St. Mary Our Lady of the Rosary

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti performs the washing of feet ritual for laypersons during the Holy Thursday Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, April 17, 2025. / Vatican Media / Screenshot

CNA Newsroom, Apr 17, 2025 / 17:18 pm (CNA).

During the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti reflected on Jesus’ humble act of washing His disciples’ feet, calling the Church to become a Eucharistic people who serve with love rather than seeking power or profit.

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, urged Catholics to reject a world that “betrays” people for economic gain and power, instead embracing the “power of service” exemplified by Christ washing the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper.

The prelate presided over the Mass in Coena Domini on April 17 at St. Peter’s Basilica, which included the traditional washing of feet ceremony with laypeople who work in or frequent the basilica.

“The world too often betrays us, hands us over, for some profit, economic or power-based,” Cardinal Gambetti said in his homily. “Against this logic — which fuels the conflicts of our time — stands a new kind of power, rooted in service and embodied by Jesus, the concrete expression of the ‘dynamism of proximity.’”

The cardinal began his reflection with the origins of Passover in Egypt, noting that the Jewish celebration arose not in triumph but “amid slavery, oppression, and suffering.” He explained the Hebrew term “Pesach” means “to leap, to protect,” illustrating how “God dances before homes to protect the humble and poor who trust in him, while death passes by.”

Drawing parallels between the first Passover and Christ’s own Passover, Gambetti emphasized that Jesus celebrated with His disciples amid hardship, “injustices, harassment, slander, illness, violence, fear, and solitude.” Yet Jesus “ardently desired intimacy and familiarity” with His followers despite knowing betrayal was imminent.

“The group around Him is human,” the cardinal said, “imperfect, diverse. Some impulsive, some proud, some fearful. But all of them are loved.”

Cardinal Gambetti noted that contemporary society mirrors the ancient pattern of betrayal, where everything is commodified “on the basis of a cost-benefit relationship, for some profit, economic or power-based.” He lamented that compassion is lacking for “the marginalized, migrants, the environment,” while wars reflect “the decline, the concretion of conflicts and evil in the world.”

The cardinal pointed to Jesus as the antidote to both ancient and modern corruption. “The only thing that interests Him is love,” Gambetti said. “This is the only priesthood. He washes feet, even Judas’s feet. He washes my feet. He washes your feet.”

Following the final prayer, a procession led by Cardinal Gambetti accompanied the Blessed Sacrament to a chapel prepared for adoration, with the Cappella Giulia, the historic choir of St. Peter’s, singing “Pange Lingua.”

Vatican media noted that this musical tradition dates back to 1513, when Pope Julius II reorganized the ensemble that continues to preserve “note by note, the beauty of the liturgy.”

Florida State University students wait for news amid an active shooter incident at the school’s campus in Tallahassee, Florida, Thursday, April 17, 2025. / Credit: AP Photo/Kate Payne

CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2025 / 15:31 pm (CNA).

Catholic students at Florida State University have been praying and assisting their fellow Seminoles amid a deadly mass shooting at the campus on Thursday, a ministry leader there told CNA. 

As of early Thursday evening two people had died and multiple people had been injured after the shooting on the Tallahassee campus. Officials said the shooter was taken into custody after the incident. The shooting reportedly took place in or near the campus student union.

Sam Nunnally, the Catholic campus ministry director at the university, told CNA via email that the ministry’s parish and facilities “are directly across the street from the FSU student union. So we could hear gunshots as the incident occurred.”

“Many of the students in that area came running up the hill towards the church and remained in lockdown here for the duration of the event,” Nunnally said. 

Campus ministry staff have been serving the students food and drink while waiting for the campus to be declared safe, he said. 

“Many of our Catholic students have been in prayer, saying rosaries, and helping serve the other students that arrived at our facilities,” he said.

In a 2:50 p.m. tweet on Thursday, the university told community members to “continue to shelter in place.”

“Law enforcement is actively clearing rooms on the main campus,” the school said. “Continue to shelter in place until law enforcement contacts you.”

Referring to the ongoing prayer and service at the Catholic facility, Nunnally said that, as director of the Catholic ministry, “it brings me great joy, even in the midst of sorrow, to see our Catholic students living out their faith real-time in the midst of such a dire situation.” 

“We hope that Catholics everywhere will say a prayer for Florida State, the Co-cathedral of St. Thomas Moore, and Catholic Noles,” he said. 

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee said the diocesan community was "heartbroken over what has occurred" at the school.

"The shooting happened just a few hundred yards from our Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More which has been a haven of ministerial outreach to FSU students over several decades," the diocese noted.

"We pray for the eternal repose of the individuals who have tragically lost their lives," the statement continued. "We ask the Lord to provide peace and healing for all those affected in this horrific situation."

This story was updated April 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. with a statement from the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee and with new information on the shooting at FSU.

The National Catholic Education Association report highlights that 18% of students in U.S. Catholic schools use school choice programs, up by nearly 5% from last year.   / Credit: RasyidArt/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2025 / 15:05 pm (CNA).

The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) this week released the annual report for Catholic school data, which among other things indicated that school choice is on the rise.  

In the 2024-2025 school year, there were 1.6 million Catholic school students and more than 150,000 professional staff members, with a student to teacher ratio of about 11 to 1. Nearly 40% of Catholic schools had a waiting list.

This school year, 63 Catholic schools closed while 24 new Catholic schools opened. This is a slight increase in both closures and openings from last year but marks a continued break from the early 2000s trend, which averaged 130 Catholic school closures per year. 

Of the 5,852 Catholic schools in the United States, 31% use parental school choice programs. 

Sister Dale McDonald, a sister of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and NCEA vice president of public policy, said that in states with “robust” school choice programs, “we have seen enrollment increases.”

The report highlighted that 18% of students use school choice programs, which is up by nearly 5% from last year.

In Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, and Oklahoma, more than half of Catholic school students used school choice programs, Sister Dale noted. In Florida and Ohio, it’s more than 80%. 

“We firmly believe that parents, as primary educators of their children, have a right to choose what they see as the best option for the child and that choice should not be conditioned solely on zip code or annual salary,” Sister Dale told CNA.

Sister Dale noted that school choice programs “enable a more diverse population to attend our schools,” which “enhances our mission of promoting faith and scholarship in a Christian community.” 

Three-quarters of Catholic schools serve students with a diagnosed disability and 9% of Catholic school students have a diagnosed disability — a percentage that has grown slightly but steadily in recent years.  

In addition, about 15% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch and 7% of students receive Title I services, a federal program designed to help struggling students in impoverished areas. 

At Catholic schools, 60% of students are white, nearly 15% are Hispanic, nearly 8% are Black, and about 4% are Asian.  

About 1 in 5 students attending Catholic schools are not Catholic, according to the report. 

“Serving all students who want a Catholic education regardless of their religious affiliation has a long tradition within our mission, particularly serving the poor and marginalized,” Sister Dale said. 

For instance, one historic Catholic school in a largely Protestant neighborhood in Cleveland has an all-Black, non-Catholic student body. 

Recently released data revealed that Catholic schools surpassed public schools in reading and math testing scores, according to the Nation’s Report Card.

Sister Dale noted that these test scores consistently “have demonstrated that Catholic school students outperform their public school counterparts.”

For Sister Dale, this reflects “our commitment to educating the whole student, preparing him or her for leading a moral life and contributing to the common good.”

The association is currently advocating for the passage of the Educational Choice for Children Act, a proposed $10 billion nationwide school choice program.

Sister Dale said supporting school choice programs is all about “what is best for the child.”

NCEA President and CEO Steven F. Cheeseman noted that these data and trends “help tell the national story of Catholic education.”  

“Our hope is that this data will empower our communities with clarity and purpose and inspire the continued growth of Catholic education for generations to come,” Cheeseman said in a statement shared with CNA.

“Together, we continue to shine the light of Christ through the lives we form every day.”

Stained0glass window of Blessed Carlo Acutis at St. Aldhelm’s in Malmesbury, England. / Credit: Courtesy of Father Thomas Kulandaisamy/Catholic Herald

CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2025 / 14:34 pm (CNA).

Blessed Carlo Acutis, the gaming teenager who had a deep love for Christ in the Eucharist, is about to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint. Acutis will be canonized during the Church’s Jubilee for Teenagers on April 27 in St. Peter’s Square.

Catholics can participate in the novena to Acutis starting on April 18 and ending on April 27, the date of his canonization. The novena consists of an opening prayer, daily meditations, and the recitation of five Our Fathers, five Hail Marys, and five Glory Bes, which are meant to thank God for the graces bestowed upon Acutis during the 15 years of his earthly life.

The opening prayer is:

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank you for all the grace and favors with which you enriched the soul of Blessed Carlo Acutis during his 15 years on Earth. Through the merits of this angel of youth, grant me the grace that I earnestly seek: (ask for the grace that you seek).

Day 1: “Not me but God”

Blessed Carlo Acutis, you who made your life a continual renunciation and setting aside of unimportant things, give me the grace to seek heavenly things and despise that which is transient. Amen.

(Pray five Our Fathers, five Hail Marys, and five Glory Bes.)

Day 2: “Always to be united with Jesus — that is my life’s program.” 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, you who have lived in the heart of Jesus, give me the grace to apply Jesus’ plan of love to everything. Amen.

(Pray five Our Fathers, five Hail Marys, and five Glory Bes.)

Day 3: “Continuously ask your guardian angel for help. Your guardian angel has to become your best friend.” 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, you who saw the company of holy angels while you were already in this world, give me the grace to live righteously, as my guardian angel desires. Amen.

Day 4: “Our soul is like a hot-air balloon... If by chance there is a mortal sin, the soul falls to the ground. Confession is like the fire underneath the balloon enabling the soul to rise again… It is important to go to confession often.” 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, you who have lived this sacrament of reconciliation so well, give me the grace constantly to seek confession and the grace of a deep contrition. Amen.

Day 5: “Sadness is looking at ourselves; happiness is looking toward God.” 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, you who have never looked away from your great love, Jesus, give me the grace also to live with this happiness in this world. Amen.

Day 6: “The only thing we have to ask God for, in prayer, is the desire to be holy.” 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, you who have always asked God for what is essential, give me the grace of a deep desire for heaven. Amen.

Day 7: “The Virgin Mary is the only woman in my life.” 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, you who loved the Virgin Mary above all women, give me the grace to respond to her kind and good love. Amen.

Day 8: “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, you who have always looked for your hidden Jesus in the tabernacle, give me the grace of a deep fervor for the Eucharist. Amen.

Day 9: “I am happy to die because I have lived my life without wasting a minute on those things that do not please God.” 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, give me that grace of graces — perseverance to the end and a saintly death. Amen. 

End each day with the following prayer:

Almighty God, father of mercy, we thank you for raising Blessed Carlo Acutis to the glory of the altars in the upcoming Jubilee of Teenagers, so that through him you may be even more glorified. He lived your will in all things. Through his merit, give me the grace that I so ardently desire. Amen.

The novena can also be found on EWTN Travel Jubilee app, which can be downloaded for free on the Apple Store and Google Play store.

Priests gather at the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. / Credit: Photo by Josh Applegate, in partnership with the National Eucharistic Congress

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 17, 2025 / 14:03 pm (CNA).

More than 400 men will be ordained to the priesthood in the U.S. this year, and on average they began to consider becoming a priest at just 16 years old, according to an annual CARA survey.

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) released its 2025 national survey of seminarians who are scheduled for ordination this year. Out of the 405 ordinands asked to respond, 309 participated in the survey from Jan. 10 to March 20.

The report is created in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations and CARA to examine information on the men entering the priesthood in the U.S. each year.

The research found more than 80% of respondents are preparing for ordination to a diocese or eparchy, and on average they will be ordained into one they have lived in for 17 years before they entered the seminary. 

On average, ordinands first started to consider becoming a priest at 16 years old, but 35% said they began to think about entering the priesthood in elementary school between the ages of 6 and 13. The survey found the graduating seminarians will be ordained at an average age of 34.

The study showed the ordinands’ families and upbringings played pivotal roles in their paths to the priesthood.

The majority of ordinands reported both of their parents were Catholic when they were children and 95% said they were raised by their biological parents “during the most formative part of their childhood.”

Nine in 10 responding ordinands (92%) were baptized Catholic as infants. Of those who entered the Church later in life, they converted at an average age of 22.

Half of responding ordinands said they participated in a parish youth group before entering the seminary and 35% said they participated in Catholic campus ministry. About 23% said they  participated in Knights of Columbus or Knights of Peter Claver. The study also found that 21% of ordinates were involved in Boy Scouts in their youth.

The majority of the respondents (73%) served as altar servers. About 46% served as lectors, 34% distributed holy Communion as extraordinary ministers, and 32% taught as catechists. 

Many ordinands were inspired to become a priest by someone in their life. Thirty-one percent reported having, or previously having had, a relative who is a priest or religious who encouraged their entrance to the seminary. 

While 89% reported being encouraged to consider the priesthood by someone in their life, 43% said they felt discouraged by one or more persons when deciding to enter the seminary. The report found that most often that person was a friend or family member. 

In accordance with past years, the most popular region in which men chose to study for the priesthood was in the Midwest, with 37% in seminaries there. Out of the other seminarians, 29% chose to attend a seminary in the South, 16% in the Northeast, and 13% in the West. Only 5% chose to study at a seminary abroad. 

In regard to prayer, Eucharistic adoration remained the most popular form of prayer among the seminarians with 78% of respondents reporting they participated in adoration on a regular basis before entering the seminary. The other most common forms of prayer were the rosary, a form of Bible study, and participation in lectio divina. 

Education was also a contributing factor in the respondents’ decision to enter priesthood.

The report stated between 36% and 46% of ordinands attended a Catholic school for grades K-12 and/or at the college level.

The study also found more than 15% were home-schooled at some point in their lives. Out of all ordinates, 58% participated in a religious education program in their parish for an average of six years.

Respondents reported receiving higher education and carrying out full-time work prior to entering the seminary.

More than half (63%) said they completed an undergraduate degree or a graduate degree before becoming a seminarian. The most common fields the men studied were philosophy, engineering, business, science, and math. 

The majority (66%) also reported having some form of full-time work experience prior to entering the seminary, including 6% who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

About one-quarter of responding ordinands were originally from a foreign country. Out of the 26% born abroad, the majority were originally from Mexico, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The research found that the majority of responding ordinands were white (69%); 12% were Hispanic/Latino; 12% were Asian, Pacific Islander, or Native Hawaiian; and 6% were Black.

The University of Notre Dame. / Credit: Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2025 / 13:32 pm (CNA).

A Wednesday report by an education watchdog organization identified 20 Catholic colleges and universities that had “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs. 

Defending Education, a national grassroots group combating “indoctrination in classrooms,” identified more than 350 active DEI offices or programs at nearly 250 higher education institutions. 

The report also identified more than 20 additional colleges that rather than closing the offices simply “rebranded” their DEI offices using phrases such as “belonging” or “inclusive excellence.” 

Of the 20 Catholic universities identified, several were high-profile institutions, including the historic Jesuit Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and University of Notre Dame in Indiana as well as Villanova University in Pennsylvania and Fordham University in New York. 

The list also identified St. Mary’s College in Indiana, a historically all-girls Catholic college that came under fire after the administration said it would accept men who identify as “transgender.” The college reversed the policy shortly after. 

Publicly-funded colleges have come under fire in recent months amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI programs. In his first month in office, President Donald Trump issued executive orders targeting governmental DEI programs as well as “radical indoctrination” in K-12 education. 

At least seven universities now face federal funding cuts from the Trump administration, including Columbia University, Harvard University, and Brown University, all of which had their federal funding paused allegedly due in large part to the administrations’ handling of rising antisemitism on college campuses. 

In an April 11 letter to Harvard, top federal officials urged the university to implement various reforms in order to maintain its taxpayer funding. These reforms include ending DEI programs, reinstituting merit-based hiring and admissions, including viewpoint diversity in hirings, and taking steps to prevent antisemitism. 

Paul Runko, director of strategic initiatives for Defending Education, urged Catholic institutions with DEI programs to “reexamine these programs and take the lead in ending race discrimination once and for all.” 

“Catholics deserve to know whether the colleges they support and entrust with their children’s formation are upholding authentic Catholic values — or embracing divisive DEI initiatives that may violate federal civil rights laws,” Runko told CNA.  

The report identified Catholic colleges and universities across the U.S. for having institution-wide DEI offices or programs.

On the East Coast, universities identified by the report included College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, Loyola University Maryland, Misericordia University in Pennsylvania, Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, St. Peter’s University in New Jersey, St. Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania, and St. John’s University in New York. 

Several Catholic universities located in the midwest were also identified, including DePaul University in Chicago, Dominican University in Illinois, Loyola University Chicago, St. Catherine University in Minnesota, and University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

On the West Coast, Gonzaga University in Washington state, Loyola Marymount University in California, and St. Mary’s College of California appeared in the report.

Runko, himself a Catholic, maintained that DEI goes against the Catholic faith.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion puts discriminatory race ideology over individual dignity, which runs contrary to both the Catholic faith and the law,” Runko said.

One opponent of DEI in education, Christopher Rufo — senior fellow and director of the initiative on critical race theory at the Manhattan Institute — said in a post on X on Tuesday that “DEI is a violation of the Civil Rights Act.”

“Any publicly funded institution that continues to practice DEI should face a federal investigation, consent decree, termination of funds, and loss of nonprofit status,” Rufo said.

The Mystery of the Brotherhood of San Benito processes through the surroundings of the cathedral of Seville on Holy Tuesday, April 15, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Joaquín Carmona

Seville, Spain, Apr 17, 2025 / 13:01 pm (CNA).

The Holy Week processions in the Andalusian capital are one of Spain’s most iconic traditions. Every year, members of the confraternities or brotherhoods prepare fervently to be part of this eagerly awaited event, a genuine manifestation of popular piety.

Confraternities and brotherhoods are religious associations that organize the processions and carry the floats on their shoulders.

Renowned worldwide, their images file through the city during Holy Week to the accompaniment of “saetas” (devotional songs) and marching bands. And it only takes a second, that fleeting instant when the gaze of the Virgin or the crucified Christ meets yours, to understand the mystery of our faith.

Following the Holy Week processions in Seville is no easy task. Each step, with their route to the imposing cathedral, turns the map of the city’s historic center into a sort of timed puzzle.

The faithful and tourists navigate the labyrinthine, decorated streets to experience firsthand the spectacle where art and the purest popular devotion converge. As José María Pemán, a native of Cádiz, aptly wrote, during Holy Week, Seville “prays with art.”

Turning to the sound of drums or the canopy, enveloped in incense, swaying to the rhythm of the bell ringers are like small flashes of light that illuminate the soul and invite, in a special way, to reflect on the sacrifice the Son of God made to redeem us.

The crowd raises its gaze as it throngs with heavy hearts and silent tears to the procession, with great respect for the Nazarenes (penitents) who, with their candles, precede the float borne up by a team of men.

The little ones look for their parents among the penitents carrying the cross, while they listen in the distance to the float foreman’s instructions, capturing in their minds the first memories of the best of inheritances.

Every gesture, every float, every instruction is carefully planned, with an almost artisanal precision, just as the golden threads are intertwined in the Virgin’s cloak.

It is a precision that is only threatened by the rain, the only impediment the floats encounter on their route.

The pageantry unfolds with the saeta (devotional song) dedicated to the Virgin of Peace as her image passes through Plaza de España (Spain Square) on Palm Sunday, the swaying of the San Gonzalo confraternity’s float in the Triana neighborhood, the mystery portrayed by the Confraternity of Bitterness in front of the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the solemnity of Jesus of the Passion on Holy Thursday, and the gestures of reverence toward the Virgin of Hope of Macarena during the “Madrugá” (the night between Holy Thursday and Good Friday).

Each image has its own story and evokes in those fortunate enough to witness it the vivid memory of the passion of Christ, who no longer walks alone.

The wonder is shared and is felt by both the members of the brotherhoods who have grown up under the protection of these images and the tourists who stumble upon them by chance.

Seville, with its brotherhoods, Nazarenes, and saetas, makes the drama of Calvary come alive every Holy Week, as if each procession shouted to the world that Christ is not alone — and neither is his mother.

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

Pope Francis meets with inmates in a surprise visit to the Regina Coeli Prison on Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Rome. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Apr 17, 2025 / 12:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis, still recovering after his recent hospitalization for double pneumonia, made a surprise visit to Rome’s Regina Coeli prison on Holy Thursday, continuing his long-standing tradition of beginning the paschal Triduum with prisoners despite his ongoing health concerns.

The unannounced visit took place shortly before 3 p.m. local time. According to the Vatican, the pope met with approximately 70 inmates who regularly participate in activities and catechesis organized by the prison’s chaplaincy.

Though he was unable to perform the traditional foot-washing, the 88-year-old pope told the prisoners he still wanted to be close to them. 

“I like to do every year what Jesus did on Holy Thursday, the washing of the feet, in prison. This year I cannot do it, but I can, and I want to, be close to you. I pray for you and for your families,” Pope Francis said.

The pope spoke briefly, prayed with the inmates, and individually greeted each person present. The visit concluded with a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer and a papal blessing. The entire encounter lasted about 30 minutes.

During the visit, the pope was seen breathing on his own without the aid of oxygen tubes, a positive sign as he continues to recuperate from a serious case of double pneumonia that led to his five-week hospitalization. His doctors recommended two months of rest following his March 23 discharge, cautioning that his body still requires time to recover.

Since returning to the Vatican, Francis had largely remained out of the public eye but has made a handful of brief, unscheduled appearances in the past two weeks. He has delegated cardinals to preside over all of the Holy Week liturgies at the Vatican.

The visit to Regina Coeli — a prison just a short drive from St. Peter’s Basilica — underscores the pope’s determination to be close to the people during Holy Week, even amid frail health.

During his pontificate, Pope Francis has made it a regular tradition to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass with the imprisoned. In 2013, just 15 days after his election as pope, Francis chose the Casal del Marmo youth detention center as the location of his first Holy Thursday Mass, where he washed the feet of juvenile detainees. 

Last year, the pope celebrated the official Holy Thursday liturgy at Rome’s Rebibbia women’s prison, where he washed the feet of 12 female inmates.  

Pope Francis previously visited the Regina Coeli prison on Holy Thursday in 2018.

null / Credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2025 / 11:59 am (CNA).

A U.S. district judge this week permanently blocked the federal government from requiring some Catholic employers to accommodate abortions and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for their employees. 

North Dakota District Judge Daniel Traynor said in the Tuesday order that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) would be “permanently enjoined” from forcing the Catholic Benefits Association and the Diocese of Bismarck to abide by the Biden-era federal rule. 

The EEOC had originally announced the revision to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act in April 2024. The rule change expanded the scope of accommodations that employers must make for “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions” to also include workers’ decisions about “having or choosing not to have an abortion” as well as treatments like IVF, both of which the Catholic Church forbids. 

The Catholic benefits group and the Bismarck Diocese had filed suit against the directive last June. Traynor had issued a preliminary injunction against the rule in September.

In his ruling this week Traynor made the block permanent. The EEOC rule, he said, “violates [the] sincerely held religious beliefs” of the Catholic plaintiffs and runs afoul of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. 

Dave Uebbing, a spokesman for the Catholic Benefits Association, told CNA on Thursday that the ruling applies to all of the 91 dioceses with which the group does business. The benefits group offers human resources support and guidance for Catholic employers.

Uebbing noted that the order further covers “not only our members but also our future members. If people join in the future, it will cover them.”

The order was further “unprecedented,” Uebbing noted, because it also applies to “people who do business with our members.”

“In particular, that comes into play when dealing with health plans,” he said. “Let’s say you have your health plan, but you have a third-party administrator that runs it — under the ruling, they’re not obliged to follow these federal laws and regulations that are discriminatory toward Catholics.”

The decision comes as a similar lawsuit brought by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) plays out in federal court. 

The USCCB filed the lawsuit last May alongside the Catholic University of America (CUA) and several dioceses. The plaintiffs in that suit are represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. In June 2024 a district court blocked the government from enforcing the rule against the USCCB while the lawsuit continues.

Ryan Colby, a spokesman for Becket, told CNA on Thursday that the bishops’ lawsuit is “still ongoing and we’re awaiting a final judgment from the court that would provide permanent protection to USCCB, CUA, and the dioceses.”

This week’s court order “is a promising step forward, but more protection is necessary,” he said.

The U.S. bishops said last year that the EEOC rule was “indefensible.” 

Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, Bishop Kevin Rhoades said at the time that though the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) was “a pro-life law that protects the security and physical health of pregnant mothers and their preborn children,” the EEOC directive “twist[ed] the law in a way that violates the consciences of pro-life employers by making them facilitate abortions.”

In comments opposing the rule before it was finalized, the bishops argued that abortion “is neither pregnancy nor childbirth.”

“And it is not ‘related’ to pregnancy or childbirth as those terms are used in the PWFA because it intentionally ends pregnancy and prevents childbirth,” they said.

Marchers hold pro-life signs at the Missouri March for Life in St. Louis on Saturday, April 12, 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of Coalition Life

CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2025 / 11:28 am (CNA).

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

Hundreds join St. Louis March for Life

On Saturday an estimated 700 pro-lifers marched on the Gateway Arch for the eighth annual St. Louis March for Life run by Coalition Life. 

Before marching through the streets of downtown St. Louis to the 630-foot-tall stainless steel monument, various pro-life leaders and politicians gave speeches encouraging Missourians to fight for life. 

Heavy on the minds of speakers was last November’s vote to enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution, an amendment that led to the reversal of many of the state’s pro-life laws.  

Reagan Barklage, the national field director of Students for Life, encouraged people to carry on “after suffering such a big blow” last November.

“Let this be the motivation to undo what has tragically happened,” Barklage said.

Speakers also included Lt. Gov. Dave Wasinger; Rev. Andy Becker, manager of family ministry for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; Mary Varni, the director of the Respect Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese of St. Louis; and Tim Jones, the former speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives.

“Together, we proclaimed the importance of defending the sanctity of life and standing for justice in our society, remembering that every person is made in the image of God, our creator,” Coalition Life said in a statement.

Nebraska lawmakers debate over respectful treatment of aborted human remains

Nebraska lawmakers spent more than three hours on Monday debating whether the remains of aborted babies should be treated with dignity.

The debate took place over a bill that would require clinics to bury or cremate the remains of aborted children. That measure is currently under consideration in the Legislature. 

Proposed by state Sen. Ben Hansen, the bill would require health care facilities “to respect the dignity of aborted unborn children and dispose of their remains.” The bill wouldn’t require clinics to give notice to mothers about the method of disposition. It would not cover human remains from chemical abortions.

At least 15 other states have similar laws protecting the remains of unborn children who die by abortion.

Hansen this week argued that aborted human remains “are human bodies, and as such, they deserve to be treated with human respect,” according to local media.

Hansen noted that in cases of miscarriages, the remains are “treated humanely and securely for public health reasons,” but for abortions, “our current statute makes an exception.”

An opponent of the bill, state Sen. Ashlei Spivey, maintained that the measure was “about shaming and stigmatizing care” and “removing patients’ control.”

“No matter what you personally believe about abortion, proposing this type of requirement without the patient having a say is wrong and insulting,” Spivey claimed. 

Spivey previously filed a motion to postpone the bill indefinitely, but it failed.

Texas House approves additional $70 million to support life-affirming pregnancy centers 

The Texas Legislature is considering increasing the state fund supporting life-affirming crisis pregnancy centers by $70 million over the next two years. 

The Republican-led state House voted last week to set aside $210 million to a state fund known as the Thriving Families program to promote childbirth and fund pregnancy centers. 

If agreed upon by the state Senate and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, the spending plan would entail a $70 million increase for life-affirming pregnancy support over the next two years coming from the state’s Medicaid budget.

Proponents such as state Rep. Tom Oliverson maintain that the program helps provide much-needed support for pregnant women and their children, while opponents like state Rep. Donna Howard argue that the funds should be spent on direct health care or to address maternal mortality. 

Texas state law protects the lives of all unborn children from abortion except in cases where the mother’s life is at risk.