Category: 2025 News

ROME (CNS) – Celebrating his first Mass in Rome’s diocesan cathedral, Pope Leo XIV said communion is built primarily “on our knees,” through prayer and a constant commitment to conversion.

He reaffirmed Pope Francis’ dedication to listening, first and foremost to the Holy Spirit, as it then leads to listening to and understanding others “as our brothers and sisters.”

The pope’s remarks came during his homily at Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, where he took possession of the cathedral as the bishop of Rome May 25.

The pope arrived in the late afternoon to the cheers and applause of those who turned out to welcome the U.S.-born pontiff as he stepped out of the black Volkswagen SUV in front of the basilica. He smiled and waved to those outside before being greeted by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, papal vicar for Rome, and then he walked through the basilica’s Holy Door.

At the start of the liturgy, Cardinal Reina read a profession of obedience to the pope on behalf of the diocese and then the pope sat on the raised marble chair in the basilica’s apse, taking formal possession of the “cathedra” (chair) of the bishop of Rome. He then received representatives of his flock, including clergy and laypeople.

The pope dedicated his homily to the Mass readings, putting special emphasis on the importance of listening.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (15:1-2, 22-29), described Paul and Barnabas recognizing the authority of the Jerusalem church and going there to settle the question of whether Gentiles could embrace a form of Christianity that did not include observing every aspect of Mosaic law.

“This was no easy matter; it called for much patience and mutual listening,” and Peter and the apostles in Jerusalem were prepared to listen, Pope Leo said.

That dialogue “led to the right decision,” he said, because they listened to God’s voice.

“In this way, they remind us that communion is built primarily ‘on our knees,’ through prayer and constant commitment to conversion. For only in this way can each of us hear within the voice of the Spirit crying out: ‘Abba! Father!’ and then, as a result, listen to and understand others as our brothers and sisters,” he said.

“Naturally, the more we let ourselves be convinced and transformed by the Gospel — allowing the power of the Spirit to purify our heart, to make our words straightforward, our desires honest and clear, and our actions generous — the more capable we are of proclaiming its message,” the pope said.

In fact, he said, “the Gospel assures us that we are not alone in making our decisions in life. The Spirit sustains us and shows us the way to follow, ‘teaching’ us and ‘reminding’ us of all that Jesus said.”

“Pope Francis frequently encouraged us to reflect on the maternal dimension of the church and her defining qualities of tenderness, self-sacrifice and the capacity to listen,” he said.

“We hope that those qualities will be increasingly present in the people of God everywhere, including here, in our great diocesan family: in the faithful, in pastors and, first of all, in myself,” Pope Leo said.

He encouraged the Diocese of Rome’s “process of listening” to the world and its communities to respond to current challenges and “to propose sage and prophetic initiatives of evangelization and charity.”

“I would like to express my firm desire to contribute to this great ongoing process by listening to everyone as much as possible, in order to learn, understand and decide things together, as St. Augustine would say, ‘as a Christian with you and a bishop for you,'” Pope Leo said.

He asked everyone to support him “in prayer and charity, mindful of the words of St. Leo the Great: ‘All the good we do in the exercise of our ministry is the work of Christ and not our own, for we can do nothing without him.'”

He expressed his love and affection for the faithful of Rome “and my desire to share with you, on our journey together, our joys and sorrows, our struggles and hopes. I too offer you ‘the little I have and am.'”

Following the Mass, the pope appeared at the balcony of the basilica, where he briefly addressed a large crowd of people, wishing them as he did the afternoon of his election May 8, “Peace be with you.”

The Holy Year dedicated to hope, he said, encourages the faithful to be living witnesses of Christ’s hope to the world, “a world that is suffering a lot” because of war, violence and poverty.

“Thank you for walking together,” he said, “Let us all walk together.”

The pope then got in an open popemobile and headed to the patriarchal Basilica of St. Mary Major where he venerated the “Salus Populi Romani,” (“Salvation of the Roman People”), a Marian icon in a side chapel.

After the prayers and final blessing, he stood and prayed at the tomb of his predecessor, Pope Francis, upon which lay a single white rose.

Pope Leo then spoke to the people gathered outside the basilica, thanking them “from my heart” for their presence to be with their new bishop, “united as members of the Diocese of Rome.”

Before going to St. John Lateran for the Mass, Pope Leo also met with Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, in a brief ceremony at the bottom of the steps below city hall.

Pope Leo said he felt the “serious but enthusiastic responsibility of serving all members” of the Diocese of Rome, “having at heart, above all, the faith of the people of God and, therefore, the common good of society.”

“We are partners, each in its own institutional setting,” he said. And yet, as he was about to take possession of the city’s cathedral, “Today I can say for you and with you, I am Roman,” which was met with great applause.

Also May 25, the pope led a crowd in St. Peter’s Square in praying the “Regina Coeli” at noon.

Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, the pope said, “Let us resolve to bring (the Lord’s) love everywhere, never forgetting that each of our sisters and brothers is a dwelling place of God and that his presence is manifested above all in the little ones, in the poor and the suffering, who ask us to be thoughtful and compassionate Christians.”

(OSV News) – Russia has rejected the Vatican’s offer to host talks for ending the war in Ukraine, despite international support for the idea.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin had offered to “eventually make the Vatican … available for a direct meeting” between Ukraine and Russia, as May 16 talks between those nations in Istanbul ended after just two hours, with little result except for a mutual prisoner exchange.

The move was endorsed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming the Vatican could be a meeting venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks before meeting May 17 with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. The Archbishop of Bologna, Italy, Cardinal Zuppi has served as a papal peace envoy between Ukraine and Russia since 2023.

“I think it’s a place that both sides would be comfortable going,” Rubio told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Rome.

Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskyy – who had a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV following the May 18 papal inauguration Mass at St. Peter’s Square – said in his May 19 conversations with Trump he had “reiterated that Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russia in any format that brings results. Türkiye, the Vatican, Switzerland — we are considering all possible venues.”

However, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has nixed the prospect, saying his nation has “no plans” for when or where the next meeting between the two nations will take place.

Lavrov made the remarks while speaking at a May 23 conference in Moscow on “Historical South Russian Lands: National Identity and Self-Determination of Peoples.”

He described efforts to coordinate talks at the Vatican as “unrealistic.”

“Imagine the Vatican as a venue for negotiations. It’s a bit vulgar,” said Lavrov, according to the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet, citing Russian media outlet RBC. Lavrov’s word choice has also been rendered as “a bit inelegant.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told media May 22 there are “no agreements” to hold talks at the Vatican.

Lavrov cited religion as one obstacle, saying a meeting between Russia and Ukraine, “two Orthodox countries,” at a “Catholic platform” would be “somewhat uncomfortable” for the Vatican.

Most Christians in Ukraine identify as Orthodox, followed by Ukrainian Greek and Roman Catholic. The nation’s religiously plural society is also home to historic Jewish, Muslim and Protestant communities.

Some 71% of Russians identify as Orthodox, with 15% claiming no religious faith and 5% identifying as Muslim. Other faiths, including Catholicism, each represent 1% or less of the remaining population.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has been a fervent supporter of Russia’s war on Ukraine, launched in 2022 and continuing attacks initiated in 2014. The patriarch preached in a September 2022 sermon that any Russian soldier who dies in Ukraine offers a sacrifice that “washes away all the sins that a person has committed.”

Sergei Markov, a political consultant closely aligned with the Kremlin, told Bloomberg that security concerns prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from traveling to the Vatican, located within the NATO member state of Italy.

Putin is the subject of one of six arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for war crimes by Russian officials in Ukraine. As a signatory to the Rome Statute, which created the ICC, Italy would in principle have a duty to arrest Putin if he entered the country.

Bloomberg, citing unidentified European officials, said discussions are nonetheless taking place to create a role for the Vatican in Ukraine-Russia talks.

(OSV News) – Two U.S. Catholic bishops expressed their “profound grief and outrage” over the May 21 killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington.

“We stand in prayerful mourning with our Jewish brothers and sisters and denounce this act of violence and antisemitic hatred in the strongest possible terms,” said Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia in a May 23 joint statement.

The bishops – who respectively chair the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development – said their hearts were “burdened by sorrow” over the murders of 26-year-old Sarah Lynn Milgrim and 30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky, who were fatally shot at close range while leaving a young diplomats reception at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.

The couple was set to become engaged in Jerusalem next week, with Lischinsky purchasing the ring only days ago, according to Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S.

Suspect Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago resident, was filmed chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” following the attack. He was detained and has been charged with both federal and local murder offenses, including the murder of foreign officials and two counts of first-degree murder.

The attack has been widely condemned as an act of antisemitism.

In their statement — which joined similar outcries from Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia — Bishop Bambera and Archbishop Gudziak said, “As Catholics, we are called not only to reject such hatred, but to actively foster mutual understanding, respect, and solidarity with the Jewish people.”

They pointed to Catholic teaching on the church’s relationship to the Jewish people.

“With urgency and clarity, we renew the commitment made through the Second Vatican Council’s declaration ‘Nostra Aetate’ to affirm our common patrimony with the Jews and stand against any and all forms of antisemitism,” they said, referring to the landmark conciliar document that is currently marking its 60th anniversary this year.

“Nostra Aetate” (“In Our Time”) is believed by scholars to have been inspired by a brief but pivotal 1960 encounter between renowned French Jewish historian Jules Isaac and St. John XXIII, during which Isaac presented his research demonstrating a centuries-long “teaching of contempt” toward the Jewish community by Catholic and other Christian theologians.

Regarding the murders of Milgrim and Lischinsky, Bishop Bambera and Archbishop Gudziak said, “The suffering generated by this senseless and violent action against the Jewish community wounds us all and compels us toward renewed vigilance and action.”

The bishops also acknowledged “the grave responsibility we all share in the language we use, especially when speaking about the conflict in the Holy Land,” pointing to the Israel-Hamas War, which began after the latter’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed at least 1,200 and saw some 250 taken hostage. According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, at least 53,655 have been killed in Gaza as of May 21.

“Complex political realities can never justify rhetoric that demonizes a people, faith, or community,” said Bishop Bambera and Archbishop Gudziak. “Harsh or dehumanizing language, even when unintended, can sow seeds of suspicion and fear, which too easily bear the fruit of violence. In our public discourse, as in our prayers, we must choose the path of truth spoken in love (Ephesians 4:15), never allowing geopolitical tensions to justify antisemitism or any form of hatred.”

In December, the USCCB and the American Jewish Committee released “Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition,” a resource to confront antisemitism by cataloging anti-Jewish slurs, while providing Catholic teaching that counters such hatred.

Bishop Bambera worked closely with Rabbi Noam Marans, the AJC’s director of interreligious affairs, on the 61-page glossary of antisemitic terms and commentary, which built on the AJC ongoing “Translate Hate” initiative, launched in 2019.

“To our Jewish neighbors, partners and friends: We walk with you. We grieve with you. We stand with you,” said Bishop Bambera and Archbishop Gudziak in their statement. “May the God of justice and peace comfort the wounded, strengthen the fearful, and bring healing to all affected by this violence. Let us together be instruments of peace, as we heed the words of the prophet Micah: ‘Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.'”

(OSV News) – In their first week of pilgrimage, eight young adults witnessed a bishop blessing his diocese with the Blessed Sacrament via helicopter, visited key sites in the life of sainthood-tracked Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, and boated across the Mississippi River from Illinois to Iowa — all in the company of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

The 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage launched May 18 from St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis — the same church where last year’s inaugural National Eucharistic Pilgrimage ended in July ahead of the National Eucharistic Congress. Following Mass celebrated by Indianapolis Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, the pilgrimage’s eight “perpetual pilgrims” immediately set out in a van for the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois.

“To journey with Christ in this tangible, holy way – adoring him in silence as the countryside replaced the skyscrapers of downtown – was deeply moving,” said Charlie McCullough, the only 2025 perpetual pilgrim who was also a perpetual pilgrim last year, in a post on OSV News’ live blog featuring the pilgrims’ daily reflections.

They spent that first afternoon and evening at St. Mary Catholic Church in Paxton, Illinois, where Joliet Bishop Ronald A. Hicks received the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance and led adoration. A second Holy Hour was then held 25 miles away at Immaculate Conception Church in Gilman, followed by a Eucharistic procession and adoration about 50 miles north at St. John Paul II Church in Kankakee.

The next day began with Mass at St. John Paul II, followed by a Eucharistic procession at nearby Bishop McNamara Catholic School, and then a Eucharistic procession and adoration 40 west at Immaculate Conception Church in Morris, Illinois. Then, they entered the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, where they had five more events, including Mass, May 19.

The fast pace of this year’s 36-day pilgrimage makes it possible for pilgrims to cross 10 states and 20 dioceses in a part of the United States largely missed by the 2024 four-route pilgrimage: the American Southwest. This year’s pilgrimage entered the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, May 21, and plans to pass through Iowa and into Kansas before going through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, ending in Los Angeles for the feast of Corpus Christi, June 22.

The eight “perpetual pilgrims” were chosen among applicants by National Eucharistic Congress Inc., the pilgrimage’s organizer. The pilgrims, all in their 20s, bring a variety of education, work and ministry experience to their roles, accompanying the Eucharist across the country and witnesses to Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. Like last year, they are accompanied by chaplains from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

On May 20, the pilgrims visited at least two sites of importance to the life of Archbishop Sheen: his baptismal site in St. Mary Parish in El Paso, Illinois, and his tomb in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, where the future bishop of Rochester, New York, was also ordained.

That day, pilgrims also witnessed Peoria Bishop Lou Tylka travel with the Blessed Sacrament via helicopter from OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria to OSF St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg, Illinois, to bless his diocese as part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.

Bishop Tylka had welcomed the pilgrims to the diocese the day before with a horse-led Eucharistic procession and then Mass, where he preached about the “hunger that is out there for something more than what the world presents.”

“I think that hunger, especially among young people – they are discovering that the only way to feed that hunger, it’s a spiritual hunger, a hunger to be united with God – is to find a home in church, and they are finding that in the Catholic Church,” Bishop Tylka said, according to The Catholic Post, the newspaper of the Diocese of Peoria.

On May 21, the pilgrims crossed from Illinois into Iowa in dramatic fashion: via a boat across the Mississippi River.

“As I sat in the boat adoring our Lord as we crossed the Mississippi River with Bishop Tylka and four fellow pilgrims, I felt an overwhelming joy,” perpetual pilgrim Stephen Fuhrmann wrote in a reflection for OSV News.

“To be on the water with Jesus, just like the Apostles, was an experience that has illuminated my prayer today and will forever be something that I remember, even if I wasn’t asked to walk on water,” he said.

Once ashore in Iowa’s Diocese of Davenport, they were met by Davenport Bishop Dennis G. Walsh and around 60 people for a 4-mile Eucharistic procession that Fuhrmann described as “along the water, up and down hills (and) through the town of Burlington, Iowa.”

The pilgrims were expected to remain in the Davenport Diocese until May 23, when they were to head north to the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, for the Memorial Day weekend.

“With our hearts continuing to burn for our Lord,” Fuhrmann said, “he continues to pour out grace upon grace on each of us pilgrims and on everyone that encounters the pilgrimage.”

SCRANTON – The community is invited to join together for an afternoon of unity, culture, and belonging at the ninth annual World Refugee Day Celebration, taking place on Sunday, June 22, 2025, at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. (The event will be held near the Mulberry Street entrance, across from GCMC and the Everhart Museum)

Due to the popularity of the event over the last several years – the 2025 World Refugee Day Celebration is expanding by an extra hour – and will be celebrated this year from 2-5 p.m.

The free, family-friendly event is open to all and offers a number of festivities, including a lively mix of cultural music, dance performances, international food, refreshments, games, giveaways, and engaging activities for children.

World Refugee Day is an annual commemoration established by the United Nations to honor the strength and resilience of refugees and displaced persons who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and violence. It is also a moment to reaffirm our shared responsibility to support and welcome displaced individuals seeking safety and a new beginning.

The theme of the 2025 World Refugee Day Celebration in Scranton is, “A World Where Refugees Are Always Welcomed.” This theme was chosen because it is a call to action, urging us all to embrace refugees as neighbors, friends, and contributors to our shared future.

More than 20 community agencies are coordinating the 2025 World Refugee Day Celebration, including Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton; The University of Scranton; City of Scranton; Scranton Area Multifaith Ministerium; Temple Hesed; Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; Muslim Association of Wyoming Valley; United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania; S.T.A.R.S. Program at Marywood University; Islamic Center of Scranton; Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit; Congolese Community of Scranton, Bhutanese Cultural Foundation Scranton Association; and Pennsylvania Department of Education – Migrant Education Program.

Additional partners and sponsors include: Friends of the Poor; Ignatian Volunteer Corps; Saigon Corner Vietnamese Restaurant; Church of Saint Gregory, Clarks Green; Our Lady of the Snows Parish, Clarks Summit; Maternal & Family Health Services; Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Lackawanna County Department of Arts & Culture; and NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON – “With hearts burdened by sorrow and a renewed commitment to solidarity, we express profound grief and outrage at the shooting that occurred outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington,” said Bishop Joseph C. Bambera and Archbishop Borys Gudziak.

Bishop Bambera, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, and Archbishop Gudziak, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development offered their prayers in response to the May 21 shooting.

“We stand in prayerful mourning with our Jewish brothers and sisters and denounce this act of violence and antisemitic hatred in the strongest possible terms. As Catholics, we are called not only to reject such hatred, but to actively foster mutual understanding, respect, and solidarity with the Jewish people. With urgency and clarity, we renew the commitment made through the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate to affirm our common patrimony with the Jews and stand against any and all forms of antisemitism.

“The suffering generated by this senseless and violent action against the Jewish community wounds us all and compels us toward renewed vigilance and action. In this moment, we also acknowledge the grave responsibility we all share in the language we use, especially when speaking about the conflict in the Holy Land. Complex political realities can never justify rhetoric that demonizes a people, faith, or community. Harsh or dehumanizing language, even when unintended, can sow seeds of suspicion and fear, which too easily bear the fruit of violence. In our public discourse, as in our prayers, we must choose the path of truth spoken in love (Ephesians 4:15), never allowing geopolitical tensions to justify antisemitism or any form of hatred.

“To our Jewish neighbors, partners and friends: We walk with you. We grieve with you. We stand with you. May the God of justice and peace comfort the wounded, strengthen the fearful, and bring healing to all affected by this violence. Let us together be instruments of peace, as we heed the words of the prophet Micah: ‘Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.’”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. House of Representatives May 22 passed a sweeping package for President Donald Trump’s agenda, sending the legislation to the Senate for consideration.

Catholic leaders have alternately praised and criticized various provisions in the House’s version of that package, which has drawn fire from some critics over its cuts to Medicaid, while drawing praise from others for promises to eliminate funds to health providers who also perform abortions.

The U.S. bishops have urged lawmakers to uphold human life and dignity, and promote the common good in considering the legislation.

Trump pushed Republican leadership to pass what he calls his “one big, beautiful bill” — and as such, later named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which would enact key provisions of his legislative agenda on tax and immigration policy.

The House’s passage of the multitrillion-dollar tax cut and spending measure in a 215-214 vote, ends a chaotic several weeks for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who sought to pass the bill despite objections from various factions of his party, including those who said it added too much to the federal deficit.

The package, which exceeded 1,000 pages, will be taken up by the Senate, where Republicans have suggested they will change some of its provisions, including on cuts to Medicaid.

“This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!” Trump wrote on X, adding, “Now, it’s time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work, and send this Bill to my desk AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!”

An analysis from the Congressional Budget Office said the tax provisions in the House version would increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion over a decade, while cuts on Medicaid, food stamps and other areas would result in about $1 trillion in reduced government spending.

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, said the conference “sent a comprehensive letter to Congress commending parts of the budget proposal that will support human life and dignity, while also strongly encouraging them to reconsider provisions that will harm the poor and disadvantaged, our immigrant brothers and sisters, and our environment.”

“To our elected lawmakers, I echo the call of my brother bishops and urge you to remain consistent in protecting human life and dignity and supporting the common good so that families can flourish,” he said in a May 21 statement.

“I also underscore the grave concerns expressed by my brother bishops,” he continued, “and implore you to address the real and substantial harms that would result from provisions in this bill before it advances further. Raising income taxes on the working poor, cutting nutrition and healthcare programs for those most in need, and eliminating investments in environmental stewardship would place a terrible burden on the least of our brothers and sisters.”

Mercy Sister Mary Haddad, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, said in a May 22 statement that the group opposes the House’s version of the package.

“H.R. 1 would harm critical health and social safety-net programs that millions of Americans rely on to live with health, dignity, and security,” Sister Mary said. “The Catholic Health Association strongly opposes provisions like mandatory Medicaid work reporting requirements, restrictions on state tax authority, and changes to state-directed payment policies — all of which would lead to coverage losses for more than 10 million people who depend on Medicaid for essential care. These harmful proposals threaten the health and stability of the very communities we are called to serve.”

Sister Mary expressed concern about “the bill’s failure to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits.”

“Without action, five million Americans — including nearly two million living with chronic conditions — could lose their coverage, and millions more would face skyrocketing premiums and unaffordable care,” she said, adding that the bill’s proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would also “further jeopardize food security for families already struggling to make ends meet, compounding the health and economic burdens on low-income communities.”

“We urge the Senate to protect and strengthen the programs that uphold the dignity, health, and well-being of all, especially those most in need,” Sister Mary said.

But some pro-life groups celebrated language in the legislation that would block entities that perform abortions from receiving Medicaid funds. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a May 22 statement,”Today Congress took a big step toward stopping forced taxpayer funding of the Big Abortion industry.”

Calling the House passage of the budget reconciliation bill “a crucial win,” Dannenfelser argued, “Medicaid will be stronger for those who need it most.”

“There is no excuse for forcing taxpayers to prop up a scandal-ridden industry that prioritizes abortions, gender transitions and partisan political activism instead of prenatal care, cancer screening and other legitimate health services that are in continual decline,” she said.

Senate Republicans have indicated they would like to send the bill to Trump’s desk prior to July 4.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – In his first appointment of a top-level official of the Roman Curia, Pope Leo XIV named Sister Tiziana Merletti, a canon lawyer, to be secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Sister Merletti, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, succeeds Consolata Missionary Sister Simona Brambilla, whom Pope Francis appointed prefect of the dicastery in January. Sister Brambilla is the first woman to head a Vatican dicastery.

The women’s International Union of Superiors General (UISG, in Italian) thanked Pope Leo and congratulated Sister Merletti on her appointment, which the Vatican announced May 22.

As a member of the union’s canon law council and a member of the Commission for Safeguarding operated jointly by the men’s and women’s unions of superiors, “her contributions are a gift to our global network, promoting justice, care and integrity in consecrated life,” the superiors’ group said. “We congratulate Sr. Tiziana on this important mission and assure her of our prayers as she takes on this new responsibility in service to consecrated life around the world.”

The dicastery, according to the apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia, is called “to promote, encourage and regulate the practice of the evangelical counsels, how they are lived out in the approved forms of consecrated life and all matters concerning the life and activity of Societies of Apostolic Life throughout the Latin Church.”

According to Vatican statistics, there are close to 600,000 professed women religious in the Catholic Church. The number of religious-order priests is about 128,500 and the number of religious brothers is close to 50,000.

Sister Merletti, 65, was born in Pineto, Italy, and earned a civil law degree before making her first vows as a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in 1986. In 1992 she earned her doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

From 2004 to 2013, she was superior general of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. At the time of her appointment, she was teaching canon law at the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome and serving as a canon law expert with the UISG.

(OSV News) – Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, called for prayers after two Israeli Embassy staff members were slain late May 21 outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.

Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were leaving an event at the museum when they were shot at close range.

“May we unite in prayer for the souls of two Israeli embassy staff members who were fatally shot last night in Washington, DC,” Bishop Burbidge, whose diocese is across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital, said in an early May 22 post on X. “Please God, grant strength to their families and all who loved them.”

The young couple were set to become engaged in Jerusalem next week, with Lischinsky purchasing the ring only days ago, according to Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S.

Suspect Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago resident, was filmed chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” following the attack. He was detained when he entered the museum immediately after the shooting, with event patrons initially unaware of his actions.

“With great sadness and horror, we have learned of the killing in cold blood of two members of the Jewish community, Yaron and Sarah,” in Washington, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said in a mid-morning post on X May 22. “We commend them to the mercy of God, and we join with their families, friends, and the wider Jewish community who mourn their senseless and tragic loss. May their memory be a blessing.”

Israeli officials confirmed that Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen who also reportedly held a German passport, was a research assistant for the embassy. Milgrim, a U.S. citizen, organized visits and missions to Israel.

According to sources interviewed by BBC News, Lischinsky was a devout Christian.

The attack has been widely condemned as an act of antisemitism.

“While we wait for the conclusion of the police investigation — and urge all our friends and allies to do the same — it strongly appears that this was an attack motivated by hate against the Jewish people and the Jewish state,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, in a May 22 statement.

He added, “This senseless hate and violence must stop.”

AJC board member Jojo Kalin told BBC News she had organized the event at the museum — which was a cocktail hour for Jewish professionals — to focus on building a coalition to help Gazans.

The gathering’s “bridge building” had been scarred by “such hatred,” she said, but stressed she refused to “lose my humanity over this or be deterred.”

“As has been so evident in these last months and years,” Cardinal Dolan said in his X post, “antisemitism is still pervasive in our country and our world, and the Catholic community in New York today renews our resolve to (work) to eradicate this evil. We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters in this moment of pain, praying that all may live in the peace and security that God surely intends for us.”

In his post, Bishop Burbidge quoted Pope Leo XIV, saying, “Peace begins with each one of us, in the way we look at others, listen to others and speak about others.”

The bishop said, “May the spirit peace be renewed today, and may the God who loves us restore peace to the Holy Land and our nation.”

ACTION ALERT: Ask your members of Congress to join with legislators on both sides of the aisle in supporting this much needed source of relief for people of faith and communities nationwide.

Click Here to Encourage Congress to Support Religious Workers and the Communities They Serve!

 

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. bishops on April 10 told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency.

The legislation, titled the Religious Workforce Protection Act, was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and in the House by Reps. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, and Richard Neal, D-Mass.

If signed into law, it would permit religious workers already in the U.S. on temporary R-1 status with pending EB-4 applications to stay in the U.S. while waiting for permanent residency, Collins’ office said. All five of those members are Catholic.

“When Maine parishes where I attend mass started losing their priests, I saw this issue creating a real crisis in our state,” Collins said in an April 8 statement. “Recently, three Catholic parishes in rural Maine — Saint Agatha, Bucksport, and Greenville — were left without priests for months because their R-1 visas expired while their EB-4 applications were still pending.”

The National Study of Catholic Priests — released in 2022 by The Catholic University of America’s Catholic Project — indicated 24% of priests serving in the U.S. are foreign-born. A majority of these were ordained outside the U.S., while others are foreign-born priests who came to the U.S. as seminarians, were ordained in the U.S. and are also subject to visa renewals.

“Our bill would help religious workers of all faith traditions continue to live and serve here in the United States while their applications for permanent residency are being fully processed,” Collins said. “Many Mainers and Americans cannot imagine their lives without the sense of community and services their local religious organizations provide — with this legislation, I hope they never have to.”

Kaine likewise said in a statement, “I first started hearing about churches losing trusted priests through my Parish, St. Elizabeth’s in Richmond, where we have had priests who were immigrants, and often have visiting priests, some of whom are immigrants as well.”

“But as it turns out, this problem is not unique to Virginia — it’s impacting religious congregations of many faiths, all across the country,” he said.

Bishops Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, James T. Ruggieri of Portland, Maine, and Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, were among the religious leaders who offered statements of support for the bill in press releases from Collins and Kaine’s offices, alongside representatives of evangelical Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu organizations.

In an April 10 letter to members of Congress, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, as well as Bishop Seitz, who is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, urged lawmakers to pass the legislation to “to ensure communities across our nation can continue to enjoy the essential contributions of foreign-born religious workers who lawfully entered the United States on a nonimmigrant religious worker (R-1) visa.”

They said that there are many Catholic priests, women religious, and laypersons working in Catholic ministries in that category.

“Some parishes, especially those in rural or isolated areas, would go without regular access to the sacraments, if not for these religious workers,” the bishops said. “Additionally, dioceses with large immigrant populations rely on foreign-born religious workers for their linguistic and cultural expertise. We would not be able to serve our diverse flocks, which reflect the rich tapestry of our society overall, without the faithful men and women who come to serve through the Religious Worker Visa Program.”

They said, “Simply put, an increasing number of American families will be unable to practice the basic tenets of their faith if this situation is not addressed soon. Likewise, hospitals will go without chaplains, schools will go without teachers, and seminaries will go without instructors.”

The bishops urged lawmakers to cosponsor “this vital measure and to work toward its immediate passage, thereby furthering the free exercise of religion in our country for the benefit of all Americans.”