Archbishop Gintaras Grušas and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Nikitas Loulias present the signed updated Ecumenical Charter to Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 18:29 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV received in a Nov. 6 audience the members of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE, by its Spanish acronym), the Ecumenical Council of Churches (CEC), and the representatives of the Christian Churches of Europe, who met in Rome to sign the updated “Charta Œcumenica.”

Signed in 2001 by the presidents of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the CCEE, the Ecumenical Charter has been the cornerstone of European ecumenical cooperation for more than two decades. The revised version seeks to address contemporary challenges and reflect the changing realities of European society and Christianity.

The revision process, initiated in 2022, was led by a joint working group of the CEC and the CCEE. To this end, input from churches and ecumenical organizations throughout Europe was considered for the purpose of ensuring that the updated text responds to current ecumenical needs.

The updated version was signed on Nov. 5 by Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, Lithuania, the president of the CCEE, and by Greek Orthodox Archbishop Nikitas Loulias of Thyateira and Great Britain.

Challenges on the ecumenical journey

During the meeting at the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father emphasized that “the challenges Christians face on the ecumenical journey are constantly evolving,” and for this reason, it has been necessary to reexamine the situation in Europe.

Loulias, president of the CEC, explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, after the audience with the Holy Father that “the world has changed” and that the realities of 25 years ago are not the same as those of today.

“Now there is the problem of migration, and how to treat migrants and the laws related to it. Also, how to confront nationalism, populism, ideas based on prejudice and hate, and what we, as Christians, preach: peace,” he emphasized.

The pope also noted in his address the importance of “constant and careful” discernment while lamenting that many Christian communities in Europe “feel increasingly like a minority.”

In this context, he recalled that new peoples are arriving in Europe that must be welcomed and listened to, promoting dialogue, harmony, and fraternity, particularly “amid the clamor of violence and war, whose echoes resound throughout the continent.”

“In all these situations,” the pope continued, “the grace, mercy, and peace of the Lord are truly vital, because only divine help will show us the most convincing way to proclaim Christ in these changing contexts.”

The pontiff referred to the ecumenical document as a “testimony to the willingness of the Churches of Europe to look at our history with the eyes of Christ” and noted that “the synodal path is ecumenical, just as the ecumenical path is synodal.”

In this regard, he emphasized that the new Ecumenical Charter “highlights the common path undertaken by Christians of different traditions in Europe, capable of listening to one another and discerning together in order to proclaim the Gospel more effectively.”

Sharing a common vision

Furthermore, Pope Leo highlighted that one of the most remarkable achievements of the review process has been “the ability to share a common vision on contemporary challenges and to establish priorities for the future of the continent while maintaining a firm conviction in the enduring relevance of the Gospel.”

In this regard, Loulias commented to ACI Prensa on the progress made on the path of ecumenism, emphasizing that “a hundred years ago, we didn’t even speak to each other.”

Although he acknowledged that challenges and problems still exist, especially due to language differences, he noted that this update “has allowed us to come together, cooperate, work together, respect one another, exchange thoughts and ideas, and recognize the values ​​we share.”

At the end of his address, the Holy Father also expressed his desire to proclaim to all the peoples of Europe that “Jesus Christ is our hope, because he is both the path we must follow and the ultimate destination of our spiritual pilgrimage.”

Loulias referred to Pope Leo XIV as “a very humble, very thoughtful, and very kind man. We discussed various topics, and of course, I asked him to pray for peace during our private conversation.”

“As an Orthodox Christian and as a representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, I am proud to have been part of this process. Now the pope is preparing to travel to Istanbul to meet with the ecumenical patriarch [Bartholomew I]; these are significant signs of what is happening,” he said.

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

Then-Bishop of Verdun Jean-Paul Gusching speaks on the phone before the closing speech on the last day of the Conference des Eveques de France (French Bishops’ Conference), in Lourdes, southwestern France, on Nov. 8, 2022. / Credit: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

EWTN News, Nov 6, 2025 / 16:02 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has clarified that the resignation of Bishop Jean-Paul Gusching, former head of the Diocese of Verdun in eastern France, was prompted by reports of inappropriate relationships with women rather than solely by health concerns as initially stated at the end of September.

In a statement issued on Nov. 4, the apostolic nunciature in France said it had received “information concerning relationships toward women by Bishop Jean-Paul Gusching, then bishop of Verdun,” which was forwarded to the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome.

According to the communiqué, despite the bishop’s “persistent denials” and the “fragmentary and contradictory” nature of the reports, he had pledged to the dicastery “to avoid in the future any behavior toward women that could be interpreted as contrary to his priestly commitments.”

However, “given the persistence of the situation,” Pope Leo XIV solicited and accepted his resignation, which took effect  Sept. 27. The nunciature clarified that the “health reasons publicly invoked by the prelate are only one element among others” that led to the Holy Father’s decision to accept the resignation.

As a precautionary measure, the Vatican has imposed on Gusching “a retired life in a place located outside both his diocese of origin, Amiens, and that of Verdun” and instructed him “to refrain from any liturgical celebrations and public pastoral activities.”

A preliminary canonical investigation has been opened, entrusted to Pontoise Emeritus Bishop Stanislas Lalanne, assisted by Archbishop Philippe Ballot, the metropolitan of Metz and apostolic administrator of Verdun.

The nunciature also confirmed that a report has been submitted to the civil authorities. 

In a message to the clergy and faithful of Verdun, Ballot expressed “his closeness and support to all those who will be legitimately hurt by this information,” emphasizing the Church’s duty to act transparently.

“Doing the work of truth is necessary in order to maintain the habitual trust between the faithful of Christ and those who have received the mission to be their pastors,” he wrote.

Gusching, 70, had announced his resignation in late September, citing “a concerning situation requiring appropriate medical care.” At that time, no reference was made to disciplinary measures.

The apostolic nunciature’s statement confirms that the resignation was in fact requested by the Holy See following ongoing concerns about the bishop’s conduct.

“Faithful to the received tradition, the Church recalls that priests — and therefore bishops first of all — are called to live in conformity with the commitments made at the time of their ordination,” Ballot wrote in his pastoral letter, issued from Lourdes where the French bishops are currently gathered for their autumn plenary assembly.

The case comes at a delicate time for the French episcopate, which has committed to addressing issues of clergy accountability with greater transparency, particularly since the publication of the 2021 report on sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

The Church in France, long criticized for handling these issues discreetly, created the world-first National Canonical Criminal Court (TPCN) in 2022 to deal with canonical offenses.

Speaking to the regional newspaper L’Est Républicain, Gusching admitted having had a relationship for seven years, from around 2015 to 2022, which he described as consensual and with “a woman of age.”

Claiming that he is “not proud of it” and has made amends to the Holy See in this regard, he nonetheless denounced Rome’s handling of the affair as “disgusting” and claimed that “they want [his] head,” speaking of “jealousy” toward him in this case.

The canonical inquiry remains ongoing, and Church authorities have declined further comment “to preserve the serenity of the judicial process and in respect of the presumption of innocence,” the nunciature said.

A DACA protest sign is waved outside of the White House on Sept. 5, 2017. / Credit: Rena Schild/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 14:45 pm (CNA).

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops expressed its solidarity this week with immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Texas ahead of the implementation of a federal court order that will impact the immigrants’ legal status.

In a statement released Nov. 4, the Texas bishops called the looming implementation of the court ruling in the case Texas v. United States “unprecedented and disruptive.” The bishops said the ruling’s implementation will target “law-abiding people,” many of whom are “some of the most upstanding individuals” in “our communities.”

In the Texas v. United States case, Texas sued the federal government, claiming that DACA was illegally created without statutory authority, as it was created through executive action rather than legislation passed by Congress.

In January, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld the U.S. district court’s declaration that DACA is unlawful but narrowed the scope to Texas, separating deportation protections from work authorization. This means, in theory, that DACA’s core shield against removal could remain available nationwide for current recipients and new applicants, while work permits might be preserved for most — except in Texas. 

On Sept. 29, the U.S. Department of Justice proposed how the appellate court’s order should be implemented. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), implementation of the district court’s order is expected at some point after Nov. 24. 

In their statement, the Texas bishops blamed political “unwillingness” to address immigration reform over the years for the “terribly broken immigration system” that has led to the current situation, which is “fomenting fear [and] severing relationships.”

“The present distress in our country regarding immigration is the result of decades of unwillingness on all sides to enact reasonable and meaningful immigration reform,” the bishops wrote, “reform which respects both national security needs and the human right of each person to work and raise a family in peace.”

“We will continue to work with people of goodwill to encourage compassionate outreach to those in dire predicaments and a humane reform of our terribly broken immigration system,” the bishops wrote.

The Texas bishops noted that they “are pastors of ICE agents and DACA recipients” and said the 5th Circuit’s ruling will “only exacerbate fear and distrust, pit community members against one another, and cause significant economic disruption for many communities.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Department of Migration and Refugee Services also called attention to the ongoing federal court developments expected to affect the program’s beneficiaries in Texas in an advisory at the end of October.

“Anyone eligible for DACA should consider the consequences of moving to or from Texas,” the USCCB update states, pointing out that relocation could trigger revocation of employment authorization with just 15 days’ notice.

For Texas’ approximately 90,000 DACA recipients — the second-largest population after California’s 145,000 — the implications could be stark, according to the U.S. and Texas bishops. 

Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told CNA in October that the key takeaway from the USCCB’s update is a “warning” to DACA recipients “who live in Texas.”

Under the looming order, if it is implemented according to the U.S. government’s proposals, DACA recipients who live in Texas could receive “forbearance from removal” (deferred deportation) but lose “lawful presence” status, disqualifying them from work permits and benefits such as in-state tuition or driver’s licenses. 

Launched in 2012 through executive action by President Barack Obama, DACA offers work authorization and temporary protection from deportation to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors. 

The first Trump administration tried to end the program but was blocked from doing so in 2020 by the U.S. Supreme Court. While President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to work with Democrats on the status of DACA beneficiaries, the program continues to be subject to litigation, with the latest developments centering on the Texas v. United States case.

To be eligible for DACA, applicants must have arrived before age 16, resided continuously since June 15, 2007, and been under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012. There are approximately 530,000 DACA participants nationwide according to KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. KFF estimates that up to 1.1 million individuals meet DACA eligibility criteria.

“We want to say unequivocably to all our immigrant sisters and brothers, and in a particular way to those who arrived as children: We have heard your cries. We are with you in these difficult days,” the Texas bishops wrote.

Residents help move food supplies at a community center before distribution to the Whitehouse community in Westmoreland, Jamaica, one of the areas most severely affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa, on Nov. 2, 2025. / Credit: Ricardo Makyn/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 6, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

Catholic leaders and agencies have mobilized to help communities left devastated after Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica.

The Category 5 hurricane swept through the Caribbean with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour and claimed up to 50 lives after making landfall on Oct. 28. Jamaica suffered the largest impact, but neighboring nations also experienced immense effects including flash flooding and landslides.

In Jamaica, practically no buildings along the country’s southern coast remain intact. Areas have experienced structural failures, immense roof damage, floods, power outages, and communication disruptions. Families have a long road to recovery after many lost loved ones, property, possessions, and livelihoods.

To help communities suffering from Hurricane Melissa’s aftermath, Catholic agencies are on the ground supporting relief efforts and fundraising across the globe to provide aid. 

Providing aid 

Dominican friars with St. Martin’s Missions, an initiative that supports communities in Jamaica and Grenada, are working to help communities most affected. Father Bede Mullens, OP, one of the friars working in Jamaica, told CNA they are based in Kingston, “which mercifully was left largely unscathed by the hurricane.”

“Nonetheless, some of our poorer parishioners in August Town, an impoverished neighborhood, did lose roofs, walls, and in one case pretty much the whole house,” Mullens said. With the help of donations from across the globe, St. Martin’s will purchase and provide materials for repairs and food.

Mullens explained that “after recent panic-buying, some food items are hard to come by, and food prices on the whole are set to go up in the coming months, as the part of the island hardest hit is a major agricultural area.”

This Friday, Nov. 7, the friars will distribute 300 meals to students at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica, and to several less-well-off parishioners. Mullens said: “We are trying to arrange sponsorship from local benefactors for students in need to receive support for food and personal hygiene items.”

Across the island the friars have been able to contact some parishes near Montego Bay, which suffered great damage. “One of the churches is currently operating as a shelter with just half a roof,” Mullens said.

The friars have also coordinated provisions of basic building materials and essentials including water and baby food that will be transported to Sacred Heart Church near Montego Bay and St. Agnes Church in Chester Castle.

When the roads reopen and the friars are able to make contact with more parishes in other areas, they plan to also assist their rebuilding efforts and support the local community needs.

“There is, of course, a massive need for material assistance, but for us it is very important that St. Martin’s bears witness to our worldwide solidarity in the body of Christ,” Mullens said. “We belong to a Church that is at once truly Catholic and truly one, at once global and personal.”

Franciscan Friars Charities (FFC), the charitable arm of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, activated the Franciscan Relief Fund to help the people in western Jamaica recover from extensive damage.

“The friars in Negril have quickly mobilized to assess the community’s needs after the storm,” FFC said in a statement. “Each day they ground their hearts in faith through morning prayer and daily Mass before heading out into the community to provide vital services.”

The friars are serving warm meals daily at St. Anthony Kitchen, a soup kitchen in Negril. They anticipate a significant increase in the number of people coming to the kitchen, expecting approximately 400 to 500 people a day.

The friars are cleaning the Revival Health Clinic, which provides basic medical care, and are looking into creating a mobile clinic to visit remote areas. They are also visiting parishioners, many of whom have lost their homes, and providing them with immediate relief including water and food.

“Communicating with our friars in Negril has been difficult because there’s no electricity and the cellular services are down,” said Brother Jim Bok, OFM. “There’s just unbelievable destruction. It’s going to take years to recover. A tremendous amount of outside support will be needed to help deal with it.”

Organizations respond with action 

Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, an Illinois-based organization that partners with organizations, hospitals, and clinics around the world, is working directly with Food for the Poor and other organizations transporting and distributing aid.

After learning there was an urgent need for diapers, Mission Outreach’s warehouse team mobilized to send out 4,000 it had available. It also shipped out a 40-foot container to Jamaica filled with requested medical supplies and equipment.

A number of Catholic relief organizations including Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) are fundraising to send food, medicines, and housing supplies to ministry partners in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba.

CCO said it is “sending shipments of recovery supplies to the Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor and will airlift medical supplies into Montego Bay when conditions are safe enough to do so.” It is also working to help the Diocese of Mandeville to rebuild St. Theresa Kindergarten, which was destroyed in the storm.

CRS is working to help on the ground with “a team of 100 staff in Haiti and local partners in Jamaica and the region,” the organization reported. “CRS and the Catholic Church are committed to walking with families through every phase of recovery — from immediate relief to long-term rebuilding. ”

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs will coordinate with the Catholic Church to distribute $3 million in humanitarian assistance. The funds will go directly to helping those impacted in eastern Cuba by the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts speaks with CNA in an interview. / Credit: Jack Haskins/EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 6, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts has issued an apology following his controversial defense of Tucker Carlson’s interview with Nick Fuentes. 

“Leadership requires owning the moments where we fall short — then using them to reset, refocus, and recommit,” Roberts said in a video statement posted on X Nov. 6. The apology followed remarks made during a Heritage Foundation town hall that were leaked to the media. 

The Heritage Foundation and its president began receiving backlash after, in an Oct. 30 video, Roberts defended Carlson against “cancellation” for an interview he conducted with Fuentes, a white nationalist, self-described fan of Stalin and Hitler, and Holocaust denier, who has said women “want to be raped” and argued in favor of segregation and racism against African Americans. Carlson drew heavy criticism for failing to challenge Fuentes on his views, including at one point in the interview when Fuentes said he was a “fan” of Stalin. 

Roberts said in a video message on social media Oct. 30 that “the venomous coalition attacking [Carlson] are sowing division” and that “their attempt to cancel him will fail.”

“My use of the phrase ‘venomous coalition’ was a terrible choice of words,” Roberts said, referring to the video statement that went viral last week. “It caused justified concern — especially among friends and allies who know how seriously Heritage has fought, and continues to fight, against the rise of antisemitism.”

Roberts later posted a written statement decrying Fuentes’ views, which he said he abhorred. 

In his latest statement, the former president of Wyoming Catholic College also emphasized the importance of speaking out against antisemitism, “no matter the messenger.” 

“Heritage and I will do so, even when my friend Tucker Carlson needs challenging,” he said.

null / Credit: RomanR/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 13:15 pm (CNA).

A staffer at the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri allegedly stole more than $150,000 while serving as the leader of a diocesan scholarship program, officials have alleged.

Federal prosecutors claim that Jeremy Lillig engaged in wire fraud to steal from the diocesan Bright Futures Fund, which offers tuition assistance for students in diocesan schools.

Bishop James Johnston Jr. said in a Nov. 5 letter to the diocese that Lillig had been arrested by law enforcement pursuant to a warrant from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri.

Lillig was last employed by the diocese in October 2023, Johnston said. The diocese became aware of the alleged theft “shortly after his departure,” after which they reported it to law enforcement including the FBI.

“This news is, I’m sure, unsettling to many within our diocesan family, and, like you, I was shocked to learn of such a gross violation of the trust and integrity that is essential to any institution, especially one upheld by Catholic teachings,” the bishop wrote.

Johnston said the diocese has conducted a full audit of its finances to determine the extent of the alleged theft. In addition, the diocese has strengthened security and oversight of the Bright Futures program.

“In everything we do, we strive to be faithful stewards of the resources and generous gifts with which we are entrusted and which help sustain our many services and ministries,” the bishop wrote in the letter.

The Kansas City Star reported on Nov. 5 that Lillig pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is set for March 16, 2026.

Lillig reportedly worked as director of stewardship for the diocese in addition to his role at the scholarship fund.

Prosecutors accused him of having diverted diocesan funds to purchase hundreds of Visa gift cards over the course of about five years.

In 2015 Lillig had been hailed by the local magazine the Independent as a “rising star of philanthropy,” with the outlet describing philanthropic giving as an “ingrained part of his professional, civic, and personal life.”

He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

Michael Iskander as King David in Season 2 of “House of David.” / Credit: Jonathan Prime/Prime

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 12:45 pm (CNA).

Earlier this year, a new series telling the story of King David, one of the best-known kings of Israel, was released on Prime Video and garnered over 40 million views worldwide. “House of David,” produced by the faith-based studio The Wonder Project, is now in its second season. 

While the first season focused on the anointing of David and his defeat against Goliath, the second season sees David go from shepherd boy to warrior as a commander of King Saul’s army. 

Michael Iskander, the actor who portrays King David in the series, recently sat down with CNA for an exclusive interview and discussed the new season and David’s transformation.

“I really, really love this season,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of it and proud of the work that we'’ve done this time because it is truly a transformative season.”

He added: “In the time of David people asked, ‘How is this guy going to defeat Goliath?’ He’s just a youth … He’s a shepherd.’ In the same way this time around in this season, people are questioning, ‘How is this guy going to be a commander? How is he going to lead Saul’s armies?’ But we see that transformation that God takes him on. We see that complete switch in demeanor, complete switch in confidence, in his build. He’s a different man by the end of the season than he is at the beginning and it’s really indicative of how much God can work in our lives if we let him.”

Iskander, a recent convert to Catholicism, pointed out that this season is one of war, bloodshed, romance, and drama as well as “much more biblical material that I think is going to be really informative for people.”

One of the actor’s favorite aspects of the season is the deeper look into the friendship between David and Jonathan, one of King Saul’s sons.

“We really dive into the friendship between David and Jonathan this season and that friendship is one of the the only kind of main friendships that we see in the Old Testament between two guys,” he explained. “And it’s really a model for us as men today of how do we express love for one another? How do we show friendship? What is true friendship? What does love and friendship look like?”

As for what he hopes people are taking away from the show, Iskander hopes that “people take away the point of the story, which is that everything about David … is about the heart. What does your heart look like? I hope people ponder this question: ‘Do we love God? Do we love him as much as we should?’”

He added: “Christ says ‘To lay one’s life for another, that is the greatest love we can show.’ Are we willing to lay down our lives for Christ in the same manner that David did? David was put in so many life-threatening situations because of God and God led him through. Are we willing to trust him to lead us through those same challenges?”

“Ultimately above this, do we love God? That is the most important question,” he said. “So, I hope people ask themselves that question. And I hope it inspires them to go on a deeper faith journey. And, for me, I ultimately hope it inspires them to grow closer to Christ.”

Season 2 of "House of David" is streaming now on Prime Video with a Wonder Project subscription. 

Watch an exclusive clip from “House of David” Season 2 Episode 7 below:

Nancy Pelosi with Vatican Secetary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 12:15 pm (CNA).

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader who has served in Congress since the late 1980s, announced on Nov. 6 that she will not seek reelection once her current term expires, ending a 50-year-long career in politics including roughly four decades in the nation’s capitol.

In a video address to residents of the city of San Francisco, which she represents in Congress, Pelosi said she has “truly loved serving” the constituents of the California city.

“That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know, I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” she said. 

“With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative,” she said in the address. 

Pelosi first assumed congressional office in 1987. She notably served as the first female Speaker of the House from 2007–2011.

She began her career in Democratic politics in 1976 when she was elected as a member of the Democratic National Committee. She headed the California Democratic Party from 1981–1983. 

Catholic identity

Pelosi has described herself as “very Catholic,” styling herself in 2022 as “devout, practicing, all of that,” though her professed Catholicism has long been at odds with her staunch, decadeslong support of abortion. 

In 2022 Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced that Pelosi should not be admitted to holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and should not present herself to receive the Eucharist until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion, which the Catholic Church teaches is a grave sin. 

A longtime backer of LGBT politics, Pelosi has also criticized the U.S. bishops for what she has claimed is “very negative, anti-LGBTQ stuff,” including regarding surgical or chemical techniques that aim to exchange or simulate the sex characteristics of a patient’s body for those of the opposite sex.

“[S]ome of it is stirred up by some of the more conservative leaders in the Church,” she alleged in 2023.

Pelosi has been married to her husband, Paul, since 1963. They have five children.

Cardinal Michael Felix Czerny, SJ, head of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, visits a stall of Caritas Bangladesh on Nov. 4, 2025, in Dhaka. / Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario

Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nov 6, 2025 / 11:45 am (CNA).

Indigenous Catholic leaders in Bangladesh called for stronger Church support to protect their rights, land, and culture in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace (EC-JP) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, head of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, inaugurated the celebration Nov. 4 under the theme “Raising Hope to Foster a Culture of Care.”

Christians make up less than 1% of Bangladesh’s population of approximately 170 million people. Indigenous Christians, who comprise more than 50% of the country’s 400,000 Catholics, face particular challenges regarding land rights and cultural preservation.

Indigenous leaders said they have long been successful stewards of the country’s biodiversity. However, Indigenous peoples’ land, territories, and way of life are threatened by extractive industries, tourism, industrial agriculture, and development projects.

“Proper and meaningful recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights is a big challenge here in Bangladesh,” said Sanjeeb Drong, a Garo Indigenous Catholic leader. “Major challenges include human rights violations, land grabbing and exploitation, lack of access to justice, displacement, poverty and unemployment, loss of culture and language, and exclusion from decision-making that affects their lives and future.”

Drong called for the Church’s help and a strong position to uphold Indigenous rights in Bangladesh. “Indigenous youth and women leaders need support to promote their advocacy capacity. Let’s respect the cultures, dignity, and rights of Indigenous peoples on this land and take necessary steps to support them.”

He recalled Pope Francis’ work for Indigenous people. Laudato Si’ calls for dialogue between the Church and Indigenous peoples, recognizing them as crucial allies in the struggle for justice and environmental protection. Drong emphasized the need to implement the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the country level.

The EC-JP is an official commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh. On Feb. 2–4, 1972, at their first meeting in independent Bangladesh, the bishops took the initiative to establish the Justice and Peace Commission by prioritizing human rights and justice activities in association with the global Church.

The commission works for the protection of human rights, child protection and safeguarding, climate adaptation and mitigation, protection of migrants and internally displaced people, and pastoral support to prisoners, said Holy Cross Father Hubert Litom Gomes, secretary of EC-JP.

“We have some limitations in Bangladesh, as minorities, religion, migration, and labor rights are sensitive issues,” Gomes said.

Even with moral support, the actual implementation of development projects requires funding, local capacity, and bureaucratic cooperation.

However, Gomes expressed hope that Czerny’s visit could provide immediate visibility and inspiration. “We hope that we can do better with the help of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development,” he added.

Benedict Alo D’Rozario, president of Caritas Bangladesh, who was involved with the EC-JP from the beginning, said the commission has conducted important studies on tea workers and brickyard workers, which have had significant impacts on their lives.

“I think Christian religious and other minorities — unless we are organized, unless we raise our voice — our demands and issues will not be met,” D’Rozario said. “So we need to rethink our strategy for how we face these realities: the issues of injustice, issues of discrimination, issues of negligence.”

“As you consider the mission of the promotion of justice, I want to emphasize that no one can develop someone else,” Czerny said. “Parents help their children develop; they do not develop them. The Church promotes integral human development, but the people themselves are the primary agents of their own development.”

The cardinal added: “Our role is to accompany them pastorally in overcoming the obstacles to their development. We hope in their struggles they will say, ‘The Church is with us, Jesus is always with us.’”

The National Council of the Slovak Republic, the national Parliament of Slovakia, in Bratislava. / Credit: Peter Zelizňák via Wikimedia (Public domain)

EWTN News, Nov 6, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Bishops and educators have raised concerns about a major education overhaul signed into law by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, saying new funding rules could unfairly affect Catholic and private schools.

The changes include unified online registration of kids for a school year and compulsory pre-school education for 4-year-olds, and later for 3-year-olds. Less-qualified personnel will be allowed to teach to offset the shortage of teachers. Universities should reduce bureaucracy and adopt modern methods, including artificial intelligence, according to the changes.

Yet one of the main issues is the new financing of private and Church-run schools.

The Ministry of Education explained that such schools can receive full funding if they admit students in accordance with the new rules, provide free education, or clearly serve the public interest.

The Slovak Bishops’ Conference (KBS) will monitor the implementation of the changes. However, the conference said the education ministry did not take into account KBS’ numerous suggestions, the episcopate stated in September. Therefore, KBS was “fundamentally in conflict with the amendment to the School Act in the form in which it was submitted to Parliament.”

The Slovak Chamber of Teachers warned that the legislative process took place “without any professional discussion in a few hours, and not months.” However, it requires “high-quality, honest legislative and professional work.”

Former Minister of Education Ján Horecký, who was a principal at a Catholic school, said he thinks the effect on private and Church-run schools will be discriminatory and unfair. It will “reduce the availability of education” and “worsen conditions for children in the name of shifting decision-making about children from parents to the state.”

After the passing of the School Act, the principals of Catholic schools in the Košice Archdiocese went on a pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of the World of Education. They attended the general audience with Pope Leo XIV. Auxiliary Bishop Marek Forgáč, who accompanied them, greeted the pontiff, saying they were “very encouraged” by the pope’s words.

It was important to be “with our supreme teacher, as we need to be formed and spiritually encouraged, too, to be a good example for those to whom we are sent — our pupils and students,” the bishop concluded.