CNA Staff, Nov 20, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

After pushback from investors, Microsoft has signed a statement agreeing not to discriminate against religious or conservative nonprofit groups seeking a discount the tech giant offers to other nonprofits.

On Oct. 10, Microsoft and Boyer Research, a group of shareholders represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Christian legal group, signed the agreement. News of the agreement was published on Nov. 14.

The shareholders had planned to put forth a proposal asking Microsoft on Dec. 5 at its annual meeting for a report on the company’s discounting practices, according to Bloomberg News.   

The shareholders agreed not to move forward with the proposal after Microsoft signed the agreement, which stated that nonprofits no longer needed to affirm a nondiscrimination attestation. The company also said a categorical ban on pregnancy centers would be removed.

In a statement to CNA on Nov. 19, Microsoft said: “The broad and diverse array of nonprofits is one of America’s great strengths, and the purpose of this nonprofit program is to provide discounts to a broad group of organizations that qualify as nonprofits under the federal tax code. We don’t think it’s desirable to pick and choose among these organizations based on ideological orientation. In this instance, we found that a small number of organizations that should have been eligible for these discounts were not receiving them. We’ve fixed this and those organizations are now eligible.”

ADF attorney Alexandra Gaiser, who represented the shareholders, told CNA that the legal group and some pregnancy centers they represent are now in “wait-and-see mode.”

She said since the agreement was signed, one pregnancy center has applied for the discount and been denied, but “a couple have received the nonprofit discount.”

“We are looking forward to seeing more nonprofits get the discount,” Gaiser said.

Microsoft is not the only corporation alleged to have discriminatory practices against faith-based or conservative groups that ADF has contended with.

ADF filed two federal lawsuits this year, one against California-based software company Asana and the other against OpenAI, makers of ChatGPT, who both agreed in settlements to give previously withheld nonprofit discounts to Holy Sexuality, a Christian nonprofit group that makes videos and courses that teach about biblical principles on human sexuality.

In the settlements, both tech companies said they would remove barriers to the discounts for religious organizations, according to ADF.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier shared a letter he sent to Microsoft on social media on Nov. 3 in which he said the state might take legal action against the company if discriminatory practices against religious groups continued.

CNA Staff, Nov 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The second season of Martin Scorsese’s docudrama series “The Saints” premiered on Fox Nation on Nov. 16. The series highlights the extraordinary lives of men and women who embodied their faith and became saints in the Catholic Church. The new season includes episodes on St. Patrick, St. Peter, St. Thomas Becket, and St. Carlo Acutis.

Created by Matti Leshem and developed by Scorsese, himself a Catholic, the show’s new episodes will be released weekly from Nov. 16 to Dec. 7. The first season included episodes on St. Mary Magdalene, St. Moses the Black, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Joan of Arc, St. John the Baptist, and St. Sebastian.

Leshem, who co-founded a production company focused on Jewish history and Judeo-Christian dialogue, spoke to CNA in an interview about the inspiration behind the series and how his own Jewish faith has been impacted by diving into the lives of Catholic saints.

The filmmaker shared that he was introduced to the lives of the saints from a young age and was “really moved by them.”

From the ages of 10 to 15 Leshem attended a Catholic school in Copenhagen that was run by Assumptionist nuns. Despite his father being an Israeli ambassador and having a Jewish school available to them, his father “prized education over all things … and he sent me to a Catholic school because that was the best school.”

“I was really exposed to all those stories and I was really taken with it … And I think in adulthood, as I kind of became a filmmaker and told different stories, I thought these are incredible stories of humanity, the story of the saints, and what is it like to be someone who’s actually willing, in many cases, to die for the thing you believe in,” he said.

He added: “I also felt that there was a strong need at this moment, especially, to tell stories about faith. And that really is where the inspiration came from.”

Leshem explained that he believes a series like this is needed right now because “social media has really fragmented society in every way — spiritually, politically, I think especially for young people — I think we’re kind of suffering a spiritual crisis.”

“It’s really been a struggle for young people who are constantly being faced with the comparative ego on social media and this is a time for people to go inwards and to try to find their faith, and the great monotheistic faith traditions are really the thing that we’ve always gone back to time and time again,” he shared.

One saint who will be featured in the second season who Leshem believes is a relatable figure for many today is St. Carlo Acutis — the first millennial saint who was canonized on Sept. 7.

“I think what’s beautiful about Carlo is that he was a regular teenager in some ways, but he also had this deep, spiritual connection from a very early age. He knew that his relationship with Christ was very special,” Leshem shared.

The filmmaker recalled going to Assisi to visit the body of Acutis at the Sanctuary of the Renunciation and witnessing hundreds upon hundreds of schoolchildren lined up to see the beloved saint.

“It was an incredible experience to see that,” he added. “So, we wanted to tell the story of a relevant, modern saint. And I do think that Carlo is a really good example of that resurgence of faith that I hope that we’re seeing.”

In regard to how his Jewish faith has been impacted by delving into the life of Catholics saints, Leshem said: “I feel privileged to be having the most important conversation I think there is to have every single day because I work in the world of saints.”

“I revere the saints and I understand their holiness,” he added.

He pointed out that “a lot of our saints are Jews” — referencing Sts. Peter and Paul, for example —  and with this in mind he tries “to bring a kind of authenticity from my own tradition around that.”

“For me, I’m very comfortable living in a world where I understand the covenant of Judaism and I understand the expression of Christ’s message. It just all feels like a continuum,” he said.

As for what he hopes viewers will take away from the series, Leshem said: “I want believers to be reignited in their faith and I want every atheist that watches the series to be interested and to kind of lean towards the ability — everybody needs to believe in something. I think it’s really hard to be a believer, but I think it’s much harder to be an atheist. And so I am hoping that our series inspires everyone wherever they are on the spectrum of belief.”

Editor’s notes: Due to the content and context of the saints’ stories, including graphic violence and gory details of war, the series is recommended for an adult audience. Additionally, each episode ends with a short discussion between three panelists: Jesuit priest Father James Martin, author and poet Mary Karr, and author and senior fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs Paul Elie.

Highlighting Pope Leo XIV’s strong ties with the Augustinian community and with the legacy of Saint Clare, the Pope visits the Augustinian monastery of Santa Chiara in Montefalco, in central Italy, to celebrate Mass, pray and share a meal with the cloistered nuns there.

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In this week’s news from the Eastern Churches, produced in collaboration with L'Œuvre d'Orient: The new Romanian Greek Catholic Major Archbishop is installed, a report looks at church funding in Lebanon, and the world marks RedWeek2025.

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Father Michel Abboud, President of Caritas Lebanon, speaks to Vatican News about how Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to the country will encourage them in their work and and give renewed confidence to all the Lebanese people.

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WASHINGTON - Bishop Daniel E. Garcia has been appointed as the inaugural chairman of the newly established Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, which commenced its work on November 13. His appointment was made by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. The subcommittee’s work falls under the mandate of the domestic justice and human development committee, which includes Catholic social teaching on issues of domestic concern such as poverty, housing, the environment, criminal justice, and other challenges that often have a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

The subcommittee was approved by the USCCB’s Administrative Committee in September and is a new, permanent structure replacing the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, which was formed in 2017 to address the sin of racism in the Church and in society. 

In a recent letter to the faithful, Bishop Garcia reflected on his own experience of racism and the great need in both Church and society to recognize the image of God in all people. He noted, “It is my hope that as chair of this new subcommittee, I can help draw our attention as to what still needs to be done to heal the pain caused by the sin of racism that still exists today.” He also addressed the need for the Church’s witness against racism in his installation Mass in the Diocese of Austin. 

Bishop Joseph N. Perry, who recently concluded his term as chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, welcomed Bishop Garcia’s appointment saying, “On behalf of the bishop members, consultants, and staff of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, I wish to express gratitude to Bishop Garcia for accepting this important role as the ad hoc committee transitions to a standing subcommittee within the Conference. Bishop Garcia is well suited to carry on the work which has begun to convert the hearts of the faithful and the community at large, that the dignity of every person may be recognized.” 

The new subcommittee’s mandate centers on education and evangelization, aiming to deepen understanding of racism and promote healing and reconciliation. 

For additional information about the Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation and its work, please visit the USCCB’s racial justice webpage.   

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, bishops are called to be close to the people in their dioceses and peacemakers in a world marked by division and tension, Pope Leo XIV told the bishops of Italy.

Standing in front of the Porziuncola, the small church where St. Francis founded the Franciscan order, Pope Leo said bishops must be "artisans of friendship, fraternity and authentic relationships within our communities, where -- without reluctance or fear -- we must listen to and harmonize tensions, cultivating a culture of encounter and thus becoming a prophecy of peace for the world."

Pope Leo traveled to Assisi by helicopter Nov. 20 to speak at the closing session of the fall meeting of the Italian bishops' conference. The session was closed to the press, but the Vatican released the pope's text and some video clips of his speech a few hours later. 

Before joining the bishops in the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, which encloses the Porziuncola, Pope Leo prayed with dozens of friars at the tomb of St. Francis in the basilica named after him.

And after his meeting with the bishops, he flew by helicopter to Montefalco to celebrate Mass and have lunch with the cloistered Augustinian nuns at the Monastery of St. Clare of the Cross.

Pope Leo's talk to the bishops focused on the Italian church's ongoing synod process. But he also spoke of practical matters, including the need to continue combining smaller Italian dioceses and indicating that he would be accepting more bishops' resignations when they reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 than Pope Francis did.

The challenge of evangelization and the falling population of many Italian cities and towns "ask us not to go backward on the matter of merging dioceses," he told them. 

Italy, which has about 57.3 million Catholics, has 224 dioceses; 41 of those have been joined to another diocese "in the person of the bishop," without formally suppressing or uniting the dioceses. By contrast, the 75.5 million Catholics in the United States belong to 194 dioceses, the Archdiocese for the Military Services or the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

"A synodal church that walks along the furrows of history while facing the emerging challenges of evangelization needs constant renewal," the pope told the bishops. "We must avoid allowing inertia -- however well-intentioned -- to slow necessary changes."

As part of that, he said, "we must all cultivate that interior attitude Pope Francis had described as 'learning how to take our leave,' a precious disposition when one must prepare to step down from office." 

"It is good that the norm of age 75 for ordinaries concluding their service in dioceses be respected," Pope Leo said, "and only in the case of cardinals may the continuation of their ministry be considered, possibly for another two years."

As bishops and as a church, he said, "Fixing our gaze on the face of Jesus enables us to look into the faces of our brothers and sisters. It is his love that moves us toward them. And faith in him, our peace, calls us to offer everyone the gift of his peace." 

At a time "marked by fractures, both nationally and inter-nationally," the pope said, "messages and language steeped in hostility and violence often spread; the race for efficiency leaves the most vulnerable behind; technological omnipotence compresses freedom; loneliness consumes hope, while numerous uncertainties weigh on our future like unknowns."

Being a "synodal church," he said, means "walking together, walking with everyone," which requires "being a church that lives among the people, welcomes their questions, soothes their sufferings and shares their hopes."

That attitude, Pope Leo told them, must include special attention to the most vulnerable people "so that a culture of prevention of every form of abuse may also develop."

"The welcome and listening offered to victims are the authentic mark of a church which, in communal conversion, knows how to acknowledge wounds and strives to heal them, because 'where pain is deep, even stronger must be the hope that is born of communion,'" the pope said.

Pope Leo also encouraged the bishops to pay special attention to "the challenge posed to us by the digital world."

"Pastoral ministry cannot be limited to 'using' the media," he said, but it must "educate people to inhabit the digital sphere in a human way, without allowing truth to be lost behind the multiplication of connections, so that the internet may truly become a space of freedom, responsibility and fraternity."
 

Caritas representatives from over forty countries are in Brazil for COP30, urging world leaders to place human lives above political interests as the climate crisis deepens from the Philippines to the Sahel.

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Loyola Press releases "Our Treasures Within", a picture book for children inspired by Pope Francis’ call to recognise and share God-given gifts. Created by Peter and Paul Reynolds, it encourages children and families to reflect on how their talents can contribute to others.

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Africa’s most populous country deals with three attacks—two on Christian communities and one on a secondary school. The Nigerian president postpones a trip to South Africa and Angola to monitor the situation.

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