Jennie Bradley Lichter, who will takes over as president of the March for Life this year, said that despite the pro-life movement’s recent losses, “we will win the fight for life.” / Credit: Photo courtesy of the March for Life

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 23, 2025 / 16:15 pm (CNA).

As pro-life advocates journey to Washington, D.C., for the third post-Roe March for Life, the incoming president of the march believes “there’s a lot of reasons for hope” for the pro-life movement to continue scoring legislative and cultural wins going forward.

The 52nd annual March for Life is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 24, and it will be the last one led by Jeanne Mancini, the outgoing March for Life Education and Defense Fund president. 

The group’s president-elect, Jennie Bradley Lichter, will take the helm on Feb. 1, about one week after the march. 

Lichter — a Catholic mother of three, a lawyer, and a longtime advocate for the sanctity of life — has been active in the pro-life movement since her childhood. She told CNA that growing up, she witnessed the example of her mother and her father, Gerard Bradley, a retired pro-life Notre Dame law professor who advocated for the unborn. 

“I grew up in a committed pro-life family,” Lichter, the eldest of eight siblings, said.

“My parents raised us to know that every life is precious,” she added. “And they really lived that [belief] by example.”

Lichter told CNA she has been a daily Mass attendee since she was a teenager and has “always tried to prioritize daily prayer and remaining in the posture of discernment and openness to the Lord’s will.”

That discernment, Lichter said, “is what brought me to say yes to making this career shift” to become the president of the March for Life. 

“We’re all called to put our lives at the Lord’s service,” Lichter added.

A longtime advocate for life

Lichter, who attended her first March for Life as a freshman in college in 2001, has worked for the Family Research Council, the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump’s administration, and The Catholic University of America. In those positions, she has promoted religious liberty and pro-life values.

At the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., where she went to work after graduating from the University of Notre Dame, she was a research assistant, focusing on religious liberty and pro-life issues. 

“I fell in love with doing that kind of work and I saw how much good … people were doing here in Washington,” Lichter said. 

Lichter later earned a master’s degree in theology at the University of Cambridge in England and then obtained her law degree at Harvard Law School, after which she worked as a law clerk and then a lawyer. As a lawyer, she helped design litigation to challenge the contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. 

In 2014, she began working on the legal team for the Archdiocese of Washington, and in late 2017, she took a job at the Department of Justice during the Trump administration, where she said she “helped launch the religious liberty task force.”

In 2019, she was moved to the White House to work on the Domestic Policy Council, where she advised on “a whole lot of issues” including religious freedom, faith-based issues, and pro-life policies.

After Trump lost his reelection bid in 2020, Lichter served as legal counsel for The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and helped launch The Guadalupe Project, which provides resources to expectant mothers on the campus, both faculty and students. 

The goal of the project, she said, is to “support moms and their babies on campus” by “making Catholic University the best possible place to bring children into the world.”

Marching for life post-Roe

The first-ever March for Life was on Jan. 22, 1974, one year after the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that every state must legalize abortion.

Two and a half years after that ruling was overturned, Lichter said: “We’re “going to keep on showing up in Washington and we’re going to keep on marching until every baby is … protected under the law and every mom is supported.”

“This issue is not over,” Lichter said. “Pro-life people are still really motivated, still showing up in Washington at a very chilly time of year.”

”The big legal goal was the takedown of Roe v. Wade,” she said, but added that the ultimate goal is to “make abortion unthinkable” and ensure mothers “feel supported and have the resources they need.”

“[The March for Life] is a hopeful day, it is a joyful day, there is a lot of energy there, [and] there’s nothing else like it in our country or in the world anywhere,” Lichter said, calling the march “a shot of energy for the pro-life movement every year [so that we] can go back sort of renewed for the fight.”

Lichter noted that the March for Life began its state marches prior to the court overturning Roe v. Wade. She emphasized the importance of “being present in the states and providing an opportunity for the grass roots at the state level to come together at their state capitals.”

Currently, the March for Life holds marches in 17 states, but Lichter said the organization will continue to expand this. 

“There’s a lot of reasons for hope,” Lichter said, and “a lot of peace and confidence knowing we’re working for a truly righteous cause.”

Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, during an interview at the Vatican on Dec. 11, 2024. / Credit: EWTN News

Vatican City, Jan 23, 2025 / 15:45 pm (CNA).

Sent by Pope Francis, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, on Thursday traveled to Syria, where he will remain until Jan. 29, “to bring the pope’s embrace and blessing to Catholics” and to promote the reconstruction of the country.

“It is the intention of the Holy Father that, in the current situation in Syria, they feel the affection and support of the entire Catholic Church and, in particular, of the bishop of Rome, who does not cease to pray for them,” the Vatican dicastery stated.

On Jan. 8, after a lightning offensive, Syrian rebel forces led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) and its allied factions announced the fall of the regime of President Bashar al Assad, who has sought asylum in Russia.

The Vatican dicastery said in this regard that the local Church now asks “to be able to continue contributing to a Syria that resists the risks of sectarianism and centrifugal forces and promotes unity in diversity.”

According to the statement, Pope Francis therefore urged the reconstruction of “a peaceful country,” whose prosperity is guaranteed “by all its components while respecting freedom, the dignity of the human person, and diversity.”

He also emphasized the need to draft a new constitution and hoped that the restrictions that “have driven Syrians into poverty and encouraged dramatic emigration” would be lifted. He also assured that the Catholic Church “will make every effort to help in every possible way the rebirth of noble Syria.”

Gugerotti was accompanied by the secretary of the dicastery, Archbishop Michel Jalakh of the Antonin Maronite Order, and by his personal secretary, Franciscan Father Emanuel Sabadakh, as well as the apostolic nuncio in Syria, Cardinal Mario Zenari.

During his visit to the country, he will visit bishops, priests, men and women religious, and Catholic faithful in each of the respective cathedrals. In Damascus and Aleppo, he will meet with leaders, priests, religious, and laypeople from the communities and with the charitable organizations of the local churches.

Also, according to the agenda provided by the Vatican dicastery, Gugerotti will participate in the plenary assembly of Catholic bishops to be held in the city of Homs.

He will also meet with various patriarchs of the Orthodox churches, such as the patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East, Mor Ignatius Afram II, and the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Holiness John X, as well as other bishops of the Orthodox churches, including the bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The cardinal will bring the greetings of Pope Francis to all of them, “assuring them that in the current situation the unity of Christians is imperative and that the Catholic Church is ready for any collaboration,” the dicastery’s statement added.

On Jan. 25, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul and the last day of the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, Gugerotti will celebrate a Mass at the Memorial of St. Paul and will also venerate the relics of the Holy Martyrs of Damascus in the Latin church and in the Maronite Cathedral of Bab Touma. He is also expected to visit the headquarters of the apostolic nunciature in Beirut, Lebanon.

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

null / Credit: Fishman64/Shutterstock

Puebla, Mexico, Jan 23, 2025 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church in Mexico reiterated its commitment to supporting migrants in the country after U.S. President Donald Trump signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border and tightening immigration policies.

Among the measures announced are the reactivation of the “Remain in Mexico” policy, mass deportations, and an order seeking to eliminate U.S. citizenship by birthright.

In this context, the bishops of Mexico, through a statement signed by Bishop Eugenio Lira Rugarcía, head of migration ministry, and Bishop Héctor Mario Pérez Villarreal, secretary-general of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM), expressed “solidarity, our prayers, and our determination to continue serving migrants.”

“In the midst of a harsh winter, many people and families on the move are experiencing moments of anguish, pain, fear, and uncertainty in the face of the provisions of the United States federal government related to migration,” the bishops lamented.

However, they assured that they will continue to strive “so that in our homes, shelters, and reception centers [migrants] find shelter and food; support in caring for their physical, emotional, and spiritual health; assistance in contacting their families and obtaining the documentation they need; [and] legal advice and support for the procedures they need to carry out.”

Currently, the Catholic Church in Mexico has 54 shelters, 12 soup kitchens, and five information centers that provide direct help and that can be consulted on a map.

“We are convinced that, united, we can offer hope to everyone,” the bishops said, emphasizing their willingness to collaborate with authorities and civil organizations in the effort to “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate our migrant and deported brothers and sisters.”

The bishops also called on society to support the works of the Catholic Church and migrants and deportees.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of Mexico, announced on Jan. 20 the “Mexico Embraces You” program, which seeks to integrate migrants through social programs. The strategy includes the so-called Tarjeta Bienestar Paisano (card for the well-being of fellow Mexicans), a card with funds totaling 2,000 pesos (approximately $100) to cover their expenses to return to their places of origin, as well as enrollment in the Mexican Social Security Institute to guarantee their access to health services.

Migration requires ‘humane and compassionate solutions’

Sheinbaum’s announcement is in addition to the one that the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico shared in its weekly publication Desde la Fe (“From a Faith Perspective”) on Jan. 19, noting that “migration is a complex phenomenon that requires humane and compassionate solutions, and we cannot ignore the suffering of those who seek a better future far from their homelands.”

The Archdiocese of Mexico, which encompasses the capital, Mexico CIty, reiterated its commitment to “continue working to provide support and accompaniment to those who need it, regardless of the policies that are implemented.” The archdiocese emphasized that its mission is “to always be on the side of those most in need, defending their rights and their dignity.”

“Let us not be fooled by those who flaunt the banner of Catholicism but denigrate the vulnerable, promote the culture of death, or prioritize individualism,” the archdiocese warned, noting that “the Christian faith will always seek to fulfill the message of the Gospel, a message that does not exclude, that embraces everyone and that places special emphasis on those most in need.”

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

null / Credit: Alex Krisan/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 23, 2025 / 14:45 pm (CNA).

An annual poll released before the March for Life has found that, as in previous years, a majority of Americans support some form of limitations on abortion. 

The poll released on Thursday revealed that 67% of Americans support legal limitations on abortion and that 60% believe abortions should be limited at most to the first three months of pregnancy. 

Conducted from Jan. 7–9, the poll surveyed 1,387 adults, with each region represented in proportion to its adult population.

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus every year and conducted by the Marist Poll, the survey also found for the second consecutive year that 83% of Americans support pregnancy resource centers and 82% of respondents said they believed “laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child.” 

Last year, the poll similarly found that 66% of Americans believe that “limits should be placed on when abortion is allowed” and only 33% believe that “abortion should be allowed without any limits” when given the two options.

“This year’s survey results show that Americans are once again firm in their belief that abortion should be significantly limited yet laws should include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” Barbara L. Carvalho, director of the Marist Poll, stated in a press release announcing the results.

“This consistent year over year trend found in the annual Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll has continued, now nearly three years after the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision,” she added. 

The survey also found that 62% of Americans shared the belief that health care professionals with religious objections should not be forced to perform abortions. 

Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly responded to the results of the poll, stating: “The Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll once again shows that a majority of Americans support legal restrictions on abortion and an overwhelming majority support pregnancy resource centers, which assist mothers and their children in greatest need.”

The Knights of Columbus in the U.S. and Canada have raised a combined total of nearly $14 million in support of pro-life resource centers through the organization’s Aid and Support After Pregnancy program. 

“Being pro-life means being pro-woman and pro-child,” Kelly said, “and helping vulnerable women and their babies is in the Knights’ DNA.”

The crowd gathers at the rally before the 2024 March for Life in Washington, D.C. / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, Jan 23, 2025 / 14:15 pm (CNA).

The 52nd National March for Life — the largest annual pro-life event in the world — kicks off tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 24.

The theme of the pro-life movement’s largest annual event is “Life: Why We March,” which organizers say is meant to highlight the pro-life movement’s fundamental message to protect unborn children and support their mothers.  

Here is a rundown of events, speakers, and other important information about this year’s march.

What is the March for Life?

One of the largest annual human rights demonstrations in the world, every year the March for Life gathers tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers from across the country for a day of prayer and peaceful witness.

The March for Life first began in 1974 as a response to the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Even after the decision was overturned, pro-lifers continue to gather to march for the lives of unborn children as abortion continues to be legal in many states.

According to organizers, the 2025 March for Life theme “Life: Why We March” is meant to encourage pro-lifers to focus on the reason for the march — protecting unborn children and their mothers — even as pro-abortion policies crop up in various states.

Jeanne Mancini, outgoing president of the March for Life, said in a statement that she hopes the theme “can be a source of renewed energy and focus so needed for this moment.”

“Many in our nation see this issue as a cause that divides,” Mancini explained. “May our humble voices and peaceful presence serve as a reminder of the beauty and dignity of every human life, and as an invitation to all Americans to come together in recognition of this truth and to serve the most vulnerable.”

The March for Life will have a change in leadership this year, with longtime president Mancini stepping down and Jennie Bradley Lichter taking her place. Lichter is deputy general counsel at The Catholic University of America and served in the White House during the first Trump administration. 

What will the weather be like?

Though previous marchers have braved snow for the March for Life, there is only a small chance of precipitation. The weather is forecast to be cold and partly cloudy, with a high of 37 degrees and a low of 17 degrees, with 5-10 mph winds and a 6% chance of precipitation. 

What’s on the schedule?

11 a.m: Pre-rally concert on National Mall featuring Christian band Unspoken 

Noon: March for Life Rally on National Mall 

1 p.m.: March for Life, beginning at the National Mall and ending in front of the Supreme Court building

Don’t miss these speakers

The March for Life brings together pro-life advocates from those in politics to authors to survivors of abortion. From a famous surfer to U.S. senators, here are some of the speakers you won’t want to miss. 

• U.S. Vice President JD Vance, the nation’s second Catholic vice president

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Catholic who signed Florida’s historic heartbeat bill, protecting unborn children once the heartbeat can be detected

• Bethany Hamilton, a professional surfer known for surviving a shark attack at the age of 13, now a mother and pro-life advocate

• Lila Rose, a Catholic who founded the pro-life nonprofit Live Action when she was 15 years old

• Josiah Presley, an abortion survivor

• Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Louisiana representative and speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

• Majority Leader John Thune, a U.S. senator from South Dakota and Senate majority leader   

Click here to see a full list of speakers.

Additional events and prayer opportunities

The pro-life movement is not only political — it’s also prayerful. The March for Life is bookended by opportunities for pro-life pilgrims to gather in prayer for an end to abortion. 

National Prayer Vigil for Life: 

On Thursday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m. at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will hold a national prayer vigil beginning the night before the march and extending until the next morning.

The vigil will begin with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy followed by an opening Mass with Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo, Ohio. At 7 p.m., the “Holy Hour for Life” will begin. The following morning features a closing Mass at 8 a.m. Live events will be broadcast by EWTN.

Click here for more information on the prayer vigil.

Life Fest:

On Thursday, Jan. 23, and Friday, Jan. 24, at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, the Sisters of Life and the Knights of Columbus will host Life Fest.

An upbeat, youth-oriented pre-march event, Life Fest will include musical performances, inspirational speakers, Mass, and praise and worship adoration. Thursday features a night of praise beginning at 7 p.m. followed by a morning rally and Mass from 8-11 a.m. on Friday.

Click here for more information on Life Fest.

More information on related events can be found on the March for Life’s website here.

Where do I go to attend the march?

The March for Life will begin at the rally site on the National Mall lawn near the Washington Monument.

Marchers will meet for the pre-rally concert at 11 a.m. on the Washington Monument grounds between 17th Street NW and 15th Street NW on Constitution Avenue.

The march itself will go from 1-4 p.m., beginning at 17th Street NW (adjacent to Washington Monument grounds) and ending past the nation’s Capitol at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.

March for Life organizers recommend taking the Washington, D.C., Metro system on the day of the march. Three Metro stops are within easy walking distance from the rally point: Federal Triangle, Smithsonian, and Metro Center.

2024 Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance speaks to a crowd in Leesport, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 21, 2024. / Credit: Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 23, 2025 / 13:40 pm (CNA).

Newly inaugurated U.S. Vice President JD Vance will speak at the 52nd annual March for Life on Jan. 24 in Washington, D.C., according to a news release from the March for Life Education and Defense Fund on Thursday afternoon.

Vance, who is the nation’s second Catholic vice president, will join Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune among the speakers at the event.

This is the first time Vance will address the National March for Life in Washington, D.C. He previously spoke, as a U.S. senator, at the 2023 Ohio March for Life. This is the third National March for Life since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

“We are thrilled that Vice President Vance has chosen the National March for Life for his first public appearance in his new role — a sign of his commitment to standing up for life,” March for Life President Jeanne Mancini and President-elect Jennie Bradley Lichter said in a joint statement.

“President [Donald] Trump governed as a pro-life president during his first term, which resulted in a long list of accomplishments,” they said. “We look forward to working with him and Vice President Vance as they dismantle the Biden administration’s aggressive and unpopular abortion agenda and once again put wins on the board for vulnerable unborn children and their mothers.”

Other speakers include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey; Live Action President Lila Rose; and Toledo, Ohio, Bishop Daniel Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. 

Trump is scheduled to be in California on Friday during the March for Life to visit areas of the state damaged by wildfires. In 2020, he became the first president to address the March for Life in person. He addressed the rally through video calls in 2019 and 2018 when he was president. In 2017, then-Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the rally.

On this occasion, Trump is expected to address the crowd with a video message.

Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, speaks at the “Responding to Changing Realities at the U.S. Border and Beyond” conference hosted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and The Catholic University of America. / Credit: Photo courtesy of The Catholic University of America

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 23, 2025 / 12:40 pm (CNA).

The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ committee on migration sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration that he signed earlier this week, expressing particular concern for vulnerable families and children. 

“Church teaching recognizes a country’s right and responsibility to promote public order, safety, and security through well-regulated borders and just limits on immigration,” wrote Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas.

“However, as shepherds, we cannot abide injustice, and we stress that national self-interest does not justify policies with consequences that are contrary to the moral law,” the statement reads.

Trump upon taking office on Monday signed a series of executive orders that included tough restrictions on immigration.

The president shortly after his inauguration on Monday signed orders suspending asylum for refugees, declaring a national emergency at the southern border, reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy from his previous term, designating drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” and ending birthright citizenship.

Seitz’s reaction to the orders follows a statement from USCCB President Archbishop Timothy Broglio on Wednesday that criticized Trump’s executive orders on immigration and other issues such as capital punishment, warning that harm could be done to “the most vulnerable among us.” 

The El Paso bishop continued in his statement, speaking out against the use of “sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, such as describing all undocumented immigrants as ‘criminals’ or ‘invaders’ to deprive them of protection under the law.” Doing so, he wrote, “is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image.”

In his inauguration speech, Trump said he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — most recently used to intern Japanese Americans during World War II — to remove any gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members who are in the U.S. illegally.

Seitz welcomed “an emphasis on anti-trafficking” but condemned several of the executive orders by Trump that he described as “specifically intended to eviscerate humanitarian protections enshrined in federal law” for vulnerable families and children. He also censured the deployment of military assets to enforce Trump’s initiatives at the southern border, which he called “especially concerning.” 

Denying migrants access to asylum and other protections, the bishop said, would endanger vulnerable refugee seekers “while empowering gangs and other predators to exploit them.” 

“We urge President Trump to pivot from these enforcement-only policies to just and merciful solutions, working in good faith with members of Congress to achieve meaningful, bipartisan immigration reform that furthers the common good with an effective, orderly immigration system,” Seitz wrote, concluding: “My brother bishops and I will support this in any way we can while continuing to accompany our immigrant brothers and sisters in accordance with the gospel of life.”

Abortion survivor Josiah Presley. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Josiah Presley

CNA Staff, Jan 23, 2025 / 11:55 am (CNA).

Among the speakers at this year’s March for Life, set to take place in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, will be 29-year-old Josiah Presley, a survivor of abortion. 

His powerful testimony — in which he shares the story of his narrow escape from death within his mother’s womb, his adoption, and his spiritual journey — has inspired thousands to stand up in defense of the unborn. 

Here are five things to know about Josiah Presley:

1. He is a survivor of a first-trimester abortion. 

Presley was born on Oct. 7, 1995, in South Korea. When his mother was two months pregnant, she decided to have an abortion. A surgical abortion was planned in which a curette is used to cut and remove the child from the womb. However, the abortion was not successful and Presley’s life was spared. When his mother discovered that her child was still alive, she decided to carry him to term and put him up for adoption. Presley was born with a deformed arm as a result of the attempted abortion.

2. He was adopted by an American family.

After Presley was born, he spent 13 months in a foster home until he was adopted by Randy and Kathy Presley, a couple from Norman, Oklahoma. There he grew up with 11 siblings, nine of whom were also adopted. His father is the pastor of worship at their family’s church and his mother is the elementary ministry director. Growing up, Presley was an active kid and played sports despite his disability.

At age 13, his adoptive parents shared the truth with him about his biological mother and the attempted abortion.

“This information was difficult for me to take in,” he told The Baptist Messenger in an interview. “But I was glad they told me. If I’m honest with you, I was not personally in a good place in my life.”

Presley dealt with many emotional struggles as a teenager.

“As a teen, I had a lot of image issues and self-value issues,” he said. “I struggled with a feeling of worthlessness. I struggled feeling I had no purpose. I struggled with anger.”

3. Presley found Christ while at a camp.

Despite growing up in a Christian household, Presley didn’t fully understand what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. However, while attending a camp at Falls Creek Youth Camp, a Baptist camp for sixth to 12th graders designed to help them grow in their faith, Presley surrendered his life to Jesus. 

“I had made a [spiritual decision] at a young age, but I did not really understand what it meant to follow Jesus,” he said. “I did not have the power of God in my life, and I was also arrogant. That Thursday night at [Falls Creek], I surrendered my life to Jesus and so much in my life changed.”

Over the years, he has been able to forgive his birth mother and has found his purpose in life. 

In a video series Students for Life of America created titled “Almost Aborted,” Presley shared his story and said: “My identity is not found in how others view me but in Jesus, who sees me for who I am.” 

4. He has become a student minister and outspoken pro-life advocate.

Presley now serves as a student minister at North Pointe Baptist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, and now leads student groups to Falls Creek. 

He also boldly speaks out in defense of the unborn. In an interview with the Life Institute, he said: “As an abortion survivor I have been given a unique perspective on the subject of abortion, and people are more willing to listen to me. In the end, I’m just thankful to God for saving me and give all glory to him. I want to let my story be used to save lives and further his kingdom.”

5. He now has a family of his own.

Presley is married and his wife, Bethany, gave birth to their daughter in 2023.

Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall for his Wednesday general audience on Jan. 15, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 23, 2025 / 10:40 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Thursday released his message to global leaders attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this week, telling attendees that artificial intelligence (AI) must ultimately serve humanity and the common good.

As “a protagonist and a supporter of the advancement of science, technology, the arts, and other forms of human endeavors,” the Holy Father said, the Catholic Church teaches that such developments should be used to “improve life for everyone.”

“AI must be ordered to the human person and become part of efforts to achieve ‘greater justice, more extensive fraternity, and a more humane order of social relations,’ which are ‘more valuable than advances in the technical field,’” he said, citing Gaudium et Spes, No. 35, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2293.

In his Jan. 23 message, the pope said AI is “not an artificial form of human intelligence but a product of it” that, when used correctly, “assists the human person in fulfilling his or her vocation, in freedom and responsibility.” 

“Progress marked by the dawn of AI calls for a rediscovery of the importance of community and a renewed commitment to care for the common home entrusted to us by God,” he added. 

Francis also challenged government and business leaders to implement AI in ways “to bring people together” and not simply as a “tool” for economic cooperation.

“There is, however, the risk that AI will be used to advance the ‘technocratic paradigm,’ which perceives all the world’s problems as solvable through technological means alone,” the Holy Father said.

“Within this paradigm, human dignity and fraternity are frequently subordinated in the pursuit of efficiency as though reality, goodness, and truth inherently emanate from technological and economic power,” he continued.

Pointing out other risks posed by AI, the Holy Father said critical questions must be addressed, including “its effect on the growing crisis of truth in the public forum,” ethical responsibility, and human safety.

Emphasizing that “human dignity must never be violated,” the pope said technological developments that “create or worsen inequalities and conflicts” are not true progress: “For this reason, AI should be placed at the service of a healthier, more human, more social, and more integral development.”

The Holy Father also highlighted Catholic social teaching in his message, saying the principle of “subsidiarity” is necessary to achieve the common good in the “Intelligent Age.”

“Appropriate responses should be made at all levels of society,” he said, “with individual users, families, civil society, corporations, institutions, governments, and international organizations working at their proper levels to ensure that AI is directed to the good of all.” 

“Today, there are significant challenges and opportunities when AI is placed within a framework of relational intelligence, where everyone shares responsibility for the integral well-being of others,” he concluded.

null / Credit: Orhan Cam/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 23, 2025 / 09:15 am (CNA).

Every Democrat in the U.S Senate on Wednesday voted against legislation that would have required doctors to provide lifesaving health care to infants who are born after a failed abortion attempt, with the party-line opposition effectively dooming the bill.

The “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” which was introduced by Republican Sen. James Lankford, would have guaranteed equal protection under the law for “any infant born alive after an abortion.”

The proposed legislation would have required all health care practitioners present during such a birth to “exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a … health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age.”

Although a majority of senators voted to advance the legislation, the bill failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome the filibuster.

The vote was 52-47 with every voting Republican supporting the bill and every Democrat in opposition. One Republican was not available for the vote.

“I am disappointed that every Senate Democrat voted against my [bill], making something that should be common sense completely partisan for the first time,” Lankford said in a post on X.

“This bill is straightforward and would save lives,” he added. “I believe every life is valuable and that no one is disposable.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said before the vote that the bill “attacks women’s health” and alleged it “adds more legal risk for doctors on something that is already illegal.” 

He alleged the bill was part of an “extremist anti-choice resurgence.” The proposed bill would not have restricted or limited access to abortions that are legal.

The measure would have imposed up to a five-year prison sentence on any health care practitioner who fails to provide equal health care for an infant who survives an abortion attempt and would have required employees to report violations to law enforcement. 

It would have also allowed the woman on whom the abortion was performed to sue a health care practitioner who violates this law.

The mother of a child who survives an abortion attempt could not be prosecuted under this law under any circumstances.