ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, SLATERSVILLE RI

Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a vocal evangelical Christian who was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, speaks at an event in Texas in 2018. / Credit: Carrington Tatum/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 11, 2025 / 18:17 pm (CNA).

Just a few months before he was assassinated on Sept. 10, Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk — a conservative campus activist and an outspoken evangelical Christian — said that upon his death, he would want to be remembered for his Christian faith.

“If everything completely goes away, how do you want to be remembered?” Jack Selby, host of The Iced Coffee Hour, asked Kirk at the end of a June 29 interview.

“If I die?” Kirk responded.

“Everything just goes away,” Selby said. “If you could be associated with one thing, how would you want to be remembered?”

“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith,” Kirk answered. “That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith.”

Kirk was murdered early Wednesday afternoon while conversing with students at Utah Valley University as part of his “The American Comeback Tour.” He had set up a tent with a banner that read “Prove Me Wrong,” urging people to approach and debate his views if they object to his political, religious, or philosophical positions.

It began similarly to Kirk’s other campus tours, with students and others lining up to ask him questions. About 3,000 people attended to either watch or debate him.

Just 20 minutes into the event, an attendee asked Kirk about transgenderism and gun violence. He and Kirk had a brief back-and-forth before someone perched on a nearby roof fired a single bullet from a bolt-action rifle, which pierced the left side of Kirk’s neck and ended his life.

One witness named Brandon Russon told CBS News that shortly before Kirk was shot, he was discussing his Christian faith with a different attendee. In that conversation, Russon recalled Kirk proclaiming to the crowd that “Christ is Lord” and the Son of God had “defeated death.”

This was a common trend in his campus activism.

Earlier this year, Kirk debated an atheist student who asked him about working with atheist conservatives. Although Kirk said he would welcome anyone who supports good causes, he cautioned that atheism cannot produce a proper moral code.

“You must be an honest atheist and acknowledge that morality is definitionally subjective without a belief in God,” he said. “That you cannot be an atheist and believe in objective morality. It is an impossibility and true atheists will acknowledge this.”

Kirk noted that atheists have “ought” claims. They suggest that things ought to be a certain way, such as that “murder ought to be wrong,” but cannot proclaim objective moral standards “if there is not a divine eternal power over you.”

“It’s a very important truth claim because when you do not have objective truth anchoring your society, then it becomes a power struggle,” Kirk warned. “If you do not have truth, then power will reign. Whoever can get the most amount of power then ends up having the most amount of say over society. We believe what is objectively right, true, good, and beautiful should be transcendent over society.”

Kirk often discussed his faith in interviews, including one with prominent atheist Bill Maher on the “Club Random” podcast this year, where Kirk explained the Christian doctrines of grace and atonement. 

“We believe [Christ] … suffering the death that he did on the cross was him atoning for our sins, the sins of humanity” Kirk told Maher. “... It is at a core a statement of human equality, that we’re all sinners, we’re all screwed up. We all got problems. We all got vices. … We all fall short of God’s standard and Jesus makes us whole.”

Throughout his career, Kirk encouraged young people to get married and start families, argued against abortion and gender ideology, and worked to inspire college students to follow Christ.

Charlie Kirk’s relationship with the Catholic Church

Although Kirk was Protestant, he often engaged in theological discussions with Catholics. His wife, Erika, is a baptized Catholic, and the couple and their two children have been seen at a Catholic church in Scottsdale, Arizona.

During a podcast this year, Kirk told a caller: “Catholics are just fabulous in so many different ways.”

“They fight for life, they fight for marriage, they fight against transgenderism,” he said.

The caller asked Kirk about Catholic Mariology, an issue where Kirk said he believes Catholics go “too far.” Yet, Kirk said he would be “happy to debate it” and that evangelicals could “do a better job of remembering, studying, talking about and pointing towards Mary because she was a vessel chosen by God Almighty that brought Our Lord into this world.”

“We as Protestants, evangelicals, under-venerate Mary,” he said. “She was very important. She was a vessel for Our Lord and Savior. I think that we … overcorrected. We don’t talk about Mary enough, we don’t venerate her enough. Mary was clearly important to early Christians. There’s something there. In fact, I believe one of the ways that we fix toxic feminism in America is: Mary is the solution.”

Kirk also spoke about the trend that “many young men are going back to church” when he was interviewed by Tucker Carlson this year. He called church a “life raft in this tsunami of chaos and disorder” and noted that many are attending Catholic Mass because “they want something that has lasted” and “they want something that is ancient and beautiful.”

Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, posted on X that Kirk “genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ” and “had a profound faith.” Vance noted that Kirk was a friend, and they would often debate theological subjects.

“We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions,” he said. “Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him.”

Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron posted on X that he had breakfast with Kirk about four years ago and discussed theology. Kirk was scheduled to appear on his show “Bishop Barron Presents” in less than two weeks.

“He was indeed a great debater and also one of the best advocates in our country for civil discourse, but he was, first and last, a passionate Christian,” Barron said. 

“In fact, when we had that breakfast in Phoenix, we didn’t talk much about politics,” Barron said. “We talked about theology, in which he had a deep interest, and about Christ. I know I’m joining millions of people around the world in praying that he rests now in the peace of the Lord.”

Kirk also joined in grieving for the victims of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting last month in Minneapolis. On his show, he discussed how one can believe in God even amid tragedy.

“The cross is God’s answer to evil,” Kirk said. “... The question should not be ‘why does evil exist?’ Instead, it should be ‘what has God done about it?’ And the cross is the answer.”

Bishop Iyad Twal, auxiliary bishop of the Patriarchal Diocese of Jerusalem of the Latins for Jordan. / Credit: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 11, 2025 / 17:57 pm (CNA).

In response to Tuesday’s airstrike by the Israeli air force against the Hamas leadership in Doha, the capital of Qatar, the auxiliary bishop of the Patriarchal Diocese of Jerusalem of the Latins for Jordan, Iyad Twal, advocated for a two-state solution to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Twal’s proposal aligns with what the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication called for in late July in an editorial by its director, Andrea Tornielli, who advocated for the recognition of a Palestinian state amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“The alternative would be to build a state like in South Africa, that is, an apartheid state. But the land is very small. Either we live together, or there is no real solution,” Twal said, pointing out that the two-state solution, “as indicated in the 1970s with U.N. resolutions,” is the only way to live in peace.

However, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, stated in October 2024 that the two-state solution is “unrealistic” for ending the war.

“My impression is that no one wants a wider conflict, but no one is able to stop it,” he said.

“Everything is possible, both positively and negatively. Now you need something new, creative, I don’t know what, but all the previous agreements, ideas, the prospective two-state solution; everything is not realistic now,” the cardinal said at the time.

The Israeli airstrike in Doha

In Rome for a formation course for new bishops, the auxiliary bishop told the pontifical news agency Fides that what happened in Doha is “bad news.”

“Wars in the history of humanity are a tremendous evil, and we don’t learn. Every day we try to find hope, but unfortunately, events contradict us,” Twal said.

He also noted that the airstrike could sabotage efforts to find “a solution to the conflict” and is “a violation of international law.”

“The entire world must understand that there is no justice for all in the Middle East and that we cannot continue living like this,” he said.

Twal noted that Pizzaballa has also pointed out that the violence in the region is driven by Satan’s desire to rule where Jesus lived, although he added that Middle Eastern Christians believe “in justice and in God’s love for all of us. This gives us hope every day, despite the harsh reality we live in.”

“We continue to pray and trust in the possibility of living together. I regret that this is happening while I am far from my people, in Rome, but I feel the support of the other bishops, our brothers in the faith. Here you can breathe the spirit of the Catholic Church, which is truly universal … they pray with us for peace,” he added.

The prelate also noted that religion in the Middle East “can be an element of peace, but also of war.” The region’s religions, according to Twal, “are part of the problem and the solution.”

“The challenge begins with the concept of the state: We have not yet managed to separate state and religion as in Europe. But how can we live our religious differences from the perspective of citizenship, rights, and justice if we continue to say, ‘My God is the only true one and gives me every justification for my actions?’” he said.

“That is fanatical thinking. Instead, faith, and I say this as a bishop, calls me to live justice for all, respecting human dignity,” he added.

The Church in Jordan

Faced with the regional conflict, Twal said young Jordanians live “with profound pain” and insistently ask themselves: “Where is God?” 

“It is an existential question that is also a temptation, but at the same time it is an opportunity to come closer to peace,” he continued. “We must ask ourselves: I, a young person, I am not a ruler, how can I make peace live in my heart, even before it becomes a reality among the nations?” 

Twal reiterated that Christians in the Middle East “are called to live peace personally, to be witnesses of it in society. In Jordan, thank God, the Catholic Church is committed to this not only internally but also with our Muslim brothers and sisters living in the country.”

The bishop described Jordan as “an oasis of peace, where we live in dialogue with everyone: from the king to the least of us, everyone tries to help.”

“We have supported our Christian brothers and sisters in Gaza, the West Bank, and Palestine. The more we are disappointed by armed conflicts, the more we are committed to helping those who suffer,” he emphasized.

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

Police gather at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, 2025, following a mass shooting that killed two children and injured 17 others, 14 of them children. / Credit: Chad Davis, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Sep 11, 2025 / 17:27 pm (CNA).

After two children died and more than 20 people were injured by a transgender-identifying man in Minneapolis in August, Catholic schools around the country have been evaluating their security measures, with some hiring security guards and others allowing teachers and staff to be armed.

The Diocese of Buffalo this week announced it has hired armed security guards for the 29 Catholic elementary schools in its jurisdiction and has also engaged a “security consultant” to help create “comprehensive safety plans tailored to each school community.”

Catholic schools superintendent Joleen Dimitroff sent a letter to parents informing them of the decisions, which she said are “a reflection of our shared belief that the safety of our children is priceless and must be protected with the highest level of care.”

Parents’ reactions have been mixed. Marc Bruno, a longtime Buffalo public school teacher, called the move “a necessary step.”

“No one wants to see guns in the schools,” he told local ABC news station WKBW. However, he continued, “if you look at some of the previous shootings, principals have thrown their bodies at the gunman, and you know, our bodies don’t stand a chance against a bullet.”

One mother opposed the move, saying having armed security guards will put “children’s lives in danger.” She said she will not continue sending her child to school with armed guards present, emphasizing that her child “isn’t allowed to have peanut butter in his classroom to protect kids, but you want a stranger strolling the halls with a gun?”

Arming teachers

A less-talked-about solution among Catholic schools is the practice of arming school staff, including teachers. 

In Ohio, nearly 100 public school districts — and even some private Christian schools — have anonymous armed staff this year, up from 67 the year before, according to a roster released by the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

Hametown Christian Academy, a private school in Norton, Ohio, allows armed staff. 

Associate pastor and head of school safety at the school Rick Wright told the Akron Beacon Journal on Aug. 25 that the school board decided it was “prudent to arm teachers and staff members” due to the increase in school shootings in recent years. 

“A gun is not evil,” Wright said. “It is a tool, and the fact that some of our staff may be armed is a deterrent.”

The names and numbers of teachers and other school staff carrying guns are not publicly available, nor are the total number of armed staff in each district. All armed staff are trained to use their weapons, according to Wright.

Schools post signs alerting visitors of the gun policy, hoping the knowledge that staff are armed will serve as “a deterrent,” Wright said.

If you “put up a no gun zone sign,” Wright said, “you’re telling somebody you can come in here and shoot all you want.” 

“It works the opposite (of the intent); you’ve made yourself a soft target,” he said.

An independent Catholic school in the South that wishes to remain unnamed told CNA that after extensive discussion about campus security, administrators arrived at an “informal” security policy that involves armed staff.

“We’re pretty sure some of the teachers have guns in their cars,” an administrator told CNA. 

When asked whether teachers were also carrying concealed weapons, the administrator said he does not know, and the school has “never said yes or no” to the practice.

Because of the “high quality of the teachers” at the school, the administrator said the leadership “came to the conclusion that the teachers would go after a guy with a gun rather than run away.” The school would “call the police and then the teachers with weapons would use … deadly force” if necessary to protect students. 

“We’re willing to bet that would be a sufficient response,” he said.

Funding for security measures

Funding for the new security measures in the Buffalo Diocese for the 2025-2026 school year has been provided by the Foundation for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, according to Dimitroff. Tuition will increase in subsequent years to cover the cost, which might also be covered by public funding.

James Cultrara, the director for education for the New York State Catholic Conference, told CNA after the 2012 school shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, that New York state lawmakers had instituted two funding streams to address school security: one for public schools and one for private schools. 

The private school funding program has expanded tenfold, from $7 million initially to more than $70 million. Schools can use the funds to address anything related to “health, safety, and security.” Environmental hazard mitigation as well as security cameras, security guards, and remote door locks are covered by the funding, Cultrara said.

The Minnesota Catholic Conference released a statement on Sept. 5 saying it “welcomes a broader legislative discussion about preventing gun violence” and asking the state Legislature to address security funding disparities between public and private schools.

Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, noted that while the Catholic Church in Minnesota “has long supported commonsense gun regulations, such as protective orders and expanded background checks,” neither of those measures prevented “the Annunciation tragedy.”

Adkins noted that while “Americans have a right to possess firearms,” that right comes with responsibilities, including that of public officials to address the “deeper causes of violence — mental health struggles, family breakdown, and a growing despair often worsened by harmful ideologies, substance abuse, and the effects of the absence of God in people’s lives.”

Adkins urged the Legislature to reconsider recently-enacted laws that loosen restrictions on THC (a cannabis plant derivative) and “the widely debated treatment of young people experiencing gender dysphoria.”

A controversial Minnesota law prohibits mental health counselors from practicing so-called conversion therapy on LGBT youth, which in practice means that therapists who want to help people who do not want to embrace a LGBT identity are fearful of doing so, according to Christian therapist Dr. David Kirby, who testified against the legislation before it passed.

Pope Leo XIV meets with new bishops in Rome on Sept. 11, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 11, 2025 / 16:57 pm (CNA).

Every September, the new bishops of the Catholic Church gather in Rome to participate in a formation course, an initiative that, since its inception in 1994, has become a genuine tradition.

During these sessions, the prelates receive from the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Dicastery for Bishops guidance and tools to carry out with greater clarity and responsibility the mission entrusted to them by the Church, through conferences, discussions, and various working groups.

A total of 192 bishops from around the world gathered on Sept. 4 to participate in these sessions, which concluded Sept. 11, when the prelates were received by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.

Dominican Xabier Gómez García, bishop of San Feliú de Llobregat in Spain since October 2024, is one of the prelates participating in this year’s course. Having been a bishop for only 10 months, from Rome he explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that during this time he has become aware “of what this service means.”

A time of hope and missionary conversion

He noted that the new bishops were appointed in the context of the jubilee year and at the end of the synodal process, so their service “is marked by a time of hope and missionary conversion, in a Church that journeys alongside its people.”

He explained that this year’s course offers tools to “become witnesses and heralds of hope founded in Christ” and sees it as an opportunity to “deepen our understanding of catholicity, live together, pray, celebrate together, share a meal, and learn firsthand about the experiences of the Church spread throughout the world and in so many and diverse dioceses.”

Gómez, who was also prior of St. Thomas Aquinas–El Olivar Convent in Madrid, expressed his gratitude for having been able to share time with bishops representing the five continents, who have come from places such as Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Russia, Poland, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, France, Poland, Portugal, and the United States.

Among the presentations given during the course, what most caught the Spanish prelate’s attention was the “‘Decalogue of Hope for a Bishop in the Jubilee Year,’ which was the first introduction to the course.”

He explained that in general, all the presentations were in some way “tied together by the unifying theme of hope and have also helped us deepen this sense of communion and what communion means in the service of the people of God.”

The presentations also noted the importance of being “a Church that goes forth as a servant of the Gospel in the midst of the world.” Ultimately, the bishop explained, “we learn to listen with a heart that resembles Christ’s.”

“We must nurture our relationship with God and with our fellow bishops, with our collaborators the priests, and with the people of God in general. We are called to be instruments of communion and also signs of hope,” he added.

Abuse prevention

During the formation sessions, they also tackled the issue of abuse prevention within the Church.

“It must be recognized that mistakes may have been made in caring for victims and also in the lack of prevention. We also reflected on the support provided to individuals and the great efforts the Church has made to put the abused person at the center were emphasized.” 

A bishop you must “make that pain your top concern, empathize with it, and always seek truth, justice, and comprehensive reparation for the good of these people who have been hurt, and for the community, and to do so with a certain sense of the call to conversion, so that this itself may become a sign of light and hope,” he added.

Gómez, who before assuming his position as bishop was director of the migration department at the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, explained that another topic addressed was migration and its challenges “in order to work on the reception, protection, advancement, and integration of migrants” and to be able to make a faithful reading of this reality.

“We also,” the bishop continued, “asked ourselves what young people need from the Church and what God wants to tell us through them.”

What should a bishop be like?

According to the Spanish prelate, a bishop must “be close to the people, have a passion for God and also a missionary spirit. I believe it is also important to cultivate, as a spiritual attitude, humility, simplicity, allowing oneself to be accompanied, and also great trust in providence and in the Spirit, who guides his people.”

After expressing his “excitement” for finally meeting with the Holy Father, he also emphasized the need to share “humbly and simply” what they experienced in Rome and to continue to deepen [our understanding] “when we return to our dioceses, with our people, in the service of our people.”

Cardinals’ presentations

During this period of formation, there were two courses available for the new bishops: “Opening a Door to Hope: Calls to the Episcopate in a Jubilee Context,” given by the Dicastery for Evangelization, which took place at the Pontifical College of St. Peter, and a course by the Dicastery for Bishops, given at the Pontifical College of St. Paul. On Sept. 8–9, the participants of both courses met at the Pontifical Urbaniana University and shared a time of fellowship.

Among the speakers were Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle — who made it clear that bishops are “stewards” and not “lords” of God’s flock — and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, who emphasized the importance of the bishop being close to seminarians and priests, who “must feel that the bishop appreciates, esteems, and loves them.”

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

Archbishop Inácio Saure of Mozambique’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nampula has denounced illegal occupation of Church land in the country and the inaction on the part of relevant authorities in the country. / Credit: ACN

ACI Africa, Sep 11, 2025 / 14:04 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Inácio Saure of the Archdiocese of Nampula in Mozambique and other Church leaders in the southern African country have denounced the illegal occupation of Church land in the country and the inaction of authorities there.

In a report by the pontifical and charity foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, the leaders said mosques are springing up on land snatched from the Church in what they say raises fears of worsening interreligious relations in a country that is already suffering from an Islamist insurgency in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado, which neighbors Nampula.

The land includes plots on which the female religious congregation of the Servants of Mary, two seminaries, and the parish of St. John the Baptist in Marrare are located.

“In at least one of these cases, a mosque has been built on the land adjacent to one of the seminaries,” according to the Sept. 8 report by ACN. 

Saure said in the report that Church land property has been vandalized, and so far, authorities have failed to act.

In reference to the attackers, he said: “They came and cut down many trees, and the wood was removed by truck. When we came to ask them to respect our private property, they appeared with machetes and spears. They threatened us and told us they were going to demolish the seminary.”

The attackers, he added, also took away animals that were being reared by the seminarians.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, authorities have taken no action, he said, adding that the issue has been ongoing for some time and the Church has filed official complaints. 

On May 16, a court ordered the provisional restitution of possession of the land to the Church, but five months later, no practical action has taken place, the ACN report said.

Saure said that “officials who were sent there were chased away,” leading him to conclude that “there must be a very powerful, invisible, and untouchable hand encouraging the criminals.”  

He demanded that justice be served “so that our rights are restored, because these are the rights of the poor, as the Church and its works are at the service of the poor. It is not fair that the Church’s goods should be stolen in this way.”  

Meanwhile, Father Benvindo Isaías de Jesus, director of the local Catholic Radio Encontro, told ACN the illegal occupations began a long time ago but have recently become intense. The situation does not look good for a country that does not have religious tolerance, he said.

“Most of those who spearhead the current occupations are Muslim. Once they have taken the land, the first thing they do is build a mosque,” Benvindo said.

And according to Father José Luzia, a missionary who has been in the country for almost six decades, there is suspicion among the faithful.

“Some claim that the apparently organized occupation of Church land in Nampula could be related to the fact that Archbishop Inácio Saure has recently spoken out very critically about the social and political situation in the country,” the missionary told ACN.

Saure held a press conference on Sept. 3 and launched “a strong appeal, a call for help to all people of goodwill, in Nampula, in Mozambique, and all over the world, because it seems that the law is worth nothing in this country.” 

ACI Africa’s Sabrine Amboka contributed to this story.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Memorial lights commemorate the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. / Credit: Brian E Kushner/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 11, 2025 / 13:34 pm (CNA).

On the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Catholic and U.S. leaders offered prayers and paid tribute to those who lost their lives that day and for all those who continue to grieve.

“Today we remember Sept. 11, 2001,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York wrote in a joint post to social media. “We continue to pray for the souls lost that day, the families who still mourn, the heroes who served, and all those who have since died from 9/11-related illnesses or continue to suffer.”

Dolan’s post offered a prayer to be said on the anniversary: “Lord, on this Sept. 11, we remember all who died 24 years ago in our city and throughout the country. We hold in our hearts those who still carry loss and grief from that day.”

“Grant eternal rest to the departed, strength to survivors and their families, and protection for first responders and all who serve our communities with courage and dedication. Lord God, continue to watch over our city and country, and help us turn hearts toward compassion and peace. Amen.”

In a post to X, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) also offered a prayer in memory of the attack: “God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events. Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been lost in vain.”

“Comfort and console us, strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all.”

U.S. leaders also commemorated the day and paid tribute to the victims. 

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended an event at the Pentagon in Virginia on Thursday morning where prayers were offered for all the victims, first responders, those who continue to grieve, and U.S. active military members. 

“To every family member that still feels a void every day of your lives, the First Lady and I unite with you in sorrow,” Trump said at the event. “And today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget Sept. 11, 2001.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also spoke, asking the crowd to honor the memory of the victims and to acknowledge “the decades of courage that followed” the attack. 

“We gather to pay tribute to the first responders who charged into the flames and up the stairs, to those trapped on planes fighting their final fight, and to the families whose lives were forever altered by that fateful day,” Hegseth said.  

“I thank God for all of you and all of our fighters from that day, to today and beyond. May God bless our warriors as they ruthlessly seek out enemies on behalf of the fellow citizens they love.”

A makeshift memorial is seen at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in honor of political activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 11, 2025, in Orem, Utah. / Credit: George Frey/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 11, 2025 / 13:04 pm (CNA).

Faith leaders and political leaders are uniting their voices to condemn politically motivated violence following the assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk.

Following the confirmation of Kirk’s death by President Donald Trump, some hours after the TPUSA founder was shot at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 10, countless faith and political leaders began to speak out against the scourge of political violence.

In a statement, Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, railed against the “vicious pattern of political and social disorder” of the past several weeks, citing the Annunciation Catholic school shooting, the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, “and now the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, known for his commitment to civil and rational discourse.” 

“What we see unfolding in our nation is a vicious pattern of hatreds rooted in the rejection of God, of the dignity of the human person, and the sanctity of the family,” the bishop observed.

“We are living through a perilous moment,” Burbridge continued. “Our challenge is not only one of partisan disagreement, law, and policy, but in a deeper way our challenge is to uphold the central goods of American political life: of faith, of families, and of a national commitment to live together in harmony as brothers and sisters.”

Kirk’s assasination hit Bishop Barron particularly hard

“I am devastated by the news of Charlie Kirk’s death,” Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron said after news of Kirk’s death was confirmed by President Donald Trump. 

Barron went on to reveal that Kirk had been scheduled to appear on his show, “Bishop Barron Presents,” in 10 days. The founder of Word on Fire called Kirk “a great debater and also one of the best advocates in our country for civil discourse, but he was, first and last, a passionate Christian,” recalling that when they first met four years ago, “we didn’t talk much about politics. We talked about theology, in which he had a deep interest, and about Christ. I know I’m joining millions of people around the world in praying that he rests now in the peace of the Lord.”

Moral theologian on root of problem

“You have to be willfully blind not to see that the root of the problem is political hatred, and that that hatred is no more obvious than in those who cannot restrain themselves from badmouthing a man even when he lay dying,” said Edward Feser, a Catholic philosopher and professor at Pasadena City College.

In a joint post showcasing their shared perspective across ideological divides, Princeton legal scholar Robert George and Harvard theology and philosophy professor Cornel West said: “For our nation, this is a moment for deep healing and for bearing witness to the precious humanity of all our brothers and sisters — those with whom we agree and those with whom we disagree.” The pair had appeared together on Kirk’s show recently.

Meanwhile, CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said the tragic shooting “was not merely an assault on one man: It was an assault on the principles of free dialogue, civic order, and human dignity.” 

“As Catholics, we affirm with unwavering conviction that every human life is sacred,” Reinhardt continued, offering prayers for the repose of Kirk’s soul. “I call upon every leader, regardless of party or persuasion, to condemn this murder unequivocally. To remain silent in the face of such evil is to be complicit in its advance. Let this tragedy awaken America to the urgent need to recover respect for life, civility in discourse, and courage in the pursuit of truth.”

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts also weighed in, writing: “What a horrific day in American history.” 

“To Charlie’s family, friends, and @TPUSA colleagues: We must never, never, never, never, never, never stop fighting to build the America that he helped make possible,” Roberts added. 

Netanyahu: Kirk ‘stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined world leaders in condemning Kirk’s assasination, writing: “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization.” 

Netanyahu revealed he had spoken to Kirk “only two weeks ago” and had invited the late TPUSA founder to visit Israel.

“Sadly, that visit will not take place,” the prime minister said. “We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact.” 

In another tribute, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who hosted Kirk as the first guest on his new podcast, said: “His senseless murder is a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence.” 

“The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work: Engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse,” he continued. “In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate — never through violence.”

Newsom added: “Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden both took to social media as well, with Biden writing in a post: “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.” 

“I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah. Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family,” Harris wrote, adding: “Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”

A general view of a wreath laid by mourners outside the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria on Sept. 11, 2025, following the fatal shooting of U.S. youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk while speaking during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. / Credit: PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images

Vatican City, Sep 11, 2025 / 12:11 pm (CNA).

In response to the Sept. 10 fatal shooting of Christian conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Vatican’s secretary of state condemned the use of violence against those with whom one disagrees.

“The Vatican stand is that we are against all types of violence. And we think that we have to be very, very tolerant, very respectful of everybody, even though we don’t share the same view,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin told journalists at the sidelines of a conference at the Vatican on Sept. 11.

“If we are not tolerant and respectful, and we are violent, this will produce a really big problem inside the international community and the national community,” he added.

Parolin’s comments were made one day after the 31-year-old Kirk was shot dead during the first stop of his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University on the afternoon of Sept. 10.

Kirk, who often debated students on campus, strongly defended free speech at colleges and was an outspoken critic of discrimination against Christians and of gender ideology. He founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to promote free speech and conservative values on college campuses.

Father Vealumun Paul Ansbert Mom, the superior general of the Via Christi Society in Nigeria, has decried the state of insecurity in his diocese, saying he can no longer travel to his village because “everyone has been driven away by killer herders.” / Credit: ACI Africa

ACI Africa, Sep 11, 2025 / 11:34 am (CNA).

The superior general of the Via Christi Society in Nigeria has decried the state of insecurity in his native Makurdi Diocese, saying he can no longer travel to his village.

In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of a canonical visit to St. Matthew Kuchikau Parish of the Diocese of Lafia on Sept. 7, Father Vealumun Paul Ansbert Mom described the current insecurity in Benue state and others in the north-central region of Nigeria as “deliberate persecution of Christians in the West African nation.”

“St. Paul Parish Ayititwa in Katsina-Ala Diocese was burnt down and destroyed. The parish house, rectory, and church building were reduced to ashes. From every evidence available, what is going on is the persecution of Christians, and we cannot hide away from that fact,” Mom told ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa.

The Nigerian priest, who has lost family members amid insecurity in Benue state, said the attacks have destroyed entire communities. 

“I don’t have a village any longer; I can’t travel to my village. My village no longer exists because everyone has been driven away by killer herders,” he lamented.

“When Yelewata community was burnt down, I lost two cousins, and another cousin was shot on his farm two weeks ago,” Mom said. “These attacks are targeted. There are areas where Christianity is simply not allowed to grow.”

The priest further explained that priests continue to live and work in dangerous conditions even after government officials have abandoned those areas. 

“Many parishes in Makurdi Diocese and outstations have been closed down because of this insecurity. Local government chairmen have relocated their offices to Makurdi, but Catholic priests remain in those villages. They go to bed every night wondering if they will survive, yet they stay,” he said.

Mom urged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government to acknowledge the scale of the crisis and take action. 

“The popular narrative among the powers that be is to deny the reality, but those of us who face it firsthand know the truth. Churches are destroyed, priests are displaced, and Christians are being persecuted. Government presence is almost nonexistent in these communities. The only officials left are soldiers,” he said.

Despite the insecurity and criticisms, Mom noted that the Catholic Church does not see itself as an enemy of the Nigerian government and state officials. 

“The Church and the state have always worked hand in hand. The Scriptures call us to pray for our leaders. We love them, we pray for them, and we wish them well. But as a credible moral voice, we must call their attention to the suffering of the people,” he said.

In the Sept. 7 interview, Mom also reflected on the challenges of vocations to priestly and religious life and the formation of candidates.

“The world has become very secular and lazy, and vocations come from this same society. It is tougher now to train priests because many young people lack commitment. We must build virtues of sacrifice and dedication,” he explained.

Mom dismissed suggestions that economic hardship alone prevents young people from joining the priesthood and religious life.

“We train all our seminarians without asking them to pay. What really hinders vocations today is materialism. If you are driven by wealth and comfort, you cannot survive in the priesthood. Our priests in Via Christi Society work in remote and difficult missions where sacrifice is required, not wealth,” Mom said.

“The Lord says, ‘Foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ To follow him means surrender and sacrifice. If you are driven by wealth, you have no place in the priesthood,” he warned, highlighting the sacrifices of Via Christi missionaries both in Nigeria and abroad. 

“In Makurdi Diocese, our priests remain in flashpoints like Udei, Adaka, Aondona, and Naka. In Bauchi, one of our priests installed solar power that became the only source of light for an entire village,” Mom said.

He went on to recount: “In the Caribbean, when hurricanes hit St. Vincent and the Grenadines, one of our priests sheltered an entire community in his church basement. That is what missionary service looks like.”

Mom said the Church will continue to rely on faith to sustain its mission. 

“Our founder, Father Angus Fraser, always reminded us to live by divine providence. Even when obstacles seem impossible, divine providence takes us a step further. That is what keeps us going in Nigeria and in every part of the world where we serve,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau at his episcopal consecration Mass as the new auxiliary bishop of Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 8, 2025. / Credit: Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 11, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

“Today, we Nicaraguans are making history again. Do not forget: God is with us and God is with Nicaragua!” said Pedro Bismarck Chau, the new auxiliary bishop of Newark, New Jersey, at the Sept. 8 Mass for his episcopal consecration, making him the first Nicaraguan-born bishop in the United States.

Amid a festive atmosphere and before a packed Sacred Heart Cathedral in Newark, where he had been rector since 2020, Chau received episcopal consecration through the laying on of hands by several bishops. The principal consecrator was Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark.

As part of the celebration, Cardinal Christoph Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, read the letter in which Pope Leo XIV officially appointed Chau as bishop and encouraged him to allow himself to be strengthened “by the grace of this jubilee year and you will have reason to be confident in the gift of hope, which does not disappoint. May God continue to bless you and may he bless the people of God in this archdiocese.”

The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep

In his homily in English and Spanish, Tobin encouraged the new bishop to remember that “you have been called from among the people of God and for the people of God. Not for yourself, but for the things that belong to God. Indeed, episcopacy is the name of a service, not an honor, for a bishop should strive to serve rather than rule.”

“According to the Master’s commandment, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all … Be a faithful steward and dispenser of the mysteries of Christ. Always follow the example of the Good Shepherd, who knows his sheep and is known by them, and who did not hesitate to give his life for them.”

The cardinal then recalled that “Pope Francis never tired of repeating to bishops that there are three aspects to a bishop’s closeness to the people he serves: closeness to God in prayer, the first task; closeness to the priests and deacons of the Church; and closeness to the people of God. … Do not forget your roots, do not forget those who have passed on the faith to you.”

‘God is with Nicaragua!’

At the beginning of his address as a newly consecrated bishop, Chau thanked the Deaf community in sign language, recalling that for 17 years they have been a great support and encouragement in his ministry, offering them his prayers and concluding with a clear: “I love you!”

Speaking later in Spanish, he addressed his “dear Hispanic community: Thank you for the faith and devotion you possess. You are a great gift of life for the Church in the United States. Continue, brothers, to be a Church that goes out in search of the lost sheep.”

“I would also like to acknowledge the presence this afternoon,” Chau continued, “of a group of people here from a very small country but with a big and resilient heart that cries out with a phrase that no other country has: ‘Who causes so much joy? The conception of Mary. Mary of Nicaragua! Nicaragua of Mary!’”

The prelate addressed his family, especially his mother: “Thank you, my dearest mother, for everything and for praying so many rosaries for me, three, four, and five times a day that you pray for me. I need them, so don’t stop praying those rosaries for me. OK, Mommy?”

“I love you very much,” he told his family, “you know I love you with all my heart.”

The example of the Virgin Mary

Chau said he hopes to “follow the example of Mary, whose birthday we celebrate today. Happy birthday, Mary! She trusted in God’s plan even though she didn’t know what she was being called to or where it would take or lead her. She renounced all the dreams and aspirations that a young girl would have and put God’s will first.”

Then addressing all those assembled he said: “I humbly ask you to remember me in your prayers to the Lord and to ask the Virgin to watch over me and bring me closer to her son, Jesus, so that I may reflect for you the image of the Good Shepherd. Thank you, and may God bless you all!” he said.

Words of Bishop Silvio Báez

Following the Mass, Bishop Silvio Báez, the exiled auxiliary bishop of Managua, Nicaragua, who has been living in the U.S. since 2019, said the episcopal consecration of Chau was a “historic celebration. The first Nicaraguan, born in Nicaragua, to be ordained a bishop in the United States. He was baptized and took his first steps in the faith in Nicaragua.”

“This is a sign of the richness and fruitfulness of the Church of Nicaragua and a message of hope for all the people of God in our country. The fact that Bismarck came from Nicaragua and settled in the United States shows that it is possible to move forward despite the difficulties one may encounter,” he added.

When asked about his meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in August, along with two other exiled Nicaraguan bishops — Carlos Herrera and Isidoro Mora — the prelate said: “The interview with the Holy Father was a moment of grace, a moment of hope, seeing how deeply he holds Nicaragua in his heart as well as the situation the Nicaraguan people are experiencing at this time.”

Who is Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau?

Pedro Bismarck Chau was born on June 28, 1967, in Managua, Nicaragua. He studied at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

He completed his ecclesiastical studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange and later earned a master’s degree in counseling from Seton Hall University.

He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark on May 24, 2008.

He served as parochial vicar of Our Lady of Mount Virgin in Garfield, New Jersey, from 2008–2012; as director of vocations from 2012–2016; and as head of campus ministry at Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology from 2015–2020.

He also served as pastor of the Pro-Cathedral of Sts. John and Patrick in Newark from 2015–2020 and rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart since 2020.

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