St. Mary Our Lady of the Rosary

Democratic Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani speaks to members of the media during a press conference after voting on Nov. 4, 2025. / Credit: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 22:25 pm (CNA).

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who promotes gender ideology and abortion access, won his bid for mayor of New York City on Nov. 4, decisively defeating his two main opponents: former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and talk show host Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old member of the New York State Assembly and the Democratic Party’s nominee for mayor, took 50.4% of the vote on Tuesday. As of 9:42 p.m. ET, 75% of the vote had been tallied.

Cuomo, who served as governor as a Democrat and ran as an independent for mayor, received 41.3% of the vote. Sliwa, the Republican nominee, finished third with 7.5% of the vote.

Mamdani, set to be sworn in on Jan. 1, 2026, will be the city’s first Muslim mayor. He will succeed Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who suspended his reelection bid in late September.

New York City’s mayoral race gained significant national attention after Mamdani secured an upset victory in the Democratic primary against Cuomo. Mamdani ran an anti-establishment campaign and called himself “the sole candidate running with a vision for the future of this city” during the final debate.

Mamdani embraced gender ideology during his campaign, vowing to provide $65 million in tax funding for hormone therapy drugs and surgeries as a response to President Donald Trump’s executive order to strip federal funding from health care providers that provide such drugs and surgeries to children.

He also intends to create “an office of LGBTQIA+ affairs” and declare New York City a sanctuary for “LGBTQIA+” people. As a member of the Legislature, he also supported a bill to prohibit law enforcement from aiding out-of-state investigations into health care professionals who provide hormone therapy drugs and surgeries to minors.

The mayor-elect’s campaign supported abortion access as well. He has promised to double city tax funding for the New York Abortion Access Fund and the city’s Abortion Access Hub. He has also vowed to “protect New Yorkers from” pro-life pregnancy centers, which he accused of spreading “false or deceptive information.”

Pro-life pregnancy centers have fought numerous lawsuits against states they accuse of censoring their speech in recent years.

Mamdani has also pledged to create a “baby basket” for parents with newborns, which will provide resources, such as diapers, baby wipes, nursing pads, postpartum pads, swaddles, and books. He expects this to cost less than $20 million annually.

The mayor-elect has further vowed to end all city cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will not use any city resources to help enforce immigration laws. His platform calls for $165 million in funding to support legal defenses for people who are at risk of being deported.

Mamdani has promised to freeze rent for New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments and eliminate fares for city buses. He plans to establish city-owned grocery stores that he says will provide lower prices and intends to provide no-cost child care for families. He supports raising the minimum wage to $30 by 2030.

To pay for the costs, in part, the mayor-elect has said he will raise the top state corporate tax from 7.5% to 11.5% and add an additional 2% income tax on anyone making more than $1 million annually. He estimates this will generate $9 billion in additional revenue, though critics have questioned those estimations.

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger delivers remarks during her election night rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia. / Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Nov 4, 2025 / 22:17 pm (CNA).

Off-year elections for state leadership roles in Virginia and New Jersey saw Democrats win key races in what pundits had predicted would be a referendum against Republican President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.

Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, won the gubernatorial race in that state against current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to become the commonwealth’s first woman governor, according to the Associated Press, while state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi won the race for lieutenant governor there. Democrat Jay Jones also won the state’s attorney general race, beating incumbent Jason Miyares.

In New Jersey, meanwhile, Democrat Mikie Sherrill beat Republican Jack Ciattarelli, with Sherrill keeping the governor’s chair in Democratic control and becoming the second woman to lead the state government.

The results will likely be hailed as a rebuke against Trump’s second term in office, which over the course of 2025 has been marked by aggressive policy on immigration, LGBT issues, and other hot-button political topics.

Virginia race marked by abortion, conscience rights, violent rhetoric 

In Virginia, the race between Spanberger and Earle-Sears was overshadowed in its last month by resurfaced text messages from Jones, dating from 2022, in which he suggested that then-state Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert, a Republican, should be shot in the head. Jones at the time also indicated a wish for Gilbert’s children to die. 

The explosive texts, which were published at National Review in October, led Spanberger and Hashmi to condemn Jones, though neither they nor any major Democrats called for Jones to drop out of the race. Jones himself apologized for the remarks. 

Earle-Sears repeatedly called for Jones to back out of the contest. At the election’s only gubernatorial debate on Oct. 9, she pressed Spanberger on Jones’ texts, demanding that the Democrat call for Jones’ withdrawal from the race.

Spanberger, meanwhile, made abortion access a central part of her campaign, calling on voters to elect her in order to protect Virginia’s permissive abortion laws. The Democrat has voiced support for a state constitutional amendment protecting abortion, something to which Earle-Sears has publicly voiced her opposition.

The state’s Catholic bishops had warned in October that the results of the state’s elections could lead to that amendment’s being advanced and codified into law, with this year’s winners poised to “decide whether the proposed amendments are advanced or stopped.”

In August, meanwhile, a resurfaced video from 2018 showed Spanberger apparently endorsing the policy of forcing religious hospitals to opt out of performing procedures such as abortion and euthanasia. 

“I oppose the ability of religious institutions to put their religious-based ideas on individuals and their health care choices and options,” she said at the time. 

Earle-Sears has expressed support for conscience rights, meanwhile, and during the October debate she indicated support for allowing employers to fire employees over their sexuality. “That’s not discrimination,” she said. 

Abortion safe in New Jersey; candidates differ on LGBT issues

In New Jersey, the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor offered a notable agreement on abortion, with both Sherrill and Ciattarelli stating their desire to keep the procedure legal.

The two differed on specific policy: Ciattarelli had advocated restricting abortion after 20 weeks, while Sherrill said she favored the state’s current laws, which allow for abortion up until birth. 

But their broader agreement on the legality of abortion underscored the state’s high levels of pro-abortion support among voters and indicated that the issue remains a lightning rod for Republicans even more than three years after the Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade. 

Elsewhere, the candidates differed on LGBT issues. Ciattarelli had called for men who believe they are women to be barred from women’s sports, while Sherrill voted against federal legislation that would have barred men from competing in girls’ sporting leagues. 

The Republican had also advocated rolling back pro-LGBT curriculums in public schools. Sherrill, in contrast, had voted against a federal bill that would have required schools to inform parents if their children began identifying as the opposite sex at school. 

Ciattarelli had also called for a state school voucher program modeled after Florida’s successful voucher initiative. Such a measure would “allow parents real choices in the schools their children attend,” he said ahead of the election. 

In October, the state’s bishops affirmed the Church’s teaching on the electoral process by telling the faithful that it is “not the Church’s place to tell them how to vote.” 

“Each of us has the right — and the responsibility — to follow our conscience, shaped by Scripture and the Church’s wisdom,” the bishops said.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 22:10 pm (CNA).

Pennsylvania voters elected to retain three Democratic justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court following a campaign with outside groups casting the vote as a referendum on abortion access, election integrity, and the future balance of the court.

The outcome means Democrats will maintain their 5-2 majority on the court.

With more than 54% of the vote tallied, 62.3% voted to retain Christine Donohue, 62.5% voted to retain Kevin Dougherty, and 62.4% voted to retain David Wecht. None of the other justices were on the ballot for 2025.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee celebrated the victory on X. 

“Thanks to tonight’s victories, the court’s Democratic majority will continue to protect fair maps, voting rights, and reproductive freedom for Pennsylvanians for years to come,” the post read.

In Pennsylvania, state Supreme Court justices are chosen through partisan elections to 10-year terms. When a judge’s term expires, voters choose whether to retain them for another 10 years with a “yes” or “no” vote. Only one justice has ever lost a retention vote: Russell Nigro in 2005.

While the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race had over $100 million in total donations and spending, setting a new national record for a state judicial election, the Pennsylvania race totaled a fraction of that, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. An estimated $15 million poured into the race. Donors included Planned Parenthood and labor unions, among others, plus Jeff Yass, a businessman who is a billionaire and the commonwealth’s richest man.

The 2025 campaign for Democratic justices focused heavily on abortion access. 

One campaign advertisement in favor of retaining the three justices detailed the pro-life laws in several other states after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. It called the Democratic justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court “our last line of defense” against restrictions on abortion.

Last year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court revived a 2019 lawsuit filed against the state’s Abortion Control Act. The existing law, which the state Supreme Court upheld in 1985, prohibits the use of state funds for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk.

In the decision, the majority ruled that banning public funds for most abortions “discriminates against those women who choose to exercise their fundamental right to terminate a pregnancy” and asserted the state constitution’s guarantee of equal protection “includes a right to decide whether to have an abortion or to carry a pregnancy to term.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court sent the case back down to the appellate court, which could set the stage for a major abortion ruling in the state that could open the door to taxpayer-funded elective abortions.

In Pennsylvania, elective abortion is legal through the 23rd week of pregnancy. 

Reproductive Freedom For All also celebrated the wins on X. The organization wrote Donohue’s win would protect abortion access “and will help to fight anti-abortion restrictions.” It called Wecht’s win “a key success for abortion rights in the state.” The account wrote Dougherty would “continue to protect abortion access in the Keystone State.”

All three justices were endorsed by Planned Parenthood PA PAC and Reproductive Freedom for All.

Other issues that came up during the campaign included redistricting fights and mail-in voting.

Donohue reaches the mandatory retirement age of 75 in 2027. Both Dougherty and Wecht are 63 years old, which means they will not face another retention vote until 2035.

Javier del Río Alba, archbishop of Arequipa, with the youth at the 13th Youth Festival of Faith. / Credit: Archdiocese of Arequipa

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 4, 2025 / 18:17 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Javier Del Río Alba of Arequipa in southern Peru shared the keys to holiness with more than 8,500 young people at the Shrine of Our Lady of Chapi during the 13th Youth Festival of Faith, held over the weekend of the solemnity of All Saints.

The gathering, which took place Oct. 31–Nov. 1, was led by the archbishop, accompanied by the auxiliary bishop of Arequipa, Raúl Chau Quispe, along with priests, nuns, seminarians, and catechists.

The celebration began around 10:30 p.m. with the procession of the image of Our Lady of Chapi, which was received with applause from the young people, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Arequipa sent to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

Del Río delivered a homily on the Gospel passage of the wedding feast at Cana, reflecting on the importance of Catholic marriage and reminding the young people that stimulants or other drugs are not needed to be truly joyful.

The young people were able to go to confession with dozens of priests and then participate in Mass and receive a plenary indulgence.

We can all be saints

Del Río celebrated Mass on Nov. 1 and emphasized that it is not impossible to be saints and reach heaven like Carlo Acutis or Pier Giorgio Frassati — both canonized in September — St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Teresa of Calcutta, or St. Catherine of Siena, who “had the same human nature as us; they were not Superman or Superwoman: They were men and women like us, they were young like you with the same wounded human nature.”

The prelate emphasized that, as children of God, we all have “in our DNA” the potential to reach heaven, to be saints and be completely happy, despite our problems and individual circumstances.

The archbishop encouraged the young people to trust in God always, especially “when you feel overwhelmed, when you find yourself committing the same sins, when you think you can’t move forward, that you’ll always be a slave to the same thing: a vain person, a lustful person, a selfish person, a jealous person, an insecure person, a timid person… when you think you’ll always be stuck going around in circles.”

Del Río told those present to remember that God is with them when others make fun of them or when they are not invited to parties and others say: “‘There’s that prude’; ‘Look at that prude with her rosary.’”

The prelate exhorted them to remember in those moments that they are blessed, because when “the world persecutes you, when the world insults you, when the world says all kinds of things against you,” Jesus Christ is there.

Del Río also encouraged them to go to confession frequently in order to be able to face the world, where the devil can appear in different places such as “the internet, technology, social media, or artificial intelligence.”

The archbishop also warned that the devil “wants you to believe that to be happy you have to indulge yourself in everything, you have to get ahead, even if it means trampling on others.” 

“God, on the other hand, teaches us something wonderful,” he said. “God tells us the truth, and the truth is one: Jesus Christ, who, nailed to that cross, shed his blood for you” to free you “from death and sin.”

Finally, the prelate encouraged his listeners to ask “the Lord to accomplish this work in us, to grant us his Holy Spirit so that we may persevere in the Church and thus be witnesses of his power, his love, and his mercy to those who need us.”

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

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 17:47 pm (CNA).

U.S. bishops and other Catholic leaders are offering “prayers of support and solidarity” for world leaders who will discuss climate change and other environmental matters at an upcoming conference.

The 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) is scheduled for Nov. 10–21 in Belém, Brazil. World leaders, scientists, and representatives from civil society will discuss ways to implement solutions to combat climate change and form new national action plans. 

Archbishop Borys Gudziak, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace; and Sean Callahan, CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), are calling for “urgent, courageous action to protect God’s creation and people.” 

“This year’s COP30 convenes while the Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope,” the leaders said in a Nov. 4 statement. It is “a sacred opportunity to restore relationships and renew creation at a time when the gift of life is under grave threat.”

“Pope Leo XIV called for the participants of COP30 to ‘listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, families, Indigenous peoples, involuntary migrants and believers throughout the world,’” the leaders said.

“Climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are devastating communities already burdened by poverty and exclusion. Farming and fishing families confront threats to their livelihoods; Indigenous peoples face destruction of their ancestral lands; children’s health, safety, and futures are at risk,” the statement said.

“A decade ago, in Laudato Si’, Pope Francis reminded us that the climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all, and that intergenerational solidarity is not optional,” the statement said. “Failing to steward God’s creation ignores our responsibility as one human family.”

The leaders are calling on world leaders to act “urgently” to implement the Paris Agreement, a 2015 international treaty to limit global warming that “protects God’s creation and people.”

The leaders asked that countries and civil society organizations recommit to implementation that fosters economic opportunities, commits to efforts that reduce climate warming emissions, and pledges loss and damage financing that guarantees priority and direct access to vulnerable communities. 

They also asked that they ensure a just transition to a sustainable economy centered on workers, communities, and creation and make financing for climate solutions timely and transparent while also upholding human dignity.

“As all of us are impacted, so must we all be responsible for addressing this global challenge,” the leaders said. “Together, these actions can work towards integral ecology and ‘give priority to the poor and marginalized in the process.’”

Pope Leo answers questions from journalists as he leaves Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican on Nov. 4, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 17:17 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV said dialogue is the solution to rising tensions with Venezuela.

There have been more than a dozen U.S. strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, often of Venezuelan origin. Dozens of deaths have been reported as a result, and the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Caribbean in recent months.

“A country has the right to have its own military to defend peace, to build peace,” Pope Leo XIV said Nov. 4 outside Castel Gandolfo. “In this case, however, it seems a bit different, with the tension increasing… Just five minutes ago I read some news saying that they are getting closer and closer to the coast of Venezuela. I think that with violence we do not win. The thing to do is to seek dialogue, to look for a just way to find solutions to the problems that may exist in a country. A country has the right to have its own military to defend peace, to build peace.”

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined 61 other civil society organizations in sending a letter to Congress on Nov. 4 to express alarm at “illegal military strikes and extrajudicial killings of civilians on boats off of the coast of Venezuela.”

“The Trump administration has not provided any valid legal justification for these strikes or any evidence to substantiate its claims that the victims were an imminent threat to the security of the United States,” the letter said. “We fear that, barring decisive action by members of Congress, there will be more strikes, more extrajudicial killings, and potentially a full-blown limitless war with one or more countries in the region, with likely devastating humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.”

President Donald Trump called for mobilizing U.S. military assets against drug-trafficking organizations during the 2024 campaign. The administration began classifying regional drug cartels and criminal organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations” in 2025.

Auxiliary Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado with eight spiritual leaders including Sister JoAnn Persch attempt to bring Communion to detainees at the Broadview, Illinois, facility and were not admitted Nov. 1, 2025. / Credit: Bryan Sebastian, courtesy of Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 16:52 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said the spiritual rights of migrants in detention must be considered.

“Many people who’ve lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now,” he said Nov. 4 outside Castel Gandolfo. “I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people. Many times they’ve been separated from their families for a good amount of time. No one knows what’s happening, but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”

Catholic leaders in Chicago sought to bring holy Communion to detainees Nov. 1 at a Chicago-area building that holds people detained in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Auxiliary Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado and others were not admitted despite requesting access weeks in advance and attempting to follow U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s guidelines.

A federal judge heard testimony Nov. 4 about conditions at the building, the Broadview facility operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration advocates say conditions are inhumane, with people being kept at the Broadview facility for days, sleeping on floors, having medications withheld, with no showers. ICE has not responded to a request for comment.

The pope said the situation of migrants in detention warrants attention.

“I think in the first place, the role of the Church is to preach the Gospel. And just a couple days ago, we heard Matthew’s Gospel chapter 25, which says Jesus is very clearly, at the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, ‘How did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?’” Leo said.  

“There’s a deep reflection that needs to be made in terms of what’s happening” regarding migrants in detention, the pope said.

null / Credit: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 4, 2025 / 16:32 pm (CNA).

Claim: Primary care operations are closing because President Donald Trump defunded Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.

CNA finds: Abortion providers prioritize abortion over primary care, causing closures. Community health clinics across the country continue to offer care without providing abortions.

Breakdown: When President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, taxpayer dollars were no longer allowed to be used to subsidize abortion providers for one year. Because of this, abortion providers don’t currently qualify for federal Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Rather than giving up abortion offerings, abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and Maine Family Planning are closing their doors to primary care patients.

Maine Family Planning provides abortions up to 14 weeks as well as birth control and “gender-affirming” health care. Across 18 clinics, Maine Family Planning provided about 600 patients with primary care in 2024. Meanwhile, the group provided more than 600 abortions in the same year, according to its own numbers.

Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of its funding comes from Medicaid. In total, it receives nearly $2 million in Medicaid reimbursements each year, according to the Maine Morning Star.

Maine Family Planning sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year, but a federal district court in August rejected its request for taxpayer dollars. On Oct. 31, the Associated Press reported that Maine Family Planning would close its primary care operations.

The organization is not the only abortion provider to shut down primary care rather than opt out of offering abortion. Planned Parenthood locations in California, for instance, are closing primary care facilities while continuing to offer abortions.

“Why do these organizations close clinics — but not abortion programs?” asked the director of Maine Right to Life, Michael McClellan.

“It’s important to note that when organizations such as Maine Family Planning choose to close primary care offices, that decision rests with them,” McClellan said. “Federal funding changes simply ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used — directly or indirectly — to promote or perform abortions.”

McClellan noted that “many other providers across Maine continue to serve patients under these same guidelines.”

Kelsey Pritchard, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America spokeswoman, said that abortion providers don’t prioritize primary care services.

For both Maine Family Planning and Planned Parenthood, Pritchard said that “primary care services clearly aren’t the priority and it’s no surprise they are on the chopping block.”

“Policymakers shouldn’t negotiate with entities that play these cruel games — dropping patients’ real health care needs to double down on ending babies’ lives,” Pritchard said.

Maine Family Planning did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

What options exist for women? 

Community health centers vastly outnumbered Planned Parenthood locations in the U.S., according to a report by Charlotte Lozier Institute.

There are “more than 8,800 community health centers that provide comprehensive care to vulnerable populations and offer women’s health services, in comparison to just 579 Planned Parenthood centers as of spring 2025,” the Charlotte Lozier Institute report read.

Maine has about 70 community health centers offering women’s health — many of which are located in rural areas. More broadly, in Maine there are 131 Federally Qualified Health Centers — clinics that qualify for reimbursement under Medicare and Medicaid.

“Maine residents continue to have access to a wide range of health services through community health centers, federally qualified health clinics, and hospital-based practices that provide comprehensive, life-affirming care for women and families,” McClellan said.

“These clinics offer prenatal and postnatal care, cancer screenings, immunizations, and preventive health services — without performing or referring for abortions,” he continued.

Many “better options” are available, Pritchard said.

“The pro-life movement is happy to help patients locate the care they need and deserve,” Pritchard said.

“The pro-life movement in Maine is deeply committed to supporting both women and their children — before, during, and after birth,” McClellan added. “Through a network of pregnancy resource centers, faith communities, and local service agencies, women can access free pregnancy testing, prenatal support, parenting classes, material assistance, housing help, and referrals for ongoing health care.”

The verdict: Some clinics are closing because they choose to continue providing abortion. Many other clinics continue to provide care for patients in Maine and across the U.S.

Father Marko Rupnik, SJ, in an interview with EWTN in 2020. / Credit: EWTN

Rome Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 16:02 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV asked accusers of Father Marko Rupnik to have patience as a trial on the priest’s alleged abuse begins at the Vatican.

“A new trial has recently begun, judges were appointed. And processes for justice take a long time. I know it’s very difficult for the victims to ask that they be patient, but the Church needs to respect the rights of all people,” the pope said, addressing a question from Magdalena Wolinska-Reidi of EWTN News just outside his Castel Gandolfo residence, Villa Barberini, on Nov. 4.

“The principle of innocent until proven guilty is also true in the Church,” he added. “Hopefully, this trial that is just beginning will be able to give some clarity to all those involved.”

Leo answered questions from journalists as he left Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. He has spent almost every Tuesday at the papal retreat, located 18 miles south of Rome, since early September.

The Vatican’s doctrine office announced last month that a panel of five judges had been nominated to decide the disciplinary case against Rupnik, accused of the sexual and psychological abuse of consecrated women under his spiritual care.

Rupnik — a well-known artist with mosaics and paintings in hundreds of Catholic shrines and churches around the world — is accused of having committed sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse against dozens of women religious in the 1980s and early 1990s.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith began to investigate the abuse accusations against Rupnik in October 2023 after Pope Francis lifted the statute of limitations.

In May 2019, the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith launched a criminal administrative process against Rupnik after the Society of Jesus reported credible complaints of abuse by the priest to the Vatican.

One year later, the Vatican declared Rupnik to be in a state of “latae sententiae” excommunication for absolving an accomplice in a sin against the Sixth Commandment. His excommunication was lifted by Pope Francis after two weeks.

The Society of Jesus expelled Rupnik from the religious congregation in June 2023 for his “stubborn refusal to observe the vow of obedience.”

Art

Leo also told journalists Nov. 4 he is aware of calls to remove or cover up Rupnik’s artwork by some abuse survivors and their advocates.

“Certainly in many places, precisely because of the need to be sensitive to those who have presented cases of being victims, the artwork has been covered up. Artwork has been removed from websites. That issue is certainly something that we’re aware of,” he said.

According to the Rome-based Centro Aletti, the art and theology school founded in 1993 and previously directed by Rupnik, the workshop has 232 completed mosaic and other art projects around the world — including in some of the most prominent international Catholic shrines, such as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in the state of São Paulo in Brazil and the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.

The Vatican has at least three original mosaics by Rupnik, including in the Redemptoris Mater chapel in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, in the chapel of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and in the San Calisto Building in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood.

Some calling for the art’s removal or concealment say that seeing the works in places of worship can have a traumatic effect on abuse victims, particularly since Rupnik’s accusers say he sexually abused them as they assisted him in the process of making his art.

The bishop of Lourdes, Jean-Marc Micas, announced earlier this year that the shrine would cover mosaics by Rupnik on the entrances to the shrine’s main church.

In June, the official Vatican News outlet removed images of the priest’s distinctive works, inspired by artistic traditions from Eastern Christianity, from its website, after years of criticism for its use of them to illustrate pages dedicated to saints and feast days.

Centro Aletti last year called the pressure to remove works of art by the studio part of “cancel culture” and the “criminalization of art.”

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors sent a letter to top Vatican officials last year urging them not to display artwork, like Rupnik’s, “that could imply either exoneration or a subtle defense” of those accused of abuse. 

In an interview with Crux in July, Pope Leo said how to respond to the Church’s abuse crisis is “one of the many challenges that I’m trying to find a way to deal with.”

And while it remains unresolved, it cannot be the Church’s sole focus, he said. 

He also drew attention to the difficulty of striking a balance between providing help and justice for victims with respect for the rights of the accused. “We’re in kind of a bind there.”

Leo put the issue of clerical sexual abuse into the context of his views on the wider role of the Church in the world: “We can’t make the whole Church focus exclusively on this issue, because that would not be an authentic response to what the world is looking for in terms of the need for the mission of the Church.”

Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament. / Credit: Comunidade Javé Nissi via Pexels

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 15:04 pm (CNA).

The number of people who believe their faith does not depend on attending Mass has increased as more Catholics are cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus, according to a recent survey of U.S. Catholic beliefs.

ACS Technologies, a church management software and data analysis company, investigated the trends in “American Beliefs Study: Religious Preferences and Practices.” The study researched the religious preferences, practices, beliefs, and media habits of Americans. 

Initially conducted in 2012-2013 and repeated in 2016-2017, 2020-2021, and 2024-2025, the study reflects the responses of roughly 60,000 participants over time. The most recent version of the study surveyed more than 15,000 Americans on Christian preferences, affiliations, values, and beliefs.

ACST Catholic, a business of ACS Technologies, specifically examined the feedback from 3,100 self-identified Catholic participants in the most recent survey. The updated findings were published in a recent guide: “The Evolving Landscape of Catholic Beliefs in 2025.”

The research revealed the percentage of Catholics who say they have a personal relationship with Jesus jumped from 61% in 2021 to 68% in 2025. There was also an increase in respondents who said belief in Jesus does not require participation in Mass, increasing from 68% to 71%.

Nearly half of Catholic respondents reported irregular Mass attendance. They gave reasons that have been consistent in each wave of the study. The most common reasons people reported were that religion is too focused on money, they have fallen out of the habit since COVID-19, religious people are too judgmental, and they do not trust religious leaders or organized religion. 

“The encouraging news from our latest survey is that core Catholic beliefs — such as the Resurrection and the divinity and humanity of Jesus — have grown,” said Terry Poplava, general manager of ACST Catholic and author of the study. 

The data found an increase in Catholics who expressed agreement that Jesus rose from the dead. In 2021, 44% of Catholics strongly agreed Jesus rose from the dead, (67% somewhat and strongly agreed). In 2025, 49% strongly agree (72% somewhat and strongly agree). Regarding the belief that Jesus was both divine and human, agreement increased from 74% to 78%.

What Catholics seek in a parish

As the study found a number of Catholics are questioning parish life, it also examined what people are seeking in a parish.

“Authentic community and meaningful relationships are even more important to people than quality sermons or sacramental celebrations,” Poplava said. “Our parishes have an opportunity to respond to this need and foster the real connections people are longing for.”

The 2021 research found Catholics often seek “warm and friendly encounters” when looking for a new parish. The 2025 response found three things Catholics seek: warm and friendly encounters (63%), quality sermons (56%), and celebration of sacraments (53%). 

Catholics who strongly agree that they seek warm and friendly encounters in a parish grew from 32% to 36%. However, the importance of the celebration of sacraments decreased from 37% to 33% and the quality of sermons slightly decreased from 31% to 30%.

More than half of Catholics reported they prefer a traditional worship experience (53%) to contemporary (30%). Poplava said: “Existing churches are being renovated to appear more traditional, including icons, candles, and windows. All of this is intended to instill a sense of reverence, awe, and respect for the sacred space.”

Despite the data finding that parish life faces “persistent challenges,” it also found that “personal faith is deepening” within the Catholic landscape.