Holy Name of Jesus

CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

A Native American group working to stop the destruction of a centuries-old religious ritual site has lost a last-ditch appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the transfer and obliteration of the Arizona parcel.

The Supreme Court in an unsigned order on Oct. 6 said Apache Stronghold’s petition for a rehearing had been denied. The court did not give a reason for the denial.

Justice Neil Gorsuch would have granted the request, the order noted. Justice Samuel Alito, meanwhile, “took no part in the consideration or decision” of the order. 

The denial likely deals a death blow to the Apache group’s attempts to halt the destruction of Oak Flat, which has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals. 

The federal government is selling the land to the multinational Resolution Copper company, which plans to destroy the site as part of a copper mining operation. 

The coalition had brought the lawsuit to the Supreme Court earlier this year under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, arguing that the sale of the site would violate the decades-old federal statute restricting the government’s ability to encroach on religious liberty. 

The high court in May refused to hear the case. Gorsuch dissented from that decision as well, arguing that the court “should at least have troubled itself to hear [the] case” before “allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site.”

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the May ruling as well, though he did not add his dissent to the Oct. 6 denial of the appeal. 

In a statement, Apache Stronghold said that while the decision was "deeply disappointing, the fight to protect Oak Flat is far from over."

The group vowed to "continue pressing our cases in the lower courts."

"Oak Flat deserves the same respect and protection this country has long given to other places of worship," the group said.

The coalition has garnered support from major Catholic backers in its religious liberty bid. Last year the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops joined an amicus brief arguing that lower court decisions allowing the sale of Oak Flat represent “a grave misunderstanding” of religious freedom law. 

The Knights of Columbus similarly filed a brief in support of the Apaches, arguing that the decision to allow the property to be mined applies an “atextual constraint” to the federal religious freedom law with “no grounding in the statute itself.”

Though Apache Stronghold appears to have exhausted its legal options, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said on Aug. 18 that the Oak Flat site would not be transferred to Resolution Copper amid emergency petitions from the San Carlos Apache Tribe as well as the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition. That dispute is still playing out at federal court.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Brooklyn Bishop Robert Brennan has announced changes to the locations and celebrants of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in the diocese, prompted by a clergy shortage exacerbated by the recent deaths of several priests.

“Bishop Brennan very much wants to meet the needs of the people and has developed an approach that will be more sustainable,” diocesan spokesman John Quaglione told CNA. 

At the end of September, TLM attendees at St. Cecilia Church in Brooklyn were informed the Mass will no longer be offered there after Oct. 12 but will continue to be offered about five miles away at Our Lady Queen of Peace in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn and St. Josaphat’s in the Bayside area of Queens.

Quaglione told CNA that the weekly attendance at the Mass at St. Cecilia’s was averaging between 25 and 35 people and was being served by a rotation of priests that can no longer continue because of the declining numbers of parish priests in the diocese.

In order to address the priest shortage, Brennan is employing a “site model.” The official site in Brooklyn will be Our Lady Queen of Peace, which has celebrated the TLM for more than 25 years, and the official site in Queens will be at St. Josaphat’s, which has also celebrated the TLM for years and which will now be run by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

Priests will still rotate to say the Latin Mass at the Brooklyn site.

Quaglione told CNA that with the recent deaths of several priests in the Brooklyn Diocese, where priests already minister to two or three parishes each and where Masses have had to be cut as a result, “the bishop is taking the initiative here and seeing the writing on the wall. He does want to provide the TLM for the people.” 

“By cutting the Mass at the St. Cecilia site, we’re actually bettering our ability to provide the TLM with this model, which addresses staffing concerns and gives the assurance of the continuation of the Mass,” he said.

Average weekly Mass attendance at St. Josaphat’s is around 240 people, and at Our Lady Queen of Peace, it averages about 65 attendees, according to Quaglione.

Neither the revised official Mass schedule nor the exact date of the Christ the King Institute takeover of St. Josaphat’s has been finalized, according to the Brooklyn Diocese.

The Christ the King Institute priests will establish an oratory at St. Josaphat Parish, which other orders in the diocese have already done, according to the press secretary.

According to its website, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest “celebrates the classical Roman Liturgy, the ‘Latin Mass,’ in its traditional form according to the liturgical books promulgated in 1962 by Pope St. John XXIII.”

“During his pontificate, Pope St. John Paul II exhorted bishops to be generous in allowing its use. It was with his blessing that the Institute began to celebrate the Traditional Mass.”

The institute, based out of Chicago, did not respond to a request for comment.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments on Oct. 7 scrutinized Colorado’s law banning counseling on gender identity with some justices voicing concern about possible viewpoint discrimination and free speech restrictions embedded in the statute.

Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson defended the law, which prohibits licensed psychologists and therapists from engaging in any efforts that it considers “conversion therapy” when treating minors. It does not apply to parents, members of the clergy, or others.

Nearly half of U.S. states have a similar ban. The Supreme Court ruling on this matter could set nationwide precedent on the legality of such laws. 

The Colorado law defines “conversion therapy” as treatments designed to change a person’s “sexual orientation or gender identity,” including changes to “behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex” even if the minor and his or her family has requested that care.

Under the law, permitted therapy includes “acceptance, support, and understanding” of a minor’s self-asserted transgender identity or same-sex attraction.

The law is being challenged by Kaley Chiles, a Christian counselor who provides faith-based counseling to clients with gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction.

Free speech and viewpoint discrimination

Stevenson argued that Colorado’s law is not a speech restriction but instead a regulation on a specific type of “treatment,” saying that regulations cannot cease to apply “just because they are using words.”

“That treatment does not work and carries great risk of harm,” Stevenson said, referring to the practices the state considers to be “conversion therapy.”

She argued that health care has been “heavily regulated since the beginning of our country” and compared “conversion therapy” to doctors providing improper advice on how to treat a condition. She claimed this therapy falsely asserts “you can change this innate thing about yourself.”

“The client and the patient [are] expecting accurate information,” Stevenson said.

Justice Samuel Alito told Stevenson the law sounds like “blatant viewpoint discrimination,” noting that a minor can receive talk therapy welcoming homosexual inclinations but cannot access therapy to reduce those urges. He said it is a restriction “based on the viewpoint expressed.”

Alito said the state’s position is “a minor should not be able to obtain talk therapy to overcome same-sex attraction [even] if that’s what he wants.”

Stevenson argued Colorado is not engaged in viewpoint discrimination and said: “Counseling is an evidence-based practice.” She said it would be wrong to suggest lawmakers “reach[ed] this conclusion based on anything other than protection of minors.”

“There is no other motive going on to suppress viewpoint or expression,” Stevenson said.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch asked questions about how to handle issues where medical disagreement exists.

Gorsuch noted, for example, that homosexuality was historically viewed as a mental disorder and asked Stevenson whether it would have been legal for states to ban therapy that affirmed a person’s homosexuality at that time. Stevenson argued that at that time, it would have been legal.

Banning ‘voluntary conversations’

Alliance Defending Freedom Chief Counsel Jim Campbell argued on behalf of Chiles and her counseling services, telling the justices his client offers “voluntary speech between a licensed professional and a minor,” and the law bans “voluntary conversations.”

Campbell noted that if one of her minor clients says, “I would like help realigning my identity with my sex,” then the law requires that Chiles “has to deny them.”

“Kids and families that want this kind of help … are being left without any kind of support,” he added, warning that Chiles, her clients, and potential clients are suffering irreparable harm if access to this treatment continues to be denied.

Campbell argued that “many people have experienced life-changing benefits from this kind of counseling,” many of whom are seeking to “align their life with their religion” and improve their “relationship with God.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor contested whether the issue was about free speech, noting Colorado pointed to studies that such therapy efforts “harm the child … emotionally and physically.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson similarly objected to the claim, questioning whether a counselor acting in her professional capacity “is really expressing … a message for a First Amendment purposes.” She said treatment is different than writing an article about conversion therapy or giving a speech about it.

Campbell disagreed, arguing: “This involves a conversation,” and “a one-on-one conversation is a form of speech.” He said Chiles is “discussing concepts of identity and behaviors and attraction” and simply helping her clients “achieve their goals.”

CNA Staff, Oct 8, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The U.S. Catholic bishops sharply criticized the Trump administration’s recent approval of the generic abortion drug mifepristone, saying that women and children deserve better care. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug even as the administration is currently investigating the abortion drug for safety concerns. 

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has previously acknowledged concerns over the safety of the drug and said in a hearing last month that the investigation is ongoing. Even so, the FDA’s approval of the generic version will make the drug even more accessible. 

“Mothers in need and their preborn children deserve better,” said Bishop Daniel Thomas, who heads the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, in response to the FDA’s decision. 

In a statement, Thomas called the decision “jarring” and “contradictory.”

“At the same time that the Food and Drug Administration is conducting a much-needed review of the supposed safety of the abortion pill for women, it is nonetheless approving a new generic for this deadly drug,” Thomas said.

“The FDA took shortcuts in originally approving and loosening protocols for mifepristone, which enabled the killing of more children and placed the health of more women in danger,” he continued.

More than 1 in 10 women who take the abortion pill mifepristone to complete a chemical abortion will suffer a serious health complication within 45 days of taking the drug, a study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center found.

The study also found that the rate of serious adverse side effects occurs at 22 times the rate that the FDA-approved drug label currently indicates.

“Even if it eventually had to be approved as a generic version of the same drug, to do so now and make it more available before a recently-announced safety study can be completed and potentially save lives, is a shocking inconsistency,” Thomas said. 

Dangers of drug 

Dr. Susan Bane, vice chair of the board of directors of American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, called the FDA’s decision “a serious misjudgment that will have deadly consequences.” 

Mifepristone poses a danger “not only to preborn babies but to unsuspecting pregnant women as well,” Bane, an OB-GYN with more than 25 years of experience in women’s health care, told CNA.

“When the side effects of this drug are already misreported and under-investigated, expanding access to it is the wrong course of action,” she said. 

Jennie Bradley Lichter, March for Life president, said she is “devastated” by the decision. 

“I’m devastated that this dangerous drug, which has serious adverse effects for 11% of women who take it, is getting a stronger and stronger foothold,” she said in a statement shared with CNA. 

Noting that the agency “has limited discretion under the law to decline approval for a generic that matches an approved name-brand drug,” Lichter expressed concerns for women and children.  

“Every day that mifepristone remains on the market, with very few safeguards in place around it, heaps danger upon danger for American women and results in more and more babies being killed,” Lichter said. 

Evita Solutions, LLC, the pro-abortion company producing the generic drug, has said it seeks to “normalize abortion.” 

But Thomas highlighted the importance of support and care for women and children.

Mothers and children “deserve the fullest, most authentic care that we can offer in all respects,” the bishop said.

Thomas looked ahead to the FDA investigation of the abortion drug mifepristone.

“I pray that the forthcoming review of mifepristone will undo many of these tragic developments and that we may, instead, meet women with hope and meaningful support,” he said.

Rome Newsroom, Oct 8, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

For the first time, the body of St. Francis of Assisi will be visible to all, from Feb. 22 to March 22, 2026. This religious and historical event was announced on the memorial of the saint of Assisi (Oct. 4) and will coincide with the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis in 1226.

The announcement was made from the Loggia delle Benedizioni by Fray Giulio Cesareo, director of the press office of the Sacred Convent, following Mass celebrated in the Upper Basilica of the Umbrian city, presided over by Monsignor Camillo Cibotti, president of the Episcopal Conference of Abruzzo and Molise, along with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, papal legate for the papal basilicas of Assisi, the bishop of Assisi, and the general and provincial ministries of the Franciscan families.

In his homily, Cibotti emphasized the “newness of life” that Francis presents to the world. “A new way of feeling, of thinking, of living Christ,” Cibotti noted. The mayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi, lit the votive lamp of the Municipalities of Italy, representing the Italian people during the celebration.

The first part of the celebration for the feast of St. Francis, patron saint of Italy, concluded with speeches from the authorities from the loggia of the sacred convent. Reference was also made to the reinstatement of Oct. 4 as a national holiday in that country.

“In recent days, Parliament approved the law making Oct. 4 a national holiday,” declared the custos of the Sacred Convent, Friar Marco Moroni, OFMConv, at the beginning of the celebration in the basilica. “This is not just a tribute to the patron saint of Italy, but a recognition of values ​​that speak to everyone. For this celebration to be truly fruitful, everyone must draw concrete consequences from it: our communities with their daily lives; local governments with their choices for justice and inclusion; Parliament and the government with laws and policies consistent with what is proclaimed today; each of us with sober and fraternal lifestyle choices.” 

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, also present at the celebration, addressed Italy from the loggia of the Sacred Convent: “The devotion of Italians to St. Francis is strong, authentic, and visceral, which can be seen in the faces of the pilgrims present here. Today the Italian people turn their gaze here, to Assisi, because St. Francis is one of the founding figures of the Italian identity. Francis of Assisi was a man of action, extreme but not extremist. Today we celebrate Francis not because he needs us, but because we need him.”

At the celebration the exposition of the remains of St. Francis in 2026 was also announced. The press release from the Sacred Convent of Assisi stated: “This exposition, rooted in the evangelical theme of the seed that dies to bear fruit in love and brotherhood, invites us to consider the life of the saint, who continues to bear fruit after 800 years and to inspire all humanity on the path of peace, brotherhood, service to the least, joy and care for creation.”

“The eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis, in 2026, is a time of remembrance and renewal. We do not celebrate death, but, recognizing it as a ‘sister’ to St. Francis, we celebrate the life that blossoms from the gift and offering of self,” the statement continued.

“It is in this spirit that, thanks to the approval granted by the Holy Father Leo XIV through the Vatican Secretariat of State, the public display of his mortal remains will take place,” the statement said.

The body of St. Francis will be moved from his tomb, located in the crypt, and placed at the foot of the papal altar in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis. The tomb’s history itself holds significant historical and religious significance: after the death of the Poverello saint, “the body was made inaccessible,” the press office of the Sacred Convent explained, “beneath the basilica’s high altar to prevent any possible theft. It remained hidden for centuries, until, after a long and arduous search, it was finally discovered on the night between Dec. 12 and 13, 1818.”

The first official recognition took place in 1819, confirming the identity of the remains of the saint of Assisi. There are also other recognitions, such as the one in 1978, in preparation for the 750th anniversary of his death, and the most recent one in 2015.

For more information: www.sanfrancescovive.org

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

Richmond, Virginia, Oct 8, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Virginia’s two Catholic bishops are urging voters to “form [their] consciences and vote” in the state’s upcoming gubernatorial election that could also see the state poised to pass a far-reaching pro-abortion constitutional amendment.

The Virginia Catholic Conference at its “Election 2025 Resource Hub” tells voters that every seat in the state House of Delegates is up for vote, while the state’s top-ranking executive positions of governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general are also in play. 

“While every year in Virginia is an election year, this November’s elections are poised to have an outsized impact on our Commonwealth,” the bishops said. 

They pointed to the state government’s ongoing consideration of an “extreme constitutional amendment” that would establish a so-called “right” to abortion. 

A letter from Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge and Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout said the amendment would “allow virtually unlimited abortion at any stage of pregnancy.” 

The text of the proposal would establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” and would only allow regulating abortion in the final three months of pregnancy. 

The state, however, would be forbidden from restricting an abortion if a doctor determined it would negatively affect the “physical and mental health” of the mother, a provision that pro-life advocates have argued essentially preempts any regulation of abortion whatsoever.

In a voting guide the state Catholic conference noted that the “extreme, radical, and deadly” amendment includes no age restrictions or safety standards and also “jeopardizes” the state’s parental consent laws and conscience protections for health care workers. 

Other proposed amendments include one that would remove a “one man and one woman” definition of marriage from the state constitution as well as a proposal backed by the state bishops that would restore voting rights to criminals who have completed their prison sentences. 

“The legislators we elect this November will decide whether the proposed amendments are advanced or stopped,” the state conference said. 

Democratic candidate supports abortion, assisted suicide, opposes conscience protections

Competing in the state gubernatorial race this year are current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia. 

In a candidate comparison handout, the state bishops noted that Spanberger has voiced support for assisted suicide, while Earle-Sears has argued against it, stating: “We don’t want to be in the business of death.” 

Earle-Sears, meanwhile, has expressed support for legal conscience protections for health care professionals and other religious objectors, while Spanberger has explicitly said she opposes allowing religious institutions to opt out of medical procedures with which they disagree. 

The bishops further highlighted the state races for lieutenant governor and attorney general. Former State Del. Jay Jones, a Democrat who is running for attorney general, has voiced support for abortion and for now-repealed state rules that allowed teachers to hide a child’s chosen “gender identity” from his or her parents. Current Attorney General Jason Miyares has spoken out against such rules. 

In a separate handout, the state Catholic conference emphasized the “four principles of Catholic social teaching” articulated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, including “the dignity of the human person” and “the common good.”

Protecting human dignity, the bishops said, includes opposing abortion, euthanasia, and human cloning as well as “overcoming poverty, ending use of the death penalty, and opposing racism, torture, unjust war,” and other injustices. 

“With so much at stake, we must prepare to engage in this year’s critical voting decisions — through conscience formation, prayer, and fasting,” Burbidge and Knestout wrote. 

“United in the Eucharist, let us pray for one another and join together as active participants in promoting the common good.”

Reading 1 Jonah 4:1-11

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10

Alleluia Romans 8:15bc

Gospel Luke 11:1-4

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

• Readings for the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

Reading 1 Jonah 3:1-10

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 130:1b-2, 3-4ab, 7-8

Alleluia Luke 11:28

Gospel Luke 10:38-42

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Reading 1 Jonah 1:1–2:1-2, 11

Responsorial Psalm Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8

Alleluia John 13:34

Gospel Luke 10:25-37

• Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Bruno, Priest
• Readings for the Optional Memorial of Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Reading 1 Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Reading 2 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14

Alleluia 1 Peter 1:25

Gospel Luke 17:5-10

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.