Sacred Heart Catholic Church

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.

Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Dubuque, Iowa, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. / Credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Nov 5, 2025 / 12:50 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, is in the midst of a restructuring plan called the “Journey in Faith” initiative that will result in parish mergers and other major changes due to declining church attendance, financial pressures, and priest shortages.

At a homily he gave at the beginning of September, Archbishop Thomas Zinkula cited “dramatic shifts in population, culture, and finances within our archdiocese. We are using only 37% of our church capacities each weekend. Since 2006, Mass attendance is down 46% throughout the archdiocese.”

According to archdiocesan data, Catholic marriages have declined 57% and infant baptisms are down 22% since 2006. The only liturgical celebration that has increased is Catholic funerals, up 3% in the same time period.

Regarding the priest shortage, there is currently only one priest for every two parishes in the northeastern Iowa archdiocese of about 182,000 Catholics, with 85 priests actively serving in the archdiocese. The number is expected to continue to decline.

Zinkula told CNA on Nov. 5 that he understands that it is upsetting to parishioners to see, in the initial models of the initiative, their parishes without weekend Masses. 

He said, however, that the cancellation of Masses “is not the same as ‘closing’ a church, as those churches may still be used for other liturgical celebrations, such as funerals, weddings, and weekday Masses. They also can continue to serve as hubs for charitable outreach in the community and offer opportunities to grow in faith.”

“We are exploring models for grouping archdiocesan parishes into ‘pastorates,’” Zinkula continued, “and eventually merging each pastorate into a single parish, which typically utilizes multiple churches for weekend Masses. These models focus on strengthening relationships so we can share human and material resources.”

In a video message issued Sept. 2, Zinkula told the faithful: “I desperately want and need to hear from you.”

As part of the restructuring initiative’s three-month public input process, in September the Archdiocese of Dubuque held 34 regional informational sessions for parishioners to learn more about the process. Those meetings preceded the next step, local parish input sessions, that began in October and have allowed parishioners to provide verbal feedback through Nov. 21 as well as written feedback via the initiative’s website.

The archbishop explained to CNA that “the models currently under review are not decisions. They are starting points — designed to elicit reactions and perspectives. They have certainly done so, which is a good thing! I’m glad there is so much passion. It would greatly concern me if there was widespread apathy on this important topic.” 

Mark Tillman, a parishioner in Dubuque, told KWWL this week that he’s concerned “these draconian cuts to the rural parishes will be morally and spiritually devastating to our parishes and our communities will suffer.”

Tillman said his parish and the ones around it are financially stable. “It would rip my soul out to have my parish close,” Tillman said. “I’ve developed relationships. I have friends. I’ve worked with the parish. I go to confession. I do everything the church has asked me to do, and they want to take it away for me. I’m sorry.” 

Zinkula said in a statement in September that he knows how “difficult” it is to lose one’s parish: “My own home parish was once merged into a neighboring parish, so I understand the sense of loss this can bring. And yet, I believe with all my heart that this journey is worth it — because it can reenergize our parishes, draw back our children and grandchildren, and strengthen our mission to proclaim the Gospel.”

Group photo of Congregation of Jesus (CJ) sisters and Father Arturo Sosa after Mass on Nov. 4, 2025. The CJ and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM) have officially merged into one congregation. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Congregatio Jesu

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 5, 2025 / 11:56 am (CNA).

The Congregation of Jesus (CJ) and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM) unified about 1,800 sisters across 40 countries after officially merging into one congregation on Tuesday.

The two congregations of apostolic women merged “after years of prayer, collaboration, and shared ministry,” IBVM said in a statement. “We now share one name, one vision, and one spirit — continuing Mary Ward’s legacy together as a single, international congregation.”

The merger decree became official on Nov. 4 at a Mass and celebration in Loyola, Spain, presided over by Father Arturo Sosa, the general superior of the Jesuits. The Mass will be followed by a Nov. 5 symposium called: “Women of the Dawn: On the Threshold of New Beginnings.”

In 1609, Ward founded an apostolic institute of religious women modeled on the framework of the Society of Jesus. She wanted to create a community of sisters who were not cloistered, had no specific religious dress, and focused on God’s compassion. The institute broke off into two branches, but both remained dedicated to Ward’s mission.

IBVM members, also known as Loretto Sisters, will now be religious women of the Congregation of Jesus. Despite the change in name, the sisters said they remain who they have always been: “women inspired by the Gospel and dedicated to serving God’s people.”

As one unified congregation, the sisters said they will continue “working in education, social justice, pastoral ministry, and advocacy for women and those on the margins.” They will live out Ward’s belief that “women in time to come will do much.”

“We are very happy that we can finally fulfill Mary Ward’s dream of a united congregation of women religious with the same constitutions as those of the Society of Jesus,” said Sister Veronica Fuhrmann, general superior of CJ, in a press release. “We share the same charism, the same values, and the same understanding of mission.”

“Union of minds and hearts, which St. Ignatius has so aptly described and held in the highest esteem, is the bond that deeply connects us,” Fuhrmann said.

“In a fractured world, our members have freely chosen to become one congregation as a witness to Christ’s Gospel message of peace and harmony,” said Sister Carmel Swords, CJ, former institute leader of IBVM. “We have listened to the promptings of the Spirit and embark on this journey with renewed missionary zeal.”

“We believe that together we are stronger,” Swords said. “We move forward filled with gratitude and a desire to serve God’s people in freedom and joy.”

Cardinal Robert McElroy at the Church of San Frumenzio ai Prati Fiscali in Rome on April 23, 2023, when he took possession of his titular church as a cardinal. / Credit: Pablo Esparza/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 5, 2025 / 11:11 am (CNA).

Cardinal Robert McElroy, the 71-year-old archbishop of Washington, D.C., has been diagnosed with cancer but has a good prognosis for recovery, according to an archdiocesan announcement on Wednesday morning, Nov. 5. 

According to the statement, McElroy’s cancer will be surgically removed on Nov. 13, and his doctors “are in consensus that his prognosis is very good.”

“The precise diagnosis is that Cardinal McElroy has well-differentiated liposarcoma, which is a nonaggressive cancer that tends not to metastasize,” the statement read.

“Last night Cardinal McElroy spoke with the priests of the archdiocese about this diagnosis during their annual convocation and said to them that ‘I am at peace with this challenge and hope and believe that in God’s grace I will be archbishop of Washington for many years to come. I ask your prayers and support in these days and plan to resume full duties two weeks after the surgery,’” the statement added.

McElroy was installed as archbishop of the nation’s capital on March 11 following an appointment by Pope Francis. He was made a cardinal in 2022 while serving as bishop of the Diocese of San Diego.

The cardinal, who holds a doctorate in sacred theology and a doctorate in political science, assumed his role less than two months after President Donald Trump took office as president for the second time.

Although he wished the president well, McElroy strongly criticized Trump’s plan for mass deportations of immigrants who are in the country illegally, saying on Jan. 6 that “we are called always to have a sense of the dignity of every human person.”

“And thus, plans which have been talked about at some levels of having a wider indiscriminate massive deportation across the country would be something that would be incompatible with Catholic doctrine,” McElroy said at the time. “So we’ll have to see what emerges in the administration.”

In a Sept. 28 homily, McElroy urged Catholics to embrace migrants “in a sustained, unwavering, prophetic, and compassionate way” and to “stand in solidarity with the undocumented men and women whose lives are being upended by the government’s campaign of fear and terror.”

The cardinal referred to the ongoing deportations as “an unprecedented assault upon millions of immigrant men and women and families in our midst.”

“We are witnessing a comprehensive governmental assault designed to produce fear and terror among millions of men and women who have through their presence in our nation been nurturing precisely the religious, cultural, communitarian, and familial bonds that are most frayed and most valuable at this moment in our country’s history,” McElroy said.

McElroy’s comments came as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops continued to feud with the Trump administration over its immigration policy. Specifically, the bishops have expressed concern about the scale of deportations and the administration’s decision to rescind a rule that restricted immigration enforcement at houses of worship.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told CNA in July that enforcement at a house of worship would be “extremely rare,” adding: “Our officers use discretion. Officers would need secondary supervisor approval before any action can be taken in locations such as a church or a school.”

The Ten Commandments outside the Texas capitol. / Credit: BLundin via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Houston, Texas, Nov 5, 2025 / 10:47 am (CNA).

Texas voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment, with more than 72% in favor.

The measure, which passed alongside all 16 other constitutional amendments on the ballot, enshrines parents’ fundamental authority over their children’s upbringing directly into the Texas Constitution, marking the first such explicit protection in any U.S. state charter.

The amendment adds language affirming that parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing,” alongside their responsibility “to nurture and protect the parent’s child.” It takes effect immediately upon certification by the Texas secretary of state, expected within weeks.

Texas already ranked among the 26 states with a Parents’ Bill of Rights in state law, enacted in 2023, which granted access to “full information” on a child’s school activities, student records, state assessments, and teaching materials.

Proponents argued the constitutional upgrade provides an ironclad shield against potential future encroachments, building on U.S. Supreme Court precedents like Troxel v. Granville (2000) that recognize parental rights but lack explicit federal legislative backing.

A majority of voters in almost every county in the state voted for the amendment’s passage. Only Travis County voters, where the state capital of Austin is located, voted against it by 57%.

The Texas secretary of state’s office estimated that 2.9 million people voted in this election. This represents about 15.8% turnout among the state’s 18.4 million registered voters — a slight uptick from the 2023 amendment election’s 2.5 million (14.4%) but still historically low for a non-presidential year.

More than half of the 17 state constitutional amendments voters approved concerned taxes, and six lowered property taxes for specific groups, such as senior citizens and those with disabilities.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told CNA in October that it supported the passage of the amendment, which recognizes “the natural right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing.”

Opposition, though limited, came from both Democrats and some conservative factions. 

In the Texas House, two dozen Democrats — many from the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus — opposed the measure, warning it could sideline children’s needs and government protections against parental abuse. Despite the debate, the amendment passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan rural support.

Houston attorney Marcella Burke told CNA that “while these rights to nurture and protect children are currently safeguarded thanks to existing Supreme Court case law, there is no federal constitutional amendment protecting these rights.”

The amendment’s addition to the state constitution “will make governments think twice and carefully consider any actions affecting child-rearing. Keep in mind that no rights are absolute, so in this context, parents don’t have the right to abuse their kids — and that’s the sort of exception the amendment reads in.”

The True Texas Project, a group of former Tea Party activists, decried the language as too vague and unnecessary, arguing it implies the state confers a right that “God has already ordained. ... And we know that what the state can give, the state can take away.”

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly (right) speaks at the Symposium on Young American Men, a national conversation on restoring purpose, flourishing, and belonging, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 3, 2025. Looking on is Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma. / Credit: Matthew H. Barrick

CNA Staff, Nov 5, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

At the Symposium on Young American Men in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 3, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly of the Knights of Columbus said that young men are “lost” and need “purpose and mission.” 

The symposium highlighted the mental health crisis, social isolation, digital addiction, and other struggles young men face today.

Panelists — including Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; and other experts — discussed ways to address these challenges by helping young men build community. 

“Many young men are lost and disconnected,” Kelly said in an opening statement at the beginning of the symposium. “Many come from broken families with fathers who are not a real part of their life. Many are drowning in the depths of the internet and social media.”

Kelly, who heads the Catholic fraternal organization Knights of Columbus, pointed to loneliness and isolation as a challenge for young men. 

“It’s increasingly clear that millions of men no longer have friends who they can count on and who can spur them on to excellence,” Kelly continued. “More than a quarter of millennials say they have no close friends, and the rise of artificial intelligence has millions of young men looking for friendship in chatbots.”

Ellen Carmichael, founder of The Lafayette Company, the communications group hosting the symposium, said there is an “urgent need” for action.

“Recent incidents of political violence and growing national concern about young men’s social isolation have underscored what we already knew: This conversation cannot wait,” Carmichael stated. 

“We are hardwired as men for purpose and mission,” Kelly said, noting that the Knights of Columbus is centered on Christ and service to local communities.  

“We are trying to tackle what the surgeon general recently called the epidemic of loneliness and isolation,” Kelly noted. “We’re giving men the kind of community they truly need, and we will continue to help America’s young men find meaning and mission in life.” 

“We’ve always known that men need meaning in life and that a man’s ultimate meaning comes from his personal relationship with others and with God,” Kelly said. 

“Friendship is the key,” he said. “Christ did his ministry through friendships … he assembled 12 friends, imperfect people.” 

In a panel on the role of faith in rebuilding community for men, Kelly said young men “have had enough” of what the culture offers them and “are really yearning for more of an institution and yearning for moorings.” 

He noted that the Knights of Columbus have been bringing in a growing number of men over the past few years and that after an era of relativism, there has been a “swing back” among young men toward tradition. 

In a change from previous generations, he said, young men are drawn to ritual. 

“The areas they’re searching leave them empty,” Kelly said, so “they turn to God.”

Democratic Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani speaks to members of the media during a press conference after voting on Nov. 4, 2025. / Credit: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 22:25 pm (CNA).

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who promotes gender ideology and abortion access, won his bid for mayor of New York City on Nov. 4, decisively defeating his two main opponents: former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and talk show host Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old member of the New York State Assembly and the Democratic Party’s nominee for mayor, took 50.4% of the vote on Tuesday. As of 9:42 p.m. ET, 75% of the vote had been tallied.

Cuomo, who served as governor as a Democrat and ran as an independent for mayor, received 41.3% of the vote. Sliwa, the Republican nominee, finished third with 7.5% of the vote.

Mamdani, set to be sworn in on Jan. 1, 2026, will be the city’s first Muslim mayor. He will succeed Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who suspended his reelection bid in late September.

New York City’s mayoral race gained significant national attention after Mamdani secured an upset victory in the Democratic primary against Cuomo. Mamdani ran an anti-establishment campaign and called himself “the sole candidate running with a vision for the future of this city” during the final debate.

Mamdani embraced gender ideology during his campaign, vowing to provide $65 million in tax funding for hormone therapy drugs and surgeries as a response to President Donald Trump’s executive order to strip federal funding from health care providers that provide such drugs and surgeries to children.

He also intends to create “an office of LGBTQIA+ affairs” and declare New York City a sanctuary for “LGBTQIA+” people. As a member of the Legislature, he also supported a bill to prohibit law enforcement from aiding out-of-state investigations into health care professionals who provide hormone therapy drugs and surgeries to minors.

The mayor-elect’s campaign supported abortion access as well. He has promised to double city tax funding for the New York Abortion Access Fund and the city’s Abortion Access Hub. He has also vowed to “protect New Yorkers from” pro-life pregnancy centers, which he accused of spreading “false or deceptive information.”

Pro-life pregnancy centers have fought numerous lawsuits against states they accuse of censoring their speech in recent years.

Mamdani has also pledged to create a “baby basket” for parents with newborns, which will provide resources, such as diapers, baby wipes, nursing pads, postpartum pads, swaddles, and books. He expects this to cost less than $20 million annually.

The mayor-elect has further vowed to end all city cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will not use any city resources to help enforce immigration laws. His platform calls for $165 million in funding to support legal defenses for people who are at risk of being deported.

Mamdani has promised to freeze rent for New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments and eliminate fares for city buses. He plans to establish city-owned grocery stores that he says will provide lower prices and intends to provide no-cost child care for families. He supports raising the minimum wage to $30 by 2030.

To pay for the costs, in part, the mayor-elect has said he will raise the top state corporate tax from 7.5% to 11.5% and add an additional 2% income tax on anyone making more than $1 million annually. He estimates this will generate $9 billion in additional revenue, though critics have questioned those estimations.