Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

The Catholic Association of Propagandists (Advocates) has launched a new billboard campaign with the aim of “dismantling the stereotypes of the black legend against Hispanic heritage” and extolling those who “at the risk of losing their lives, embarked on the adventure of reaching the New World with one main objective: to spread Christianity.” / Credit: Courtesy of The Catholic Association of Propagandists (Advocates)

Madrid, Spain, Oct 11, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic Association of Propagandists (Advocates) (ACdP) in Spain has launched a campaign on the discovery and evangelization of America titled “1492: Neither Genocidal Nor Slave Owners — They Were Heroes and Saints.”

With more than 200 posters distributed on marquees and billboards in more than 60 Spanish cities, the campaign was created with the aim of “dismantling the stereotypes of the black legend against Hispanic heritage.”

The campaign extols the accomplishments of those who “at the risk of losing their lives, embarked on the adventure of reaching the New World with one main objective: to spread Christianity,” a statement from the organization explained.

The ACdP emphasized that with this initiative it “pays tribute to those who brought the promotion of human dignity — which has its origin in the Catholic faith — to Indigenous peoples, subjected to the oppression of bloodthirsty empires.”

The association seeks to “combat the so-called ‘black legend’ spread for centuries against the remarkable Spanish accomplishment.”

The posters and billboards show a QR code that links to a video that, in a humorous tone, simulates a television contest in which a promoter of the “black legend” and a citizen of a Latin American country participate.

The simulated TV contest dismantles one by one the main stereotypes about the arrival of the Spanish in the Americas and the spread of the Christian faith by the Catholic monarchs Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragón.

Among other points, the episode points out that Spain never had “colonies” but “viceroyalties” and that on the cultural level, 100 of the 140 United Nations World Heritage sites in Latin America are of Spanish origin. It also points out that by 1538 more than 30 universities had already been founded and that by 1574 the Bible had been translated into more than 12 native languages.

The fact that the Spaniards intermarried with the Indigenous, resulting a mixed-race society, was pointed out as contrary to the widespread expulsion and extermination of Indigenous peoples by other European powers in North America. The episode also pointed to the enormous economic cost that Spain incurred to maintain its presence in America, much more than what was obtained from the natural resources of the new continent.

Last year, on the occasion of Hispanic Heritage Day, the ACdP also publicized a video that summarizes the history of Spain in two minutes, from the appearance of the Virgin Mary to the apostle St. James in Zaragoza to modern times.

These and other campaigns are part of a strategy developed by the ACdP in recent years to highlight the positive impact of Catholic values ​​in society.

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

University of Mary students gather to celebrate the Blessed Mother’s birthday at the school’s grotto. / Credit: Mike McCleary/University of Mary

CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Amid low enrollment at academic institutions across the country, Catholic colleges and universities with strong Catholic identities have bucked the trend, boasting high enrollment for fall 2024.

College enrollment has been declining since 2010 by approximately 12%. Enrollment at private four-year colleges decreased by 54% from 2010 to 2021. Meanwhile, enrollment nationwide declined by 7% from 2019 to 2022.

But at 11 Catholic colleges, enrollment is up, some with record enrollment rates. What these thriving colleges have in common is a “strong Catholic identity,” according to the Newman Guide, an education resource for Catholics by the Cardinal Newman Society. CNA caught up with some of these Catholic schools to ask their leaders why they believe their schools are thriving.

University of Mary (North Dakota)

University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, had its largest incoming class for its second year straight, the media relations specialist for “UMary,” Tom Ackerman, told CNA. This fall, enrollment increased from 3,805 students in 2023 to 3,861 students.

UMary Vice President for Public Affairs Rachael Brash credited the growth to UMary’s “authentic” Catholic identity.

“When you are mission-centric in everything that you do for students, it shows,” Brash told CNA. “It goes in direct opposition to what’s happening in so many parts of our culture today.” 

UMary has 24-hour-a-day adoration at its Benet Chapel and offers eight different Catholic student groups, including the Knights of Columbus and FOCUS. 

“I think that the students, prospective students, and their families are seeking authenticity,” she said. “At the University of Mary, what we hear the most out of our students is that we are who we say we are. And that’s why I think so many places, including the University of Mary, are succeeding in bucking against that trend of declining enrollment. It’s because we have kept ourselves ordered correctly and understanding who we’re serving.”

“We want our students to feel like they come home when they come to our campus,” Brash said of UMary. 

“We have an environment where we want students to flourish throughout the whole of their life,” Brash said. “And so our students come prepared, not just with the current relevant skill sets and the newest technology, but the ability to understand the world and interact in it in a way that is true to both our mission, but that’s true to serve them throughout the whole of their life.” 

Belmont Abbey College (North Carolina)

Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte, announced its fourth-highest enrollment rates in the college’s history. The college had a 2% increase in enrollment since last year, with 1,687 students enrolled, including in-person and online undergraduate and graduate students.

Belmont Abbey College as well as UMary both feature maternity programs for student mothers. Belmont’s maternity program for pregnant college students is known as MiraVia. UMary’s St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers program made headlines last year after its first student mom graduated with her daughter.

“It’s providing these young mothers with a great opportunity to go to school and get their bachelor’s degree,” Brash said of UMary’s program. “But we’re equally as blessed to have these young children on our campus and for students to be babysitting them and for these mothers to be helping each other and for their opportunity to go to a job here on campus.”

“We talk about being pro-life, and of course, you know this, that in our culture, that’s talked mainly about abortion and end of life,” she said. “But for life, so much of it happens between birth and death.”

Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio)

Franciscan University of Steubenville (FUS) in Ohio has hit its 10th consecutive year of record-breaking enrollment, John Romanowsky, director of marketing and media relations, told CNA. FUS welcomed its largest-ever incoming class of 812 students. The university has a total of 3,977 students enrolled in both its in-person and online programs. 

At least four Masses are offered daily on campus, often with standing room only, Stephen Hildebrand, vice president for academic affairs and a theology professor at FUS, told CNA last December. 

FUS has continued its growth by launching a Washington, D.C., program this fall for students that prioritizes evangelization, formation, and bringing a Catholic perspective to the capital.

The Catholic University of America (Washington, D.C.)

The Catholic University of America (CUA), America’s oldest Catholic research university, experienced slight growth in enrollment amid challenges, Vice President for University Communications Karna Lozoya told CNA. 

“Like many Catholic universities nationwide, this enrollment cycle presented challenges in first-time fall enrollment due to the well-documented FAFSA delays and the resultant cost uncertainty,” Lozoya said. “Despite these obstacles, we are pleased to report a slight increase in overall student enrollment.”

CUA has had increased interest in applications as part of “an upward trend in interest we’ve seen over the past several years,” Lozoya noted.

Ave Maria University (Florida)

Ave Maria University in Florida also had record-high enrollment in fall 2024 while increasing its GPA standards for applicants.

“Students want to come here,” Susan Gallagher, vice president of marketing and communications, said, “especially when they visit and see the Ave joy — joy in the truth.” 

Ave Maria also has the highest percentage of Catholic students in more than a decade, at 93%. 

University of Dallas (Texas)

Another university that has seen increased enrollment is the University of Dallas, where freshman enrollment was up significantly over last year, with a class of nearly 400 — a 14% increase from last year, Clare Venegas, vice president of marketing and communications, told CNA. 

“Our strong Catholic identity coupled with the academic rigor of our curriculum are both key reasons students cite for choosing UDallas,” Venegas said.

University of St. Thomas, Houston (Texas)

University of St. Thomas, Houston, another Catholic university in Texas, also welcomed a record-breaking undergraduate class this fall, with 683 freshmen and more than 200 new transfer students, according to Sara Nevares Johnson, dean of admissions.

She said the school has been taking steps to increase enrollment and development. 

“At the University of St. Thomas, we’re witnessing a growing desire among students to develop holistically — in mind, body, and spirit,” Nevares Johnson told CNA. “Our year-over-year increase in inquiries and applications reflects a rising interest in pursuing a liberal arts education right here in the heart of Houston, standing in contrast to the national trend of declining university enrollment.”

“Rooted in the traditions of the Basilian Fathers, our mission resonates with students seeking a deeper understanding of their purpose and place in the world,” she said.

Benedictine College (Kansas)

A liberal arts college in a small city of 10,000 has been growing for the past 20 years. Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, has seen “another year of record enrollment, with 2,213 full-time undergraduates,” Benedictine College’s Director of Marketing and Communications Stephen Johnson told CNA. 

“This is a continuing trend of positive enrollment growth over the past 20-plus years,” he added. 

Benedictine is seeing growing freshmen classes as well as “large increases” in transfer students, Johnson noted.

Benedictine highlights Catholic values such as being “Christ-centered” and community- and faith-oriented, according to its website.

The small but mighty

Most liberal arts colleges are on the small side, with numbers in the thousands, compared with public universities, which can reach tens of thousands. Some Catholic liberal arts colleges are designed for an even smaller number of students. In spite of being small by design, these colleges are still setting records.

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (New Hampshire)

The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire, which keeps its student body intentionally small, hit its largest number of students this year: 98, the college president, William Edmund Fahey, told CNA. The college’s student body has more than doubled since 2009.

Fahey said the college is “at the point at which we will need to run a building campaign so as to house the increase.”

Christendom College (Virginia)

Another school that is intentionally small but growing is Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Christendom reached its enrollment cap for the past four years, instituting a waiting list each year. 

“We had to institute a waiting list for the fourth year in a row this year, due to the continued high demand for a Christendom education,” Christendom Director of Communications Zachary Smith told CNA. “In fact, over the past 10 years, Christendom has grown by 40%, helping us to achieve our cap of 550 students.”

“We keep the school intentionally small in order to keep class sizes smaller,” Smith explained. “This fosters more discussion in the classroom and better connections between students, their peers, and their professors.”

Thomas Aquinas College (California and Massachusetts)

Another intentionally small school, Thomas Aquinas College, has expanded to two campuses to grow. “TAC” keeps its student body intentionally small given its Socratic style classes and focuses on a tight-knit community. TAC has two campuses, one in California and one in New England. 

The two campuses combined hit record-high enrollment this fall at 566 students, Christopher Weinkopf, the college’s executive director for college relations, told CNA. The California campus was near capacity, at 372 students, and the New England campus has its largest student body yet, at 194 students, about a 13% increase since last year, according to Weinkopf.  

“These numbers are very much in keeping with the overall trend: California has been at maximum capacity for years, and the number of students on our New England campus has nearly quadrupled since its launching in 2019, in keeping with our campus growth plan,” Weinkopf explained. 

Other Newman Guide schools including Wyoming Catholic College and John Paul the Great Catholic University are known for their Catholic identity but did not respond with enrollment data in time for publication.

Delegates at the 2024 Synod on Synodality participate in roundtable meetings on Oct. 10, 2024, in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, Oct 11, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

There has been one noteworthy development so far in the Synod on Synodality’s second week — and it’s not the resurfacing of “women’s ordination” and other hot-button issues that were presumably not on the agenda for this month’s assembly.

Instead, it was an intervention on Oct. 7 by a bishop from the People’s Republic of China: Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang of the Diocese of Hangzhou. This is significant because it marks the first time a Chinese bishop has taken the floor to speak to his fellow synod delegates.

Yang, who participated in last year’s assembly as well but departed before the session’s conclusion, is one of two mainland China bishop delegates appointed to the synod by Pope Francis, having been the protagonist, last June, of the first “transfer” of dioceses under the Sino-Vatican agreement.

Yang read a short speech in Chinese with a simultaneous translation. Synod sources told EWTN News that his remarks, which were not broadcast, focused on three main points: the history of Chinese Catholicism, China’s agreement with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops, and cultural exchange.

According to a source from the Vatican Secretariat of State, a Vatican delegation was in Beijing in the last week of September for talks on renewing the controversial agreement, possibly for three or four years this time.

Yang, who is expected to remain for the full assembly this year, spoke positively about the provisional agreement, saying it will deepen relations between the Holy See and his country. He also extended an invitation to synod participants to visit China, and he stressed the importance of “Sinicization,” the terms used to refer to efforts to ensure the Church in China has a distinctively Chinese character aligned with the goals of China’s communist government.

Meanwhile, Bishop Norbert Pu of Chiayi, Taiwan, told EWTN News that he is in dialogue with the Chinese bishops at the synod.

All this underscores how the Synod on Synodality can be a place to build bridges across different places and cultures. Yet that dimension of the synod may be overshadowed by attempts to reignite attention on hot-button issues that were thought to have been set aside for the various study groups to address.

The fact that these issues are returning in various forms testifies to the pressure both sides are bringing to bear to change or affirm the Church’s traditional doctrine.

The issue of the ministerial ordination of women surfaced in one of the interventions this week, according to synod sources, as well as during a press briefing on Oct. 8 where Sister Mary Theresa Barron of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles said that “some women do sense a call to priesthood or diaconate.”

At the same briefing, Cardinal-elect Jaime Spengler, archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil, broached the topic of dispensing with the discipline of priestly celibacy in regions where there is a shortage of priests.

Meanwhile, the need for greater pastoral care for LGBTQ+ persons was the focus of a side event the same day sponsored by the Outreach association of Father James Martin, SJ, and the Jesuit-run America Media. Cardinal Stephen Chow of Hong Kong was among those in attendance.

Finally, the role of bishops in a synodal Church was a featured subject in an open theological forum held on Oct. 9. Participants included Cardinal-elect Roberto Repole, archbishop of Turin, Italy; Sister Gloria Liliana Franco Echeverri, ODN; Professor Carlos Maria Galli; Professor Gilles Routhier; and Professor Matteo Visioli.

It was a diverse panel. Galli, who teaches at the Catholic University of Argentina, immediately distinguished himself as one of the most profound interpreters of Pope Francis’ thought. He emphasized the figure of the bishops in terms of “brothers and friends.” Sister Franco Echeverri urged the bishops to “not waste time on bureaucratic issues” and not to “cover up or bury anything” in the event of abuse. Routhier stated that the bishop is “a brother among brothers,” while Visioli spoke of the concept of “power,” divided into the dimensions of “order” and “jurisdiction.” The first refers to sacramental acts and the second to government functions.

Will any of these issues find their way into the synod’s final document? That remains to be seen. But it’s clear the debate rages on.

Participants arrive at the synod hall, Oct. 10, 2204, at the Vatican / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Oct 11, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic Church’s final session of the multiyear Synod on Synodality is finishing up its second week.

Here’s what you should know 

• Decoding the Synod on Synodality: CNA’s essential terminology guide

• Here’s what is new at the Synod on Synodality Part 2

The story so far 

Oct. 11: What happens when a Chinese bishop takes the floor for the first time at the synod?

Synod sources tell EWTN News that Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang of the Diocese of Hangzhou spoke to synod participants about the history of Chinese Catholicism, China’s agreement with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops, and cultural exchange. Andrea Gagliarducci has more.

Oct. 10: Pope Francis’ Brazilian pick for cardinal calls for ordaining married priests

Archbishop Jaime Spengler, OFM, confirms plans for a trial run of an Amazonian rite of the Mass and urges “openness” to the idea of married priests to serve certain communities at a briefing for the Synod on Synodality.

The 64-year-old prelate, descendant of German immigrants, is a prominent figure in the Church in his home country and throughout South America, heading both the Catholic bishops’ conference of Brazil and the Latin American bishops’ conference (CELAM), writes Hannah Brockhaus.

Oct. 10: Why Is ‘Women’s Ordination’ Still Dominating Media Coverage of the Synod?

News media has a built-in tendency to downplay nuance and highlight novelty, and this is arguably accentuated at the synod, writes Jonathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register. Two synod members say synod communications head Paolo Ruffini overstated the strength of calls for “women’s ordination”. Read the full analysis here.

Oct. 10: Non-Catholic delegates put Christian unity in focus at Synod on Synodality

Three fraternal delegates — non-Catholic representatives of Christian churches participating in this year’s session of the Synod on Synodality — take center stage at Thursday’s Synod on Synodality press briefing held at the Vatican’s Holy See Press Office.

Speaking about “the great importance of relationality” among Christian churches, Anglican Bishop Martin Warner of Chichester — co-chair of the English-Welsh Anglican-Roman Catholic Committee — speaks about the “sense of family” that has developed between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, particularly during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Kristina Millare reports.

Oct. 9: Synod delegates look to St. John Henry Newman as theological guide

Australian Bishop Anthony Randazzo, a synod delegate and president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania, says St. John Henry Newman famously showed “that the Church would look foolish without the laity” and should help ease fears that collaboration with the laity is heterodoxical.

“I think that this way of thinking should liberate us in the Church from believing that any one group or vocation alone drives the bus,” the bishop of the Diocese of Broken Bay, Australia, emphasizes. Randazzo made a powerful statement against pushes for so-called “women’s ordination”, explains Jonathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register.

Oct. 8: Catholic bishops from mainland China and Taiwan in dialogue at Synod on Synodality

In an interview with CNA, the first Indigenous bishop of Taiwan says he met with the two bishops from mainland China taking part in the synod and plans to meet with them again. “It’s very important to dialogue with them, to respect each other. I think it’s good … not only for the Chinese, for the whole Church,” Bishop Norbert Pu of Taiwan tells Courtney Mares.

Oct. 8: Who is in charge of drafting the final document of the Synod of Synodality?

Paolo Ruffini, the synod’s communications head, announces the 14 members of the Final Document Commission. The seven continental delegates are:

• Catherine Clifford, a theologian from St. Paul University in Ottawa, for North America

• Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, for Africa

• Father Clarence Davedassan of Malaysia is the pick from Asia

• Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst, Australia, for Oceania

• Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Bogotá, Colombia, for Central and South America

• Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, France, for Europe

• Bishop Mounir Khairallah, a Maronite prelate, for the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Middle East

The other members include three direct picks from Pope Francis and four automatic appointments, writes Jonathan Liedl.

Oct. 8: Synod participants donate for Gaza parish

In a video played for journalists at the Holy See Press Office on Oct. 8, Gaza parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli thanks synod participants for both prayers and financial help, because in Gaza, “everyone is in need of everything.”

The pope’s charity office announces that synod participants donated 32,000 euros (about $35,000) for the Catholic parish in Gaza from synod participants on Oct. 7, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

The synod donations were combined with another 30,000 euros (about $33,000) from Pope Francis’ charity coffers and sent to Holy Family Parish, the only Roman Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip, which is sheltering hundreds of Palestinian Catholics.

Oct. 7: Pope invites prayer for the Middle East as participants from that region begin week 2 of the synod

Since the beginning of the Synod on Synodality, synod delegates and participants have echoed Pope Francis’ pleas for prayers and solidarity with communities across the war-ravaged region. As the second week of the synod gets underway, on the World Day of Prayer and Fasting held on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Pope Francis addressed Catholics in the Middle East on the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel. Kristina Millare has more.

Oct. 7: Women deacons off the table? Synod delegate claims ‘some women sense a call to priesthood’

While the topic of “women deacons” is not formally up for discussion at the Synod on Synodality assembly this month, the official Vatican press conference for the synod showcases a female delegate who spoke about women experiencing “a call to priesthood,” Courtney Mares reports.

Oct. 6: Pope Francis and synod participants pray rosary for peace

Invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary for peace in the world amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing war in Ukraine, Pope Francis presides over a rosary prayer in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major on Sunday evening, Courtney Mares reports.

Oct. 5: A call for peace and an announcement of dialogue

A Lebanese bishop makes an impassioned plea for peace and forgiveness at the Synod on Synodality’s daily press briefing on Saturday as the assembly’s first week draws to a close.

Bishop Mounir Khairallah of Batroun shares his personal experience of violence and forgiveness, recounting how his parents were murdered when he was just 5 years old.

Meanwhile, a dialogue with study groups is announced for Oct. 18 after synod delegates vote for more interaction with the groups established by Pope Francis.

Oct. 4: What’s behind the viral photo of Pope Francis venerating a chair?

Pope Francis sits before the historic relic of St. Peter’s chair in the Ottoboni sacristy of St. Peter’s Basilica after celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square ahead of the second session of the Synod on Synodality. What is behind this viral image? Madalaine Elhabbal explains.

Oct. 4: Participants put spotlight on world’s poor

Closing the first week of meetings, participants from different continents put a spotlight on the plight of the world’s poor and vulnerable on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, Kristina Millare reports. 

The first week at the Synod on Synodality — revolution or much ado about nothing? 

Vaticanist Andrea Gagliarducci analyzes the first days of the gathering in Rome. He writes: “It seems clear that while the delegates may discuss many things over the next three weeks, nothing will be decided. There will be no doctrinal changes. No diminution of the role of the bishop. No rush to resolve the question of opening the diaconate to women.” 

Oct. 3: Many voices to be heard 

Cardinal Mario Grech, general secretary of the synod, says at a press conference that “every believer, man or woman, and every group, association, movement, or community will be able to participate with their own contribution” via the synod’s 10 study groups.

Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, tells journalists the work of participants in the second session of the Synod on Synodality is to find the “cohesive voice” that expresses the life of the Church.

Oct. 3: Cardinal Fernández rules out women deacons

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, on Oct. 3 shuts down speculation regarding further theological study into the possibility of women being ordained as deacons. Father Giacomo Costa, special secretary of the synod, says this month’s discussions held in the Vatican should serve as “laboratories of synodal life,” Kristina Millare reports.

Oct. 3: Solving sexuality questions with ‘contextual fidelity’?

A study group appointed by Pope Francis to explore a synodal approach to the Church’s most debated issues — including sexual morality and life matters — proposes “contextual fidelity” and a “new paradigm” that downplays long-standing Church teaching, Jonathan Liedl notes. 

Oct. 2: Pope Francis calls for new ways for bishops to be ‘synodal’

At the first meeting of the full assembly of the Synod on Synodality on Wednesday, Pope Francis says a bishop’s ministry should include cooperation with laypeople and that the synod will need to identify “differing forms” of the exercise of this ministry.

Oct. 2: Pope Francis opens synod, warns against personal ‘agendas’

Pope Francis opens the second and final session of the Synod on Synodality, which is meant to deepen the missionary perspective of the Church, explains EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief Andreas Thonhauser.

“Let us be careful not to see our contributions as points to defend at all costs or agendas to be imposed,” the pope says at the synod’s opening Mass on Oct. 2, Courtney Mares reports. The pontiff warns: “Ours is not a parliamentary assembly but rather a place of listening in communion.”

Oct. 2: Looming questions about role of German ‘synodality’ 

“More candor about the motivations of the German Synodal Path and its vision of the Catholic future would be helpful in determining what, if anything, it has to offer the world Church at Synod 2024,” comments George Weigel in the National Catholic Register.

Oct. 1: Penitential liturgy is held in St. Peter’s Basilica; more than 500 people attend

On the eve of the second session of the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis says the Catholic Church must first acknowledge its sins and ask for forgiveness before it can be credible in carrying out the mission Jesus Christ entrusted to his Church, Kristina Millare reports. 

Nine years ago, this papal speech set the ‘synodality’ machine in motion

Since Pope Francis’ 2015 speech, synodality has grown from a theological concept into a guiding principle of Church governance. Analysis from Jonathan Liedl in the National Catholic Register.

Father El-Tabchi is pressing charges against a man who attacked him at the rectory in Philadelphia, across the street from the St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church, at which he is the pastor, telling parishioners in a letter about the incident that “God is both merciful and just,” adding that “mercy without justice is dead, and justice without mercy is ruthless.” / Credit: Fadi Saroufim

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 10, 2024 / 18:25 pm (CNA).

A Maronite Catholic priest is recovering from injuries he suffered after a man attacked him at the rectory in Philadelphia, across the street from the St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church, at which he is the pastor.

The alleged attacker, who has not yet been identified, banged and kicked on the front door of the rectory and caused enough damage to force entry into the building and assault the priest, Father Andrew El-Tabchi, on Oct. 2, according to a police report the Philadelphia Police Department provided to CNA.

According to the report, the attacker punched and slapped El-Tabchi but was eventually pushed out of the rectory. It states that the alleged assailant fled the property, going west on Ellsworth Street on the south side of the city.

“The attack only strengthened my resolve to protect the parish and to stand up for the safety of each and every one of my parishioners,” El-Tabchi said in a letter to parishioners following the attack. “This is my duty, and I will not waver in defending the sacred space that we all cherish.”

El-Tabchi declined an interview with CNA while he continues to recover from the attack. The police report noted that he suffered back pain after the incident. The Philadelphia ABC affiliate reported that he needed to walk with a cane following the attack.

“The morning the rectory was attacked was a turning point for me, one that forced me to reflect deeply on life, faith, and the forces of evil,” El-Tabchi said in the letter to parishioners. “The experience reminded me how short life is and how evil can be lurking just around the corner, ready to strike at any time. But rather than giving in to fear, I embraced the truth that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Chorbishop Michael G. Thomas, the vicar general of the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, told CNA: “We thank God that Father El-Tabchi is doing well” after the attack but did not comment further. The eparchy has jurisdiction over the Maronite Catholic Church along the east coast of the United States.

El-Tabchi is pressing charges against the man and wrote in the letter that “God is both merciful and just,” adding that “mercy without justice is dead, and justice without mercy is ruthless.” He said “in God, we see the perfect balance of both, teaching us to live with compassion while upholding what is right and just.”

“We are invited, as Jesus teaches us, to be like our Heavenly Father — merciful and just — reflecting his love in both our actions and decisions,” the priest added. “Seeking justice doesn’t negate mercy; it allows us to act with integrity while trusting in God’s divine plan for both healing and accountability.”

El-Tabchi further wrote that “individuals who make inappropriate choices that affect others negatively … need God’s help [and] they need our help” and asked parishioners to pray for the attacker. He said Catholics must “reflect Christ’s love, even when faced with darkness.”

“Today, we are invited to pray for the lost soul who committed this act and to forgive him,” El-Tabchi concluded. “This is the heart of the Gospel message — to love and forgive, even in the face of injustice or harm. Just as Christ forgives us, we must extend that same mercy to others. Through prayer and forgiveness, we show the true strength of our faith.”

The South Detectives Division of the Philadelphia Police Department is handling the investigation. According to the police report, El-Tabchi said the suspected attacker is a Middle Eastern male with gray hair and a stocky build.

According to the police report, the attacker was wearing a gray hoodie, black pants and brown shoes at the time of the alleged attack.

St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church, named after the fourth-century Arab Catholic saint who is the patron of the Maronite Catholic Church, is the only Maronite Church in Philadelphia — and one of nine in Pennsylvania. The Maronite rite is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with Rome.

According to the parish website, the church serves men and women who emigrated from Lebanon to the United States as well as “faithful men and women who are not of Lebanese descent, but … [are] attracted to the spirituality and traditions of our Maronite rite.” The Maronite Patriarchate is located in Bkerke, Lebanon, north of Beirut.

The March for Life, one of the largest annual human rights demonstrations in the world, regularly gathers crowds of pro-life activists numbering from the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. The 2025 March for Life will take place on Jan. 24, 2025, and will have the theme “Every Life: Why We March.” / Credit: Photo courtesy of the March for Life

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 10, 2024 / 18:05 pm (CNA).

The March for Life unveiled its new theme for the 2025 march, “Every Life: Why We March,” which organizers say emphasizes the pro-life movement’s fundamental messages of encouragement, joy, and that every life matters.

The 52nd annual March for Life will be held on Jan. 24, 2025, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Professional surfer and pro-life activist Bethany Hamilton will be the event’s keynote speaker, and Christian pop-alternative band Unspoken will perform at the pre-march rally.

 March for Life President Jeanne Mancini said during a press conference on Thursday that the “Every Life: Why We March” theme is meant to send a message of encouragement and joy in a time when many pro-life activists may be discouraged by a string of recent defeats at the ballot box.

“Two and a half years from the overturn of Roe v. Wade it’s going to come as no surprise that some marchers are a little discouraged right now. In my own travels around the country, I’ve even been asked questions along the lines of: ‘Was it worth it?’” Mancini said.

Amid a contentious election and with the pro-life movement facing ballot initiatives to significantly expand abortion in 10 states, Mancini said it is “easy to become disheartened in an anti-life culture embraced by many with loud voices and big platforms.”

“The biggest thing is this confusion over the lie that a right to abortion is good for women. There’s just so much cultural confusion,” Mancini said. “So, it’s onto that backdrop that we want to encourage our marchers, we really deeply want to do everything possible to encourage our marchers that we’re on the right side of history, that we’re in this for the long game, and that we need to lean in.”

Mancini also said March for Life on social media will be emphasizing biological facts about fetal development and the beauty and humanity of unborn life in the months leading up to the 2025 march.

The March for Life released a promotional video on Thursday announcing the new theme on social media. The video begins with a narrator saying that “being on the right side of history isn’t always popular or easy.”

“When culture is spreading lies about the dignity of life and it seems like we’re in a losing battle we might feel like giving up. But we won’t,” the narrator says.

As a newborn baby is shown the narrator says: “This is why we march.”

Speaking with EWTN News after the announcement, Jennie Bradley Lichter, who will take over as president of the March for Life next year, said that despite the pro-life movement’s recent losses “we will win the fight for life.”

“We know that truth wins, and I think we can take encouragement from that,” she said. “Our call to tell the truth and to witness to the dignity of human life doesn’t change no matter what’s going on with politics, no matter what the culture is telling us.”

This will be the third national March for Life since Roe v. Wade was overturned. The March for Life is one of the largest annual human rights demonstrations in the world and regularly gathers crowds of pro-life activists numbering from the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg Pastoral Center, pictured here before the storm, sustained damage and high winds shattered windows. / Credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2024 / 17:35 pm (CNA).

Catholic parishes, pro-life pregnancy centers, and other ministries in Florida suffered damage in the wake of Hurricane Milton, according to the Diocese of St. Petersburg — which encompasses much of the Tampa area — and the more southerly Diocese of Venice, which bore the brunt of the storm.

Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall on Wednesday night about 70 miles south of Tampa, near Sarasota, as a Category 3. Authorities had ordered widespread evacuations on Florida’s west coast in recent days as Milton rapidly intensified.

Despite fears that Milton would devastate the densely populated Tampa Bay region — of which the Diocese of St. Petersburg is part — the area was largely spared from catastrophic storm surge but suffered wind damage, torrential rain, and flooding, even as residents struggled to recover from the recent effects of Hurricane Helene.

At least 12 people are confirmed dead in Florida, including six people on the Atlantic side of the state, which saw numerous tornadoes touch down. More than 3 million people, mostly on the west coast, remain without power as of Thursday afternoon.

Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice called for prayer and action as the region recovers from a direct hit by Milton.

According to Venice Diocese’s Florida Catholic newspaper, access to many parishes for damage assessment was not immediately possible due to blocked roads and power outages, meaning specific damage reports are not yet available as of Thursday. All parishes with power have resumed the celebration of Mass, however, the diocese said.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice (CCDV) is responding to the disaster and established points of distribution (POD) in areas of greatest need, the diocese continued. The preplanned POD locations will distribute water, ice, and food in coordination with county and state emergency management officials. Catholic Charities had to pause its response to help the victims of Hurricane Helene so as to prepare for the arrival of Milton, the diocese noted.

The diocese encouraged those interested in volunteering to assist, donating unused hurricane supplies, or offering financial support for the recovery effort to visit the CCDV website or www.dioceseofvenice.org/disasterrelief.

Meanwhile, the Diocese of St. Petersburg Pastoral Center offices will be closed “until it is safe to reopen,” the diocese said on Facebook. The building, which currently lacks power and utilities, sustained damage and high winds shattered windows. The surrounding areas around the pastoral center also suffered damage with homes and businesses flooded, trees down, and property damaged. Schools in the diocese will remain closed until at least Monday, Oct. 14, the St. Petersburg Diocese said.

The diocese also reported that a number of parishes and pregnancy aid centers suffered damage, including the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, which suffered significant water intrusion. St. Joseph Vietnamese Catholic Church in Town and Country sustained flooding and “the property is not reachable at this time.” 

The St. James Chapel at the Bethany Retreat Center in Lutz suffered flooding when the surrounding lakes overflowed onto the grounds and parking lot. There are many trees down and one has landed on the youth center, the diocese said. 

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Spring Hill sustained damage to the church and roof leaks; St. Anthony Catholic Church in San Antonio reported roof leaks and debris damage; St. Jerome Catholic Church in Largo saw considerable roof damage, lost shingles, and various roof leaks. 

Foundations of Life Pregnancy Center in Dade City also suffered roof leaks, while Pinellas Hope, a homeless shelter, reported “significant damage.”

The St. Petersburg Diocese encouraged people of goodwill to donate to its disaster relief fund. 
Catholic Charities USA, which assists with disaster recovery nationwide by coordinating with local Catholic Charities agencies, has also set up a special fund to help the victims of Hurricane Milton.

Procession at the Sanctuary of Torreciudad in Spain. / Credit: Torreciudad Sanctuary

Madrid, Spain, Oct 10, 2024 / 16:50 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis has appointed the dean of the Roman Rota Tribunal, Archbishop Alejandro Arellano Cedillo, as pontifical commissioner to address the conflict between Opus Dei and the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón over the “Torreciudad complex” in Spain.

The Holy See Press Office announced the appointment on Oct. 9, after the bishop of Barbastro-Monzón, Ángel Pérez Pueyo, indicated last month that he had requested the Vatican’s intervention.

Upon learning the news, Opus Dei issued a brief statement in which it said that “the authorities of the prelature will be at the complete disposal of Archbishop Arellano, collaborating in whatever is necessary, with filial adherence to the Holy Father.”

The Holy See announced the appointment to both the prelature and the diocese, which also shared the news on its website. The Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón added that it “has full confidence in achieving with this intervention the resolution of this matter, which constitutes an opportunity to regularize the status of Torreciudad and erect it, canonically, as a shrine.”

In addition, in another statement, the diocese in Huesca province added that it “appreciates the prompt response to its request, reiterates its absolute confidence in the resolutions of the Holy See, and places itself at the disposal of the pontifical commissioner, with whom it will collaborate in everything that is necessary.”

Who is Archbishop Alejandro Arellano?

Alejandro Arellano Cedillo is originally from the town of Olías del Rey in the Archdiocese of Toledo, Spain. Born in 1962, he studied at the San Ildefonso Theological Institute in Toledo and was ordained a priest in 1987.

A member of the Confraternity of Workers of the Kingdom of Christ, Arellano holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, a degree in ecclesiastical studies from the Burgos School of Theology, and is an auditor of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

On March 30, 2021, Arellano was appointed dean of the apostolic tribunal of the Roman Rota, where he had served as a consultant since 2007. He is the first Spaniard to be given this responsibility in one of the main judicial bodies of the Holy See, established in the 14th century and whose functions are defined in the Code of Canon Law (Canons 1443 and 1444).

The pontifical commissioner for resolving the conflict over Torreciudad has served as auditor of the rota of the apostolic nunciature in Spain, professor at the San Pablo CEU University and the San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University, both in Madrid, as well as at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In addition, he teaches jurisprudence at the Rota’s school of the apostolic tribunal of the Roman Rota.

Last March, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, presided over the celebration of the episcopal consecration of Arellano in the primate cathedral of Toledo, after Pope Francis named him titular bishop of Bisuldino, granting him the personal title of archbishop.

What is the dispute over Torreciudad all about?

The so-called Torreciudad Shrine was erected in 1975 in accordance with the canonical legislation of its time as a “semi-public oratory” and with the impetus of the Prelature of Opus Dei, whose founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, was closely connected to the Marian devotion at the place.

In terms of the law, the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón agreed in 1962 to an emphyteutic lease (in perpetuity) on the original chapel and annexes, as well as on the image of Our Lady of the Angels, venerated since the 11th century. The agreement was signed with a business in the name of a full member of Opus Dei.

In December 2018, the canonical foundation Our Lady of the Angels of Torreciudad was established, and two years later, the Opus Dei prelature proposed to Pérez to put in the place of the original contract by mutual agreement a new one to achieve, among other things, the canonical constitution of the place as a diocesan shrine.

Four years later, after numerous conversations between the parties, the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón informed the prelature that it had terminated the original contract as it was completely null and void, “as well as, subsidiarily, for noncompliance with the conditions stipulated in the aforementioned contract,” giving six months for the image of the Virgin to be returned to the original chapel and the transfer of “the chapel, guest house, and annexes” to be reversed, i.e. returned to the diocese. 

Tensions between the two institutions have been growing since then. An example of this was the appointment for the first time in July 2023 of a new rector of Torreciudad who was not a member of Opus Dei. In addition, the diocese threatened to take the matter to civil courts.

In September 2023, the bishop of Barbastro-Monzón announced his willingness to elevate the controversy to higher authorities: “We are open to the competent ecclesiastical authority settling the situation if they are really not satisfied with the arguments presented,” he said in a letter.

Pérez followed up on his intention declared a year ago and now the Holy See has responded with the appointment of Arellano.

In 2025, the Torreciudad complex will celebrate 50 years since its inauguration. In that time, it has become an important center of Marian devotion and pilgrimage, especially for families.

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

Cardinal Kurt Koch speaks to journalists at the Synod on Synodality press briefing held at the Vatican’s Holy See Press Office on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, Oct 10, 2024 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

Three fraternal delegates — non-Catholic representatives of Christian churches participating in this year’s session of the Synod on Synodality — took center stage at Thursday’s Synod on Synodality press briefing held at the Vatican’s Holy See Press Office.

According to Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the imperative for all Christian churches to journey, pray, and cooperate is Jesus’ own priestly prayer recorded in Chapter 17 of St. John’s Gospel: “So that they may all be one.” 

“Jesus doesn’t command unity but he prays for it,” Koch told journalists on Thursday. “So if Jesus has prayed for unity, what can we do? We must do what Jesus did.”

In June, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity released “The Bishop of Rome,” a book that examines the fruits of various ecumenical dialogues between the Catholic Church and other churches regarding the “Petrine ministry” — the role and ministry of the pope — over the last 30 years.

During the press conference, Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, the Eastern Orthodox co-president of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, highlighted the significance of the “convergence” found in the Roman Catholic Church’s various bilateral dialogues with the Orthodox and other Christian churches surveyed in “The Bishop of Rome.”

“What strikes me in this book — and I advise you to read it — is to see the convergence among all these bilateral dialogues,” he shared with journalists. “This means that we are not just looking for an agreement or just some compromise with another church.”

The metropolitan also stated that ecumenical dialogue is not solely aimed at reconciliation and fraternity among churches but has the potential to “also bear fruit in the internal [and] domestic life of every church.”

Speaking about “the great importance of relationality” among Christian churches, Anglican Bishop Martin Warner of Chichester, co-chair of the English-Welsh Anglican-Roman Catholic Committee, spoke about the “sense of family” that has developed between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, particularly during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

“She, I think, lived throughout the duration of five popes,” he said. “These [meetings] create a sense of a family which has a history and a past.”

Warner also commented that both Anglicans and Catholics view authority as a “gift.” He said the primacy of love and service — underscored in Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Ut Unum Sint — are the “solid foundations” on which both churches are built upon. 

Anne-Cathy Graber, secretary for ecumenical relations of the Mennonite World Conference, told journalists that the Synod on Synodality has given the ecumenical movement a new “dynamism” but that more “visible signs” of Christian unity are needed.

“It’s true that sometimes there are no symbolic signs that the world can understand. What we are lacking is symbolic gestures of reconciliation,” she said.

Synod on Synodality delegates and participants will attend an ecumenical prayer service at the Vatican on Friday, Oct. 11.

“One day they will stand before God and have to answer why they passed a law intended to destroy innocent lives, which is what abortion is,” said the archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega. / Credit: Courtesy of Archdiocese of Guadalajara

Puebla, Mexico, Oct 10, 2024 / 14:50 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, spoke out strongly against the recent decision of that state’s Legislature to decriminalize abortion up to 12 weeks of gestation, calling it the “murder of innocents.”

Following debate and a vote, the penal code of the state of Jalisco was amended Oct. 4 to make it the 11th Mexican state that decriminalizes abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Sinaloa state decriminalized abortion up to 13 weeks of pregnancy. In Coahuila, where the law related to how abortion is to be punished has been invalidated, clear limits have not yet been established.

The push for decriminalizing abortion in Mexico accelerated during the recently concluded six-year term of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. His party, the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA, by its Spanish acronym), took advantage of its large majority in many states to push for pro-abortion legislation.

‘It should be called what it is: murdering the innocent’

On social media, Robles charged Oct. 6 that both the governor and the legislators want to make people believe that if abortion is performed in the first 12 weeks, “nothing happens to the new being” and that it’s possible to “eliminate the fetus,” which they seek to normalize as a “legal right to terminate a pregnancy.”

However, the cardinal insisted that “it should be called what it is: murdering the innocent,” and emphasized that the work of legislators “should be focused on protecting life, not ending it.”

“One day they will stand before God and have to answer why they passed a law intended to destroy innocent lives, which is what abortion is,” the cardinal warned.

Governor asked to ‘stop this calamity’

The governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro, is expected to publish the reform in the state’s official newspaper in the next few days to make official the changes to the penal code, as he will not veto the law, according to declarations he made to the media.

ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, consulted the Archdiocese of Jalisco’s Life Ministry on the subject, which in a written response urged the governor to reconsider his decision, stating that “there is still time to stop this calamity, with the courage to not go down in history as the governor who supported a legislature [approving] of death.”

In a text sent to ACI Prensa, the ministry also emphasized the need for “the reasons that support the arguments of those of us who are in favor of life to be heard.”

The ministry also criticized that the state Legislature’s vote “does not reflect the opinion of the majority of people in the state of Jalisco.” However, the Life Ministry recognized and lamented that “the anti-culture of death has been gaining ground and has come to dominate the mentality of a representative portion of the population.”

The ministry also expressed its “disappointment and indignation” with the legislators who voted in favor of decriminalizing abortion, arguing that “they have betrayed the will of the majority of the people of Jalisco and have opened the door of the law to a genocide of unprecedented proportions.”

“This is a cowardly act that obeys vested interests and does nothing to contribute to the common good, as we have expressed on previous occasions,” the ministry said.

In addition, the archdiocesan Life Ministry has committed to combating the “evils destructive of humanity and of our youth” through evangelization and education.

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