We Are Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish

The just-published report issued by the Pew Research Centre on its findings on how the world’s religious landscape has evolved over the past decade highlights demographic growth, shifting affiliations, and rising secularism. It notes that Christians remain the world’s biggest religious group, although Muslims are growing fastest.

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US President Donald Trump orders California National Guardsmen and marines to L.A. in response to protests against expanded raids aimed at undocumented migrants.

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A Bill that would decriminalize abortion in Britain is opposed by the Catholic bishops, with Archbishop John Sherrington saying it would “reduce the protection of unborn children and their mothers.”

Catholic bishops in Nigeria have lashed out against the continued killing of Christians in the country, saying in a June 6 statement that there is “no justification for the continuous bloodletting.”

Pope Leo XIV meets with his Pontifical Representatives across the globe, and urges them to bear witness to the Church’s love for the world and her desire to do anything possible to stand on the side of those in need.

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Catholic business leaders from Thailand and the Philippines gathered at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Training Center on June 7–8 for the inaugural session of the Catholic Business Wisdom Enhancement Program, a new formation initiative aimed at aligning business leadership with Christian values.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 9, 2025 / 18:08 pm (CNA).

While Christianity remained the largest global religion from 2010 to 2020, the latest Pew Research study found that followers of Islam outpaced every world religion in population over the course of the decade.

The recently released report, “How the Global Religious Landscape Changed from 2010 to 2020,” includes data from over 2,700 sources, including national census, demographic surveys, and population registers. Some of the estimates made in the report originate from data about 2020 that was not made available till 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed census data in at least 65 countries.

The report covered 201 countries, focusing on seven religious categories: Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, people who belong to other lesser-known religions, and religiously unaffiliated.

According to the report, the total number of Christians rose by 122 million from 2010 to 2020, while the total number of Muslims rose by 327 million — “more than all other religions combined.” The global Christian population rested at 2.3 billion in 2020, while the global Muslim population came to 2 billion.

Apart from Muslims, the only other group that grew as a percentage of the global population were those who identify as having no religion, known as “nones.” 

The report described this phenomenon as “striking” because religiously unaffiliated people are typically older and have lower fertility rates, putting them at a “disadvantage” for population growth.  

By the end of 2020, however, “nones” made up 24.2% of the global population, making it the third-largest group in the study, following Christians and Muslims. 

According to the report, “people shedding their religious identity after having been raised as Christians” is the primary reason why religiously unaffiliated people outpaced religiously affiliated people across the decade. After Christianity, Buddhism lost the second-largest number of followers due to religious switching.

The U.S. was among many countries where a large percentage of its Christian population became unaffiliated from 2010 to 2020. However, Pew noted findings since 2020 have indicated that the decline appears to have leveled off. As of 2020, the U.S. had the second-largest population of religiously unaffiliated individuals globally, following China.

In terms of regional distribution, sub-Saharan Africa is now home to the majority of the world’s Christians, with 30.7% living in the region as of 2020. This is a change from 2010, when 24.8% lived in sub-Saharan Africa and 25.8%, the majority of the world’s Christians, lived in Europe. 

The shift was due to both natural population increase in sub-Saharan Africa and “widespread Christian disaffiliation in Western Europe,” the report found, noting: “This is a major geographic change since the early 1900s, when Christians in sub-Saharan Africa made up 1% of the global Christian population and two-thirds of Christians lived in Europe.” 

In fact, Christians experienced substantial change in more countries than any other religious group, shrinking as a share in the population in all but one country — Mozambique, where the share of Christians rose by 5 percentage points.  

Regional concentrations of Jews also changed, the report noted, with 45.9% living in the Middle East-North Africa region and 41% living in North America. In 2010, the largest number of Jews lived in North America. The shift was largely due to the growth of Israel’s population from 5.8 million to 6.8 million through migration and natural increase over the course of the decade. 

Few countries experienced substantial change in percentage of Muslims in their populations, the report noted, despite having the largest global population growth overall. This is because the growth occurred in countries where Muslims were already the dominant religious group. Islamic population growth was largely attributed to high fertility rates.

Hindus were the fourth-largest religious group as of 2020, growing about 12% from 2010 to 2020, with the most notable growth in the Middle East-North Africa region, where they rose to 3.2 million — up 62%. Nonetheless, the majority of Hindus are still in India, and the religion remained at a stable 14.9% of the global population over the course of the decade.

Of all religions represented in the report, Buddhists were the only group to experience worldwide decline between 2010 and 2020, with the number of Buddhists around the world shrinking by 5% from 343 million in 2010 to 324 million in 2020. 

“This was due both to religious disaffiliation among Buddhists in East Asia and to a relatively low birth rate among Buddhists, who tend to live in countries with older populations,” the report explained. 

Pew also examined growth in people who adhere to “other religions,” including Baha’is, Jains, Shintoists, Sikhs, Daoists, Wiccans, Zoroastrians, and others. Pew estimated that the number of people belonging to this category rose by 12%, from 154 million to 172 million from 2010 to 2020. However, the world’s population grew at the approximately the same rate, leaving the percentage of adherents to “other religions” at a stable percentage of around 2% of the global population. 

CNA Staff, Jun 9, 2025 / 17:38 pm (CNA).

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest Catholic community, issued a statement calling for “restraint and calm” as tensions in Los Angeles escalated over the weekend after protests sparked by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of unauthorized immigrants turned violent.

“I am troubled by today’s immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles, and I am praying for our community,” Gomez said in a statement issued June 6.

“We all agree that we don’t want undocumented immigrants who are known terrorists or violent criminals in our communities. But there is no need for the government to carry out enforcement actions in a way that provokes fear and anxiety among ordinary, hardworking immigrants and their families.”

In his statement, Gomez called on Congress to fix the country’s “broken” immigration system.

The unrest, which began on June 6 in response to ICE raids at multiple work sites, escalated after the arrest of David Huerta, president of the California chapter of the Service Employees International Union, who allegedly blocked the path of ICE vehicles. 

Videos showed crowds surrounding vans, chanting, and growing in number as the protests extended into the night. Demonstrations intensified on Saturday, with protesters gathering outside the detention facility where Huerta was being held after his release from the hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained during his demonstration and subsequent arrest.

On Sunday, the situation worsened as California Highway Patrol used flash-bang grenades to clear Highway 101 after protesters blocked the roadway, throwing debris, including tree branches and fireworks, at police vehicles below.

Sunday night saw further chaos, with protesters setting multiple Waymo driverless taxis on fire, throwing rocks at officers, and defacing neighborhoods with anti-ICE graffiti. 

A candlelight interfaith prayer vigil scheduled for Sunday evening at Los Angeles City Hall, organized by the archdiocese’s Immigration Task Force and groups like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Central American Resource Center, and LA Voice, was postponed out of caution due to the escalating violence. 

The groups issued a statement reaffirming their call for nonviolence and pledged to reschedule the vigil when conditions stabilize.

President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard on Saturday night, citing local leaders’ failure to control the situation. Gov. Gavin Newsom fiercely opposed the move, calling it a breach of state sovereignty. On Monday, California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its decision to federalize the California National Guard.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 9, 2025 / 17:08 pm (CNA).

As lawmakers consider rules related to the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging them to prioritize “the life and dignity of the human person and the common good.”

“Artificial intelligence is rapidly shaping the future of our society,” Bishop William D. Byrne, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Communications, said in a statement.

“As pastors entrusted with the care of human life and dignity, we urge lawmakers to heed the call of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, to help ensure that AI is developed with responsibility and discernment so that it may truly benefit every person,” Byrne said.

Although Congress is not currently debating comprehensive AI regulations, the House-passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” could have a major impact on the technology moving forward. One provision in the bill would restrict states from regulating AI for 10 years, essentially federalizing the issue.

That bill is now in the Senate, where it’s expected to face some adjustments. If the pending Senate version passes, it will be sent back to the House.

The bishops, while acknowledging in their letter to congressional leaders that they are “not technical experts,” wrote that they are speaking as pastors and laid out ethical principles and policy considerations on which they hope lawmakers will reflect.

“Please be assured of our prayers and readiness to assist you in this important and timely work,” the bishops wrote.

Ethical principles

One of the primary ethical concerns the bishops noted is “the inherent dignity of every human person,” which they wrote “must always be at the center of technological development.”

“AI is a tool that, when informed by sound moral principles, can help overcome many of life’s obstacles and improve the human condition,” the bishops wrote. “But this technology should supplement what human beings do, not replace them or their moral judgments. We also must avoid temptations toward transhumanism or equating AI itself with human life.”

The bishops also expressed concern for people facing economic hardships, noting that “AI will only serve all when it works to assist our poorest and most vulnerable sisters and brothers and when they can equitably participate in and benefit from its development and use.”

A third ethical principle highlighted by the bishops was “respect for the truth,” stating that “AI is being used by some to undermine the dignity of persons and respect for the truth” with a misuse of news and political information and deepfakes, adding: “AI systems must have human oversight and well-defined accountability in order to promote transparency and fair democratic processes.”

Policy considerations

On matters of policy, the bishops argued that AI can provide benefits to society when used in moral ways but that it can be detrimental to society if it is used unethically or lacks necessary safeguards.

For example, when it comes to family issues, they note AI “can contribute to the efficiency of certain daily tasks and aid in communication” but that “the isolating effect of technology needs to be counteracted.” They said AI should also “work to strengthen and support family life” and ensure it is not used to “promote or enhance morally offensive uses of reproductive technologies and genetic manipulation.”

On economics, the bishops also echoed a very popular concern of “job displacement, inequality, and exploitation” from AI, stating that “policies and regulations should ensure protections for workers, promote education and job training, require public accountability for government use of AI, and require human oversight in AI-driven employment decisions.”

“To encourage the artistic and creative spirit, we also call for the protection of data and intellectual property rights,” the bishops wrote.

The bishops wrote positively that AI “has the potential to improve many aspects of life and society” on matters such as the need for food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and social services. They noted AI “has led to the development of new medicines and technologies to improve health” and “it can support new tools for learning and transform how we communicate and participate in society.” 

Alternatively, they warned that if not regulated properly, “it has even greater possibilities of further polarizing society and worsening inequalities,” highlighting concerns about how it has been used for automated decision-making, such as with employment screening, health care, public benefit screening, and immigration processing.

“[It] can reinforce existing biases or introduce a utilitarian approach devoid of necessary human considerations, with potentially devastating consequences,” the bishops wrote.

They also noted positives and negatives on energy and the environment, stating that AI can be used “in finding solutions to the current crises of energy and the environment,” but wrote that they are concerned about expenditures of energy, the consumption of resources, and electronic waste containing mercury and lead.

On matters of war, the bishops expressed further concern about “the development and use of lethal autonomous weapons,” adding that “policies should make clear that human control over any weapon system is essential to mitigate the horrors of warfare and the undermining of fundamental human rights.”

The USCCB wrote in the letter that these principles and guidelines “are not intended to be exhaustive” but are rather “a modest initial reflection for your consideration as you deliberate on options for federal policy and regulatory action.”

CNA Staff, Jun 9, 2025 / 16:06 pm (CNA).

A federal judge has overturned the long-standing “Texas Dream Act” in a move the state’s Catholic bishops say undermines “just” immigration reform efforts. 

After the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of Texas over the matter last week, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor blocked the law, which had enabled some noncitizens living illegally in Texas to qualify for in-state tuition at the state’s public universities and colleges.

Reed ruled that the law was “unconstitutional and invalid” because it applied to those who were “not lawfully present in the United States.”

Enacted in 2001, the law made in-state tuition available for noncitizen students who graduated from a local high school and had lived in Texas for at least three years prior to graduation, including those who weren’t in the country legally. The law required that students pledge to apply for permanent residency at the earliest opportunity.

Most public colleges across the U.S. offer more affordable in-state tuition for students who have lived in that state for a certain length of time, as their families have paid tax dollars to the state over the years. Meanwhile, students coming from out of state pay higher tuition rates to attend the same schools. 

Following the federal lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office would not contest it and filed a motion in support of the federal government’s position, asking the court to rule that the law was unconstitutional. 

In a statement, Paxton called the law “discriminatory and un-American,” saying that it “allows an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States to qualify for in-state tuition based on residence within the state while explicitly denying resident-based tuition rates to U.S. citizens that do not qualify as Texas residents.”

Federal law requires that no residency-based higher education benefits can be provided to noncitizens that are not also offered to all U.S. citizens, according to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

Texas legislators recently considered changing the Texas Dream Act though the bill died as the Texas legislative session ended on June 2.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops decried the overturning of the Texas Dream Act, saying it “propels our society further away from just and reasonable immigration reform that would foster human flourishing based in the tranquility of order and human dignity.”

“These eligible students were youth who were brought into the United States by their parents as young children and through no fault of their own,” the bishops said in a statement. “Texas became their home.”

“In the years following their entry, they became proficient in English, were educated in Texas schools, were taught Texas values, and became responsible, hardworking members of our local communities,” the bishops stated.  

“Nearly 57,000 undocumented students are currently enrolled in higher education in Texas, and each year, 18,000 undocumented students graduate from Texas high schools,” the bishops continued. “With access to higher education, these students contribute in-demand skills to our state’s workforce and become leaders in their chosen fields.”

In-state tuition in Texas sits at about $12,000 a year, while out-of-state tuition is about $43,000 as of the 2024-2025 school year.

The law’s overturn, the bishops said, “is a move away from the development of an educated workforce required for economic and social stability.”

The bishops expressed concern that the action limits the growth of Texas’ “skilled workforce,” “blocks opportunities” for immigrant students, and “undermines” long-term economic growth “by placing higher education out of financial reach for many low-income students in whom Texas has already invested in educating through high school.”

More than 20 states and Washington, D.C., have similar programs that provide in-state tuition for students who are in the country illegally.

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the U.S. Justice Department will continue to combat these sorts of laws.

“Other states should take note that we will continue filing affirmative litigation to remedy unconstitutional state laws that discriminate against American citizens,” Bondi said.