1. Pope Francis notching important milestones this week as he recovers from pneumonia in Rome hospital, Pope Francis’ recovery from double pneumonia is continuing, By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, March 12, 2025, 7:19 AM
Pope Francis is recovering slowly from double pneumonia while following the Vatican’s spiritual retreat remotely. Thursday marks the 12th anniversary of his election as pope, and Francis is nearing the second-longest hospital stay for a pontiff at 28 days. Although doctors have declared that he is no longer in imminent danger, they remain cautious about his overall fragility. The Vatican has not released any photos or videos of Francis since his hospitalization; however, he recorded an audio message last week to thank people for their prayers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/12/pope-vatican-pneumonia-john-paul-ii/439ac54a-ff1c-11ef-b7a7-d938159de2bc_story.html
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2. Trump DOJ challenges Maryland school district’s move to mandate LGBTQ reading in elementary schools, By Alex Swoyer, The Washington Times, March 12, 2025
The Trump Justice Department is supporting parents challenging a Maryland school district’s policy mandating LGBTQ-themed books in elementary schools, arguing that it infringes on their First Amendment rights, particularly the freedom of religion. The controversy centers on books addressing topics like gender transitioning and Pride parades, with parents arguing that the lack of an opt-out option violates their religious beliefs. The case, which was previously ruled against the parents, will be heard by the Supreme Court on April 22, with a decision expected by the end of June.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/mar/11/trump-doj-challenges-maryland-school-districts-move-mandate-lgbtq/
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3. Pro-immigrant archbishop takes over D.C. church amid Trump crackdown, Cardinal Robert McElroy, an advocate of welcoming immigrants, is taking over one of the most prominent posts in the U.S. Catholic Church., By Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post, March 11, 2025, 3:21 PM
Cardinal Robert McElroy was installed as Archbishop of Washington, D.C., in a ceremony attended by over 3,500 people, marking the start of his leadership of an archdiocese facing financial challenges and political tension. Known for his advocacy for immigrants and marginalized communities, McElroy aligns with Pope Francis’s vision of a welcoming church but faces internal opposition from conservative priests and external scrutiny from the Trump administration. With a significant portion of Catholic Charities’ budget dependent on government funding, McElroy’s leadership will be tested by potential cuts to federal programs and the financial struggles of the archdiocese, which is reportedly running a deficit of up to $10 million.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/03/11/catholic-cardinal-mcelroy-dc-archdiocese/
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4. States should scale back abortion reporting demands, advocacy group says, An advocacy group says it’s time for states to stop requiring abortion providers to file reports for every abortion, By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press, March 11, 2025, 12:04 AM
The Guttmacher Institute recommends that states stop requiring detailed abortion reporting, arguing that it can harm patients and providers in the current political climate, with personal information potentially used in investigations. The reversal of Roe v. Wade has heightened concerns that such data could be exploited by anti-abortion officials, increasing risks for those seeking or providing abortions. While some states have reduced or eliminated specific reporting requirements, Guttmacher suggests that voluntary data collection could better protect privacy without sacrificing valuable research. However, some anti-abortion advocates argue that more data is necessary to monitor abortion complications and inform public policy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2025/03/12/abortion-data-guttmacher-state-reports/1ee9d0bc-fef7-11ef-b7a7-d938159de2bc_story.html
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5. In Person with Leonard Leo, By Father Dave Pivonka, Franciscan University, March, 2025, Interview
Leonard Leo speaks with Father Dave about how he lives out his faith as an advisor to U.S. Presidents, a defender of conservative judicial nominees, and a tireless promoter of many conservative causes and ventures.
https://faithandreason.com/episodes/in-person-with-leonard-leo/
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6. Have the U.S. bishops united behind McElroy?, By Ed. Condon, The Pillar, March 11, 2025, 8:56 PM
Cardinal Robert McElroy’s installation as Archbishop of Washington on March 11 drew a large, diverse crowd of bishops and clerics, showcasing unity among the U.S. Catholic hierarchy despite previous tensions. His appointment, initially seen as divisive, has now become a point of unexpected cohesion among bishops, many of whom attended his installation to show solidarity in the face of political challenges and the Pope’s health concerns. The shift toward greater collegiality among the bishops, largely stemming from behind-the-scenes discussions, reflects a broader sense of cooperation that has emerged in response to both secular political pressures and the Pope’s condition. Although ideological differences remain, the installation Mass marked a rare moment of unity, with bishops openly expressing support for McElroy.
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/have-the-us-bishops-united-behind
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7. Senators press small business agency on Planned Parenthood’s ‘unlawful’ use of COVID funds, By Tyler Arnold, Catholic News Agency, March 12, 2025, 6:00 AM
Republican Senators Rand Paul and Joni Ernst have sent a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) demanding an investigation into why Planned Parenthood received over $100 million in COVID-19 relief funds, which they argue was unlawful. The senators claim that Planned Parenthood affiliates received $120 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans in 2020 and 2021, and they are requesting documents and communications related to these loans, as well as an explanation for why the funding was approved. The letter also alleges that some Planned Parenthood affiliates falsely certified their eligibility for the loans and calls for penalties for any unlawful participation in the program.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262679/senators-press-small-business-agency-on-planned-parenthood-s-unlawful-use-of-covid-funds
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8. The Share of Religious Americans Will Continue to Decline, By Jessica Grose, The New York times, March 12, 2025, 9:00 AM, Opinion
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Last month, a new edition of Pew Research’s Religious Landscape Study came out. It’s a huge survey — the organization polled more than 35,000 Americans — and the last one was released in 2014. Coverage of the survey focused on the fact that the fall in popularity of American Christianity has recently plateaued, after years of continuous decline. (Non-Christian faiths, which are a very small proportion of the American population, have gone up a bit since the survey started in 2007, but their relative size makes it tough to draw conclusions about them).
According to Pew, since 2007, the share of Americans who describe themselves as Christian has dropped to 63 percent from 78 percent. But between 2020 and 2024, that figure hovered between 60 and 64 percent pretty consistently. The share of Americans who describe themselves as “nones” — a category that includes people who have no religion in particular, or who are atheist or agnostic — has leveled off at just below 30 percent, up from 16 percent in 2007.
But when you look at the numbers by generation, this plateau is temporary. As the Silent Generation, Boomers and Gen X become a smaller and smaller share of the population, there will simply not be enough religious young Americans to replace them. “The reality is that 20 percent of boomers are nonreligious and it’s at least 42 percent of Gen Z,” about the same as millennials, said Ryan Burge, a political scientist and the author of “The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going.”
Burge said of the Pew data: “For every six Christians who left the faith — one joined. It’s the exact opposite for the nones — six joiners for every leaver.” He added, “You can’t get away from those trend lines.” It is very unlikely that children raised without religion will later become religious, as “none” is becoming just as sticky a religious identity as any other. According to Pew, only 40 percent of American parents of minor children are giving their kids any kind of religious education. Only 26 percent go to religious services once a week. We will eventually become a country that is 40-to-45 percent “nones,” Burge said, though it will likely take a few more decades to get there.
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Though there has been a lot of press about young men flocking to strict Christian denominations, their overall numbers are not significant to the big picture of American life that Pew paints. As of now, only 38 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds say that they believe in God or a “universal spirit” with “absolute certainty,” and only 27 percent “pray daily,” lower numbers than for any other age group.
As Smith puts it, “the movement to save Christian America for God ended up pushing many Americans away from Christianity, God and the church.” I don’t think that dynamic is changing soon.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/opinion/decline-religion-america.html
__________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association.
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