U.S.
U.S. bishops end lawsuit against Trump administration over refugee resettlement
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has ended its lawsuit against the Trump administration over the suspension of a long-running refugee resettlement contract, with monies owed to the USCCB now recovered. Judge Trevor N. McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia signed a Jan. 23 order dismissing the case “without prejudice” — allowing the USCCB the option to bring a subsequent suit on the same grounds. Chieko Noguchi, spokesperson for the USCCB, confirmed Feb. 24 that the conference had recovered what it was owed for its refugee resettlement work with the federal government. As of April 2025, those funds — still unpaid at the time — amounted to more than $24 million. The USCCB filed suit in February 2025 after the Trump administration suspended the conference’s contract for resettlement under the congressionally established U.S. Refugee Assistance Program. (OSV News)
Pro-abortion professor declines Notre Dame institute post
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend welcomed news that a pro-abortion professor at the University of Notre Dame has withdrawn from an appointment to direct one of the university institutes following weeks of outcry from students, staff and many U.S. Catholic bishops, over her prominent advocacy for abortion. In a Feb. 26 statement, the bishop, whose diocese encompasses the university, noted his opposition to the appointment was “because the appointment of persons to leadership positions at a Catholic university is an act of institutional witness.” Susan Ostermann, associate professor in the Keough School of Global Affairs, “decided not to move forward” as director of that school’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, said Keough Dean Mary Gallagher in an email. Ostermann will remain a member of the Keogh School’s faculty. Ostermann’s appointment quickly drew fire from Notre Dame faculty and staff due to her robust public advocacy of legal abortion. (OSV News)
Diocese of Syracuse wraps $176 million bankruptcy settlement in ‘journey of reparation’
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Diocese of Syracuse has formally closed out its long-running bankruptcy, funding a victims’ trust with more than $176 million to settle claims. The move concludes a “journey of reparation” to “provide compensation for the pain and mistreatment experienced by survivors/victims of sexual abuse at the hands of those entrusted with their care,” wrote Syracuse Bishop Douglas J. Lucia in a Feb. 25 letter to diocesan faithful. The final decree in the case — which had been filed in June 2020 — was approved that same day, he said. Bishop Lucia said the diocese had “conveyed its commitment” to the agreed-upon victims’ trust fund, with $76.1 million provided by insurance and $100 million from what he called “our ‘Catholic family’” — parishes ($45 million), the diocese itself ($50 million) and other diocesan entities ($5 million). To the survivors and families, Bishop Lucia said, “I express genuine sorrowfulness and a firm resolve to ensure that future generations do not experience this scourge.” (OSV News)
WORLD
Vatican synod study group proposes creation of pontifical commission for new technologies
ROME — A Synod on Synodality study group has recommended the creation of a new “Pontifical Commission for Digital Culture and New Technologies” in the first of 15 synod study group reports expected in the coming weeks. The Vatican published the first two final reports from its Synod on Synodality study groups on March 3. The first report contains recommendations on navigating the Church’s presence in digital spaces. The second report focuses on guidelines for the formation of future priests and includes a call for more women to play a role in aiding the formation of seminarians for the priesthood. The report also lists 26 real world examples of “best practices” from seminaries around the world, including a program in eight U.S. dioceses focused on healing wounds caused by the excessive use of technology and family breakdown; and a Nigerian seminary that requires seminarians to perform all maintenance and cleaning work of their building. (OSV News)
Church governance begins with holiness, not bureaucracy, Bp. Varden says at Curia retreat
VATICAN CITY — At the Vatican’s Lenten retreat, Norwegian Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim said that the Church’s governance depends less on bureaucratic skill and more on holy, prayerful leaders. Reflecting Feb. 27 on St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s 12th-century letter to Pope Eugene III, Bishop Varden, a Trappist, said the saint offered no institutional fixes for Church problems. Instead, he urged the pope to surround himself with men of integrity and deep faith. According to the pope’s biography on the Vatican City State website, Pope Eugene’s election came at a tumultuous time for the Church, and the pontiff relied on St. Bernard for spiritual and practical guidance. Drawing from St. Bernard’s treatise “On Consideration,” Bishop Varden highlighted the distinction between contemplation — resting in known truths — and consideration, which seeks truth amid daily challenges. Good governance, he said, flows from leaders who “love and savor prayer” and place hope in God rather than in strategy. (OSV News)
