The Supreme Court will consider whether the federal government must inspect and process asylum seekers rather than turn them away to wait in Mexico.
The court is set to hear arguments March 24 on whether migrants who present themselves at a U.S. port of entry but are stopped on the Mexican side of the border are legally considered to have “arrived in the United States” and therefore have the right to seek asylum.
The plaintiffs in Noem v. Al Otro Lado argue turning away asylum-seekers violates the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops agrees with them.
The USCCB wrote in an amicus curiae brief: “The turnback policy is not just a flawed piece of statutory interpretation but an historical aberration — one that, during the period it was enforced, left vulnerable asylum seekers stranded in encampments on the border while lawfully trying to seek asylum at a port of entry.”
Turning away asylum seekers meant they “suffered predation from gangs, malnutrition, and inadequate shelter, and some lost their lives. Blessing the government’s reading of the INA — and thereby opening the door to reinstatement of the turnback policy — would therefore be a moral disaster, not just a legal error,” the bishops wrote.
“It is unsurprising that care for refugees has been a cornerstone of the Church’s teachings since its founding: Catholics believe refugees reflect the image of Christ and deserve the utmost charity. Even a sovereign state’s power over its borders cannot abridge this fundamental duty of care — which, at the very minimum, requires that nations not put asylum seekers at even more risk of harm when they arrive at the border asking for relief,” the bishops wrote.
Asylum seekers, to qualify, must be present in the United States and must be fleeing imminent persecution based on religious, political, or racial discrimination, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Seeking asylum for economic reasons is not an acceptable criterion, DHS says.
Supporters of DHS’ position say that Section 208 of the INA states that asylum seekers must be in the United States, not at its border checkpoint, to apply.
‘In’ versus ‘at’
Immigration author and former immigration judge Andrew Arthur said the case centers on a preposition: “in” versus "at.” He said the “literalist Supreme Court” is likely to issue a unanimous decision on the case, because the language, specifically the use of the preposition “in,” disallows asylum seekers to be processed on the other side of the border, because they are not “in” the United States.
“The long-term ramifications of this case are going to affirm DHS’ authority and restrictions at the border,” Arthur said.
U.S. bishops’ special message on immigration approved at the 2025 Fall Plenary Assembly on Nov. 12 expressed the bishops’ opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”
“Human dignity and national security are not in conflict,” the bishops said.
The bishops’ message also addressed their concerns over the conditions of detention centers and prayed “for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.”
Father Jakob Rolland could face imprisonment in Iceland for defending Catholic doctrine regarding homosexuality and for providing support to individuals with the inclination who seek spiritual guidance within the Church.
The French-born priest, chancellor of the Diocese of Reykjavík, strongly maintained that his duty is to defend the truth and “fight for the Lord.” In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, he said his aim is to awaken citizens to what he characterizes as an “LGBT dictatorship” against which many are afraid to raise their voices.
The persecution begins
In early March, Rolland was invited to a radio program where the host asked him about the requirements necessary to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament. Specifically, she wanted to know whether homosexual individuals could receive Communion. The priest simply explained the Catholic Church’s doctrine on the matter.
“If a person has a tendency or inclination toward homosexuality, that’s not a sin. It becomes a sin when such an inclination is lived out in a sinful manner. First, one must undergo conversion, go to confession, and truly consider the possibility of changing one’s life and living in chastity in order to receive Communion,” he explained.
Rolland also noted that many people with same-sex attraction turn to the Church seeking help and that they “are in the process of changing their lives.”
“Of course, we are there to help people,” he added.
In response to questions from the host, the priest clarified that the Church does not speak of “conversion therapies” but rather of spiritual accompaniment. It was at that point that the controversy erupted.
Since 2023, Iceland’s penal code has stipulated that anyone who attempts to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation may face prison sentences of up to three years.
Following the broadcast of the interview, LGBT groups across the country launched a vigorous campaign demanding that the priest be sanctioned. The case has garnered media attention and was even brought up for parliamentary debate.
The Samtökin ’78 National Queer Organization of Iceland is leading the campaign against Rolland. According to its arguments, even if the measures the priest alluded to do not constitute “conversion therapy,” the law would also prohibit providing support or assistance to homosexual individuals seeking spiritual guidance within the Church.
Socialist member of Parliament Sigmundur Rúnarsson denounced the priest’s remarks before Parliament, emphasizing that Icelandic society “has nothing to do with the Catholic Church.”
The Ministry of Justice came to the priest’s defense, arguing that “never in Iceland’s history has an accusation been leveled against an individual in Parliament, an institution whose mandate is to enact laws.”
The priest maintains that from a legal standpoint, “there are no grounds for arrest.”
A duty to speak the truth
In Iceland, between 8% and 10% of the population identifies as Catholic. “Most of the reactions to my statements have been positive; there are even people who have written to me because they wish to draw closer to the Church,” noted the priest, 70, who maintains that he does not fear a potential prison sentence for his words: “I must fight for the Lord,” he emphasized.
“If we don’t speak up, no one does. Everyone is afraid to do so even if they disagree due to the laws and prevailing mindset here in Iceland; and because the country is so isolated, the outside world remains unaware of what is happening,” he said.
The priest also lamented that the Church no longer has a place in schools to teach catechism, whereas LGBT ideology, he pointed out, is being introduced into classrooms at ages as young as 5.
“I believe we have a duty to speak the truth and to protect children. That’s the great danger in Iceland: People are sleeping amidst a dictatorship. They don’t dare to speak out,” he lamented.
Rolland lamented that the prevailing mentality in the country “is destroying our youth,” though he remains hopeful seeing that every year, more young people turn to the Church and wish to receive baptism.
The priest said that his faith and the support he has received from Catholics and other religious groups in the country keeps him going, as well as his love for the people of Iceland, his adopted homeland for over four decades.
“I want to bring the Church and the message of Christ to them, so that they may draw closer to the Lord. It’s not easy, because this is a highly secularized country, but I see that it is yielding results,” he noted.
“I thought it was necessary to speak the truth. People are being pushed toward a wrongful lifestyle, and we must help them wake up. I have always been this way since childhood. I have fought for the faith, so I see no reason to stop now,” he stated.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
A majority of peers in the U.K.’s House of Lords voted late Wednesday to decriminalize women who terminate their own pregnancies. An amendment was agreed to in a clause in the Crime and Policing Bill.
The clause does not change the 24-week abortion limit but aims to remove criminal liability for women who end their own pregnancies at home.
The move comes after more than 100 women were prosecuted under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act in recent years, which campaigners argue is outdated and harmful.
Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool said he was “deeply distressed,” saying “this move is likely to lead to more late-term abortions putting pregnant women and their babies at risk. Many women could likely also face even greater risks of isolation, coercion, and pressure.”
He added: “I also recognize the many organizations who accompany women with practical support when faced with an unexpected pregnancy. The genuine hope they provide is now more urgent than ever. As we prepare to face this challenge, I encourage the faithful to support them in practical ways, including through prayer.”
Baroness Rosa Monckton, MBE (member of the Order of the British Empire), tabled the amendment in the House of Lords, which aimed to overturn support for a previous amendment in the Commons, telling peers it had been “added to the bill after less than an hour of debate by MPs [members of Parliament], and without the necessary scrutiny required for an issue of such seriousness.”
Her amendment was rejected by 185 votes to 148.
She told EWTN News: “I am profoundly sad but not surprised. Much emphasis is put on the vulnerability of the mother [but] almost none on the vulnerability of the unborn infant who has no voice. I will fight on.”
Previously, if a woman was arrested for having an abortion after the 24-week limit, even when no charges had been brought, the arrest might still show up in an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, because abortion offenses are classed as violent crimes.
Archbishop John Wilson of the Southwark Diocese said: “This is a truly tragic moment for our nation. How can this frightening legislation, which, following royal assent [the approval of the monarch], will permit the abortion of children right up until the moment of birth for any reason, have any place in a civilized society?”
“We can never underestimate the challenges [of] women and men facing difficult decisions,” he continued. “There is, however, another life involved which is now to be ignored and silenced.”
Wilson added: “There are also serious concerns for the safety of women. While there is an even more difficult journey now to protect the unborn child, we must continue to speak up for the voiceless and work to protect the most vulnerable who are no longer protected by the law.”
Louise McCudden, head of external affairs at MSI Reproductive Choices UK, said it would be “a huge relief to the women who have faced traumatic investigations as well as those still living with the anxiety and uncertainty created by the current law.”
Peers also rejected a bid to move back to compulsory in-person consultations by 191 votes to 119, which would have reinstated a requirement for pregnant women to have an in-person consultation.
It is currently legal for a woman less than nine weeks and six days pregnant to take prescribed medication to terminate a pregnancy.
The change was made permanent in 2022 after being introduced as a temporary measure during COVID-19 in 2020 to allow women to have medical abortions at home following a virtual consultation.
Sarah Mullally, archbishop of Canterbury, said in the debate: “The Church of England’s view on abortion is one of principled opposition, recognizing that there can be limited conditions under which abortion may be preferable to any available alternatives.”
“The infinite value of human life is a fundamental Christian principle that underpins much of our legal system and has shaped existing laws on abortion.”
She continued: “We therefore need to recognize that women confronted with the very complex and difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy deserve our utmost understanding, care, and practical support as they face what is often a heart-wrenching decision.”
The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said this week that “the manipulation of God’s name to justify this and any other war is the gravest sin we can commit in this time.”
The cardinal was commenting in response to the words of U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who quoted Psalm 144 during a press briefing on March 10 to invoke a divine blessing on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, according to Vatican News.
The prelate made his remarks during a March 15 webinar organized by the International Oasis Foundation and the Milan Cultural Center at a time when the Middle East is once again in turmoil due to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
In his remarks during the event, titled “War Devours the Middle East and Its Peoples,” the prelate emphasized that “there are no new crusades, and God has nothing to do with any of this.”
“If God is present in this war, he is among those who are dying, who are suffering,” he stated.
Pizzaballa addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, where “medicines are scarce — even basic antibiotics. People are literally living in sewers and tents. Almost all the schools have been destroyed.”
“Fifty-three percent of the [Gaza] Strip where more than 2 million displaced persons live is under direct Israeli control; 47% — where the majority of Palestinians reside — is under Hamas control. Eighty percent of the Strip has been destroyed, and reconstruction has not even begun,” he stated.
He also noted that the border crossings are virtually closed. Regarding the Board of Peace initiative promoted by President Donald Trump, the cardinal said: “It’s not yet operational, and we don’t know if it ever will be. Nor have I yet understood what it intends to do.”
During his remarks, the cardinal noted that the situation in the Gaza Strip is also at a standstill because Hamas refuses to hand over its weapons until Israel withdraws, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government refuses to withdraw until the Islamist movement disarms.
Regarding the West Bank, he decried that “there are attacks by settlers against Palestinians — including Christians — almost daily.”
Furthermore, he said there are Israeli legislative initiatives to re-register land to the detriment of the Palestinian population, and traveling to the area has become more difficult.
More than 200 Christian teachers living in the West Bank city of Bethlehem are no longer able to reach the 15 Christian schools in Jerusalem.
“We are always under constant tension,” the cardinal added, “and the situation remains very complicated for all of us.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Here’s a roundup of the latest Catholic education news in the U.S.:
Notre Dame announces tuition assistance plan
The University of Notre Dame announced it will cover the full tuition cost for students from families with an annual income below $150,000.
“With this announcement, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to ensuring that cost will never be a barrier between a promising student and a Notre Dame education, and we are ensuring that families have greater clarity as they consider this important and formative step for young scholars,” Micki Kidder, Notre Dame vice president for undergraduate enrollment, said in the March 18 announcement.
The move comes as “a bold expansion” of its Pathways to Notre Dame Initiative, launched by Notre Dame President Father Robert A. Dowd, CSC, in September 2024.
Families who make under $60,000 per year will also receive need-based financial aid covering tuition, fees, housing, and food, while families who make under $200,000 can receive need-based aid that covers half of the cost of tuition, as part of the program’s expansion.
“Navigating the financial aid process can often feel like the most daunting part of the college selection journey,” Kidder said. “By implementing income-based scholarship thresholds, we are providing the clarity families need to see that a world-class education is within their reach.”
Belmont Abbey College launches leadership and policy semester at D.C. campus
Belmont Abbey College announced a program that will allow its students to study for a semester at its campus in Washington, D.C.
“Open to college sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the American Semester Experience allows students to immerse themselves in specialized coursework on Catholic social teaching while completing full-time internships with congressional offices, federal agencies, and policy organizations,” the college said in a March 16 press release.
The program will be housed at Belmont House, the college’s formation center on Capitol Hill.
“The Belmont House exemplifies our mission as a Catholic Benedictine college, which is to order the hearts and minds of students to Christ as they serve in the world as competent professionals,” Belmont Abbey President Jeffrey Talley said. “In a city where decisions shape the lives of millions, our students learn to act with conscience, courage, and conviction.”
New York Archdiocese announces school closures as part of ‘School Renewal Plan’
Three schools will be shut down at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, the Superintendent of Schools Office for the Archdiocese of New York said in a March 16 press release.
“These decisions were made after extensive reflection, study, and prayer, as we face significant challenges that make it impossible to continue our mission at these locations,” Sister Mary Grace Walsh said in the press release. “It is our hope that all students will continue their Catholic school education in one of our other Catholic schools.”
Incarnation School in Manhattan, Sacred Heart School in Hartsdale, and Most Precious Blood School in Walden will close, while St. Paul School in Valley Cottage will be consolidated with St. Anthony School in Nanuet.
Transfiguration School in Manhattan will also consolidate from three locations to two.
The move comes as a part of the archdiocese’s School Renewal Plan, “a faith-filled initiative aimed at sustaining and strengthening Catholic education across the archdiocese.”
An annual Mass in the nation’s largest Catholic diocese honoring legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez will not take place this year after a bombshell report alleged that the activist sexually abused multiple girls at the height of his popularity decades ago.
The explosive allegations came on March 18 in an investigation by the New York Times, one that alleged that Chavez abused multiple young girls in a “pattern” of sexual misconduct for years.
The revelations sent numerous organizations scrambling to distance themselves from Chavez, who has loomed large in U.S. politics for decades, including being honored by President Joe Biden with a bust in the Oval Office during his administration.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles said it would not be holding its regular Mass this year honoring Chavez’s legacy. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels has held an annual Mass in March to acknowledge the advocate’s “commitment to the struggle for justice and dignity for all workers,” but an archdiocesan spokeswoman said the Mass would not take place in at least 2026.
“The Chavez family informed the archdiocese that they had decided not to move forward with having a Mass this year,” the spokeswoman told EWTN News.
The United Farm Workers of America, a labor union founded in part by Chavez, said ahead of the Times’ report that the allegations were “deeply troubling.” The group said it would “not be taking part in any Cesar Chavez Day activities” amid the controversy.
Cesar Chavez Day is normally observed in the United States on March 31, the activist’s birthday. It was first recognized by then-President Barack Obama in 2014.
Internal emails reviewed by the Times said that union leaders have been aware “for years” of allegations of misconduct regarding Chavez, while women he allegedly abused were reportedly discouraged from publicly revealing the allegations.
Openly Catholic during his life and labor efforts — including by regular Mass attendance — Chavez has been celebrated by Catholics for decades for seeking to apply the social teachings of the Church while advocating for better labor conditions for workers.
Chavez has drawn praise from U.S. Catholic leaders in the past. The California Catholic bishops in 2012 hailed the construction of a national monument to the labor advocate, noting that he was “profoundly influenced by Catholic social justice teaching.”
He “strived to be a good disciple of the Lord Jesus by bringing the kingdom of God to the vineyards, fields, and groves of America,” the bishops said at the time.
On its website, meanwhile, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a resource for educators referred to Chavez as a “champion” of “life and dignity” alongside others such as Dorothy Day and St. Oscar Romero.
U.S. bishops spokesperson Chieko Noguchi told EWTN News that the abuse allegations were “distressing” and that the bishops were “in the process of reviewing our website to identify references to [Chavez] for the purpose of removing them.”
“If the references to Chavez are part of historical archives, we cannot erase them, but the Catholic Church is committed to addressing the sin of sexual abuse,” she said.
“No matter where the abuse took place, the Catholic Church is committed to keeping children safe, and accompanying survivors of abuse in their healing.”
Day herself in 1966 hailed Chavez for his labor activities and urged readers to support his advocacy.
Chavez’s activism on behalf of the plight of laborers, Day wrote at the time, is “a result of living for a lifetime with these problems, and the sense that God plays a hand in these events.”
This story was updated at 6:50 p.m. ET on March 19, 2026 with a statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
WASHINGTON — Commentator Michael Knowles believes that the U.S. Constitution may be more closely aligned with Catholic political philosophy than commonly recognized, suggesting the nation’s founding echoes ideas laid out centuries earlier.
Speaking as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Knowles on March 19 tied the American system to Aquinas’ concept of the “mixed regime,” which combines elements of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy — a framework that, he noted, is mirrored in the Constitution’s balance of executive, legislative, and judicial powers.
The remarks came during a March 19 fireside chat at The Heritage Foundation, where Knowles appeared alongside Jay W. Richards, the foundation’s William E. Simon senior research fellow in American principles and public policy, for a conference titled “Catholicism and the American Founding.” The event explored the philosophical and religious influences behind the American experiment, highlighting how ideas from classical and Catholic thinkers helped shape the founders’ vision.
“The government that they established,” Knowles said, “is very closely in accord with the ideal regime laid out by St. Thomas Aquinas.” He pointed to the Constitution’s combination of a strong executive, a deliberative Senate, and a more directly representative House as reflecting the “kingly, aristocratic, and democratic” aspect of Aquinas’ model.
Although the founders were largely Protestant and influenced by Enlightenment thought, Knowles emphasized that their ideas were part of a broader intellectual tradition that included Catholic thinkers.
“It’s not that Madison and Jefferson were reading Thomas Aquinas,” he said. “But they were reading him two degrees removed.” He traced that influence through figures such as Francisco Suárez and Robert Bellarmine, whose work shaped Protestant theorists and ultimately informed the American founding generation.
Knowles also highlighted the language of the Declaration of Independence, particularly its appeal to “the laws of nature and of nature’s God,” as evidence of a moral and philosophical tradition extending beyond purely secular Enlightenment reasoning.
“There is something delightful in Providence,” he said, “that this country, founded by a bunch of ardent Calvinists, would end up so beautifully resembling the regime of the common doctor [St. Thomas Aquinas] of the Catholic Church.”
Prayer breakfast speaker
Earlier the same day, Knowles — who is Catholic and host of “The Michael Knowles Show” at The Daily Wire — spoke at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, noting the continued influence of Catholicism in the United States.
“Catholics today make up a little over 20% of the U.S. population,” he cited, “but we make up 28% of congressmen, 38% of governors, and at least two-thirds of the Supreme Court … Not only is the sitting vice president Catholic, but every presently viable candidate for president in 2028 of both parties is a baptized Catholic.”
“Not only can a Catholic become president,” he added, “but an American can even be a pope.”
Only a “firm faith in Providence” could have permitted this, he said.
During the Heritage discussion, Knowles reflected briefly on his own return to the faith after falling away as a teenager.
“I noticed the smartest people believe in God,” he said, recalling his time at Yale and the influence of philosophical arguments and Christian writers such as C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton, who ultimately converted to Catholicism.
That experience, he suggested, parallels a broader renewed interest in objective truth and natural law, particularly among younger Americans. “There is a real desire to return to something like objective reality,” he said.
The conversation also touched on the role of religion in public life. Knowles rejected the idea of a formal theocracy but argued that some shared moral framework is unavoidable. “We do have established religion in the country,” he said, noting that cultural norms and public expectations function in practice like a civic creed.
Heritage panelists weigh in
Following the fireside chat, a panel of Catholic scholars — including Elizabeth Edwards Spalding of Pepperdine University, Matthew Mehan of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College, and Carson Holloway of the University of Nebraska at Omaha — led by Brenda Hafera of The Heritage Foundation, examined these themes in more detail, particularly the influence of natural law on the American founding.
Mehan described natural law as rooted in “the rule of right reason,” drawing on Aristotle, Cicero, and Aquinas before shaping modern political thought. Spalding highlighted Jefferson’s acknowledgment of a broad intellectual tradition in the Declaration, noting references to both ancient and modern sources.
From left to right: Carson Holloway, Matthew Mehan, Elizabeth Edwards Spalding, and Brenda Hafera take part in a panel sponsored by the Heritage Foundation on March 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Heritage Foundation/Screenshot
Panelists debated whether the American founding is compatible with Catholic political thought.
Holloway acknowledged that the United States may not embody the “best regime” in a classical sense but emphasized it as “a regime for which we can be grateful” — one “worth preserving and worth understanding,” especially as it enables the free practice and proclamation of faith.
Spalding stressed that early Americans distinguished between liberty and license, linking freedom to moral responsibility and the common good.
Several speakers also noted that concepts like natural rights predate the Enlightenment, emerging over centuries in classical and theological traditions. “Natural rights are very old … they’re not a creature of the Enlightenment,” Spalding said.
For Knowles, interpreting the founding in this broader philosophical and religious context helps Americans today understand the nation’s enduring principles as it marks its 250th year.
“We can totally grant that these men were not endeavoring to establish a Catholic republic,” he said. “But … what they have done has created a meaning that is very much in line with the natural law tradition.”
The discussion at The Heritage Foundation, Knowles suggested, is not just about historical interpretation but also about how the founding principles might inform contemporary civic life.
“Catholics in America are an improbable community because this country was founded by people who did not take kindly to them,” he told the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News. “And yet, paradoxically, Catholics have thrived in America and contributed to America perhaps more distinctly than any other group.”
“This would have shocked many of our forefathers,” he added. “But our most insightful ancestors saw it coming because America, despite her outward appearance, has a profoundly Catholic character.”
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Amid deepening political uncertainty and widespread gang violence, a Camillian missionary in Haiti said the country’s upcoming elections offer a fragile hope for renewal, even as the path toward them remains “very vague and very uncertain.”
Father Massimo Miraglio, parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the remote village of Pourcine Pic Makaya, told Vatican news agency Fides that despite the chaos, a resilient faith community continues to place the Lord at the center of its life and strives for a more dignified future.
The last presidential elections in Haiti were held in 2016 and were deeply controversial, with widespread allegations of fraud and extremely low voter turnout. Businessman Jovenel Moïse was declared the winner and took office in February 2017, serving until his assassination in July 2021.
Since then, Haiti has spiraled into political chaos and violence — particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs operate unchecked and control a large portion of the territory.
The elections scheduled for later this year will determine the new president, fill every seat in the Senate and the lower House, and elect all local and municipal officials.
“The year 2026 is likely to be a turning point for Haiti, with elections planned … and the inauguration of the new president and Parliament in February 2027. But everything is still very vague and very, very uncertain,” Miraglio said.
In late February, Bishop Pierre-André Dumas, vice president of the Haitian Bishops’ Conference, said that these elections would be neither “transparent” nor “democratic” due to the economic and political problems facing the Caribbean nation.
Miraglio shares this view, noting that the country’s economic situation is “dire,” as inflation and the cost of living are “extremely high.” The country’s supply chain faces severe challenges due to the “complicated” and “arduous” routes involved in transporting goods.
“Everything that does arrive comes at a shocking cost in a country at a standstill, where there are no jobs, and where people struggle daily to scrape together the bare necessities. People live from day to day, and hope is gradually fading, as no significant changes are in sight to halt this terrible decline into which the country has plunged,” he said.
“There is a frightening institutional vacuum that has led to this situation,” he continued, “a truly tragic development in which millions of people are suffering and forced to live in the shadows in total fear because gangs continue to control the capital.”
Nevertheless, the priest highlighted the importance of religious celebrations in uplifting his community and fostering communion: “These are moments when we share what is most important: faith in God, a generous God who loves us and gives us hope and strength to face life’s challenge,” he said.
“The goal is to create a Christian community filled with the Holy Spirit, a community that strives to live the values of the Gospel daily; a community that places the Lord at the center of its life and seeks a dignified life in which everyone has what is necessary for their own well-being,” the missionary said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
On March 12, 2025, Papua New Guinea’s Parliament passed a constitutional amendment by an 80-4 vote formally declaring the country a Christian nation. Led by Prime Minister James Marape, the amendment revised the constitution’s preamble to explicitly acknowledge the Trinity and recognize the Bible as a national symbol.
The updated text states: “We acknowledge and declare God, the Father; Jesus Christ, the Son; and Holy Spirit, as our Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe and the source of our powers and authorities, delegated to the people and all persons within the geographical jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea.”
One year later, Catholic bishops say the amendment has so far had little practical effect on Church life, while raising longer-term questions about religious freedom and Church-state relations.
Limited practical impact so far
Bishop Donald F. Lippert, OFM Cap, of the Diocese of Mendi told EWTN News that the Catholic Church continues its core mission regardless of constitutional language, focusing on “making our people and hence the country more ‘Christian’” through pastoral ministry and its extensive work in education, health care, and social services.
Bishop Donald Lippert of Mendi in Papua New Guinea. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Mendi
The Pittsburgh-born bishop said concerns raised at the time of the amendment’s passage sparked debate within Papua New Guinea’s Christian communities about whether the change was necessary, given that the constitution already referenced Christian principles. Some also expressed concern that the amendment could, over time, allow the state to take a more active role in religious affairs or complicate protections for religious liberty.
So far, Lippert said, he has not observed concrete changes affecting parish life in his diocese. He suggested the amendment has functioned more as a symbolic affirmation than as a practical guide for governance.
He also said the Church must continue engaging public authorities prudently while maintaining its prophetic voice on pressing social issues, including violence linked to sorcery accusations, tribal conflict, and child protection.
Questions over alignment between constitutional change and public policy
Since taking office in 2019, Marape has framed his leadership around the vision of “Taking Back PNG: Making PNG the Richest Black Christian Nation in the World.”
Yet observers say recent government actions sit uneasily alongside that pledge. They point to the removal of blanket tax exemptions for churches, a move widely seen as an effort to expand state revenue by taxing religious institutions, highlighting that government priorities can be shaped more by fiscal and political concerns than by constitutional religious language.
The ambition to become the “richest” nation appears to take precedence over the commitment to remain a “Christian” one, with fiscal policy treating churches less as partners in nation building and more as a taxable base, despite their central role in providing education, health care, and social services across the country.
Additionally, some have expressed concern that leadership positions across the legislature, executive, and judiciary, as well as within the national public service, are disproportionately held by members of the Seventh-day Adventist faith, raising questions about denominational balance and the perception of neutrality in public institutions, particularly in the context of the 2025 constitutional amendment.
Catholic leaders warn of long-term risks to religious freedom
Bishop Rozario Menezes, SMM, of the Diocese of Lae told EWTN News the Catholic Church opposed the amendment not because it rejects Papua New Guinea’s Christian identity but because it judged the change “unnecessary and problematic.”
He explained that the Church has “always proclaimed Christ and served the spiritual and social development of our country since before independence” and argued that the constitution already provided “a strong moral and Christian foundation.”
“There was no constitutional vacuum that required such an amendment,” he said.
Catholics from Hela Province prepare to perform a traditional dance for Pope Francis in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on Sept. 7, 2024. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Menezes warned that the amendment could create long-term risks even if it has not yet produced visible disruptions. He said it could “risk contradicting the rights and freedoms enshrined in the constitution,” including “freedom of conscience, thought, religion, and assembly,” and could allow future governments to “enact laws or regulations that may adversely affect minority faith communities or citizens of no religious affiliation.”
While noting that “at present, there has not been significant visible disruption to the practices of different faith communities,” he said concerns remain that future governments could “by decree or regulation, interfere in religious practice,” particularly if religious life becomes subject to political interpretation.
Concerns over Church-state balance and institutional autonomy
Menezes also pointed to earlier state actions that, in his view, demonstrate how religious symbolism can become entangled with politics. These include the installation of the King James Version Bible in Parliament, which he noted “is not a Catholic translation,” and what he described as a “legally and theologically problematic” covenant language behind a 2017 National Day of Repentance government campaign.
He said the amendment appears to have been promoted by pastors linked to a Protestant movement known as the Body of Christ, which the Catholic Church is not part of. At the same time, he said the government remains aware of the Catholic Church’s significant contributions in education, health care, and public life, and engagement between Church and state remains cautious and measured.
Although no overt restrictions have emerged, Menezes conveyed that Church leaders are watching for subtler institutional effects. He pointed to cases in which appointments of teachers and principals to Catholic agency schools occurred “without meaningful consultation,” raising broader questions about “partnership, respect, and justice” in Church-state relations.
Such developments, he suggested, test the practical health of Church-state relations in a country that has historically maintained social harmony through mutual respect rather than coercion.
The number of Catholics in Germany shrank by more than half a million in 2025, leaving just 19.22 million Catholics in the country, according to the latest Church statistics released Monday by the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK).
The figure represents a decline from the previous year’s total of roughly 19.77 million, meaning Catholics now make up 23% of the total German population. Only 6.8% of those Catholics practice their faith by regularly attending Sunday Mass — less than 2% of the country’s overall population.
The share of practicing Catholics rose from 6.6% to 6.8%, but a closer look reveals that fewer people actually attended Mass in 2025 than the year before: 1.304 million compared with 1.306 million. The percentage increase is a statistical effect of the sharp drop in the total number of Catholics.
Six dioceses now have a double-digit percentage of Massgoers, up from five the previous year: Dresden-Meissen, Eichstätt, Erfurt, Görlitz, Magdeburg, and Regensburg. Four of the six are East German diaspora dioceses, and two are in Bavaria.
While the number of confirmations and first Communions remained stable between 2024 and 2025, only about 109,000 people were baptized — a decrease of more than 7,000 baptisms.
The number of readmissions and new entries into the Church increased slightly, though still fewer than 750 people in each category.
At the same time, formal departures from the Church — a legal process in Germany that exempts individuals from the country’s church tax — fell from over 321,000 to around 307,000, continuing a downward trend in recent years.
Bishop Wilmer’s response
Bishop Heiner Wilmer, SCJ, of Hildesheim, chairman of the DBK, commented on the latest figures.
“I am grateful for the committed work of the full-time staff in our Church and also for the quality of pastoral care,” Wilmer said. “It is a welcome sign that Mass attendance is once again slightly increasing. And I see it as a positive sign that the numbers for first Communion and confirmation have remained stable.”
Nevertheless, Wilmer said he regrets “the still high number of departures from the Church.”
“The motives are different, and yet I say — because we are a community of believers through baptism and confirmation — that every Church departure hurts us,” he said. “We are becoming fewer Christians in Germany, which does not stop us — with all the necessary measures that this entails — from giving witness to our faith with great personal commitment.”
Wilmer expressly addressed “a word of thanks to all volunteers in our Church.” They are “not captured by the statistics,” he said, but there are “around 600,000 who ensure that the Church with its diverse offerings is made possible in society in the first place.”
He added: “Despite all the upheavals, I encourage us not to bury our heads in the sand but to look forward and seek together — also in ecumenical solidarity — ways in which being Christian today can lead to greater acceptance in society.”
This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
