Beloved Disciple Parish

Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls (right), is set to present a report to the U.N. on Oct. 10, 2025. / Credit: ADF International

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 9, 2025 / 17:41 pm (CNA).

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls with ADF International voiced opposition to the practice of surrogacy at an Oct. 9 U.N. event hosted by the Italian government. 

Surrogacy is responsible for inflicting large-scale violence, abuse, and exploitation on women and children, said Reem Alsalem at the event, according to an ADF International press release. Alsalem is set to present her report on surrogacy before the U.N. General Assembly on Oct. 10. 

“Surrogacy should not be prohibited only domestically, but it should also be addressed internationally,” said Eugenia Rocella, Italian minister for Family, Natality, and Equal Opportunities, adding: “The Italian government is convinced that … existing international treaties on the protection of women and children’s rights should be updated to explicitly include surrogacy as a practice of undermining dignity and entailing exploitation.” 

Italy recently became the first country to ban surrogacy both within and outside its borders, ADF noted in its release, adding that Slovakia also adopted a constitutional amendment banning the practice last month. 

“Surrogacy rests on a system of violence that dehumanizes women and children alike. States need to develop a coordinated international response to end the grave human rights violations inherent in this practice,” said Giorgio Mazzoli, director of U.N. Advocacy at ADF International, at the event. “We commend the special rapporteur for exposing the harms of this exploitative industry and urge governments around the world to unite in ending surrogacy in all its forms at all levels, including through the adoption of a U.N. treaty banning the practice globally.” 

The report was based on about 120 submissions in addition to video consultations with 78 people including commissioning parents, surrogacy agencies, and surrogate mothers. Alsalem called for member states to establish a universal ban on surrogacy, criminalizing the practice in all its forms. 

Through her consultative process, the U.N. expert found surrogate mothers, who are most often from low-income and vulnerable backgrounds, and their children increasingly endure physical, emotional, and financial exploitation as well as violence and human trafficking. 

Though the global surrogacy market reached $14.96 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $99.75 billion in 2033, the report said, surrogate mothers frequently receive “only a small fraction of the overall compensation, with the majority of the payment going to intermediaries.” 

“Globally, most surrogate mothers come from lower-income backgrounds and have less social status compared with the commissioning parents,” the report said, noting that “migrant women are either specifically targeted for surrogacy or transferred to other countries for the purpose of impregnation and childbirth, often to circumvent legal frameworks.” 

Alternatively, commissioning mothers often come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, the report said, but often experience heightened anxiety surrounding the arrangement, especially in cross-border arrangements, where they are likely to experience fraud through surrogacy agencies, resulting in major financial losses. 

The report further highlighted the experience of surrogate mothers being pressured into abortions by commissioning parents, including beyond 12 weeks of gestation, “through coercive tactics such as financial incentives, threats of legal action, or the withdrawal of support to both the mother and baby.” This often occurs when the child is found to have a disability, the report said. In cases where the surrogate becomes pregnant with multiple children at once, commissioning parents may “also enforce a selective reduction.” 

“ADF International remains committed to protecting the dignity of human life and safeguarding women and children from exploitation,” the organization said, describing the practice as “the commodification of human life.”

Father Bertoldo Pantaleón Estrada. / Credit: Photo courtesy of San Cristóbal Parish

Puebla, Mexico, Oct 9, 2025 / 16:53 pm (CNA).

The body of Father Bertoldo Pantaleón Estrada was found on Oct. 6. The Mexican priest had been reported missing on Saturday, Oct. 4, in the state of Guerrero.

The Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) and the Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa confirmed that, according to authorities, the priest’s remains were found around 2 p.m. local time. Pantaleón Estrada was the parish priest in the town of Mezcala, located in the southeast of the country.

So far, there are no details regarding the cause of death. The Guerrero state attorney general’s office reported that it has launched an investigation to “clarify what happened.”

In a statement, the bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, José de Jesús González Hernández, asked the authorities to “help us determine the responsibility of those involved in this unfortunate event.”

At the same time, he stated that “as bishop, and on behalf of the entire diocesan community, I forgive those directly involved for these acts, leaving the administration of justice to God.”

González Hernández also called for “the conversion of our hearts” and asked God that the entire population may continue “walking the path of peace and in favor of life.”

Violence against the Catholic Church in Mexico

In their statement, the Mexican bishops thanked God “for the priestly ministry of Father Bertoldo, for his generous dedication to the service of the Gospel and the Church, especially among the communities entrusted to him.”

They also lamented that the acts of violence have once again plunged the Catholic community into mourning.

This incident occurs almost a year after the death of Father Marcelo Pérez of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas, who was murdered after celebrating Mass.

According to the Catholic Multimedia Center, which tracks attacks against the clergy, one cardinal and approximately 60 priests have been murdered since 1990. Since 2018 alone, the organization reports 12 murders of priests; 14 attacks on priests and bishops; a weekly average of 26 churches attacked, desecrated, or assaulted; and nearly 900 cases of extortion and death threats against members of the Catholic Church.

In view of this situation, the CEM demanded that state and federal authorities conduct “a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation that will allow for the clarification of this crime and the just punishment of those responsible.”

“As shepherds of the people of God, we raise our voices to remind everyone that no form of violence can have a place in a society that honors life and seeks goodness, truth, and peace for all its citizens,” the country’s bishops stated.

Finally, Mexico’s bishops concluded their message by imploring Christ the Good Shepherd to “receive our brother into his kingdom and grant him a share in the eternal joy promised to his faithful servants.”

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

Pope Leo XIV greets those gathered for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 9, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 9, 2025 / 15:01 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Square on the occasion of the Jubilee of Consecrated Life.

Since Wednesday, religious men and women, monks and contemplatives, members of secular institutes, consecrated virgins, hermits, and members of various institutes throughout the world have participated in the jubilee event, which concluded Thursday afternoon.

‘Abandon yourself like children in the Father’s arms’

After greeting all the jubilee participants, the Holy Father began his homily by reflecting on the phrase from the Gospel of St. Luke: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you” (Lk 11:9). With these words, he explained, “Jesus invites us to turn with confidence to the Father in all our needs.”

Addressing consecrated persons in particular, the pontiff reminded them that “living one’s vows means abandoning oneself like children in the Father’s arms.”

In this regard, he emphasized that “to ask” is to recognize, in poverty, “that everything is a gift from the Lord and to give thanks for everything”; “to seek” is to open oneself, “in obedience, to discover each day the path we must follow to attain holiness, according to God’s designs”; and “to call” is to ask and offer to the brothers “the gifts received with a pure heart, striving to love everyone with respect and gratuity.”

Pope Leo XIV then exhorted them to remember the gratuitousness of their vocation, “beginning from the origins of the congregations to which they belong to the present moment, from the first steps of their personal journey to this moment.”

Thus, he reminded them that God “has willed and chosen us from the beginning” and that it is essential “to look back on one’s own life, bringing to mind and heart all that the Lord has done over the years to multiply talents, to increase and purify faith, to make charity more generous and free.”

He clarified that although this has sometimes happened in joyful circumstances, other times through paths more difficult to understand, “and even through the mysterious crucible of suffering,” it has always been “in the embrace of that paternal goodness that characterizes his action in us and through us, for the good of the Church.”

‘The Lord is everything’

In this context, he affirmed that God is the fullness and meaning of our lives: “The Lord is everything. He is everything in different ways, whether as creator and source of existence, as love that calls and challenges, as a force that impels and encourages self-giving.”

“Without him, nothing exists, nothing has meaning, nothing is worthwhile, and your ‘asking,’ ‘seeking,’ and ‘knocking,’ both in prayer and in life, refer to this truth,” he noted.

As is customary in his homilies, Pope Leo XIV evoked St. Augustine to remind consecrated persons “of the need for the infinite that dwells in the heart of every man and woman in this world.”

Precisely for this reason, he insisted that the Church entrusts them with the task of being, by stripping themselves of everything, “living witnesses to the primacy of God in their lives, also helping as much as they can the other brothers and sisters they will meet to cultivate their friendship with him.”

He also affirmed that “history teaches us that generous impulses of charity always spring from an experience of God,” as has happened in the lives of its founders.

In response to the current trend of those who claim that it is “useless to serve God,” the pope explained that it is “a way of thinking that leads to a true paralysis of the soul, whereby one is content with a life made up of fleeting moments, superficial and intermittent relationships, passing fads — all of which leave the heart empty.”

“To be truly happy, man does not need these things, but rather consistent, lasting, and solid experiences of love,” he affirmed.

Finally, the Holy Father reflected on the eschatological dimension of Christian life, “which wants us to be committed to the world but at the same time constantly oriented toward eternity.”

Consecrated as witnesses of ‘future good things’

In this regard, he cited the Second Vatican Council, which states that “consecrated persons are called in a particular way to be witnesses of ‘future good things.’”

The pope noted that the Lord, to whom they have given everything, “has responded to them with such beauty and richness,” and he urged them to treasure and cultivate this, recalling the words of Paul VI: “Preserve the simplicity of the least of the Gospel.”

“Know how to find it in the most intimate and cordial relationship with Christ or in direct contact with your brothers and sisters. You will then know ‘the overflowing of joy through the action of the Holy Spirit’ that belongs to those who are introduced to the secrets of the kingdom,” he said.

Finally, he invited them to be “truly poor, meek, hungry for holiness, merciful, pure of heart; be those through whom the world will know the peace of God.”

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

null / Credit: Krzysztof Slusarczyk/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 9, 2025 / 14:28 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has chosen Catholic media companies Ascension and Word on Fire to publish the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition.

The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is a set of daily prayers that priests and religious are obliged to pray and that many lay Catholics also partake in. The prayers are set according to the Church calendar and are composed of psalms, hymns, and readings from Scripture.

In November 2012, the U.S. bishops voted to revise the translation, following English translations of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, and the 2001 Vatican document Liturgiam Authenticam. The approval process was completed in November 2024 and on May 29 of this year, the USCCB sent the completed manuscript to the Holy See for confirmation.

Ascension and Word on Fire, both known for their print, online, and video works, announced Oct. 7 that they will each publish the new version of the Liturgy of the Hours. A release date for the daily prayer will be shared upon final approval from the Vatican. 

The current edition was translated and designed in the 1970s, making the new version the first updated English translation of the prayer in more than 50 years. It has been developed over the past decade by the USCCB in collaboration with the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). 

“Our goal is to create a reverent and beautiful edition that embodies the dignity of the Church’s common prayer. This new translation marks an extraordinary moment for Catholics everywhere,” said Jonathan Strate, president and CEO of Ascension, in an announcement. Strate said Ascension is “honored to serve the Church” by being one of the publishers.

Ascension, known for its popular podcast “The Bible in a Year with Mike Schmitz,” reported publishing the prayers “furthers its mission in creating resources to help Catholics deepen their prayer life, joining the universal Church in encountering the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith.”

“When you pray the Liturgy of the Hours, you are uniting your prayer to the entire Church,” Schmitz said in a recent video explaining the Liturgy of the Hours. He added: “It gives us the opportunity to create holy time… by stopping at various moments throughout the day and calling upon the Lord, renewing our mind with his word.”

“This is more than a publishing project — it is a spiritual mission,” Word on Fire founder Bishop Robert Barron said in a press release. “We want to help thousands of priests, religious, and laypeople pray more deeply and more beautifully each day.” The new version, he said, is “a profound service to the Church and to the world.”

Word on Fire has “spent the past three years introducing tens of thousands of Catholics to this rhythm of daily prayer through our monthly booklets,” said Brandon Vogt, senior publishing director at Word on Fire. “This four-volume series is the next step … that will draw countless more into the Church’s ancient prayer, day by day, hour by hour.” 

The Liturgy of the Hours is “the Church’s highest prayer outside the Mass and sacraments,” Vogt said. “Our aim is simple — to create the most beautiful, most prayerful, most accessible edition of the Liturgy of the Hours ever produced.”

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, speaks with EWTN News on Oct. 9, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: EWTN News

Vatican City, Oct 9, 2025 / 13:25 pm (CNA).

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, said immigration is a “Gospel issue” before it is a “political issue” in the United States. 

In an exclusive interview with EWTN News reporter Valentina Di Donato, Seitz said the Church has a responsibility to reaffirm Catholic social teaching regarding the preferential option for the poor. 

“It’s always the role of the bishop to speak the Gospel, to reflect on that Gospel and its implications for our daily lives,” the prelate told EWTN News. 

“We have a task to form people based on that teaching of love and mercy and compassion that applies not just in exceptional cases, not just to certain people, but in a special way to the poor and the vulnerable, and that includes immigrants,” he said. 

Speaking about the “inalienable rights” every person is endowed with by God, the bishop said the rights of immigrants should not only be a concern of the Church but should also be “respected in law.”

“While we are not politicians — it’s not our task to develop rules and laws — we are responsible to help form consciences and bring people back to the basic underlying principles, which, by the way, are principles upon which our country was built,” he said.

According to the bishop, U.S. asylum law is not being respected “right now,” as several migrant families living in the El Paso Diocese, located near the U.S.-Mexico border, no longer feel protected and fear deportation. 

“We should practice that [respect for] human dignity when we are dealing with a person who simply fled here because they had no other option,” he told EWTN News.

Having ministered to families who have felt threatened by criminal drug gangs, Seitz said it is unjust to deny asylum or security for those seeking protection outside of their countries of origin, especially when the gangs’ activities are “supported by our drug addiction in the United States.” 

Earlier this week, Pope Leo XIV met with Seitz, El Paso Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino, and Dylan Corbett of Hope Border Institute in a private Oct. 8 meeting at the Vatican. 

During the meeting, the bishop shared a four-minute video and handwritten letters from migrant families expressing their faith as well as their fears about the future.

“I said, ‘Holy Father, we’re so happy to stand with you,’” Seitz said, recalling the encounter. “Later on in the meeting [the pope] came back to that and he said, ‘In matters of injustice, the Church has to speak and, in that, I stand with you.’”

Kat Talalas, Amy Ford, Christopher Bell, and Sister Maria Frassati, SV, speak at the Leading with Love Conference at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 8, 2025. / Credit: Tessa Gervasini/CNA

Washington, D.C., Oct 9, 2025 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

Pro-life leaders from across the country gathered this week to discuss how faith-based ministries are helping to cultivate a society that promotes human dignity and how others can advance the cause.

The Leading with Love Conference at The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., was sponsored by the Human Life Foundation and the Center for Law and the Human Person at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. It was aimed at “empowering Christians to cultivate a culture of life within their local communities.”

Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, spoke to attendees Oct. 8 about the power of faith-based ministries, including The Guadalupe Project. Lichter founded the initiative in 2022 to provide resources and encouragement to parents within the CUA community.

To cultivate this encouragement, we must figure out how we can “create more of a revolution of love,” Lichter said. “Christ started this revolution of love, but it’s now up to each one of us in our particular time and place.”

“Caring for unborn babies and their mothers is one of the most urgent challenges of our time, Lichter said. “Six out of 10 women who have chosen abortion would have preferred to choose life if they had the emotional and financial support they felt necessary.” 

The Guadalupe Project’s goal was to combat this by “[making] sure every woman on campus knows that resources exist and knows exactly how to find them,” Lichter said. “It’s meant to support all parents on campus, not just students, and not just mothers in unexpected or challenging circumstances.”

“We wanted to foster a culture on campus where each life is celebrated, knowing that a positive, vibrant, and joyful culture of life is truly life-giving in so many ways,” Lichter said.

The initiative “revamped all of the university’s pregnancy resource materials for students” and created “a poster campaign, including one designed specifically for the men’s dorms,” Lichter said.

It also promoted the placement of stickers in every women’s restroom stall on campus with a QR code leading to these pregnancy materials. The campus started allotting more maternity and paternity leave, designating maternity parking spots on campus, providing free diapers and wipes at the campus food pantry, holding maternity clothing drives, and “affirming the goodness of family life and that new babies are a moment to celebrate,” Lichter said.

The 2026 theme for the March for Life is “Life Is a Gift,” Lichter said. The initiative helps carry that out, because “life is something to be celebrated.”

She added: “[Life] is not a burden for which someone needs support, or not solely that. It is really a cause for celebration.” 

Faith-based communities can use The Guadalupe Project as “prototype,” Lichter suggested. She shared that other universities have reached out to talk about the initiative as they were inspired to consider doing something similar.

“We need to make sure that pregnant women never reach the point of despair that drives them into the arms of the abortion clinics,” Lichter said. “We need to meet that moment of loneliness, fear, or emptiness with encouragement and empowerment.”

Hopes and suggestions for faith-based ministries 

Other leaders from prominent pro-life ministries discussed what gives them hope for the future of the pro-life movement, including Kat Talalas of Walking with Moms in Need, Amy Ford of Embrace Grace, Christopher Bell of Good Counsel Homes, and Sister Maria Frassati of the Sisters of Life.

Talalas, who is the assistant director of pro-life communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Walking with Moms in Need started five years ago but has already reached countless communities. 

The parish-based initiative is “to the point where we don’t even know a lot of the time what new diocese or parish is starting a Walking with Moms in Need, what new lives are being saved, [and] what new women are being accompanied,” Talalas said. “It’s taken on a life of its own. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit — the Holy Spirit convicting hearts.”

“God guides us, we have each other, and we’re not alone. Just as we tell [mothers] that they’re not alone, we’re not alone in this movement. So what’s giving me hope is seeing the Holy Spirit catch fire and individual people saying: ‘I want to start talking with moms in need,’ and women saying: ‘I can do this,’” Talalas said. 

Talalas said the work all begins with prayer. “It’s sitting in the presence of the love of God, letting him love you, and seeing how the Holy Spirit convicts you … It begins with that individual conviction. If we’re not following God’s law, it doesn’t matter what we’re doing.”

Ford, who leads Embrace Grace, which provides mothers support through local churches, said she has “noticed there’s a lot of people that seem like they have more of an open heart about Christianity, about spirituality … especially with the younger generation.”

She added: “I think that’s something we can all have hope about.”

To get involved, Ford said people need to carry out “the good works that God’s called us to do.” She posed the question: “What strengths and gifts did God put inside each of you that you can do?” 

While Bell’s ministry, Good Counsel, provides services including housing for homeless mothers and children and post-abortion healing services, he said every person can help by simply praying. He specifically called on people to pray in front of an abortion center. 

“If you have done it, do it again. If you’ve never done it, just go ... You don’t have to say anything. You didn’t have to look up. You don’t have to open your eyes. But your presence will mean the world,” Bell said. “The babies who will die there that day will know that you loved them … That’s the most important thing to do.”

Sister Maria Frassati shared that “we could really grow in having more faith in what [God] is doing.”

“The truth is that God is actually really working in so many ways,” she said. “God is faithful, and that really gives me a lot of hope that nothing that you give is ever wasted. Even if you walk with a woman who’s not receptive, there’s really no gift that has been offered to him that he has not kept sacred and precious in his heart.”

Pope Leo XIV meets with Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich at the Vatican on Oct. 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Oct 9, 2025 / 12:25 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV addressed immigration policies and respect for vulnerable migrants in a meeting with Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago and labor leaders at the Vatican on Thursday. 

“Please know of my appreciation for your welcome of immigrants and refugees, especially your support of food pantries and shelters. While recognizing that appropriate policies are necessary to keep communities safe, I encourage you to continue to advocate for society to respect the human dignity of the most vulnerable,” the pontiff said. 

In his meeting with Chicago union leaders, the pope also praised their important work to “enhance the common good and help to create a society where all can flourish.” 

By respecting the dignity of the weak, Leo noted, “you are putting into practice the call of my beloved predecessor, Pope Francis, who urged every union to be reborn each day at the peripheries.”

The group traveled to Rome for the Jubilee of Hope. “In addition to passing through the Holy Doors and participating in other spiritual exercises, you are also spending time studying important issues related to the rights and obligations of workers,” Leo said. “I pray that this time may be fruitful for both your minds and hearts.” 

The pope’s remarks came amid an ongoing debate in the U.S. regarding immigration and deportation, with the Trump administration aggressively pursuing severe immigration enforcement nationwide in its first months.  

Chicago has in recent days become the center of protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has lately carried out enhanced enforcement measures in that city against immigrants in the country illegally. The Trump administration has dubbed the undertaking “Operation Midway Blitz.” 

The federal agency has reportedly detained approximately 1,000 immigrants there, using helicopters and aggressive door-to-door enforcement to arrest those allegedly in the U.S. illegally. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has claimed the agents are “making [the city] a war zone.”

Tensions heightened on Oct. 6 when Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an order that prohibited immigration officials from “using any city-owned property in their ongoing operations in Chicago.” The Trump administration has since deployed National Guard troops to the city to protect federal property.

ICE officials have engaged in several high-profile conflicts with residents, meanwhile, including the firing of nonlethal rounds at a Presbyterian minister, who is currently suing the Trump administration over the incident.

Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa looks out at some of the destruction in Gaza. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

ACI MENA, Oct 9, 2025 / 11:55 am (CNA).

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has welcomed the announcement of an agreement to halt attacks in the Gaza Strip and to ensure the immediate release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners — describing it as a first step “that may pave the way to the end of this tragic war.”

In a statement released today, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa welcomed the news “with joy” and called for the full and sincere implementation of the agreement, stressing “the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid without conditions to the people of Gaza, who are enduring catastrophic living conditions.”

Pizzaballa said the announcement represents “a first step and an initial stage.” He emphasized that the road ahead remains long, “but for now, we must rejoice in this important step, which can restore some confidence in the future and offer renewed hope, especially for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples.”

He added: “We hope this will be just the beginning of a new phase in which we start thinking, little by little, not about war but about how to rebuild.”

The agreement follows American, Egyptian, and Qatari mediation efforts. President Donald Trump announced early Thursday via his Truth Social platform that a temporary ceasefire had been reached, including the mutual release of hostages and the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The patriarchate, in the statement, called upon everyone to join in the Day of Prayer for Peace declared by Pope Leo XIV, which will take place Oct. 11.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

A jury awarded $5 million to a New Jersey man who said he was sexually abused in a Catholic school in 1976. / Credit: corgarashu/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Oct 9, 2025 / 11:14 am (CNA).

A jury in New Jersey has awarded a man $5 million in damages for a sexual assault that occurred at a Catholic school there nearly 50 years ago. 

The Morris County jury ruled unanimously that the plaintiff, a man in his 60s identified as “T.M.,” was entitled to the damages. It held that Father Richard Lott, who at trial last month denied the allegations, was 35% liable for the assault, while the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey was found 65% liable. 

The $5 million represents compensatory damages in the case. The jury will decide on Oct. 14 whether or not the Benedictine order will pay punitive damages, according to local news reports. 

In a statement on Oct. 8, Headmaster Father Michael Tidd, OSB, of the Delbarton School, which is run by the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, said the institution was “extremely disappointed in the verdict.” The statement was cosigned by Administrator Abbot Jonathan Licari of St. Mary’s Abbey, which is also run by the Benedictine monks.

“While the communities of St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School have genuine compassion for any victim of abuse, we do not believe that the damages awarded in this case are either fair or reasonable, and our legal representatives are considering all legal options,” the statement said.

“The alleged incident in question in this trial occurred 50 years ago, when modern safeguards did not exist at secular or religious schools or other youth-serving institutions,” the leaders said. “That fact cannot be an excuse for abuse of any kind, but it is a truth that must be reflected in the verdict.”

The historic ruling comes several years after hundreds of sex abuse lawsuits were filed against New Jersey Catholic priests and leaders.

The flood of suits came during a two-year period New Jersey provided under the 2019 Child Victims Act to allow victims who otherwise would have been barred by the state’s statute of limitation to file lawsuits.

Thirty-six lawsuits were filed against the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, which faced the highest number of lawsuits among the state’s religious orders.

Disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was named in 10 lawsuits. McCarrick died in April.

Earlier this year the New Jersey Supreme Court said the state government would be allowed to assemble a grand jury to investigate allegations of clergy sexual abuse. 

The Camden Diocese had been embroiled in a yearslong fight with the state over the potential grand jury empanelment, arguing that the state lacked the authority to convene an investigatory panel. 

Shortly after being installed on March 17, however, Camden Bishop Joseph Williams indicated that the diocese would back away from challenging the state, vowing to “do the right thing” by abuse survivors. 

Delbarton School traces its roots to the early 20th century; it officially opened in 1939.

Pope Leo XIV views a display of headlines on his election to the pontificate during a meeting with the MINDS Conference in Rome, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Oct 9, 2025 / 10:44 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday said news agencies have the responsibility to uphold principles that protect a person’s right to access “accurate and balanced” information while avoiding “degrading” practices such as manipulation and “clickbait.”   

In a private meeting at the Vatican with participants of the Oct. 9–10 MINDS Conference in Rome, the Holy Father expressed his desire for greater collaboration between producers and consumers of news content to create a “virtuous circle” that benefits society as a whole. 

“Information is a public good that we should all protect,” Leo said. “For this reason, what is truly productive is a partnership between citizens and journalists in the service of ethical and civic responsibility.”

“Communication must be freed from the misguided thinking that corrupts it, from unfair competition, and from the degrading practice of so-called clickbait,” he added. 

While encouraging people to “value and support professionals and agencies that demonstrate seriousness and true freedom in their work,” the Holy Father said media professionals should uphold the values of transparency, accountability, quality, and objectivity, to earn the trust of citizens.  

During the meeting, the Holy Father also spoke of his high regard for countless journalists, particularly front-line reporters in conflict zones, who work to ensure information is not “manipulated for ends that are contrary to truth and human dignity.”

“In times such as ours, marked by widespread and violent conflicts, many have died while carrying out their duties,” he said. “They are victims of war and of the ideology of war, which seeks to prevent journalists from being there at all.”

“We must not forget them! If today we know what is happening in Gaza, Ukraine, and every other land bloodied by bombs, we largely owe it to them,” he continued.  

Addressing concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on communications media, the Holy Father said people are not destined to live in a world where “truth is no longer distinguishable from fiction” and called for vigilance to guarantee technology and algorithms do not “replace human beings” or remain “in the hands of a few.”

“The world needs free, rigorous, and objective information,” he insisted. 

“In this context, it is worth remembering Hannah Arendt’s warning that ‘the ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced communist but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist,’” he said, citing the German American philosopher’s book “The Origins of Totalitarianism.”

Urging news journalists to “never sell out your authority,” Leo XIV told those present at the morning audience that their “patient and rigorous work” can be a pillar to bring “civility” back into society.  

“You can act as a barrier against those who, through the ancient art of lying, seek to create divisions in order to rule by dividing,” he said. 

“The communications sector cannot and must not separate its work from the sharing of truth,” he added.