We Are Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish

Tourists take photos as they visit the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, on August 2, 2025. / Credit: Manaure QUINTERO/AFP.

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:57 pm (CNA).

The Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) minor basilica in Barcelona is now the tallest church in the world, standing at 535 ft., surpassing Ulm Germany’s main church, whose construction began in the 14th century.

According to the Sagrada Familia Expiatory Church Construction Board Foundation, as reported Oct. 30 by the Archdiocese of Barcelona, ​​"the first element that forms part of the cross on the tower of Jesus Christ" was installed, marking the beginning of the final phase of construction of the church’s central tower.

This latest addition consists of the lower portion of the cross, measuring over 20 ft. high and weighing 24 tons. “With a double-twist geometry, the lower portion has a square shape at the base that transforms into an octagonal shape at the top,” whose exterior is “clad with white glazed ceramic and glass, materials that stand out for their reflective properties and resistance to atmospheric conditions,” the news brief explains.

The tower of Jesus Christ is the tallest of the central towers of the church designed by Antoni Gaudí, who died a century ago. The completion of this structure “will be a historic milestone for Sagrada Familia and a tribute to its architect.”

More than 140 years of history

The first stone of Sagrada Familia Basilica was laid on March 19, 1882, according to the design of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. The following year, Antoni Gaudí took over the project, modifying it according to his architectural genius and renowned Modernist style. From 1914, Gaudí dedicated himself exclusively to this church until his death on June 10, 1926.

On April 14, 2025, Pope Francis declared the architect venerable, in accordance with the criteria set by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

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

An African nun prays the rosary. On Jan. 7, 2025, two religious sisters were kidnapped in the Archdiocese of Onitsha in Nigeria. / Credit: Diego Cervo/Shutterstock.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

President Donald Trump said he is designating Nigeria a "country of particular concern."

In a social media post Oct. 31, Trump said, "Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a 'COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN'".

Under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, the U.S president must designate countries that engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations of religious freedom” as CPCs. Violations include torture, prolonged detention without charges, and forced disappearence, according to the State Department. 

The last CPC designations were made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in December 2023, when Blinken revoked Nigeria’s CPC designation that was put in place by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020. 

Christian leaders delivered a letter to Trump on Oct. 15 that said 52,000 Christians have been killed and over 20,000 churches attacked and destroyed in Nigeria since 2009. In addition, it said, thousands of Christians have been murdered and raped in 2025, and “over 100 Christian pastors and Catholic priests have been taken hostage for ransom.”

Trump said in the social media post, "But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done!” 

The president said he will charge Rep. Riley Moore, R-WVa., along with Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., “to immediately look into this matter, and report back to me.” 

The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries,” Trump stated, adding: “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”

Members of Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also had sought to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced legislation in September that would require the Trump administration to adopt the CPC designation in addition to imposing targeted sanctions against Nigerian government officials who facilitate or permit jihadist attacks against Christians and other religious minorities. 

Republican Senators Ted Budd of North Carolina, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and James Lankford of Oklahoma endorsed redesignating Nigeria in a Sept. 12 letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Budd posted on X.

Similarly, the USCIRF also recommended the State Department designate Nigeria as a CPC in its latest update on religious freedom in the country in late July. 

USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler welcomed the designation on social media: "We applaud @POTUS for making Nigeria a CPC.” Hartzler said, “The Trump admin can now use the various presidential actions outlined in IRFA to incentivize Nigeria to protect its citizens and hold perpetrators accountable."

ADF Senior Counsel Sean Nelson told CNA, "We at Alliance Defending Freedom International are deeply grateful for President Trump's recognition of the grave persecution of Christians ongoing in Nigeria and worldwide.”

Nelson added, “We hope that the Country of Particular Concern designation moves Nigerian officials to stop the denials and work strenuously to end the religious persecution happening in so much of the country.”

Trump’s announcement to move forward with the CPC designation comes amid the ongoing government shutdown that has left legislation on the matter in limbo. 

Moore, who was a staff member and national security adviser for the House Foreign Affairs Committee before being elected to Congress, celebrated the designation on social media, writing: “Thank you @POTUS for your incredible leadership by designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. You have always been a champion for Christians around the world, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with you and Chairman Cole @houseappropsgop to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being slaughtered by radical Islamists in Nigeria.”

This story was updated on Oct. 31, 2025, at 5:35 p.m. ET.

President Donald Trump says he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about imprisoned pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai in October 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of the Bradley Foundation

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 17:10 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed.

White House official: Trump spoke with Xi Jinping about Jimmy Lai’s release

A White House official told EWTN News White House Correspondent Owen Jensen that U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about imprisoned pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai. 

According to Jensen, the official stated: "As President Trump said, Jimmy Lai should be released and he wants to see that happen.”  Prior to leaving for Asia, Trump had told Jensen that he would appeal to the Chinese leader for Lai’s release amid concerns for his health while in solitary confinement.

Lai is a Catholic entrepreneur and founder of Apple Daily, a pro-democracy tabloid paper known for its critical reporting on China and the Hong Kong government who was arrested in December 2020 for charges including unauthorized assemblies, protesting, fraud, and participating in the 2020 Tiananmen Square vigil, a service commemorating those who died in the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

EWTN Poland honored with ‘Christoforos’ award 

EWTN Poland was honored with a “Christoforos” (Bearer of Christ) award at the 25th anniversary Gala of MIVA Poland, an organization dedicated to supporting missionaries by providing them with means of transportation. 

The award, which was co-granted by the Polish Bishops’ Conference Commission for Missions, was received by Piotr M. Pietrus, CEO and editor-in-chief of EWTN Poland. “We see this distinction as a confirmation of our mission. Through the media, we strive to carry Christ to places where it is often difficult to reach otherwise — just as missionaries do, thanks to MIVA Poland’s help,” he said upon being presented with the award. 

Syrian-Armenian foundation in Aleppo marks step toward broader social partnership

In a sign of renewal in northern Syria, Aleppo has witnessed the founding of the Syrian-Armenian Community Foundation, the first civil organization established by the Armenian community to reach beyond its own circles and serve all components of Syrian society, CNA’s Arabic language news partner, ACI Mena, reported on Oct. 28.

The foundation aims to strengthen social cohesion, preserve both tangible and intangible heritage, and empower women and youth through cultural and developmental programs. “We wanted to affirm our place within the Syrian social family,” said Ohannes Shahrayan, chairman of the board, explaining that post-war openness to civic initiatives made it possible to bring the idea to life.

Vice Chair Sonia Kabrielian emphasized that diversity of gender, age, and denomination is one of the foundation’s strengths. She said the foundation seeks to make Armenian heritage a living part of Syria’s national culture, not just through remembrance but through creative renewal that transforms tradition into a source of shared identity and opportunity.

Philippines bishop voices concern over dwindling vocations, says priests are ‘rare sight’

Bishop Roberto Gaa of Novaliches is expressing concerns about the dwindling number of priestly vocations in the Philippines. 

“Ordinations have become a rare sight not only in Novaliches but also in other places because no one wants to become a priest anymore,” said Gaa, according to a CBCP News report on Oct. 29. The remarks came as Gaa ordained two priests and two deacons in his diocese for the first time in roughly three years. The diocese of Novaliches, he said, has about one priest for every 70,000 parishioners. 

Bahrain to consecrate its oldest Catholic parish as apostolic shrine

Sacred Heart Church, the oldest Catholic church in Bahrain, will be consecrated as the official shrine of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia on Nov. 8, ACI Mena reported Oct. 27. The date will mark the church’s elevation and its 85th anniversary. 

Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, issued a decree raising the church to shrine status “to preserve its historical symbolism and strengthen its spiritual role.” The faithful attending the inaugural liturgy will be granted a partial indulgence under the usual conditions.

Built in 1940 on land donated by Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Sacred Heart Church has long served as a beacon of coexistence for Catholics of many nationalities. With its new designation, it is expected to become a center of devotion, pilgrimage, and interreligious understanding in the Gulf region.

Sudanese woman shares how she hid Bible pages in her hair during imprisonment

Mariam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman who was arrested and imprisoned for being a Christian, shared how she hid pages of her Bible in her hair so that she could sneak them into prison. 

“Prayer was my strength in prison,” she said, according to a report from ACI Africa on Oct. 31. In her testimony at the launch of the 2025 Religious Freedom Report, she described how she managed to keep her Bible in prison. Mariam said, “I had to cut its pages and hide them in my hair so I could read them in the bathroom. That was the only place I could open it without being discovered. I still carry that prison Bible with me everywhere I go.” 

Apostolic administrator appointed for Libya

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization has appointed Father Magdi Helmy Ibrahim Mansour, OFM, as apostolic administrator of the Latin Vicariate of Tripoli, Libya, ACI Mena reported this week. The move, following Bishop George Bugeja’s resignation, underscores the Catholic Church’s enduring pastoral and humanitarian mission in the country.

Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV honored Helmy with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal for his service and his collaboration with Vatican diplomacy. Serving in Libya since 2006, Helmy has ministered to migrant communities and described the local church as a “modern Pentecost,” a gathering of languages and cultures united in faith. Despite dwindling numbers after the 2011 conflict, Mass continues in St. Francis Church in Tripoli, one of the few Catholic sites still active in the country.

Myanmar bishops express closeness with faithful amid war

Catholic bishops of Myanmar issued a statement expressing their closeness with the country’s people as elections organized by the ruling military junta approach. 

“In these times of great pain, uncertainty, and confusion, we may not be here in person, but we are with you in spirit. From north to south, from east to west, our beloved country is facing a crisis unprecedented in history,” the bishops said in a message published by Asia News on Oct. 30, citing war, displacement, economic crisis, and social breakdown. “This is not the time to give up,” they continued: “Peace is possible, peace is the only way. Let us not let hatred define us. Let us not let despair conquer us. Let us simply carry out our actions with the principles of “compassion in action, truth in gentleness, and peace without rest.”

Hurricane Melissa severely damaged the Cuban shrine to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre. / Credit: Courtesy of Diocese of Cienfuegos

ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 16:48 pm (CNA).

The passage of Hurricane Melissa left a trail of destruction in Cuba, significantly damaging the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, the country's patroness.

The hurricane made landfall in Cuba on Oct. 29 at 3:05 a.m. striking the Guamá area in Santiago de Cuba province as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph, primarily affecting the eastern part of the country.

The town of El Cobre, located at the foot of the Sierra del Cobre mountains, about 12 miles west of the city of Santiago de Cuba, was one of the hardest-hit areas.

Father Rogelio Dean, rector of the shrine, said on Facebook that during the hurricane there were “extremely tense, stressful and worrisome moments.” Speaking on behalf of the community, the priest explained that “they had never seen anything like it.”

Regarding the damage to the church, Dean explained that Melissa “tore up the shrine…some stained-glass windows are unfortunately damaged. Water came in, and well, it has been a very difficult time.”

Despite precautionary measures, such as mounting aluminum frames to protect the stained-glass windows, “this hurricane tore down masonry from the walls.” 

Regarding the consequences for the population, the priest noted that making his rounds he has observed that “people have lost practically everything. We are experiencing a very painful situation right now. Very, very painful.”

In addition, Caritas Cuba reported the overflowing of local rivers in the wake of the hurricane, flooding a high percentage of homes and institutions in the eastern region.

Faced with this emergency, Dean called on society and institutions to “turn their attention to eastern Cuba at this time.”

“We are activating parish-based Caritas to provide food, which is what we can do for the moment. Obviously, we still have no electricity,” the priest explained.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba called Melissa’s impact “a catastrophe of enormous proportions” and noted that this disaster adds “to the already difficult daily reality of our people.”

The prelates asked for “everything” for the victims: food, clothing, mattresses, household items, and shelter, “especially for the many elderly people living alone and all those who are naturally experiencing this time with sadness and discouragement.”

Finally, they appealed for solidarity “from Cubans in other parts of the world and throughout the country, to all those who with goodwill want to and are able to help us.”

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

As part of Jubilee of the World of Education, Pope Leo XIV held an Oct. 31, 2025 audience with teachers. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 31, 2025 / 16:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV said Catholic educators can learn four fundamental values from St. Augustine’s teachings: interiority, unity, love, and joy.  

During his Oct. 31 audience with teachers in Rome for the Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 Jubilee of the World of Education, the Holy Father said these four values, taught by the “Doctor of Grace,” are key elements to be incorporated into the mission and work of all educators. 

Regarding the value of interiority, Pope Leo said both teachers and students need to “get in touch with their inner selves” in order to discover truth and overcome superficiality in a world dominated by “technological screens.”

According to the Holy Father, the lack of material resources in classrooms is not the main obstacle for teachers, but rather the “real risk” is becoming “tired and overburdened with bureaucratic tasks.”

“Truth does not spread through sounds, walls, and corridors, but in the profound encounter between people, without which any educational endeavor is doomed to fail,” he said.

On the value of unity, Pope Leo said the “dimension of ‘with’ is consistently present in the writings of St. Augustine” and is fundamental as it challenges educators to “de-center” themselves and focus on their pupils.

“‘Your soul belongs not just to you but to your brothers and sisters,’” he said, quoting St. Augustine.

According to Pope Leo, the third value, love, should never be separated from teaching.

“Sharing knowledge is not enough for teaching: Love is needed. Only then will knowledge be beneficial to those who receive it, in itself and above all, for the charity it conveys,” he said.

“The love of God is the First Commandment, the love of neighbor is the first practice,” he said, quoting St. Augustine’s work, “Ten Sermons on the First Epistle of John.”

The fourth and last value Pope Leo asked teachers to consider during their jubilee journey was joy. He said true teachers “educate with a smile” in order to “awaken smiles in the depths of their students’ souls.” 

Noting the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and its capacity to impart knowledge in a technical, cold, and standardized way, the pontiff warned teachers to not “further cut off students who are already isolated.”

“The role of educators, on the other hand, is a human endeavor; and the very joy of the educational process is a fully human engagement, a ‘flame to melt our souls together, and out of many to make but one,'” he said, quoting St. Augustine’s “Confessions.”

Australian pilgrim Clare Andreallo, a senior institutional researcher and insights analyst for the University of Notre Dame Australia, attended the papal audience and said it was “affirming to see Catholic education academics, professional staff, students from around the world come together” in St. Peter’s Square on Friday morning.   

Authorities say the killer of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty, raped and murdered in a Pennsylvania Catholic church 63 years ago, was identified in October 2025 as William Schrader, who died in 2002. / Credit: Courtesy of Buck's County District Attorney's Office

CNA Staff, Oct 31, 2025 / 15:48 pm (CNA).

Authorities announced this week that the killer of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty, raped and murdered in a Pennsylvania Catholic church 63 years ago, has finally been identified as William Schrader, who died in 2002.

The Bucks County Investigation Grand Jury found that Schrader is “definitively linked” to the murder “through the combination of decades-old evidence” and a recent breakthrough in the case, the district attorney’s office said in a statement.

The breakthrough came last year when Pennsylvania State Police interviewed Schrader’s stepson, Robert Leblanc, in November 2024, who said Schrader “confessed to him on two separate occasions that he murdered a little girl in a Pennsylvania church.”

Schrader allegedly told his stepson he lured Carol Ann inside the church, raped her and “had to kill the girl in Bristol to keep her from talking.”

“We believe it may be the only rape and murder of a little girl in a church in the United States,” Bucks County D.A. Jennifer Schorn said at a news conference on Oct 29.

In 1962, a witness reported seeing Schrader — who lived a block and a half from the church — outside the church around the time of the murder, and police initially questioned him, the D.A.’s office said. 

Schrader failed a polygraph test and lied to investigators about his alibi, saying he had been at work at the time of the murder. He also provided a pubic hair sample, authorities said. 

Knowing he was under investigation, Schrader fled Pennsylvania and moved to Florida and then Texas, eventually settling in Louisiana.

The pubic hair was tested in 1993, and it showed “significant similarities” to hair found in Carol Ann’s hand, according to the DA. Of samples collected from 176 men over the years, 141 pubic hair samples were tested during the decadeslong investigation, and “all other individuals were eliminated,” officials said.

The grand jury’s findings, detailed in a 53-page report approved this week by Judge Raymond McHugh, identified Schrader as an “absolute predator” whose criminal history included assaults with deadly weapons in multiple states.  

According to the prosecutor, “Schrader’s life was marked by a pattern of violence and sexual violence, particularly against young, pre-pubescent, and adolescent females.”

The grand jury found that Schrader also “sexually abused nearly every female child he lived with or had access to, including his own biological daughter and granddaughters.”

He was convicted in 1985 in Louisiana for the death of 12-year-old Catherine Smith after he intentionally set fire to his own house, knowing she and her family were still inside.

On Oct. 22, 1962, Carol Ann, an avid reader excited to check out the next book in a mystery series she was reading, was riding her bike to the Bristol Borough Free Library to meet her friends, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s office. 

On her way, she had stopped to buy a soda and candy and was last seen alive outside of the doors to St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Bristol, where she was raped and strangled to death. 

Her parents began to look for her when she did not return home for dinner. Her father found her body inside the church.

Carol Ann’s sister, Kay Dougherty, speaking at Wednesday’s news conference, expressed her gratitude to Vincent Faragali, the Bristol police chief at the time of her sister’s murder, who kept a framed photograph of Carol Ann on his desk throughout his career to remind him of “a promise he made to seek justice for her.”

She also thanked Faragali’s nephew, Mike Misanelli, a journalist who in 2024 produced a podcast that brought attention to the case. 

Doughterty said :“My parents both passed away without knowing on this earth who murdered their daughter. ... After so many decades of unknowing, this finding finally brings closure and a truth to a wound that never healed.”

“Our family lived without answers,” Dougherty said, crying, “and the uncertainty surrounding Carol’s death became a part of who we were, a shadow that touched every day of our lives.”

“Though I know nothing can bring Carol back,” Dougherty said, “we can finally let her rest in peace knowing that her story has been told, her truth revealed, and her memory honored.”

null / Credit: Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 14:53 pm (CNA).

The Illinois State Senate passed a bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide in the state. 

The legislation (SB 1950), known as the "End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act,” would authorize medical aid in dying for terminally ill adults in Illinois if signed into law by Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The House passed the bill in May 2025, and it stalled in the Senate during the regular session. It was taken up during the Fall veto session, and senators passed it early in the morning of Oct. 31. Pritzker will have 60 days to decide whether to sign or veto the bill before it automatically becomes law.

The bill would allow individuals to request and self-administer medication to end their lives. According to the bill, anyone requesting medically assisted suicide must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Illinois, and have a terminal disease with a prognosis of six months or less to live.

The bill also requires two verbal requests for the medication from the patient, with a five-day waiting period between the first and second request. The death certificates of individuals using physican-assisted suicide in the state would list the terminal disease as the cause of death, not suicide. 

“Please continue to pray for vulnerable populations and for those who feel hopeless and are near end-of-life,” the Catholic Conference of Illinois, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in the state, wrote in a post to the social media platform X.

"It is quite fitting that the forces of the culture of death in the Illinois General Assembly passed physician-assisted suicide on October 31—a day that, culturally, has become synonymous with glorifying death and evil,” said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in a statement. “It's also ironic that these pro-death legislators did it under the cloud of darkness at 2:54 a.m.”

“Doctors take an oath to do no harm. Now, they can prescribe death. There are documented cases of patients being denied treatment and instead offered life-ending drugs,” Paprocki said. “Individuals could also be coerced into taking the lethal drug.”

The bishop called for prayers for Pritzker to reject the legislation as “physician assisted suicide undermines the value of each person, especially the vulnerable, the poor, and those with disabilities.”

The anti-assisted suicide group Patients Rights Action Fund called on Pritzker to veto the legislation. 

“We encourage lawmakers to instead prioritize expanding access to mental health services, hospice care, and palliative support,” the advocacy group said in a statement. “Every patient deserves compassionate care and a full spectrum of options to live with dignity. The passage of SB 1950 introducing the use of lethal drugs in Illinois compromises that fundamental right. “

Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, strongly criticized the bill in May after it passed the House.

“I speak to this topic not only as a religious leader but also as one who has seen a parent die from a debilitating illness,” Cupich said, recalling his father’s death. Cupich urged Illinois to promote “compassionate care,” not assisted suicide. 

“There is a way to both honor the dignity of human life and provide compassionate care to those experiencing life-ending illness,” Cupich said. “Surely the Illinois Legislature should explore those options before making suicide one of the avenues available to the ill and distressed.” 

The Catholic Conference of Illinois also asked the governor to veto the bill and improve palliative care programs “that offer expert assessment and management of pain and other symptoms.”

“The Illinois General Assembly has put our state on a slippery path that jeopardizes the well-being of the poor and marginalized, especially those in the disability community and have foreseeable tragic consequences,” the conference said in a statement. 

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago describes artificial intelligence (AI) as Pope Leo XIV’s  “industrial revolution” at a Georgetown University forum Oct. 30, 2025. / Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 14:17 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago described artificial intelligence (AI) as Pope Leo XIV’s  “industrial revolution” at a Georgetown University forum Oct. 30.

The event, “Pope Leo XIV’s New Challenge and Moral Leadership on Poverty, Work, and Artificial Intelligence,” examined the impact of AI and the guidance provided by Catholic Social Teaching, as a part of the university’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. 

“Pope Leo XIV's pontificate began during what Pope Francis often called a change of effort, with major changes transforming our world, among them the rise of AI and the effects it would have on work and the economy, something Pope Leo has called another ‘industrial revolution,’” said Kim Daniels, the director of the initiative, at the event. 

Discussing the impact of AI on society, Cupich said the “entry point” to discernment on the topic is whether or not it “creates the possibility of everyone having human flourishing.” 

“You accept that the economy belongs to everybody, then you have to be very careful of allowing the technologies to be used in a certain way that gives people more power and control over the economy than they should have,” Cupich said. “The economy should allow for the human flourishing of everyone. It's like health care. Everyone has a right to health care.”

Panelists included Cecilia Flores, executive director of the Catholic Volunteer Network; Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO; Paul Almeida, dean and William R. Berkeley chair at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business; and the initiative’s founder, John Carr. 

Against the backdrop of the government shutdown and the resulting expected lapse in food assistance, with increasingly heightened political division, Carr said, “many poor and working people are falling further behind or just struggling to keep up.” 

“At the same time, a new elite is moving forward with new technology, new wealth, and new power,” he said, “some of it related to artificial intelligence with its possibilities and dangers for work, the economy, and our society.” 

Cupich, who was described by Daniels as a “close advisor to Pope Francis and now Pope Leo,” said: “I think the Holy Father has already indicated how the Church should respond and what he's already done, namely to make sure that the inspiration of Rerum Novarum, which is about the defense of human dignity of the worker, but also human dignity at large, should all begin with preferential option for the poor. “

Cupich emphasized the need to view the poor not as “subjects,” but as “agents,” who “have something to offer us,” and underscored Catholic Social Teaching as being at the heart of “who we are.” 

Flores, who was part of a delegation that went to the Vatican last week to meet with Pope Leo for the World Meeting of Popular Movements, echoed this sentiment, saying: I'm sure many of you have heard a lot of people say it's the best kept secret of the Catholic Church. I think that's categorically untrue…This is who we are.” 

Flores told CNA that the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching requires Catholics to approach compassion for migrants without discernment. “There should be an element that does not need to be discerned because it's a gospel response,” she said. “I see a person that's suffering, what does the gospel require me to do? That shouldn't have to be discerned.” 

Electrical poles are down as a man bikes through the destroyed neighborhood of North Street following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, in Black River, Jamaica on Oct. 29, 2025. / Credit: Ricardo Makyn/ Getty

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 31, 2025 / 13:31 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio called this week for “prayer and action” as Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean region.

Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), urged Catholics in an Oct. 29 statement to pray for and support the people and communities affected by the Category 5 storm.

“Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history, has made landfall in Jamaica, had an impact in Haiti, and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of thousands in Cuba,” Broglio wrote. 

With sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, Hurricane Melissa has swept through the region, causing destruction and claiming up to 50 lives since making landfall on Oct. 28.

“The Church accompanies, through prayer and action, all people who are suffering,” Broglio wrote. “I urge Catholics and all people of good will to join me in praying for the safety and protection of everyone, especially first responders, in these devastated areas.”

As effects of the hurricane expand, “families face severe risk of flooding, landslides, displacement, and infrastructure damage with little resources to respond,” Broglio wrote. “Our brothers and sisters in small island nations like Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti are the most vulnerable to the impact of such strong storms, often intensified by a warming climate.”

Jamaica has suffered the greatest impact. While the hurricane did not make direct landfall in Haiti, the storm has produced heavy rains that have led to flash flooding and landslides in many areas and blocked major national routes. 

“Let us stand in solidarity by supporting the efforts of organizations already on the ground such as Caritas Haiti, Caritas Cuba, and Caritas Antilles, as well as Catholic Relief Services (CRS), who are supplying essential, direct services and accompaniment to those in need,” Broglio wrote. 

The USCCB called on Catholics and people of good will to support “the urgent and ongoing relief efforts, and long-term recovery work of CRS.” The agency is providing “lifesaving support—including emergency shelter, clean water and essential supplies—to families most at risk,” CRS reported.