Articles by Simon Caldwell
The saint who’s much more than just ‘the great name-caller’
“Meditation of St. Jerome,” by Benvenuto Tisi, 1481-1559, Italian. (Wikimedia Commons) Celebrities run the risk of imprisonment in their persona. No matter what they do, people already know how to frame the story. Their friends may accentuate the positive, their enemies the negative. But friend and foe alike will highlight the personality traits that are distinctive, the particular prodigies and the eccentricities.
‘House of David’ is a testament to the power of the Old Testament
Samuel, played by Stephen Lang, and David, played by Michael Iskander, in a scene from “House of David.” (OSV News/Nikos Nikolopoulos, Prime © Amazon Content Services LLC) Back in the days when people still read books, a bestseller had the power to capture the public’s imagination and become a driver of popular culture. This phenomenon goes back a long way through human history.
Life advocates welcome defeat of assisted suicide bill in England and Wales
The series of feature stories that UCA News publishes are unique and compelling. Our in-depth reporting reveals little-known experiences of faith, conflict, reconciliation, and coexistence of communities across Asia. These stories are available free of charge to readers worldwide. However, producing them requires significant editorial and reporting resources. Your support can help us share these important stories from Asia with a global audience.
'Remarkable victory': Life advocates welcome defeat of assisted suicide bill in England and Wales
The draft legislation was identical to the first draft of a bill introduced into the House of Commons in 2024 by Kim Leadbeater — but which in 2025 ran out of parliamentary time in the House of Lords, Britain's upper chamber, in the face of some 1,200 amendments tabled by peers gravely concerned about inadequate protections and other flaws.
CUA professor Chad Pecknold accepts DHS cultural outreach job
Chad Pecknold, associate professor of systematic theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, is pictured in a file photo. Pecknold, a prominent Catholic theologian, has taken a leave of absence for a position at the Department of Homeland Security, the agency confirmed Sept. 11, 2026. He has been named principal director of cultural outreach for DHS's Office for Partnership and Engagement.
Federal judge shields Cupich, Catholic nuns from Illinois suicide law
A sister serves a resident Aug. 19, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Residence in Naperville, Ill. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and the Chicago Province of the Little Sisters of the Poor, and an Illinois pharmacist sued Illinois Sept. 3 over the state's physician-assisted suicide law, which permits physicians to aid terminally ill adults in dying by suicide. (OSV News photo/courtesy Becket) A federal judge on Sept.
Pope Leo marks 71st birthday by opening water-themed art exhibit
Pope Leo XIV greets well-wishers as he arrives to inaugurate the exhibition “AQVA. Catastrophe and Wonder” at the Vatican Library Sept. 14, 2026, his birthday. The installation "Wave" or "Diluvium" by Jean René, a French artist known as "JR," covers the facade of the Vatican Library. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) Pope Leo XIV marked his 71st birthday at the Vatican with the launch of an art exhibit focused on water at the Vatican Apostolic Library on Monday.
‘Remarkable victory’: Life advocates welcome defeat of assisted suicide bill in England, Wales
LIVERPOOL, England — The Catholic Church in England and Wales has welcomed the defeat of a bill to legalize assisted suicide. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was rejected by members of Parliament by 286 votes to 270 after a Sept. 11 debate at second reading. The bill would have allowed adults who are terminally ill, and deemed to have fewer than six months left to live, to procure lethal drugs for suicides overseen by medics.
'Remarkable victory': life advocates welcome defeat of assisted suicide bill in England and Wales
LIVERPOOL, England (OSV News) ─ The Catholic Church in England and Wales has welcomed the defeat of a bill to legalize assisted suicide. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was rejected by members of Parliament by 286 votes to 270 after a Sept. 11 debate at second reading. The bill would have allowed adults who are terminally ill, and deemed to have fewer than six months left to live, to procure lethal drugs for suicides overseen by medics.
MPs reject the Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Commons
The Rt Rev. Mark Davies said he wished to record his thanks to all the MPs who “decisively rejected” the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and “the seismic change it threatened to bring to our society by fostering a culture of medically assisted suicide”.
Counter Terrorism Police take over investigation of British pro-life politician’s murder
LIVERPOOL, England (OSV News) — The murder of a famous Catholic politician who was bludgeoned to death in the kitchen of her home is now being investigated by Counter Terrorism Police in what looks like a shift from previous cautious statements of investigators. The body of Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative Party government minister, was discovered in her secluded country house in Haytor, in southwestern England’s Devon region, on the afternoon of July 9, some 24 hours after she was attacked.
Preach the beauty of marriage to all generations, urges Bishop of Shrewsbury
The Bishop of Shrewsbury has issued a forthright defence of the Christian vocation to marriage, insisting at a homily in Chester that the institution is not simply a ‘lifestyle choice’ but part of God’s plan for humanity since the beginning of time. The Rt Rev. Mark Davies told couples celebrating landmark milestone in their marriages Jesus Christ completed revelation from the Old Testament by ‘restoring and raising’ marriage to the high dignity of a Sacrament.
Questions about the BBC and the Huntingdon train attack
AT TIME of writing, two people have been arrested by police in connection with a horrendous stabbing spree of at least ten passengers on a train last night. At least one of the alleged attackers was first shot with a Taser by police officers. The arrests, in Huntingdon where the Doncaster to King’s Cross train was brought to an emergency stop, mean that legal proceedings are now active.
In historic first, King Charles III appoints woman to be archbishop of Canterbury
(OSV News) -- King Charles III has appointed Bishop Sarah Mullally of London as the first female Anglican archbishop of Canterbury. The historic appointment of the married mother of two was welcomed by Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, the president of England and Wales' bishops' conference. In an Oct.
Duchess of Kent, a royal who chose faith and service, dies at 92
(OSV News) — Remembered for her passion for charity, teaching music and unwavering humility, the Duchess of Kent — a senior Catholic member of the British royal family — died Sept. 4 at age 92. Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster said in a Sept. 5 statement that he recalled “with fondness” the memory of the duchess, born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, who became a Catholic in 1994.
Notre Dame marks 75th anniversary of Father Peyton's rosary rally
On Sept. 7, a crowd assembled outdoors on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, near the steps of Bond Hall. In recent years on home football game weekends, the university's marching band performs on these steps before heading to the stadium for the game. But on this sunny Sunday afternoon, the gathering had nothing to do with football.
Hundreds mourn 8-year-old shooting victim at funeral
The funeral service for Fletcher Merkel, 8, was held Sept. 7 at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, just over a mile from Annunciation Catholic Church, where he and another student were shot and killed during an Aug. 27 all-school Mass. Eighteen other students and three adults were injured. The suspected shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. Beneath his white robes, Mount Olivet pastor David Lose wore an Annunciation Catholic School shirt also worn by many in the pews.
English archbishop warns legalizing assisted suicide could close church-run hospices - Detroit Catholic
LIVERPOOL, England (OSV News) ─ An English archbishop has called on Catholics to write to members of the House of Lords to urge them to oppose an assisted suicide bill which could trigger the closure of church-run hospices and care homes. Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, the lead bishop for life issues of the bishops' conference of England and Wales, made his plea ahead of a Sept. 12 vote at the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. In a statement posted Sept.
Ireland's abortion rates rise 62% over 5 years; Catholic advocates call it 'a tragedy'
(OSV News) -- Abortions in Ireland spiked in the space of just five years, government figures have revealed. Statistics released by the Department of Health in Ireland showed that 10,852 abortions were performed in Ireland in 2024 -- representing a 62.8% increase over the 6,666 abortions performed in 2019, when a law permitting abortion on demand in Ireland came into effect following a 2018 referendum on legal abortion.
Ireland's abortion rates rise 62 per cent over 5 years; Catholic advocates call it "a tragedy" | The Catholic Weekly
Abortions in Ireland spiked in the space of just five years, government figures have revealed. Statistics released by the Department of Health in Ireland showed that 10,852 abortions were performed in Ireland in 2024—representing a 62.8 per cent increase over the 6,666 abortions performed in 2019, when a law permitting abortion on demand in Ireland came into effect following a 2018 referendum on legal abortion.
Miami archbishop pushes for pastoral visitation at Alligator Alcatraz
Florida's senior bishop is pressing local, state and federal authorities for permission to bring Catholic pastoral care to the already infamous Alligator Alcatraz immigrant detention center. Opened in early July at a time of political uproar over alleged abusive practices at several federal immigration detention centers, Alligator Alcatraz is situated at Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport some 55 miles west of Miami's downtown. Miami Archbishop Thomas G.
Ireland’s abortion rates reach record high; Catholic advocates call it ‘a tragedy’
(OSV News) -- Abortions in Ireland spiked in the space of just five years, government figures have revealed. Statistics released by the Department of Health in Ireland showed that 10,852 abortions were performed in Ireland in 2024 -- representing a 62.8% increase over the 6,666 abortions performed in 2019, when a law permitting abortion on demand in Ireland came into effect following a 2018 referendum on legal abortion.
Nearly one in three conceptions in England and Wales end in abortion, government figures reveal
LIVERPOOL (OSV News) -- Nearly one in three conceptions in England and Wales end in abortion, newest government figures have revealed. Statistics on annual conceptions released July 9 by the Office for National Statistics showed that in 2022, 29.69% of all conceptions in England and Wales ended in abortion, up from 26.54% a year earlier. The figures represent a huge increase in abortion within a decade, since in 2012 abortion ended 20.84% of conceptions -- a fifth of all pregnancies.
The surprising plan to exhume St. Thomas More's head
According to The Times, a daily newspaper based in London which broke the story, the church will seek to raise 50,000 pounds, or $67,300, to fund the conservation project with the aim of creating a shrine by 2035. Among the first steps will be obtaining permission from a commissary court in Canterbury, which issues rulings concerning church buildings and grounds, according to The Times.
Anglicaanse Kerk overweegt om schedel van heilige Thomas More op te graven voor verering
De Anglicaanse Kerk overweegt plannen om het hoofd van de heilige Thomas More, patroonheilige van staatslieden en politici, op te graven en onder te brengen in een schrijn, ter gelegenheid van de 500ste herdenking van zijn martelaarschap in 1535. Jaren na zijn onthoofding werd het hoofd van de heilige begraven in een grafkelder samen met het lichaam van zijn dochter, Margaret Roper, bij de anglicaanse St. Dunstan’s Church in Canterbury, in het zuidoosten van Engeland.
Church of England weighs proposal to place St Thomas More's skull in shrine for veneration
The Church of England is weighing plans to exhume and enshrine the head of St Thomas More, the patron saint of statesmen and politicians, in time for the 500th anniversary of his 1535 martyrdom. Years after his beheading, the saint’s head was buried in a vault with the body of his daughter, Margaret Roper, at St Dunstan’s Anglican Church in the city of Canterbury in the southeast of England.
Other 2025 Archdiocese of LA clergy assignments
Associate pastors: Our Lady of the Angels Region: Fr. Francisco Ho Seok Jin, St. Gregory Nazianzen Church, Los Angeles Fr. Eusebio Llonoso, St. Monica Church, Santa Monica Fr. Deusdedit Najja, Our Savior Church, Los Angeles (USC) Fr. Pedro Valdez, Our Lady of Loretto Church and St. Columban Church, Los Angeles Santa Barbara Region: Fr. Arthur Najera, St. Raphael Church, Santa Barbara Fr. Uriel H.
LA Archdiocese parish leadership assignments for 2025
Archbishop José H. Gomez has approved the following priests to be appointed pastors, effective July 1, 2025. Our Lady of the Angels Region: Fr. David F. Callardo, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles Fr. Roberto Rueda, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Los Angeles Fr. Paul A. Sustayta, Blessed Sacrament Church, Los Angeles Fr. William M.
Nearly one in three pregnancies in England and Wales end in abortion, government figures reveal
LIVERPOOL (OSV News) -- Nearly one in three conceptions in England and Wales end in abortion, newest government figures have revealed. Statistics on annual conceptions released July 9 by the Office for National Statistics showed that in 2022, 29.69% of all conceptions in England and Wales ended in abortion, up from 26.54% a year earlier. The figures represent a huge increase in abortion within a decade, since in 2012 abortion ended 20.84% of conceptions -- a fifth of all pregnancies.
Gaza's Christian community persevering amid hardship and hope
The parish priest of Gaza Strip's small Christian community admitted his flock is exhausted by war and a severe lack of food. The priest spoke to Vatican Radio amid tragedy after tragedy unfolding in the enclave, with at least 32 people killed by Israeli strikes only on July 13, including six children at a water collection point. The Israeli military said it was targeting a militant but a technical error made its munitions fall "dozens of meters from the target," The Associated Press reported.
As iconic British Catholic bioethics center closes, fellow academics dub move a 'tragedy'
(OSV News) -- One of the most highly respected Catholic bioethics institutes in the world is to close amid a funding crisis. The Oxford-based Anscombe Bioethics Center, which serves the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland, will close on July 31 "on financial grounds," according to a July 2 statement.
Closure of UK Catholic bioethics center marks profound loss
He said: “Much of the focus of the work of the center over the past year has been the attempt in Scotland and in England and Wales to decriminalize ‘encouraging and assisting suicide’ in the case of people deemed to have a ‘terminal’ illness. “Our work has been cited in Parliament and we have helped inform many people who are concerned about this issue,” he said.
UK Parliament's lower house OKs assisted suicide bill; measure heads to upper house
LIVERPOOL, England (OSV News) -- English bishops expressed sadness after an assisted suicide bill was passed in the House of Commons by a narrow majority June 20. Members of Parliament approved the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at a third reading by 314 votes to 291, a majority of just 23. The vote share indicated a decline in support for the bill because when it received a second reading in November it passed with a majority of 55, by 330 votes to 275.
British Parliament 'effectively decriminalizes' abortion up to birth
(OSV News) -- Members of British Parliament have voted overwhelmingly in favor of decriminalizing abortion up to birth. After two hours of debate in the House of Commons June 17, with a majority of 242 votes needed, MPs voted 379 to 137 in support of an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, which removes criminal liability from any woman who aborts her child for any reason up to and during birth.
El nacionalismo hindú hace que la India sea peligrosa para los cristianos
Hombres que jugaban al fútbol en un suburbio de Vancouver en una cálida tarde de junio de 2023 pensaron que alguien estaba lanzando fuegos artificiales cuando su partido fue interrumpido por una serie de explosiones procedentes de un templo sij cercano.
UK Parliament's lower house OKs assisted suicide bill; measure heads to upper house | The Catholic Weekly
English bishops expressed sadness after an assisted suicide bill was passed in the House of Commons by a narrow majority 20 June. Members of Parliament approved the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at a third reading by 314 votes to 291, a majority of just 23. The vote share indicated a decline in support for the bill because when it received a second reading in November it passed with a majority of 55, by 330 votes to 275.
Be Witnesses to Sanctity of Life, Cardinal Tells Catholics After ‘Watershed’ Suicide Vote, by Simon Caldwell
FOX reports increase of Gen Z men turning to Catholicism, by McKenna Snow By Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald, June 21, 2025 British Catholics must hold firmly to the teaching of the Church that human life is sacred and inviolable, Cardinal Vincent Nichols has said in the wake of MPs narrowly backing an assisted suicide Bill.
Pope declares 174 new martyrs from Nazi camps and Spanish Civil War
Pope Leo XIV on Friday declared 174 new martyrs, including 50 French Catholics who died in Nazi concentration camps during World War II and more than 100 Spanish priests killed during the Spanish Civil War. In a decree signed on June 20, the pope also recognized a medical miracle that occurred in 2007 in a Rhode Island hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit through the heavenly intercession of a 19th-century Spanish priest, Father Salvador Valera Parra, making possible his future beatification.
Solidarity with refugees and migrants 'is not optional'
Solidarity with refugees and migrants "is not optional," but rather "a living testimony of the Gospel," said Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration. Bishop Seitz shared his thoughts in a statement issued on World Refugee Day, which has been globally marked on June 20 since 2001. Established by the United Nations General Assembly, the day was initially launched to commemorate the anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
UK Parliament's lower house OKs assisted suicide bill
5 “We are also concerned about the future of palliative care, not least because experience suggests that, unless there are explicit protections, hospices may be required to co-operate with assisted suicide,” he said.
Grote meerderheid in Brits parlement voor decriminaliseren van abortus
“Abortus wordt vaak gekozen vanwege de persoonlijke uitdagingen waar een vrouw mee te maken heeft”, vervolgt hij. Ook gebrek aan goede begeleiding en steun spelen volgens hem een rol. “Dit zal ertoe leiden dat vrouwen nog meer alleen, kwetsbaar en geïsoleerd zullen zijn.” Technisch gezien illegaal Momenteel is abortus technisch gezien illegaal volgens de Offences Against the Persons Act uit 1861, tenzij aan de criteria van de Abortuswet van 1967 wordt voldaan.
British Parliament "effectively decriminalises" abortion up to birth
Members of British Parliament have voted overwhelmingly in favor of decriminalising abortion up to birth. After two hours of debate in the House of Commons 17 June, with a majority of 242 votes needed, MPs voted 379 to 137 in support of an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, which removes criminal liability from any woman who aborts her child for any reason up to and during birth.
Pilgrimage’s LA Cathedral finale scaled down due to recent protests
Organizers have changed plans for the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, June 22, in light of recent immigration-related protests and police activity in the area. A Eucharistic procession through the streets of downtown Los Angeles had originally been planned following the pilgrimage’s 3 p.m. closing Mass inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Abortions of unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome up 82% in Scotland
LIVERPOOL, England (OSV News) -- Scotland has seen a dramatic rise in abortions involving Down syndrome diagnoses, with government figures showing an 82% increase since 2021. A total of 60 fetuses with Down syndrome were aborted in 2024 -- almost double the number of the 33 such abortions in 2021. The increase also represents a 15% rise over the 52 abortions of Down syndrome-affected unborn babies in 2023, according to statistics released by Public Health Scotland.
Government Criticised for Rating Assisted Suicide Law by Cash Saved in Patient Deaths, by Simon Caldwell
Liturgical Stooges, by Anthony Esolen May 31, 2025 An Unfortunate MAHA Blunder, by Nate Jackson May 31, 2025 By Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald, May 30, 2025 Bioethicists have severely criticised a “truly sinister” government impact assessment of the assisted suicide Bill for focusing on the money that might be saved from doctors helping patients to kill themselves.
Hundreds Sue Over Contraceptive Injections Linked to Deadly Brain Tumours, by Simon Caldwell
Planned Parenthood is Mutilating Thousands of Kids With Trans Hormones, by Cailey Myers Lawsuit Says Catholic Charities Accountant Stole Millions Using Invoices, Credit Cards, by Daniel Payne By Simon Caldwell, Catholic Herald, May 30, 2025 Hundreds of woman in America and the UK are planning legal action after a contraceptive jab left them at risk of developing potentially lethal brain tumours.
Abortions of unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome up 82 per cent in Scotland | The Catholic Weekly
Scotland has seen a dramatic rise in abortions involving Down syndrome diagnoses, with government figures showing an 82 per cent increase since 2021. A total of 60 fetuses with Down syndrome were aborted in 2024—almost double the number of the 33 such abortions in 2021. The increase also represents a 15 per cent rise over the 52 abortions of Down syndrome-affected unborn babies in 2023, according to statistics released by Public Health Scotland.
Washington state bishops sue over mandatory reporter law
Washington state's bishops filed a lawsuit May 29 over a new law requiring clergy to report child abuse or neglect without exceptions for clergy-penitent privilege. First reported by The Pillar, the lawsuit is in response to Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson's approval of Senate Bill 5375 earlier the same month, which designated members of the clergy as mandatory reporters, or people required by law to report suspected or known instances of child abuse or neglect.
Abortions of unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome up 82% in Scotland
2 LIVERPOOL, England (OSV News) — Scotland has seen a dramatic rise in abortions involving Down syndrome diagnoses, with government figures showing an 82% increase since 2021. A total of 60 fetuses with Down syndrome were aborted in 2024 — almost double the number of the 33 such abortions in 2021. The increase also represents a 15% rise over the 52 abortions of Down syndrome-affected unborn babies in 2023, according to statistics released by Public Health Scotland.
The Kingdom of Caesar and Peter the Rock
As some of you perhaps know, I was in Rome earlier this month, providing commentary for various news networks who were covering the papal conclave. It was a fascinating, exhausting, and exhilarating seven days! And it culminated, to everyone’s astonishment, with the election of a pope from America, indeed from my own hometown of Chicago. Because I was moving from network to network, I spent a lot of time driving around Rome, going from pillar to post.
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