U.S.
N.Y. governor signs assisted suicide measure into law
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul Feb. 6 made good on her promise that early this year she would sign a bill into law allowing physicians to aid terminally ill adults in dying by suicide. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have now legalized assisted suicide. Hochul had said in a Dec. 17 commentary in the Times Union daily newspaper she would sign it once the legislature added certain “guardrails” to address some concerns. Among the guardrails now part of the law are an opt-out for “religiously-oriented home hospice providers”; a required in-person evaluation of a patient requesting help in dying by a physician and psychologist; a mandatory audio or video recording of the patient’s verbal request; and a mandatory five-day waiting period. New York’s Catholic bishops urged Hochul not to sign the measure. The law takes effect in six months. (OSV News)
Pope appoints new archbishops for Denver, New Orleans
WASHINGTON — Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver and named as his successor Bishop James R. Golka of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The resignation and appointment were announced by the Vatican on Feb. 7 and publicized in Washington by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Aquila has led the Denver Archdiocese since 2012. His successor, Archbishop Golka, 59, a native of Grand Island, Nebraska, was ordained and installed as the third bishop of Colorado Springs on June 29, 2021. Pope Leo also confirmed Archbishop James F. Checchio as the new leader of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, effective immediately, following the retirement of Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond on Feb. 11. Archbishop Checchio, 59, was appointed coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans by the pope in September. He was previously bishop of Metuchen, New Jersey. (OSV News)
WORLD
Thousands of Christians gather at Bangladesh shrine despite anxiety of election violence
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Thousands of pilgrims have gathered at St. Anthony’s shrine in Bangladesh’s Archdiocese of Dhaka, despite anxiety and fears of violence, ahead of national elections in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, as they pray for peace in Bangladesh and the world. Like every year, on Feb. 6, about 40,000 devotees gathered at Panjora village, in St. Nicholas of Tolentino Church in Gazipur district, despite fears of attacks on minorities, including Christians, ahead of the country’s national elections scheduled on Feb. 12. St. Anthony’s pilgrimage is traditionally held on the first Friday of February — but in 2026, the scene looked different as a large number of law enforcement officers were seen around the pilgrimage site amid fears of sabotage against minorities. (OSV News)
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20-year imprisonment
HONG KONG — Hong Kong media entrepreneur and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, in what critics say is the harshest penalty yet under China’s national security law. A Hong Kong court handed down the sentence Feb. 9, nearly six years after Lai’s arrest sparked international outrage. Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, was convicted in December of sedition and conspiring to collude with foreign forces. His family condemned the ruling as “heartbreakingly cruel,” warning that the 76-year-old’s declining health makes the sentence life-threatening. “If this sentence is carried out, he will die a martyr behind bars,” Lai’s daughter Claire said. Imposed after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019, the security law has been widely criticized for eroding the city’s promised autonomy and silencing dissent. British officials called the case politically motivated. (OSV News)
Pope Leo denounces human trafficking as a ‘crime against humanity’
VATICAN CITY — Ahead of the 12th World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, Pope Leo XIV condemned the scourge of modern slavery, which has taken even more disturbing forms in our online societies. In his message for the day, which was marked Feb. 8, the pope renewed the Church’s “urgent call to confront and bring an end to this grave crime against humanity.” He focused on the Risen Christ’s greeting “Peace be with you,” saying these words offer a path toward a renewed humanity. “True peace begins with the recognition and protection of the God-given dignity of every person,” he said. Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to the many people and networks that work to assist victims of human trafficking, some of whom are themselves survivors of the scourge. In conclusion, the pope entrusted the World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking to the intercession of St. Josephine Bakhita. (OSV News)
