St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and Divine Infant of Prague Mission

The Michigan government released another report on diocesan abuse in December 2025, detailing dozens of allegations against more than 50 priests in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. / Credit: Snehit Photo/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Dec 16, 2025 / 12:15 pm (CNA).

The Michigan government this week released its fifth report on diocesan abuse in the state, detailing dozens of allegations against more than 50 priests in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. 

The report from the attorney general’s office, released on Dec. 15, comes after four other reports detailing abuse allegations in the dioceses of Lansing, Kalamazoo, Gaylord, and Marquette.  

As with the other reports, the allegations detailed in the Grand Rapids investigation go back decades. The Dec. 15 report encompasses abuse allegations against “priests or deacons who are current or former clergy for the Diocese of Grand Rapids, that occurred in the diocese from Jan. 1, 1950, to the present,” the review says. 

The alleged abuse reports were pulled from a variety of sources, including a government tip line, police investigations, and abuse reports disclosed by the diocese itself. 

The majority of the priests identified in the report — 37 out of 51 — are “known or presumed to be dead,” the report says, while none of the remaining 14 are in active ministry in the Grand Rapids Diocese. 

Nearly all of the potential criminal violations in the report occurred “before 2002,” it says. 

Most of the alleged abuse was reported to have occurred against “either boys or girls under the age of 16,” though the state said some alleged abuse occurred against adults. 

In a video message after the release of the report, Grand Rapids Bishop David Walkowiak offered his “deepest and most sincere apologies” to the victims of clergy abuse there. 

The prelate commended “the courage that victim-survivors have to tell their stories,” calling it a “testament to their strength and resilience.” 

“Priests are ordained to serve in the person of Christ himself, which makes the sexual abuse of minors incomprehensible and particularly harmful,” he acknowledged.

The bishop said the report partly inflates the number of victims by detailing “consensual relationships between priests and adults,” which he pointed out are “immoral [but] not in violation of Michigan law.”

Walkowiak said the diocese has “cooperated fully” with the attorney general’s office during the investigation. He noted that the diocese has implemented “numerous safeguards” to protect children — including zero-tolerance protocols — and has “diligently upheld these practices for more than 20 years.” 

State Attorney General Dana Nessel, meanwhile, said in a press statement on Dec. 15 that abuse survivors “deserve to be heard.”

“[B]y releasing these reports, we hope to honor the courage of victims and ensure their experiences are no longer hidden,” she said. 

Reports on the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Diocese of Saginaw are still forthcoming from the state and are expected to be released at a later date. 

The Berlaymont building in Brussels, seat of the European Commission. / Credit: EmDee/Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

EWTN News, Dec 16, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

A drastic cut in EU funding has plunged the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) into financial crisis, according to the association, sparking accusations of “ideological discrimination” against the Brussels-based group.

FAFCE announced that the European Commission excluded all six of its recent project applications from funding, reportedly penalizing the Catholic group’s proposals for lacking sufficient “gender diversity” and “safeguards against discrimination,” according to documents reviewed by CNA.

Responding on social media, Hungarian Member of the European Parliament Kinga Gál, vice president of the Patriots for Europe group, condemned the European Commission’s decision as “the highest form of discrimination.”

She argued that the move targets the Catholic association “simply for defending family as the fundamental unit of society. In Brussels, that is now treated as unacceptable.”

“Strong families make strong communities. Strong communities make strong nations. We cannot allow Brussels to erase this core value in the name of gender ideology,” the European Member of Parliament wrote.

‘European values’

Founded in 1997 and based in Brussels, FAFCE is considered to be the only family nongovernmental organization (NGO) at the EU level that explicitly includes “Catholic” in its official name.

FAFCE represents 33 member organizations from 21 countries and bases its work on Catholic social teaching.

The cut in funding falls under two major EU programs: Erasmus+ and CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values), which support civil society, education, and organizations that promote EU values.

The commission’s evaluation feedback cited “limited information on gender inequalities” in FAFCE’s proposals, claiming this deficit “may limit the depth of gender analysis.”

The evaluation also stated that “the approach may contravene EU equality provisions” and noted “limited safeguards against discrimination or victimization,” though the commission did not provide specific evidence for these assertions.

The rejected projects focused on child protection and youth welfare, including initiatives to prevent children’s access to pornography and combat loneliness among young people.

Two members of the European Parliament have tabled written questions to the European Commission regarding the funding decisions: Paolo Borchia and Gál, seeking assurance of equal treatment for all NGOs applying for EU grants.

CNA reached out to the European Commission for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Financial impact

The funding freeze has created severe financial strain for FAFCE. In a fundraising newsletter, FAFCE President Vincenzo Bassi stated that the organization needs 150,000 euros (approximately $157,000) to continue its current projects. Without this funding, FAFCE will be forced to dismiss employees and reduce its presence at the European Union level in 2026.

“I consider this as ideological discrimination,” Bassi wrote. “How can a federation of associations whose primary mission is the promotion of the family be excluded from EU-funded projects such as CERV or Erasmus+?”

Bassi emphasized that FAFCE has “consistently promoted dialogue and upheld the dignity of each person” and argued that “the richness of European civil society is its pluralism, a principle enshrined in art. 2 of the Treaty on the European Union.”

“No organization should ever be penalized for defending a legitimate position in the public square,” he stated.

Catholic actor and director David Henrie speaks with EWTN News after the first episode of his new travel show, “Seeking Beauty,” premiered at the Vatican’s movie theater on Dec. 15, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Dec 16, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).

The first episode of a new travel show, hosted by Catholic actor and director David Henrie, premiered at the Vatican’s movie theater on Monday evening.

“Seeking Beauty,” which will debut on EWTN’s free streaming platform EWTN+ on Jan. 19, 2026, is a series documenting Henrie’s exploration of the beauty of art and culture in six Italian cities.

Henrie and executive producer Edmundo Reyes, with other crew members, were present for the airing of Episode 1 inside Vatican City on Dec. 15. The premiere was followed by a Q-and-A with Henrie, Reyes, and Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, moderated by Andreas Thonhauser, chief global officer of EWTN.

“It’s a blessing to be able to play the show at the Vatican, which is where we [filmed] our first episode,” Henrie told EWTN News. “You can’t help but feel grateful, and feel like [it’s] a full-circle moment.”

In the first episode, Henrie speaks to a range of experts — including art historian Elizabeth Lev and artist Kelly Medford — to learn more about the Vatican Gardens, the Swiss Guard, St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. Peter’s Square.

Reyes called it “such a special moment” to show the first episode of “Seeking Beauty” at the Vatican.

“We can’t wait for people to see it,” he told EWTN News at the event. “I think it’s going to be a great, great evangelization tool.”

Reyes, who had the original idea for the show, recalled visiting Spain with his family four years ago and how it was there he realized how many stories about art and faith have not been shared with a wider audience.

“God put in my heart this desire … Let’s create a travel show that will be more than a travel show, that would help people encounter God through beauty,” he said.

“What David has done is very special, because it’s not about going to places but retraining us or inviting us to contemplate and to look at beauty differently,” Reyes said during the Q-and-A. It’s about “God speaking to us through beauty, and not so much about, ‘Hey, here’s a cool place to visit and to put on your bucket list.’”

The series is produced by EWTN Studios in partnership with Digital Continent and in association with Novo Inspire and Sacred Arthouse.

“Each episode is very unique … There’s so much there that can touch people in different ways,” Gagnon said.

In Season 1, Henrie will also visit Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Subiaco, a place connected to St. Benedict. Season 2 of “Seeking Beauty” recently wrapped filming in Spain.

“I’m not an expert. You’re just seeing it through my eyes,” Henrie told EWTN News. 

“The thing that will make this accessible is that you’re not sitting down for a history lesson; it’s a travel show,” he said. “When my wife and I watch travel shows, we have a glass of wine, we hang out, we relax, we watch something. It’s easy consumption, but there’s some medicine under all the sugar.”

Paola Flynn, Vatican correspondent for EWTN Noticias, contributed to this report.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg, presided over the beatification Mass of the 50 martyrs of the Catholic apostolate, held Dec. 13, 2025, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 16, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg, celebrated in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Dec. 13 the Mass of beatification for 50 young martyrs who were murdered by the Nazis out of hatred for the Catholic faith during World War II.

In an apostolic letter he sent to the French capital, Pope Leo XIV established that the feast day of the 50 new blessed martyrs, belonging to about 30 French dioceses, will be May 5, 2026.

“Raymond Cayré, priest; Gérard-Martin Cendrier, of the Order of Friars Minor; Roger Vallé, seminarian; Jean Mestre, layman; and 46 companions were beatified in Paris. They were killed in hatred of the faith in 1944-45 during the Nazi occupation,” Pope Leo XIV said after the Angelus on the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday).

“Let us praise the Lord for these martyrs, courageous witnesses to the Gospel, persecuted and killed for remaining close to their people and faithful to the Church!” the Holy Father said, recalling that on Dec. 13, 124 martyrs were also beatified in Spain.

Light in the midst of the ‘dark century of terrible carnage’

“The first half of the 20th century will go down in European history as the dark century of terrible carnage. To the victims of the two world wars, the soldiers, are added the victims of the Nazi dictatorship. But in this darkness, there are points of light, and even now we can identify names and faces associated with some of these points of light,” Hollerich said in his homily, as reported by the Archdiocese of Paris.

“They had an immense love for God, for Christ. This love compelled them to serve their brothers and sisters who had been sent to forced labor in Germany. Indeed, there can be no love of God without love of one’s neighbor,” the Jesuit cardinal continued, referring to the more than 1 million French people sent to Nazi factories and labor camps.

The new blesseds, the archbishop continued, were “these young Catholics — priests, religious, seminarians, Catholic Action activists, and Scouts — all answered the call of Cardinal [Emmanuel Célestin] Suhard [then-archbishop of Paris] and Father Jean Rodhain.”

“Most of them were between 20 and 35 years old, and, along with so many other anonymous apostles, they understood the spiritual and moral distress of 1.5 million young French workers deported to Germany, now without any religious guidance, since German priests were forbidden to minister to them,” Hollerich noted.

“They were truly ‘Martyrs of the Apostolate.’ Their lives and their work in the service of their brothers and sisters were a trial crowned by the sacrifice of martyrdom,” he emphasized.

With their service of love and mercy, the cardinal continued, these martyrs “in the hell of the concentration camps, succeeded in creating oases of paradise, where love managed to restore courage, heal the wounds of the heart, overcome indifference, and convey serenity and peace.”

One of them, the young Scout Joël Anglès d’Auriac, who was beheaded at the age of 22 on Dec. 6, 1944, after going to confession, receiving Communion, and praying the rosary, told the prison chaplain: “I am completely at peace ... for I am going to Jesus Christ.”

Another young man, Jean Mestre, decided against requesting an exemption from the Nazi’s Compulsory Labor Service for the war effort in Germany and told his mother of his decision in this way: “I love you with all my heart, but I love Jesus Christ even more than you, and I feel that he is calling me to be his witness to my fellow workers who are going through difficult times. Forgive me if I am hurting you.”

A message for young people today

Hollerich said that all these martyrs remind us that “whatever our vocation, our profession, or our responsibilities, we are committed, as disciples of Christ, to serving our brothers and sisters wherever God, in his providence, has placed us.”

“The Nazis, on the other hand, despised religious freedom. While forced to respect it in Germany, they revealed their true nature in the occupied territories. The love of our martyrs for Christ and for the people they helped made them martyrs for religious freedom,” he continued.

“Perhaps this point will be an important testimony for us regarding the future of the Church in Europe. Faith is never a private matter; it must find expression in concrete service to our sisters and brothers,” the Jesuit cardinal emphasized.

“Following in the footsteps of our martyrs, let us strive to be faithful disciples of Christ, the Prince of Peace, and let us ask those whom we celebrate today to obtain for us the grace to live our faith,” he said.

Prayer for the canonization of the new blesseds

At the conclusion of the Mass, those present were given a prayer card with a prayer approved by the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, to ask the Lord for the intercession of the new blesseds and for their canonization:

Lord our God,

You granted to the blessed martyrs of the Catholic apostolate

To be inspired by the ardent desire to accompany and serve their brothers

who were conscripted for Compulsory Labor Service in Germany.

Rather than saving their lives, they answered your call

and chose to imitate Christ, who became a servant,

even to the point of following him in the sacrifice of the Cross.

Deign, O Lord, to glorify our blessed martyrs

and grant me, through their intercession,

the grace [state the grace requested] that I implore with confidence,

through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Note: People who receive graces through the intercession of the blessed martyrs are invited to write to the postulator of their cause, Father Bernard Ardura, at Viale Giotto, 27, 00153 Rome – Italy.

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

Italian Bishop Antonio Staglianò celebrates a Mass for the Jubilee of Tourism at Rome’s Church of San Salvatore in Lauro on Dec. 15, 2025. / Credit: Kristina Millare/EWTN

Rome, Italy, Dec 16, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

About 400 people participated in a Jubilee of Tourism pilgrimage in Rome on Monday evening, celebrating the unique role the industry plays in supporting the faith and religious experience of millions of pilgrims and tourists.

Isabella Ruggiero, president of the Associazioni Guide Turistiche Abilitate (Associations of Qualified Tourist Guides), who helped organize the jubilee dedicated to tourism workers, said the Dec. 15 pilgrimage was a way to bring together the professional community that daily supports visitors to Italy and the Vatican.

“This special jubilee is dedicated not only to tourist guides but to all those who work in the world of tourism: guides, tour leaders, travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, accommodation providers,” Ruggiero told CNA.

“Every pilgrimage and every single trip is the result of the work of dozens of people who help organize and carry out the trip and the pilgrimage at every stage, and who generally remain ‘behind the scenes’: from booking transportation, to cleaning the accommodation where people stay, from conceptual work, to the humblest tasks — all are necessary,” she said.

Italian Bishop Antonio Staglianò, president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology and rector of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Montesanto, opened the pilgrimage with a Mass celebration at San Salvatore in Lauro, one of Rome’s 13 Jubilee of Hope churches located near the popular tourist destination Piazza Navona.

The pilgrimage also included a candlelit procession over the Bridge of the Angels, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, in front of Castel Sant’Angelo, and crossing the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on the evening the Vatican unveiled its Nativity display in the square.

Roman tour guide Elizabeth Lev said the evening pilgrimage was a “great moment of reconciliation” and a chance to renew her own joy and hope of guiding pilgrims in the Eternal City, especially as the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope draws closer to its conclusion.

“The Jubilee of Tourism was an opportunity for us to become pilgrims, to pass through the Holy Door [at St. Peter’s Basilica] for prayer, instead of profession, and to give thanks for the many gifts of the year,” she told CNA.

“We have spent so much time arranging other people’s events that we only realized, ‘in extremis,’ that we didn’t have one for ourselves,” she said. “As luck would have it, the Vatican Christmas tree was lit as we entered the square so the last steps were accompanied by the joyful lights and sounds of Christmas hymns.”

“It was one of the most moving days of my life,” she added.

According to Ruggiero, more than 3,000 licensed tour guides of different nationalities currently operate in Rome.

“The role of the guide is to bring people of every social background and culture closer to beauty, art, and history, and to teach respect for our shared heritage,” the tourism association president said. “In the case of pilgrims, [it is] to highlight the spiritual and religious dimensions above all others.”

While religious tourism in Rome has “consistently remained high” with approximately 10 million pilgrims and visitors each year, Ruggiero said these numbers significantly increase during the Church’s jubilee years.

“In the Holy Year 2000, Rome welcomed approximately 25 million pilgrims,” she said. “Estimates for the current jubilee indicate that around 30 million pilgrims are expected to have visited the city by the end of the year.”

The 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope will conclude with the closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on the Jan. 6 solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

Bill McGurn, Wall Street Journal columnist and godfather of Jimmy Lai, speaks with “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo on Dec. 15, 2025. / Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 16, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Catholic human rights and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was found guilty following his lengthy national security trial. Lai, 78, will be sentenced at a later date but faces up to life in prison.

The Dec. 15 verdict “is important, and it’s not important,” Bill McGurn, Wall Street Journal columnist and godfather of Lai, told “EWTN News Nightly.”

“It’s important because it’s part of the Hong Kong process, and everyone knew he would always be convicted. So it’s important because we have to get it out of the way,” McGurn said. “Jimmy cannot be released until he was convicted, and that’s why we had to wait all these years for the trial and then his conviction.”

“On the other hand, it was always this charade … the world sees it for what it is. And so in Jimmy Lai’s world, it’s not really a big milestone because it’s phony. Everything about it is phony,” McGurn said.

‘The real work begins now’

While the verdict was guilty, it is still “a step forward because we finally can get to the deal-making now,” McGurn said. “Jimmy’s future will be determined by three men: Xi Jinping of China, President Trump of the United States, and Keir Starmer of Britain.” 

Trump “is essential to the deal,” McGurn said. “The problem is, Jimmy is a British citizen, and the British aren’t really pushing his release. Keir Starmer, the prime minister, he needs a little prod to get it done.”

Trump “has pushed for Jimmy’s release. He’s brought it up. His people are working on it now, but he needs help,” McGurn said. 

In August, Trump vowed to do “everything” he can to “save” Lai, promising to “see what we can do” to help him. A White House official told EWTN News in October that Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about his imprisonment. 

Following the announcement of the verdict, Trump told reporters he feels “so badly” about it. He added: “I spoke to President Xi about it and I asked to consider his release. He’s not well. He’s an older man and he’s not well, so I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens.”

Ultimately the verdict is “a milestone, but it’s a phony one,” McGurn said. “The real work begins now where the U.S. gets ready to pressure the Chinese. President Trump is visiting there next year in April, and Prime Minister Starmer is visiting in January. You would think he’d want to let it be known it’s not open season on British citizens … but so far, they seem pretty reluctant to do that.”

Lai’s ‘faith-filled family’ 

McGurn said he has been cut off from Lai for the past three years.

“They don’t let my letters go through anymore. But I used to hear from him pretty regularly and am still in touch with some of the family,” McGurn said.

Lai’s family has also called on the U.S. to help aid his release. “We stand by his innocence and condemn this miscarriage of justice,” Lai’s daughter Claire said. She asked the U.S. “continue to exert pressure for my father to be returned to our family so that he can recover in peace.”

“They are an extraordinary family,” McGurn said in the interview. Lai’s wife, Teresa Lai, “is a rock. If Jimmy didn’t have Teresa to lean on, he knows it, he wouldn’t be strong. I mean, he has his faith, but she strengthens it. That’s what they have in common,” McGurn said.

“The children have all been very eloquent in making appeals for their father’s freedom and so forth. So this is an extraordinary faith-filled family.”

Owen Jensen contributed to this story.

null / Credit: JulieStar/Shutterstock

EWTN News, Dec 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A new report published by the General Secretariat for Catholic Education (SGEC) in France has sent shockwaves through the country’s educational landscape, reopening the debate over the methods used in state oversight, possible ideological abuses, and their impact on educational freedom.  

Published on Dec. 8, the 14-page document widely cited in the French press compiles testimonies from teachers, principals, and staff in Catholic schools under state contract who report having been subjected to what Catholic education leaders describe as “abusive,” “intrusive” inspections carried out by officials from the Ministry of National Education. The report highlights that it does not challenge the principle of state oversight itself but denounces the methods employed — methods that, according to Catholic leaders, risk undermining both the dignity of educators and the very identity of Catholic schools. 

The controversy erupted just a few months after the publication of a parliamentary report calling for increased oversight of Catholic institutions in the name of child protection. Catholic school officials are now issuing a strong warning against the climate of suspicion and political exploitation that they have seen develop in recent months.

In July, revelations of physical and sexual abuse at Notre Dame de Bétharram, a Catholic boarding school in southwestern France, triggered a nationwide debate on how abuse in schools is identified, reported, and addressed, alongside similar cases at other institutions. A parliamentary inquiry subsequently examined these cases, highlighting serious institutional failures while also prompting questions about how oversight is carried out at faith-based schools operating under state contract.

According to the testimonies gathered, inspections have at times taken the form of what the report calls “disproportionate shows of force.” Inspectors reportedly arrived unannounced in groups of 10 to 16, dispersing throughout school buildings without accompaniment, interrupting classes, photographing classrooms, questioning students, and even searching pupils’ backpacks. Some teachers describe inspectors entering classrooms without identifying themselves, leafing through students’ notebooks mid-lesson, and interrogating staff in front of children.

Catholic educators say the nature of some of the questions asked has been particularly troubling. Teachers reported being questioned about their personal religious practices, including whether they attend Sunday Mass. Inspectors allegedly examined and took pictures of students’ personal spiritual journals — documents explicitly intended to remain private. Principals recount being pressured to remove Christian references from school projects or to take down religious symbols, demands that directly contradict the legal recognition of Catholic schools’ distinctive character under French law. 

A chilling effect on educators 

Beyond individual incidents, the report paints a picture of a widespread sense of demoralization. Educators describe a climate of fear and anxiety, with trust in institutional partners badly eroded. Some inspectors reportedly dismissed positive academic results by suggesting students were already strong before enrollment. Others sent critical notices to local elected officials containing contested or potentially defamatory claims, leaving school leaders feeling publicly discredited before any dialogue could take place.

Guillaume Prévost, who became secretary-general of Catholic education in September, expressed his dismay in an interview with weekly magazine Famille Chrétienne.

“We could not continue letting our teachers be humiliated,” he said to explain why Catholic education leadership decided to make the report public.

Prévost also insisted that Catholic education does not categorically oppose inspections. In his introduction to the report, he recalled that “there can be no freedom without control” and described inspections as an essential component of the system. According to him, many inspections ultimately lead to constructive exchanges, with inspectors highlighting strengths such as schools’ relationships with families, their support for students with disabilities, and the overall coherence of their educational projects. He nonetheless emphasized that inspections must be conducted within a clear legal framework and with due professionalism, restraint, and discernment. 

The deeper danger, in his view, lies not only in individual abuses but also in a systemic drift. If inspections become a tool to neutralize Catholic identity, impose administrative guardianship, or align Catholic schools entirely with the public model, he warned, France risks destroying one of its greatest educational strengths in the name of uniformity.

Such tensions are not new and reflect a long history of strained relations between the French state and Catholic institutions. The 1959 Debré Law was intended to find a balance and improve church–state relations by allowing private schools to operate under state contract while preserving their distinctive identity. Recent debates around inspections have revived questions about how that balance should be interpreted in practice. 

In recent years, French President Emmanuel Macron’s government has sought to tighten oversight in several areas of education, including proposals to restrict home schooling and increase scrutiny of certain Catholic schools, including high-profile cases such as Paris’ Stanislas School, although inspections did not establish systemic violations there. 

The government’s response 

In a statement following the publication of the SGEC report, the Ministry of National Education has sought to lower tensions, reaffirming that inspections are governed by a strict legal framework and explicitly acknowledging that questions aimed at identifying a student’s religious affiliation are prohibited. “Firm instructions,” the ministry said, would be sent to all rectors to clarify both the substance and the conduct of inspections. “If there have been failings, all consequences will be drawn.” 

Minister of Education Édouard Geffray has emphasized that oversight remains necessary in light of past abuses, noting that more than 850 inspections have already been conducted this year, with 1,000 expected by year’s end.  

Catholic education in France currently serves more than 2 million students from a wide range of social backgrounds. Its representatives emphasize that the manner in which inspections are carried out has concrete implications not only for schools themselves but also for the families who place their trust in them.

Chilean president-elect José Antonio Kast. / Credit: Equipo Kast vía Flickr (CC BY 4.0)

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 15, 2025 / 18:31 pm (CNA).

After being edged out by 2.9% in the Nov. 16 general election by his Communist Party opponent Jeannette Jara, Republican Party candidate José Antonio Kast reversed the result in the Dec. 14 runoff vote to become the new president-elect of Chile.

With 58% of the vote, and in line with the polls that predicted him as the winner with more than 55%, Kast prevailed over Jara, who obtained 42%.

With 99.97% of the ballots counted, showing a difference of more than 2 million valid votes, the runoff election marks a change of political direction for the country, currently led by President Gabriel Boric of the political left.

Kast is slated to take office as president of Chile on March 11, 2026. On the same day, the legislators elected in November will also take office.

“Democracy has spoken loud and clear. I have just spoken with president-elect Kast to wish him success for the good of Chile,” Jara wrote on X, acknowledging her defeat.

“To those who supported us and were mobilized by our campaign, rest assured that we will continue working to advance toward a better life in our country. Together and standing strong, as we have always done,” she added.

Kast’s victory speech

“It’s a special day. It’s a day that stays with us, a day that stands out among the different days when things happen. And this is a day of joy,” Kast said to thousands of his supporters in Santiago, referring to Gaudate (Rejoice) Sunday, which coincided with election day.

The president-elect thanked his wife, María Pía, “who will be a tremendous first lady,” and commented that what he does in politics is not a sacrifice but a privilege that he experiences “with a joy, a passion, that you can’t even imagine, and that we want to take together to La Moneda [the presidential palace] and bring about that very important change.”

“But nothing would be possible if we didn’t have God. And that’s something we can’t fail to acknowledge,” he continued, and prayed that the Lord would give him “wisdom, temperance, and strength, to always be up to this challenge.”

“Here, a person didn’t win, a political party didn’t win; Chile won. The hope of living without fear won. That fear that causes so much anguish to families. The Chile that works, the Chile that gets up early, the Chile that raises its families and its children with great sacrifice — that Chile won.”

After stating that he wants the government to regain a sense of responsibility for others, Kast announced that “we will restore respect for the law in all regions, without exceptions and without privileges” of any kind.

The president-elect also thanked other candidates who publicly expressed their support for him, such as Johannes Kaiser, and referred to the Communist Party candidate: “A government has supporters and it has opponents. And that’s normal. And it’s legitimate. And clearly, we have profound differences with Janeth Jara,” he said, and encouraged respect in order to overcome division.

“And we have to burn that into our minds. Someone may have a different ideology, but he or she is a person just like us,” he emphasized.

Comments from the bishops of Chile

The bishops of the standing committee of the Chilean Bishops’ Conference congratulated the president-elect and noted that, upon his election, the country “entrusts him with the task of leading the nation in times that demand clarity, generosity, and a profound commitment to the common good.”

After noting some of the challenging situations in Chile, the bishops emphasized that “the presidential election renews the hope of moving toward a more just, fraternal, and supportive country, where the power of reason always prevails over the rationale of force.”

The prelates encouraged Kast to “promote an environment of dialogue, encounter, and respect, which is essential for rebuilding social trust. As pastors of the Catholic Church on pilgrimage in Chile, we reaffirm our vocation to contribute to the common good through the mission that the Gospel entrusts to us.”

After expressing their concern about “the growing denigration of migrants and vulnerable people,” the Chilean bishops expressed their willingness to collaborate with their prayers and efforts for the common good of the country, and then entrusted Kast to the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of Chile.

Who is José Antonio Kast?

Born in Santiago in 1966, Kast is a lawyer and a seasoned politician. The leader of the Republican Party served as a city councilor, a member of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) for four consecutive terms, and ran for president three times.

Kast is a practicing Catholic and belongs to the Schönstatt Apostolic Movement. He has been married since 1991 to María Pía Adriasola Barroilhet, with whom he has nine children.

Kast defines himself as “simply on the right” of the political spectrum. Historically, he was a member of the Independent Democratic Union, but he ran for president in 2017 as an independent candidate. After his defeat, he led the Republican Action movement. The current Republican Party was founded by him in 2019, and in 2021 he ran for president as the representative of that party.

New government’s approach to abortion, migration crisis

The president-elect has expressed his support for “life from conception to natural death.” However, although the Boric government threatened to introduce legislation to eliminate the three grounds under which abortion is permitted in the country, making it legal for any reason up to 14 weeks, Kast’s campaign set aside the “values ​​agenda” to focus on the crime and violence crisis and the large influx of unauthorized immigrants that the country is experiencing.

In his latest campaign, Kast hardened his stance against migrants residing illegally in the country. His proposal is that the 336,000 migrants who lack legal status in Chile return voluntarily to their countries of origin and contribute to the cost of their return ticket.

If they do not leave voluntarily before his term begins, the president-elect has warned that he will impose penalties: “If someone doesn’t leave voluntarily and we have to find them and deport them, they will never be allowed to enter Chilean territory again,” he stated, according to the Spanish news outlet El País.

His “countdown” to expel illegal unauthorized immigrants was criticized by the archbishop of Concepción, Sergio Pérez de Arce, who considered that “the response to migrants in an irregular situation (not legally present) in the country cannot be simply ‘you leave now, voluntarily, or we will expel you with nothing but the clothes on your back’ in 100 days.”

“I share your concern,” Kast said in the last debate, moderating the tone that had characterized his campaign, and regretted that the migration situation in Chile had been aggravated by the actions of criminal gangs. “Children have been abused, people have been exploited and forced to pay others to bring them into Chile,” he stated.

He also indicated that while the Church plays a role of “welcoming, solidarity, and charity,” the state “must enforce the law,” and he insisted on his promise that those who violate immigration laws will face penalties: “If someone is going to break the law, they must be apprehended if they have committed a crime.” 

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

Religious sisters show their support for the Little Sisters of the Poor outside the Supreme Court, where oral arguments were heard on March 23, 2016, in the Zubik v. Burwell case against the HHS mandate. / Credit: CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 18:06 pm (CNA).

The 14-year legal battle against federal contraceptive mandates will continue, with Little Sisters of the Poor and the federal government seeking to reinstate moral and religious exemptions that were established in 2017.

Little Sisters of the Poor have already won religious freedom cases on this subject twice at the Supreme Court level. The high court ruled in 2016 that the federal government must protect religious freedoms for those who oppose the contraceptives and in 2020 ruled that the federal government had the legal authority to adopt the broad exemptions established in 2017.

Those exemptions fully covered employers that had religious or moral objections to providing the contraceptives, some of which can be abortifacient. Under the rules, those employers were not required to include any contraceptive coverage in their insurance plans for employees.

In spite of the prior Supreme Court wins, a federal court in August 2025 struck down the 2017 exemptions on grounds that the Supreme Court had not yet ruled on.

Because the Supreme Court left some questions open, the attorneys general in two states that disapprove of the exemptions — Pennsylvania and New Jersey — continued their legal battle on different grounds. Those legal arguments allege that the adoption of the rules did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which the Supreme Court had not ruled on. 

In the August ruling, Judge Wendy Beetlestone found that the rules did not comply with the APA, ruling instead that the rules are arbitrary and capricious. 

“The agencies’ actions in promulgating the rule were arbitrary and capricious — in that they failed to ‘articulate a satisfactory explanation for [their] action[s] including a ‘rational connection between the facts found and the choices made,’” Beetlestone wrote in her opinion.

Little Sisters of the Poor are represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, whose lawyers say the appellate court should overturn that decision and bring the legal dispute to an end.

“The 14-year legal crusade against the Little Sisters has been needless, grotesque, and un-American,” Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the sisters, said in a statement. 

“The states have no business trying to take away the Little Sisters’ federal civil rights. The 3rd Circuit should toss the states’ lawsuit into the dustbin of history and uphold the protection the Little Sisters already won at the Supreme Court … twice,” he said.

In the appeal, the lawyers cite the legal precedent from the 2016 and 2020 cases that required religious exemptions and upheld the rules. They warn that the August 2025 ruling could create a “constitutional conflict” because the original mandate cannot legally be reimposed. 

“The appellee states maintain that state governments somehow have an interest in forcing the federal government to force religious objectors to comply with the federal contraceptive mandate — even though the federal government need not have any contraceptive mandate at all, and even though the states themselves have chosen not to have such mandates of their own,” the lawsuit notes. 

null / Credit: Shai Barzilay via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 15, 2025 / 17:36 pm (CNA).

United Airlines reached a settlement with a flight attendant who alleged that the airline fired him for endorsing Catholic teachings on marriage and gender identity.

The former employee, Ruben Sanchez, of Anchorage, Alaska, alleged that United Airlines investigated his social media history after someone reported a private in-flight conversation he had with another Catholic flight attendant.

“Sanchez and his colleague discussed their working conditions and everyday life. As they were both Catholic, their discussion turned to Catholic theology and then, with United’s ‘Pride Month’ activities set to start on June 1, Catholic teachings on marriage and sexuality,” Sanchez’s complaint states.

The Catholic Church makes a distinction between homosexual orientation and homosexual activity. Same-sex attraction itself is not considered morally wrong, and homosexuals “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2358), with unjust discrimination avoided. The Church teaches that God’s design for sexuality is entwined with marriage and family life and is characterized by the exclusive, indissoluble covenant of marriage.

The complaint said a passenger report led United Airlines to look into posts on Sanchez’s X account, some of which were more than a decade old. He said the airline took issue with 35 of the more than 140,000 posts on the social media platform before firing him.

Sanchez filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against United Airlines and the union he belonged to — the Association of Flight Attendants — for refusing to represent him.

He received legal assistance from X, which helped broker the settlement.

“We are pleased that X was able to help Ruben Sanchez amicably resolve his dispute with United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants,” X’s Global Government Affairs Team posted on X.

“X stands firm in its commitment to defend free speech on its platform,” the post added.

Most of the details about the settlement have not been publicly released, except that both parties will pay their own costs and attorneys’ fees and the complaint cannot be refiled.

CNA reached out to both X and United Airlines for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

United Airlines has been accused of discrimination against Christian employees in other cases.

The company is battling a separate lawsuit from two other former employees — Lacey Smith and Marli Brown — who accuse the airline of firing them for criticizing the company’s support for the Equality Act, based on religious concerns.

The Equality Act, which has not been passed into law, would add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under federal civil rights laws. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is against the proposed law, which they warn would jeopardize religious liberty and force Catholic hospitals to “perform and promote life-altering gender ‘transitions.’”

Smith and Brown are represented by First Liberty Institute. A federal district court sided with the airline, and the case is being considered in an appellate court, which heard oral arguments in August.