President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to end “radical gender ideology” in the military, reversing former President Joe Biden’s directive that allowed soldiers who identify as transgender to serve in the armed forces. The Jan. 27 order, effective in 30 days, states that any person who expresses “a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from...
Day: 28 January 2025
Elon Musk’s brother pitches jubilee year drone show in Rome
Kimbal Musk, entrepreneur and younger brother of Elon Musk, met with Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri over the weekend to propose a drone-based musical light show for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, according to Italian media. Donning his signature cowboy hat, Musk discussed the concept at the Palazzo Senatorio on Jan. 25, aiming to create a...
Editor of Pope Francis’ autobiography: ‘He gave absolute freedom, without red lines’
“Hope is the mainstay that undergirds Pope Francis’ entire life and is the thread that holds together this long narrative, even in the pages in which he recounts true horrors,” commented Carlo Musso, the Italian editor of Pope Francis’ autobiographical work “Hope,” getting right to the point regarding the theological virtue so fundamental to the...
Vatican recognizes martyrdom of Spanish missionaries in Georgia
The Dicastery of the Causes of Saints has promulgated a decree recognizing that five Spanish Franciscans were killed “in odium fidei” (“in hatred of the faith”) in 1597 — specifically for defending the sanctity of marriage. Monday’s announcement paves the way for the beatification of the missionaries, who have been known collectively as the “Georgia...
American theologian promoted by Pope Francis calls for focus on Scripture, evangelization
In an interview with CNA, Professor Mary Healy of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Michigan discussed her Jan. 11 appointment by Pope Francis to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Led by British Cardinal Arthur Roche, the dicastery advises the pope regarding the practice and promotion of the sacraments, the...
Catholics to gather for annual New York Encounter next month: ‘There’s nothing like it’
Over the course of three days next month, Catholics from the U.S. and abroad will gather in the heart of New York City for a one-of-a-kind cultural conference dedicated to education, dialogue, and friendship. Organized annually by members of Communion and Liberation, an ecclesiastical movement founded by the Italian priest Father Luigi Giussani, the event will take place Feb....
Catholic bioethicist weighs in on scientific effort to create life from scratch
For years, scientists have sought to understand how a collection of chemicals that are not themselves alive — in the case of humans, inanimate organic molecules — are able to work together to create living organisms that can eat, reproduce, and even evolve. As part of this effort, a team of European researchers is currently...
PHOTOS: Challenges and triumphs: The custos of the Holy Land reflects on 9 years
Franciscan Father Francesco Patton’s nine-year tenure as custos of the Holy Land began unexpectedly in 2016 when he found himself “redirected” — as he put it — to a largely unfamiliar land while preparing to take on a different assignment in Italy. “I had only visited the Holy Land a couple of times as a...
What would Thomas Aquinas make of AI?
What would Thomas Aquinas think of artificial intelligence (AI), and what does a large language model think of Thomas Aquinas? According to one German theologian, the Catholic saint and doctor of the Church can contribute to contemporary discussions about AI’s risks and its role in society. In an interview with CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news...
New Vatican document says AI should lead to ‘a renewed appreciation of all that is human’
The Vatican on Tuesday released a new “note” addressing the ethical and anthropological implications of artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting distinctions between human and artificial intelligence and offering guidelines meant to ensure that the development and use of AI serve humanity and uphold human dignity. Titled Antiqua et Nova (Latin for “old and new”), the roughly...