St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church

Marijuana leaves. / Credit: Armando Olivo Martín del Campo CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Florida’s Catholic bishops are urging residents to vote no on a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in the Sunshine State as activists on both sides continue to funnel millions of dollars into the record-breaking campaign.

Amendment 3, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and older, is the most expensive cannabis-focused campaign in United States history. 

As of late September, supporters of the initiative have spent more than $90 million to encourage a yes vote and opponents have spent more than $14 million to urge Floridians to vote no, according to Ballotpedia. 

The initiative would change Article X of the state constitution, which already has provisions for the medicinal use of marijuana. A yes vote would add a subsection for “personal use,” which states that a person would no longer need to be “a qualifying patient” to obtain marijuana. 

Any adult 21 years old or older would be allowed to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana.

To adopt a constitutional amendment via ballot referendum, supporters need to obtain a yes vote from 60% of voters. Some polls have shown supporters meeting that mark, but other polls have shown the referendum falling short of that threshold.

Bishops warn of increased use of marijuana, risks

One staunch opponent of the referendum is the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB), along with the various Catholic dioceses around the state.

“Legalizing marijuana makes it more accessible, removes the criminal penalties and stigma attributable to it, and creates the impression that it is safe to use,” a statement issued by the FCCB reads. 

“Taken together, these factors ultimately lead to increased use of the drug — by as much as 20% in adults,” it adds, citing a 2023 study published in Sage Journals.

The bishops cautioned that some marijuana products have higher levels of THC — the psychoactive component in marijuana that produces the “high” — than products in previous decades. 

This, the bishops warn, can exacerbate the effects of consuming the drug, such as the loss of coordination, impaired decision-making, and diminished brain function while under the influence. 

They also express concern about the long-term effects on developing brains and the dangers posed to unborn children if pregnant women consume marijuana.

The statement also references the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that “the use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life” and calls drug usage outside of therapeutic treatments “a grave offense” (No. 2291). 

The Florida bishops also reference a quote from Pope Francis in which the pontiff calls drugs “evil” and says “there can be no yielding or compromise,” urging “no to every type of drug use.”

A spokesperson for the FCCB told CNA that the bishops have shared their statement with pastors and parishes and have made themselves available for presentations.

Neither the bishops’ conference nor the dioceses are financially contributing to the “no” campaign, the spokesperson said.

Unusual political alliances on the ground

The campaign for and against the referendum has not fit neatly along political lines, with some Republicans backing the measure and some Democrats opposing it. Both campaigns are highlighting their respective bipartisan alliances.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis launched the “Florida Freedom Fund PAC” to work on defeating the amendment, but the party’s presidential nominee, former president Donald Trump, has said he will vote to adopt the amendment. Trump’s primary residence is in Florida.

The Florida Democratic Party officially supports the amendment, but former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, who served under Bill Clinton, is urging residents to vote no on the initiative.

One advertisement created by Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), which opposes legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, includes clips of DeSantis, former Democratic President Barack Obama, and other officials speaking against marijuana legalization.

Luke Niforatos, the executive vice president of SAM Action, told CNA that “the commercialization of marijuana has had adverse effects on physical and mental health, public safety, young people, and communities of color.”

“THC use reduces IQ and is medically and scientifically associated with psychosis, depression, suicidality, schizophrenia, and motor impairment,” Niforatos said. 

“Full-scale commercialization of marijuana and THC drugs also has not curbed the illicit market — in fact states are now seeing an influx of foreign drug cartels that are using the ‘legal’ marketplace to sell illicit drugs and prey on vulnerable populations.”

Alternatively, Smart and Safe Florida, which is spearheading the ballot initiative effort, is running advertisements that show Trump indicating his support for the amendment and speaking about legalizing recreational marijuana for adults. The advertisement asks voters to “join President Donald Trump” with a yes vote.

The campaign is also funding billboards that show a quote from Trump saying he will vote for the referendum.

CNA reached out to Smart and Safe Florida for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

In addition to the marijuana referendum, Floridians will also vote on a proposed amendment to enshrine a legal right to abortion in the state constitution. This also requires 60% support. Some polls have shown the effort reaching that benchmark, while others have shown the effort failing.

Investigators are looking into what caused a second blaze at Incarnation Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida. A suspicious fire previously caused significant damage to the church on June 24, 2023. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Mike Millis

CNA Staff, Oct 17, 2024 / 13:35 pm (CNA).

A Catholic church in Florida has suffered multiple fires in the span of just 16 months, with officials confirming that the second fire, which again shuttered the parish this week, is currently being investigated as arson.

Incarnation Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida, was first hit by a fire last June, causing severe damage to the inside of the building.

Masses were moved into the parish hall while the church pursues an extensive rebuilding project. This week, however, another fire broke out in the parish’s temporary church. 

On Thursday morning the parish said on its website that “on Wednesday morning, Oct. 16, a fire was started on and around the temporary altar at Incarnation.” 

The church confirmed that the incident “is being investigated as arson.”

Jesse Canales, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Fire Department, told CNA via email that firefighters “responded to a building fire at 1515 Edgewater Drive” on Wednesday. 

“Upon arrival, crews began to vent the building as the sprinkler system extinguished the fire already,” she said. “The building suffered minor damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation.”

Regarding last year’s fire, Canales said: “The case is still under investigation and the cause of the fire is undetermined.” 

“As of now, this is being investigated as a criminal case so nothing is missed,” she said. “At this time, this case is deemed undetermined and remains open pending any new evidence being developed or brought forward.”

“We are unable to rule out if an accelerant was used as part of this fire and no suspect(s) have been uncovered to date,” she added.

The parish did not return a phone call on Thursday morning seeking comment on the blaze. On its website, the church said that “all Masses, appointments, events, and gatherings are currently canceled” through Saturday. 

“In order for our team to assess damage and restoration needs, we ask that you not travel to Incarnation for the remainder of this week,” the website advised parishioners. 

Last year’s fire occurred on June 24, the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Despite the 2023 fire being concentrated in the sanctuary, with both the altar and the tabernacle being incinerated, a sole Eucharistic host, covered under the ash, survived the blaze. 

Eucharistic adoration with the same host — and the scorched luna holding it — is now held in the parish hall. 

On its website, the parish says it will rebuild its church by enlarging it by nearly 4,000 square feet. The project is expected to cost $5.7 million. 

Construction on the new building is expected to begin in the spring of 2025.

Abuse victims and their supporters hold quilts bearing portraits of abused children while gathered outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2013, one day after the release of personnel files of priests accused of sexual misconduct. / Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Oct 17, 2024 / 13:05 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced a massive $880 million clergy abuse settlement on Wednesday, a record payout that Archbishop José Gomez expressed hope would “provide some measure of healing” for abuse victims.

Lawyers for both victims and the archdiocese said in a joint press release that the near-$1 billion settlement would address 1,353 childhood sexual abuse claims filed against the California archbishopric.

The mediation process, conducted under retired California Judge Daniel Buckley, took roughly a year.

Abuse survivors filed the claims against the archdiocese following the state’s enactment of Assembly Bill 218, which offered victims a three-year window to file civil abuse claims that had otherwise gone beyond the statute of limitations. 

Gomez in a statement on Wednesday said the settlement — the largest ever for a U.S. diocese or archdiocese — would “provide just compensation to the survivor-victims of these past abuses.”

It would also allow the archdiocese “to continue to carry out our ministries to the faithful and our social programs serving the poor and vulnerable in our communities.”

“I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart,” the prelate said. “My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered.”

The archdiocese indicated that the full amount paid out in recent settlements was higher than the $880 million figure. The settlement announced on Wednesday was “in addition to claims the archdiocese settled with individual plaintiffs over the past 10 months,” the archdiocese said on its website. 

Archdiocesan administrative offices will take “primary financial responsibility” for the settlement, though the process of dividing the settlement among the survivors will not involve the archdiocese. 

An earlier “global settlement” of claims in 2007 resulted in a relinquishment of insurance coverage for abuse claims, the archdiocese said. The settlement will be funded by “accumulated reserves and investment holdings, bank financing, and other archdiocesan assets, in addition to payments by certain religious orders and others named in the litigation.”

Officials will conduct an “overall evaluation of all programs and ministries of the archdiocese” in order to “allocate funds responsibly and appropriately.”

The archdiocese will also use the AB 218 claims to update its clergy abuse files. 

Gomez expressed hope that “all who suffer find hope and healing in Jesus Christ” and that “the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Angels, be a mother to us all.”

The landmark $880 million settlement is higher than the previous L.A. Archdiocese settlement of $660 million awarded in 2007. Last month, the New York Diocese of Rockville Centre set a U.S. diocesan settlement record with its $323 million payout to abuse victims.

AB 218’s window for filing abuse claims expired in 2022. The archdiocese said that the law resulted in “approximately 4,000 claims of childhood sexual abuse against Catholic dioceses in California” including Los Angeles. 

The Los Angeles Archdiocese said this week its settlement did not include a bankruptcy filing. As in many states, multiple California dioceses have filed for bankruptcy amid those abuse claims, including San Francisco, Sacramento, and Oakland.

Former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward (center) at the tomb of St. Sebastian at Rome’s Cathedral of St. Sebastian after entering the Catholic Church this year. He received the sacraments of initiation from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, USCCB president and archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. / Credit: Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2024 / 10:50 am (CNA).

In an Instagram post announcing his conversion to the Catholic faith, former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward captioned a photo of himself in Rome’s Cathedral of St. Sebastian with the Latin phrase “Nunc Coepi,” or “Now I begin.”  

And what a beginning it was for the former Celtics player, who received the sacraments of initiation and first Communion from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

In the church named for the patron of soldiers and athletes, Hayward “crossed the Tiber,” literally and figuratively, to join the Church of his wife, Robin, and their children.

This week, the former Celtics forward shared his story with EWTN News, revealing what ultimately led him to Rome.

Hayward told CNA in an interview that the idea of having his confirmation in Rome had initially come about as a joke between him and the priest with whom he went through RCIA, Father Marcel Tallion, who is also the interim director of vocations for the Military Archdiocese.

“We were just talking about it and joking, like how cool would it be to do your confirmation in Rome?” Hayward recalled.

“He was like, ‘Well, I’m going to be there at the end of September, early October if you wanted to go.’ My family and I, we jumped on that opportunity and decided to do it,” Hayward explained.

Tallion arranged the logistics for his trip to Rome and confirmation with Broglio, who has been there for the past month due to the ongoing Synod on Synodality taking place at the Vatican. Tallion was also the childhood priest of Hayward’s former coach, Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics. 

Receiving the sacraments in a private Mass at the Church of St. Sebastian in Rome was a memorable experience for Hayward.

“They closed it off for us,” he told CNA. “That was something that was really cool.”

In addition to the tomb of St. Sebastian, the Church of St. Sebastian also houses a stone that is believed to have the footprints of Christ imprinted on it from the “Domine Quo Vadis?” scene in the Gospel of John (see John 13:36).

Seminarians from the North American College in Rome also provided sacred music for the reception Mass, which Tallion concelebrated alongside the archbishop and several seminarians who are prospective U.S. military chaplains. 

“The Eucharist is the biggest deal,” Hayward told CNA while discussing his reasons for pursuing the Catholic faith. Hayward and his wife, Robin, have been married for 10 years, and he has been attending Catholic Mass since the two met. 

“I just never partook in the Eucharist and would just stand in the back as they were all going up,” said Hayward, who grew up Lutheran. “Out of respect for the whole thing, I was told at a young age, you can’t partake in the Eucharist if you’re not Catholic. And so I just never did.” 

The former Celtics player also appeared last week on “EWTN News Nightly,” where he told host Tracy Sabol that it was through conversations with family members, including his wife’s brother, Max, that he eventually came to know the Church’s teachings on the Eucharist. 

“After learning about [the Eucharist], it was like, man, I’ve been missing out my whole life,” he later said in the interview with CNA.  

Apart from the Eucharist, Hayward told CNA that discussions on how Catholics pray “through” the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints rather than “to” them were also significant to his conversion, having grown up in a Protestant background with “misconceptions” about the Church’s teachings. 

Hayward also noted that discussions of his concerns about corruption and abuse of power within the Church were also pivotal for him. Ultimately, he said, learning that the Catholic Church’s teachings have remained the same throughout history, despite having been governed by scandalous figures, “really resonated with me.”

Hayward, 34, announced his retirement from professional basketball via social media in August after 14 seasons playing for the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. The forward had suffered numerous injuries for the last seven years of his career.

Writing about the decision in his Instagram post, Hayward attributed his success to God: “God has blessed me with an amazing journey, one that has taken turns that I couldn’t have expected or dreamed of as a kid in Brownsburg, Indiana.”

The announcement came after a season with Oklahoma City Thunder, which Hayward had spent largely on the bench, according to reports. 

He also noted in the retirement post that he was looking forward to the future, which included “spend[ing] more time with my family as a father and husband.”

Hayward and his wife have four children — three daughters and one son. Hayward’s two eldest daughters came to Rome, he told CNA, adding: “I think that was really cool and special for them to see me become Catholic. We made it a big deal.”

Reflecting on how his conversion has influenced the way he views fatherhood and marriage, Hayward told CNA that receiving the sacrament of reconciliation was something that “made me want to be a better spiritual leader in our family.” 

Upon their return from Rome, Hayward said he attended Mass with his wife and children at their local church: “And for all of us to go up and partake in the Eucharist and receive the host — that was pretty cool.” 

While serving as a United States senator from California, Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly scrutinized judicial nominees for being members of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. / Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images; TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

While serving as a United States senator from California, Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly scrutinized judicial nominees for being members of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization.

Harris, who is competing with former president Donald Trump to succeed President Joe Biden, directly referenced the Knights of Columbus membership of at least three judicial nominees during the Senate confirmation process in 2018.

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal organization, charity, and mutual benefit society that has more than 2 million members worldwide.

The judges — Paul Matey, Brian Buescher, and Peter Phipps — were all Catholics appointed by President Trump. In spite of aggressive questioning, all three were ultimately confirmed by the Senate.

An Oct. 11 “EWTN News in Depth” segment broke down Harris’ history of questioning judicial nominees.

“Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a woman’s right to choose when you joined the organization?” Harris asked Matey. 

“Do you believe that a fetus is entitled to any protection under the U.S. Constitution?” Harris followed up in another question.

In her questions to Buescher, Harris asked: “Do you agree with [then Supreme Knight Carl] Anderson that abortion is ‘the killing of the innocent on a massive scale?’” among other questions.

Harris pointedly asked Phipps whether he would “carry out [the Knights of Columbus] mission,” which includes defending “the right to life of every human being, from the moment of conception to natural death.”

One Republican lawmaker, Sen. Ben Sasse, mocked the line of questioning by asking Phipps during his confirmation hearing whether he has “ever been involved in the organization of a fish fry?” to which the nominee laughed and responded: “As a consumer, I have.”

Sasse introduced a resolution in 2019 that states that disqualifying a nominee for federal office on the basis of his Catholic belief or membership in the Knights of Columbus violates the United States Constitution. The resolution passed by unanimous consent.

The resolution was referencing the constitutional prohibition of imposing a “religious test” as a qualification for public office in Article VI, Section 3.

“[These are] really inappropriate questions that have nothing to do with a person’s ability and their loyalty to this country and their previous service,” Mary FioRito, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, told “EWTN News In Depth.”

“I just would caution listeners to be very careful if you’re told that Kamala Harris wants to be the president for everyone, she wants to be a uniter, because we have not seen her lead by example in that regard,” FioRito added.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco, where Harris worked as a district attorney, provided “EWTN News In Depth” with a statement that said “any reasonable and informed person would not disparage members of one of the world’s largest charitable organizations that supports widows, orphans, and the less fortunate.” 

The Harris campaign did not respond to a request by EWTN News for comment, but Catholics for Harris founder Christopher Hale said he can “confidently say that Vice President Harris deeply respects and admires our Catholic faith.”

“While neither she nor former president Trump fully embraces all of Catholic teaching, she proudly defends core components of our faith in her public service,” Hale stated.

Harris has taken a number of positions that deviate from Catholic teaching, which includes her support for a law to legalize abortion nationwide and overturn state-level pro-life laws, her refusal to disavow late-term abortion, and her support for regulating the speech of pro-life pregnancy centers.

In January 2025, Pope Francis will become the first sitting pontiff to publish an autobiographical memoir, which will be titled “Hope.” / Credit: Penguin Random House

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 16, 2024 / 17:40 pm (CNA).

In January 2025, Pope Francis will become the first sitting pontiff to publish an autobiographical memoir, which will be titled “Hope.”

Random House Publishing announced the memoir’s unprecedented global release on Wednesday. The original plan, according to the publisher, had been to release the memoir after his death. However, the pope decided to publish it in light of the upcoming 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. 

A jubilee year occurs every 25 years in the Catholic Church — although the Holy Father can declare them more often — and is a year of special grace and pilgrimage for members of the faithful. 

The memoir, which the Holy Father began work on in March 2019, will be available in more than 80 countries on Jan. 14, 2025. 

“The book of my life is the story of a journey of hope, a journey that I cannot separate from the journey of my family, of my people, of all God’s people. In every page, in every passage, it is also the book of those who have traveled with me, of those who came before, of those who will follow,” Pope Francis is quoted as saying in a Random House press release.

“An autobiography is not our own private story but rather the baggage we carry with us,” the pontiff continued. “And memory is not just what we recall but what surrounds us. It doesn’t speak only about what has been but about what will be. It seems like yesterday, and yet it’s tomorrow. All is born to blossom in an eternal springtime. In the end, we will say only: ‘I don’t recall anything in which You are not there.’” 

The announcement of the memoir comes after Francis’ last book, “Life: My Story Through History,” was published in March of this year. In that book, the Holy Father recounted his experience of major historical events including the 1976 Argentina coup d’etat, the conclave that elected him pope, and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Hope,” according to Random House, offers a unique perspective from the pontiff and contains “a wealth of revelations and unpublished stories” in which his own life is the principal focus. 

Co-written with Carlo Musso, founder of the independent Italian publishing house Libreria Pienogiorno, the memoir begins with the history of Francis’ family and their emigration from Italy to Latin America. It then proceeds through his childhood, adult life, vocational story, and the whole of his papacy to the present day.

As EWTN Vice President and Editorial Director Matthew Bunson commented earlier this year in the wake of several high-profile interviews by the pope and the release of “Life,” Francis’ presence in the media is not unique; his “deliberate and aggressive embrace of interview for television, radio, newspapers, and magazines” and eagerness to communicate on his own behalf is.

“Francis has forged his own path in communication and in governance,” Bunson wrote in a May 20 op-ed in the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner. “He is trying to shape how the world perceives him, how his reforms are received and implemented, and how permanent his program for the Church will be.”

“He unquestionably stands in continuity with the modern popes in his embrace of the media,” Bunson added, “but he is unprecedented in the way he goes about it.”

“I think you’ll see a different side of Mr. Trump,” EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo told CNA. “The visuals will also be original as we will be decked out in our tuxes and tails for the Al Smith dinner.” / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 16, 2024 / 16:40 pm (CNA).

The most emblematically Catholic event in modern U.S. presidential campaigns, the Al Smith dinner, is set to be the backdrop for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Oct. 17 interview with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN, the world’s largest Catholic media organization.

The global Catholic network is scheduled to air the exclusive interview with Trump, which will take place just before the dinner, at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 17.

“I expect the former president will offer us a compelling take on the issues important to Catholics and all people of faith,” said the veteran EWTN News host of “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” who will conduct the interview just prior to the dinner, which is hosted by the Archdiocese of New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

“I think you’ll see a different side of Mr. Trump,” Arroyo told CNA.

“The visuals will also be original as we will be decked out in our tuxes and tails for the Al Smith dinner. How often does a candidate interview promise original content and costumes?” Arroyo added.

The network has submitted multiple requests for an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris but has yet to receive an answer to its request. Harris previously declined to attend this year’s Al Smith dinner, marking the first time a U.S. presidential candidate has declined the invitation since Walter Mondale in 1984.

The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner is held annually to raise money for Catholic charities within the archdiocese. It is named after Al Smith, the first Catholic nominated for president by one of the two major parties in 1928. Catholic comedian Jim Gaffigan is scheduled to serve as the dinner’s emcee.

This year’s dinner and candidate interview are taking place within the context of a close race between the two candidates. Both Trump and Harris have launched outreach campaigns to persuade Catholic voters.

A September Pew Research Center survey found 52% of American Catholics backing Trump and 47% supporting Harris.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, speaks as Planned Parenthood Action Fund President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson (right) looks on during a rally on Sept. 5, 2024, in Bozeman, Montana. The Right to Abortion Initiative will be on the Nov. 5 ballot as an amendment to Montana’s constitution. Tester attended the rally in support of the initiative. / Credit: William Campbell/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Oct 16, 2024 / 16:10 pm (CNA).

A pro-life group is combating a Montana “Right to Abortion” ballot measure with a $2 million advertisement campaign, saying pro-abortion leaders go “too far,” even as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is set to spend $1.2 million in Montana on the abortion issue. 

Montana’s “Right to Abortion Initiative,” CI-128, would enshrine in the state’s constitution a right to abortion up to viability with exceptions for the health and life of the mother. 

Montana is one of 10 states with abortion on the ballot. Abortion is currently legal in Montana until the baby is viable outside of the womb.

If passed, the initiative would amend the state constitution “to expressly provide a right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion,” the measure reads.

The pro-life organization Women Speak Out PAC, a partner of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, is combating the abortion mandate and advocating against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. The incumbent senator has been vocal about his support of abortion and is up for reelection this year.

The series of advertisements highlights the importance of laws protecting minors by requiring parental permission for abortion as well as the importance of providing resources for moms in need. The advertisements are also critical of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, for her pro-abortion stance. 

One ad highlights Tester’s support for removing parental consent requirements for minors seeking abortions as well as his support of taxpayer-funded and late-term abortions. 

SBA Pro-Life America’s president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said Montana pro-abortion leaders “are drastically out of touch with the people they claim to support.”

“That’s why, in Montana and key battleground states across the nation, we are hard at work to reach 10 million voters … to expose the truth of the Democrats’ pro-abortion extremism and educate Americans about the lives at stake in this election,” Dannenfelser said in an Oct. 11 statement.

The ad campaign is just one of many pro-life campaigns by the group. SBA Pro-Life America plans to spend $92 million across America to protect life, reaching out to voters in eight battleground states including Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. 

But other Montana groups are campaigning on the abortion issue as well.

The ACLU and ACLU of Montana announced last month that they are set to spend $1.3 million on a campaign — the most the ACLU has ever spent on a Montana campaign — to educate voters on candidates’ positions on abortion and other matters. Akilah Deernose, executive director of ACLU of Montana, noted in a statement that “every person deserves the autonomy to make personal medical decisions during pregnancy, free from government interference.” 

The ACLU announced it is spending more than $25 million nationwide during the electoral cycle, with a focus on “protecting and expanding abortion” and voting rights, according to a June press release.

The Montana Catholic bishops condemned the ballot initiative earlier this year, saying the bill “seeks to enshrine … late-term abortion of babies who will feel pain, abortion of babies who have been partially delivered, [and] abortion by dismemberment of children growing in the womb.”

In August, the Montana Supreme Court unanimously overturned a 2013 law protecting minors by requiring parental permission for abortions, citing a 1999 Montana Supreme Court ruling that used the “right to privacy” as justification for pre-viability abortions. 

While Montana is a red state, the state has a history of splitting the vote. In 2022, Montanans rejected the Born Alive Infant Protection Act ballot initiative, which would have protected babies who are born alive after attempted abortions, but elected a pro-life candidate, Rep. Ryan Zinke, to its 1st Congressional District seat. 

A Eucharisitic procession sponsored by the Napa Institute heads through the streets of New York City on Oct. 15, 2024. / Credit: Jeffrey Bruno

New York City, N.Y., Oct 16, 2024 / 14:45 pm (CNA).

New Yorkers on Oct. 15 gathered in droves within the vaulted ceilings of one of New York City’s most famous churches, St. Patrick Cathedral, many from New York City and others driving in from nearby Long Island, New Jersey, and Westchester County before spilling out into the streets for a Eucharistic procession.

Organized by the California-based Napa Institute, officials estimated that 3,500 people gathered for a Holy Hour and rosary with New York City Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Espaillat as well as Mass with Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City and homilist Monsignor James Shea, president of the University of Mary in North Dakota. 

Afterward the congregation filed out into Midtown Manhattan for a procession that took Jesus in the Eucharist past Radio City Music Hall and into Times Square and surrounding areas.

This was the fifth annual Eucharistic procession in New York City organized by the Napa Institute, a Catholic leadership organization.

Espaillat, of Dominican descent, gave a meditation during the Holy Hour in English and Spanish.

“As a society, what are we passionate about? Then I ask individually, what are you passionate about, personally?” Espaillat said. 

“My sisters and brother in Christ, we were Christ’s passion. We are Christ’s passion. Jesus was, is, and continues to be passionate about his Father and his kingdom.”

Espaillat spoke about the need to not only be hearers of the word but also doers of the word.

“Most Catholics like to come to church for 30-40 minutes. Then boom! Out the door. Are we really creating community? Are we really creating family? Are we really passionate about Christ and his kingdom?” he asked.

“If we really believe that that’s Jesus — then we need to proclaim it! We can’t keep it to ourselves anymore. We need to shout it from the mountain tops! We need to declare it with how we live,” he said. 

“Some of you took half days off from your jobs. I commend you,” the bishop said. “That’s why we come here today to church. Your boss sees it, your co-worker sees it. And guess what: Today the city of New York will also see it!”

Espaillat ended his meditation by calling everyone’s attention to the upcoming election and a New York state ballot proposal called Proposition 1, or the “Equal Rights Amendment.”

“This proposition should be called ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing,’” he said. “We cannot allow abortion on demand with no restrictions up to nine months.”

He also said the proposal aims to “take away your rights as parents: to make decisions for minors in regards to gender-affirming surgeries and transitions. In other words, your children, without your permission, can take certain medications and pills without you even knowing it.”

The Mass, celebrated by Coakley, was offered for the intention of peace in the Holy Land.

Shea during his homily spoke about the irony of how many people want to fully trust in God’s promise but don’t. 

“God says I will fulfill all your desires. Come to me. I will fill you up. I will slake your thirst and satiate your hunger. Come to me. We want to believe it but will not. What if it isn’t true?” Shea said.

This lack of trust in God leads Catholics to hold back in the way they live their faith.

“This is why we play the trick that was invented on this island. We hedge the investment of our lives. We hold back. But what if we didn’t? What if we threw everything into it? What if we hedged nothing?” she said. 

“What would that mean for us? It would mean great suffering and tremendous joy. It would mean that Jesus — suffering and triumphant — would be here with us in our lives. That we could depend upon him for everything.”

Shea also spoke about St. Isaac Jogues, the first Catholic priest to set foot on Manhattan Island in 1643. His statue is on the door of St. Patrick Cathedral.

“A year after his arrival, he wrote a letter stating: ‘We must always keep in mind that everything we do, we do for God for his glory,’” he said.

After Mass, the Eucharistic procession walked through several city blocks in one of the most tourist-filled areas of New York, bringing traffic to a standstill.

“What struck me was the respect you received for walking with the Eucharist,” Debby Kruszewski from Mamaroneck, New York, told CNA.

Looking up, she saw windows filled with bystanders gazing down at the procession. “I wonder who among them is a believer, and who was drawn to the window by his presence,” she said. 

“I pray for the nonbelievers in those windows and on the street to have a life-changing moment from this experience. Being part of it, you don’t realize just how impactful it is to walk with a couple of thousand people in Manhattan, alongside Jesus.”

Kristy Schade from Larchmont, New York, agreed.

“Here we are, walking in the middle of New York City. What struck me was the peace and the power of walking in this procession. Everything came to a standstill,” Schade said.

She recalled how she noticed a policeman holding back traffic.

“I saw a bystander wanted to get through and pleaded with a cop, asking, ‘How long will this take?’ The cop said, ‘It’s Jesus. It will take as long as it needs to.’”

Maria Baldi, from Italy, said the procession reminded her of processions she has seen back in her home country.

“It was amazing. Seeing all the people in the cathedral and then walking into the streets together. You could feel the pulse of the city in Times Square. And in the middle, you had people singing and praising God,” Baldi told CNA.

She also noticed the strong presence of Hispanic Catholics.

“The Hispanics were really leading many of the songs and prayers. It was very moving,” she said.

Many people noticed that, in general, New Yorkers were very peaceful about the procession.

“It is not every day that we get to walk down Fifth Avenue and Time Square, waving at people and praying. Yet there was no acrimony at all. I expected there to be some bad reactions, but I did not see any,” Baldi said.

The procession ended with a benediction by New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan and veneration of a first-class relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis. Officials said the relic was a piece of the young blessed’s heart.

An estimated 12,000 people celebrate the closing Mass of the second annual Marian Days at Christ Cathedral in the Dicoese of Orange on July 15, 2023. / Credit: Rodolfo Bianchi/Diocese of Orange

CNA Staff, Oct 16, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Orange in California has officially finished its renovation of Christ Cathedral, a onetime-Protestant megachurch, after more than a decade of work that brings to completion what the diocese calls a “major center of Catholic worship.”

The cathedral has been fully operational for five years and currently hosts nearly a dozen Masses in multiple languages every weekend, serving upward of 12,000 Catholics. 

The diocese in 2011 purchased the massive glass-faced building, previously the center of the Presbyterian Shepherd’s Grove congregation, for $57.5 million. The diocese had long been planning to build a new cathedral in nearby Santa Ana before the building, then known as the Crystal Cathedral, went up for auction.

Shortly after its purchase, the diocese launched a total renovation project to “redesign the main building to comply [with] Catholic liturgical tradition and needs.” The diocese ultimately dedicated the cathedral in 2019 after a seven-year, $77-million renovation process.

The diocese announced earlier this month that it had finally completed the renovation of the building, heralding a “milestone moment in the history of the diocese” that has established the cathedral as “a major center of Catholic worship for the West Coast.”

The diocese said it had finished work on the building’s St. Callistus Chapel and Crypts, which finalized “all the major components of the original vision to transform the Crystal Cathedral into Christ Cathedral.” A dedication Mass of the chapel and crypts was held on Monday.

“It was a long path to reach this moment,” Orange Bishop Kevin Vann said in the release, “but the Lord gets us to where we need to be.”

“I hope all feel a great sense of gratitude, and I’m particularly thankful for everybody who participated in this, from beginning to end,” the bishop said. 

The full project included “renovating the cathedral, arboretum, and Tower of Hope; expanding the Cathedral Memorial Gardens cemetery; building the Our Lady of La Vang Shrine and Marian Gardens; and restoring the Hazel Wright Organ,” the diocese said. 

The Hazel Wright Organ, the cathedral says on its website, is “the fifth-largest pipe organ in the world, with more than 17,000 pipes, more than 300 stops, and nearly 300 ranks.”  

It was built in 1982 and is “arguably the most widely heard organ in the world,” owing to the widely-viewed weekly “Hour of Power” television show that had for years been broadcast out of the building by the Shepherd’s Grove congregation. 

The St. Callistus chapel, meanwhile, features “an elaborate tabernacle inspired by 12-century masterpieces of medieval goldsmithing,” the diocese said. Music for the chapel will be provided by a smaller pipe organ. A relic of the third-century St. Callistus I will also reside in the chapel’s reliquary.

The chapel also features a tribute to Robert Schuller, the founder of the Crystal Cathedral, as well as his wife, Arvella. Both were “key supporters in the sale of their iconic glass church and its environs to the Diocese of Orange.”

The cathedral’s expansive campus includes multiple buildings, including a diocesan pastoral center, a cultural center, a gift shop, and several other structures. EWTN, the parent company of CNA, also has a television studio on the campus.

The Orange Diocese includes 1.3 million Catholics, 58 parishes, five Catholic centers, and 36 schools. Every weekend, Christ Cathedral offers a total of 11 Masses in four languages — English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese.