News

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – This Thursday, March 19, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and patron of the Universal Church… Of all the saints, Joseph stands as the model of faithful fatherhood: the man whom God entrusted with the protection of the Holy Family, and who fulfilled that mission with quiet, unwavering devotion. In him we see what marriage and fatherhood are meant to be, i.e. a sacrificial gift of self, ordered toward the good of spouse and children, rooted in obedience to God’s plan.

Catholic Apostolate Center – Patron Saint of Ireland – St. Patrick was a 5th century missionary to the people of Ireland. According to his autobiography, St. Patrick was captured and sold as a slave in Ireland when he was 16. There, he was forced to work as a shepherd for 6 years until he escaped and returned to his family. Later in his life, he became a priest and heard the Lord’s call to return to Ireland and spread the Gospel. There are many stories about St. Patrick’s life, and while their historicity is uncertain, they all show St. Patrick as a fervent missionary for the Irish people.

By Bradley A. Thayer, Chronicles – Time and again, the Democratic Party’s elites show through their actions, policies, and statements that they are united in opposition to traditional American life, values, and culture… That’s nothing new: it’s been this way for a generation. But it’s worsening. Today, it’s more brazen and openly revolutionary. We all saw a clear example of this at the recent State of the Union Address… “It does not make sense to me,” President Trump said about it during remarks to the Republican Members Conference at Doral, Florida, on March 9. Trump noted that he is perplexed by the Democrats’ behavior.

By Curtis Houck, Media Research Center – Since February 14, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been largely shut down after funding lapsed because Democrats demanded changes to President Trump’s deportation policies, leaving government workers such as TSA agents to work without pay and turn to food banks… A Media Research Center study found that, since the start of the DHS shutdown, only 8% – or 125 seconds – of the 26 minutes and 22 seconds on the shutdown across the flagship evening newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC have brought up the fact that the long lines at airports are because of the left’s obstructionism.

By James Baresel, Crisis Magazine (2020) – If calls for revolution now provoke fairly limited concern, their gravity is severe enough for them to have been the subject of heavenly warnings as long ago as the 1840s, when the private revelations that made the devotion to the Holy Face known to the Servant of God Sister Mary of Saint Peter called attention to the threat posed by “revolutionary men,” including communists, whom she called by name—this, before The Communist Manifesto was published.

By Fr. Francesco Giordano, STD. Catholic Exchange – Europe is once again rallying around a slogan: My Voice, My Choice. The phrase has recently returned to the center of European political debate, especially as the European Parliament advances initiatives aimed at guaranteeing cross-border access to abortion when it is restricted in a woman’s home country. In the language of EU policy, this is framed as ensuring access to “reproductive healthcare across borders.”

By Madalaine Elhabbal, EWTN News – Bishop Robert Barron and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone spoke out against the U.S. government’s past targeting of pro-life Catholics in health care at the U.S. Religious Liberty Commission’s fifth hearing… Cordileone, who serves on the commission’s Advisory Board of Religious Leaders, highlighted the ongoing legal battle being fought by the Little Sisters of the Poor over government contraceptive mandates during his remarks at the March 16 hearing… “These are women who deserve our utmost respect and esteem, and I can vouch for this from personal experience,” Cordileone said.

By James Bogle, Crisis Magazine – While at first it might seem unusual for an American to be writing in praise of monarchy, in fact, a scholarly American writer may, ironically, be in a better position than many others to praise this most ancient of institutions… So it is with Charles Coulombe, author of the recently-published book, The Compleat Monarchist; a partly French-Canadian American; and possibly the foremost American writer on the subject of monarchy… His connection with the British monarchy—through his French-Canadian ancestry—together with his American nationality …..

By Scott McKay, The American Spectator – Castro’s crumbling regime nears its end… Monday, something inevitable happened… Officials in Cuba reported an island-wide blackout Monday in the country of some 11 million people as its energy and economic crises deepen and its power grid continues to crumble… The Ministry of Energy and Mines on X noted a “complete disconnection” of the country’s electrical system and said it was investigating, noting there were no failures in the units that were operating when the grid collapsed.

By Emily Chaffins, Catholic Exchagne – Did you know St. Patrick didn’t start out as Patrick at all? His original name was Maewyn Succat—isn’t that a mouthful!… Maewyn grew up in ancient Roman Britain. When he was a teenager, he fell into the clutches of raiders, who sold him into slavery in Ireland. He was cut off from family and friends, living on this island until he successfully carried out an escape seven years later… Instead of falling into despair, Maewyn’s period of slavery drew him closer to Christ, the only one he could rely on in those difficult times.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 5:1-16 – 1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethzatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed.5 One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” …

By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – Abortion polling is notoriously deceptive and known to (be) strategically skew and misrepresent public opinion to favor abortion activists’ radical agendas. Pew Research Center’s latest survey appears to be no different… In its 2026 American Trends Panel analysis, Pew uses its January 2026 survey of more than 8,500 U.S. adults to assert that a majority of Americans, 60 percent, “continue to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.”…

By Anna Callahan, LifeNews – Last week the U.S. Department of Justice moved to dismiss lawsuits brought by Florida and Texas against the Food and Drug Administration – siding with the abortion industry on mail-order drugs against pro-life states for the second time in a week. In response, SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser issued the following statement: “It’s a disgrace that pro-life states like Florida and Texas are having to fight the Trump-Vance administration in court to uphold their laws and that extremists like Gavin Newsom are being allowed to dictate their policy ….

By Bishop Robert Barron, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries – “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”… The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” ….

By Rob Marco, Catholic World Report – recently spoke with seven young men about what they are looking for in a potential spouse, the role of technology for Gen Z, and how their faith informs how they think of marriage… As a married Gen-Xer, with kids, who’s been out of the dating world for almost two decades, I wanted to get some insight into how young men are faring in meeting a potential mate. Healthy Catholic marriages that are open to life are important, of course, and I think the topic of issues faced by young men in dating deserves more attention. …

By Aurelio Porfiri, OnePeterFive – In recent days there has been considerable news coverage of the announcement by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X of new episcopal ordinations scheduled for July 1… This announcement has understandably caused quite a stir because, according to some, it signals a schismatic intention toward the Church of Rome… In reality, the Fraternity of Saint Pius X has specified that it does not consider itself schismatic with regard to Rome.

By Michael New Ph.D., LifeNews – Today Pew Research released the results of a new poll on public attitudes on sanctity of life issues. This poll, which surveyed over 8,500 people in late January, contains some good news for pro-lifers… The results show a gain in pro-life sentiment since the last Pew abortion poll in April 2024… Specifically, the percentage of Americans who think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases increased by two percentage points. …

By Lou Aguilar, American Spectator – Britain’s retreat from its history and identity offers a cautionary tale for an America approaching its 250th birthday… Maybe Britain can be saved, but time is running out, at ludicrous speed. All we Americans can do is make sure it never happens here, beginning this November 3rd, midterm Election Day.

By White Papers Policy Institute, American Greatness – For decades, white Americans have voted Republican in large numbers. They donate, they volunteer, they show up in midterms. They defend the Constitution, talk about free speech, wave the flag without embarrassment. They are, by every measurable standard, the party’s backbone…. (However) Republicans cheered “colorblind” meritocracy—but in practice, affirmative action shifted opportunity from white voters to Asians, leaving the party’s base unprotected.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – John 4:43-54 – 43 After the two days he departed to Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast. 46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. …

By Amanda Head, Just the News – Democrats in the United States Senate blocked another attempt by Republicans to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday, as the partial government shutdown entered its fourth week. One of the most apparent consequences of the blockade is the out-of-control TSA wait lines at airports across the country… As the issue is elevated by people like Senators Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, and Dave McCormick, R-Pa., the argument inevitably reemerges that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is unconstitutional and should not exist anyway.

By John Daniel Davidson, The Federalist – It’s been nearly two weeks since the Trump administration launched a war against Iran, and President Trump is beginning to signal that he wants to wind it down. On Monday, he said “we’re way ahead of schedule,” and that the war would be over “very soon.” On Wednesday during a speech in Kentucky, Trump off-handedly declared “we’ve won,” and said it was all over “in the first hour.”

By Suellen Brewster, Catholic Exchange – For Catholics living in this “piecemeal World War III” learning the Church’s teachings on conflict between nations, especially the basics of Just War Theory, is incumbent upon us. Though our leaders would likely not explain it this way, the international actions being taken currently are in response to “structures of sin” in other nations, so an understanding of this Catholic idea is also helpful… Understanding these two foundational ideas will not make us experts, nor qualify us as advisors to those in authority. But they will help us navigate these turbulent waters as we pray for our military, our leaders, and every human soul involved.

By Thomas Colsy, The Europan Conservative – “Jesus became flesh in all human contexts,” he continued. “Therefore there is a right for all nations to continue with their special culture without contradiction to the others. It is a good image to say we are a family in mankind. But we are in a European family and so on.”… “We are against globalism. We are a universal Church. But a universal Church in the house of my father,” Müller clarified. “There are different habitations for everyone.”

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – When Notre Dame de Paris almost burned down in 2019, owing to a fire started (accidentally?) by workmen, the world was stunned by the near loss of one of the West’s iconic monuments – and a religious landmark at that. But churches around the world are burned or subjected to other types of attack these days, year after year, not by accident, but deliberate anti-Christian acts. Never heard of it? Thereby hangs a tale.

By The Dynamic Catholic Institute – There are lots of ways to measure friendship, but one is particularly insightful. It surrounds how people respond when good things happen for you… A true friend is happy for you when you are successful, a true friend is happy for you when you fall in love, a true friend is happy for you when you get a promotion, win a car, go on a fabulous vacation, and all the other good things that will happen in your life.

By Anthony Esolen, Crisis Magazine – When Catholic hierarchs speak about economic issues, I beg them to keep in mind that very tax, every economic restriction, every plan to redistribute money, every establishment of a welfare entitlement, comes with consequences… Vice riddles the soul. You can no more raise a vice-ridden person out of poverty than you can fill with water a bucket punched full of holes. Vice does not necessarily result in poverty, but it does keep the poor where they are.

By Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Cap., The Catholic Thing – Like many people years ago, as a child, my brother and I, together with our dad, always prayed in our “night prayers” the traditional prayer to our guardian angels: “Angel of God, my guardian dear to whom God’s love entrusts me here, ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.  Amen.”… I still ask my guardian angel at night when I go to bed and, in the morning, when I get up, to watch over and protect me.  Moreover, before writing, I always ask my guardian angel to give me clarity of thought and expression

By George Caldwell, The Daily Signal – What’s connecting with voters right now?… As Republicans seek to maintain their congressional majorities in November, it’s hard to keep up with the headlines: conflict with Iran, fierce debate in Congress, and an economy increasingly dominated by tech and artificial intelligence… These polls indicate voters’ concerns in a hectic news environment… It’s Iran, Stupid? …

By Josh Hammer, The American Spectator – Trump hasn’t said it explicitly, but the Trump administration’s goal — and thereby, definition of victory — in Operation Epic Fury seems clear enough: the neutralization of Iran as an active, ongoing threat to the US and our interests. If nothing else, at least, that is how victory in the current campaign should be defined… That does still raise at least one pressing question, though, especially in the context of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s call to the Iranian people to prepare for “the decisive stage of our final struggle”: Where does that most controversial of foreign policy goals, “regime change,” fit into the puzzle?

By Peter Wolfgang, Catholic Culture – But that it is implicit in Barron’s recent public statements—what Barron does and does not comment on—is too much for Greydanus. He believes the right is worse, and should be called out more, or at least as much. Greydanus, a man of impeccable Catholic orthodoxy, is well within his rights to believe this… But here’s the thing. Bishop Barron, also a man of impeccable Catholic orthodoxy, is well within his rights to believe the opposite. So are those of us who agree with Bishop Barron’s judgments—and who have been heartened to see at least one outspoken bishop in the U.S. hierarchy giving voice to what so many of us are experiencing.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 18:9-14 – 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. …

By Elise Winland, Zeale – As the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran moved into its 14th day, six U.S. aircraft crew members were killed in a crash, the Pentagon reportedly ordered roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the region, and Israel threatened to do to Lebanon what it has done to Gaza… US destroyed every military target on Iran’s Kharg Island, Trump says… President Donald Trump announced March 13 that he had directed U.S. forces to carry out one of the most “powerful” bombing raids on Iran’s Kharg Island.

By Ellie Gardey Holmes, The American Spectator – The University of Oregon, which hosts 24,000 students on its Eugene, Oregon, campus, has announced that its student health services center will now abort students’ babies… Beginning this fall, students will be able to obtain mifepristone and misoprostol from the university’s health clinic. Students will then birth what is often a recognizable dead baby, presumably in their dorm rooms.

By The Dynamic Catholic Institute – We all need to be accountable to someone. It brings out the best in us. People do not do well in situations where they are not accountable to anyone or anything. In fact, the absence of accountability inevitably leads to our spinning out of control… As the Church expanded and entire nations in Europe became Catholic, there was a major need for accountability. …

By Elise Winland, Zeale – Conflicting reports and escalating tensions surrounding the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran continued March 12, as the White House rejected claims of an Iranian drone threat on U.S. soil, Iran’s new supreme leader reportedly issued his first public message, and U.S. officials signaled plans to protect global oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz… White House issues response to reports of Iranian drone threats… White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed an ABC News report claiming the FBI warned California police departments in February that Iran could retaliate for a U.S. military operation by launching drone attacks in the state.

By Colm Flynn, EWTN – Former Vatican Auditor General Lobero Milone sits down with EWTN News Colm Flynn for this exclusive one-on-one interview. Milone is currently taking a case against the Vatican for unfair dismissal, loss of earnings, and reputational damage. His case has been dismissed, and he is now lodging his final appeal. In this interview, he reveals new details about the work he was doing overseeing the Vatican finances with the late Cardinal George Pell …

By Amanda Head, Just the News – In new survey, just 23% of registered voters could accurately describe the act… In the midst of President Donald Trump’s high-stakes ultimatum to freeze all congressional business until lawmakers pass his revamped SAVE America Act — demanding strict voter ID, proof of citizenship, and curbs on mail-in ballots — a fresh Napolitan News Service survey finds a glaring irony: less than one-quarter of registered voters appear to have no clue what, in fact, the legislation is.

By McKenna Snow, Zeale – The European Union is calling on Israeli authorities to take swift action to protect West Bank communities suffering amid a reported wave of increased attacks by Israeli settlers, according to a March 11 BBC report… The death toll of Palestinians has risen to six in the past week amid the conflicts, prompting outcry from human rights activists, organizations, and others warning that the outbreak of the Iran war may have a correlation to the increased settler attacks.

By Douglas Andrews, Patriot Post – Jamie Dimon told a funny joke last November … Dimon, who grew up in New York City, was speaking at the American Business Forum in Miami, and he was asked a question about the “historic relocation of both people and capital to Florida and to South Florida”… “It’s a competitive world. It’s competitive between countries. It’s competitive between cities. It’s competitive between states. And you’re mentioning a bunch of these states that are driving business out, and it will backfire. And so, people vote with their feet … because they see a better life for them and their family.”

By Sean Fitzpatrick, Crisis Magazine – The world, now being unveiled, stands or falls on the faith and fortitude of Catholics willing to follow Christ as the persecution intensifies… These are days of disturbing disclosure, when the mask is being plucked from the overlords of politics, economics, and entertainment. Their cabal is one clearly structured by unadulterated pride: power-mongering and pressure, money and manipulation, bribes and blackmail, using people for self-service, trafficking and corruption. …

The Dynamic Catholic Institute – Saint Euphrasia was born into the loud world of royalty and politics in Constantinople, but learned to live and love the quiet life no matter what her outer circumstances were. Her father died when she was young, and when she was seven years old, her mother arranged to marry her to a young nobleman. Euphrasia serenely said no, and expressed her desire to devote her life to God. Euphrasia’s calm demeanor was so convincing that her mother agreed, and brought her to a convent in Egypt.

By Victoria Cardiel, EWTN News, (Catholic World Report) – The final report of the Synod on Synodality’s study group “Women’s Participation in the Life and Leadership of the Church” raises the possibility of “reformulating” certain competencies and functions of priests, deacons, and bishops to give women greater responsibility in the Church, while noting that the issue of the female diaconate “is not ripe.”… Regarding the female diaconate, the report states that the issue “is not yet ripe” and refers to the work carried out by previous commissions — the second of which issued an opinion against it — without reaching a definitive judgment.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 12:28-34 – 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

By Newsmax Wires – Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., said Thursday on Newsmax’s “National Report” that passing the SAVE America Act is “ground zero to save our country,” urging the Senate to bring the election integrity legislation to the floor and put lawmakers on record… “It’s absolutely necessary, and I believe it’s going to happen under the strong leadership of President [Donald] Trump,” Miller said when asked about the possibility of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., allowing debate on the bill.

By Scott McKay, The American Spectator – It is being run by professionals, which is more than you can say about the Senate… I’m as disgusted as our readers with the Republicans in the Senate, who — with some merciful exceptions — are as gray and drab a collection of political losers as America has ever produced. As I wrote yesterday, the utter debacle that is the SAVE America Act standstill in that body is proof that, as much as we’d like to think the GOP has finally moved past its well-deserved reputation as the Stupid Party in Washington, it hasn’t.

By Sarah Holliday, LifeNews – At a press conference, the Missouri senator (Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)) unveiled his new legislation, the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act. This bill seeks to strip mifepristone — the drug responsible for the majority of U.S. abortions — of its longstanding approval from the FDA. According to recent data from the Guttmacher Institute, chemical abortions made up 63% of all abortions in 2023, with the trend only accelerating in the years since.

By Regis Martin, National Catholic Register – At the same time, however, (death) remains the most painfully bewildering of all mysteries, an intolerable affront to our dignity as children of a God who neither made death nor delights in the death of the living. It was owing instead to the envy and malice of the devil that death entered the world, thus forcing us to endure that which God never intended from the beginning. …

By Kenneth Joe Galloway, Catholic Exchange – The Cross’s Visual Simplicity and Symbolic Depth… To better understand how the cross embodies visual simplicity and symbolic depth, consider its technical qualities: it has two intersecting lines—a form so simple even a child can draw it, yet so distinct that it is immediately recognizable worldwide. This simple geometry makes it open to symbolic interpretations. The horizontal line evokes the relationships among human beings; the vertical line represents the relationship between God and humanity; ….

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Sen. Josh Hawley introduced legislation Tuesday to strip federal approval from the dangerous abortion drug mifepristone, which he described as “inherently dangerous” to women… The abortion pill has killed millions of babies and injured tens of thousands of women… The bill, titled the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, would prohibit the use of mifepristone, withdraw its approval by the Food and Drug Administration and classify distribution of the drug for abortion purposes as a violation of federal law.

By Thomas Gallatin, Patriot Post – President Trump and others are pushing Senate Republicans to require a talking filibuster, hoping to break the Democrats’ blockade of commonsense legislation… President Donald Trump and Republicans writ large want to see the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE Act passed. And they are right to desire to see this commonsense election-protection legislation become law. Indeed, upwards of 80% of American voters — huge majorities in both parties and among independents — agree that requiring voters to show photo ID is a good idea.

By Carole Novielli, Live Action News – The Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary has the authority to suspend an application for a drug’s approval — including the abortion pill — if they determine that the drug would be an ‘imminent hazard to public health.’… This information was included in a response from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an abortion pill lawsuit filed by the State of Louisiana. The lawsuit seeks an injunction over changes to the abortion pill’s safety protocols known as REMS, made in 2023, which enabled the mailing of abortion inducing drugs — an act already prohibited by federal law known as the Comstock Act.

By Carole Novielli, Live Action News – Planned Parenthood Southeast (PPSE), which currently oversees facilities in the largely pro-life states of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi will now be managed by Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, an affiliate based in pro-abortion California that was recently awarded $90M from Governor Gavin Newsom…. Planned Parenthood Los Angeles will step in to oversee the facilities of Planned Parenthood Southeast following complaints of discrimination against PPSE’s interim CEO, Mairo Akposé.

By Michael Hichborn, Lepanto Institute, (Complicit Clergy) – This article will provide a thorough timeline regarding our discovery of CRS’ direct participation in the spread of contraception in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  It is a third article in a series exposing CRS’ continued and unchanging tactic of silencing critics by dismissing real evidence, denying any wrongdoing, and characterizing the concerned reports of faithful Catholics as “attacks.”  In part 1, we provided solid evidence and a timeline regarding the way CRS handled theologian Germain Grisez’s true and valid concerns about a condom-promoting flip-chart produced and distributed by CRS in one of its project areas. 

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – The New York Times reported the words, but the Wall Street Journal didn’t.  When Bam Adebayo, two days ago, was asked to describe the moment when he scored 83 points in an NBA game, second only to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points, he said, “Man, I wish I could relive it twice.  I credit God, my family, my teammates, this crowd.”… A wag commented that, right after God, he should have credited the Washington Wizards, the team ostensibly defending him. …

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 11:14-23 – 14 Now he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons”; 16 while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? …..

By Nate Guyear, Catholic Exchange – Have you ever heard someone say that God’s forgiveness removes the guilt of sin? And have you ever wondered why God would punish a person from whom He had removed guilt? In other words, if God forgives me, thereby declaring me not guilty and removing sin from my soul, why does He punish me? This article will elucidate the reasons why punishment following God’s forgiveness is necessary. Let’s begin with sin.

By Frank Wright, Substack – IN BRIEF – Most people are starting to find out how bad things really are… Then they will find out why things are so bad… Finally, they will realise how much they have been misled – all their lives… This means they will no longer know who they are or what to feel or think… The meaning of their lives is being erased by events… This will cause people to go mad in direct proportion to their belief in the supply of official narratives around which their sense of self has been arranged. … Prepare to heal the sick and to help the wounded. Put aside your differences and help your brothers and sisters in their direst hour of need.

By Chris Bray, The Federalist – This is where Talarico becomes especially interesting… The childless man in his late-30s who has never mentioned going on a date with an identifiable woman is deeply invested in the abstraction of other people’s children, who he thinks he loves. And recent reporting suggests that he has certain deeply adolescent habits: “Faith-forward Texas Senate candidate follows porn actors, escorts on Instagram.”

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – I find myself attracted by what we call “coffee table” books, and I like having them around the house. Even if they are not often used, they remain a reminder of their subjects, which are in that sense associated with both beauty and attentiveness. This principle is certainly true of two new books from Magnificat by Dominican Fathers Andrew Hofer and Philip Nolan. These books are devoted to what are probably the most important and most-often used prayers among Catholics, namely Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope and Hail Mary: Pondering the mysteries of Love. …

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú for EWTN News, (Catholic World Report ) – After nearly 900 years, the Trappist monks may be leaving the Abbey of Our Lady of La Trappe in Normandy, France, one of the most iconic symbols of the Cistercian tradition founded in the 12th century… The monks, who belong to the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance — also known as the Trappist order, which follows the Rule of St. Benedict — reported that they were considering leaving the monastery around 2028 due to “the shortage of vocations and the increasing burden of owning the land.”… For the approximately 20 brothers who make up the community ….

By Elise Winland, Zeale – Report: FBI warns Iran may launch drone attacks on locations in California… An FBI alert circulated to police departments in California warned that Iran could retaliate against the U.S. by launching drone attacks in the state, ABC News reported. The alert, obtained and reviewed by ABC, did not specify which parts of California could be targeted.

By Scott McKay, The American Spectator – John Thune is responsible for an absolutely worthless GOP Senate majority… The Federalist’s Sean Davis did an excellent job of summing up the predicament the Republican Party finds itself in at the moment, with lots of time until the 2026 midterms (but no real indication that will make much difference): Understand what Thune is doing right now. It’s not enough for him to kill the SAVE America Act. Thune has to kill it while also protecting his worst RINO colleagues from being exposed for opposing it. … How does Thune accomplish his? By avoiding a simple majority vote at all…

By Ann Burns, Crisis Magazine – Women are incapable of teaching men how to be men… Not long ago, I opened up an email detailing Catholic events in the area. There, in bright colors, was a men’s conference announcement. A good thing, right? But looking at the keynote speakers, I couldn’t help but wonder why a picture of a young woman graced my screen. Feeling as if I morphed into a nosy old lady, I zoomed in on the picture. Yup! My eyes had not deceived me. Presenting to a room full of men on what masculinity is, would be an ostensibly young lady.

By Sheryl Collmer, Crisis Magazine – Dear bishops, we are tired of the never-ending scandals and your pretending that nothing is amiss. We are tired of being used by you… If a particular bishop is innocent, let him at least address our concerns and give us solid, documented reasons to believe he is truthful. A clean, independent audit report would be the most direct way… Bishops, there are capable accounting firms in every diocese of this country. …

By Mark Lambert, Catholic Unscripted, Youtube – Join host Mark Lambert in a thought-provoking conversation with Reverend Doctor Alexander Lucie-Smith, a Catholic priest, moral theologian, and writer. They dive into the recent release of the Epstein files, exploring its far-reaching implications for the British establishment, the monarchy, politics, and even parallels within the Catholic Church. From Prince Andrew’s controversies to Peter Mandelson’s scandals, they discuss how wealth and power erode moral accountability, leading to institutional rot and societal disillusionment.

By Abigail James,  Catholic Online News – How to Prepare in the Two Weeks Before Ash Wednesday… You don’t need a color-coded Lent planner or a heroic self-denial strategy… You need honesty—and a little intentional space… Here are simple, realistic ways to prepare: 1. Decide what Lent is actually for… Lent is not about proving spiritual toughness. It’s about making room for God. Before choosing what to “give up,” ask what you want more of: peace, prayer, patience, clarity, healing.

By Constance T. Hull, Catholic Exchange – When the opportunity presented itself for me to read and review Rebuilding Trust: Clergy Morale in the Wake of the Abuse Crisis, I jumped at the chance. I have spent the last eight years studying the state of the priesthood ever since the abuse crisis blew wide open in the summer of 2018. I have had many conversations with priests, seminarians, and friends who minister to priests in multiple dioceses. I have seen firsthand much of what is reported in the book.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 6:7-13 – 7 And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. …

By Complicit Clergy, Staff – This week we learned that the Archdiocese of New York was being OPPOSED BY ITS OWN INSURANCE COMPANY because of its ongoing cover-up of the sexual abuse of minors… Later this week, Bishop Ronald Hicks of the diocese of Joliet will be installed as Archbishop of New York, replacing Timothy Dolan.  Hicks is a protegee of Cardinal Blase Cupich, having acted as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Chicago before being elevated to Bishop of Joliet.  A recent column highlights the influence Cupich has had in U.S. bishop appointments.

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – So now the Chinese Communist Party is learning another painful lesson—and it is a lesson that Western governments should learn as well: Economic incentives alone do not produce population growth. Couples do not have children because they want tax breaks or maternity benefits or special bonus payments. Babies are produced not by government policies but by acts of love. Not love for the nation or the Communist Party or the Five-Year Plan or the prospect of world domination, but the love of men and women for each other.

By Carol Tobias, LifeNews – In January, the Trump administration took several giant steps forward in protecting innocent, preborn human life. Here’s just a partial list… *The Mexico City Policy [MCP], first issued by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, prevented US tax dollars from being given to international organizations that “perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning.”  That policy was rescinded and re-enacted several times as pro-abortion Democrat presidents and pro-life Republican presidents cycled through the White House. …

By Noel Yaxley, Chronicles – Recently, a female skier in China was rescued from a mountaintop after being seriously injured in an attack by a snow leopard… upon spotting the rare animal on her drive back to her hotel, somehow decided that it would be a good idea to get out of her car, approach the animal, and take photos. In video footage, she is seen lying motionless in the snow with the predator nearby… Apparently, the woman was credulous enough to believe that an unpredictable wild animal might take a break from its hunt for an Asiatic ibex to pose for a selfie with her.

By Elise Winland, CatholicVote – Johnson concluded that mercy and justice are complementary, not competing, principles in Christian teaching, writing: “God specifically requires His people to practice both (Micah 6:8). Despite the unfounded claims of the Left, supporting a strong national border is a very Christian thing to do. The Bible tells us so.”… In a post on X, CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt praised Johnson’s remarks to reporters and highlighted CatholicVote’s recent analysis of immigration enforcement and Christian moral teaching.

By Catholic Apostolate Center – St. Agatha was a Christian virgin and martyr. Along with our Blessed Mother, St. Agatha is one of seven women commemorated by name in the Roman Canon of the Mass. Agatha dedicated her life to God at an early age, but was sought out by many men. One of these men became angry with Agatha. He imprisoned Agatha in a brothel. During her time in the brothel, Agatha was assaulted, which led to many injuries. In time, she was miraculously healed by God from all of her injuries. The man who imprisoned Agatha ignored her miraculous healing and had Agatha rolled over hot coals. She survived this torture and returned to prison. Agatha died in the year 251. She is a patron saint of breast cancer patients.

By Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., What We Need Now, Substack – Maleness is a matter of biology. It just happens. Manhood must be learned and earned and taught. So our prayer today and every day should be that God will plant the seed of that new knighthood in the hearts of every Christian man—and make them the kind of “new men” our families, our Church, our nation, and our world need.

By Daniel Payne, EWTN – A steep decline in Catholic marriages in the U.S. over the past few decades is underscoring the need for “proactive” marriage support in the Church… Data obtained by EWTN News from the Official Catholic Directory shows a major drop-off in U.S. Catholic marriage, from about 267,000 in the year 2000 to just 111,718 in 2024, a decline of nearly 60%… The drop is even starker when compared with midcentury numbers: In 1970 there were about 426,000 Catholic marriages in the United States, compared with about 108,000 in 2025, a roughly 75% drop-off …

By Casey Chalk, The Federalist – How Leftists Accelerate Civilizational Collapse… In “Suicide of the West”, Burnham censures those of the West “who hate their own civilization, readily excuse or even praise blows struck against it, and themselves lend a willing hand, frequently enough, to pulling it down.” The reasons leftists do this originate in their beliefs about human nature and society. They believe man’s nature is not fixed but changing, “with an unlimited or at any rate indefinitely large potential for positive (good, favorable, progressive) development.”

By David Edwards, Raw Story, (Complicit Clergy) – “How would you respond to Pope Leo in scripture?” the reporter wondered… “So you want me to give you a theological dissertation?” Johnson replied. “Borders and walls are biblical. From the Old Testament to the New, God has allowed us to set up our civil societies and have separate nations. Immigration is not something that’s frowned upon in Scripture. In fact, it’s welcome. We’re to welcome the sojourner and love our neighbor as ourselves.” …

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 6:1-6 – 1 He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! ….

By Mark Haas, Crisis Magazine – In free solo climbing, the climber ascends massive structures or rock faces without ropes, harnesses, or protective equipment. There is no safety net. No backup plan. One slip, one moment of fatigue, one miscalculation—and death is horrifically instant. Every movement must be perfect. Every grip must hold. The free climber lives, quite literally, seconds away from catastrophe at all times… Honnold himself has acknowledged this reality. He knows that his life hangs on his fingertips. He accepts the risk. He trains relentlessly. He remains intensely focused because he knows what is at stake.

By Auguste Meyrat, The Catholic Thing – What is a feminist? This used to be an easy question to answer. When feminism simply meant equal rights and opportunities for women, most people felt comfortable identifying as such. After all, who could be against women having the right to vote and owning property?… Even as feminists have broken glass ceiling after glass ceiling, however, it has become less clear what their goals are anymore. Worse still, the rise of transgenderism has undermined the core claims of feminism by questioning the objective reality of womanhood.

By Paul Kengor, Grace Reilly, The American Spectator – The woke NFL show is finally rivaled!… For years, the NFL has become more woke, less family-friendly, and less patriotic. This year’s halftime performer, Bad Bunny, is confirmation of this fact… Turning Point USA recognized that many Americans have had enough, so they’ve announced a rival All- American Half Time Show that will feature Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett… Watch the full episode …

By Jeffrey Mirus, Catholic Culture – Christmas seems to take a very long time to arrive, while Lent leaps out and grabs us before we have time to blink. Ash Wednesday 2026 is just a week away. So now we are called upon to reflect not on the baby in the manger but on the man whose “sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44). The realities of the passion and death of Jesus Christ trigger in us a significantly different response than do the details of His nativity.

By Elise Winland, Zeale – A vast majority of Americans — including Democrats and ethnic minorities — favor requiring photo identification (ID) to vote, according to an analysis from CNN Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten… The data undercuts claims by some Democratic lawmakers that voter ID laws are broadly unpopular and intended to disenfranchise non-white voters… Speaking during a Feb. 3 segment on CNN, Enten cited recent Pew Research Center surveys showing 83% overall support for photo voter ID requirements. Support has remained consistently above 75% since 2018, the data suggest.

By Garrett Johnson, Catholic Exchange – Until I was given my true freedom, I didn’t clearly see the false freedom of the hedonistic lifestyle I’d been living. I was pleased to find that the Church had consistently fought for people’s freedom from its inception. One of the significant battles she was involved in when I returned was deeply personal to me: the battle over identity. I gladly joined this fight, in part, by joining the Courage apostolate and by writing and creating videos on my website.

Peters Pence Class Action, Feb. 3, 2026 – The Peter’s Pence class action lawsuit against the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was originally filed in January 2020.  The lawsuit alleges that USCCB routinely asks Catholics throughout the country to donate money to the annual Peter’s Pence collection to “help victims of war, oppression, natural disaster, or disease,” but the money actually goes into funds which invest in such ventures as luxury condominium developments and Hollywood movies. The Plaintiff claims the USCCB is liable under theories of common law fraud, unjust enrichment, and breach of fiduciary duty.

By Jordan Boyd, The Federalist – Over the last 25 years, gunmen and gunwomen have launched around two dozen fatal attacks at Christian churches across the nation. As demonstrated by the invasion of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota last month, even congregations that haven’t encountered an armed threat still face mounting hostility against their faith and parishioners… There’s no denying houses of worship are targets for violence. There’s also no denying that death tolls in church shootings were kept at a minimum thanks to the heroic actions of good guys with guns like Jack Wilson, Caleb Engle, and Jeanne Assam.

By Shawn Fleetwood, The Federalist – Nearly two-thirds of likely 2026 midterm election voters support deporting illegal aliens from the United States, a new poll released Monday shows… In its latest survey of 1,004 likely 2026 voters, the political polling firm Cygnal found that respondents support removing illegal aliens from America and sending them back to their country of origin by a nearly 2:1 margin (61 to 34 percent). The poll also found strong support for ICE enforcement of federal immigration laws and agreement that illegally entering the United States is a violation of such laws.. “Voters see illegal immigration as a simple question of law and order,”

By Jonathan Liedl, National Catholic Register – The cardinal-archbishop of Chicago has profoundly reshaped the American hierarchy over the past 10 years and is poised to exert a lasting influence… At an upcoming Mass in Manhattan, Bishop Ronald Hicks will become the 11th archbishop of New York. But during the Feb. 6 installation in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Chicago native will also be the latest addition to another sort of lineage… Archbishop-designate Hicks is set to become the fourth former deputy of Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich to be named to a major American see in just the past 13 months. …

By James Kalb, Catholic World Report – To say that Trumpism is better politically than progressivism is not to say that it is an adequate view of politics and social life, or that it is likely, if it runs its course, to lead to a good or even sustainable society… We live in unusual times, and Donald Trump is, to put it mildly, an unusual politician… We need to understand him to deal with him, and with that in mind, I will present my own theory… What strikes me most is that Trump has distinctive ways of doing things that never seem to vary. Just as he always eats, drinks, and dresses the same, he always operates the same—he wants to make deals ….

By Chris Jackson, Hiraeth in Exile, (Substack) – On February 2, the Society of St. Pius X publicly announced that new episcopal consecrations will take place on July 1. The Superior General, Fr. Davide Pagliarani, says he requested an audience, wrote again to explain the need, received a letter from the Holy See that “in no way” answered the Society’s requests, and judged that “the objective state of grave necessity in which souls find themselves” requires the decision… The next months force the Vatican II machine to show its hand again, in public, with the same familiar pattern: thunder at Tradition, soft voices for schism, smiles for the regime in China, gentle language for Eastern separation, and a permanent allergy to precision whenever Rome’s new ecumenical theology starts contradicting itself.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 5:21-43 – 21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, 23 and begged him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” 24 And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. …

By Fr. Francesco Giordano, STD, Catholic Exchange – A priest friend recently expressed his concern about the increasing fluidity of human identity and values over the past twenty years. His observation prompted me to reflect on insights drawn from Medieval philosophy—particularly from St. Thomas Aquinas—regarding the notion of tabula rasa, the idea that the human person is born as a “blank slate.”… While modern thinkers such as John Locke emphasized this concept in a radical sense, Aquinas and the classical tradition understood that it must always be held together with a robust account of nature.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – In a significant pro-life victory, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business, has voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit challenging a key defunding provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that revokes its taxpayer funding… The dismissal, filed quietly on Friday, comes after a federal appeals court ruling that allows the Trump administration to continue withholding Medicaid reimbursements from abortion companies. …

Source: Catholic Apostolate Center – St. Blaise, Patron Saint of Throat Illnesses – St. Blaise was Bishop of Sebaste, modern day Turkey, in the beginning of the 4th century before his martyrdom in 316. He was a physician who was known for his miraculous healings, particularly healings involving the throat. This lead to the tradition of blessing throats on his feast day. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, being invoked against throat illnesses. “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

By Mary Rose, Catholic Vote – A retired University of Notre Dame priest and historian has called the university’s appointment of a pro-abortion advocate to lead a campus institute “untenable,” disputing the advocate’s recent pledge to uphold academic freedom and mutual respect… Father Wilson Miscamble, a Holy Cross priest and professor emeritus of history, made the remarks in a letter published Jan. 30 in The Observer, Notre Dame’s student newspaper. His response came after Susan Ostermann, an associate professor of global affairs, defended her appointment as incoming director of the Keough School of Global Affairs’ Liu Institute of Asia and Asian Studies.

By Bridget Sielicki, Live Action News – The Indiana Senate passed a bill last week that would curtail illegal abortion pill distribution in the state by allowing private lawsuits against those who manufacture, prescribe, or distribute the pill… The Indiana Senate passed a bill that would allow civil lawsuits against those who manufacture, prescribe, or distribute the abortion pill… Indiana law protects nearly all preborn children from abortion… The bill aims to stop the flow of illegal abortion pills into the state.

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic  Register – The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) announced Monday that it plans to consecrate new bishops on July 1 even without authorization from the Holy See, a move that would likely lead to automatic excommunication of all the bishops who take part and harden a decades-old split with Rome. … The SSPX, which exclusively celebrates the traditional Latin Mass and maintains doctrinal differences with certain teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, has not consecrated new bishops since 1988 when the Society’s founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four bishops without Rome’s approval. …

By Randall Smith,  The Catholic Thing – If we are devoted to the truth, as our devotion to God demands, then perhaps we should take more care not to settle on any of these false, illusory “half-truths” or pass them on to others in our conversations and social media posts… Did we imagine truth would be easy?  That it would always make us “feel good,” puff us up with pride, and feed our sense of self-righteousness?  What in Christianity could possibly have led us to think that?  The truth in its fullness is more likely, like God, to humble us and cause us to realize how small our minds and hearts have been.

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture – Since we spend a quarter to a third of our lives asleep, one would think that Scriptures would help us understand the mystery of sleep. It does. The beatitudes are virtues brought to perfection by the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the crown jewel of discipleship. Among them is: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9) The peace of sleep becomes a kind of final beatitude, a daily reminder of God’s desire to give us rest from our toil.

By Rachel Bovard, The Federalist – What if I told you Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has the power and the votes — right now — to save Republicans’ congressional majorities, President Trump’s second-term agenda, and maybe the republic itself, all while poleaxing Democrats on the short side of an 84-15 issue?… It sounds like fantasy. But like the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian legend, 2026 is offering up to the GOP a political weapon almost as powerful as Excalibur itself: an extended Democrat talking filibuster of national voter ID legislation.

By Kevin Cohen, The American Spectator – ICE is not a substitute for local policing or courts. It is the only authority with the mandate to remove non-citizens once state and local processes conclude. In a fragmented system — where police arrest, courts adjudicate, and legislatures set policy-ICE functions as the final integrating mechanism. When that mechanism is resisted or disabled, risk does not disappear. It circulates… Recent events in Minnesota offer a clear illustration of how this dynamic plays out. Over the winter, federal agents expanded targeted enforcement operations in Minneapolis and the surrounding Twin Cities region, prompting protests, political backlash, and public clashes between local officials and federal authorities. The controversy focused largely on optics and tactics. Far less attention was paid to the profiles of those actually being arrested.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Laura Fernández, a staunch pro-life advocate who has described abortion as nothing more than murder, won Costa Rica’s presidential election on Sunday, securing a first-round victory and becoming the Central American nation’s next leader… Fernández, who previously served as planning minister and chief of staff under outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, triumphed in what outlets described as a landslide, capturing 48.3% of the vote with 94% of polling stations counted, surpassing the threshold to avoid a runoff.

By Jennifer Gregory Miller, Catholic Culture – On February 2, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, forty days after Christmas. In the 1962 calendar the feast is called the “Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and commonly referred to as Candlemas. When this feast falls on a Sunday the General Norms of the Liturgical Year and Calendar specifies that Feasts of Our Lord that fall in the General Roman Calendar take precedence over the Sundays in Ordinary Time, so this feast would be celebrated instead of the Sunday in Ordinary Time.

By Adam Johnston, The Federalist – The unrest surrounding immigration enforcement in Minnesota is a flashpoint for a much deeper struggle over U.S. sovereignty… A sovereign nation, by definition, must be able to enforce its laws within its own territory… When federal immigration law is openly resisted, and elected leaders excuse, rationalize, fail to deter, or even encourage violence against those tasked with exercising constitutional authority, both the federal government and the nation lose their fundamental legitimacy.

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – Advocates for euthanasia and assisted suicide see “dying with dignity” as “liberation,” believing that a life with pain and suffering lacks meaning. By contrast, Catholic tradition values both the dignity of the human person and the gift of life through the lens of Christ’s redemptive love. The Church knows that suffering is an inescapable aspect of life and that this suffering ultimately unites us to God… The more our society opens the door to and positively incentivizes assisted suicide, the less free individuals (and now, couples) will be to embrace the trials of the end of life, free of the psychological, moral, and medical pressure to take the “quick and easy” way out.

By Carl E. Olson, Catholic World Report – During this Sunday’s Gospel Reading, we hear the Beatitudes, among the most well-known and oft-quoted sayings of Jesus. The Beatitudes consist of nine “Blessed are…” statements that together form an introduction and doorway to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)… In Jewish literature, beatitudes were common in works having to do with worship and wisdom, such as the Psalms, Proverbs, and the Book of Wisdom (or Wisdom of Solomon). They described a situation in which God’s blessing is experienced, and they exhorted the listener to live in a way that would lead to such a blessing.

By Ashley Herzog, The American Spectator – Much has been made of how a federal judge last week struck down the Education Department’s guidance advising schools to dismantle their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives or risk losing federal funding. Supporters of DEI have seized on the ruling as proof that their cause is resilient… But the larger picture tells a different story. Whatever its legal status, DEI has already lost cultural legitimacy — on campus, among students, and even within the academic left itself…

By Craig Bannister, CNS News – In the past 10 days, New York’s failure to honor detainer requests by U.S. ICE has resulted in the release of nearly 7,000 criminal illegal aliens, the DHS warned Friday, reacting to the plan of the state’s Democrat governor, Kathy Hochul, to legally prohibit state and local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE… In a statement, DHS said that it “condemns Governor Hochul’s legislative proposal to bar local police departments from partnering and cooperating” with ICE law enforcement, warning that such partnerships are “key to removing criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from American communities.”

By Nancy Flanders, Live Action News – Though end-of-life care has been debated for decades, well-meaning Americans have been misled by those who intentionally conflate palliative care with euthanasia and assisted suicide — but only one of these options is ethical… Some U.S. states have in recent years passed legislation allowing doctors to become both killers and suicide accomplices. While marketed to the public as a “compassionate” way to help people facing so-called “terminal” diagnoses, behind the scenes, health insurance companies and governments have touted how “assisted dying” saves them money.

By Greg Piper, Just the News – An advocacy group that fights “unwanted medical treatments” is asking the high court to take a fresh look at the case, Jacobson v. Massachusetts, and how courts have interpreted it – extrapolating the holding far beyond the facts of the case – and getting an assist from several red states and a public interest law firm that seeks to rein in the administrative state… Last week, the justices considered whether to accept Health Freedom Defense Fund’s petition to review a ruling by the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, overturning a three-judge panel that said it’s irrelevant whether COVID vaccines stop infection or transmission for the purposes of Los Angeles Unified School District’s onetime employee mandate.

The Catholic Apostolate Center – The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord takes place forty days after Jesus’ birth, when Mary and Joseph take their newborn son to the Temple. There, they encounter Simeon and Anna. Simeon prophesied the redemptive mission of Jesus when he says, “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight for all your people.” Luke 2:30-31. …

By M.C. Holbrook, Catholic Exchange – And so, the scene ends with Mary and Joseph, once again, submitting to the law in obedience. Even their act of returning home is an offering on behalf of God’s will. Which brings us to our second lesson: not all our acts of obedience will be hard for us to carry out, nor will they make us miserable. After all, it is certain that as much as it would have been lovely to see friends and family again, Mary and Joseph would have been ready and eager to go home—especially after receiving the sobering news that Simeon had to share.

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Do you notice something missing? The clerics cite their “fear” that religious services might be disrupted “by aggressive enforcement tactics.” In their rush to place all blame on one side, they fail to notice that in Minnesota, church services already have been disrupted—not by federal enforcement officers, but by the activists who have been opposing them. Those same radical activists indeed might choose to disrupt worship services in Washington, DC, before too long. …

By Mary Eberstadt, The Catholic Thing – For over sixty years, after all, we have lived under the tyranny of a collective declaration that I am my own, and no one else’s – that I decide matters of life, and the giving, taking, or preventing of life; that I, and no one else, have the right to do with my body whatever I see fit… And this repudiation of the truth that we are not our own can now be judged by its fruits, which are everywhere around us. The declaration that I am my own, the fundamental battle cry of the sexual revolution, has rendered life radically different, and in several respects, worse for us than for any other human beings in history.

By Anne Hendershott, The American Spectator – After securing the Supreme Court majority that overturned Roe v. Wade, President Trump now finds himself lectured to by a vocal minority of pro-life activists who seem to have forgotten who delivered the greatest pro‑life victory in half a century. A movement that spent decades fighting for the end of Roe should be united in gratitude to the president, yet an increasing number of pro‑lifers have chosen to treat President Trump not as the leader who delivered the impossible, but as a disappointment measured against their ever‑shifting purity tests.

By Casey Chalk, Catholic Exchange – Most importantly, forgiveness draws us into deeper fellowship with Christ. The more we do it, there we appreciate what Christ did for us on the cross; and the more we can perceive that we can, in our own little way, extend the same grace that Jesus extended when He forgave His enemies on the cross. Friendships, families, and entire communities can in time be healed by a radical willingness to forgive. Don’t allow old grievances to oppress your soul. There is freedom to be had. You need only forgive.

By Jonah McKeown, National Catholic Register – Nashville Bishop J. Mark Spalding, speaking to the Register, noted that his is a diocese experiencing rapid, large-scale growth — about 1.5% on average per year for the Nashville metro, while the national average is well under 1% — primarily driven by large numbers of people moving into Middle Tennessee. People are primarily moving to the area for economic opportunities, he said, but also because the region is perceived as family-friendly and value-oriented, creating the soil for a vibrant and dynamic Catholic culture to spring up.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 4:35-41 – 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?”

By Tyler Arnold for EWTN News, (Catholic World Report) – “[Hegseth] definitely wants to return the chaplaincy to responsibility for religious services, religious instruction, and advising the commanders,” Broglio said in a speech at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 28… In December, Hegseth ended the use of the official spiritual fitness guide, which he said never mentions virtue and only references God once but makes 11 references to “feelings” and nine to “playfulness.” He said the guidelines were “pushing secular humanism” and were a disservice to military service members who have religious faith.

By Joseph Pearce, Crisis Magazine – Today, as a citizen of the United States, I hope and pray that we might move beyond the desire for power, for political “greatness,” to once again embrace the true greatness of goodness. I pray that America will be great because she is beautiful from sea to shining sea.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The Catholic Bishop of Saskatoon in Canada has issued a strong condemnation of abortion, describing it as resulting in the killing of unborn children and contributing to a broader cultural devaluation of human life… In a pastoral message released January 24 for Reverence for Life Sunday—observed Jan. 25 in the Diocese of Saskatoon—Bishop Mark Hagemoen highlighted the ongoing impact of the 1988 Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Morgentaler case, which struck down restrictions on abortion and left in place abortions up to birth for any reason

Catholic Apostolate Center – Throughout his life, St. John Bosco was dedicated to vocational education and publishing. Today, his intercession is sought as the patron of young apprentices and Catholic publishers. Inspired by Saint Francis de Sales, he and his followers informally banded together, and founded the Salesian religious order, which is among the largest and most influential communities in the Catholic Church. John Bosco and the Salesians developed a theory of education based on love and support, rather than punishment. “Young people should not only be loved but that they themselves should know that they are loved.” -St. John Bosco

By Father Jerry J. Pokorsky, Catholic World Report – In the prescient 1980s BBC comedy series Yes, Prime Minister, Prime Minister Jim Hacker must choose the next Anglican bishop of Bury St. Edmunds. His choice is between an atheist and a socialist. The prime minister’s adviser dryly observes, “It’s interesting, isn’t it? That politicians want to talk about moral issues, and bishops want to talk about politics.”… Catholics may notice a similar pattern today.

By Matt Kittle, The Federalist – Looking to beef up election integrity ahead of November’s midterms, Republicans are introducing the Make Elections Great Again, or MEGA, Act… The bill, led by House Administration Committee Chairman Brian Steil, R-Wisconsin, includes many of the measures that election integrity-hating Democrats have fought so feverishly to kill. It requires photo ID to cast a ballot, proof of U.S. citizenship to vote, and bans practices that have plagued election security and voter confidence for years.

By Michael Pakaluk, The Catholic Thing – Loyalty is a republican virtue, and more than that.  “The American people have been chary of the word loyalty, perhaps because they regard it as the correlative of royalty,” Orestes Brownson says, in his great work on our country, The American Republic, “but loyalty is rather the correlative of law.”… That fact pops up from a cursory glance at the components of the word. It clearly comes from the French for law,loi.  Loyalty is loi-alty.  In Medieval Latin, it was simply legalitas.   Loyalty is most fundamentally lawfulness.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – The Department of Veterans Affairs has halted the killing of unborn babies in abortions at its facilities nationwide, complying with a Justice Department opinion that restores longstanding federal prohibitions on taxpayer-funded abortions for veterans… The reversal, effective immediately, overturns a 2022 Biden administration policy that had expanded abortion access within the VA system, allowing VA doctors to perform abortions even in violation of federal law and state protections for the unborn.

By Jonah McKeown, National Catholic Register – Could computer programs ever come to truly think and understand? Can artificial intelligence (AI) possess a “mind” the way humans do and, by extension, ever be described as a “person” with a soul?… If you ask some of the leading creators and proponents of AI products, at least some of them would answer “Yes” to these questions — a “Yes” that, if true, would raise other far-reaching and potentially dangerous ideas: Should AI programs be given rights? Should they be considered as equal in dignity to humans, or even obeyed as our superiors?!

By Fr. Ignatius John Schweitzer, OP, Catholic Exchange – Some time ago, I had the practice of reading the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) or the Last Discourse of John (Jn. 14-17) at least once a week. I did so because these passages are so fundamental to the Christian life. Regularly going through the Sermon on the Mount caused varying dimensions of the Sacred Page to come forth, such as seeing it in terms of Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit in our life as Christians. Our Gospel this Sunday, on the Beatitudes, is a brief, introductory summary of the whole sermon and so gets us to the heart of the Sermon on the Mount.

By Nate Jackson, Patriot Post – One last point: Why was Pretti there? Because he hates ICE. Why was ICE there? Because Trump is attempting to clean up the very deliberate crisis created by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and now leftist Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. Biden and Harris may be gone, but their open border policy is still claiming American lives. Nothing ICE agents have done even remotely compares to the violence and death against entirely innocent people like another nurse named Laken Riley.

By Paul du Quenoy, Chronicles – In Democrat thinking, every illegal in the country is a potential voter, a future voter, or a parent to future voters. Trump’s closing of the border has shut off the supply of new arrivals, but his active removal of illegals and other measures—such as excluding them from the census, which determines each state’s number of congressional representatives—is reducing the absolute numbers already present and reducing their weight in American electoral politics.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 4:26-34 – 26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” …

By Katherine Matt, The Daily Signal – In recent years, many parents have begun questioning long-standing assumptions about traditional education. Concerns about bureaucracy, one-size-fits-all curricula, and institutional failures have eroded confidence in the public school system for many families… Some parents are also increasingly wary of ideological instruction in public schools, particularly when it comes to gender ideology and sex education… While debate over education is healthy in our society, a growing number of families believe the system has become less responsive to individual needs

By Jeffrey Lord, The American Spectator – Pennsylvania’s Democrat U.S. Senator John Fetterman has got it exactly right… Recently, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, also a Democrat, decided it was a good idea to call ICE agents “wannabe Nazis.”… Which prompted Senator Fetterman to condemn Krasner, correctly saying, “members of ICE are not Nazis” and that in calling them Nazis, Krasner could easily incite violence… Well exactly. Good for Senator Fetterman. …

By Greg Piper, Just the News – When a medical transparency group sought all records on the government’s approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, the Food and Drug Administration told a court it would need 55 years to redact them under Freedom of Information Act exemptions. The gambit didn’t work… The FDA won’t take that long to finish an abortion pill’s safety review, which was prompted by a think tank report last spring, promised by Commissioner Marty Makary in June and reiterated by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in September, but the agency can’t give a specific timeframe.

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – Since the last three popes have all recommended Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson’s 1907 apocalyptic novel Lord of the World, perhaps a few words about this remarkable portrayal of the end times are in order… Benson foresees the future state of the world in which he recognized he was already living—a world focused entirely on the present material potentiality of humankind, and completely blind to spiritual reality. It is also a world in which a kind of humane gentleness (including the widespread availability of “euthanasia houses”) is maintained beneath a façade of tolerance for those still attached to the old religions, of which only Catholicism is perceived as potentially threatening.

Franciscan Media, January 30 – Today we honor a woman who submitted to God’s will throughout her life—a life filled with pain and suffering… Born in 1825 in central Poland and baptized Sophia, Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska contracted tuberculosis as a young girl. The forced period of convalescence gave her ample time for reflection. Sophia felt called to serve God by working with the poor, including street children and the elderly homeless in Warsaw’s slums. In time, her cousin joined her in the work.

By Sheena Rodriguez, Live Action News – Though the Trump administration claims to be pro-life and has made efforts to combat destructive transgender ideology, it has also disturbingly thrown support behind the expansion of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), which comes with a heavy cost in the destruction of a staggering number of the most vulnerable human beings… To make good on his intention to make IVF more accessible and affordable, President Trump promised access to discounted IVF drugs through the TrumpRX website. This month, it is set to officially launch, with the inclusion of a fertility drug from biopharmaceutical company EMD Serono.

By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal – Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump administration has created a new assistant attorney general position to crack down on fraud nationwide… The new official will have “nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud,” Vance said at Thursday’s White House press briefing… “Unfortunately, the American people have been defrauded in a very nationwide way,” Vance said… Federal prosecutors have estimated that welfare fraud in the state could have topped $9 billion, and more than 90 individuals have been charged in connection to fraud schemes there.

By John Daniel Davidson, the Federalist – Forget January 6. It turns out January 7 might go down as the date when insurrection really arrived in America — not from the MAGA right, but from the anti-Trump left… In the aftermath of the fatal shooting Wednesday in Minneapolis of a woman who appears to have tried to ram an ICE agent with her vehicle, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced at a press conference that he had issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard to mobilize to “protect Minnesotans” from “rogue ICE agents.”… Walz said, “We’ve never been at war with our federal government,” and at one point told Minnesotans, “do not allow them to deploy federal troops here.” …

By Greg Piper, Just the News – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s in-house publication gave mainstream media ammunition to attack Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s scrutiny on vaccine safety and efficacy, running a study that implies COVID vaccines saved healthy kids from serious outcomes last season… The research appeared in the CDC’s Dec. 11 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which is not peer-reviewed and was accused of publishing methodologically weak research upholding COVID dogma between President Trump’s terms. …

By Elise Winland, Catholic Vote – In remarks at a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy celebration Jan. 8, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused major health organizations of promoting nutrition advice shaped by corporate interests… Speaking one day after HHS unveiled the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, Kennedy argued that long-standing federal warnings against saturated fat reflected conflicts of interest rather than settled science… He singled out the American Heart Association, saying it “was and continues to accept millions of dollars from the biggest processed food makers in this country” ….

By Srdja Trifkovic, Chronicles – Operation Absolute Resolve in the early hours of Jan. 3 showcased military professionalism bolstered by first-class intelligence. It opened with shock-and-awe air strikes that neutralized Venezuela’s air defenses and provided the cover for the Delta Force raid on President Nicolás Maduro’s compound and his prompt transfer to USS Iwo Jima… It was a truly unprecedented event: a de facto extradition of a head of state, with the objective of effecting major policy changes by his successors. … This was a clear demonstration, on (Jan. 3, 2026), that the world has moved beyond those nebulous and inherently dangerous constructs of Team Biden’s “rules-based international order.” …

By Anne Hendershott, Catholic World Report – Too many in the media try to force a long tradition of papal diplomacy into the narrow world of American politics while ignoring the centuries of Catholic teachings on war, peace, and justice… Pope Leo’s recent comments on the United States military operation in Venezuela were quickly labeled left‑leaning by some media outlets, including The Daily Beast, Yahoo News, and a growing list of syndicated sites… But that framing misses the point. It forces a long tradition of papal diplomacy into the narrow world of American politics while ignoring the centuries of Catholic teachings on war, peace, and justice.

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register – Some cardinals and faithful who have a devotion to the traditional Roman rite have expressed concern that the liturgy appears to be sidelined in the extraordinary consistory currently underway at the Vatican after the cardinals voted to give priority to other issues on the agenda… In his opening address to the consistory yesterday, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed to the cardinal participants that they will have the opportunity to “engage in a communal reflection” on four themes already pre-announced to be on the meeting’s agenda. …

By Shawn Fleetwood, The Federalist – Since Wednesday’s shooting of a violent anti-ICE demonstrator at the hands of U.S. immigration officials in Minneapolis, Democrats and their left-wing lackies have taken to doing what they do best: lying… Within hours, these self-professed “misinformation” experts spread disinformation of their own by claiming that the now-deceased woman — who is on video obstructing law enforcement operations and accelerating her vehicle at an ICE agent — was nothing more than an innocent “legal observer.” …

By Franciscan Media – By Franciscan Media – Though Saint Adrian turned down a papal request to become Archbishop of Canterbury, England, Pope Saint Vitalian accepted the rejection on the condition that Adrian serve as the Holy Father’s assistant and adviser. Adrian accepted, but ended up spending most of his life and doing most of his work in Canterbury.

By Ryan Neuhaus, Chronicles – Politicos keep talking about an affordability crisis, and they’re not wrong; there clearly is one. But the price pressures everyone is obsessing about sit atop something deeper. The truth is that the affordability crisis is the result of choices, policy decisions made over decades, that reshaped the country in ways that no longer reward responsible behavior. The crisis is not primarily about inflation or deregulation or unemployment, or any other economic metric. It is about a generation of young Americans waking up and realizing that the path they were told to take no longer leads where they were told it would. …

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 4:14-22 – 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. ….

By John Solomon, Just the News – Officials say movement of cash out of Minnesota was substantially abnormal and should have raised red flags during the Biden administration… Homeland Security Dept. officials said the statistics they have gathered in recent weeks show the movement of cash out of Minnesota was substantially abnormal and should have raised red flags during the Biden administration, long before the Trump administration began investigating it as part of a major fraud scheme that stole billions from taxpayers in the state.

By Chris Jackson, Hiraeth In Exile, (Complicit Clergy) – Leo XIV does not treat Vatican II as one council among many, held inside a long Catholic memory and judged by what the Church already received. He treats it like the hinge of history, the moment the Church “begins,” the point where the past becomes raw material and the future becomes mandate. He reads Lumen gentium as program, not as reference. He frames it as light. Then, almost immediately, he announces a whole catechesis series dedicated to Vatican II, presented as permanently relevant, permanently urgent, permanently required for reading the world.

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register – Participants in the Jan. 7-8 extraordinary consistory in Rome shared their thoughts with the Register Wednesday on Pope Leo XIV’s first major meeting with the College of Cardinals since his election in May… “It will be a moment of grace, of sharing, of deepening, and of listening on various topics,” predicted Cardinal Francis Leo of Toronto, as he walked from his Rome residence to the Synod Hall in the Paul VI Hall to attend the gathering’s opening session. “I’m going with an open heart, let’s see how it develops.”

By Matt Kittle, The Federalist – Assaults on ICE agents have exploded over the past year. In November, DHS reported that “sanctuary politicians’ rhetoric” fueled a 1,150 percent “increase in violence against ICE law enforcement.” In light of last month’s Operation Metro Surge, an ICE enforcement effort targeting “the worst of the worst who flock to Minnesota because they know sanctuary politicians will protect them,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the liberal politicians were only making things tougher for law enforcement officials.

By Dr. R. Jared Staudt, Catholic World Report – What would the collapse of civilization look like?… We might immediately think of cutoff utilities, disruptions in the supply chain, violence in the streets, and the lack of functional government. While it’s true these might serve as external indicators of a functioning modern society, they do not constitute the essence of civilization. A civilized person doesn’t just live in the city (the civitas that gives civilization its name) but conforms to an ideal of culture. A barbarian lives for immediate needs and wants …

By Craig Bannister, MRC TV – “I’ve issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard. We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed, if necessary,” Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz threatened Wednesday, denouncing the federal government’s efforts to enforce U.S. immigration law in his state… Gov. Walz made the apparent threat during a press conference following the death of a Minnesota anti-immigration enforcement protester who was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent as she, according to video of the incident, drove her vehicle into the agent. …

By Nancy Flanders, Live Action News – According to new reports, Canada is allowing prisoners to end their lives through assisted suicide despite having banned capital punishment decades ago… Canada fully banned capital punishment — the death penalty — in 1998… Medical Assistance in Dying was approved in Canada in 2016… From 2016 to 2025, at least 67 prisoners in Canada have requested assisted death, with at least 15 approved and killed. …

By M.C. Holbrook, Catholic Exchange – John the Evangelist begins his Gospel account of the wedding feast at Cana by pointing out first that Mother Mary is in attendance. That Jesus is also there is secondary. But isn’t Jesus always the most important character in any of the Gospel stories? Of course—which is perhaps the reason John references the Blessed Mother namelessly, pointing to her instead as “the mother of Jesus.” Still, the fact that John singles her out, all in her own

By Randall O’Bannon, Ph.D., LifeNews – Since the Dobbs decision, the Guttmacher Institute has been publishing monthly abortion estimates based on data submitted from a national sample of abortionists. In the last few weeks, it has compiled these monthly totals and published a new estimate for abortions in 2024 – 1,126,970… Guttmacher says this number reflects 1,050,660 abortions “provided by clinicians in U.S. states without a total ban in 2024″ plus an additional 76,310 “provided via telehealth to states with total bans in 2024,” according to estimates Guttmacher takes from the Society of Family Planning (SFP). …

By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal – When Rep. Mary Miller saw President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to ban large investors from buying single-family homes, she immediately volunteered to introduce a bill to codify it, she said… “It’s been an issue that the Family Caucus has been discussing, and I’m thrilled to see President Trump’s tweet and that he’s making this a priority,” Miller (said)… Miller expects Trump to sign an executive order banning large investors from buying single-family homes, and then her bill will codify that policy into law. ….

By Mark Alexander, Patriot Post – What an amazing year just passed, and the one ahead more so! I may be the last person wishing you a Happy New Year, but know this: I mean it from the heart!… It is fitting, with humility, that our 30th year advancing our mission “to support and defend” Freedom would fall on our nation’s 250th year in the eternal battle required to sustain American Liberty and extend it to the next generation… It did not occur to me on Constitution Day, 17 September 1996, when we launched The Patriot Post, that our 30th anniversary would coincide with such a magnificent moment in American history. …

By Veronique de Rugy, The American Spectator – Fraud is widespread and persistent… Growing national outrage over Minnesota’s welfare fraud is justified, but not because of where it took place or because it implicates members of any immigrant community. It’s much more than a “Minnesota” story… The outrage is justified because Americans are finally getting a concrete look at what happens when pushing public money out the door matters more than verifying the eligibility of the recipients, confirming services were delivered, or, ultimately, being a good steward of taxpayers’ money. …

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Through the first eight months of his pontificate, Leo XIV has been a calming presence in Rome. There have been no shocking statements from the apostolic palace to prompt sensational headlines, no dramatic policy announcements to unveil grand new plans. Vatican-watchers are still waiting to see what sort of papacy this will be. The consistory of cardinals meeting this week— his first unexpected initiative— may answer their questions… To date Pope Leo has appeared content to continue along the path set by Pope Francis.

Franciscan Media – Some saints show marks of holiness very early. Not Angela! Born of a leading family in Foligno, Italy, she became immersed in the quest for wealth and social position. As a wife and mother, she continued this life of distraction.

By Eddie Scarry, The Federalist – That Tim Walz is abandoning his reelection campaign for Minnesota governor amid a maddening multibillion-dollar welfare fraud scandal should serve as a big reminder: Democrats are robbing you every day and hardly even trying to hide it… Recall Walz as the stereotypical self-abasing Democrat white male, presumably heterosexual, who was inexplicably chosen to be Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election. His stint in that role was the equivalent of a 300-pound belly flop into a pool full of sand ….

By Max Dublin, The American Spectator – South America is moving on from socialist fantasies, just as the North begins to embrace them… With all the hullabaloo relating to the extraction and arrest of Venezuelan narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro, it is easy to forget that in recent years — and even recent months — good things have been happening in the southern hemisphere without America’s helping hand… Shortly before the recent election in Chile, I visited that country to attend a wedding. …

By Sarah Cain, Crisis Magazine – The new and already infamous Bishop Michael Martin began by targeting the reverent churches that have produced vocations, and he has now turned to target the seminarians themselves. He wishes to delay the ordination of young men by a year, forcing them to work as lay teachers midway through the seminary program. After they have received their bachelor’s degree in philosophy through Belmont Abbey College, and before they begin their theology education for their master’s, they will work as teachers in diocesan schools.

By Edward Welsch, Chronicles – Unlike my ancestors, the Somalis did not come to the United States to work. They came to America to become government dependents and clients of the Democratic Party… They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you, okay? Someone will say, ‘Oh, that’s not politically correct.’ I don’t care. I don’t want them in our country. Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks and we don’t want them in our country.

By Terry Hursh, Catholic Exchange – Many people are incredibly active, yet spiritually stagnant—especially in the most important aspect of life: knowing, loving, and serving God… Fr. Richard John Neuhaus (1936-2009), former editor of “First Things,” once observed, “It seems like most of us spend our lives discovering we are merely ‘creatures’ and not the Creator. We want to create our own successful world…without understanding that it is the Creator—not the created—who is in control.”

By Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency – “Now you have to be a little flexible on Hyde,” the president said. “You know that you got to be a little flexible. You got to work something [out]. You got to use ingenuity. You got to work. We’re all big fans of everything, but you got to be flexible. You have to have flexibility.”… Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, criticized Trump for urging flexibility on the provision, calling its support “an unshakeable bedrock principle and a minimum standard in the Republican Party.”

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 6:45-52 – 45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. ….

By Felix Miller, Catholic Vote – The Catholic Church in the U.S. has reportedly seen a surge in requests for exorcisms in the past few years, leading to an increased number of priests being trained as exorcists, according to recent reports… The Catholic Church teaches that demons are real and that they can possess human beings. According to paragraph 1673 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there are two forms of exorcism: the simple form, which occurs at every baptism, and the solemn or “major” exorcism, which deals with serious cases of demonic possession.

By Michael Haynes, PerMariam, Substack – Cardinal Radcliffe, who served as spiritual advisor to the Synod on Synodality, has given his support to “moving ahead quickly” with ordaining women to the diaconate… Timothy Cardinal Radcliffe OP made a number of revelatory comments, not least about the fact that he apparently fell in love with a woman just shortly after he was ordained a priest and invited her to stay at his priory to meet the Dominican community there… But it is his position on women’s access to the diaconal order which is a standout aspect of the interview.

By Ryan Colby, LifeNews – The State of Colorado must pay $5.4 million in attorneys’ fees to Becket following the state’s unconstitutional effort to outlaw abortion pill reversal. Becket represented Bella Health and Wellness, a Denver-area Catholic pro-life healthcare clinic, defending them against Colorado’s attempt to make it illegal for doctors and nurses to help women who take the first abortion pill but then decide to continue their pregnancies.

By Gina Christian, OSV News – Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans issued a formal apology to abuse survivors in that archdiocese. This follows a court approval of a $230 million settlement in a five-year-long bankruptcy case. “With this letter,” he wrote, “I express on behalf of the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, my predecessors, and myself, profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm you have suffered at the hands of your abusers.”

By Complicit Clergy, by Staff – A year ago, the news surprised the Catholic world: on January 6, 2025, Pope Francis appointed the first woman to head a Vatican dicastery. The Consolata missionary Simona Brambilla was named to oversee more than 600,000 religious sisters and brothers (including 128,559 priests) worldwide… No less unprecedented was the appointment of a pro-prefect, a position not previously provided for by curial norms in this case. Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB, assumed this role, whose performance remains opaque.

Franciscan Media – Since Raymond lived into his hundredth year, he had a chance to do many things. As a member of the Spanish nobility, he had the resources and the education to get a good start in life… By the time he was 20, he was teaching philosophy. In his early 30s he earned a doctorate in both canon and civil law. At 41 he became a Dominican…

Patriot Post, Headlines – Maduro update: Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro appeared in a New York City court on Monday following his arrest by U.S. forces in Caracas over the weekend. Wearing a prison uniform, Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges connected to narco-terrorism, contending that he was “a decent man” and that he was “innocent” and “not guilty of anything that is mentioned here.” His wife, Cilia Flores, who was arrested and charged with him, also entered a not-guilty plea. …

By Sandra Miesel, Catholic World Report – The Wise Men—not yet called kings—make only a single appearance in Holy Scripture. St. Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 2:1-12) tells of their arrival in Jerusalem shortly after the birth of Jesus. They have come seeking the newborn King of the Jews because they had seen his star rise in the East. Herod, the current ruler, knows nothing of an upstart princeling but learns that prophecies place him in Bethlehem. Herod directs the Wise Men to search there for the Child and keep him informed. Following their star, the Wise Men find Jesus with his Mother.

By John Cassara, Crisis Magazine – Greed is part of the human condition. It has always been with us. Yet in our progressive, post-Christian, materialistic, and debased culture, it seems like we are seeing more and more instances of egregious criminality based on greed… For example, Minnesota’s Somali community has recently faced scrutiny over major fraud cases, particularly the multimillion-dollar “Feeding Our Future” scandal. It involved Covid pandemic food aid and other forms of government assistance, including Medicaid fraud, child care, housing, and autism programs. Estimates of the fraud vary from between $9 and $18 billion. …

By Katy Faust, The Federalist – Then there is Elon Musk, who has openly declared that having many children is a moral duty to save civilization. Musk has at least 14 publicly known children, many conceived through IVF, surrogacy, or relationships intentionally structured around reproduction rather than marriage. He has said that “smart people” need to have more kids — and has used reproductive technologies to curate which women will bear them. …

By Michael Hichborn, Lepanto Institute – According to the assistant chaplain, Thomas More University enrolls students who are Catholic, members of other Christian denominations, and adherents of non-Christian religions, including Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. He stated that because many such students lack transportation to off-campus houses of worship, students “on their own, were using space that was not appropriate or conducive to prayer.”… after considering space constraints, noise, and security concerns, students of all faiths were offered the use of the meditation or prayer room as an interfaith chapel.

By Father Jerry J. Pokorsky, Catholic World Report – Every person, from king to commoner, lives by a moral code. Catholic moral theology is grounded in the Ten Commandments and the principles of Natural Law…. The Catholic Church clusters its moral precepts—Natural Law, God’s positive law, and Church discipline—around the Ten Commandments. Catholic moral theology is reasonable and governs human acts. The deliberate violation of a moral precept, with freedom and full consent, renders a person guilty. Although most sins are venial and weaken the soul, some sins are mortal and rob it of sanctifying grace. God grants His grace and the sacraments to restore that grace and return us to the path of salvation.

By Christopher Jacobs, The Federalist – I could go on (and on and on), but I won’t. Here’s hoping that, regardless of what happens with the upcoming vote in the House, Republicans stop playing into Democrats’ hands and start turning their attention toward reducing the underlying cost of health care, rather than throwing good taxpayer money over bad at a failing Obamacare program.

By Cassy Cooke, Live Action News – If 2025 proved one thing, it’s that the pro-life movement is not slowing down. And Live Action continues to lead where culture, truth, and accountability meet… Here are some of the biggest victories the pro-life movement celebrated in 2025… Defunding Big Abortion of an estimated $700 million… This summer, the reconciliation bill known as the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed Congress and was subsequently signed by President Trump on July 4.

By Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing – Pope Leo has summoned the world’s Cardinals to a Consistory this week, a return to normal practice that was mostly sidelined for the past dozen years in favor of “synodal” gatherings. So now that the Jubilee Year has concluded, the current pope is doing something new – and old – in any event, a departure from his predecessor’s ways, in the very first days of 2026. What might that mean?

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Mark 6:34-44 – 34 As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late; 36 send them away, to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat.” ….

By Fr. Mario Alexis Portella, Crisis Magazine – The era of socialism in New York City has begun as Mayor Zohran Mamdani was ceremoniously sworn in by the socialist Democrat Senator of Vermont, Bernie Sanders. In his inauguration speech on New Year’s Day, the new mayor said: “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism…. I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist.”… Mamdani, aside from seeking to freeze rent on the city’s nearly one million rent-stabilized apartments as part of his socialist agenda, has also vowed to implement city-owned grocery stores.

By Nancy Flanders, Live Action News – Fox News contributor and liberal commentator Leslie Marshall has shared the heartbreak of her journey with in vitro fertilization (IVF), including that she went through 13 cycles and 11 miscarriages… Marshall and her husband have two children: one from adoption and one via IVF. Her first son died as an infant due to Canavan disease, a genetic condition. There was a 25% chance that any child they had would have the condition and a 75% chance that the child wouldn’t. …

By Franciscan Media – Brother André expressed a saint’s faith by a lifelong devotion to Saint Joseph… Sickness and weakness dogged André from birth. He was the eighth of 12 children born to a French Canadian couple near Montreal. Adopted at 12, when both parents had died, he became a farmhand. Various trades followed: shoemaker, baker, blacksmith—all failures. He was a factory worker in the United States during the boom times of the Civil War.

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Radical pro-abortion Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who signed a law allowing infanticide by letting babies die who survive abortions, announced Monday he will not seek reelection amid an ongoing fraud scandal plaguing his administration… Walz, a pro-abortion Democrat who initially launched his bid for a historic third term in September, reversed course, citing the need to focus on combating widespread fraud in state programs rather than campaigning.”

By David Catron, The American Spectator – The 1973 War Powers Resolution allows him to deploy military forces without prior approval of Congress… It was hardly necessary to consult the Delphic Oracle to know that every Democrat within reach of a microphone would denounce President Trump’s military action against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. It was, however, surprising to discover how ignorant the Democrats are about the President’s authority to deploy military forces. …

By Mark Rose, Rorate Caeli – The following op-ed, by guest writer Mark Rose, is in the style of Paul Harvey’s “If I were the Devil.”… If I were the Bishop—if I were the successor to the Apostles, charged with the care of souls in the United States—I’d want to make the Church irrelevant. I wouldn’t do it with persecution; that only makes the faithful stronger. I’d do it with “modernization.”… I’d begin by whispering that the old ways are dead. I’d convince you that we need to “update” the Church, not to convert the world, but to be liked by it. I would invoke the “Spirit of Vatican II” to dismantle the structures that held the faith together for centuries, taking into account the data showing that the Council’s implementation triggered a worldwide collapse in Mass attendance. …

By Srdja Trifkovic, Chronicles – In this hope, Maurras was disappointed: Pétain was outwitted by outright Nazi collaborationists. His turn of phrase nevertheless describes President Donald Trump’s December 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) for those who hope America can be once again a regular nation in its foreign affairs: powerful, secure, and focused on its pragmatic interests, in the realist tradition…. The president prefaced the 33-page document as “a roadmap to ensure America remains the greatest and most successful nation in human history and the home of freedom on earth.”

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews – Louisiana is pushing to temporarily reinstate an in-person requirement for dispensing abortion pills in a federal lawsuit that could protect thousands of unborn babies from chemical abortions enabled by a Biden administration rule… The state’s motion, filed December 17 in U.S. District Court, challenges the 2023 Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy rule from the Food and Drug Administration, which allows remote prescription and mailing of the abortion drug mifepristone. A hearing on the request to restore the in-person safeguard is set for February 24.

By Nathanael Blake, The Federalist – Americans do not need illegal immigrants to raise our children… Atlantic writer Olga Khazan disagrees. She is angry at President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration because it is disrupting the easily exploited servant class that provides cheap childcare. As she explains, “Millions of parents in the United States … rely on immigrants to take care of their kids. … Immigrants make up at least 21 percent of the child-care workforce — and this may be an undercount.”… Fertility is about priorities and character, not immigration policy. The birth rate will go up if Americans prioritize having and raising their own children, not because they are offered a supply of cheap, easily exploited foreign women to change diapers.

By Mary Stroka, Catholic Vote – Since then, significant related developments have unfolded, including the following… Rubio explains U.S. policy in Venezuela.. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Kristen Welker of NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the U.S. is at war with drug trafficking organizations, not Venezuela. He told Welker after she asked about President Donald Trump’s statement “We’re going to run the country” that the U.S. is “running policy” regarding changes in Venezuela.

Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 4:12-17,23-25 – 12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” ….

By CNA Staff, Catholic World Report, Catholic News Agency – President Donald Trump announced Saturday that U.S. forces have “captured” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following a “large-scale strike” on the South American nation… “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country,” Trump wrote.

By Fr. Wayne Sattler, Catholic Exchange – “Mental prayer,” St. Teresa of Avila writes, “is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us” (The Book of Her Life, ch. 8, par. 5)… When we make time frequently to be alone with anyone we love, the time will not always be filled with noticeable activity.  We come to enjoy simply being with them without much concern as to what we might be doing. …

By Casey Chalk, The Federalist – No one looms larger in the story of our nation’s struggle for independence than George Washington, who today seems almost mythical… There are many things to celebrate during our nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations, and many men to honor for their part in our country’s birth: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock among them. But no one looms larger than George Washington, who today seems almost mythical. At Washington’s funeral, Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee famously eulogized Washington as, “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” In 2026, it is our duty to ensure that honorific remains as true as when it was first spoken.

By Samantha Stephenson, Crisis Magazine – Amid so much toxicity, we find ourselves in desperate need of an antidote. (January 1st), on this Feast of Mary, Mother of God, I submit that it is she, our Queen, who is the antidote… Amid so much toxicity, we find ourselves in desperate need of an antidote. (Jan. 1st), on this Feast of Mary, Mother of God, I submit that it is she, our Queen, who is the antidote. Her example is the remedy we need to clear the poisons from our systems, and we need no other resolutions this year but to cling more closely to Mary, who mothers us all. …

By Edward Pentin, Substack – The vital importance of sacred music to the liturgy, the need for every Catholic to be watchful and prepared for the Four Last Things, and the recognition that only Christ’s kingship will bring true peace were among the key messages Cardinal Robert Sarah brought to the United States late last year… Cardinal Sarah’s visit to the U.S. was centered around the launch of his new book, The Song of the Lamb: Sacred Music and Heavenly Liturgy, co-written with Church musician Peter Carter.

By Anthony Esolen, The Catholic Thing – Will not “blood” be one of the evangelist’s most crucial motifs?  Will not “flesh” be taken up in the very next line?  Why must all the mysterious suggestions be reduced to the bald and the banal, as if John were transcribing the minutes for a committee?… If such a thing is held as inseparable from the Novus Ordo, along with the rest of the flattening – if, I say – then novus would be the wrong word.  Praeteritus, rather, for a bygone fad, like loud polyester slacks, or that palma Felicis.  Bishops, I beg you, take heed.

By Franciscan Media, January 5 – Perhaps because the United States got a later start in the history of the world, it has relatively few canonized saints, but their number is increasing… Saint John Neumann was born in what is now the Czech Republic. After studying in Prague, he came to New York at 25 and was ordained a priest. He did missionary work in New York until he was 29, when he joined the Redemptorists and became its first member to profess vows in the United States. …

By Randall O’Bannon, Ph.D., LifeNews – As you see in the accompanying chart that we have linked to, we have made substantial progress in reducing the number of abortions and lowering the abortion rate over the past thirty years. At the same time, though, as long as abortion is legal, each year we will keep adding to the total of lives lost to America’s greatest holocaust.