Beloved Disciple Parish

Pope Leo answers questions from journalists as he leaves Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican on Nov. 4, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 17:17 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV said dialogue is the solution to rising tensions with Venezuela.

There have been more than a dozen U.S. strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, often of Venezuelan origin. Dozens of deaths have been reported as a result, and the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Caribbean in recent months.

“A country has the right to have its own military to defend peace, to build peace,” Pope Leo XIV said Nov. 4 outside Castel Gandolfo. “In this case, however, it seems a bit different, with the tension increasing… Just five minutes ago I read some news saying that they are getting closer and closer to the coast of Venezuela. I think that with violence we do not win. The thing to do is to seek dialogue, to look for a just way to find solutions to the problems that may exist in a country. A country has the right to have its own military to defend peace, to build peace.”

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined 61 other civil society organizations in sending a letter to Congress on Nov. 4 to express alarm at “illegal military strikes and extrajudicial killings of civilians on boats off of the coast of Venezuela.”

“The Trump administration has not provided any valid legal justification for these strikes or any evidence to substantiate its claims that the victims were an imminent threat to the security of the United States,” the letter said. “We fear that, barring decisive action by members of Congress, there will be more strikes, more extrajudicial killings, and potentially a full-blown limitless war with one or more countries in the region, with likely devastating humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.”

President Donald Trump called for mobilizing U.S. military assets against drug-trafficking organizations during the 2024 campaign. The administration began classifying regional drug cartels and criminal organizations as “foreign terrorist organizations” in 2025.

Auxiliary Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado with eight spiritual leaders including Sister JoAnn Persch attempt to bring Communion to detainees at the Broadview, Illinois, facility and were not admitted Nov. 1, 2025. / Credit: Bryan Sebastian, courtesy of Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 16:52 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said the spiritual rights of migrants in detention must be considered.

“Many people who’ve lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what’s going on right now,” he said Nov. 4 outside Castel Gandolfo. “I would certainly invite the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people. Many times they’ve been separated from their families for a good amount of time. No one knows what’s happening, but their own spiritual needs should be attended to.”

Catholic leaders in Chicago sought to bring holy Communion to detainees Nov. 1 at a Chicago-area building that holds people detained in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Auxiliary Bishop Jose María García-Maldonado and others were not admitted despite requesting access weeks in advance and attempting to follow U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s guidelines.

A federal judge heard testimony Nov. 4 about conditions at the building, the Broadview facility operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration advocates say conditions are inhumane, with people being kept at the Broadview facility for days, sleeping on floors, having medications withheld, with no showers. ICE has not responded to a request for comment.

The pope said the situation of migrants in detention warrants attention.

“I think in the first place, the role of the Church is to preach the Gospel. And just a couple days ago, we heard Matthew’s Gospel chapter 25, which says Jesus says very clearly, at the end of the world, we’re going to be asked, ‘How did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?’” Leo said.  

“There’s a deep reflection that needs to be made in terms of what’s happening” regarding migrants in detention, the pope said.

null / Credit: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Nov 4, 2025 / 16:32 pm (CNA).

Claim: Primary care operations are closing because President Donald Trump defunded Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.

CNA finds: Abortion providers prioritize abortion over primary care, causing closures. Community health clinics across the country continue to offer care without providing abortions.

Breakdown: When President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, taxpayer dollars were no longer allowed to be used to subsidize abortion providers for one year. Because of this, abortion providers don’t currently qualify for federal Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Rather than giving up abortion offerings, abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and Maine Family Planning are closing their doors to primary care patients.

Maine Family Planning provides abortions up to 14 weeks as well as birth control and “gender-affirming” health care. Across 18 clinics, Maine Family Planning provided about 600 patients with primary care in 2024. Meanwhile, the group provided more than 600 abortions in the same year, according to its own numbers.

Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of its funding comes from Medicaid. In total, it receives nearly $2 million in Medicaid reimbursements each year, according to the Maine Morning Star.

Maine Family Planning sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year, but a federal district court in August rejected its request for taxpayer dollars. On Oct. 31, the Associated Press reported that Maine Family Planning would close its primary care operations.

The organization is not the only abortion provider to shut down primary care rather than opt out of offering abortion. Planned Parenthood locations in California, for instance, are closing primary care facilities while continuing to offer abortions.

“Why do these organizations close clinics — but not abortion programs?” asked the director of Maine Right to Life, Michael McClellan.

“It’s important to note that when organizations such as Maine Family Planning choose to close primary care offices, that decision rests with them,” McClellan said. “Federal funding changes simply ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used — directly or indirectly — to promote or perform abortions.”

McClellan noted that “many other providers across Maine continue to serve patients under these same guidelines.”

Kelsey Pritchard, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America spokeswoman, said that abortion providers don’t prioritize primary care services.

For both Maine Family Planning and Planned Parenthood, Pritchard said that “primary care services clearly aren’t the priority and it’s no surprise they are on the chopping block.”

“Policymakers shouldn’t negotiate with entities that play these cruel games — dropping patients’ real health care needs to double down on ending babies’ lives,” Pritchard said.

Maine Family Planning did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

What options exist for women? 

Community health centers vastly outnumbered Planned Parenthood locations in the U.S., according to a report by Charlotte Lozier Institute.

There are “more than 8,800 community health centers that provide comprehensive care to vulnerable populations and offer women’s health services, in comparison to just 579 Planned Parenthood centers as of spring 2025,” the Charlotte Lozier Institute report read.

Maine has about 70 community health centers offering women’s health — many of which are located in rural areas. More broadly, in Maine there are 131 Federally Qualified Health Centers — clinics that qualify for reimbursement under Medicare and Medicaid.

“Maine residents continue to have access to a wide range of health services through community health centers, federally qualified health clinics, and hospital-based practices that provide comprehensive, life-affirming care for women and families,” McClellan said.

“These clinics offer prenatal and postnatal care, cancer screenings, immunizations, and preventive health services — without performing or referring for abortions,” he continued.

Many “better options” are available, Pritchard said.

“The pro-life movement is happy to help patients locate the care they need and deserve,” Pritchard said.

“The pro-life movement in Maine is deeply committed to supporting both women and their children — before, during, and after birth,” McClellan added. “Through a network of pregnancy resource centers, faith communities, and local service agencies, women can access free pregnancy testing, prenatal support, parenting classes, material assistance, housing help, and referrals for ongoing health care.”

The verdict: Some clinics are closing because they choose to continue providing abortion. Many other clinics continue to provide care for patients in Maine and across the U.S.

Father Marko Rupnik, SJ, in an interview with EWTN in 2020. / Credit: EWTN

Rome Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 16:02 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV asked accusers of Father Marko Rupnik to have patience as a trial on the priest’s alleged abuse begins at the Vatican.

“A new trial has recently begun, judges were appointed. And processes for justice take a long time. I know it’s very difficult for the victims to ask that they be patient, but the Church needs to respect the rights of all people,” the pope said, addressing a question from Magdalena Wolinska-Reidi of EWTN News just outside his Castel Gandolfo residence, Villa Barberini, on Nov. 4.

“The principle of innocent until proven guilty is also true in the Church,” he added. “Hopefully, this trial that is just beginning will be able to give some clarity to all those involved.”

Leo answered questions from journalists as he left Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. He has spent almost every Tuesday at the papal retreat, located 18 miles south of Rome, since early September.

The Vatican’s doctrine office announced last month that a panel of five judges had been nominated to decide the disciplinary case against Rupnik, accused of the sexual and psychological abuse of consecrated women under his spiritual care.

Rupnik — a well-known artist with mosaics and paintings in hundreds of Catholic shrines and churches around the world — is accused of having committed sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse against dozens of women religious in the 1980s and early 1990s.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith began to investigate the abuse accusations against Rupnik in October 2023 after Pope Francis lifted the statute of limitations.

In May 2019, the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith launched a criminal administrative process against Rupnik after the Society of Jesus reported credible complaints of abuse by the priest to the Vatican.

One year later, the Vatican declared Rupnik to be in a state of “latae sententiae” excommunication for absolving an accomplice in a sin against the Sixth Commandment. His excommunication was lifted by Pope Francis after two weeks.

The Society of Jesus expelled Rupnik from the religious congregation in June 2023 for his “stubborn refusal to observe the vow of obedience.”

Art

Leo also told journalists Nov. 4 he is aware of calls to remove or cover up Rupnik’s artwork by some abuse survivors and their advocates.

“Certainly in many places, precisely because of the need to be sensitive to those who have presented cases of being victims, the artwork has been covered up. Artwork has been removed from websites. That issue is certainly something that we’re aware of,” he said.

According to the Rome-based Centro Aletti, the art and theology school founded in 1993 and previously directed by Rupnik, the workshop has 232 completed mosaic and other art projects around the world — including in some of the most prominent international Catholic shrines, such as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in the state of São Paulo in Brazil and the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.

The Vatican has at least three original mosaics by Rupnik, including in the Redemptoris Mater chapel in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, in the chapel of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and in the San Calisto Building in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood.

Some calling for the art’s removal or concealment say that seeing the works in places of worship can have a traumatic effect on abuse victims, particularly since Rupnik’s accusers say he sexually abused them as they assisted him in the process of making his art.

The bishop of Lourdes, Jean-Marc Micas, announced earlier this year that the shrine would cover mosaics by Rupnik on the entrances to the shrine’s main church.

In June, the official Vatican News outlet removed images of the priest’s distinctive works, inspired by artistic traditions from Eastern Christianity, from its website, after years of criticism for its use of them to illustrate pages dedicated to saints and feast days.

Centro Aletti last year called the pressure to remove works of art by the studio part of “cancel culture” and the “criminalization of art.”

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors sent a letter to top Vatican officials last year urging them not to display artwork, like Rupnik’s, “that could imply either exoneration or a subtle defense” of those accused of abuse. 

In an interview with Crux in July, Pope Leo said how to respond to the Church’s abuse crisis is “one of the many challenges that I’m trying to find a way to deal with.”

And while it remains unresolved, it cannot be the Church’s sole focus, he said. 

He also drew attention to the difficulty of striking a balance between providing help and justice for victims with respect for the rights of the accused. “We’re in kind of a bind there.”

Leo put the issue of clerical sexual abuse into the context of his views on the wider role of the Church in the world: “We can’t make the whole Church focus exclusively on this issue, because that would not be an authentic response to what the world is looking for in terms of the need for the mission of the Church.”

Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament. / Credit: Comunidade Javé Nissi via Pexels

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 4, 2025 / 15:04 pm (CNA).

The number of people who believe their faith does not depend on attending Mass has increased as more Catholics are cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus, according to a recent survey of U.S. Catholic beliefs.

ACS Technologies, a church management software and data analysis company, investigated the trends in “American Beliefs Study: Religious Preferences and Practices.” The study researched the religious preferences, practices, beliefs, and media habits of Americans. 

Initially conducted in 2012-2013 and repeated in 2016-2017, 2020-2021, and 2024-2025, the study reflects the responses of roughly 60,000 participants over time. The most recent version of the study surveyed more than 15,000 Americans on Christian preferences, affiliations, values, and beliefs.

ACST Catholic, a business of ACS Technologies, specifically examined the feedback from 3,100 self-identified Catholic participants in the most recent survey. The updated findings were published in a recent guide: “The Evolving Landscape of Catholic Beliefs in 2025.”

The research revealed the percentage of Catholics who say they have a personal relationship with Jesus jumped from 61% in 2021 to 68% in 2025. There was also an increase in respondents who said belief in Jesus does not require participation in Mass, increasing from 68% to 71%.

Nearly half of Catholic respondents reported irregular Mass attendance. They gave reasons that have been consistent in each wave of the study. The most common reasons people reported were that religion is too focused on money, they have fallen out of the habit since COVID-19, religious people are too judgmental, and they do not trust religious leaders or organized religion. 

“The encouraging news from our latest survey is that core Catholic beliefs — such as the Resurrection and the divinity and humanity of Jesus — have grown,” said Terry Poplava, general manager of ACST Catholic and author of the study. 

The data found an increase in Catholics who expressed agreement that Jesus rose from the dead. In 2021, 44% of Catholics strongly agreed Jesus rose from the dead, (67% somewhat and strongly agreed). In 2025, 49% strongly agree (72% somewhat and strongly agree). Regarding the belief that Jesus was both divine and human, agreement increased from 74% to 78%.

What Catholics seek in a parish

As the study found a number of Catholics are questioning parish life, it also examined what people are seeking in a parish.

“Authentic community and meaningful relationships are even more important to people than quality sermons or sacramental celebrations,” Poplava said. “Our parishes have an opportunity to respond to this need and foster the real connections people are longing for.”

The 2021 research found Catholics often seek “warm and friendly encounters” when looking for a new parish. The 2025 response found three things Catholics seek: warm and friendly encounters (63%), quality sermons (56%), and celebration of sacraments (53%). 

Catholics who strongly agree that they seek warm and friendly encounters in a parish grew from 32% to 36%. However, the importance of the celebration of sacraments decreased from 37% to 33% and the quality of sermons slightly decreased from 31% to 30%.

More than half of Catholics reported they prefer a traditional worship experience (53%) to contemporary (30%). Poplava said: “Existing churches are being renovated to appear more traditional, including icons, candles, and windows. All of this is intended to instill a sense of reverence, awe, and respect for the sacred space.”

Despite the data finding that parish life faces “persistent challenges,” it also found that “personal faith is deepening” within the Catholic landscape.

Pope Leo XIV prays during his general audience on Sept. 24, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Nov 4, 2025 / 14:34 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of November is for the prevention of suicide. 

“Let us pray that those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts might find the support, care, and love they need in their community and be open to the beauty of life,” the pope said in a video released Nov. 4. 

According to a press release, this month’s video was made in collaboration with the Diocese of Phoenix.  

In the video, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention. Here is his full prayer:

Lord Jesus,

You who invite the weary and burdened

to come to you and rest in your heart,

we ask you this month for all the people

who live in darkness and despair,

especially for those struggling

with suicidal thoughts.

May they always find a community

that welcomes them, listens to them, and accompanies them.

Give all of us an attentive and compassionate heart,

capable of offering comfort and support,

also with the necessary professional help.

May we know how to be close with respect and tenderness,

helping to heal wounds, build bonds, and open horizons.

Together may we rediscover that life is a gift,

that there is still beauty and meaning,

even in the midst of pain and suffering.

We are well aware that those who follow you

are also vulnerable to sadness without hope.

We ask you to always make us feel your love

so that, through your closeness to us,

we can recognize and proclaim to all the infinite love of the Father

who leads us by the hand to renew our trust in the life you give us.

Amen.

The video prayer intention is promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which raises awareness of monthly papal prayer intentions.

null / Credit: Tekke via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Vatican City, Nov 4, 2025 / 14:04 pm (CNA).

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith will publish a new document on marriage in the context of ongoing discussions about polygamy in Africa.

The document, titled “We Two: In Praise of Monogamy. Doctrinal Note on the Value of Marriage, Exclusive Communion, and Mutual Belonging,” will be released at the end of November, the dicastery’s secretary, Father Armando Matteo, said Tuesday.

Matteo said the work is connected to a request made during the Synod on Synodality for African bishops to prepare a statement on polygamy. African bishops themselves, he noted, asked the Holy See for guidance on the issue.

The Synods on the Family in 2014 and 2015 — though largely dominated by questions of divorce and remarriage — also saw significant interventions from African bishops on the pastoral challenges of polygamous marriages.

A press conference will be held at the Holy See Press Office when the document is released later this month.

Skyline view of Buenos Aires, Argentina. / Credit: Sebasiddi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov 4, 2025 / 09:30 am (CNA).

The destruction of an image of Our Lady of Luján, the patroness of Argentina, and the burning of a chapel has shocked two communities in Argentina. Authorities are currently investigating the acts of vandalism. 

Father Lucas Arguimbau, a priest at St. Cajetan Shrine, a church in Buenos Aires, announced Nov. 2 that the outdoor small shrine to the Blessed Mother located down the street was the target of vandalism this past weekend in which the image of Our Lady of Luján kept there was smashed to pieces.

The news shocked the community, as the small shrine is located in a busy area monitored by security cameras and near a police station. A woman who lives in the neighborhood found fragments of the destroyed image and brought them to the shrine.

After the 11 a.m. All Souls’ Day Mass on Nov. 2 at St. Cajetan’s, the parochial vicar said: “A neighbor brought us the hands of the statue of Our Lady of Luján, which someone had attacked at the shrine at the corner of Juan B. Justo and Cuzco streets,” as reported by the news site La Nación.

The image of the patroness of Argentina was kept in an outdoor shrine protected by a grille and glass, and served as a gathering spot for the community on special occasions.

After Mass, Arguimbau, accompanied by the parochial vicar, a seminarian, and some laypeople, went to the scene of the incident where, in addition to the broken glass and the destroyed statue of Our Lady, they found a statue of St. Cajetan lying on the ground. A crucifix was undamaged.

Although no report had been filed in previous attacks, this time the priest decided to file one at Police Station 10B, where he also took the remains of the statue.

Arguimbau led a simple act of reparation at the site: “We are going to ask God to bless this place again, and we pray especially for those who come to the shrine, for those who broke the image of the Virgin. We ask that God bless us, protect our neighborhood, and grant us peace in our hearts, as St. Cajetan always did, in good times and bad, sowing good,” he said. He then blessed the site with holy water, and those present prayed a Hail Mary.

Following the incident, St. Cajetan Shrine is studying ways to reinforce the security and protect the nearby small shrine, while the investigation continues to identify the attackers using images captured by security cameras.

Chapel fire

The attack on the small shrine was not the only one reported in Argentina last weekend, which coincided with Halloween. In the city of Pehuén-Co, in southern Buenos Aires province, Holy Family Chapel was completely destroyed by a fire, the cause of which is under investigation.

In an interview with El Rosalenio, Father Adán Caraballo, who is in charge of the Sacred Heart community and Holy Family Chapel in Pehuén-Co, explained that they are still assessing what happened, especially since graffiti with the number “666” among others were found after the fire.

“The church could have burned down at any other time of year, and it just so happens on this day, and the graffiti appears on this very day. Of course, we understand it from a faith perspective, as too delicate of a situation that has become so widespread globally, trivializing something that should never be trivialized like the night of the witches, like Halloween and all that,” he pointed out.

“We understand it as something serious, but we hope it’s just a prank by someone who saw the church burning and said, ‘Let’s put this on it,’” he said, referring to the graffiti.

“The people who have served so much over the years at the chapel are now saddened to see it destroyed,” he lamented, indicating that the fire started from inside, although the investigation is still underway.

While the community is deeply saddened, the priest highlighted the support and “incredible generosity” of those who have come forward to help restore the chapel.

He also reported that the tabernacle “was intact, Jesus was intact, the Eucharist was intact,” which he considered “a miraculous sign.”

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

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, prays before an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Child during the rosary vigil for Pope Francis at the Vatican on Feb. 28, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, Nov 4, 2025 / 08:15 am (CNA).

The Vatican’s doctrinal office said Tuesday the title of “Co-Redemptrix” is not an appropriate way to describe Mary’s participation in salvation.

In Mater Populi Fidelis (“The Mother of the Faithful People of God”), the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) said when an expression requires frequent explanation to maintain the correct meaning, it becomes unhelpful.

“In this case, the expression ‘co-redemptrix’ does not help extol Mary as the first and foremost collaborator in the work of redemption and grace, for it carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ,” according to the doctrinal note, released Nov. 4.

Pope Leo XIV approved the document, signed by DDF prefect Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, on Oct. 7.

Mary’s contribution to human salvation, specifically the title of “Co-Redemptrix” (“Co-Redeemer”), has been a point of theological debate for decades, with proponents calling for Mary’s role in redemption to be declared a dogma but critics saying it exaggerates her importance and could damage efforts for unity with other Christian denominations.

In a preface to the note, Fernández wrote that the document responds to questions the dicastery received in recent decades about Marian devotion and certain Marian titles, and clarifies which are acceptable.

“There are some Marian reflection groups, publications, new devotions, and even requests for Marian dogmas that do not share the same characteristics as popular devotion,” the cardinal wrote, adding that some Marian devotions, expressed “intensely through social media,” can sow confusion among Catholics.

“This text also aims to deepen the proper foundations of Marian devotion by specifying Mary’s place in her relationship with believers in light of the mystery of Christ as the sole mediator and redeemer. This entails a profound fidelity to Catholic identity while also requiring a particular ecumenical effort,” Fernández wrote.

In addition to “Co-Redemptrix,” the document also addressed at length the Marian title “Mediatrix” or “Mediatrix of All Graces,” analyzing related Church teaching on Mary’s role as intercessor.

The DDF concluded that “some titles, such as ‘Mediatrix of All Graces,’ have limits that do not favor a correct understanding of Mary’s unique place.”

The dicastery encouraged the use of other expressions for Mary, specifically titles referring to her motherhood, including “Mother of God” and “Mother of the Faithful People of God.”

“She is the mother who gave the world the author of redemption and of grace, who stood firm at the foot of the cross (cf. John 19:25), suffering alongside her son and offering the pain of her maternal heart pierced by the sword (cf. Luke 2:35),” the document said. “From the Incarnation to the cross and the Resurrection, she was united to Christ in a way that is unique and that far surpasses any other believer.”

Emphasizing that Mary was saved by her son, Jesus Christ, “in a particular and anticipatory way,” the document explained that “Mary’s incomparable greatness lies in what she has received and in her trusting readiness to allow herself to be overtaken by the Spirit.”

It warned that “when we strive to attribute active roles to her that are parallel to those of Christ, we move away from the incomparable beauty that is uniquely hers.”

Presentation in Rome

Experts on Mariology have have held different positions on the title “Co-Redemptrix,” as have different popes.

At a presentation at the Jesuit Curia in Rome on Nov. 4, Fernández emphasized Pope Leo XIV’s support for the doctrinal note but said “there is no doubt that this document will not please some people.”

He explained that note was intended to help Catholics avoid either exaggerating or underrating the importance of devotion to Mary.

“We care for the people’s faith without complicating it with issues that are not among the concerns of the vast majority and that add nothing essential to their love for Mary,” he added.

He also called debates online defending Mary as “Co-Redemptrix” evidence of the “maximalism” the dicastery wants to avoid.

The cardinal’s approximately 40-minute speech was interrupted on several occasions, including in response to this claim, by an Italian man who called himself Gianfilippo (he declined to give his last name to reporters after the event).

The man, who claimed to be part of a Marian study group of about 30 people, appeared to object to some of Fernández’s arguments, shouting that the document “does not please God” and the title of Mary as “Co-Redemptrix” is “is God’s eternal truth … which the Church has approved for centuries.”

“You must also listen to the laity,” the man claimed in a raised voice. “Documents cannot be made like this without listening to the people.”

“You are not the people,” the cardinal answered. “If you want to write, write to the dicastery.”

Fernández added that the dicastery would listen to his position with respect, “but it’s not the only one. I recommend [you read] the document.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Mater Populi Fidelis nixes the Marian title of “Mediatrix” along with “Co-Redemptrix”; however, it only states that “Co-Redemptrix” is not appropriate. (Published Nov. 4, 2025) 

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. / Credit: Thomas Bresson from Belfort, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 4, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

On Oct. 21, Nicolas Sarkozy became the first former French president to walk through a prison gate to begin serving a sentence behind bars.

The former president arrived at La Santé prison in Paris to serve a five-year sentence for illegally financing his 2007 presidential campaign through the regime of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. Sarkozy notably took with him two books: “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “The Jesus of History.”

The choice of these two titles has not gone unnoticed. In a statement to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, the author of the second book, historian and theologian Jean-Christian Petitfils, explained that Sarkozy confessed to him that he had been “deeply affected by reading” the book about Jesus, which was published in 2011.

Petitfils said when he met Sarkozy in person about four years ago, the former president revealed he was particularly interested in the section detailing the miracles of Jesus.

“Sarkozy only had some vague notions from catechism, but he didn’t truly know the story of Jesus,” the author recounted.

A clear symbolic and political dimension

“He received me at his home, and we talked about the content of my book. He told me he was very interested in miracles, exorcisms, and, of course, the resurrection of Jesus. And I think he believes in the resurrection of Jesus,” he commented.

Petitfils met with Sarkozy again after publishing his French-language book in 2022 on the Shroud of Turin titled “The Holy Shroud of Turin: Witness to the Passion of Jesus Christ,” in which he defends the relic’s authenticity and presents the new research that he says refutes the carbon-14 dating that indicated the cloth is of medieval origin.

Asked about the significance of Sarkozy’s decision to take his book about Jesus Christ to prison, Petitfils acknowledged that the gesture has a clear symbolic and political dimension. 

“There is a political message involved,” he said, which shows that Sarkozy wanted to draw a parallel with the idea of ​​being an unjustly condemned victim. The hero of “The Count of Monte Cristo” is unjustly condemned, and so is Jesus, Petitfils pointed out.

The author also noted that the Christian experience is very meaningful for a prisoner: “The experience of God invites us to understand that we are not alone and that we are always with Christ, even in solitude. All of this naturally pushes us to go beyond our circumstances and to understand transcendence.”

Petitfils, a historian and theologian renowned for his studies on the Ancien Régime (the political, economic and social system in France before the 1789 revolution) and the history of Christianity, reconstructs the true figure of Jesus using historical, archaeological, and theological sources.

The book, published in Spanish by Gaia, is based on the latest archaeological discoveries and contemporary biblical exegesis, combining scholarly research with an openness to the dimension of faith that Petitfils considers inseparable from the Christian mystery.

History from a faith perspective

“My book is first and foremost the work of a historian. I tried to outline the personality of Jesus and show that he was not just a prophet or a Jewish reformer. This work delves into the mystery of Jesus’ very person. And, as a historian, I am obliged to stop and consider that mystery. The historian cannot ‘prove’ miracles, much less the Resurrection. But it is clear that faith and history are not incompatible,” Petitfils explained.

The book begins in Galilee, in the political and religious context of a Palestine oppressed by Rome and divided by internal tensions. From there, Petitfils traces the biography of a man who preaches love for God and mercy, who tells parables and performs signs that tradition has called miracles, who welcomes the marginalized and proclaims that the kingdom of God is near.

‘The Gospels are not myths, but a real history’

Petitfils states that these texts are “not symbolic or mythical narratives, but a real history, albeit with some contradictions between them.” 

“They are biographies in the ancient style, as they were written then, and they profoundly testify to the faith of the first Christian communities,” he explained.

Since its publication, “The Jesus of History” has enjoyed considerable success in France and numerous other countries, with translations into Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

“I’ve received countless testimonials from people who read it and felt transformed by it. Some told me, ‘This book restored my faith’ or ‘It allowed me to better understand the personality of Jesus.’ And that is, in a way, what I wanted to do, respecting the rules of historical research, which is a scientific endeavor,” the French writer explained.

The author said he hopes Sarkozy, who began serving his sentence in mid-October, will be among that group. 

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