SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV Newscast for Friday, October 9th, 2026. Today is the feast of not one, not two, but at least three saints. St. John Henry Newman, the 19th-century priest, theologian, and doctor of the church, St. Dennis, a third-century bishop, who, along with his companions, was martyred, and St. John Leonarde, a 16th-century Italian priest who founded the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God, and he's also the patron of pharmacists. We ask all of them to pray for us. Now let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day. Here we go. The head of the nation's Catholic bishops has condemned the federal government's plan to live stream an execution by firing squad. President Donald Trump recently approved the execution of Nidal Malik Hassan, who killed 13 unarmed soldiers in 2009 at the Fort Hood military base. Defense Secretary Pete Heggseth announced yesterday the execution would be made public. In a statement today, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, described the move as a barbaric promotion of a culture of death, and he added, it must be reconsidered. The Archbishop also expressed his shock and great sorrow. He said, In no way can Hassan's actions be condoned, but added, Our God is the God of life. The Archbishop quoted from St. Paul's letter to the Romans saying, The Word of God exhorts us, do not repay anyone evil for evil. Archbishop Coakley said the public execution, even of one who has done grave harm, will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation, the moral fabric of our nation, and be a blight on the conscience of its people. If carried out, Hassan's execution would mark the first time U.S. officials live streamed an execution to the public. It would also be the first public execution in the U.S. since 1937. Pope Francis revised the catechism of the Catholic Church in 2018 to clarify the Church's teaching that capital punishment is morally inadmissible in the modern world, and that the Church works with determination for its abolishment worldwide. The drug is commonly used for first trimester abortion, but also in some miscarriage care protocols. The FDA delay has prompted disappointment from pro-life groups. The FDA said in a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana that it's on track to obtain study results by mid-December 2026, and the agency expects to complete the whole process no later than March of 2027. The filing comes as part of a lawsuit from Louisiana that seeks to end the FDA policy under the Biden administration that allowed MiFapristone to be distributed by mail. But the Trump administration asked multiple judges to pause such lawsuits, and it's meanwhile left that regulation in effect while seeking to block challenges to it, citing the ongoing FDA safety review. Kristen Hawkins, president of Students for Life, said in an October 7th statement that the status report on the review is incomplete and insufficient. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has criticized the FDA for the eased restrictions on Miphopristone. For October's Respect Life Month, the bishops have launched a prayer and advocacy campaign to address the rising abortion rate and miphopristone's availability. Sydney's Archbishop Anthony Fisher and Auxiliary Bishop Richard Umbers, who is the Secretary General of the event, met Pope Leo XIV yesterday to discuss the details. The theme of the Congress is This Is My Body, Given for You, and the gathering is expected to draw pilgrims from across Australia and around the world. A theological symposium will take place September 20th through the 22nd ahead of the Congress, and Archbishop Fisher said the meeting with the Pope was an opportunity to discuss plans for the event and for him to get feedback from the Pope on what he'd like to do and what he'd like to see happen at the Congress. While Pope Leo hasn't formally accepted an invitation to attend, he did say back in February, it's still a way off, but I'll be there. Organizers have launched a nationwide year of prayer, and they're encouraging Catholics to begin preparing through parishes, schools, and communities. Bishop Umber said the Congress is for everybody because the Eucharist makes the church the church. The 54th International Eucharistic Congress will also mark the 100th anniversary of Sydney's hosting the Eucharistic gathering. The last time the city did so was in 1928. The response comes as the university has faced scrutiny following a September 16th civil lawsuit filed by a former undergraduate student alleging she was gang raped at a campus fraternity house in 2024. Concerns over previous handling of the case by university and local officials have led to campus protests, and New York State Attorney General Leticia James has been appointed to investigate the matter as a special prosecutor. Deacon Matthew Hall, Associate Director of the Cornell Catholic Community, said, We do not want our Catholic students to retreat from difficult conversations. We want our students to have the intellectual and spiritual resources to enter those conversations charitably and courageously. We need to be able to affirm what is true, recognize human dignity, and help one another pursue what is genuinely good. The Cornell Catholic community explored those topics in Salt, Leaven, and Light, our Christian responsibility in the public square. It's a pastoral letter offering several reflections on the Catholic understanding of marriage, human sexuality, freedom, and moral choices. The letter includes nine concrete suggestions, including prayer and outreach, to bring the light of Jesus Christ to the campus. And finally, the Vatican announced today that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has been elected Dean of the College of Cardinals following the retirement of 92-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Battista Rey. The 69-year-old Filipino Cardinal was chosen by the Church's cardinal bishops and confirmed by Pope Leo XIV, who also assigned him the traditional title of the Suburbicarian Church of Ostia while he retains his See of Albano. As dean, Cardinal Tagle will hold a key role during any future papal transition. If a Pope dies or resigns, the dean summons cardinals to Rome, leads the pre-conclave meetings, and formally asks the Pope-elect whether he accepts his election and what name he'll take. Cardinal Tagle will continue serving as pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization. He was elevated to the rank of Cardinal Bishop by Pope Francis back in 2020, and he recently presided at the Beatification of Blessed Fulton Sheen in St. Louis. Cardinal Ray has served as dean since 2020, overseeing the general congregations before the 2020 conclave that elected Pope Leo. He now becomes the College of Cardinals Dean Emeritus. That's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Gina Christian. Check out the show notes for a link to our website. That's where you can find the stories in this episode, plus a whole lot more. As always, please make sure to subscribe to this podcast, tell a friend, follow us on social media, and bookmark osvnews.com. Hello to all our listeners around the world. Good to see you checking in. Drop us a line, let us know what you think. We'll be back on Monday. Thanks so much for listening. God bless.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

This has been an Osv News production. To learn more, visit osvnews.