Pope Francis told diplomats Jan. 8 that he finds surrogacy “deplorable” and would like to see the practice universally banned.
National News
Bishops Urged to Back Campaign to Shift Defense Spending to Social Programs
A campaign to encourage Congress to redirect military spending toward helping the nation’s poor and marginalized has gotten support from 17 American bishops, a number those leading the campaign hope to see continue to grow.
Ex-Alabama Priest Who Fled Country With a Teenage Girl Is Laicized
A Mobile, Alabama, priest who left the United States with a teenage woman last summer under murky circumstances, and who returned last fall, has been officially laicized effective immediately, the archdiocese announced on Jan. 5.
High Court Temporarily Lets Idaho ER Abortion Ban Stand, Pending Spring Hearing
The Supreme Court said it would temporarily allow Idaho to continue to enforce its abortion ban in emergency rooms in medical emergencies and it also agreed to hear an appeal of the case this spring.
Newark Cardinal ‘Deeply Distressed’ by Violent Death of Local Imam
In response to the violent death of a local imam, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark has said he is “deeply distressed by the loss of a “revered faith and community leader.”
US Bishops Asked to Hold New Rounds of Synod on Synodality Listening Sessions
Dioceses across the U.S. are asked to hold additional listening sessions in the next few months, following a request from the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops which is preparing for the second session of the global Synod on Synodality in October.
Texas Bishops Welcome Ruling Blocking Requirement for Emergency Abortions
After a federal appeals court ruled Jan. 2 that emergency room doctors in Texas are not required to perform abortions, effectively blocking regulatory guidance previously issued by the federal government, the state’s Catholic bishops said they welcome the ruling.
Miami Prelate: Nicaragua’s Dictatorship Has Gone ‘Off the Rails’
Following the latest round of arrests of Catholic leaders in Nicaragua and the continued imprisonment of Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami has said the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega has gone “off the rails.”
Fed Appeals Court: ER Doctors Are Not Required to Perform Abortions
A federal appeals court ruled Jan. 2 that emergency room doctors are not required to perform abortions, going against guidance issued by the Biden administration that said these doctors could perform abortions, even in states where the procedure is banned, to stabilize the health of the mother.
Catholic Leaders Say Church Must Vocally Advocate for Migrants Amid Increasing Hostility
Amid increasing anti-immigrant rhetoric and sentiment, the Catholic Church must remain vocal in its ministry to and advocacy for migrants, Catholic leaders said at a Dec. 21 panel.