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The Chosen's 'endgame' is to point people to Jesus, series' creator says
Posted on 07/5/2025 08:30 AM (USCCB News Releases)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Just as "The Chosen" wrapped up the release of Season 5 in the U.S., the hit series about Jesus and those who knew him was set to stream internationally in select countries, including Italy, starting in July.
The Vatican hosted a news conference and a premiere of one of the new season's episodes in its film theater June 23 before select cast and crew members hit the red carpet at a Rome theater for a special screening of the episode, "The Last Supper," with members of the public, including numerous seminarians, priests and nuns living in the Italian capital.
The goal of the series is "for people to get a deeper connection to Christ and to have a more intimate relationship with him," Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Christ in the series, told Catholic News Service at the red-carpet event.
"I think that is the goal for all of us, for people to go directly to the source and to understand what it is that Jesus actually said, what he meant, what his example was, and how we can incorporate that into our own lives and be better people to each other and better servants of the Lord," said Roumie.
Elizabeth Tabish, who portrays Mary Magdalene in the series, told CNS that the historical drama resonates with its audience because "we start this entire series with all of these saints before they're saints. And they're really messy. They have their own vices and challenges."
"When we meet Mary Magdalene, she is struggling with demon possession and oppression and PTSD from an assault and suicidal thoughts and an addiction. This is meeting someone in their own personal hell," she said, but "it's been so beautiful to witness her story of redemption."
Mary Magdalene's faith journey is depicted as a "continued story of constant redemption and of constant growth, where she is learning to stop thinking about her past and really let go of her past and her shame and her anxieties," to focus on Jesus and "to see how that transforms her," Tabish said.
In Season 5, her character is "so focused on trying to help Jesus and protect him, and it's just such a beautiful place to see her in," she said. "She becomes quite gutsy and outspoken and determined, and I love that, to see a female character go from a real victim to someone so empowered."
"The Chosen" debuted at the end of 2017 as an online series, which has since expanded to theatrical releases, grossing nearly $140 million globally at the box office.
With more than 900 million episode views and a global audience exceeding 280 million, the series' creator and director, Dallas Jenkins, said its "secret sauce" is portraying Jesus and those who knew him in a way that is less formal or stiff.
When meeting fans, he said at the news conference, they typically say that what they love about the series is "it just feels so real. It feels so human."
"Those human moments do not detract from the divinity (of Christ) and do not detract from the spirituality" of the events and teachings they depict, he said.
"In many ways, they make them even more beautiful that the God of the universe came to Earth, Emmanuel, God with us, and laughed with his friends at a wedding," he said. Seeing the young mother, Mary, wash her child's hair or tend to him are "the moments that people have responded to so significantly."
Many of the theological disagreements about Mary and Jesus, said Jenkins, who is an evangelical Christian, "took place after he was here. They take place after the Gospels."
"I think that by focusing on the humanity of these people while not ignoring the divinity and not ignoring the supernatural, but focusing on the humanity -- that has seemed to be what has connected people of multiple faiths, that we can all appreciate that and identify with it and then be drawn closer to Jesus because of that," he said.
Dominican Father Patrick Briscoe, editor of Our Sunday Visitor, who moderated the press conference, told CNS the series is a "great gift" for Catholics because it offers an opportunity for engagement and genuine conversation.
"As a priest in ministry, what's been so beautiful is that people have come to me with questions, very specific questions about Scripture that maybe they would have never had before because they've realized that a decision was made in the way that a scene was portrayed in the show and they wanted clarity about it," he said.
"It's actually raised important questions about how to interpret the Scriptures, about the meaning of particular biblical scenes, and those conversations wouldn't have happened otherwise. So I found it a great source of engagement and light," he said.
According to the series' producers, about 30% of viewers belong to no faith tradition at all.
Jenkins said the "endgame" of the show is not popularity or profit, but "to remind people that these events were real" and that biblical figures are more than literary characters or subjects depicted in art.
"The show is to point you towards the real person of Jesus and to point people towards people like yourself. To get disciples and to worship and to pray," he said.
Search continues in Texas for missing children after flash floods
Posted on 07/5/2025 08:02 AM ()
A rescue operation is underway and racing against time in Texas after the flash flooding of the Guadalupe River, which caused at least 34 deaths and many still missing, including over 20 girls who were attending a Christian summer camp in the area.
Hamas ‘positive’ toward new peace plan, reports suggest
Posted on 07/5/2025 07:48 AM ()
Hamas says it has delivered a “positive response” to mediators regarding a U.S.-backed proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.
Pope to Augustinian sisters: Culture without truth becomes a tool of the powerful
Posted on 07/5/2025 04:50 AM ()
Pope Leo XIV encourages the Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary, to be patient during difficulties, brave in their educational mission, and to persevere in following Christ.
Pope names French bishop Thibault Verny as new president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
Posted on 07/5/2025 03:46 AM ()
Pope Leo appoints Thibault Verny, Archbishop of Chambéry and Bishop of Maurienne and Tarentaise to succeed Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley as the president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. In France, Archbishop Verny was responsible for the fight against child abuse within the Episcopal Conference.
Pope to young people: We are all pilgrims and we are always pilgrims
Posted on 07/5/2025 03:17 AM ()
Pope Leo XIV welcomes young people and teachers from Northern Europe, urging them to listen to God’s call and continue their journey of discipleship.
Bishop Barron urges court to strike down Washington law that targets seal of confession
Posted on 07/4/2025 19:29 PM (CNA Daily News)

CNA Newsroom, Jul 4, 2025 / 15:29 pm (CNA).
Bishop Robert Barron on July 4 urged a federal court to strike down a Washington state law that would force priests to violate the seal of confession, telling the court that the law is "manifestly" disrespectful of the ancient and vital Church practice.
Barron, the bishop of Winona-Rochester and a member of the White House Religious Liberty Commission, made the argument in a proposed amicus brief filed in U.S. district court in Washington State.
The filing comes on behalf of the bishops of Washington State, who in May of this year sued the state government over its new mandatory reporting law that requires priests to report child abuse learned during the sacrament of confession or face jail time and fines.
The law has drawn criticism from religious liberty advocates who say it unjustly targets Catholics. The Department of Justice and a coalition of Orthodox churches have also sued the state government over the rule.
The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, representing over 500 Roman Catholic priests and deacons from the U.S., Australia, and the United Kingdom, last month issued a statement defending the inviolability of the seal of confession, arguing against laws like Washington State's and pointing out that child protection "can be lawfully and morally done without violating religious liberty.”
Barron's brief stressed to the court what it described as the "oft-misunderstood theological underpinnings of the seal of Confession."
"Few religious practices are more misunderstood than the sacred seal of Confession in the Catholic Church," the bishop wrote in the document.
Since Catholics believe that penitents who seek the sacrament of confession are "speaking to and hearing from the Lord himself" via the priest, then "absolutely nothing ought to stand in the way of a sinner who seeks this font of grace," Barron wrote.
"If a penitent is aware the priest might (let alone must) share with others what was given in the most sacred confidence, he or she would be reluctant indeed to ever approach Confession," he said.
The bishop argued that the state law is "manifestly premised on a disrespect for the confessional seal," in part because it explicitly exempts clergy from an otherwise-broad exception for privileged communications.
The law violates longstanding precedent on religious freedom, the bishop wrote, as well as established legal rules regarding religious neutrality.
Barron urged the court to grant an injunction against the law barring it from being enforced. The law is scheduled to take effect July 27.
A hearing for the lawsuit is scheduled for July 14.
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer named religious freedom award winner
Posted on 07/4/2025 16:00 PM (CNA Daily News)

CNA Staff, Jul 4, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is the 2025 recipient of the Religious Freedom Impact Award, the Religious Freedom Institute (RFI) announced July 2.
The Religious Freedom Impact Award honors leaders who demonstrate “consistent, effective, and innovative leadership in advancing religious freedom” through law, policy, or culture. It will be presented at the RFI Annual Dinner on Nov. 6 in Washington, D.C.
Picciotti-Bayer is an accomplished attorney, policy expert, political commentator, and mother who has spent her career defending the conscience rights and religious liberty of individuals and institutions, particularly in the areas of education, parental rights, and health care.
A Catholic mother of 10, Picciotti-Bayer told CNA that she sees God’s hand in her life and credits him with her success, saying Christians, especially young women navigating careers and motherhood, should trust that “we can never outdo God in generosity.”
She said motherhood has played a vital role in informing her work.
“Having children made me a better lawyer,” she told CNA. “It allowed me to understand firsthand the concerns of parents fighting for their ability to raise their children according to their consciences.”
After more than a decade focused on raising her children, she returned to the legal world “ready to roll up my sleeves.”
Picciotti-Bayer is the director of the Conscience Project, where she works with intellectuals and legal scholars to craft public arguments and file amicus briefs in significant religious freedom cases at the appellate level as well as at the U.S. Supreme Court.
She fights against government overreach, helping individuals and institutions to exercise their faith without unjust interference.
“Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is a tenacious advocate for religious Americans threatened by government intrusion into their public and private lives,” said Religious Freedom Institute President David Trimble. “Her voice brings clarity to the confusion that so often surrounds some of the most charged religious freedom conflicts in American law and culture today.”
Picciotti-Bayer began her career in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she served as a trial and appellate attorney.
She later advised the Catholic Association and worked as a strategic consultant for the Institute for Human Ecology at The Catholic University of America, authoring amicus briefs in pivotal religious freedom and free speech cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal appellate courts.
Beyond the courtroom, Picciotti-Bayer is a prominent voice in the media, serving as a legal analyst for EWTN News and a weekly guest on “Ave Maria in the Afternoon.” She also writes a column for the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been published in multiple other news outlets.
Her impactful journalism recently earned her the 2025 Catholic Media Association Award for Best Coverage of Religious Liberty Issues.
For Freedom, Christ Has Set Us Free! (July 4th)
Posted on 07/4/2025 13:00 PM (St. Anthony Church)
Pope appoints Pizzaballa and Mathieu to Vatican’s interreligious dialogue office
Posted on 07/4/2025 11:00 AM (CNA Daily News)

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 4, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Here’s a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
Pope appoints Pizzaballa and Mathieu to Vatican’s interreligious dialogue office
Pope Leo XIV on July 3 appointed two prominent cardinals, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and Dominique Mathieu, archbishop of Tehran, Iran, to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.
Their appointment comes amid a broad reshuffle that also brought in cardinals from Japan and Canada as well as bishops and experts with experience in fostering relations among faiths. The two newly named members are already active in Vatican circles: Pizzaballa also serves in the Eastern Churches and Christian unity offices, while Mathieu is part of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
Pope Leo turns attention to St. Augustine’s Algerian roots
In a personal reflection on his Augustinian roots, Pope Leo XIV this week expressed his heartfelt desire to visit Algeria, homeland of St. Augustine of Hippo, whose writings profoundly shaped Christian thought, ACI MENA reported.
Speaking of Augustine as a spiritual father, the pope shone a spotlight on the saint’s birthplace in Tagaste (modern-day Souk Ahras) and the historic church that bears his name in the coastal city of Annaba.
The Church of St. Augustine, completed in the early 20th century on a hill overlooking the ruins of ancient Hippo, remains a symbol of North Africa’s rich Christian heritage. Recently restored with the help of the Algerian government and international partners, the church combines diverse architectural styles and houses a monastery, school, and library.
Palestinian churches urge global action against Israeli violations
Christian leaders in Palestine issued a strong call this week for churches worldwide to speak out against what they described as systematic violations by Israeli authorities against Palestinians, particularly Christians, ACI MENA reported.
They lamented in a statement the increasing attacks on Christian clergy and property, citing incidents such as vandalism, harassment, and denial of worship permits during Easter. The statement also drew attention to recent strikes on sacred sites in Gaza and threats to church assets in Jerusalem over disputed tax claims. “What Christians here are facing is no longer an exception but a growing pattern of targeted oppression,” the committee warned, calling on global churches to exercise moral leadership and uphold human dignity.
Parish in DRC closed after tabernacle desecrated, hosts burned
St. Francis of Assisi Luano Parish in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been closed down after a June 30 incident in which vandals broke into the building, desecrated the altar, and set all of the consecrated hosts on fire, according to a report by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa.
The vandals also “emptied the cupboard, taking liturgical vestments, the altar cross, the processional cross, the altar cloth, the mixer, drums, microphones, [and] liturgical books,” according to Father Emmanuel Mumba, vicar general of the Congolese Metropolitan See. “Prayer can no longer be organized in an environment or in a church that has been desecrated. It is the archbishop, who must come to celebrate the Mass here, in order to open the church for worship,” he added.
Togo bishops condemn police brutality after 7 killed in protest against government
The Episcopal Conference of Togo (CET) issued a condemnation of police brutality after seven people were killed during a protest against the country’s President Faure Gnassingbé following constitutional changes that could extend his rule indefinitely.
“Having followed with deep concern, distress, and sadness the painful events that marked the days of June 26, 27, and 28, in light of acts of unprecedented gravity, we strongly condemn these unacceptable and intolerable acts of violence, regardless of their origin, perpetrators, or justification,” they said in the statement shared with ACI Africa on July 2.
Head of Swiss abbey resigns in connection with abuse report
Abbot Jean César Scarcella, CRA, has resigned as abbot of the territorial abbey of Saint-Maurice in Switzerland in connection with an abuse report, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. The Holy See confirmed that Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation.
Scarcella’s resignation came after the publication of a sexual abuse report that documented at least 67 cases of sexualized violence in the period from 1960 to 2024. Scarcella had previously resigned temporarily in November 2023 after sexual harassment allegations were made against him, but the Vatican never found any proof of misconduct.
German Catholics protest against ‘child protection congress’
Approximately 900 people demonstrated in Hanover, Germany, against a “child protection congress” of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party in the Lower Saxony state Parliament — including representatives of the Catholic Church, according to CNA Deutsch. At the event, the right-wing AfD party called for the protection of children from “early sexualization” and from unilateral “gender propaganda.”
“Hanover is colorful, diverse, democratic, and open. We want to preserve this for our children. We do not allow so-called ‘concerned citizens’ to pursue their right-wing extremist goals under the guise of the alleged care for our children,” the Catholic Church in Hanover said in a statement.