St. Joseph Church

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 5, 2024 / 13:37 pm (CNA).

The findings of a new EWTN News/RealClear Opinion Research survey shed light on the spiritual health of adult Catholic U.S. citizens and reveal consistently concerning indicators of low Mass attendance, low belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and sporadic (though growing) participation in the sacrament of confession.

The survey was conducted from Aug. 28–30 among 1,000 Catholics with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

According to the survey, 31% of American Catholics attend Mass once a week, 16% once or twice a month, 32% a few times a year, and 9% once a year. Twelve percent attend Mass daily or more than once a week. 

Frequent Mass attendance was significant among younger generations. Catholics under the age of 40 attend Mass more frequently than older Catholics, with 17% of 18- to 29-year-olds and 22% of 30- to 39-year-olds attending daily or more than once a week.

That compares with 6% of 40- to 49-year-olds, 7% of 50- to 59-year-olds, 9% of 60- to 69-year-olds, and 13% of those 70 years or older. 

Among Catholic voters, 52% believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, while 32% do not; 16% are unsure. Belief in the Real Presence varies slightly according to gender, with 56% of men believing in it compared with 49% of women. 

Eighteen percent of the Catholics surveyed said they never go to confession and 24% go less than once a year. Another 19% go once a year and 23% go several times a year, while 16% go to confession at least once a month. 

Meanwhile, 39% of Catholics surveyed this year report they generally accept most of the Church’s teachings and try to live their lives accordingly, outnumbering the 28% who say they accept all of the teachings, 20% who consider themselves Catholic but do not accept some key teachings, and 14% who say Catholicism has only a minor influence on their lives.

Just under one-third of Catholics aged 18–29 this year said they accepted all the teachings of the Church, higher than the 29% of Catholics aged 70 or more years who said the same.

Among Catholics who said they accept “most” of the Church’s teachings, meanwhile, roughly 35% of those aged 18–29 said they did, compared with 45% of those 70 and older.

Some increases in Mass attendance, frequency of confession

The findings on Catholic belief in the Real Presence are similar to results obtained from a 2022 poll of Catholic likely voters. That poll found that half of respondents affirmed a belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist while 38% said they did not believe.

Confession habits this year, meanwhile, were improved from the 2022 polling: In the 2022 survey, 28% of respondents went to confession less than annually, and 35% never did. Just 10% of respondents that year said they went to confession monthly. 

Weekly Mass attendance, meanwhile, was slightly higher in 2022, with 33% of respondents that year reporting weekly Mass-going. 

Yet Mass attendance in this year’s August poll was higher in other categories: In 2022, just 7% of respondents said they attended Mass daily or more than once a week, while 14% said “once or twice a month” and 24% said “a few times a year.”

Montse Alvarado speaks with EWTN News Vice President and Editorial Director Matthew Bunson during a live broadcast of “EWTN News In Depth.” / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, Sep 5, 2024 / 13:05 pm (CNA).

EWTN News President and COO Montse Alvarado on Tuesday was announced as the recipient of an award from a major religious advocacy group recognizing her “consistent, effective, and innovative leadership in advancing religious freedom.”

The Religious Freedom Institute (RFI), a nonprofit and nonpartisan D.C.-based organization that advocates religious freedom for all people worldwide, announced Sept. 3 that Alvarado had earned its 2024 Religious Freedom Impact Award. 

Alvarado, a native of Mexico City, previously served as executive director and chief operating officer at the Becket Fund, a nonprofit public interest group that defends religious freedom at the U.S. Supreme Court and elsewhere.

She took the helm of EWTN News — which includes Catholic News Agency, the National Catholic Register, and other major Catholic news properties — in March 2023.

Before taking over as president and COO, Alvarado was the founding anchor of the weekly television program “EWTN News In Depth,” recently passing the role of anchor to Catherine Hadro.

Alvarado told CNA that she “never intended for religious freedom to be such a big part of my career” but that working to defend the rights of religious people of all backgrounds has deepened her own Catholic faith.

“That just shows you God always knows better and will qualify you into what he’s called you to do. Trust him,” she said.

In addition to her work with EWTN News, Alvarado presently serves on the boards of numerous Catholic nonprofits and apostolates including the Catholic Information Center, Acton Institute, the Knights of Columbus Charitable Giving Fund, Benedictine College, and Patients’ Rights Action Fund, a leading advocacy organization against the legalization of assisted suicide. 

She is also on the advisory council to the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) and the GIVEN Institute, and advises the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops through their Religious Liberty Committee.

“Throughout her career, Montse Alvarado has been a strong, clarion voice for religious liberty in media, culture, and the courts,” RFI President David Trimble said this week.

“She has steadfastly dedicated her time and talent to protecting the rights of not only her fellow Catholics but of all people of faith in America.”

‘God always knows better’

Reflecting on her time working in the field of religious freedom, Alvarado said that although certain legal protections for religious freedom in the U.S. have improved in the past few decades, the “culture has changed” in such a way that many people today do not understand or appreciate the importance of religion. 

“The lack of religious literacy is the greatest danger to religious freedom, and we see it manifested in the attacks against churches and rampant antisemitism around the world. People don’t understand the religious impulse, and we fear and persecute what we don’t know,” she noted. 

Alvarado said her legal work with Becket in defense of religious freedom was an “exercise in humility, prudence, and a great check on self-reliance,” and a solid reminder of the importance of the power of prayer as a sustaining factor in difficult work.

“Defending religious freedom made me more religious, not less. Encountering the deep faith of other traditions — no matter what they are — changed my heart forever,” Alvarado said. 

EWTN News covers numerous topics related to religious freedom under Alvarado’s leadership. She encouraged Catholics to support religious freedom for all people, in part because “the search for God must be free from coercion.”

“The Christian man offers Jesus Christ as the answer, knowing only the Holy Spirit will move the other person’s heart in his perfect time,” she said. 

Entrance to the "Mother Teresa: Life, Spirituality and Message" exhibit at the St. John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Courtesy of the St. John Paul II National Shrine and Mother Teresa Center

Washington D.C., Sep 5, 2024 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., now has a temporary exhibit on the life and legacy of St. Teresa of Calcutta — better known as Mother Teresa. 

The exhibit opened Aug. 19 and is scheduled to run through Nov. 11.  

Among many of Mother Teresa’s personal items featured, a first-class relic will be available for veneration, notably alongside the relic of the blood of St. John Paul II. 

The exhibit contains more than 70 panels that highlight Mother Teresa’s life from childhood to canonization; together each piece reveals her radical love for God and others.

Anthony Picarello, executive director of the St. John Paul II National Shrine, spoke with CNA to discuss the exhibit in depth. He said he believes there will be a lot of interest, especially in the upcoming weeks.

“Sept. 5 is Mother Teresa’s feast day and the colloquium [at the nearby Mother Teresa Institute] runs from Thursday, Sept. 5, through Saturday, Sept. 7. We hope that many of the colloquium participants will stop by during those days. We think it will be especially attractive for school and youth groups, and groups devoted to the care of the poor and the sick,” he said. “Also, October is a big month for the shrine because of the anniversaries of St. John Paul II’s election to the papacy, his installation, and the feast days of St. Faustina, Blessed Carlo Acutis, and Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko.”

Picarello shared that he and Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, the president of the Mother Teresa Institute, recently met to discuss collaboration efforts considering the close friendship both saints had with each other.

“In the course of that, Father Brian asked if the shrine would like to present their traveling exhibit on Mother Teresa during the colloquium that the Mother Teresa Institute was organizing on Mother’s spirituality. The institute holds this colloquium every year right across the street at The Catholic University of America in connection with her feast day on Sept. 5.”

“In the exhibit, you learn about her childhood, her love of religious life, her struggle to accept Jesus’ call to serve the poorest of the poor, the spiritual darkness she experienced for most of her life, and the incredible growth of her order,” Picarello said. 

Mother Teresa, an example of charity and love, is an inspiration to the world. Her dedication to serving the poor and needy attracts Catholics and non-Catholics alike, he said. 

“No one else has Mother Teresa’s particular gifts, but she still draws everyone toward greater holiness in their own lives. She created something new and different, the Missionaries of Charity, to solve one of the most difficult social problems of her time and place, the poverty and suffering of outcasts. Her example encourages us also to innovate,” Picarello continued. 

He emphasized the modern friendship that JPII and Mother Teresa shared and how important it is for the shrine to showcase this exhibit in her honor. 

“Not only does she powerfully illustrate the universal call to holiness that JPII emphasized so much, but the two of them were so close and so much admired each other. One of the best [reasons] is simply to show that holiness is possible today,” he said. 

Several relics of Mother Teresa will be on display for visitors to venerate, including the sari she wore, her crucifix, and important documents, among other items. Picarello explained that relics are significant in that they allow us to be in the presence of saints. 

“The Mother Teresa relic at the shrine is next to the relic of St. John Paul II. Being in their presence brings you in contact with the communion of saints, which is a major source of inspiration, and a reminder that the saints are friends we can call on for help. That’s helpful in a society with so many sources of isolation and discouragement.” 

For Picarello, his favorite part of the exhibit happens to be the notes of encouragement she wrote to others. 

The exhibit is located at the JPII Shrine, 3900 Harewood Road Northeast in Washington, D.C., and is available during the shrine’s open hours.

Supporters of the Latinos for Harris-Walz campaign attend a party to watch presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris deliver her acceptance speech in Los Angeles on Aug. 22, 2024, the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention. / Credit: Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 5, 2024 / 12:05 pm (CNA).

Hispanic Catholics are nearly twice as likely to support Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris over the Republican nominee, former president Donald Trump, according to a new poll by EWTN News and RealClear Opinion Research.

Released on Sept. 5, the EWTN News/RealClear poll takes a deep dive into Catholic religious and political practices across the U.S. The poll, conducted from Aug. 28-30, surveyed 1,000 Catholics and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

The study found that 59.4% of Hispanic Catholics plan to vote for Harris in November versus 30.4% who intend to vote for Trump.

Nine percent of Hispanic Catholics said they were still undecided and 1.2% said they would vote for another candidate besides Harris or Trump.

The EWTN News poll suggests that Catholic Hispanic support for Harris is slightly above the support President Joe Biden received in 2020, with 54.9% of respondents saying they voted for Biden in the last presidential election.

Meanwhile, undecided Hispanic voters were nearly evenly split with 48.9% leaning toward Harris and 51.1% leaning toward Trump.

Just over three-fourths — 77.2% — of Hispanics said it is very likely they will cast a vote in the presidential election.

What do Hispanic Catholics think about the issues?

A slight majority — 43.2% — of Hispanic Catholics said they approve of the job Biden is doing as president, while 41% said they disapproved and 15.8% said they had no opinion.

Most Hispanic Catholics — 56.8% — said that the economy (including jobs, inflation, and interest rates) is the most important issue deciding their vote this election cycle. The next highest priorities were border security/immigration at 10.5%, abortion at 9.7%, health care at 5.3%, and climate change at 5%.

When asked “Who should be responsible for setting abortion policy: state legislatures, the federal government, or neither?”, 29% responded that abortion is a state issue, 28.9% said federal, and 42% said neither.

No Hispanic Catholics registered that “advancing LGBTQ rights” was a priority and 45.7% said they do not support transgender cross-sex hormonal treatments or surgical procedures for children. Meanwhile, 16.5% said they support cross-sex hormones and surgeries for minors. The vast majority — 63.4% — of Hispanics said that male-born athletes identifying as females should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.

Hispanic Catholics and their faith

More than a quarter of Hispanic Catholics — 27.5% — said they accept all the Church’s teachings and that these beliefs are reflected in their lives.

Thirty-five percent of Hispanic Catholics said they believe in most of the Church’s teachings, 22% said they disagree with some of the Church’s key teachings, and 15.5% said the faith plays only a minor role in their lives.

Similarly, the survey found that 37.2% of Hispanic Catholics attend Mass once a week or more, while 41.8% only attend once or a few times a year.

Well over half — 63.5% — of Hispanic Catholics go to confession at least once a year, with almost a fifth — 17.5% — going at least once a month.

Critically, half of Hispanic Catholics — 49.7% — believe in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist while nearly a third — 29.5% — believe that the Eucharist is merely a symbol and a fifth — 20.8% — are not sure. These numbers are roughly equivalent to the overall national average found by the EWTN News survey for Catholics in general.

This comes amid a historic initiative called the National Eucharistic Revival, launched by the U.S. bishops to increase awareness of and devotion to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This summer the bishops helped to coordinate a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Eucharistic Congress, both of which saw heavy participation of Hispanic Catholics and several Hispanic-majority dioceses.  

The U.S. bishops have also recently published a Hispanic national pastoral plan setting goals for new efforts to evangelize Latino Catholics, who make up an increasingly large portion of the U.S. Church.

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. / Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images; KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 5, 2024 / 11:40 am (CNA).

Vice President Kamala Harris leads among Catholic voters over former president Donald Trump, according to the findings of a new EWTN News/RealClear Opinion Research survey two months away from the presidential election.

The poll, conducted from Aug. 28-30, surveyed 1,000 Catholics and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. 

Catholic voters, like most of the electorate, consider the economy by far the most pressing issue facing the country and oppose transgender surgeries for minors and transgender males competing in women’s sports. They are divided on the question of who should set policy on abortion, U.S. support for Ukraine, and Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The findings also reveal a significant gender gap among Catholic voters, while Trump is currently receiving support from 30% of Catholic Latinos.

According to the findings, 50% of Catholic voters currently support Harris for president while 43% support Trump and 6% are undecided. Harris is also ahead of Trump among Catholic Latino voters, leading the former president 60% to 30% overall but with 9% still undecided. This is important given the growing size and influence of Latinos in American Catholicism.

The vice president also leads Trump among Catholic African American voters 82% to 12% and Catholic Asian voters 58% to 35%. Trump carries non-Hispanic white Catholic voters by a margin of 52% to 42%. 

Similarly, Harris leads the former president in every age group, with her biggest leads among Catholic voters aged 30-39 and 40-49. Interestingly, her smallest margin is among the 18- to 29-year-olds, Gen-Z Catholic voters (many of whom will be voting for the first time in 2024), where she holds a statistically insignificant lead of 44% to 43%.

Among Catholic voters, she has also managed so far to avoid damage from President Joe Biden’s low job approval rating, currently at 49% disapproval with 41% approval, while 10% are neutral.

A Catholic gender gap

Especially notable is the gender gap that has emerged among Catholic voters. Female Catholic voters support Harris over Trump 56% to 37%, while male Catholic voters favor Trump 49% to 43%.

Similarly, on the generic ballot for control of Congress, 49% of Catholics support the Democrat candidate while 41% support the Republican candidate. Female Catholic voters, meanwhile, favor the Democrat candidate 54% to 35% while male Catholic voters support the generic Republican 48% to 43%. 

The gender gap exists across many other issues. The economy is considered by far the most pressing issue of the election by both men and women — 51% overall, 54% female and 48% male. But the second most important issue for Catholic women voters is abortion at almost 13% (compared with 6% for Catholic male voters). Catholic male voters rank border security and immigration as second most important at 17% (compared with 9.5% for Catholic female voters). Among all Catholic voters, after the economy, the next most important issues are border security and immigration at 13% and abortion at 10%.

When asked who should be responsible for setting abortion policy: state legislatures, the federal government, or neither, 45% of female Catholic voters say neither, compared with 28% of male Catholics. Overall, Catholics in the era after the fall of Roe v. Wade are divided on the question — a plurality of voters (38%) think neither the state legislature nor the federal government should be responsible for setting abortion policy, 34% think state legislatures should be responsible, and 29% say the federal government should be responsible.

Divided on key issues

Similar divides among Catholic voters are visible when it comes to some of the most important foreign policy questions. When asked how Israel is carrying out its response to Hamas’ savage Oct. 7, 2023, attack, 41% consider it somewhat or completely acceptable, while 39% consider it somewhat or completely unacceptable. Twenty percent are not sure. 

As for the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, 37% of Catholic voters think the U.S. is providing too much support to Ukraine, 36% think it is giving about the right amount of support to Ukraine, and 28% say the U.S. is not providing enough support to Ukraine, a plurality of over two-thirds of Catholic voters favoring U.S. support for Ukraine. 

Moving on to China, only 6% think China poses no threat, and close to half would call China a significant or severe threat. 

Areas of broader agreement do extend to some of the most controversial cultural issues. Half (50%) of Catholic voters oppose puberty blockers/cross-sex hormone treatment or surgical procedures for minors, while 14% support both procedures, 7% support surgical procedures, and 7% support puberty blockers. 

A majority of Catholic voters (67%) also think athletes who were born male but now identify as girls or women should not be able to compete in women’s sports and athletics, while 18% say they should; 15% are unsure. Fifty-six percent of Catholic voters favor the death penalty for a person convicted of murder, while 23% oppose it, and 21% are unsure.

Mass attendance and Catholic voters

The poll also found that when it comes to Mass attendance, 12% of American Catholics attend Mass daily or more than once a week, 31% once a week, 16% once or twice a month, 32% a few times a year, and 9% once a year. Harris leads among every category of Mass-attending Catholics save for daily Mass attendees who support Trump 55% to 30%. 

Unlike the findings in previous polling of Catholics, in this unusual election at least, regular Mass attendance or adherence to Church teaching may no longer be an indication that the voters will vote for the Republican presidential candidate.

In addition, this is the most volatile presidential election in modern American political history, and this first poll was conducted in the immediate aftermath of the Democratic National Convention. It also comes well before the scheduled first presidential debate on Sept. 10, and other events between now and Nov. 5 may have a substantial impact on the race, such as another international crisis or the felony sentencing hearing for Trump in a New York courtroom on Sept. 18. 

National polls are finding the race extraordinarily tight with the candidates effectively tied both nationally and in every battleground state. In that environment, each vote is needed, and Catholic voters will have a key role to play in deciding the next occupant of the White House. EWTN News and RealClear Opinion Research will continue to track Catholic voter attitudes all the way to Election Day. 

Pope Francis celebrates a Papal Mass at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, Sep 5, 2024 / 11:20 am (CNA).

More than 100,000 worshippers participated in Pope Francis’ celebration of Mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday. The Holy Father encouraged the country’s Catholics to always listen to the word of God — especially in times of weariness, disappointment, and failure.  

Upon entering the stadium in a wheelchair, Pope Francis was immediately greeted by loud cheers and cries of “Viva Papa!” from a 60,000-strong crowd gathered for the Mass celebrated in Latin and Bahasa Indonesian.

Eager to see the pope who travelled over 7,000 miles to be with them in their home country, another 40,000 Indonesian pilgrims, unable to get seats inside the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, found places inside the stadium next door and surrounding areas within the main sports complex. 

Reflecting on the fifth chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, which describes the first encounter between Peter and Jesus on the Lake of Gennesaret, the pope said it is necessary for a disciple of Jesus to first listen to and welcome the word of God.

“Let us not forget that the first task of the disciple — and we are all disciples — is not to clothe ourselves with an outwardly perfect religiosity, to do extraordinary things or engage in grandiose undertakings. No! The first step is to know how to listen to the only word that saves — the word of Jesus,” he said on the third day of his 45th apostolic journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania.

During the homily, Pope Francis said people are hungry and thirsty for the word of God and that the “human heart is always searching for truth that can feed and satisfy its desire for happiness” even during periods of darkness, confusion, or spiritual dryness.    

“Peter has come to the shore after a difficult night and not catching anything. He’s tired, he’s angry, he’s disappointed,” the Holy Father said. “And yet instead of remaining paralyzed by that emptiness, or impeded by his own failure, he says, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have have caught nothing, but on your word I will let down the nets.’”    

Drawing upon the witness and example of St. Teresa of Calcutta, whose feast day is Sept. 5, the Holy Father said the weariness and emptiness that followers of Jesus may feel in times of failure — just like the first pope St. Peter — are never reasons to despair or lose hope.

“St. Teresa of Calcutta, whose memory we celebrate today and who tirelessly cared for the poorest of the poor and became a promoter of peace and dialogue, used to say, ‘When we have nothing to give, let us give that nothing,’” he told those gathered for Mass.   

As the sun set over the stadium toward the conclusion of the liturgy, the principal celebrant, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, archbishop of Jakarta, thanked the Holy Father for making a pilgrimage to Indonesia to bless both the country’s Catholics as well as those belonging to other faiths.  

“Your pilgrimage is surely tiring, but nonetheless you have come to visit us, bless us and our country. Not only Catholics but also our sisters and brothers of other faiths rejoice at your visit,” the cardinal said to Pope Francis.

Referring to the chosen theme of the papal trip to Indonesia, “Faith, Fraternity, and Compassion,” Surharyo said the local Church wants to fulfill the pope’s desire to live as brothers and sisters, particularly toward those who are weak, poor, marginalized, disabled, or suffering. 

“With the support of your blessing and prayers [may we] become ever more faithful and persevere in following Jesus, who went around doing good for the glory of the Lord, for the good of our nation and all of humanity,” he said before being presented with a chalice from the Holy Father in commemoration of the papal visit to Indonesia.

On Thursday morning, Pope Francis also met with beneficiaries of charitable organizations at the headquarters of the Indonesia Bishops’ Conference in the country’s capital. He reminded those gathered that each of them “are the most precious members of this Church” who have a specific contribution to give to the universal Church, the world, and their families.

Father Thomas Rosica, CSB. / Credit: Chris Adamczyk/Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation via Wikimedia, CC BY SA 4.0

Rome Newsroom, Sep 5, 2024 / 10:50 am (CNA).

A lawsuit filed in Ontario, Canada, earlier this year accuses Father Thomas Rosica, CSB, a once-prominent media figure, of sexually abusing a younger priest more than two decades ago — an allegation Rosica denies.

Rosica was CEO of the Salt and Light Media Foundation for 16 years and a prominent writer, speaker, and media figure before resigning from a number of senior positions in 2019 following reports that many of his written works contained significant plagiarism.

Rosica was also formerly an English-language spokesman for the Vatican and president of Assumption University in Windsor, Ontario.

In a lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of Justice in London, Ontario, on March 1, the plaintiff claims Rosica “sexually abused, assaulted, and molested” him about 24 years ago while in a position of “authority and trust,” and that Rosica’s religious community, the Congregation of St. Basil, “took no steps to stop the behavior or to protect the plaintiff.”

In his statement of defense responding to the allegations, Rosica denied having “had a close personal relationship” with the plaintiff or “engaging in any improper conduct” with him.

Additionally, he maintains that the civil courts do not have jurisdiction over the complaint because he and the plaintiff are both ordained priests and “the alleged assaults occurred while they were engaged in duties on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church” and thus “would be governed by canon law.”

“The court should defer to the ecclesiastical court and its application of canon law,” Rosica’s statement says.

But the plaintiff, a now-55-year-old priest identified only by his initials in the lawsuit, has told CNA he turned to the civil courts after concluding that the Church was not taking his concerns seriously or holding Rosica responsible for his actions.

The plaintiff, who spoke to CNA on condition that his name be withheld, said he had shared his concerns about Rosica with his own bishop in 2015 and Rosica’s religious superior in 2023 but that he “lost confidence that the Church was taking my concerns seriously” after Rosica continued in ministry and continued to be an invited guest at retreats in Canada.

The plaintiff said to his knowledge there is currently no canonical case against Rosica.

He also told CNA he reported what he believes to be a lack of appropriate response by his bishop through the online reporting tool of the Canadian bishops’ conference on March 20 but has not been contacted further after being told his complaint was being forwarded to Canada’s apostolic nuncio and the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome.

CNA on Wednesday contacted the office of the metropolitan bishop for the plaintiff’s ecclesiastical area, the office of the apostolic nuncio, and on Thursday the Dicastery for Bishops but did not hear back by publication time.

Religious order responds

In the lawsuit, a copy of which has been obtained by CNA, the plaintiff claims Rosica nurtured a mentorship relationship with him when he was a new priest in the mid-1990s, a relationship that continued several years and included unwanted physical contact, such as long hugs, until it escalated around the year 2000, when over the course of several months, Rosica “exposed himself” to him, “groped and fondled” his body, “used sexually explicit language,” and “engaged in other sexual activities with the plaintiff.”

The lawsuit also alleges Rosica may have engaged in similar behaviors with others.

The Basilian Fathers, also known as the Congregation of St. Basil, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

The suit claims that as Rosica’s religious congregation, it “provided Rosica with a position of respect and trust,” that “the Basilians knew that Rosica had the propensity to engage in such deviant behaviors,” and that it was negligent by failing to investigate and take action once “fully aware of his shortcomings.”

In a statement of defense filed with the court, the Basilian Fathers “deny Father Rosica engaged in improper conduct with the plaintiff” or that “it had or owed any duties to, or was negligent in any way with respect to, the plaintiff.”

The congregation said in its statement that “the court should defer to the ecclesiastical court and its application of canon law,” as “the plaintiff’s relationship with the Roman Catholic Church,  including the Basilians, is governed by canon law and is wholly ecclesiastical in nature.”

The Basilian Fathers also said the plaintiff “has no basis upon which to assert the false allegations” that the congregation took no steps to protect the alleged victim or that it “took steps to attempt to cover up [Rosica’s] behavior.”

Contacted by CNA, the Basilian Fathers declined to comment on the case stating that the congregation has “faith in our legal system and the canon law system.” A representative of the congregation also declined to clarify Rosica’s current standing as a priest.

The congregation would not comment on reporting by the Catholic news website The Pillar, which first published a news story about the lawsuit on Aug. 28, that the Basilian Fathers suspended Rosica’s faculties for priestly ministry in March.

In his statement of claim, the alleged victim requested pecuniary damages of over 3.5 million Canadian dollars ($2.6 million), including for “pain and suffering” and “mental distress.”

“Rosica facilitated the abuse under the guise of his role as teacher, priest, and guidance counselor, and further with a view of implicitly or explicitly helping the plaintiff’s career within the Church in return for Rosica’s sexual advances,” the statement of claim says. “As a result of Rosica’s actions, the plaintiff’s academic prowess was lessened. He experienced physical, emotional, and spiritual illness in the months following the abuse.”

Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela. / Credit: Eneas de Troya/Flickr

Caracas, Venezuela, Sep 5, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

“This year, in homage and gratitude to you, I am going to decree that the Christmas season [begins] on Oct. 1,” declared Nicolás Maduro, leader of the ruling socialist regime in Venezuela, Sept. 2 on national television.

“For everyone, Christmas has arrived with peace, happiness, and security,” Maduro added. According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, this is not the first time the socialist regime has done this, as in 2019, 2020, and 2021 it also decreed the “advance” of the Christmas season.

Maduro’s announcement came just hours after the Venezuelan justice system issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo González Urrutia, who won the July 28 presidential elections by a wide margin, according to vote tallies published by the opposition. However, the National Electoral Council, controlled by the governing socialist party, declared Maduro the winner.

Through a statement posted on Instagram Sept. 3, the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference (CEV, by its Spanish acronym) reacted to Maduro’s decree to move up the start of the Christmas season, stating that this Christian holy day “should not be used for propaganda or particular political purposes.”

“Christmas is a celebration of a universal nature that commemorates the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The manner and time of its celebration are the responsibility of the ecclesiastical authority, which ensures that the true spirit and meaning of this event of spiritual and historical richness is maintained, as it marks the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” the CEV emphasized.

The bishops also reaffirmed that Christmas is a time “of reflection, peace, and love, and must be respected as such.”

The Venezuelan bishops recalled that Christmas begins Dec. 25 and ends on Jan. 6 with the Epiphany of the Lord.

“To prepare for Christmas, the liturgy offers us the time of Advent, which this year begins on Dec. 1. These celebrations are accompanied by traditional Christmas parties and Masses ‘de aguinaldo’ [the local custom of singing joyful hymns even though it is still the penitential season of Advent],” the bishops concluded.

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

Worshippers attend a mass at Ouagadougou's Catholic cathedral on June 12, 2022, in Burkina Faso. The country has been grappling with Islamist terrorism since 2015 and Christian communities live in fear of furhter attacks. / Credit: OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images

ACI Africa, Sep 5, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Two Catholic priests serving in the West African nation of Burkina Faso have spoken about the threats that terrorist groups pose to Christians in the country, saying the people of God there live in constant fear.

In a Sept. 2 press conference organized by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, Father Bertin Namboho, diocesan financial administrator of the Diocese of Nouna, and Father Jean-Pierre Koné, a parish priest in Tansila, shared their personal experiences in the country that has been grappling with Islamist terrorism since 2015.

“Since the onset of these attacks, we have witnessed our community being torn apart. The terrorists have blocked our city, destroying essential services. There is no electricity, no water, and the health system is reduced to a minimum. The situation is critical,” Namboho lamented.

“We now have about 5,000 people in our city who have fled from the villages. They have lost everything. Their husbands and fathers have been killed or disappeared, and we are struggling to provide for their basic needs,” he said.

The economic toll on the western town of Nouna is equally devastating, he said, adding that the destruction of infrastructure has disrupted local commerce, leaving residents without access to banks and essential services.

“The entire city has been under siege, with no access to food or medical supplies. The situation is extremely difficult for everyone,” the priest said. 

He recounted his personal experiences with the terrorists, saying that various encounters have instilled in him “profound fear.”

“During my travels for the church’s work, I have faced armed groups who question and threaten us. I was with nuns, and we were stopped and searched. It is terrifying to face such hostility and know that priests have been kidnapped and killed,” he recounted, adding: “We are constantly living in fear, unsure if we will survive each day.”

For his part, Koné, who has been serving in Tansila parish since October 2022, spoke about the escalation of violence across Burkina Faso over the years. 

Upon arriving in the town of Tansila, also in the western part of the country, Koné found the region already facing severe security challenges, he said. “The situation was tense from the beginning, but it has worsened progressively. The terrorists have targeted and destroyed all communication networks, cutting us off from the rest of the country.”

Koné recalled the devastating impact of the terrorists’ attacks on April 15, 2023, when more than 200 militants stormed Tansila. 

“They arrived in the evening and attacked the town with such force that residents had no time to gather their belongings. They looted everything — food, money, and even transportation means,” Koné recounted. 

He continued: “The destruction was immense. Our church, presbytery, and all our religious artifacts were vandalized. We returned to find everything in ruins.”

The psychological and spiritual impact of these attacks, he said, have been “profound.”

“The destruction of our church feels like the loss of our religious identity. It is as though we have been stripped of our dignity and our faith. The pain is not just physical but deeply spiritual. It raises questions about where God is in the midst of such suffering.”

Koné also spoke about the impact of the terrorist attacks on the local population, who he said is grappling with the loss of loved ones and the destruction of homes and livelihoods. 

“We celebrated a dark Christmas last year,” he said during the ACN press conference. “The attacks had left us in a state of panic and despair. Our communities are deeply scarred, and the suffering is unimaginable.” 

This article was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Pope Francis speaks to religious leaders on the grounds of Indonesia's national mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept 5, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Jakarta, Indonesia, Sep 5, 2024 / 00:13 am (CNA).

Pope Francis visited the grounds of Southeast Asia’s largest mosque on Wednesday for an interfaith meeting in Indonesia, where he signed a joint declaration condemning religious-based violence with Muslim leader Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar.

The Istiqlal Joint Declaration 2024 is titled “Fostering Religious Harmony for the Sake of Humanity.” 

Named for Indonesia’s national Istiqlal Mosque, the document calls for religious leaders to work together to promote human dignity, interreligious dialogue, and environmental protection.

“The values shared by our religious traditions should be effectively promoted in order to defeat the culture of violence,” the declaration says. 

“Our religious beliefs and rituals have a particular capacity to speak to the human heart and thus foster a deeper respect for human dignity.”

Pope Francis became the first pope to visit the grounds of Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque on Sept. 5. The massive mosque is among the largest in the world, accommodating up to 250,000 people at a time. John Paul II, who visited Indonesia in 1989, was the first pope to ever visit a mosque during his visit to Damascus in 2001. 

According to the mosque’s grand imam, Istiqlal is second only in size to Mecca and Medina, and its influence extends to Indonesia’s roughly 242 million Muslims.

The interfaith meeting sought to promote religious tolerance and moderation in Indonesia, which faces challenges with the rise of hardline Islamist groups and instances of violence against Christians.

Speaking to representatives of Indonesia’s six officially recognized religions — Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Catholicism, and Protestantism — Pope Francis articulated his vision for interreligious dialogue.

“Sometimes we think that a meeting between religions is a matter of seeking common ground between different religious doctrines and beliefs no matter the cost. Such an approach, however, may end up dividing us, because the doctrines and dogmas of each religious experience are different,” the pope said.

“What really brings us closer is creating a connection in the midst of diversity, cultivating bonds of friendship, care, and reciprocity.”

Pope Francis added that when religious leaders cultivate bonds, it enables them “to move forward together in pursuit of the same goals: defense of human dignity, the fight against poverty, and the promotion of peace.”

Pope Francis arrived at the mosque through the Alfattah Gate, where Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar warmly greeted him. The two leaders then proceeded to the newly constructed “Tunnel of Friendship,” an underground passage connecting the mosque to Jakarta’s Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, built by the Indonesian government to foster dialogue and unity.

Before entering the “Tunnel of Friendship,” Pope Francis expressed his hope that it would become “a place of dialogue and encounter.”

Pope Francis told the grand imam: “I hope that our communities may increasingly be open to interreligious dialogue and be symbols of the peaceful coexistence that characterizes Indonesia.”

The interfaith event took place in a red and white tent on the mosque grounds. It unfolded with a traditional Muslim welcome dance known as Marawis, followed by a brief chanting of a passage from the Quran by an Indonesian woman and a reading from the Gospel of Luke.

Representatives of the other four recognized religions stood in solidarity as the declaration was read aloud to participants in the tent.

The Istiqlal document identifies dehumanization and climate change as two serious crises facing the world today, emphasizing the shared responsibility of religious communities in tackling global challenges. It also affirms the need for interreligious dialogue to resolve “local, regional, and international conflicts, especially those incited by the abuse of religion.”

The joint declaration at the Indonesian mosque was reminiscent of the Abu Dhabi declaration on “Human Fraternity” that Pope Francis signed with Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar in the United Arab Emirates, when he became the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula in 2019.

On Thursday, the Indonesian grand imam underlined the significance of the meeting, pointing to Istiqlal Mosque’s influence across Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country.

As Indonesia’s only state mosque, the Istiqlal Mosque is “expected to provide guidance to more than 1 million mosques and prayer rooms scattered throughout the islands of the Republic of Indonesia,” he explained.

“This mosque also seeks to promote religious tolerance and moderation in Indonesia,” the Muslim leader underlined.

In a moving gesture of solidarity and friendship at the closing of the event, the imam kissed Pope Francis on the head, while the pope kissed the grand imam’s hand and then touched it to his cheek.

Pope Francis will conclude the third day of his apostolic journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania by celebrating Mass in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. On Friday he is expected to depart Indonesia for Papua New Guinea.