St. Andrew Catholic Church

Bishop Francisco Javier Acero with the mothers of the disappeared and priests. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Bishop Acero

Puebla, Mexico, May 23, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Amid a wave of violence that has shaken Mexico, including the murder this week of two high-ranking officials in the capital, the Catholic Church is redoubling its efforts to restore peace.

Through the National Dialogue for Peace and more than 300 initiatives across the country, bishops, priests, and laypeople are working to train mediators, provide mental health care, and support victims, taking risks and embracing hope, even though, as Church leaders themselves warn, “you can’t dialogue with organized crime.”

The bishops of Mexico, along with various organizations, launched the National Peace Dialogue initiative following the 2022 murders of Jesuit priests Javier Campos and Joaquín Mora. While various initiatives promoted by the Catholic Church already existed in the country, this proposal sought to strengthen all those efforts.

According to the National Peace Dialogue website, over a year and a half, input was gathered in a series of forums from thousands of people and institutions across the country. From this process, the National Peace Agenda was developed, which resulted in concrete commitments. Currently, the organization is working to implement action steps at the local, state, and national levels “to project a viable and shared future.”

Catholic Church peace efforts

At a press conference in Mexico City, Father Jorge Atilano González, SJ, executive director of the National Dialogue for Peace, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that about 300 initiatives are being carried out to reduce violence in the country.

He said, for example, that in the Sierra Tarahumara, in the north of the country, “the issue of mental health among Indigenous youth and families is being addressed.”

In Oaxaca, he continued, “work is being done to train conflict mediators”; while in Monterrey, Nuevo León, work is being done on “evaluating the mental health situation among high school students, to develop proposals on how to address this situation,” among other initiatives.

“Here in Mexico City, we are in conversations with the mayor’s offices to promote processes that include rebuilding the social fabric, addressing addictions, and reintegrating people released from prison. These are examples of what the Church is doing,” the Jesuit priest said.

All the proposals can be found on the National Dialogue for Peace website, which details that these 300 actions are divided into 14 local and seven national initiatives across the country.

During the conference, Atilano emphasized that, despite the danger this represents for members of the Catholic Church who are implementing these projects, “we take the risk of being close to the communities, of accompanying them, and of working to build community and family, so that we have the foundations that will allow us to restore peace to the country.”

‘You can’t dialogue with organized crime’

At the same conference, Auxiliary Bishop Francisco Javier Acero of the Archdiocese of Mexico City made an urgent call to all of society to “work with community, closeness, listening, and concrete actions from the heart of the Gospel” to promote peace.

This exhortation comes in the context that from January through March alone, at least 1,321 “crimes of extreme violence that can be classified as atrocities” were committed in the country, according to the study titled “Gallery of Horror: Atrocities and High-Impact Events Reported in the Media,” conducted by the organization Common Cause.

Faced with this reality, Acero urged parishes and communities to “create spaces for encounter, listening, training in nonviolence, support for victims, and prevention programs.”

Asked whether bishops or priests in Mexico City are seeking to meet with organized crime groups as a way to reduce crime rates, Acero stated that “you can’t dialogue with organized crime. When there’s blood involved, there will be no dialogue.”

However, he clarified: “We mediate. To stop them from killing, I, and the bishops, will get down on our knees. But from here we tell them: ‘Enough is enough. Stop killing, leave the people in peace.’”

“We will mediate for the people of God, but we’re not going to give in at gunpoint. We want echoes of peace and love, not the sound of gunfire,” the prelate added.

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

“I have never seen anything like this,” said Jerikah McCloud, 23, who looks out the destroyed second floor of her family home in the Academy neighborhood of St. Louis on Saturday, May 17, 2025, after the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado struck the city the day before. / Credit: Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

St. Louis, Mo., May 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The people of northern St. Louis continue to pick up the pieces — assisted by Catholic Charities — after a massive tornado hit the city last week, with a full recovery likely taking multiple years. 

The mile-wide EF-3 tornado tore through the northern part of St. Louis on May 16, causing over $1.6 billion in damage and leaving at least five people dead, including a woman who was killed when the steeple of a Christian church collapsed on her. Much of the destruction affected some of the poorest parts of the city.

Father Scott Scheiderer, who pastors a group of parishes located in one of St. Louis’ hardest-hit areas — “right near ground zero” — said many of the residents there are impoverished and lack insurance, making ongoing assistance critical.

“I started driving through these neighborhoods, and my goodness; the devastation. I mean, words cannot describe. It is just horrific,” Scheiderer told CNA. 

“We [at the parish] took on some damage … But I mean, this is total devastation. Words cannot describe some of these neighborhoods. I mean, they’re just totally gone … People have lost their houses. I talked with them. They have no way to rebuild.”

“The call to help, to be the love of Christ in this time, is just so great right now. So we’re just trying to respond as best we can,” he continued.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis will hold a special collection at Masses May 24-25 or May 31-June 1 to benefit those most affected by the storm, with the funds going to Catholic Charities, the St. Louis Review reported. The St. Augustine Wellston Center, a Catholic food bank, is also taking material and financial donations. 

The twister damaged at least 5,000 structures, and Mayor Cara Spencer said Thursday that FEMA operatives have been on the ground in St. Louis doing assessments. The tornado outbreak on May 16 also spawned tornadoes in Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana killing at least 28 people total and injuring dozens. 

Among the confirmed dead in St. Louis after the storm is Patricia Penelton, a longtime volunteer at St. Louis’ Centennial Christian Church who was reportedly at the church bagging lunches to distribute after the storm. She was killed when the bell tower and roof of the 121-year-old church collapsed in the tornado. 

None of the Catholic church buildings in the area suffered catastrophic damage. St. Peter Claver Parish, which has a predominantly African American congregation, lost the roof from its school gym, but crews were able to fix it quickly. Numerous large trees were downed all along the tornado’s path, including all around St. Matthew the Apostle, which is part of the St. Peter Claver Parish grouping. 

Father Scott Jones, episcopal vicar for the archdiocese’ northern vicariate, told CNA that by far the greatest need in the area right now is “immediate assistance to those without homes who are living in cars, makeshift shelters, and other locations. Many areas are still without power.” 

The area where the devastation was greatest is North City, which was already economically disadvantaged, Jones told CNA in written comments. Despite the widespread devastation there, “there is a strong commitment to working together with other denominations and agencies in getting assistance to those with the greatest need,” Jones said. 

“Having served there in the past, I can attest that the faith of the people is very strong. I’ve been in contact with the pastors and parishioners and they are holding up well,” he said. 

“People are volunteering in droves, which is heartening. The greatest need right now is money, however … People are stepping up and hopefully will continue to do so once the initial reporting concludes. We are also reallocating archdiocesan resources. For example, my vicariate received a $50,000 grant for formation and my staff and I reworked our budget to donate half to Catholic Charities.”

Jones said they will gladly accept sanitizing supplies, food, and water for the many volunteers who are pitching in to clean up debris, clear blocked streets, and assist residents in securing their homes — along with all the prayer they can get. 

Jared Bryson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis (CCSTL), told CNA in an interview that the people of north St. Louis he has met with are already referring to the tornado as a “Katrina-level” event, harkening back to the disastrous 2005 hurricane that crippled New Orleans for years. 

He said CCSTL’s director of disaster services has been working with emergency managers, the other voluntary organizations that are part of disaster services and recovery, and other nonprofits at an emergency incident command center.

CCSTL is currently accepting donations to help more than 1,500 individuals and families who have reached out through the Catholic Charities website seeking support. Bryson reiterated that many of the people who lost homes in the tornado have no insurance and little money to rebuild. 

Numerous neighbors have stepped up to help in the wake of the storm, but going forward some of the biggest needs “are really financial,” and if aid is not carefully organized and coordinated, “it really causes more problems than it helps,” Bryson continued. 

Highlighting the long-term nature of the recovery effort, Bryson noted that CCSTL only just wrapped up its efforts helping community members recover from a local flooding event that occurred two years ago. Recovery from this tornado will likely take even longer. 

“We’re the organization that works in the communities to get resources until we can actually get other resources around. Sometimes we’re waiting for the FEMA declaration to help with some of that process. But we still need community resources to really build back the lives of these folks,” he said, with those resources including mental health counseling, given the trauma many people experienced. 

He told the story of one woman he encountered after the storm who had lived in her historic, red-brick North City home for almost 80 years and had no insurance despite owning the house outright. Her house, sadly, is “just gone,” Bryson said. 

“After we get past this initial shock and awe moment, people will lose interest in this story,” he said, noting that especially during the ongoing Jubilee Year of Hope, Catholics should continue to point to their ultimate hope in Jesus to help restore the spirit of a community affected by such profound material loss.

“This is a multiyear recovery, [and] we are there not only in the incidents when it happens, we are there several years later when we’re still trying to recover the community … You’re not going to rebuild neighborhoods and houses overnight.”

‘The boldness to step forward’

Scheiderer was able to celebrate weekend Masses in the church last weekend at St. Matthew the Apostle — part of the St. Peter Claver Parish grouping he pastors — despite the electricity still being out. He said about 10-20 people still showed up. 

“It was a very beautiful Mass … thinking back to Jesus’ words, ‘I’ve earnestly desired to celebrate this’... there was such an earnest desire in my heart to celebrate the Mass because in doing that, I want to make him present,” Scheiderer said. 

“Once we’ve received that saving sacrifice and it’s filled us, now we need to go out and be the love of Christ for others.”

While many of the parish’s members live outside the parish boundaries, those who have lost homes have few prospects without sustained help, Scheiderer said. He said they are planning to set up a restricted fund for community relief efforts that people of goodwill will be able to donate to by mailing a check to the parish. 

In the meantime, the church is accepting supplies like nonperishable food, water, clothing of all sorts especially socks and underwear, as well as basic personal hygiene items, household items like toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies.

“We’re going to have little stations here where people can come and get the necessary items they need. So we’re just trying to do everything we can to help, because it’s bad,” Scheiderer said. 

Scheiderer asked for prayers for his parish community and the whole of St. Louis; his parish community has started praying a rosary before every Mass. 

“We’re praying for all those who have tragically died and all their loved ones mourning their loss. We’re praying for all those who have been injured or hurt in any way. We’re praying for all those who have lost property, personal belongings, especially those of our parish. We’re praying for all those who have just been so generous in responding; first responders, medical professionals, service workers, city officials, state officials, all those who are just working around the clock. We’re really pouring out for them,” the priest said. 

“Then just a prayer for us, as a parish family, that we can really listen attentively to the Holy Spirit and how he’s calling us to help in this time, and that we have the courage and the boldness to step forward and follow God’s will wherever he’s leading us.”

Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Desilú León explains the route for “Paths of Pope Leo XIV,” which will cover four regions in the country: Lambayeque, Piura, La Libertad, and Callao, key locations in the pastoral life of Pope Leo XIV. / Credit: Courtesy of Ministry of Trade and Tourism of Peru

Lima Newsroom, May 23, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, and the minister of foreign trade and tourism, Desilú León, have officially launched a new tourism route in the country.

The route, known as “Paths of Pope Leo XIV,” seeks to highlight the places where the Holy Father — formerly known as Bishop Robert Prevost — exercised his fruitful pastoral ministry in the Andean nation.

The route covers four of the country’s regions: Lambayeque, Piura, La Libertad, and Callao, key locations in the ministry of the man who is now Pope Leo XIV, the first Peruvian citizen to become pope.

“The Paths of Pope Leo XIV route will not only include Lambayeque — which we have established as the first destination, since the current pope was bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo — but also the other places in Peru where he served,” the minister explained.

León added that on May 16 the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism established a technical committee to coordinate with mayors and regional authorities the necessary short-, medium-, and long-term actions.

“We need to work together here,” she stated, noting that the goal is to offer visitors not only a cultural experience but also a religious one.

The destinations that will be part of the route include: 

• In Chiclayo: St. Mary’s Cathedral; the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace; St. Peter of Monsefú Parish, where the image of Jesus of Nazareth Captive is venerated; St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Eten City, which houses the image of the Divine Child of the Miracle; and the Cross of Motupe

• In Piura: the Diocese of Chulucanas and the Augustinian Seminary

• In La Libertad: the Augustinian Convent of St. Thomas of Villanova and Our Lady of Monserrat Parish

• In Callao: the diocese where then-Bishop Prevost gave his blessing before being called to the Vatican

The minister said that in addition to churches and religious sites, the route will include other cultural attractions such as museums, beaches, and nature reserves. 

At the end of the presentation, a brief promotional video was shown summarizing the importance of the route and the spiritual legacy of Leo XIV in Peru.

“The route of Pope Leo XIV preserves the memory and the path of the Holy Father: towns, churches, and the faithful touched by his affection, his kindness, and his blessing,” the Spanish-language video explains.

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

Catholic Relief Services distributes food for school children at one of the schools in the Department of Totonicapán, Guatemala, with the help of parent volunteers. / Credit: Catholic Relief Services

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 22, 2025 / 18:13 pm (CNA).

As part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape American foreign aid, his administration is ending federal funds for nearly a dozen projects operated by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to provide free school meals to children internationally.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ended funding for 11 of the 13 projects CRS operates through the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, which was created with bipartisan support in the early 2000s. The funds support international school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects with American agriculture commodities, according to the USDA.

According to CRS, the termination of these funds will affect more than 780,000 school-aged children in 11 countries. The funding will end this July.

“This decision isn’t just a policy shift — it’s a life-altering blow to hundreds of thousands of children who rely on these meals to stay healthy, stay in school, and stay hopeful about their future,” CRS President and CEO Sean Callahan said in a statement.

CRS contends that, in some impoverished countries, this program provides children with their only reliable meal daily. In a news release, CRS also maintained that the programs strengthen local communities and that terminating these contracts will threaten food security and economic stability in the affected nations.

“Ending a program that provides a child’s only meal is deeply troubling and goes against our values as a nation and as people of faith,” Callahan said. “We have a moral responsibility to ensure vulnerable children have access to the nourishment they need to learn, grow, and build a better future.”

A spokesperson for the USDA confirmed the termination of these funds and told CNA the decision was part of an effort to ensure the programs “align with the president’s agenda to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”

“We look forward to ensuring USDA foreign aid is spent implementing existing projects as well as any new projects that continue to put American agriculture at the forefront and align with the president’s agenda,” the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, the USDA ended 17 McGovern-Dole program agreements in total, 11 of which were operated by CRS. The USDA continues to fund 30 projects through that program, two of which CRS operates. The remaining programs serve 22 countries.

Additionally, the spokesperson said the USDA ended funding for 27 Food for Progress program agreements that were also “not in alignment with the foreign assistance objectives of the Trump administration.” The other 14 Food for Progress agreements, which serve 17 countries, will still be funded.

“It is important to note that all U.S. agricultural producers have received payment for commodities for which invoices have been received,” the spokesperson said. “Those projects which were terminated received a 30-day notification. During this time partners are required to deliver any commodity to its final destination, in accordance with the agreement, to ensure no product goes to waste.”

Callahan, alternatively, said the success of its programs is “undeniable,” adding that he has seen firsthand “the remarkable contributions of the community and local government” in one of the countries, Honduras.

“I spoke with young children who endure nearly two-hour walks to school each day — driven by the hope of receiving both a meal and an education,” he said. “It is un-American to stand by and not provide assistance while hunger robs children of their chance to learn and thrive.”

Callahan requested that the administration “reconsider its decision and restore funding for these life-affirming programs,” saying a reversal would “ensure children continue to have access to daily meals in school and invest in their future, their health, and their ability to break the cycle of poverty.”

Participants at a May 22, 2025, afternoon vigil to honor the two lives lost in an attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., the night before hold signs reading “Christians and Jews united against hate.” / Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA

Washington D.C., May 22, 2025 / 17:43 pm (CNA).

On Wednesday evening, May 21, two Israeli embassy staff members were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

“This senseless act of violence is a sobering reminder of the deadly consequences of antisemitism,” Students Supporting Israel (SSI) a student organization at The Catholic University of America (CUA) said in a press release. 

The two embassy staffers killed were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American. The young couple was about to be engaged, Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said at a press conference. He added Lischinsky planned to propose next week in Jerusalem.

Police authorities in the nation’s capital reported that the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, admitted to the killings and yelled “Free, free Palestine” while in police custody. 

“Antisemitism in the U.S. is at an all-time high, with Washington, D.C., now shaken by this act of hate,” SSI said, adding that the organization "continues to advocate for greater awareness, stronger protections, and unambiguous condemnation of antisemitic violence in all forms.”

“We stand in unwavering solidarity with the Jewish community; on our campus, in our city, and around the world.”

Philos Catholic, an arm of the Philos Project that fosters Catholic-Jewish relations, noted that the couple “was attending an event for young diplomats that focused on providing humanitarian aid to those in need and building bridges across national and religious lines” just prior to the attack.

“They were living out the core commands of the Bible: to do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” Philos Catholic said in a statement shared with CNA. “They modeled the heart of diplomats from Israel — the nation that gave the world the Bible, the book that teaches us how God expects us to live and act toward one another.”

On Thursday, Philos Catholic organized a vigil to honor the two lives lost. Christians and Jews gathered outside the museum where the attack took place to offer flowers and notes. The museum is across the street from Holy Rosary Catholic Church in the city’s northwest quadrant. Several held signs that said: “Christians and Jews united against hate.”

In a statement, the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy, said: “The Catholic community of Washington and Maryland stands in prayer, shock, and solidarity with the families of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, with the people of Israel, and with the entire Jewish community, which has been attacked in this act of antisemitic hatred and murder.”

“Let us profoundly deepen our prayers and our commitment to root out hate in our midst whenever and wherever it surfaces,” McElroy added.

In tandem with McElroy, New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan declared: “We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters in this moment of pain, praying that all may live in the peace and security that God surely intends for us.” 

“May their memory be a blessing. As has been so evident in these last months and years, antisemitism is still pervasive in our country and our world, and the Catholic community in New York today renews our resolve to working to eradicate this evil,” Dolan concluded.

null / Credit: alexkich/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 / 17:13 pm (CNA).

The budget reconciliation bill that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives this week included groundbreaking school choice legislation that would provide $5 billion in K–12 scholarships each year through 2029.

If passed, the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) establishes a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for individuals who donate to scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs). These organizations would in turn grant scholarships to students for educational expenses, including private school tuition. 

While the ECCA could be game-changing for Catholic and other private schools across the country, the reconciliation bill must first pass in the U.S. Senate before the president can sign it into law. The bill passed narrowly in the House by only one vote.

Students, including home-schoolers, can use the educational scholarships established in the ECCA to cover a variety of expenses beyond tuition including books and tutoring as well as educational therapies for students with disabilities. If passed the act would go into effect after Dec. 31.

Many Catholic students already benefit from state school choice programs, with 31% of Catholic schools participating, according to the latest data from the National Catholic Educational Association.

The U.S. bishops, who endorsed the act earlier this year, praised the inclusion of the ECCA in the budget bill but also noted some “important changes that need to be made” in parts of the House bill. 

In a statement, the bishops called for the “removal of poison pill language that would debilitate Catholic school participation.”

In school choice, “poison pill” language is wording designed to prevent religious schools from participating in school choice programs. But poison pills can also include a broad variety of restrictions that have the unintended effect of limiting the number of private and religious schools that can participate. These restrictions often include acceptance or hiring requirements that go beyond federal and state laws that private schools already follow. 

For instance, this act requires that private schools provide accommodations to students with special education needs — a requirement that some say can be limiting for private schools that do not have the resources.

While the U.S. bishops have in the past highlighted the importance of “making Catholic education inclusive,” they noted in their statement that this requirement would “debilitate the ability for Catholic schools to participate.” 

The bishops noted that private schools “generally do not receive IDEA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act] funding, so they would have to pay these significant costs out of pocket.”

Calling it an “unfunded mandate,” the bishops urged the Senate to remove this language.

They also urged the Senate to “restore the $10 billion credit cap with both individual and corporate givers included,” both terms that had been included in the ECCA when it was originally proposed.

In spite of the bill’s shortcomings, advocates still see it as a big moment for school choice.

Norton Rainey, head of the SGO group ACE Scholarships, praised the bill as a “new milestone” after “decades of advocacy.”

“School choice has never seen such momentum at the federal level,” Rainey said in a statement shared with CNA in which he praised the ECCA for providing an alternative to the “one-size-fits-all education system.”

“ECCA has the power to lift children out of poverty, strengthen families, and rebuild communities,” Rainey said. “When you change education, you change everything.”

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

CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 / 16:43 pm (CNA).

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer this week signed a bill legalizing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live.

The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026, allows patients to self-administer lethal medication, making Delaware the 11th state to legalize euthanasia. California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, along with the District of Columbia, also permit the practice.

Meyer said on Tuesday the law is “about compassion, dignity, and respect. It gives people facing unimaginable suffering the ability to choose peace and comfort, surrounded by those they love. After years of debate, I am proud to sign H.B. 140 into law.”

The bill, first introduced in 2015, passed narrowly after a decade-long push by euthanasia advocates, clearing the House (21-16) and Senate (11-8, with two absences) on April 17. Eleven Senate Democrats supported the bill, while a bipartisan group that included three Democrats joined by five Republicans opposed. No Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Last year, outgoing Democratic Gov. John Carney vetoed the bill when it came before his desk, saying that “although I understand not everyone shares my views, I am fundamentally and morally opposed to state law enabling someone, even under tragic and painful circumstances, to take their own life.”

He went on to cite the official position of the American Medical Association, which says physician-assisted suicide is “fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks. Euthanasia could readily be extended to incompetent patients and other vulnerable populations.”

Wilmington Bishop William Koenig has been urging Delaware residents to oppose the measure, saying in April that “there is a great distinction between, on the one hand, death that comes naturally and, on the other hand, performing actions to bring on death.”

Last year, Koenig, along with Baltimore Archbishop William Lori and Washington, D.C., archbishop Cardinal Wilton Gregory, released a pastoral letter about euthanasia, “A Better Way Forward,” in which they wrote: “The central tenet guiding our opposition to this deadly proposal is that all human life is created in the image and likeness of God and therefore sacred.”

The bishops continued: “We urge all people of goodwill to demand that our lawmakers reject suicide as an end-of-life option and to choose the better, safer path that involves radical solidarity with those facing the end of their earthly journey.”

“Let us choose the path that models true compassion and dignity to those facing end-of-life decisions and protects the most vulnerable from the deadly proposition of physician-assisted suicide,” the letter concluded.

In a message to the International Interfaith Symposium on Palliative Care last year, Pope Francis called euthanasia “a failure of love” and said: “Yet ‘compassion,’ a word that means ‘suffering with,’ does not involve the intentional ending of a life but rather the willingness to share the burdens of those facing the end stages of our earthly pilgrimage.”

Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said in a statement this week: “End-of-life discussions should focus on palliative care, hospice, and support options. Assisted suicide shifts the focus from life-affirming care to premature death and erodes the public trust in health care and medical doctors.”

The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) has emphasized that “dying patients who request euthanasia should receive loving care, psychological and spiritual support, and appropriate remedies for pain … to live with dignity until the time of natural death.”

The NCBC goes on: “Catholic health care institutions may never condone or participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide in any way,” defining euthanasia as “an act or omission that of itself or by intention causes death to alleviate suffering.”

The Delaware Catholic Advocacy Network, which delivered over 11,000 postcards to legislators, warned of the law’s risks to the elderly, mentally ill, and disabled. Despite the new law, the network is urging Catholics to pray for those who are suffering and to continue to engage their legislators.

Tony McFall wears his father’s cowboy hat while looking over the debris of the house of his father and step-mother, who lost their lives during the tornado in the neighborhood of Sunshine Hills on May 17, 2025, in London, Kentucky. A tornado struck communities in Somerset and London, Kentucky, leaving over 10 dead and more injured. / Credit: Michael Swensen/Getty Images

CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 / 16:13 pm (CNA).

Local Catholic Charities organizations are rallying to support communities devastated by the more than 70 tornadoes that tore through the central United States last Friday and Saturday.

A series of large tornadoes wreaked havoc throughout Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana killing at least 28 people, injuring dozens, and causing billions of dollars in damage. The tornadoes reported across the Midwest caused damage to thousands of homes.

Most of the deaths happened in Kentucky during what the National Weather Service called the deadliest tornado in eastern Kentucky’s history.

Good neighbors in Kentucky 

At least 19 people died in southeastern Kentucky, within the bounds of the Diocese of Lexington. The tornado pathway was 55.6 miles long, beginning in Russell County, crossing through Pulaski County, and ending in Laurel County, with the majority of fatalities in Laurel County. The storm wiped out large residential areas on the south side of London and later damaged the local airport.

The tornado was ranked at the second-highest rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale (EF-4) with wind speeds of up to 170 miles per hour. 

Catholic Charities Diocese of Lexington is providing assistance in affected areas while looking ahead to support locals in long-term recovery from the disaster.

Executive director Shelli Gregory spoke with CNA from Somerset, one of the hardest-hit cities in the area in addition to London.

Gregory brought a mobile response center to St. Mildred’s Parish in Somerset, where she and other volunteers are handing out bedding, toiletries, and emergency food boxes as well as information on where other various supplies and food can be found. 

“We called our parishes in the affected areas on Saturday — day after the storm — and asked them what they were hearing that people needed,” Gregory said. 

In some areas, days of power outage means people are short on food. In other areas, homes have been leveled.

“Then there’s homes that are completely gone. I mean, just like, where are they? There’s nothing there but a concrete slab,” Gregory said. 

But amid the disaster, people are banding together. Some families are housing others whose houses were destroyed in the storm. One woman is helping get storage units for people whose stuff “is being stolen from the rubble.”  

“What you’re seeing a lot here is everybody is very concerned about their neighbors, not nearly as much concerned about themselves,” Gregory said. 

Rebuilding a small Kansas town 

In northwest Kansas, an EF-2 tornado tore through the town of Grinnell in Gove County on Sunday night, destroying more than a dozen homes in the town of 260 people. 

The tornado was destructive, but no deaths were reported. One of the two tornado sirens malfunctioned, according to the Gove County sheriff, so law enforcement drove through the streets warning people on a loudspeaker.  

A tornado also hit about 200 miles southeast of Grinnell in western Reno County in Plevna, a city of 85 people. The tornado caused “extensive damage” to the town, but no deaths or injuries were reported. 

Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas is providing emergency relief and long-term recovery support to families in Grinnell and affected neighboring areas, according to the executive director, Megan Robl. 

“The road ahead is long, but we are committed to walking alongside this community for as long as we are needed — offering help, hope, and healing every step of the way,” Robl said in a statement.

With the help of a $25,000 grant from Catholic Charities USA, the organization hopes to help Grinnell rebuild. 

“We are incredibly grateful to Catholic Charities USA for this generous $25,000 grant, which will go directly toward helping the Grinnell community recover and rebuild,” Robl said.  

“We’re also deeply thankful for the prayers and support of so many across the Salina Diocese,” Robl added. 

A ‘war zone’ in St. Louis  

Missouri was also hit particularly hard by the storm, as seven people died, five of them in St. Louis. A mile-wide tornado tore through the northern part of St. Louis on Friday, causing more than $1.6 billion in damage in what Mayor Cara Spencer called “one of the worst storms” in the city’s history. 

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis is responding to an “overwhelming surge” of requests for aid in Missouri, where the most devastating tornado in decades in the city caused severe damage. 

“It looks like a war zone,” said Jared Bryson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, describing the scene in North City, St. Louis. 

Bryson was speaking from his office, about two blocks from the “disaster zone” where an EF-3 tornado had ripped through, damaging or destroying an estimated 5,000 buildings.

“It came through so quick,” Bryson told “EWTN News Nightly” Capitol Hill Correspondent Erik Rosales. “People went from a house to nothing in a matter of minutes.” 

Bryson said Catholic Charities is involved in helping city emergency managers “coordinate the efforts on the ground” and is also “part of the long-term recovery of the community.” 

“[When] everybody’s attention turns to something else, we are still here as Catholic Charities for the next several years, till the community returns back,” Bryson said.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 22, 2025 / 15:43 pm (CNA).

Leaders of several Catholic health care systems in the United States are expressing strong opposition to Medicaid reforms included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” budget reconciliation measure passed on Thursday morning.

The legislation, which now heads to the Senate, would add Medicaid work requirements for most adults without disabilities or young dependents under the age of 65 starting on Dec. 31, 2026. 

If it is adopted, those adults would need to work, volunteer, or attend school at least 80 hours every month, which is 20 hours per week, to qualify for the federal benefit. Current law has no work requirements.

Other changes include more frequent checks on a person’s Medicaid eligibility and reducing federal funds for states that offer Medicaid benefits for immigrants in the country illegally.

The proposals would also prevent states from increasing taxes to cover their share of Medicaid spending and end federal incentives for states with expanded Medicaid.

If the changes are enacted, the federal government could save tens of billions of dollars annually. The proposals could also push millions of people off Medicaid, which reduces the total amount of Medicaid reimbursement dollars received by hospitals.

Catholic health leaders unite against Medicaid changes

The Catholic Health Association (CHA), along with leaders of the health care systems Ascension, Providence, Trinity Health, and SSM Health, have all publicly come out against the proposed Medicaid reforms.

Sister Mary Haddad, the president of CHA, said in a statement that the bill “would harm critical health and social safety-net programs that millions of Americans rely on to live with health, dignity, and security.”

“[CHA] strongly opposes provisions like mandatory Medicaid work reporting requirements, restrictions on state tax authority, and changes to state-directed payment policies — all of which would lead to coverage losses for more than 10 million people who depend on Medicaid for essential care,” she said. 

“These harmful proposals threaten the health and stability of the very communities we are called to serve.”

A spokesperson for Providence said in a statement to CNA that Medicaid “is a lifeline for millions of people across the country, including children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and pregnant patients.” 

“The steep cuts proposed in this bill are deeply concerning and would have a far-reaching and devastating impact on health care if passed,” the spokesperson added. 

“Providence continues to advocate for the preservation of Medicaid and urges lawmakers to recognize the integral role Medicaid plays in maintaining the health of our communities.”

Several Catholic health leaders joined a virtual media briefing on Tuesday to voice concerns about the legislation ahead of the House vote.

Eduardo Conrado, the president of Ascension, said during the briefing that about one-third of the funding for Catholic hospitals like Ascension, Providence, and Trinity Health comes from Medicaid and that nearly 9 in 10 of their patients either have Medicaid coverage or are “uninsured or underinsured.”

“For them and for many others, access to health care depends on decisions being made right now in Washington,” he said. The cuts “will harm real people, they will reduce access to care, especially for those already facing barriers in many states.”

Mike Slubowski, the president of Trinity Health, said it’s not possible to cut Medicaid “without hurting people and weakening our communities.”

“We’ve seen it firsthand,” he said. “When people lose coverage, they skip checkups, they stop taking medications and eventually show up in the ER sicker and in need of more costly care that could have been prevented.”

“That’s not just bad for health,” Slubowski said. “It strains hospitals, overcrowds our emergency rooms, drives up costs for everyone, insured or not. Medicaid cuts don’t just impact those who rely on it. The ripple effect — it will impact everyone.”

Republican leaders defend legislation

Thursday’s budget legislation was partisan, receiving support from most House Republicans and no support from House Democrats. A small number of Republicans opposed the bill or declined to vote on it, mostly based on concerns that it would increase the national deficit and the debt.

Ultimately, it passed the House 215-214 after last-minute lobbying from President Donald Trump himself and a few cost-cutting changes to garner support from members of the House Freedom Caucus.

The legislation includes an extension of the tax cuts from Trump’s first term and additional tax cuts, along with increased funding to enhance border enforcement and the military.

House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a statement that called the bill “nation-shaping legislation that reduces spending, permanently lowers taxes for families and job creators, secures the border, unleashes American energy dominance, restores peace through strength, and makes government work more efficiently and effectively for all Americans.”

“House Democrats voted against all of it — which clearly proves they want tax hikes on their constituents, open borders, and Medicaid for illegal immigrants,” Johnson said.

Kentucky Rep. Brett Guthrie, the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, accused Democratic opponents of the bill of trying to “fearmonger and score political points.”

“This bill refocuses Medicaid on mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly — not illegal immigrants and capable adults who choose not to work,” he said last week.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “It’s time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work and send this bill to my desk AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!” He added: “There is no time to waste.”

The legislation needs a simple majority in the Senate, which currently has a 53-47 Republican majority. At least one Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, has said he will not support the bill due to the deficit increase.

Senate lawmakers could also make changes to the bill and send it back to the House.

Pope Leo XIV addresses members of the Pontifical Missions Societies on May 22, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 22, 2025 / 14:48 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV delivered an address to the Pontifical Mission Societies on Thursday thanking its members for living the Church’s call to evangelize to all nations with a spirit of communion and universality in union with the pope.

Approximately 120 national directors connected to the Vatican’s four missionary bodies — the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of the Holy Childhood, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, and the Missionary Union — and 20 members of the Dicastery for Evangelization met with the Holy Father on the first day of their general assembly taking place in Rome from May 22–28.

“As societies committed to sharing in the missionary mandate of the pope and the college of bishops, you are called to cultivate and further promote within your members the vision of the Church as the communion of believers, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, who enables us to enter into the perfect communion and harmony of the blessed Trinity,” the pontiff said to those present at the morning meeting.

“This dimension of our Christian life and mission is close to my heart and is reflected in the words of St. Augustine that I chose for my episcopal service and now for my papal ministry: ‘In Illo uno unum’ — Christ is our savior and in him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich variety of our languages, cultures, and experiences,” he added.

Describing apsotolic zeal as “more urgent in our own day,” Pope Leo said the Gospel message of love, reconciliation, and grace through Jesus Christ is needed in a world “wounded” by war and injustice.

“In this sense, the Church herself, in all her members, is increasingly called to be ‘a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word … and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity,” he said, echoing words from his homily given during his May 18 inauguration Mass.

Asking his listeners to be inspired and renewed in their vocation to “be a leaven of missionary zeal within the people of God,” the Holy Father reiterated the message of his predecessor to be “missionaries of hope among all peoples,” especially in light of the 2025 Jubilee Year.

“In the words of Pope Francis, ‘The Lord has overcome the world and its constant conflict “by making peace through the blood of his cross,”’” Pope Leo said, citing Evangelii Gaudium. “Hence we see the importance of fostering a spirit of missionary discipleship in all the baptized and a sense of the urgency of bringing Christ to all people.”

According to Monsignor Roger Landry, head of the Pontifical Mission Societies USA, who was present at the meeting, the Holy Father warmly encouraged national directors to continue to promote World Mission Sunday, celebrated on the second-to-last Sunday of October, and ensure their outreach programs are driven by a “universality that flows from a sense of communion.”

“He doesn’t want us to exclude anybody,” Landry told CNA on Thursday. “Like Pope Francis before him, he was getting us to focus on the peripheries — those who are not yet close to us and those who are not united with us.”

After speaking about the beauty of having representatives from over 120 countries come together “as equals” before the Holy Father at the meeting, Landry said each person present received rosary beads from Pope Leo that were blessed by Pope Francis before he died.

“There was a sense of continuity as he was giving us Pope Francis’ rosary beads,” he said.