Archbishop Hebda speaks to EWTN News in August 2025. | Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

Jan 13, 2026 / 13:11 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis described a pervasive “heaviness” in the community over federal agents’ deadly shooting of a U.S. citizen.

In his pastoral reflection on Jan. 12, the archbishop said he was on retreat with regional bishops last week when the shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official occurred.

“I find myself Googling ‘Minneapolis’ every few hours to learn of the latest developments in a situation that truly tears at the heart,” he wrote, noting that some parishes with large Latino populations are seeing fewer than 50% of usual congregants at recent Masses.

“I hope that you might think about contacting any of our parishes serving immigrant communities to see how you might support them in their ministry,” Hebda wrote.

During the retreat, he said he prayed for consolation for the Good family, wisdom for political leaders, prudence and safety for law enforcement, temperance among protesters, healing for those wounded by political divisions (especially young people), and courage for immigrants living in fear of deportation.

Hebda said he also prayed for parish priests, deacons, educators, and others who are navigating these tensions while striving to “bring the light of the Gospel and the balm of Jesus’ love into these difficult situations.”

After the shooting last week, Hebda in a statement pleaded for “all people of goodwill to join me in prayer for the person who was killed, for their loved ones, and for our community.”

“We continue to be at a time in this country when we need to lower the temperature of rhetoric, stop fear-filled speculation, and start seeing all people as created in the image and likeness of God,” he said.

Good was behind the wheel of an SUV after dropping off her 6-year-old at school when she was killed. Dueling narratives emerged, with the president and Homeland Security secretary saying the ICE officer’s actions were justified against an “act of domestic terrorism,” while Democratic officials said the administration is lying and urged the public to review videos of the shooting themselves.

In his Jan. 12 letter, the prelate noted the “providential” timing of the Church’s psalm response at this past Sunday’s Mass: “The Lord will bless his people with peace” (Psalm 29), adding: “I am confident that the Lord keeps his promises, but I am hoping that he won’t keep us waiting too long. Maybe I should be praying for patience.”

To address the ongoing wounds, the archdiocese hosted Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston on Monday evening for a public presentation titled “A Wounded Church: Finding Peace and Healing,” originally intended to address the shooting that occurred during the all-school Mass at Annunciation Church in August 2025. The event began with a Mass and concluded with Eucharistic adoration.

“How providential that the evening event, planned months ago, would have been scheduled to coincide with this challenging time,” Hebda remarked in his letter. Cozzens also led a morning of recollection for archdiocesan staff on Jan. 13 on the same theme.

The archbishop urged the faithful to support immigrant parishes facing sharp declines in attendance since early December.

“A number of parishioners expressed to me their concerns about how the parishes will be able to continue their excellent ministry and outreach to the needy if Mass attendance (and offertory) remains low,” he wrote. “I am confident that it would be a shot in the arm for them if you could join them some weekend.”

Hebda also requested continued prayers for Father Greg Schaffer, an archdiocesan priest serving at a mission parish in Venezuela. Amid heightened dangers following the Trump administration’s military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, the U.S. State Department has warned of risks for Americans, prompting the archbishop to ask for prayers for Schaffer.

Daniel Payne contributed to this story.

Angola is one of the African countries Pope Leo XIV plans to visit in what will be his first pastoral trip to the continent as Pontiff. | Credit: Vatican Media/Catholic Archdiocese of Luanda

Jan 13, 2026 / 12:41 pm (CNA).

Angola is one of the countries Pope Leo XIV plans to visit in what will be his first pastoral trip to the continent of Africa as pontiff, the apostolic nuncio in the southern African nation has announced.

Addressing journalists during a press conference on Tuesday, Archbishop Kryspin Witold Dubiel confirmed that the Holy Father had accepted invitations from both the Catholic bishops of Angola and the country’s President João Lourenço, adding that the timelines and itinerary of the visit and program are still being finalized.

“At this moment, we are preparing the plan and program for Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Africa. We do not yet have details on the exact date or program, but these will be communicated as soon as they are defined,” Dubiel said.

The native of Poland’s Diocese of Przemyśl invited all Angolan citizens to prepare for this significant event.

“I hope that the Holy Father’s visit will be an opportunity to rediscover the values that have shaped the Angolan people and to share these values with the diverse communities that live and work around the world,” said the Vatican diplomat in Angola, who also represents the Holy Father in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Also speaking at the press conference was the president of the Bishops’ Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, who called upon Angolans to participate in the committees that will be established to prepare for the papal visit.

“Each of these committees should give their best in the preparation, promotion, and realization of all tasks assigned,” Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba of Angola’s Saurimo Archdiocese said.

Imbamba thanked Pope Leo XIV for accepting the invitation to visit Angola.

Archbishop Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias of Angola’s Archdiocese of Luanda described the planned papal trip as a “moment of great human and spiritual comfort,” occurring during a special period in the history of Christianity and in the year marking the “grand jubilee of Luanda — 450 years as a city, 450 years celebrating the faith.”

Dias emphasized that the visit places Angola on the path of evangelization and universality.

He went on to thank the Angolan government for “opening the doors” and for accepting to collaborate with faith-based leaders to facilitate the papal visit.

In December 2025, Pope Leo XIV reportedly indicated that he would visit Africa in 2026, naming Algeria as a possible initial destination. Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon were also mentioned as potential stops.

Pope Leo is the first pontiff in modern history with firsthand knowledge of Africa. Unlike his predecessors, he has already been to eastern, western, southern, northern, and central Africa in person.

As he began his papacy following his May 2025 election, the American-born member of the Order of St. Augustine had already visited Kenya at least half a dozen times, the regional vicar of the order in the east African nation told ACI Africa — the last visit to the country having taken place in December 2024.

In a May 12, 2025, interview, Father Robert Karanja Ireri, superior of the Order of St. Augustine in Kenya, recalled that Pope Leo XIV had visited the neighboring Tanzania, confirming the country’s Daily News report that he had visited the East African nation multiple times.

Karanja also confirmed that Pope Leo XIV visited Algeria in North Africa.

Some members of the Augustinian Sisters of the Mercy of Jesus in South Africa recalled their interaction with Pope Leo XIV, then Father Robert Francis Prevost, when he visited the southern African nation.

According to the Nigeria Catholic Network’s May 10 report, Pope Leo would not be “a stranger to Nigeria, as records show that he has visited the country on at least nine occasions between 2001 and 2016.”

In his capacity as Augustinian prior general, Prevost presided over the inauguration of the Augustinian University in the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, in 2009.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Bishop Stanislav Přibyl of Litoměřice celebrates Mass with Bishop Wolfgang Ipolt of Görlitz, Germany, and other clergy at the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians in Filipov, Czech Republic, on Jan. 13, 2025, during the annual pilgrimage commemorating the 1866 healing of Magdalena Kade. | Credit: Lubomír Holý/Člověk a víra

Jan 13, 2026 / 12:11 pm (CNA).

Eighty years after the expulsion of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia, a Czech bishop has declared a local Year of Reconciliation to address wounds that remain from World War II and its aftermath.

Bishop Stanislav Přibyl of Litoměřice announced the initiative in a pastoral letter dated Dec. 31, 2025, following the end of the Jubilee of Hope on Jan. 6. The year marks two anniversaries on Jan. 13: the 1866 healing of Magdalena Kade and the 1946 founding of Ackermann-Gemeinde, a Catholic reconciliation group established by expelled Germans.

“The end of World War II brought not just joy and relief but also reckoning with people and the past,” Přibyl wrote in his letter. The war’s aftermath caused displacement and resettlement of populations across Central Europe, leaving lasting scars on the region.

After Nazi Germany annexed the Sudetenland in 1938 and established the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the majority-German region became part of the Reich. Following Germany’s defeat, Czechoslovakia expelled approximately 3 million ethnic Germans between 1945 and 1946, primarily from the Sudetenland region that now forms part of the Diocese of Litoměřice.

The bishop acknowledged that the question of whether the expulsions were justified remains a matter for historical debate. However, the displacement remains visible in demolished houses without owners and in churches that are abandoned or slowly being rebuilt.

Confronting collective guilt

The bishop emphasized that collective guilt, anger, and desire for revenge accompanied the displacement, along with “the sudden acquisition of property without work and closer ties to the place.” Some departing Germans were robbed, raped, or humiliated, a few committed suicide, and there were several massacres, Přibyl wrote.

Following a meeting of the diocese’s priests’ council in November, Přibyl declared the local jubilee of forgiveness and reconciliation. Monthly gatherings will take place in locations where the deportation was particularly cruel, including Terezín (Theresienstadt), which hosted a Nazi transit camp during World War II.

The events will include Christian-Jewish prayer services and Masses of reconciliation. The bishop hopes for “an ecumenical and interfaith spirit” at these gatherings, welcoming Christians, Jews, and Heimatsleute — Germans with deep historical ties to the region.

The press office of the Diocese of Litoměřice told CNA that the jubilee is local and invitations were not sent out broadly. “This is not politics or a revision of history, although historians partake in the preparation,” the press office said.

Heinrich Rüdiger, military attaché from the German embassy to the Czech Republic, joined the first event at Filipov on Jan. 13 marking the anniversary of the healing miracle.

Ackermann-Gemeinde’s reconciliation work

The Ackermann-Gemeinde was founded in Munich on Jan. 13, 1946 — the feast day of the Marian apparition at Filipov — by expelled Sudeten German Catholics who sought reconciliation with the Czech people despite their own suffering. The organization took its name from “Der Ackermann aus Böhmen” (“The Plowman from Bohemia”), a medieval German literary work from Bohemia symbolizing the deep cultural roots of Germans in the region.

The organization has worked for decades on cross-border partnerships, supporting the restoration of damaged churches and cemeteries in the Czech Republic and advocating for human rights. Since 1991, Ackermann-Gemeinde has maintained an office in Prague.

Filipov shrine

Filipov, a Marian sanctuary in northern Bohemia near the German border, is sometimes called “the Czech Lourdes.” On Jan. 13, 1866, Magdalena Kade, bedridden with severe illnesses, received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who told her: “My daughter, now you are healed.”

Kade immediately recovered, and Bishop Augustin Pavel Wahala of Litoměřice initiated a commission that recognized the healing and its supernatural character. Between 1870 and 1885, a neo-Romanesque church was built at the site, which Pope Leo XIII elevated to a minor basilica and dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians.

The Redemptorist order took custody of the shrine in 1884 and continues to care for pilgrims. Přibyl is himself a Redemptorist.

Opening old wounds to heal

“You might think that we should stop this reconciliation, as it has been 80 years, it is like taking corpses out of graves,” the bishop wrote in his letter. However, he argued that old wounds must be opened to be healed.

The reconciliation effort “may not be definitive, but an important step towards the healing process that our region still needs so much,” the bishop said. He noted that in some places, reconciliation is only beginning.

“Although we did not do wrong to our neighbors 80 years ago, we still live from the life-giving movement of forgiveness, as we pray in the prayer that Our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us: ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,’” Přibyl wrote.

The bishop concluded: “Prejudices survive and the reluctance to talk about them or to admit that we have all sinned is still here.”

The reconciliation initiative follows recent Czech-Polish-German efforts to address the war’s legacy. In November 2025, Polish and German bishops signed a new declaration in Wrocław marking the 60th anniversary of historic 1965 reconciliation letters.

St. Patrick Cathedral in the Diocese of Charlotte. | Credit: Diocese of Charlotte

Jan 13, 2026 / 11:41 am (CNA).

Reacting to Bishop Michael Martin’s Dec. 17, 2025, pastoral letter announcing the impending abolishment of altar rails and kneelers in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, 31 of the diocese’s priests have signed a letter to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Legislative Texts containing a set of questions, or “dubia,” related to the matter.

According to The Pillar, which obtained a leaked copy of the diocesan priests’ letter last week, the priests directly question “whether a diocesan bishop may prohibit the use of kneelers to assist members of the faithful who, of their own accord, wish to receive holy Communion kneeling.”

In December, Martin issued a pastoral letter saying that by Jan. 16, the use of altar rails, kneelers, and “prie-dieus” (movable kneelers) will no longer be permitted in the diocese, and any “temporary or movable fixtures used for kneeling for the reception of Communion” must be removed.

In his pastoral letter, Martin said while an “individual member of the faithful” is free to kneel to receive and should not be denied Communion, the “normative posture for all the faithful in the United States is standing,” per guidelines from the U.S. bishops.

“The faithful who feel compelled to kneel to receive the Eucharist as is their individual right should also prayerfully consider the blessing of communal witness that is realized when we share a common posture,” he wrote.

In their letter to the Vatican, the diocesan priests specifically question the bishop’s actions to impede the faithful from kneeling at built-in altar rails when that is the norm for a parish, a practice the bishop has insisted upon when he celebrates Mass at such churches in the diocese, according to Brian Williams, an advocate for Charlotte’s Traditional Latin Mass community.

When Martin concelebrated a Mass with several other bishops last summer at a parish whose commmunicants usually kneel at an altar rail to receive, per the bishop’s direction, according to Williams, Communion was distributed in front of the altar rail to discourage parishioners from kneeling.

“Since an altar rail is a common and traditional ‘structure and ornamentation’ that marks off the sanctuary from the body of the church within the Roman rite, it is asked whether a diocesan bishop has the legitimate authority to prohibit the erection of altar rails within churches or other sacred places in his diocese,” the diocese’s priests query in their letter, as reported by The Pillar.

A priest in the Charlotte Diocese who wished to remain anonymous due to an alleged “atmosphere of fear, retaliation, and mistrust” told CNA that the actual number of the dubia’s supporters is “well north” of the 31, or a quarter of all priests in the diocese, who actually signed it.

“Certain priests have prudentially decided to withhold their signature,” he told CNA.

According to a social media post by the Traditional Latin Mass community in Charlotte: “Several diocesan sources in Charlotte have confirmed that the actual support for the dubia is closer to 50% of priests, nearly double the number of signers.”

In his December pastoral letter, Martin also specified norms for extraordinary ministers, prohibited the practice of intinction (when the consecrated bread is dipped into the wine before being placed on the tongue), and encouraged the reception of Communion under both kinds — the bread and the wine — which he says fell out of practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2025, a draft of a letter detailing several other of Martin’s intended reforms of traditional practices in the diocese was leaked. In that letter, the bishop said that because “there is no mention in the conciliar documents, the reform of the liturgy, or current liturgical documents concerning the use of altar rails or kneelers for the distribution of holy Communion, they are not to be employed in the Diocese of Charlotte.”

The diocesan priests’ Jan. 5 letter to the Vatican manifests that “both the leaked letter from this past summer and the pastoral letter of Dec. 17 have caused a great deal of concern amongst the priests and faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, especially in those parishes that have allowed the faithful to use an altar rail or prie-dieu for the reception of holy Communion.”

The diocesan priests’ letter also addresses issues from Martin’s leaked May letter in which the prelate suggested that certain liturgical practices and elements such as the use of Latin, ornately decorated vestments, certain prayers, and altar ornaments will be prohibited because they are not in accord with changes made after the Second Vatican Council.

Asked about the Jan. 5 letter containing the dubia, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Charlotte told CNA that the bishop “has not ‘restricted kneeling.’”

In a Jan. 8 statement to CNA, Martin stated: “My brother priests are always welcome to ask questions and seek clarification about the application of liturgical norms. To be clear, the only modifications that have been made since the Diocese of Charlotte last updated its liturgical norms in 2011 involve the distribution of holy Communion, as spelled out in my letter to the faithful in December.”

Apparently referring to the leaked May letter, Martin continued: “Questions arising from the internal and confidential conversations of the Presbyteral Council are premature and lack substance, since no definitive action has taken place outside of the December 2025 letter. The norms highlighted in the letter keep our diocese aligned with the broader norms of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the universal Church.”

Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap addresses the diplomatic corps accredited to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta at the Magistral Villa on Rome’s Aventine Hill on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. | Credit: Order of Malta

Jan 13, 2026 / 11:11 am (CNA).

The Order of Malta’s Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem is facing severe operational constraints and its mobile clinics remain unable to reach Bedouin villages in the West Bank due to movement restrictions and violence, the order’s grand master told diplomats Jan. 10.

Fra’ John Dunlap said in his annual address to the diplomatic corps that the 900-year-old Catholic order is committed to help reconstruction efforts in Gaza City led by Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, and other partners.

Middle East operations central

The ties to the Middle East are central to the order’s mission, particularly in Lebanon and the Holy Land, Dunlap told the diplomatic corps accredited to the order at the Magistral Villa on Rome’s Aventine Hill.

He expressed concern about restrictions on movement, violence, and persistent shortages of essential services in the West Bank, citing the operational challenges facing Holy Family Hospital and the inability of mobile clinics to reach Bedouin communities.

Latin America remains a region of paramount importance, Dunlap said, announcing a regional conference of the Order of Malta for the Americas in Buenos Aires in autumn 2026 to streamline regional humanitarian initiatives.

Africa continues to receive substantial investment through specialized programs of Ordre de Malte France and Malteser International, with newly established relations with Gambia and Burundi yielding rapid progress, he said.

Ukraine constituted a major focus, with Dunlap calling for hostilities to cease and full protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. The order expressed readiness to support dialogue initiatives “in full respect of its principles of neutrality and impartiality.”

UN status sought

The order aspires to attain “enhanced status” within the United Nations that more accurately reflects the nature and breadth of its worldwide activities, Dunlap concluded.

The order currently holds permanent observer status at the U.N. and maintains diplomatic relations with 115 countries.

Ambassador Antoine Zanga of Cameroon, dean of the diplomatic corps, praised the order’s “humanitarian diplomacy” in his response speech and invited Dunlap to continue promoting “charity, solidarity, peace, and defense of international humanitarian law in a world where the rules are fading.”

Dunlap described 2025 as a year of exceptional intensity, marked by the jubilee, the death of Pope Francis, and the election of Pope Leo XIV, which “profoundly resonated across both the life of the universal Church and the broader international community.”

“The order is truly the institution of the Gospel, which it follows as Jesus taught it through his apostles,” Bolivian Ambassador Teresa Susana Subieta Serrano shared with CNA after the speech of the grand master. She noted that the grand master mentioned Latin America as a region of paramount importance for the order.

“We recognize many good things that the order is doing. I am also the special envoy of my country to Africa, so I appreciate the particular mention of this continent. My intention is to do projects in Africa together with the order,” Slovenian Ambassador Franc But told CNA.

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability’s Charleen Katra (right) speaks at a panel accompanied by former American Catholic Historical Association President Mary Dunn (left). | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNA

Jan 13, 2026 / 10:41 am (CNA).

CHICAGO — A Catholic nonprofit that helps parishes and schools provide faith formation and catechesis for people with disabilities was selected to win the 2026 award for service to Catholic studies from the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA).

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) was presented the award during a panel discussion about the historical and modern interactions between the Church and Catholics with disabilities at the annual ACHA meeting in Chicago on Jan. 8.

During the discussion, panelists highlighted the ongoing efforts to make Catholic parish and school life more welcoming to members of the faithful who have disabilities and also spoke about persistent struggles to ensure that inclusivity is comprehensive throughout the Church.

“Though this recognition of our mission and ministry was very unexpected, it is both energizing and affirming,” Charleen Katra, executive director of NCPD, told CNA in a statement.

Katra said the award helps bring attention to the NCPD’s efforts to ensure Catholics with disabilities receive access to their baptismal rights: “To be educated in the faith; to live a sacramental life; and to respond to God’s call.”

“Persons with disabilities have unique gifts that bless the Church,” she said. “Thank you for blessing NCPD with this honor. We gratefully accept it on behalf of Catholics living with disabilities, and their families, who seek meaningful participation in the Church!”

Mary Dunn, outgoing ACHA president, said NCPD was selected because of its efforts to “promote real belonging” for those with disabilities and said “the lines between history and practice are always thin.”

Katra, who has a background in special education, said in the panel discussion that she first became involved in special religious education when she tutored a child with an intellectual disability named Brandon, who needed catechesis to prepare for the sacraments.

She said there are “a lot of different ways” to learn about God. Brandon needed multisensory learning that included a lot of visuals, which was not a learning experience offered at the parish at that time. In her current role, she helps provide training and resources to parishes to make sure Catholics with disabilities have access to a learning experience that fits their needs.

Although many parishes have incorporated these options into their catechesis, Katra said she still hears from families whose needs are not met by the Church. In some cases, she warned, families will leave the Catholic Church altogether if those needs are not met: “The Church can’t not look at this.”

“What happens?” she said. “They go somewhere else that will meet their needs or their loved one’s needs.”

“No one should not feel at home in the house of the Lord,” she added.

University of Southern Mississippi English professor Leah Parker, who has expertise in disability studies related to literature, said 15% of children in American public schools receive some form of special education, which highlights the need for greater inclusion.

“We’re all made in the image of God,” she said. “... I need my brothers and sisters with disabilities. We are incomplete without each other.”

The ACHA gave out two other awards during its 2026 annual meeting.

The Excellence in Teaching award was presented to Harvard ecclesiastical history professor Kevin Madigan. The Lifetime of Distinguished Scholarship Award was given to Yale history and religious studies professor Carlos Eire.

Claire Lai, the daughter of democracy advocate and Catholic Jimmy Lai, speaks to Veronica Dudo on “EWTN News Nightly” on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. | Credit: EWTN News / null

Jan 13, 2026 / 08:48 am (CNA).

Catholic human rights advocate Jimmy Lai is still dealing with deteriorating health as presentencing mitigation hearings began on Jan. 12 in Hong Kong.

Lai was found guilty on Dec. 15, 2025, of multiple violations of China’s national security laws. The verdict brought an end to several years of what advocates have described as a politically motivated show trial.

Presentencing mitigation hearings began for the 78-year-old, who is facing up to life in prison. His health was at the forefront of the conversation between the prosecution and defense attorneys.

“Even the prosecution admits he has health issues and very substantial ones,” Jimmy Lai’s daughter Claire Lai told CNA in a Jan. 12 interview. “They don’t deny it. They say: ‘He has health issues, but it’s OK. It will be managed by the CSD’ [Correctional Service Department].”

“There is significant data showing how the CSD fails to manage people who are especially diabetic and of his age,” Claire said. “The life expectancy of Hong Kong males is 83. He is not far from that, and we are obviously extremely, extremely worried.”

Jimmy’s health has declined as “the conditions in which he’s kept have progressively gotten worse,” Claire said.

“My father has been kept in solitary confinement since the summer of 2020, with the exception of the one week when he was on bail because he was at home. He has been kept continuously in solitary confinement the entire time. There’s no sign that any of this will change."

“When he’s moved around, whether it’s to go to court or to go to the showers, he is covered from head to toe in a thick black cloth so no one sees him and he doesn’t get to see anyone,” she said.

“He does not have any access to sunlight. There should be a window in his cell, which is smaller than most, which should lead outside and give him some access. In his case, it is deliberately sealed,” she said.

Claire said Jimmy “has one hour of exercise a day.” She added: “At the start of his incarceration, it was outdoors. And since then, they have covered the sky so he doesn’t get fresh air and he doesn’t get sunlight. The only light he gets is a reflection from a distant mirror in the corridor, if you can even call it [light].”

“The only social interaction he really gets is when family visits. Our family visits only add up to about 24 hours a year, if even that,” Claire said. “We are very worried that it will continue to be the case. Especially with the new prison rules.”

Claire detailed the prison rules that changed last summer to make family visits “more discretionary on the part of the CSD” and made aspects including pastoral visits “a lot more stringent.”

Faith continues to ‘protect’ Jimmy

In a subsequent interview with “EWTN News Nightly,” Claire highlighted her father’s Catholic faith and said it is what “protects his mind and his soul.”

While Jimmy’s “physical body is breaking down,” he continues to “read the Gospel every morning,” Claire said. He spends his time “praying and drawing the Crucifixion and the Blessed Mother.”

“On the issue of the Eucharist, I know the government has said that he receives it regularly,” Claire said. But “he receives it extremely intermittently. To be precise, he received it in the last two and a half years a total of 11 times. As a Catholic, that is not acceptable. We should at least receive it 52 times a year.”

Hope for a release

The only hope for a release is resolution on “a political level,” Claire said.

“It was very clear from the start that this was something that would be resolved leader to leader,” she said. “It isn’t something that can be resolved in the once-extremely promising but now-highly compromised Hong Kong legal system.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom has planned a visit to China, and President Donald Trump is expected to go in the coming months.

Claire said: “We hope that our father continues to be brought up and that this is something that can be resolved on a political level because that is the only way to save my father’s life.”

WASHINGTON – “Dr. King encouraged people to be leaders in the priorities that Christ gave us in the Gospel,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a reflection commemorating the late civil rights leader’s life and legacy. Archbishop Coakley focused his reflection for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on a portion of Dr. King’s sermon, Drum Major Instinct:

“Let us take a moment to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose prophetic voice was a ‘drum major for justice.’ His inspiring words continue to speak to our hearts today: 

‘Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.’

“What does it mean to be ‘a drum major’ in our own communities? Dr. King’s sermon encouraged people to be leaders in the priorities that Christ gave us: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit those in prison. Through the social service and charitable ministries of the Catholic Church, we strive to embody the Gospel mandate at the local and community levels. But just as important is the challenge to help the faithful to authentically live out this call. Our special message on immigration and our commitment to continue addressing the sin of racism are two recent examples that serve as efforts to be drum majors of love in our communities.

“In our pastoral letter against racism, we bishops affirm Dr. King’s leadership in bringing together people of faith in the work of racial justice, noting ‘that spirit is integral to the fight today.’ As we remember Dr. King and commemorate his legacy, let us continue this work as drum majors and engage in actions of compassion and mercy. 

“I encourage you to take time to reflect on how the Holy Spirit may be inviting you to join with others in addressing challenges within our families, neighborhoods, or communities. May we lead the way in building a society rooted in justice, peace, righteousness, and the dignity of every human person.”

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WASHINGTON – Catholics across the country are encouraged to observe a nationwide prayer vigil from Thursday, January 22 to Friday, January 23, 2026, to pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life.

The National Prayer Vigil for Life is hosted each January by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and The Catholic University of America’s Office of Campus Ministry. The vigil has always taken place on the eve of the March for Life, which marks the date of the historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

The Opening Mass will take place in the Great Upper Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. at 5:00 PM on Thursday, January 22. The principal celebrant and homilist for the Opening Mass will be Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities. 

Following the Opening Mass, a 7:00 PM National Holy Hour for Life will take place in the Crypt Church (lower level) of the Basilica, which will include Recitation of the Rosary and Benediction. Bishop James T. Ruggieri of the Diocese of Portland, will be the presider for the holy hour. The vigil concludes at 8:00 AM on Friday, January 23 with the Closing Mass celebrated by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap., archbishop emeritus of Boston. The full event schedule and additional details may be found on the Basilica’s event page at https://www.nationalshrine.org/event/2026-national-prayer-vigil-for-life/. 

The live television broadcasts on January 22 for the 5:00 PM Opening Mass and the January 23 Closing Mass at 8:00 AM will be provided by the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)
and will be available via live-stream on the Basilica’s website at www.nationalshrine.org/mass.  For more information about on-site attendance at the Basilica for the National Prayer Vigil for Life, please visit the information page on the Basilica’s website.

Overnight seminarian-led holy hours will also be taking place from January 22-23 from 9:00 PM – 8:00 AM. For more information about the overnight holy hours and the accompanying livestream, please visit the USCCB’s website. 

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WASHINGTON – “We must continue to support pregnant and parenting mothers in need and offer spiritual and emotional help to all who have participated in abortion,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, marking the 53rd anniversary of the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide. Noting there have been several pro-life victories since Roe was overturned in 2022, he cautioned that human life is still gravely threatened by legalized abortion as it continues to be aggressively promoted at the state and federal level.

Bishop Thomas’ full statement follows:

“January 22 marks the anniversary of the tragic U.S. Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, that legalized abortion nationwide and led to the loss of over 65 million children and immeasurable harm to their parents and family members. This solemn day is commemorated each year with the observance of the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children for prayer, penance, and our personal recommitment to the cause of life.

“We continue to give thanks to God for the opportunity to defend human life in law through the overturn of Roe in 2022. Since that time, we have seen several pro-life victories. Most recently, at the national level, Congress acted heroically last year in largely defunding Planned Parenthood of federal taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile the Administration has reversed several of its predecessor’s pro-abortion policies.

“Despite these successes, human life is still gravely threatened by legalized abortion as it continues to be aggressively promoted at the state and federal level. Many challenges remain, including pro-abortion ballot initiatives, the increased use and availability of abortion pills, and the need to protect the Hyde Amendment to keep taxpayer funded abortion out of national health care bills. We must continue to support pregnant and parenting mothers in need and offer spiritual and emotional help to all who have participated in abortion. Our united prayers, sacrifices, and efforts to protect human life and heal the wounds inflicted by abortion remain as important as ever. 

“As our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has said, ‘God's mercy calls us to protect every life, especially those society overlooks—the child yet to be born and the elderly nearing their journey's end—because each bears Christ's face.’

“May we see the face of Christ in every single person, in every pregnant mother, and every child in the womb. Let us remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that every human life may be protected in law and welcomed in love, and that abortion may be unthinkable.”

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