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Ecumenical coalition urges Trump to crack down on Nigeria

Nigerian security officers during a military operation ahead of the gubernatorial elections in Benin City, Edo, Nigeria, on Sept. 17, 2020. / Credit: Oluwafemi Dawodu/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 16, 2025 / 13:18 pm (CNA).

Christian leaders delivered a letter to President Donald Trump on Oct. 15 urging him to redesignate Nigeria as a country of particular concern on the U.S. government’s international religious freedom watch list. 

“We fervently urge you to redesignate Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom [IRF] Act, as you did in your first term,” the letter states. “The last several years have seen a burgeoning of violent attacks specifically targeting rural Christians in the country’s Middle Belt, while the government in Abuja barely lifts a finger to protect them.” 

The letter’s signatories included San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone; Nina Shea, Hudson Institute senior fellow and director for the Center for Religious Freedom; Kelsey Reinhardt, CatholicVote president and CEO; Robert Royal, editor-in-chief of The Catholic Thing; and Luke Moon, executive director of the Philos Project. 

“The Nigerian government is directly violating religious freedom by enforcing Islamic blasphemy laws that carry the death penalty and harsh prison sentences against citizens of various religions,” the letter continued. “It also demonstrably tolerates relentless aggression uniquely against Christian farming families by militant Fulani Muslim herders, who appear intent on forcibly Islamizing the Middle Belt.”

In a statement to CNA on Monday, Shea said the Nigerian government “refuses to enforce the law against Fulani militants who are relentlessly and systematically invading rural Christian areas in the Middle Belt and massacring and driving out the civilians while crying the jihadi war cry “Allahu Akbar.” 

“Many Middle Belt Christian leaders are reporting that this is a concerted land grab from Christian communities in order to forcibly Islamicize Nigeria,” she added. The letter describes the Fulani herdsmen as “the biggest threat facing Nigeria’s Christians.” 

The letter called attention to “innocent Muslims and Christians alike” who have been “brutally victimized by Boko Haram and other Islamic State and al-Qaeda-linked terror groups seeking religious and political domination within that country.”

Citing research from various groups, the letter noted that 52,000 Christians have been killed and over 20,000 churches attacked and destroyed since 2009. In addition, it said, thousands of Christians have been murdered and raped in 2025, and “over 100 Christian pastors and Catholic priests have been taken hostage for ransom.”

“We are concerned that your administration may be considering listing Nigeria on the IRF Act’s ‘Special Watch List’ instead of designating it as a CPC,” the letter said, noting the decision, likely influenced by the “misconception” that a CPC designation requires the U.S. to sanction Nigeria, would be a mistake.

“In fact, the IRF Act does not mandate automatic sanctions and, moreover, provides for a sanctions waiver and cites a range of other possible policy responses,” it stated.

“We believe that, after nearly five years of simply ‘watching’ the arrest of individuals on harsh blasphemy charges and the relentless massacre and persecution of defenseless Christians solely for their faith, assigning only Special Watch List status would be a weak and legally inadequate response,” the letter concluded. “Such a move would dishonor religious freedom as a core pillar of U.S. foreign policy and further reinforce the previous administration’s downgrade and sidelining of the targeted killing of Christians.”

In November 2021, the Biden administration, through then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, removed Nigeria from the list of countries of particular concern.

Judge rules against saints’ statues on Massachusetts government building

Statues of St. Florian (at left) and St. Michael the Archangel (at right) are currently barred from appearing on the planned public safety building of Quincy, Massachusetts. / Credit: Courtesy of Office of Mayor Thomas Koch

Boston, Massachusetts, Oct 16, 2025 / 12:18 pm (CNA).

A Massachusetts trial court judge has issued an order blocking the installation of statues of two Catholic saints on a new public safety building in the city of Quincy, setting up a likely appeal that may determine how the state treats separation of church and state disputes going forward.

The 10-foot-high bronze statues of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian, which were scheduled to be installed on the building’s façade this month, will instead await a higher court’s decision.

The statues cost an estimated $850,000, part of the new, $175 million public safety building that will serve as police headquarters and administration offices for the Boston suburb’s fire department.

Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, a practicing Catholic, has said he chose St. Michael the Archangel because he is the patron of police officers and St. Florian because he is the patron of firefighters, not to send a message about religion.

But the judge said the statues can’t be separated from the saints’ Catholic connections.

“The complaint here plausibly alleges that the statues at issue convey a message endorsing one religion over others,” Norfolk County Superior Court Judge William Sullivan wrote in a 26-page ruling Oct. 14.

The judge noted that the statues “represent two Catholic saints.”

“The statues, particularly when considered together, patently endorse Catholic beliefs,” the judge wrote.

The plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit challenging the statues — 15 city residents represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts — have amassed facts that “plausibly suggest that an objective observer would view these statues on the façade of the public safety building as primarily endorsing Catholicism/Christianity and conveying a distinctly religious message,” the judge wrote.

Rachel Davidson, staff attorney at the ACLU of Massachusetts, who argued the case during a lengthy court hearing on Sept. 19, praised the judge’s decision.

“This ruling affirms the bedrock principle that our government cannot favor one religion above others, or religious beliefs over nonreligious beliefs,” Davidson said in a written statement. “We are grateful to the court for acknowledging the immediate harm that the installation of these statues would cause and for ensuring that Quincy residents can continue to make their case for the proper separation of church and state, as the Massachusetts Constitution requires.”

The mayor said the city will appeal.

“We chose the statues of Michael and Florian to honor Quincy’s first responders, not to promote any religion,” Koch said in a written statement provided to the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, by a spokesman. “These figures are recognized symbols of courage and sacrifice in police and fire communities across the world. We will appeal this ruling so our city can continue to celebrate and inspire the men and women who protect us.” The lawsuit, which was filed May 27 in Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham, relies on the Massachusetts Constitution, not the U.S. Constitution, but there is a tie-in.

In 1979, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court adopted the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1971 three-pronged “Lemon test” when considering church and state cases — whether a law concerning religion has “a secular legislative purpose,” whether “its principal or primary effect … neither advances [n]or inhibits religion,” and whether it fosters “excessive entanglement between government and religion.” 

The state’s highest court also added a fourth standard — whether a “challenged practice” has “divisive political potential.”

But in June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ditched the Lemon test in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, a case involving prayers offered by a high school football coach in Washington state.

If the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which is the ultimate interpreter of state law, takes the Quincy statues dispute, it would be the first time the court has considered a case on point since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Kennedy decision.

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

Missouri court says man can sue St. Louis Archdiocese over abuse he repressed for decades

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. / Credit: legacy1995/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 16, 2025 / 11:48 am (CNA).

A Missouri appeals court has ordered that an alleged victim of clergy sexual abuse can sue the Archdiocese of St. Louis, ruling that an arcane aspect of bankruptcy law does not negate the archdiocese’s potential liability for abuse that the plaintiff allegedly repressed for decades.

The case touches on both the complex character of U.S. bankruptcy statutes as well as the often-protracted nature of abuse allegations, which frequently only come to light years or decades after the abuse is alleged to have occurred. 

In its Oct. 14 ruling, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, said the alleged victim, John Doe, claims to have been abused at the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in the late 1980s. 

Doe alleges that Father Alexander Anderson, who was assigned as a counselor to the home, sexually abused him; the plaintiff said he “reported the abuse [but] no action was taken,” according to the court. 

Doe “alleged he repressed his memory of the abuse until 2016,” the court said. He ultimately filed suit against the archdiocese in August 2022. 

The archdiocese argued in response that Doe’s abuse claim was effectively negated by two bankruptcy claims he had filed in 2008 and 2009. U.S. law dictates that when debtors file for bankruptcy, they create “an estate that includes nearly all of the debtor’s legal or equitable interests in property,” including legal causes of action. 

The archdiocese claimed that since Doe did not list his abuse claims as “exempted assets” in his bankruptcy proceedings, they became part of that “estate” and can only be administered by the trustee that handled those proceedings. 

The appeals court rejected the archdiocese’s argument, reversing a lower court decision and holding that Doe’s “cause of action” only arose when he said he remembered the alleged abuse in 2016, “well after” his bankruptcy filings. 

Doe’s standing to sue “did not accrue [when] the sexual abuse was allegedly committed” but rather when it was “capable of ascertainment,” the court held. 

The court’s ruling cited Missouri Supreme Court precedent, which holds that, in some cases of abuse, “the victim may be so young, mentally incompetent, or otherwise innocent and lacking in understanding that the person could not reasonably have understood that substantial harm could have resulted from the wrong.”

The St. Louis Archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling on Oct. 16. 

This is not the first instance in which the archdiocese has been held accountable for abuse allegations that an alleged victim claimed to have repressed for decades.

In 2023 the archdiocese agreed to pay a $1 million settlement to a man who said he was abused by Father Gary Wolken in the mid-1990s but repressed the memories until he was an adult. 

Wolken was in prison from 2003 to 2015 for sexually abusing another boy in the St. Louis area from 1997 to 2000. 

‘The Chosen Adventures’ is a new animated series made with families in mind

Abigail, Joshua, Jesus, Sheep, and Pigeon in "The Chosen Adventures," which comes out on Prime Video on Oct. 17. / Credit: David Griffin

CNA Staff, Oct 16, 2025 / 05:11 am (CNA).

5&2 Studios, the production company behind the hit series “The Chosen,” is releasing its new animated series called “The Chosen Adventures” on Prime Video on Oct. 17. 

The new series follows 9-year-old Abby and her best friend Joshua as they navigate life in the city of Capernaum. When the two children meet a wise carpenter — Jesus of Nazareth — he changes the way they see the world. 

“The Chosen Adventures” consists of 14 11-minute episodes and features several of the original cast members, including Jonathan Roumie as Jesus, Elizabeth Tabish as Mary Magdalene, Paras Patel as Matthew, and George Xanthis as John, among others. 

Joining the cast is Paul Walter Hauser as Sheep, Yvonne Orji as Pigeon, Romy Fay as Abby, Jude Zarzaur as Joshua, Danny Nucci as Abba, and Zehra Fazal as Eema.

Dallas Jenkins, writer, director, and creator of “The Chosen,” serves as an executive producer for the new animated series. He told CNA in an interview that the inspiration for the new show came from episode three of Season 1 of “The Chosen,” in which Jesus is seen interacting with children throughout the episode. 

“Not only did kids love it, but adults loved it because seeing Jesus with the eyes of a child is actually how Jesus often wants you to see him,” he told CNA. “And that episode resonated so strongly that we thought, ‘Okay, well, this is an opportunity. What if we did an animated series where Abigail and Joshua, the two main characters from that episode, were featured and it really allows us to explore a whimsy and a playfulness that you can really dig into with animation in a fresh way.”

Jenkins emphasized that while children will enjoy the show, it is also something adults can enjoy. 

“It's still grounded in truth,” he said. “And I still think that you'll watch this show and it will still feel real even though yes, there's a pigeon and a sheep that talk to each other, we always want to ground it in ‘The Chosen’ way.”

He added, “Yes, younger kids are going to appreciate it. But I think it's going to still feel like ‘The Chosen.’ It's not going to feel like it's a departure from who we are.”

Abigail and Jesus in "The Chosen Adventures," which comes out on Prime Video on Oct. 17. Credit: David Griffin
Abigail and Jesus in "The Chosen Adventures," which comes out on Prime Video on Oct. 17. Credit: David Griffin

As a huge fan of “The Chosen,” Hauser, who will voice the character of Sheep, told CNA that “the idea of doing a faith-based program that I was really proud of” was a major factor in what drew him to the role. He hopes the series will leave both children and adults feeling “encouraged or inspired to deepen their relationship with God.”

“You don't have to come to God with fancy big words and sound like someone you're not,” he added. “God is not impressed with us trying to dress up our faith in some way. I think it has more to do with authenticity and with the readiness to want to approach God and ask questions and engage with that.”

Jenkins added that he hopes viewers will be left inspired to be “curious.”

“Abigail sets an example for all of us with curiosity. She's asking questions. She never wants to stop learning. And I think God loves that,” he said. “I turned 50 this year. I never want to stop being curious. I never want to stop learning more, seeing things from a different perspective. I think we need that more than ever in society.”

He added: “Yes, we are grounded on foundational, Biblical truths that won't change but our perspective, the way we interact with others, the way we see the world, the way we see politics, the way we see other people, the empathy that we can find for other people that I think children are capable of, that we adults sometimes don't do, is something that is really important.”

Georgetown University taps Eduardo Peñalver as new president

Eduardo Peñalver will begin his role as the 49th president of Georgetown on July 1, 2026. / Credit: Georgetown University

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 18:22 pm (CNA).

The oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning in the United States, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has named Eduardo Peñalver, current president of Seattle University and former dean of Cornell Law School, as its 49th president. 

“We are pleased to welcome Eduardo Peñalver to Georgetown University,” Thomas A. Reynolds, chair of the board of directors, said in a press release announcing the decision. “President Peñalver is an exceptional leader steeped in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition who brings a wealth of experience in higher education, a global mindset, a commitment to social justice and academic excellence, and a bold vision for Georgetown’s future.”

Peñalver will assume his new role on July 1, 2026.  He has served as the 22nd president of Seattle University, also a Jesuit institution, since 2021. He succeeds Georgetown’s interim president, Robert Groves. 

“I’m deeply honored to have the privilege of serving as Georgetown’s next president,” Peñalver said in the release. “I would like to thank the Presidential Search Committee and Georgetown’s board of directors for entrusting this role to me at such a pivotal time for Georgetown and for higher education.” 

In the university’s announcement, Peñalver said he would apply his experience as leader of a Jesuit institution to his role at Georgetown. “At the center of our work, [Jesuit universities] share an interest in students as whole persons, focusing on their experiences both inside and outside the classroom,” he said.

He continued: “We share an aspiration to do more than teach a skill or impart knowledge, but to get students to grapple with the deeper questions, to pursue more ambitious goals like wisdom and understanding and meaning, in their academic work and in their lives.”

The incoming president said today “is an exciting moment in Georgetown's history,” citing the expansion of the University’s Capitol Campus, as well as the establishment of interdisciplinary programs, and increased efforts to make attendance more affordable for students. 

“I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Georgetown to deepen the university’s impact on our country and on our world,” he said. 

Peñalver was raised in a Catholic family in Puyallup, Washington. He graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University in 1994, before earning his law degree in 1999. He then clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, according to the release. 

He later taught at Fordham Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, and Cornell Law School, where he was appointed dean in 2014. 

Priest’s collection of ‘old, rare and unique’ papal artifacts coming to Mall of America

A papal ring, part of Father Richard Kunst’s “Vatican Unveiled” exhibit. / Credit: Courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

CNA Staff, Oct 15, 2025 / 15:41 pm (CNA).

A priest with a passion for historical artifacts has curated the largest collection of papal memorabilia outside of Rome — and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis just announced it will be on display there this winter.

This winter, Catholics can head to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, where Father Richard Kunst’s collection will be available for viewing from Jan. 10 to Feb. 1, 2026, according to a recent archdiocesan announcement. 

Spanning 19,000 square feet, the “Vatican Unveiled” exhibit features “artistic items with old-world craftsmanship” as well as “papal artifacts that show the humanity behind the leaders,” according to an Oct. 13 press release from the archdiocese. 

"Vatican Unveiled", according to Archbishop Bernard Hebda, will be a “very special celebration — the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.”

“It is a special exhibit of the largest collection of papal and other artifacts outside of Vatican City, the home of the Catholic Church,” Hebda said in an Oct. 13 announcement

The collection of about 300 items includes artifacts such as Pope Pius XII’s radio microphone and a papal ring, as well as an extremely rare historical Swiss Guard uniform. 

For Kunst, who caught the collector’s “bug” in high school, the display is the culmination of years of collecting.

“The collection is always growing,” Kunst said in a press release.

He first began by collecting presidential autographs, but eventually sold his collection and turned to Catholic artifacts.

“I continue my search for old, rare, and unique papal items, from documents to papal clothing,” Kunst said. 

Kunst hopes to eventually donate the collection to the Church, “where it may be enjoyed forever,” he said. 

“In the meantime, I am happy to share my collection with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis as they celebrate their 175th anniversary, and I welcome everyone to come see some interesting artifacts at Mall of America,” he said. 

Kunst’s collection has also been displayed in Duluth, Minnesota, his hometown, in 2022. 

The archdiocese currently has a ticket presale waitlist for the exhibit, where attendees “will experience interesting historical perspectives” and which “is open and welcoming to all,” the archdiocese said.

Cardinals, actor, and over 2,000 faithful bring the Eucharist to Times Square

The sixth annual Eucharistic procession took place in New York City on Oct. 14, 2025, a day after a Nor’easter soaked the tristate area. Organizers praised God for holding back the rain during the event and for allowing the procession to take place peacefully in Time Square during the 5 p.m. rush hour without incident. / Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute

New York City, New York, Oct 15, 2025 / 13:26 pm (CNA).

The sixth annual Eucharistic procession organized by the Napa Institute took place in New York City on Oct. 14, a day after a Nor’easter soaked the tristate area. Organizers praised God for holding back the rain during the event and for allowing the procession to take place peacefully in Times Square during the 5 p.m. rush hour.

Organized by the California-based institute, a crowd of an estimated 2,000 people gathered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a Holy Hour and Mass followed by a procession.

Cardinal Giorgio Marengo of the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, a missionary jurisdiction that covers the entire country of Mongolia, speaks during the Holy Hour.  Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute
Cardinal Giorgio Marengo of the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, a missionary jurisdiction that covers the entire country of Mongolia, speaks during the Holy Hour. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute

During the Holy Hour, those in attendance listened to a talk by Cardinal Giorgio Marengo of the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, a missionary jurisdiction that covers the entire country of Mongolia.

He told the story of a theft that took place in a “precarious hall” in Mongolia in 2003 because the church had not yet been constructed. 

“One night, someone managed to force open the front door and break into the wall-mounted tabernacle to steal a small monstrance,” the cardinal recounted.

Marengo said the parish priest sent a catechist to report the theft to the police the next day. The catechist told them that thieves had stolen “the most precious thing we have.” When the police asked for a description of the object, wondering if it was gold or precious stones, the catechist said: “No, it is thin, unleavened bread.” 

The police sent him away, thinking the man practiced a strange religion.

“But yes, that consecrated bread is the Church’s immeasurable treasure,” Marengo said. “It is the real presence of Christ, the Lord, among his people.”

Organized by the California-based Napa Institute, a crowd of an estimated 2,000 people gathered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan for a Holy Hour, Mass, and procession on Oct. 14, 2025. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute
Organized by the California-based Napa Institute, a crowd of an estimated 2,000 people gathered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan for a Holy Hour, Mass, and procession on Oct. 14, 2025. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute

Father Ambrose Criste, a Norbertine priest from St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, California, then spoke on the theme of profit and gain, and how in 1626, a Dutch colonist purchased the Island of Manhattan from the Lenape Indians for $24.

“Here in Manhattan, the property value — that excludes the parks, roads, and highways — was estimated back in 2014 at $1.74 trillion. When Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited here not too many decades ago, she didn’t observe how rich we are but rather how poor we are. In fact, far poorer than the lepers and those who were dying, whom she knew so well,” he said.

Criste stated that the poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty; it is one of loneliness and of spirituality.

“There is a hunger for love as there is a hunger for God,” he said. “There is nothing on this planet, nothing in the entire country, nothing in the entire universe that can surpass the value of the holy Eucharist. There is nothing that can give us life, nothing else that can satisfy our hunger for love,” he said.

Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus in the series "The Chosen," speaks at the event. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute
Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus in the series "The Chosen," speaks at the event. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute

Attendees expressed surprise when they found out that Jonathon Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in the TV series “The Chosen,” was there to speak. Roumie began by highlighting St. Carlo Acutis’ words that “the Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”

“As a New Yorker, I too, have a similar kind of sentiment, that the Eucharist is my express train to heaven. Probably the 3 train, for obvious reasons. Unless it is the weekend, and there are closures. Then you have to take the 2, get on a shuttle to Grand Central, get the 4 and the 5, and see how that ends up,” Roumie said to the chuckles of New Yorkers.

“Or if you haven’t been to confession, you should probably take the bus. It’s a whole other direction,” he said, to even more laughter.

Roumie reminded the audience that “you don’t have to play Jesus on TV to be Jesus to the world around you. And that we can do this by making the Eucharist part of our daily life, like St. Carlo.”

“This became my own endeavor in the last six months, filming the penultimate season of ‘The Chosen, Season 6,’ which we completed one month ago. It centers on the Crucifixion. It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done as an actor and as a Christian man. The intensity of portraying Christ’s passion, suffering, and death on the cross was one which challenged me and necessitated a level of strength that I, on my own, do not possess, but only Christ himself,” he said.

The only way that Roumie could sustain himself, he said, was by partaking in the Eucharist as often as time would allow. 

“Confession, the Eucharist, and adoration became my very food and drink. Without these, I would surely have starved and perished: perished in the abyss of my own mental approximation of our Lord’s crucifixion and death. But by seeking the healing of the deep wounds of sin within myself through the sacrament of reconciliation, receiving the Eucharist almost daily, it was Christ who then took over and further fashioned my soul to reflect more of him within me,” he said. “It is Christ whose light shines within.”

Roumie reminded the audience that Jesus made a promise 2,000 years ago not to leave us or forsake us.

“For 2,000 years, he has kept his promise. He is with us,” he said.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the recently retired cardinal of Boston, presided at the Mass and gave the homily before the Eucharistic procession began. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute
Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the recently retired cardinal of Boston, presided at the Mass and gave the homily before the Eucharistic procession began. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the recently retired cardinal of Boston, presided and the Mass and gave the homily, which continued with the theme of Jesus’ promise to stay with us always in the Eucharist. He recalled an event that happened when he had been a bishop in the West Indies. 

“I once had a friend, Father Fox from Washington, D.C., who had a magical personality and was a joy to be with. One morning, I was at my desk, and a call came in saying that Father Fox had died of a heart attack,” he said.

O’Malley recalled that he had to go to the post office that same day to pick up the mail, and to his surprise, he found a letter from Father Fox.

“It seemed he had sent me a letter from the grave,” the cardinal said.

As he read the letter, he could almost hear his friend’s voice and laughter.

“It occurred to me that this letter was like the Eucharist: a sign of love and friendship and desire to communicate. But in Jesus’ case, it was planned. The letter that he sends us is himself: the Word made flesh, made Eucharist. And God has been preparing that letter for all eternity,” he said.

After Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Eucharistic procession spilled out onto Fifth Avenue. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute
After Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Eucharistic procession spilled out onto Fifth Avenue. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute

After Mass, the Eucharistic procession spilled out onto Fifth Avenue, with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal singing in English and Spanish. Tourists snapped pictures while some New Yorkers stopped and stared. University students from Fordham University waved Vatican flags. Missionaries of Charity nuns mixed with families, and drones hovered above the crowds.

A close-up of the monstrance during the sixth annual Eucharistic procession that took place in New York City on Oct. 14, 2025. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute
A close-up of the monstrance during the sixth annual Eucharistic procession that took place in New York City on Oct. 14, 2025. Credit: Zach Fiedler/Napa Institute

The procession ended with benediction by New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan back at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the crowd numbers at 5,000; it was about 2,000. Also, an earlier version incorrectly referred to Cardinal Marengo as the youngest cardinal; he is the second youngest cardinal. (Published Oct. 15, 2025) 

Florida bishop urges faithful to ‘welcome the foreigner’ amid immigrant family separations

null / Credit: Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 15, 2025 / 12:45 pm (CNA).

Pensacola-Tallahassee Bishop William Wack this week called for immigration reform while urging the faithful to welcome immigrants amid ongoing deportations and detainments in Florida and throughout the country. 

The bishop told the faithful in his diocese in an Oct. 14 letter that he has “reflected with a heavy heart” on the trials of immigrants in the United States “suffering under the weight of a broken immigration system.”

The Trump administration has continued to aggressively pursue enhanced immigration enforcement, claiming that more than two million immigrants have either been removed or self-deported in roughly the last eight months. 

In his letter, Wack acknowledged that law enforcement “has a responsibility to apprehend and detain individuals who commit crimes,” but he criticized what he described as “the dangerous narrative that every immigrant is a threat.” 

“At the same time, we must also advocate for reform — of immigration law, of due process, and of enforcement practices — so that justice and mercy are upheld together, and families are not needlessly torn apart,” he said. 

The bishop suggested that “a pro-life people” should not support “the separation of families with mixed immigration status.” 

“Can we, in good conscience, endorse policies that deport a working father — knowing the devastating impact it will have on his family — without also acknowledging his contributions to our communities?” he wrote. “Can we accept that more children are being pushed into the foster care system because both parents have been deported?”

Wack said Catholics in his diocese should “set aside partisan talking points” and look to the messages of Christ and the Gospel. 

“We are called to care for our neighbor, to shelter the stranger, and to welcome the foreigner; for each of us has been lovingly created in the image and likeness of God,” he said. 

The Christian faith has always required the faithful to give “special care” to the poor and vulnerable, Wack said, including immigrants who come to the U.S. “in search of safety and a better life.” 

The prelate urged the faithful to “to employ all of your gifts and influence to join me in bringing about this needed change” to U.S. immigration policy. 

“Our nation has long been a beacon for those fleeing violence, persecution, and extreme poverty. As people of faith, may we choose hope and life —  not just for ourselves and our loved ones, but for every child of God,” he said. 

Earlier this year, Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski similarly urged the government to expand legal pathways to citizenship for unlawfully present migrants who have committed no other crimes.

“Rather than spending billions to deport people who are already contributing positively to our nation’s well-being, it would be more financially sensible and more morally acceptable for Congress, working with the administration, to expand legal pathways for noncriminal migrants to adjust to a permanent legal status,” the archbishop said at the time.

In July, meanwhile, Venice, Florida, Bishop Frank Dewane criticized the then-proposed “Alligator Alcatraz" immigrant detainment facility and said it was “alarming to see enforcement strategies which treat all unauthorized immigrants as dangerous criminals.”

“Decency requires that we remember individuals being detained are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters of distressed relatives,” he said.

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will select new president in November

The U.S. bishops gather in Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 12, 2024 for their plenary assembly. / Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 15, 2025 / 11:48 am (CNA).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will select a new president and vice president during its Fall Plenary Assembly, which is set for Nov. 10 to Nov. 13 in Baltimore, Maryland.

In November, the three-year terms for the current president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, and vice president, Archbishop William E. Lori, are set to expire. The new conference leaders, who will be chosen from a slate of 10 candidates, will also serve three-year terms.

The following slate of candidates was selected through nominations from the bishops:

  • Bishop Robert E. Barron, Diocese of Winona-Rochester

  • Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

  • Bishop Daniel E. Flores, Diocese of Brownsville

  • Archbishop Richard G. Henning, Archdiocese of Boston

  • Bishop David J. Malloy, Diocese of Rockford

  • Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, Archdiocese of Philadelphia

  • Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

  • Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

  • Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, Archdiocese of Indianapolis

  • Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger, Archdiocese of Detroit

According to a news release from the USCCB, both positions are selected by a majority vote of present voting members. If no bishop receives more than 50% of the vote, the bishops will hold a second vote. If there is still no bishop with a majority, the assembly will vote in a head-to-head race between the two bishops who received the most votes in the second round. 

The president is chosen first, and the vice president is chosen from the remaining nine candidates, according to the USCCB.

At the gathering, bishops will also select new chairmen for six committees: the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance; the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs; the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis; the Committee on International Justice and Peace; the Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People; and the Committee on Religious Liberty. 

For those positions, the elected bishops will serve a single year as chairman-elect and then begin a three-year term at the end of the 2026 Fall Assembly. 

Younger priests remain more conservative than older priests in U.S., survey says

Younger U.S. priests say they are far more conservative than older priests in their voting patterns, according to a 2025 survey. / Credit: TSViPhoto/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 15:35 pm (CNA).

Younger U.S. priests are far more conservative than older priests, reaffirming a generational divide in political views, according to a 2025 survey.

The strong generational divide in political views among Catholic priests in the United States was reaffirmed in a 2025 survey that shows younger priests are far more conservative than older priests.

The National Study of Catholic Priests, published on Oct. 14, was commissioned by The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and conducted by Gallup. Researchers surveyed the same priests who were surveyed in The Catholic Project’s 2022 survey to examine the U.S. priesthood.

According to the report, the 2025 survey “closely mirrors” the findings in 2022 and shows “a clear generational shift away from liberal self-identification.”

About 51% of priests ordained in 2010 or later said their political views are either conservative or very conservative. Another 37% said they were moderate and the remaining 12% were either liberal or very liberal.

For priests ordained between 2000 and 2009, 44% were conservative or very conservative and 44% were moderate. Again, only 12% of priests ordained in these years said they were liberal or very liberal.

Priests ordained between 1990 and 1999 leaned conservative, but to a lesser degree, with 38% saying they are somewhat conservative, 34% identifying as moderate, and 26% saying they are liberal or very liberal.

For priests ordained in the prior decade, 1980 to 1989, conservatism declines to about 22%, and 36% call themselves moderate. About 40%, a plurality, identify as liberal or very liberal. 

Older priests are far more liberal. A majority of priests ordained between 1975 and 1979, about 53%, say they are either liberal or very liberal. About 34% are moderate and 11% conservative. About 61% of priests ordained before 1975 said they are liberal or very liberal, 25% are moderate, and 13% are conservative. 

The theological leanings of priests followed a similar pattern, with an even sharper decline in theological progressivism, according to the researchers. About 70% of priests ordained before 1975 called themselves theological progressives, and only 8% of priests ordained 2010 or later said the same.

About 70% of the youngest priests self-report as conservative/orthodox or very conservative/orthodox on theological matters.

Generational divide on pastoral priorities

The political and theological shifts flow into generational divides about what issues the Church should be prioritizing as well, such as climate change, LGBTQ outreach, and synodality.

Regarding climate change, 78% of priests ordained before 1980 said this should be a priority, as did 61% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999. Just 35% of priests ordained in 2000 or later agreed.

The trend is similar for outreach to the LGBTQ community with 66% of priests ordained before 1980 calling this a priority, but just 49% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 37% of priests ordained 2000 or later agree.

Synodality is also popular among older priests, with 77% of those ordained before 1980 calling it a priority. About 57% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 say the same, but only 37% of priests ordained 2000 or later agree.

Immigration 

Some issues show smaller generational divides. For example, 93% of priests ordained before 1980 see immigration and refugee assistance as a priority, as do 82% ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 74% ordained in 2000 or later. Also, 98% of priests ordained before 1980 believe poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity are priorities, as do 92% ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 79% ordained 2000 or later.

There is a generational divide on whether Eucharistic devotion or access to the Traditional Latin Mass are priorities, with younger priests more focused on those issues. 

About 88% of priests ordained in 2000 or later see Eucharistic devotion as a priority, as do 66% of those ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 57% ordained before 1980. About 39% of priests ordained in 2000 or later see Latin Mass access as a priority, but only 20% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 11% of priests ordained before 1980 agree.