Posted on 01/16/2026 23:29 PM (CNA Daily News)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Aug. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Jan 16, 2026 / 18:29 pm (CNA).
U.S. bishops and Catholic pro-life organizations will be watching to see if President Donald Trump’s health care plan includes pro-life language.
Trump has faced criticism over the past week from pro-life activists after he urged Republican lawmakers to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment when negotiating extensions for health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act.
Trump’s health plan, outlined in a four-point memo, will be negotiated with Congress over whether to include the strongest possible pro-life protections and prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. The Hyde Amendment, long included in federal spending bills, prevents tax dollars from being used on elective abortions.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has urged Congress to uphold the Hyde Amendment amid the negotiations, saying: “Authentic health care upholds the dignity of all human life, and health care policy must not violate this dignity.”
The White House published a one-page memo that details some of the president’s priorities for the health care plan, although details have yet to be released. There was no mention of the Hyde Amendment in the 827-word memo.
According to the White House, the plan focuses on four issues: lowering drug prices, lowering insurance premiums, holding big insurance companies accountable, and maximizing price transparency.
“You’re going to get a better deal and better care,” Trump said in a video message. He urged the Republican-controlled Congress to take swift action to draft and pass legislation to achieve these goals.
To lower drug prices, the memo states Congress should allow more medicine to be sold over the counter and codify the administration’s recent deals with drug companies that require them to sell medicine in the United States at rates that are comparable to other developed countries.
According to the memo, the plan would lower health care premiums by providing health care subsidies directly to Americans rather than to insurance companies and support a cost-sharing reduction program to lower the most common Affordable Care Act premiums by more than 10%.
The plan would seek to hold insurance companies accountable by forcing insurance companies to publish rate and coverage comparisons in “plain English” that is easier to comprehend and by requiring them to publish the percentage of their revenues that are paid out in claims compared with overhead costs and advertise the percentage of insurance claims they reject.
According to the White House, the plan would improve transparency by requiring that insurance companies prominently display their pricing and fees to prevent surprise medical bills.
“Instead of putting the needs of big corporations and special interests first, our plan finally puts you first and puts more money in your pocket,” Trump said. “The government is going to pay the money directly to you. It goes to you, and then you take the money and buy your own health care.”
At least one Catholic health group has welcomed some of the priorities included in the plan. The Catholic Health Association of the United States generally aligns with Church teaching but has faced criticism for its stances on issues such as abortion.
Sister Mary Haddad, RSM, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, which represents numerous Catholic hospitals, said in a statement that the organization welcomes the initiative.
“We welcome the administration’s engagement in the vital work of expanding access to quality, affordable health care,” she said. “Ensuring that individuals and families can obtain the care they need is central to the mission of Catholic health care.”
Haddad asked Congress and the administration to advance a bipartisan deal on the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which narrowly passed in the House with broad support from Democrats and only a little support from Republicans. A key point of contention was the Hyde Amendment, which was not included in the House-passed version and could complicate the Senate negotiations.
“Renewing them would immediately ease financial pressures on households while helping ensure people maintain their health coverage,” Haddad said. “We will continue to work with the administration and with Congress to strengthen health care access for communities across the country.”
Posted on 01/16/2026 22:40 PM (CNA Daily News)
Staten Island, New York | Credit: John McAdorey/Shutterstock
Jan 16, 2026 / 17:40 pm (CNA).
The New York Police Department (NYPD) says it will increase officer presence at local churches after several crimes committed at Catholic parishes on Staten Island.
Several Catholic churches on Staten Island have been vandalized or attacked in recent weeks, including a robbery and a violent incident during a morning Mass in which two police officers were injured.
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton called for increased police presence at churches in the area after the incidents. At a Jan. 15 press conference, local leaders including NYPD Staten Island Borough Commander Melissa Eger said police presence would be heightened at churches across the borough.
Eger said at the press conference that none of the incidents indicated that the Catholic churches had been targeted due to religion, describing the crimes as “acts ... of opportunism and theft" as well as one incident involving a mentally ill person.
“That said, any incident, especially a disruption of service that occurs at any house of worship, generates serious concern from our community and we know that,” the commander said.
Scarcella-Spanton said at the press event that “nobody should feel unsafe where they are praying.”
Addressing the Catholic community, she said: “I just want you to know that we stand with you.”
“We’re going to be making sure that this issue is highlighted, because I think it’s important to bring light to the fact that this has happened now four times,” the state senator said.
Also at the press conference was Father Jacob Thumma, the pastor of both St. Ann’s Church and St. Sylvester’s Church, both of which were the site of recent criminal incidents.
Referring to the incident at St. Ann’s on Jan. 9 where a man violently disrupted morning Mass and injured two responding officers, Thumma said the altercation “highlights an urgent societal concern — the need for enhanced services and compassionate care for those suffering from mental illness.“
“We must continue to invest in mental health resources that support families [and] provide timely interventions before crises occur,” the priest said.
He further called on the public “to join us in prayer for the individual involved in this incident, that he may receive the healing he needs, [as well as for] for the injured police officers and their families.”
Posted on 01/16/2026 22:10 PM (CNA Daily News)
Dutch conservative political commentator and activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek delivers a speech during the first “Remigration Summit” at Teatro Condominio on May 17, 2025, in Gallarate, Italy. She was recently barred by the U.K. government from entering the U.K., deemed “not conducive to the public good.” | Credit: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)
Jan 16, 2026 / 17:10 pm (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a 28-year-old Dutch lawyer, activist, and Catholic convert, announced on X that her Electronic Travel Authorization was revoked as of Jan. 13 and she may not enter the U.K. The U.K. government said her “presence in the U.K. is not conducive to the public good” and that she may not appeal it. The notice came just days after she accused Britian’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer of allowing “the ongoing rape and killing of British girls by migrant rape gangs” and criticized Starmer for threatening to block X in the name of “safety.”
Vlaardingerbroek was received into the Catholic Church, along with her father, in April 2023 in London by Father Benedict Kiely, a priest in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.
The Archdiocese of Sydney has waded into the debate surrounding an inquiry by the New South Wales government into a law banning phrases such as “globalize the intifada” in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack in December 2025.
The archdiocese pushed back against the prospect of hate speech laws, according to a Catholic Weekly report on Tuesday, writing in a submission regarding the inquiry: “Our first response to bad speech should be better speech … Engaging in respectful civil discourse should be possible without the threat of arrest and prosecution.”
The submission continued: “The better way to protect against hateful rhetoric is to educate people in civil discourse and positive human behavior.”
Lebanon’s Maronite League has issued a sharp warning over what it describes as an organized effort to purchase land in several key districts, including Baabda, Jezzine, Zahle, and the coastal Chouf, according to ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News.
In a statement from Beirut, the league stressed that land in Lebanon is not merely a commercial asset but a core element of historical and cultural identity, particularly for the country’s Christian presence. The council cautioned that unregulated or distress-driven land sales could undermine Lebanon’s delicate demographic balance and erode long-standing communal roots. It called for clear legal safeguards to prevent indiscriminate transactions.
The league urged Christian youth to engage with state institutions despite long-standing governance challenges, reaffirmed its support for President Joseph Aoun, and reiterated its position that all weapons must remain exclusively in the hands of the state to preserve sovereignty and stability.
Against the backdrop of escalating instability across the Middle East, Bishop Jean-Marie Chami, Melkite Catholic patriarchal vicar for Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan, has issued a spiritual appeal for peace. Addressing both believers and people of goodwill, he called for fasting, prayer, and extended periods of Eucharistic adoration, ACI MENA reported.
Acknowledging widespread feelings of helplessness in the face of violence and uncertainty, the bishop emphasized that faith remains a powerful response when human solutions falter. He encouraged a 40-day spiritual commitment as a preparation for Lent, offered specifically for unity among peoples and healing for a wounded humanity.
Christian educational institutions in Jerusalem have suspended classes in an unprecedented move highlighting mounting pressure on faith-based schooling in the city, ACI MENA reported.
Fourteen schools affiliated with the Christian Educational Institutions Secretariat, along with several independent schools, halted operations after Israeli authorities restricted teacher access permits. School leaders warn that the measures threaten their ability to continue a centuries-old educational mission that has served students of all backgrounds. According to the schools, more than 170 teachers and staff have been affected, preventing the start of the second academic term. Church officials stress that these schools are not only academic centers but also vital pillars of Jerusalem’s cultural and social fabric, and caution that continued restrictions risk undermining the city’s pluralistic character.
The Eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie, the youngest ecclesiastical jurisdiction within the Ethiopian Catholic Church, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.
Despite ongoing instability in the region, Eparch Lisane-Christos described the milestone, which comes along with the construction of the eparchy’s first cathedral, as “a sign of a new era of grace,” according to a report from Fides News Agency. “While the foundation stone will be laid during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie, the construction of the cathedral is a long-term project that will require ongoing support after the festivities end,” he said.
The Egyptian minister of labor is facing backlash after announcing his decision to grant five paid holidays to Orthodox Christians in Egypt but only three to Catholics and Protestants in the country.
“The Catholic Church in Egypt follows with great concern the recent government decision regarding holidays for Christian citizens,” said Bishop Ibrahim Ishaq, patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church, according to a Manassa News report.
The bishop further emphasized his “deep regret at the lack of full equality among Christian denominations, especially regarding the celebrations of the Catholic Church’s children.” The bishop noted he is in talks with the Egyptian government to change the policy to include Catholics and Protestants.
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is providing hope for people affected by Cyclone Ditwah and flooding that swept through the country late last year, Fides News Agency reported.
“The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is making a significant contribution to rekindling hope,” said Father Basil Rohan Fernando, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Colombo, in the report.
“The Catholic community in Sri Lanka has become involved and is committed to a single goal: to instill new hope,” he continued. “We have assumed a special responsibility; namely, to keep hope alive. This is being done by supporting many people with material, financial, but also spiritual, psychological, and social assistance, as was the case during the Christmas season and continues to be the case today.”
Posted on 01/16/2026 21:40 PM (CNA Daily News)
U.S. Vice President JD Vance. | Credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Jan 16, 2026 / 16:40 pm (CNA).
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to speak at the 2026 March for Life Rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23.
Vance, who is the nation’s second Catholic vice president, will join Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, among other speakers at the 53rd annual pro-life event, organizers said.
“Vice President Vance is grateful to the tens of thousands of Americans who travel to the National Mall each year to speak out in support of life and looks forward to joining them for the second consecutive year,” a spokesperson for the vice president told EWTN News.
Vance will be attending and speaking at the event for the second time as vice president. He spoke at the March for Life in 2025 where he delivered his first public remarks in the leadership position.
Addressing the crowd at the 2025 march, Vance said becoming a father helped to solidify his convictions that “an unborn life is worthy of protection.”
“You remind us that the March for Life is not a single event that takes place on a frigid January day,” he said to the crowd. “The March for Life is the work of the pro-life movement every day from this point forward,” he said.
“We will be back next year,” he said.
While President Donald Trump will not be attending the 2026 March for Life in person, he told EWTN News’ White House correspondent Owen Jensen on Jan. 16 he will address the crowd through a “beautiful” prerecorded message.
“And they’re going to play it,” he said. “And those are great people. I want to tell you they’re great people,” Trump said about attendees.
While the president will deliver the virtual message, the Trump administration is receiving backlash from pro-life activists following his claim that Republicans need to be “ flexible” with the Hyde Amendment and the reinstatement of funds to Planned Parenthood.
When asked about the Hyde Amendment, Trump said “you’re going to hear about it” in the message.
Vance is set to deliver his remarks at the pre-march rally at 11 a.m. on Jan. 23. The March for Life is scheduled to begin after the rally.
Posted on 01/16/2026 19:35 PM (CNA Daily News)
Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Jan 16, 2026 / 14:35 pm (CNA).
Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, expressed gratitude that the Department of Homeland Security is easing visa restrictions for religious workers and called for passage of a bill to address visa backlogs.
“This rule change provides some much-needed relief!” Fernandes said in a statement released Jan. 15. “We take comfort in knowing that sacramental and pastoral care will not be disrupted in our parishes, schools, hospitals, and prison ministries.”
Under the rule, religious workers in the country on R-1 visas would no longer be required to reside outside of the U.S. for a full year if they reach their statutory five-year maximum period of stay before completing their green card applications.
Fernandes said 21 priests and 13 sisters who hold R-1 visas and work within the diocese would have been affected in the absence of the rule change.
“While R-1 religious workers are still required to depart the U.S., the rule establishes that there is no longer a minimum period of time they must reside and be physically present outside the U.S. before they seek readmission in R-1 status,” according to a DHS statement about the Jan. 16 publication of the rule in the Federal Register.
Fernandes said: “I encourage all of the faithful to press for a permanent legislative fix and to support the Religious Workforce Protection Act.” The bill, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, would extend R-1 nonimmigrant visa status beyond the usual five-year limit and waive the one-year foreign residency requirement for those who left the U.S., allowing them to stay and serve their communities while waiting for green cards. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, introduced a House version of the bill.
Fernandes thanked Carey; Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, for their efforts to support the legislation. Moreno, he said, “intervened personally to work for the rule change.”
“The impact of our international priests and religious across the United States is pivotal in helping us build a civilization of love, assisting in the growth of the virtues of solidarity and fraternity, and providing the sacramental and pastoral needs of our people, an increasingly diverse group from around the world,” Fernandes said. “I urge you to continue to push for the passage of the Religious Workforce Protection Act with your representatives and ask for your continued prayers for all clergy and religious throughout our diocese and around the world, while offering prayers of gratitude for our civic leaders and for our priests and religious who continue to serve the members of our community.”
Kaine introduced the measure in April 2025 with support from Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jim Risch, R-Idaho. The bill would modify rules to allow religious workers to bypass a requirement to be strictly tied to their original job while waiting for green cards.
“Faith communities across America — including my own parish in Richmond — depend on foreign religious workers and suffer greatly when these dedicated members of their congregations are forced to leave the country due to no fault of their own,” Kaine said. “This interim final rule from DHS is a step in the right direction and will reduce hardships to temples, churches, mosques, and other religious communities throughout the U.S.”
“Now it’s time for Congress to take the next step and pass the Kaine-Collins-Risch Religious Workforce Protection Act to further streamline the bureaucratic process for foreign-born pastors, priests, rabbis, nuns, imams, and other religious workers to continue their work here in the United States,” he added.
“I joined Sens. Kaine and Risch in introducing the Religious Workforce Protection Act when I noticed Maine parishes where I attend Mass were losing their priests because their R-1 visas expired while their EB-4 applications were still pending. I saw this issue creating a real crisis in our state. We urged the previous administration to fix this issue, but the problem went unaddressed — until today,” Collins said. “We will continue working to pass our legislation to provide full and lasting relief to religious workers and the communities they serve in Maine and across the country.”
“Idaho’s religious communities and their beloved clergy are central to our right to worship. That’s why I proudly introduced the Religious Workforce Protection Act,” Risch said. “The Trump administration’s action aligns with our efforts to ensure Idaho’s religious workers can stay in the U.S. and continue serving their congregations while their visas are processed. I will continue working with Sens. Collins and Kaine to pass our legislation and ensure none of Idaho’s religious workers face the threat of leaving the communities they love and serve so faithfully.”
Posted on 01/16/2026 19:05 PM (CNA Daily News)
A case that seeks to remove Christian symbols, including icons and religious artwork, from public buildings in Greece began when two atheists asked for the removal of Christian icons displayed in Greek courtrooms. | Credit: Courtesy of ADF International
Jan 16, 2026 / 14:05 pm (CNA).
The European Court of Human Rights is examining a case that seeks to remove Christian symbols, including icons and religious artwork, from public buildings in Greece.
The case began when two atheists asked for the removal of Christian icons displayed in Greek courtrooms during hearings involving religious matters, claiming the icons were discriminatory, compromised judicial objectivity, and violated their rights to a fair trial and to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Greek courts rejected the requests.
ADF International has intervened in the case, known as Union of Atheists v. Greece, arguing that removing religious symbols in public spaces is a misinterpretation of religious freedom.
The group pointed out in a press release that the European Court of Human Rights ruled previously in a case in Italy that the presence of a crucifix in state classrooms does not “amount to indoctrination or interfere with the right of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion.”
Adina Portaru, senior counsel at ADF International, said: “The display of religious symbols in public spaces is in no way incompatible with human rights law. Public spaces should not be stripped of crosses, icons, or other symbols with religious, cultural, and historical significance in the name of pluralism.”
“The court has repeatedly affirmed that religious symbols, particularly those forming a country’s heritage, do not violate freedom of religion or the right to a fair trial.”
ADF International emphasized that any principle of state neutrality must not equate to hostility toward Christianity, pointing out its deep social, cultural, and historical role in Greece.
“The European Convention on Human Rights robustly protects freedom of religion. Culturally rooted religious symbols or artwork, such as centuries-old Orthodox Christian icons, do not impose a belief on anyone nor direct judicial decision-making,” Portaru said.
ADF’s legal brief stressed that the European Court’s case law grants states a wide margin of appreciation in matters of religion in public life, arguing that a religious image alone does not restrict freedom of belief or undermine trial fairness, and that no right exists to be free from offense caused by religious imagery.
According to ADF: “Across Europe, there exists a long-standing practice of displaying religious symbols, including crucifixes, in Italian state institutions, religious artwork in historic court buildings in Austria and Spain, or crosses in every government office across Bavaria, Germany, while in France courts have recognized that religious imagery is permissible in public buildings where it serves a cultural or historical purpose.”
The European Court of Human Rights will now review the case as well as third-party interventions before issuing a decision.
Posted on 01/16/2026 18:31 PM (CNA Daily News)
Credit: EWTN News
Jan 16, 2026 / 13:31 pm (CNA).
The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) has rolled out a major rebrand of its EWTN News services, bringing multiple outlets and coverage brands under “one global news organization” committed to coherently covering the Catholic Church both regionally and globally.
In a Jan. 15 press release, EWTN — which was launched as a Catholic television network in 1981 by Mother Angelica, PCPA — announced that it was bringing Catholic News Agency and its affiliated international outlets under “a single, unified identity.”
Catholic News Agency was originally founded in 2004 in Denver; it was acquired by EWTN in 2014. In addition, the regional, language-based outlets of the Association of Catholic Information (ACI) Group, also acquired by EWTN in 2014, are in the process of being fully integrated into the EWTN News brand.
The new, unified EWTN News brand is accompanied by a new digital platform, EWTNNews.com. Initially launched in English, reflecting the U.S. roots of EWTN’s global Catholic news operation, the platform will soon expand with a Spanish-language edition and will continue integrating coverage in five additional languages to serve audiences worldwide.
EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw said the move “reflects both who we are and who we are called to be: one global news organization, rooted in the teachings of the Church and committed to serving the faithful with accuracy, integrity, and conviction.”
EWTN News President Montse Alvarado said the rebrand is “not simply about a new name or a new website — it reflects a deeper alignment of mission, editorial vision, and operations.”
“By uniting our global news teams under the EWTN News brand and launching a new platform, we are enhancing how we create and deliver content, embracing evolving forms of storytelling, and answering the Holy Father’s call to serve the truth with charity and courage,” Alvarado said.
Ken Oliver-Méndez, the editor-in-chief of the English service of EWTN News, said the media outlet “has been preparing for this moment for several years.”
“Fully integrating our work under EWTN News signals a mature, unified newsroom,” he said.
EWTNNews.com is now live, with traffic from catholicnewsagency.com being gradually redirected over the coming days. The transition will be completed by Jan. 24, the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists.
The new EWTNNews.com includes features reflecting EWTN’s ongoing technological transformation. A redesigned Watch section showcases a digital-first approach to news production and storytelling. Updated design elements also underscore a growing commitment to the audience experience.
In addition, new devotional features, such as daily readings, further integrate news consumption with prayer and catechesis.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News is the global, multilingual news service of the EWTN Global Catholic Network. With language teams based in the United States, Peru, the Vatican, Kenya, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Iraq, along with correspondents throughout the world, EWTN News delivers coverage in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, and Arabic, serving Catholic audiences worldwide.
Among the digital and print platforms EWTN News operates are ChurchPOP and The National Catholic Register, a nearly 100-year-old biweekly newspaper with a robust digital presence. EWTN News also produces television news programs such as “EWTN News Nightly,” “EWTN Noticias,” “EWTN News In Depth,” “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” and “Vaticano.”
Posted on 01/16/2026 18:30 PM (CNA Daily News)
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. | Credit: Vatican Media
Jan 16, 2026 / 13:30 pm (CNA).
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived in Kuwait on Thursday for a visit of both ecclesial and diplomatic significance and on Friday presided over a ceremony formally proclaiming the Church of Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi a minor basilica.
Granting this title to the church underscores closer ties between Kuwait and the Holy See.
The basilica is called to serve as a model of prayer, liturgical life, and ecclesial communion, and to become a pilgrimage destination for Catholics throughout the Gulf region as well as a symbol of dialogue and mutual respect. On designated days, the faithful may also receive a plenary indulgence in the basilica under the conditions established by the Church.
During his stay, Parolin, the Holy See’s chief diplomat, is holding bilateral meetings with Kuwaiti officials aimed at strengthening relations of friendship and cooperation between the Vatican and the Arab country.
Kuwait was the first Gulf state to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See, in 1968, and it hosts an apostolic nunciature on its territory. Over the years, the country has earned Vatican appreciation for its respect for religious diversity and peaceful coexistence.
In the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, the elevation of this church to the rank of minor basilica marks a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church.
The decision was announced in a statement issued in June 2025 by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. This is the first time such a title has been granted to a church in the Arabian Peninsula, highlighting the historical, spiritual, and pastoral importance of Our Lady of Arabia and giving it broader symbolic significance for the faithful of the region.
The church traces its origins to the mid-20th century, when it began on a small plot of land dedicated to foreign workers in the country. Over time, it became a central reference point for the Catholic community in Kuwait.
While construction of the first small church dates back to 1948, the current building was completed in 1957 as a donation from the Kuwait Oil Company.
Since then, the church has welcomed generations of believers from many nationalities, firmly establishing its role as the “mother church” of Catholics in the country.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, EWTN News’ Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.
Posted on 01/16/2026 16:54 PM (CNA Daily News)
The Becket Fund releases its annual Religious Freedom Index (RFI) on Jan. 16, 2026, exploring American attitudes on the First Amendment. | Credit: Leigh Prather/Shutterstock
Jan 16, 2026 / 11:54 am (CNA).
Annual research by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty found that Catholics in America today feel more accepted as people of faith in society than in past years.
The annual Religious Freedom Index (RFI) by the Becket Fund was released on Jan. 16 and explores American attitudes on the First Amendment, specifically religious freedom and tolerance.
An online poll surveyed 1,002 U.S. adults. The survey screened a sample that is representative by gender, age, ethnicity, race, and region matching U.S. Census figures, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%, researchers said.
In 2024, about 54% of Catholics reported they felt accepted as people of faith, specifically 19% said they feel “completely” accepted and 35% said they felt “a good amount” accepted. Becket found that in 2025, these numbers increased, with 22% feeling “completely” accepted and 37% said “a good amount.”
“It’s heartening to see a growing number of Catholics report feeling fully accepted by their fellow Americans,” said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket. “Our nation is strongest when believers can participate in public life without fear of being bullied for their faith.”
The report examined American attitudes about religious liberty and specific cases on religious freedom in the nation.
The percentage of Americans who believe the First Amendment right to the freedom to exercise religion should “definitely” or “somewhat” protect priests from breaking the seal of confession, even if someone confesses something indicating child abuse or neglect, is 61%. This was compared with 39% (20% somewhat not or 19% definitely not) who said the First Amendment does not protect the seal of confession in such instances.
The research noted that 77% of Americans reported they either “completely” or “mostly” accept school choice for religious schools.
In regard to specific U.S. Supreme Court cases regarding education, most Americans surveyed agreed with the rulings. The research found there was a four-point rise from 69% in 2024 to 73% in 2025 in those who support parents’ decision to opt their children out of content they believe is inappropriate.
When asked specifically about the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which parents sued a Maryland public school district for not allowing them to opt their elementary-aged children out of LGBTQ-themed storybooks that conflicted with their religious beliefs, 62% of Americans said they support the Supreme Court’s decision.
The report found a five-point increase from 2020 to 2025 in Americans who agree that religious freedom is inherently public and that Americans should be free to share their faith in public spaces, such as at school, work, or on social media, with an increase from 52% to 55%.
The report found that the younger generations especially reported an increased “vision of religious liberty” in the public square. Gen Z scored the highest in areas including “religious sharing” and “religion in action.” Of the group, 60% accepted and supported the freedom to express or share religious beliefs with others, compared with 52% of all Americans.
Posted on 01/16/2026 16:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
The French Senate, the upper house of the French Parliament. | Credit: Jacques Paquier (CC BY 2.0)
Jan 16, 2026 / 11:00 am (CNA).
French Catholic bishops have issued a public statement urging lawmakers to reject a proposed law that would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in France. The warning comes days before the French Senate is scheduled to debate the “end of life” bill between Jan. 20 and Jan. 26.
The bill, which was already passed by the National Assembly in May 2025, would establish a new “right to die” for gravely ill adults, but France’s bishops argue it would threaten the most fragile and undermine the respect due to every human life.
The pro-euthanasia legislation was adopted by France’ s lower house on May 27, 2025, with 305 votes in favor and 199 against.
It would allow any French resident over 18 suffering from a serious and incurable condition that is life-threatening, advanced, or terminal to seek medical help to end his or her life. Eligible patients must be experiencing constant, unbearable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be relieved, though psychological suffering alone would not qualify.
A particularly contentious provision in the euthanasia law is a new offense of “obstructing aid-in-dying.” Lawmakers amended the bill to mirror France’s existing penalties for blocking access to abortion. Anyone who prevents or dissuades a patient from exercising the right to euthanasia could face up to two years in prison and a 30,000-euro (approximately $35,000) fine.
This clause has alarmed Catholic institutions, which fear it targets hospitals or care homes that refuse to participate in intentional life-ending procedures.
French bishops reaffirmed their “profound respect” for those facing end-of-life suffering along with the pain, fear of dependence, and loneliness they face, while stressing that “these fears are real.”
They called for human, fraternal, medical, and social responses, not legislation that permits intentional killing. They warned that integrating euthanasia into medical care would alter the “nature of our social contract” by blurring ethical boundaries and presenting assisted death as a form of treatment.
The bishops also pointed to persistent gaps in France’s palliative care system, noting that nearly a quarter of palliative care needs remain unmet, leaving many patients without adequate pain relief, accompaniment, or human presence. They argued that claims that “people die badly in France” stem not from the absence of assisted dying but from unequal access to care and insufficient enforcement of existing end-of-life laws.
According to the bishops, medical advances now allow most severe pain to be effectively managed, yet access to such care varies widely by region. Rather than offering death as a legal option, they insisted, France must first ensure equitable, effective access to palliative care, support, and solidarity for all those approaching the end of life.
In an op-ed published by various French Catholic leaders and religious figures, concern is expressed over the bill’s lack of protection for institutional conscience rights. The proposed law stipulates that “the head of the facility or service is required to permit” the practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide. This means a Catholic hospital could be legally compelled to let an outside physician come in to administer a lethal injection to a patient, even though it directly contradicts the institution’s mission to heal and comfort.
Catholic health care congregations have decried this obligation as an assault on religious freedom. Their arguments rest on their congregations’ historical commitment to caring for people until their natural death — they cannot participate in euthanasia without betraying their core Catholic beliefs.
Across Europe, even countries with legal euthanasia, such as the Netherlands, maintain at least some protections for conscience. No European law currently in force goes as far as the French proposal in punishing institutions that uphold a pro-life stance. This comparative context bolsters various arguments that the bill before the French Senate is among the most permissive in the world and would set a troubling precedent.
As the French Senate analyzes the euthanasia bill on Jan. 20, French Catholics are being encouraged to pray, to contact their legislators, and to “not remain silent” in defense of life. The French Bishops’ Conference has even provided letter templates and posters with the slogan “DISONS NON,” “Let’s say NO,” with regard to euthanasia and assisted suicide.