By Gigi Duncan, National Catholic Register – Tens of thousands of pro-life advocates gathered in the nation’s capital Friday for the 53rd annual March for Life, marching from the National Mall to the Supreme Court to voice their opposition to abortion… This year’s event unfolded under unusually mild January weather, allowing participants to move steadily through the streets of Washington, even as the city prepares for a potentially paralyzing winter storm later in the weekend. .. Vice President JD Vance, speaking for the second consecutive year, told those gathered that he and his wife, Usha, are expecting their fourth child, a third son, in late July, a personal note that drew hearty cheers from the crowd.
By Msgr. Roger Landry, National Catholic Register – On the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, there are many ways we can celebrate him: as a doctor of the Church for his teachings on the devout life, the love of God and the universal call to holiness, as the patron of journalists and communicators, and as the “Gentleman Saint.”… At a time, however, when Pope Leo is summoning us together to “look for ways to become a missionary Church,” it is fitting to focus on St. Francis as one of the great missionaries in Church history, one who almost single-handedly carried out the reevangelization of an enormous region of the French alps after the people of the Chablais had given up, and many turned against, the practice of the Catholic faith. .
By Bridget Sielicki, Live Action News – A couple has filed a lawsuit against a Florida fertility clinic after they gave birth to a baby girl who was not biologically theirs in December 2025… The couple says they have formed a “deep emotional bond” with the baby, but believe she should be reunited with her biological parents… They also worry that their own embryos may have been implanted into another woman… The tragic case reveals one of the many problems that can occur with IVF.
NEWS
President Trump Condemns Abortion: “Every Human Being is Endowed by God With the Right to Life, by Steven Ertelt
By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – President Donald Trump on Wednesday marked National Sanctity of Human Life Day with a statement condemning abortion because every unborn child also has a right to life… Trump is renewing his administration’s “steadfast commitment to fostering a culture that respects, upholds, and cherishes the inherent dignity and infinite worth of every precious human soul,” calling the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision a “moral and constitutional atrocity” and praising the Supreme Court’s 2022 reversal that returned abortion policy to the states.
Dept. of Health and Human Services Bars Funding Research Using Fetal Tissue, by Kate Quiñones
By Kate Quiñones, EWTN News, (Catholic World Report) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Thursday that it will stop funding research that uses fetal tissue of aborted babies… Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health (NIH) director, said in a Jan. 22 statement that the agency has “reexamined its approach related to the use of human fetal tissue in federally funded research.”
After St. Paul Church Stunt, Don Lemon Accuses His Critics Of ‘Homophobia And Racism’, by Alex Christy
By Alex Christy, MRC TV – As of Friday, former CNN host Don Lemon has been able to avoid being arrested for his role in a Sunday takeover of a St. Paul church service thanks to some judicial activism. Reacting to everything on his Thursday podcast, Lemon patted himself on the back for his role in the incident while accusing his critics of “homophobia and racism.”… I wasn’t a protester. And everybody knew that if my name was in it, that it would be big news. ‘Oh my God, we got this one.’ …
Feds Will No Longer Use Your Tax Dollars To Do Experiments On Aborted Babies’ Bodies, by Jordan Boyd
By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – American taxpayers will no longer fund research that uses aborted baby body parts after the National Institutes of Health announced on Thursday that it will cut financial ties with any programs experimenting with human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions… NIH marketed the historic move — which applies to “all NIH-supported extramural research,” such as grants, cooperative agreements, awards, and other contracts — as “a significant milestone in the Trump Administration’s efforts to modernize biomedical science and accelerate innovation.”
Fr. Ignatius John Schweitzer, OP: Exegesis of the Word: On Christ the Light of the World Now and to Come
By Fr. Ignatius John Schweitzer, OP, Catholic Exchange – Breaking Open the Word – “Christ is the Light of the world.” What is contained in this short statement?… “God is Love.” This is another short line, overflowing with meaning… “God” is a short word but infinite in meaning… Some statements in Scripture are short and doctrinal, such as “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:16), but these simple realities need to be opened up in all their mystery with other Scriptural texts, like Song of Songs, Isaiah 40-66, or the Gospel accounts of Jesus, especially His manifesting God’s Love through His Death and Resurrection.
Who’s Afraid of the Ten Commandments? by Josh Hammer
By Josh Hammer, The American Spectator – On Tuesday, the full, 17-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit heard consolidated oral arguments in a crucial case that is all but guaranteed to make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. The predictable controversy surrounding the litigation, which involves similar but distinct mandatory Ten Commandments display laws arising out of Texas and Louisiana, is revealing as to just how far America has fallen from its Founders’ vision.
Fr. Shenan J. Boquet: The Family: The Solution to “Collectivism” and the Degradations of Radical Individualism
By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – On January 1, New York’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, was inaugurated. Mamdani has repeatedly described himself as a “democratic socialist,” and in his inaugural speech he doubled down on this self-identification…. At one point in his speech, Mamdani promised to “replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.” In a sharply worded post on X, Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and the founder of Word on Fire responded to this line, saying that it “took my breath away.”
‘All Signs Point’ to End of Communist Cuba, GOP Officials Say, by Pedro Rodriguez
By Pedro Rodriguez, The Daily Signal – Republican officials believe President Donald Trump is close to “freeing the people of Cuba,” as whistleblowers claimed the Trump administration eyes regime change in Cuba by the end of 2026… The administration has allegedly been in search of Cuban insiders who can help execute a regime change on the island… “All signs point to that [end to the communist regime],” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla… Before communism took hold of Cuba in 1959, the island was home to a thriving economy with dominance in key agricultural industries such as sugar and coffee. In contrast, the Cuban people now earn less than $8 a month.
All Things Are Oriented Toward Something: The Reason for Ad Orientem, by Mark Haas
By Mark Haas, Catholic Exchange – Throughout history, human beings have oriented their prayer toward what is holy. Muslims pray toward Mecca. The ancient Jewish people prayed toward Jerusalem, longing for the restoration of the Temple. Christians, from the earliest centuries, have prayed facing East—ad orientem—toward the rising sun. This ancient practice expresses a profound truth of faith: we are oriented toward the rising Son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, the true Temple raised in three days (Jn 2:19). …
Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations: Jesus Appointed Twelve to Be with Him
Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 3:13-19 – 13 And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. 4 And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons: 16 Simon whom he surnamed Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; ….
‘Abortion Pill Exposed’: Live Action Investigation and Report Reveal Dangers of Abortion Pill, by Nancy Flanders
By Nancy Flanders, Live Action News – On January 22, Live Action presented findings from a video investigation, white paper, and more, all demonstrating the dangers of the abortion pill and calling for HHS and the FDA to take “immediate, corrective action.”… Live Action’s white paper and video investigation show evidence of regulatory noncompliance and patient harm, as the abortion pill is now available via telehealth and through the mail… The video investigation reveals how Planned Parenthood fails to require safety measures, functioning as a drug dispensary instead of providing real care for women. This process puts women at increased risk.
With Roe Gone, We Still Need a Culture of Life, by Dr. R. Jared Staudt
By Dr. R. Jared Staudt, Catholic World Report – Volunteering in the Pro-Life movement in the 1990s, I remember praying for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, as if it would immediately end the abortion problem in the United States. As a high schooler, it seemed like a simple enough solution. Roe v. Wade caused the mess, so getting rid of it should take care of things. But now, after Dobbs v. Jackson, what has actually changed in the last three and a half years?
HHS Announces US Has Completed its Withdrawal from the World Health Organization, by Misty Severi
By Misty Severi, Just the News – The United States is still expected to interact with the organization to effectuate its withdrawal, but all funding for, and staffing of, WHO initiatives have ceased… The DHH Services and the State Dept. announced Thursday that the U.S. has completed its withdrawal from the WHO over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Donald Trump signed the executive order that began the process of withdrawing from the global organization last year, on the first day of his second term.
Saint of the Day for January 23: St. Marianne Cope
Franciscan Media – Though leprosy scared off most people in 19th-century Hawaii, that disease sparked great generosity in the woman who came to be known as Mother Marianne of Molokai. Her courage helpd tremendously to improve the lives of its victims in Hawaii, a territory annexed to the United States during her lifetime (1898).
Ryan Anderson: The March for Life Is Needed ‘to Rejuvenate the Pro-Life Grassroots’, by Zelda Caldwell
By Zelda Caldwell, National Catholic Register – One the eve of the 53rd March for Life, the Register interviewed Ryan Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Institute, about where the pro-life movement stands today. One of the nation’s leading thinkers on human dignity and the right to life, Anderson is the author or co-author of five books, including Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing… President Donald Trump has faced criticism from pro-life advocates for not using all the tools at his disposable to protect the unborn. What should the movement’s approach be for the remainder of his administration?
Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations: Jesus Appointed Twelve to Be with Him
Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 3:13-19 – 13 And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. 4 And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons: 16 Simon whom he surnamed Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; ….
Founder’s Quote
Patriot Post – “It behooves you, therefore, to think and act for yourself and your people. The great principles of right and wrong are legible to every reader; to pursue them requires not the aid of many counselors. The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest. Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail.” —Thomas Jefferson (1775)
Saint of the Day for January 23: St. Marianne Cope
Franciscan Media – Though leprosy scared off most people in 19th-century Hawaii, that disease sparked great generosity in the woman who came to be known as Mother Marianne of Molokai. Her courage helpd tremendously to improve the lives of its victims in Hawaii, a territory annexed to the United States during her lifetime (1898).
