St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability’s Charleen Katra (right) speaks at a panel accompanied by former American Catholic Historical Association President Mary Dunn (left). | Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNA

Jan 13, 2026 / 10:41 am (CNA).

CHICAGO — A Catholic nonprofit that helps parishes and schools provide faith formation and catechesis for people with disabilities was selected to win the 2026 award for service to Catholic studies from the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA).

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) was presented the award during a panel discussion about the historical and modern interactions between the Church and Catholics with disabilities at the annual ACHA meeting in Chicago on Jan. 8.

During the discussion, panelists highlighted the ongoing efforts to make Catholic parish and school life more welcoming to members of the faithful who have disabilities and also spoke about persistent struggles to ensure that inclusivity is comprehensive throughout the Church.

“Though this recognition of our mission and ministry was very unexpected, it is both energizing and affirming,” Charleen Katra, executive director of NCPD, told CNA in a statement.

Katra said the award helps bring attention to the NCPD’s efforts to ensure Catholics with disabilities receive access to their baptismal rights: “To be educated in the faith; to live a sacramental life; and to respond to God’s call.”

“Persons with disabilities have unique gifts that bless the Church,” she said. “Thank you for blessing NCPD with this honor. We gratefully accept it on behalf of Catholics living with disabilities, and their families, who seek meaningful participation in the Church!”

Mary Dunn, outgoing ACHA president, said NCPD was selected because of its efforts to “promote real belonging” for those with disabilities and said “the lines between history and practice are always thin.”

Katra, who has a background in special education, said in the panel discussion that she first became involved in special religious education when she tutored a child with an intellectual disability named Brandon, who needed catechesis to prepare for the sacraments.

She said there are “a lot of different ways” to learn about God. Brandon needed multisensory learning that included a lot of visuals, which was not a learning experience offered at the parish at that time. In her current role, she helps provide training and resources to parishes to make sure Catholics with disabilities have access to a learning experience that fits their needs.

Although many parishes have incorporated these options into their catechesis, Katra said she still hears from families whose needs are not met by the Church. In some cases, she warned, families will leave the Catholic Church altogether if those needs are not met: “The Church can’t not look at this.”

“What happens?” she said. “They go somewhere else that will meet their needs or their loved one’s needs.”

“No one should not feel at home in the house of the Lord,” she added.

University of Southern Mississippi English professor Leah Parker, who has expertise in disability studies related to literature, said 15% of children in American public schools receive some form of special education, which highlights the need for greater inclusion.

“We’re all made in the image of God,” she said. “... I need my brothers and sisters with disabilities. We are incomplete without each other.”

The ACHA gave out two other awards during its 2026 annual meeting.

The Excellence in Teaching award was presented to Harvard ecclesiastical history professor Kevin Madigan. The Lifetime of Distinguished Scholarship Award was given to Yale history and religious studies professor Carlos Eire.

Claire Lai, the daughter of democracy advocate and Catholic Jimmy Lai, speaks to Veronica Dudo on “EWTN News Nightly” on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. | Credit: EWTN News / null

Jan 13, 2026 / 08:48 am (CNA).

Catholic human rights advocate Jimmy Lai is still dealing with deteriorating health as presentencing mitigation hearings began on Jan. 12 in Hong Kong.

Lai was found guilty on Dec. 15, 2025, of multiple violations of China’s national security laws. The verdict brought an end to several years of what advocates have described as a politically motivated show trial.

Presentencing mitigation hearings began for the 78-year-old, who is facing up to life in prison. His health was at the forefront of the conversation between the prosecution and defense attorneys.

“Even the prosecution admits he has health issues and very substantial ones,” Jimmy Lai’s daughter Claire Lai told CNA in a Jan. 12 interview. “They don’t deny it. They say: ‘He has health issues, but it’s OK. It will be managed by the CSD’ [Correctional Service Department].”

“There is significant data showing how the CSD fails to manage people who are especially diabetic and of his age,” Claire said. “The life expectancy of Hong Kong males is 83. He is not far from that, and we are obviously extremely, extremely worried.”

Jimmy’s health has declined as “the conditions in which he’s kept have progressively gotten worse,” Claire said.

“My father has been kept in solitary confinement since the summer of 2020, with the exception of the one week when he was on bail because he was at home. He has been kept continuously in solitary confinement the entire time. There’s no sign that any of this will change."

“When he’s moved around, whether it’s to go to court or to go to the showers, he is covered from head to toe in a thick black cloth so no one sees him and he doesn’t get to see anyone,” she said.

“He does not have any access to sunlight. There should be a window in his cell, which is smaller than most, which should lead outside and give him some access. In his case, it is deliberately sealed,” she said.

Claire said Jimmy “has one hour of exercise a day.” She added: “At the start of his incarceration, it was outdoors. And since then, they have covered the sky so he doesn’t get fresh air and he doesn’t get sunlight. The only light he gets is a reflection from a distant mirror in the corridor, if you can even call it [light].”

“The only social interaction he really gets is when family visits. Our family visits only add up to about 24 hours a year, if even that,” Claire said. “We are very worried that it will continue to be the case. Especially with the new prison rules.”

Claire detailed the prison rules that changed last summer to make family visits “more discretionary on the part of the CSD” and made aspects including pastoral visits “a lot more stringent.”

Faith continues to ‘protect’ Jimmy

In a subsequent interview with “EWTN News Nightly,” Claire highlighted her father’s Catholic faith and said it is what “protects his mind and his soul.”

While Jimmy’s “physical body is breaking down,” he continues to “read the Gospel every morning,” Claire said. He spends his time “praying and drawing the Crucifixion and the Blessed Mother.”

“On the issue of the Eucharist, I know the government has said that he receives it regularly,” Claire said. But “he receives it extremely intermittently. To be precise, he received it in the last two and a half years a total of 11 times. As a Catholic, that is not acceptable. We should at least receive it 52 times a year.”

Hope for a release

The only hope for a release is resolution on “a political level,” Claire said.

“It was very clear from the start that this was something that would be resolved leader to leader,” she said. “It isn’t something that can be resolved in the once-extremely promising but now-highly compromised Hong Kong legal system.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom has planned a visit to China, and President Donald Trump is expected to go in the coming months.

Claire said: “We hope that our father continues to be brought up and that this is something that can be resolved on a political level because that is the only way to save my father’s life.”

Bishops of Panama at a Mass during their 224th ordinary assembly. | Credit: Panamanian Bishops’ Conference

Jan 12, 2026 / 18:41 pm (CNA).

The Catholic bishops in Panama addressed the “urgent need to give ourselves a new constitution” in a message following the 224th ordinary assembly of bishops, which took place this week.

“It’s not just a matter of reforming texts but about renewing consensus, strengthening democratic institutions, guaranteeing social justice, and ensuring that the country’s legal framework is in line with the times we live in and those to come,” the prelates stated after their assembly, which was held from Jan. 5–8.

“Embracing the legacy of Jan. 9 [1964] requires a clear-sighted understanding of the challenges of the present time. Among them is the urgent need to give ourselves a new constitution that responds realistically and with a vision for the future to the aspirations of the Panamanian people,” the prelates stated.

On Jan. 9, 1964, a group of Panamanian students attempted to raise the Panamanian flag in the Panama Canal Zone, then under U.S. control, which sparked violent clashes with U.S. troops, leaving 21 dead and leading to the rupture of diplomatic relations. This event paved the way for the negotiations that ultimately returned control of the canal to Panama.

In their statement, the bishops noted that the sacrifice of these young people “reminds us that sovereignty is not inherited passively but is defended with conviction, unity, and generous dedication.”

Poverty that cries out to heaven

“The poor cannot wait. These are not just numbers or statistics; they are people with faces and stories. They are children, elderly people, women, young people, and entire communities whose dignity is violated every day. And we cannot remain indifferent either,” the bishops stated.

The bishops also emphasized the importance of caring for the environment and reaffirmed their “pastoral support for our brothers and sisters in Río Indio, and for those who must make decisions, so that discernment and decisions guarantee a decent life and secure land, without exclusions or impositions.”

In that area of ​​the country, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP by its Spanish acronym) is developing a large project to build a new reservoir to ensure water for the canal, which has generated opposition from local communities that will be flooded and relocated. The ACP promises compensation and a better standard of living, however.

The Panamanian bishops also expressed their “deep concern over the increase in violence that is becoming normalized in daily life” and emphasized that “no form of violence is acceptable, because it denies the dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, and is radically opposed to the Gospel of life and peace.”

They urged “that the justice system act responsibly and effectively, guaranteeing the real protection of victims and unrestricted respect for life.”

Solidarity with Venezuela

The bishops reiterated their “closeness and solidarity with the Church and the Venezuelan people. You are not alone. And in communion with the successor of Peter, we affirm that ‘the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above any other consideration and lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the country’s sovereignty, ensuring the rule of law enshrined in the constitution, and respecting the human and civil rights of all.”

“We unite in prayer so that the Lord may grant that nation the gift of reconciliation, harmony, and a future of cooperation, stability, and peace,” they emphasized.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Jan. 12, 2026. | Credit: The White House

Jan 12, 2026 / 18:07 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Paul Coakley and President Donald Trump met on Jan. 12 to discuss areas of “mutual concern,” which likely included topics related to immigration enforcement and Venezuela’s sovereignty.

The archbishop of Oklahoma City, Coakley, who was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November 2025, visited with Trump at the White House on Monday.

Following the meeting, Coakley indicated on X that in addition to meeting with Trump, he also met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“The meetings served as an introduction as well as an opening to further conversations on topics of mutual concern, which will hopefully carry forward,” the USCCB leader said.

“I appreciate the opportunity and welcome the potential for ongoing productive conversations,” he added.

The meeting was closed to the press.

Pope Leo XIV has said immigrants must be treated with dignity and has encouraged all people in the United States to heed the U.S. bishops’ message on immigration.

Coakley, appearing on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Dec. 21, 2025, had previously predicted that immigration would be a discussion topic with Trump and said: “I think we have opportunities to work together. We have opportunities to speak frankly with one another.”

After U.S. military action to capture Venezuela’s president, Pope Leo on Jan. 4 called for full respect for Venezuela’s national sovereignty and for the human and civil rights of its people.

Earlier in the day on Jan. 12, Pope Leo XIV met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the Vatican.

This story was updated on Jan. 13, 2026.

St. Francis of Assisi. | Credit: Paolo Gallo/Shutterstock

Jan 12, 2026 / 17:21 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a “Special Year of St. Francis” to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death. During this time of grace, which will extend until January 2027, the faithful are granted the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence.

This Franciscan Jubilee Year, considered a gift for the entire Church and an occasion for authentic spiritual renewal, was inaugurated on Jan. 10 with a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See.

Until Jan. 10 of next year, the faithful can obtain this grace under the usual conditions — sacramental confession, Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope — by making a pilgrimage to any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis anywhere in the world.

Furthermore, the elderly, the sick, and those who, for serious reasons, cannot leave their homes can obtain the plenary indulgence by spiritually joining in the jubilee celebrations and offering their prayers, pains, or sufferings to God.

In a world where “the virtual takes over the real, disagreements and social violence are part of everyday life, and peace becomes more insecure and distant every day, this Year of St. Francis spurs all of us, each according to our possibilities, to imitate the poor man of Assisi, to form ourselves as far as possible on the model of Christ,” the decree states.

For the Order of Friars Minor, this time is also an opportunity for the faithful to become “models of holiness of life and constant witnesses of peace.”

On the occasion of this anniversary, Pope Leo XIV addressed a letter to the ministers general of the Franciscan Family Conference in which he emphasized that “in this era, marked by so many seemingly endless wars, by internal and social divisions that create distrust and fear, he continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace.”

In this regard, he highlighted that St. Francis reminds us that “peace with God, peace among people, and peace with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts is releasing a report outlining ways to promote and support family life amid low marriage and birth rates on Jan. 12, 2026. | Credit: Jack Haskins CNA/EWTN News

Jan 12, 2026 / 16:51 pm (CNA).

The Heritage Foundation, led by former Wyoming Catholic College President Kevin Roberts, released its proposals to support family life amid low marriage and birth rates.

“We believe that this first foray into family policy by Heritage will not only cause a real important national conversation,” Roberts told reporters Jan. 12, “but one that also improves the discussion” in the U.S. Congress.

Roberts said Heritage is “pretty confident” the Trump administration will be amenable to the policy proposals contained in the paper, stating that “the good rhetoric from the administration, including the president himself, has signified that they understand that this is a civilizational problem.”

The report, titled “Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 Years,” is co-authored by Roger Severino, Jay Richards, Emma Waters, Delano Squires, Rachel Sheffield, and Robert Rector.

Heritage’s plan proposes eliminating all marriage penalties in welfare programs and the imposition of “meaningful work requirements” for welfare recipients.

The report encourages Congress to adopt financial incentives including the creation of a Newlywed Early Starters Trust (NEST) fund of $2,500 to support men and women who marry by age 30. The paper also calls on Congress to apply the current $17,670 adoption tax credit to married parents for each of their newborn children. Heritage’s plan proposes a $2,000 credit per child under 5 years old cared for at home to benefit families who prefer at-home child care over paid outside child care.

Ultimately, he said, “we are giving them a set of policy proposals that they can chew on.”

Roberts said conversations on Capitol Hill with members of both the House and Senate “have gone exceedingly well” but noted that “very few” of those conversations took place with Democrats. The reason for this, he said, was that “some Democrats have a knee-jerk reaction anytime they hear safety net reform.” However, he said, “I think there will be a lot of thoughtful people on the center-left who will want to be engaged in this conversation, [and] they’re going to appreciate that we’re looking at this certainly not from a partisan or even ideological standpoint but from the lens of social science.”

The report comes after fallout within the Heritage Foundation after a video message by Roberts defending Tucker Carlson’s interview with self-avowed antisemite Nick Fuentes. Roberts eventually issued an apology for the video.

The policy think tank’s plan aims to help solve the plight of dwindling marriage and fertility rates across the country by “promoting a culture of marriage and intact families” rather than creating “a complex maze of federal marriage programs,” according to the report.

The paper states that the national nonmarital rate rests at 40%, while a quarter of children across the country live with a single parent, the highest number in the world. In addition to the decline in marriage has come a decrease in fertility, the report said.

“Unless reversed, deaths will soon outpace births, reshaping the American family from a source of abundance into a scarcity of both parents and children,” the report said.

The report calls on President Donald Trump to issue a series of executive orders requiring the federal government to explicitly detail how its actions help marriage and family, and to block actions that discriminate against marriage and family.

The Heritage Foundation president also expressed hope that states eventually will seek to compete with one another “in terms of their own policies for the most advantageous incentives.”

Daniel Ortega, dictator of Nicaragua. | Credit: Council of Communication and Citizenship of the Government of Nicaragua - el19digital.com (CC0 1.0)

Jan 12, 2026 / 16:21 pm (CNA).

The Nicaraguan dictatorship announced on Jan. 10 the release of “dozens of people” who were imprisoned following pressure from the United States and coinciding with the 19th anniversary of the regime of President Daniel Ortega and his wife and “co-president,” Rosario Murillo.

In a brief statement on X, the Nicaraguan Interior Ministry said that on Saturday, Jan. 10, “dozens of people who were in the National Penitentiary System are returning to their homes and families.”

The dictatorship did not provide details about the released prisoners, but the Spanish EFE news agency was able to confirm with their families the release of seven opposition figures: Jessica Palacios, Mauricio Alonso, Mario Rodríguez Serrano, Pedro López, María José Rojas, Óscar Velásquez, and evangelical pastor Rudy Palacios.

According to the newspaper La Prensa, the local media outlet Divergentes reported the release of at least 30 political prisoners, while other media outlets reported a lower number.

“What happened in Venezuela has unleashed fear in the tyrannical government and hope in the people,” Arturo McFields Yescas, the former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

“It is interesting that a simple statement from the American embassy led to the release of ... the prisoners in Nicaragua. This means that a little pressure from the United States can produce a lot of change,” the former diplomat commented from exile.

On Jan. 9, the U.S. embassy in Nicaragua posted the following message on X: “Venezuela took an important step toward peace by releasing a large number of political prisoners. In Nicaragua, more than 60 people remain unjustly detained or missing, including pastors, religious workers, the sick, and the elderly. Peace is only possible with freedom!”

The post was accompanied by the Spanish translation of a text from President Donald Trump on Truth Social in which he celebrated Venezuela’s release of “a large number of political prisoners as a sign of ‘seeking peace.’”

McFields said that this “demonstrated that President Trump’s words are accompanied by actions. What if there were a statement at the highest level? What could he do? Demand the release of all the prisoners. There is leverage that must be used, and the release of all the prisoners must be demanded now.”

The former diplomat emphasized that now among the people of Nicaragua, “there is a quiet hope that the dictators can fall at any moment. The timing is uncertain, but there is a certainty that they can fall. Before this, talking about the fall of a dictator was utopia, it was madness. But not anymore, now it’s a reality.”

“The dictatorship,” McFields continued, is reeling from those images “of Maduro, the all-powerful leader, arrested and humiliated. And those images have deeply affected the regime. The fear is so great that, although they have expressed solidarity with Maduro, they haven’t mentioned President Trump at any point.”

The former diplomat noted that “Ortega has been in power illegally for 19 years, [a period of] illegality and brutality, religious persecution, confiscation of churches, harassment of the church, destruction and desecration of churches — a horrendous situation that has been experienced in Nicaragua, but what happened today fills us with immense, immeasurable joy.”

What McFields said is similar to the Jan. 10 post on X by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

“Today, the brutal Murillo-Ortega dictatorship ‘celebrates’ 19 years of what should have been a five-year democratic term. Nicaraguans voted for a president in 2006, not for an illegitimate, lifelong dynasty. Rewriting the constitution and crushing dissent will not erase the aspirations of Nicaraguans to live free from tyranny,” it stated.

Historic mural of risen Christ restored in Nicaragua

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Managua reported that Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes attended the presentation of the completed restoration work on the historic mural of the risen Christ in St. Dominic Parish in the Nicaraguan capital.

“This Saturday morning, Jan. 10, Archbishop Cardinal Leopoldo José Brenes received from the central government of Nicaragua the completed restoration work on the historic mural in St. Dominic Parish,” the archdiocese’s press release stated.

The work “was carried out under the supervision of the relevant authorities, as this structure is part of the nation’s cultural heritage.” The restoration consisted of “cleaning and reinforcing the entire structure, as well as reconstructing the image of the risen Christ, which accidentally collapsed in December 2024,” without causing any injuries.

The image — which has been in the church since its construction in 1968 and withstood the 1972 earthquake — had been weakened by the constant seismic activity in Managua.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. | Credit: CCN Photo/Terry O’Neill

Jan 12, 2026 / 13:29 pm (CNA).

In a case with implications for religious freedom, institutional autonomy, and health care access across Canada, a British Columbia Supreme Court trial starting Jan. 12 will consider whether faith-based hospitals can be forced to provide euthanasia on site.

The case, Gaye O’Neill et al. v. His Majesty the King in Right of the Province of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, and Providence Health Care Society, arises from the death of a terminally ill woman who sought medical assistance in dying (MAID) while receiving care at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Because St. Paul’s is a Catholic facility that does not provide assisted suicide, the patient was transferred to another health care facility that offered MAID. Her family and co-plaintiffs allege the transfer caused “unnecessary pain and distress” and argue that the policy allowing faith-based facilities to opt out of MAID violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The co-defendants in the case are the Providence Health Care Society, the Catholic denominational authority that operates St. Paul’s and 16 other facilities, the B.C. Ministry of Health, and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH).

Trial proceedings are scheduled to run from Jan. 12 to Feb. 6. While the legality of MAID itself is not being challenged, the court must decide whether publicly funded, faith-based hospitals can maintain MAID-free spaces or whether the state’s duty to provide access overrides institutional conscience rights.

Central to the defense is a 1995 Master Agreement between the B.C. government and denominational health providers. The agreement formally recognizes the right of faith-based facilities to preserve the spiritual nature of the facility and governs how services incompatible with a facility’s religious identity are handled, typically through transfer rather than on-site provision.

Supporters of the current system argue that this pluralistic model protects the diversity of care available to British Columbians.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2023 released a statement reiterating its opposition to euthanasia in Catholic hospitals. Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller noted that the bishops had already drawn a line in the sand at their September plenary meeting when they stated unanimously that MAID would not be delivered at Catholic hospitals.

The new statement formalized that stance by saying the bishops “unanimously and unequivocally oppose the performance of either euthanasia or assisted suicide (MAID) within health organizations with a Catholic identity.”

The case has drawn a large number of interveners, reflecting its potential national impact on the future of denominational health care in Canada.

The Christian Legal Fellowship (CLF) will argue for the protection of associational religious freedom, suggesting that institutions, like individuals, possess a right to collective conscience. CLF has said that forcing a religious community to act against its foundational beliefs has dehumanizing consequences and undermines the purpose for which such institutions exist.

The Canadian Physicians for Life and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada are expected to focus on the sanctity of life and the integrity of the medical profession, arguing that a health care system that mandates the ending of life within all its facilities risks failing to protect the most vulnerable.

Conversely, the B.C. Humanist Association has called for the provincial government to “tear up” the 1995 Master Agreement, arguing that it undermines the government’s duty of religious neutrality. “No one should suffer needlessly at the end of life,” said executive director Ian Bushfield, adding that the state should not put the interests of religious institutions ahead of individual rights.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), also intervening, plans to challenge whether a publicly funded organization can claim standalone religious protections independent of its staff. The CCLA will argue that ascribing religious rights to an institution whose primary purpose is health delivery poses inevitable difficulties for state neutrality.

The Delta Hospice Society (DHS) has introduced a distinct legal argument, suggesting that section 7 of the Charter, which protects the right to life, liberty, and security of the person, should protect a patient’s right to access a MAID-free environment.

“There are many terminally ill palliative care patients who desire to spend their final days without being asked if they want their life ended by their health care provider,” said constitutional lawyer Allison Pejovic, representing the society. DHS argues that for many patients, a space free of euthanasia is a requirement for psychological security of the person.

The trial comes as construction continues on the new $2.18 billion St. Paul’s Hospital at its new site. The B.C. government has indicated it remains committed to the project’s Catholic identity, despite the ongoing litigation.

Evidence and testimony will be heard through early February, with the court expected to receive final written submissions in the spring.

This story was first published by The Catholic Register and has been reprinted by CNA with permission.

Pope Leo XIV introduced a new papal staff on Jan. 6, 2026, during the closing of the Holy Door | Credit: Vatican Media / null

Jan 12, 2026 / 12:25 pm (CNA).

Last week during the Jan. 6 closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV used a new papal staff, or ferula, which is used by pontiffs in solemn ceremonies and represents their leadership as bishop of Rome and supreme pastor of the entire Church.

According to the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Holy See, popes have traditionally received this insignia after their election, when they took possession of their see in St. John Lateran Basilica.

The papal staff, used only by the pope and topped with a cross or a crucifix, is different from the bishop’s crozier — the shepherd’s staff — which ends in a curve and is used by bishops and archbishops.

It was St. Paul VI who, in 1965 on the occasion of the closing of the Second Vatican Council, used a silver ferula with a crucifix designed by the sculptor Lello Scorzelli. The pontiff began to use this cross with increasing frequency in liturgical celebrations, as his successors would later do.

St. John Paul II also chose to use the papal ferula from the beginning of his pontificate. Even in the last years of his life, the late pontiff leaned on it while convalescing in his room.

Benedict XVI used a ferula topped with a golden cross, previously used by Blessed Pius IX. Leo XIV used Benedict XVI’s ferula on May 18 during his first Mass as pope and has also used the one designed by Scorzelli for St. Paul VI.

The new papal ferula used by Pope Leo XIV is in continuity with those used by his predecessors, linking the mission of proclaiming the mystery of love expressed by Christ on the cross with its glorious manifestation in the Resurrection.

Furthermore, as the Vatican explains, its style is reminiscent of Scorzelli’s work, as it depicts Christ no longer bound by the nails of the Passion but with his glorified body in the act of ascending to the Father.

The ferula bears the motto chosen by Pope Leo XIV: “ In illo uno unum,” (“In the one Christ we are one”), which captures the theological dimension of his magisterium, founded on the unity and communion that makes us the Church.

The use of the papal ferula is seen as carrying a profound symbolic meaning: It expresses the specific mission of the successor of Peter to confirm his brothers in the faith and preside over the Church in charity.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr speaks with “EWTN News In Depth” on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: “EWTN News In Depth”/Screenshot

Jan 12, 2026 / 11:45 am (CNA).

Former United States Attorney General Bill Barr said military action to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was “legitimate under U.S. law.”

On Jan. 3 President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces “captured” Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flew them out of the country following a “large-scale strike” on the South American nation.

Since the capture, Congress has remained divided on whether the capture was legal under U.S. and international law. In a Jan. 9 interview with “EWTN News In Depth,” Barr said it was “completely legitimate” under the U.S. Constitution.

Barr served as the 77th attorney general of the United States from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. He was later reappointed as the 85th attorney general from 2019 to 2020 during the first Trump administration.

Currently in private practice, since 2021 he is also a senior fellow at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C., where he holds the St. Thomas More Chair.

There are two questions raised in regard to the Maduro situation, Barr said. The first is: “Is it appropriate under American law to use our defense and law enforcement powers the way we did to apprehend Maduro?”

“In my mind, there’s no question that the United States, under our Constitution, had the right to deal with the threat posed by the cocaine trafficking, the drug activities, and the threatening conduct of Maduro’s regime with Cuba, China, and Russia,” Barr said.

The second question is: “Assuming it is legal for the United States to do it, which branch of government should make that call, and is it necessary to have congressional approval?”

“I think the history is very clear that this kind of action, targeted action to deal with a particular threat, is within the discretion of the president,” Barr answered. “Yes, the Congress can declare war, but responding to particular threats, using force, is something that historically virtually all presidents have done.”

Before the raid that captured Maduro, the United States significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean under Operation Southern Spear and conducted seizures of sanctioned Venezuelan tankers. It conducted drone strikes against suspected narcotics and cartel-linked targets. The military also carried out aerial strikes against civilian boats in the Caribbean resulting in dozens of civilian deaths.

The last time the U.S. deposed a Latin American leader was exactly 36 years ago to the day that Maduro was captured, when U.S. forces captured Gen. Manuel Noriega in Panama. Bush sent troops to arrest, capture, and bring back Noriega for trial.

At the time of Noriega’s capture, Barr was serving as assistant U.S. attorney general and advised the White House on the matter. “There are a lot of parallels” between the situation with Maduro and Noriega, he said.

“We did not recognize Noriega as the legitimate government of Panama because there had been an election, which clearly the democratic forces won, and he suppressed it and remained in power,” Barr said. “Same thing with Maduro. We do not recognize Maduro.”

“Under our law, Maduro is not the leader of the state. Maduro is just a Venezuelan citizen who has seized power and is oppressing the Venezuelan people. That’s how our law views it. And that was the same with Panama.”

In Panama, which is about 12 times smaller than Venezuela, there were already thousands of U.S. troops stationed there when Noriega, who had long-standing ties to the CIA, was taken. A government had been elected legitimately.

Both leaders “were involved heavily in the drug business,” Barr said. “I’d have to say Maduro is much more heavily involved and has repressed his country for over a decade and has destroyed their economy.”

In Venezuela, “a quarter of the country left the country, a quarter of it, 8 million people,” Barr said. “We’re dealing with … a humanitarian crisis. We’re dealing with a country that’s deeply involved in [the] narcotics trade. It was clearly justified, both as a matter of law enforcement and defending the interests of the American people.”

Pope Leo calls for ‘safeguarding the country’s sovereignty’

Venezuela has “a secular socialist government, and they have not protected religious liberty, especially where they view leaders as hostile to the government or not supporting their policies,” Barr said.

“The Catholic bishops down there, I think, issued a statement and made clear that they felt that he had been an oppressive ruler and were relieved to see him ousted from power and that that was a positive step,” Barr said.

“I hope the leaders in Rome pay attention to the position of the Catholic bishops down in Venezuela that have had to deal with it,” he said.

Since the capture, Pope Leo has called for the safeguard of Venezuela’ s sovereignty and that the rule of law in the Constitution is followed.

“Sovereignty is to show respect for the idea that a people should determine their own future,” Barr said. “They should make their own choices, that a people should be able to govern themselves. Now, that applies where you have freedom. But we’re dealing here with a regime that overturned the results of a free election and clearly was not accepted by the people.”

Maduro is “an unpopular dictator who has seized power and turned that country into a piggy bank for his family and for his generals,” Barr said.

“A just war is fought for defensive purposes, to protect the interest, the well-being of your own citizens. Here, you’re dealing with a regime that has been preying on the United States. We indicted him because, and there will be evidence, he’s deliberately trying to weaken and hurt the United States.”

“He’s responsible for tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands after all this time, of American deaths,” Barr said. “Our vital interests were at stake. He was providing a base for Hezbollah. He was involved in manufacturing weapons for Iran to use against our allies. He provided a base for Russia and China in his country.”

Next steps

Following Maduro’s capture, people are left wondering if the Trump administration will carry out similar action on other nations. Barr said he does not believe that the U.S. will have to get involved with countries like Cuba or Colombia, because there will be changes without outside intervention.

“Cuba is completely dependent on Venezuelan oil,” he said. “Cuba is so poor because of their socialist regime that they can’t afford to buy oil. What they do is they swap military and intelligence assets and help to the Venezuelans in order to get the oil.”

“I think the oil will be shut down, and I think that that will create a crisis in Cuba, and I think Cuba could very easily fall,” Barr said. In turn, “it also puts pressure on Colombia.”

“The leader of Colombia is the first socialist left-wing leader Colombia has had in over 100 years, and it’s been a disaster for the country. His ratings are extremely low. This is an election year. He cannot succeed himself.”

“I think there’s an opportunity for a change in government there. I don’t think we necessarily have to do anything there. I think that will come,” he said.