Holy Cross Catholic Church

“To affirm that Jesus’ wisdom comes from his stay in India or Tibet before beginning his public life at 30 years of age is a lack of respect for the Gospels and also hides other errors, for example an erroneous conception of Christology,” Spanish Bishop José Ignacio Munilla said. / Credit: ACI Prensa

Madrid, Spain, Feb 4, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The bishop of Orihuela-Alicante in Spain, José Ignacio Munilla, warned about the theories spread by Father Pablo d’Ors that suppose a “syncretistic conception of Christianity and Buddhism” and a “crazy interpretation of the Gospel.”

At the request of a group of religion teachers, the Spanish prelate refuted the approach that the priest, founder of the Friends of the Desert association, presented at the first Ibero-American meeting for religion teachers held in Madrid in May 2022 titled  “Jesus of Nazareth, Teacher of Consciousness.”

Munilla began by explaining the central idea of ​​d’Ors’ presentation: “We know Jesus through the Scriptures and from the tradition of the Church, but his thesis is that we have to forget all that, because this knowledge we have of Jesus confuses us more than it enlightens us: We have to deconstruct, like start from scratch, to know Jesus.”

The prelate specifically noted that d’Ors advocates that “in the 30 years of hidden life, Jesus most likely did not remain in Nazareth but went to India or other countries where he learned Eastern wisdom” in such a way that he can be described as “a yogi.”

For Munilla, this position constitutes “an assumption that arises from the projection of an ideology onto Jesus, or a syncretistic theory between Christianity and Buddhism, which, as it has no basis in the Gospels, has to force a crazy interpretation of the Gospel.”

“To affirm that Jesus’ wisdom comes from his stay in India or Tibet before beginning his public life at 30 years of age is a lack of respect for the Gospels and also hides other errors, for example an erroneous conception of Christology,” he added.

In this regard, he pointed out that to affirm that “it doesn’t seem reasonable to maintain that Jesus learned this wisdom directly from God his father” as d’Ors claimed, clashes head-on with the Scriptures, as in the Gospel according to St. John (5:19-20; 7:16-17, or 12:49).

For the prelate, the priest “projects onto Jesus his claim to fuse Christianity and Buddhism, and for that he needs it to be true that Jesus’ wisdom does not come from the Father but from India or Tibet.”

“In no way is there room to extract from the Gospels the nonsense that Jesus was a yogi. Because, in addition to being false, it represents a great Christological error,” Munilla emphasized.

Secondly, with regard to d’Ors’ statements, the prelate addressed the idea expressed by the priest in his bestseller “Biography of Silence” that “Jesus is a wise man who helps us to know ourselves and to discover that within us is all the truth, goodness, and beauty to which man aspires.”

Munilla explained that “the Gospel does not record a word from Jesus that says ‘whoever has seen me has seen himself.’ The Gospel says: ‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.’ Jesus is the one who reveals the Father. Knowing God intimately is a supernatural knowledge that God reveals.”

This error about revelation leads to a third affirmation that, according to the bishop, is contrary to Catholic doctrine.

D’Ors said that “we call this metaphor of the kingdom of God unitary consciousness. We are one. Let all be one as you in me and I in you, says Jesus. A non-dual unitary consciousness.”

In response to this, Munilla recalled that “the Christian faith proclaims that our encounter with God is a personal encounter, one on one,” which implies a duality.

“If it were unitary, we would be [entering into] Buddhism because there is no concept of a personal God with whom you speak, but rather everything is reduced to reaching a state of nirvana in which you encounter yourself and the entire universe,” he explained.

For the prelate, the proposal to get beyond the biblical paradigm of the personal God, also defended by authors such as Jesuit Father Xavier Melloni, is equivalent to “denying the most specific aspect of the Judeo-Christian revelation,” which involves the covenant of love with a personal God and tries to reinterpret Christianity in an effort “to fuse Christianity and Zen in the parameters of the New Age.”

This claim, he added, “cannot be carried out without seriously betraying the uniqueness of Christianity, without emptying it of content, without turning one’s back on the very ontology of Jesus Christ.”

The bishop of Orihuela-Alicante encouraged people to delve deeper into these issues by reading the document from the Spanish Bishops’ Conference “Theology and Secularization in Spain” as well as “Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian Reflection on the New Age,” prepared by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

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

State capitol in Dover, Delaware. / Credit: Jon Bilous/Shutterstock

Baltimore, Md., Feb 4, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Opponents of assisted suicide in Delaware and the rest of the United States are mobilizing against the reconsideration of a bill in the First State that would legalize so-called “medical aid in dying” (MAID). Opponents warn that the proposed law would “corrupt [the medical] profession by encouraging doctors to be handmaidens to suicide.”

House Bill 140 was narrowly passed by Delaware’s legislature in 2024 but was vetoed by then-Gov. John Carney. However, his successor, Matt Meyer, voiced his support for the bill prior to his election as the state’s new chief executive. The legislation now has its best chance to become law due to the shift in the governor’s office.

Then-candidate Meyer voiced support for the bill on Facebook less than a week after Carney’s veto: “Everyone deserves the right to a compassionate and humane end to life’s journey when faced with a terminal illness. I stand with those who support medical autonomy and the right to die with dignity and, if elected, will make this law.” The Democratic politician repeated his position after taking the oath of office on Jan. 21, saying: “There was a bill that went through the state House and state Senate last year that I do support.”

Three days after Meyer took office, the Diocese of Wilmington posted an “Action Alert” stating: “Our opposition is rooted in the Church’s belief in the sanctity of life and the dignity of the individual, both of which are objective and nonnegotiable truths and principles of our faith.”

The statement added that the legislation, if passed, “would fundamentally change Delaware’s legal approach to medical ethics, medical practice, and health care decision-making.”

In an email to CNA, diocesan spokesman Robert Krebs indicated that the diocese is “disappointed that physician-assisted suicide is once again before the Delaware legislature. ... We invite Delawareans to contact their legislators and ask them to protect the most vulnerable in our community.” 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church condemns euthanasia as “morally unacceptable” (No. 2277). Pope Francis reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s condemnation of the practice in a message to an interfaith symposium on palliative care in May 2024: “I would point out that authentic palliative care is radically different from euthanasia, which is never a source of hope or genuine concern for the sick and dying.”

Last week, both supporters and opponents testified before the House Health and Human Development Committee. Delaware Right to Life president Moira Sheridan participated in the Jan. 26 hearing and warned of the dire consequences that would follow passage: “Just mentioning death as an option, which is required by this law if you have a terminal diagnosis ... makes one feel unwanted and is itself a subtle form of coercion.”

Sheridan later decried that committee’s move to squeeze public comments into the final 15 minutes of its two-hour hearing. Fewer than 10 people were able to testify.

The committee cleared H.B. 140 by an 8-1 vote after the hearing. The bill now moves on to consideration by the full House, which will likely approve the legislation. During the last session, the chamber passed it by a mostly partisan 21-16 vote.

Jessica Rodgers of the Patients Rights Action Fund decried the committee’s move, stating that “it is deeply disappointing that committee members chose to ignore disability rights activists and medical professionals who warned them of the dangers we see in states with assisted suicide policy.”

Past failures to legalize ‘medical aid in dying’

Since 2019, Delaware’s General Assembly has considered the controversial legislation four straight times. The measure would allow “a terminally ill individual who is an adult resident of Delaware to request and self-administer medication to end the individual's life in a humane and dignified manner” under certain conditions. 

Each time, Democratic members of the Delaware General Assembly have introduced the bill without any Republican co-sponsors. Following its approval by the House last year, the state Senate conducted two votes on the proposed law. The chamber deadlocked on the first vote. However, a week later, the Senate passed the bill by the narrowest of margins — 11-10. 

The legislation took another two months to reach the governor’s office. Last September, then-outgoing chief executive Carney vetoed H.B. 140. At the time, Carney underscored that he has “consistently opposed a state law that would allow physician-assisted suicide. ... I am fundamentally and morally opposed to ... enabling someone, even under tragic and painful circumstances, to take their own life.”

Currently, 10 states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington — along with the District of Columbia have MAID laws that allow physician-assisted suicide. So far this year, similar bills have been introduced in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire (which, like Delaware, rejected it in 2024), and New York.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a visit to East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2025. / Credit: REBECCA DROKE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Feb 4, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

During a recent interview, Vice President JD Vance invoked the Catholic concept of “ordo amoris” — “rightly ordered love” — in the context of the ongoing societal debate over immigration policy, sparking a variety of reactions on social media. 

Speaking to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Vance opined, spurred by Hannity, that “the far left” in the United States tend to have “more compassion” for people residing in the country illegally — including those who have committed crimes — than they do for American citizens. 

“[A]s an American leader, but also just as an American citizen, your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens. It doesn’t mean you hate people from outside of your own borders,” Vance said Jan. 30.

“But there’s this old-school [concept] — and I think a very Christian concept, by the way — that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world,” he said. 

He continued: “A lot of the far left has completely inverted that. They seem to hate the citizens of their own country and care more about people outside their own borders. That is no way to run a society.”

Later that evening Vance responded on social media to a British professor and politician, Rory Stewart, who criticized Vance’s comments as a “bizarre take on John 15:12-13” and as “less Christian and more pagan tribal.” (The Bible verse referenced by Stewart reads “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”)

“Just google ‘ordo amoris,’” Vance wrote in reply.

“Aside from that, the idea that there isn’t a hierarchy of obligations violates basic common sense. Does Rory really think his moral duties to his own children are the same as his duties to a stranger who lives thousands of miles away? Does anyone?” he continued. 

What’s ‘ordo amoris’?

Though you won’t find the term “ordo amoris” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Dominican Father Pius Pietrzyk, a canon lawyer and a professor, told CNA that the concept is a well-established one and is “evident both by revelation and reason.”

St. Augustine in his classic work “City of God” offers the term “ordo amoris,” often rendered as “rightly ordered love,” as a definition for the concept of “virtue.” 

Augustine, a highly influential early bishop and theologian, expanded on the concept of the “order of love” in his work “On Christian Doctrine.”

“Now he is a man of just and holy life who forms an unprejudiced estimate of things, and keeps his affections also under strict control, so that he neither loves what he ought not to love, nor fails to love what he ought to love, nor loves that more which ought to be loved less, nor loves that equally which ought to be loved either less or more, nor loves that less or more which ought to be loved equally,” Augustine wrote in “On Christian Doctrine.”

St. Thomas Aquinas — a 13th-century doctor of the Church — in his “Summa Theologica” cited and expanded on St. Augustine’s work, writing that there must be “some order in things loved out of charity … in reference to the first principle of that love, which is God.” 

Aquinas defined this “order of charity,” or “ordo caritatis,” as a principle that dictates how we should love God, ourselves, and our neighbors in a hierarchical and interconnected manner. He cited Augustine to argue that while one should love all people equally, one ought to “chiefly” consider those who are more closely united by reason of place, time, or other circumstances.

In Aquinas’ analysis, he concludes that God is to be loved first and foremost, followed by oneself, then neighbors, and among neighbors, he wrote that there are those who should be loved with a more intense affection, such as family.

The hierarchy laid out by Aquinas is not meant to diminish the importance of loving all people as Christ commanded but does acknowledge that certain relationships, practically speaking, carry more immediate obligations. For example, a married person has a higher obligation to care for his or her spouse than for others and an obligation to provide for his or her own children before providing for those in other places.

Pietrzyk said that while the entirety of the concept of “ordo amoris” isn’t “revealed” teaching straight from God, some aspects of it are — the duty of every person to honor his or her father and mother, for example, is found in the Ten Commandments. 

As a matter of logic, he continued, the duty to “love your neighbor as yourself” relies on a prior love of self.

“Of course, all of this assumes a love of God as the basis for all other love. Revelation certainly shows us a hierarchical structure of charity in man. Sts. Augustine and Thomas use reason to help more fully understand and explain that notion,” Pietrzyk explained. 

While Pietrzyk said the existence of the ordo caritatis is well established, its practical application is complex and allows for legitimate disagreement. He also pointed out that Aquinas’ approach requires taking into account certain situational difficulties and urgent needs, especially the greater need of an individual in the moment.

“[W]e ought in preference to bestow on each one such benefits as pertain to the matter in which, speaking simply, he is most closely connected with us,” Aquinas writes in the Summa.  

“And yet this may vary according to the various requirements of time, place, or matter in hand: Because in certain cases one ought, for instance, to succor a stranger, in extreme necessity, rather than one’s own father, if he is not in such urgent need.”

The term “order of charity” appears in two places in the Catechism of the Catholic Church; firstly in No. 2197, in which the Church teaches that the Fourth Commandment — “honor your father and mother” — “shows us the order of charity.” 

“God has willed that, after him, we should honor our parents to whom we owe life and who have handed on to us the knowledge of God. We are obliged to honor and respect all those whom God, for our good, has vested with his authority,” the catechism continues. 

Finally, No. 2239 reads: “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.”

Social media debate

Vance’s mention of “ordo amoris” sparked a vigorous debate on social media, with some Catholic figures criticizing the vice president’s understanding and use of the concept and others, including several Catholic theologians and philosophers, expressing concurrence and appreciation. 

Jesuit Father James Martin opined that Vance’s comments “[miss] the point of Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan.” 

“Jesus’ fundamental message is that everyone is your neighbor, and that it is not about helping just your family or those closest to you. It’s specifically about helping those who seem different, foreign, other. They are all our ‘neighbors,’” Martin wrote. 

“Jesus was often critical of those who would put family first,” he added. 

In a subsequent post, Martin argued that interpretations of Aquinas’ “ordo caritatis” that suggest one ought to prioritize family before strangers misrepresent both Aquinas’ intent and the Gospel’s central message. 

“Jesus’ command to love the stranger is not just a theological reflection and not just an important part of our tradition, it’s divine revelation. Jesus tells us clearly that at the heavenly gates, we are going to be asked if we welcomed the ‘stranger’: that is, someone who is not part of our family, someone we don’t know. That’s how we will be judged, as he says in Matthew 25,” Martin wrote. 

“[I]t’s not about the selective love of family but about a new kind of family. And within that family is the stranger, the migrant, the refugee. And I’ll bet that Aquinas and Augustine would agree.”

Michael Sirilla, a professor of philosophy at Franciscan University, said Vance had summarized the “Christian notion” of ordo caritatis “deftly.”

Catholic philosopher Edward Feser said Vance expressed “the correct view.”

“The view that one has the same duties to all human beings, rather than special duties to those closest, in no way reflects a conception of human beings as social animals,” Feser wrote, calling that view a “product of liberalism’s radical individualism.”

“The correct view (common to Confucius, Aristotle, Aquinas, and the common sense of mankind in general) is that our social nature and its consequent obligations manifest themselves first and foremost in the family, then in local communities, then in the nation as a whole, and only after that in our relationship to mankind in general.”

This article was updated on Feb. 4, 2025 to include two places in the Catechism of the Catholic Church where the term “order of charity” appears.

After receiving assistance from the Catholic Charities RGV Humanitarian Respite Center, migrant families from Mexico and Central America who have been released into the United States are processed for their transport to various destinations across the United States from the at the Central Station Bus Terminal on June 19, 2018, in McAllen, Texas. / Credit: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 3, 2025 / 18:10 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church’s service to migrants and refugees has come under scrutiny after Vice President JD Vance criticized the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in a televised interview as the administration continues to crack down on illegal immigration.

“I think that the [USCCB] needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million [from the federal government] to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns or are they actually worried about their bottom line?” Vance asked rhetorically in a Jan. 26 interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Without directly referencing Vance, the USCCB issued a statement that same day defending its partnership with the federal government on resettling refugees, noting that the people they serve through the refugee resettlement program are “vetted and approved … by the federal government while outside of the United States.”

“In our agreements with the government, the USCCB receives funds to do this work; however, these funds are not sufficient to cover the entire cost of these programs,” the statement read. “Nonetheless, this remains a work of mercy and ministry of the Church.”

In light of this debate, here’s an explainer to shed light on the USCCB’s efforts to serve migrants and its partnership with the federal government.

How much taxpayer money does the USCCB receive?

In recent years, the USCCB has received more than $100 million annually from the federal government to support migration and refugee services. 

A large portion of funding comes from grants through the federal U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to help resettle refugees who have been vetted by the federal government. This is the program the bishops referenced in their statement. 

The USCCB also gets federal funding through other programs. These include the Refugee and Entrant Assistance program, which is meant to support migrants and help them attain self-sufficiency. The bishops’ conference also receives federal money from the Unaccompanied Alien Children program, which is meant to support migrant children who enter the United States without a parent or guardian or are separated from their parents or guardians. 

The amount of money the USCCB receives fluctuates from year to year and from administration to administration, but the conference has partnered with the federal government on the issue for four and a half decades.

According to the USCCB’s audited financial statements, federal funding covered more than 95% of what the conference spent on refugee and migrant programs in recent years. The USCCB has spent slightly more on these services than what is covered by federal funding, according to the financial statements.

In 2023, the most recent year reported, the USCCB spent more than $134.2 million on these services with federal grants covering more than $129.6 million of the spending. In 2022, the USCCB spent nearly $127.4 million after getting nearly $123 million from the government.

Federal funding in those two years was much higher than it was in President Joe Biden’s first year in office and throughout most of President Donald Trump’s first term. 

The USCCB received just over $67.5 million in federal funds in 2021, about $47.8 million in 2020, slightly more than $52.7 million in 2019, and a little under $48.5 million in 2018. Each year, the conference spent about $5 million more than what was covered by the grants. During Trump’s first year in 2017, the grant funding was higher — at just over $72.3 million — and the USCCB spending on these services was more than $82.2 million.

During President Barack Obama’s tenure, federal grant funding for the USCCB’s programs that support refugees and migrants fluctuated from below $70 million to above $95 million.

Where does the money go? 

The USCCB directs the bulk of its federal grant funding to affiliate organizations that provide migration and refugee services, such as Catholic Charities. 

According to the USCCB Committee on Migration, the Catholic refugee resettlement network includes more than 65 affiliate offices throughout the United States. The bishops self-report that the USCCB and its Migration and Refugee Services help resettle about 18% of refugees who enter the country every year.

Numerous affiliates are located near the border with Mexico, where many people seeking legal refugee status cross into the United States. The committee’s website states, however, “there is no evidence or research to support the claim that … services provided by Catholic organizations incentivize unlawful migration.”

Some of the services provided through the funding include food, clothing, shelter, employment, and assistance in assimilating to their new community, including lessons in English as a second language. Some organizations also offer legal services to migrants to provide free assistance with legal issues related to immigration status and travel for refugees accepted into USRAP.

Apart from refugee resettlement, the USCCB also uses federal grants to assist unaccompanied refugee minors through work with its affiliates. This includes foster care services for migrant children and family reunification programs that work to reunite children who are separated from their families during migration. 

The USCCB also operates several programs with the help of its affiliates that are intended to combat the human trafficking of migrants, which includes initiatives focused on preventing forced labor and sexual exploitation.

Although a significant portion of this work is supported by federal grants, the committee website emphasizes the USCCB “does not profit from its participation” in these programs, noting that the conference spends more money on these initiatives than it receives from the government. Both the USCCB and Catholic Charities are nonprofit organizations.

Policy disputes and federal funding

Enhancing border security and deporting immigrants who entered the country illegally are two of the top issues on which the newly inaugurated President Donald Trump focused his campaign and presidency.

Officials in the new administration have not only focused on changing federal immigration policy but have also criticized nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide migrant services, which include Catholic nonprofits affiliated with the USCCB.

One of Trump’s first-day executive orders was to suspend refugee admission through USRAP. The following week, the White House ordered the heads of federal departments and agencies to halt federal funding to NGOs that could be implicated by the executive orders.

Although it is still unclear to what extent this will affect funding for Catholic NGOs, Catholic Charities USA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson issued a statement that urged the president to reconsider the freeze.

“The millions of Americans who rely on this life-giving support will suffer due to the unprecedented effort to freeze federal aid supporting these programs,” Robinson said. “The people who will lose access to crucial care are our neighbors and family members. They live in every corner of the country and represent all races, religions, and political affiliations.”

Patrick Raglow, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, told “EWTN News In Depth” on Friday that “our approach is to be present to those that come our way, so we are [supportive of] the individual that finds their way to Catholic Charities.”

Father Arturo Sosa, superior general of the Society of Jesus, prepares to celebrate Mass at the Gesu in Rome on Oct. 15, 2016. / Credit: GC36 via Flickr

ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 3, 2025 / 16:10 pm (CNA).

The superior general of the Society of Jesus, Venezuelan priest Arturo Sosa, has convoked a meeting of all the Jesuit major superiors to be held this October in Rome to discuss various topics such as their life and mission, the vow of poverty, sexual abuse in their communities, and the role of women in their apostolate, among others.

This will be the third time that the Jesuit major superiors meet, after the meetings held in 2000 and 2005. This time, the event will be held Oct. 17–26 in the context of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.

In a letter dated Jan. 16, Sosa noted that the October meeting “represents an important step in the process of discernment of the life-mission of the Society of Jesus inspired by the 36th General Congregation,” which urged the Jesuits to “respond courageously to the signs through which the Holy Spirit is leading us in the best way to serve the mission entrusted by the Lord Jesus to the Church.”

The superior general also highlighted that “the examination of the meaning and challenge of the vow of poverty, together with the revision of the Statutes on Religious Poverty of the Society of Jesus and the Instruction on Administration and Finance, are other areas the Holy Spirit has called to the attention of the Jesuits.”

Sosa also noted in the letter that in recent years “it has been difficult to become aware of the presence of all kinds of abuse in all the social contexts in which we live and work. It has been difficult to recognize its presence within our communities and apostolic works.”

In this regard the superior general emphasized that “important steps have been taken: acknowledging each case, taking the pertinent measures, facilitating processes of justice and reconciliation. At the same time, programs have been developed to prevent possible cases and strengthen ‘safe environments’ in apostolic works.”

Perhaps one of the most difficult cases of abuse that the Jesuits have faced in recent years is that of the Slovenian artist and priest Marko Rupnik, who faces multiple accusations of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse against more than 40 nuns under his care and who was expelled from the Society of Jesus in June 2023.

Other cases that have received wide media coverage are those of Father Alfonso Pedrajas, “Padre Pica,” a Spanish priest who died in 2009 and who abused at least 80 minors in Bolivia; and that of the Chilean priest Felipe Berríos, who was expelled from the Society of Jesus after being found guilty of abusing “seven women who were between 14 and 23 years old when the abuse occurred.”

In April 2024, Father Julio Fernández Techera, a Jesuit priest and rector of the Catholic University of Uruguay, wrote a critical essay on the Society of Jesus, warning that the order is in “profound decline.”

Similar criticisms were expressed in 2022 by the late Cardinal George Pell, who suggested that an apostolic visit or investigation of the Society of Jesus be carried out because “the order is highly centralized, susceptible to being reformed or ruined from above.”

In his Jan. 16  letter, Sosa wrote that “in the apostolic life of the society there are processes underway” such as “the reflection on the role of women in the apostolate of the society,” the Jesuit brothers, education, commitment to integral ecology, and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and the constitutions.

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

Religious sisters gather at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City, Jan. 3, 2025. / Credit: Kate Quiñones/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 3, 2025 / 15:40 pm (CNA).

A newly released survey is pulling back the curtain on the men and women who professed perpetual vows this past year. 

Here’s a snapshot of those who made their final vows in 2024:

Once again, nearly all respondents to the annual study conducted by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) reported being raised by their biological parents during the most formative part of their childhood, with at least one Catholic parent.

The survey report released on Monday polled a total of 140 religious who professed perpetual vows in 2024, including 73 sisters and nuns and 67 brothers and priests ranging from 25 to 69 years old. 

Traditional family upbringing again prevailed as a shared trait among survey respondents, with 97% saying they were raised by their biological parents during their most formative years, and 90% reported being raised by a married couple living together.

Almost 9 in 10, 87%, reported both of their parents were Catholic, while 92% reported having at least one parent practicing the faith.

A look at demographics

According to the survey, about 7 in 10 responding religious were born in the U.S. Those born outside the U.S. were represented as follows:

• Asia (12%)

• Latin America (10%)

• Africa (6%)

• Canada (3%)

• Europe (1%)

The average age of foreign-born religious respondents when they came to the U.S. was 24, with the youngest arriving stateside at 1 year old and the oldest at 50. 

On average, respondents made their perpetual vows this year at age 37, with half of respondents making vows at 34 years or younger. The eldest sister to make her final profession was 69, while the eldest brother was 66. The youngest of both men and women was 25. 

A deeper dive: family dynamics 

While most of those who professed religious vows last year reported coming from stable two-parent homes, about 9% said they had been raised by grandparents “during the most formative part of their childhood.” 

In terms of family size, the report found that of the profession class of 2024, 96% had at least one sibling, with nearly 40% reporting having four or more. About a quarter, 27%, had just one sibling, while 32% reported having two to three. 

Only seven respondents were the only child in their family. 

About a third of respondents were the eldest siblings, while the same percentage reported being born somewhere in the middle of their families. Thirty-five respondents were the youngest. 

Faith and reason: educational background

Catholic education may have played a significant role in driving vocations among this year’s respondents. 

According to the survey, 43% reported attending Catholic elementary or middle school, 38% attended Catholic high school, and 41% attended a Catholic college or university. Regardless of religious affiliation, the majority of those who professed vows, 73%, completed an undergraduate or graduate degree before entering their religious institute. 

Women face more discouragement

The majority of respondents, almost 9 in 10, reported having served in some form of ministry before entering their religious institute. 

The “most common ministry experiences” were the following:

• Lector (55%)

• Altar server (54%)

• Youth/campus ministry (45%)

• Extraordinary minister (42%)

• Youth group (49%)

When discerning, almost 60% of respondents said they were “discouraged from considering a vocation to religious life by one or more persons.” 

The survey found that women were more likely to experience this discouragement than men, with 61% of women reporting negative reactions to their discernment compared with 43% of men. 

Nonetheless, most respondents on average reported knowing their respective orders for five years before entering. Ninety-three percent said they participated in a discernment program before entering, with 73% saying they attended a “come and see” experience. 

Pope Francis meets with members of a pilgrimage sponsored by the Scandinavian Bishops’ Conference on Feb. 3, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Feb 3, 2025 / 14:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis said Monday that Blessed Carlo Acutis shows young people that “the fullness of life” in today’s world is found in following Jesus.

Speaking to Catholic pilgrims from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland on Feb. 3, the pope shared a special message for young people, pointing to the soon-to-be canonized Acutis as an example of joyful discipleship.

“As part of this year’s events, on 27 April we will celebrate the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis,” Francis said. “This young saint of and for our times shows you, and all of us, how possible it is in today’s world for young people to follow Jesus, share his teachings with others, and so find the fullness of life in joy, freedom, and holiness.”

The pope then urged young Catholics to embrace their role in the Church, quoting his apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit: “May the Holy Spirit urge you on … The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them!” 

The papal audience with the pilgrimage group organized by the Nordic bishops’ conference is one of many such audiences for the 88-year-old pope this year as pilgrims travel to Rome from across the globe for the 2025 Jubilee Year.

Reflecting on the theme of the jubilee — “Pilgrims of Hope” — Pope Francis encouraged the Scandinavian Catholics to be strengthened in their faith.

“It is my prayer, then, that your hope will be strengthened during these days,” he said. “You are surely already aware of signs of hope in your home countries, for the Church in your lands, while small, is growing in numbers.”

Despite a high level of secularization, the Catholic Church in the Nordic countries continues to expand, experiencing an annual 2% growth due to immigration, conversions, and flourishing communities, according to the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner. 

The pope attributed this increase to God’s providence. 

“It always grows,” he said. “We can thank Almighty God that the seeds of faith planted and watered there by generations of persevering pastors and people are bearing fruit. Nor should this surprise us, because God is always faithful to his promises!”

The pope also reminded the pilgrims that their journey did not end in Rome but was part of a lifelong commitment to discipleship and evangelization.

“As you visit the various holy sites in the Eternal City, especially the tombs of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, I also pray that your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your awareness of belonging to him and to one another in the communion of the Church, will be nourished and deepened,” he said.

He urged the pilgrims to bring the spirit of their journey back home, emphasizing that faith is meant to be shared with others.

“A pilgrimage does not end but shifts its focus to the daily ‘pilgrimage of discipleship’ and the call to persevere in the task of evangelization,” he said. “In this regard, I would encourage your vibrant Catholic communities to cooperate with your fellow Christians, for in these challenging times, scarred by war in Europe and around the world, how much our human family needs a unified witness to the reconciliation, healing, and peace that can come only from God.”

“There can be no greater ‘work’ than transmitting the saving message of the Gospel to others, and we are called to do this especially for those on the margins,” Pope Francis said.

Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani is pictured here during a 2017 liturgical celebration in Lima, Peru. / Credit: Eduardo Berdejo/ACI Prensa

Lima Newsroom, Feb 3, 2025 / 13:50 pm (CNA).

A recent article published by the Spanish newspaper El País reported an accusation of alleged sexual abuse against Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani that supposedly occurred in 1983 when he was a priest incardinated in Opus Dei. The cardinal has denied the accusation.

Born in Lima in 1943, Cipriani was ordained a priest of Opus Dei in August 1977. He was incardinated in the prelature until May 1988, when he was named by St. John Paul II as auxiliary bishop of Ayacucho, a diocese that was then at the epicenter of terrorism by the Shining Path maoist guerilla group.

In May 1995, he was named archbishop of that ecclesiastical see and in January 1999 he was named archbishop of Lima. In February 2001 he was created a cardinal, becoming the first cardinal formed in the Opus Dei apostolate.

In January 2019, Pope Francis accepted his resignation as archbishop of Lima when he turned 75. Following his resignation, Cipriani withdrew from the Peruvian public scene, in which he had been active since his years as a bishop.

However, last week his name turned up in the media again due to the article in El País. Below is a chronology of the case involving the Peruvian archbishop.

The accusation published by El País

On Jan. 24, the Spanish newspaper published an article claiming that Pope Francis had forced Cipriani to resign as head of the Archdiocese of Lima due to an accusation of inappropriate touching that he allegedly committed in 1983 with a teenager who is now 58 years old.

According to the newspaper, ecclesiastical sources in Lima stated that the alleged victim wrote a letter to Pope Francis in 2018. In addition, this person claims that he reported the abuse to Opus Dei when it happened but that the prelature did nothing.

Cipriani’s first defense

On Jan. 25, Cipriani published a letter responding to El País in which he denied the accusations, saying that “it is a serious matter that information should be published in a partial manner that appears to come from confidential documentation held by the Holy See that I do not even have in my possession.”

The cardinal said that in August 2018 he was informed of a complaint but that it was never handed to him. He also claimed that in December 2019, without any proceedings being opened against him, “the apostolic nuncio verbally informed me that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had imposed a series of penalties on me limiting my priestly ministry.” In addition, he was asked to live outside of Peru and remain silent on the matter.

The archbishop emeritus also related that in February 2020 he had an audience with Pope Francis and, he said, the pope allowed him to resume his pastoral duties.

Opus Dei in Peru issues a statement

Likewise on Jan. 25, the regional vicar of Opus Dei in Peru, Father Ángel Gómez-Hortigüela, reported in a statement that “there is no record of any formal process during the years in which, as a priest, Father Juan Luis Cipriani was incardinated in Opus Dei.”

However, he admitted that in 2018 he did not accept a request to meet with the complainant because “he knew that he could not interfere with a formal accusation already initiated with the Holy See, which is the appropriate course when it comes to a cardinal.” He also noted that he reacted “thinking that this meeting might not be positive.”

“Today I realize that I could have offered him a personal, human, and spiritual reception, which I do know he did receive from other people in Opus Dei,” he added.

The Vatican confirms the measures against Cipriani

On Jan. 26, the director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed that after resigning as archbishop of Lima, Cipriani received “a penal precept with certain disciplinary measures regarding his public activity, place of residence, and use of insignia.”

“Although on specific occasions certain permissions were granted to respond to requests due to the age and family situation of the cardinal, at present, this precept remains in force,” Bruni said.

Statements by archbishop of Lima, Peruvian bishops 

In the context of these events, the archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Carlos Castillo, and the president’s office of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference (CEC, by its Spanish acronym) each published a statement on Jan. 28.

“In response to the statements” by Bruni, the archbishop published his Letter to the People of God to affirm his solidarity with the victims of abuse and to highlight the work of Pope Francis to punish these crimes.

In his letter, the prelate does not mention Cipriani’s name but asks “to recognize the truth of the facts” in light of investigations carried out in recent months and thanks the “journalists who have been collaborating in protecting the victims.”

For its part, the CEC president’s office published a statement stating that the measures were applied to the cardinal “once the veracity of the facts was ascertained.”

“We regret the pain suffered by the victim of abuse,” it added.

Cipriani’s second defense

From Madrid, where he resides, on Jan. 29 Cipriani released a second letter in which he reaffirmed that he has not committed any crime or sexual abuse “neither in 1983, nor before, nor after.”

“I am obliged to clarify,” he added, “that when the nuncio in Peru transmitted to me the precept with which the congregation limited some of my faculties, I signed it, declaring in writing at the same time that the accusation was absolutely false.”

Cipriani also reiterated that he has not been able to defend himself against the accusation and charged that he is the object of a “campaign of attempted harassment and destruction” of his dignity and honor.

At the time of publication of this article, the Vatican has not officially reported whether any criminal proceedings have been carried out against the Peruvian cardinal. 

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

An aerial view of tents installed at Sangam ahead of Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Jan. 7, 2025. / Credit: prabhat kumar verma/Shutterstock

Bangalore, India, Feb 3, 2025 / 13:20 pm (CNA).

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has expressed condolences over the tragic death of at least 30 Hindu pilgrims and over 60 injured in a stampede Jan. 29 at the city of Prayagraj (Allahabad) in the northern Uttar Pradesh state.

“Kumbhmela” (meaning “festival of the sacred pitcher”) is the largest single gathering in India. Occurring once every 12 years, it sees millions flock to Prayagraj for prayers and a holy dip at the confluence spot of the rivers Ganges and Yamuna and the mythologized Saraswati River, all considered sacred in Hinduism.

According to organizers, this year’s six-week-long festival that began in mid-January is estimated to draw 400 million Hindus to Prayagraj, 340 miles south of New Delhi.

“It is heartbreaking to witness such a calamity during a sacred event that draws millions in devotion,” said CCBI President Cardinal Filipe Neri at the Jan. 30 opening session of the bishops’ assembly. The Catholic event is attended by 204 prelates from 132 Latin-rite dioceses in India.

“In this time of mourning, we, the bishops of India, unite in prayer for the departed souls and their loved ones. May God grant strength to the grieving families, healing to the injured, and eternal rest to those who have passed away,” Neri said.

This is not the first deadly stampede at the Kumbhmela. Over 800 pilgrims were trampled or drowned in 1954, while 42 people were killed in a stampede at the Allahabad railway station in 2013. 

Earlier on Jan. 30 during a morning Mass, Cardinal Anthony Poola of Hyderabad requested a special Mass intention for the stampede victims.

The annual CCBI assembly is being held for the first time in the eastern Odisha state at the Jesuit Xavier University at Bhubaneswar, the state capital.

Local diocese assists police responding to crisis

Father Babu Francis, the social services director of the Diocese of Allahabad where the deadly incident took place, told CNA that responding to a request from the government, the diocese opened its four educational institutions around the “holy dip” confluence area for the police to rest.

“Many of the police on duty have been brought from distant places and they cannot afford to go and return to this crowded area. So, we have obliged the government request,” Francis told CNA.

Meanwhile, the CCBI assembly also observed the “Martyrs’ Day” on Jan. 30 with Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, the apostolic nuncio to India, garlanding a statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion.

The “Martyrs’ Day” observance in India marks the day Mahatma Gandhi — known as “Father of the Nation” — was assassinated in 1948.

Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., “paused prescriptions of puberty blockers and hormone therapy” for transgender-identifying youth there in response to a Trump directive. / Credit: Daquella manera|Wikipedia|CC BY 2.0

CNA Staff, Feb 3, 2025 / 12:50 pm (CNA).

Several hospitals have suspended child transgender programs after the Trump administration moved to restrict what the White House describes as the “chemical and surgical mutilation” of young people. 

President Donald Trump last week issued an executive order restricting transgender surgeries and drugs for youth, with the president vowing that the United States “will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support” the controversial procedures.

Among other measures, the order directs that every federal agency that offers “research or educational grants” to medical institutions must ensure that those institutions are not administering transgender drugs to, or performing transgender procedures on, youth.

On Thursday the Associated Press reported that multiple major hospitals throughout the U.S. have paused some of those medical practices following the White House’s order. 

Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., “paused prescriptions of puberty blockers and hormone therapy” for transgender-identifying youth there in response to the directive, the news wire reported. The hospital “already did not perform gender-affirming surgery on minors.”

Farther south, the health system at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Children’s Hospital of Richmond both paused medication and surgeries for minors who believe they are the opposite sex. 

Denver Health in Colorado has likewise paused “gender-affirming surgeries,” the wire said. 

Some other hospitals indicated to AP that they would continue offering those procedures for now. Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital said after Trump’s order it was “assessing any potential impact to the clinical services we offer to our patient families.”

The White House order last week also moved to end the use of what it calls “junk science” promoted by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). 

That organization has come under fire for endorsing what critics have called the “pseudoscience” of transgenderism, with an internal leak last year revealing its members admitting that children are too young to fully understand the consequences of such procedures. 

The president last week also issued an order to end “radical gender ideology” in the military, reversing former President Joe Biden’s directive that allowed soldiers who identify as transgender to serve in the armed forces.