Letter from Pope Francis and Reply from U.S. Catholic Bishops

Letter from Pope Francis and Reply from U.S. Catholic Bishops

Pope Francis took the unusual step of publishing an open letter to the Catholic Bishops of the United States to thank them for their work for migrants and refugees and urge their steadfastness in their defense of the dignity in the face of political pressure and initiation of a program of mass deportation. The letter and the response from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ President that came the day after, are below.

Resources

Resources

Webinar: “Guantánamo Uncovered” A conversation with the New York Times’ Serial Podcast and staff from the Center for Victims of Torture on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7pm et. https://mogc.info/GU-1-9-25 Op-ed: Deportation plan must not raid churches, separate families, by Christian leaders published by The Arizona Republic. https://mogc.info/RF-Deportations Statement: “Rabbis Call on U.S. to Stop Transfer…

Report Reveals Global Healthcare Inequity

Report Reveals Global Healthcare Inequity

A Population Reference Bureau report shows a global dearth of primary care and its effects on life expectancy. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. Roughly 50 percent of the world’s population lacks access to good primary health care, according to the Population Reference Bureau, a non-profit organization…

Finance Feud Clouds UN Climate Change Conference

Finance Feud Clouds UN Climate Change Conference

The UN Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be remembered as the moment climate advocates stayed strong in the face of weak commitments from wealthy, polluting nations. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. The global association of 198 member states that gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan…

UN Biodiversity Conference Lets Indigenous Lead

UN Biodiversity Conference Lets Indigenous Lead

Sara Kennel, climate advocacy intern, shares the outcomes of the UN conference on biodiversity. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. In the very last hours of the 16th bi-annual UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, a celebration ensued with enthusiastically raised hands, tears, hugs, and chants…

UN Mulls Permanent African Security Council Seats

UN Mulls Permanent African Security Council Seats

The international body that addresses peace and security currently has no permanent seats for the often underrepresented and historically marginalized continent. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. On September 13, 2024, the United States declared to the UN General Assembly its support of the creation of two…

U.S. Policy Toward Sudan Under Trump

U.S. Policy Toward Sudan Under Trump

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined a letter to Trump nominee for Secretary of Sate, Senator Marco Rubio, requesting he prioritize ending the violent crisis in Sudan through nonviolent interventions. The Sudanese American Physicians Association, an organization made up of physicians of Sudanese descent living and working within the United States, organized a letter…

USCCB Statement of Solidarity with Immigrants

USCCB Statement of Solidarity with Immigrants

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, USCCB president, Bishop Mark Seitz, chair of the Committee on Migration, and Bishop Jaime Soto, chair of Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., issued a statement of pastoral concern on November 14, 2024. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. Compelled by the Gospel of Jesus…

Immigration Concerns Under Trump Administration

Immigration Concerns Under Trump Administration

President-elect Trump has promised sweeping changes to immigration policy under his new administration starting on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. Some of the second Trump Administration’s proposed immigration policies risk severe consequences, including the separation of families and the emotional and…

Korea Peace Advocates Confront Challenging Future

Korea Peace Advocates Confront Challenging Future

Peace Advocates from around the United States gathered in Pennsylvania to discuss goals and strategies for bringing about an end to the Korean War and peace with justice on the Korean Peninsula. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. Korea peace advocates are organizing for an uncertain future….