Father Francisco José Delgado, a priest of the Archdiocese of Toledo, Spain. / Credit: Photo courtesy of “La Sacristía de la Vendée”

Madrid, Spain, Nov 6, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Father Francisco José Delgado, a priest of the Archdiocese of Toledo, Spain, and a member of the YouTube priests’ discussion group “The Sacristy of the Vendée,” has been declared innocent of the charge of “inciting hatred” against the Holy See, interfering in the investigation into the Sodality of Christian Life (SCV by its Latin acronym), and damaging the “good reputation” of layman José Enrique Escardó, one of the main promoters of proceedings against the SCV.

The Vendée is a region in France where priests refused to take the oath of loyalty to the revolutionary government hostile to the Catholic Church that had seized power in 1789. “The Sacristy of the Vendée” describes itself as “counterrevolutionary.” 

The verdict, announced on X Nov. 5 by the Spanish priest, closes the canonical penal investigation, which began in June 2024.

Months earlier, the Archdiocese of Toledo had received two complaints against the priest. In the first, dated Jan. 30, 2024, he was accused of “damaging the good name and slandering Mr. Escardó Stecjk, the alleged victim” of the SCV.

Two days later, on Feb. 1, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith officially notified the Archdiocese of Toledo of “its concern” regarding Delgado’s actions whom it accused of “interfering with the [Vatican’s] special mission to the Sodality of Christian Life.”

Based on both complaints, the archbishop of Toledo, Francisco Cerro, opened an investigation in June 2024 and its report was submitted a month later.

Prior to these events, Cerro imposed precautionary measures on Delgado to “prevent any presence on social media or posts on social media and any type of written publication intended for dissemination.”

This decision stemmed from the controversy sparked by a comment about Pope Francis in the priests’ discussion group he coordinates. One of the participants, Father Gabriel Calvo Zarraute, spoke of praying for the pontiff “so that he may go to heaven as soon as possible.”

The ecclesiastical tribunal’s ruling, dated July 28, established that Delgado did not commit any of the canonical offenses of which he was accused.

Regarding Escardó’s good reputation, the tribunal stated that “the facts point to the complete opposite. That is to say, the one who has truly damaged the reputation of the Church and its priests is none other than Mr. Escardó.”

Furthermore, it is stated that “at no point has it been demonstrated that he was a victim of abuse,” “nor is it proven at any point that he felt revictimized,” and his attitude “is merely an excuse to defame and slander the Church.”

“We must give full credence to what Father Francisco José Delgado and the witnesses have declared, and not to what Mr. Escardó supposedly says and accuses,” the ruling stated.

Delgado didn’t impede the investigation into the SVC

Regarding the accusation made by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith of interfering in the investigation into the Sodality of Christian Life, the tribunal stated that “it is not proven that the comments and actions” of the priest from Toledo “impeded the special mission carried out by the Holy See,” which concluded with the dissolution of the Sodality of Christian Life.

This decision by the dicastery is in fact the main proof the tribunal’s recognition of Delgado’s innocence: “It is necessary that there be a complete impossibility of exercising the authority’s discretionary act, and in the present case, the resolution of the aforementioned dicastery with respect to the sodality proves the contrary.”

Delgado tried to correct the alleged joke about Pope Francis

When analyzing the accusation of “inciting aversion or hatred toward the Apostolic See,” the tribunal found that Calvo had made “a regrettable and inappropriate joke” during “The Sacristy of the Vendée” YouTube discussion.

The tribunal described how “Father Francisco José immediately and repeatedly attempted to divert the course of the discussion, fully aware of the seriousness of the statements,” and added that he was “fully aware of the implications of the supposed joke ... and tried to correct what had been said.”

Toledo Archdiocese issues statement

“We regret that the statement issued by the Archdiocese on February 28, 2024, may have generated erroneous interpretations that damaged the good name and reputation of Father Francisco José Delgado Martín,” states a Nov. 5  press release issued by the Archdiocese of Toledo.

“Likewise, we regret that the imposition of disciplinary measures, such as the prohibition on using media outlets or social media, has been interpreted as a condemnation imposed by the Archdiocese or the Holy See, which is categorically false,” the text clarifies.

The statement also highlights “the good attitude of Father Francisco José Delgado Martín who, since the aforementioned measures were imposed, has always shown obedience and scrupulous respect for the canonical process and his superiors, remaining in full ecclesial communion throughout the entire process.”

Finally, the text states that “once the sentence has been handed down and is final, in order to ensure the truth of the facts and reaffirm the commitment to justice to the affected party and to the Christian community, we consider that the good name and reputation of the Rev. Francisco José Delgado Martín as a priest of this particular Church of Toledo has been restored.”

‘The Sacristy of the Vendée’ returns to the internet

A few days before the verdict was announced, the priestly discussion group “The Sacristy of the Vendée” announced its return to the internet on Nov. 6 after months of intermittent broadcasts. The group released a video in which they decried “18 months of lies, hatred, silence, and darkness.”

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

Pope Leo XIV speaks with President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine during a private audience in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Nov. 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media.

Vatican City, Nov 6, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV received President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine for an audience in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Thursday, almost a month after the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip came into effect.

According to the Holy See Press Office, during the meeting “it was recognized that there is an urgent need to provide assistance to the civilian population in Gaza and to end the conflict by pursuing a two-state solution.”

This is the first in-person meeting between Leo XIV and the 90-year-old Palestinian leader, who was also received at the Vatican by Pope Francis on Dec. 12, 2024, and on prior occasions.

Abbas spoke with Leo by phone on July 21. The conversation focused on the evolution of the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the violence in the West Bank.

Thursday’s meeting coincides with a time of intense diplomatic activity surrounding the Palestinian issue, marked by more than two years of war in Gaza and increasing violence in the West Bank as well as by renewed international recognition of the State of Palestine, including by France and several other European countries.

The Holy See, which has officially recognized the State of Palestine since 2015, has repeatedly reiterated its support for the two-state solution, based on respect for international law and the need to guarantee the security of Israel and the dignity of the Palestinian people.

Leo has multiple times expressed his concern for the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where the civilian population continues to suffer the consequences of the prolonged conflict.

The papal audience with Abbas coincides with the 10th anniversary of the agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine, signed on June 26, 2015, which formalized bilateral relations and addressed issues relating to the life and activity of the Catholic Church in the Palestinian territories.

Visit to the tomb of Pope Francis 

Upon arriving in Rome on Nov. 5, Abbas visited the tomb of Pope Francis in Santa Maria Maggiore, according to Vatican News.

The Palestinian head of state entered the papal basilica at 4:30 p.m., accompanied by Father Ibrahim Faltas, former vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, and his entourage. Abbas remained in prayer for approximately 15 minutes and, before leaving, placed a white rose on the marble tomb of the Argentine pope.

“I have come to see Pope Francis because I cannot forget what he has done for Palestine and the Palestinian people, and I cannot forget that he recognized Palestine without anyone asking him to,” Abbas told reporters waiting in the square outside the basilica.

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

Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) strongly condemned attacks in the Oromia Region in late October 2025 that claimed lives and destroyed property belonging to members of the Catholic community. / Credit: World Council of Churches

ACI Africa, Nov 6, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) have strongly condemned attacks in the Oromia region that claimed lives and destroyed property belonging to members of the Catholic community.

In a statement issued Nov. 4, CBCE members called on the government to take urgent measures to protect citizens from further violence.

“The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia expresses deep sorrow over the recent killings and destruction of property that occurred in October in the vicinity of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in West Harerghe, Oromia region,” the bishops said of the Oct. 25 and 27 attacks.

They added: “The attacks have resulted in the loss of lives and the destruction of property belonging to members of the Catholic community.”

The bishops noted that similar acts of violence were reported against the faithful of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and communities under the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council in the Arsi Zone of Oromia.

“The Catholic Church strongly condemns these inhumane acts and calls on the government to take immediate and necessary legal measures to ensure the safety and security of all citizens,” the CBCE members said, adding that they pray that those who lost their lives in the tragic incidents “may find eternal rest.”

The bishops further expressed “heartfelt condolences to the entire Catholic community, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, all Ethiopians, and the affected families, asking the Creator to grant them true consolation and comfort in this time of grief.”

On Oct. 27, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) reported that more than 25 civilians were killed in East Arsi Zone, Oromia regional state, in October 2025 alone, APA News reported.

The report further stated that the majority of the victims “were Christians apparently shot dead or fatally stabbed by unknown gunmen.”

The statement quoted a report received by the church on Oct. 28 claiming that “five people were killed in Honqolo Wabe (Siltana) district.”

APA News further reported that three civilians were killed and four others abducted in what eyewitnesses described as a “religious-motivated attack” carried out by “unidentified gunmen” around 10 p.m. on Oct. 27, in Hela Zibaba Kebele, Shirka Woreda, East Arsi Zone of Oromia regional state.

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

null / Credit: Ivonne Wierink/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Catholics in the United States will have an opportunity to support more than 21,000 retired priests and men and women religious from various orders during the weekend of Dec. 13–14 with the annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious.

According to a statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), this collection, organized by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), “helps provide critical financial assistance to eligible religious institutes caring for their retired members.”

For decades, consecrated men and women in the U.S. have served in multiple ministries — schools, hospitals, parishes, and social service organizations — often with little or no compensation. Today their communities face a serious imbalance between the rising costs of elder care and limited resources.

In 2024, religious over the age of 70 outnumbered the young by nearly 3 to 1, and only 4% of communities reporting to the NRRO indicated they had sufficient funds for retirement.

Since its creation in 1988, the fund has been “a lifeline for our aging religious leaders, but the need remains urgent,” the USCCB pointed out. Last year, the fund raised $28.1 million, while the annual cost of care exceeded $1 billion.

The average annual cost per person is $56,600, and specialized care costs $96,000. In contrast, the average Social Security benefit for a religious leader is just $9,090, less than half the average benefit for a layperson.

In light of this reality, NRRO Director John Knutsen noted that “for decades, the faithful service of these religious has touched countless lives, including my own.”

“Through your generosity, we can help ensure they are cared for with the dignity they so rightly deserve, while also living out the values ​​of compassion and solidarity that unite us as disciples of Jesus,” he urged.

Knutsen also emphasized the gratitude owed to religious communities for their members: “Supporting our aging religious is a profound opportunity to show gratitude for their lifetime of service, and we hear all throughout the year how deeply thankful they are for that support.”

Since 1988, the fundraising campaign has distributed more than $1 billion to religious institutions across the U.S., sustaining daily care for the elderly, building up retirement funds, and funding educational programs on geriatric care and long-term planning.

The USCCB noted that “every gift makes a difference, providing retired religious with the care and dignity they deserve.”

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

null / Credit: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Claim: Laws requiring minors to notify their parents if they are getting an abortion “threaten young people’s health and safety and undermine their human rights,” claims a report by the Human Rights Watch.

CNA finds: CNA finds a strong pro-abortion bias in the report. Experts say parental notification laws help protect girls from predators and put girls in a better situation by ensuring family support. 

Breakdown: Parental notification laws vary across states, but most require the abortion provider to notify a parent before the abortion takes place, unless it’s a medical emergency or the minor obtains a court order.

For instance, in Colorado, a written notice must be delivered to the parent’s home by someone from the abortion clinic, a sheriff, a clergy member, or other person. The law contains a built-in exemption if the minor is in an abusive home.

Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Montana, and New Hampshire all have notification laws with judicial bypass options. States such as Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota have parental consent laws, which require the parent to approve the abortion before it takes place.

Women seeking abortion face a variety of challenges, often including coercion or pressure from others in their lives. Several studies have found that women have a higher likelihood of mental health struggles after an abortion.

The U.S. Catholic bishops require every diocese to have mental health and counseling resources for women who have had abortions in an initiative known as Project Rachel. 

In the Archdiocese of Denver, Rachel’s Vineyard Colorado operates healing programs, support, and care for women who have gone through abortions. 

Lori Frank, executive director of Rachel’s Vineyard Colorado, told CNA that abortion is “an emotional, moral, and spiritual trauma.”

“Many women feel shame, guilt, and regret after experiencing abortion, and they often do not have mental health support,” Frank said. 

Rachel’s Vineyard Colorado sees women who struggle with post-abortive problems including depression, grief, emotional numbness, anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, and other challenges including spiritual and relationship difficulties.  

Frank noted that abortion can be especially harmful to minors, especially because “youth generally have fewer resources to draw upon with unexpected pregnancy.” 

“As a society, we need to provide real loving support to women of all ages when they are pregnant and help them understand the real risks of abortion as well as the support they need overall in their lives during this time,” she said. “Using abortion as a quick fix is not the solution.” 

Several experts expressed concerns for girls who may be in abusive or dangerous situations, such as an abuser using abortion to cover his crimes. 

Dr. Ingrid Skop, a spokesperson for the Charlotte Lozier Institute and an OB-GYN, told CNA that notification laws protect minors from a variety of concerns, including “abortion coercion or pressure from an abuser.”

“Sadly, the damage from coercive abortions goes beyond the brutality of the abortion itself,” Skop said, citing a study documenting mental health impacts on women who are pressured to abort. 

“Parents must be aware if their daughters are in abusive relationships or engaged in risky sexual behavior so they can intervene to prevent negative, long-term consequences on their health and well-being,” Skop said.

“Parents, who know their daughters best, are critical to help and support them in the midst of such a substantial, life-changing decision,” Skop said. 

Christina Francis, who heads the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, emphasized the importance of safeguards around abortion. 

Francis told CNA that “removing regulations on chemical abortion pills” makes them more “easily accessible to abusers.” 

“Eliminating parental involvement only deepens that risk,” she added. 

“Parental notification laws protect minors, not threaten them,” Francis said. “Involving parents in critical decisions involving their children’s health ensures truly informed consent and excellent care.”

Michael New, senior associate scholar at Charlotte Lozier Institute and assistant professor of practice at The Catholic University of America, also noted that these laws can help prevent abuse. 

“Parental involvement laws may prevent child predators from sexually abusing minor girls — since many child predators use abortion to cover up their sexual misconduct,” New told CNA. 

In addition, the report by Human Rights Watch “has a strong pro-abortion bias,” New said. 

According to New, the report “ignores a substantial body of academic research which shows that pro-life parental involvement laws improve health outcomes.”

In addition, “the report relies largely on anecdotal evidence from health care providers, attorneys, people working for abortion funds, and public health researchers,” New said.

What about dysfunctional families? 

Parental notification laws provide an option for a judicial bypass, meaning that minors, if they seek it, can be exempt from the requirement. 

In addition, some states provide explicit exemptions for minors in abusive homes or allow another adult to be notified instead of a parent if the minor wishes. 

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, neuroscientist and senior ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, said that “underage mothers should not be expected to navigate, by themselves, serious matters of their health and the health of others who depend on them, like their unborn child.” 

“They need support and assistance in what is a very fear-filled moment when they discover they have become pregnant,” Pacholczyk told CNA. 

Pacholczyk noted that underage girls who are pregnant may face difficult situations at home. 

In some cases, the mother of the daughter “will encourage her daughter to get an abortion,” while in other cases “she may believe she cannot tell her mom about her unexpected pregnancy without facing severe consequences” and “might fear being kicked out of the house” or damaging family relationships.

But Pacholczyk noted that eliminating parental notification only increases dysfunctionality in a home and distances underage girls from their much-needed support systems.

“It is also important to note that in many instances, the fears of the young girl may not be rooted in reality, and she may be surprised to learn how her parents are actually more open than she imagines to her new situation,” he said.

Pacholczyk recommended that parental notification be done “in a roundabout manner” through counselors or pregnancy resource centers so as to connect the girl and her family with resources such as adoption services, support, and even temporary living quarters if needed.

“The clinic’s staff have a vested financial interest in seeing the abortion take place and really should not act as mediators between the underage girl and her family,” he said.

“Parental involvement and support … should be the default position we seek to promote as a caring and civilized society,” Pacholczyk said.

The verdict: Parental notification laws protect girls from abuse and enable parents to support their daughters in a difficult time in their lives, as the decision they make could go on to affect their mental health and well-being in the future.

The Spalding Institute in the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, is being transformed into “The Fulton J. Sheen Experience,” an expansion of the Sheen museum, which has been open since 2008.  / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

CNA Staff, Nov 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Peoria in Illinois on Oct. 19 broke ground for a cultural center honoring Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. The Spalding Institute is being transformed into “The Fulton J. Sheen Experience,” an expansion of the Sheen museum, which has been open since 2008. 

The new center has an estimated construction cost of $9 million to $11 million, all of which is being raised from private donations. Visitors will be able to see interactive exhibits, artifacts, and large archives of television and radio work from the archbishop’s life. 

“We are thrilled to transform the historic diocesan high school building into this new facility,” Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria said in a press release. “We believe this project will draw even more visitors to the city to grow in their knowledge and love of the man who is arguably Peoria’s greatest son and through his witness draw closer to Jesus Christ.”

Currently, the Sheen museum draws roughly 4,000 visitors a year. The new center is predicted to increase tourism with roughly 11,000 to 15,000 visitors a year.

“Archbishop Fulton Sheen was not only a son of Peoria but a voice for the Church that touched millions across the world,” Tylka said. “With the Fulton J. Sheen Experience, we are creating a place where visitors can encounter his faith, vision, and enduring witness. This center will inspire future generations to live boldly for Christ, just as he did.”

Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Fulton Sheen Foundation, told “EWTN News Nightly” in an interview that the event was a “great day for the development of the Sheen cause.”

The cause for the beatification of Sheen was paused in 2019 due to concerns raised about his tenure as bishop of Rochester, New York (1966–1969), especially in light of the New York state attorney general investigation into diocesan handling of abuse cases. After careful research and a presentation to the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints, it was deemed Sheen handled them correctly.

“For a long time, we’ve been working on the cause itself and trying to bring that forward, but today was about making sure that we can perpetuate the cause,” Gray said. “We want to keep the legacy of Fulton Sheen alive. It’s so important that we welcome people who want to come and express their devotion to Sheen.”

He explained that people from all over the world come to visit the museum, and they’re running out of space to be able to accommodate all those who wish to visit. 

Due to this issue, Gray said he believes that “it’s important that we provide a larger facility to really allow people to get to know Sheen better and through Sheen to encounter Jesus Christ.”

Dolores Sheen, a niece of Sheen, was also in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony. She called the event “very exciting.”

“I’m behind them expanding because there’s so much that still needs to come out and be in that museum. And of course, the fact that it was the place where he walked. I think that’s very important,” she added. 

Dolores Sheen is married to Sheen’s nephew John and spent time with the beloved archbishop on several occasions. She recalled spending Sheen’s 80th birthday with him and the numerous times they spent time together as a family. 

“I’d call him and I’d say, ‘Bishop, what do you want to do?’ He’d always say, ‘I want to be with family. I want to be with family,’” she recalled. “So we’d gather the family together, that was in Peoria, the cousins, and we would just have a wonderful, wonderful day.”

“I feel honored that I can share some of these things in regard to him, that he was just very real. He was just a very down-to-earth person.”

As for her hopes for the new center, Dolores said she hopes visitors see that “the bishop was very much in love with Christ and Mary.”

Gray added that he hopes visitors appreciate Sheen’s “personal insight into Jesus Christ and the way in which he would pray and be united with him in prayer. We want people to discover that and what a precious gift that is to the Church.”

A Catholic delegation attempts to bring Communion to detainees at the Broadview, Illinois, immigration facility and was not admitted Nov. 1, 2025. / Credit: Bryan Sebastian, courtesy of Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 5, 2025 / 18:58 pm (CNA).

A Chicago-based federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to maintain strict cleanliness and hygiene requirements for migrants detained at an Illinois facility.

The court also ordered the administration to provide detainees with access to legal representation.

The temporary restraining order entered Nov. 5 by Judge Robert W. Gettleman, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1994 by President Bill Clinton, did not address the plaintiff’s concerns about a lack of religious accommodations, including the ability to receive holy Communion.

Gettleman’s order Nov. 5 directed the administration to provide adequate food, water, and hygiene practices to detainees along with prescribed medications.

“Plaintiffs and members of the putative class have suffered, and are likely to suffer, irreparable harm absent the temporary relief granted,” said the order, which will be in effect until a Nov. 19 status hearing.

Gettleman required detainees to be provided with soap, towels, toilet paper, oral hygiene products (including toothbrushes and toothpaste), and menstrual products.

The order said: “Defendants shall provide each detainee with at least three full meals per day that meet the U.S. recommended dietary allowance … Defendants shall provide each detainee with a bottle of potable water with each meal and bottled water upon request free of charge.”

It specified that papers provided to detainees “should include an accompanying Spanish translation.”

‘Squalid living environment’

The judge’s order followed an hourslong hearing on Nov. 4 featuring argument between lawyers for detainees and Trump administration attorneys, and testimony from former detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Broadview facility located at 1930 Beach St.

On Oct. 30, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, together with the MacArthur Justice Center — a self-described nonprofit civil rights law firm based in Chicago — filed a civil suit (Moreno Gonzalez v. Noem) in federal court alleging detainees at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Broadview facility faced overcrowded, “inhumane” conditions, insufficient nutrition, inadequate medical care, lack of privacy, and a squalid living environment.

“The food provided to detainees is insufficient and lacks nutrition,” according to the complaint filed last week by lawyers for several detainees. “At most, detainees receive two to three small, cold sandwiches per day.”

The detainee’s lawyers say in their lawsuit: “The physical conditions are filthy, with poor sanitation, clogged toilets, and blood, human fluids, and insects in the sinks and the floor.” The complaint says overcrowding, “unhygienic conditions, lack of medical care, and deprivation of adequate food” has turned the Broadview ICE facility into “a breeding ground for illness to spread.”

“The toilets are filthy and often get clogged, resulting in urine and dirty water on the floor where detainees are forced to sleep,” according to the detainees’ attorneys in their complaint.

The lawyers argued the ICE Broadview facility was designed to serve only as a short-term (roughly 12 hours) “holding facility” where people are briefly held for processing before being moved to a longer-term detention facility. But in the wake of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration in the Chicago area, the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, “are now warehousing people at Broadview for days on end,” the detainees’ attorneys said. “The consequences have been dire, and wholly predictable,” including a lack of adequate access to legal representation.

“Everyone, no matter their legal status, has the right to access counsel and to not be subject to horrific and inhumane conditions,” said Alexa Van Brunt, director of the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois office and lead counsel on the suit, in an Oct. 31 statement.  

The complaint also alleges the detainees have been unconstitutionally denied access not only to their attorneys but also to faith leaders and members of clergy, “who have provided religious services at Broadview for years but are now denied the ability to provide pastoral care under defendants’ command.”

“For many years, faith leaders and members of the clergy … provided pastoral care to individuals detained inside Broadview,” the detainees’ lawyers told the court.

“Now, no one is allowed inside Broadview. Faith leaders seeking to provide religious services are blocked from providing Communion and spiritual support to detainees, even from outside.”

Catholic leaders in Chicago sought to bring holy Communion to Broadview detainees Nov. 1. Auxiliary Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado and others were not admitted despite requesting access weeks in advance and attempting to follow U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s guidelines.

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said the spiritual rights of migrants in detention must be considered by government authorities. “I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people,” the pontiff said. “Many times, they’ve been separated from their families for a good amount of time. No one knows what’s happening, but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”

On Oct. 1, Pope Leo said being “in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”

The Homeland Security Department’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin responded to the detainees’ lawsuit and told CNA that the Broadview facility was a “field office,”  not a “detention facility.”

She added: “Illegal aliens are only briefly held there for processing before being transferred to a detention facility. Religious organizations are more than welcome to provide services to detainees in ICE detention facilities.”

McLaughlin said the Broadview facility had recently been the target of numerous attacks and vandalism by anti-Trump administration protesters that presented many public safety dangers, including assaults on law enforcement officers, throwing tear gas cans, slashing tires, firearms possession, and blocking the entrance of the building.

“ICE staff has repeatedly informed religious organizations that due to Broadview’s status as a field office and the ongoing threat to civilians, detainees, and officers … they are not able to accommodate these requests at this time,” she told CNA, adding: “Even before the attacks on the Broadview facility, it was not within standard operating procedure for religious services to be provided in a field office, as detainees are continuously brought in, processed, and transferred out.”

McLaughlin wrote on the X that “religious organizations have ALWAYS been welcome to provide services to detainees in ICE detention facilities. Religious leaders may request access to facilities through proper channels and have those requests approved.”

Tyler Arnold contributed to this story.

Father Guillermo Treviño Jr.’s national profile stemmed from his immigrant rights work with Escucha Mi Voz Iowa (“Hear My Voice Iowa”), a group aiding Latino workers, including immigrants. He is shown here during a meeting earlier this year with U.S. Sen.Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Escucha Mi Voz Iowa

CNA Staff, Nov 5, 2025 / 17:33 pm (CNA).

Father Guillermo Treviño Jr., a 39-year-old priest who advocated for the rights of immigrants in the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, passed away suddenly on Oct. 31, just hours after returning from a trip to the Vatican. 

His death from sepsis after a fatal stomach perforation was a complication of undiagnosed diabetes, according to his sister, Mariela Treviño-Luna, who had traveled with him to Italy.

Due to a shortage of priests in Iowa, Treviño served as a pastor of St. Joseph Church in Columbus Junction as well as St. Joseph Church in West Liberty, southeast of Iowa City.

Treviño’s national profile stemmed from his immigrant rights work as a founder, board president, and chaplain of Escucha Mi Voz Iowa, a group aiding Latino workers, including immigrants. Treviño had just returned from Rome, where he represented the group at Pope Leo XIV’s World Meeting of Popular Movements.

He fought deportations, notably for his godson, 18-year-old Pascual Pedro, a West Liberty High School soccer star U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported this summer despite his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. 

In a statement issued on the day of his death by the Diocese of Davenport, Bishop Dennis Walsh said: “Father Guillermo’s heart was consistently with those in need. Throughout the current migrant crises, he showed great compassion for the many migrants who find themselves on edge due to aggressive immigration enforcement action.” 

As pastor of both St. Joseph churches, Treviño nurtured the meatpacking and farming communities there with “remarkable authenticity,” Walsh said. 

“His voice was becoming a beacon of hope and advocacy on this vital issue, gaining national prominence,” Walsh continued in the statement. “He was recently invited to be part of a panel discussion at Georgetown University and had the distinct honor of traveling to the Vatican as part of the World Gathering of Popular Movements. His leadership and commitment to justice will be deeply missed by the Church and the wider community he so faithfully served.” 

Archbishop Thomas Zinkula of Dubuque recalled Treviño’s “playful and serious sides,” telling the Des Moines Register this week that “Father Guillermo loved movies, Star Wars, and professional wrestling. But he also was passionate about serving and advocating for immigrants. I was inspired by his total commitment to seeking justice and mercy for people on that particular margin of society.”

Born on March 7, 1986, in San Antonio, Texas, to Maria Luna and Guillermo Treviño Sr., Treviño and his family moved to Moline, Illinois, when he was 3. He earned an associate’s degree from Black Hawk College before entering seminary at Conception Seminary College and Mundelein Seminary. Despite an initial rejection, he said at the time that his faith — rekindled after his father’s early death — drove him forward. Ordained on June 6, 2015, he quickly became a force in rural Hispanic parishes.

According to the diocese’s statement, Treviño “received the National 2022 Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award. The award recognizes a ‘young faith-filled Catholic who has demonstrated leadership against poverty and injustice in the United States,’ according to the USCCB [U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops].”

“It recognizes the leadership, energy, and diverse skills that young people bring to the anti-poverty work of low-income projects and Catholic parishes. It highlights the gifts of young leaders and their Gospel commitment to the poor,” the statement said.

Treviño’s funeral Mass is set for Nov. 7 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport and will be livestreamed on YouTube. He is survived by his mother, sisters, and extended family.

Empty wheelchairs were used during a Nov. 4, 2025, anti-assisted suicide event in Rome. / Credit: Photo courtesy of ProVita & Famiglia

Rome, Italy, Nov 5, 2025 / 17:03 pm (CNA).

The Piazza del Popolo (People’s Square), one of Rome’s most iconic and monumental spaces, became the stage on Nov. 4 for a powerful campaign against a bill currently under consideration in the Italian Senate to decriminalize assisted suicide. 

Two hundred empty wheelchairs with a rose-colored balloon floating above each one were arranged in meticulously ordered rows in the center of the Italian capital’s expansive urban space by the pro-life ProVita & Famiglia association as part of a flash mob with a direct and unsettling message: “Non mi uccidere” (“Don’t kill me”).

The initiative aimed to denounce what the organization considers a “drift toward assisted suicide” in Italy.

Legislative background

Currently in Italy, anyone who “causes the death of a man with his consent” is punishable by six to 15 years in prison, according to Article 579 of the penal code.

However, in 2019 the country’s constitutional court partially modified this legislation, ruling that no one will be punished for killing “a patient who is kept alive by life-support treatments and suffers from an irreversible condition.”

This ruling came after the trial and subsequent acquittal of Marco Cappato, who was tried for accompanying producer Fabiano Antoniani, better known as DJ Fabo, to Switzerland to obtain assisted suicide in 2017. Antoniani had become quadriplegic and blind after an accident in 2014. 

Three years later, in 2022, Italy’s lower house passed a bill regulating a patient’s right to request medical assistance in dying based on certain conditions, such as being of legal age or suffering from an irreversible illness.

The legislation was then sent to the Senate, which has been debating the proposal for three years. The ProVita & Famiglia campaign aims to prevent its final passage.

According to the organizers, the 200 empty wheelchairs represent the sick, disabled, elderly, and vulnerable people who, in the association’s words, “are asking Parliament for more care, more rights, more dignity but are instead faced with cynical shortcuts to death.” 

“Only 33% of those entitled to palliative care” have access to it, according to data compiled by the organization, “with some Italian regions where coverage drops to as low as 4%-5%.” This figure leaves thousands of families without health care assistance.

Drifting toward assisted suicide

Italy has begun a “drift toward assisted suicide that could lead to a veritable state-sanctioned massacre of the sick, the elderly living alone, the depressed, and people with disabilities,” ProVita & Famiglia stated in a press release. 

“Any national law in this direction would only accentuate the process, reinforcing in public opinion the idea that the state can offer suicide as just another social and health care service,” the group warned.

Massimo Gandolfini, leader of the Family Day movement, also joined the Nov. 4 demonstration, reiterating his rejection of “any form of medically assisted dying.” In his address, he warned that “the experience of the 13 countries that have legalized it is devastating: From a few initial cases, it has grown to thousands every year, including young people with depression.”

Among the participants in the event was Emanuel Cosmin Stoica, a writer, activist, and disabled person. 

“In a moment of suffering,” he said, “I myself might think about death, but it is precisely then that society must help people live and not offer suicide as an escape from pain.” Instead, “the state must invest in assistance, psychological support, inclusion, and social networks that leave no one alone.”

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

Pope Leo XIV leads the faithful in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in reciting the Angelus on Nov. 2, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Nov 5, 2025 / 16:33 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday addressed a letter to seminarians of the Archdiocese of Trujillo, Peru, reminding them of the need to be close to Christ while discerning a vocation to the priesthood.

In a long letter to men studying at the “San Carlos y San Marcelo” major seminary, who celebrated the institution’s 400th anniversary on Nov. 4, the Holy Father emphasized that prayer and the search for truth are not “parallel journeys” but a single path that leads to God.

‘Nurture both’

“A piety without doctrine becomes fragile sentimentality; doctrine without prayer becomes sterile and cold,” he wrote. “Nurture both with balance and passion, knowing that only in this way can you authentically proclaim what you live and live coherently what you proclaim.”

As an Augustinian missionary, Leo XIV once served as the seminary’s director of studies. From 1989–1998 he taught San Carlos y San Marcelo seminarians canon law, moral theology, and patristics.

Stressing the importance of forming both the “spiritual and intellectual life” at the seminary, the Holy Father said the combination of study and prayer prepares candidates for a “solid and luminous priesthood.”

Focusing on the centrality of Jesus Christ, the pope said the “first task” of all seminarians is “to be with the Lord, to let him form you, to know and love him, so that you may become like him.” 

In the letter, he explained that the Church has always wanted seminaries to be places to help foster their personal relationship with Jesus and “prepare those who will be sent to serve the holy people of God.”

“For this reason, before anything else, it is necessary to allow the Lord to clarify one’s motivations and purify one’s intentions,” he wrote. “The priesthood cannot be reduced to ‘achieving ordination’ as if it were an external goal or an easy way out of personal problems.” 

The priesthood as ‘a total gift of one’s existence’

“It is not an escape from what one does not want to face, nor a refuge from emotional, family, or social difficulties; nor is it a promotion or a shelter, but a total gift of one’s existence,” he added.

Underscoring the importance of freedom in the discernment process, the pope said it is not possible for a man “bound by interests or fears” to freely offer his life for others through the priesthood.

“The will is truly free when it is not a slave,” he wrote in his letter, quoting St. Augustine’s “The City of God.”

“The decisive thing is not to be ‘ordained’ but truly to be priests,” he said.

Warning that the priesthood should not be confused with a “personal right” or a “mere prerogative or bureaucratic function,” Leo said a genuine vocation “arises from the choice of the Lord” to share in his saving ministry.

“Seminary life is a journey of inner rectification,” he said. “Rectitude of intention means being able to say every day, with simplicity and truth: ‘Lord, I want to be your priest, not for myself, but for your people.’”

Encouraging seminarians to be configured to Christ, the Holy Father urged them to devote time to encountering the Lord through dedicated times to prayer and study using sacred Scripture. 

‘Those who do not speak enough with God cannot speak of God’

“Time spent in prayer is the most fruitful investment of one’s life, because it is there that the Lord shapes our feelings, purifies our desires, and strengthens our vocation,” he said. “Those who do not speak enough with God cannot speak of God!”

Speaking about the importance of the magisterium, the pope said: “The Church has always recognized that the encounter with the Lord needs to be rooted in intelligence and to become doctrine.”

“Without serious study there is no true pastoral ministry, because the ministry consists in leading people to know and love Christ and, in him, to find salvation,” he wrote.

Before concluding his letter with his apostolic blessing, the Holy Father said Eucharistic union and communion with others is essential to understand Jesus’ “priestly fatherhood” and “the unity between ministry and sacrifice.”

“Dear sons, in conclusion, I want to assure you that you have a place in the heart of the successor of Peter,” he said. “The seminary is an immense and demanding gift, but you are never alone on this journey.”