St. Bridget, St. Elizabeth & Sacred Heart

Younger U.S. priests say they are far more conservative than older priests in their voting patterns, according to a 2025 survey. / Credit: TSViPhoto/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 15:35 pm (CNA).

Younger U.S. priests are far more conservative than older priests, reaffirming a generational divide in political views, according to a 2025 survey.

The strong generational divide in political views among Catholic priests in the United States was reaffirmed in a 2025 survey that shows younger priests are far more conservative than older priests.

The National Study of Catholic Priests, published on Oct. 14, was commissioned by The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and conducted by Gallup. Researchers surveyed the same priests who were surveyed in The Catholic Project’s 2022 survey to examine the U.S. priesthood.

According to the report, the 2025 survey “closely mirrors” the findings in 2022 and shows “a clear generational shift away from liberal self-identification.”

About 51% of priests ordained in 2010 or later said their political views are either conservative or very conservative. Another 37% said they were moderate and the remaining 12% were either liberal or very liberal.

For priests ordained between 2000 and 2009, 44% were conservative or very conservative and 44% were moderate. Again, only 12% of priests ordained in these years said they were liberal or very liberal.

Priests ordained between 1990 and 1999 leaned conservative, but to a lesser degree, with 38% saying they are somewhat conservative, 34% identifying as moderate, and 26% saying they are liberal or very liberal.

For priests ordained in the prior decade, 1980 to 1989, conservatism declines to about 22%, and 36% call themselves moderate. About 40%, a plurality, identify as liberal or very liberal. 

Older priests are far more liberal. A majority of priests ordained between 1975 and 1979, about 53%, say they are either liberal or very liberal. About 34% are moderate and 11% conservative. About 61% of priests ordained before 1975 said they are liberal or very liberal, 25% are moderate, and 13% are conservative. 

The theological leanings of priests followed a similar pattern, with an even sharper decline in theological progressivism, according to the researchers. About 70% of priests ordained before 1975 called themselves theological progressives, and only 8% of priests ordained 2010 or later said the same.

About 70% of the youngest priests self-report as conservative/orthodox or very conservative/orthodox on theological matters.

Generational divide on pastoral priorities

The political and theological shifts flow into generational divides about what issues the Church should be prioritizing as well, such as climate change, LGBTQ outreach, and synodality.

Regarding climate change, 78% of priests ordained before 1980 said this should be a priority, as did 61% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999. Just 35% of priests ordained in 2000 or later agreed.

The trend is similar for outreach to the LGBTQ community with 66% of priests ordained before 1980 calling this a priority, but just 49% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 37% of priests ordained 2000 or later agree.

Synodality is also popular among older priests, with 77% of those ordained before 1980 calling it a priority. About 57% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 say the same, but only 37% of priests ordained 2000 or later agree.

Immigration 

Some issues show smaller generational divides. For example, 93% of priests ordained before 1980 see immigration and refugee assistance as a priority, as do 82% ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 74% ordained in 2000 or later. Also, 98% of priests ordained before 1980 believe poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity are priorities, as do 92% ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 79% ordained 2000 or later.

There is a generational divide on whether Eucharistic devotion or access to the Traditional Latin Mass are priorities, with younger priests more focused on those issues. 

About 88% of priests ordained in 2000 or later see Eucharistic devotion as a priority, as do 66% of those ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 57% ordained before 1980. About 39% of priests ordained in 2000 or later see Latin Mass access as a priority, but only 20% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 11% of priests ordained before 1980 agree.

null / Credit: Ivan Galashchuk/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 13:38 pm (CNA).

A recent study found that among adults who attend Christian worship at least monthly, 68% agreed marriage is between one man and one woman, but only 46% defined “family” in corresponding terms of a husband and wife, their children, and relatives.

Family Research Council in partnership with the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released findings this week from a new national survey of 1,003 churchgoing adults. The survey, “Social Issues and Worldview,” was conducted in July to build off a similar 2023 study. The research identified beliefs of the faithful in regard to social topics and family life.

Of the 9 in 10 respondents identifying as Christian, 39% were Catholic, 20% mainline Protestant, 18% evangelical, 9% independent or nondenominational Christian, and 4% Pentecostal.

Among the respondents, about 22% claimed the definition of family changes over time and across cultures. About 20% said family is any group of people who care for one another, 6% said family is any group of people who live together, and 6% said they did not know how to describe family.

No demographic or Christian group was found to have a clear majority in support of the biblical definition of family, but the highest support came from theologically defined born-again Christians (59%) and Pentecostal churchgoers (56%). 

The majority of respondents did agree on a number of other family-related topics. Of churchgoing adults, 70% said it is important for society to facilitate families with a father, mother, and children living together and 68% said they believe marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Christian stances on social issues and need for discipleship 

The report found churchgoers are open to more discipleship and teaching on a number of current social issues. A large majority reported that additional worldview training is desirable in areas regarding religious freedom (88%), social and political responsibility (76%), and abortion and the value of life (60%).

The research revealed more specific Christian views on pro-life topics including abortion and euthanasia. About 25% of churchgoing respondents said they would prefer their church to preach or teach about abortion at worship services more often, while 18% said they would prefer teachings on the topic less often. 

Those interested in increasing preaching on the topic mostly attend either evangelical (31%) or Pentecostal churches (31%), while adults who align with independent and nondenominational churches were the least interested in increasing the number of sermons on abortion (19%). Interest among Catholics in increasing the frequency fell from 41% to 29% since 2023.

Respondents were asked their beliefs in regard to the statement: “Euthanasia is morally wrong.” Less than half of churchgoers (43%) said they agreed, another 23% said they disagreed, and 35% said they were unsure and did not know whether euthanasia was right or wrong.

Overwhelming majorities agreed that people should be able to practice “peaceful, genuinely held religious beliefs without being punished by the government, even if those beliefs are not culturally popular” (83%), that “every person is made in the likeness of God” (84%), and that “every human being has undeniable value and dignity” (83%).

Pope Leo greets crowds in St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 13:02 pm (CNA).

A 2025 survey of more than 1,100 American priests found high rates of self-reported personal flourishing, strong confidence in Pope Leo XIV, and a mixed level of trust in U.S. bishops.

The National Study of Catholic Priests, published on Oct. 14, was commissioned by the Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America and conducted by Gallup. Researchers surveyed the same priests who were surveyed in The Catholic Project’s 2022 survey to examine the U.S. priesthood. 

The survey showed strong confidence in the first-ever American pope. About 43% of those surveyed expressed “a great deal” of confidence in Leo and another 43% reported “quite a lot” of confidence in the pontiff. About 13% said they have “some” confidence, and only 1% expressed “very little” confidence.

Most priests also predicted the U.S. Church’s relationship with the Vatican will improve, with 51% saying it will improve significantly and 28% saying it will improve somewhat. About 17% said it would likely stay the same, and 3% think it will worsen.

Priests lack trust in U.S. bishops

Confidence in bishops was significantly lower. Just 52% of diocesan priests reported they trust their own bishop, which is slightly higher than the 49% who said the same in 2022. Yet, those numbers are much lower than 2001, when 63% trusted their own bishop.

About 74% of priests said their bishop cares about them, and 11% said their bishop did not. The survey also found that 83% said they can reach their bishop or superior when needed, while 8% said they could not. 

The numbers are worse for U.S. bishops as a whole. Only 27% of priests surveyed reported trust in the U.S. bishops, although this is an uptick from 2022 when only 22% had trust in them. It is much lower than 2001, when 39% of priests trusted U.S. bishops.

Personal flourishing

Priests reported high rates of personal flourishing, which is measured by mental health, physical health, purpose, character, and social relationships. The average rate was 8.2 out of 10, which is identical to the results of the 2022 survey. Diocesan and religious priests reported the same rate of personal flourishing.

When asked questions about whether their religious communities were flourishing, the results were lower. The community flourishing rate was 5.7 out of 10 for diocesan priests and 6.2 out of 10 for religious priests. 

Researchers found that 92% have a close relationship with at least one other priest, but also about one-third of those surveyed said their relationships with other priests tends to be superficial. 

Recently-ordained priests reported more loneliness. About 45% of priests ordained in 2000 or later reported loneliness, as did 34% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 27% ordained before 1980.

Burnout

The survey also measured priests’ “burnout,” which asked questions about feeling “worn out and weary” or “emotionally drained” and whether they “talk about [their] ministry in a negative way.” 

For diocesan priests, 56% said they felt no burnout while 44% felt some burnout. Among those feeling burnout, only 7% had high burnout. For religious priests, 69% said they felt no burnout, 31% felt some burnout, and among those feeling burnout only 2% had high burnout. Burnout rates slightly improved since the 2022 survey, which found half of diocesan priests and one-third of religious priests feeling some burnout.

The survey found that 96% of priests reported having access to mental health counseling if they need it, but only 11% are receiving treatment or therapy for a mental health condition.

Some priests, however, said they are “expected to do too many things that go beyond my calling as a priest.” The rate is much higher for newer priests than it is for older priests.

About 45% of priests ordained in 2000 and later reported that feeling, as did 38% of priests ordained between 1980 and 1999 and 13% of priests ordained before 1980.

The survey was conducted between May 12 and June 30 of this year. The response rate was 38%.

Holy Family Church in Booneville, Kentucky, with solar panels implemented as part of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington’s goal of net zero emissions. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Lexington has developed an ambitious plan to make all of its buildings net-zero by 2030 because, it noted, as Scripture says: “The earth and all in it belongs to God.” The plan includes all buildings of the 59 parishes in the diocese, spanning over 50 counties in central and eastern Kentucky.

The plan is a direct response to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ (“On Care for Our Common Home”), which called on the global Catholic Church to engage in dialogue about the future of the planet. Within the writings, Pope Francis urged the Church to acknowledge environmental challenges.

The diocese was inspired by Laudato Si’ No. 217, which says “living our vocation as protectors of God’s handiwork is a life of virtue,” Josh Van Cleef, director of the Office of Peace and Justice for the diocese, told CNA. “It is not a secondary dimension of Christian life.”

The Diocese of Lexington’s plans stem from the seven goals of Laudato Si', which include response to the cry of the earth, response to the cry of the poor, ecological economics, adoption of sustainable lifestyles, ecological education, ecological spirituality, and community resilience and empowerment.

Inspiration from Pope Francis

Since the encyclical was published, dioceses and archdioceses across the country have implemented ways to live out Pope Francis’ call. As this year marks the 10-year anniversary of the encyclical, Bishop John Stowe of Lexington and his leadership team have laid out one of the most ambitious plans yet.

Van Cleef, who leads the Respect Life Ministries for the diocese, said the idea began to develop in 2024. Each parish was asked and encouraged by leaders including the bishop to form Laudato Si’ teams. The teams then carried out “parish assessments based on the seven goals of Laudato Si’, to do listening sessions, and to come up with concrete action plans.”

The parishes “did not come up with a ‘net-zero plan’ but just a plan for them to implement care for creation.” These plans included “looking at what concretely they can do from their lighting, like moving to LED [light bulbs], to the different programming they can do to promote this as a faith issue in the parishes.”

“We’ve seen a lot of our parishes really take this on, and it’s been pretty inspiring,” Van Cleef said. “Then as a diocese, the action plan was published on Jan. 1, 2025, which included plans from each one of the 59 parishes, plus the diocese-wide commitments.”

The biggest undertaking within the diocese’s goals is “to move all facilities to net-zero emissions.” Diocese leaders have been working for more than a year with a group of experts in the area of sustainability to accomplish it.

Net-zero is defined by the diocese as “the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that an organization generates and the amount removed from the atmosphere.”

Net-zero plan

The four steps the diocese is taking to shape its net-zero approach include measuring, efficiency, solar development, and transitioning from gas to electric. Measuring is the first step and “identifies the main sources of emissions, calculates the overall carbon footprint, and sets the stage for developing an effective action plan,” according to the published plan.

Efficiency will be tracked through an energy audit from 2025–2026. The diocese will conduct “evaluations of energy use within a building with the goal of identifying areas where energy is being wasted,” the report explained. 

An essential part of the plan is the implementation of solar power, which “offers a pathway for the transition to renewable energy.” Finances will be discussed, including grants, low-interest financing options, and energy service agreements “to ensure that projects can fit within a location’s budget.”

The diocese will carry out a shift from gas to efficient electric to “facilitate the diocese’s overall movement towards renewable energy.” Once again, the diocese will “identify available grants, rebates, and other financing options to assist locations in this transition.”

The diocese is committed to the steps because as Catholics, “we’re not opting in to care for creation for partisan reasons, and we don’t get to opt out,” Van Cleef explained. “For us, we’re all in because of our faith. And when we look at Scripture, we see Psalm 24:1 say: ‘The earth and all in it belongs to God.’”

“Then we read in Genesis that our job is to ‘till and keep.’” Therefore, we must “cultivate and protect what belongs to God,” Van Cleef said. “It is a matter of faith. When we look to Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, and Pope Leo, it is clear that the Church is called to urgent and decisive action.”

“We know that all creation communicates God’s glory, and it is a sacred place where we encounter God.”

More Laudato Si’ inspiration 

The Diocese of Lexington’s plan is in motion and will continue to develop over the coming years to hopefully reach its goal by 2030, according to the diocese. While parts of its mission will take time, other practices Lexington and a number of other Catholic communities are carrying out are active now.

The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., created an action plan that provided a number of options for parishes, schools, and families “to become better stewards of God’s creation, help reverse climate change, and work towards sustainability as proclaimed in Laudato Si’’.” This included a volunteer group called Laudato Trees, which began in 2022 to increase the tree canopy in the D.C. area by planting trees on Catholic church and school properties. 

The Diocese of Sacramento, California, began to utilize solar panels in 2022, including at its memorial center at St. Anthony Parish. Soon after, a diocesan Creation Care Committee was established and the diocese enrolled in the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform.

Parishes in the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona, also implemented plans by adding solar panels to buildings around the community in 2024. Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church was the flagship parish, but quickly after a number of others across the diocese joined.

Other communities across the nation including the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, and the Archdiocese of Atlanta wrote plans that offered everyday actions for parishes and families to carry out in order to further the seven goals. They called for the faithful to recycle, focus on energy production, cut back on toxic and plastic items, replace gas-fueled appliances with electric ones, and to spread the message of Laudato Si’.

A view of the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, also known as the ADX or “Supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado. The facility has been dubbed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” because of its remote location and harsh security measures. / Credit: JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Oct 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A foreign-born Muslim inmate currently incarcerated in the U.S.’s most severely restrictive prison complex is asking the government to require the prison to accommodate his religious practices under a key federal statute, highlighting the far-reaching and comprehensive nature of religious freedom rules in the United States. 

U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer in a Sept. 25 ruling agreed that Mostafa Kamel Mostafa had demonstrated that prison officials at the maximum facility had “substantially burdened the exercise of his religion” by failing to install a special cleaner in one of his cells.

The prison, a “supermax” facility in Colorado commonly known as ADX Florence and colloquially as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” is famous for its near-total state of lockdown. 

Housing some of the most dangerous inmates in the U.S. penitentiary system, it features poured concrete cells in which prisoners are confined for most of the day as well as high-level security protocols that include motion detectors, pressure pads, and pits used for exercise. 

Mostafa was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for his role in a deadly hostage-taking scheme in 1998 and other terrorist activities. He is incarcerated in the “H-unit” of ADX Florence, its most secure wing. 

Formerly an imam at a U.K. mosque, Mostafa follows Islamic rules regarding prayer, including a mandate to “make himself clean and presentable before praying.” With both his arms amputated above the elbow, he requires some accommodations to that end, including a bidet in his cell toilet. 

Mostafa has had two cells adapted for his disabilities; the prison has installed a bidet in one but not the other. Brimmer in his ruling found that “until [the prison] install[s] a bidet in both of Mr. Mostafa’s cells,” the prisoner has a claim to a burden on his religious exercise. 

‘Everybody has access to the fundamentals’

Though the dispute has made its way to U.S. district court, it may be moot before it goes any further, as prison officials have explicitly stated that they are “in the process” of installing a bidet in Mostafa’s second cell. 

Yet the case underscores just how extensively the principles of religious liberty have been applied in the United States, up to and including accommodating modifications to the prison cell toilet of a foreign-born terrorist.

Robert Destro, a professor of law at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law and the former federal assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor, said in an interview that religious liberty cases arise regularly within prison populations. 

Mostafa brought the case in part under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a Clinton-era law that restricts how and under what conditions the U.S. government can impose burdens upon U.S. religious liberty.

Destro said RFRA is similar in some ways to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a 1990 federal law that requires “reasonable accommodations” in hiring and business practices for disabled people. 

“In a way, RFRA is a little like the ADA,” he said. “It wants to make sure that everybody has access to the fundamentals. Just because you’ve been sentenced to prison because you did something bad, or stupid, or both, doesn’t mean that you lose your First Amendment rights.”

The dispute in prison cases, Destro said, is usually “how much the prison should defer to the warden and to prison policies” and to what extent it’s obligated to accommodate a religious belief. 

In Mostafa’s case, “it seems like a fairly simple answer,” he said.

“The guy has a disability,” he pointed out. “There’s no question about his faith. [And] there’s no way that somebody with no arms and access to a stream of water is going to, you know, burn down the prison. There’s no tangible security threat.”

The federal government explicitly states that neither the national nor state governments may “impose a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person residing in or confined to an institution,” barring concerns of a “compelling governmental interest” carried out in the “least restrictive means” possible. 

That language is virtually identical to the text of RFRA. Destro said the principle is “a lot less cosmic than it looks.” 

“The design of RFRA … was to shift the burden over to the government to say, why is this a big burden for you?” he said. The government only gets a “free pass,” he said, if it can show that an abrogation of religious liberty “has to do with health, safety, or some other very limited security issues.”

Further religious liberty expansions for prisoners could be on the horizon. The Supreme Court earlier this year said it would decide whether prisoners can sue individual prison workers — rather than merely the government itself — over violations of federal religious freedom law. 

Destro acknowledged that Mostafa’s fight at ADX Florence would likely be rendered moot by the government’s simply modifying his prison cell as requested. Still, he said, it often makes more sense for a government to quickly acquiesce to a prisoner’s reasonable request rather than fight it. 

“If you know you’re going to get sued on RFRA — just like getting sued under the ADA — why don’t you just make the accommodations and save the money on the lawsuit?” he said. “For the amount of money it’s going to cost you to put in a bidet, it’s cheaper than having a lawyer go to court.”

“For the money you’ve spent defending the suit, you could’ve put the thing in and been done with it!” he said with a laugh. “That’s not always the right answer. Sometimes there is a question of principle involved. But I don’t see one here.”

Christopher Columbus, by Sebastiano del Piombo, 1519. / Credit: Public domain

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 13, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

President Donald Trump renewed the focus of Columbus Day to be celebrated on the second Monday of October, reclaiming the explorer’s “extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue,” according to the president’s proclamation.

Since 1971, the second Monday in October has been federally recognized as Columbus Day to commemorate Columbus’ discovery of the Americas in 1492, celebrate Italian-American heritage, and acknowledge the 1891 lynchings of 11 Italian Americans. In 2021, former President Joe Biden issued the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day to be observed on the same day, following backlash toward Columbus.

The “current hostility to him is ill informed,” Felipe Fernández-Armesto, professor of history at the University of Notre Dame and author of “Columbus on Himself,” told CNA. “He was understandably conflicted about the people he encountered on this side of the ocean, but, by the standards of his contemporaries, his most characteristic judgments about them were highly positive.”

“Columbus Day is commendable — instituted in expiation of the worst lynching in U.S. history ... Columbus suited a project of national reconciliation because he was, for most of the history of the U.S., a unifying figure.” Fernández-Armesto added: “He should remain so today.” 

“He was not guilty of most of the excesses of cruelty that interested enemies at the time and ignorant critics today ascribe to him. His history was uniquely significant: He was genuinely the discoverer of viable routes to and fro across the Atlantic — reconnecting, for good and ill, formerly sundered cultures and enabling the world-transforming exchange of ideas and people, commerce and life-forms,” he said.

“It’s hard to think of anyone whose impact on the hemisphere has been greater,” Fernández-Armesto said. 

Presidential proclamation

In an Oct. 9 proclamation, Trump wrote the previous years have been a “campaign to erase our history … and attack our heritage.” To combat this, Trump formally declared the day will be recognized as Columbus Day in honor of “the great Christopher Columbus and all who have contributed to building our nation.”

As a “titan of the Age of Exploration,” Columbus was “guided by a noble mission: to discover a new trade route to Asia, bring glory to Spain, and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to distant lands,” the proclamation said. 

Upon Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, “he planted a majestic cross in a mighty act of devotion, dedicating the land to God and setting in motion America’s proud birthright of faith.”

The president noted that Columbus was guided by “steadfast prayer and unwavering fortitude and resolve” and his journey “carried thousands of years of wisdom, philosophy, reason, and culture across the Atlantic into the Americas.” 

“As we celebrate his legacy, we also acknowledge the contributions of the countless Italian-Americans who, like him, have endlessly contributed to our culture and our way of life,” the presidential proclamation said. “To this day, the United States and Italy share a special bond rooted in the timeless values of faith, family, and freedom. My administration looks forward to strengthening our long and storied friendship in the years to come.”

Under the administration, “our nation will now abide by a simple truth: Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination.”

The president called on the American people to observe the day “with appropriate ceremonies and activities” and directed that U.S. flags be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day.

Daniel Ayalon, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and former foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks with “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo on Oct. 10, 2025.  / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 11, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Former Israeli government officials, representatives for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Catholic advocates for Israel in the U.S. spoke with EWTN News this week following the historic peace deal brokered by the Trump administration between Israel and Hamas. 

News of the peace agreement came as “a joy for the entire population of Gaza, for the families of the hostages, and for our parish, our little parish there in Gaza,” according to Farid Jabran, the public and government affairs adviser for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

In an Oct. 10 interview with “EWTN News Nightly,” Jabran noted there is still an air of “expectation” as the region waits to “see what happens.”

Jabran revealed that Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa had spoken to the pastor of Gaza’s only Catholic Church, Father Gabriel Romanelli.

“They are all very happy that they are not hearing more bombings,” Jabran said of the Gazan parish community. “They expect a better future, but still they wait to see what is going to happen … They’re all waiting to see what happens after the release of the hostages.” 

“The Catholic Church, as the patriarch, as the pope, as many said, will give anything in its power to to offer assistance, to offer good services when it’s asked to do so,” said Jabran, noting that the Latin Patriarchate has “big plans for Gaza,” including the construction of a new hospital in the southern region of the enclave. 

“We’ll have more details on that that will be supported by the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Latin Patriarchate,” he revealed, adding: “We are planning to create field hospitals in several places and to work on schools and education for the children, not only for the Christian community [but] for everyone.”

Breaking down the peace deal 

In an Oct. 10 appearance on “EWTN News Nightly,” Daniel Ayalon, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and former foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shared how the historic peace deal brokered by the Trump administration will play out in the coming days. 

Though both Israel and Hamas signed on to the first phase of the peace plan set out by the Trump administration on Wednesday, reports of ongoing bombardment from the IDF in northern Gaza was reported on Friday morning. Avalon explained that “there was a threat that the IDF depicted, and they had to take care of it.” 

“We have enough experience with Hamas that even though they agree on a ceasefire, they continue their aggression,” he told “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo. “But we adhere, or Israel adheres to the agreement and to the ceasefire terms … We started right on time, and we are now back off the former position, and hopefully we will see our hostages within the next 72 hours.” 

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Wednesday that both parties had agreed to the first phase of his 20-point peace plan for the Middle East, in which he noted: “ALL of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace.”

“I think that we should all acknowledge the leadership and the negotiation capabilities of President Trump and his team,” Ayalon said. “I believe that they found the right moment to really bring together an assembly of protagonists in the region that could really be instrumental, namely, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, that put a lot of pressure on Hamas that was not there before.” 

Given that the first phase goes according to plan, Ayalon said, Israel will release its Palestinian prisoners, and IDF troops will continue to withdraw, allowing Gazans to return to their homes. After which, he said, comes the precarious task of disarming Hamas, which will include dismantling its vast network of tunnels. This task, he predicted, could take several months. 

“I think the people of Gaza deserve this,” Ayalon reflected. “After these two horrendous years … they were actually held hostage by Hamas, which used them as cannon fodder or as human shields.” The former ambassador further expressed hope that Gazans ensure “no more terror organizations will grow there to a monstrous dimension, as we did with Hamas.”

Looking ahead, Ayalon expressed hope for a broader normalization of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, such as Saudi Arabia and others, as well as other major Islamic countries such as Indonesia or Pakistan, to take place alongside reconstruction. He also floated the start of “a political process with the Palestinians,” noting Hamas will no longer govern the enclave. “It probably will be the Palestinian Authority,” he said, noting that under the agreement the governing body is mandated to promote peaceful coexistence and to “do away with terror” and indoctrination in its schools. 

“Then we can talk about real peace between Israel and the Palestinians, which may be a cornerstone of a much broader peace with the region,” he said, adding: “And we all deserve it — the world deserves it, and I think it will be to the benefit and the prosperity of all here.”

Remembering Oct. 7

On the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, Philos Catholic Director Simone Rizkallah told CNA: “This is not a day to discuss U.S. foreign policy or to analyze political dynamics.”

Even with the Trump administration’s efforts in the background to make a peace deal between the Hamas terrorist group and Israel, Rizkallah emphasized, “Oct. 7 is a day to live out the beatitude ‘Blessed are they who mourn.’” 

Philos Catholic is an arm of the U.S-based nonprofit organization, the Philos Project, which works to foster Catholic-Jewish relations. 

Over 1,200 Israelis and 22 Americans were confirmed killed, and thousands more wounded in the wake of Hamas’ large-scale surprise attack on Israel. An additional 251 were taken hostage into the Gaza Strip.

“We mourn with the Jewish people and with Israel as if we are mourning for our own selves — because, in truth, we are,” she said. “To stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters today is not a political act, and it is certainly not a partisan one. The Church is not a political entity. This is about faith and the culture that faith gives birth to.”

According to Rizkhallah: “To speak up and stand with our Jewish friends is not sentimental — it is an act of spiritual realism and solidarity with our own people in the faith.” To do so, she continued, is not a partisan act but a “part of orthodox Catholic theology, rooted in the heart of the Church’s self-understanding.”

Catholics, she urged, should “incarnate this love by showing up in the flesh” for their Jewish friends and neighbors. “Call your Jewish friends,” she said. “Reach out to your local synagogue or Jewish community center. Drop off white roses in the wake of antisemitic attacks — a symbol of Christian resistance to hatred, inspired by the White Rose movement that opposed Nazi Germany.”

Philos Catholic will host an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate this year at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., which will be available to attend both in person and virtually.

Residents at a senior care home in the Archdiocese of Denver join together to pray the rosary thanks to the ministry of The Rosary Team. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Teresa Rodriguez

Denver, Colorado, Oct 11, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

After finishing the rosary with her fellow residents and volunteers from The Rosary Team, Martha “Marty” Todd smiled with peaceful joy. Over her lifetime, she has witnessed miracles through prayer — healings in her family, conversions of loved ones, and graces that could only have come from God.

Now, in her later years, she treasures the weekly visits from The Rosary Team, whose volunteers gather to pray with elderly residents in care facilities across the archdiocese. Their presence brings comfort, companionship, and a reminder that no one is ever forgotten in God’s love.

“We all love our mother,” Todd said, her eyes brightening as she spoke of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Sometimes, when I get uptight about things or worried, praying the rosary brings comfort and kind of eases my whirling mind.”

A life marked by grace

Todd’s journey to her nursing facility began unexpectedly after a seizure during a family Christmas visit made her realize that she “wasn’t infallible.” What could have been a frightening transition became a blessing, bringing her closer to her children, grandchildren, and extended family.

Her voice caught with emotion as she recalled a miracle that transformed her entire family. One of her closest relatives was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

“We just prayed our heads off,” Todd said.

After surgery and biopsy, the surgeon returned with impossible news: There was no cancer.

“We just know she had a healing,” she continued.

That miracle rippled through her family, drawing more relatives into the Catholic Church as they recognized “the value of Catholic prayer.” Her grandson Andrew, once a quiet and thoughtful boy, began attending daily Mass in high school. Today, he is Brother Francis, serving as assistant to the abbot at Conception Abbey.

“He was always kind of a quiet, pondering kid,” Todd reflected. “We realized he had a call.”

A husband’s final grace

Perhaps the most unexpected conversion came from Todd’s husband, Richard, who was not Catholic. During a visit to their son Rob in Missouri, Richard was diagnosed with cancer. Their son gently asked him: “Don’t you think it’s time you were baptized?” Richard simply replied: “I guess so.”

A priest baptized him in the hospital, giving him what Marty Todd calls “a direct line to heaven” before he passed away four months later.

These profound experiences of grace and conversion have shaped Todd’s deep appreciation for the spiritual care she now receives at Morningstar, her nursing facility. Having witnessed how powerfully God works in the final moments of life, she knows the vital importance of bringing faith to those approaching their final years.

The Rosary Team’s presence

When volunteers from The Rosary Team arrive, something special happens. Their visits bring “more connection with people,” Todd explained. “They are doing something nice for us.”

The presence of volunteers transforms the experience from routine prayer into relationship. They become bridges to the wider community, especially for those in assisted living or memory care who have limited mobility.

“It’s quite a wake-up call when you move into a facility like this,” Todd said.

Since arriving, she has seen about 20 to 25 people pass away in a single year — some who “seemed really vital and just didn’t wake up one morning.”

That reality shapes how residents think about faith.

“We all realize we’re getting closer to the end of life,” she noted. “I think we ponder a little more about what it will be.”

Among her neighbors are “fallen-away Catholics” she prays for.

“It’s never too late as long as you’re still breathing,” she said.

A legacy of faith

The Rosary Team’s ministry is more than weekly visits. It is a lifeline that shows seniors they are cared for and remembered. Volunteers bring statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, lead familiar prayers and embody Christ’s love for those society too often forgets.

Todd sees the fruit of such faith passed down through her family. Her granddaughter, Alex Martinez, daughter of Rich and Joanie Todd, recently graduated as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Todd attended her graduation in Nashville — a joy she credits to being closer to family since moving to Morningstar.

In Alex’s healing work, like Brother Francis’ monastic vocation, Todd sees how prayer echoes through generations, bearing fruit in both religious and professional service.

Expanding a vital mission

Todd’s story highlights why The Rosary Team’s mission is so crucial. Across the country, nursing facilities house thousands of elderly residents, many of whom suffer spiritual isolation. While activities may include exercise and entertainment, few offer the kind of deep spiritual care needed as residents face mortality.

Requests for The Rosary Team’s presence continue to grow nationwide. The ministry runs entirely on the generosity of donors who believe in supporting the spiritual welfare of the elderly — fulfilling both corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Their gifts make possible the training, coordination, and expansion of this mission of prayer.

To learn more about supporting The Rosary Team, visit www.therosaryteam.org.

This story was first published by the Denver Catholic and has been reprinted on CNA with permission.

Jonathan Kuplack takes part in “The Mammoth,” a 214-mile race through the Eastern Sierras in California that he ran with the hope to inspire other men across the country. / Credit: Jacob Schmiedicke

CNA Staff, Oct 11, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Five years ago, Jonathan Kuplack was speaking with a friend about the need for men to have communities where they can be open with one another, challenge each other, and be inspired to become the men God intended them to be. 

The conversation led Kuplack to launch a Catholic nonprofit called “Sebaste” — which comes from the story of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste — that challenges men to become saints through intensive summer programs, adventure, brotherhood, physical challenge, and prayer.

Kuplack lives this mission by example. From Sept. 26–28, the 37-year-old participated in “The Mammoth” — a 214-mile race through the Eastern Sierras in California — with the hope to inspire other men across the country.

As an avid endurance runner, Kuplack told CNA that he receives a “deep joy and peace” from training for races and “there’s a unity with the divine that happens — it’s very hard to explain — when I’m running through mountains and it’s silent.”

Earlier this year, Kuplack ran across the United States — 3,500 miles in 100 days — stopping to speak at churches, schools, and on podcasts. 

He said he was inspired to take part in “The Mammoth” because he believes everyone needs to get out of their comfort zone in order for growth to happen. 

“We need to grow and there’s only growth on the other side of our fear and the other side of our comfort zone,” he said. “And as long as we stay in the places where we’re comfortable, we will never grow.” 

Kuplack also wanted to motivate other men to “go to the other side of the fear and get uncomfortable and pay the price so that we can live in the fullness of joy and abundance that Christ came to give us.”

Kuplack went into “The Mammoth” hoping to finish the race within 48 hours. However, things did not go as planned and he finished the race after 71 and a half hours. 

For the first 70 miles Kuplack was at the front of the pack, but after a 28-and-a-half-mile stretch without an aid station — a stop along the course that provides runners with nutrition and hydration — his body was left depleted and he spent 45 minutes at the next aid station in a borderline hypothermic state. 

“That experience took me down and for the next 80 miles I was crawling. I was going so slow,” he recalled. “Every step was very painful and I didn’t even know if I was going to finish at that point.”

Thanks to an hour nap and refueling his body with more food, he was able to finish the last 50 miles. 

There were several takeaways from his experience of that race, including “the need to let go of our ego in order for God’s plan to play out in our lives and the need for transcendent experiences.”

“Going into this race, I’m giving this race to the Lord, I’m running for God. I’m saying to God, ‘If you grant me the victory, help me to just reflect that back onto you so everyone can see you.’ But as the race unfolded, I realized it was still about me. It’s so difficult to get out of the ego,” he said. 

He said the experience helped him realize that it’s “only when we find our part in God’s grand play, in his big movie, in his theodrama, do we become fully alive and fully actualized and become the great saints we’re made to be.”

Kuplack also highlighted the importance of “transcendent experiences in our lives.” 

“We need to have experiences that get us outside of ourselves so that we can look down and see our life from altitude. Look down from 30,000 feet and see the big picture. And these transcendent experiences draw us out of ourselves,” he said. 

“It’s like when the small group of apostles was up on the mountain and at the Transfiguration. They were drawn into something so much bigger and beautiful, but it gave a whole new perspective to their life when they went back down the mountain,” he explained. “And in these races, you’re running through incredible natural beauty, climbing mountains, descending. I saw the sun go down three times and rise three times in these incredible places where most people never get to go and I just got to be living and moving through that for 71 hours.”

“As painful as it was, it was such a gift. So it just sucks you out of yourself and you realize, wow God you are truly magnificent and great.”

Kuplack is hoping to inspire men to join in Sebaste’s “Choose the Cross” initiative, which invites men to commit to eliminating one habit or vice that may be hurting their relationship with God, engage in one physical activity daily, and do one spiritual act daily. 

He said he hopes more men will feel called to making a “full commitment to holiness and being a great saint.”

Catholic pro-life activist Savannah Craven Antao was assaulted in New York City on Thursday, April 3, 2025, while conducting a video interview with a pro-abortion advocate.  / Credit: Photo courtesy of Savannah Craven Antao

CNA Staff, Oct 10, 2025 / 17:39 pm (CNA).

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

Pro-life influencer’s assault case dropped; Thomas More Society fights for justice

After New York City dropped the case against a woman who assaulted a pro-life influencer, the legal nonprofit Thomas More Society is advocating for justice. 

The pro-life influencer, Savannah Craven Antao, was punched in the face by a woman she was interviewing as part of her pro-life advocacy. The video went viral, but the city dropped the case.

Thomas More Society, on behalf of Craven Antao, asked the Manhattan district attorney to reconsider and to press felony and hate crime charges. 

“The defendant made disparaging remarks about Ms. Craven Antao’s Christian beliefs and practices before brutally assaulting her,” the letter read. 

Craven Antao, a friend of the late Charlie Kirk, who was violently murdered during a debate, said she takes inspiration from Kirk in her activism. 

The district attorney’s office previously released an apology for dropping the case and said it is looking into it internally. 

Judge approves Missouri pro-life ballot proposal

A Cole County Circuit judge approved a Missouri ballot amendment that, if passed, would repeal the 2024 amendment that created a right to abortion in the state. 

The proposed ballot measure would protect unborn children throughout pregnancy, with some exceptions in cases of medical emergency, fetal anomalies, or rape and incest. 

The 2026 measure would amend the Missouri Constitution to require parental consent for minors seeking abortions and to “ensure women’s safety during abortion.” The measure would also prohibit transgender medical procedures for children.

The amendment also contains language to “guarantee women’s medical care for emergencies, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages.”

Missouri’s current constitution, following the 2024 amendment, allows almost unfettered access to abortion as it says that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted” by the government.

Texas arrests 8 members of illegal abortion operation

Texas arrested eight people in connection with an alleged illegal abortion operation in the Houston area. 

Yaimara Hernandez Alvarez, Alina Valeron Leon, Dalia Coromoto Yanez, Yhonder Lebrun Acosta, Liunet Grandales Estrada, Gerardo Otero Aguero, Sabiel Bosch Gongora, and Jose Manuel Cendan Ley were arrested for allegedly providing illegal abortions and practicing medicine without proper licensing, according to an Oct. 8 press release from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office.

The Houston area medical clinics allegedly performing the abortions are owned by Maria Rojas, who was previously arrested for posing as a physician and operating the clinics.  

Louisiana sues FDA over abortion pill mailing  

Louisiana filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent other states from mailing illegal abortion drugs into Louisiana. 

Filed last week, Louisiana v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration challenges the loosening of safeguards around chemical abortion drugs by the Biden administration during the COVID-19 era.

Under President Joe Biden, the FDA approved abortion pills to be prescribed remotely, without any in-person interaction with a doctor or clinic.

Policy Director for Louisiana Right to Life Erica Inzina celebrated the lawsuit, saying the FDA “abandoned its duty to protect public health by allowing abortion pills to be distributed through the mail without proper medical supervision.”