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U.S. Bishops Affirm Advancement of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Dr. Gertrude Barber

BALTIMORE - At their November Plenary Assembly, the bishops of the United States held a canonical consultation on the cause of beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Dr. Gertrude A. Barber.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and Bishop Edward M. Lohse of Kalamazoo and a member of the same committee, facilitated the presentation of the cause to the bishops. With 205 votes in favor, 6 votes against, and 19 abstentions, the bishops affirmed their support for the advancement of the cause of beatification and canonization at the local level.

A brief biography of Dr. Gertrude Barber was provided by the Diocese of Erie:

Dr. Gertrude Agnes Barber was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1911. After the death of her father during the 1918 flu pandemic, her eldest brother left school to support the family, ensuring his siblings could continue their education – a sacrifice that had profound impact on Gertrude’s lifelong advocacy of education. 

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and began her career as a teacher in the Erie School District in 1931. While teaching, she continued her education, earning a master’s and doctoral degree in education, becoming a school psychologist and administrator. Her work with children with special needs profoundly impacted her and in 1952 she opened her first class for children with intellectual disabilities. Dr. Barber’s mission expanded throughout her career, opening the first home for children with disabilities in 1958. In 1971, she left the Erie School District to lead an organization serving individuals of all ages, providing care for children from 24 area school districts, adult training and job placement services, group homes and recreational programs, a retirement center for adults in their senior years, and mental health support services. 

Dr. Barber passed away on April 29, 2000, but her legacy continues through the Barber National Institute, which provides services to thousands of children and adults with autism, intellectual, and physical disabilities and behavioral health challenges and their families across Pennsylvania. 

The cause of beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Dr. Gertrude A. Barber was formally opened by Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of Erie in December 2019. 

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U.S. Bishops Affirm Advancement of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Sister Annella Zervas, OSB

BALTIMORE - At their November Plenary Assembly, the bishops of the United States held a canonical consultation on the cause of beatification and canonization of Sister Annella Zervas, a professed religious of the Order of Saint Benedict.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, facilitated the presentation to the bishops. With 206 votes in favor, 7 votes against, and 11 abstentions, the bishops affirmed their support for the advancement of the cause of beatification and canonization at the local level.

By a voice vote, the bishops affirmed their support for the advancement of the cause of beatification and canonization at the local level.

A brief biography of Sister Annella Zervas was provided by the Diocese of Crookston:

Anna Cordelia Zervas was born on April 7, 1900, in Moorhead, Minnesota. From a young age, she exhibited a deep devotion to the Eucharist and prayer and attended Mass daily. At age fifteen, she entered the convent of the Benedictine Sisters in St. Joseph, Minnesota. She received the Benedictine habit in 1918, receiving the name Sister Mary Annella, made her simple profession in July 1919, and her solemn profession in July 1922. Sister Annella was known for her devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, as well as for her kindness, generosity, sense of humor, musical talent and artistic abilities.

About a year after her solemn profession, Sister Annella began suffering from a severe, undiagnosable illness. The illness was marked with extreme physical suffering that eventually prevented her from living in the monastery and forced her to return to her family for care. Despite the pain, Sister Annella maintained unwavering faith and joy, and she focused on the spiritual welfare of others, inspiring others with her kindness and calm. Holy Communion was her greatest consolation in her suffering, and she trusted that God had a special reason for her suffering, and that He would bring it to an end when He wished, remarking, “I am buying my ticket for eternity, and it is well worth the price.” 

Sister Annella passed away on August 14, 1926, at the age of 26. She is remembered as an “apostle of suffering for our day,” with her life serving as a testament to radical trust in God and full obedience to His holy will. Central to Sister Annella’s legacy is her belief that the Eucharist is life’s greatest consolation, teaching the importance of recognizing God’s true presence in this sacrament. Her life serves as an example of profound trust and obedience, offering a model of holiness for Catholics around the world. 

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U.S. Bishops Vote for USCCB Treasurer-elect and Committee Chairmen-elect at Fall Plenary Assembly

BALTIMORE – At their Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted for a Conference treasurer and chairmen for five standing committees. The Conference treasurer also serves as the chairman of the Committee on Budget and Finance. All six bishops will serve for one year as chairmen-elect before beginning a three-year term at the conclusion of the bishops’ 2025 Fall General Assembly. 

The bishops elected as chairmen-elect are: 

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, as treasurer-elect, and chairman-elect of the Committee on Budget and Finance in a 156-84 vote over Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford.

Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, as chairman-elect of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations in a 146-94 over Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, SEMV, auxiliary bishop of Hartford.

Bishop Michael G. Woost, auxiliary bishop of Cleveland, as chairman-elect of the Committee on Divine Worship in a 128-112 over Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland in Oregon.

Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, as chairman-elect of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development in a 158-81 over Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of Paterson.

Bishop Edward J. Burns of Dallas as chairman-elect of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth in a 147-91 over Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln.

Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria as chairman-elect of the Committee on Migration in a 155-85 over Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of Yakima.

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Vatican bank head, experts promote faith-consistent investment funds

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholic institutions and individuals have hundreds of millions of dollars to invest but have almost no investment funds tailored to ensuring their money goes only to companies that respect Catholic moral and social teaching, said the head of the Vatican bank.

In response, Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of the Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican bank, and a handful of specialized asset managers organized a meeting in London to find ways to convince financial services providers that there is a demand for Catholic and Christian faith-consistent investment funds.

The meeting Nov. 11-12 is the second "Mensuram Bonam Summit," named after the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences' 2022 document "Mensuram Bonam" (For Good Measure). Subtitled "Faith-Based Measures for Catholic Investors: A Starting Point and Call to Action," the document lists 24 topics -- from abortion to water -- that should be considered when planning an investment strategy that generates the funds necessary to continue the church's mission but does so in the most ethical way possible.

De Franssu and Peter Hugh Smith, chief executive of London-based CCLA Investment Management and host of the conference, spoke to reporters on a Zoom call Nov. 7.

The Vatican, dioceses around the world and religious congregations have a patrimony of an estimated $1.75 trillion to invest but there are only a handful of investment funds that meet the multiple criteria of being consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church, De Franssu said.

In comparison, he said, going online to Morningstar or another investment-tracking website will show dozens of Sharia-compliant funds for Muslims who want to exclude investments in companies that, for example, produce or are involved in alcohol, pork, tobacco, gambling and pornography.

"Most faith-based investors do not want to financially benefit from the things they find inappropriate or things that are against their faith," Hugh Smith said. But also, through their investments, shareholder resolutions and dialogue with the companies they invest in, they can drive change.

If financial service providers knew the criteria that Catholics or Christians in general were looking for in faith-consistent funds, they would respond, De Franssu said, since "there is a lot of money to be made because we represent a significant amount of investable assets." 

Dominican Sister Helen Alford
Dominican Sister Helen Alford, president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, speaks at the Mensuram Bonam Summit on faith-consistent investing in London Nov. 11, 2024. (CNS photo/Courtesy of CCLA Investment Management, Gordon Stabbins)

The London meeting is supported by the Netherlands-based Anthos Fund and Asset Management, and U.S.-based firms CBIS Catholic Responsible Investments, Catholic Investment Services and Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors.

In an interview with Catholic News Service, De Franssu said the first Mensuram Bonam Summit, held in Rome in 2023, made clear that many bishops and especially many religious women and men responsible for managing assets have little idea about how to make their investments consistent with their faith and not just generically "socially responsible."

Working with the Collège des Bernardins in Paris, he and others have designed a 20-hour online course that will launch in French in January to help Catholics charged with investing the money of their dioceses or religious orders. It will include a deep dive into what Catholic social teaching entails and practical guidance on ethical asset management and making "impactful investments."

De Franssu said they already are in discussions with other Catholic universities to offer the course in other languages and with information geared to the investment market in other countries. 

Cardinal Marx and Jean-Baptiste de Franssu
German Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, coordinator of the Vatican Council for the Economy, center, and Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of the Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican bank, right, speak to a participant at the Mensuram Bonam Summit on faith-consistent investing in London Nov. 11, 2024. (CNS photo/Courtesy of CCLA Investment Management, Gordon Stabbins)

The Vatican bank director said that when he was hired in 2014, the institution's investment portfolio was not fully consistent with church teaching.

"I used to say that the pope would appear at the Angelus and say a number of things on Sunday" and people at the bank "would do exactly the contrary on Monday," he said. "But that's long gone, and, yes, we are completely in line with the teaching of the pope."

But faith-consistent investing requires constant monitoring and asking new questions, he said. For example, the bank is not investing in some companies developing artificial intelligence "because we do not understand how far this technology may have an impact on the dignity of the human person," given its possible application in weapons systems and other fields where life-and-death decisions are at stake.

"So, it's not always abortion or armaments or fossil fuels," he said. "The issues can be much broader."
 

Vatican, Microsoft unveil AI-generated 'digital twin' of St. Peter's

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Aimed at reaching out to people unable to go to Rome for the Holy Year and helping the millions who are expected to visit St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican teamed up with Microsoft and other specialized experts to create a "digital twin" of the church for an immersive and more meaningful experience.

St. Peter's Basilica will be launching a new website to feature the virtual views, streaming services of religious celebrations and podcasts of prayerful meditations as well as an app Dec. 1, that will help visitors with suggested itineraries, audio guides and real-time updates about the lines to the Holy Door and other sites.

Also, in January, young students around the world will be able to explore the basilica on Microsoft's game-based learning platform, Minecraft Education. 

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Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, speaks at a news conference at the Vatican Nov. 11, 2024. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)

The multiple projects use AI technology to help people weave together the historical, artistic and spiritual meanings connected with the world's largest church, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of the basilica, told reporters at a Vatican news conference Nov. 11.

The "digital ecosystem," he said, will accompany visitors and help them have a more spiritual experience.

The cardinal said the idea to create the new services emerged when he and Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, were admiring Michelangelo's La Pieta' statue together in the basilica in 2022 and decided it would be important to share the meaning of these ancient and important works of art in a way that is "understandable and accessible" to more people. 

Smith said it also flowed from the fact the tech giant has been working closely with Vatican officials since 2018 starting with the "Rome Call for AI Ethics," a commitment by global organizations to follow key ethical principles in today's emerging technologies.

The tech company's "AI for Good" lab uses AI to model and create digital representations of any physical body, be it a factory, a building or an entire city. And "Microsoft had done similar work elsewhere in Europe," he said, by creating a 3D-holographic form of France's Mont-Saint-Michel. 

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Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, speaks at a news conference at the Vatican Nov. 11, 2024. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)

Working with Iconem, a French startup specializing in the digitization of important cultural sites in 3D, experts used cameras, laser scanners and two drones for one month in 2023 to capture almost half a million high-resolution images of St. Peter's Basilica, Smith said.

They collected 20 petabytes of data, which would need almost 5 million DVDs to record all that data, he said. To comprehend what 5 million DVDs look like, he said they would tower 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) high if stacked one on top of another.

Sophisticated AI technology was used to piece all those photos together, he said. The tech is so new that it was not available even two and a half years ago "when we started talking about his project."

The result is viewers can explore the basilica from top to bottom, getting closeup looks even of St. Peter's tomb below, and workers at the basilica can identify previously unseen cracks, missing tiles or other potential repairs needing attention, Smith said. 

The basilica will also be offering two new immersive exhibits. One is on the roof of the basilica in which high-resolution images of the basilica are cast on the cement dome of the cupola and the other is along the windowed corridor looking over the interior of the basilica showing a series of images about the history of the church, which will be celebrating the 400th anniversary of its consecration in 1626 after construction began in 1506. 

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Notes written in pencil can be seen on the wall inside an upper floor corridor of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 11, 2024. The notes were left by maintenance workers who had to rappel out of the windows in order to do work on the interior of the basilica for the Holy Year 1900 and for preparations in 1899. (CNS photo/Carol Glatz)

The exhibit also features testimonies written in pencil on the walls by basilica workers from the past who would launch themselves from the upper floors by rope in order to rappel down to do cleaning and restoration work on the mosaics and frescos below.  

As COP 29 Convenes, “Consider the Impact of Climate Change Policies on Poor and Vulnerable”

WASHINGTON – Consider the impact of climate change policies on the poor and vulnerable, said bishop chairmen who lead committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that address climate policy. The two bishops were joined by the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS). In advance of the gathering next week of world leaders in Azerbaijan for the United Nations’ annual meeting on climate, COP29, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, and Mr. Sean Callahan released a statement calling on delegates and policymakers attending the meeting to remember the poor and vulnerable in their deliberations.

"The impact of climate change policies on the poor and vulnerable must be placed foremost in the minds and hearts of the leaders and influencers gathering at next week’s conference. Pope Francis has underscored the care for our earth in his encyclical Laudato Si’, and also emphasized care for the poor and outcast. As leaders gather next week for COP 29, it is our prayer that this be a priority at the center of deliberations on climate change. 

“This year’s COP29 focuses on a new finance goal. As the effects of climate change become more devastating, the needs of poor people and countries must shape this goal. Sadly, loans to address climate policy have accounted for too much of climate finance. This needs to be avoided moving forward. Because of the blessings God has bestowed, the United States bears a special responsibility to shape these discussions to serve the entire human family. Along with greater financial ambition, parties should seek standards of accountability and transparency to prioritize the most vulnerable, while also affording the greatest impact. 

“The poor and vulnerable suffer the brunt of intensifying disasters, which is why adopting effective adaptation investment strategies is a matter of justice. While resources and proven technologies to withstand many natural and man-made disasters already exist, sadly these are often a privilege for the wealthy. 

“Adaptation benefits developed and developing nations alike. Adaptation saves lives and protects ecosystems. In many instances the costs of avoided disaster relief surpass the costs of building resilience. May COP29 contribute to the health and healing of our common future.” 

Archbishop Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace. As president and CEO of CRS, Mr. Callahan leads the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the United States.

Previous USCCB statements and advocacy may be found at the following links:

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God's love also comes through people being kind to each other, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- There is no such thing as people who only take and never give, Pope Francis told a group of visitors experiencing homelessness and volunteers who assist them.

"We are all givers and receivers, we all need each other and are called to enrich each other," he said during a private audience at the Vatican Nov. 8.

The group, called "Begegnung im Zentrum" ("Encounter in the Center"), is based in Vienna, Austria, and regularly meets at the residence of its archbishop, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.

"You come from very different countries, you belong to different religious faiths and each of you has had your own unique life experiences, sometimes serious ordeals," the pope told his guests.

"But one thing unites us all: we are brothers and sisters, we are children of one Father," he said. 

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Pope Francis shakes hands with a member of a group of visitors experiencing homelessness and volunteers who assist them in Vienna, Austria, during an audience in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican, Nov. 8, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The pope praised the group members for helping each other and sharing what each is able to offer. "Indeed, it is not true that some give and others only receive."

Giving and sharing are not just about material things, he said. They include things like "a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed."

"Let us always try, as brothers and sisters, to make our lives a gift for others," he said.

God offers the gift of his love, "which also comes to us through the good people around us," he said.

"The Lord loves us beyond all of our limitations and difficulties," Pope Francis said. "Each one of us is unique in his eyes, and he never forgets us."

Pregnancy Help Centers Ensure That No Woman is Left Alone in Her Own Hour of Need

WASHINGTON - Across the United States, approximately 2,750 pregnancy help centers offer life-affirming support to pregnant and parenting women in need. In recognition of their contribution to the common good, and in observance of Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, November 11-15, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement:

“During Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, we celebrate the thousands of pregnancy care centers providing life-saving help to the most vulnerable group in our society: pregnant women in need. As Advent approaches, we remember the Blessed Virgin Mary who in her hour of need found no room at the inn.

“Our country’s network of pregnancy care centers and maternity homes work to ensure that no woman is left alone in her own hour of need. These centers provide a spectrum of resources including baby clothes and diapers, childcare and career services, referrals to homes where pregnant and parenting moms can live for free, and many other forms of housing, food, and financial assistance. Many pregnancy care centers also provide some medical services, including ultrasounds, prenatal and postnatal care, and referrals to hospitals for free or low-cost childbirth. Their loving service and profound accompaniment continues far beyond the birth of the child, with mothers reporting that their pregnancy care center ‘never let them go.’ We commend pregnancy help centers for their faithful love of Christ in serving vulnerable mothers.”

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Pope Francis Appoints Father Artur Bubnevych as Bishop of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Holy Protection of Mary

WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Artur Bubnevych, as Bishop of the Byzantine Eparchy of Holy Protection of Mary. Bishop-elect Bubnevych is a priest of Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix and currently serves as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on November 8, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Bubnevych was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Bubnevych was born on June 22, 1975, in Perechin, Ukraine. He graduated from Uzhgorod Greek Catholic Seminary of the Blessed Theodore Romzha in 1998. He was ordained to the subdiaconate in January 1999 in the Eparchy of Mukachevo in Ukraine. In 2001, he earned a licentiate of sacred theology from the International Theologica Institute for studies of marriage and family in Austria. In 2013, Father Bubnevych was invited to the Eparchy of Phoenix where he was ordained to the diaconate in March 2014 and ordained to the priesthood on September 14, 2014.

Bishop-elect Bubnevych has served as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 2014. He has also held positions within the eparchy, including: member of the Inter Eparchial Youth and Young Adult Commission (May 2018- present) and member of the Eparchial Vocation Board (January 2023- present). 

The Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Holy Protection of Mary ministers to 2,537 Catholics of the Byzantine-Ruthenian Church in the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii.

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Top Vatican official hopes Trump will promote peace, national unity

ROME (CNS) -- The Vatican secretary of state said his prayer for Donald J. Trump is that God would grant him wisdom "because that is the main virtue of those who govern according to the Bible."

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, spoke briefly to reporters Nov. 7 outside Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University.

Asked about Trump's victory Nov. 5 and looking toward his second term as president, Cardinal Parolin said, "I think he has to work above all to be president of the whole country and therefore overcome the polarization that has occurred and is very evident."

"We also hope he can be a factor for détente and pacification in the current conflicts that are bloodying the world," the cardinal said. "He said he will end the wars. Let's hope so. But, of course, he doesn't have a magic wand either." 

Donald and Melania Trump at Madison Square Garden
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Melania Trump are seen at a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City Oct. 27, 2024. In his speech there, Trump again said he would launch "the largest deportation program in American history." (OSV News photo//Carlos Barria, Reuters)

As for Trump's repeated vow to "launch the largest deportation program in American history" and to severely limit all immigration, Cardinal Parolin said the Vatican supports a comprehensive and "wise policy toward migrants so that it does not go to these extremes."

Pope Francis has recognized the right of nations to regulate immigration but also has insisted those policies promote an attitude of welcoming people seeking safety and a better life, accompanying them as they settle in and helping them integrate. Cardinal Parolin told reporters, "I think this is the only way to deal with the problem and to solve it in a humane way."

The cardinal said he is not worried that U.S.-Vatican relations will suffer under Trump's leadership. "We maintained relations with the president during his previous term and will continue to do so."

"As always," he said, "there are elements that bring us closer and elements that differentiate and distance us, and this will be an opportunity to exercise dialogue and to try to find more points of consensus for the benefit of the common good and world peace."

Opposition to abortion is one common position, and Cardinal Parolin said he hoped Trump would work on a broader understanding of the defense of human life and do so in a way that will bring people together "and not let it again become a policy of polarization and division."

Cardinal Parolin was at the Gregorian University to address a conference marking the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, looking specifically at the impact of artificial intelligence on international humanitarian law, particularly in conflict situations.

The development of artificial intelligence shows just how creative human beings can be, but the technology must always be under human control, he said.

Machines cannot make moral decisions, and those decisions are critical in situations of war and violence, Cardinal Parolin told the conference, which is why the Holy See strongly supports an international treaty governing the use of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems.

"We cannot allow life and the future of anyone to be determined by an algorithm," he said.