Palmetto State joins 24 other states that have banned or restricted sex-change procedures on minors. The majority-Republican South Carolina General Assembly has passed a bill to ban sex-change surgeries and treatments on minors. Titled the “Help Not Harm” bill, the measure prohibits health providers from performing sex-change surgeries or hormonal treatments on minors and bans public funding of transgender procedures through Medicaid and other government health plans. The bill also bars public-school officials from withholding information from parents regarding their children’s perceptio ..read more

A photographic exhibition titled “Changes” opened this week in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, showcasing the effects of climate change and the creative work of God. The Dicastery for Communication explained in a press release that this exhibition makes reference to St. Francis of Assisi’s  “Canticle of the Creatures,” also known as the “Canticle of the Sun.” The exhibition aims to show “the contrasts of the effects of climate change” as well as “the hope that the emotions engendered by the creative work of God give.” The exhibition was developed as part of the project “Emotions to ..read more

Credit: Shutterstock ACI Africa, May 10, 2024 / 13:00 pm (CNA). The Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria has ordered the “immediate” closure of Father Angus Frazer Memorial High School for the safety of students and staff after an attack on the institution. In the late hours of Tuesday, May 7, gunmen allegedly gained access to the school, “shooting indiscriminately while the learners were asleep,” the director of social communications for the Makurdi Diocese, Father Moses Iorapuu, said in a Wednesday, May 8 statement. Were it not “for the professional handling of the situation by the principal and a ..read more

‘ … the greatest service you can do for her is to do what her Son commands,’ advises the Spanish doctor of the Church. Along with other saints, every May 10, the Church honors St. John of Avila, the patron saint of the Spanish clergy. This renowned founder of schools and centers of formation and study recorded in one of his writings what he considered to be the best gift we can give to our heavenly Mother, the Virgin Mary. St. John of Avila’s recommendation appears today in a section of the website of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference. In the text, St. John of Avila asks himself: “What sha ..read more

Pope John XXIII’s morning resolutions provide practical means to help you become a saint. In high school, I stumbled across The Journal of a Soul by Pope John XXIII. Besides the knowledge that he convened the Second Vatican Council, was affectionately known as “Good Pope John,” and had a sense of humor, I had not known much else about him.  His journal — which he began as a young seminarian — provides a glimpse into John XXIII’s spirituality as he himself once admitted: “My soul is in these pages.” Each entry speaks of his desire for perfection, from the time he was a young seminari ..read more

Elena Grace, we look forward with great hope to seeing you again one day in Heaven. About 25 years ago, my wife Paula and I discovered with great joy that we were parents for the third time. After having been blessed with two beautiful little boys, Brady and Mike, we were excited to discover whether our newest child was a son or a daughter. Because of previous difficulties with pre-term labor, we were able to see our baby at about 7 weeks on an ultrasound, with a little beating heart. Everything looked perfect. Unfortunately, we later lost our precious little daughter — whom we named Ele ..read more

As we celebrate Mother’s Day we might consider that if ever there was a time to build a new women’s movement — to rise above toxic, radical feminism— that time is now. That’s the case made by Catholic wife, mother and legal scholar Erika Bachiochi. Today she shares her story and scholarly insights.Then we turn to the ongoing crisis of Armenian Christians who continue to suffer persecution. We talk to special guest former U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback. National Catholic Register ..read more

This year’s speakers included pro-life speaker and author Abby Johnson, President of 40 Days for Life Shawn Carney, and Campaign Life Coalition Vice-Chair Jeff Gunnarson. Thousands of pro-lifers packed onto Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, and spilled out onto Wellington Street on May 9 for the 27th annual National March for Life. The diverse crowd gathered on the Hill at noon with its members bearing both homemade and professionally crafted signs pledging them to stand fast for the unborn and vulnerable. The march’s theme, “I Will Never Forget You” was taken from the prophet Isaiah’s p ..read more

Father Iorapuu confirmed the safety of the school’s principal, Father Emmanuel Ogwuche, as well as the students. The Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria has ordered the “immediate” closure of Father Angus Frazer Memorial High School for the safety of students and staff after an attack on the institution. In the late hours of Tuesday, May 7, gunmen allegedly gained access to the school, “shooting indiscriminately while the learners were asleep,” the director of social communications for the Makurdi Diocese, Father Moses Iorapuu, said in a Wednesday, May 8 statement. Were it not “for the profess ..read more

Ahead of meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican this weekend, New York’s Mayor Eric Adams hailed the pontiff as a global “influencer” and one of the few world leaders to help lead during “dark times” “He is what children would say, he’s an influencer. He’s a credible messenger,” Adams told National Catholic Reporter in a May 10 interview. The mayor is here in Rome to participate in the World Meeting on Human Fraternity, which is taking place May 10-11 and bringing together some 30 Nobel Peace Prize winners to dialogue with political leaders, community organizers, scientists, economists an ..read more