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CNA Staff, May 16, 2025 / 15:41 pm (CNA).

Production and distribution company Lionsgate has been chosen as the studio partnering with director Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey’s Icon Productions on the upcoming film “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the much-anticipated follow-up to “The Passion of the Christ.”

The news came in an announcement from Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, on May 15.

“For many, many people across the globe, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation. It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless,” Fogelson said in a press release.  

“Mel is one of the greatest directors of our time, and this project is both deeply personal to him and the perfect showcase for his talents as a filmmaker. My relationship with Mel and Bruce dates back 30 years, and I am thrilled to be partnering with them once again on this landmark event for audiences,” he added. 

“Lionsgate’s brave, innovative spirit and nimble, can-do attitude have inspired me for a long time, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect distributor for ‘The Resurrection of the Christ,’” Gibson said.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Adam and the team several times over recent years. I know the clever ingenuity, passion, and ambition the entire team commits to their projects and I’m confident they will bring everything they can to the release of this movie.”

The first title teaser for the film was also released on social media platforms with the caption “THE RESURRECTION OF THE CHRIST — coming soon.”

In March it was reported that filming would begin this August in Italy, according to Manuela Cacciamani, CEO of Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. 

The film “will be shot entirely in Cinecittà starting in August and requires many theaters and stage constructions,” she said in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

Released in 2004, “The Passion of the Christ” vividly depicts the final hours of Jesus’ life, from his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion. 

The film has been the subject of debate since its release. The graphic scenes of Christ’s scourging and crucifixion sparked controversy; some critics considered it excessively violent, while others praised it for its historical authenticity and its ability to realistically convey Christ’s suffering.

In January 2004, Joaquín Navarro-Valls, then director of the Holy See Press Office, noted that Pope John Paul II had seen the film and gave it a positive review, describing it as “the cinematographic recounting of the historical fact of the passion of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel accounts.”

Despite controversies surrounding the film, it garnered a profit of $370 million domestically with many crediting it as having opened the door to faith-based media in Hollywood.

Vatican City, May 16, 2025 / 15:11 pm (CNA).

The Holy See press office released a new photograph of Pope Leo XIV on Friday, available for free download at this link.

In the image, the pontiff appears smiling, dressed in the traditional white cassock and the gold pectoral cross he wore during his first greeting from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after his election as the successor of Peter on May 8.

The Vatican stated that “the image is provided free of charge and may only be reproduced for institutional purposes” and that “any use for commercial or other purposes is expressly prohibited.”

The Office of Liturgical Celebrations on May 10 had already published the official portrait of the Holy Father in which he appears wearing the red mozzetta, embroidered stole, rochet, and golden pectoral cross.

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

CNA Staff, May 16, 2025 / 14:09 pm (CNA).

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

HHS investigates conscience rights case

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reviewing a hospital for compliance with federal conscience protections following reports that the hospital had denied ultrasound technicians exemptions from participating in abortions.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights on May 12 announced it had opened a review to investigate violations of free exercise and conscience protections.

Though unnamed in the HHS announcement, the legal group involved in the case confirmed in a statement that it had contact with the HHS about a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The legal group American Center for Law and Justice alleged that Presbyterian Hospital was requiring religious staff to assist in abortions. The hospital had changed its policy in late 2024, requiring participation in abortion procedures, “even for longtime employees with religious objections,” said the law firm’s executive director, Jordan Sekulow.

After the firm sent a demand letter highlighting federal religious freedom requirements, the hospital granted the religious accommodation for five ultrasound technicians in February.

A federal investigation of this nature “is both rare and significant,” Sekulow said.

“It sends a powerful message to health care institutions across the country: You cannot force medical professionals to choose between their careers and their faith,” Sekulow added.

South Carolina Supreme Court rules in favor of heartbeat law

The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled in favor of a law that protects unborn babies at around six weeks after conception through what is known as a heartbeat law.

The law prohibits abortions from being performed on unborn children with “cardiac activity, or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart, within the gestational sac.” An ultrasound can detect an unborn baby’s cardiac activity at about six weeks.

In the unanimous ruling, judges acknowledged that South Carolina’s law was medically imprecise but maintained that lawmakers on both sides saw it as a six-week ban on abortion. 

Planned Parenthood argued in the lawsuit that the “or” in the law meant doctors should be able to terminate unborn children until the major parts of the heart come together, around nine weeks. 

Missouri passes referendum seeking repeal of abortion rights amendment

A referendum seeking the repeal of Missouri’s abortion rights amendment moved forward in the state Senate on Wednesday.

Missouri lawmakers approved a referendum that would repeal Amendment 79, an abortion rights amendment that voters passed in November 2024.

The measure passed in the state Senate by a 21-11 vote and in the House last month.

The referendum would also replace the amendment with protections against abortion for unborn children in most cases, with some exceptions for medical emergencies or if the unborn child has a fetal anomaly as well as in cases of rape or incest.

The measure would also prohibit gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments, and puberty blockers for minors.

The constitutional amendment would be open to voters in November 2026. If Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe calls for a special election, it could be voted on sooner.

Executive Director of Coalition Life Brian Westbrook called the passage an “opportunity to correct course” for Missouri voters in a statement to CNA.

“Protecting the unborn, safeguarding parental rights, and preserving the integrity of our health care system are not partisan issues — they are moral imperatives that speak to the heart of who we are as Missourians,” Westbrook said.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 16, 2025 / 12:34 pm (CNA).

Budget initiatives backed by several Republican lawmakers to cut federal funding for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the next fiscal year are facing opposition from prominent Catholic organizations.

For Medicaid, the proposal would add work requirements for able-bodied adults under the age of 65 if they do not have young children as dependents. It would also shift some Medicaid costs to states if they offer benefits to immigrants who are in the country illegally.

The proposed SNAP reforms would shift some costs to states and raise the work requirement age from 54 to 64. It would also implement stricter verifications to ensure money is not given to immigrants who are in the country illegally.

These initiatives could potentially save the federal government more than $100 billion annually but could also cause millions of people to lose SNAP and Medicaid benefits.

Although much of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives has voiced support for these changes, Democratic members of Congress have strongly opposed them.

Catholic groups opposing Medicaid changes

Opposition to the plans has also come from two major Catholic groups: Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) and the Catholic Health Association (CHA).

CCUSA, along with many of its local affiliates, has urged Americans to reach out to members of Congress to oppose reforms that could reduce Medicaid coverage.

“Any changes to the current Medicaid program risk reducing access to essential health care and behavioral health services for individuals with nowhere else to turn,” reads a CCUSA advocacy page on its website.

“Medicaid cuts would disproportionately impact people living in rural communities and small towns, the very communities that already have lower incomes, fewer opportunities for employment, and less access to social services,” it adds.

Luz Tavarez, the vice president of government affairs for CCUSA, told CNA that the organization does not want people to be put in situations in which they have to choose between “health care and their rent” or “food and their rent,” adding: “We really have serious concerns about these potential cuts.”

“There are some concerns with some of the additional burdens with becoming eligible and remaining eligible,” she said, contending that keeping up with the paperwork to demonstrate eligibility could be difficult for people who are busy raising children or trying to juggle work and school.

Tavarez said CCUSA has met with both Republican and Democratic members of Congress to voice their concerns with potential cuts. She said they have mostly had positive feedback: “They too are concerned with these potential cuts.”

CHA President and CEO Sister Mary Haddad said in a statement that her organization is “deeply concerned” with the proposal, saying it is “threatening access to care for millions of Americans — particularly those in underserved areas where our member systems work every single day to provide quality, compassionate care.”

“Congress has a moral obligation to consider the harm that such disastrous cuts would have on America’s health safety net and the impacts this proposal would have for America’s most vulnerable communities,” Haddad said. 

“Moreover, the cascading effects of lost coverage, including higher costs and greater strain on the system, will impact nearly all Americans — not just those who rely on Medicaid.”

Catholic Charities’ concerns about SNAP

On its advocacy page, CCUSA warns that the changes to SNAP would remove money “from vital food programs.”

“The text expands SNAP paperwork requirements for workers between 54 and 64 forcing them to jump through more bureaucratic red tape to receive food supplements,” it adds. “The bill dramatically shifts costs to the states by requiring states to increase administrative costs from 50% to 75% along with a new requirement for states to cover 5%-25% of SNAP benefit costs.”

Tavarez told CNA that many people CCUSA serves are already “making tough choices” when it comes to food, sometimes not being able to afford the most nutritious food or splitting one meal between several family members.

“These are anti-poverty programs,” Tavarez added. ”It’s not about giving people handouts.”

“If we have people losing health coverage and losing the ability to buy food, we’re going to be in a very difficult [situation],” she said.

If fewer people have access to SNAP benefits, Tavarez cautioned, “then they’re going to rely on our food pantries more and our pantries are already at capacity.” In such a situation, she said CCUSA is still “going to continue to do whatever we can,” adding: “It’s a Gospel mandate for us.”

Republicans allege ‘fearmongering’

Some Republican lawmakers who support the changes have accused opponents, particularly Democrats, of “fearmongering” and misrepresenting the proposed reforms.

Rep. Brett Guthrie, the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, said in a statement that Democrats are operating a “campaign to scare Americans without any of the details” in reference to the Medicaid reforms.

“This bill refocuses Medicaid on mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly — not illegal immigrants and capable adults who choose not to work,” he said. “It is reckless that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle claimed an artificially high number in alleged coverage loss just so they can fearmonger and score political points.”

Similarly, on the proposed SNAP reforms, House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson said in a statement that SNAP “has drifted from a bridge to support American households in need to a permanent destination riddled with bureaucratic inefficiencies, misplaced incentives, and limited accountability.”

“[The plan] restores the program’s original intent, offering a temporary helping hand while encouraging work, cracking down on loopholes exploited by states, and protecting taxpayer dollars,” he added.

In an interview with “EWTN News Nightly” earlier this week, Global Premier Benefits CEO Tony Holland said he believes “the whole goal is to make [programs] more efficient.”

“Those that are able-bodied [and not working] should not receive benefits,” he said. “Those benefits should go to those that need the benefits the most.”

Vatican City, May 16, 2025 / 11:59 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Friday said peaceful societies can be achieved if governments invested in families “founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman” in his first address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

Welcoming more than 100 ambassadors to an audience held inside the Vatican’s Clementine Hall, the Holy Father stated that resolving global inequalities as well as deep divisions between “continents, countries, and individual societies” starts in the home.

“This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman, ‘a small but genuine society, and prior to all civil society,’” he added, citing Rerum Novarum.

“Indeed, the Church can never be exempted from speaking the truth about humanity and the world, resorting whenever necessary to blunt language that may initially create misunderstanding,” he remarked.

In his May 16 audience with the diplomatic corps, the Holy Father said peace, justice, and truth are the “three essential words” and pillars of the Church’s evangelical mission and outreach and “the aim of the Holy See’s diplomacy” with states and sovereignties.

“The first word is peace,” he said. “All too often we consider it a ‘negative’ word, indicative only of the absence of war and conflict, since opposition is a perennial part of human nature, frequently leading us to live in a constant ‘state of conflict’ at home, at work, and in society.”

Reiterating his message of peace on the day of his May 8 election, the Holy Father told the ambassadors present at the gathering that peace, “the first gift of Christ,” is an “active and demanding gift” necessary for building relationships. 

“I believe that religions and interreligious dialogue can make a fundamental contribution to fostering a climate of peace,” he said. “This naturally requires full respect for religious freedom in every country, since religious experience is an essential dimension of the human person.” 

On justice, the Holy Father said working for peace first and foremost “requires acting justly.”   

He reminded government leaders about their responsibility to “build harmonious and peaceful civil societies” that uphold the dignity of every person. 

“No one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike,” he continued.

The need for truth in a world faced with several multilayered crises, Pope Leo XIV — who identified himself as a “a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate” — said every person needs and yearns for the truth that “can never be separated from charity.”    

“Truth, then, does not create division but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, and the protection of our beloved planet Earth,” he added.

Commenting on Pope Leo XIV’s remarks on migration, European Union ambassador to the Holy See Martin Selmayr told EWTN News reporter Valentina Di Donato that the decision to put “emigration and immigration in the one context” clearly revealed the underlying Christian worldview of the Catholic Church’s “truly global pope” on such issues.

“He spoke about the dignity of everybody in society, in particular the more vulnerable ones,” Selmayr said. I think his name [Leo] and from what we saw today is that this is a pope — it’s my impression — who wants to play a role internationally.”

Toward the end of his speech, the Holy Father particularly expressed his hope for peace, justice, and truth to start in “places that suffer most grievously,” specifically in Ukraine and the Holy Land.

Following the papal audience, Russian ambassador to the Holy See Ivan Soltanovsky told Di Donato that the Vatican is a significant player in world affairs.

“The Vatican is certainly a very important international actor who has moral, political, psychological — I should say — power,” he said. “This is respected everywhere, including Russia.”

“We respect the role of the Holy See in offering its mediation facilities and in resolving humanitarian aspects,” he added.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 16, 2025 / 11:21 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:

Berlin pharmacist ordered to give up practice after refusing to sell ‘morning-after’ pill

Berlin pharmacist Andreas Kersten was forced to end his practice this month after he refused to sell the so-called “morning-after” pill for reasons of conscience, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

Kersten was forced to withdraw his license as a pharmacist after the higher administrative court of Berlin-Brandenburg acquitted him of misconduct in June 2024 but ruled that pharmacists who cannot reconcile the sale of the morning-after pill must give up their profession.

“It is regrettable that pharmacists are denied the right to freedom of conscience when they adopt a pro-life attitude,” Kersten said. “I cannot reconcile the so-called ‘morning after pill’ with my conscience, because it could possibly end a human life. Therefore, I feel forced to give up my license as a pharmacist.”

Two new Catholic churches open in China

Catholics in the People’s Republic of China celebrated the opening of two new Catholic churches this past week, according to Fides News Service.

Catholics in the city of Xiaogan in the Chinese province of Hubei celebrated the opening of the Church of Christ the King on May 10. The new church, which has a 108-foot-high bell tower, includes a rectory and parish center.

Also, in the Archdiocese of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, Catholics in the rural parish of Guzhai consecrated a new church dedicated to Our Lady of China. 

Catholic Church in Nigeria desecrated, bishop directs reparation

All priests across the Diocese of Kafanchan in Nigeria have been instructed to celebrate a Mass of reparation on Friday after a local parish was broken into and consecrated hosts in the tabernacle were stolen, according to a Tuesday report from ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa.

“Such a wound to the mystical body of Christ calls for a united response of reparation and fervent intercession,” said Father Jacob Shanet, the chancellor of the Kafanchan Diocese. “This should be offered with the intention of making amends for this sacrilege and imploring the mercy of God upon those responsible,” he added.

Abductors demand ransom for Catholic priest kidnapped in Cameroon

Abductors are demanding a ransom for the release of Father Valentin Mbaïbarem, who was kidnapped on May 7 from Cameroon’s Archdiocese of Garoua, the chancellor of the Cameroonian metropolitan see told ACI Africa.

Father Emmanuel Bonkou revealed that Mbaïbarem’s captors are demanding 25 million FCFA (about $42,700) for his release. “We call upon everyone to unite in prayer for his release as search efforts are ongoing,” he said. 

A total of six persons were kidnapped at the same time as Mbaïbarem. “Four of the six hostages regained their freedom some days later,” Bonkou said. “Unfortunately, one of the hostages, a teacher named Diguerse Mathias, was killed by abductors after being unable to continue the forced walk due to exhaustion.”

Rebuilding Mosul’s churches: A testament to Christian roots

In Iraq’s Nineveh Plain, the Christian community of Mosul continues its slow but determined comeback, reported ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. Nearly a decade after ISIS’ destruction, the faithful celebrated the restoration of the altar of the historic Al-Tahira Cathedral — which was visited by Pope Francis in 2021. 

Chaldean Archbishop Mikha Pola Maqdassi and Syriac Catholic priest Father Emmanuel Kallo stressed that rebuilding churches is more than preserving stone, it is about rekindling Christian identity and hope. Despite the limited return of Christian families to Mosul, church leaders insist their mission is to keep the light of faith burning, inviting all displaced Christians to reconnect with their ancestral city and heritage.

CNA Staff, May 16, 2025 / 10:39 am (CNA).

A Georgia hospital is requiring that a pregnant woman who was declared brain dead more than 90 days ago remain on life support until the birth of her unborn child.

In February, doctors declared 30-year-old Adriana Smith, a nurse who was nine weeks pregnant, brain dead after discovering multiple blood clots in her brain.

According to Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, after visiting the hospital complaining of painful headaches, Smith was “given medication” and sent home. Smith’s boyfriend found her “gasping for air” the next morning and called 911. After a CT scan, doctors discovered the blood clots and eventually determined nothing could be done.

Emory University Hospital in Atlanta informed Newkirk that due to Georgia state law, because Smith is brain dead and no longer considered at risk, her medical team is legally required to keep her on life support until her unborn child can survive outside the womb.

Smith’s family, including her young son, visits her in the hospital regularly. Newkirk told 11Alive that seeing her daughter, who is now 21 weeks pregnant, “breathing through machines” the last three months has been “torture.”

Newkirk said not having any choice in the matter has been difficult. She also said she is concerned about raising both her grandsons and the mounting medical costs.

“They’re hoping to get the baby to at least 32 weeks,” Newkirk said of Smith’s doctors. “But every day that goes by, it’s more cost, more trauma, more questions.”

Georgia law prohibits abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around the sixth week of pregnancy. While removing life support from a pregnant woman is not a direct abortion, Smith’s situation is not clear from a legal perspective.

The law defines abortion as “the act of using, prescribing, or administering any instrument, substance, device, or other means with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy with knowledge that termination will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of an unborn child.”

State Sen. Ed Setzler, lead sponsor of the Georgia law while he served in the state House of Representatives in 2019, told CNA that he is glad “the hospital is seeking to stabilize the child.” 

In Setzler’s opinion, the hospital’s reading of the law “is not inconsistent with the way the statute is crafted because of the direct foreseeability that ending the mother’s life ends the life of the child,” though “you could argue that the removal of the life support of the mother is a separate act” from an abortion.

While the Catholic Church teaches that direct abortion is always wrong, in a case like Smith’s, it is “complicated,” Joseph Meaney, senior fellow at the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), told CNA.

Meaney said the Church recognizes that in cases like Smith’s, where there is no clear teaching, a “discernment of conscience” is required. He said these situations can “reach a threshold of disproportionate burdens,” which can include financial considerations. 

Another NCBC ethicist, Joe Zalot, told CNA that Smith’s case is a question of prudential judgment. Removing Smith from life support “without the direct intent to kill her unborn child” is not an abortion, he said.

However, Zalot continued, “when a woman is pregnant, doctors will say they are treating two patients. In this case, you have one patient, the mother, who is deceased, and another patient who is alive.”

“The question is, if it can be demonstrated that we are not harming the mother,” Zalot said, “can we give the unborn child an opportunity to live?”

In the end, Meaney said, “the state of Georgia says it has state interest in the life of the child, and they’re stepping in.”

Emory Healthcare did not respond to CNA’s request for comment.

The celebration marking the official beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate on May 18 is a solemn liturgy. The rite highlights the bond with the Apostle Peter and his martyrdom, which nurtured the nascent Church of Rome, and the significance of the “Petrine” episcopal insignia conferred upon the Pope: the Pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman.

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The 2025 Global Network Against Food Crises report reveals a sharp rise in global hunger. Over 295 million people now face severe food insecurity, an increase of 14 million from the previous year.

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Fr Anthony Pizzo, Prior of the Midwest Province of the Augustinian Order, shares his personal experience of Pope Leo XIV, describing him as a man of integrity, balance, and deep commitment to the mission of the Church.

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