Cuba frees prisoners after Biden announces plan to lift terror designation
Cuba started to release some prisoners after President Joe Biden announced Tuesday, Jan. 14, that he’s removing the island nation from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The Catholic church had been negotiating with Cuba’s communist-run government over their release.
Cuba jailed most of the prisoners following unprecedented island-wide government protests in July 2021.
The island nation said it intends to release 553 political prisoners as part of its talks with the Vatican. Cuban officials released more than a dozen people convicted of various crimes, including participating in the 2021 protests, on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
President-elect Donald Trump designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism shortly before he left office in January 2021 – five years after President Barack Obama removed it. Biden is now facing pushback from both Republicans and Democrats on the decision.
Pope Francis injured in fall at his residence: Vatican
Pope Francis, 88, injured himself during a fall at his residence at the Vatican on Thursday, Jan. 16. The Vatican issued a statement saying the pontiff injured his forearm at the Santa Marta house but did not suffer any fractures.
In the pope’s memoirs, readers learn he rarely watches television. He said this is because he was offended by something he saw on TV in 1990. Instead, he reads the scores and standings of soccer matches that interest him.
The pope was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina in 1936. In 1961, his father died, leaving him to care for his four younger siblings.
Ever since his papal inauguration in 2013, Catholics have heard the pontiff preach and deliver homilies about taking care of the environment, the poor and the immigrants, as well as his criticism of wealth and war.
As the Pope has aged, many have wondered how long he will live and when he might pass. His memoir explains that Francis does not want to be buried at St. Peter’s Basilica, which is the final resting place of many of his predecessors.
Instead, he wants his funeral to take place at his favorite church in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore. He calls himself a pastor and a disciple, not a powerful man.
Pope Francis’s autobiography, titled “Hope,” hit bookstores in some 80 countries on Tuesday, Jan. 14, according to the publisher Penguin Random House. It comes at a time when many Catholics are celebrating what is called a Jubilee Year, which includes pilgrimages to Rome.
Pope Francis names first woman to lead major Vatican office
For the first time ever, a woman will lead a major office at the Vatican. Pope Francis appointed Sister Simona Brambilla Monday, Jan. 6 to become the head of the department responsible for all the Catholic church’s religious orders.
While women have previously been named to number two spots in Vatican offices, this recent move marks a significant step in the pope adding more female representation in the church hierarchy.
According to data from the Holy See and Vatican City State, the percentage of women in the Vatican from 2013 to 2023 has increased from 19.2% to 23.4%.
However, a ban on female priests and deacons remains in place, which resulted in a man being named as Brambilla’s co-leader in order to celebrate mass and perform other sacramental functions that currently can only be done by men.
Brambilla will oversee the office officially known as the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, which is considered one of the most important in the Vatican. It leads every religious order from the Jesuits and Franciscans to newer movements.
Brambilla’s background includes missionary experience in Mozambique, as well as being a nurse before joining the Consolata Missionary Sisters Institute in 2011.
She will take over the religious orders department from a retiring cardinal.
Rome expects 30 million tourists for Holy Year, locals not happy with crowds
Celebrations are happening across Rome as the Catholic church kicks off its 2025 Jubilee. In anticipation of the massive crowds, many improvements have been made to the city’s infrastructure. However, not all locals welcome those tourists with open arms.
Pope Francis opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica Tuesday, Dec. 24, inaugurating the tradition that happens once every 25 years.
Members of the Catholic church make pilgrimages to Rome for the occasion, with organizers expecting up to 32 million tourists to pass through Rome during the Holy Year –– 10 million more than the previous record high.
While Jubilee brings a major tourism boost to the city, some Romans are concerned about the increased cost of living. Housing experts told The Washington Post that rent per square foot increased in October by 10% compared with the same month last year, a surge they attribute to Jubilee demand.
Overcrowding and construction disruptions are also top of mind for locals.
The national government funded $5 billion in projects to transform the city for the Holy Year, marking the city’s biggest facelift since the 1960 Olympic Games.
Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain reopened Sunday, Dec. 22, for Jubilee after months of cleaning and restoration. City officials recently floated the idea of charging visitors at the site to reduce crowds and promote “sustainable tourism.”
Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told The Washington Post he understands residents’ complaints but emphasized that the celebration only happens once every 25 years.
“We cannot say ‘No, we don’t want it,” Gualtieri said. “Romans of course, are not happy because it’s inconvenient. But they are also happy … they know we are transforming the city.”
Local business owners also benefit from the influx of people since their livelihood often depends on tourism.
Trump’s trip to Notre Dame ceremony gives leaders chance to build closer ties
The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is reopening the weekend of Dec. 7. And while the ceremonies will be an emotional moment for the French public, the events will also be a major opportunity for world leaders to meet.
With President-elect Donald Trump being among the roughly 50 world leaders to attend, it’s a chance for other countries to try to curry favor. It’s his first trip abroad as president-elect. Trump will attend events in Paris this weekend, as will First Lady Jill Biden.
Domestically, Macron is facing trouble after the resignation of prime minister Michel Barnier and collapse of the parliamentary government. However, Macron may be able to strengthen ties between France and President-elect Trump. The two overlapped as leaders during Trump’s first term.
Trump has met or spoken with a number of leaders since winning last month’s election, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to the president-elect’s residence at Mar-a-Lago for talks last weekend. Trump has warned he will implement tariffs on many goods from Canada because of concerns about U.S. border security.
The first ceremony occurs Saturday afternoon. The archbishop of Paris will start things off by knocking on the doors to reopen them. The ceremony will include prayers, songs and remarks by President Macron to a crowd including the dozens of world leaders who accepted his invitation.
French president tours Notre Dame as cathedral prepares to reopen after fire
The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is reopening to the public. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Friday, Nov. 29 to workers and donors who helped restore the nearly 1,000-year-old cathedral over the last five-and-a-half years, calling their efforts “the project of the century.”
“Don’t forget that you repaired, that you contributed to reinvent, that you loved this place and that you rebuilt it,” Macron said. “Don’t forget that during these five years of your life, you shared together, without a doubt, the most beautiful project of the century.”
Macron also toured the cathedral, where he had a chance to look at the new oak roof and the restored windows. He said that it felt like they were “rediscovering” it.
Notre Dame caught fire in April 2019. The blaze severely damaged the building and nearly took down its main bell towers.
In the years since, the cathedral has been closed to the public. But after firefighters contained the blaze, construction and restoration workers have worked on rebuilding the Paris landmark.
The effort focused on using construction methods that would align with the way the cathedral was first built in the 12th century.
French authorities still don’t know the cause of the fire, but think either an electrical issue or a burning cigarette may have started it.
The cathedral will reopen to the public after a ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 7. It will host a series of special masses in the first few days afterward.
Church in Switzerland uses AI-powered Jesus to offer advice
St. Peter’s Chapel in Lucerne, Switzerland, is incorporating artificial intelligence into religious settings. Visitors can now interact with a digital avatar of Jesus through an innovative installation by Lucerne University’s scientists and theologians.
Launched in August, the installation features a high-tech confessional booth. Visitors ask questions about faith and the AI responds based on training from the New Testament and other religious texts.
Marco Schmid, a theologian at St. Peter’s Chapel, explained the project is an “experiment.” Its aim is to spark discussions on artificial intelligence’s role in modern faith practices. Schmid hopes it will provide a “concrete experience” to explore AI’s ethical and spiritual implications.
The installation uses a user-friendly interface, making it easy for visitors to engage with the AI Jesus. According to a press release, the installation offers spiritual support anytime.
Unlike human pastors, the AI isn’t bound by traditional schedules, making it available at all hours. The chapel sees it as a tool for individuals to explore faith on their own terms.
Some visitors find the experience moving. Worshippers told DW News they were surprised by how easy the process was and left feeling inspired.
However, others criticized the installation. Some said the AI’s advice seemed “generic.” Additionally, some raised concerns about using AI for spiritual guidance. A professor from Lucerne University warned people to be cautious when relying on AI to seek meaning in religion.
Despite mixed reactions, St. Peter’s Chapel supports the project. The chapel sees it as a way to spark important conversations on how faith can adapt to the digital age. The press release noted the project aims to “start meaningful conversations about faith in a digital world.”
The chapel points out several benefits of the installation. It offers different perspectives, independence from prejudice and personalized answers. The AI speaks in 100 languages, making it accessible to visitors worldwide.
In the end, the AI Jesus installation is about starting a dialogue. The chapel’s goal is clear: provoke thought, encourage conversations and explore how religion can evolve in a digital world.
Catholic woman fired over COVID-19 vaccine refusal awarded $13 million
A Michigan court has awarded nearly $13 million to Lisa Domski, a Catholic woman who was fired by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in 2021. She was fired after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds.
Domski sued her former employer after her request for a religious exemption was denied. She had worked for the company for 38 years.
She argued that the company violated her rights by firing her after she submitted a written statement from her priest. The complaint explained the vaccine conflicted with her Catholic beliefs.
A jury ruled in Domski’s favor, determining that Blue Cross Blue Shield failed to accommodate her religious beliefs. They also found that the company unlawfully terminated her.
Domski’s legal team hailed the decision as a major victory for religious freedom. Attorney Jon Marko represented Domski. He emphasized the case highlighted Americans’ right to practice their religion without government or corporate interference.
Blue Cross Blue Shield expressed disappointment with the ruling, stating that its vaccine policy was designed to protect the health of its workforce. The policy required all employees to be vaccinated or seek an accommodation.
The company maintains that its accommodation process complied with state and federal law and respected employees’ religious beliefs. BCBSM said it is reviewing additional legal options.
Some Catholics have voiced strong opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine, citing concerns over the use of cell lines from aborted fetuses in vaccine development.
While Pope Francis has supported vaccination, calling it “an act of love,” the church has emphasized that Catholics shouldn’t be obligated to get vaccinated.
Biden, Netanyahu react after Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu react after Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. And billionaires Mark Cuban and Elon Musk speak to voters in battleground states. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces have killed the man they say was the chief architect of the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which started the ongoing war in Gaza. They had been trying to get Yahya Sinwar for a year, describing him as a “dead man walking” in the days after Hamas’ first attack.
However, it appears that while Israeli forces had been tipped off Sinwar was in the Rafah area, troops just happened to come across him unknowingly during battle. It was not until later they realized they had killed Israel’s most wanted man.
The IDF released drone video of what appears to be Sinwar’s final moments, showing a man with a wounded hand, who they say is Sinwar, sitting down in a destroyed building and throwing a piece of wood at the drone. They say Sinwar’s body was found with a bulletproof vest, grenades, and 40,000 Israeli shekels.
“Since the beginning of this war that Sinwar started on October 7 — we’ve said: Our war is with Hamas, not the people of Gaza. We mean it.”
IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the elimination of Yahya Sinwar and our operational goals in Gaza: pic.twitter.com/OgkgUc5Bhi
Israeli leaders celebrated his killing as a settling of scores and said it could be a turning point in the war.
“While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “To the people of Gaza, I have a simple message: this war can end tomorrow. It can end if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages.”
U.S. officials are hoping with Sinwar out of the picture, a cease-fire can finally be reached between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden, who has already tried to broker cease-fire deals, seemed to have renewed hope when speaking to reporters Thursday, Oct. 17.
“Now’s the time to move on,” he said. “Move on, move toward a ceasefire in Gaza, make sure that we move in a direction that we’re able to make things better for the whole world. It’s time for this war to end and bring these hostages home.”
President Biden said he’s sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel to help figure out what’s next. Netanyahu has said Israel will keep fighting until all the hostages taken on Oct. 7 are free, and that it will keep control over Gaza long enough to ensure Hamas does not rearm.
While Sinwar’s death has sparked optimism the war in Gaza will soon end, it won’t be the end of fighting in the Middle East.
Just this month, Israel opened a new front against the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon after a year of trading cross-border fire. Hezbollah had been striking Israel as a show of solidarity with Hamas.
In the wake of Sinwar’s death, Hezbollah announced a “transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with Israel.”
Musk, Cuban talk election as candidates take part in charity event
As the 2024 presidential campaign inches closer to its final two weeks, the candidates each garnered the support of two billionaire representatives to spread their message to voters on Thursday.
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has appeared alongside Republican candidate former President Donald Trump at recent events, held a town hall at a Pennsylvania high school near Philadelphia. Musk called on Pennsylvanians to register to vote and described the importance of the battleground state to this election.
“You show what matters by your actions, not your words, and my actions are I’m here,” Musk said. “I’m in Pennsylvania, and I’m here for a very important reason, which, yeah, which is, I can’t emphasize, I can’t emphasize enough that Pennsylvania is, I think, the linchpin in this election. And this election, I think is going to decide the fate of America, and along with the fate of America, the fate of Western civilization.”
Meanwhile Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris called on NBA team owner and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban to reach voters during a rally at a college campus in Wisconsin. In his address to the crowd, Cuban took aim at Trump’s trade policies.
“I mean back in the 90s, in the early 2000s, he was a little bit coherent when he talked about trade policy, and he actually made a little bit of sense,” Cuban said, “but I don’t know what happened to him. The way he’s been thinking about tariffs and trade now, something’s a little bit lost. And now his trade policies, particularly with tariffs, are basically just gibberish.”
As for the candidates themselves, they both made an appearance at Thursday night’s Al Smith charity dinner in New York City, which raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and is a traditional stop for both parties toward the end of the election cycle. However, breaking from tradition, Vice President Harris did not appear in person.
Instead, she sent in a video in which she appeared alongside former Saturday Night Live star Molly Shannon, who reprised her famous character Mary Katherine Gallagher.
“It is a very important dinner, and it’s an important tradition. And I’m so proud to be a part of,” Harris said.
In his speech, former President Trump criticized Harris for not showing up to the event in person. Harris is the first presidential candidate to do that since 1984.
“It’s been a long tradition for both Democrat and Republican candidates for President of the United States to attend this dinner,” Trump said. “You know, it is a rule; you got to go to the dinner. You got to do it. Otherwise bad things are going to happen to you from up there. You can’t do what I just saw on that screen. But my opponent feels like she does not have to be here, which is deeply disrespectful to the event and, in particular, to our great Catholic community. Very disrespectful.”
In a statement regarding her absence, the Harris campaign said the vice president was campaigning Thursday and “the campaign wants to maximize her time in battlegrounds this close to the election.”
Texas execution of man in shaken baby case halted
The Texas Supreme Court halted the execution of a man sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of his 2-year-old daughter.
A jury convicted Robert Roberson of killing the toddler in a case of “shaken baby syndrome,” which his attorneys, as well as Texas lawmakers and medical experts, now say was based on faulty and outdated scientific evidence related to the diagnosis.
The last-minute stay came just over one-hour before Roberson’s death warrant was set to expire. However, a legal battle is still ongoing, and a new execution date could be set after Roberson’s potential testimony before Texas lawmakers next week. A House committee subpoenaed him on Wednesday, Oct. 16, as it reconsiders the lawfulness of his conviction.
Liam Payne’s preliminary autopsy report released; One Direction statement
A preliminary autopsy report from the Argentinian Public Prosecutor’s Office said pop singer Liam Payne died of “multiple traumas” and “internal and external bleeding.” The 31-year-old died Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
The autopsy found a total of 25 injuries on the singer’s body, suffered from the fall. The prosecutor’s office has requested additional studies to help in the investigation.
On social media, Payne’s One Direction bandmates paid tribute to their friend in a joint statement Thursday, saying, “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Phoenix ends 21-day streak of record hot temperatures
The city of Phoenix, Arizona is getting its first feel of fall, relatively speaking, after 21 straight days of record-breaking hot temperatures.
From Sept. 24 to this past Monday, Oct. 14, the Weather Service recorded 19 new all-time highs and two days tied previous records; all temperatures well into the triple digits.
Parts of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico have been gripped by the recent heat wave, with unseasonably warm temperatures 10 to 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year.
A cold front is expected to move in this weekend and cool things down.
Rare copy of US Constitution sells for $9 million
You don’t have to be in a Nicholas Cage movie to get your hands on an important document from American history — but you do need millions of dollars. A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution sold at auction Thursday evening in North Carolina for $9 million.
The document was printed 237 years ago and is the only copy of its type believed to be privately owned. The copy of the Constitution was found two years ago when a property in North Carolina was being cleared out.
The property was once owned by Samuel Johnston, the state’s governor in the 1780s. The document also came with a letter from George Washington asking for the Constitution to be ratified.
Polling shows importance of the Catholic vote in 2024 presidential race
The Alfred Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York is set to take place during the evening of Thursday, Oct. 17. The dinner is a fundraiser for Catholic charities, with many high profile political figures often attending.
Former President Donald Trump will be there. However, Vice President Kamala Harris has declined. Her campaign has said she has a scheduling conflict. Harris is slated to be in Wisconsin. The Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, has criticized Harris for not attending.
Catholics make up a large voting block in the country and will likely be key in swing states. A new poll, out this week from the National Catholic Reporter, has Trump with a five-point lead over Harris in the battleground states, 50% to 45%.
The survey comes from nearly 1200 Catholics in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Three out of four voters in that same poll said the economy is the most important issue. Immigration and the border came in at number two. Abortion/reproductive rights came in further down the list.
A poll, released in September by Pew Research, had Trump ahead of Harris 52% to 47% among Catholics nationwide. That would be a flip for Trump. Pew found that in 2020, Joe Biden, who is Catholic, narrowly won the Catholic vote.
Pope Francis raised some eyebrows recently when he said the American presidential race is a choice between two evils. He called both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris against life. The pontiff cited Trump’s policies on immigration and Harris’ views on abortion.
