Ss. Joseph and Cabrini Parish

An Ash Wednesday Mass was reportedly held in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Office Building, adjacent to the White House on March 5, 2025. / Credit: Another Believer|Wikimedia Commons|CC BY-SA 3.0

Washington D.C., Mar 5, 2025 / 18:36 pm (CNA).

A Catholic Mass was reportedly celebrated for the staff at the White House today in observance of Ash Wednesday. 

An email from the White House Management Office informed staff that the Mass would take place in the Indian Treaty Room at 8:30 a.m. The Indian Treaty Room is located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House. 

“Staff who observe are welcome to attend,” the email stated. 

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump also issued a greeting for Ash Wednesday.

“This Ash Wednesday, we join in prayer with the tens of millions of American Catholics and other Christians beginning the holy season of Lent — a time of spiritual anticipation of the passion, death, and resurrection of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” the message reads.

“During the Lenten season, Christians spend 40 days and 40 nights praying, fasting, and giving alms to deepen our faith and strengthen our belief in the Gospel,” the statement continues. It further noted: “Today, followers of Christ wear crosses of ash on their foreheads — a sacred reminder of our mortality and our enduring need for Christ’s infinite mercy and redeeming love.”

The statement concluded with the president and the First Lady saying: “Let us prepare our souls for the coming glory of the Easter miracle,” adding: “May Almighty God bless you, and may he continue to bless the United States of America.”

Prior to the election, Trump had extended greetings to Catholics on feast days, taking to social media on Sept. 8, the Nativity of Mary, to post “Happy Birthday Mary!” along with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

He also tweeted the St. Michael Prayer marking the archangel’s feast day, accompanied by an image of St. Michael. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the most prominent Catholics occupying top positions in Trump’s second administration.

null / Credit: Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 5, 2025 / 17:25 pm (CNA).

A federal judge blocked the enforcement of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that restricts doctors from performing gender transition surgeries on minors or giving them drugs to chemically facilitate a gender transition.

The executive order, issued in January, rescinds federal funds for health care providers that perform surgeries or prescribe drugs to facilitate gender transitions for anyone under the age of 19.

United States District Judge Brendan A. Hurson on Tuesday, March 4, issued the sweeping order, which prevents the federal government from enforcing the president’s executive order in any part of the country as legal challenges against the policy are still ongoing.

The court’s decision is not a final ruling but rather puts enforcement on hold indefinitely until the case is settled. The lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order was brought by nonprofit organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), that represent Americans who have children who self-identify as transgender.

In October 2024, the medical watchdog group Do No Harm found nearly 14,000 instances in which doctors facilitated gender transitions for minors in the United States between 2019 and 2023, which included nearly 5,750 surgeries. The data is based on publicly available insurance claims, but the researchers warned that their dataset is likely incomplete and the actual number may be much higher.

In his 66-page opinion, Hurson explains that he issued the ruling because enforcement of the executive order is “likely to be found unconstitutional.” He states that the order classifies people “on the basis of transgender status” and characterizes it as a form of discrimination. The judge referenced previous court rulings that considered discrimination against a person’s transgender status as a form of illegal sex-based discrimination.

“To determine whether [a medical treatment] is permitted or restricted under the order, [it] necessarily requires the evaluation of a patient’s sex assigned at birth and then a determination of whether the treatment is sought to align the patient’s physical characteristics with that birth sex or with a different sex — one that aligns with the person’s identity,” the judge wrote.

Hurson also wrote in his ruling that Trump likely exceeded his presidential authority and that the executive order likely violates the separation of powers “because [it directs] agencies to withhold funding on a condition that Congress has not authorized.”

Some lower courts and some appellate courts have reached similar conclusions with respect to sex-based discrimination claims and have blocked state laws that prohibit transgender surgeries and drugs for minors.

However, the United States Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling on whether such bans constitute a form of sex discrimination. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a lawsuit that challenges a Tennessee law banning gender transition drugs and surgeries for minors. The Supreme Court’s decision is expected within the next few months.

During oral arguments in December, many Republican-appointed justices — who make up six of the nine members of the court — appeared skeptical of the assertion that the law constitutes sex-based discrimination.

Hurson was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland in 2023 by former President Joe Biden.

The Department of Justice could appeal Hurson’s order to the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

Ana Redondo, Spain’s minister of equality, is seen at the Spanish Congress of Deputies on Feb. 12, 2025. / Credit: Alberto Gardin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Madrid, Spain, Mar 5, 2025 / 16:40 pm (CNA).

Spain’s minister of equality, Ana Redondo, said at a press conference Wednesday that she is in favor of studying the inclusion of abortion as a right in the Spanish Constitution, as France did last year in its own constitution.

According to Infosalus, the health information portal of Europa Press, Redondo considered that such an inclusion would be “a good way to protect sexual and reproductive rights and, above all, the freedom of women.”

“It seems to me that this is a question that needs to be studied,” she said before adding that doing this involves an “enormously complex” procedure that would require sufficient consensus, and she doesn’t know if it exists “at this time.”

When asked about the law that considers abortion a right and classifies it as part of the services offered by the public health system, Redondo was open to “thinking about a constitutional reform when the appropriate and necessary conditions are met to be able to do so.”

March 4 marked one year since the French National Assembly by a vote of 780-72 made abortion a constitutional right.

On that occasion, the Pontifical Academy for Life issued a statement pointing out that “in the era of universal human rights, there can be no ‘right’ to eliminate a human life.”

The remarks by the minister for equality came shortly after the organizations that put on the March for Life in Spain, which takes place every year around the feast of the Annunciation, announced on their website that the next march will take place on Sunday, March 23.

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

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 5, 2025 / 16:10 pm (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is currently investigating a possible Eucharistic miracle.

“The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is aware of a reported occurrence that took place at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Morris, Indiana. A careful investigation, with assistance from a professional laboratory, is in progress,” a representative for the archdiocese said in a statement shared with CNA.

News of the investigation comes after Corpus Christi for Unity and Peace posted on social media about an incident that allegedly took place at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Morris. According to the post, one of the members of the organization witnessed a “potential” Eucharistic miracle.

“The story is that on Friday a host was dropped during daily Mass and instead of consuming it they put it into water and left it in the tabernacle to dissolve,” the group stated. “A few hours later the priest found another host that had been dropped somewhere and placed that in the tabernacle as well.”

The next day while preparing for Saturday evening Mass, the parish sacristan “found spots of blood” in the dish, describing what she saw in the dish as “a very very thin piece of skin with blood on it.” 

Representatives of St. Anthony of Padua declined to comment on the possible occurrence of a Eucharistic miracle following a request from the archdiocese to refrain from further comment. After confirming that an investigation is underway, the archdiocese also declined a request from CNA for more information about the investigation. 

The Vatican issued new guidelines last year granting the Disastery for the Doctrine of the Faith the final say in the determination of supernatural events. The new guidelines build on the previous norms established by St. Paul VI in 1978, which left the discernment process regarding possible miraculous occurrences to local bishops. While the task remains with the bishop under the new guidance, the dicastery must now be consulted throughout the process and before a bishop proclaims his decision. 

null / Credit: Jesus Cervantes/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 5, 2025 / 15:40 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church has a series of practices and traditions that mark the liturgical calendar and guide the spiritual life of its faithful. Among these are fasting and abstinence during Lent, the 40-day period of preparation for Easter.

To help Catholics live this special liturgical time and deepen their knowledge of the faith, the following are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about fasting and abstinence.

What do fasting and abstinence mean?

According to the Code of Canon Law, fasting and abstinence are penitential practices that all Catholics are obliged to perform “by divine law” on certain days of the year in order to “deny themselves.”

According to the apostolic constitution Paenitemini, abstinence forbids the use of meat, “but not of eggs, the products of milk, or condiments made of animal fat.”

The law of fasting allows “only one full meal a day but does not prohibit taking some food in the morning and evening, observing — as far as quantity and quality are concerned — approved local custom.”

However, Canon 1253 of the Code of Canon Law states: “The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.”

What is the origin of the practice of fasting and abstinence?

These practices have deep roots in history and theology. Fasting dates back to biblical times, where figures such as Moses (Exodus 34:28), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), and Jesus himself (Mark 1:13) practiced fasting. In early Christianity, fasting was a common way of expressing repentance and seeking closeness to God.

Abstinence from meat has its roots in the Church’s tradition of sacrificing something as an act of penance, just as St. Paul called for disciplining and subduing one's body (1 Corinthians 9:27) for the greater good.

Why do Catholics practice fasting and abstinence?

Canon 1249 of the Code of Canon Law states that the Catholic Church has set certain days in the year for all Catholics to perform penitential practices together, such as prayer, works of piety and charity, and, above all, practicing fasting and abstinence.

In this regard, the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains in No. 2043 that abstaining from meat and fasting on the days established by the Church “ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.”

Which days are obligatory for fasting and abstinence? 

The Code of Canon Law states in Canon 1251 that “abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the episcopal conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.”

At what age are fasting and abstinence obligatory?

The Code of Canon Law establishes in Canon 1252 that fasting is obligatory from the “age of majority” (age 18 in the United States) through the age of 59. Abstinence from meat is obligatory from the age of 14.

Who is exempt from fasting and abstaining from meat during Lent?

Minors and the elderly aged 60 or older are exempt from fasting, and those under 14 may eat meat. However, Canon 1252 of the Code of Canon Law suggests that pastors and parents help children who are not obliged to fast and abstain to form themselves in the “true meaning of penance.” Also exempt are the sick, women who are pregnant or nursing, and manual laborers engaged in physically demanding work.

What is the purpose of fasting and abstinence?

While both practices help us grow in the spirit of penitence and conversion to which Jesus calls us, the Catechism of the Catholic Church recalls in No. 1430 that this call focuses on “the conversion of the heart, interior conversion” without which external works “remain sterile and false.”

In this regard, the Opus Dei website notes that “in the New Testament, Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting, condemning the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions of the law, but whose hearts were far from God. True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who ‘sees in secret, and will reward you’ (Mt 6:18).”

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

José Antonio Satué, bishop of Teruel and Albarracín in Spain. / Credit: Diocese of Teruel and Albarracín

Madrid, Spain, Mar 5, 2025 / 15:10 pm (CNA).

A former teacher at an Opus Dei school in Spain has been asked to leave the personal prelature after being found guilty following a second Vatican investigation of alleged sexual abuse that occurred at the school more than 15 years ago.

In what is know as the “Gaztelueta case” or the “Cuatrecasas case,” a complaint was filed against José María Martínez, a teacher at Gaztelueta School (an Opus Dei institution located in Lejona, Spain) for the alleged sexual abuse of student Juan Cuatrecasas between 2008 and 2010.

There was a canonical investigation into the case and Martínez was exonerated in October 2015. A Spanish court sentenced him to two years in prison after a long process that lasted from June 2015 to November 2020.

In June 2022, Cuatrecasas met Pope Francis at the recording of the Disney documentary “The Pope Answers,” which aired in April 2023. The pontiff then decided to reopen the case and appointed Bishop José Antonio Satué of the Diocese of Teruel and Albarracín in Spain as delegate (judge).

Satué informed Martínez, who maintains his innocence, on Monday, March 3, of his conviction in the sexual abuse case that calls for his departure from Opus Dei. 

As Martínez recounted on his blog, he was notified on March 3 of the sentence — which was signed Dec. 17, 2024 — with a note stating that he could not have been informed earlier because the bishop could not “free himself from other non-delegable and non-postponable obligations.”

Martínez also emphasized the fact that Satué announced the sentence on the day the prelate was summoned to appear before a judge in Pamplona to defend himself against a suit filed by Martínez for violating his right to a good reputation.

According to Martínez, the court appearance was postponed because the bishop “has not provided the documentation that was requested and other requested material is missing that the Church has never made public.”

According to a document dated Feb. 25 submitted to the court in charge of the case to which ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, has had access, the postponement of the hearing was made at the request of Martínez’s defense.

The request for postponement was made because the notary José Luis Perucha, who had in his possession the documentation provided by Satué, claimed “to not have the requested documents as documentary evidence.”

In addition, it is alleged that “the documentation requested from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has not been received” and that, at the time of submitting the document requesting postponement, Martínez had not been notified of the “conclusive decree of the administrative criminal process,” i.e., the sentence communicated on Monday.

Possible appeal to the Apostolic Signatura

Martínez announced that he is considering appealing the decision to the Apostolic Signatura, the only Vatican judicial body that, in his opinion, “can stop this nonsense.”

According to sources familiar with the case consulted by ACI Prensa, when the Vatican rejected Martínez’s defense’s request that Satué recuse himself from the case, they were told that when the sentence is eventually issued, if they contest it, they could turn to the Apostolic Signatura.

The same sources specified that the deadline to appeal to this court is 60 days from March 3, when the decree with the sentence was communicated.

Martínez reiterated his innocence and insisted on denouncing what he considers “irregularities of the canonical process”: being tried twice for the same crime “because the initial acquittal did not please the person who put together the ecclesiastical court”; that “legislation approved after the alleged events” was applied; that Satué would urge him to plead guilty in his first communication to him; or that “legislation that has not been applied to any layperson” was used.

“The whole process has been a shameful farce. There has never been the slightest possibility of defending myself,” Martínez said, having already written a letter expressing “great regret” in which he requested his departure from the institution founded by St. Josemaría Escrivá.

“I prefer to leave rather than be a problem,” he explained, while thanking the support received “from many people in Opus Dei, who know perfectly well that I am innocent” and emphasizing his adherence to the apostolate’s prelature: “In my conscience, [Opus Dei] will always be my spiritual family.”

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

Pope Francis administers confirmation during the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, April 4, 2015. / Credit: Martha Calderon/CNA

CNA Staff, Mar 5, 2025 / 14:40 pm (CNA).

Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore has decided to lower the age of confirmation to 9 in a move designed to increase family involvement in the formation of youth. 

Amid growing disaffiliation from the Church, Catholic leaders across the country are striving to better catechize young people by lowering confirmation age requirements. The Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Diocese of Salt Lake City both lowered confirmation age requirements in December 2024. Other archdioceses including Seattle, Boston, and Denver have lowered their confirmation ages in recent years as well. 

For Lori, who has led the Archdiocese of Baltimore for nearly 13 years, the crux of the catechesis crisis is a lack of family engagement. 

After a “broad consultation” of Catholic theology, developmental psychology, and other dioceses’ experiences, Lori said he found “the decisive factor” for young people remaining in the faith was family involvement. 

“Purposeful engagement of families in the formation of their children is essential in our formation efforts,” Lori wrote in a Jan. 22 pastoral letter. “Therefore, it is my sincere hope that, by more actively engaging parents in the preparation of their children’s confirmation, the graces of the sacrament will take root in these young people’s lives — sealing their missionary identity in the Spirit and sending them forth.” 

Disaffiliation has been a growing problem in the Catholic Church in the United States.

Recent studies have found increased numbers of people who don’t identify with any religion, who check “none” when surveyed about their religious affiliation. A 2024 study by Survey Center on American Life found that nearly 4 in 10 Generation Z women say they are “unaffiliated.” Meanwhile, young people are leaving the Church as early as age 13, according to a 2018 study. 

Lori noted, however, that “changing the standard age of confirmation, cannot, in isolation, remedy the complex realities that have led to the disaffiliation from the Church in such great measure.” 

“To be sure — strengthened by the Holy Spirit — these young disciples will be better equipped to face the challenges of adolescence today, but they will demand no less care, support, and intentional accompaniment,” Lori said. “For this reason, parishes must redouble their youth ministry efforts in a manner that is richly mystagogical and supports their growth in the Christian state of life.” 

While many Catholics in the U.S. are accustomed to confirmation occurring in high school or late middle school, the archdiocese noted that 9-year-olds are perfectly capable of receiving the sacrament at a young age. 

“We often underestimate the zeal and readiness of the youngest of our disciples,” Lori noted.

The archdiocese’s formation webpage noted that confirmation “is truly about one’s openness to the work of the Holy Spirit, not about how much one knows about the faith. Nine-year-olds are not just capable of this openness but are often particularly receptive.” 

Though many have come to associate confirmation with “becoming an adult in the faith,” or as a “coming of age” sacrament, this is not accurate. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, confirmation “completes” baptism, increasing and deepening baptismal grace (Nos. 1303, 1305). confirmation is a sacrament of initiation, meant to mark and assist the faithful at the beginning of their Christian journey, not a “graduation” or completion of faith formation.

While the Latin rite typically confirms after the age of reason — usually defined as the age of 7 — Eastern rite Catholic churches typically baptize, confirm, and administer holy Communion in infancy. 

The Baltimore Archdiocese’s transition will begin in the 2025-2026 liturgical year in three phases, according to the archbishop’s letter. Each parish will implement the change over the course of one to three years, depending on demographics, leadership capacity, and other factors.

Several parishes in the archdiocese have already piloted early-age confirmation programs, with good results including “fruitful engagement of parents and family,” Lori noted. 

“Let us together pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit among our young people, their families, and those who … minister to and with them,” Lori said.

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis sprinkles ashes during the celebration of Mass on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at the Basilica of Santa Sabina located on Rome’s Aventine Hill. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Mar 5, 2025 / 14:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis said the Lenten journey reminds the Church that hope in Jesus Christ ultimately overcomes fears of fragility, weakness, and the brevity of life.

“Made of ashes and earth, we experience fragility through illness, poverty, and the hardships that can suddenly befall us and our families,” the pope said in his homily prepared for Ash Wednesday. 

“Lent, however, is also an invitation to rekindle our hope,” he said. “We are invited to lift our eyes to the One who rises from the depths of death and brings us from the ashes of sin and death to the glory of eternal life.”

The pope is continuing his medical treatment at Gemelli Hospital and was unable to attend the Mass held inside the Basilica of Santa Sabina located on Rome’s Aventine Hill.

“The ashes remind us that we are dust, but they also set us on a journey toward the hope to which we are called,” Cardinal Angelo De Donatis said, reading the papal text. “Jesus descended to the dust of the earth and, by his resurrection, has drawn us with himself into the Father’s heart.”

Focusing on Easter as the reason for undertaking the journey of Lent, the pope in his homily told the congregation of cardinals, bishops, and religious brothers and sisters of Benedictine and Dominican orders that the risen Lord is waiting for us “at the end of the road.”

“The hope of Easter that we journey toward reassures us of God’s forgiveness,” the Holy Father said, quoting his predecessor Benedict XVI. “Even while submerged in the ashes of sin, hope opens us up to the joyful acknowledgment of life.”

Acknowledging the “social and political realities of our time” — including war, ideological opposition, abuse of power, and exploitation — the 88-year-old head of the Church said the world’s problems should spur people to walk together, be open with one another, and turn to our God who wants peace and reconciliation.

“Let us turn back to God, let us return to him with all our hearts,” the pope said. “Let us learn from almsgiving to go beyond ourselves, sharing each other’s needs and nurturing the hope of a fairer world.” 

In his homily, the Holy Father also said accepting the fragility of our human condition “is good for us” as it reminds us who we really are “despite the masks we wear” and of our need for God.    

“It reshapes us, reduces the severity of our narcissism, brings us back to reality, and makes us more humble and open to one another: None of us is God; we are all on a journey,” he said.

“With this hope in our hearts, let us begin our journey. Let us be reconciled with God,” the pope reiterated at the end of his March 5 homily.

U.S. Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 5, 2025 / 13:40 pm (CNA).

A former Catholic priest who was convicted of sexually abusing a minor will be deported back to his native country of Colombia after he serves his time in prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). 

Jorge Antonio Velez-Lopez — who has not had any assignments or faculties to serve as a priest since 2010 — pled guilty in 2021 of sexually abusing a minor for whom he had a temporary responsibility of supervising. 

The abuse began in June 2005 when the victim was a teenager, and the sexual relationship continued into her adulthood.

At that time, Velez-Lopez was serving as the girl’s priest at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Columbia, Maryland, according to the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The victim gave birth to the former priest’s child and the two married in 2016 when she was 24 years old. 

Velez-Lopez was sentenced to nine years in prison, which he is currently serving. 

Although the former priest was naturalized as a United States citizen in 2013, he has since been civilly denaturalized and lost his citizenship. A federal judge ruled that he had lied on his application because he asserted that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested despite engaging in long-term sexual abuse of the girl. 

U.S. District Judge Dee Drell sentenced Velez-Lopez to 12 months in prison with credit for time served for passport fraud and ordered that he be removed from the United States.

“This case sends a clear message to individuals who commit any type of sexual offense, particularly those involving children, during the naturalization process — we will ensure that justice is done,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth said in a statement.

According to the DOJ, when Velez-Lopez’s imprisonment is concluded, he will be remanded into the custody of U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deported to Colombia. 

“The [DOJ], ICE, and our other federal law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to protect children and will prosecute and seek deportation of those who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship,” Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook said in a statement.

The prosecution of Velez-Lopez for passport fraud was part of ICE’s Operation False Haven, which is a national initiative to to identify and prosecute child molesters and other felons who fraudulently obtain American citizenship, according to the DOJ.

President Donald Trump has made mass deportations a primary goal of his second term in office. He has specifically vowed to target individuals who entered the country illegally and subsequently committed additional crimes while present in the United States.

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Vatican City, Mar 5, 2025 / 13:10 pm (CNA).

A high-level gathering of judges, legal scholars, and artificial intelligence (AI) experts convened in Vatican City this week to explore the impact of AI on justice, democracy, and human dignity. 

The two-day workshop, titled “Artificial Intelligence, Justice, and Democracy,” was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in collaboration with the Argentina-based Pan-American Committee of Judges for Social Rights and Franciscan Doctrine (COPAJU) and its academic branch, the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Institute for Legal Research (IFBC).

The conference, held March 4–5, brought together over 60 participants, including American policymakers such as Joseph Kennedy III, U.S. Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, and Congressman Richard E. Neal. 

Discussions centered on the ethical challenges posed by AI, its influence on judicial decision-making, and its potential to shape democratic institutions.

“As with all other aspects of technical life that need an ethical framework, Church authorities leave to the experts in a particular field the burden and the honor of identifying what are the key emerging ethical problems in that field and then work with them to indicate the solutions that can be proposed to governments and to the wider public,” Sister Helen Alford, president of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences, said in her opening address to the conference.

“In this way, the Church is present in the debate both placing confidence in those responsible for these technologies and for their uses, and in making herself available to participate in and support the moral, ethical, and political efforts of all people of goodwill to direct these technologies appropriately.”

AI and democracy 

One of the major focuses of the conference was AI’s influence on democratic institutions. Experts discussed the potential for AI to increase citizen participation and improve access to information.  

However, they also warned of AI’s capacity to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and undermine democratic processes. 

“We’ve heard a lot about the potential benefits to democracy, about greater gains and efficiency and the delivery of human services,” Kennedy said at the conference.  

“I will say however from my perspective as a person who had to run multiple campaigns and as someone who sees the challenge at this moment of disinformation and misinformation and the challenges that we are seeing throughout this platform in the United States, I have real concerns.” 

“What happens when voices being heard in the midst of a campaign … when those voices aren’t actually people, but deep fakes that have been programmed? … What happens when campaigns can create these videos … depicting scandalous or outrageous activity days before an election to swing a few votes to tip the election in a certain way?” he asked. 

Discussions also addressed AI’s role in enhancing civic engagement. AI-driven platforms could help facilitate direct feedback from citizens to their representatives, making leaders more accessible. However, there are also concerns about privacy risks and the potential misuse of AI-powered surveillance tools. 

Justice in an AI-driven world

Another important theme of the conference was AI’s role in the justice system. Participants examined how AI can both perpetuate and mitigate biases in areas such as criminal justice, employment, and housing. 

“Justice and democracy could be reduced to their lowest level if new technologies lack proper state control, opening the doors to a historic period of techno-authoritarianism,” Roberto Andrés Gallardo, president of COPAJU and IFBC, told the conference. 

“The great question of the present is whether the corporations are controlled by the governments or whether the governments end up co-opted by the IT corporations,” he said. 

The concept note for the conference, published by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted both the opportunities and risks associated with AI. While AI has the potential to advance research, improve work conditions, democratize access to knowledge, and aid medical advances, it also poses significant potential threats, including disinformation, economic inequality, and AI-driven surveillance technologies. 

“We must endeavor to understand how AI is reshaping the economy, society, work, and family,” the note stated. “Yet Pope Francis highlights AI’s duality, showing promise and concern. AI offers multiple possibilities and poses risks, including increased inequality, misinformation, the displacement of workers, the reinforcement of biases, and the corrosion of democracy, justice, and human dignity.” 

The pope has been vocal about the ethical challenges posed by AI. In his message to the 2025 World Economic Forum, he warned against the dangers of a “technocratic paradigm,” which prioritizes efficiency over human dignity. 

“Technological developments that do not improve life for everyone, but instead create or worsen inequalities and conflicts, cannot be called true progress,” Pope Francis said. 

AI and the digital divide

On the second day of the conference, participants explored AI’s implications for developing nations and underserved communities. The discussions focused on the digital divide, the role of AI in sustainable development, and strategies for ensuring equitable access to AI-driven technologies. 

Throughout the conference, participants echoed Pope Francis’ call for an ethical framework for AI development that prioritizes human dignity and social responsibility. The pope has repeatedly warned against allowing machines to make decisions that should remain under human control, particularly in areas such as automated weapons systems. 

“We emphasize the importance of prioritizing human dignity, agency, and decision-making in the face of AI advancements,” the conference organizers stated in the conference booklet. “We warn against delegating decisions to machines when said decisions undermine human freedom and responsibility and are detached from ethical considerations.” 

The Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences highlighted a quote from Geoffrey Hinton, the 2024 Nobel Laureate in Physics known as the “Godfather of AI,” who said: “We’re entering a period of great uncertainty where we’re dealing with things we’ve never dealt with before.” 

“And normally, the first time you deal with something totally novel, you get it wrong. And we can’t afford to get it wrong with these things,” he said.