St. Bridget, St. Elizabeth & Sacred Heart

Members of the Catholic nonprofit Strangers No Longer and others march to the Detroit ICE headquarters in July 2025. / Credit: Tom Tomala, Strangers No Longer

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 14:34 pm (CNA).

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Detroit Field Office recently met with a Catholic migrant aid group and a Democratic lawmaker to discuss questions about whether ICE is prioritizing deporting violent criminals and concerns about agents wearing masks during raids.

Acting field office director for Detroit ICE, Kevin Raycraft, and other ICE officials invited Catholics — including leaders of the nonprofit Strangers No Longer — to the Detroit headquarters on Aug. 12 after Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Michigan, intervened to secure a meeting.

Strangers No Longer first requested the meeting in July by marching from Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church to the ICE headquarters with several hundred demonstrators, many of whom were Catholic. The leaders had hoped to meet with Raycraft and deliver a letter outlining their concerns.

Thanedar told CNA the leaders “weren’t allowed to enter the ICE facility” in July and “that letter was not accepted by ICE” at the time. 

Thanedar was later able to arrange the August meeting, which included a priest, several nuns, and leaders of Strangers No Longer, who presented their letter and spoke with ICE agents for about an hour.

In its letter, the group expressed concerns about “face masks and the lack of identification” by agents during raids, along with “actions carried out without a federal warrant.” The group also alleged a lack of “communication with local law enforcement” before operations are carried out.

Strangers No Longer further criticized “the arrest of individuals who have committed no felony” and alleged that ICE “appears to be targeting men for incarceration and expedited removal, leaving women and children (many of whom are U.S. citizens) behind to ‘fend for themselves.’”

“This pattern of separating families is having a devastating impact on those left behind,” the letter added.

Victoria Kovari, one of the organizers of the July demonstration who attended the meeting, told CNA that the agents “were very respectful” and listened to “these stories … [about] how it’s impacting our community” but did not give any indication they would make any adjustments to immigration enforcement.

“We wanted this to be a dialogue,” Kovari said. “We wanted them to understand us and we want to understand them.”

Kovari said she spoke to ICE about cases in which agents arrived in unmarked vehicles wearing masks and carrying rifles to arrest people who “hadn’t committed any violent felonies.” She also spoke about parishioners who hadn’t committed any felonies “being picked up” by ICE for deportation.

“We really hope that they focus these [enforcement] priorities on the more difficult cases of gang members, drug cartel [members], drug dealers, violent offenders, and [work] with our local law enforcement,” she added.

“That’s what would really help our communities,” Kovari said.

Thanedar similarly told CNA the ICE agents “listened to us” and offered to help connect Strangers No Longer with some detainees, but that there was no indication they would make policy changes.

“Their response remained that these people — anybody that has broken the law — [ICE] will go after, and they were not willing to commit to prioritizing the hardened criminals and the people who are gang members, like the president has said,” he continued.

“What we are seeing lately is ICE is focusing more on migrants that have been working 20 years in the hospitality industry, working as cooks, doing landscaping, [and doing] work that makes our lives better,” Thanedar alleged.

Kovari added that Raycraft told the organization that many criticisms of ICE are based on “media manipulation,” which she said made the conversation more difficult.

CNA reached out to Detroit ICE, the national ICE headquarters, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for comment but did receive a response by the time of publication.

In a July 22 op-ed in the Detroit News, three weeks before the meeting, Raycraft addressed some of the concerns raised in the Strangers No Longer letter.

Raycraft said agents “identify themselves with visible markings, badges, or other identifiers” but “do not wear uniforms or drive marked vehicles.” He contested that assaults on agents have increased by about 830% and “our officers wear masks to protect their families.”

The op-ed states that agents follow the law when making arrests. He said the law allows for “the issuance of warrants upon a finding of probable cause that someone is [unlawfully] present” and works with courts to obtain warrants for other criminal matters. It adds that agents do not need to display the warrants.

Raycraft also said that ICE “routinely coordinates with local law enforcement agencies” and that they “know where to reach us … if there is an issue regarding communication.”

Catholic apologist Alex Jurado, known as Voice of Reason on social media. / Credit: Courtesy of Alexandro Jurado

CNA Staff, Aug 18, 2025 / 14:04 pm (CNA).

Breaking his silence one month after facing several allegations, Catholic influencer Alex Jurado in a video message shared to his YouTube channel on Aug. 17 admitted to inappropriately messaging women. 

On July 13, the Protestant website Protestia published a report alleging that “whistleblowers within the Catholic community” had revealed sexually explicit texts Jurado allegedly sent to an underage teenage girl when he was 20 years old. The site further alleged that Jurado had sent “sexually explicit messages” to several other women.

In his video message, Jurado denied the accusations regarding the inappropriate sexual relationship with an underage teenage girl saying: “This is not true. This is false.”

He explained further that law enforcement has been actively involved in an investigation related to these claims and that the investigation is ongoing. 

Jurado then addressed the claims made regarding the sexually explicit messages sent to multiple other women — those of whom were not underage. 

“As the public saw, I, on multiple occasions, fell into sin and gave into the desires of my flesh. And I regret to say that that is indeed true. I did fall into the sin of lust,” Jurado admitted. 

He added: “I really regret to say that in these moments of weakness, I led others into sin. And of course that’s wrong, of course that is repulsive, and it’s something that I am guilty of.”

The content creator went on to apologize to those women involved as well as all those who read the leaked messages “and were rightly disgusted by them because they were disgusting.”

“I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life in prayer and in penance to make reparation for all of the damage I’ve caused because I’ve caused a lot of damage,” he said.

On July 16, Jurado was barred from public events in his local Church amid the ongoing investigation.

Bishop Artur Bubnevych of the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix issued a statement to the clergy of his eparchy stating that Jurado, “a regular attendee at one of our parishes,” is prohibited from “any activity or involvement … occurring in any facilities of or events being sponsored by the Eparchy of Phoenix until further notice.”

“We will cooperate fully with any authorized investigations which may occur in this matter,” the bishop wrote in his statement, a copy of which was obtained by CNA.

Jurado began his Voice of Reason social media ministry in 2023. The influencer has over half a million followers across his social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. 

His content is primarily apologetical, sharing and defending the faith and engaging with other non-Catholic points of view. As a Byzantine Catholic, he also promotes the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak. / Credit: Screenshot from United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 13:34 pm (CNA).

At the United States-Russia summit, leaders failed to face “the fundamental moral and geopolitical questions” regarding the war in Ukraine, said Archbishop Borys Gudziak, adding that “until they do Ukrainians will be paying the ultimate price.”

On Aug. 15, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine. While the leaders described the meeting as “constructive,” it ended without a resolution.

The following day, Gudziak, who serves as the metropolitan archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, released a “blunt” statement on the controversial summit.

“A genocidal war criminal — who speaks explicitly about his aggressive intentions to re-conquer the countries that freed themselves from the atheistic Soviet yoke — was welcomed on American territory and given red carpet treatment,” Gudziak said in his statement.

“The desultory discussions did not lead to a single concession on the part of the aggressor,” Gudziak wrote. “Having ordered another barrage of deadly bombings on the day of the summit he was allowed to stand together with the president of the United States before a press conference backdrop ‘Pursuing Peace.’”

He added: “The worst did not happen, those standing for freedom and the innocent citizens of Ukraine were not sold out — but the cause of freedom, justice, and peace was not advanced.”

Gudziak ended his statement with a spiritual reflection. 

“There is a great illusion that the mighty of this world determine history, decide our fate. They do indeed have an impact, more often than not negative,” Gudziak said. “But the truth is that we are in the Lord’s hands and his truth will prevail.”

“And as David stands against Goliath, we’ve seen one miracle after another. And that miracle is the life, resilience, and solidarity of the little ones who are willing to risk everything for the truth — the truth of human dignity, the truth of God-given freedom, and the truth that evil will not prevail.”

Prior to the meeting, Trump told Fox News: “I won’t be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire.” But following the summit, Trump changed his mind after speaking with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and other European leaders. 

He wrote in a post to Truth Social: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which oftentimes do not hold up.”

Trump is scheduled to further discuss the matter with Zelenskyy on Aug. 18 at the White House.

The American Life League has found that Planned Parenthood has received nearly half a billion dollars from pro-life states. / Credit: American Life League, Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 18, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Planned Parenthood affiliates based in pro-life states rake in close to a half-billion dollars from various sources in annual revenue, which includes millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, according to a new report.

The revenue data, which was unveiled by the Catholic nonprofit American Life League (ALL) on Aug. 18, found that the financial performance of Planned Parenthood affiliates in pro-life states is nearly identical to the performance of affiliates in pro-abortion states.

Planned Parenthood still has 11 affiliates that represent 81 facilities in states that have heavily restricted abortion following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The average annual revenue for an affiliate in a pro-life state is more than $41.2 million, which means those affiliates combine for more than $450 million in annual revenue.

The abortion giant has more than 41 affiliates operating in states that have few restrictions on abortion, which represent 418 facilities. The average affiliate revenue in these states is nearly $43.4 million, which is only slightly higher than the ones in pro-life states. The affiliates in these states combine for nearly $1.8 billion in revenue.

Funding sources vary but include government and private grants, private donations, and client payments for services.

According to Planned Parenthood’s annual report for July 2023 through June 2024, about 40% of its revenue came from taxpayer funds, which accounted for nearly $800 million.

Long-standing federal law prohibits taxpayer funding for most abortions. Yet, until the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law, Medicaid funds could broadly cover non-abortive services at abortion facilities.

President Donald Trump signed the bill to prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortive services for one year, but a court blocked that provision and ordered the government, which is appealing the ruling, to continue payments for now. 

Most pro-life states still allow affiliates to obtain state Medicaid funds, but the Supreme Court this year allowed South Carolina to enforce its ban on Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood. This has led pro-life lawmakers in some states to consider bills to ban affiliates from receiving payments.

The report notes that after recent closures, 29 Planned Parenthood facilities operate in Texas, a state that prohibits abortion in most cases, and 17 continue to operate in Florida, which prohibits most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. In Texas, Planned Parenthood affiliates received nearly $130.8 million in annual revenue and in Florida they received nearly $67.8 million.

Mississippi is the only pro-life state in which there is not a single Planned Parenthood affiliate operating, according to the report. Of states ALL considers to be pro-abortion, neither Wyoming nor North Dakota have a Planned Parenthood affiliate.

ALL National Director Katie Brown Xavios told CNA that it’s unclear what services these affiliates are making most of their money from but that “we know they’re still raking it in.”

She noted that even where abortion is restricted, each state includes some exceptions for when someone can obtain an abortion. In some cases, it includes a “health of the mother exception,” which she said is the exception that is “exploited the most.” 

Xavios said abortionists often use a broad definition of what constitutes a health risk, which can include depression or financial struggles, adding that that type of exception is the “easiest one to check that box for, to find an exception for.”

“Even in a state that is ‘pro-life,’ … abortions are still happening,” she added.

Xavios urged states to eliminate “all of the exceptions that let Planned Parenthood slip through the cracks,” saying they “have to start taking seriously total abortion bans” — a stance that no state has taken up to this point. 

“[States need to] take very seriously a total protection for human life and do something about the abortion pill being mailed,” she added.

Xavios noted that there has been some good news, with three Planned Parenthood affiliates shutting down recently in Texas amid fears of federal funding losses. She noted that a potential loss of funds, if a court reinstates the Medicaid reimbursement ban, “is contributing to a lot of facilities closing in certain states.”

However, she said that the freeze, which is currently in a state of partial legal suspension with ongoing litigation, is only in place for one year and “Planned Parenthood may find a way to subsidize that income that they’re losing and we may see these clinics reopen in a year.”

Xavios also said states need to enact laws that prevent affiliates from receiving state Medicaid reimbursements.

Father Jason Wallace (top center) with Archdiocese of Denver seminarians. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Archdiocese of Denver and Vianney Vocations

Denver, Colo., Aug 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Denver asked parishioners to share the names of young men they thought would make good priests.

The result? More than 900 names. 

But names aren’t the only outcome of the Called By Name campaign, which launched in May.

The monthslong campaign — a collaboration between the Denver Archdiocese and Vianney Vocations, a group that supports vocations efforts in Catholic dioceses around the U.S. — has also sparked a “real openness” to vocations in the hearts of young men in the community, said Denver Vocations Director Father Jason Wallace.

The campaign, he told CNA, has “created a culture” in which speaking about vocations is becoming “more acceptable.”

“It’s not something like, ‘Oh, that’s something somebody else does,’ or you have to receive a vision by an angel to be a priest,” he said.

After the campaign, Wallace noticed that some young men who hadn’t wanted to become priests felt a call to look at priesthood more seriously.

“Even men that I’ve already known who before were not open to it, all of a sudden are like, ‘Hey, Father, can we set up a meeting?’” Wallace said.

The call to priesthood is “life-changing,” Wallace noted, and confirmation from your community can be that final push.

“All of a sudden, their name gets submitted and they get a letter from [the] archbishop,” Wallace said. “They’re like, ‘Wow, somebody else actually saw in me what I had an inkling could actually be true.’”

Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila shared his gratitude and excitement for the potential future priests.

“Thanks to the dedicated witness of my brother priests and the prayerful support of our archdiocesan faithful, we received more than 900 names of young men who could make good, happy, and holy priests here in northern Colorado,” the archbishop said.

“I am grateful that our faithful recognized this pastoral potential in so many young men in our archdiocese,” he added.

The nationwide priest shortage affects dioceses everywhere. Seminarian enrollment in the United States has been on a decadeslong decline as fewer young men seek out the priesthood and the number of active priests in the U.S. continues to dwindle. In 2025, about 400 men were set to be ordained to the priesthood in the U.S.

The need is great in Denver, according to recent data shared by the archdiocese. 

“Our archdiocese needs more priests to shepherd, to father, our parish communities by offering the sacraments, especially the most holy Eucharist, and calling each of us to deeper conversion and encounter with Jesus Christ,” Aquila said.

The archdiocese, which serves about 600,000 Catholics, has only 148 archdiocesan priests in active ministry. More than a third of the archdiocese’s parishes are served by only one priest.

“This percentage would be much higher were it not for the generous priests from other parts of the country and world who make up for our shortfall of vocations,” read the data analysis by Denver Catholic, the archdiocesan news outlet.

Less than half of Denver’s priests were ordained for the archdiocese, and only 14% were born in Colorado.

But amid this, Denver has seen growth. Vocations are blooming in Denver this year in spite of the priest shortage. Dioceses around the U.S. tell a similar story — more seminarians are cropping up.

This year’s seminary class of 23 men was the largest in recent memory, according to Wallace — nearly doubling last year’s class size.

Wallace credits vocations as the fruit of faithfulness throughout the diocese — from the priests to the archbishop, from youth groups to Catholic schools, from parish ministry to Catholic families.  

“When you go to get a crop, you could say you have one person that sows the seed, another person who cultivates the seed, and then somebody who has to reap and gather,” he said.

When asked why this year made a record-breaking class, Wallace didn’t know whom to credit — except, maybe, the Lord.

“We live in the mystical body of the Church, and this year is a jubilee year,” he reflected. “And in jubilee years, traditionally, is it time for forgiving offenses and sharing your prosperity and blessing people with special graces.” 

“So perhaps Our Lord is blessing us in that regard with a lot of men for the seminary,” he continued.

The archbishop and Wallace have each sent a personal letter to the 900 men. The campaign isn’t over yet, and Wallace anticipates another 100 names. 

Aquila shared his enthusiasm for his own vocation to the priesthood and for the campaign.

“The priesthood is a beautiful vocation, a pure gift, and I am grateful to the Father for calling me to be his priest and his bishop,” he said.

“I pray that these 900 men — and many more — will draw near to Jesus Christ, the vine, and abide in relationship with him,” the archbishop continued. 

The men are invited to attend a “Come and See” at the seminary later this month, where the archbishop will give a talk and the men will have the opportunity to meet the rector of the seminary and spend time with the seminarians. Of the men the archdiocese reached out to, more than 70 signed up.

In a culture that tries to be “self-sufficient,” these young men are pursuing what God created them for, Wallace said.

“One thing that stands out to me is how open these young men are and how sincere they are about discovering what God created them for,” he said.

Aquila offered his prayers for the young men as they are discerning their vocations and asked the faithful to join in with him.

“As they come to know the Lord more personally, may he guide them to consider what is being asked of them,” Aquila said.

The Called By Name campaign will also continue in the form of discernment groups as well as other resources offered by the archdiocese.

“Please pray with me that they might respond faithfully, generously, and courageously — all so that, in Jesus Christ, all might be rescued and have abundant life, for the glory of the Father,” Aquila said.

Mary Ann Wilson conducts a children’s choir during Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan. / Credit: Martin Barillas

Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The setting: a suburban Michigan parish.

The agenda: a crash course in Gregorian chant as well as posture, breathing, and other elements of sacred choral music.

The attendees: youth ages 8 to 18.

Canticle Chant Camp was held at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from July 28 to Aug. 1 and was attended by more than 40 children and teens. The camp ended with a sung Mass.

The instructor was veteran choral director and educator Mary Ann Wilson. 

Wilson, who holds degrees in music, was trained in opera and Gregorian chant in Europe and has taught for nearly 30 years. She told CNA that she enjoys sharing “the glories of Gregorian chant, which uniquely fosters a sense of peace and joy that connects the whole person to God.” 

Referring to sacred music, she added: “It’s important to pass down this tradition. Beautiful sculpture, paintings, architecture, and stained-glass windows can last hundreds of years: All of them help us to pray. But music, once it is performed, is gone. It’s an offering to the Lord in real time. And if we don’t hand it down with every generation, we lose it.”

Wilson is president of the nonprofit apostolate Canticle.org, founded “to draw souls to Jesus Christ through the beauty of sacred music.” She has served as a parish music director and has led choirs singing Gregorian chant and renaissance polyphony. Since 2010, she has led the “Chant Camp” program at dozens of parishes and schools. She also trains teachers, choir directors, and cantors to lead camps themselves and foster sacred music.

In addition, Wilson is a consultant to the Benedict XVI Institute, which seeks to instill a sense of the sacred in the arts and worship throughout the country. She said she has received encouragement from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, a board member of the institute, in her quest to promote traditional liturgical music.

During the camp, Wilson did a deep dive into the prayers and structure of the sung Mass. Her directive: “Everybody can sing something, and nobody sings everything.”

Students learn the “Kyrie” and “Sanctus,” for example, while the more experienced get practice in more difficult chants. “What they learn is to sing together as their offering during the Mass.”

Practice in traditional hymns such as “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” and Gregorian chant adapted to English were also on the bill.

Wilson said she feels blessed to share her expertise with youth. 

She recalled that while studying musical performance and pedagogy at San Diego State University, she gained an appreciation for the beauty of the Church’s tradition of polyphonic singing. “I found myself singing polyphonic Masses at a secular university,” she observed, adding: “This music is for everybody.” 

Jeanne Marie Gerig, organist and music director at St. Thomas, told CNA that the canticle camp is just the beginning of an expanding parochial music program, especially for children. Gerig, a convert who was inspired to enter the Church because of its sacred music, said that while the parochial school has its own music program, home-schoolers and parents from other parishes are also seeking enrichment for their children.

“They will learn different settings of the Mass because every season should sound different. Easter should sound different, Christmas should sound different, and not just look different,” she said. “They will learn to read music, sing it, and sing in Mass.”

“Parents welcome the opportunity for kids to become more knowledgeable about singing music that is part of our heritage and used for liturgy,” Gerig said.

Gerig is an active member of the Catholic Music Association of America and continues to consult at parishes around the country, supported by offering online courses in Gregorian chant offered by the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music of California. She told CNA that she is especially pleased to offer such instruction to young people.

“By learning music, they can serve God and their community and contribute to the liturgy in a meaningful way, and help others to pray and worship,” she explained, adding that the goal is to offer the chant camp every summer. She hopes that the canticle camp will spark interest in the parish’s Laudate Youth Choir and the Pueri Cordis Jesu schola.

The parish’s choir directors also support these chant-based initiatives.

Hannah Bingham, a trained music educator and recent convert, told CNA that she will be directing three singing ensemble options for the Laudate Youth Choir, grouped according to age from 8 to adulthood.

“It’s open to any youth in the area who want to use their voice to glorify God,” she said, referring to nearby parishes where youth choirs haven’t been established. “We want to expose them to Masses at different parishes. We hope for a unifying and uplifting experience, not only spiritually but also building friendships and community.”

University of Michigan music major Lucia Skrobola will lead Puer Cordis Jesu, a schola choir for ages 8 to 18 focusing on Gregorian chant and Latin polyphonic hymns for the Mass in the extraordinary form at the parish. She said participants will sing at Mass monthly and at festivals.

“Gregorian chant is the prayer of the Mass. I’ve come to realize how beautiful it is and that it brings out the reverence of the liturgy in a way other music does not,” she said.

Police with automatic weapons guard outside the West Kowloon court after Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai arrived for his national security trial in Hong Kong on Aug. 15, 2025. / Credit: ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

President Donald Trump has vowed to do “everything [he] can” to “save” imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai, promising to “see what we can do” to help the longtime human rights advocate who has languished in jail for years.

Trump made the remarks during a radio interview with Fox News this week, stating that he has “already brought it up” in government circles.

The U.S. president’s vow comes as Lai, imprisoned by Chinese Communist Party authorities since 2020, is nearing the end of a lengthy national security trial in Hong Kong.

Closing arguments in the trial were postponed repeatedly this week amid inclement weather and medical concerns regarding Lai. The 77-year-old has reportedly experienced heart troubles while imprisoned.

A longtime free speech activist and human rights advocate, Lai — who converted to Catholicism in 1997 and who has spoken publicly about his faith on numerous occasions — was first arrested just over five years ago, in August 2020, on charges related to China’s then-new national security law.

The government has handed down multiple jail sentences to Lai since then on other charges related to unlawful assemblies and fraud. Delayed for years, his national security trial commenced in December 2023.

Lai’s supporters and advocates have suggested that the outcome of the trial is likely foregone. Father Robert Sirico, a Catholic priest and the founder of the Michigan-based Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, told CNA at the start of Lai’s security trial that he had little hope that the Chinese government would allow Lai to walk free.

“When was the last time you saw a totalitarian government put someone through their court system and have them come out innocent?” he said.

Sirico echoed those fears in an essay at the Free Press this week, describing the trial as fully “subject to Chinese control.”

“There is no jury. The three judges were handpicked by Hong Kong’s chief executive, who is under the thumb of the CCP. These judges hold Lai’s fate in their hands,” the priest wrote.

Amid his ongoing imprisonment and trial, Lai has drawn international support. A congressional commission in 2023 urged the U.S. government to sanction Hong Kong prosecutors and judges if they failed to release the activist. That same year, a coalition of international human rights groups called for efforts to secure his release. Catholic leaders around the world have likewise called for his release.

Earlier this year he was awarded the Bradley Prize for being an “inspiration to all who value freedom.” The Catholic University of America last year featured his artwork on its campus. A bill in the U.S. Congress even proposes renaming a Washington, D.C., street “Jimmy Lai Way.”

How much the U.S. government could ultimately do to help Lai is unclear. Ahead of his reelection last year, Trump promised to get Lai out of jail, though this week he appeared to walk back that assurance.

“I didn’t say 100% I’d save him. I said 100% I’m going to be bringing it up,” he told Fox radio host Brian Kilmeade.

Still, Trump said, “[Lai’s] name has already entered the circle of things that we’re talking about.” Trump further praised Lai’s son, Sebastien, for his efforts to free his father.

Sirico, meanwhile, this week wrote that Lai in his yearslong imprisonment “reminds us what it looks like to live without fear. To speak without permission. To suffer for the truth.”

“He reminds us, in other words, of what it means to be free,” the priest said.

Moral theologian Charles Camosy, a bioethics professor at The Catholic University of America and an acclaimed author, speaks to anchor Catherine Hadro on “EWTN News In Depth” on Aug. 15, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

As artificial intelligence (AI) has become more widespread, a Catholic bioethics expert is warning against the dangers posed by it, saying it’s “not too late” to “put the genie back in the bottle” and avoid the worst effects of the new technology.  

Pope Leo XIV has already warned that AI could have negative effects on the development of young people and contribute to a “loss of the sense of the human.”

“He took the name Leo XIV to connect himself to Leo XIII, who himself was dealing with the industrial revolution of the late century, which totally transformed culture,” moral theologian Charles Camosy, a bioethics professor at The Catholic University of America and an acclaimed author, told “EWTN News In Depth” anchor Catherine Hadro on Aug. 15.

“We’re undergoing right now a similar technological change that is going to totally transform the culture,” Camosy said. “How do we respond?” 

Camosy recently wrote a story for the Atlantic in which he argued that addressing artificial intelligence “could be the most ambitious and enduring project of Pope Leo XIV’s legacy.”

AI is “going to impact nearly every part of our culture,” Camosy noted, adding that “people often can’t tell the difference when they’re talking to a human being or a chatbot.”

“To the extent that we have any confusion about that, that’s really super worrisome, because we need to hold on to this idea that we’re fundamentally different from a large-language model,” he said.

“We are flesh and blood made in the image and likeness of God with a soul that reflects a relationship that can’t possibly be present in a chatbot.” 

With an ongoing loneliness epidemic, people are already vulnerable, he noted. 

Camosy remarked that if individuals are living in a world where, “addicted to their smartphones,” they are unable to communicate authentically and lack friends who can respond genuinely, they can become “vulnerable to a very articulate chatbot.” 

He said AI chatbots are not just “stepping in to fill the void, but doing so in ways that at least imitate the need that all of us have for intimacy, for somebody to care about us.” 

It is something that the Church has been addressing for some time via working groups on AI, Camosy noted. 

“You could argue that the Church has been ahead of the broader culture on AI because these groups have been around for some years,” he said. 

Camosy referred to the Vatican document Antiqua et Nova: Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence as a Catholic resource on AI. 

“I suspect, but don’t know for sure, that our current Holy Father is at least in the early stages of putting something like that together,” he continued. 

“It’s not just AI,” he said, noting that the AI discussion ties into the “advent of transhumanism.” 

Transhumanism is a scientific and cultural movement proposing the modification of human biology through technology, potentially blurring the lines between the artificial and the real. 

“We’re in this really important cultural moment where this second industrial revolution is right on the cusp of happening. Thank God we have someone like Pope Leo” to lead the Church through it, Camosy said.

He pointed to grand claims that AI will eventually help human beings move away from work altogether. But work, he pointed out, is “an integral part of the human experience.”

“We need protections for work. We need protections for workers,” he said. “It’s not too late to put the genie back in the bottle on this one. We have to create a culture that shapes AI to serve human beings, not the other way around.”

null / Credit: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).

A new study found that 2025 graduates of Catholic law schools are not only more focused on ethics, service, and community, but they are also more likely to be practicing law than graduates of secular institutions.

The study, commissioned by the St. Mary’s University School of Law and conducted by YouGov, asked a national sample of 1,076 law school graduates across Catholic and secular institutions (844 secular and 232 Catholic) questions about motivation, career trajectory, values alignment, civic participation, and ethical formation.

The report revealed graduates of Catholic institutions highly prioritize their career outcomes and professional commitments. It found that 14% more Catholic law school students who graduated this year are currently practicing law than graduates of secular institutions. Also, 13% more Catholic law graduates said their career aligns with their personal values.

The survey revealed that those who attended Catholic law schools are more likely to prioritize community roles and civic engagement.

Surveyed Catholic law school graduates were four times more likely to have held an elected community role and twice as likely to have tutored youth or community members, coach youth sports, or have served on bar committees. Catholic school graduates were also found to have a 26% higher participation rate in local elections.

More Catholic law school graduates said they were motivated to enter the profession to uphold the rule of law (10%) than secular graduates. Catholic graduates were also more likely to cite “helping others” and “seeking justice” among their top motivations.

The report noted that 7% more Catholic school graduates said they feel confident applying ethical reasoning in complex legal situations and 8% more said education provided a framework for resolving moral or professional conflicts.

The study also found that graduates of Catholic schools tended to have more positive experiences while in law school. Of the participants, 15% more Catholic graduates than secular graduates reported they felt a sense of community at law school, 12% more said law school helped them find life’s purpose, and 10% more said law school clarified their broader purpose in the profession.

Overall, the study revealed that aside from providing legal expertise, Catholic law schools are also encouraging a moral framework and strong commitment to community. 

St. Mary’s reported the study is the first national one of its kind focused on law school graduates. It builds on a 2024 report by St. Mary’s that surveyed undergraduate and general alumni and found Catholic university graduates are more likely to report higher fulfillment and more emphasis on morality in their decision-making. A second version of the broader study is scheduled for later this year.

null / Credit: melissamn|Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Aug 15, 2025 / 14:33 pm (CNA).

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

Costco won’t dispense abortion pill at pharmacy locations 

Costco won’t dispense the abortion pill mifepristone in its pharmacies following pressure from investors to refuse selling the drug in its stores.

With more than 500 pharmacy locations, the retailer says the company hasn’t seen consumer demand for the pill, according to Bloomberg News. 

A coalition including the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the Idaho-based Inspire Investing last year publicly urged the company to not stock the drugs. Costco in the statement did not comment on whether the coalition played a role in its decision not to stock the drug.

Chemical abortions account for about half of the abortions in the United States every year.

ADF attorney Michael Ross called Costco’s decision “a very significant win” and said the group hopes “to build on” this win over the coming year.

Major online abortion provider named in Texas wrongful death lawsuit  

A wrongful death lawsuit was recently filed against a major online abortion drug provider after a Texas man allegedly poisoned his wife and unborn child with drugs he obtained from the company.

According to the lawsuit, the man spiked the drink of the mother of his unborn child with abortion pills, killing the unborn child and sending the mother to the emergency room.

The lawsuit claims that Christopher Cooprider killed his own unborn child with abortion drugs from Aid Access, a group that ships abortion drugs into states like Texas, where abortion is generally banned.

The lawsuit names Aid Access Founder Rebecca Gomperts and Cooprider as defendants.

The filing contains a series of texts where Cooprider appears to attempt to pressure the mother of his child into abortion.

“You’ve told me 1,000 times you are trying to stress me out so that I lose the baby,” the mother wrote. “I can’t wait to hold that gorgeous baby though, if it’s alive.”

Though the mother had “no intention of aborting,” Cooprider slipped the abortion pills into her hot chocolate on April 5, the lawsuit said, leading to the death of the baby.

Pro-family groups file lawsuit opposing Montana’s constitutional right to abortion

Two pro-family Montana groups are continuing to oppose the abortion rights provision in the state’s constitution in a district court.

The Montana Life Defense Fund and Montana Family Foundation filed a lawsuit in Yellowstone District Court earlier this week.

The groups asked Judge Thomas Pardy to declare the constitutional initiative invalid because the full text was not printed on the ballot.

The Montana Constitution guarantees a right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability (around the 22nd week of gestation).

Advocates challenged the measure’s passage under a two-year statute of limitations. The groups were initially ruled against by the Montana Supreme Court but resolved to continue opposing the measure.

Indiana appeals court upholds pro-life law

The Indiana Court of Appeals this week upheld an Indiana pro-life law that protects unborn children throughout pregnancy with some exceptions.

In the 31-page ruling, a panel of judges ruled to uphold the law requiring abortions to be performed only in hospitals and surgery centers and to protect unborn life except in cases of a serious health or life risk to the mother, a lethal fetal anomaly, or cases of rape or incest.

Planned Parenthood Great Northwest opposed the law in the suit, arguing that if a pregnancy risked the mother’s health, providers might be afraid to abort the unborn child because of fears of legal repercussions.

In addition, the plaintiffs opposed that the law required abortions to be performed in hospitals or surgical centers, not freestanding clinics.

The appeals court ruled to uphold the law, maintaining that the circumstances brought before them “do not necessitate an abortion to treat those risks.” The panel of judges added that because abortions are only allowed in “an extreme medical scenario,” the hospital rule “is not a material burden” on the state’s constitutional right ot abortion.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita called the ruling a “resounding victory for life” and said he is committed to “protecting the most vulnerable and upholding our state’s values.”