Tag: Christianity

Citing the country’s high maternal mortality rate, United States Conference of Catholics Bishops committee chairmen recently wrote to Congress to encourage lawmakers to address the nation’s maternal health crisis.

In a May 8 letter, the chairmen called on Congress to place a high priority on policies that advance the health, safety, and flourishing of women, children and families. More specifically, the chairmen called for Congress to enact policies that respect life and dignity, honor conscience rights, are “truly affordable,” and provide comprehensive and high-quality health care.

The chairmen also note that the policies are important because health care is a human right, and therefore women must “receive maternal health care that encompasses a holistic view of their inherent dignity and value as expressed in the unique and God-given role of motherhood.”

“While no single policy can fully address the complex maternal health care crisis, the common good demands diligent work to create policies that will improve and protect the health of mothers and their children,” the chairmen state in the letter.

The letter is signed by Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, Chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Chair of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Chair of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published research in March that found that maternal death rates in the United States increased by 144 percent from 9.65 per 100,000 live births in 1999-2002 to 23.6 per 100,000 live births in 2018-2021. The research also found that direct obstetric deaths increased from 8.41 per 100,000 live births in 1999-2002 to 14.1 per 100,000 live births in 2018-2021.

In the letter, the USCCB chairmen also highlighted that the data shows that Black and Indigenous women are at particularly high risk, and expressed a general concern over the racial disparities that accompany the rise in maternal mortality and morbidity rates.

They also noted that as pastors they see mothers and families struggling with the impacts of poverty and economic stressors, racism, discrimination, family breakdown, and other forms of injustice as they seek to build and grow their families. They also express concern over the rise in the maternal mortality and morbidity rates and the accompanying racial disparities.

“We urge you to consider policies that, in line with our long-standing health care principles, provide health care formulated to meet the needs of mothers from every walk of life,” the chairmen wrote in the letter.

In the realm of affordability, the chairmen renewed a previous call the conference had made for Congress to require states to provide Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum. They also want Congress to give particular attention to poor women and families, especially those who cannot afford insurance but also do not qualify for Medicaid.

“We call for bipartisan collaboration to address the cost of childbirth, with special attention to ensuring that help goes to the mothers and families who need it most,” the chairmen said.

The chairmen also advocated for the passage of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act and the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, which they argue would address the maternal mortality crisis and the high rate of preterm births in the United States.

The Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act would reauthorize federal support for state-based committees that review pregnancy-related deaths, in an effort to identify the causes to then make recommendations to prevent future mortalities. The bill was passed in the House with bipartisan support in March.

Similarly, The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act – the “Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act” – would aim to improve pregnancy outcomes and infant health by continuing research and education programs aimed at preventing preterm births. The bill was passed in the House with bipartisan support in December.

“These two pieces of legislation would facilitate further understanding of maternal mortality and preterm births and promote efforts to prevent them, and we urge you to pass these bills this term,” the chairmen said.

New York, May 14, 2024

Photo: lifo.gr     

Over the weekend, the outlet lifo.gr published an interview with Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America entitled, “Discriminating against people based on their love life isn’t Orthodoxy.”

In the interview, the Archbishop discusses the Baptism that he served in Greece in the Abp. Elpidophoros praised for serving “first openly gay baptism”In the midst of the ongoing scandal involving the Archbishop’s plans to consecrate a defrocked former priest as a bishop for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which other hierarchs have characterized as a serious threat to Orthodox unity in America, the GOARCH head has made headlines by baptizing the children of a gay celebrity couple.

“>summer of 2022, dubbed the Greek Church’s “first openly gay Baptism” by one of the gay fathers of the children who were baptized.

The event became an international scandal, and the Greek Holy Synod Greek Synod sends protest letter to Abp. Elpidophoros about “gay baptism”The Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece decided today to send a letter of protest to Archbishop Elpidophoros of Constantinople’s Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America regarding the Baptism that he recently celebrated for the children of a gay celebrity couple.

“>sent a letter of protest to Abp. Elpidophoros and a corresponding letter to Patriarch Bartholomew. The Archbishop was Abp. Elpidophoros on Athos: Visits several monasteries, not given customary reception by monastic governing bodyThe Archbishop and his fellow pilgrims visited five monasteries, serving at some of them, but he was not afforded the customary reception of a hierarch by the Epistasia.”>not accorded the usual greeting of a hierarch when he visited Mt. Athos in January of this year because of the public spectacle surrounding the “gay Baptism.”

Nevertheless, Abp. Elpidophoros affirms in the new interview that he would absolutely serve such a Baptism again.

He also compares the hierarchs of the Greek Church who openly protested the Greece becomes first Orthodox country to legalize gay marriageGreek Parliament voted late last night, despite the fierce and persistent resistance from the Church and society, to legalize gay marriage and adoption by gay couples.

“>legalization of gay marriage in Greece with antisemites and Nazis.

Abp. Elpidophoros also argues that because 70% of Orthodox marriages in America today are to non-Orthodox or even non-Christians, the Church can’t have an “exclusionary mentality.” He has Abp. Elpidophoros publicly reiterates his stance on open Communion for non-Orthodox spousesIn a virtual town hall meeting held yesterday, Saturday, April 11, Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople publicly reiterated his belief that non-Orthodox spouses who were married in the Orthodox Church should be allowed to receive Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church.

“>openly stated in the past that because of the prevalence of these mixed marriages, the non-Orthodox spouses of Orthodox Christians should be allowed to receive Holy Communion in Orthodox churches.

Read the relevant portion of the Archbishop’s new interview:

—Is there room for modernization in the Church?

—Over the years, the Church has changed and evolved. Clearly, what cannot be influenced are the principles of the faith. Everything else, however, can be modernized. Undoubtedly, some people get agitated even at the mention of the word “change.” I advocate that the practice of our religious duties cannot be threatened, just adapted. You change the way the truth of the Gospel is expressed. You put new wine into old wineskins, as our sacred texts mention. Confidence and courage are needed from the clergy so that in every era we can speak the language and communication codes of the time. Otherwise, we only manage to marginalize the Church and put ourselves out of community. Consider that today 70% of marriages in the United States are made with non-Orthodox and in many cases non-Christians. Therefore, if we adopt an exclusionary mentality, our flock will diminish each year. However, the Church has always embraced and will embrace all people. Everyone is accepted and welcome.

—You faced intense criticism for serving the first Baptism of a same-sex couple’s children in Greece. After everything that was written and said, do you have any regrets?

—First, let’s clarify, because this was also misinterpreted, that we are talking about a Baptism ceremony, not a marriage. When the parents asked me to baptize their children, as I was obliged to do, I accepted with great joy. Besides, the Godparents were Orthodox and I had absolutely no reason to refuse. This novel and truly incredible criterion that some use, namely that we must discriminate against people based on their sexual life, is not Orthodoxy, it doesn’t even count as a humane attitude. We can’t elevate sexual behavior and someone’s love life as the sole criterion either to accept or reject them. These are unprecedented things and I would say that in Greece, they are a result of an imported Western Puritanism. For example, they interpret the original sin as sexual. If you read Genesis, nowhere does it mention sex nor that the original sin was related to a “sexual” act. Essentially, it was nothing more than the rejection of God’s authority on moral issues, namely disobedience, i.e. a misuse of the freedom of choice. We don’t even know if it was an apple, if it was generally a fruit, because it doesn’t matter. The motive was selfishness and ambition, not sex or love. It was a Puritan fabrication and nothing else, aimed at incriminating sexual acts and romantic behavior, and on top of this guilt narrative, which has nothing to do with Christian teaching, some invested in order to control people, projecting an inherited punishment. Thus, we reached, even in Greece, this extreme phenomenon, where the sexual behavior of a person becomes a criterion for any discrimination in professional, social, or political spheres, even within the Church. It is entirely un-Christian and never has Greek culture weighed any person according to their romantic behavior. We must condemn all forms of violence, verbal and physical, and denounce the hatred and prejudice based on each person’s differences.

—Did the criticism and what was written about your trip to Mount Athos and the possibility of a postponement because you would not be welcomed bother you?

—Criticism makes us all better and it doesn’t bother me. What saddened me is that the facts were misrepresented, something that also reflects the real intention of the people who protested. What we eventually saw happen is a defamation campaign on the verge of yellow journalism. I repeat, all I did was baptize two little children. And it’s something I would do again, without any difficulty.

—On the occasion of the voting on the marriage equality bill, we heard incendiary statements from metropolitans like Nikolaos of Mesogaias, who in his lengthy report to the Synod characterized homosexuality as a deviation and mentioned that “our biggest mistake would be to accept that the homosexual act, apart from being a psychological disorder, is not also a sin.” How would you comment on that?

—Look, I listen carefully to everyone who seeks my advice. However, I am neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist. Therefore, to come out publicly and stigmatize anyone, I must tell you, I consider it fascistic. And fascistic behaviors are based on blaming our fellow citizens for some reason. We have seen it historically happen, e.g., with the Nazis. It’s an extremely dangerous mentality, which manifests in various aspects. Look what’s happening with the rising trend of antisemitism. Therefore, is it possible for the Church to give the impression that it blesses or covers up or tolerates such behaviors with its silence? This is a malignant disease, a carcinoma that will spread to other parts of the body. Today it may be Jews, tomorrow homosexuals, the day after tomorrow dark-haired, blond people, and at some point, fascism will knock on our door and we will feel the cold metal cutting our neck. Especially, the degree of antisemitism in a society shows how healthy it is. These are ideologies that bloodied Europe and the world and can have no relation to Christian theology, no matter how some try to dress their extreme ideological fantasies in a Christian cloak.

—There were also some metropolitans who argued that those who voted for the marriage equality bill should be banned from entering the churches. What did you think of this?

—You see how the cancer I told you about progresses? Do you see that when something is left unchecked, it goes further? The abscess must be cut and we need to set a limit, because as a society, we’re very likely at risk. It’s clear, therefore, that fascist behaviors have no place in the Church.

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Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation May 9 that revives an effort to block Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that reversed its previous abortion precedent, Missouri banned abortion in most circumstances. Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, states on its local affiliate website that it no longer performs abortions in Missouri. But Planned Parenthood also indicates that abortions can be accessed across state lines at its clinics in Southern Illinois.

Supporters of allowing Planned Parenthood to receive Medicaid funds point to that group’s involvement in cancer screening and prevention services — such as pap tests and HPV vaccinations — but critics argue the funds are fungible and could be used to facilitate abortion despite the state’s prohibition.

Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid funding has long been a target of its pro-life critics, and state lawmakers have previously attempted to block the organization from Missouri’s Medicaid program, also known as MO HealthNet. In February, the Missouri Supreme Court found that lawmakers’ earlier attempt to defund Planned Parenthood was unconstitutional.

The new legislation, HB 2634, ends Medicaid reimbursements to any health care providers affiliated with abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood.

“Our administration has been the strongest pro-life administration in Missouri history,” Parson said in a statement. “We’ve ended all elective abortions in this state, approved new support for mothers, expecting mothers, and children, and, with this bill, ensured that we are not sending taxpayer dollars to abortion providers for any purpose. We thank members of the General Assembly for recognizing this important issue and sending this legislation to my desk.”

A statement from Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood of St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri said Parson’s “decision to sign this bill into law is deeply disappointing and harmful to the tens of thousands of Missourians who rely on Planned Parenthood for essential health care.”

“This bill not only defies the ruling of Missouri’s highest court but also flouts federal Medicaid law,” the statement said. “By denying Medicaid patients’ right to receive health care from Planned Parenthood, politicians are directly obstructing access to much-needed health services, including birth control, cancer screenings, annual wellness exams, and STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing and treatment.”

The statement further argued that other providers “cannot absorb the thousands of patients impacted by this ‘defunding’ attack. For this reason, Planned Parenthood health centers have worked to keep serving MO HealthNet patients at no cost though it is an unsustainable model for a state’s health care system.”

Pro-life groups, however, applauded the legislation.

“We applaud Gov. Parson and Republicans for standing up for the rights of girls and parents against the predatory abortion industry,” Sue Liebel, midwest regional director for SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement.

Liebel added, “We must continue to fight for parents as Planned Parenthood attempts to put an abortion measure on the ballot to wipe parental consent off the books and remove health and safety regulations that protect women and girls.”

Chelsey Youman, national legislative advisor for Human Coalition Action, said in a statement the group appreciates Parson “for his strong leadership in signing pro-life policies into law in Missouri: protections for children in the womb, support for mothers, and now blocking taxpayer funding of abortion facilities. This is what pro-life leadership looks like.”

“Life is a winning issue,” Youman said, “and pro-life voters will back any candidate who presents a compelling pro-life vision and enacts strong policies protecting children and supporting vulnerable mothers.”

The new law is scheduled to go into effect Aug. 28.

Pro-life legislation in Missouri may face a significant test at the ballot box in November. A constitutional amendment to legalize abortion turned in more than 380,000 voter signatures by May 3 — more than double the 171,000 required to qualify for the ballot — which election officials must process by July 30 in order to verify whether the measure can be placed on the ballot.

Missouri’s Catholic bishops have urged Catholics and people of good will to oppose the initiative, saying it “does nothing to reduce or eliminate the underlying social causes for abortion and does not further a true culture of life in the state.”

U.S.A., May 14, 2024

14 Baptisms and 2 Chrismations at St. Mark Orthodox Church in Rochester, MI. Photo: X     

For many parishes throughout the United States and the world, the joy of the Resurrection of Christ was united with the joy of new converts being received into the holy Orthodox Church.

Social media was flooded with messages about mass conversions, especially on Lazarus Saturday and Holy Saturday, meaning hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, of people celebrated their first Pascha as Orthodox Christians this year.

Some parishioners have reported 5-10 people being baptized and/or chrismated at their parishes, some have reported more than a dozen, and some have even reported several dozens of people receiving holy illumination together, sometimes including whole families.

Below are just a handful of the many joyous photos of new converts publicly shared on social media:

Seven converts (more than 35 over the past three years) at St. Innocent of Irkutsk Church in Redford, MI. Photo: X   

Eight newly illumined at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Salt Lake City, UT. Photo: X   

14 newly illumined at a church in Colorado. Photo: X   

11 newly illumined at Holy Virgin Mary Antiochian Church in West Sacramento     

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On June 1, Archbishop José H. Gomez will ordain 11 new priests for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

In the days leading up to their ordination, we’ll be introducing a new soon-to-be Father. Los Angeles, meet your new priests!

Age: 28

Hometown: Atemajac de Brizuela, Jalisco, Mexico

Home parish: St. Philip Neri, Lynwood

Parish assignment: St. John the Baptist, Baldwin Park

The norm in most Catholic families, parents will tell you, is that children require some effort — even convincing — to get to church on Sundays.

Lucio Trinidad was not one of those children. 

“Growing up, I’d force my Mom to take me to Mass,” confessed Trinidad, who grew up the fourth of five children in a small town in Jalisco, Mexico. 

Looking back, Trinidad credited his great-grandparents for transmitting that love for the faith. Although he moved to Southern California at the age of 11, he believes they played the most important role in his vocation: teaching him about the faith, bringing him to daily Mass, and encouraging his prayer life. 

There were other influences, too, like Trinidad’s uncle, a priest, and the parish pastor who recruited Trinidad as an altar server in his early years. When his family moved to the LA area, the thought of a possible life as a priest faded as he focused on learning English and getting used to a new country. 

“It was mostly a culture shock,” remembered Trinidad. “In the beginning it was hard.”

But while attending confirmation classes, God “sparked the fire again” in Trinidad to take discernment seriously. In particular, he remembered the joy he experienced helping in first Communion classes while earning service hours.

“I really enjoyed doing that, helping the kids build a relationship with God,” said Trinidad. “I think that influenced my decision a lot, just finding that joy every week in being there with the kids and sharing the faith with others.”

After graduating from Dominguez High School in Compton, he returned to Mexico for a year to take care of his great-grandmother, and even considered enrolling in seminary there. But after her death, he returned to California and entered seminary formation in Los Angeles: first at Juan Diego House in Gardena as an undergraduate in college, and then St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. 

Trinidad considers himself an introvert, a trait he wasn’t sure was a right fit for the priesthood. But he considers his internship year serving under Msgr. Jarlath Cunnane at St. Cornelius in Long Beach a turning point. While still an introvert who knows how to “enjoy solitude,” he found himself becoming more outgoing and open to people.

“That’s when everything flourished,” recalled Trinidad. “I saw myself as doing this for the rest of my life.”

Trinidad’s path to the priesthood has not come without tests. Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, his beloved great-grandfather died. Being unable to travel to Mexico for the funeral was hard, he remembered. But being instituted to the order of “acolyte” at the seminary a few months later helped Trinidad realize the source of a new special connection. 

“That was part of my growth in the Eucharist, to know that every time that I offer the Sacrifice, [my late relatives] will be by my side.”

There will certainly be relatives at Trinidad’s side on Ordination Day, including his grandfather and the 13 nephews and nieces who jokingly call him “Tio Bruno,” a reference to the mysterious, hidden character in the 2021 Disney film “Encanto” (“I don’t really show up for many things,” since entering the seminary, Trinidad laughed). 

Looking ahead, Trinidad sees the mission of a priest as more than just administering sacraments. He sees a need to “meet people where they’re at” and accompany them, especially those still searching for answers. 

“The biggest law of the Church is the salvation of souls, but how can I save souls without using my own soul?”

Trinidad believes that a key task ahead will be teaching people “how to have a relationship” with one another and with God, something he’s seen lacking in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. His dream for the Church in Los Angeles, he said, is that every encounter people have be one that leads to Jesus. 

“God is love, God is forgiveness, God is merciful,” said Trinidad. “That is the base for people to start a relationship, for them to walk and have a meaning in their life.”

Kiev, May 14, 2024

Photo: news.church.ua     

Faith begins in our head but must move to our hearts. And it is this faith of the heart that can move mountains, the primate of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church preached on Thomas Sunday.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Agapit of the Caves at the Kiev Caves Lavra, concelebrated by two brother hierarchs and the clergy of the monastery, reports the UOC’s Information-Education Center.

In his homily, His Beatitude recalled how the Apostle Thomas was not with the other disciples of Christ when the Lord first appeared to them, and he did not believe in Christ’s Resurrection until he saw Him Resurrected.

According to the Metropolitan, there are two types of faith—that of the mind and that of the heart:

For the faith of the heart to appear, the faith of the mind must be first. A grapevine first blooms, and then a cluster appears on it. But this bloom will not turn into a cluster if there’s no sunlight. If the bloom doesn’t bear fruit, then it won’t be any good. Similarly with faith. The faith of the mind is that light which helps the bloom grow into fruit. A person first believes with his mind, then begins to follow the Divine laws and entrusts himself to God. Then he begins to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit and his faith of the mind transforms into the faith of the heart. When the Lord says: If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove, He means the faith of the heart.

His Beatitude noted that from the fulfillment of the Divine laws comes the knowledge of God.

“That is, as we know each other and never doubt, so when a man acquires the faith of the heart, he begins to see God with the eyes of the soul,” the UOC primate explained.

And faith is the foundation upon which all spiritual life is based.

“In our earthly life, everything begins with faith, then by faith we act and achieve the goal,” he said. “May the Lord help us, through the prayers of the holy apostle Thomas, to try to live according to the Divine laws and to cultivate the faith of the heart in ourselves.”

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Small children never doubt their need for a family. They live in utter dependency. Without help, they can’t eat, or get dressed, or hear their favorite stories read aloud.

They are on the receiving end of everything, and it makes for a good life. But, at some point, they become aware of yet another need: the need to be needed. They know that they’re not quite in “full communion” with the older family members, because they’re not yet contributing their fair share. To be needed — and not just to be loved — is what it means to be fully engaged in family life.

One afternoon when I was very young, I heard a scream from the kitchen. It was Mom’s voice! Immediately, I bolted down the hall and arrived to see my dear Mom backed up against the kitchen counter, terror flashing in her eyes. Mom scared? It was something I’d never seen before.

Her eyes were fixed downward, and she could barely get the words out: “Th- th-there’s a mouse!”

Then I realized: My mother needed me. Little me.

With the fire of filial courage inflaming my breast, off I went.

It took less than a minute. After cornering it, I reached down and grabbed it by the tail and picked it up. It was teeny-tiny. But Mom still looked on with terror in her eyes.

I then asked what seemed to be a very logical question, “What should I do?”

“Just get it out of here!”

Dutifully, I evicted the creature from the house and the drama was over.

But I knew that I had ascended to a new plane.

For the first time in my life, my Mom needed me! I could actually meet the needs of the person who had been meeting all of mine, all my life.

It was a moment of illumination, a full initiation into family life, a first glimpse of a mystery that dwelt at the heart of our family home.

What I glimpsed was the mysterious and inseparable relationship between love and sacrifice. We need to be needed for our own unique contribution, our own unique gifts. What we have been given, we long to give away in turn, and we won’t be happy until we fulfill that longing, until we give ourselves to someone else in love, holding nothing back.

The family is where these needs are satisfied in the natural way that was ordained by God. St. Augustine spoke of the family as a network of mutual, natural needs, which were really God’s gentle way of getting us to love one another (see “Confessions” 1.6).

The sacrament of marriage raises these natural drives and natural fulfillment to a supernatural level, so that all our loving and all our giving prepares us for the supreme and ultimate act of loving and giving, which we call heaven.

In May we traditionally honor our mothers, and especially Mary, the mother we share with Jesus. Do something great for them. 

St. Matthias was the disciple chosen to take the place of Judas as one of the 12 Apostles. In the Acts of the Apostles, he is listed as one of the 72 disciples that Jesus sent out to preach the good news. He was with the Lord since his baptism, and was “a witness to Christ’s Resurrection,” according to St. Peter. Matthias remained with Jesus until his Ascension.

Tradition tells us that Matthias, whose name means “gift of God,” preached in Cappadocia, Jerusalem, the shores of the Caspian Sea, and Ethiopia. He is said to have been martyred, either by crucifixion in Colchis or by stoning in Jerusalem.

St. Matthias is invoked for help against alcoholism, and for support by those in recovery.

Pope Francis reiterated the Vatican’s willingness to aid in a comprehensive prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine.

“I renew my appeal for a general exchange of all the prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, assuring the willingness of the Holy See to favor any effort in this regard, especially for those who are gravely injured and ill,” he said after praying the “Regina Caeli” in St. Peter’s Square May 12.

In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 3,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been freed from Russian captivity, and the United Arab Emirates mediated an exchange of 100 prisoners between Russia and Ukraine that same month.

The pope also appealed for prayers for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar in remarks to people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

During an airborne press conference April 30, 2023 — some 14 months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — Pope Francis confirmed that “the Holy See has acted as an intermediary in some exchanges of prisoners” between the warring nations.

The pope had also expressed his hope for a general exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine in his message “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) after celebrating Easter Mass this year; he called for a swap of “all for the sake of all!”

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, expressed optimism around the pope’s calls for a prisoner exchange in an interview published April 27, noting that “the pope’s appeal has been taken up and acted upon.”

After praying the “Regina Caeli” the pope also noted that May 12 was the church’s celebration of World Communications Day, for which the Vatican had chosen as its theme “Artificial Intelligence and the Wisdom of the Heart.”

“Only by restoring a wisdom of the heart can we interpret the demands of our time and rediscover the way toward a fully human communication,” he said.

And, as Italy and several other countries celebrated Mother’s Day, Pope Francis encouraged people to be grateful for all mothers and to “pray for the mothers who have gone to heaven.”

“Let us entrust mothers to the protection of Mary, our heavenly mother,” he said before asking the visitors in the square for a big round of applause for all mothers.

The nation’s largest Catholic health care system reported it experienced what it called a “cybersecurity incident” May 8, resulting in “a disruption to clinical operations.” The cyberattack is part of a rising and dangerous criminal trend targeting the entire health care sector.

In a May 9 update posted to its website, Ascension said it had “detected unusual activity” in its network systems and was “working around the clock with internal and external advisors to investigate, contain, and restore our systems following a thorough validation and screening process.”

The attack rendered unavailable Ascension’s electronic health records system, along with “some phone systems, and various systems utilized to order certain tests, procedures and medications,” according to the update.

Ascension said it had “temporarily paused” some nonemergency elective procedures, tests and appointments “out of an abundance of caution” while working to “bring systems back online.”

“Due to downtime procedures, several hospitals are currently on diversion for emergency medical services in order to ensure emergency cases are triaged immediately,” Ascension said.

“Safely caring for patients remains our highest priority as we navigate this cybersecurity incident,” the health care system added. “We are actively supporting our ministries as they continue to provide safe, patient care with established downtime protocols and procedures, in which our workforce is well trained.”

Ascension said it anticipated “utilizing downtime procedures for some time,” and advised patients to “bring to their appointment notes on their symptoms and a list of current medications and prescription numbers or the prescription bottles so their care team can call in medication needs to pharmacies.”

The health care sector is “particularly vulnerable” to cybersecurity attacks, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

A recent HHS strategy report noted that health care facilities “are attractive targets for cyber criminals in light of their size, technological dependence, sensitive data, and unique vulnerability to disruptions.”

Cyberattacks against health care systems are on the rise, according to the HHS, citing a 93% increase from 2018 to 2022.

HHS collaborates with the nation’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Health Sector Coordinating Council Cybersecurity Working Group to strengthen defenses against such breaches.

The agencies collectively stress the need to be vigilant for attempts to gain unauthorized access to systems, denial of service (DOS) attacks lasting more than 12 hours, malicious code, email or mobile messages associated with phishing attempts, and ransomware targeting critical infrastructure.

Headquartered in St. Louis, the nonprofit Ascension was initially formed as Ascension Health in 1999 by the Daughters of Charity National Health System and the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System, joined by the Carondelet Health System in 2002.

Over the years, a number of health care organizations have joined Ascension, which now operates at more than 2,600 sites in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

Ascension’s original sponsoring organizations were the St. Louise Province of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth (now part of Congregation of St. Joseph), the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the Congregation of Alexian Brothers and the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.

In 2011, the Vatican approved the creation of a canon law entity known as a “public juridic person” as the sole sponsor of Ascension, assuring the health care system “as a ministry will be sustained and strengthened over time, with both religious and lay persons serving as members,” according to Ascension’s website.