St. Mary's Church

La Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos validó una ley que exige que la popular red social TikTok sea vendida o prohibida en el país. ¿Qué significa esta decisión y qué impacto puede tener en los evangelizadores católicos que usan esa red social?

El Arzobispo de Santa Fe (Argentina) decretó el inicio de la Causa de Canonización de la Sierva de Dios Hermana Cecilia María de la Santa Faz, religiosa carmelita recordada por haber conservado su sonrisa incluso en el momento de su muerte.

CNA Staff, Jan 17, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

President Joe Biden on Friday proclaimed that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) — a long-debated constitutional measure that some critics have argued could legalize abortion nationwide — is “the law of the land,” a declaration that appeared to carry no legal weight but which could set off a protracted political and legal fight for the incoming Trump administration.

The amendment holds that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” It was first proposed over a century ago in 1923. It has been championed by advocates in the decades since and has been ratified by numerous states.

Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment in 2020, nominally clearing the necessary threshold of three-fourths of the states needed to amend the U.S. Constitution.

But U.S. Archivist Colleen Shogan — who is officially charged with entering an amendment into the Constitution upon its ratification — has said the amendment failed to pass the congressional deadline that was set by Congress of June 30, 1982.

The archivist stated that she “cannot legally publish the Equal Rights Amendment” and that it “cannot be certified as part of the Constitution.” Shogan was appointed to the role by Biden in 2022 and confirmed in 2023.

In his statement on Friday, Biden made no mention of the archivist’s earlier refusal to publish the amendment.

“The American Bar Association (ABA) has recognized that the Equal Rights Amendment has cleared all necessary hurdles to be formally added to the Constitution as the 28th Amendment,” the president said in his statement.

“I agree with the ABA and with leading legal constitutional scholars that the Equal Rights Amendment has become part of our Constitution.”

“In keeping with my oath and duty to Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: The 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex,” Biden added.  

It is unclear what, if any, legal weight the declaration carries. 

In addition to the assertions of the archivist, in a 2020 opinion Steven Engel — at the time the U.S. assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel — said the ERA resolution “has expired and is no longer pending before the states.”

Pro-abortion advocates have argued that the ERA could be used as a means of forcing states to legalize abortion.

Smith College Professor Carrie Baker wrote in 2022 that the ERA could serve as “an avenue for shoring up women’s rights, especially reproductive rights,” specifically that it “could provide a new basis for abortion rights in the United States.”

Heritage Foundation legal fellow Thomas Jipping, meanwhile, in 2023 argued that the “ERA-abortion connection” has been established for decades and that “the groundwork has already been laid” to use it as a pro-abortion measure.

Ana Ruiz, responsable del Refugio Provida, una iniciativa de la plataforma Derecho a Vivir frente a un emblemático negocio abortista en Madrid (España), explica lo que ha supuesto reconocer públicamente que abortó en un reciente documental. 

Los Angeles, Calif., Jan 17, 2025 / 10:40 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ annual OneLife LA event will go on this weekend despite the wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles, albeit with a modified program and focus.

While previously the event was a walk through the streets of downtown Los Angeles concluding at L.A. Historic Park, the combination of unhealthy air and the demand such an event has for local law enforcement meant a new plan was needed this year. So earlier this week archdiocesan officials announced the event would be held entirely in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

“The 2025 OneLife LA is not only an opportunity to focus on ‘womb to tomb’ life issues but is our chance to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who have suffered so much from the fires that have devastated Los Angeles,” said Michael Donaldson, senior director of the Office of Life, Justice, and Peace for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and organizer of OneLife LA.  “It is our chance to show not only that human life is sacred but to honor fire victims and let them know we care.”

Organizers are uncertain of how the fires will affect attendance; the 2024 OneLife LA drew 6,000.  (The cathedral seats over 4,000.)

Participants are invited to gather beginning at 1 p.m. local time. Partner groups such as 40 Days for Life and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will man tables outside the cathedral to greet and share information with visitors.

A speaker and performance program will commence at 2 p.m. A focus will be testimonials from victims of the fires and reflections on the most vulnerable negatively impacted by the fires.

The event culminates at 5 p.m. with an annual Requiem Mass for the Unborn celebrated by Archbishop José Gómez at 5 p.m. The theme of the day will be “Let Us Stand Up Together in Hope.”

Among the featured speakers are Jennifer and George Magallon of Altadena whose home was destroyed in the Eaton fire. George is a contractor and apartment owner; the pair lived in a home on a large lot in a community backing up to the Angeles National Forest. It was their “dream home,” George said, and a place where they regularly welcomed family and friends.

On the evening of Jan. 7, Santa Ana winds were blowing up to 100 mph and local authorities turned off the power to reduce the possibility of sparking fire. The Eaton fire began nonetheless, and the Magallons gathered up what possessions they could and fled.

George and his neighbors did what they could to douse their homes with water beforehand, but by the early morning hours the water pressure had slowed to a trickle.

Meanwhile, an “orange rain” of burning embers fell on the neighborhood. Everything burned in the early morning hours of Jan. 8. When the Magallons were able to return, they discovered their once prosperous neighborhood now “looked like the surface of the moon.”

While devastated by the loss, the couple has pledged to rebuild and plans to stress to the OneLife LA attendees how their Catholic faith has been key to their emotional and psychological well-being during the ordeal. Jennifer pointed to one sign of hope: When they returned to the ruin of their home one object stood unscathed amid the rubble — an outdoor statue of the Blessed Mother.

“It gave us the inspiration we needed and the will to go on,” Jennifer said.

Visit www.onelifela.org to register as an individual or group or to sign up as a volunteer.

Walk for Life West Coast

Nearly 400 miles to the north, the Walk for Life West Coast will begin at Civic Center Plaza in downtown San Francisco on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 12:30 p.m. local time. The San Francisco event has an exclusive focus of ending abortion and stressing the harm it has had on women.  

The day begins at 10:45 a.m. with a Silent No More Awareness Campaign led by Georgette Forney and Frank Pavone from Priests for Life, which includes testimonies from those directly harmed by abortion. From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. there will be an information fair with material offered by a variety of pro-life organizations.

The main event is a rally beginning at 12:30 p.m. followed by the walk at 1:30 p.m. Participants will walk 1.8 miles from the civic center to the Embarcadero.

The event is organized by Catholics and many who attend are parishioners and clergy from local parishes as well as students from Catholic schools.

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone celebrates a Walk for Life Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral at 9:30 a.m. before the event; he is also a regular participant in the walk.

Rally speakers at the Walk for Life West Coast include Ryan Bomberger, Sister Deirdre “Dede” Byrne, Kelly Lester, and Rev. Clenard Childress.

For additional information and to register visit www.walkforlifewc.com.

Un total de 8 estudiantes procedentes de diferentes países iberoamericanos seleccionados entre más de 170 aspirantes participarán en la escuela de verano del Observatorio Astronómico del Vaticano.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 17, 2025 / 09:10 am (CNA).

Support for religious liberty among Americans grew over the past year in most categories, according to the 2024 Religious Freedom Index survey from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, published Jan. 16.

The sixth edition of the report found that religious freedom overall continues to grow with its religious freedom index hitting 70 out of a possible 100 — the highest score recorded by the organization and a two-point increase from the previous year. The survey polls Americans on a variety of religious liberty issues.

According to the survey, the category of “Religious Pluralism” had the highest support, scoring an 86 out of a possible 100. This subset measures how respondents view basic rights and the ability to live out one’s faith, especially when those practices are outside of the mainstream.

Other high-ranking categories were “Religious Sharing” at 72, which measures to what extent people should be free to share their beliefs with others, and “Religion in Action” at 70, which measures to what extent people believe a person’s faith should be permitted to be expressed in their public lives.

Some lower-ranking categories were “Religion and Policy” at 68, which measures how much people support religious freedom in law; “Religion and Society” at 67, which measures how much people believe religion should influence society; and “Church and State” at 58, which measures how much people believe government and religion should be able to intersect. 

The report, which surveyed 1,000 adults, was released on National Religious Freedom Day.

“Americans drew a line in the sand in this year’sindex: Government doesn’t get to push people around for keeping the faith,” Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket, said in a statement. “From coast to coast, we witnessed a groundswell of support for Americans to live out their faith in public, even when their beliefs cut against the grain.”   

“Even in a time of deep division, most Americans still believe religion — and the freedom to practice it — is crucial to overcoming our disagreements,” Rienzi said. “As we celebrate Religious Freedom Day, we should take heart that our nation remains committed to forging a future where faith is a cornerstone of our culture.”

According to the survey, 77% of Americans either strongly or mostly support a parent’s right to opt their children out of public school curriculum about gender identity and sexuality if it violates their religious beliefs or they believe it is not age appropriate. Only 23% disagreed.

The survey also found that about two-thirds of respondents believe Massachusetts was wrong to reject a foster parent application from a Catholic couple because they adhere to Catholic teachings about marriage, sexuality, and gender. About one-third sided with the state’s decision.

On issues related to abortion, most Americans also took the side of religious liberty. 

The survey found that 70% of respondents oppose government mandates that would force a religious employer to pay for abortions when abortion is against the organization’s beliefs. It also found that 70% of respondents believe health care workers with religious objections to abortion should not be forced to participate in abortion procedures. 

According to the survey, 82% of Americans believe people should have freedom of religion at work, such as the right to wear religious clothing or not work on certain days. Another 63% of respondents said that people should have the freedom to practice their religion even if it creates an inconvenience for others. 

The survey also found that 56% of Americans believe that religion is part of the solution to society’s problems and 44% believe religion is primarily part of the problem.

Durante su Pontificado, el Papa Francisco ha dado numerosas muestras de vitalidad pero también ha enfrentado distintos problemas de salud.

Cada 17 de enero la Iglesia Católica celebra la fiesta de San Antonio Abad, patrono de los animales. Por ello les compartimos un rito con el que un sacerdote puede bendecir a nuestras mascotas y al ganado, pidiendo la intercesión de este santo.

El Papa Francisco ha recibido este viernes a los seminaristas de la Diócesis de Córdoba (España) que han peregrinado a Roma con motivo del Año Jubilar, a quienes ha afirmado que sembrar esperanza no es “optar por el buenismo dulzón”.