church in the United States is also working to accommodate Catholics who have such conditions.
Today, March 21, marks World Down Syndrome Day — a global awareness day recognized by the United Nations to advocate for the legal rights of people with Down syndrome and promote greater inclusion and less stigmatization of people with the genetic condition.
Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has a third chromosome 21, which normally occurs at the moment of conception. Although the condition affects each person differently, it typically causes intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, distinct physical characteristics, and increased risks of certain health problems.
About half a million Americans have Down syndrome. Although stigmatization of people with Down syndrome is still prevalent in society, there are growing opportunities within the Catholic Church to address their needs during faith formation and ensure proper access to Mass and the sacraments.
“No one can refuse the sacraments to people with disabilities,” Pope Francis said in 2021.
Charleen Katra, the executive director of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD), told CNA that stigmatization of those with Down syndrome is “still an issue, even in good Catholic faith communities,” but highlighted the ongoing progress on inclusion within the Church.
Katra provides training and other resources for catechists on how to better accommodate the needs of people who have disabilities. She said special training on the subject is important for catechists “because the audience is a little more specialized.”
She said a person may need instruction at “a slower pace” and “a more adaptive pace,” noting that people with learning disabilities often benefit from a “multisensory approach” that includes visuals or touch.
In one example, she noted that putting one’s hands in a prayer posture could help a person visualize prayer if he or she is struggling to understand the concept simply through verbal instruction. Another example she noted is modeling clay into the form of a dove to help visualize the Holy Spirit when teaching about confirmation to provide a “more tangible, multisensory experience.”
“The more options we give, the more people we serve,” Katra said.
Katra noted that Loyola Press publishes a lot of material for catechists and parents designed to help them learn how to better instruct people who have intellectual disabilities.
One option available in some dioceses is Special Religious Development (SPRED), which are faith development programs designed specifically for people who have disabilities and struggle with other catechesis programs available. Although this is not the approach of most dioceses, Katra said it is “one of many positive models.”
Nancy Emanuel of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, helps run her diocese’s Special Religious Education (SPRED) program. The program includes about 150 children and adults who are broken into different age groups.
“SPRED is for people who don’t fit into more typical programs,” Emanuel said.
Emanuel told CNA the approach in Arlington also includes “a lot of multisensory learning.” This includes visual aids and crafts and trying to “make learning fun and adventurous” in an engaging way.
In one example, she explained a 3D visual lesson on the Eucharist in which a picture of Christ is placed behind the host so when the students lift up the host, they see an image of Jesus. She said visuals like this help them understand the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist to ensure they are properly prepared for their first Communion.
Emanuel said one of the most important concepts to ensure that a person is ready for Communion is to comprehend the distinction between food, which is nourishment of the body, and the Eucharist, which is nourishment of the soul.
“Then we know that they understand the concept,” Emanuel said.
Katra emphasized that when catechizing a person with an intellectual disability, it is important to recognize that every person has “different gifts and abilities.” She said it is important to not “do for someone anything they can do for themselves,” adding that it is necessary to “set them up to be an independent person and live as independently as possible, and yet support them as needed.”
“Let them do as much as they can for themselves before you assist,” Katra said.
Apart from unique catechesis options, some parishes are also introducing sensory-friendly Mass options in which lights are dimmed, there is no organ music, and homilies are concise. Another component to these Masses is that the church will often provide objects, such as rosaries, that people can fidget with if it helps them maintain focus.
For people with Down syndrome or other intellectual disabilities, Katra told CNA the sensory Mass gives them “the ability to feel free to come out of a pew” if needed to help “regain focus or maybe calm down if someone’s getting anxious or agitated.”
Katra said these Masses “make parishes and churches more accessible for more worshippers” and referenced stories of people coming back to Mass thanks to these options.
Additionally, Katra said it is important that the Church “shows love, shows kindness, shows patience, [and] shows compassion” when accommodating the needs of people who have disabilities.
She said people with Down syndrome “are pure love and they are pure joy, absolutely.”
“They are exceptional models for us in so many Christian traits and values,” Katra said.