Thousands of pilgrims come together each year to take part in the annual Walk to Mary, which takes place on the first Saturday of May in Wisconsin. The 21-mile pilgrimage starts at the National Shrine of St. Joseph in De Pere, Wisconsin, and ends at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Champion, Wisconsin. / Credit: The Shrine of Our Lady of Champion

CNA Staff, May 2, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Thousands of pilgrims come together each year to take part in the annual Walk to Mary, which takes place on the first Saturday of May in Wisconsin. The 21-mile pilgrimage starts at the National Shrine of St. Joseph in De Pere, Wisconsin, and ends at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in Champion, Wisconsin.

The Walk to Mary will take place on May 4 this year and includes several “join in” points along the route that offer participants unable to walk the entire distance to participate. These locations shorten the pilgrimage length, allowing pilgrims of all ages to take part in what is a spiritual and physical test in perseverance.

This year’s pilgrimage is particularly special as the participants will be walking similar stretches that the perpetual pilgrims and Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament on the Marian Route will be walking during the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage this June.

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will be making a stop at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion on June 16, where there will be a Mass celebrated and a large Eucharistic rosary procession.

Father Joseph Aytona, CPM, rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, told CNA in an interview that the Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage was actually named in honor of Our Lady of Champion.

“It is an honor to pray over this path during the Walk to Mary and, in a real way, ‘prepare the way of the Lord and make straight his paths’ for when he arrives in June through the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage,” he said.

Since 2023, a segment of the Walk to Mary has been designed to accommodate children, families, and anyone who wants to participate in the pilgrimage but is challenged by the longer distances. This 1.7-mile route, called “The Walk With the Children,” merges into the last half a mile of the longer route.

Aytona shared that they are expecting more than 6,000 pilgrims from around the world to attend this year’s Walk to Mary. 

“Participants walk down everyday streets and trails through the Green Bay area, led by a carried statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” he explained. “They pray the rosary, sing hymns, and silently reflect on the intentions they are walking for. It’s always a beautiful display of faith for the world to see.”

Aytona compared the walk to a “mini-version of the Camino de Santiago in Europe,” adding that “the Walk to Mary draws people to the heart of pilgrimage — the opportunity for one to draw closer to the Lord and for him to draw closer to you — but all through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.”

The final destination of the walk is also particularly special as the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion is the first and only approved Marian apparition in the United States. 

On Oct. 9, 1859, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a young Belgian woman named Adele Brise in the woods near present-day Champion, Wisconsin. Seeing the beautiful lady dressed in dazzling white with a crown of stars around her head, Brise asked the woman who she was.

The lady replied: “I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same.”

The Blessed Mother then told the young girl to “gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation. Teach them their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the cross, and how to approach the sacraments; that is what I wish you to do.”

The apparition was approved by Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay in 2010. 

Karmen Lemke, executive director of Catholic Charities at the Diocese of Green Bay, called the 21-mile pilgrimage “absolutely life-changing.”

This year marks Lemke’s third time participating in the Walk to Mary; however, her first two experiences hold a special place in her heart. 

“My first walk, the full 21 miles, was in 2022, and my inspiration for participating was to join my friend Doris Lamers, who was diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer,” Lemke shared with CNA in an interview. 

“The Blessed Mother has been an important person in her life and the Walk to Mary was something she really wanted to do. A few days before I asked again if she wanted to walk, even if we did the short version, and she quickly replied: ‘I want to walk and I want to do the whole thing,’” she recalled.

Lemke said that will be a day she will “forever treasure.”

“The weather was perfect, but our conversations along the walk were priceless,” she said. “We prayed the rosary and talked about life in general. We met so many wonderful people along the way, sharing stories of why they walk.”

In 2023, Lemke and Lamers participated in the walk again, along with Lamers’ sister and niece; however, due to the progression of the cancer, Lemke pushed Lamers in a wheelchair for the last seven miles of the walk.

“Upon our arrival at the shrine, Doris received a special blessing from Father Joseph [Aytona]. It was wonderful. I know that Doris knew exactly what was going on and was grateful for the day.”

Lamers passed away on Sept. 20, 2023.

“This year will hold a different meaning for us,” Lemke said. “We know that Doris will be with us and she’ll be saying, ‘Come on girls, you can do the whole route!’”

As for what Lemke has taken away from participating in the Walk to Mary, she said she has come to see “that anyone can do it with a little encouragement and not a lot of necessary training. I was moved by the number of people and their love for Mary and the love for their faith. It was a true sense of community.”

Aytona said he hopes that participants “are led to a deeper devotion to Our Lord Jesus.”

“True devotion to Mary always brings us to Jesus, and when people step foot on the grounds where Mary appeared, I hope they have an encounter with her that ultimately leads them to profound encounters with the merciful and divine love of Christ,” he added.

God “is our peace” and “prayer leads us to meet him,” said the archbishop of Bogotá, Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio. / Credit: Colombian Bishops Conference / Screenshot

ACI Prensa Staff, May 2, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Colombian Bishops’ Conference  (CEC by its Spanish acronym) has called on all Catholics to join on May 3, Day of the Holy Cross, in a day of prayer for peace and reconciliation in the country.

“The call is made directly by the bishops and is based on recognizing the serious humanitarian crisis that multiple territories face amid armed conflict and other types of violence, as well as the complex sociopolitical panorama that the nation is experiencing today, permeated by division and polarization,” the CEC announced on its website.

Since Pope Francis’ visit to Colombia in September 2017 and his meeting with victims of the armed conflict, the Church in that country has established a National Day of Prayer for Reconciliation and Peace to be celebrated every May 3.

Inspired by a saying of Jesus Christ from Matthew 23:8, the motto for this year’s day of prayer is “All Brothers.” 

In a video message, the president of the CEC and archbishop of Bogotá, Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, invites people to recognize that “beyond our differences, we are all children of God and, therefore, brothers.”

God “is our peace” and “prayer leads us to meet him,” the cardinal said, expressing his conviction that “reconciliation is the path we need to travel to experience true hope for change in the country.”

“Let us pray for our country, that the Lord shows us with his Holy Spirit the paths of reconciliation,” the cardinal continued. “Reconciliation requires the ability to see the other as a brother. Jesus has told us: We are all children of the same Father.”

Rueda went on to cite Pope Francis, who “in a graphic way” has reminded us that “we are all in the same boat. The Colombian boat requires that you open your heart to reconciliation, to forgiveness. To look at the other, not as an enemy to be eliminated but as a friend, as a member of the same Colombian family.”

“That is what we want on May 3, for there to be a full day of prayer in parish churches, in the oratories of schools, universities, and women’s and men’s religious houses,” Rueda concluded. 

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

The pro-life flag from the Pro-Life Flag Project (www.prolifeflag.com). / Credit: Pro-Life Flag Project (www.prolifeflag.com)

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 1, 2024 / 18:50 pm (CNA).

Here’s a look at abortion-related developments that took place in various U.S. states this week. 

Florida’s six-week pro-life law takes effect

Florida’s Heartbeat Protection Act took effect on Wednesday, May 1. The law protects unborn babies from abortion starting at six weeks of pregnancy. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law back in April 2023, but it remained blocked until an April decision by the state Supreme Court that cleared the way for it to take effect. 

This comes as a high-stakes abortion amendment, effectively legalizing the procedure through all nine months of pregnancy, is set to be included on the ballot this November. 

Arizona Senate votes to repeal law protecting life at conception

In a 16-14 vote the Arizona Senate voted to repeal a law protecting unborn babies from abortion beginning at conception. The so-called “abortion ban repeal” bill passed the Arizona Senate despite a narrow Republican majority, due to two Republicans joining all Democrats to repeal the pro-life law. The Arizona House already passed the repeal bill in a similarly close vote last week. Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has already said she plans to quickly sign the bill, which will return the state to limiting abortion after 15 weeks. 

South Dakota abortion amendment reaches required signatures

Dakotans for Health, a pro-abortion group in South Dakota, announced on Wednesday that it has exceeded the required number of signatures to add an abortion amendment to the state’s November ballot. The amendment proposal and signatures will need to be vetted by state authorities. If passed, the amendment would override the state’s existing pro-life laws and enshrine abortion into the state constitution. Currently, abortion is only legal in South Dakota if the life of the mother is at risk.

Tennessee governor signs ‘Baby Olivia’ pro-life bill

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill on Tuesday to increase education on fetal development in public schools. The bill mandates that the state’s family life curricula include a three-minute video titled “Baby Olivia,” which was produced by the pro-life group Live Action and shows an unborn baby’s development from conception till birth. 

Several other states — Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and West Virginia — are also considering passing bills to add the Baby Olivia video to their curriculum.

Maine governor signs out-of-state abortion law

Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a law last week that seeks to shield out-of-state patients who are seeking abortions or so-called “gender-affirming care” in Maine from possible prosecution. The legislation would prevent their medical records from being shared with law enforcement agencies in other states where such practices have been banned. The law also gives abortionists in the state immunity from any prosecutions on abortions performed on out-of-state women. 

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa gives the homily at a Mass in which he took possession of his titular church, St. Onuphrius, in Rome on May 1, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/ACI Prensa

ACI Prensa Staff, May 1, 2024 / 18:30 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Catholic patriarch of Jerusalem, finally took possession on May 1 of his assigned titular church in Rome after having postponed the ceremony due to the war in the Holy Land.

Part of the process of becoming a cardinal is being assigned a titular church in Rome known as his “title” or “deaconry” in accordance with his role in assisting the pope, the bishop of Rome.

The ceremony at St. Onuphrius, the titular church of the papal order of the Holy Sepulchre, was scheduled for April 15 when the conflict in the Middle East worsened with the Iranian attack on Israel.

On the night of April 13, the Israeli army reported that Iran launched dozens of missiles and drones from its territory, most of which were intercepted outside Israeli territory by the country’s air defense systems.

Consequently, the patriarch, who had planned to travel to Rome, had to cancel the trip at the last minute and reschedule the ceremony.

Pizzaballa was created a cardinal by Pope Francis at the Sept. 30, 2023, consistory along with 21 other cardinals.

In his May 1 homily, which he gave at St. Onuphrius Church in Rome, the Italian cardinal noted that the Church of Jerusalem is “the mother Church” in which “the roots of the universal Church” are found.

He also said that it is the “central heart” of the life of the Church, although this universality “is not complete without Peter.”

Along these lines, the prelate stated that being made a cardinal “is not a coincidence” and that united with Peter, and Rome united with Jerusalem, “they complete this picture with their roots in the Holy Land.”

“Being a cardinal is not only a title or an honor, it is also a responsibility,” the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem remarked.

He also reflected on true joy, which is born “from the deep, serene, and conscious” union with the Lord.

‘We are going through the most difficult moments in our history’

Referring to the war ravaging the Holy Land, the cardinal lamented: “We are going through the most difficult moments in our recent history” and stressed that the impact of this conflict on the population “is enormous, more than any other war or conflict.”

The cardinal added that “we would like the United States to resolve the problem, as well as the peace negotiations,” although he regretted that at the moment “nothing is happening.”

The patriarch explained that conflict “is not the way in which the kingdom of God grows” but rather “it grows in community, peacefully.”

“The kingdom of God is not a miracle but the seed in the earth that grows and bears fruit, which is born from the heart of God’s love,” he said. For the cardinal, the kingdom of God “can also be experienced within war.”

Pizzaballa said that “the Lamb of God is the light that illuminates the city of Jerusalem” and that “we are called to be able to see the reality of the world through the paschal light of Christ, who died out of love and was raised by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Finally, he urged “seeking ways of reconciliation” and that the words “truth, justice, and forgiveness” never be separated from one another.

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

Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore pack the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen during a concluding listening session on the archdiocese's major parish restructuring plan on April 30, 2024. / Credit: Matthew Balan

Baltimore, Md., May 1, 2024 / 18:10 pm (CNA).

Hundreds of Catholic residents of Baltimore packed the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen on Tuesday evening to give their often-impassioned reactions to a process that could lead to the closure of nearly two-thirds of the city’s parishes.

Several parishes from the state’s largest city organized large contingents to attend the April 30 meeting, which was the final of three listening sessions for the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s “Seek the City” parish restructuring proposal. They made their presence known with custom-made T-shirts or ethnic attire, with some even carrying large banners that begged Archbishop William Lori to spare their churches.

Parishioners from the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in the Mount Washington neighborhood of the city printed a banner that proclaimed: “SOS! Save Our Shrine.” The group from the largely-Filipino parish also participated vocally in the session, including an emotional plea from John Tagle, a high school student. Tagle worried that his parish would be gone when he returned home from college.

A non-Filipino member of the shrine, David Bender, bluntly stated: “The proposal does not make spiritual sense.” 

Many of those wearing custom T-shirts came from Holy Rosary, a parish in the Fells Point neighborhood that has connections to two Polish canonized saints. Some of their group wore ethnic attire and waved the white and red flag of their Eastern European homeland. 

A young woman from Holy Rosary wondered why the archdiocese would shutter a place that was visited by St. John Paul II (when he was Cardinal Karol Wojytla in 1976). The parish is also directly tied to the canonization process of St. Faustina Kowalska, as it was the site of a documented miraculous healing attributed to the Polish sister.

Auxiliary Bishop Bruce Lewandowski gave a grim assessment as he spoke to local media before presiding over the listening session. “This is difficult. It’s heart-wrenching,” he emphasized. “But we’re at a pivotal moment in the city Church. We need to do this.”

Lewandowski led the attendees in prayer before starting the main presentation about the parish closure/consolidation proposal under “Seek the City.” He, along with two lay consultants, began a slideshow that first gave an overview of the two-year process leading up to the current juncture.

The trio then unveiled several slides that outlined the proposal to shrink the city’s parishes from 61 parishes to 26 parishes. The City of Baltimore, along with some immediate surrounding parts of neighboring Baltimore County, was divided into five regions (center, east, west, north, and south). While the first four regions would have three to five consolidated parishes, the south region would be reduced to only two. 

An additional two parishes have been designated “personal parishes”: St. Ignatius, which is administered by the Jesuits, and St. Alphonsus, the home of the Traditional Latin Mass in Baltimore. During the listening session, the archdiocese disclosed that a final decision on the “Seek the City” proposal would be made by mid-June.

The slideshow spotlighted that four of the merged parishes would specifically minister to Hispanic communities. It also noted that the Filipino community — currently centered at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart — would move to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

Other parishoners with deep roots in Baltimore City also bewailed the spiritual devastation the proposed restructuring would cause. A representative from St. Rita’s in Dundalk (a community that was directly impacted by the recent collapse of the Key Bridge at the mouth of Baltimore Harbor) begged: “Don’t let the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ leave Old Dundalk!”

Sue Jones, who has lived her entire life in the region, reflected on entering her eighth decade as a Catholic in the primatial see of the United States. Jones, who attends St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in the Hampden neighborhood, underlined that “killing [the parishes], or turning them into unrecognizable hubs, ... is the final nail in the coffin for the Church in Baltimore City.” Her parish would be closed under the current proposal.

The lifelong Baltimore resident added that she remained hopeful.

“I’m so proud, because the remaining Catholics are here in spite of the archdiocese’s leadership,” she said after the listening session.

The St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States, on April 9, 2020, in New Orleans. / Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 1, 2024 / 17:50 pm (CNA).

A criminal investigation into the Archdiocese of New Orleans is based on a suspicion that it may be linked to child sex trafficking, according to allegations presented in a search warrant granted to Louisiana State Police.

The affidavit requesting the search warrant, first obtained by the New Orleans-based WWL Radio, alleges that multiple sex abuse victims provided statements that claim they were transported to other parishes and outside of Louisiana, where they were sexually abused. It further alleges a scheme within the archdiocese in which abused children were instructed to provide “gifts” to certain priests, which were meant to signal that the children were targets for sexual abuse.

According to the allegations in the affidavit, multiple victims reported that they were brought to the New Orleans Seminary, where they were instructed to “swim naked in the pool and would be sexually assaulted or abused.” It also alleges that investigators found that this was “a common occurrence” and that other members of the archdiocese were present. 

“Based on these findings, as well as the allegations of previous widespread child sexual abuse, it was determined that further investigation into the Archdiocese of New Orleans was necessary,” investigator Scott Rodrigue wrote in the affidavit. 

Judge Juana Lombard granted police the search warrant last week, but the allegations in the warrant were not made public until Tuesday, April 30. It allows police to search personnel files, financial records, communications, and other documents related to allegations of sexual abuse.

The warrant acknowledges that the police have probable cause to suspect felony violations of the law that prohibits the “trafficking of children for a sexual purpose.”

Although the allegations contained in the warrant do not indicate when the alleged trafficking occurred, the information that led to a suspicion of sex trafficking was obtained by police during an earlier investigation into a retired priest named Lawrence Hecker, who is accused of raping an underage teenage boy in the 1970s. Hecker was indicted for the alleged crime but has not yet been tried.

The affidavit alleges that documents obtained during the Hecker investigation show that “previous archbishops … not only knew of the [widespread] sexual abuse and failed to report all the claims to law enforcement, but [also] spent archdiocese funding to support the accused.”

One document cited in the affidavit states that one specific archbishop “was aware of rampant sexual abuse throughout the archdiocese,” but the affidavit leaves out the archbishop’s name. 

The affidavit alleges, without stating the exact time frame, that the archdiocese “disregarded” or “covered up” claims of widespread sexual abuse. It alleges that in many cases, abuse claims “were not reported to law enforcement.” In some instances, the archdiocese provided “monetary payments” to victims or their families “to dismiss the allegations,” according to the affidavit.

Investigators conducted “a large number of interviews” of individuals who allege widespread sexual abuse against children in the archdiocese, according to the affidavit. Interviews are still being conducted. 

The Archdiocese of New Orleans filed for bankruptcy in May 2020 amid financial problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the costs of litigation and settlements related to alleged sexual abuse.

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

null / Credit: Juthamat8899/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 1, 2024 / 17:05 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a new report on Wednesday highlighting the countries with the worst religious persecution in the world.

From this report, which is released annually, USCIRF makes recommendations to the State Department on how to best advocate for religious freedom. The suggestions typically translate into sanctions from the U.S. against violating countries to pressure them to improve their religious tolerance. 

This year, the countries topping USCIRF’s list of the world’s most egregious religious freedom violators were Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.

USCIRF recommends these nations be designated as “countries of particular concern,” or “CPCs,” a label that has been called America’s “most powerful tool” to advocate for religious freedom.

Here are some of the countries with the most concerning religious freedom trends in the last year.

Afghanistan 

Religious freedom and free expression have continued to deteriorate in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, according to the report. The country is violently enforcing an apostasy law that bans conversions from Islam. The report also said that in the last year, the Taliban implemented a series of measures to seriously restrict women’s dress, movement, access to education, and employment. Despite USCIRF’s recommendation, Afghanistan is not currently a CPC, although the Taliban is designated as an “entity of particular concern” (EPC).

Azerbaijan

A majority Muslim country, Azerbaijan was included in USCIRF’s CPC list this year for the first time. The country has been increasingly encroaching on the religious rights of both Azerbaijani Muslims as well as of ethnic minorities, such as the Armenian Christians. According to the report, Azerbaijani citizens are “routinely” harassed, fined, and imprisoned based on their religious activities. The report said that 183 “peaceful believers” were unjustly imprisoned in Azerbaijan in 2023 because of their religious beliefs or activities. 

After a violent Azerbaijani takeover of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and a subsequent mass exodus of Armenian Christians, USCIRF reported that several historic Christian sites have been damaged and there remain serious concerns about further threats to the region’s ancient religious sites. Azerbaijan also evicted Armenian Apostolic priests from the historic Dadivank Monastery in the Kalbajar region along the Armenian border. 

China

The most populous country in the world, China is a mainstay of USCIRF’s CPC list because of its continued “sinicization” program, which subjects all its citizens and all religions in the country to the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Under China’s communist government, all religions are strictly controlled by the state and any unauthorized religious activity is dealt with severely. In 2023, the report said, Chinese authorities continued to “forcibly disappear” and convict underground Catholic priests, including two bishops. The government also continues to subject the Muslim Uyghurs to forced labor and indoctrination camps and to persecute and imprison thousands of members of the Falun Gong religious movement. 

India 

The second-most populous country in the world, India is increasingly emerging as a leader on the world stage. Despite this, India, run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu Nationalist government, has witnessed deteriorating religious freedom conditions. Though the country’s constitution protects the right to practice one’s faith, much of the country enforces anti-conversion laws. According to the report, thousands of Christians and Muslims were subjected to attacks and intimidation in 2023 while hundreds of churches and mosques were destroyed. 

Iran

Citizens in the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to suffer “extremely poor” religious freedom conditions, according to the report. In 2023, protesters against the government’s mandatory hijab laws and other restrictions on religion were systematically harassed, arrested, raped, tortured, and, in some cases, executed. Religious minorities, including Sunni Muslims, were severely punished, sometimes executed, whenever caught violating the country’s strict Islamic law. 

Nicaragua

Nicaraguan dictators Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo intensified their persecution of the Catholic Church and other religious groups in 2023. In the last year, the dictatorship seized the assets and properties of Catholic churches, monasteries, and schools and arbitrarily imprisoned and exiled hundreds of Catholics and political dissidents. Bishop Rolando Alvarez, a longtime critic of the Ortega-Murillo regime, was sentenced to 26 years in prison, where he spent all of 2023 with little to no contact with the outside world. This January he was exiled from Nicaragua to the Vatican.

Nigeria

More than 8,000 Christians were killed across Nigeria last year, according to the report. On Christmas weekend alone, a series of attacks resulted in the deaths of 190 Christians in Nigeria’s Plateau state. 

Nigerian Christians, who make up 46% of the population, were the victims of widespread attacks, kidnappings, torture, and acts of intimidation by criminal elements that were largely ignored by the Nigerian government.

Despite continued persecution and consistent recommendations from USCIRF to designate Nigeria a CPC, the State Department under the Biden administration has excluded this country from the list since 2021.

Pakistan

Terrorist attacks against religious minorities and places of worship increased significantly in Pakistan in 2023, according to the report. The government moved to further strengthen prohibitions against “blasphemy,” which observers say is a method of targeting religious minorities. In August a mob attacked a Christian community in Jaranwala over an accusation of blasphemy. The mob destroyed and looted many homes in the community and damaged at least 24 churches.

Other concerning trends

Transnational persecution on the rise: USCIRF reported that in addition to carrying out persecutions within their borders, several governments “engaged in transnational repression to silence religious minorities.” Chief among these were the governments of China and India, both of whom increased their international efforts to target religious minorities who had fled their borders. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan also engaged in transnational repression as well. 

Blasphemy laws: According to the report, blasphemy laws are one of the most significant challenges to religious freedom in the world. These laws work by punishing acts that are deemed offensive to the prevailing religion or ideology. There are 96 countries with active blasphemy laws, many of which are used to foment violence toward religious minorities, according to USCIRF. 

Europe: Some European countries were also mentioned in the report as exhibiting concerning trends regarding religious freedom. The report highlighted how U.K. citizen Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham, England. Additionally, the report mentioned Finnish member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen, who has faced multiple human rights violation charges for expressing her religious views on sexuality and marriage. 

Pilgrims at the Wednesday general audience Aug. 9, 2023, hold up an image of the Virgin Mary. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

ACI Prensa Staff, May 1, 2024 / 16:02 pm (CNA).

May will always be a special month, the month that the Church dedicates to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God and our mother.

The month that begins today is just the right time to renew the love that all of us who are baptized ought to profess for the woman whom God chose — from eternity — to be the earthly mother of his Son, Jesus Christ, the word made flesh for the redemption of the human race. 

How can we not turn our gaze toward her, who looks at us with sweetness and compassion! It’s no coincidence that the Son of God wanted to grow up in the warmth of a mother like Mary and receive her loving care.

Let’s live this month ever close to Mary

In the plan of salvation, the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a special place. By virtue of her role to be the mother of the Son of God by divine election, she was conceived immaculately — i.e., without the stain of original sin — and by fidelity to her son, she has been crowned queen of heaven and earth. 

Everything Mary said and did leads to Christ. Who knows a child better than a mother? What good and noble child does not know his or her mother or love her with all his or her heart?

You would have to be a little or very foolish not to let yourself be embraced by that loving mother whom Jesus gave us. Consequently, how could we not dedicate some time to get to know her better and improve our relationship with her, who knew and loved Jesus like no one else on earth? And, let us not forget — she loves each of her children, human beings, with similar affection and tenderness.

The Church, in her wisdom, asks her children to be especially devoted to Mother Mary during this month and to be particularly grateful for all of her care.

A model for every Christian

Another aspect to consider and meditate on is that Mary, the most humble of all women, is a model for everyone, today, in the here and now. She is a model in a particular way for each woman, as expressed by Pope Francis. 

“There is only one model for you, Mary: the woman of fidelity, the one who did not understand what was happening to her but obeyed. The one who, as soon as she knew what her cousin needed took off (to help her), the Virgin of Promptness. The one who escaped as a refugee in a foreign country to save the life of her son,” Pope Francis said during an April 2014 message to 20,000 young people gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a regional youth day.

The first disciple

Years later, during an Aug. 24, 2021, catechesis, Pope Francis called Mary “the first disciple of Jesus” and reminded us that “Mary is there, praying for us, praying for those who do not pray. Why? Because she is our mother.”

The Virgin, through Jesus, has brought heaven closer to us and her life is the best proof that it is possible to reach it. Pope Francis said it best: “She shows us that heaven is within reach, if we too do not give in to sin, we praise God with humility and we serve others with generosity” (Pope Francis, Angelus address on the solemnity of the Assumption, Aug. 15, 2022). 

A holy month of May for everyone! Let’s walk hand in hand with Mary.

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

Sandra Miley emcees the Hispanic Eucharistic Convention on April 27, 2024, at the Gaylord of the Rockies Convention Center in Denver. / Credit: Denver Catholic

Denver, Colo., May 1, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

In an environment filled with joy and hope, thousands of people met at the Gaylord of the Rockies Convention Center in Denver last Saturday to testify to and celebrate the Eucharist.

“I’m here because God called me to be here; I didn’t plan on coming,” Laura Paredes shared. “I had another event out of state. But God put some people in my path and my plans changed. This morning, as I entered the convention and saw the image on the screen, I said to myself, ‘What a waste it would have been if I didn’t come!’ I’m filled with joy, that soul-filling joy, in my heart, and I know I’m here because he wanted me to be here.”

For many, like María de Jesús Fernández, attending this convention was a way to draw nearer to God and enhance her relationship with him.

“I very much need to grow closer to God, and I hope that I will leave here renewed,” Fernández told the Denver Catholic.

“Just recently, I learned of a miracle in which the Eucharistic host became cardiac flesh and began to beat. God is calling us to reflect on how the world is doing right now. We have to lean on him, we have to draw closer to him, and it makes me so happy to see so many people here today,” she continued.

With a moving introduction, Monsignor Jorge de los Santos, pastor of Our Lady Mother of the Church Parish in Commerce City, Colorado, invited all participants to open their hearts to God and to participate in the convention as fully as possible to experience the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

“Brothers and sisters, take advantage of this moment of grace, this day that the Lord has given us, this day to come together as brothers and sisters and be in the presence of Christ. May Christ the King reign!” de los Santos said, exhorting and encouraging those gathered.

From parish groups to individual participants who attended the convention to draw nearer to God and to get to know the Eucharistic Lord, the center quickly filled with the 2,500 participants who were able to get tickets for this one-of-a-kind event.

With the hope of learning more and strengthening his faith, Miguel traveled with his wife and children to be part of this event.

“More than anything, I came today to learn more about the Eucharist and Eucharistic miracles,” he said. “We’ve come today with open hearts to listen and learn from all the speakers.”

The convention began with a testimony from Daniel Rivas, a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Denver, who shared how God called him to his vocation after a profoundly difficult time in his life.

Modern-day Eucharistic miracles

Dr. Ricardo Castañón spoke on two themes of faith and his discoveries about the real presence of Christ through Eucharistic miracles, offering a powerful and moving testimony of how faith connects with science and the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated bread we receive at each Mass.

“It has been phenomenal! I was shocked by all the miracles Dr. Castañón explained to us. I was seriously surprised. Now, I value the Eucharist so much more,” Virgilio Pedraza said. “Come closer, truly come closer to live with Christ present in your life.”

Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila celebrated a special Mass for those in attendance. In his homily, he stressed the importance of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as well as the importance of keeping our hearts open to the Father.

“Our fervent hope as bishops is that love for the Eucharist and faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist might burn in the hearts of the faithful,” Aquila said, referencing the National Eucharistic Revival, which will culminate in the National Eucharistic Congress this summer.

“When we come to Mass, we ought to prepare our hearts to adore the Father through, with, and in Jesus. In his one sacrifice we recognize and receive the love of the Father for us in Jesus and in the Eucharist,” he emphasized.

At the end of his homily, Aquila invited the faithful to pay extra attention to the prayers offered during each Mass and to carry the Eucharist to those in need through works of charity.

“I encourage you, my brothers and sisters here, as we continue this Mass, to be conscious of how we are adoring the Father. Listen attentively to the prayers offered during the Mass, especially the Eucharistic Prayer and the Our Father,” Aquila said. “Offer your lives to the Father with Jesus. Give yourself to the Father just as Jesus gave himself to the Father. Ask the Lord how we ought to bring the Eucharist to the world with our works of charity. By praying for those who are in need of our prayers, praying for those who do not know Jesus, now they come to know and love him more, especially in the breaking of the bread.”

Young people present

Among those present at the Eucharistic Convention were numerous young people such as Giselle Chávez, who shared with the Denver Catholic her excitement over the opportunity God offered her to participate in this unique experience.

“I’m letting the Holy Spirit lead,” she said, adding an invitation to other young people to participate in events like these and encouraging them not to be afraid of drawing closer to God.

“Don’t be afraid,” she continued. “Don’t focus on the stereotypes or think that these sort of events are only for older people. It’s really beautiful to have faith and live a spiritual life as a young person so that we can carry it into adulthood and pass it on to our children and future generations.”

After lunch, the event continued with a concert with the religious music group Jeséd and a talk given by Luis Soto, director of Evangelization and Discipleship at the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Following Soto’s talk, participants heard testimonies from Sister Isabel Muñoz de Lara of the Allied Discalced Carmelites of the Holy Trinity, Leopoldo Soto of the Apostles of the Word ministry, and Emma González.

“We are a Eucharistic Church; we are a Church that is born from the Eucharist and that lives for Christ,” Soto shared with the Denver Catholic before his talk. “Today, in my talk, I will do my best to present a biblical account of the real presence of Christ, to try to understand the Mass and what it means, but above all to reinforce the idea, the understanding, and the certainty that Christ is present in a real way in the Eucharist.”

For San Juana, expanding her faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is as simple as coming to know the love of God.

“They say that no one loves what they do not know. So, it’s very important to get to know Jesus to love him more and reinforce our faith, coming to know him more through a bit of science,” she said, referring to Castañón’s talk. “We believe in this real presence more than anything by faith, but if we bolster that with science, it’s something even stronger.”

Concluding adoration

The Eucharistic Convention concluded with an emotional Holy Hour of Eucharistic adoration in which participants were able to open their hearts and experience the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Some of the participants who were present for the convention shared their emotion and satisfaction over being able to be a part of this unique experience and how the event marked a “before and after” in their faith lives.

“Today has been a blessing to reinforce the fact that Jesus Christ is present in the bread and the wine,” said Lucio Rodríguez, a parishioner of St. William Parish in Fort Lupton, Colorado.

“The Eucharistic miracles are the biggest gift that we have as Catholics. I’m really interested in making sure that people know what is actually happening in the Eucharist,” Flor Palafox, a parishioner of Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora, Colorado, told the Denver Catholic.

“I came to learn something new so that I can put it into practice in my life, in my service, with my family and with all those around me,” said Raúl Garcia, a parishioner of St. William Parish in Fort Lupton.

“I don’t even know how to explain what I’ve felt,” said Rosa Raudales, a parishioner of Our Lady of the Plains Parish in Byers, Colorado. “When I received the Eucharist, it was something that I needed. I needed the Lord!”

This story was first published by the Denver Catholic and is reprinted here on CNA with permission.

A family of religious Jews walks at the beginning of Armenian Quarter Street, the entry point to the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem in April 2024. Behind them stands the complex of the Tower of David Museum. / Credit: Marinella Bandini

Jerusalem, May 1, 2024 / 13:05 pm (CNA).

During the Jewish Passover (Pesach) in late April, an unprecedented initiative took place in Jerusalem.

On the eve of the festivities, anticipating the arrival of numerous Jewish worshippers to fulfill religious precepts, several posters and pamphlets appeared in the streets of the Old City calling on the public to avoid offensive behavior and harassment toward Christians and non-Jews.

“We must together maintain ‘Derech Eretz’ (‘proper behavior precedes the Torah’) in regard to the respect of mankind, to non-Jews and those of a different religion, especially during Passover and throughout the entire year. We must prevent and prevent others from spitting in the direction of others who are not Jewish,” a short excerpt from the poster reads.

According to local websites, the initiative was promoted by Ahrale Friedman, a resident of the ultra-Orthodox Ramat Shlomo neighborhood located in the newer part of Jerusalem. A source with knowledge of the community but who is unauthorized to speak for it told CNA that the campaign is likely the effort of a broader Jewish organization with connections in the Orthodox world. Regardless, it is the first initiative of its kind.

Several highly publicized incidents involving ultra-Orthodox Jews harassing Christians in the Old City of Jerusalem have been reported. Among the most “hot” areas for this behavior are the Via Dolorosa, the Armenian quarter, and Mount Zion. 

In the last year, a significant public opinion movement both locally and internationally has brought to light these types of incidents, including the controversial practice of spitting at Christians or their holy places as a sign of contempt.

The incidents have decreased in the last few months because of the war — due to the absence of Christian pilgrims and the reduced presence of Jews in the Old City in the early months of the conflict — but the phenomenon has never disappeared.

Just a couple of months ago, the attack on Benedictine Abbot Nikodemus Schnabel, captured live, caused a stir. And in recent days, a video filmed in the Armenian quarter has been circulating in which blasphemies against Jesus in Hebrew can be clearly heard.

On posters and flyers, one can find quotes on the matter from leading rabbinical authorities who have condemned such actions, such as the elder rabbi of the Council of Torah, Rabbi Meir Zvi Bergman.

“There is a new thing today that we should protest with all our might: spitting out on the street, and we are against it. It is blasphemy,” he said.

The Sephardic chief rabbi of Jerusalem, Shlomo Amer, is also quoted as saying: “This thing is absolutely forbidden, and it is also a blasphemy of God.” 

A quote from Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, member of the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel, is also present: “It’s so opposite of Judaism. I don’t know where these spits came from. It’s not ours.”

Yisca Harani, an Israeli lecturer, adviser, researcher, and guide in the field of Christian history who is involved in interfaith activities, told CNA that such an initiative against the behavior “is absolutely beneficial.” 

Harani herself is involved in reporting cases of violence against Christians. In June 2023 she launched the Religious Freedom Data Center, whose aim is “to document all such incidents, bring them to the attention of the relevant institutions, and demand they use the means and measures at their disposal to redress them.” She herself saw some people hanging posters, and she asked the volunteers of her association to distribute these flyers.

She explained that “all the rabbis quoted are very famous. The names of some very radical and very conservative rabbis were taken. It means that if they say not to spit, their audience will have to listen to it very carefully.” 

Harani is convinced that reporting to the authorities is one of the paths to take.

“Only if [the attackers] are going to be treated very very harshly will we see a change,” she said. On the other hand, she believes that the “educational way” is the only one that can guarantee long-term results.

“Posters are a very good example of this,” she said.

The posters clearly state that aggressive behavior toward Christians “will not benefit us and may even harm the global support for the war.” Furthermore, it is said that there were “wicked people” who have used videos in which young people were seen spitting “as an excuse to attack Jews abroad and slander the country and the people.”

“Even without the above-mentioned things,” the posters say, “we must be careful about this and preserve the honor of our Torah as the sons of Abraham our father, peace be upon him, who also received idolaters in his tent and taught us the Kiddush of God and the most distant ones even in days of peace and tranquility in our streets.”