St. Mary's Church

CNA Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Over 60 Catholic military chaplains and other priests who serve the U.S. military gathered in San Diego this month for a convocation focused on pastoral issues related to gender and deliverance ministry, according to a news release from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. 

The event, part of a series organized by Military Services Archbishop Timothy Broglio, marks the beginning of a broader initiative to address contemporary challenges faced by chaplains serving some 1.8 million Catholics across 220 military installations worldwide.

The San Diego convocation is the first of four scheduled gatherings, with Broglio planning additional sessions in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 1–5; San Antonio from Sept. 15–19; and Rome from Oct. 13–17.

Broglio, who will direct all four meetings, regularly hosts the same five-day gatherings at different locations in order to make it “more affordable and convenient for the more than 200 priests on active duty worldwide, as well as those serving the military as civilians, to attend one nearest them.” 

The archdiocese highlighted the gatherings as opportunities for liturgical celebrations, prayer, reflection, dialogue, and expert-led presentations, with this year’s theme centered on “Military Chaplaincy and Contemporary Pastoral Issues in Gender and Deliverance Ministry.”

Broglio emphasized the importance of these gatherings, saying: “Together we learn to grow in the ministry of caring for the men and women in uniform and their families. These privileged moments of the convocations allow me time to spend with the priests who serve the faithful of the [archdiocese], to hear their concerns, and to draw near to the Lord together in prayer.”

“In a special way this year, we are uniting ourselves to the prayers of Pope Leo for world peace,” Broglio said.

The convocations will feature input from notable figures, including Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and an exorcist from the Diocese of Syracuse, New York. He is the author of more than a dozen books including the 2021 bestseller “Diary of an American Exorcist: Demons, Possession, and the Modern-Day Battle Against Ancient Evil.”

Additionally, the Nesti Center for Faith and Culture at the University of St. Thomas in Houston will contribute through presentations by its director, Kevin Stuart, and research fellow Amy Hamilton, who will explore the intersection of faith and contemporary issues, including gender.

CNA Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).

Law enforcement on Wednesday said two children have been killed at a shooting during a Mass held at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, with the gunman reportedly taking his own life after the deadly attack.

Follow here for live updates.

Note: CNA has concluded this live blog. Please visit our main website for ongoing coverage and other Catholic news.

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, two U.S. bishops called on Catholics to remember the victims of the tragedy and to “renew our commitment to racial equity and justice in all sectors of public life.”

Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on African American Affairs, and Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph N. Perry, chairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, issued a joint statement on the occasion.

“As we mark the 20th anniversary of this tragedy, we remember those who were lost and displaced but also renew our commitment to racial equity and justice in every sector of public life,” the prelates stated.

A still open wound

Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, left more than 1,800 dead and forced thousands of families, mostly African American, to flee their homes.

The bishops emphasized that “the impacts of ongoing mental and physical injuries remain and today the cost of the injuries is borne unequally.”

In particular, they recalled the devastation in neighborhoods like the predominantly African American Ninth Ward, where residents were forced to take refuge in attics and on rooftops to escape the floodwaters. There, they noted, not only human lives were lost but also “the loss of irreplaceable items handed down through generations such as photos, videos, diaries, genealogical records, documents, and other mementos.”

The role of the Catholic Church

In the face of a delayed and inadequate response from the federal government, the bishops highlighted the role of the Church.

“The powerful witness of the Catholic Church filled the gaps of an inadequate governmental response to the tragedy. It was people of faith, moved by their hearts, who assisted in resettlement efforts in new cities and supported rebuilding when people attempted to return home,” they stated.

They mentioned several of the Church’s actions in the aftermath of the devastation. Catholic Charities USA mobilized hundreds of volunteer teams to clean and rebuild thousands of homes, providing critical support to affected communities. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal allocated more than $3 million in immediate financial assistance to five dioceses. 

Additionally, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development provided $665,000 in grants to low-income communities across 11 dioceses. The Knights of Columbus contributed $2 million in relief assistance, further bolstering the Church’s response. Through the work of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, by Oct. 1, 2005, 95% of Catholic school students in the city were enrolled in Catholic schools in other parts of the country.

A present reality

The bishops pointed out that Hurricane Katrina revealed not only the fragility of cities in the face of natural disasters but also the reality of poverty and deep-rooted racial inequalities in the United States.

They urged the faithful to reflect on the words of Pope Leo XIV: “In our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of the other, and an economic system that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest.”

Finally, they called on the Church to be a sign of hope amid inequalities: “As Church, let us be a lifeboat in the floodwaters of injustice.”

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

León XIV ha recordado la enseñanza que supone para los cristianos “la vida y el testimonio” de San Agustín en el día en que la Iglesia Católica celebra su memoria obligatoria.

CNA Staff, Aug 28, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).

Assisted suicide has become legal in a growing number of states since it was first adopted in 1997 in Oregon.

CNA has released three new interactive maps to show where each state in the U.S. stands on life issues — the protection of unborn life, the death penalty, and assisted suicide. The maps will be updated as new information on each issue becomes available.

Below is an analysis of the map that shows where each state stands on assisted suicide laws as of August 2025.

What is assisted suicide? 

Assisted suicide — sometimes also called physician-assisted suicide — is legal in 10 states as well as the District of Columbia. Assisted suicide is when a doctor or medical professional provides a patient with drugs to end his or her own life. Assisted suicide is not the same as euthanasia, which is the direct killing of a patient by a medical professional.

The term euthanasia includes voluntary euthanasia, a practice legal in some parts of the world when the patient requests to die; involuntary euthanasia is when a person is murdered against his or her wishes; and nonvoluntary euthanasia is when the person is not capable of giving consent.

Assisted suicide is legal in some U.S. states and around the world, while voluntary euthanasia is legal in a limited number of countries including Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal. In Belgium and the Netherlands, minors can be euthanized if they request it.

In Canada, patients with any serious illness, disease, or disability may be eligible for what is known as medical aid in dying (MAID), even when their condition is not terminal or fatal. In 2027 Canada plans to allow MAID for those with mental health conditions; Belgium, Luxembourg, and Colombia already allow for this.

While most U.S. states have laws against assisted suicide, a growing number of state legislatures have attempted to legalize it.

Where does your state stand on assisted suicide?

Alabama: In 2017, Alabama passed legislation making it a crime for health care workers to administer life-ending drugs, in addition to pre-1997 legislation banning assistance of suicides.

Alaska: Alaska failed to pass laws enabling assisted suicide in 2017. Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place.

Arizona: Arizona still has pre-1997 laws prohibiting assisted suicide in effect, but legislators have tried to legalize assisted suicide for years. A 2025 bill did not advance.

Arkansas: In 2019, Arkansas considered legalizing assisted suicide, but the bill did not go through. Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place.

California: In 2016, California legalized assisted suicide.

Colorado: In 2016, Colorado legalized assisted suicide via a proposition passed by voters.

Connecticut: Connecticut has repeatedly proposed legislation to legalize assisted suicide, but none has passed. Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place.

Delaware: In 2025, Delaware legalized assisted suicide.

Florida: Proposed bills to legalize assisted suicide in Florida have not advanced in recent years. Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place.

Georgia: In 2012, Georgia passed a law making assisted suicide a felony, renewing its legislation against assisted suicide.

Hawaii: In 2019, Hawaii legalized assisted suicide.

Idaho: In 2011, Idaho made assisted suicide a felony, renewing its legislation against assisted suicide.

Illinois: In 2025, a bill to legalize assisted suicide in Illinois stalled and will cross over to the 2026 session. Legislators have made efforts to pass pro-death legislation, but pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place.

Indiana: While various bills to legalize assisted suicide have been proposed in recent years, Indiana’s pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place.

Iowa: While various bills to legalize assisted suicide have been proposed in recent years, Iowa’s pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place.

Kansas: In 2011, Kansas passed a law criminalizing assisted suicide, renewing its legislation against assisted suicide.

Kentucky: While various bills to legalize assisted suicide have been proposed in recent years, Kentucky’s pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place.

Louisiana: Louisiana’s pre-1997 law against assisted suicide is still in place.

Maine: In 2019, Maine legalized assisted suicide.

Maryland: Maryland has yet to legalize assisted suicide, though legislators have made attempts to in recent years. The state has renewed its legislation against assisted suicide since 1997, the year Oregon legalized assisted suicide.

Massachusetts: In 2022, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that there is no right to assisted suicide in the commonwealth.

Michigan: Michigan has renewed its legislation against assisted suicide since 1997, the year Oregon legalized assisted suicide. Legislators, however, have pushed to legalize assisted suicide in recent years.

Minnesota: While various bills to legalize assisted suicide have been proposed in recent years, Minnesota’s pre-1997 law against assisted suicide is still in place.

Mississippi: Mississippi’s pre-1997 law against assisted suicide is still in place.

Missouri: While various bills to legalize assisted suicide have been proposed in recent years, Missouri’s pre-1997 law against assisted suicide is still in place.

Montana: Assisted suicide is a legal gray area in Montana. While legislators have not made assisted suicide legal, a 2009 Montana Supreme Court ruling said that a doctor can use patient consent in defense in a homicide case.

Nebraska: Assisting suicide is a felony in Nebraska.

Nevada: Nevada does not authorize assisted suicide. The governor recently vetoed a bill that would have legalized assisted suicide.

New Hampshire: Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place in New Hampshire. Legislators have pushed for assisted suicide legislation in recent years.

New Jersey: In 2019, New Jersey legalized assisted suicide.

New Mexico: New Mexico legalized assisted suicide in 2021.

New York: New York legislators approved an assisted suicide law that is awaiting signature by the New York governor.

North Carolina: North Carolina does not have a law legalizing assisted suicide.

North Dakota: Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place in North Dakota. Aiding a suicide is a felony in the state. Legislators have pushed to legalize assisted suicide in recent years.

Ohio: Assisting suicide is against Ohio law. Ohio added laws against assisting suicide in 2003 and 2017.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma has renewed its legislation against assisted suicide since 1997, the year Oregon legalized assisted suicide. Oklahoma code explicitly states that it does not condone assisted suicide.

Oregon: Oregon became the first state to implement assisted suicide legislation in 1997.

Pennsylvania: Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place in Pennsylvania. Legislators have attempted to legalize assisted suicide in recent years.

Rhode Island: Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place in Rhode Island. Assisting a suicide is a felony in the state.

South Carolina: South Carolina has renewed its legislation against assisted suicide since 1997, the year Oregon legalized assisted suicide. South Carolina has never officially considered legalizing assisted suicide and has declared in recent years that health care professionals who participate in assisted suicide may have their licenses revoked.

South Dakota: Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place in South Dakota. The state does not condone euthanasia, “mercy killing,” or assisted suicide.

Tennessee: Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place in Tennessee. Assisting suicide is a class D felony in the state.

Texas: Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place in Texas. Aiding someone in committing suicide is a felony in the state if it results in bodily harm or causes death.

Utah: Utah has renewed its legislation against assisted suicide since 1997, the year Oregon legalized assisted suicide. Legislators have attempted to legalize assisted suicide without success. The state amended its manslaughter statute to criminalize the prescription of medication intended to cause death.

Vermont: Vermont legalized assisted suicide in 2013.

Virginia: Virginia has renewed its legislation against assisted suicide since 1997, the year Oregon legalized assisted suicide. Virginia explicitly bans assisted suicide, and health care professionals who assist a suicide are subject to the suspension or removal of their licenses.

Washington: Washington state legalized assisted suicide in 2008.

West Virginia: West Virginia approved a constitutional amendment in November 2024 prohibiting medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing, becoming the first state to do so.

Wisconsin: Pre-1997 laws against assisted suicide are still in place in Wisconsin. State statutes currently define any case of assisting suicide as a Class H felony.

Wyoming: Wyoming law does not condone assisted suicide, though legislators have attempted to legalize assisted suicide in recent years.

Washington, D.C.: Washington, D.C., legalized assisted suicide in 2017.

Where does the Church stand on assisted suicide?

The Catholic Church condemns both assisted suicide and euthanasia, instead encouraging palliative care, which means supporting patients with pain management and care as the end of their lives approaches. Additionally, the Church advocates for a “special respect” for anyone with a disability or serious health condition (CCC, 2276). 

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder” and “gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and the respect due to the living God, his Creator” (CCC, 2324).

Any action or lack of action that intentionally “causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator” (CCC, 2277).

Catholic teaching also states that patients and doctors are not required to do everything possible to avoid death, but if a life has reached its natural conclusion and medical intervention would not be beneficial, the decision to “forego extraordinary or disproportionate means” to keep a dying person alive is not euthanasia, as St. John Paul II noted in Evangelium Vitae.

El gobernador demócrata Tim Walz y la legislatura estatal se negaron a actuar ante los repetidos llamados de los líderes católicos que buscaban el mismo nivel de protección que reciben las escuelas públicas.

La Oficina de Prensa de la Santa Sede ha publicado una serie de decisiones del Papa León XIV para consolidar la unidad en la Iglesia Siro-Malabar de la India

El Papa León XIV aceptó la renuncia de Mons. Luis Artemio Flores Calzada al gobierno pastoral de la Diócesis de Tepic, Nayarit (México), y nombró como su sucesor a Mons. Engelberto Polino Sánchez, hasta ahora Obispo Auxiliar de Guadalajara, Jalisco.

National Catholic Register, Aug 28, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

After a pair of out-of-state school shootings in 2022 and 2023 shocked the nation, Minnesota’s bishops implored state lawmakers to provide security funding for local nonpublic schools. 

Now, two years after their appeals went unheeded, tragedy has struck one of their own.

On the morning of Aug. 27, a gunman opened fire during an all-school Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, killing two students, aged 10 and 8; 14 other students and three adults were injured.

The tragedy comes after the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), the public policy voice of Minnesota’s six dioceses, made requests to state officials to extend funds for security upgrades and emergency-response training to nonpublic schools in both 2022 and 2023.

The appeals, which came after deadly school shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, argued that students at Catholic and other nonpublic schools should receive the same level of protection as their public-school peers.

“We need to ensure that all our schools have the resources to respond to and prevent these attacks from happening to our schools,” wrote Jason Adkins, MCC’s executive director, in an April 14, 2023, letter to Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who are both Democrats. The letter was also signed by Tim Benz, president of a Minnesota independent school organization.

If MCC’s request had been granted, Catholic schools like Annunciation would have been able to use state funds for enhancements like secure entries to facilities or even to hire school resource officers. 

But the Minnesota bishops’ appeals were rebuffed in both years, as related bills stalled in the state Legislature, resulting in no additional funding for nonpublic school security. Meanwhile, for the 2023 legislative session, Minnesota enjoyed a historic $17.6 billion surplus.

In the aftermath of the Annunciation school shooting, the issue will assuredly be revisited — including why lawmakers failed to act on the bishops’ request.

Responding to a request for comment, Walz’s office underscored that the governor “cares deeply about the safety of students” and has “signed into law millions in funding for school safety.” The National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, confirmed, however, that none of the previously signed funding bills applied to nonpublic school safety.

“We remain committed to working with anyone who is willing to work with us to stop gun violence and keep our students safe,” said the spokesman, noting that Walz meets with MCC on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Republican state Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, told the Register that the tragedy is prompting her to reflect on her “responsibility as an elected official.”

“There are no easy answers, but I know our children — our most precious assets — must be protected,” said Coleman, a Catholic. “Now is the time to make school security funding a priority.”

In his first public remarks following the shooting, Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis begged for prayers for those affected. He also called for an end to gun violence.

“Our community is rightfully outraged at such horrific acts of violence perpetrated against the vulnerable and innocent,” he wrote in a statement. “They are far too commonplace.”

Adkins declined to comment at this time.

Previous requests

The Minnesota bishops’ efforts to secure school security funding came after state lawmakers had passed “Safe Schools” legislation in 2019 that provided money for security enhancements to public schools but not to nonpublic ones.

In 2022, after a bill to expand the funding to nonpublic schools stalled, Minnesota’s bishops urged Walz to call a special session and pass an expansion to Safe Schools. The measure would have provided $44 per student for security costs, regardless of their school’s affiliation.

“Although no legislation can stop the manifestation of evil, this Safe Schools legislation is an important, commonsense first step to establishing an ongoing funding source for schools to increase security staff, enhance building security, and strengthen violence prevention programs and mental health initiatives,” Hebda wrote in a May 2022 letter.

The House version of the bill was supported by multiple members of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party, the Minnesota affiliate of the national Democratic Party, indicating bipartisan support. However, Walz did not call a special session to pass the legislation.

The following year, MCC implored Minnesota’s lawmakers to make nonpublic schools eligible recipients of a $50 million security grant program included in the state’s education finance bill. 

The 2023 letter cosigned by MCC described “the exclusion of one sector of schools” from security funding as “a discriminatory act against our students.”

An attack on any school, whether it is a public, nonpublic, charter or another school site, cannot be tolerated or allowed to happen in Minnesota,” the letter writers said.

Meeting, but no funding

According to comments Adkins made to The Daily Wire, Minnesota’s bishops had raised their concerns with Walz, a former public school teacher, in a meeting. 

“He communicated his belief that people should feel safe in their schools and places of worship,” Adkins said. “But the appropriation was not created.”

As governor, Walz exerts significant influence over the budget process, including by proposing the initial biennial budget legislators are tasked to work with.

The Daily Wire article suggested that Walz focused on other priorities that year, such as securing Minnesota’s status as a “trans sanctuary” state.

MCC’s support for nonpublic school security in 2022 and 2023 is part of a more comprehensive effort to reduce gun violence. The bishops have also supported “red flag” orders, which temporarily restrict firearm access to individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others, and expanded background checks.

The Minnesota bishops did not take a public stance on security funding for Catholic schools in 2024 or 2025. Instead, MCC’s Catholic school-related efforts in those years included opposing the exclusion of religious colleges from postsecondary enrollment programs and securing religious exemptions from new legislation that included “gender identity” as a protected class under state law.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

El Arzobispo de Santiago de Compostela, Mons. Francisco José Prieto invitó al Papa León XIV a los actos del próximo Año Santo Compostelano, que se celebrará en 2027.