Church of the Madalene

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 8, 2025 / 18:26 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump announced the U.S. Department of Education will issue new federal guidelines to protect prayer at public schools.

In a Sept. 8 speech to the Religious Liberty Commission, Trump said the new guidelines will “protect the right to prayer in our public schools and [provide for] its total protection.”

“For most of our country’s history, the Bible was found in every classroom in the nation, yet in many schools today, students are instead indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda,” Trump said.

“Some are even punished for their religious beliefs, and very, very strongly punished — it’s ridiculous,” he added.

The president said he was inspired to authorize the new guidance after hearing about instances of public school students and staff being censored or facing disciplinary action for engaging in prayer, reading the Bible, or publicly expressing their faith in other ways.

Trump specifically referenced Hannah Allen, who was censored by a Texas school for leading a prayer with other students for a peer who had been injured in an accident. According to the First Liberty Institute, which provided her legal representation, the principal ordered the students to be out of the public view if they were praying.

“A few years ago, Hannah organized a group of her classmates to pray for an injured peer,” Trump said. “The school principal declared that Hannah’s generous act of love was prohibited from taking place in front of the other students.”

After correspondence with First Liberty, the school changed its policies and stopped prohibiting students from prayer in the public view as long as the prayer does not disrupt normal school activities, according to the legal group.

Trump noted in his speech that “Hannah very strongly stood her ground and she won.” He said the federal Department of Education is issuing the new guidance “to support students like Hannah.”

“Hannah, I just want to thank you for letting the light of your faith shine for all of those to see,” the president said. “We really appreciate it.”

The commission heard stories from other students who faced similar censorship of their faith, such as an elementary school student who was forced to remove a face mask because it had the words “Jesus loves me” written on it. 

Another student spoke about how he was initially told he could not reference God in his valedictorian speech and another elementary school student told the commission about her school initially preventing her from singing a Christian song at a talent show.

In all of these cases, the schools ultimately relented and the students were permitted to practice their faith publicly.

U.S. Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia

CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA).

A new report from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has found that the Biden administration engaged in a “consistent and systematic pattern of discrimination” against Christians, including Catholics.

The 48-page document, titled “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias Within the Federal Government,” is the first issued by the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias established by President Donald Trump in February and chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The task force is charged with ensuring that “any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified.”

“The federal government will never again be permitted to turn its power against people of faith,” the report states. “The days of anti-Christian bias in the federal government are over.”

The report fulfills the first mandate the task force received from Trump to provide “an initial assessment of the harm caused when religious liberty is denied.”

It begins by saying that even though Christianity “has not only inspired individuals and transformed the nation … the political, social, and humanitarian contributions of Christians have been devalued, their beliefs marginalized, and their communities unlawfully targeted by their own government.”

“Where there should have been ‘equal justice under law’ there was unequal treatment — policies and practices that singled out Christian people, Christian houses of worship, and Christian convictions for disfavored treatment,” the report continues.

It goes on to highlight instances of alleged bias across federal agencies during the Biden years.

At the DOJ during the Biden administration, the report found a lack of effort to prosecute anti-Christian bias, instead pursuing “novel theories of prosecution” against individuals demonstrating their faith. 

A notable example involves the imprisonment of about two dozen Christians, many of them Catholic pro-life activists, under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for protests outside abortion facilities. 

Trump pardoned these individuals upon taking office. In contrast, the report asserts that the Biden DOJ failed to apply the FACE Act to protect places of worship and crisis pregnancy centers from similar disruptions. 

In addition, the report flags the FBI’s 2023 memo labeling “radical-traditionalist” Catholics as “domestic terrorism threats” as a particularly egregious instance of bias.

Multiple federal agencies faulted for discriminatory practices

The report also found that the U.S. State Department favored hiring individuals of other religions while discriminating against Christian employees, particularly noting that leave for Christian holidays was less likely to be granted compared with non-Christian ones. 

The report criticizes the State Department for seeking to impose “radical LGBTQ gender ideology” on foreign governments and staff, including mandatory use of preferred pronouns and rainbow flags, which it says violated the sincerely held beliefs of many Christian employees.

The task force also accuses the Biden-era State Department of “limited humanitarian relief to Christians relative to other populations” and the administration’s “muted” response to attacks on Christians globally. 

The U.S. Department of Defense, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Department of Labor are also cited for “deprioritizing, mishandling, or denying requests for religious exemptions” to the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, affecting Catholic and other Christian personnel who sought accommodations based on faith-based objections.

Under the Biden administration, the task force found that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development discriminated against Christians by “treating social media posts celebrating Christian holidays, such as Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter, differently than posts celebrating other religious or interest group holidays, including Pride Month, Ramadan, and Diwali by taking down the Christian posts and leaving up the rest.” 

The report says the Biden-era Department of Labor closed its Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and replaced it with a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office.

The report concludes that “the evidence uncovered is unmistakable: During the Biden administration, people of faith, particularly Christians, were repeatedly subjected to anti-religious bias at the hands of their own government.”

The Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias is comprised of representatives from various federal agencies and plans “to investigate the full scope of anti-Christian bias that pervaded the federal government during the Biden administration,” producing a comprehensive follow-up with its findings and recommendations by February 2026.

Credit: ArtOlympic/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 17:46 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, denied accusations of a cover-up following the recent arrest of a Madison priest for alleged sex crimes.

Father Andrew Showers, 37, was arrested last month after an undercover operation by local police found that he allegedly attempted to meet with a 14-year-old girl for sex.

Showers has since been charged with attempted child enticement, attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age. 

In a separate case only recently made public, 23-year-old Patricia Moriarty had filed a police report alleging that Showers sexually assaulted her in January 2024. Moriarty’s father, John Moriarty, reported the incident to the diocese shortly after but did not provide the name of the priest or a copy of the police report, according to the diocese.

The victims advocacy group Nate’s Mission blamed the diocese for mishandling the incident, saying the diocese “failed to act.” 

In response, the Madison Diocese provided a timeline of the report, saying its staff had asked for details such as the name of the priest, a copy of the police report, and the investigating police department but had not received a response from the father of the victim.

“Had we known that Father Showers was the priest in question behind the 2024 allegation, immediate action could and would have been taken,” the diocese stated.  

In response, Nate’s Mission called the diocese’s statement “a textbook example of victim-blaming.” 

“To suggest that Ms. Moriarty and her father are responsible for the Church’s failure to act because they did not feel comfortable with diocesan reporting procedures is deeply offensive,” the Sept. 6 statement read. 

In the statement, Nate’s Mission also brought up a previous incident with Showers in 2021, which the diocese had omitted in its first response to the revelations about Showers. 

Showers reportedly had “questioned a middle-school child about masturbation and pornography,” according to the advocacy organization. The boy’s parents reported the incident, which happened during confession, to both the diocese and the police, who determined that no criminal activity had occurred. 

In regards to his daughter’s assault, John Moriarty said the diocese “had more than enough to act if they wanted to.”

“My daughter deserved protection, and so did every other person Father Showers came into contact with after my call,” the victim’s father said in a Sept. 6 statement. “The diocese failed us — and they failed the public.”

In a recent letter to the diocese, Bishop Donald Hying of Madison praised the victim for coming forward and said he was “heartbroken by the harm and distress that has been caused by the alleged actions of one of our priests.”

But Hying also said that Nate’s Mission “painted a scandalous version of events that is simply not true.”

“Regarding this latest allegation, had we known the identity of the priest being accused of this abusive misconduct, he would have been removed from active public ministry immediately,” Hying said in the Sept. 6 letter.

The diocese will not be funding Showers’ legal expenses nor will it be providing him legal representation, according to the letter. 

“Be assured that I have not and will not excuse or defend any member of the clergy who commits sexual abuse of any kind,” Hying said. 

Showers was released from custody after posting a cash bond. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 30. If he is found guilty, he faces up to 50 years in prison. 

Archbishop Christian Lépine of Montreal, shown in a 2017 photo, has written a public letter opposing the Quebec government’s plan to ban public prayer. / Credit: CNS photo/François Gloutnay, Presence

Quebec City, Canada, Sep 8, 2025 / 17:16 pm (CNA).

The Quebec government’s call for a ban on all public prayer raises “serious concerns” about a democratic society’s fundamental freedoms, Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine said in a public letter.

Such a ban would discourage gestures fostering hope and solidarity in a world already “shaken” by so many crises — economic, social, and environmental, the archbishop said.

“At its core, to forbid public prayer would be somewhat like forbidding thought itself,” he said in a letter posted to the archdiocese’s website Sept. 2 and published in the Montreal newspaper La Presse.

Lépine said the proposal by Quebec Premier François Legault to end prayer in public places goes squarely against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Quebec’s own Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Can we afford to discourage gestures that foster hope and solidarity?” he said.

The archbishop called the proposal unworkable and discriminatory, adding it would “jeopardize traditions deeply rooted in Quebec,” such as the Way of the Cross, Palm Sunday processions, and the feast of Corpus Christi, among others.

“These events, marked by order and dignity, are spaces of encounter,” he said. “To forbid prayer in public would be to threaten their very existence.”

He added that Pope Francis’ penitential pilgrimage to Canada in 2022, with its stop in Quebec City, might have been banned under such a law.

Quebec’s Catholic bishops are also speaking out, saying the ban would violate people’s constitutional rights.

Bishop Martin Laliberté, president of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops, said he was “stunned” by Legault’s suggested ban on prayer in parks and on city streets, warning that it would affect a wide range of activities practiced by people of many faiths.

In a recent open letter, the Quebec bishops said the ban would target minority religious groups perceived by some as threatening Quebec’s identity, would be unenforceable, and would contradict both Canadian and Quebec Charter rights.

Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec party first called for such a ban late last year and immediately drew condemnation from many quarters, including Quebec’s bishops. In a letter at the time, Laliberté wrote to the government: “Prayer is not dangerous.”

The Quebec government has been vocal about introducing a bill to ban public prayer following a spate of mass Islamic prayer gatherings in 2024 in conjunction with pro-Palestinian protests in the province, including a weekly one in the square outside of Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal. Images and videos of Muslims praying in Montreal outside the basilica have made headlines this summer.

On Aug. 28, Quebec secularism minister Jean-François Roberge announced the government will introduce legislation in the fall to ban street prayer, although it has not said whether it will invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Charter to shield the legislation from constitutional challenges.

The Canadian Constitution Foundation also came out strongly against the proposal.

“This legislation is an assault on the constitutionally protected right to freedom of religion,” said litigation director Christine Van Geyn. “We view this as overreach that will impact religious communities across Quebec and deserves careful scrutiny. Secularism does not require hostility to people of faith, and that is what this proposed law represents.”

Van Geyn said it is understandable that the government wants to prevent protests and prayers that block streets, “but banning all public prayer in Quebec violates the very freedoms that make Canada better than a theocracy. The government should enforce existing laws and ticket those who block traffic and violate noise bylaws; don’t attack all people of faith.”

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) likewise condemned the proposal as “a clear infringement” on freedom of religion, expression, assembly, and association.

“Suppressing peaceful religious expression, individually or communally, under the guise of secularism not only marginalizes faith-based communities but also undermines principles of inclusion, dignity, and equality,” said CCLA Director Harini Sivalingam.

CCLA Executive Director Howard Sapers warned of “the increasing trend by some governments to misuse the notwithstanding clause to violate fundamental rights and freedoms.”

The Canadian Muslim Forum added its voice, saying public prayers are a manifestation of freedom of expression, and a blanket ban would stigmatize communities, fuel exclusion, and undermine Quebec’s social cohesion.

“The government should be focused on solving real problems, not policing the fundamental rights of its citizens,” the group said in a statement.

With provincial elections due in 2026, identity and secularism issues are once again dominating Quebec’s political debate. Legault’s government has been suffering in opinion polls and recently lost its third consecutive byelection to the separatist Parti Québécois.

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic, is reprinted here with permission, and has been adapted by CNA.

Students from the University of Dallas’ Rome semester (left to right: Thomas DeReuil, Eugene Keating, and Jonathan Tindall) attended the canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 7, 2025. / Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 16:46 pm (CNA).

On Sunday, the area around St. Peter’s Square was filled from early in the morning with banners, singing, and prayers in many languages accompanying the first canonizations of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate.

Many of the participants were young people who see the new saints, Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, as role models who speak directly to their hearts.

A group of students from the University of Dallas Rome program waited patiently for several hours to enter St. Peter’s Square. They arrived in Rome on Sept. 5 after a 10-hour flight and, despite their fatigue, got up early to be as close as possible to Pope Leo XIV. 

“Both Acutis and Frassati were pretty normal guys like us; they really enjoyed life and lived it to the fullest; they knew how to do it the right way. That’s a great example for us,” one of the students, Thomas DeReuil, commented.

For several of the young men, this is their first time in Italy. “It’s a gift to be here,” said Eugene Keating, another student, who said he was impacted by the way Acutis used technology to evangelize.

“I’m deeply inspired by how he used the internet, something so common in our lives, to talk about God,” he said.

You don’t have to be perfect to be a saint

For his part, Jonathan Tindall, another student, confessed that learning about Frassati’s life changed his perspective on holiness: “I’ve read that Frassati wasn’t a good student. In other words, you don’t have to be perfect to be a saint.”

A group of Italian religion teachers said they see Acutis and Frassati as wonderful resources for handing on the faith to their students. “They are two fundamental reference figures for handing on the Gospel to the new generations,” said Daniela Messina, a Sicilian religion teacher.

Messina emphasized how the life of Acutis particularly touches the hearts of adolescents: “This characteristic can truly help children understand the meaning of loving Jesus.”

She also emphasized the power of his witness in the digital world: “He is the saint of technology, because technology now reaches children directly and is perhaps the only effective means today to convey the message of fraternity and respect, which is so lacking today.”

Chiara Chiaradia, a primary school teacher in Calabria, also emphasized the educational dimension: “It is an instrument of our times. We must know how to use it positively, in the best possible way, to reach others, to spread the faith, to communicate beautiful things.”

Spiritual thirst of young people

Although they acknowledged the difficulties of teaching religion in today’s schools, the teachers also perceived a spiritual thirst among young people. “It’s difficult to teach today… but we’ve realized that young people have a great desire to learn; they are here not only to experience a beautiful, enjoyable, and joyful moment but because they truly believe in a need for spirituality,” Chiaradia noted.

The canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati not only opens a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church but also confirms that holiness is not the heritage of distant times.

Philipp and Jonas, two 24-year-old Germans, said they also feel this way. “It’s a unique opportunity to be close to these young saints,” Jonas said.

Like many other pilgrims present at Sunday’s canonization, they were also in Rome on April 27, the date on which Acutis was originally scheduled to be canonized. Ultimately, the death of Pope Francis forced the Holy See to choose a new date.

When Pope Leo XIV set the date for Sept. 7, joining its celebration with that of Frassati, initially planned for Aug. 3, they didn’t hesitate to set up the trip.

For these German pilgrims, the Church is right to propose role models close to youth. “It’s important to have a guide. Seeing that ordinary people like us attained holiness encourages us to follow the same path,” they commented. 

Frassati, in particular, is a model of faith lived with simplicity. “His example shows that we can seek holiness in everyday life. Sometimes we think saints are at an unattainable level, but a young man like him makes us say, ‘OK, maybe he can be a role model to follow,’” Philipp added.

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

Pope Leo XIV greets Italian singer Andrea Bocelli at the inauguration of the Laudato Si’ ecological village at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on Sept. 5, 2025. / Credit: EWTN/Screenshot

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 14:43 pm (CNA).

Following the inauguration of the Laudato Si’ ecological village, Italian singer Andrea Bocelli highlighted “the honor of singing before the Holy Father” and said he felt at that moment “the power of divine providence and a renewed serenity in celebrating the universal Church” under the guidance of its “new and steadfast pastor,” Leo XIV.

Borgo Laudato Si’ is an environmental project located in Castel Gandolfo and inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “On Care for Our Common Home.”

The ecological complex includes state-of-the-art insulation, photovoltaic, and circular water management systems as well as areas for educational activities for students.

This is “one of the Church’s initiatives aimed at fulfilling this ‘vocation to be stewards of God’s work,’” Pope Leo XIV said during the liturgical celebration of the inauguration.

In this context, the famous Italian lyric tenor Andrea Bocelli, along with his son Matteo, offered the Holy Father a musical interpretation of “Dolce è Sentire” (“It’s Sweet to Feel”) based on St. Francis’ “Canticle of the Sun.” 

The singer referred to that moment on social media, commenting: “It was deeply moving to witness firsthand the tangible expression of what Pope Francis so powerfully advocated in his encyclical Laudato Si’: the urgent need for an ecological conversion for our common earthly home.”

A decade later, the project bearing the same name on the grounds of Castel Gandolfo stands as an example of this vision — a true miracle of goodwill, where the splendor of nature and human endeavor meet: “a creature among creatures,” as Pope Leo XIV underlined, entrusted with the sacred duty of care (for nature “cannot but speak to us of God”), the singer reflected.

Bocelli also shared that “the joy of witnessing the inauguration of Laudato Si’ Village — a virtuous center of advanced education, inclusion, hospitality, and sustainability — was further enhanced by the honor of singing before the Holy Father, a man of God and a figure of the highest spiritual and intellectual stature.”

Finally, he was moved to acknowledge: “When, together with my son Matteo, we intoned ‘Dolce Sentire’ — a prayer that evokes the sacredness and harmony of creation — I felt, as I had not in a long time, the strength of divine providence and a renewed serenity in celebrating the universal Church, which in Pope Leo XIV has found a new and steadfast shepherd, a beacon to guide us through these complex times.”

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

Pope Leo XIV greets the families of the Vatican / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 14:13 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 6 participated in the Vatican’s Festival of Families, where he highlighted the importance of the witness of families in today’s world.

The event took place in the plaza of the Governorate of Vatican City, a beautiful esplanade located behind St. Peter’s Basilica.

Although originally scheduled for May, the festival had to be postponed due to the death of Pope Francis.

In a brief impromptu address, reported by Vatican News, the Holy Father asked for applause for all the families and their children, expressing his joy at being able to gather with them in a festive atmosphere.

He also invited those present to live “this beautiful moment” with an open heart, to celebrate “the joy of being a family, the joy of being all united, of becoming friends with one another, of celebrating the gifts, especially the gift of life, the gift of family that the Lord has given us.”

“This witness of families is so important in our world today!” the Holy Father then emphasized.

Finally, he thanked the Vatican employees for their witness, their presence, and “for all they do, sometimes at great sacrifice, to live united as a family, transmitting this message, thus sharing in the spirit that Jesus Christ left us.”

He then prayed a Hail Mary and imparted his blessing to those present. The event was also attended by Sister Rafaella Petrini, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

Also present were the two secretaries-general, Archbishop Emilio Nappa and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, along with the two emeritus presidents, Cardinal Fernando Vergéz Alzaga and Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello.

Pope Leo XIV had the opportunity to personally greet all the families and spend some time with them. The Italian pizzeria O’ Zi Aniello even presented him with a pizza bearing his name.

The festival continued into the evening, with an outdoor dinner for Vatican employees, who were also able to enjoy various entertainment.

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

Britain’s King Charles III (right); Oratorian Father Ignatius Harrison (left); Daniel Joyce (back left), Newman archivist and librarian, Birmingham Oratory; and Father Anton Guziel (back right) walk during a tour of The Oratory of St. Philip Neri on Sept. 3, 2025. / Credit: CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

National Catholic Register, Sep 8, 2025 / 13:06 pm (CNA).

King Charles III was “very engaged, very interested” and “exceedingly kind” when on Sept. 3 he toured the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham, England, becoming the first English monarch to visit the priestly community St. John Henry Newman established there in 1848.

The provost of the Birmingham Oratory, Oratorian Father Ignatius Harrison, said it was a very brief but joyful visit that was on “His Majesty’s own initiative.” His first engagement after the summer holidays, King Charles was also on a visit to England’s second-largest city to open a new hospital.

After welcoming the king and introducing him to the religious community, Harrison and Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham accompanied him on a tour through the sacred buildings that include a church, a shrine containing relics of Newman, the sacristy housing his vestments, and the English saint’s library and study. 

A former Anglican clergyman, St. John Henry Newman was a theologian, academic, and writer who was received into the Catholic Church in 1845 and elevated to cardinal in 1879. Renowned for his great intellect and, before his conversion, for being a central figure in the Oxford Movement that tried to Catholicize the Church of England, Newman was canonized in Rome in 2019, attended by then-Prince Charles.

In July, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo will proclaim Newman the 38th doctor of the Church.

Guided by the curator of the Newman Museum, Daniel Joyce, King Charles was shown various priceless artifacts, including the Polyglot Bible from 1657 with its dedication to King Charles II, as well as Newman’s own room, untouched since the saint’s death in 1890, containing some of his books, rosaries, clothes, and other personal belongings.

“I think probably the most interesting thing for him was Newman’s private study and chapel,” Harrison told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner. “The king looked at that with great interest and asked a number of questions.” He was also shown the original handwritten score of the “Dream of Gerontius,” Newman’s poem of a dying man’s soul journeying to its judgment before God and into purgatory, and Newman’s viola, which dates back to 1800.

Harrison said the king’s visit was “really a red-letter day” for the Birmingham Oratorian community, adding that the monarch seemed “genuinely interested and wanted to know more” about Newman and the community there.  

Postponed visit

Harrison said the king had never given up his wish to visit the oratory ever since he mentioned his intention to Harrison at Newman’s canonization in Rome. But the visit had to be postponed for five years as the premises’ roof was undergoing substantial repairs and some of the books had been put into storage. In the meantime, Charles was crowned king, assuming the title of supreme head of the Church of England.

The visit then suffered another setback when it had to be postponed in July due to the health of the king, who has been battling cancer. “We were terribly disappointed,” Harrison said, but he added that to their “great pleasure” they were told the king wished to reschedule the visit to coincide with his opening of the hospital.

“He has been, if I may put it like this, sort of consistent in his wish to come,” Harrison said. “I was really delighted because I think it shows a real, personal interest on His Majesty’s behalf that he pursued the matter.”

During his visit, the king, smartly dressed in a gray suit and a red patterned tie, unveiled a small plaque the Oratorian Fathers had prepared to mark the occasion. They also presented him with an original photograph of Newman taken in the 1860s.

Asked by the Register what interested the king about Newman in particular, Harrison said primarily the fact that he is an English saint and that his virtues were discernible both as an Anglican and then as a Catholic. Also, he was interested in the effective influence Newman exhibited both as an Anglican and as a Catholic.

“We think of his life as one whole life of sanctity,” Harrison said. “He became a Catholic, of course, in 1845, but, for example, his care for the poor and the unemployed was a notable feature of his Anglican ministry and his Catholic ministry here in Birmingham as well.”

“It’s not a lot talked about because everybody concentrates on his very brilliant academic writings, but he took great pains when he was a Catholic priest in Birmingham to assist the unemployed to find work, and, also, he was very generous in almsgiving.”

Harrison said that, on occasion, Newman would give a small box to a deserving person that contained a 5-pound note, which was a significant sum in those days. “One of his purposes was not just to relieve the distress of the moment but to help the person pay off their debts and get their business back on track,” Harrison said. “I told the king that, and, of course, he was very interested.”

He also said King Charles was interested in Newman being made a doctor of the Church and wondered if there would be an “ecumenical dimension” to it. “He seemed very interested in those sorts of things; he recalled that he had met Pope Francis and that he was hoping it would not be too long before he met Pope Leo.” 

As for the Birmingham Oratory today, the monarch took a keen interest in the large number of faithful who attend the liturgies there and their diversity of backgrounds, as well as that most of them are attracted to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). “Over a thousand people come to Mass here at the weekend,” Harrison said. “The best attended is the Traditional Latin Mass, and what is most interesting is that it’s the most diverse Mass, ethnically speaking, during the whole weekend.”

He said that many of the worshippers are Asians and Africans and that a significant number of them are students from Birmingham’s three universities. Charles was interested in that, he said, and the fact that an increasing number of Chinese Catholics, particularly from Hong Kong, are attending the TLM at the Oratory. “It’s a pleasure for me and the fathers to be able to say we have a very diversified congregation, really diversified, and many of them come for the Traditional Latin Mass,” Harrison said. 

Newman’s Catholicity

Writing in the Vatican’s semiofficial newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, on Newman’s canonization, the then-Prince of Wales praised Newman for his catholicity. 

“His faith was truly catholic in that it embraced all aspects of life,” Charles wrote. “Whatever our own beliefs, and no matter what our own tradition may be, we can only be grateful to Newman for the gifts, rooted in his Catholic faith, which he shared with wider society.”

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

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Rochester, New York. / Credit: DanielPenfield via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

CNA Staff, Sep 8, 2025 / 12:37 pm (CNA).

One of the nation’s largest sexual abuse settlements unfolded in a federal bankruptcy court in Rochester, New York, on Friday, bringing about resolution for the nearly 500 survivors of child sex abuse by clergy within the Diocese of Rochester.

After a six-year legal battle, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York approved a $246 million settlement, which will average approximately $500,000 per survivor.

The settlement concludes a process that began when the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019 following the passage of the New York Child Victims Act, which allows abuse victims to file civil lawsuits until they are 55 years old. The law temporarily lifted the statute of limitations, enabling survivors to pursue claims against their abusers.

Bankruptcy attorney Ilan Scharf described the day as a “milestone for survivors in the Rochester area after being the first bankruptcy filed in New York” after the passage of the Child Victims Act.

Survivors expressed a mix of emotions, with many ready to move forward.

Gregory Stanley noted: “The healing can start now, which is more important than the money. I’m just glad it’s over.” Merle Sweet echoed this sentiment, saying: “Relief. It’s all finally over,” while John McHugh added: “I am actually, for the first time, excited for the future.”

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, representing 97 victims, emphasized the survivors’ resilience, stating in a press release that the process validated their experiences and contributed to a safer world for children, setting an example of determination for others globally.

Survivor Carol Dupre shared the profound impact on her community. “This was a real wounding of a lot of people and their families. There’s literally thousands upon thousands of people that have been negatively affected by what happened to us,” she said.

Bishop Salvatore Matano of the Diocese of Rochester addressed the media after the settlement, offering a message of hope and regret. “I pray that this is certainly a step toward their healing,” he said of the victims. “I apologize to them. I deeply regret what transpired in their lives, which, as the judge said, never should have happened.”

He continued: “While this process legally concludes today, I take them in my heart every day of my life, and every time I approach the altar, they will be in my memory, asking the good Lord to give them the strength and the courage to continue on, and that they be blessed in the years ahead.”

Matano issued a letter the same day in which he said the “settlement provisions can be effectuated” in the next several weeks. Of the $246 million settlement, $55 million will be paid by the diocese and affiliated entities, according to the letter, and the rest by the diocese’s insurers.

The bishop concluded the letter addressing abusers, saying he entrusts “them to Jesus, the final judge, and I pray they have acknowledged their offenses and used their remaining years to seek his mercy and have prayed fervently for those they have hurt.”

Sister Gisela Rfanyu Shey speaks at the second African Women Theologian Conferece on Sept. 3, 2025, saying that to realize synodality in Africa, the Church should prioritize counseling amid the myriad of scars, including those of colonialism, war, ethnic conflict, poverty, disease, and systemic injustices. / Credit: ACI Africa

ACI Africa, Sep 8, 2025 / 12:07 pm (CNA).

To realize synodality in Africa, the Church on the continent should prioritize counseling amid the myriad of scars — including those of colonialism, war, ethnic conflict, poverty, disease, and systemic injustices — a Catholic religious sister said at the second African Women Theologians Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 3.

In her presentation on the first day of the conference, Sister Gisela Rfanyu Shey, whose talk was titled “Counseling as a Path to Healing in a Synodal Church: An African Perspective,” said the scars cannot be healed by the sacramental ministry alone.

“The Catholic Church in Africa stands at a crossroad, challenged by the deep wounds of its people and the urgent need for reconciliation and healing,” Rfanyu, who is a therapist and counselor, said in her presentation at Hekima University College.

Even though the Church’s synodal journey offers “a timely opportunity for renewal and transformation,” the Catholic sister said that “for synodality to be truly effective in Africa, it must embrace counseling as an essential tool for healing.”

With scars that the African continent is experiencing, Rfanyu emphasized that “counseling emerges as a necessary pastoral tool for emotional and spiritual healing within a synodal framework that emphasizes listening and accompaniment.”

Counseling, she explained further, “offers a path for communities to engage in healing, theology, dialogue, reconciliation, and restoration — values deeply embedded in both African cultures and Christian spirituality.”

With its communal, participatory framework and the call to discern and journey together under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, Rfanyu said the synodal process aligns with counseling “as a positive, reflective tool.”

She said counseling helps individuals and communities navigate personal and relational challenges while promoting understanding, healing, and growth in faith and practice.

“Biblical counseling, a form fitting within the synodal process, emphasizes discipline, discipleship, scriptural authority, and spiritual growth conducted under Church authority to guide participants towards sanctification and deeper trust in God during their synodal journey,” she said.

For this reason, Rfanyu said that “counseling in the synodal process facilitates the internal and interpersonal work needed for genuine participation, discernment, and communal transformation.”

Counseling, she continued, “supports the creation of safe, respectful spaces where honest communication and spiritual guidance can thrive in the path of synodality. In counseling, we respect each other. We give room to each other.”

The Cameroonian member of the Holy Union Sisters of the Sacred Hearts also explained that “synodality is calling on us to consider each person. And before you consider each individual in a society, you have to have that listening ear to everyone who comes across you.”

“Counseling is for healing. You may not need any medication, but the listening, the paying of attention, and the respect for one another bring about healing,” she explained, drawing parallels between synodality and counseling.

In the African context, Rfanyu proposed a synodal model of counseling that synthesizes insights on healing and synodality and offers practical pathways for implementation.

Over the years, she said, synods have played crucial roles in resolving doctrinal conflicts, shaping liturgy, and fostering ecclesial unity, thus fostering healing.

“Synodality is more than a governance structure. It is a healing pathway for a Church wounded by clerical bias, clericalism, abuse, and fragmentation. It enables pastoral renewal by shifting focus towards inclusion, accountability, and mutual respect,” she said.

On the theological justification for healing, Rfanyu said: “Christian anthropology views the human being as a unified whole — body, mind, and soul.”

“Theologically, healing is a core ministry of Christ and the Church. Jesus’ public ministry involved restoring sight, speech, and dignity to the afflicted, modeling a holistic approach to salvation,” she said.

She added: “Counseling within the Church echoes this ministry by accompanying those who suffer and offering pathways to spiritual and emotional restoration.”

Rfanyu said the integration of counseling within the synodal journey of the Church in Africa should not be perceived as merely a pastoral option but as a theological and cultural imperative.

She emphasized that the wounds of Africa, which include psychological, spiritual, and communal suffering, “demand a holistic response that draws on the best of both tradition and innovation.”

“Synodality, rooted in the Church’s identity as the people of God, provides a framework for participation, discernment, and healing,” she said, adding that, on the other hand, counseling — grounded in both psychological theory and theological wisdom — offers practical tools for accompaniment, reconciliation, and restoration.

She said the dialogue between psychology and theology, enriched by African communal tradition, points the way forward.

“By training pastoral agents, empowering small Christian communities, collaborating with professionals, and adapting models to local cultures, the Church can become a truth-filled hospital, a place where wounds are named, stories are heard, and healing is possible,” she said.

In doing so, Rfanyu said, “the Church in Africa not only responds to the urgent needs of its people but also offers a model of synodal healing for the universal Church.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.