Category Archives: World News

Briefs

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Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) and running back Roman Hemby (1) celebrate on the podium after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. The Hosiers defeated Alabama 38-3. (OSV News photo/Mandatory Credit: (OSV News photo/Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images via Reuters)

NATION
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (OSV News) – As he waited for the announcement of who would win the Heisman Trophy – awarded to the best college football player of the year – Dominican Father Patrick Hyde turned to one of his fellow friars and said, “I have never been so invested in the outcome of an award.” After all, Father Hyde has become a big fan of Fernando Mendoza, the star quarterback of the football team at Indiana University in Bloomington, where the priest serves as pastor of St. Paul Catholic Center on the school’s campus and where Mendoza has attended Mass. Father Hyde not only celebrates the football player that Mendoza is, he also appreciates the person Mendoza is and the way the quarterback embraces his faith in God. So, when Mendoza was announced as the winner of the Heisman on Dec. 13 in a ceremony in New York City, Father Hyde rejoiced with the other friars watching the event on television. His speech was also an all-inclusive thank-you to all the people who have made a difference in his life, starting with the way he has begun nearly every post-game interview this season. Mendoza thanked God, his family, team and community. “This moment is an honor. It’s bigger than me,” he said.
BEL AIR, Md. (OSV News) – Well before he was a University of Maryland transfer who used his final year of college football eligibility to become a major success story as a running back at Indiana University, Roman Hemby said he owed much credit to John Carroll School in Bel Air for instilling vital Catholic values that guide him today. Hemby, a Maryland graduate who grew up in Edgewood, is one of numerous transfers who have turned the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers into a No. 1-ranked, unbeaten (13-0) powerhouse. The Hoosiers entered the College Football Playoff as its No. 1 seed. “I had the utmost faith that things would work out. The atmosphere at John Carroll let me know that God had a plan for me,” said Hemby.

VATICAN
ROME (CNS) – Pope Leo used his first New Year’s address to the diplomatic corps Jan. 9 to strongly defend marriage, family life and the unborn, urging nations to prioritize the protection of life over policies he called harmful to human dignity. Speaking in English to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, the pope said abortion “cuts short a growing life” and fails to welcome life as a gift. He reaffirmed Catholic teaching on marriage as the exclusive and indissoluble union of a man and a woman, saying this bond grounds the vocation to love and to life. Pope Leo warned that families face growing marginalization and increasing fragility, brought about by various circumstances, including domestic violence and social pressures. He criticized the use of public funds for abortion, including cross-border efforts to access what he called the “so-called right to safe abortion,” and strongly rejected surrogacy and euthanasia. Instead, he said, society and governments “have a responsibility to respond concretely to situations of vulnerability” and offer solutions and “policies of authentic solidarity.” The pope said a society truly progresses only when it safeguards every human life, from conception to natural death.

WORLD
BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN, Jordan (OSV News) – Catholics from across Jordan and around the world gathered Jan. 9 at the site of Jesus’ baptism on the Jordan River to celebrate Epiphany, marking the place the Catholic Church recognizes as the beginning of Christ’s public ministry. Clergy from multiple Eastern and Western Catholic rites joined in the liturgy, renewing a global call for pilgrims to visit one of Christianity’s most sacred sites. The celebration included Mass at the newly consecrated Catholic Church of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, inaugurated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, in January 2025. Despite cloudy skies, rain paused during the Mass – a moment the faith leaders called a sign of blessing in water-scarce Jordan. Church officials highlighted Jordan’s unique role in Christian history, noting it is the only country visited by four popes. Leaders also voiced hope for renewed peace in the region and invited pilgrims worldwide to encounter faith as a journey rooted in baptism, reconciliation and hope. Bishop Iyad Twal, patriarchal vicar of Jordan, told reporters that some calm and peace has returned to neighboring Palestine and Gaza. He said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was heartened during a recent visit to the coastal enclave to see “a genuine determination to begin new life with optimism.”
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (OSV News) – The Catholic bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean have expressed their pastoral closeness to the people of Venezuela, following a Jan. 3 U.S. military intervention that saw the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and claims of a temporary takeover of the country before Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president. In a Jan. 5 letter, the bishops of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, known as CELAM, shared what they called a “simple, fraternal and hopeful” message marking the Epiphany of the Lord – an event that reveals “a God who is close to his people, who walks with them, illuminates the darkness, and opens new paths even when everything seems uncertain.” In their letter, the bishops said they “share and embrace with a profound pastoral sense the words of Pope Leo XIV, who spoke about the situation in Venezuela and reminded us that the good of the people must always be above any other consideration.” The bishops stressed, “We want to reiterate that you are not alone. CELAM walks with you and with the Venezuelan people, encouraging every effort to build bridges, heal wounds, and advance reconciliation, without excluding anyone. The Church is called to be an open house, a space for encounter, and a serene voice that inspires hope, even in the midst of difficulties.”

As Maduro faces New York trial, uncertainty lingers for Venezuelan migrants

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By Kate Scanlon , OSV News

(OSV News) — As deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance Jan. 5 in a New York courtroom on narco-terrorism charges after the Trump administration carried out what President Donald Trump called on social media “a large scale strike against Venezuela,” uncertainty about immigration status lingered for some Venezuelan migrants in the U.S.

Astrid Liden, communications officer for the Hope Border Institute, a group that works to apply the perspective of Catholic social teaching in policy and practice to the U.S.-Mexico border region, and a Venezuelan-American, told OSV News, “In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have sought protection in the United States, many passing through the US-Mexico border. Millions of Venezuelans live abroad due to the situation in Venezuela, and we share their hope in the end of the reign of Maduro, whose rule led to the displacement of so many.”

A person reacts holding Venezuelan and U.S. flags as Venezuelan immigrants celebrate in the New York City borough of Brooklyn Jan. 3, 2026, after the United States struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and they were brought to the Metropolitan Detention Center. (OSV News photo/Eduardo Munoz, Reuters)

However, she added, “The recent end of TPS for Venezuelans by the Trump administration sets a very dangerous precedent and puts hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans at risk.”

Maduro was arraigned in a Manhattan federal court by Judge Alvin Hellerstein. Cameras are prohibited in most federal court proceedings, but according to reporters, Hellerstein said, “It’s my job to assure this is a fair trial.”

At the brief hearing, Maduro said through an interpreter that he was “innocent” and “still president of my country.”

Maduro’s regime was seen as illegitimate by many countries around the world, including the European Union. Venezuela’s opposition demonstrated through collecting digitized voter tallies that their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the 2024 presidential election with 67% of the vote; but Maduro refused to cede power. The Biden administration, which recognized González as Venezuela’s rightful president-elect, in January 2025 said Maduro “clearly lost the 2024 presidential election and has no right to claim the presidency.”

However, world leaders also expressed concern that the U.S. military action to remove Maduro flouted international law.

At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council just prior to Maduro’s hearing, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected,” while U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz called the action a “surgical law enforcement operation.”

The previous day, Pope Leo XIV expressed “deep concern” following Maduro’s capture.

“This must guarantee the country’s sovereignty, ensure the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution, respect the human and civil rights of all, and work to build together a serene future of collaboration, stability, and harmony, with special attention to the poorest who suffer due to the difficult economic situation,” he said after reciting the Angelus prayer with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square Jan. 4.

At a Jan. 3 press conference, Trump said the U.S. will “run the country” of Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” but questions remained about that process.

But the action also highlighted uncertainty for some Venezuelans in the U.S.

In 2025, the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for about 600,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S., stripping their legal status to remain in the U.S. TPS status is sometimes granted to countries where natural disasters or civil unrest have fueled displacement.

Asked during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” Jan. 4 whether Venezuelans in the U.S. who were previously under TPS can apply for asylum, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested they can do so, but did not directly address whether deportations to that country would continue.

“Every individual that was under TPS has the opportunity to apply for refugee status and that evaluation will go forward,” Noem said, without elaborating on how those evaluations would be made.

In a comment on the subject at his press conference, Trump said, “Frankly, some wanna stay and some probably wanna go back.”

Catholic immigration advocates previously urged the Trump administration to leave TPS status in place for countries including Venezuela in part because of its political instability.

“The dismantling of a corrupt autocratic regime does not occur simply through the removal of its head — we know this well,” Linden said. “This protection in the United States must be maintained until voluntary and safe return truly becomes a viable option. As Pope Leo XIV has said, we must ensure that ‘the good of the beloved Venezuelan people’ — both those in the country and those abroad — remains enshrined. We must see Venezuelans, including the leaders elected in 2024, involved in a process of democratic transition for there to be a country where Venezuelans can one day return to.”

J. Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy at the Center for Migration Studies in New York and the former director of migration policy for the USCCB, told OSV News, “TPS should be renewed at least until a democratically-elected government is in power, so that people feel they will not face persecution upon return.”

He added, “Moreover, the remittances that would flow to the country from half a million Venezuelans with TPS would help steady the country economically.”

In comments to reporters on Maduro’s hearing, Notre Dame Law School professor and organized crime expert Jimmy Gurulé, a former federal prosecutor and former assistant U.S. attorney general, said the hearing is likely the first part of what will be a lengthy legal process.

“While justice will ultimately be served in the Maduro case, it won’t be anytime soon,” he said.

A jury trial in the Maduro case, Gurulé said, “is unlikely to commence until sometime in 2027” in part because “the list of pretrial issues goes on and on.”

“Initially, defense attorneys will challenge the legality of the court’s jurisdiction over Maduro,” he said. “Defense counsel will argue that the U.S. military invasion of Venezuela and subsequent apprehension of Maduro not merely violated principles of international law, but constituted the crime of aggression.”

“Maduro’s defense attorneys will seek broad criminal discovery, which could include a request for the disclosure of classified evidence,” he added. He said that could involve lengthy litigation under the Classified Information Procedures Act, which “balances the government’s needs to protect secrets with a defendant’s rights to a fair trial.”

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

Born in hardship, sung in hope: the quiet, powerful origins of ‘Silent Night’

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By Katarzyna Szalajko
OBERNDORF, Austria (OSV News) – As Christmas nears and “Silent Night” echoes through churches worldwide, its origins point to hardship rather than holiday calm.

The world’s most famous Christmas carol – “Stille Nacht” in German – was not born in a peaceful, picture-book setting. There was no postcard village, no soft snowfall, no glowing atmosphere.

The beloved carol was first sung on Christmas Eve 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria – a town battered by war, famine and political upheaval after the Napoleonic Wars and a global climate crisis triggered by a volcanic eruption.

Silent Night Chapel, where the famed “Stille Nacht” Christmas carol was born is seen on an 2024 photograph in Oberndorf, Austria. The beloved carol was first sung there on Christmas Eve 1818. Oberndorf was not a fairy-tale place back then – it was battered by war, famine and political upheaval after the Napoleonic Wars and a global climate crisis triggered by a volcanic eruption. (OSV News photo/courtesy Stille Nacht Museum)

Museum officials say the song emerged from poverty and uncertainty. Its creators, Father Joseph Mohr and schoolteacher Franz Xaver Gruber, both rose from humble beginnings thanks to mentors who recognized their musical gifts.

Mohr’s lyrics speak of God entering a troubled world in quiet humility, while Gruber’s simple melody conveys warmth and hope. “The melody is simple but creates a feeling of warmth and safety,” Martina Knall, a representative of the Stille-Nacht-Museum, said.

“The text speaks of rescue from distress, hope and love – themes that speak to everyone.”

For Father Thomas Kunnappallil, pastor of Oberndorf’s parish since September, said that for him as a priest, “Silent Night” is more than a Christmas song, leading back “to the deep mystery that God does not appear in the splendor and noise of this world, but in the silence of a child who gives peace and hope.”

Briefs

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The Nativity scene is unveiled and the Christmas tree is lighted in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Dec. 15, 2025. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

NATION
BURLINGTON, Wash. (OSV News) – Several parishes and schools across Western Washington have shut down operations due to historic flooding in the state. Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Dec. 12 that President Donald Trump signed the state’s request for an emergency declaration, permitting federal funds to be used as aid in 16 counties and several Tribal Nations affected by the floods. The Laudato Si’ Movement-Washington State Chapter released a statement Dec. 11, saying, “We are working together with Archdiocese of Seattle, Catholic Community Services, and additional collaborative agencies to prepare for and provide emergency assistance, as needed.” St. Charles Parish in Burlington, St. Catherine Mission in Concrete, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Snoqualmie, St. Joseph School in Issaquah and Immaculate Conception School in Mount Vernon are among the closures. The Tri-Parish Food Bank at St. Charles has also been shut down. In its statement, the Laudato Si’ Movement-Washington State Chapter said it “holds all those affected in prayer” and called the devastation “heartbreaking.” Early on Dec. 15, the National Weather Service said that “a period of very active weather will dominate the week ahead as a series of strong frontal systems produce cascading impacts across Western Washington.”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The Washington-based Black and Indian Mission Office is getting a boost from two new half-hour documentaries, “Trailblazers of Faith: The Legacy of African American Catholics” and “Walking the Sacred Path: The Story of the Black and Indian Mission Office.” Father Maurice Henry Sands, a Detroit archdiocesan priest that heads the office, hopes they’ll be an aid with fundraising. Trailers of the films can be viewed on the mission office’s website, https://blackandindianmission.org/films. “Trailblazers of Faith” tells the story of how African Americans have been able to embrace the Catholic faith without abandoning their own culture. A particular focus is on the Baltimore-based Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first Catholic order in the U.S. for Black women, as well as Venerable Mother Henriette Delille of New Orleans, Servant of God Julia Greeley, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman. They are among seven Black Catholics with active sainthood causes – dubbed the “Saintly Seven.” The Black and Indian Missions Office originated in 1874 as the Bureau of Catholic Missions, with wider goals added in subsequent years. The office is in a brick row house that once belonged to St. Katharine Drexel (1858-1955), the Philadelphia heiress who devoted her life and her wealth to ministering to Native Americans and African Americans.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are signs of faith and hope, Pope Leo XIV said. “As we contemplate them in our homes, parishes and town squares, let us ask the Lord to renew in us the gift of peace and fraternity,” he said, calling for prayers for all those who suffer because of war and violence. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts.” The pope was speaking Dec. 15 during a meeting with the government representatives, artisans and donors responsible for providing the Christmas decorations in the Paul VI Audience Hall and in St. Peter’s Square. Pope Leo thanked the Costa Rican artist who created the Nativity scene for the audience hall, titled “Nacimiento Gaudium.” Created by Paula Sáenz Soto, it features a pregnant Virgin Mary and 28,000 colored ribbons, each representing a life saved from abortion thanks to the prayers and support provided to many mothers in difficulty by Catholic organizations, according to a press release by the Vatican City State’s governing office. “I thank the Costa Rican artist who, together with the message of peace at Christmas, also wanted to launch an appeal for the protection of life from the moment of conception,” Pope Leo said. “The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are signs of faith and hope,” he said to all those present. “Let the tenderness of the child Jesus illuminate our lives. Let God’s love, like the branches of an evergreen tree, remain fervent in us.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan as archbishop of New York and named Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, as his successor. The Vatican announced the decision Dec. 18. Cardinal Dolan, who turned 75 in February, submitted his resignation as required by canon law. Appointed archbishop of New York in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, he was made a cardinal three years later. Cardinal Dolan previously served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and held several national leadership roles, including chair of pro-life and religious liberty committees. Archbishop Hicks, 58, has led the Diocese of Joliet since 2020. Born in Chicago and longtime priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he has served as vicar general, auxiliary bishop, seminary formator, and regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in Central America. He currently serves on several USCCB committees and Catholic boards.

WORLD
PARIS (OSV News) – Fifty French Catholics killed under Nazism were beatified Dec. 13, 2025, during a Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, recognizing their witness of faith during World War II. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg presided at the liturgy, as they were declared blessed, with their liturgical memorial on May 5. The martyrs – priests, seminarians and laymen – died in Germany between 1944 and 1945 while serving fellow French workers deported under Nazi forced labor policies. Many belonged to the Young Christian Workers movement, with several also active as Catholic scouts. They volunteered to accompany workers sent to German factories, offering pastoral care through a clandestine mission known as the St. Paul Mission. For French Father Bernard Ardura, former president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, and postulator of their causes in Rome since 2018, these men are “martyrs of the apostolate.” “They went to Germany voluntarily, as Christians, and it was as Christians that they were arrested and died,” he told OSV News. They died in concentration camps, death marches or executions, refusing to abandon their faith. In his homily, Cardinal Hollerich praised their courage, calling the witness given by their lives and deaths a faithful following of Christ to the very end.

SYDNEY (OSV News) – After two gunmen targeted Jewish beachgoers at an event celebrating the first day of Hanukkah in terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Pope Leo XIV highlighted God’s closeness to humanity and called for prayers for those who suffer on account of war and violence, especially the victims from the Jewish community in Australia. “Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence!” Pope Leo said Dec. 15, speaking with the groups that donated this year’s Vatican Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts,” he highlighted. In a Dec. 15 statement, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney called for an end to an “atmosphere of antisemitism” in Australia. He also shared that he personally has Jewish heritage from his great-grandmother, and that as Christians “an attack on the Jews is an attack on all of us.” Just hours after the shooting and an initial report of 12 dead, the death toll rose to 15. The Guardian reported a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and two Holocaust survivors were among victims. The second gunman, police confirmed, was in custody and in critical condition. According to authorities, over 40 people were wounded and taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital. The attack occurred in the early evening as hundreds were gathered at Archer Park, a grassy area in Bondi Beach.

Breves de la Nación y el Mundo

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El belén se inaugura y el árbol de Navidad se enciende en la Plaza de San Pedro, en el Vaticano, el 15 de diciembre de 2025. (Foto CNS/Lola Gómez)

NACIÓN
BURLINGTON, Washington (OSV News) – Varias parroquias y escuelas del oeste de Washington han cerrado sus puertas debido a las históricas inundaciones que ha sufrido el estado. El gobernador Bob Ferguson anunció el 12 de diciembre que el presidente Donald Trump había firmado la solicitud del estado para declarar el estado de emergencia, lo que permite utilizar fondos federales como ayuda en 16 condados y varias naciones tribales afectadas por las inundaciones. El Movimiento Laudato Si’ del estado de Washington emitió un comunicado el 11 de diciembre en el que decía: “Estamos trabajando junto con la Arquidiócesis de Seattle, los Servicios Comunitarios Católicos y otras agencias colaboradoras para prepararnos y proporcionar ayuda de emergencia, según sea necesario”. Entre los cierres se encuentran la parroquia de San Carlos en Burlington, la misión de Santa Catalina en Concrete, la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores en Snoqualmie, la escuela de San José en Issaquah y la escuela de la Inmaculada Concepción en Mount Vernon. También se ha cerrado el banco de alimentos Tri-Parish Food Bank de San Carlos. En su comunicado, el Movimiento Laudato Si’ del estado de Washington afirmó que “mantiene a todos los afectados en sus oraciones” y calificó la devastación de “desgarradora”. A primera hora del 15 de diciembre, el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional afirmó que “un periodo de clima muy activo dominará la semana que viene, ya que una serie de fuertes sistemas frontales producirán impactos en cascada en todo el oeste de Washington”.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – La Oficina de Misiones Afroamericanas e Indígenas, con sede en Washington, está recibiendo un impulso gracias a dos nuevos documentales de media hora de duración: “Pioneros de la fe: el legado de los católicos afroamericanos” y “Recorriendo el camino sagrado: la historia de la Oficina de Misiones Afroamericanas e Indígenas”. El padre Maurice Henry Sands, sacerdote de la arquidiócesis de Detroit que dirige la oficina, espera que sirvan de ayuda para recaudar fondos. Los tráilers de las películas se pueden ver en el sitio web de la oficina misionera, https://blackandindianmission.org/films. “Pioneros de la fe” cuenta la historia de cómo los afroamericanos han podido abrazar la fe católica sin abandonar su propia cultura. Se presta especial atención a las Hermanas Oblatas de la Providencia, con sede en Baltimore, la primera orden católica de Estados Unidos para mujeres negras, así como a la venerable madre Henriette Delille, de Nueva Orleans, la sierva de Dios Julia Greeley, el venerable padre Augustus Tolton y la sierva de Dios hermana Thea Bowman. Todos ellos forman parte de un grupo de siete católicos negros con causas de canonización en curso, conocidos como los “Siete Santos”. La Oficina de Misiones Negras e Indígenas se creó en 1874 como Oficina de Misiones Católicas, y en los años siguientes se le añadieron objetivos más amplios. La oficina se encuentra en una casa adosada de ladrillo que perteneció a Santa Katharine Drexel (1858-1955), la heredera de Filadelfia que dedicó su vida y su fortuna al servicio de los nativos americanos y los afroamericanos.

VATICANO
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – El belén y el árbol de Navidad son signos de fe y esperanza, dijo el papa León XIV. “Mientras los contemplamos en nuestros hogares, parroquias y plazas, pidamos al Señor que renueve en nosotros el don de la paz y la fraternidad”, dijo, pidiendo oraciones por todos aquellos que sufren a causa de la guerra y la violencia. “Debemos eliminar el odio de nuestros corazones”. El Papa habló el 15 de diciembre durante una reunión con los representantes del Gobierno, los artesanos y los donantes responsables de proporcionar los adornos navideños en la Sala de Audiencias Pablo VI y en la Plaza de San Pedro. El Papa León agradeció al artista costarricense que creó el belén para la sala de audiencias, titulado “Nacimiento Gaudium”. Creado por Paula Sáenz Soto, muestra a la Virgen María embarazada y 28 000 cintas de colores, cada una de las cuales representa una vida salvada del aborto gracias a las oraciones y el apoyo prestado a muchas madres en dificultades por organizaciones católicas, según un comunicado de prensa de la oficina de gobierno de la Ciudad del Vaticano. “Agradezco a la artista costarricense que, junto con el mensaje de paz en Navidad, también ha querido lanzar un llamamiento a la protección de la vida desde el momento de la concepción”, dijo el papa León. “El belén y el árbol de Navidad son signos de fe y esperanza”, dijo a todos los presentes. “Que la ternura del niño Jesús ilumine nuestras vidas. Que el amor de Dios, como las ramas de un árbol siempre verde, permanezca ferviente en nosotros”.

CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – Incluso en situaciones difíciles y lugares hostiles, como las prisiones, cuando las personas se centran en cuidarse unas a otras, respetarse mutuamente y ofrecer perdón, “florecen hermosas flores del “terreno duro” del pecado y el sufrimiento”, dijo el papa León XIV. Vestido con vestimentas rosas para el Domingo Gaudete, tercer domingo de Adviento, el papa celebró la misa en la basílica de San Pedro el 15 de diciembre con motivo del Jubileo de los Presos. Participaron reclusos y exreclusos, tanto adultos como menores, de Italia, España, Portugal, Malta y Chile, acompañados por guardias y capellanes, así como representantes de otros 85 países. Fue el último de los grandes eventos del Jubileo antes de Navidad y del cierre del Año Santo el 6 de enero. Las hostias consagradas durante la misa fueron elaboradas por reclusos de las prisiones italianas de Opera, San Vittore y Bollate. Forman parte de un proyecto en el que participan más de 300 reclusos de prisiones de toda Italia que elaboran regularmente hostias para 15 000 iglesias y parroquias.

MUNDO
SÍDNEY (OSV News) – Después de que dos hombres armados atacaran a bañistas judíos en un evento que celebraba el primer día de Hanukkah en un atentado terrorista en la playa Bondi de Sídney, el papa León XIV destacó la cercanía de Dios a la humanidad y pidió oraciones por aquellos que sufren a causa de la guerra y la violencia, especialmente las víctimas de la comunidad judía en Australia. “¡Basta ya de estas formas de violencia antisemita!”, dijo el papa León el 15 de diciembre, dirigiéndose a los grupos que donaron el árbol de Navidad y el belén del Vaticano de este año. “Debemos eliminar el odio de nuestros corazones”, destacó. En una declaración del 15 de diciembre, el arzobispo Anthony Fisher de Sídney pidió el fin de la “atmósfera de antisemitismo” en Australia. También compartió que él personalmente tiene ascendencia judía por parte de su bisabuela y que, como cristianos, “un ataque contra los judíos es un ataque contra todos nosotros”. Apenas unas horas después del tiroteo y de un informe inicial de 12 muertos, el número de víctimas mortales ascendió a 15. The Guardian informó de que entre las víctimas se encontraban una niña de 10 años, un rabino y dos supervivientes del Holocausto. La policía confirmó que el segundo tirador estaba detenido y en estado crítico. Según las autoridades, más de 40 personas resultaron heridas y fueron trasladadas al Hospital St. Vincent. El ataque se produjo a primera hora de la tarde, cuando cientos de personas se habían reunido en Archer Park, una zona verde en Bondi Beach.

Briefs

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Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home in Dolton, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, is pictured May 9, 2025. Dolton’s board of trustees on Dec. 1 approved a motion to officially declare the house a historic landmark. Shortly after the former Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope, the board purchased the residence in July for $375,000. (OSV News photo/Carlos Osorio, Reuters)

NATION
DOLTON, Ill. (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home just outside of Chicago has been declared a historic landmark. The village of Dolton’s board of trustees approved a motion for the designation during a regular meeting Dec. 1 that began with a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. Mayor Jason House described the property as one of the “most culturally and spiritually significant locations in the United States,” according to ABC-7 Chicago. The modest, one-story brick residence, located at 212 E. 141st Pl., was purchased by the village’s board in July for $375,000, an amount that included all applicable realtor and auction fees. Weeks after the election of the first U.S.-born pope, the board had moved to acquire the 75-year-old home where the former Robert Prevost and his family lived until 1969. The site immediately became a tourist attraction and even a place of pilgrimage after Pope Leo’s papal election. Speaking during the board meeting ahead of the vote, House said the move represented “a very big moment for residents” of the village, noting the “target timeline” for developing the site is spring 2027 – but adding, “Hopefully it’s faster.”

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – A commission set up by Pope Francis to study women deacons has voted against the possibility of ordaining women deacons while also supporting more study on the issue. It also expressed hope that women’s access to other ministries would be expanded. Pope Francis established the “Study Commission on the Female Diaconate” in 2020 as a follow-up to a previous group that studied the history of women deacons in the New Testament and the early Christian communities. The Vatican published the synthesis, including the results of votes the commission members took on eight different statements or “theses.” One proposition that showed members split exactly down the middle was: “The masculinity of Christ, and therefore the masculinity of those who receive Holy Orders, is not accidental but is an integral part of sacramental identity, preserving the divine order of salvation in Christ. To alter this reality would not be a simple adjustment of ministry but a rupture of the nuptial meaning of salvation.” When this statement was put to a vote among 10 members in February, it received five votes in favor, confirming its current form, while the other five members voted to remove it. A statement that received six votes against, two for and two abstaining was: “The undersigned is in favor of the institution in the church of the female diaconate as understood as the third degree of holy orders.”

WORLD
ABUJA, Nigeria (OSV News) – Church leaders in West Africa are pleading for the safe return of hundreds of children and teachers kidnapped from a Catholic school in central Nigeria. The Nov. 21 attack on St. Mary’s School in Papiri left the rural community reeling, with Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora describing widespread trauma and confusion. As of Nov. 26, 265 people – including 253 children – remained in captivity, while about 50 students who escaped have been reunited with their families. Local residents say entire families were taken, and at least one parent died from the shock of learning his young children were abducted. Nigeria’s government has launched a military search-and-rescue mission, and Pope Leo XIV used his Nov. 23 Angelus address to call for the hostages’ release – as well as for the release of kidnapped clergy in Cameroon. Church leaders there warn they may shut down parishes and schools if abductions continue. “The frequent kidnapping of our priests and mission personnel has pushed us to the wall and we say that this should stop with immediate effect,” a Nov. 23 press release signed by Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda said. “We think these people need to live in tranquility and peace,” he said.

Advent reflections from the women doctors of the church

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By Michelle Jones

(OSV News) – We radiate the life of Jesus to the world to the extent that we live with the conviction that we are divinely loved. Advent calls us beyond the false security of the merely virtuous person and into the daring surrender to God’s love of the saint.

But our feelings and the circumstances of our lives and the world around us so often make it difficult for us to be rooted and grounded in the love of God. Thankfully, what the Advent season calls us to, it also makes possible. These weeks are fertile ground for cultivating trust in the truth that no matter how things may seem to us, we are intimately and tenderly loved by God. And in living this conviction, we may ever more radiantly learn to bear Christ to others.

As we contemplate Advent themes in this spirit, we welcome into our company four radiant women, all doctors of the church, who put all their hope in God’s love: Thérèse of Lisieux, Hildegard of Bingen, Teresa of Avila and Catherine of Siena.

– Thérèse of Lisieux on consistency

It is natural for us to live by the changing weather patterns of our emotions. One day, we are anxious about finances or deadlines or the results of health tests, so we withdraw into a cocoon or snap at those around us. The next day, we are feeling in control of life and rather successful at being human, so we beam joviality and peace upon the world.

Advent stirs us from the slumber of following our feelings and urges us to “stay awake” to what faith demands of us (Mk 13:33-37).

As important and compelling as our emotions are, faith calls us not to be absorbed in them or to identify with them. Rather, we are to dive beneath their variability and deliberately to live ever alert to the truth that God’s love is holding us in being, moment by moment. Our fears or moods may remain, but as we consistently choose to live by faith, to live awake to the reality that we are unstintingly and passionately loved, we will be for others the living presence of God.

A particular genius of St. Thérèse of Lisieux was to live in constant trusting vigilance to God’s love for her and thus to be an unwavering beacon of divine goodness. The sweetness of Thérèse’s writing style perhaps makes it easy to miss her tenacious refusal to conform herself to the contours of her changing emotions. However, this consistent decision to be attentive and receptive to the flood of God’s love is unmistakable in Thérèse’s response to the trial of faith that blanketed the last 18 months of her life.

After first describing to her prioress her experience of a relentless “night of nothingness” in which “everything has disappeared,” Thérèse goes on to articulate her stance of steadfast trust. She writes: “My dear Mother, I may perhaps appear to you to be exaggerating my trial. In fact, if you are judging according to the sentiments I express in my little poems composed this year, I must appear to you as a soul filled with consolations and one for whom the veil of faith is almost torn aside; and yet it is no longer a veil for me, it is a wall which reaches right up to the heavens and covers the starry firmament. When I sing of the happiness of heaven and of the eternal possession of God, I feel no joy in this, for I sing simply what I want to believe.”

For at least one day this week, try to live in the spirit of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, acting not according to your changing feelings, but rather according to what you want to believe.

– St. Hildegard of Bingen on transformation

How can we possibly live as Advent stirs us to live? The messiness and anxieties of our everyday lives frequently exert an all-consuming claim over us. Within the grip of life’s contingency, not to mention its banality, how can we live in the security of being divinely loved and so be for others the presence of the living God? Is it simply a matter of dogged spiritual will-power?

John the Baptist promises that Jesus “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mk 1:1-8). The Holy Spirit enables us to enter into and live by the life of Jesus. This means that every decision we make to live in the truth that we are loved by God, while certainly our own decision, is mysteriously enabled; it is a sharing in Jesus’ trusting “yes” to live as the beloved Son of God.

At every moment, no matter our internal or external circumstances, the Holy Spirit is holding us in the flow of Trinitarian love; we simply have to choose to participate.

The writings of St. Hildegard of Bingen crackle with a living awareness of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. For Hildegard, the Holy Spirit is the source of “viriditas,” or greenness — that vitality, freshness, dynamism which makes all life, both physical and spiritual, alive.

We glimpse Hildegard’s perception of what it means to be baptized with the Holy Spirit in the closing lines of a letter she wrote to a friend: “May He anoint you with the viridity of the Holy Spirit, and may He work good and holy works in you through that devotion with which true worshipers worship God.” The strength to live confidently as loved sons and daughters of God is not something we muster from our own interior resources. It is what, with our cooperation, the Holy Spirit causes to spring up within us.

We again hear Hildegard portraying the Holy Spirit’s power to make the divine life take root within us in her “Antiphon to the Holy Spirit.” Ringing out across the centuries and greening our Advent journey with healing and hope, she sings:

“The Spirit of God / is a life that bestows life, / root of world-tree / and the wind in its boughs. / Scrubbing out sin, / she rubs oil into wounds. / She is glistening life / alluring all praise, / all-awakening, / all-resurrecting.”

Take some time this week to notice the creation around you. Seek out any surprising signs of life and hopefulness amongst that which seems dormant and barren. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir such surprising vitality in the dormant and barren areas of your interior life, bringing about new vigor, joy and commitment.

– St. Teresa of Avila on encounter

It is perhaps easy for committed Catholics to gloss over the description of Jesus in the first chapter of John as one we “do not recognize.” We know him! We go to Mass every Sunday; we grasp the gist of the Gospels. But Advent challenges us to confront the comfortable presumption that we know the Lord and beckons us to deepen our personal relationship with him.

After all, our decision to cooperate with the divine enablement of the Spirit and to live radiant with the steadfast conviction that we are beloved by God is all about growing in our living union with Jesus. We are invited in the Advent season to expose our minds and hearts anew — or maybe even for the first time — to the ecstasy of self-giving love, the torrent of utterly attentive affection, incarnate and accessible to us in the person of Jesus.

The Christian spiritual tradition teaches that praying with the Gospels is a singularly effective way of coming to know Jesus more intimately. St. Teresa of Avila has precious wisdom to offer us in this regard. For Teresa, the Gospels are a fruitful context for focusing our attention on Jesus and speaking with him in faith.

She gives us a beautiful demonstration of doing just this when she contemplates keeping Jesus company in the Garden of Gethsemane. She had been writing to her sisters about prayer, but she spontaneously bursts into prayer: “O Lord of the world, my true Spouse! … Are You so in need, my Lord and my Love, that You would want to receive such poor company as mine, for I see by your expression that you have been consoled by me?”

Teresa makes the stunning claim here that we can console the Lord in his sufferings. When she teaches us about encountering Jesus in the Gospels, she is not merely suggesting some imaginative exercise or reconstructing in our minds a historical scene. She is talking about encountering a living person.

Teresa is alive to the truth that the Gospel episodes are not over and done with, irretrievably in the past. The Jesus who lived then, lives now and all his earthly life is alive in him; the way he was for the people he encountered in the past is the way he is now for us. So, we can, in fact, be the person touching his cloak, or asking him for mercy, or pleading for living water or consoling him. The episodes of the Gospels truly are pathways to deepening our knowledge of the living Jesus.

– St. Catherine of Siena on Christian identity

Was Mary’s personal identity eradicated at the Annunciation (Lk 1:26-38)? Did her generous, “I am the handmaid of the Lord” signal the end of her own life story as she began her life as the God-bearer? On the contrary, with her “yes” to the unfolding of God’s plan, Mary leaned more fully into her unique selfhood. Her witness prompts us to step back and discern the same flourishing at work in our own lives — or at least potentially so.

Throughout Advent we have prayed that our lives may more and more bear the radiant glory of God to others. We radiate God’s presence inasmuch as we live from the truth that God loves us; this means coming to know more intimately the God revealed in Jesus, cooperating with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, and surrendering unreservedly to that love which sustains us in being through thick and thin. To be alive with the divine life means the blossoming of our deepest identity. We become light to the world and more fully ourselves as we let ourselves be loved.

St. Catherine of Siena had a vivid insight into the reality that our true self flourishes as we grow in union with God. Her prayer “My Nature is Fire” takes our self-understanding to audacious new depths and profoundly enriches our sense of what our life in Christ offers others.

The prayer reads: “In your nature, eternal Godhead, I shall come to know my nature. And what is my nature, boundless love?

“It is fire, because you are nothing but a fire of love. And you have given humankind a share in this nature, for by the fire of love you created us. And so with all other people and every created thing; you made them out of love. O ungrateful people! What nature has your God given you? His very own nature! Are you not ashamed to cut yourself off from such a noble thing through the guilt of deadly sin? O eternal Trinity, my sweet love! You, light, give us light. You, wisdom, give us wisdom. You, supreme strength, strengthen us. Today, eternal God, let our cloud be dissipated so that we may perfectly know and follow your Truth in truth, with a free and simple heart. God, come to our assistance! Lord, make haste to help us! Amen.”

Advent both reminds us of our transcendent calling and nurtures its fulfillment within us. Throughout this sacred season, we are created into beacons of divine tenderness as the Holy Spirit shapes our lives into Jesus’ “yes” to the Father’s love.

This Advent, guided by the wisdom of the women doctors of the church, let us throw our hearts open to God’s transforming work of love as never before. Our world needs us to do nothing less.

(Michelle Jones writes from Australia.)

A combination photo show images of Sts. Thérèse of Lisieux, Hildegard of Bingen, Teresa of Avila, and Catherine of Siena. (OSV News files)

Briefs

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NATION
NEW ORLEANS (OSV News) – The Archdiocese of New Orleans has edged one step closer to finalizing its long-running – and costly – bankruptcy proceedings to resolve hundreds of clerical abuse claims. A committee of survivors and additional creditors overwhelmingly voted to accept the plan for a $230 million settlement, which would include tailored payment amounts factoring in the scope of the alleged abuse and its impact on claimants. The plan would also permit the release of files on abusive clergy. However, one group of bond investors filed an Oct. 28 request calling for further discussion of the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan, now in its fifth version. In response, the official committee of unsecured creditors in the case filed a response with the court, accusing the bondholder of “delay and subterfuge tactics” in “an attempt to fruitlessly delay confirmation and thwart justice for the more than 99% of abuse survivor creditors who voted in favor of the Plan.” A confirmation hearing is set to begin on Nov. 17, with testimony scheduled through Dec. 4. The Dec. 2 session will see survivors take the stand to share their personal experiences. OSV News has confirmed with the archdiocese that its legal fees to date in the case have so far totaled approximately $50 million.

People gather for an annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Fatima Rani – or Mary, Queen of Fatima – at St. Leo’s Church in the Baromari hills in the Sherpur district of the Mymensingh Diocese in Bangladesh Oct. 31, 2025. The pilgrimage attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the country, including Muslims and Hindus, who come seeking spiritual connection and possible miracles. (OSV News photo/Stephan Uttom Rozari)

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Amid concern about the ability of those detained by immigration enforcement authorities to receive Catholic sacraments, a key U.S. bishop said Trump administration officials have “assured” him the matter is “under careful review.” Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to the Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission, said in a Nov. 3 social media post that he and Father Alexei Woltornist, a Melkite Catholic priest and a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Advisory Council “have been in touch with senior officials in both the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security and have brought forward the concerns of the church regarding detainees’ access to Sacraments.” Bishop Barron’s post included an OSV News article about a delegation of clergy, religious sisters and laity, and a Chicago auxiliary bishop who were barred for the second time in three weeks from bringing the Eucharist to those being held at an immigration detention center just west of Chicago on the feast of All Saints Nov. 1. Spokespersons for the Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment from OSV News.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV offered words of joy to Catholics in India’s Kerala state after the Nov. 8 beatification of Mother Eliswa Vakayil, founder of the Teresian Carmelite congregation. Speaking at his Nov. 12 general audience, the pope praised the 19th-century nun as “a source of inspiration” who championed the dignity of women and the education of poor girls. Mother Eliswa, born in 1831 and widowed at 20, became Kerala’s first Indigenous nun in 1866, establishing what is now the Congregation of Teresian Carmelites – and was then Third Order of the Discalced Carmelites – with her sister and daughter. Today the community includes more than 1,500 sisters in over 200 convents worldwide. Over 20,000 faithful filled the Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom in Kochi for the beatification Mass celebrated by Cardinal Sebastian Francis, the pope’s delegate. Church leaders hailed Blessed Eliswa as a pioneer of women’s empowerment in a deeply patriarchal era. Her congregation is now praying for a second miracle “to pave the way for the canonization of our founder,” said Sister Sucy Kinattingal, who has been vice postulator for Mother Eliswa’s cause since 2012.

WORLD
AUCHI, Nigeria (OSV News) – The Diocese of Auchi in Nigeria is mourning the death of teenage seminarian Emmanuel Alabi, who died after being kidnapped with two classmates in July. Diocesan officials confirmed Nov. 4 that while seminarians Japhet Jesse and Joshua Aleobua were freed, Alabi “died in the course of the ordeal.” Bishop Gabriel Dunia expressed deep sorrow and urged Nigerian authorities to prioritize citizens’ safety amid worsening insecurity. The seminarians were abducted July 10 when gunmen attacked Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary, killing a security guard. It was the seminary’s second kidnapping in less than a year. In 2024, its rector, Father Thomas Oyode, was abducted after offering himself in place of students. A Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria report said 145 priests have been kidnapped in Nigeria since 2015, 11 of whom were killed. With the rise of extremist Islamic ideology, Nigeria has become “the most violent place in the world for followers of Jesus,” according to Open Doors International, an organization that supports persecuted Christians around the world. While the conflict is also driven by other factors, including extremist groups’ desire for power and control, more Christians are killed by the extremists than Muslims, Open Doors said.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (OSV News) – In northern Bangladesh, thousands of Catholics have gathered at St. Leo’s Church in the Diocese of Mymensingh to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Mary, Queen of Fatima shrine, known as Fatima Rani. Nearly 40,000 pilgrims joined the two-day celebration in late October, marked by rosary prayers, candlelight processions, and the Stations of the Cross. Bishop Paul Ponen Kubi of Mymensingh led the closing Mass, joined by Vatican nuncio Archbishop Kevin Randall and local clergy. Parish pastor Father Torun Bonwary said the anniversary, which falls during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, brought “a different level of spirituality” to local Catholics – many of them Indigenous. Pilgrims climbed a 1.2-mile mountain path lit by thousands of candles, praying for forgiveness and peace. Despite limited resources, organizers said the shrine remains a symbol of faith and hope for Bangladesh’s small but vibrant Catholic community of about 400,000 faithful in the Muslim-majority nation. “The sight of thousands of devotees walking on the hilly path with candlelight in their hands proves that no matter what obstacles we face, we will move forward on the path of light with the grace of Mother Mary,” one pilgrim said.

Los líderes de la Iglesia en México exigen medidas tras el asesinato de un alcalde

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Por David Agren
(OSV News) – La Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano ha condenado el asesinato de un alcalde, que fue asesinado tras solicitar ayuda federal para combatir a los cárteles de la droga, que extorsionan a los productores de aguacate de su municipio, situado en el estado occidental de Michoacán.

Carlos Manzo, alcalde de Uruapan, fue asesinado a tiros durante una ceremonia con velas por el Día de Muertos el 1 de noviembre. Manzo recibió siete disparos, según el secretario de Seguridad Pública de México, Omar García Harfuch, mientras que las fotos del evento en la plaza del pueblo lo mostraban con su hijo pequeño en brazos. Dos sospechosos fueron detenidos en relación con el caso, añadió García Harfuch.

El asesinato de Manzo “se suma a una serie de asesinatos de personas que se han atrevido a levantar la voz y enfrentar la falta de Estado de Derecho en sus tierras, comercios y otros espacios. Hoy ya no basta aprehender al asesino: hay que combatir con determinación la causa de todos estos asesinatos”, afirmó la conferencia episcopal en un comunicado del 2 de noviembre.

“La presencia ordinaria de grupos armados, que controlan la vida pública de los ciudadanos en varias regiones del país, es el verdadero crimen a enfrentar; los retenes en carreteras, el despojo de tierras, las amenazas constantes a los productores, comerciantes y gobernantes, reflejan un grave debilitamiento del orden constitucional que los gobiernos, a nivel municipal, estatal y federal están obligados a garantizar”.

El asesinato provocó indignación en México, donde la violencia de los cárteles de la droga ha azotado amplias zonas del país durante casi dos décadas. La violencia ha afectado especialmente a Michoacán, que tiene una larga historia de cultivo de marihuana. Pero los analistas afirman que ahora los grupos criminales extorsionan a los cultivadores de aguacates y limas, talan ilegalmente bosques e importan precursores químicos para drogas sintéticas a través del puerto de Lázaro Cárdenas.

Un sacerdote de Michoacán describió la desesperada situación del estado, en el que los grupos criminales se confabulan con los políticos y luchan entre sí por el control de los lucrativos territorios del crimen.

“El pueblo ya está, dicen ellos, ‘hasta la madre, padre’”, declaró a OSV News el sacerdote, que ejerce su ministerio en una zona conflictiva de Michoacán. El sacerdote, que anteriormente prestó apoyo espiritual a los grupos de autodefensa que se formaron para luchar contra los cárteles de la droga en 2013, pidió permanecer en el anonimato para poder hablar con franqueza. “Créemelo, que estamos a un minuto, a un momento de que arda Michoacán”, afirmó el sacerdote.

Manzo se dio a conocer por acompañar a la policía en sus patrullas por Uruapan. Denunció el crimen organizado e instó a la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum a tomar medidas.

“A la presidenta este país ya se le fue de las manos”, declaró Manzo al medio de comunicación mexicano Latinus. “El país se nos está yendo. El crimen se ha vuelto parte del paisaje. (…) Nosotros enfrentamos solos a la delincuencia. No hay estrategia, no hay Estado”.

Enfrentarse a los grupos criminales puede ser peligroso. Bernardo Bravo, presidente de una asociación de productores de cítricos de la ciudad de Apatzingán, fue encontrado recientemente asesinado tras organizar una protesta de los productores de cítricos, hartos de pagar extorsiones.

“Estos crímenes hieren a la sociedad mexicana y demandan una respuesta inmediata y coordinada por parte de las autoridades para reconstruir la paz en Michoacán.”, afirmó el 2 de noviembre el Diálogo Nacional por la Paz, una iniciativa para pacificar México, patrocinada por la conferencia episcopal, los jesuitas y la Conferencia de Superiores Mayores de Religiosos de México.

Sheinbaum condenó el asesinato de Manzo, que anteriormente había sido diputada por su partido Morena, actualmente en el poder, y ganó la alcaldía como independiente. Sin embargo, el 3 de noviembre suscitó polémica al afirmar en su rueda de prensa matutina que la violencia en Michoacán se originó con el expresidente Felipe Calderón, quien, según ella, robó las elecciones de 2006 y comenzó a tomar medidas enérgicas contra los cárteles de la droga en Michoacán para “legitimar” su victoria.

El asesinato de Manzo captó la atención internacional y se produjo en un momento en que Estados Unidos presionaba a México para que detuviera el flujo de drogas como el fentanilo.

“Estados Unidos está dispuesto a profundizar la cooperación en materia de seguridad con México para erradicar el crimen organizado a ambos lados de la frontera”, declaró Christopher Landau, subsecretario de Estado, en una publicación de X que mostraba una foto de Manzo con su hijo. “Que su alma descanse en paz y que su recuerdo inspire acciones rápidas y eficaces”.

Mexican church leaders demand action after mayor murdered

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(OSV News) — The Mexican bishops’ conference has condemned the murder of a mayor, who was assassinated after pleading for federal assistance in combating drug cartels — which extort avocado growers in his municipality in western Michoacán state.

Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan, was shot dead at a candlelighting ceremony for Day of the Dead on Nov. 1. Manzo was shot seven times, according to Mexico’s public security secretary, Omar García Harfuch, while photos from the event in the town square showed him holding his young son in his arms. Two suspects were arrested in the case, García Harfuch added.

Manzo’s slaying “adds to a series of murders of people who have dared to speak out and confront the absence of the rule of law in their communities, businesses and other spaces. Today, it is no longer enough to apprehend the killer: We must resolutely combat the root causes of all these murders,” the bishops’ conference said in a Nov. 2 statement.

“The ordinary presence of armed groups, which control the public life of citizens in various regions of the country, is the real crime to be faced: the roadblocks, the dispossession of lands, the constant threats to producers, merchants and rulers reflect a serious weakening of the constitutional order that the governments at the municipal, state and federal levels, are obligated to guarantee.”

The brazen murder sparked outrage in Mexico, where drug cartel violence has plagued swaths of the country for nearly two decades. The violence has especially plagued Michoacán, which has a long history of marijuana growing. But analysts say that now criminal groups now extort the growers of avocados and limes, illegally log forests and import chemical precursors for synthetic drugs through the port of Lázaro Cárdenas.

A priest in Michoacán described a desperate situation in the state with criminal groups colluding with politicians and fighting each other to control lucrative crime territories.

“The people are saying, ‘Enough, padre,” the priest, who ministers in a conflictive part of Michoacán, told OSV News. The priest, who previously lent spiritual support to self-defense groups that formed to fight drug cartels in 2013, asked for anonymity to speak candidly. “Believe me: We’re just a minute, a moment away from Michoacán burning,” the priest said.

Manzo became known for accompanying police as they patrolled Uruapan. He spoke out against organized crime and urged President Claudia Sheinbaum to take action.

“This country has already slipped out of the president’s control,” Manzo told Mexican media outlet Latinus. “The country is slipping away from us. Crime has become part of the landscape. … We are facing crime alone. There is no strategy, there is no state.”

Confronting criminal groups can be perilous. Bernardo Bravo, head of a citrus growers’ association in the city of Apatzingán, was recently found murdered after he organized a protest by citrus growers tired of paying extortion.

“These crimes wound Mexican society and demand an immediate and coordinated response from the authorities to rebuild peace in Michoacán,” said a Nov. 2 statement from the National Dialogue for Peace, an initiative to pacify Mexico, sponsored by the bishops’ conference, the Jesuits and the Conference of Religious Superiors of Mexico.

Sheinbaum condemned the killing of Manzo, who previously served in Congress as a member of her ruling Morena party and won the mayor’s office as an independent. She drew controversy on Nov. 3, however, for saying at her morning press conference that violence in Michoacán originated with former President Felipe Calderón — who she insisted stole the 2006 election and started cracking down on drug cartels in Michoacán to “legitimize” his win.

“And we have always said it is about addressing the causes and zero impunity, intelligence, investigation and prosecutions,” Sheinbaum said.

Calderón’s crackdown on drug cartels shortly followed his taking office in December 2006. It was preceded by a drug cartel known as La Familia Michoacana bursting into a bar in Uruapan and tossing five human heads onto a dance floor.

Manzo’s murder captured international attention and came as U.S. pressure on Mexico to stop the flow of drugs like fentanyl has mounted.

“The U.S. stands ready to deepen security cooperation with Mexico to wipe out organized crime on both sides of the border,” Christopher Landau, deputy secretary of state, said on X. “May his soul rest in peace and may his memory inspire prompt and effective action.”

(David Agren writes for OSV News from Buenos Aires.)