A candle with an image of Pope Francis on it sits in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican duirng a rosary prayer service for the Holy Father on Thursday, March 6, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, Mar 8, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis.

Follow here for the latest news on his health and hospitalization:

St. Teresa of Calcutta. / Credit: © 1986 Túrelio (via Wikimedia Commons), 1986 / Lizenz: Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.0 de

CNA Staff, Mar 8, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

On March 8, International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world. It is a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women as well as advocate for continued equality.

The Catholic Church is filled with female saints who accomplished incredible feats for the Church and serve as role models for women around the world.

Here is a list of inspiring quotes from 10 female saints:

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein): “The world doesn’t need what women have, it needs what women are.”

St. Teresa of Ávila: “We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.”

St. Faustina: “In whatever state a soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul that is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul that is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul that is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul that is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer.”

St. Kateri Tekakwitha: “Look at this cross. Oh, how beautiful it is! It has been my whole happiness during my life, and I advise you also to make it yours.”

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: “We know certainly that our God calls us to a holy life. We know that he gives us every grace, every abundant grace; and though we are so weak of ourselves, this grace is able to carry us through every obstacle and difficulty.”

St. Teresa of Calcutta: “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home, for this is where our love for each other must start.”

St. Joan of Arc: “I have a good master, that is God; it is to him I look in everything and to none other.”

St. Rose of Lima: “The gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase.”

St. Josephine Bakhita: “If I were to meet the slave-traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and religious today.”

St. Catherine of Siena: “You are rewarded not according to time or work but according to the measure of your love.”

San José de Luján formation house, Argentina. / Credit: Miles Christi Institute

La Plata, Argentina, Mar 8, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

The Vatican's Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life has decreed the suppression of the Miles Christi religious order, founded in Argentina and the subject of a Vatican intervention in 2022.

“This decision was specifically approved by Pope Francis on Feb. 6, 2025,” stated an official communication released by the AICA news agency.

Implementing the measure fell to Mauricio Landra, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Mercedes-Luján, as the papal delegate appointed by the Vatican dicastery.

“Given the delicacy and complexity of the situation, in order for everything to be carried out with justice and charity, in order to implement the decision taken by the Holy See, we entrust this time to Mary, Mother of the Church,” Landra said when announcing the decision.

Miles Christi (Soldier of Christ) was a clerical religious order of diocesan right founded in 1994 in the Archdiocese of La Plata, Argentina.

In February 2020, its founder, Roberto Juan Yannuzzi, was expelled from the clerical state after having been found guilty “of crimes against the Sixth Commandment with adults, of absolution of the accomplice and of abuse of authority.”

At the end of 2022, Pope Francis appointed Jorge García Cuerva, then the bishop of Río Gallegos and now archbishop of Buenos Aires, as pontifical commissioner of the order.

In December of the same year, the Archdiocese of La Plata — under the authority at that time of then-Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández — determined that the contract by which for 16 years the Miles Christi order had been in charge of the St. Louis Gonzaga Parish and the St. Francis School be rescinded.

The archdiocese then took over running the parish and the school.

A few days later, and after receiving questions from the order about the measures taken, the ecclesiastical tribunal of La Plata reported that there was “an investigation due to a sexual abuse complaint filed against a Miles Christi priest.”

The complaint, the tribunal said, was submitted to the superior general of the religious order in the first semester, then forwarded to the archdiocese, expanded, and finally filed in the state courts.

In February 2023, García, as pontifical commissioner of the Miles Christi order, together with the Archdiocese of La Plata, communicated the decision to close the St. Ignatius center, which operated in the city of La Plata.

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

The U.S. Postal Service announced March 6, 2025, that it will issue a stamp of William F. Buckley Jr. (1925–2008), a political commentator and Catholic. / Credit: U.S. Postal Service

CNA Staff, Mar 8, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) this week announced that celebrated Catholic writer and public intellectual William F. Buckley Jr., who shaped U.S. political discourse for decades, will receive his own commemorative stamp for his contributions to American public life.

Hailing him as “one of the most influential public intellectuals in modern U.S. history,” the USPS said in an announcement that Buckley “defined the conservative movement of the mid-20th century and was one of its most recognizable spokesmen.”

Buckley, who died in 2008, founded the conservative commentary magazine National Review in 1955. Known for his unique northeastern accent and erudite commentary, he further served as the host of the public affairs television show “Firing Line” from 1966–1999.

Buckley was raised Catholic and was a member of the Knights of Malta. In his book “Nearer, My God: An Autobiography of Faith,” he wrote that he was “baptized as a Catholic and reared as one by devoted parents” and that his faith had “not wavered” over his life.

The Catholic Church “is unique in that it is governed by a vision that has not changed in 2,000 years,” he wrote. “It tells us, in just about as many words, that we are not accidental biological accretions, we are creatures of a divine plan; that the God who made us undertook to demonstrate his devotion to us as individual human beings by submitting to the pain and humiliation of the cross.”

“Nothing in that vision has ever changed, nothing at all,” Buckley continued, describing it as “a mind-shaking, for some a mind-altering certitude.”

The Buckley stamp was created by artist Dale Stephanos. It was drawn “by hand with graphite and charcoal on hot-press watercolor paper, then refined digitally,” the post office said. It was designed by USPS art director Greg Breeding.

Credit: Christopher E Zimmer/Shutterstock

Denver Newsroom, Mar 8, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

Trump administration moves to drop Biden-era lawsuit against Idaho pro-life law 

The Trump administration this week moved to drop a Biden-era federal lawsuit against Idaho’s broad abortion ban.

The Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the Biden-era lawsuit, according to court papers filed by St. Luke’s Health System, which has also sued the state over the law. 

Idaho state law largely outlaws abortion but allows for it in life-threatening situations as well as in cases of rape or incest. The Biden administration had argued that the strict ban violates the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.

The Supreme Court last year blocked the law but did not fully resolve the issue, which went before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in December. The appeals court has not ruled yet. 

A district court this week, meanwhile, ruled that a temporary block of the pro-life law would continue after the federal government dropped its suit. 

Wyoming legislators pass ultrasound requirement for chemical abortions 

Legislators in Wyoming voted to require abortion providers to offer ultrasounds in the event of chemical abortions, passing the law even after state Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed it.

Both the Wyoming House and Senate voted in a landslide in favor of the bill following Gordon’s Monday veto, meeting the two-thirds threshold to override the governor’s rejection of the law.

The ultrasound law is designed to give pregnant women “the opportunity to view the active ultrasound of the unborn baby and view the fetal heart motion or hear the heartbeat of the unborn baby if the heartbeat is audible.” 

Effective immediately, the new law requires patients to receive an ultrasound at least 48 hours before having a chemical abortion. 

Gordon had vetoed the bill citing concerns that the law could be traumatizing for victims of rape and incest as the procedure is likely to require a transvaginal ultrasound.

Wyoming House Speaker Chip Neiman, a Republican and the primary sponsor of the bill, maintained that having an ultrasound is a matter of women’s safety. Some pregnancy conditions such as an ectopic pregnancy can only be ruled out with an ultrasound but can have high risk factors for a woman taking an abortion pill. 

Providers who violate the ultrasound law face up to six months’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $9,000, or both. 

A group of abortion advocates quickly filed a legal challenge against the ultrasound law as well as against a separate law requiring surgical abortion clinics to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers. 

Highlights from Georgia’s March for Life 

Georgia pro-lifers on Thursday gathered in Atlanta for the state’s annual March for Life. 

Pro-lifers carried handmade signs with various messages including “Live, Laugh, Love Them Both” and “Every Beating [Heart] Matters to God.”

The rally began at 11 a.m. across from the Georgia capitol building at Liberty Plaza. The march began at noon. 

Super Bowl champion Benjamin Watson — a retired NFL tight end for the New England Patriots — spoke at the event. Watson, an outspoken pro-life advocate, authored the book “The New Fight for Life: Roe, Race, and a Pro-life Commitment to Justice.” 

Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv, also spoke at the event, as did Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. 

Other speakers included state Sen. Benjamin Watson, columnist and Baptist Pastor Rev. Thomas Hammond Jr., media personality Martha Zoller, former deputy director of the Georgia Republican Party Janelle King, and Christian speaker and author April Chapman. 

Georgia Life Alliance and the March for Life Education and Defense Fund partnered to hold the event.

Nevada legislators propose euthanasia pill

Nevada legislators have introduced a bill to legalize euthanasia to end the lives of patients with terminal conditions. 

The bill, which would legalize physician-assisted suicide in Nevada, enables an adult patient who has been given a terminal diagnosis to request life-ending medication. The bill would require that the patient be diagnosed with a terminal condition by at least two practitioners. It also would require that the patient make the decision voluntarily and be deemed mentally capable to make the decision.

While a medical practitioner would provide the pill, the patient would administer it. The bill also requires the death certificate to state that the patient died of his or her terminal condition.

The bill allows doctors the right to refuse to prescribe medication. If they refuse, they are required to help facilitate the patient’s transfer to a different provider to access the euthanasia pill.

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed a similar bill two years ago. The Archdiocese of Las Vegas advocated against the bill at the time, citing in part concerns that safeguards surrounding the bill would eventually be removed.

Republican state Rep. Danielle Gallant and Democratic state Rep. Joe Dalia sponsored the legislation. The bill has not been scheduled for a hearing yet.

Democratic Republic of Congo Republican Guard soldiers walk in the streets of Kinshasa on March 1, 2025. As the M23 fighters continue their offensive in eastern DR Congo, hundreds of soldiers from the Republican Guard walk the streets of Kinshasa in a show of force. / Credit: HARDY BOPE/AFP via Getty Images

ACI Africa, Mar 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The ongoing violent conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which keeps escalating, risks spreading to the entire nation and even becoming regional if there is no immediate intervention, Caritas Internationalis has warned.

In a statement that the development arm of the Catholic Church delivered at the 58th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the organization highlighted the widespread effects of the conflict that has claimed at least 7,000 lives.

“We express our deep concern over the worsening security and humanitarian crisis in the eastern DRC, which risks spreading to the entire country and region if no action is taken,” Caritas Internationalis said at the UNHRC session that started on Feb. 24 and is set to end April 4.

“The looting of humanitarian supplies, the closure of the airports in Goma and Bukavu, and insecurity on major roads have made access to humanitarian aid extremely difficult,” the organization’s representatives said.

The conflict in the DRC has escalated significantly in recent months, with the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group making substantial territorial gains.

On Jan. 27, the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels announced that its forces had taken over the capital of the Eastern Province of the DRC, Goma, according to a Reuters report. The news agency also reported that on Feb. 16, M23 rebels captured the second-largest city of eastern DRC, Bukavu.

In seizing Bukavu, a key mining city in South Kivu province, learning institutions and businesses have been disrupted with a mass exodus of residents and Congolese soldiers.

Some of the latest reports about the protracted crisis in the mineral-rich eastern part of the DRC have indicated that besides the death of thousands, the conflict has displaced about 600,000 people.

On Feb. 28, M23 rebels abducted at least 130 patients from two hospitals in Goma, suspecting them of being Congolese soldiers or members of the pro-government Wazalendo militia.

On March 4, Reuters reported that a blast targeted a convoy of rebel leaders in Bukavu, killing 17 people. The city has been under M23 control since February, with both the government and rebels blaming each other for the attack.

In the two-page statement that the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) and Act Alliance also signed, Caritas Internationalis also said the widespread cuts in international aid have resulted in a chronic lack of resources, leaving access to food, health care, and shelter severely inadequate.

The organization further reported that sexual violence has significantly increased in DRC’s regions that are experiencing violence, while medical facilities lack sufficient human, material, and financial resources to provide emergency response to survivors.

Furthermore, Caritas Internationalis said that “the absence of antiretroviral stocks and medical support exposes survivors to increased long-term risks.”

On the effects of the conflict on learning institutions, the organization said that “young people and children are at risk of forced recruitment into armed groups and are deprived of education due to prolonged school closures. This increases their vulnerability to exploitation and violence.”

Despite these challenges, Caritas Internationalis emphasized that local actors, including local churches, remain steadfast in providing essential support to affected populations and advocating for the restoration of peace.

In its statement, it called for immediate, sustainable, and unrestricted humanitarian access via secure corridors, along with the allocation of material and financial resources commensurate with the needs of affected populations.

The group also underlined the need to protect internally displaced persons, ensuring voluntary and secure return in accordance with the Kampala Convention and relevant guiding principles.

In addition, it called for “prevention of exploitation and forced recruitment of young people and children and guaranteeing access to education by reopening schools in a safe environment.”

“Ceasing hostilities and pursuing inclusive dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the conflict” is also among the recommendations of Caritas Internationalis to help end the conflict in the central African nation.

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

Pope Francis is hugged by a young visitor at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Mar 8, 2025 / 06:45 am (CNA).

As Pope Francis continues to receive treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and his condition remains stable, the pontiff remains involved with Church affairs.

On Saturday, Pope Francis addressed pilgrims of the Movement for Life in a statement issued from his hospital room, which Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, delivered during a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on March 8.

In his message, the 88-year-old pontiff thanked the pro-life pilgrims on their organization’s 50th anniversary, praising their concrete support for mothers experiencing difficult pregnancies.

Pope Francis encouraged the Movement for Life to continue its mission, noting that “there is still and more than ever a need for people of all ages who concretely dedicate themselves to the service of human life, especially when it is most fragile and vulnerable; because it is sacred, created by God for a great and beautiful destiny.”

Medical staff continue to provide Pope Francis with “high-flow oxygenation” via nasal cannulas during daytime hours while he uses “noninvasive mechanical ventilation” overnight to support his breathing. “The night passed quietly; the pope is resting,” read the brief Vatican update issued on Saturday morning.

Vatican officials confirmed the pope will again not publicly appear for the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer. Instead, as has been done in recent weeks, his reflection’s text will be published.

Similarly, the homily for the pope at Sunday’s Mass for the Jubilee of Volunteers will be read by Cardinal Michael Czerny, who will also lead the rosary in St. Peter’s Square at 9 p.m. local time on Saturday, gathering the faithful to pray for the Holy Father.

After a heartfelt audio message from the pope was played in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday evening, Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni explained it was Francis’ desire to record and play the greeting to thank everyone who is praying for him.

Jesus as portrayed in the new film “The Last Supper,” to be released on March 14, 2025. / Credit: The Last Supper movie

CNA Staff, Mar 8, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

“The Last Supper” is a new movie depicting the ultimate act of divine love and sacrifice told through the eyes of those who walked alongside Jesus Christ. Mauro Borrelli, a Catholic, served as the film’s writer and director and award-winning Christian artist Chris Tomlin was the film’s executive producer, marking Tomlin’s first time stepping into theatrical filmmaking.

The film will be released on March 14 in theaters across the United States.

Borrelli and Tomlin spoke to CNA about the inspiration behind the film and what they hope viewers will take away from it, especially given its release during Lent. 

The inspiration for the film came from Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting of the Last Supper. Borrelli had the idea to shoot an entire movie in one room depicting this historical moment; however, as he began to write the script, the story quickly began to expand.

“I was really passionate about the idea of expanding such an important moment of the Eucharist,” Borrelli told CNA. “People go to church all the time, they receive Communion, and they hear those words, ‘This is my body,’ and it’s such an important moment but they don’t have many images to connect [to it]. So I said, ‘I want to expand that.’”

The Catholic director pointed out how important he felt it was to make the movie “as plausible and accurate” as possible. In order to do this, he did a great amount of research and delved into the Gospels and the Torah.

After watching the film himself, Tomlin felt inspired to get involved in any way he could and use his platform to help spread the word about the movie.

“It’s so well done, it’s so beautifully done, and it’s so biblically right on the money. It just brings God’s word to life and it’s not Hollywood,” Tomlin told CNA. “I was really moved by the way it was done.”

Not only does Tomlin serve as executive producer, but also his new song, “No Greater Love,” will also be featured in the film. He shared that he wrote the song before getting involved with the film, but once he was working on it he was asked if he had any songs that might work to include. He told them he had just written a song he hadn’t played for anyone yet. After playing them a demo they all thought “it was spot on … It was like I’d watched the movie and wrote the song.”

Another aspect that both Borrelli and Tomlin touched on is the portrayal of Judas in “The Last Supper.” In many films, Judas is typically not shown too much up until the point of betrayal. However, in “The Last Supper” Judas has a more prominent role and viewers get to know him better. 

Borrelli explained that he wanted to show that “Judas was not the evil guy.”

“Judas, for me, is not a bad guy. He’s just a guy that was taken by Satan and was not strong enough to step out from that. But also, he was part of a divine prophecy. So, he’s needed,” he said.

Tomlin touched on the point that “Jesus loved him [Judas] even though he knew he’d betray him and I just think people are going to find that there’s something powerful about seeing it brought to life this way.”

To this point, Borrelli added that he felt that there is a “metaphorical representation of people today” in the representations of Peter and Judas.

“So, two people that at a certain point reach a moment where their direction can be lost but one goes the wrong direction and doesn’t find a way to come out from that — that’s Judas — and the other one finds a way to step out. So there is hope,” he explained. 

Borrelli said he hopes this representation is something viewers take away from the film and that “we’re all human beings and we can all fail, but we have to keep our faith burning and [not] lose hope.”

“I hope people are reminded that Jesus invites you to the table,” Tomlin shared. “He invites you to come and he wants a relationship with you, and that’s powerful.”

Sudanese refugees who have fled from the war in Sudan get off a truck loaded with families arriving at a transit center for refugees on Feb. 13, 2024. / Credit: LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 7, 2025 / 18:10 pm (CNA).

The State Department has lifted its funding suspension for Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) USA programs in Colombia and South Sudan.

“Jesuit Refugee Service USA received word today from the State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) that the suspensions of funding of our Colombia and South Sudan programs had been lifted,” Bridget Cusick, a representative for JRS USA, said in a statement emailed to CNA on Friday. 

“South Sudan is a $1.9 million program, and Colombia is a $5 million program,” the email said.

“As of yet, no funds have been flowing to us — neither as a result of the lifted suspensions nor as a result of the SCOTUS decisions earlier this week,” she noted. 

JRS USA carries out its operations in Colombia, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, South Africa, and Uganda. It provides critical services such as food, medicine, transportation, cash assistance, care for orphans and unaccompanied children, and psychiatric care. JRS USA receives funding from the State Department for its programs through three-year cooperative agreements. 

Cusick told CNA in an interview that JRS received notification last week that the State Department was “seeking to terminate” the cooperative agreements it has for programs in Chad, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, and Uganda. The organization has not been informed of intentions to terminate its cooperative agreement for South Africa. 

Although the Trump administration’s 90-day freeze on foreign aid initially resulted in a total work stoppage across JRS USA’s programs, Cusick said the organization has continued, with limited funding from its board of directors, some of its operations deemed “critical and lifesaving” at a reduced level. 

Prior to the funding freeze, aid from the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migrants for fiscal year 2025 would have totaled over $18 million. In 2024, JRS received $24,049,039 in government funding and $9,224,422 in private donations, according to its financial statements from last year. 

JRS was founded by the then-Superior General of the Society of Jesus Father Pedro Arrupe to serve Vietnamese refugees who fled their home country at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Gradually, the Jesuit-run organization grew to accommodate refugees from conflicts around the world. The organization was recognized officially by the Vatican in March 2000.

Cathedral of Bogotá, Colombia. / Credit: Eduardo Berdejo/ACI Prensa

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 7, 2025 / 17:40 pm (CNA).

In a meeting this week between the leadership of the Colombian Catholic Church and President Gustavo Petro, the bishops reiterated their commitment to peace and reconciliation in the country.

The meeting, held on March 4 at Casa de Nariño, the seat of the Colombian government, addressed crucial issues such as accompanying negotiations with the National Liberation Army (ELN, by its Spanish acronym), creating an ethical framework for peace, and the importance of religious freedom.

The ELN was formed in the 1960s, influenced by the Cuban Revolution. The guerilla movement espouses Marxist-Leninist ideology combined with liberation theology. Its methods include kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and direct clashes with government forces. In recent years it has been heavily involved in drug trafficking. In the past, some Catholic priests, exponents of liberation theology, were involved in the armed band.

In accompanying the peace talks the Church is not a participant, mediator, or simply an observer but with its presence is ready to assist in any way it can to bring about the desired peace.

The president of the bishops’ conference, Archbishop Francisco Javier Múnera, highlighted the openness of the government and the willingness of the Church to explore new possibilities to reactivate peace talks, emphasizing that the expectations of the communities must be at the center of this process.

In addition to Múnera, the conference’s vice president, Archbishop Gabriel Ángel Villa Vahos, and secretary-general Bishop Germán Medina Acosta also attended.

On behalf of the government, Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia and the director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic, Angie Lizeth Rodríguez, also participated.

“We told the president that our contribution to peace and reconciliation in the country is in the name of the communities we serve and to whom we owe ourselves. Of course, it is also our mission and mandate from the Gospel, from the pastoral mission that we have,” Múnera said in a video published on the conference website.

The bishops also reiterated the commitment of the Catholic Church to accompany “perhaps the only national interface that currently exists between the government and the ELN at a time when the government is going through special difficulties.”

Múnera reported that during the meeting with the president it was emphasized that the expectations and hopes of the communities must be the central point in the search for peace.

“As a conference we are in the process of building an ethical framework for peace to establish our vision, our criteria, our principles. Let us also say our nonnegotiable principles,” he said.

“There are some basic, fundamental requirements of the right to dignity, human rights, international humanitarian law. If this is not respected minimally, then what is the point of being part of an accompanying presence?” he asked.

Múnera reminded that the Church participates in the talks as a facilitator and not as a negotiator. It is very important “to clarify what our position will be at a table where the interlocutors have a political status,” he explained.

In the video, the president of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference said the meeting also addressed “the need to foster dialogue in other areas that are of interest to the country and to the Church,” such as religious freedom.

The prelate explained that, while respecting other denominations in an ecumenical climate, the Church wishes to “have a much more significant seat.”

He clarified that they are not demanding privileges “but simply asserting the rights that we have as a confession, as a church, as a Catholic communion.”

In this regard, he said the right of parents to choose religious education for their children must “be guaranteed by the state.”

Múnera stated that they found “a great deal of openness” on the part of the political authorities.

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