Category Archives: U.S. News

He’s made history as first African American to be cardinal, archbishop of Washington

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By Mark Zimmermann

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — When Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory became the first African American cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church Nov. 28, 2020, some of his thoughts were far from Rome while he received his red hat during the consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica.

He reflected on that moment In a recent interview with the Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero archdiocesan newspapers.

“When the Holy Father placed the cardinal’s biretta on my head, the thoughts that filled my heart were thoughts of my own family, my mom and dad struggling to provide a good education for me and my two sisters,” he said Jan. 15. “My wonderful grandmother, Etta Mae Duncan, who was so pivotal in my upbringing. I’ve said this before, she was a domestic. She worked as a housekeeper to provide the opportunity for her grandchildren to get a good education.

“I thought about the sacrifices that people have made in my own life,” he continued, “but also the sacrifices that African American Catholics, Catholics of color, have offered in their fidelity to our church, their love for our church, their faithfulness to the Catholic community that they love and have loved all of their lives.”

Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory of Washington shares a laugh with Pope Francis Oct. 4, 2023, before the first working session of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

He also thought about history. “How did I get here? How did this moment happen to me?”

And he thought about “how grateful I am to have reaped the harvest of faith that was made possible by people in my own life, but (also by) people that I have never known, but were faithful Catholics who have fallen in love with the Catholic Church and that I just so happened to be the one to reap the benefit of their love and their devotion.”

On Oct. 25, 2020, the morning that Pope Francis named then-Archbishop Gregory as one of 13 new cardinals to be elevated at that Nov. 28 consistory, he said in a statement, “With a very grateful and humble heart, I thank Pope Francis for this appointment which will allow me to work more closely with him in caring for Christ’s Church.”

That morning, Cardinal-designate Gregory celebrated a 250th anniversary Mass for Holy Angels Parish in Avenue, which is located near St. Clement’s Island in Southern Maryland, where the first Catholic Mass in the English-speaking colonies was celebrated in 1634.

After that Mass, he was asked what his elevation to the College of Cardinals meant to him personally, to be the first African American cardinal in the United States, and what that would mean to the nation’s Black Catholics.

Cardinal-designate Gregory’s voice broke slightly as he said, “I’m deeply humbled. I know that I am reaping a harvest that millions of African American Catholics and people of color have planted. I am deeply grateful for the faith that they have lived so generously, so zealously and with such great devotion.”

He said he saw his appointment as “another opportunity to serve and to care for the church and to have the church (of Washington) in closer union with Pope Francis.”

He added, “I hope it is a sign of the continued investment of the church in the work of justice, peace and harmony among people.”

Cardinal Gregory was installed as Washington’s archbishop in May 2019. On Jan. 6, 2025, Pope Francis accepted his resignation; at 77 he is two years past the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. Pope Francis named Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego as his successor. He will be installed March 11.

Cardinal Gregory became Catholic and was inspired to become a priest after being enrolled in St. Carthage School in his native Chicago in 1958. Young Wilton was baptized and received his first Communion in 1959 and was confirmed later that year.

After graduating from St. Carthage in 1961, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1973. He earned a doctorate in sacred liturgy from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome in 1980.Three years later he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Chicago; at age 34, he became the youngest U.S. Catholic bishop.

From 1994-2005, Bishop Gregory headed the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois. In 2001, he was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops after three years as vice president. In 2002, during his term, revelations of clergy sexual abuse and its cover-up erupted, affecting the whole U.S. church. Under his leadership, the bishops implemented the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

St. John Paul II appointed Bishop Gregory as archbishop of Atlanta, where he was installed in 2005, and Pope Francis named him as the seventh archbishop of Washington in 2019. Then-Archbishop Gregory became the first African American archbishop of Washington.

In one of his first parish visits as Washington’s new archbishop, he celebrated a Mass at St. Augustine Church, founded in 1858 by free men and women of color, including some who were emancipated from slavery. It is known as the mother church for African American Catholics in the nation’s capital.

When then-Archbishop Gregory appeared in the doorway of St. Augustine Church that morning for the Mass, people there shouted for joy and gave him a spontaneous standing ovation.

In his homily that day, then-Archbishop Gregory acknowledged St. Augustine’s history and “how it is identified with the sacred heritage of African American Catholics.”

“I stand on holy ground, as do all of you when you gather each Sunday for the Eucharist,” he said, adding, “Today a son of the African diaspora stands in your midst as the shepherd of the entire family of faith that is the Archdiocese of Washington.”

After Cardinal Gregory’s elevation to the College of Cardinals was announced in 2020, local Catholics interviewed for a “Black Catholics Voices” multimedia series for the Catholic Standard reacted with joy to his appointment as the first African American cardinal.

Father Robert Boxie III, the Catholic chaplain at Howard University in Washington, said the appointment was a recognition of Cardinal Gregory’s pastoral leadership and contributions to the church in the United States.

It was also a recognition that “the faith, the contributions, the witness, the experience of Black Catholics truly do matter, and that’s an important voice and an important gift to the church universal,” the priest said. “The voice of Black Catholics will be now that much closer to the Holy Father. It will now be in the heart of the Church in Rome, in the Vatican.”

Sister Patricia Chappell, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and the former president of the National Black Sisters’ Conference, called Cardinal Gregory’s elevation “a very historic moment,” and praised the new cardinal as “a man who really listens to the people, a man who is steeped in his faith, and a man who will journey with the people.”

As the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Gregory worked to be a pastor to all the people of the archdiocese, centering his ministry on celebrating Masses at parishes and Catholic schools.

He worked to bring healing in the wake of the clergy abuse crisis and led the archdiocese through the COVID-19 pandemic. Demonstrating Catholic teaching for the dignity of human life in all its stages, Cardinal Gregory celebrated a Youth Mass for Life before the annual March for Life, and he also spoke out against the death penalty.

The cardinal also celebrated an annual Mass honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and under his leadership, the archdiocese launched a 2020 pastoral initiative, “Made in God’s Image: Pray and Work to End this Sin of Racism,” and a 2021 action plan based on Pope Francis’ “Laudato Si'” environmental encyclical.

“He demonstrated to the church in the United States that Black Catholics have a lot to offer to the church from the gifts God has given us, and he’s an excellent example of that,” said Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. who also serves as the president of the National Black Catholic Congress.

In a 2021 interview one year after he was elevated to the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Gregory was asked if being the first African American cardinal posed any challenges.

“I always feel that if I stay close to the Lord in my prayer life, at least (staying) on the right path … being the first is an opportunity to draw the church closer together across cultures and races,” he said.

In his recent interview with the Catholic Standard and El Pregonero, he reflected on the number of opportunities he has had “to be the first,” saying he wants “to make sure that I realize that whatever legacy I leave will be available for the second, for the third, for the fifth, who will, in God’s own time and with God’s own grace, will inherit the responsibilities that I’ve been fortunate enough to have.”

“I hope that my presence in the Archdiocese of Washington, as I was present in Atlanta and in Belleville and in Chicago, I hope that I provided an opportunity for people not just in a sense of pride, but in a sense of opportunity, that the young people can see a world that they can fill with their own dreams and with their own possibilities,” he said.

“I hope that my ministry has lifted the horizons for a lot of our young people, to see as possibilities that generations of young people in the past never even envisioned.”

(Mark Zimmermann is editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.)

Briefs

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U.S. Sister Dorothy Stang, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is pictured in a 2004 file photo in Belém, Brazil. Feb. 12, 2025, was the 20th anniversary of the killing of Sister Dorothy, a citizen of Brazil and the United States, who spent nearly four decades defending the rights of poor settlers as well as working to save the rainforest from powerful ranchers bent on destroying it. (OSV News photo/Reuters)

NATION
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, Ohio, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, used the U.S. bishops’ 2025 Lenten message to reach out to those affected by abortion. In his Feb. 19 message, Bishop Thomas assured individuals carrying the sadness and guilt of abortion that Jesus’ love is unconditional. He highlighted the meaning of Ash Wednesday, noting that the ashes remind people of their need for repentance and God’s love. Ash Wednesday this year is March 5 and marks the start of Lent in the Latin Church, the largest church in the global Catholic Church. Bishop Thomas invited those suffering from abortion to return to Jesus and the church, emphasizing the healing available through the sacrament of reconciliation. He also referenced Pope Francis’ message of hope and the importance of nonjudgmental support for those grieving. Bishop Thomas pointed to the church’s Project Rachel Ministry, offering compassionate help and resources in English and Spanish for healing. “This Lent, the Lord’s mercy awaits you,” he said. “Allow Him to heal you and lift your sadness into joy.”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Feb. 19 it has started to send out guidance on “clear sex-based definitions” to government agencies, organizations and the public. The department said it is now implementing recent Trump administration executive orders on sex and gender. HHS stated in its announcement that its new guidance “recognizes there are only two sexes: male and female.” It also said the department would use these guiding definitions to “promote policies acknowledging that women are biologically female and men are biologically male.” HHS also stated it was taking steps to implement policies aimed at protecting minors from undergoing certain transgender medical and surgical interventions. Additionally it stated it would implement Trump’s executive order effectively barring biological males who identify as transgender from taking part in women’s and girl’s sports. Trump’s executive orders on sex and gender have been praised in statements issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for “recognizing the truth about each human person as male or female.”

PENSACOLA, Fla. (OSV News) – The work of Catholic prison ministry has been mostly carried out quietly and long thought of as something only priests and religious do. This has meant that lay involvement “is almost nonexistent,” according to Karen Clifton, executive coordinator of the online-based Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition, or CMPC. A recent survey revealed many dioceses have prison ministries, but few know who’s involved. The survey came after Pope Francis asked his U.S. nuncio about the state of prison ministry in this country – following the pontiff’s 2015 visit to a Philadelphia-based correctional center. Clifton said the pope’s inquiry came as several Catholic prison ministry and advocacy groups banded together in search of national guidance, prompting the creation of CMPC in 2018, now made up of more than three dozen ministries across the country. The idea, said Clifton, is to have an active prison ministry in every diocese. Bishop William A. Wack of Pensacola-Tallahassee, CMPC’s episcopal adviser, emphasized the coalition’s role in providing training, support and advocacy for prison ministers, who often work in isolation.

VATICAN
ROME (CNS) – In 2021, a new species of screech owl was discovered deep in the Amazon rainforest, named “Megascops stangiae” in honor of Sister Dorothy Stang, a U.S.-born Catholic nun who was killed in 2005 for her work protecting the Amazon and its people. Sister Dorothy, known as a “Martyr of the Amazon,” advocated for peasant farmers and Indigenous people against illegal ranchers and loggers. On the 20th anniversary of the death of the 73-year-old nun, a relic containing blood-soaked soil from the site of her murder was enshrined at the Basilica of St. Bartholomew in Rome, marking her as the first American woman honored among the modern martyrs. Despite her death, Sister Dorothy’s legacy lives on, with her work inspiring continued resistance to land theft in the region. Sister Judith Clemens, a close friend and fellow Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, said Sister Dorothy’s faith and dedication to justice continue to inspire the fight for environmental and social justice.

WORLD
PYIN OO LWIN, Myanmar (OSV News) – Thousands gathered in Myanmar’s Pyin Oo Lwin to mourn Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win, a priest found stabbed to death in what is believed to be a targeted attack. The funeral, presided over by Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay, called for an end to the ongoing civil war, urging all parties to seek peace and reconciliation. Myanmar has been embroiled in conflict since a 2021 military coup, with ongoing violence between the military junta and rebel groups. Father Win’s brutal murder occurred on Feb. 14 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Kan Gyi Taw. Rebel group People’s Defense Force is investigating the killing. Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo expressed sorrow, urging justice and an end to the violence. Aid to the Church in Need’s Regina Lynch highlighted the immense risks faced by priests like Father Win, who continue to serve communities despite the dangers of the ongoing conflict. Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, president of the bishops’ conference of Myanmar, also lamented Father Win’s death and prayed that through learning from the heartbreaking experiences the fraternal spirit be awakened. He lamented “the blood and sacrifices of countless innocent people,” – a heavy toll he hopes will serve as an offering to ending the violence tormenting Myanmar.

GUATEMALA CITY (OSV News) – A devastating bus crash in Guatemala City Feb. 10 claimed at least 54 lives, including children, sparking nationwide outrage and calls for reform in the country’s poorly regulated bus system. The bus, carrying around 70 passengers, crashed through a guardrail and plunged off a bridge, falling 115 feet into a stream below and killing most passengers. Investigations revealed the driver lacked a professional license, and the bus was operating off its authorized route. Pope Francis sent a message of condolence, offering prayers and an apostolic blessing to the victims’ families in a Feb. 14 telegram, sent the day he entered Rome’s Gemelli hospital for tests and bronchitis recovery. A telegram sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s secretary of state to Archbishop Gonzalo de Villa y Vásquez of Santiago de Guatemala, said that the Holy Father was “deeply saddened” by the “painful news” and prayed for those lost in the accident. Local bishops have been actively supporting the grieving families, celebrating memorial Masses and prayer services. The church is demanding stronger safety measures and accountability from the government, with some blaming systemic corruption for the lack of proper infrastructure and regulation. See full story here.

St. John Paul II National Shrine presents exhibit: “Lord, you could not love me more! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin” during Lent

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Negative photo of the frontal image of the man of the Shroud. (Credit: Copyright 1978, Vernon Miller)

By Grattan Brown
WASHINGTON – The “Lord you could not love me more!’ St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin” exhibit responds to the call of St. John Paul II, given during his visit to the Shroud in 1998, for greater understanding of and devotion to the Shroud of Turin:
“The Shroud does not hold people’s hearts to itself, but turns them to him, at whose service the Father’s loving providence has put it. Therefore, it is right to foster an awareness of the precious value of this image, which everyone sees and no one at present can explain. For every thoughtful person it is a reason for deep reflection, which can even involve one’s life. The Shroud is thus a truly unique sign that points to Jesus, the true Word of the Father, and invites us to pattern our lives on the life of the One who gave himself for us.”

The exhibit helps pilgrims encounter the mystery of the Shroud of Turin – the likely burial cloth of Jesus referred to in Sacred Scripture – of its movement in history, of scientific research on the Shroud to determine its authenticity, and of faithful devotion to all that the Shroud reveals about salvation. The exhibit includes a replica of the Shroud of Turin on loan from the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit; a sculpture entitled The Sign, which renders a life-size, three-dimensional image of the Man of the Shroud; over 30 gallery panels containing images and text; and prayer resources. The exhibit opens on Ash Wednesday, March 5, and runs through Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025.

St. John Paul II’s teaching about the Shroud of Turin illustrates his confident approach to ancient mysteries in the light of both faith and reason. During his 1998 visit, he said,
“The church entrusts to scientists the task of continuing to investigate, so that satisfactory answers may be found to the questions connected with this Sheet, which, according to tradition, wrapped the body of our Redeemer after he had been taken down from the cross. The church urges that the Shroud be studied without pre-established positions that take for granted results that are not such; she invites them to act with interior freedom and attentive respect for both scientific methodology and the sensibilities of believers.”

As one example of St. John Paul II’s call for research on the Shroud, the exhibit profiles the current research of Gilbert Lavoie, MD, a medical expert on the study of the Shroud and author of The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed. Dr. Lavoie explains, “The raised, lifted Jesus, the result of a visual medical forensic journey of discovery, unlocks the mystery of the burial cloth left to us by God. When the lifted man of the Shroud is related to the Gospel of John, many new insights are revealed. This is John’s astonishing story about how God is visually communicating to humanity through his Son’s Shroud, telling us how real he is and how much he loves us.” Dr. Lavoie collaborated with internationally recognized sculptor Pablo Eduardo to create a sculpture, The Sign, based on Dr. Lavoie’s observations of the Shroud image and included in the Shrine’s exhibit.

The Shrine’s Director of Mission and Ministry, Dr. Grattan Brown, said, “In his pilgrimages to shrines around the world, St. John Paul II often observed that shrines are places where people can step away from their busy lives to deepen their spiritual connection to God. The Shroud of Turin, which may be the burial cloth of Jesus, connects us with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, God’s most loving gift for humanity. It is a joy for the St. John Paul II National Shrine to offer this exhibit so that our pilgrims may experience God’s mercy during Lent.”

This exhibit is designed to help pilgrims more fully participate in the repentance and conversion of the Lenten season. As St. John Paul II observed during his 1998 visit:
“Contemplation of that tortured Body helps contemporary man to free himself from the superficiality of the selfishness with which he frequently treats love and sin. Echoing the word of God and centuries of Christian consciousness, the Shroud whispers: believe in God’s love, the greatest treasure given to humanity, and flee from sin, the greatest misfortune in history.”

Negative photo of the frontal image of the man of the Shroud. (Credit: Copyright 1978, Vernon Miller)

“The Shrine is proud to offer this exhibit about the Shroud of Turin and St. John Paul II,” said Anthony Picarello, executive director of the Shrine, “because it resonates so deeply with his legacy. It illustrates how human beings can approach the deepest mysteries fruitfully with faith and reason together; how the human body can express the most radical love; and – especially during Lent – the power of redemptive suffering.”

The Shrine’s Director of Intercultural Ministry, Dr. Sofia Maurette, said “The exhibit features panels in English and Spanish, in line with our initiative since 2023 to translate all new installations at the Shrine into multiple languages. We hope that it will be a blessing for our diverse Catholic community in the DC area and in our nation.”

About the St. John Paul II National Shrine: The Saint John Paul II National Shrine has been designated as a Jubilee 2025 pilgrimage site. It is a place of worship, religious formation, and cultural renewal to feed the minds and souls of its visitors. It is a place of pilgrimage with a first-class relic of St. John Paul II’s blood available for veneration. The St. John Paul II National Shrine is a major pastoral initiative of the Knights of Columbus, a lay Catholic fraternal organization, and it is the Knights’ hope that this initiative will serve the life of the church in the Americas and will thus bear abundant fruit for the universal church and for the world.

About the Knights of Columbus: In 1882, Blessed Michael McGivney, a young parish priest in New Haven, Connecticut, founded the Knights of Columbus to serve the needs of a largely immigrant Catholic community. What began as a small fraternal benefit society has since grown into the world’s premier lay Catholic men’s organization, with more than 2.1 million members in over 16,800 local councils. As members of one of the world’s leading international charitable organizations, Knights around the world donated more than 47 million service hours and over $190 million for worthy causes in their communities in 2023. Based on the founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity, the Knights of Columbus is committed to strengthening Catholic families and parishes, and to practicing faith in action through service to all in need. To learn more or to join the Knights of Columbus, please visit kofc.org/join.

For more information on the St. John Paul II National Shrine and exhibits, visit https://www.jp2shrine.org.

White House suggests it will strip funds from Catholic Charities

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By Kate Scanlon
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The White House Jan. 28 sought to clarify what would and would not be impacted by a directive to freeze federal financial assistance programs and suggested it would seek to strip federal funds from nongovernmental organizations including Catholic Charities as part of its effort to enforce its immigration policies.

Catholic Charities USA urged the Trump administration to reconsider the freeze of the funds in a Jan. 28 statement. A judge temporarily blocked the freeze the same day.

The White House budget office ordered a pause on all federal grants and loans, which could impact trillions of dollars in government spending and halt public programs that affect millions of Americans, according to a memo from that office. These orders could impact Catholic entities that rely on such grants.

Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. walk into a temporary humanitarian respite center run by Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in McAllen, Texas, April 8, 2021. (CNS photo/Go Nakamura, Reuters)

In her debut press briefing as White House press secretary Jan. 28, Karoline Leavitt said “this is not a blanket pause on federal assistance in grant programs from the Trump administration,” arguing “individual assistance” will not be impacted, listing “Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits” as examples.

“It is the responsibility of this president and this administration to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” she said, arguing the directive was to combat “wokeness” running afoul of Trump’s other executive orders on topics including diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

But questions remain about how the White House will define “assistance provided directly to individuals,” as indicated in the memo. Illinois and other states were cut off from the portal that is used to request and manage Medicaid spending, the office of that state’s Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said.

The White House confirmed the outage, with Leavitt writing on social media that they are “aware of the Medicaid website portal outage,” but said it would soon be available.

“We have confirmed no payments have been affected – they are still being processed and sent,” she said. “We expect the portal will be back online shortly.”

Leavitt was asked about the impact on organizations like Meals on Wheels, which is funded in part by the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program, to deliver meals to homebound seniors, rather than the grant funds going directly to the seniors themselves.

“It does not affect individual assistance that’s going to Americans,” she replied.

Elsewhere in the briefing, Leavitt was asked if Trump “intended to permanently cut off funding to NGOs that are bringing illegal foreign nationals to the country, such as Catholic Charities?”

“I am actually quite certain that the president signed an executive order that did just that,” she said.
Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, issued a statement that did not reference the exchange in the White House briefing room but defended the work of her organization.

“Last year, 92 percent of the services provided by the 168 independent Catholic Charities agencies around the country covered basic needs – access to food, housing, health care and other necessities – for families and individuals struggling to get by,” Robinson said. “These vital services include food pantries for those who can’t afford groceries, childcare programs for low-income families, meal deliveries for homebound seniors, job training resources for veterans, temporary and permanent housing, mental health services and much more.”

The millions of Americans “who rely on this life-giving support,” she added, “will suffer due to the unprecedented effort to freeze federal aid supporting these programs.”

“The people who will lose access to crucial care are our neighbors and family members,” Robinson said. “They live in every corner of the country and represent all races, religions and political affiliations.”

“For more than a century, the Catholic Charities network has worked with the government to care for poor and vulnerable people in every community in the U.S., and we continue to be eager to work with government to care for our neighbors in need. We strongly urge the administration to rethink this decision,” she continued.

The group also urged its supporters to contact their congressional representatives.

OSV News has reached out to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and is awaiting a response. Both CCUSA and the USCCB have said they abide by the law in their work with migrants and refugees.

In a Jan. 26 statement, issued hours after Vice President JD Vance questioned the motives of the U.S. bishops’ criticism of President Donald Trump’s new immigration policies in an interview that aired that morning, the USCCB said, “Faithful to the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church has a long history of serving refugees.”

“In 1980, the bishops of the United States began partnering with the federal government to carry out this service when Congress created the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP),” the statement said. “Every person resettled through USRAP is vetted and approved for the program by the federal government while outside of the United States. In our agreements with the government, the USCCB receives funds to do this work; however, these funds are not sufficient to cover the entire cost of these programs. Nonetheless, this remains a work of mercy and ministry of the church.”

(Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.)

March for Life puts pro-life vision that welcomes babies,supports families in focus

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By Maria Wiering
(OSV News) – “Let me say very simply: I want more babies in the United States of America,” Vice President JD Vance told a cheering crowd at the 52nd National March for Life Jan. 24.

“I want more happy children in our country, and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them,” he said. “And it is the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids, to bring them into the world, and to welcome them as the blessings that we know they are, here at the March for Life.”

In his first public appearance following Inauguration Day, Vance was the final speaker at the annual march’s two-hour rally preceding attendees’ walk from the Washington Monument grounds to the U.S. Supreme Court Building. Other speakers included Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. It is the first time both leaders of Congress’s chambers attended a March for Life.

Students from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, hold the March for Life banner outside the U.S. Supreme Court during the annual March for Life in Washington Jan. 24, 2025. (OSV News photo/Elizabeth Frantz, Reuters)

While most speakers – policymakers and pro-life advocates – spoke specifically about making abortion “illegal and unthinkable” in post-Dobbs America, Vance championed a pro-family vision that not only rejected abortion, but also supported raising children.
Noting his own three young children, Vance, who is Catholic, said, “The task of our movement is to protect innocent life. It’s to defend the unborn; and it’s also to be pro-family and pro-life in the fullest sense of that word possible.”

As in years past, the march drew tens of thousands, many of them young adults. Some traveled more than a day on buses, missing high school and college classes to join others along the National Mall in the mid-Atlantic cold.

The 2025 march also commemorated a leadership change for the event’s organization, with longtime president Jeanne Mancini handing off her role to March for Life’s incoming president, Jennie Bradley Lichter. While Mancini emceed the 2025 march, both women spoke, with Bradley Lichter also introducing Vance.

The march was founded to protest Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in all 50 states. That decision was overturned in 2022 with the court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, thus returning abortion policy to lawmakers. At the rally, March for Life leaders addressed the march’s role in the changed abortion landscape, with abortion laws now varying widely by state. The march, they insisted, must continue.

“Today we affirm that the pro-life generation will not rest until every single abortion facility in our nation closes its door for good. We will march until every child is protected by federal law, until abortion is unthinkable, and until every pregnant woman receives excellent prenatal care,” said Hannah Lape, president of Wheaton College Voice for Life. Her group carried the 2025 march’s iconic banner.

The march came four days after President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, following a campaign that disappointed many pro-life advocates in certain respects. Trump was hailed for pro-life actions during his first term. Since then, he reversed support for a federal abortion ban, stating he believes U.S. states should determine their own abortion laws. He also posted on social media positively about “reproductive rights,” and indicated he would not restrict access to mifepristone. The drug, while it is prescribed in some miscarriage care protocols, is widely used for nearly two-thirds of abortions in the U.S.

A majority of Americans support some legal limits on abortion, while keeping the practice largely intact, according to a Knights of Columbus-Marist poll released Jan. 23. The annual survey found that 83% of Americans supported pregnancy resource centers and 67% of Americans support some legal limits for abortion. But 60% support limiting abortions to the first three months of pregnancy – a limit that would leave most abortions legal as nine out of 10 abortions occur in the first trimester.

“All of you here – all of you – have the power to change minds,” Lila Rose, a Catholic and longtime pro-life advocate, told the crowd during the march rally. “You are the voice for those who have no voice. Remember, science is on our side. The truth is on our side. We must simply have the courage to speak the truth with love.”

The March for Life was preceded by two large-scale events: Life Fest 2025 at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, held the evening before and the morning of the march; and the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

Marcela Rojas, who lives in the Archdiocese of New York, said that she attended the march with a group of 75 people, many of them mothers who brought their small children.

“Within our being, in our womb, there is a life,” she said of pregnant mothers. “It is a life that we cannot choose for. It is already another life that does not belong to us, and we are not the ones to decide whether it lives or not.”

(Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News. Contributing to this story was OSV News correspondent Marietha Góngora V. in Washington.)

US bishops call for prayer after deadly DC air collision claims dozens of lives

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By Gina Christian and Kate Scanlon
(OSV News) – U.S. Catholic bishops – joined by Pope Francis – are calling for prayer after a deadly aviation crash in the nation’s capital claimed dozens of lives.

“Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Washington today join men and women of good will here and around the world in praying for those who perished in last night’s heartbreaking accident,” Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, the retired archbishop and current apostolic administrator of the archdiocese, said in a Jan. 30 statement.

The Jan. 29 midair collision between a regional jet operated by American Airlines and a U.S. military helicopter took place over the Potomac River at approximately 9 p.m.

American Eagle Flight 5342 – which originated in Wichita, Kansas – had been preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and carried 60 passengers and four crew members on board. The helicopter involved in the collision, a UH-60 Black Hawk assigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, contained three troops on a routine training flight.

Debris is seen Jan. 30, 2025, as the U.S Coast Guard, local, state and federal agencies respond after American Eagle flight 5342 collided in midair with a Black Hawk Army helicopter late Jan. 29 while on approach for landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The plane, with 64 people on board, and the helicopter, with three crew members, crashed into the Potomac near the airport. (OSV News photo/U.S Coast Guard/Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles via Reuters)

The initial rescue operation was soon declared a recovery effort, with first responders and dive crews battling the Potomac’s icy waters to retrieve the bodies. The incident remains under investigation by multiple agencies led by the National Transportation Safety Board and including the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army.

“We praise God for the generous assistance of our courageous first responders,” Cardinal Gregory said in his statement. “May this disaster serve as an impetus to strengthen our unity and collaboration.”

In a Jan. 30 post on the X social media platform, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, asked people to be “united in prayer for all those tragically impacted by the accident.”

“May we be united in prayer for all those tragically impacted by the accident near Reagan airport,” Bishop Burbidge, whose diocese borders the Potomac, said in his post.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, in a statement issued Jan. 30 “on behalf of the clergy and faithful” of the archdiocese, prayed for those “who tragically perished” in the crash and expressed “prayerful solidarity” with the families of all the victims.

“May Almighty God grant them peace and serenity and consolation to those left behind,” he said. “Reagan National Airport is a very familiar place to me. This tragedy strikes very close to home.”
Shortly after the crash, Bishop Carl A. Kemme of Wichita, Kansas, posted on Facebook that he was “praying for all involved” in the disaster.

“It is sobering to think that I and two other priests were on this very flight one week ago on our way to DC for the … March for life,” Bishop Kemme said in his post. “May God bring divine assistance to everyone involved.”

On Jan. 30, Bishop Kemme released a statement on the disaster, saying, “My heart, and the hearts of the faithful of the Diocese of Wichita, go out to the families and loved ones of all those lost in this devastating accident. 

“We pray for the souls of those who perished, including the brave members of our military, the passengers, and the crew,” said Bishop Kemme. “We also pray for comfort and strength for those who mourn, and for the first responders and recovery teams as they continue their difficult work. I encourage all to pray for those affected by this tragedy. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.”

In a Jan. 30 telegram to President Donald Trump, Pope Francis expressed his “spiritual closeness” to victims and their families and commended the souls of the departed to God’s loving mercy.

“I likewise pray for those involved in the recovery efforts, and invoke upon all in the nation the divine blessings of consolation and strength,” he said.

While the victims’ names have not yet been revealed, U.S. Figure Skating, the sport’s governing body, told media that several passengers on the commercial aircraft were young figure skaters returning from a training camp in Wichita. Russian state media reported that several of the skaters were Russian nationals.

(Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina. Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News based in Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.)

Declaration of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity in service to the rights of all immigrants and refugees, beloved of God

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The Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (Trinitarians) have been present in the challenging reality of migration at every moment of our history. From our beginnings more than one hundred years ago, the Holy Spirit has moved us to be willing to leave everything and go to the most unprotected portion of the harvest.

Today, throughout the world, the suffering of displaced persons-immigrants and refugees-is a cry of brothers and sisters waiting to be heard, seen and found. In all our missions and the countries where we strive to live prophetically, our call to mission, the cry awaits a response.

We, Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, proclaim today, “You are not alone. We journey with you!”

Well have the bishops of the United States declared: “Together, we must be the voice of the multitudes who yearn to breathe freedom and demand that our government provide just and humane treatment for our dear brothers and sisters. It is our hope, our prayer, that we can all work together in developing a reform of the current immigration system.”

We, the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, want to be much more than a voice. Wherever we are, we wish to invite all our partners in mission and every person of good will to join us in a concrete effort of solidarity, presence and hope.

As men of faith with lives dedicated to the Gospel of Jesus, we commit ourselves to:

  • Be one with our sisters and brothers in their moments of terror and need.
  • To honor their sense of devastation and anguish.
  • Support one another and those we serve.

    With this commitment, we pledge:
  • To walk purposefully, hand in hand, with the immigrant and refugee.
  • To actively participate in all efforts for justice.
  • To be architects of protective spaces for people at risk.
  • Share resources and collaborate with others working for justice.
  • Bear witness to the fact that there are no disposable people.
  • To seek the wisdom of our elders and the audacity of youth.
  • Work to create safe spaces where people can flourish in freedom.
    Missions are people: people of all races, cultures and ways of life. People are not “illegal” or “undocumented” but beloved sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father, redeemed by the blood of Jesus on the Cross, the ultimate symbol and sign of God’s infinite love for every person without exception.

    We, Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, with all people of goodwill, commit ourselves, by the grace of God, to live this Gospel message of Jesus in loving service to our sisters and brothers, whatever the cost! Only in this way can we truly fulfill the vocation we have received.

Briefs

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Dancers wearing lion costumes perform during a midnight Lunar New Year celebration in the Manhattan borough of New York City’s Chinatown Jan. 28, 2025, marking the Year of the Snake. (OSV News photo/Adam Gray, Reuters)

NATION
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Coinciding with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, the Lunar New Year “can be a time of change and renewal” of faith, two U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen said in a special message to Catholics from Asian cultures who celebrate the Chinese New Year. “May the blessings of Almighty God come upon you, so that your Radiant Faith, which enriches the Church, may bring hope and renewal to our world, our country, the Church, and our families,” said Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Brooklyn, New York, and Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, in a Jan. 28 message issued with their blessings on behalf of all the bishops. They are the chairmen, respectively, of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church and its Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Islanders. The Lunar New Year usually starts sometime between late January and mid-February. This year the festivities begin Jan. 29, ushering in the Year of the Snake, symbolizing good luck, rebirth and regeneration. Celebrations can last for 15 days in countries where the Lunar New Year is typically celebrated – China, South Korea, Vietnam and countries with a significant number of people from China.

PHILADELPHIA (OSV News) – Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia is calling for prayer, saying his “heart sank” after learning of a fatal air crash in that city Jan. 31, just two days after a collision between a commercial jet and an Army helicopter in the nation’s capital killed 67. The archbishop issued a statement a few hours after a medical flight carrying a pediatric patient, her mother and crew crashed minutes after takeoff, killing all six aboard and one person on the ground, while injuring 22 others. The jet plunged into a densely populated, heavily traveled area of northeast Philadelphia. Archbishop Pérez called for all people to “unite in prayer and do what we can in the days ahead to share the compassionate love of Christ with those suffering.” As he surveyed the crash site Feb. 1, retired Philadelphia Police Sergeant Mark Palma, a Catholic who dealt with the aftermath of a fatal 2015 Amtrak crash, echoed the archbishop’s call to pray for first responders given the trauma involved. Father Patrick Welsh, pastor of St. Matthew Parish, a couple blocks from the impact site, said he set up Eucharistic adoration for first responders. While no one in the parish lost their life, he said one school family “completely lost their home to the fire” and another was also badly affected.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When a holy day of obligation falls on a Sunday and so is transferred to another day, the Catholic faithful are encouraged to attend Mass, but they are not obliged to do so, the Vatican said. The feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary Dec. 8 fell on the Second Sunday of Advent in 2024 and so, in most dioceses around the world, the feast was transferred to Monday, Dec. 9. Some bishops in the United States insisted the faithful still had a moral obligation to attend Mass on the feast day while others issued a formal dispensation from the obligation. The Dicastery for Legislative Texts, in a September letter to Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, had said, “the feast must be observed as a day of obligation on the day to which it is transferred.” But in a formal note dated Jan. 23, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments said it had consulted with the legislative texts office and determined that “in the event of the occasional transfer of a holy day of obligation, the obligation to attend Mass is not transferred.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – A nerdy love of science fiction, a yearning for adventure, a passion for science and a foundation of Jesuit education all helped in some way to lead a man from Detroit, Michigan, to become a master of meteorites and the head of the Vatican Observatory. Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, who has led the observatory since 2015, shares his journey of becoming a Jesuit astronomer, explains the compatibility of science and faith and guides readers on how to look at the heavens in a new book released Feb. 4 by Loyola Press. Titled, “A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty and Science,” the book also features full-page color astrophotographs taken by astronomers of the Vatican Observatory and NASA.

WORLD
SÃO PAULO (OSV News) – Violence in Colombia between the National Liberation Army and a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, known as FARC in Catatumbo region has led to over 80 deaths and displaced 48,000 people since mid-January. The Catholic Church has been actively working to provide relief, calling for respect for humanitarian principles and access to food and water in the region. Father Hector Henao, who has mediated between the government and guerrillas, emphasized that control over Catatumbo’s illicit coca trade and precious metals is fueling the conflict. Many displaced people were small-scale coca farmers, and while some are returning as the violence subsides, tensions remain high. In response, local parishes are distributing food, aiding in the release of captives, and organizing peaceful protests. Father Jairo Gélvez Tarazona highlighted the efforts of the community of Pacelli, which is moving away from coca production in favor of sustainable crops like cocoa and fish farming, though economic support from the government and international groups is still needed. On Jan. 26, he celebrated Mass for the community, who almost entirely turned up to march that day for peace in the region.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (OSV News) – A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has paused air raids and bombings on Gaza, but the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen. Joseph Hazboun, regional director of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, describes the situation as bleak, with over 17,000 children orphaned and at least 150,000 pregnant women in urgent need of health care. Mental health issues are widespread, with 1 million children requiring psychological support. CNEWA is providing essential relief, including food, medical care and psychosocial programs. However, the region’s challenges persist, including limited access due to road closures and ongoing reconstruction needs. Hazboun also highlights the diminishing Christian population, now down to about 600, with only 300 expected to remain after the Rafah crossing reopened Feb. 1 – so far for medical assistance border crossing for those wounded. While the ceasefire offers temporary relief, Hazboun and other experts warn that lasting peace remains uncertain, with deep-rooted issues between Israelis and Palestinians unresolved.

Trump administration reverses policy to permit ICE arrests at churches

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By Kate Scanlon
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The Trump administration said Jan. 21 it would rescind a long-standing policy preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making arrests at what are seen as sensitive locations, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals.

Prior to his second inauguration, Trump’s transition team indicated his administration would scrap the long-standing ICE policy – which prohibits immigration enforcement arrests at such locations, as well as other sensitive events like weddings and funerals without approval from supervisors. Catholic immigration advocates expressed alarm at the announcement.

Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman directed on Jan. 20 that those guidelines be rescinded, as well as issuing another directive restricting parameters for humanitarian parole, a DHS spokesperson said.

Migrant farmworkers attend an outdoor Mass Sept. 26, 2019, in Hatch, N.M. The Trump administration said Jan. 21, 2025, that it would rescind a long-standing policy preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making arrests at what are seen as sensitive locations, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals. (OSV News photo/Tyler Orsburn)

“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens – including murders and rapists – who have illegally come into our country,” a DHS spokesperson said. “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”

Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, said in a Jan. 21 statement the policy change is one of “many drastic actions from the federal government related to immigration that deeply affect our local community and raise urgent moral and human concerns.”

“The end of the Department of Homeland Security’s sensitive locations policy strikes fear into the heart of our community, cynically layering a blanket of anxiety on families when they are worshiping God, seeking healthcare and dropping off and picking up children at school,” Bishop Seitz said. “We have also seen the rapid and indiscriminate closure of the border to asylum seekers and the return of the ill-conceived Remain in Mexico policy, violating due process and restricting the few legal options available to the most vulnerable who knock on our door seeking compassion and aid.”

Bishop Seitz added that he wanted to assure El Paso’s immigrant community that “whatever your faith and wherever you come from, we make your anxieties and fears at this moment our own.”

“We stand with you in this moment of family and personal crisis and pledge to you our solidarity, trusting that the Lord, Jesus Christ, will bring about good even from this moment of pain, and that this time of trial will be just a prelude to real reform, a reconciled society and justice for all those who are forced to migrate,” he said.

The Diocese of El Paso, Bishop Seitz added, “will continue to educate our faithful on their rights, provide legal services and work with our community leaders to mitigate the damage of indiscriminate immigration enforcement. Through our Border Refugee Assistance Fund, in partnership with the Hope Border Institute, we are preparing to channel additional humanitarian aid to migrants stranded in our sister city of Ciudad Juarez.”

Dylan Corbett, executive director of Hope Border Institute, told OSV News, “The reversal of the sensitive locations policy is gravely troubling and will have an immediate impact on families in our parishes as well as on our Catholic educational institutions and service organizations.”

“It is an attack on members of our community at pivotal moments in their life – dropping off and picking up children, seeking out health care and worshipping God,” he said. “There are serious religious liberty implications and it strikes at the core of the trust that is indispensable to a safe community. It is also a sad and troubling step in the direction of indiscriminate deportations.”

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who has also taken hardline immigration positions, is Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, but she has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

(Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.)

USCCB president calls Trump orders on migration, death penalty ‘deeply troubling’

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By Kate Scanlon
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on issues including migration, the environment and the death penalty are “deeply troubling,” Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a Jan. 22 statement, while praising another on gender policy.

Among the first acts of his second term beginning Jan. 20, Trump signed a slew of executive orders. Some implement his hardline policies on immigration, including seeking to change the interpretation of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, an order that prompted a legal challenge.
Others include withdrawing from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate and another sought to expand the use of the federal death penalty. Trump also signed an order directing the U.S. government to only recognize two sexes, male and female.

Archbishop Broglio, who heads the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, said many of the topics that the first batch of executive orders concern “are matters on which the Church has much to offer.”

“Some provisions contained in the Executive Orders, such as those focused on the treatment of immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, expansion of the death penalty, and the environment, are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us,” he said. “Other provisions in the Executive Orders can be seen in a more positive light, such as recognizing the truth about each human person as male or female.”

Archbishop Broglio stressed that neither the Catholic Church nor the USCCB is “aligned with any political party.”

U.S. President Donald Trump signs documents in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington Jan. 20, 2025. He signed a series of executive orders including on immigration, birthright citizenship and climate. Trump also signed an order directing the U.S. government to only recognize two sexes, male and female. (OSV News photo/Carlos Barria, Reuters)

“No matter who occupies the White House or holds the majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teachings remain unchanged,” he said. “It is our hope that the leadership of our Country will reconsider those actions which disregard not only the human dignity of a few, but of us all.”
Executive orders are legally binding directives from the president and are published in the Federal Register. At the same time, the term “executive actions” is broader and may include informal proposals for policy the president would like to see enacted. While it is typical for new presidents to issue some executive orders on their first day in office to signal certain priorities, Trump signed a larger number of orders than usual.

Citing the current Jubilee Year of Hope declared by Pope Francis, Archbishop Broglio said, “As Christians, our hope is always in Jesus Christ, who guides us through storm and calm weather.

“He is the source of all truth,” Archbishop Broglio said. “Our prayer is one of hope that, as a Nation blessed with many gifts, our actions demonstrate a genuine care for our most vulnerable sisters and brothers, including the unborn, the poor, the elderly and infirm, and migrants and refugees. The just Judge expects nothing less.”

Also among its first actions, the Trump administration said Jan. 21 it would rescind a long-standing policy preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making arrests at what are seen as sensitive locations, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals.

Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, said in a Jan. 21 statement the policy change is one of “many drastic actions from the federal government related to immigration that deeply affect our local community and raise urgent moral and human concerns.”

Bishop Seitz, who heads the USCCB’s migration committee, told reporters at the bishops’ general assembly in November that the bishops would watch how Trump’s migration policy actually unfolds and “raise our voice loudly” if those policies violate basic human rights protections.

(Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.)