St. Mary's Church

Archbishop Nelson Pérez at his installation Mass on Feb. 18, 2020, at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. / Credit: Sarah Webb/Archdiocese of Philadelphia

CNA Staff, Jan 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

After the Archdiocese of Philadelphia found that 83% of baptized Catholics are missing from the pews in the archdiocese, Archbishop Nelson Pérez decided to launch a missionary outreach program in his archdiocese to “invite people home.”

The number of “missing Catholics” is based on Mass count attendance data compiled each year by the archdiocese. (The number relates only to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.)

Pérez is launching a 10-year missionary endeavor to bring Catholics back to the pews by implementing “missionary hubs” in many parishes in the area. The missionary hubs are designed to work with existing parishes and ministries by providing additional resources to minister to those who have left the Church.

Pérez said he does not want to “perpetuate this cycle” of “widespread parish closures” due to finances and number of priests — something many dioceses are facing in the United States.

“I want to begin to close this distance between many of our loved ones and the Church,” Pérez wrote in a pastoral letter earlier this month. “I want people to know that the Lord is still calling them, that they are of great worth, have a divine purpose, and an eternal home.”

Pérez recalled that one of the first questions he was asked when he became archbishop was “will you close parishes?”

“I didn’t come here to close parishes; I came here to build up the Church of Philadelphia,” Pérez said.

One strategy Pérez plans to employ is to provide parish life directors — deacons and consecrated or lay individuals who manage operations of a parish, allowing retired and senior priests to continue to minister to souls “without bearing the responsibilities of administration.”

The missionary hubs are designed to grow the Church by working with various existing Catholic ministries, reaching out to those not actively involved in the Church, and providing local community and resources. Ultimately, they are designed to bring people to Jesus through both the Eucharist and service to the poor, according to Pérez.

The large-scale initiative will be gradually “phased in over a 10-year period,” Kenneth Gavin, chief communications officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, told CNA.

“This process will require tailored approaches to be successful across the diverse five counties of the archdiocese,” he said. “We also want to allow sufficient time for people to learn more, discern their participation, and refine our efforts over time.”

The archdiocese hopes to make the approach sustainable over time. In terms of funding, Gavin told CNA that the initiative “will be primarily subsidized by private philanthropic funding secured over time and hopefully endowed for long-term sustainability.”

The missionary hubs are part of a large-scale initiative to renew the Church in Philadelphia, known as the New Way Forward.

“The archbishop recognizes the urgency of reaching out to the 83% of baptized Catholics not regularly practicing their faith while continuing to serve more effectively and efficiently the 17% who do attend Mass,” Gavin told CNA.

“This is the impetus of the New Way Forward in the Church of Philadelphia, a process to renew the local Church over the next 20 years and invite everyone to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ,” Gavin continued.

To reach the people of Philadelphia, Pérez advocates for a “pastoral change of heart.”

“I want to embark on a new form of pastoral planning by asking a new question: ‘Where does the Church need to be and how?’” Pérez said. “We need to inspire a pastoral change of heart that focuses on those who are absent.”

Pérez took inspiration from the “missionary disciples” Pope Francis wrote about in the 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), who are involved in the community and then go forth and “seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast.”

“We must be a community of missionary disciples focused on renewal, rebuilding trust, and inviting people to a relationship with Jesus Christ!” Pérez concluded.

null / Credit: GagliardiPhotography/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Jan 16, 2025 / 17:15 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent abortion- and pro-life-related news.

Virginia pro-abortion ballot proposal advances 

Virginia Democrats advanced a proposal to enshrine abortion as a right in the state constitution earlier this week. The amendment would ensure a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” protecting abortion in the first two trimesters as well as in the third trimester with some restrictions. 

Abortions are currently legal in Virginia through the second trimester. Abortions in the second trimester are allowed when the mother’s life is at risk, with the certification of three doctors. The proposed amendment would bring this number down to one doctor. 

The measure passed narrowly in the House of Delegates 51-48. Virginia Republicans criticized the measure, calling it “extreme” and expressing concern that the amendment could supersede a current Virginia law requiring parental consent for abortions for minors. Democrats argued that the government shouldn’t be making decisions about women’s health care. 

If approved again by the state House and Senate next year, the amendment would be on the ballot. The state follows the trend of many states voting on abortion laws following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Idaho could raise voting threshold for ballot initiatives

Idaho Republicans introduced a bill Wednesday to raise Idaho’s voting threshold for statewide ballot initiatives. The bill would change current Idaho law, which requires 50% of the vote plus one to pass an initiative or referendum. The bill would increase the threshold to 60%, which state Rep. Bruce Skaug, who introduced the bill, argued would fix Idaho’s “broken” system and prevent out-of-state money from having as much sway in the state. In Idaho, residents can place and vote on laws on the ballot without the Idaho Legislature’s involvement.

The measure could affect future abortion amendments, which continued to crop up throughout the United States in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturn. In Florida, a pro-abortion constitutional measure failed to pass in the 2024 election, largely due to the high threshold of 60% for passing a constitutional amendment.

OneLife LA event moved to cathedral 

Amid the ongoing wildfire emergency, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ annual Catholic pro-life event OneLife LA is set to be held indoors at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels due to poor air quality and the need for law enforcement elsewhere in the city. The walking portion of the event has been canceled.

Instead, the event, beginning at 1 p.m. local time on Jan. 18, will be held in the cathedral’s plaza, with a speaker and performance program followed by the annual Requiem Mass for the Unborn in the cathedral. The event will also address the impacts of the recent L.A. fires and reflections on the impact of the emergency. The theme for the annual event is “Let Us Stand Up Together in Hope.”  

OneLife LA typically draws thousands to downtown Los Angeles, where it begins with a prayer service followed by a walk to the Los Angeles State Historic Park, where attendees listen to speakers and musical performances. It is held near the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision as a West Coast parallel to the National March for Life in Washington, D.C., which is set to be held Jan. 24.

null / Credit: Ulf Wittrock/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 16, 2025 / 16:45 pm (CNA).

The American Humanist Association (AHA) filed a lawsuit to block West Virginia from awarding a $5 million grant to the College of St. Joseph the Worker — a Catholic trade college based in Steubenville, Ohio, that hopes to expand into the state.

St. Joseph the Worker, which offers a bachelor’s degree in Catholic studies and teaches trades related to construction, intends to use the grant to develop a construction company that would employ students in the northern part of West Virginia and expand its job training and education opportunities into the state.

The AHA, which is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of West Virginia, contends in its lawsuit that the grant violates the state constitution’s guarantee of freedom of religion because it requires that taxpayers fund a Catholic college.

AHA executive director Fish Stark said in a statement that “no one should have to pay taxes to fund someone else’s religion.”

“Humanists believe deeply in the freedom of conscience, and this attempt to force West Virginia taxpayers to fund religious activity is an offense against the Constitution and common sense,” Stark added. 

“As a former West Virginia resident, I believe ‘Mountaineers Are Always Free’ means your faith is your business — no one else, and certainly not the government, has the right to push it on you,” he said.

Secular humanism is a nontheistic philosophy that suggests humans can develop ethical codes absent of God or religion. 

The lawsuit was filed against the West Virginia Water Development Authority, which is the agency that approved the grant to support economic development. In a statement provided to CNA, agency officials declined to comment on the lawsuit, adding: “Any comments … will be made in public court filings or other public disclosures.”

St. Joseph the Worker is not named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. A spokesperson for the college could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.

The lawsuit cites Article III of the West Virginia Constitution, which is the state’s Bill of Rights, to justify its lawsuit. 

Section 15 of the article, which guarantees religious freedom, states that “no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry.” It further prohibits “any tax for the erection or repair of any house for public worship or for the support of any church or ministry.”

The lawsuit asserts the grant program from which St. Joseph the Worker would receive the funding — the Economic Enhancement Grant Fund — “is funded, in part, by appropriations levied against the taxpayers of West Virginia.” The grant was created with funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

“[The AHA] has been negatively impacted as a result of this violation, as their members have been required to fund and support a religious practice contrary to their shared beliefs and their constitutional right to freedom of, and from, religion,” the lawsuit asserts.

St. Joseph the Worker offers instruction in several trades: heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); carpentry; masonry; electrical; and plumbing. The proposed nonprofit construction company would employ students learning those trades to revitalize the region.

Some of the funding would also support St. Joseph the Worker purchasing training facilities in Weirton, West Virginia, which borders Steubenville, Ohio. It would also support partnerships with tradesmen and contractors in West Virginia to place apprentices there after graduation.

The college would also use the funds to expand recruitment and scholarship opportunities for prospective students in West Virginia.

Esther Miller holds a picture and the released documents on Father Michael Nocita as 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. / Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Jan 16, 2025 / 12:10 pm (CNA).

Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) revealed in landmark survey results released this week that “dioceses, eparchies, and religious communities of men” have reported $5,025,346,893 in payouts related to minor abuse allegations since 2004.

Those payments include “settlements paid to victims, other payments to victims, support for offenders, [and] attorneys’ fees” as well as other costs, CARA said.

Though that massive sum has been paid out over the last two decades, the vast majority of the alleged abuse occurred much earlier, with 80% of the alleged crimes taking place in the 1980s or decades prior.

The findings come from two decades’ worth of annual surveys by CARA. The yearly survey collects “information about the allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests and deacons that had been reported to the dioceses and eparchies each year.”

The original survey was first commissioned in 2004 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The survey has polled about 200 dioceses and eparchies and approximately 220 religious communities of men over the course of the 20 years. Respondents in the survey were asked to categorize abuse allegations as “credible” or “unsubstantiated/obviously false” as well as “unable to be proven.”

Since 2004 respondents have labeled 16,276 allegations as “credible.” The majority of credible allegations were reported by dioceses and eparchies.

The survey noted that the number of credible allegations jumped by 46% in its second decade, which CARA said was attributable in part to “the greater number of large lawsuits and state investigations as well as the enactment by some state governments of temporary relaxations of statutes of limitations on crimes and lawsuits.”

The findings indicate that alleged abuse dropped sharply in the U.S. Church over the course of the 20th century into the 21st. “More than 9 in 10 of all credible allegations” were said to have occurred or began in 1989 or earlier, CARA said. Just 3% of the allegations were said to have taken place since 2000.

Eighty percent of alleged abuse victims were male, more than half were ages 10 to 14, and 20% were aged 9 or younger.

All told, the allegations involve a total of 4,490 alleged perpetrators, 95% of whom are priests and 4% of whom are religious brothers. An additional 1% of alleged abusers are deacons. 

A full 86% of all alleged perpetrators were identified as “deceased, already removed from ministry, already laicized, or missing” in the survey.

Dioceses spend hundreds of millions on abuse prevention efforts

While dioceses paid out billions of dollars in responding to alleged abuse victims, Church officials have also outlayed huge sums to prevent further abuse over the past 20 years.

Respondents to CARA’s survey have reported a total of $727,994,390 in expenditures for child abuse prevention and safety, an average of about $36,000,000 annually.

Those expenditures include “safe environment coordinator and victim assistance coordinator salaries, tracking and other administrative expenses, training programs for adults and children, and background checks.”

The amount of money spent on abuse prevention has increased in recent years. In the first decade of the survey, dioceses reported $259,771,061 in safe environment expenditures; that figure jumped 80% in the second decade that the survey was taken, to $468,223,329. 

In announcing the findings, CARA said the U.S. Church’s “effort to address the sexual abuse of minors by clergy and religious brothers and to implement safeguards to prevent future abuse is unprecedented by any nongovernmental organization and is the largest effort of its kind.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops first promulgated norms for addressing the sexual abuse of minors in the Church in 2002.

In its “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” the bishops’ body acknowledged that clergy sex abuse, as well as “the ways in which these crimes and sins were addressed,” have caused “enormous pain, anger, and confusion for victims, their families, and the entire Church.”

“As bishops, we have acknowledged our mistakes and our roles in that suffering, and we apologize and take responsibility again for too often failing victims and the Catholic people in the past,” the bishops wrote.

Father Frank Mann is seen with President Donald Trump in an undated photograph. / Credit: The Tablet

CNA Staff, Jan 16, 2025 / 11:40 am (CNA).

A priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn who has been asked to pray at the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump is describing the experience — which includes a personal friendship with the president — as “mind-boggling.” 

Father Francis Mann is scheduled to deliver the closing benediction at Trump’s second inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20.

The Brooklyn Diocese told CNA that Mann was unavailable for an interview. But in a Wednesday profile at the diocesan newspaper the Tablet, the priest described the distinction as an “indescribable honor.” 

The retired diocesan priest, who was ordained in 1979, originally struck up what the Tablet called an “unlikely friendship” with Trump after he came across the gravesites of Trump’s parents in a Queens cemetery. 

“It was slightly overgrown,” Mann told the Tablet. “I thought this shouldn’t be. This is a historic site. So, I went and bought a weed whacker and some decorations and fixed up the plot.” The priest then sent a photo of the graves to the president.

Several weeks later Trump personally called Mann to inquire about the photograph. Learning that the priest had done the work on his own volition, Trump said the two should “get together the next time he was in New York,” according to the Tablet. 

After his loss in the 2020 election, Trump called Mann up and invited him to a meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan. The priest described the once and future president as “the nicest, most down-to-earth guy.” 

“There are no airs about him. He has a great sense of humor. He’s a regular guy,” Mann told the Tablet. 

The president and the priest have continued to stay in touch and to meet up, including at Trump’s summer residence in New Jersey as well as a dinner at the president’s country club. Trump subsequently endorsed “The Wounded Butterfly,” a children’s book written by Mann. 

Trump also sought Mann’s advice on winning the Catholic vote in the 2024 election. The president-elect handily won over Catholic voters in his successful November bid for the presidency.

The Tablet reported that Mann intends to make the Jan. 20 benediction “personal” and that he “will be asking for a blessing for his friend, the president of the United States, the new vice president, and the country they will lead.”

“It’s taken me longer than I thought to process having been chosen to be such a significant part of the inauguration’s moment in history,” Mann reflected.

Joan Andrews Bell, Jean Marshall, Heather Idoni, and Paulette Harlow are four pro-life women serving time after being convicted on federal charges for for blockading the inside of an abortion clinic in 2020. / Credit: Chris Bell/Laura Gise/Heather Idoni/Paulette Harlow

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 16, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

A Catholic law firm is formally petitioning the incoming presidential administration to pardon 21 pro-life activists who are imprisoned for protests at abortion clinics under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

In its petition to President-elect Donald Trump, the Thomas More Society argues “these pro-life Americans are deserving of full and unconditional pardons.” 

At least two times during his 2024 campaign for the presidency, Trump said he intended to release pro-life activists who are currently imprisoned.

“These peaceful pro-life Americans mistreated by [President Joe] Biden include grandparents, pastors, a Holocaust survivor, and a Catholic priest — all are selfless, sincere patriots,” the petition from the Chicago-based law firm reads.

During Biden’s four years in office, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) brought charges against more than 30 people who took part in pro-life demonstrations under the FACE Act, which was legislation in the 1990s to increase penalties for people who obstruct access to abortion clinics or pregnancy resource centers.

Although the FACE Act’s higher sentences also apply to people who obstruct or damage pro-life pregnancy centers, Biden’s DOJ only brought charges in two cases regarding attacks on those facilities despite more than 100 incidents occurring under his tenure.

“While Biden’s prosecutors almost entirely ignored the firebombing and vandalism of hundreds of pro-life churches and pregnancy centers, they viciously pursued pro-life Americans,” the petition adds.

The longest sentence was given last year to Lauren Handy, who received four years and nine months in prison for her role in a protest at an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C. The second longest was also given last year to Bevelyn Beatty Williams, who received three years and five months in prison for a protest inside an abortion clinic in New York City. 

Several pro-life activists in their mid-to-late 70s also received multiyear sentences for their protests.

“These 21 peaceful pro-lifers, many of whom are currently imprisoned for bravely standing up for unborn life, are upstanding citizens and pillars of their communities,” Steve Crampton, who works as senior counsel for the Thomas More Society, said in a statement.

“Through full and unconditional pardons for these pro-life advocates, President Trump has the chance to remedy the harm done to them and their families, deliver on his campaign promises, and repair trust in our constitutional order,” Crampton added.

The petition also asserts that Biden’s DOJ “flagrantly violated Congress’ intent in its pursuit of the prosecutions,” noting that members of Congress were “fearful that the FACE Act might be used against protesters who had been employing tactics that were used and celebrated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”

“Dr. King and many with him engaged in peaceful sit-ins at lunch counters — an act of simple trespass — and these pro-life Americans engage in similar sit-ins at abortion facilities,” the petition adds. “FACE expressly contemplated that group-oriented peaceable civil disobedience, as advocated and practiced by Dr. King and his followers, would be punishable as mere misdemeanors.”

Trump is scheduled to assume office on Monday, Jan. 20.

The 52nd annual March for Life will have the theme “Every Life: Why We March.” / Credit: Photo courtesy of March for Life

CNA Staff, Jan 15, 2025 / 17:10 pm (CNA).

This year, the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., is taking place on Jan. 24. Ahead of the march, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) is inviting the faithful to take part in its “9 Days for Life” initiative.

“9 Days for Life” is an annual nine-day novena for the protection of human life. Each day’s prayer intention is accompanied by a reflection and suggested actions that participants can take to help build a culture of life.

This year the novena starts on Thursday, Jan. 16, and ends on Friday, Jan. 24, the day of the March for Life.

The nine intentions include: may the tragic practice of abortion end; may each person suffering from participating in abortion find forgiveness, hope, and healing in Christ; may every pregnant mother receive compassionate care and support as she nurtures the life in her womb; may every father of a preborn child lovingly support the mother of his child in welcoming new life; may every pregnant mother choosing adoption receive grace and support in embracing this loving option; may all who support or participate in abortion experience a conversion of heart to seek and receive the Lord’s boundless mercy; may all preborn children be protected in law and welcomed in love; may civic leaders work for the protection of all human life, in every stage and circumstance; and may all who defend life find strength and renewal in the Holy Spirit.

Each day of the novena also includes resources, such as videos or articles, that teach participants, for example, how to talk to someone considering abortion, how to support a mother in an unexpected pregnancy, and how to build a culture of life.

This year, the annual Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, Jan. 22, falls during the novena. This date is also the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.

Participants can choose to receive the daily prayers either through email or text message and it is available in both English and Spanish.

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. attorney general in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 15, 2025 / 16:15 pm (CNA).

President-elect Donald Trump’s presumptive nominee to serve as attorney general, Pam Bondi, at her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday vowed to stop government “weaponization” against Catholics, pro-life activists, and concerned parents.

During her Jan. 15 hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Bondi — the former attorney general of Florida — referred to the Richmond FBI memo that targeted Catholics as the “ultimate weaponization” of government.

The January 2023 memo detailed an investigation into what it called “radical-traditionalist” Catholics and potential ties to “the far-right white nationalist movement.” It discussed an opportunity for “trip wire or source development” within parishes that offer the Latin Mass and within Catholic online communities the agency considered “radical-traditionalist.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, asked Bondi whether she would put a stop to “abuses” like this memo, which he called an “unbelievable assault on Americans’ First Amendment rights.”

“Of course,” Bondi said, adding: “I think what you’re talking about is the ultimate weaponization [of government].”

When Hawley asked whether Bondi would investigate the federal agents involved, she said she “will personally read that memo” and have discussions about it with Kash Patel, who is Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI.

“I would think this is something that we can all agree on, on both sides,” Bondi added. “This should not be happening in the United States of America, and [we should] work together on it.”

Bondi also said the FBI’s use of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a source on extremist groups “will be one of the first things we will look at as well.” The FBI relied on the SPLC designations of “radical-traditionalist” Catholics to draft the memo. 

Hawley also referenced the prosecution of pro-life protesters under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, some of whom are facing multiple years in prison. Bondi promised to ensure the Department of Justice would not be used to target pro-life demonstrators or people of any religious faith.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, asked Bondi whether she would end the “weaponization of government,” such as the targeting of “Catholics attempting to practice their faith, … parents showing up to school board meetings, [and] people showing up to engage in peaceful [protests] outside of abortion clinics.”

“Going after parents at a school board meeting has got to stop,” Bondi said, adding that investigations “for practicing your religion” and “sending informants into Catholic churches” must also stop.

“It will stop — must stop,” Bondi said. 

Trump is set to be sworn into office on Monday, Jan. 20. He has criticized the FBI for its investigation of Catholics and has vowed to release the pro-life activists imprisoned under the FACE Act.

Migrant parents socialize outside the Annunciation House on June 26, 2018, in El Paso, Texas. / Credit: AP Photo/Matt York

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 15, 2025 / 14:45 pm (CNA).

A Texas Catholic shelter network defended itself at the state Supreme Court this week against allegations that the nonprofit unlawfully harbors “aliens” who entered the country illegally.

Annunciation House, which has operated along the southern U.S. border for nearly 50 years, asked the Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 13 to block Attorney General Ken Paxton’s effort to shut down the organization over the alleged violations. The shelter network contends it has never violated state law and accuses the attorney general’s office of curtailing its religious mission of caring for those in need.

Several justices on the nine-member court appeared skeptical of the attorney general’s claims and expressed religious liberty concerns. Paxton is Republican, as are all nine of the justices.

Lawyers debate ‘harboring’ allegation 

Ryan Baasch, who represented the attorney general’s office, told the justices that Annunciation House “is not immunized because of its religion” and that the nonprofit cannot claim religious liberty protections if it violates Texas laws that prohibit alien harboring.

“Annunciation House’s purpose is to shelter illegally present aliens,” Baasch contended. “That distinguishes them from a service provider that serves all indiscriminately.”

Baasch alleged that Annunciation House “takes active measures to hamper law enforcement,” but when pressed to provide specifics, he simply cited examples of when the Catholic network refused entry to police “because they didn’t have a warrant.”

Although one of the justices noted that the Fourth Amendment protects against warrantless searches in most cases, Baasch said the shelters “are essentially open to the public at large” and asserted they do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

“They don’t have a right to demand a warrant when they let any alien in indiscriminately, including illegally present ones,” Baasch claimed. “Those are criminals under the federal code. If you enter illegally, that’s a crime under the federal code. They let them in indiscriminately. They don’t let law enforcement in.”

Amy Warr, who represented Annunciation House, accused the attorney general’s office of using “rhetoric” that is inconsistent with the facts in the case. She said that most of the people who are helped by Annunciation House are brought by law enforcement and that police can enter if they present a warrant.

“We are not concealing anyone [or] hiding anyone from detection from law enforcement,” Warr told the justices.

“Everyone in El Paso, including law enforcement, knows that we are there and [knows] what we do … as part of our mission, that we house undocumented people and, principally, documented people — people brought to us by federal law enforcement authorities,” Warr said.

Warr argued that “most of the people we house are documented,” adding: “Most of the people who we house are brought to us by [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] after they have processed them and they need a place to stay.”

Justices consider religious liberty concerns

The justices pressed Baasch on their religious liberty concerns early into his testimony and asked him questions about whether caring for migrants constitutes protected religious activity.

“Do you disagree that this is religious activity?” Justice Debra Lehrmann, who was appointed by former Gov. Rick Perry, asked Baasch.

“It may be,” Baasch responded. “And then there’s going to be a question of whether the activity at issue here substantially burdens the religious activity.”

Justice Jeff Boyd, another Perry appointee, chimed in to question how it could not be a substantial burden, adding: “I think you want to shut it down.”

Baasch contended that the attorney general’s office needs to shut down Annunciation House’s operations because otherwise “there’s absolutely no deterrent effect.” 

“If organizations know that they can engage in this activity and that the worst that’s going to happen is they get [told to stop], nothing stops them from engaging in the activity in the first instance,” Baasch said.

Baasch asserted that there is not a substantial religious liberty burden because Annunciation House could live out their faith without providing assistance to migrants who are in the country illegally. 

“If it’s an exercise of their religion to be serving the needy [and] clothing the poor … well they can do that for [United States] citizens [and] they can do that for legally present aliens,” Baasch said. “All the alien harboring ban says is that you can’t do that for illegally present aliens. So I think the burden would be very minor if anything at all.”

Warr, who called Annunciation House “an established ministry of the Catholic Church,” said all of the legal procedures initiated by the attorney general’s office have violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. 

“The whole scheme is invalid facially under the First Amendment,” she said.

Elizabeth Kiernan, a lawyer for First Liberty Institute, also provided arguments to the court. First Liberty Institute, which advocates religious freedom, filed a brief with the court against a forced closure of Annunciation House.

Kiernan said the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act “protects this religious charity against outright closure.” 

When asked about Baasch’s claim that Annunciation House could serve those in need without focusing on migrants, she compared the nonprofit’s focus on one subset to the Church having “different monastic orders devoted to different subsets of the poor, serving different charities.”

“Annunciation House answered the Gospel of Matthew’s call to care for the least of these in the service of Christ,” Kiernan said. “The Catholic Church has claimed Annunciation House as one of its own and Annunciation House’s founder testified that its acts of charity are motivated by its Catholic faith.”

In July, a district court threw out the attorney general’s lawsuit against Annunciation House. This led the attorney general’s office to appeal the case to the Texas Supreme Court.

null / Credit: Pavel1964/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 14, 2025 / 18:05 pm (CNA).

A bill to prevent biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ sports passed the United States House of Representatives in a mostly partisan vote Tuesday afternoon. 

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Florida, would deny federal funding to any K–12 school, college, university, or other educational institution that permits biological males in female athletics.

“It shall be a violation … for a recipient of federal financial assistance who operates, sponsors, or facilitates an athletic program or activity to permit a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls,” the text of the four-page bill reads.

The Republican bill would do this by amending Title IX — a 1972 federal law that prohibits discrimination based on a person’s “sex.” It would clarify that the word “sex” in Title IX’s section on athletics refers to a person’s “reproductive biology and genetics at birth” — not a person’s self-professed gender identity.

“The House has delivered on its promise to protect women’s sports,” Steube said in a statement. “Americans are united in our belief that men have no place in women’s sports, whether it’s breaking records, entering locker rooms, or stealing scholarship opportunities.”

“Denying biological truth erases fairness in sports and puts women’s safety and opportunities at risk,” he said. “Today’s passage sends a clear message to the Senate — protecting women and girls in sports is not negotiable.”

The legislation passed the chamber 218-206, with 216 Republicans voting in favor of the bill and zero Republicans voting against it. Only two Democrats, Rep. Henry Cuellar and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, voted in favor of the bill. Another 206 Democrats voted against it. 

Title IX was adopted into federal law more than 50 years ago. Although the law says nothing about “gender identity,” President Joe Biden’s administration interpreted its prohibition on “sex” discrimination to include discrimination based on a person’s self-asserted “gender identity.”

Numerous states and athletic associations representing girls and women have sued the government over the administration’s reinterpretation of Title IX. The suits warned it would overrule their state laws that separate athletics, locker rooms, bathrooms, and dormitories on the basis of biological sex.

A federal court struck down the Biden-era regulation last week, finding that the Department of Education exceeded its authority in its reinterpretation and that the rule itself violates the United States Constitution.

“For over 50 years, Title IX has opened doors for millions of young women,” Rep. August Pfluger said in a statement. 

“Now, we’re reinforcing those foundations with iron-clad protections that ensure fair competition remains truly fair,” he continued. “As a father to [three] young girls, I am relieved that we are championing commonsense policies that empower and protect women’s sports.”

The bill now heads to the Senate, which has a 53-47 Republican majority. The bill needs 60 votes to overcome the filibuster and reach a final vote. This means seven Democrats would need to join Republicans in the chamber to send the bill to the president’s desk.

Several gay rights advocacy groups have expressed their opposition to the bill. 

“We all want sports to be fair, students to be safe, and young people to have the opportunity to participate alongside their peers,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement after the vote.

“But this kind of blanket ban deprives kids of those things,” she said. “This bill would expose young people to harassment and discrimination, emboldening people to question the gender of kids who don’t fit a narrow view of how they’re supposed to dress or look. It could even expose children to invasive, inappropriate questions and examinations.”

Several conservative groups praised the bill.

“Girls shouldn’t be spectators in their own sports,” Alliance Defending Freedom President Kristen Waggoner said in a statement.

“Allowing males who identify as female to compete in girls’ sports ignores the biological differences between the sexes — destroying fair competition and erasing women’s athletic prospects. … As we continue to witness increasing incidents nationwide of males dominating girls’ athletic competitions, it is imperative to affirm that biology, not identity, is what matters in athletics.”

Even if the legislation is unable to pass the Senate, President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to take federal action on his first day in office to “stop the transgender lunacy,” which includes keeping “men out of women’s sports.”