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U.S. bishops ask Pope Francis for prayers to build better immigration system

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, speaks at the USCCB fall plenary assembly Nov. 14, 2023. / Credit: USCCB video

CNA Staff, Feb 11, 2025 / 18:44 pm (CNA).

The president of the U.S. bishops’ conference has responded to Pope Francis’ letter to the bishops regarding the country’s latest drive to deport unauthorized immigrants, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding human dignity and the goal of building a humane system of immigration.  

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) thanked Pope Francis for his “prayerful support” and asked for the Holy Father to pray for the U.S. to improve its immigration system, protect communities, and safeguard human dignity.  

“Boldly I ask for your continued prayers so that we may find the courage as a nation to build a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all,” Broglio wrote

The letter was in response to Pope Francis’ Feb. 10 letter in which the Holy Father urged the U.S. to evaluate the justness of its policies in the light of human dignity and highlighted the inherent dignity of migrants. 

Broglio, in turn, highlighted the importance of centering the issue on Christ. 

“As successor to St. Peter, you call not only every Catholic but every Christian to what unites us in faith — offering the hope of Jesus Christ to every person, citizen and immigrant alike,” Broglio wrote on behalf of all the country’s bishops. “In these times of fear and confusion, we must be ready to answer our Savior’s question, ‘What have you done for the least of these?’”

Pope Francis in his letter proposed that a “rightly formed conscience” would disagree with associating the illegal status of some migrants with criminality, while at the same time he affirmed a nation’s right to defend itself from people who have committed violent or serious crimes. Additionally, the Holy Father weighed in on the Catholic concept of “ordo amoris” — “rightly ordered love” — which was recently invoked by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, in the ongoing debate over the country’s refugee and immigration policies.

Broglio also directly addressed ongoing concerns around the U.S. government’s role in charitable aid. Noting the recent funding pause by the U.S. government, Broglio urged the U.S. and the faithful to support Catholic charity and relief organizations. 

“We all turn to the Lord in prayer that families suffering from the sudden withdrawal of aid may find the strength to endure,” Broglio continued. “With you, we pray that the U.S. government keep its prior commitments to help those in desperate need.”

Under the Trump-Vance administration, the U.S. has paused its funding to most national and international charities. This includes Catholic organizations such as Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities, which have since urged the administration to resume funding

Meanwhile, the U.S. bishops’ conference last week laid off 50 staff members in its migration and refugee services office, citing a delay in reimbursements from the federal government.

“We also turn to the people of God to ask their mercy and generosity in supporting the Catholic Relief Services national collection this Lent as well as the ‘on the ground’ work of local Catholic Charities organizations so that the void might be filled with the efforts of all,” Broglio wrote. 

Broglio concluded by highlighting the importance of fraternity, especially in the jubilee year.  

“As we struggle to continue our care for the needy in our midst and the desire to improve the situation in those places from which immigrants come to our shores, we are ever mindful that in them we see the face of Christ,” Broglio wrote. “In this jubilee year, may we build bridges of reconciliation, inclusion, and fraternity.”

Saint John Paul II National Shrine to host exhibit on the Shroud of Turin during Lent

Negative photo of the frontal image of the man of the Shround of Turin (left), and a side view of the sculpture “The Sign,” which depicts the man of the shroud. / Credit: Copyright 1978, Vernon Miller / Copyright Collection of Gilbert Lavoie

CNA Staff, Feb 11, 2025 / 16:50 pm (CNA).

Beginning on March 5, the first day of Lent, and running through Easter Sunday, April 20, the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., will host an exhibit called “‘Lord, You Could Not Love Me More!’: Saint John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin.”

The exhibit is a response to the beloved saint’s call for greater understanding of and devotion to the shroud — the burial cloth that many believe was used to wrap the body of Christ after his crucifixion. 

During a visit to the shroud in 1998 in Turin, Italy, Pope John Paull II said: “The shroud does not hold people’s hearts to itself but turns them to him, at whose service the Father’s loving providence has put it. Therefore, it is right to foster an awareness of the precious value of this image, which everyone sees and no one at present can explain.” 

“For every thoughtful person it is a reason for deep reflection, which can even involve one’s life,” he added. “The shroud is thus a truly unique sign that points to Jesus, the true word of the Father, and invites us to pattern our lives on the life of the One who gave himself for us.” 

The exhibit will help visitors encounter the mystery of the shroud, its movement in history, the scientific research done to prove its authenticity, and the faithful devotion to all that the shroud reveals about salvation. 

The exhibit will also include a replica of the Shroud of Turin on loan from the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, over 30 gallery panels containing images and text, and a sculpture called “The Sign,” which renders a life-size 3D image of the man of the shroud.

Dr. Gilbert Lavoie, a medical expert on the study of the shroud and author of “The Shroud of Jesus: And the Sign John Ingeniously Concealed,” collaborated with sculptor Pablo Eduardo to create the sculpture, which is based on Lavoie’s research.

Lavoie’s current research on the sculpture will also be profiled in the exhibit. 

Opening the exhibit during Lent is meant to encourage visitors to more fully participate in the repentance and conversion associated with the penitential season, which John Paul II touched on during his 1998 visit. 

“Contemplation of that tortured body helps contemporary man to free himself from the superficiality of the selfishness with which he frequently treats love and sin. Echoing the word of God and centuries of Christian consciousness, the shroud whispers: Believe in God’s love, the greatest treasure given to humanity, and flee from sin, the greatest misfortune in history,” the saint said. 

In a press release, Anthony Picarello, executive director of the shrine, said the exhibit “resonates so deeply” with St. John Paul II’s legacy.

“It illustrates how human beings can approach the deepest mysteries fruitfully with faith and reason together, how the human body can express the most radical love, and — especially during Lent — the power of redemptive suffering.” 

The shrine’s director of mission and ministry, Grattan Brown, added: “In his pilgrimages to shrines around the world, St. John Paul II often observed that shrines are places where people can step away from their busy lives to deepen their spiritual connection to God. The Shroud of Turin, which may be the burial cloth of Jesus, connects us with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, God’s most loving gift for humanity. It is a joy for the St. John Paul II National Shrine to offer this exhibit so that our pilgrims may experience God’s mercy during Lent.”

Jesuit Refugee Service says Trump funding freeze will impact more than 100,000 refugees

In 2023, over half a million migrants headed toward the United States crossed the Darien Gap, the inhospitable jungle region between Colombia and Panama. / Credit: Gonzalo Bell/Shutterstock.com

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 11, 2025 / 15:50 pm (CNA).

More than 100,000 refugees across the globe who are recipients of critical aid from an international Jesuit nonprofit organization will be negatively impacted in the wake of the Trump administration’s 90-day funding freeze, according to Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) USA.

According to a Feb. 7 document shared with CNA, the funding freeze has “initiated a total work stoppage” for the organization, which provides assistance to refugees and other displaced people across nine countries.

Funding from the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migrants for fiscal year 2025 would have totaled over $18 million, and the funding freeze “could adversely impact 103,000-plus refugees and other forcibly displaced people,” JRS said. In 2024, JRS received $24,049,039 in government funding and $9,224,422 in private donations, according to its financial statements from last year.

JRS was founded by the then-Superior General of the Society of Jesus Father Pedro Arrupe to serve Vietnamese refugees who fled their home country at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Gradually, the Jesuit-run organization grew to accommodate refugees from conflicts around the world. The organization was recognized officially by the Vatican in March 2000. 

Since the Trump administration directive halted all foreign aid on Jan. 24 for a 90-day review, Catholic nonprofits internationally that depend on federal funding, such as Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services, are facing a crisis situation. 

Despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement that exemptions will be granted for certain “life-saving” programs, the document explained, “there is a lack of understanding and certainty about what this means, so funds are still not flowing.”

JRS USA carries out its operations in Chad, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, South Africa, South Sudan, and Uganda. They provide critical services such as food, medicine, transportation, cash assistance, care for orphans and unaccompanied children, and psychiatric care. 

According to information shared with CNA, Chad, Colombia, and Iraq have the largest number of refugees that will be negatively affected by the funding freeze, with more than 160,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries in Chad, some 54,000 in Iraq, and nearly 13,000 in Colombia. 

JRS’ country director in Thailand, where over 12,000 refugees are expected to be impacted by the freeze, said in a statement shared with CNA that “the sudden suspension of JRS work with people of concern from Myanmar have left many at high risk of life-altering psychosocial distress.”

“They already found it hard to recover their lost social support network and livelihoods while in exile, and the uncertainty of restarting a life or surviving itself continues to bother them deeply,” the country director, who was not named, added.

The JRS coordinator for an education program center in India said in another statement: “It was once a place of hope, love, and joy, their safe space, but now it is an abandoned center that has an impact on the education of 200+ students.”

“More than 300 [children from Myanmar] rely entirely on JRS to continue their education in the hopes that they will be the ones to bring about change and put an end to the conflict,” the statement continued. “Though some may believe they have no other choices, they are survivors who can shape the future, and they come at the center every day shining.”

U.S. defense secretary pauses allowing transgender troops to enter the military

An aerial view of the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 11, 2021. / Credit: Air Force Staff Sgt. Brittany A. Chase, DOD, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 11, 2025 / 14:50 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will no longer allow those who identify as transgender or struggle with gender dysphoria to enter the United States military and will halt all insurance coverage for transgender medical procedures for service members, such as surgeries and hormones.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum outlining the new policy on Friday, Feb. 7, which was made public on Monday, Feb. 10. The memo comes less than two weeks after President Donald Trump issued an executive order that asserted transgenderism is not compatible with military service.

“Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for service members are paused,” Hegseth’s memo read.

The memo includes a footnote, which defines medical procedures to include genital surgeries and any other transgender surgeries that are meant to make someone appear more similar to the opposite sex. It also expressly includes hormone therapies, which give estrogen to men to feminize them and testosterone to women to masculinize them to facilitate a gender transition.

According to a Congressional Research Service report updated Jan. 10, the DOD spent about $15 million on gender transition services for active duty military members from Jan. 1, 2016, through May 14, 2021. Former President Joe Biden established a policy to provide “medically necessary” coverage for gender transitions after he assumed office, but it’s unclear how much money was spent on those services over the last four years.

Trump’s executive order notes that long-standing DOD policy requires members of the military to be free from medical conditions that will likely require excessive time lost from duty. It also notes that DOD policies have long held that certain mental health conditions are incompatible with active duty service.

Although the new DOD policy does not permit anyone with a history of gender dysphoria to join the military, it does not clearly state what the impact will be on people who are already members of the military and struggle with gender dysphoria or self-identify as transgender.

The memo states that “individuals with gender dysphoria have volunteered to serve our country and will be treated with dignity and respect.”

It authorizes the department’s undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness to “provide additional policy and implementation guidance outside of the normal DOD issuance process, including guidance regarding service by service members with a current diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria, to implement this direction.”

According to the memo, the DOD’s mission requires members of the military “to abide by strict mental and physical standards,” emphasizing that “the lethality, readiness, and warfighting capability of our force depends on service members meeting those standards.”

“The department must ensure it is building ‘One Force’ without subgroups defined by anything other than ability or mission adherence,” the memo continues. “Efforts to split our troops along lines of identity weaken our force and make us vulnerable. Such efforts must not be tolerated or accommodated.”

In his memo, Hegseth also cites Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order, which states that “expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”

Trump’s executive order also states that the “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.”

“A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,” Trump’s order reads.

Since assuming office on Jan. 20 Trump has taken several actions to reverse the previous administration’s embrace of gender ideology through federal regulations. This includes an executive order to restore “biological truth to the federal government,” which states there are only two genders, male and female, and they are known at the moment of birth based on biological characteristics.

Trump also issued executive orders to ban transgender drugs and surgeries for children and to prohibit biological men competing in women’s sports in K–12 schools, colleges, and universities.

27 religious groups sue White House over ‘sensitive location’ immigration policy

People walk past a church displaying a “Immigrants & Refugees Welcome” sign in New York on Jan. 24, 2025. / Credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Feb 11, 2025 / 13:05 pm (CNA).

A coalition of more than two dozen religious groups is suing the White House over its policy allowing immigration officers to arrest suspected illegal immigrants in houses of worship and other “sensitive locations.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Donald Trump last month rescinded Biden-era guidelines that required Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to seek their superior’s approval before arresting people at or near “sensitive locations” such as churches, hospitals, or schools.

The repealed rules, earlier versions of which date to 2011, precluded ICE agents from carrying out immigration enforcement actions in locations like hospitals, places of worship, schools, or during events such as weddings or parades unless there is an urgent need, such as a person who poses an imminent threat or if the agents have sought higher approval to do so.

A DHS spokesman said last month that the repeal of the policy meant that “criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.”

In their lawsuit, filed Tuesday at U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., the 27 religious groups, including the Mennonite Church, the Episcopal Church, the Friends General Conference, and several Jewish groups including the New York-based Rabbinical Assembly, argue that the enforcement of immigration arrests in churches is “substantially burdening the religious exercise” of the plaintiffs’ congregations and members.

“Congregations are experiencing decreases in worship attendance and social services participation due to fear of immigration enforcement action,” the suit says.

“For the vulnerable congregants who continue to attend worship services, congregations must choose between either exposing them to arrest or undertaking security measures that are in direct tension with their religious duties of welcome and hospitality.”

The suit further argues that DHS “flout[ed] legal constraints on agency action” by rushing to repeal the rule too quickly, a move the plaintiffs claim violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act. 

The suit, which names DHS, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, argues that the DHS action violates the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act as well as the First Amendment and the federal administrative rule.

The Trump administration has moved quickly to implement far-reaching and aggressive immigration policies upon President Donald Trump’s taking office last month, a move that has drawn criticism from some Catholics. 

On Tuesday Pope Francis wrote to the U.S. bishops arguing that immigration laws and policies should be subordinated to the dignified treatment of people, especially the most vulnerable.

The letter, which was widely viewed as a rebuke to the Trump administration, acknowledged that the just treatment of immigrants does not impede the development of policies to regulate orderly and legal migration.

But “what is built on the basis of force and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being begins badly and will end badly,” the pope argued. 

Following Trump’s executive orders on immigration, numerous U.S. bishops have responded by similarly calling for a more comprehensive and humane approach to immigration policy that respects the dignity of migrants and refugees. 

Bishops have continued to speak out on immigration periodically over the last few weeks. Minnesota’s Catholic bishops, for instance, released a statement Feb. 7 advocating “comprehensive immigration reform to fix our broken system” while urging the Trump administration to refrain from deporting migrants without criminal records.

The bishops of Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, meanwhile, last week issued a joint statement acknowledging “room for disagreement and discussion with respect to immigration policy” while arguing for “the recognition that immigrants, as members of God’s human family, are deserving of and must be granted the appropriate dignity as our brothers and sisters in the Lord.”

Google Calendar removes Pride Month, cultural heritage months

null / Credit: Sundry Photography/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 11, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

Google Calendar removed references to Pride Month, Black History Month, and all cultural heritage months on its web and mobile applications, instead opting to display only public federal holidays and national observances on its calendars.

The shift appears to coincide with similar moves from federal departments and agencies under President Donald Trump’s administration. However, a Google spokesperson said in a statement that the decision was made in mid-2024 and did not indicate ideological or cultural motivations for that change.

“For over a decade we’ve worked with timeanddate.com to show public holidays and national observances in Google Calendar,” a spokesperson for Google said in a statement provided to CNA. 

“Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually adding a broader set of cultural moments in a wide number of countries around the world,” the statement read. “We got feedback that some other events and countries were missing — and maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable. So in mid-2024, we returned to showing only public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com globally, while allowing users to manually add other important moments.”

Before the change, Google Calendar users would automatically have the start of “Pride Month” listed on their calendars for June 1. In June, the secular observance celebrates homosexuality and transgenderism. For Catholics, the month of June is dedicated to celebrating the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Other observances that are no longer automatically displayed on Google Calendar include Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Indigenous Peoples’ Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day, among others. It also included other celebrations unrelated to cultural identities, such as Teachers’ Day, which are no longer automatically listed on calendars.

A spokesperson for Google told CNA that the company will continue to celebrate and promote cultural moments in its products and specifically referenced Black History Month and the Lunar New Year. 

The holidays still automatically displayed include Christmas, Christmas Eve, Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Independence Day, among others, for American users.

Users can still manually add any holidays or observances to their calendars on the web and mobile applications. 

The Google spokesperson told CNA “it’s easy for Calendar users to customize which categories of holidays they show.”

This week, Google Maps also changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for American users to reflect the name change ordered by Trump. For Mexican users, Google still labels the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico. Users in other countries see both names.

“We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps,” the company said in a post on X before the name change was official. “We have a long-standing practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.”

Late last month, the Department of Defense’s intelligence agency ended all observances of Pride Month and other cultural heritage months. This occurred after Trump signed an executive order to end all “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) practices in the federal government. 

The Department of State banned embassies from flying the “pride” flag and other ideological flags, establishing a policy that only the flag of the United States can be flown. The Department of Justice (DOJ) also ended the DOJ Pride office.

Pope Francis appoints Tucson Bishop Weisenburger as new archbishop of Detroit

Pope Francis on Feb. 11, 2025, named Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Tucson, Arizona, as the new archbishop of Detroit. / Credit: Archdiocese of Detroit

CNA Staff, Feb 11, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Tuesday appointed Tucson Bishop Edward Weisenburger as the new archbishop of Detroit, accepting the resignation of current Archbishop Allen Vigneron. 

Vigneron, who has led the Michigan archdiocese since 2009, had submitted his resignation in October 2023 upon turning 75 as required by canon law. In a Tuesday statement he “extend[ed] to Archbishop-elect Weisenburger a heartfelt welcome to his new home.” 

“I offer the assurance of our prayerful support as he comes here to take up the mission being given to him by our Holy Father Pope Francis,” Vigneron said. 

Weisenburger, meanwhile, said he was “humbled to be called to serve such a noble Church,” describing the Detroit Archdiocese as “steeped in rich history, vibrant ministries, and known for a committed clergy with a great passion for evangelization.”

“Despite the challenge of leaving my happy home in the Diocese of Tucson, I promise the good people of the Archdiocese of Detroit my all,” the archbishop-elect said. 

Weisenburger was born in Illinois on Dec. 23, 1960. He attended Conception Seminary College in Missouri and graduated in 1983, after which he studied at the American College Seminary at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, earning degrees in theology, religious studies, and moral and religious sciences. 

After being ordained to the priesthood in 1987 in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Weisenburger attended the University of St. Paul in Ottawa, Canada, graduating with a pontifical licentiate in canon law in 1992. 

He served a variety of roles in the Oklahoma City Archdiocese, including as vice chancellor and on the diocesan tribunal; he also did prison ministry for several years. He also notably served as an on-site chaplain at the site of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. 

He was appointed bishop of Salina, Kansas, by Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 6, 2012, and ordained on May 1 of that year. Pope Francis subsequently appointed him bishop of Tucson on Oct. 3, 2017, where he was installed on Nov. 29 of the same year. 

In addition to his ministries and bishoprics, the archbishop-elect has served at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the migration committee as well as the subcommittee on the Catholic Communication Campaign.

Mass attendance ticks back up nationally after pandemic falter, data suggests

Parishioners attend a July 2024 Mass at St. Peter Church in Quincy, Illinois. / Credit: Randy Dickerman

CNA Staff, Feb 10, 2025 / 17:40 pm (CNA).

After years of uncertainty over whether in-person Mass attendance numbers would ever rebound after plummeting during the COVID-era lockdowns, new data suggests that Mass attendance levels have quietly returned to 2019 levels nearly six years later. 

Despite the apparent uptick, however, a return to 2019 levels still means only a quarter of U.S. Catholics attend Mass weekly — despite weekly attendance being an obligatory part of Catholic life. 

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University, a premier Catholic research organization, recently used national surveys it conducted combined with Google Trends search volumes for Mass attendance-related terms to estimate weekly attendance across the United States. 

In a Feb. 5 blog post, CARA explained that prior to the pandemic in 2019, weekly Mass attendance in the U.S. averaged 24.4%. Between May 2023 and the first week of 2025, meanwhile, attendance has averaged 24%, CARA estimated, representing an overall return to pre-pandemic levels.

In addition, CARA said Mass attendance numbers for Easter and Ash Wednesday — the latter being one of the best-attended Mass days of the year, despite not being a holy day of obligation —  actually returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023. 

Christmas attendance numbers, meanwhile, finally rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2024. 

“We have hypothesized that the heightened awareness and warnings about COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases during January were keeping some from returning to Mass at that time of year. We will keep tracking Mass attendance through 2025 and let you know how Ash Wednesday and Easter measure up,” the blog post reads. 

From the start of the COVID pandemic lockdowns in the U.S. beginning in March 2020 to the declared end of the pandemic in May 2023, Mass attendance averaged just 15% as many bishops dispensed their flocks from the obligation to attend in person. Some bishops lifted the dispensations as early as late 2020, while a few held out until 2022 before lifting the dispensation and inviting Catholics back to Mass in person.

As to whether Catholics would in fact return to Mass, the data collected as the pandemic wound down was not promising, in part because post-pandemic church attendance rates declined more sharply among Catholics than it did among Protestants. 

A March 2023 Pew Research Center showed that 24% of Catholics said they attend in-person religious services less often than they did before the pandemic, 38% “about as often,” and only 9% more often. 

And a survey released in January 2023 by the American Enterprise Institute concluded that ​​the percentage of Americans overall who attend religious services dipped about 8% following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Super Bowl commercials: Rocket Mortgage, Google’s dream job were top life-affirming ads

The Caesars Superdome is seen on Feb. 7, 2025, ahead of Super Bowl LIX, where the Kansas City Chiefs played the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans. / Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

National Catholic Register, Feb 10, 2025 / 16:30 pm (CNA).

The internet is aflutter every year when Super Bowl Sunday comes along. 

This year, some people were posting family gametime photos, sharing mouth-watering images of how their signature chili turned out, or reacting in real time to the blowout game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. 

But, of course, many came strictly for the commercials, and Super Bowl LIX did not disappoint. Here are the top pro-life commercials from Super Bowl 2025. 

1. Rocket Mortgage invested in a 60-second spot, and the message was, indeed, a winner. 

The commercial opened with a view into a high-rise building, showing a silhouette of a pregnant mother rubbing her belly and saying, “Let’s get you home.” The video montage then moved to winding roads in West Virginia, focusing on a home with a child playing in the sprinkler, beautiful babies being cleaned in the tub, and a doting dad washing his baby in the sink. Next came couples coming into their new home, smiling as they spent their first night sleeping on the floor — sprinkled with shots of servicemen and women singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” all aboard a military aircraft. The commercial honed in on the American dream, as a father goes outside to glimpse up at his house, with a tear running down his cheek. Families and babies for the win! 

2. He Gets Us ran another ad this year set to the Johnny Cash song “Personal Jesus,” showcasing several scenes of Americans helping one another. 

From neighbors pushing cars out of snow piles to a woman helping another woman out of an overturned car after an accident, the message resonated with viewers, especially given the events of the last year: devastating wildfires, flooding, mass shootings, and other tragedies. One scene shows an elderly man on the floor next to his ailing wife, who is in a fragile state resting on the couch. In another scene, the commercial pans to what appears to be a “pride march,” with two men hugging, as one, presumably a Christian, wears a hat emblazoned with John 3:16. At the end of the video, text is shown across the screen: “Jesus showed us what greatness really is.”

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Unaffiliated with any one religion, He Gets Us first came on to the scene in 2021. In recent years, the Servant Foundation, an organization that has been a strong donor to Alliance Defending Freedom, was helping to create the ads. The website of He Gets Us shares this message: “No matter who you are, YOU are invited to explore the story of Jesus and consider what it means for your life.”

3. Jeep spent $32 million for a two-minute ad featuring actor Harrison Ford with a patriotic message that also highlighted the dangers of pride (while mentioning humility). 

“Freedom is for everybody. But it isn’t free. It’s earned," Ford says amid interspliced archival shots of Jeeps shown carrying servicemen during past wars. 

“There are real heroes in the world, but not the ones in the movies. Real heroes are humble, and they’re not driven by pride.”

A father is shown hugging his daughter before he departs on a military mission. 

Adds the actor: “The most sacred thing in life isn’t the path. It’s the freedom to choose it.”

4. Rapper Snoop Dogg and NFL legend-turned-sports broadcaster Tom Brady team up for an ad highlighting the rise of antisemitism across the country.

Focusing on the word “hate,” the celebrity duo battle back and forth, throwing insults at each other to highlight the scourge of hatred:

“I hate you because we are from different neighborhoods.”

“I hate you because you look different.”

 “I hate you because you pray different.”

“I hate you because I don’t understand you.”

“I hate you because people I know I hate you.”

“I hate you because I think you hate me.”

The organization No Reason to Hate, owned by New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft, produced the ad. The foundation’s main aim is to fight antisemitism, an issue the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has picked up recently, partnering with the American Jewish League to publish “Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition.” As the USCCB document states: “Stopping antisemitism starts with understanding it.” Catholic actress Patricia Heaton has also been working to raise awareness of the rise of antisemitism; she recently announced her own pilgrimage to the Holy Land, set for the springtime. 

The ad ends with the onscreen sentence: “Reasons for hate are as stupid as they sound.”

5. The NFL stepped in this year with a beautiful ad highlighting the great work the football organization does within the host city of New Orleans to inspire young kids and teens.

Posting the video to YouTube, the NFL explained the idea behind the images of football players talking with different groups of children: “Demario Davis, Arik Armstead, and Adam Thielen partner with kids across New Orleans to help shine a light on the NFL’s ongoing dedication to supporting programs that positively impact the lives of kids everywhere.”

The commercial starts with a player saying: “Repeat after me ... ‘I am … Somebody.’” 

Later is another favorite: “I may be small, but I am Somebody ....” 

The ad stresses how kids are different in appearance or ability, but “I must be respected… I must be protected” while the screen shows young Special Olympics athletes huddling together; included in the group is an athlete with Down syndrome. 

It is an inspiring ad showcasing the fragility and beauty of all life — with a message at the end for all of us to be that somebody who knows each child’s value: “Every kid can be somebody if they have somebody to show them the way.”

6. “The Dream Job” ad about Google Gemini’s artificial intelligence also stole the show last night, showing a man’s best job ever: fatherhood. 

Opening with a man talking as he peers into a fridge decorated with images of him and his daughter hugging. 

“When you’re ready, tell me about the job that taught you the most,” an AI assistant prompts the pajama-wearing dad. 

“It was a role where I worked long hours with a small team,” the father answers, as images flood the screen of a baby crying at night, before showing the mother coming to take her turn caring for the infant. 

“I did a lot of multitasking and negotiating,” he says as he’s shown juggling the baby while he’s on a call and trying to stir something on the stove. 

“One more book,” he then says to a little toddler, who answers back: “Two more ...”

The AI voice mentions how much collaborating is part of this job, and the dad agrees, saying: “I don’t always have all the answers, but I get the job done, no matter how long it takes” as he is shown teaching his teen daughter how to drive. 

“Last question,” the AI assistant asks. “What motivates you?” 

“I guess knowing that people can depend on me. And knowing that I can depend on them too,” the now-aging father says as his daughter returns back to the car for one last hug at college drop-off — and the father reminisces, still hugging that tiny child, about the early days of his dream job. 

Although the commercial is highlighting the Google Pixel phone and this new era of artificial intelligence being used in almost every facet of business, now including job counseling and even interview preparation, Google showcased the truly wonderful gift of parenting.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

Minnesota bishops call for ‘generous but also prudent’ welcome of refugees

Migrants walk alongside the railroad tracks after dismounting from the “La Bestia” train, which they rode through Mexico to reach the Mexico-U.S. border near Chihuahua, Mexico, on Sept. 27, 2023. / Credit: David Peinado Romero/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 10, 2025 / 16:00 pm (CNA).

Minnesota’s Catholic bishops released a statement Feb. 7 advocating for “comprehensive immigration reform to fix our broken system” while urging the Trump administration to refrain from deporting migrants without criminal records.

“Sadly, our nation’s immigration system is broken. For too long, our laws on paper said ‘stop, no entry’ while in fact, for economic and political reasons, undocumented migrants were allowed inside, sometimes with the encouragement of business interests and even our government,” the statement from the eight bishops reads.

“As Pope Francis has said, migrants have been too often treated as ‘pawns on the chessboard of humanity,’” the bishops said. “Elected officials in both major political parties have failed to rise above political calculation and collaborate on a solution rooted in respect for migrants and the common good of the nation.”

“The Biden administration’s migration policies exacerbated these problems, and as a response, President Trump has resolved to instigate measures focused primarily on enforcement and deportations,” the statement reads.

The bishops called on citizens “to appeal to Congress and the president for comprehensive reform of our broken system that includes resources for improved border security, a generous but also prudent welcome of refugees and those seeking asylum that does not overly burden local communities, and pathways to legal status for long-term undocumented residents.”

The bishops in the statement took issue with a Jan. 21 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directive rescinding Biden-era guidelines that previously required Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to seek their superior’s approval before arresting people at or near “sensitive locations” such as churches, hospitals, or schools.

“We appeal to the administration for a revised order that would establish that, absent exigent circumstances, no immigration enforcement action may take place on Catholic church or school property without a properly executed warrant,” the statement reads.

The statement aligns with others from bishops across the nation in urging the administration to prioritize deporting “those with criminal records” rather than migrants without criminal records, many of whom have lived in the United States for years.

“We oppose any campaign of indiscriminate immigration enforcement that threatens to unnecessarily or unjustly separate the families of those we have come to know as our brothers and sisters in Christ,” the bishops said.

The statement also acknowledges the need for securing borders but calls for human dignity to be upheld while doing so.

“The fact that we advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and the just enforcement of laws against those already residing here is not simple-minded advocacy for ‘open borders.’ We recognize that public officials have the responsibility of protecting their citizens and both promoting public safety and putting the needs of their people first.”