On Oct. 6, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a rehearing of the case filed by Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and their supporters, that would have prevented the sale of a Native American sacred site to a mining company. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Becket

CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

A Native American group working to stop the destruction of a centuries-old religious ritual site has lost a last-ditch appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the transfer and obliteration of the Arizona parcel.

The Supreme Court in an unsigned order on Oct. 6 said Apache Stronghold’s petition for a rehearing had been denied. The court did not give a reason for the denial.

Justice Neil Gorsuch would have granted the request, the order noted. Justice Samuel Alito, meanwhile, “took no part in the consideration or decision” of the order. 

The denial likely deals a death blow to the Apache group’s attempts to halt the destruction of Oak Flat, which has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals. 

The federal government is selling the land to the multinational Resolution Copper company, which plans to destroy the site as part of a copper mining operation. 

The coalition had brought the lawsuit to the Supreme Court earlier this year under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, arguing that the sale of the site would violate the decades-old federal statute restricting the government’s ability to encroach on religious liberty. 

The high court in May refused to hear the case. Gorsuch dissented from that decision as well, arguing that the court “should at least have troubled itself to hear [the] case” before “allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site.”

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the May ruling as well, though he did not add his dissent to the Oct. 6 denial of the appeal. 

In a statement, Apache Stronghold said that while the decision was "deeply disappointing, the fight to protect Oak Flat is far from over."

The group vowed to "continue pressing our cases in the lower courts."

"Oak Flat deserves the same respect and protection this country has long given to other places of worship," the group said.

The coalition has garnered support from major Catholic backers in its religious liberty bid. Last year the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops joined an amicus brief arguing that lower court decisions allowing the sale of Oak Flat represent “a grave misunderstanding” of religious freedom law. 

The Knights of Columbus similarly filed a brief in support of the Apaches, arguing that the decision to allow the property to be mined applies an “atextual constraint” to the federal religious freedom law with “no grounding in the statute itself.”

Though Apache Stronghold appears to have exhausted its legal options, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said on Aug. 18 that the Oak Flat site would not be transferred to Resolution Copper amid emergency petitions from the San Carlos Apache Tribe as well as the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition. That dispute is still playing out at federal court.

null / Credit: PIGAMA/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan has announced changes to the locations and celebrants of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in the diocese, prompted by a clergy shortage exacerbated by the recent deaths of several priests.

“Bishop Brennan very much wants to meet the needs of the people and has developed an approach that will be more sustainable,” diocesan spokesman John Quaglione told CNA. 

At the end of September, TLM attendees at St. Cecilia Church in Brooklyn were informed the Mass will no longer be offered there after Oct. 12 but will continue to be offered about five miles away at Our Lady Queen of Peace in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn and St. Josaphat’s in the Bayside area of Queens.

Quaglione told CNA that the weekly attendance at the Mass at St. Cecilia’s was averaging between 25 and 35 people and was being served by a rotation of priests that can no longer continue because of the declining numbers of parish priests in the diocese.

In order to address the priest shortage, Brennan is employing a “site model.” The official site in Brooklyn will be Our Lady Queen of Peace, which has celebrated the TLM for more than 25 years, and the official site in Queens will be at St. Josaphat’s, which has also celebrated the TLM for years and which will now be run by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

Priests will still rotate to say the Latin Mass at the Brooklyn site.

Quaglione told CNA that with the recent deaths of several priests in the Brooklyn Diocese, where priests already minister to two or three parishes each and where Masses have had to be cut as a result, “the bishop is taking the initiative here and seeing the writing on the wall. He does want to provide the TLM for the people.” 

“By cutting the Mass at the St. Cecilia site, we’re actually bettering our ability to provide the TLM with this model, which addresses staffing concerns and gives the assurance of the continuation of the Mass,” he said.

Average weekly Mass attendance at St. Josaphat’s is around 240 people, and at Our Lady Queen of Peace, it averages about 65 attendees, according to Quaglione.

Neither the revised official Mass schedule nor the exact date of the Christ the King Institute takeover of St. Josaphat’s has been finalized, according to the Brooklyn Diocese.

The Christ the King Institute priests will establish an oratory at St. Josaphat Parish, which other orders in the diocese have already done, according to the press secretary.

According to its website, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest “celebrates the classical Roman Liturgy, the ‘Latin Mass,’ in its traditional form according to the liturgical books promulgated in 1962 by Pope St. John XXIII.”

“During his pontificate, Pope St. John Paul II exhorted bishops to be generous in allowing its use. It was with his blessing that the Institute began to celebrate the Traditional Mass.”

The institute, based out of Chicago, did not respond to a request for comment.

null / Credit: Wolfgang Schaller|Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments on Oct. 7 scrutinized Colorado’s law banning counseling on gender identity with some justices voicing concern about possible viewpoint discrimination and free speech restrictions embedded in the statute.

Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson defended the law, which prohibits licensed psychologists and therapists from engaging in any efforts that it considers “conversion therapy” when treating minors. It does not apply to parents, members of the clergy, or others.

Nearly half of U.S. states have a similar ban. The Supreme Court ruling on this matter could set nationwide precedent on the legality of such laws. 

The Colorado law defines “conversion therapy” as treatments designed to change a person’s “sexual orientation or gender identity,” including changes to “behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex” even if the minor and his or her family has requested that care.

Under the law, permitted therapy includes “acceptance, support, and understanding” of a minor’s self-asserted transgender identity or same-sex attraction.

The law is being challenged by Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor who provides faith-based counseling to clients with gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction.

Free speech and viewpoint discrimination

Stevenson argued that Colorado’s law is not a speech restriction but instead a regulation on a specific type of “treatment,” saying that regulations cannot cease to apply “just because they are using words.”

“That treatment does not work and carries great risk of harm,” Stevenson said, referring to the practices the state considers to be “conversion therapy.”

She argued that health care has been “heavily regulated since the beginning of our country” and compared “conversion therapy” to doctors providing improper advice on how to treat a condition. She claimed this therapy falsely asserts “you can change this innate thing about yourself.”

“The client and the patient [are] expecting accurate information,” Stevenson said.

Justice Samuel Alito told Stevenson the law sounds like “blatant viewpoint discrimination,” noting that a minor can receive talk therapy welcoming homosexual inclinations but cannot access therapy to reduce those urges. He said it is a restriction “based on the viewpoint expressed.”

Alito said the state’s position is “a minor should not be able to obtain talk therapy to overcome same-sex attraction [even] if that’s what he wants.”

Stevenson argued Colorado is not engaged in viewpoint discrimination and said: “Counseling is an evidence-based practice.” She said it would be wrong to suggest lawmakers “reach[ed] this conclusion based on anything other than protection of minors.”

“There is no other motive going on to suppress viewpoint or expression,” Stevenson said.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch asked questions about how to handle issues where medical disagreement exists.

Gorsuch noted, for example, that homosexuality was historically viewed as a mental disorder and asked Stevenson whether it would have been legal for states to ban therapy that affirmed a person’s homosexuality at that time. Stevenson argued that at that time, it would have been legal.

Banning ‘voluntary conversations’

Alliance Defending Freedom Chief Counsel Jim Campbell argued on behalf of Chiles and her counseling services, telling the justices his client offers “voluntary speech between a licensed professional and a minor,” and the law bans “voluntary conversations.”

Campbell noted that if one of her minor clients says, “I would like help realigning my identity with my sex,” then the law requires that Chiles “has to deny them.”

“Kids and families that want this kind of help … are being left without any kind of support,” he added, warning that Chiles, her clients, and potential clients are suffering irreparable harm if access to this treatment continues to be denied.

Campbell argued that “many people have experienced life-changing benefits from this kind of counseling,” many of whom are seeking to “align their life with their religion” and improve their “relationship with God.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor contested whether the issue was about free speech, noting Colorado pointed to studies that such therapy efforts “harm the child … emotionally and physically.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson similarly objected to the claim, questioning whether a counselor acting in her professional capacity “is really expressing … a message for a First Amendment purposes.” She said treatment is different than writing an article about conversion therapy or giving a speech about it.

Campbell disagreed, arguing: “This involves a conversation,” and “a one-on-one conversation is a form of speech.” He said Chiles is “discussing concepts of identity and behaviors and attraction” and simply helping her clients “achieve their goals.”

FDA sign outside their headquarters in Washington, D.C. / Credit: JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Catholic bishops sharply criticized the Trump administration’s recent approval of the generic abortion drug mifepristone, saying that women and children deserve better care. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug even as the administration is currently investigating the abortion drug for safety concerns. 

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has previously acknowledged concerns over the safety of the drug and said in a hearing last month that the investigation is ongoing. Even so, the FDA’s approval of the generic version will make the drug even more accessible. 

“Mothers in need and their preborn children deserve better,” said Bishop Daniel Thomas, who heads the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, in response to the FDA’s decision. 

In a statement, Thomas called the decision “jarring” and “contradictory.”

“At the same time that the Food and Drug Administration is conducting a much-needed review of the supposed safety of the abortion pill for women, it is nonetheless approving a new generic for this deadly drug,” Thomas said.

“The FDA took shortcuts in originally approving and loosening protocols for mifepristone, which enabled the killing of more children and placed the health of more women in danger,” he continued.

More than 1 in 10 women who take the abortion pill mifepristone to complete a chemical abortion will suffer a serious health complication within 45 days of taking the drug, a study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center found.

The study also found that the rate of serious adverse side effects occurs at 22 times the rate that the FDA-approved drug label currently indicates.

“Even if it eventually had to be approved as a generic version of the same drug, to do so now and make it more available before a recently-announced safety study can be completed and potentially save lives, is a shocking inconsistency,” Thomas said. 

Dangers of drug 

Dr. Susan Bane, vice chair of the board of directors of American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, called the FDA’s decision “a serious misjudgment that will have deadly consequences.” 

Mifepristone poses a danger “not only to preborn babies but to unsuspecting pregnant women as well,” Bane, an OB-GYN with more than 25 years of experience in women’s health care, told CNA.

“When the side effects of this drug are already misreported and under-investigated, expanding access to it is the wrong course of action,” she said. 

Jennie Bradley Lichter, March for Life president, said she is “devastated” by the decision. 

“I’m devastated that this dangerous drug, which has serious adverse effects for 11% of women who take it, is getting a stronger and stronger foothold,” she said in a statement shared with CNA. 

Noting that the agency “has limited discretion under the law to decline approval for a generic that matches an approved name-brand drug,” Lichter expressed concerns for women and children.  

“Every day that mifepristone remains on the market, with very few safeguards in place around it, heaps danger upon danger for American women and results in more and more babies being killed,” Lichter said. 

Evita Solutions, LLC, the pro-abortion company producing the generic drug, has said it seeks to “normalize abortion.” 

But Thomas highlighted the importance of support and care for women and children.

Mothers and children “deserve the fullest, most authentic care that we can offer in all respects,” the bishop said.

Thomas looked ahead to the FDA investigation of the abortion drug mifepristone.

“I pray that the forthcoming review of mifepristone will undo many of these tragic developments and that we may, instead, meet women with hope and meaningful support,” he said.

The Tomb of St. Francis. / Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Convent Press Office

Rome Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

For the first time, the body of St. Francis of Assisi will be visible to all, from Feb. 22 to March 22, 2026. This religious and historical event was announced on the memorial of the saint of Assisi (Oct. 4) and will coincide with the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis in 1226.

The announcement was made from the Loggia delle Benedizioni by Fray Giulio Cesareo, director of the press office of the Sacred Convent, following Mass celebrated in the Upper Basilica of the Umbrian city, presided over by Monsignor Camillo Cibotti, president of the Episcopal Conference of Abruzzo and Molise, along with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, papal legate for the papal basilicas of Assisi, the bishop of Assisi, and the general and provincial ministries of the Franciscan families.

In his homily, Cibotti emphasized the “newness of life” that Francis presents to the world. “A new way of feeling, of thinking, of living Christ,” Cibotti noted. The mayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi, lit the votive lamp of the Municipalities of Italy, representing the Italian people during the celebration.

The first part of the celebration for the feast of St. Francis, patron saint of Italy, concluded with speeches from the authorities from the loggia of the sacred convent. Reference was also made to the reinstatement of Oct. 4 as a national holiday in that country.

“In recent days, Parliament approved the law making Oct. 4 a national holiday,” declared the custos of the Sacred Convent, Friar Marco Moroni, OFMConv, at the beginning of the celebration in the basilica. “This is not just a tribute to the patron saint of Italy, but a recognition of values ​​that speak to everyone. For this celebration to be truly fruitful, everyone must draw concrete consequences from it: our communities with their daily lives; local governments with their choices for justice and inclusion; Parliament and the government with laws and policies consistent with what is proclaimed today; each of us with sober and fraternal lifestyle choices.” 

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, also present at the celebration, addressed Italy from the loggia of the Sacred Convent: “The devotion of Italians to St. Francis is strong, authentic, and visceral, which can be seen in the faces of the pilgrims present here. Today the Italian people turn their gaze here, to Assisi, because St. Francis is one of the founding figures of the Italian identity. Francis of Assisi was a man of action, extreme but not extremist. Today we celebrate Francis not because he needs us, but because we need him.”

At the celebration the exposition of the remains of St. Francis in 2026 was also announced. The press release from the Sacred Convent of Assisi stated: “This exposition, rooted in the evangelical theme of the seed that dies to bear fruit in love and brotherhood, invites us to consider the life of the saint, who continues to bear fruit after 800 years and to inspire all humanity on the path of peace, brotherhood, service to the least, joy and care for creation.”

“The eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis, in 2026, is a time of remembrance and renewal. We do not celebrate death, but, recognizing it as a ‘sister’ to St. Francis, we celebrate the life that blossoms from the gift and offering of self,” the statement continued.

“It is in this spirit that, thanks to the approval granted by the Holy Father Leo XIV through the Vatican Secretariat of State, the public display of his mortal remains will take place,” the statement said.

The body of St. Francis will be moved from his tomb, located in the crypt, and placed at the foot of the papal altar in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis. The tomb’s history itself holds significant historical and religious significance: after the death of the Poverello saint, “the body was made inaccessible,” the press office of the Sacred Convent explained, “beneath the basilica’s high altar to prevent any possible theft. It remained hidden for centuries, until, after a long and arduous search, it was finally discovered on the night between Dec. 12 and 13, 1818.”

The first official recognition took place in 1819, confirming the identity of the remains of the saint of Assisi. There are also other recognitions, such as the one in 1978, in preparation for the 750th anniversary of his death, and the most recent one in 2015.

For more information: www.sanfrancescovive.org

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

Virginia State House. / Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Richmond, Virginia, Oct 8, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Virginia’s two Catholic bishops are urging voters to “form [their] consciences and vote” in the state’s upcoming gubernatorial election that could also see the state poised to pass a far-reaching pro-abortion constitutional amendment.

The Virginia Catholic Conference at its “Election 2025 Resource Hub” tells voters that every seat in the state House of Delegates is up for vote, while the state’s top-ranking executive positions of governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general are also in play. 

“While every year in Virginia is an election year, this November’s elections are poised to have an outsized impact on our Commonwealth,” the bishops said. 

They pointed to the state government’s ongoing consideration of an “extreme constitutional amendment” that would establish a so-called “right” to abortion. 

A letter from Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge and Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout said the amendment would “allow virtually unlimited abortion at any stage of pregnancy.” 

The text of the proposal would establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” and would only allow regulating abortion in the final three months of pregnancy. 

The state, however, would be forbidden from restricting an abortion if a doctor determined it would negatively affect the “physical and mental health” of the mother, a provision that pro-life advocates have argued essentially preempts any regulation of abortion whatsoever.

In a voting guide the state Catholic conference noted that the “extreme, radical, and deadly” amendment includes no age restrictions or safety standards and also “jeopardizes” the state’s parental consent laws and conscience protections for health care workers. 

Other proposed amendments include one that would remove a “one man and one woman” definition of marriage from the state constitution as well as a proposal backed by the state bishops that would restore voting rights to criminals who have completed their prison sentences. 

“The legislators we elect this November will decide whether the proposed amendments are advanced or stopped,” the state conference said. 

Democratic candidate supports abortion, assisted suicide, opposes conscience protections

Competing in the state gubernatorial race this year are current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia. 

In a candidate comparison handout, the state bishops noted that Spanberger has voiced support for assisted suicide, while Earle-Sears has argued against it, stating: “We don’t want to be in the business of death.” 

Earle-Sears, meanwhile, has expressed support for legal conscience protections for health care professionals and other religious objectors, while Spanberger has explicitly said she opposes allowing religious institutions to opt out of medical procedures with which they disagree. 

The bishops further highlighted the state races for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Former State Del. Jay Jones, a Democrat who is running for attorney general, has voiced support for abortion and for now-repealed state rules that allowed teachers to hide a child’s chosen “gender identity” from his or her parents. Current Attorney General Jason Miyares has spoken out against such rules. 

In a separate handout, the state Catholic conference emphasized the “four principles of Catholic social teaching” articulated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, including “the dignity of the human person” and “the common good.”

Protecting human dignity, the bishops said, includes opposing abortion, euthanasia, and human cloning as well as “overcoming poverty, ending use of the death penalty, and opposing racism, torture, unjust war,” and other injustices. 

“With so much at stake, we must prepare to engage in this year’s critical voting decisions — through conscience formation, prayer, and fasting,” Burbidge and Knestout wrote. 

“United in the Eucharist, let us pray for one another and join together as active participants in promoting the common good.”

null / Credit: Stephen Kiers/Shutterstock

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

A New Jersey teacher’s dismissal from her Catholic school classroom over her role as a surrogate mother has raised the question of just when Catholic employers can dismiss workers for not adhering to the faith. 

The teacher, Jadira Bonilla, was put on paid administrative leave after school officials discovered that she had agreed to serve as a surrogate for another couple. She told a Philadelphia news station that she had previously served as a surrogate for the same couple without incident while working at another Catholic school.

Administrators at St. Mary Catholic School in Vineland “said I was possibly in violation of my contract and that I would be suspended or placed on administrative leave,” the teacher told the news outlet. 

Bonilla “is a valued teacher and one we hope will one day again teach in our school with the full knowledge of our faith, which guides our educational principles,” the school told the media in a statement. 

Court rulings protect Catholic employers

L. Martin Nussbaum, an attorney who specializes in First Amendment and religious freedom protections and who serves as counsel for the Catholic Benefits Association, said there are “many protections for Catholic employers” in the United States. 

The Catholic Benefits Association says on its website that it “advocates for and litigates in defense of our members’ First Amendment rights to provide employee benefits and a work environment that is consistent with the Catholic faith.” 

The organization notes that “new regulations, laws, legal outcomes, and legislation” can affect how Catholic employers can do business, though Nussbaum said there are “a number of very powerful protections” for Catholic businesses in the U.S. 

It is unclear if Bonilla, the New Jersey teacher, has filed a lawsuit against the school over its policies, but Nussbaum said if she did, “she would probably file it under a discrimination lawsuit, under the basis of pregnancy, which is a protected class under some laws.”

Yet the school and other Catholic employers can cite multiple Supreme Court rulings in their defense, Nussbaum said. Among them is the landmark 2012 Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In that decision the high court ruled unanimously that the First Amendment allows religious organizations to hire and fire ministers without regard to federal discrimination laws. A ruling in 2020’s Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru further strengthened that principle. 

The rule applies to teachers as well, “especially if they’re involved in helping inculcate the faith,” Nussbaum said.

“[That’s] the only reason Catholic schools exist,” he noted. “You can hire a secular atheist to teach a child to read. But parents make tremendous sacrifices to put their children in Catholic schools, not only to read and write, but to transmit the faith.”

More broadly, for decades U.S. case law has recognized the right to “freedom of association.” 

In the Supreme Court’s landmark 2000 ruling in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, the court held that the government is not allowed to “compel [an] organization to accept members where such acceptance would derogate from the organization’s expressive message.” In that ruling, the court denied efforts by a gay man to force the Boy Scouts of America to allow him to be a scoutmaster. 

Nussbaum said that state laws can offer protection in addition to federal shields. In 2023, for instance, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that a “religious tenets” exception to a state nondiscrimination law allowed a Catholic school to fire a teacher who became pregnant out of wedlock.

Nussbaum said there is “some variation around the edges” regarding state laws but that the federal rulings make religious protections “really quite strong across all the states.”

He said Catholic employers can take care to ensure they are within the law in hiring and firing decisions in part by outlining the religious dimensions and roles of jobs. “That should be articulated,” he said.

The attorney said disputes over transgender identity and ideology have opened up new avenues for plaintiffs to potentially sue Catholic employers over religious employment decisions.

But “the law is quite strong for vindicating the freedom of religious institutions to insist that those who are advancing the religious mission are in line with that mission,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV answers questions from the media outside Castel Gandolfo in Italy on Oct. 7, 2025. / Credit: Hannah Brockhaus/CNA

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Oct 7, 2025 / 11:58 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV called Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, an act of terrorism that cannot be tolerated and lamented the large number of Palestinian lives lost during “a painful two years.”

Addressing a group of journalists just outside his Castel Gandolfo residence, Villa Barberini, on Oct. 7, the pope said: “Two years ago it was a terroristic attack. ... more than 1,200 people killed.”

“We really need to think hard about how much hatred there is in the world and start with ourselves, asking why it exists and what we can do about it,” he added. “Then, in two years, 60,000–67,000 Palestinians have been killed. It really makes you think about how much violence there is and how good it is to promote peace.”

Leo answered questions from journalists as he left Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. He has spent every Tuesday at the papal retreat, located 18 miles south of Rome, since Sept. 9.

“It is certain that we cannot accept groups that cause terrorism; we must always reject this style of hatred in the world,” the pope said, noting as well that antisemitism is also on the rise.

He pointed out that he has asked the Church to pray in a special way for peace during the month of October.

“We must respect the dignity of everyone. This is the message of the Church,” he said.

The pope declined to answer a question about ICE raids in Chicago. “I prefer not to comment at this time about choices made, about political choices, in the United States,” he said.

In the three-and-a-half minute exchange with journalists, Leo also commented briefly on his first international trip to Turkey and Lebanon Nov. 27–Dec. 2, announced by the Vatican on Tuesday.

The visit to the historic site of Nicaea in Turkey for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea will be a “historic moment,” he said, “but it is not to look back, it is to move forward.”

He called it a moment “of unity in the faith for all Christians” and pointed out that his predecessor, Francis, was hoping to make the trip to Turkey himself. 

In Lebanon, there will be “the opportunity to proclaim once again the message of peace in the Middle East, in a country that has suffered so much,” Leo said.

“Pope Francis wanted to go there too,” the pontiff added, “he wanted to reach out to the people who are living after the explosion, after all they have suffered. We will try to bring this message of peace and hope.”

Looking ahead to the Oct. 9 release of his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, which will be on the topic of poverty, Leo said, “that is the message of the Gospel.”

“Ultimately, whatever the pope says or announces must always be rooted in the Gospel. That is what we want to try to do,” he said.

This story was updated on Oct. 7, 2025, at 12:35 p.m. ET.

Bishop Pavel Konzbul of Brno, Czech Republic. / Credit: Diocese of Brno

Rome, Italy, Oct 7, 2025 / 09:47 am (CNA).

Czech Catholic bishops welcomed the results of the parliamentary elections on Oct. 3–4, which saw a populist party win the most votes but fall short of a majority, while a far-left coalition that bishops had warned had an explicitly anti-church platform failed to enter Parliament.

The ANO 2011 party, led by billionaire former pime minister Andrej Babiš, won 35% of the vote, while the Stačilo! coalition, led by communists and proposing restrictions on religious freedom, received only 4.3%, below the 5% threshold needed to enter the Chamber of Deputies.

Archbishop Josef Nuzík of Olomouc, chairman of the Czech Bishops’ Conference, issued a statement congratulating Babiš and pledging to “pray for the newly elected legislators” so that “we can live in peace, mutual respect, and together strive for the well-being of our home.”

“I wish that our new parliamentary representatives would be able to build bridges, be sensitive to the weak and needy, honestly seek the truth, strive for understanding in society, and be ready to defend the rule of law and a just peace,” Nuzík stated.

The archbishop thanked citizens who participated in the elections and “showed interest in our common future.”

Bishops assess outcome

Bishop Pavel Konzbul of the Diocese of Brno told CNA that “the Czechs have rejected extremist parties, although both the far left and the far right had a strong campaign.”

“This is good news,” Konzbul said.

The bishop noted that a “slightly different course in foreign policy is to be expected, namely toward Ukraine and the EU.”

He said he is “curious to see how many of the numerous promises” the new government likely to be formed by ANO 2011 “will be able to fulfill, as promises were made to all groups of the population during the campaign.”

Election results impact relationship with EU

The outgoing government coalition SPOLU, formed by the parties ODS, TOP09, and the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), received 23% of the vote, finishing second. The STAN party (Mayors and Independents) received 11%.

Other parties entering Parliament include the Czech Pirate Party, the SPD (Freedom and Direct Democracy), and the newcomer Motoristé sobě (Motorists for Themselves).

Turnout was almost 70% of eligible voters in a country of nearly 11 million people.

Stanislav Balík, dean of the faculty of social studies at Masaryk University in Brno and an independent senator, told CNA the results suggest the new government will likely “not be inclined to wider cooperation with Western states” and be “more friendly with Russia and less so toward Ukraine.”

However, the Czech political system “has checks and balances to prevent change from being rapid and absolute like the Senate, president, etc.,” Balík said.

The Czech Parliament consists of two chambers, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Citizens voted for the Chamber of Deputies, which determines the composition of the government. The prime minister is the head of government, who is formed by a majority of political parties that enter the Chamber of Deputies after elections every four years. The president has a more representative function.

Preelection concerns about religious freedom

In the weeks leading up to the election, the Czech Bishops’ Conference issued a prayer novena and specifically warned about the threats to religious freedom posed by the Stačilo! coalition.

Archbishop Jan Graubner of Prague stated before the vote that he would not support populists, financially irresponsible politicians, or those who do not support Ukraine.

“Responsible people do not go into debt, and if they do, not for unnecessary things,” Graubner said.

He said he could not vote for politicians who want to leave the European Union and NATO, which the Czech Republic is part of, or for those who “spread hatred toward any group of people, (Ukrainians, Jews, people with a different orientation...).”

Graubner said he could not vote for the Stačilo! movement.

Konzbul told CNA that the far-left coalition “had an explicitly anti-church program.” The bishops issued a formal statement warning that the Stačilo! coalition had proposals to limit financing of Christian and private schools and to invalidate marriages celebrated in churches.

“It was for the first time the ČBK clearly named the choice of a specific party, and those who would like to cooperate with it, as evil,” Balík said.

Analysts: No culture wars expected

Roman Joch, a political scientist who served as adviser to former prime minister Petr Nečas, told CNA that regarding religious freedom, “nothing bad happened, nothing got worse, it is very good as far as possible.”

“Andrej Babiš is a pragmatist who does not want to wage cultural wars against Christian civilization,” Joch said. He will not be pro-Russian as he is also a businessman with economic interests in the European Union, and not in Russia, Joch explained. 

“The progressive Czech Pirate Party will be in opposition and have no chance to damage anything,” he added.

Alexander Tomský, a Jewish commentator and promoter of Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton, told CNA that the communists are “primarily concerned with benefits” and “would have little potential” to be invited into government.

The communists “cannot influence religious freedom or harm the Catholic Church either,” Tomský said.

He considers communism “a dead ideology” and thinks its representatives “will not enter the Chamber of Deputies again.”

For many years, the Communist Party of the Czech Lands and Moravia (KSČM) was present in Parliament but ran this election within the Stačilo coalition headed by Kateřina Konečná, a member of the European Parliament for KSČM.

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Vatican City, Oct 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

A new institute at Pope Leo XIV’s undergraduate alma mater wants to change the “mental pattern” that associates immigrants with crime.

In the 19th century, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini embraced the travails of millions of recently arrived Italian immigrants to the United States. Inspired by this legacy of the first American saint, Villanova University — the flagship institution of the Order of St. Augustine — has just launched the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration.

It was from this institution of higher learning in Philadelphia that Robert Francis Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977.

The initiative is based on the Augustinian values ​​of “veritas, unitas, and caritas” (truth, unity, and charity) and seeks to bring together the academic community and other external stakeholders to promote concrete actions to address the contemporary challenges of migration.

“Currently, there is a mentality that associates immigrants with crime, drug trafficking, or human trafficking. However, immigrants are the ones who care for our children and our elders; we open the doors of our homes to them so they can clean our homes. We invite them into the most intimate parts of our lives, yet the media generates contrary images that make it difficult to recognize their humanity,” explained Professor Michele Pistone, director of the center, which was inaugurated at the Vatican on Sept. 30.

The institute seeks to reverse negative perceptions through an interdisciplinary approach based on four pillars: teaching, research, advocacy, and service.

“We want to transform hearts and minds, work with all Villanova colleges, and connect with centers, alumni, and community partners to create systemic change,” the professor said.

For Pistone, the university is an ideal setting for this type of work. “What better place to do it than at a university, where we can study it, be active on the ground, learn from the experience, and teach students — the future leaders of our country and businesses — to understand the migrant experience?”

The scholar also participated in the event “Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home,” which took place in Rome from Oct. 1–3 ahead of the Jubilee of Migrants (Oct. 4–5). The more than 200 participants in the global gathering from over 40 countries were welcomed to the Vatican last week by Pope Leo XIV.

As Pistone explained in conversation with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, the seed of the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration was planted in 2022 when Pope Francis called on universities to research and teach more about migrants and refugees.

“I was in the front row and felt like he was speaking directly to me. I felt a personal calling to be part of the solution,” said the law professor at Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law.

Personal inspiration and lifelong commitment

Pistone’s passion for migration is deeply rooted in her family history. During her studies in Italy, she visited Sicily in search of the origins of her grandparents, who immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.

“Seeing my relatives, who didn’t know my father, and seeing how they rejoiced in his accomplishments in New York, changed my life. I began to understand the history of migrants from a lived perspective, and that led me to work with asylum seekers since 1999,” Pistone said.

For Pistone, migration is part of the identity and mission of the United States. “My state, Pennsylvania, was founded as a refuge for those fleeing religious persecution. That’s what asylum is all about: offering refuge to those who cannot live according to their beliefs or express themselves freely,” she explained.

Inspired by the life and work of Mother Cabrini, canonized by Pius XII in 1946, Pistone emphasized the value of the newly inaugurated center as an intellectual and social hub: “Mother Cabrini was a visionary and social entrepreneur. Her charisma guides us today in asking ourselves: What is Mother Cabrini’s work in the contemporary world? We want to carry out that mission through education, research, public advocacy, and service.”

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