Northwoods Catholic Churches -- St. Anne, Boulder Junction; St. Mary, Sayner; St. Rita, Presque Isle

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 27, 2024 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Catholic, signed legislation on Wednesday that prevents males from entering women’s and girls’ locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms in the state’s public and private K-12 schools and colleges. 

The new law requires that schools and colleges separate gender-specific facilities on the basis of biological sex, rather than self-asserted gender identity. This prevents men and boys from using facilities that are designated for only women and girls and vice versa, even if the person identifies as transgender. 

“This landmark legislation reflects the will of Ohio voters who demanded bold, common-sense action to protect privacy and safety in school restrooms and other shared spaces,” read a statement issued by the Ohio Republican Party and posted on X. 

“This is more than just a law — it’s a fulfillment of Ohio’s mandate to prioritize the dignity and safety of young women,” the statement added. 

Under the new law, schools cannot establish facilities that are “nongendered” or “open to all genders,” but schools can create “family facilities.” 

The legislation includes exceptions for young children who need assistance from a parent or guardian. It also includes an exception for people with disabilities who need assistance.

Per the legislation, schools also cannot permit boys and girls to share overnight accommodations, regardless of whether one of them self-identifies as transgender.

The language was included in a bill that amends a college credit program.

Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Sara Beth Nolan praised DeWine for signing the legislation. 

“States have a duty to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women and young girls,” Nolan said.

“Yet certain advocacy organizations — and the Biden-Harris administration through its Title IX rule change — are demanding that states devalue women by eliminating longstanding, distinct private spaces for males and females,” Nolan continued. “Allowing males into women and girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms is an invasion of privacy and can even be a threat to their safety.”

The Biden-Harris Department of Education revised Title IX regulations in April to reinterpret the law’s prohibition on “sex” discrimination to include a prohibition on discriminating against a person based on his or her self-asserted gender identity.

The rule change was blocked by courts in more than half of the country after state attorneys general sued the department out of concern that it would overrule state laws restricting athletic competitions, locker rooms, and bathrooms on the basis of biological sex.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio criticized DeWine for signing the bill into law.

“We will always have the backs of our trans community,” the ACLU statement on X said. “Every Ohioan deserves the freedom to be loved, to be safe, to be trusted with decisions about healthcare and to access the facilities that align with their gender identity,” the statement continued.

In January, DeWine vetoed legislation to prohibit doctors from providing minors with transgender drugs and surgeries, but Republican lawmakers voted to override his veto and the law went into effect earlier this year. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to prevent the law from going into effect, but has appealed the loss.

The suspect faces life imprisonment for these crimes. / Credit: Pixabay

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 27, 2024 / 14:39 pm (CNA).

Spain's National Police have arrested one of Europe's Most Wanted fugitives, a man accused of murdering a Catholic priest and injuring a nun in August 1991 in the town of Paloznak, Hungary.

According to a police statement posted Nov. 25 on their website, the man, who was not identified by name, was arrested in Girona province in the Catalonia region of Spain.

The fugitive had two European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) issued, one for aggravated homicide in Hungary and the other for violating traffic safety laws in Romania. In addition, a warrant was issued for theft in Hungary. The suspect faces life imprisonment for these crimes, the text states.

The man lived in a quiet area “and took multiple security measures before leaving his home, which is why the agents had to pose as park and garden maintenance workers in order to arrest him, the police statement notes. 

After the EAWs were issued, Spain’s National Police began the investigation in May, finding that the accused had passed through the Spanish province of Huelva and that he did everything in his power to try to go unnoticed, such as using apps to avoid connecting with cell towers when contacting other people.

In mid-November, police officers found him in Girona province and set up an operation to finally arrest him in public when he was going to get into his car.

The crimes

The police report states that in August 1991, in Paloznak, Hungary, “the suspect, together with other individuals, broke into a parish [building] in the city to steal valuables found there.”

At the scene “they surprised the priest who ran the parish (an elderly man) while he was sleeping and, after tying him to a chair and aggressively assaulting him, he died.” They also tied up and assaulted “a nun, also elderly (…) Although the woman survived the assault, she was seriously injured.”

According to Spanish media, the man arrested by the police in the town of Santa Coloma de Farners in Girona province, one of the most wanted in Europe, is Viorel Nae, a 55-year-old Romanian who is believed to be one of those who participated in murdering Father Gyula Csontos during the robbery that occurred more than 30 years ago.

According to El Caso online news, the nun who was injured during the incident died about 23 years ago. After being beaten, she supposedly told the criminals where some valuable things were that were ultimately stolen.

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

A refugee camp in Gaza houses those displaced by the war. / Photo courtesy of Catholic Relief Services.

St. Louis, Mo., Nov 27, 2024 / 14:05 pm (CNA).

A nearly two-month blockage of supplies into parts of northern Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war is hampering the aid efforts of Catholic Relief Services, the official international Catholic relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Megan Gilbert, CRS’ communications manager for the region, told CNA Tuesday that since Oct. 6 CRS has been forced to pause all operations in the North Gaza governate due to evacuation orders and military operations.

CRS had served 2,529 households in the area with food parcels and emergency shelter items before operations were paused, she said. 

“CRS has prepositioned items in Jordan and Egypt ready to send to Gaza when access allows, including 33,874 blankets, 8,541 family tents, 4,800 sealing off kits, 9,100 hygiene kits, and 4,000 food parcels,” Gilbert said. 

CRS maintains seven relief distribution points and four warehouses in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the south and North Gaza and Gaza City in the north. In October and November 2024, CRS was able to get shelter and wash items into south Gaza for the first time since May, distributing 1,129 hygiene kits and 1,138 tents to Gaza families. 

All told, CRS and its partners provided food, shelter and hygiene supplies, and cash assistance for basic needs to more than 1 million people in Gaza between Oct. 2023 and Sept. 2024, the group says. 

Hamas’ surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 killed 1,300 Israelis and international civilians. Israel subsequently declared war and vowed a siege of the Gaza Strip. As of October 1, 2024, at least 41,689 Palestinians have been killed and 96,625 injured in Gaza since October 2023, CRS says. 

In the Palestinian-controlled West Bank, 4,555 people, including 1,910 children, have been displaced, and 695 Palestinians have been killed.

In addition, in Lebanon, hostilities between Israel and the Iran-aligned group Hezbollah have displaced 142,000 people as of early October 2024. CRS has been working with Caritas Lebanon to assist those who have been displaced by the conflict in Lebanon, distributing clothing, hygiene supplies, bedding, and hot meals to families living in collective shelters. They have also been able to offer healthcare and first aid services for displaced families. 

A new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah took effect the morning of Nov. 27. Gilbert said it is not yet clear how the ceasefire will impact CRS’ operations in Lebanon. 

CRS has been calling for a total ceasefire since the start of the conflict, as well as unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza to deliver aid to civilians and protection for humanitarian workers. Evacuation orders by the Israeli military currently cover about 86% of Gaza, displacing about 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.1 million people. Most Gazans face “crisis levels of hunger or worse,” with a lack of clean water, sanitation and hygiene supplies particularly affecting the region’s children. 

CRS is soliciting donations to help “the most vulnerable of our sisters and brothers in more than 100 countries.” The group has increased its staff presence in Gaza since May despite evacuation orders resulting in the closure of some warehouses, distribution points, and offices.

“All CRS staff members in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon are physically unharmed. However, most CRS staff members in Gaza and their families have lost close family members, experienced multiple displacements and are living with host families, or in emergency shelters, tents or Church compounds,” a CRS report shared with CNA reads. 

According to the United Nations, virtually no outside aid has been delivered to northern Gaza in over 40 days. The Israeli military has said its current offensive targets regrouping Hamas fighters, and that it is facilitating civilian evacuations and supply deliveries to hospitals, the BBC reported. The looting of a large U.N. aid convoy of over 100 trucks at gunpoint was also reported last week. 

Pope Francis has repeatedly pled for peace in the Holy Land, in September expressing deep concern at the risk of the war between Israel and Hamas “spreading to other Palestinian cities.”

“May there be peace in the Holy Land!” he urged. “May there be peace in Jerusalem. May the Holy City be a place of encounter where Christians, Jews, and Muslims feel they are respected and welcomed, and no one questions the status quo in the respective Holy Places.”

Earlier this month, Pope Francis met with several hostages recently freed from months of captivity in Gaza.

A few days after that meeting, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See criticized the pope’s call for an investigation into claims that a genocide may be happening in Gaza. Specifically, Pope Francis wrote in a recent book that, “according to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”

Dr. Todd Ovokaitys speaks at the World Changers Ethical & Innovation Summit at the Pontifical Lateran University in Vatican City, Nov. 26, 2024 / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Vatican City, Nov 27, 2024 / 13:35 pm (CNA).

Against the dramatic backdrop of a massive mosaic of Christ enthroned, entrepreneurs, researchers, and civil society leaders spoke at the Vatican’s Pontifical Lateran University this week about their big ideas for ethical innovation.

Dubbed the “World Changers Ethical & Innovation Summit,” the Nov. 25-26 event showcased groundbreaking ideas spanning artificial intelligence, regenerative medicine, ethical technology, and environmental sustainability.

Among the featured speakers was Dr. Todd Ovokaitys, a Johns Hopkins-trained medical doctor and researcher, who presented his pioneering work in regenerative medicine. 

Ovokaitys highlighted the potential of Very Small Embryonic-Like stem cells (VSELs) — which are not the ethically fraught embryonic stem cells — to reverse spinal cord injuries and other degenerative conditions. 

“We focus on issues in the nervous system, which are often irrevocable, irreversible and permanent for life, but no longer,” he said.

The doctor shared the story of a chief of police in Mexico who was shot four times, resulting in a complete mid-thoracic spinal cord injury that left him without any feeling or movement from the chest down. After being treated with VSELs using state-of-the-art Strachan-Ovokaitys Node Generator (SONG) Laser Technology and physical therapy, the police chief was able to recover the full ability to walk.

Another speaker, Karl Nagy, CEO of Kabena Group, unveiled his vision for an ambitious biorefinery project on Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, that is designed to provide clean water, organic fertilizer, and electricity to over a million households

The summit also featured Tim Johnson, CEO of Health In Tech, who shared how he started his own insurance and medical management company to help Americans have access to all of their medical records in one place. 

Dr. Christina Rahm, a mother of four, scientist, and cancer survivor, presented some of her patented technology to create toxin-free seed patents aimed at rethinking the global food supply.

“As a scientist, I wanted to do a lot of things in my life. As … a mother of four, it became very clear to me once I had cancer, and once I lost a child, that I needed to do even more,” said Rahm, the CEO of DRC Ventures and chief science formulator at The Root Brands.

“So we launched some of the formulations that I had developed that got rid of nuclear waste and got rid of microplastics and mycotoxins that were in our seeds and in our soil,” she said.

Another innovative project was the OCEANIX initiative, presented by Manuel Rocamora. Set in Busan, South Korea, OCEANIX is developing a prototype for a sustainable floating city that could serve as a model for densely populated coastal areas.

The World Changers Summit is the brainchild of Professor Gabriele Pao-Pei Andreoli, the honorary president of the Institute for Advanced Studies and Cooperation. Since its inaugural event in 2023 at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, four World Changers summits have been hosted by the Vatican.

The November 2024 summit’s theme, Social Responsibility: Cultivating Practices for Enhanced Welfare and Justice, underscored the need for innovation grounded in human dignity.

A future World Changers summit is scheduled to take place November 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II met in Rome with 300,000 young people from all over the world in a meeting that laid the foundations for today’s World Youth Day. / Credit: Gregorini Demetrio, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Vatican City, Nov 27, 2024 / 11:30 am (CNA).

The Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education is sponsoring a four-day event in Rome to honor the spiritual and intellectual legacy of Pope Saint John Paul II while marking the 25th anniversary of his encyclical Fides et Ratio.   

Twenty years into his pontificate, John Paul II released Fides et Ratio — ”Faith and Reason” — on the Sept. 14 feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in 1998. 

Describing faith and reason as “two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of the truth,” the pope emphasized that the human heart ultimately seeks to know and love God. 

Organized by the John Paul II Vatican Foundation, the Church and Hospice of Saint Stanislaus Martyr in Rome, and the Pontifical John Paul II University of Krakow, the “Days of Saint John Paul II at the Pontifical Universities of Rome” event includes a series of seminars to be hosted by three pontifical universities in Rome.  

From Nov. 26-29, the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas — also known as the “Angelicum” — alongside the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and the Pontifical Gregorian University will hold panel discussions in Rome to delve deeper into the teachings of St. John Paul II on a variety of topics.

The talks will include the compatibility of faith and reason; the 1981-1992 pontifical study commission on the Galileo case; and the significance of intergenerational dialogue in the development of culture.

In an interview with EWTN News, Sister Mary Angela Woelkers, SCTJM, who works at the Angelicum, said this year’s inaugural event will be the first of annual conferences hosted by pontifical universities in Rome dedicated to the legacy of the great pope saint.   

“We hope to be able to bring to university students here in the city, and also a larger audience, renewed reflection — not only to rediscover the gift of this document and this theme [Fides et Ratio] which was so present throughout the teaching of John Paul the Second — but also to think together with him to address so many challenging situations that we confront in our current moment,” Woelkers told EWTN News.

“John Paul knew that the youth had a powerful potential to not only live the faith but be witnesses of the faith in a generation where there is an eclipse of God,” she added.   

Recognizing John Paul II as the “most distinguished alumnus” of the Angelicum, Father Benedict Croell OP, public relations director at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, said he hopes this year’s conference will inspire many young students to follow in the saint’s footsteps by using faith and reason to face the challenges of our times.

“We know that he [John Paul II] walked the same halls that our students walked today, and he studied the same fundamental truths that our students study today,” he told EWTN News. 

“It's incredibly important to not only remember his story and his legacy, but know that he walks with us, and he has so much to say to us today,” he said. 

“It's a great joy to recognize the importance that he still has for the Church [and] for everybody.”

Guest panelists invited to speak at the event include Richard Swinburne, emeritus professor of philosophy at the University of Oxford and Father Melchor Sánchez de Toca Alameda, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education and Vatican official of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

Pope Francis receives Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Vatican, Nov. 27, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, Nov 27, 2024 / 10:45 am (CNA).

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Pope Francis on Wednesday morning at the Vatican.

While the Holy See did not comment on the nature of the audience, the State Department said discussions focused on ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine amid a broader European diplomatic tour.

During the Vatican meeting on Nov. 27, Blinken reportedly referenced “wonderful memories’” of his previous encounter with Pope Francis in June 2021, highlighting the ongoing dialogue between the Holy See and Washington on matters of shared concern.

Key agenda items included the recently announced Israel-Lebanon ceasefire and efforts to address the humanitarian impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to a State Department readout shared with reporters.

The encounter was followed by separate talks with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

G7 context and European tour

Blinken’s Vatican visit took place amid his attendance at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Italy, where representatives of the world’s leading democratic economies are gathering to address multiple international crises.

The G7 discussions, running from Nov. 23-27 under Italy’s 2024 rotating presidency, have focused heavily on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as Indo-Pacific security and the ongoing crises in Haiti and Sudan.

Last Saturday, G7 leaders reinforced their commitment to supporting Ukraine through continued sanctions on Russia and other measures.

Italy currently holds the rotating G7 presidency. The other member states are the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Britain.

Pope Francis greets pilgrims at his general audience on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, Nov 27, 2024 / 09:45 am (CNA).

Pope Francis called on Italian children to pray for their Ukrainian peers facing a harsh winter amid ongoing war at his general audience on Wednesday.

“Think of the Ukrainian children and young people who suffer at this time without heating in a very harsh winter,” the pope said on Nov. 27, addressing youngsters gathered around him in St. Peter’s Square at the start of the weekly event.

The pontiff broadened his appeal for peace: “Let us not forget the tormented Ukrainian people, who suffer so much,” he urged. “And let’s also pray for peace in the Holy Land, Palestine, Israel, where people are also suffering so much.”

The joy of the Holy Spirit

In his continuing catechesis on the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church, Pope Francis reflected on the fruits of the Spirit listed by St. Paul in his Letter to the Galatians: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23).

Francis explained the distinction between the fruits of the Spirit, which require cooperation between grace and human freedom, and charisms, which are bestowed directly by the Spirit for the good of the Church.

“The fruits always express the creativity of the person, in which’ faith works through love,’ sometimes in a surprising and joyful way,” he said.

While not everyone receives the call to be apostles or prophets, the pontiff reminded the faithful that all Christians are called to be “charitable, patient, humble workers for peace.”

Pope Francis gave particular attention to joy among these fruits, describing it as “a feeling of fullness and fulfillment.”

He emphasized its unique renewal through a personal encounter with God’s love: “The joy of the Gospel, unlike any other joy, can be renewed every day and become contagious.”

Drawing on the example of St. Philip Neri, known as the “saint of joy,” Pope Francis spoke of the 16th-century priest’s profound love for God, which at times seemed so overwhelming it “might burst in his chest.” St. Philip’s joy, the pope noted, was “a fruit of the Spirit in the fullest sense.”

Francis recalled the saint’s words to the children of his oratory: “My children, be cheerful; I do not want qualms or melancholy; it is enough for me that you do not sin.”

“The word ‘Gospel’ means glad tidings,” the pope explained, adding that it “cannot be communicated with a long face and somber countenance, but with the joy of those who have found the hidden treasure and the precious pearl.”

He concluded by quoting St. Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near” (Phil 4:4-5).

Pope Francis gave a special message to Chinese Catholics at the end of his Mass in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Sept. 3, 2023. / Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, Nov 27, 2024 / 09:25 am (CNA).

Starting next week, Chinese will be added as the ninth official language at papal general audiences, Pope Francis announced Wednesday.

“Next week, with Advent, the Chinese translation will also begin here publicly,” the pope said on Nov. 27 during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The addition marks a significant expansion of the languages used at the weekly papal events, where key portions — including Scripture readings, summaries of the pope’s address, and greetings — are delivered in eight languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Arabic.

The translations make papal teachings accessible to pilgrims from around the world. They are traditionally delivered by staff members of the Vatican Secretariat of State or Vatican News.

World's most spoken language

Mandarin Chinese is considered the world's most spoken language, with nearly one billion speakers, ahead of Spanish and English. 

Varieties of Chinese — including Mandarin, Wu, Hakka, and others — collectively are used by more than 1.3 billion people worldwide.

The papal move to embrace Mandarin Chinese comes at a complex moment in Vatican-China relations. 

Just last month, the Holy See renewed its controversial agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops for another four years.

The renewal followed growing concerns about religious freedom in China, corroborated by recent reports. Some studies also indicate the Christian population has stopped growing after decades of expansion in the 1980s and 1990s.

Nine-year-old Alex Espinosa has been very intentional in his devotion to the first millennial saint. / Credit: María Hermida/Amigos de Carlo Acutis

Puebla, Mexico, Nov 27, 2024 / 06:30 am (CNA).

The life of Carlo Acutis, who is slated to be canonized next year as the first millennial saint, inspires thousands of people around the world. Among them is 9-year-old Alex Espinosa in Mexico, who both considers Acutis a “friend” and enthusiastically expresses that he wants to be like him when he grows up.

On Nov. 20, Pope Francis announced that Carlo Acutis will be proclaimed a saint during the Jubilee of Teenagers, which will take place in Rome April 25-27, 2025. Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, of the Diocese of Assisi, specified that the ceremony will take place the morning of Sunday, April 27, in St. Peter’s Square.

Alex Espinosa is the eldest son of María and Alejandro Espinosa. Alex’s mother says her family’s devotion to Carlo Acutis began in 2020, the year Acutis was proclaimed a blessed.

Although he was only four years old at the time, Alex, seeing the interest shown by his parents, was curious about the life of Carlos. 

After learning about Acutis' story and understanding how he lived “an ordinary life, in an extraordinary way,” the little boy was deeply impacted. That same afternoon, he took some suitcases and said to his mother: “We have to be ready for heaven, Mom. We have to have our suitcases ready,” María recalled.

Subsequently on All Saints' Day, Alex dressed up as the soon-to-be saint, who is also known as “God's influencer.” As the boy’s affection for Acutis grew, his mother began to share moments of family life on Instagram, drawing admiration from Catholics around the world for the devotion her son showed towards the young saint.

Thanks to this devotion, the family received relics of Carlo Acutis, which according to María, has been key in Alex's spiritual growth. The mother commented that her son was also encouraged to “help the poor, as Carlo did, wanting to imitate his life in a small way.”

In December of 2023, the boy expressed his desire to make his First Communion “like Carlo Acutis, at the age of seven.”

According to the Code of Canon Law of the Church, “the administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion.”

Thus, Alex received his First Communion two days before his eighth birthday. His mother recalled that “it was something very special for him to say ‘I did it just like Carlo Acutis, when he was seven years old. ’”

Alex’s devotion has been reflected even in small details of his daily life. He celebrated a recent birthday with the image of Carlo Acutis and his mother says he has shared the story of the blessed with other children.

Reflecting on the impact Alex’s words and example have on his classmates, María said “I don’t know how much sticks with them, but in the end, it’s an important testimony of faith at that age.”

A healing attributed to Carlo Acutis

In March 2024, Alex's father, Alejandro, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in one of his lungs. 

While they were waiting for treatment, a close friend offered Alejandro a relic of Carlo Acutis. One evening, Alex expressed his concern: “I'm worried that he’s in pain, I don't like my dad being in pain.” Following his mother's advice, the boy asked Carlo Acutis to intercede with Jesus for his father's health.

That same evening, María placed the relic on her husband's chest as she stayed next to him in the hospital. The next morning, her husband's health improved markedly. Doctors confirmed that the swelling had dramatically decreased, allowing surgery to be scheduled earlier than planned.

María said with certitude that what happened was “a miracle, something inexplicable,” attributing the improvement to the intercession of Carlo Acutis and her son’s prayers. The healing, she says, “was a response to a sincere, pure prayer, from a pure heart.”

Budding friendship and advice for other parents

During a trip to Assisi, Alex’s parents brought him a book that tells the story of Acutis in detail. According to his mother, this allowed the little boy to perceive the blessed in a “closer and more real” way. The boy commented that “he’s my friend, and yes, I pray to him. He likes soccer, Nutella and video games.”

Based on her experience with her five children, María shared some advice on how to bring up children in the faith. She firmly believes that the best way to transmit spiritual values ​​is “by example, that’s important.”

In her experience, children learn by observing how parents treat others, how they express themselves and in this case, “they see how we conduct ourselves in our faith, how we are at Mass, how we pray. I think that has a lot to do with it.”

She and her husband have made faith an integral part of family life, without imposing it, so that the experience of faith is natural, including prayer before meals and when leaving the house. In addition, they try to teach their children to be thankful for small blessings, from “bread with Nutella to having a house.”

The most important thing, according to María, is never to force children, but to make faith a part of their lives “in a natural and fun way,” always showing them that “God loves you very much and you have to thank him.”

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

A sign hangs above a Planned Parenthood clinic on May 18, 2018, in Chicago, Illinois. / Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Nov 27, 2024 / 05:30 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life related policy developments in the United States.

Lawmakers ask for investigation into abortion funding

More than 100 members of Congress asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the amount of federal funding given to abortion providers nationally and internationally over the past three years, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates.  

One hundred and twelve members of Congress signed the Nov. 22 letter spearheaded by House Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY). Eighty-one House members and 31 Senators signed the letter, including top leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).

A 2023 GAO report found that from 2019-2021, the U.S .government provided $1.89 billion in federal funding to abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America and MSI Reproductive Choices. 

Republican congressmen seek to stop expansion of IVF for military 

Two Republican representatives urged the House and Senate Armed Services committees to not expand health insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for military personnel, citing high costs and ethical concerns.

In a Nov. 21 letter, Reps. Matt Rosendale (MT) and Josh Brecheen (OK) asked committee leaders in both chambers to not include provisions that expand access to the method of fertility treatment that involves artificially creating many embryos, most of which are never born.

In the letter, Rosendale and Brecheen noted, “There are no limits under current law on how many embryos can be created in an IVF cycle.” The two said that the Centers for Disease Control could not provide “basic information” such as how many embryos are screened for sex selection or genetic abnormalities, or how many embryos are destroyed each year.

The representatives noted that in 2021 there were “4.1 million embryonic children created through IVF, but only 97,128 of those children were born,” meaning only 2.3% of embryonic children are ever born, according to numbers from the CDC and the Family Research Council.  The representatives called on Congress to “protect the most vulnerable and reject any provision that leads to the destruction of innocent human life.” 

When it comes to IVF, lawmakers hold opposing views. Proponents tout the technology as pro-family, while opponents point to the loss of unborn life that is an inherent part of the process. Rosendale, a Catholic who is retiring from Congress, shares these latter, moral and ethical concerns. 

The Catholic Church teaches that IVF is not a moral method of fertility treatment because it separates conception from the marital act and because multiple embryos are created only to be discarded. 

Texas bill could reclassify abortion pills as controlled substances

A bill has been introduced in the Texas legislature to reclassify abortion pills as Schedule IV substances, meaning the drugs would be considered controlled substances. The drugs are used in abortions, as well as for miscarriage care and other uses. The first pill in the regimen, mifepristone, deprives the unborn child of necessary nutrients, while the second pill, misoprostol, induces the delivery of the deceased child. 

Pat Curry, Republican from Waco, filed HB 1339 Nov. 14. If passed, the bill would take effect Sept. 1, 2025. It would also designate the muscle relaxant carisoprodol as a controlled substance, in addition to the two abortion drugs. The Texas Controlled Substance Act dictates that possession of a fraudulent prescription is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 or 180 days in jail. 

The measure follows the state of Louisiana's abortion pill reclassification earlier this year.