Former U.S. President Donald Trump is interviewed by EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo just prior to attending the annual Al Smith dinner in support of the charitable work of the Archdiocese of New York on Oct. 17, 2024. / Credit: The World Over with Raymond Arroyo/Scxreenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2024 / 09:55 am (CNA).

Former president Donald Trump said he will consider reimplementing a ban on taxpayer funding for abortion overseas as well as establishing religious exemptions for any government program that requires health insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization (IVF) during an Oct. 17 interview with EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo.

The former president was interviewed on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo” Thursday night ahead of the annual Al Smith dinner, organized by the Archdiocese of New York. During the interview, he made a direct appeal to Catholic voters, spoke fondly of the Church, and criticized his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, for not attending the dinner in person.

Arroyo asked Trump several questions about abortion and IVF, particularly whether the former president would reinstate the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits taxpayer funding for organizations that provide abortion overseas. The rule was first implemented during the Reagan administration and has been the policy of every Republican president since, including the prior Trump administration.

“We’re going to be giving that a very good, serious look,” Trump said without committing to reimplementing the policy.

Arroyo also pressed Trump for additional details on a plan he announced in August to impose a rule in which either the government or insurance companies pay for IVF. The Catholic Church opposes IVF because it separates procreation from the marital act and destroys millions of human embryonic lives. 

When asked whether he would support a religious exemption for those opposed to IVF, Trump said: “I haven’t been asked that, but it sounds to me like a pretty good idea.”

“It’s a very popular thing, but certainly if there’s a religious problem, I think people should go with that,” the 2024 Republican presidential nominee said. “[I] really think they should be able to do that. But we will look at that.”

Trump said religious liberty is “a stance that I’ve taken from the beginning and I’ll keep it.” He contrasted his approach with that of his opponent, saying: “I stand for really everything that you stand for and that the Church stands for. And she doesn’t. She’s a very different kind of a person. She’s a Marxist. Her father was a Marxist and still is a Marxist. And they are not big into religion.”

“I am totally in favor of religion and I also like the Catholic Church a lot,” he emphasized, while expressing confidence that he comes up the winner for voters who apply the "lesser of two evils" measure Pope Francis last month urged voters to apply to their choice in the U.S. election. 

Trump pointedly criticized Harris for not attending the Al Smith dinner, which both major party candidates have attended during presidential election years for nearly four decades, saying the event is “honoring the Catholic Church” and that he has “been a longtime supporter.”

“I’m surprised she’s not here,” Trump said. “I think she’s the first one in many, many in decades, actually, to miss it as a candidate. It [has] always been a tradition. So I’m happy only that the Catholics are going to vote for Trump now. But no, look, I have a special relationship with the Catholic Church, and I think it was very important to be here.”

Arroyo also inquired about Trump frequently playing “Ave Maria” at rallies and recently making social media posts honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel. The former president said those posts do not reflect a spiritual journey but that he simply thinks they are “very beautiful.” 

“It’s just beautiful to me,” Trump said. “I mean, I look at the whole thing, the words and the pictures. The pictures are so beautiful.”

Some recent polls show that Catholic voters are nearly evenly divided on the 2024 presidential election. According to a September Pew Research Center survey, about 52% of Catholics support Trump and 47% support Harris. A poll conducted by the National Catholic Reporter found that Catholics in the seven most tightly contested swing states preferred Trump 50% to Harris’ 45%.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is interviewed by EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo just prior to attending the annual Al Smith dinner in support of the charitable work of the Archdiocese of New York on Oct. 17, 2024. / Credit: The World Over with Raymond Arroyo/Scxreenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2024 / 09:55 am (CNA).

Former president Donald Trump said he will consider reimplementing a ban on taxpayer funding for abortion overseas as well as establishing religious exemptions for any government program that requires health insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization (IVF) during an Oct. 17 interview with EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo.

The former president was interviewed on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo” Thursday night ahead of the annual Al Smith dinner, organized by the Archdiocese of New York. During the interview, he made a direct appeal to Catholic voters, spoke fondly of the Church, and criticized his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, for not attending the dinner in person.

Arroyo asked Trump several questions about abortion and IVF, particularly whether the former president would reinstate the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits taxpayer funding for organizations that provide abortion overseas. The rule was first implemented during the Reagan administration and has been the policy of every Republican president since, including the prior Trump administration.

“We’re going to be giving that a very good, serious look,” Trump said without committing to reimplementing the policy.

Arroyo also pressed Trump for additional details on a plan he announced in August to impose a rule in which either the government or insurance companies pay for IVF. The Catholic Church opposes IVF because it separates procreation from the marital act and destroys millions of human embryonic lives. 

When asked whether he would support a religious exemption for those opposed to IVF, Trump said: “I haven’t been asked that, but it sounds to me like a pretty good idea.”

“It’s a very popular thing, but certainly if there’s a religious problem, I think people should go with that,” the 2024 Republican presidential nominee said. “[I] really think they should be able to do that. But we will look at that.”

Trump said religious liberty is “a stance that I’ve taken from the beginning and I’ll keep it.” He contrasted his approach with that of his opponent, saying: “I stand for really everything that you stand for and that the Church stands for. And she doesn’t. She’s a very different kind of a person. She’s a Marxist. Her father was a Marxist and still is a Marxist. And they are not big into religion.”

“I am totally in favor of religion and I also like the Catholic Church a lot,” he emphasized, while expressing confidence that he comes up the winner for voters who apply the "lesser of two evils" measure Pope Francis last month urged voters to apply to their choice in the U.S. election. 

Trump pointedly criticized Harris for not attending the Al Smith dinner, which both major party candidates have attended during presidential election years for nearly four decades, saying the event is “honoring the Catholic Church” and that he has “been a longtime supporter.”

“I’m surprised she’s not here,” Trump said. “I think she’s the first one in many, many in decades, actually, to miss it as a candidate. It [has] always been a tradition. So I’m happy only that the Catholics are going to vote for Trump now. But no, look, I have a special relationship with the Catholic Church, and I think it was very important to be here.”

Arroyo also inquired about Trump frequently playing “Ave Maria” at rallies and recently making social media posts honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel. The former president said those posts do not reflect a spiritual journey but that he simply thinks they are “very beautiful.” 

“It’s just beautiful to me,” Trump said. “I mean, I look at the whole thing, the words and the pictures. The pictures are so beautiful.”

Some recent polls show that Catholic voters are nearly evenly divided on the 2024 presidential election. According to a September Pew Research Center survey, about 52% of Catholics support Trump and 47% support Harris. A poll conducted by the National Catholic Reporter found that Catholics in the seven most tightly contested swing states preferred Trump 50% to Harris’ 45%.

Believers gather at the Namugongo Shrine for the Martyrs’ Day Pilgrimage on June 3, 2024, in Uganda. The Catholic population in Africa surpassed 272.4 million people in 2022 after seeing a rise of more than 7.3 million people — the largest increase of any continent, according to Vatican statistics released in October 2024. / Credit: ACI Africa

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 18, 2024 / 09:32 am (CNA).

The Catholic population in Europe fell by nearly half a million people in 2022 but continued to increase in every other part of the world, according to data released by the Vatican this week.

According to the Vatican numbers, released by the Holy See’s Fides News Agency, the Catholic population in Europe was just under 285.6 million people at the end of 2022. That is about 474,000 fewer Catholics than was reported in 2021.

The Catholic population decline coincided with a total population reduction on the continent, which recorded a net loss of 517,000 people living in Europe over the year.

Catholics still made up about 39.5% of Europe’s population in 2022, which is an 0.08% decline, according to the Vatican. The Catholic population decline in Europe has been a consistent phenomenon for several years.

In spite of the reduction in Europe, the global Catholic population is still on the rise. At the end of 2022, the Catholic population reached nearly 1.39 billion people thanks to an increase of more than 13.7 million Catholics.

The data showed that about 17.7% of the world’s population was Catholic, which was an increase of 0.03%.

The Catholic population in Africa surpassed 272.4 million people in 2022 after seeing a rise of more than 7.3 million people — the largest increase of any continent. About 19.7% of Africa was Catholic in 2022, which was an increase of 0.32% from the previous year — the largest increase in Catholic representation as a percentage of population.

North and South America recorded more than 666.2 million Catholics in 2022 following a rise of more than 5.9 million Catholics. The number of Catholics in Asia surpassed 154.24 million, which was an increase of about 889,000. There were nearly 11.11 million Catholics in Oceania after a rise of about 123,000.

Apart from Europe, Asia was the only region to see a decline in Catholics as a percentage of the total population, with a reduction of 0.02%.

Priest shortage worsens globally, nuns decline, deacons increase

The total number of Catholics priests in the world declined for the fifth straight year, but some regions are seeing an increase.

At the end of 2022, there were about 407,730 priests in the Catholic Church, which was a net decline of about 142 priests. Globally, this means there is one priest for every 15,682 Catholics.

The worst reduction of priests was in Europe, which dropped by 2,745. There was also a decrease of 164 priests in the Americas and a loss of 69 priests in Oceania.

However, an increase in 1,676 priests in Africa and 1,160 priests in Asia helped soften the blow of the overall decline in priests. 

Similarly, the number of major seminarians went down by more than 1,400 from 2021 to 2022. This includes a decrease of 921 in the Americas, 859 in Europe, and 375 in Asia. 

Africa saw the largest increase of 726 seminarians and Oceania had a small increase of 12 seminarians. The number of minor seminarians went down by 553.

The number of women religious fell slightly below 600,000 in 2022 with a total decline of 9,730. This was mostly led by a decrease of more than 7,000 in Europe and more than 1,350 in the Americas. 

There was also a decline of about 225 in Oceania. However, the number of women religious increased by more than 1,350 in Africa and by about 74 in Asia.

Alternatively, the number of permanent deacons increased globally by 974. This includes an increase of 267 in Europe, 15 in Asia, and one in Africa. The number declined by 308 in the Americas and one in Oceania.

The number of permanent diocesan deacons went up by 960, with an increase of 697 in the Americas, 255 in Europe, and nine in Asia, with a decrease of one in Oceania. The total number of religious permanent deacons increased overall globally by 14 to 615.

Vacated in 2021 when the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity order consolidated, the convent at St. Alphonsus Parish in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood now offers private rooms and shared common areas to teachers and ministry professionals, usually within their first five years of service. / Credit: St. Alphonsus Parish/Archdiocese of Seattle

Seattle, Wash., Oct 18, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

St. Alphonsus Parish in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood has converted its former convent into affordable living spaces for young educators, creating a model that blends community, spirituality, and mission-driven teaching amid soaring housing costs.

The convent was vacated in 2021 when its residents — sisters from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity — decided their mission was no longer being served in Seattle and relocated to Texas. The convent now offers private rooms and shared common areas to teachers and ministry professionals, usually within their first five years of service. Rent is set at approximately $900 per month, significantly below the city’s average.

“It’s attracting the right people,” said Nick Padrnos, the principal of St. Alphonsus School. “Before, I was posting on job sites like Indeed. Now we’re getting mission-driven teachers who desire to share their faith and are active members of the parish.”

“Having this housing means I have been able to grow as a teacher, build relationships, establish myself in my career — while setting myself up for financial success — and deepen my personal spiritual life,” teacher resident Paulina Thurmann said. “This community has been supportive, walking with me in difficult and celebratory times alike.”

Residents participate in weekly community dinners, rotate responsibilities, and engage in spiritual activities such as prayer and meditation. The convent includes a chapel with the presence of the Blessed Sacrament where Mass is held once a month.

“Activities like weekly dinners mean we can share in these joys and triumphs, understand one another, and offer advice as we navigate the difficult first years of teaching — not to mention share recipes,” Thurmann added. “Living in a space with not only a church next door but a convent chapel means we can routinely connect with God and bring to him our daily prayers.”

The program has attracted educators from both local and some out-of-state locations, including classroom teachers and campus ministers across schools in the archdiocese.

“Challenges? I don’t have enough job openings for the amount of interest — a good problem to have,” principal Padrnos noted.

Funding for the refurbishment came through collaboration with the Fulcrum Foundation, which provided a $30,000 grant. Now in its second school year with teachers residing at the former convent, the project not only offers affordable housing but also directs rental income back into the parish.

“Since the first project at St. Alphonsus has been successful, the program is expanding to other areas of the archdiocese,” archdiocesan spokesperson Helen McClenahan told CNA.

There is currently a similar arrangement at Seattle’s St. Catherine of Siena Parish, while St. Bernadette Parish further south in the city is planning to transform its unused convent into a dormitory for international students attending a local Catholic high school.

The painting St. Luke the Evangelist in Iglesia El Buen Pastor Church by Miguel Vaguer (1959). / Credit: Renata Sedmakova/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 18, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Luke the Evangelist on Oct. 18. 

Luke, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles as well as the Gospel that bears his name, likely incorporated the Blessed Virgin Mary’s testimony into his writings. He traveled throughout the Mediterranean region with St. Paul, serving as Paul’s personal physician. He is the patron saint of many things, including physicians, surgeons… and butchers. 

Why is Luke associated with butchers? An image commonly ascribed to him offers a clue — a winged ox.

Each of the four Gospel writers — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — has a special image associated with him. Matthew’s is a divine man, Mark’s a winged lion, and John’s an eagle.

A 2013 article by Dominican Father Bonaventure Chapman notes that the first ascription of animal symbols to the four evangelists seems to come from St. Ireneaus in his work “Against Heresies.” There, Ireneaus notes that Luke’s Gospel commences with Zacharias the priest offering a sacrifice to God — oxen were associated with Temple sacrifices in Judaism — and also features the parable of the prodigal son in which a fatted calf is slaughtered after the title son returns.

The ox, or calf, signifies the priestly and sacrificial character of Christ in St. Luke’s account, Chapman wrote. But there may also be a different reason for Luke’s association with oxen, he said.

Oxen are also strongly associated with yokes and work in teams of two — just like St. Luke and St. Paul did when they evangelized the Mediterranean.

“There is something utterly fitting about this ox-yoke symbolism for St. Luke, who was St. Paul’s traveling companion and ‘beloved physician,’” Chapman wrote.

“Being yoked to St. Paul must not have been easy, with all the shipwrecks and persecutions and whatnot, but St. Luke’s love of his dear friend is found in the careful account we have of St. Paul in the Acts of the Apostles. The ox might not be as noble as an eagle, as regal as a lion, or as splendid as an angel, but an ox is a symbol of love and a shared mission, St. Paul and St. Luke sowing and plowing the field of the Lord’s harvest.”

It’s worth noting that Luke is not the only saint who is said to be the patron of butchers — at least nine other saints also have this patronage. Though Luke does not seem to have been a butcher himself, his association with the ox makes for a fitting connection.

This article was first published on Oct. 17, 2022, and has been updated.

The Catholic bishops are backing a suit by Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and their supporters, in its lawsuit against the federal government. The lawsuit argues that the coalition’s freedom of religion was violated when the federal government announced its intention to sell formerly protected land in Arizona to a mining company. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Becket

CNA Staff, Oct 17, 2024 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

The U.S. bishops, the Knights of Columbus, and Catholic scholars are among the numerous advocates backing a Native American bid to save a centuries-old sacred site from commercial development. 

The federal government has for decades protected the site of Oak Flat in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest. The nearly seven-square-mile parcel has been viewed as a sacred site by Apaches and other Native American groups for hundreds of years and has been used extensively for religious rituals. 

Despite having protected the land from development for years, the federal government several years ago moved to transfer Oak Flat to the mining company Resolution Copper. The group’s proposed mining operations would largely obliterate the site. 

A coalition of Native American groups known as Apache Stronghold has filed a challenge to the decision, arguing that it violates both the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and an 1852 treaty protecting Apache territory. The religious liberty law group Becket is representing the group in the case.

Two lower courts have opted to allow the transfer to continue. This week the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) joined an amicus brief with the Christian Legal Society and the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, arguing that those decisions stem from “a grave misunderstanding of RFRA that fails to apply its protections in evaluating that destruction.”

The transfer of the land “jeopardizes Native American religious practice and religious liberty more broadly,” the groups argue.

RFRA states that the government “shall not substantially burden” an individual’s religion, a standard the amici said “should include government action that considerably hinders, oppresses, or prevents religious exercise — including with respect to an individual’s adherence to his religious belief.”

The lower court interpretations “made [RFRA] a dead letter when applied to obliteration of an Indigenous sacred site on federal land,” the filing says.

“Beyond that catastrophic harm, this approach defies the statutory text, misreads precedent, and would produce other unjust results,” it says.

The Knights of Columbus similarly filed a brief in support of the Apaches, arguing that the decision to allow the property to be mined “reads into RFRA an atextual constraint with no grounding in the statute itself.”

The decision is devastating not just to the Apaches but to “the myriad religious adherents of all faiths and backgrounds who use federal lands every day for their religious exercise,” they said. 

Religious believers would be “subject to arbitrary government interference if RFRA’s long-standing protections are suddenly declared to be inapplicable,” the Knights said.

Another amicus brief in support of the Apache tribes was backed by the University of Notre Dame’s Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic.

Religious liberty scholars from the Notre Dame Law School, Seton Hall University, and the University of St. Thomas School of Law also filed a brief backing the Native Americans. Numerous other religious groups also filed amicus briefs.

Apache Stronghold founder Wendsler Nosie said the “strong showing of support from a diversity of faiths — Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, and more — demonstrates that the threat to religious freedom at Oak Flat is a threat to religious freedom everywhere.”

“We pray that the justices take our case and ensure that our religious practices receive the same respect that all other faith traditions enjoy,” he said. 

Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, meanwhile, said the Supreme Court “should uphold its strong record of defending religious freedom by ensuring that the Apaches can continue worshipping at Oak Flat as they have for centuries.”

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.”