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In the midst of the current Synod of Bishops on the topic of “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment,” Pope Francis will canonize Blessed Pope Paul VI and Blessed Archbishop Oscar Romero on Oct. 14.

October is Respect Life Month and in this week leading to the celebration of Respect Life Sunday, Oct. 7, it was a boost to the pro-life movement to see the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cut its ties with a company whose business is to procure aborted baby parts for research.

Morris County has always been in the forefront of other state counties in preserving the important historic sites in its towns, some of which date back to the Revolutionary War. But last year, the N.J. Su­preme Court ordered Morris County to stop allowing participation in its historic preservation program by historic houses of worship.

Our nation and, more specifically, those of us who live in the metropolitan New York area, marked the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 Islamist terrorist attacks on the U.S. with prayers and sorrow at the massive loss of life that day in 2001 with our solemn vow “never to forget.”

Hero. It’s a word we hear less frequently these days when our world, our nation and our Church seem turned upside down. But it’s a word that certainly fits Father Vincent Capodanno, and his story needs to be told over and over again.

“In God We Trust” is the official motto of the United States of America. It has appeared on currency since 1864, and according to a 2003 joint poll by USA Today, CNN, and Gallup, 90 percent of Americans support the inscription “In God We Trust” on U.S. coins. But that did not deter a group of 29 atheists from clogging up our court system with a suit claiming that “In God We Trust” violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

When it comes to pro-life issues, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) is always in the forefront of his fellow members in Congress in fighting to end any taxpayer funds being used to provide abortions. This month, he and 101 other congressmen sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting new regulations to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) requirement that insurers participating in the ACA marketplace must collect a separate payment, or “abortion surcharge” if the plan covers elective abortion.

Three people who consistently answered the call of the Gospel of Life were recently honored with the 2018 People of Life awards. The awards were presented to Janice Benton, a proponent for disability rights; Msgr. Joseph Ranieri, an advocate for post-abortion healing; and the late James Hanson, who campaigned against medically assisted-suicide.

Most of us know that the crime of human trafficking is rampant around the globe, but think it’s not so much of a problem in the United States. But that’s just not the case. A new global report has found much higher rates of modern-day slavery here than previously believed — with the report stating that as many as 1 in 800 Americans is currently a victim of human trafficking.

At the recent Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom held at the State Department in Washington, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a declaration encouraging the global community to stand up for religious freedom. Known as the Potomac Declaration, it is a statement of principles on the meaning and value of religious freedom.

Starting Friday, Aug. 3, and continuing every Friday for nine weeks until Sept. 28, the faithful are invited to participate with Catholics nationwide in a weekly moment of prayer for the legal protection of human life.

The Fifth Circuit federal appeals court last week permanently blocked an order that would have forced bishops in Texas to hand over private emails and other communications on abortion. The court’s decision stemmed from a suit filed by Whole Woman’s Health, an Austin, Texas-based abortion facility chain, which sued the State of Texas in 2016 over a state law that required hospitals and abortion facilities to dispose of aborted human remains by burial or cremation, rather than in a landfill or the sewer, as had been previously allowed.

Within minutes of President Trump’s announcement July 9 that he would nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme Court, came the hues and cries of opposition to his choice. Immediately, the Democrats marshalled the troops with their scare tactic that if Kavanaugh sat on the Supreme Court, it would mean the end of Roe v. Wade and abortion on demand.

Given today’s political climate in our nation and abroad, most of us would be hard pressed to come up with the name of a single politician we admire enough that he/she should be considered for sainthood. But Giorgio La Pira, the mayor of Florence from 1951 to 1965, was not like any of the politicians of our day and age.

Everyone knows I am a big sports fan. So, it was with great interest that I read “Giving the Best of Yourself” — the very first-Vatican document focusing on sports. It was released by the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life released last month by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the dicastery’s prefect.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2018. For three-quarters of a century, CRS has been easing suffering and providing assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries. CRS’ roots go back to 1943, after an outpouring of concern from Catholics in the United States led to the creation of War Relief Services by the U.S. bishops to help thousands of World War II survivors and refugees.

The U.S. Catholic Church’s observance of Religious Freedom Week begins tomorrow on June 22, the feast of two English martyrs who fought religious persecution — St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More — and ends June 29, the feast of two apostles martyred in Rome — Ss. Peter and Paul.

This Sunday, Father’s Day, will once again be a good day for many and a tough day for some. It’s a good day because it gives all fathers the opportunity to count their blessings, thanking God for the gift of their children, and the awesome honor it is to be their Dad. But it’s also a tough day for those of us who have had our Dad called home to the Lord.

Title X is a family planning program, designed to provide low-income women with pre-pregnancy services. In its original design, and reflected in current law, there is a specific prohibition on abortion-related activities. However, in the years since the program’s creation in 1970, it has been interpreted to require grantees to refer for abortion, thus both overtly excluding health centers who object to such referrals from applying for Title X grants and also ensuring a direct link between family planning services and the promotion of abortion. This link is exemplified by the alarming number of Title X recipients that also provide and promote abortion.

As we here in the United States paused this Monday on Memorial Day to honor and pay tribute to all those who have served our nation in the Armed Forces and made the ultimate sacrifice, some of our wounded warriors were in France seeking healing and peace in the waters of Lourdes.