Saint Michael Parish

Farm workers. / mikeledray/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 11, 2025 / 13:15 pm (CNA).

As the Trump administration grapples with potentially conflicting immigration enforcement and economic policy goals affecting the agricultural sector, Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas is raising his voice on behalf of the country’s migrant farm workers.

The plight of migrant workers “should be one of great concern to all Catholics, and we should be committed to recognizing the importance of their work and to upholding their God-given dignity,” Cahill, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers, told CNA. 

Cahill is set to become chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration at the end of this November’s plenary session. 

“Undocumented farmworkers labor tirelessly in American fields, orchards, and other settings, playing a key role in our food supply chain,” he continued, emphasizing that Catholics “are called to accompany [migrant workers] as we simultaneously advocate for reforms to our immigration system that benefit both our economy and all those who labor within it.”

Both President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said this week that the administration would not be granting “amnesty” to migrant farm workers, but the president has also indicated several times that his administration plans to grant a “temporary pass” for certain laborers in the country illegally. 

According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 47% of U.S. agricultural workers are unauthorized immigrants.

The bishop’s comments come after Rollins specifically stated on July 8 that “there will be no amnesty” for migrant farm workers in the U.S. illegally. 

“Mass deportations will continue, but in a strategic way,” Rollins said. "Ultimately, the answer on this is automation, also some reform within the current governing structure,” she said, referring to current visa programs for farm workers.

At a July 3 rally in Iowa, Trump said that he and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem plan to “sort of put the farmers in charge” of migrant labor in the agricultural sector. 

“Now, serious radical right people, who I also happen to like a lot, they may not be quite as happy but they’ll understand,” Trump said. 

"If a farmer’s willing to vouch for these people,” the president said of migrant workers in the country without legal status, “Kristi, I think we’re going to have to just say that’s going to be good, right?" he continued, “because we don’t want to do it where we take all of the workers off the farms."

At a cabinet meeting this week, Trump also echoed Rollins, saying: “We’ve got to give the farmers the people they need, but we’re not talking amnesty.” 

Trump insisted that “what we’re doing is getting rid of criminals” and hinted at the administration’s plans to overhaul existing H2 visa programs, which allow employers to bring foreign nationals to the U.S to fill certain jobs in agriculture and hospitality, among other sectors.

At the same meeting, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said her department is spearheading those efforts.

In an interview earlier this year, Rollins had indicated that once the border has been “locked down” and the country has “real border security” then “I think we can begin to pivot into ‘How do we fix this for the long term?, what does the labor look like and how do we ensure our farmers have what they need to do what they need to do?’”

“You can’t even begin to talk about real reform in your immigration system until you have locked the border down and you have real border security,” Rollins said.

Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Florida is also among those speaking out against mass, indiscriminate deportations. 

Dewane said President Trump’s recent remarks about farmworkers reflect what he called “a growing recognition that many, indeed most immigrants, even those who are not lawfully present, are not dangerous but peaceful, law-abiding, and hardworking contributors to our communities and to our economy.” 

The Florida bishop called for “serious reforms” of the country’s immigration system that “preserve safety and the integrity of our borders, as well as to accommodate needs for labor” and family stability.

Dewane’s statement included a link to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement earlier this year that calls for enforcement measures to “focus on those who present genuine risks and dangers to society, particularly efforts to reduce gang activity, stem the flow of drugs, and end human trafficking” while calling for the provision of “legal processes for longtime residents and other undocumented immigrants to regularize their status.”

null / Credit: Wolfgang Schaller|Shutterstock.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 11, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).

A recent poll has revealed that the majority of American adults’ beliefs align with recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings supporting parental authority, allowing states to ban transgender treatment for minors, and permitting authorities to require age verification on websites with sexually explicit content.

On June 18, the Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee was permitted to ban medical treatments for minors including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgeries. 

On June 27, meanwhile, the high court ruled that public schools in Maryland must allow parents the option to withdraw their children from discussions of LGBT topics if they have religious objections. It also ruled that a Texas law that requires pornography websites to verify that users are at least 18 years old does not violate the Constitution and can remain in effect.

The poll, which was conducted before the rulings were issued, revealed that the American public was mostly in alignment with the final decisions of the Supreme Court.

The survey was completed online April 10-16 among 2,201 U.S. adults by YouGov for its SCOTUSpoll project. The poll was conducted by researchers at the University of Texas, Harvard University, and Stanford University. 

It found that the majority of all respondents (64%) said states “should be able to ban” minors from being subject to certain transgender medical treatments.

The numbers were lopsided according to political alignment: While 90% of Republicans and 63% of Independents surveyed said states should be able to carry out bans, only 38% of Democrats did.

The poll also found that 77% of Americans believe schools “must give the ability” for parents to remove their children from conversations on gender and sexuality. The majority of respondents across all political parties agreed, including 89% of Republicans, 69% of Democrats, and 72% of Independents. 

Texas is one of 24 states that has enacted a law requiring age verification for porn websites similar to the one voted on by the Supreme Court. The survey found that a high majority (80%) of Americans reported that states should be able to permit verification. This included 88% of Republicans, 75% of Democrats, and 77% of Independents. 

Since the Supreme Court ruled on the case involving transgender medical intervention, meanwhile, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced it has sent more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics involved in child transgender medical procedures.

In a July 9 announcement, the DOJ stated the investigations “include healthcare fraud, false statements, and more.”

In the statement, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said: “Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice.”

“When you love the people with whom you disagree, and then you talk about the disagreements, then you’re able to persuade people, potentially,” Brooks points out. “Its your only shot at persuading people, is with love.” / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 11, 2025 / 09:40 am (CNA).

Best-selling author, Harvard professor and renowned social scientist Arthur Brooks says the missionary character and approach of Pope Leo XIV is one which all Catholics should emulate.

In an interview with "EWTN News in Depth," Brooks called attention to the new pope’s track record of threading the needle of “speaking the truth in a spirit of love, and that’s a lot more of what we all need to emulate as Catholic people.”

This approach, Brooks said, is a winning one that gives him a lot of hope and optimism for Leo’s pontificate and the future of the Church, which he says is on the cusp of a revival.

Speaking with anchor Catherine Hadro, Brooks said all Catholics are called to missionary work grounded in joy, excellence, and clarity of purpose. 

“We need to ask ourselves tomorrow as we go out: Am I being a good missionary or am I not? Is somebody going to say, I like the way that that person lives their Catholic faith or not? Is that attractive or is that unattractive? Those are the choices."

A convert to Catholicism at age 16, Brooks says he considers himself a “secular missionary.” In a recent article in The Atlantic, he wrote that his secular writing, speaking and teaching is the principal way that he shares his faith publicly.

“My approach is basically to be open and easy and natural about my Catholic faith,” said Brooks, who is also the former president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute think tank.

The two best tools in secular evangelization, Brooks said, are friendship and excellence. 

“Be a good friend, be a good person, all the time, impeccable in the way you treat other people and somebody people can rely on and actually love,” Brooks told Hadro. 

“And two, be excellent in everything you do. Be the best at what you do…because people want to be around excellence and people want to have good friends,” he added.

Catholics, Brooks said, are called to “magnetize” their faith by “making it natural and normal and excellent” such that it draws people to the faith.

When it comes to speaking truth in a spirit of love, Brooks said we "have a moral obligation to call out things that are wrong when they’re wrong for the good of the person,” noting that when there’s grave sin “we have to call it out.”

“But we will be ineffective in doing so if we don’t do that with love," he emphasized. 

“When you love the people with whom you disagree, and then you talk about the disagreements, then you’re able to persuade people, potentially,” Brooks pointed out. “[Y]our only shot at persuading people is with love.”

In his 2023 book Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, Brooks offers practical strategies for both emotional and spiritual growth. The book debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

He continues exploring these themes in his forthcoming book, The Happiness Files, in which he likens the pursuit of happiness to launching a start-up: deliberate, experimental, and mission-driven.

Watch the full “EWTN News in Depth” interview with Arthur Brooks below:

Portrait of St. Benedict (1926) by Herman Nieg (1849–1928); Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Austria; “Exorcism of St. Benedict,” by Spinello Aretino, late 14th century. / Credit: Public domain

National Catholic Register, Jul 11, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Temptations in a fallen city, memories of a beautiful woman, a poisoned chalice, the attacks of an envious priest, curses from a pagan priest, a rock that won’t budge and another that falls on a young monk, a kitchen in flames, a dragon that lurks to devour a fleeing monk, threats from Gothic warlords, and the prospect of a destroyed monastery.

These are some of the attacks that St. Benedict, whose feast the Catholic Church celebrates on July 11, endured throughout his life.

Benedict even had to use force to manifest his authority as abbot over his monks oppressed by the enemy, as related in Father Robert Nixon’s newly compiled and translated book “The Cross and Medal of Saint Benedict: A Mystical Sign of Divine Power” (TAN, 2024):

“Benedict found this monk outside wandering around aimlessly when he should have been in the oratory in prayer. With a certain degree of paternal severity and charitable discipline, he reprimanded him for his lack of wisdom and discernment and struck him with his staff. At this, the monk fell down, motionless. And after that, the devil ... never troubled him again. It was as if the staff of Benedict had not struck the hapless monk but had rather driven away the wicked tempter himself!” (p. 14).

St. Benedict has come to be recognized for the power of his actions against the enemy, alongside St. Michael the Archangel, as a major protector against evil — particularly through the medal that bears his image.

Nixon’s book offers an overview of how the medal rose to prominence as a Catholic devotion and received papal approval, couching it within the story of St. Benedict’s life and the rise of his order of monks.

The St. Benedict medal

If you’ve seen the back of a St. Benedict medal, you may have noticed a series of letters. The first set is arranged in and around the shape of the cross: C S P B C S S M L N D S M D. The next set is arranged in a circle around the cross: V R S N S M V S M Q L I V B.

This arrangement first came to serious attention in the year 1647 in relation to the Benedictine Abbey of Metten in Bavaria when it was believed to have prevented a series of diabolic attacks.

Although some of the laity already had medals with these letters engraved, no one at the time understood their meaning. It was only in researching the library’s manuscripts that a 15th-century illustration of St. Benedict pointed to the full prayer they abbreviated:

“Cross of our Holy Father Benedict. May the cross be light to me. May the dragon not be a leader to me. Get behind me, Satan: Never persuade me to vain things. What you like is evil; may you yourself drink your venom!” 

Due to a widespread story of the medal preventing the effect of curses and bringing about exorcisms and healings, which Nixon details in his book, its use spread across Europe, with Pope Benedict XIV approving an official blessing for it and granting it indulgences in 1741.

The great father of modern Benedictine monasticism, Dom Prosper Guéranger, speculated why God would grant so many favors to those who invoke his help through St. Benedict’s medal. In an age when “rationalism is so rife,” God has deigned to offer help to those “who put their confidence in the sacred signs marked on the medal” with “strong and simple” faith (Guéranger, “The Medal or Cross of St. Benedict,” author’s preface). It’s as if to laugh at the devil and his plans to pull people away from God through the alleged sophistication of the modern world, overcoming them with simple signs pointing us to the cross and the protection of a holy monk.

Of course, the medal should not be used in a superstitious way. It expresses our faith and confidence in God, which conquers the power of the enemy through the blood of Christ. Within God’s plan of salvation, there are certain key defenders of God’s people. St. Benedict proved himself as one over his own monks in spiritual combat. Through the efficacy of his medal, he has manifested himself as a fatherly defender of all who invoke his help.

Throughout history, the monastic life has served as a constant beacon calling us to greater conversion of life and prayer. Turning to St. Benedict can lead us to embrace some of his spiritual principles, such as humility, obedience, stability, hospitality, the prayerful reading of Scripture in “lectio divina,” and viewing our work as a means of honoring God.

While St. Benedict faced trials in his life as a monk, we all face trials and attacks from the enemy in the Christian life. Sacramentals can help us in our journey of faith, including our efforts to keep evil far away.

St. Benedict medals and rosaries with the medal affixed can be purchased at religious gift stores and can be blessed after purchase. Medals are also available at EWTNRC.com.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

St. Benedict. / Credit: Pietro Perugino via Wikimedia (Public domain)

ACI Prensa Staff, Jul 11, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Archbishop Enrique Benavent Vidal of Valencia in Spain encouraged the faithful to take advantage of summer vacation to read and delve deeper into the Rule of St. Benedict, as it contains “insights that are useful” for the daily life of all Christians.

In his July 5 weekly letter, the prelate observed that on Friday, July 11, the Catholic Church will celebrate the feast of St. Benedict, the patron saint of Europe who lived between the fifth and sixth centuries.

“The goal that completely guided his life,” Benavent explained, “is reflected in the prologue to the rule he wrote for the monasteries he founded: ‘Who is the man who desires life and wishes to see happy days?’”

St. Benedict “always lived with the desire to achieve an authentic life, ‘true and perpetual life,’ which can only be achieved in the tent of God on his holy mountain. His entire gaze is fixed on this goal. He lives and teaches monks to live this life with their gaze fixed on true life, on God,” he said.

However, the Spanish archbishop pointed out that while St. Benedict originally wrote this rule “to serve as a spiritual path for monks and to organize the life of monasteries, we find insights that are useful for all Christians.”

In his letter, Benavent uses as an example the rule that calls for “not putting anything before the love of Christ.”

“Nothing should come between the Lord and the disciple. The authentic Christian,” the prelate explained, “is one who, in everyday life, values ​​friendship with the Lord above all else and lives all aspects of his life (work, possessions, family life) in such a way that nothing and no one can cause him to lose that friendship.”

He then quoted part of the rule’s prologue, which states that “(they will rest on your holy mountain) those who, fearing the Lord, are not proud of the uprightness of their conduct.” 

The archbishop of Valencia noted that “with this advice, St. Benedict enters the depths of the heart and warns us against a temptation that is very common in those who consider themselves ‘good’: Those who strive to live holy lives easily come to attribute good works to their own strength and to praise themselves, forgetting that ‘by the grace of God I am what I am’ and that ‘let he who glories, glory in the Lord.’”

Finally, he mentioned St. Benedict’s exhortation “not to desire to be called a saint before being one, but first to be one.”

Benavent pointed out that this is “a warning to those who live thinking more about appearances than about the reality of their lives,” because “those who live by appearances are more concerned with what others might think or say about them than with the actual reality of their lives. Christians seek above all to live in the truth.”

The archbishop of Valencia ended his letter by stating that “these counsels are not only for those who have embraced monastic life but are criteria that, if we make them a rule of life, correctly guide the spiritual life of every Christian.”

“This rule that St. Benedict wrote for his monks could be good reading for meditation during the summer,” he noted.

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

Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in San Bernardino, Calif. / Farragutful via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 17:55 pm (CNA).

Bishop Alberto Rojas of the diocese of San Bernardino, California has granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for those within the diocese who fear deportation. 

The bishop said all of the faithful within the diocese who possess “genuine fear” of arrest while attending Mass are dispensed from the obligation until further notice, and are "encouraged to maintain their spiritual communion with Christ and His Church through acts of personal prayer.” 

In a July 8 statement, Rojas said the decision to grant the dispensation came after he recognized that “fear of immigration enforcement raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may deter some members of our diocese from fulfilling the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.” 

According to John Andrews, the director of communications for the diocese, attendance for Spanish language Masses across the diocese has been “down about 50 percent,” since around the time raids began in Southern California last month. 

Andrews told CNA the diocese is aware of two recent instances of ICE enforcement actions on church properties, with both taking place on June 20. 

One of the instances, he said, occurred at St. Adelaide Church in Highland and “involved several men who had been working in the neighborhood where the church is located.” The men were chased into the church parking lot and detained, according to Andrews, who said “we do not know whether these men were actually arrested.”

The second instance occurred at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Montclair, and "involved the apprehension and arrest of one man who was on parish property to do landscaping work,” Andrews told CNA, adding: “He and his family are longtime parishioners there and we know that he was arrested and ultimately sent to a detention facility in Texas.” 

“There is real fear gripping many in our parish communities,” said Rojas in a separate statement to CNA. “I want our immigrant communities to know that their Church stands with them and walks with them through this trying time.” 

A bishop is enabled under the Code of Canon Law to provide dispensations for the faithful under his care “whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual good.”

“I know that they would be in church if not for this threat to their safety and their family unity,” the bishop added. “With all the worry and anxiety that they are feeling, I wanted to take away, for a time, the burden they may be feeling from not being able to fulfill this commitment to which our Catholic faithful are called.”

In the July 8 announcement, which was also signed by Vicar General Msgr. Gerard López, Rojas stipulated that priests within the diocese must seek ways to provide support to those affected, and that parishes must also "explore alternative means of catechesis and sacramental preparation for those unable to attend regularly.” 

“In issuing this decree, I am guided by the Church’s mission to care for the spiritual welfare of all entrusted to my care, particularly those who face fear or hardship,” the bishop declared. 

This past May, the Diocese of Nashville also granted a Sunday Mass dispensation to “those in our diocese [who] are concerned about the possibility of being confronted or detained while attending Mass or other parish events.” 

ICE: agency 'does not indiscriminately take enforcement actions’ at churches

An ICE spokesperson told CNA, “While ICE is not subject to previous restrictions on immigration operations at sensitive locations, to include schools, churches and courthouses, ICE does not indiscriminately take enforcement actions at these locations.” 

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” the spokesperson noted, adding: “All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removed from the United States.”

In January 2025, the Department of Homeland Security removed places of worship from its sensitive locations list, allowing ICE agents to carry out immigration enforcement procedures. 

Following a lawsuit from a group of 27 religious organizations, ICE was temporarily blocked in March from carrying out deportations in places of worship. However, a federal judge in April found the organizations did not have legal standing, thereby allowing operations to continue.

In an interview with CNA last week, Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and current fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, expressed doubt that ICE would carry out extensive raids in Catholic churches. 

He noted that while it’s possible a dangerous criminal could be targeted for enforcement at a church, “it’s not like they’re going to sweep through Sunday Mass looking for people.”

Pope Leo XIV (pictured at St. Peter's on June 1, 2025) issued a message of hope on July 10 in anticipation of the upcoming World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 17:29 pm (CNA).

For the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly established by Pope Francis and celebrated this year on July 27, Pope Leo XIV has issued a message of hope to the elderly.

At the beginning of his message, the Holy Father evoked the Jubilee Year to remind the faithful that "hope is a constant source of joy, whatever our age." 

He cited some elderly biblical figures, such as Abraham and Sarah, Moses, and Zechariah, whom the Lord surprised in "an act of saving power": "God repeatedly demonstrates his providential care by turning to people in their later years," he explained.

The pontiff noted that by making these choices, "God thus teaches us that, in his eyes, old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses of hope."

Life is more than the present moment

He then emphasized that the increasing number of elderly people "is a sign of the times that we are called to discern, in order to properly interpret this moment of history."

The Holy Father noted that "embracing the elderly helps us to understand that life is more than just the present moment, and should not be wasted in superficial encounters and fleeting relationships. Instead, life is constantly pointing us toward the future."

He also emphasized that "if it is true that the weakness of the elderly needs the strength of the young, it is equally true that the inexperience of the young needs the witness of the elderly in order to build the future with wisdom.”

“How often our grandparents have been for us examples of faith and devotion, civic virtue and social commitment, memory and perseverance amid trials! The precious legacy that they have handed down to us with hope and love will always be a source of gratitude and a summons to perseverance,” he said.

In the context of the Jubilee Year, he invited the faithful to “to break through the barriers of indifference …” and to give of themselves to prevent feelings of loneliness and abandonment among the elderly.

“Our societies, everywhere in the world, are growing all too accustomed to letting this significant and enriching part of their life be marginalized and forgotten,” he lamented.

Protagonists of the “revolution” of gratitude and care

The pope emphasized that every parish, association, or church group is called to be “protagonists in a ‘revolution’ of gratitude and care,” and that this must be done “by regular visits to the elderly, the creation of networks of support and prayer for them and with them, and the forging of relationships that can restore hope and dignity to those who feel forgotten.”

“Christian hope always urges us to be more daring, to think big, to be dissatisfied with things the way they are … [and] to work for a change that can restore esteem and affection,” he explained.

The Holy Father recalled that Pope Francis wanted the faithful, and especially young people, to reach out to those who are alone. He noted that those who cannot make the pilgrimage to Rome this year will be able to obtain the Jubilee indulgence if they visit the elderly alone for an appropriate amount of time.

The freedom to love and to pray 

Addressing grandparents and the elderly, Pope Leo XIV encouraged them not to lose hope, even in those moments when they are tempted “to look not to the future but to the past.”

"We possess a freedom that no difficulty can rob us of: it is the freedom to love and to pray. Everyone, always, can love and pray," he emphasized

The pope also recalled Pope Francis's words during his last hospitalization: "our bodies are weak, but even so, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being there for one another, in faith, as shining signs of hope."

Pope Leo XIV also indicated that "affection for our loved ones – for the wife or husband with whom we have spent so much of our lives, for our children, for our grandchildren who brighten our days – does not fade when our strength wanes."

“Indeed, their own affection often revives our energy and brings us hope and comfort,” he added.

Therefore, the pontiff continued, “especially as we grow older, let us press forward with confidence in the Lord. May we be renewed each day by our encounter with him in prayer and in Holy Mass.”

“Let us lovingly pass on the faith we have lived for so many years, in our families and in our daily encounter with others. May we always praise God for his goodness, cultivate unity with our loved ones, open our hearts to those who are far away and, in particular, to all those in need. In this way, we will be signs of hope, whatever our age,” the pope concluded.

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

null / Syda Productions via www.shutterstock.com.

CNA Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 17:10 pm (CNA).

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

Studies debunk pro-abortion maternal health, 'OB-GYNs exodus' claims

Recently released peer-reviewed research is disputing what pro-life researchers call “fear-mongering narratives” about maternal health and OB-GYNs. 

A peer reviewed study published last week found that the maternal morbidity — health problems following pregnancy or giving birth — remained unchanged in states with pro-life protections for unborn children. 

But in pro-abortion states, maternal morbidity rates increased significantly, according to the study published by BMC Public Health. Additionally, the infant mortality rate remained the same in states with pro-life protections.

The so-called “OB-GYN exodus,” the claim that OB-GYNs were fleeing pro-life states, is also untrue, according to a recent JAMA article. The article found that OB-GYNs aren’t fleeing states with pro-life protections. 

About 94% of OB-GYNs stayed in the same practice location when their state implemented pro-life protections, which is nearly the same as the 95.8% in pro-abortion states, according to a Charlotte Lozier Institute spokeswoman. 

Ingrid Skop, the vice president and director of medical affairs at the Lozier Institute and a board-certified OB-GYN, said that following the Dobbs decision, abortion activists “tried to convince the public that legal protections for the unborn would force OB-GYNs to leave pro-life states, and that pregnancy-related complications for women and infant mortality would increase.”

But this recent data, Skop said, “shows the fearmongering didn’t match the facts.” 

"It turns out that providing better quality, life-affirming medical care protects the lives of both mothers and babies,” Skop told CNA. “The fearmongering narratives alleging otherwise have been disproven.” 

Nearly three in 10 unborn babies aborted in England and Wales 

Nearly three in 10 pregnancies ended in abortion in 2022 in England and Wales, according to government statistics.

Abortions are at the highest levels since recording began in England and Wales, according to recent data from the Office for National Statistics. 

Abortions are up from about two in 10 a decade earlier. The percent of pregnancies ending in abortions went from 20.8% in 2012 to 26.5% in 2021, and has now reached 29.7% in 2022.

The numbers came out soon after the British Parliament voted to decriminalize illegal abortions in June. 

Abortions drop in South Carolina by 63%

Two years after South Carolina’s six-week heartbeat protection law went into effect in May of 2023, the state health department is reporting that legal abortions have plummeted.

From 2023 to 2024, the state saw a 63% drop in abortion, per the annual abortion report. This was the first full year that the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act was in effect. In 2023, there were a reported 8,187 abortions, but the number dropped by more than half a year later, to 3,025 abortions statewide in 2024.

Lisa Van Riper, the president of South Carolina Citizens for Life, said the state pro-life organization “rejoices in these numbers,” citing the “the preservation of the precious little lives,” according to a statement by the National Right to Life.

The National Right to Life group also condemned the disproportionate amount of abortions of black babies. While 26% of South Carolina is black, 41% of aborted babies were black children, the group noted.

Father Salvador Aguado Miguel. / Credit: Courtesy of Father Salvador Aguado Miguel

Vatican City, Jul 10, 2025 / 16:30 pm (CNA).

“I was on the edge of a precipice, dead inside, at the very bottom of a dark pit.”

With these stark words, Spanish priest Salvador Aguado Miguel shared his testimony following the suicide last week of young Father Matteo Balzano, an event that has shaken the Catholic Church, especially in Italy.

In the wake of this tragedy, Aguado shared on social media something he had not said publicly until now: “Five years ago, I was in the same place, on the edge of that precipice, at the bottom of that dark pit. Thank goodness Manuel, my psychologist, came into my life; he was like an angel who rescued me, sent by God.

"It's very, very hard to be in that situation,” the priest wrote on Instagram.

The pastor of Holy Faith parish in Valencia, Spain, revealed that he went through an extremely difficult period of anxiety, during which he felt “dead inside.” He confessed that the pressure was so intense that he even considered “getting out of the way.” 

The importance of mental health

Speaking with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Aguado said he “really identified” with Balzano, because often “we are not aware of those demands we make on ourselves or all the pressures we subject ourselves to.”

“We’re not superheroes…we also go through emotional lows,” the priest explained, emphasizing that seeking professional help, especially a psychologist, “is not a bad thing, but quite the opposite.”

For Aguado, it is urgent to raise greater awareness about mental health and the importance of psychological help “at all levels.”

The ‘idealization’ of the priesthood

The priest lamented the criticism or stigmatization of those who have experienced depression or publicly shared their suffering, and expressed his sorrow for the judgment passed on Balzano following his suicide. 

“We have to put ourselves in the shoes of these people. Recognizing something like that is not easy; I know this from experience. In those moments, no matter how much faith or commitment you may have, managing such profound suffering is extremely difficult,” he pointed out.

Aguado added that one of the reasons that leads to the demands and pressure on priests is the “idealization” of the priesthood: “We forget that human side, that fragile side.”

The self-imposed need to always give his best and the false belief that he must be available 24/7 pushed the priest to the limit, to the point of even considering leaving the priesthood. “We too need our space: going to the movies, taking a walk, having coffee with another priest or a parishioner,” he explained.

A deeply Catholic psychologist

Regarding his experience with the psychologist, whom he described as “an angel” and a true gift from the Lord, he emphasized the great difference it made that he was a “deeply Catholic” person.

“During the sessions, we also worked with the Bible. He often encouraged me to read what Jesus did in this or that passage,” reflecting on the “more psychological” side of Jesus, the priest recounted.

Addressing priests who may be going through a similar situation, Aguado encouraged them to “allow themselves to be touched by the fragility of the Lord and understand that, in the end, we are not made of iron, but rather flesh and blood.”

He advised them to remove the “mask” that “everything is fine” and learn to “combine human and priestly reality at the same time.” Above all, he recommended “allowing themselves to be accompanied by professionals” and to draw from resources within the parish or pastoral ministry, “which is always very helpful.”

In addition to self-imposed demands, he noted that criticism, from both clergy and laity, also caused him a lot of pain. “I learned to deal with all those critical and angry attacks with the Bible,” he explained.

The Lord always draws a lesson from evil

The Spanish priest, who last winter experienced firsthand the tragedy of the catastrophic flooding in Valencia, which caused more than 200 deaths and extensive property damage, emphasized that “the Lord always draws a lesson from every evil.”

In his case, he says, he found his passion for digital evangelization, something that has helped him "discover that unique gift that the Lord has placed in my life." Now, he enthusiastically evangelizes through social media, where he has more than 50,000 followers.

Improving formation in seminaries

To anticipate these situations, Aguado suggested more mental health formation in seminaries: "We receive a lot of formation in spirituality and theology, but we don't have any formation in mental health," he said.

According to the priest, they also lack a place to turn when they are in a bad way such as a team of psychologists in the diocese who can help them through the most difficult moments. "I believe it is essential, in addition to the seminary, which is the place of formation par excellence, to have follow-up support."

Aguado concluded with hope, emphasizing that the important thing is to recognize the problem, "realize that there is something to change in your life," and take the steps to get help.

Help is available

If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis or having suicidal thoughts, remember that the Catholic Church offers spiritual guidance, prayer, and listening spaces, and encourages seeking professional help. You can contact helplines, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for your country, or go to your parish, where you will find pastoral support and resources. The Catholic Church teaches that life is a gift from God and compassionately accompanies those who suffer, without judging, and offers hope, prayer, and comfort to affected families.

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

null / Credit: Brian A Jackson / Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 / 16:05 pm (CNA).

A circuit court blocked a West Virginia agency from awarding a $5 million grant to St. Joseph the Worker, an Ohio-based Catholic trade college that planned to expand into the state.

In a bench ruling, Judge Richard Lindsay found that the planned grant would violate Article III of the West Virginia Constitution, which forbids the government from using tax funds “for the erection or repair of any house for public worship or for the support of any church or ministry.”

The grant had been approved by the West Virginia Water Development Authority for the purpose of economic development. The American Humanist Association filed a lawsuit against the agency for awarding the grant and had legal representation from the West Virginia American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

“We’re proud to have taken a stand on behalf of our members and are encouraged that the court held the line on this unconstitutional appropriation of funds,” American Humanist Association Legal Director Amitai Heller said in a statement.

“The separation of church and state is a non-negotiable, and the [water authority] had no business granting public infrastructure dollars to fund religious education and advocacy,” Heller said. 

“Our members saw this blatant violation of church-state separation happening in their community and in concert with the ACLU of West Virginia, we acted,” he said.

The ruling was announced in a news release from the humanist group. Because the judge delivered an oral ruling from the bench, a written order was not available as of Thursday afternoon. A spokesman for the group told CNA a written order is expected within the next 30 days.

According to the humanist organization, the court gave the water authority 30 days to submit a filing to the court that shows compliance with the order.

St. Joseph the Worker, which is based in Steubenville, Ohio, teaches construction-related trades such as carpentry, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. It also offers a bachelor’s degree in Catholic studies along with the trade lessons.

The grant money would have supported job training and education programs based in West Virginia. It would have also supported the creation of a non-profit construction company that would have employed students to work on community revitalization projects that would not be profitable enough to receive private investment.

A spokesperson for St. Joseph the Worker was not available to provide a comment by press time.

When reached for comment, West Virginia Water Development Authority Executive Director Marie Prezioso declined to comment on the ruling directly.

“[A]ny comments … will be made in public court filings or other public disclosures,” Prezioso said. She did not respond to a followup email asking whether the water authority plans to appeal the ruling.

The decision to block the grant comes about two weeks after the court rejected the authority’s request for the lawsuit to be dismissed.