The Church of St. Luke

CNA Staff, Mar 6, 2025 / 15:35 pm (CNA).

Maryland’s Catholic bishops recently expressed concern that a proposed change to the state’s tax code, specifically the elimination of itemized deductions, could reduce charitable giving in the state. 

As part of a broad tax reform agenda pushed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, the bill in the Maryland Legislature would double the standard deduction — the flat amount that tax filers can claim without having to list and prove all their deductions — while eliminating itemized deductions. The latter are often used by taxpayers to claim charitable expenses.

A 2023 state report cited by the Baltimore Sun showed that roughly 20% of Maryland taxpayers made use of itemized deductions. Moore’s office has claimed that only wealthy households use them and that middle- and low-income taxpayers largely won’t be affected.

The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC), which represents the state’s bishops, said in a Feb. 28 testimony to the state Legislature’s Budget and Taxation Committee that the Catholic Church’s presence in Maryland, which includes parishes, schools, hospitals, and numerous charities, “combine to form our state’s second-largest social service provider network, behind only our state government.”

The conference warned that the proposed change could have “unintended consequences” on charitable giving in the state, because eliminating itemized deductions removes the tax incentive for charitable donations.

Research from the Tax Policy Center suggests that when a similar policy was enacted at the federal level in 2018, charitable giving declined by billions of dollars. 

“Charitable giving is not merely a financial transaction, it is an expression of our shared moral responsibility to care for the poor, the vulnerable, and those in need,” the Maryland Catholic Conference said in its statement. 

“Catholic social teaching calls us to solidarity and the preferential option for the poor, recognizing that human dignity is upheld when we work together to support those who are struggling,” the conference said.

“Faith-based and nonprofit organizations play a vital role in meeting the needs of our communities, offering food, shelter, education, and support to countless individuals and families.”

While the intention of increasing the standard deduction may be to provide financial relief to Maryland taxpayers, “it should not come at the expense of charitable giving and the ability of civil society to care for those in need,” the conference continued. 

“Catholic teaching affirms the principle of subsidiarity, which holds that needs should be met at the most local level possible. Charitable organizations and religious institutions are often best positioned to provide direct assistance efficiently and compassionately,” the group said. 

“Removing this incentive will weaken the financial foundation of these organizations and ultimately shift the burden to government programs, which are already strained.”

The Maryland bills are currently being considered by committees in the state House and Senate.

CNA Staff, Mar 6, 2025 / 15:05 pm (CNA).

The National Eucharistic Congress announced this week the names of the eight Perpetual Pilgrims who will accompany the Eucharistic Jesus on a 3,300-mile walking pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles this summer, beginning in May.

The latest iteration of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, dubbed the Drexel Route, was announced in mid-February, while the biographies of the pilgrims were posted online this week. 

This year’s pilgrimage is a continuation of last year’s unprecedented four simultaneous Eucharistic pilgrimages, which started at the edges of the country and eventually converged in Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024. 

The goal of the pilgrimages is to bear public witness to the truth that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. 

This year’s Drexel Route will open with a Mass of Thanksgiving in Indianapolis on Sunday, May 18. The route then heads northwest through Illinois to Iowa before turning to the southwest and descending through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. From Texas the route continues roughly west through New Mexico, Arizona, and finally California.

Over a quarter of a million people across the country encountered the pilgrimages last summer, organizers said. As with last year, the small group of young adult Perpetual Pilgrims will accompany the Eucharist the entire way, while any person wishing to join for small portions of the route will be able to sign up to do so.

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage website includes biographies for each of the eight young Perpetual Pilgrims who will be walking the entire route with Jesus. 

Arthur “Ace” Acuña is originally from Las Vegas and graduated from Princeton University in 2023 with a degree in chemical and biological engineering. He works for the Aquinas Institute — Princeton’s campus ministry — finding creative ways to share the joys of the Catholic faith with students. 

Stephen Fuhrmann is from Lindsay, Texas, and plans to graduate from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural business. He developed a deep love for Jesus in the Eucharist while in college. 

Johnathan “Johnny” Silvino Hernandez-Jose resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and helps run his family’s construction company. He has a heart for service in his diocese, assisting with confirmation, young adult groups, and a ministry for the Hispanic community. 

Cheyenne Johnson is originally from Lakeland, Florida, and currently lives in Indianapolis, where she serves as the director of Catholic campus ministry at Butler University. She is a convert to Catholicism. 

Leslie Reyes-Hernandez is from Phoenix, originally from Illinois, and teaches freshman algebra at a public high school. She encountered Christ’s love through the Eucharist in college and serves in college ministry at the Grand Canyon University Newman Center. 

Rachel Levy grew up in small-town Indiana and graduated from Indiana University with a degree in marketing before transitioning to full-time ministry. She currently serves the Office of Young Adult and College Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, accompanying young adults in their faith journey. 

Frances Webber, originally from Virginia but currently living in Minnesota, is a senior in college studying theology and business. She works for the Center for Catholic Social Thought and is involved with Saint Paul’s Outreach. 

Charlie McCullough, a recent Texas A&M graduate, is the only 2025 pilgrim who is a returner from last year. In 2024 he completed the southern Juan Diego Route, which began in Brownsville, Texas; this year he will serve as team leader for the Drexel Route. 

Speaking to CNA last year ahead of the first round of pilgrimages, McCullough expressed openness to God radically altering the course of his life during the pilgrimage. He said at the time that he was most looking forward to being able to help people experience small, “seemingly insignificant” interactions with Christ in the Eucharist that “radically change everything.”

“My hope for the pilgrimage is that every person that we encounter has something stir inside of them that makes them question: ‘Why do I feel differently when I was encountered by this procession? … What if that is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ?’” McCullough said in 2024.

“I have full confidence that Jesus Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist and if the pilgrimage simply stirs questions in the hearts of those that we encounter, I know that those questions will be answered with the truth.”

The 2025 pilgrimage route will include numerous opportunities to encounter the Eucharistic Jesus, including daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, Eucharistic processions, witness talks, and fellowship meals with the Perpetual Pilgrims, organizers said.

Like last year’s events, this year’s pilgrimage will focus on Eucharistic encounters with marginalized communities, bringing the Eucharist to assisted-living facilities, food banks, a juvenile detention center, a hospital, and a federal prison along the route.

In addition, there will be a number of stops with particular significance to Catholics along the way: the tomb of Venerable Fulton Sheen in Illinois; the Shrine of Blessed Stanley Rother in Oklahoma City; several mission churches in Southern California; and St. Michael Church near Window Rock, which is the capital of the Navajo Nation in the southwestern desert.

In honor of the ongoing Jubilee Year of Hope, there will be an additional focus on Eucharistic healing, organizers said.

Prayer intentions for the pilgrims to carry with them on their journey can be submitted here.

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 6, 2025 / 14:35 pm (CNA).

The author, who remained bedridden for more than 30 years following an incident, claimed to have received visions and revelations from Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

St. Louis, Mo., Mar 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Amid debate in Washington, D.C., over the new administration’s deep cuts to numerous federal programs and contracts, farmers across the country are facing uncertainty as they await reimbursement for conservation and sustainability projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In a Day 1 executive order Jan. 20, President Donald Trump ordered that all funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) — which among other things allocated nearly $20 billion for agriculture programs — be paused.

Among the most popularly used programs funded by the IRA are the long-standing Environmental Quality Incentive and Conservation Stewardship programs, both of which are designed to reward farmers for good environmental practices such as taking steps to reduce erosion into local waterways. 

A very small percentage — less than 1% — of the USDA funds owed to farmers have been released as of late February, but many farmers are still awaiting reimbursement for projects they have already paid for out of pocket. 

Matt Deimeke, a Catholic family farmer from rural Mexico, Missouri, said he is not currently using the federal conservation programs for his soybean fields but has in the past. 

“If I was using them [now] and was expecting payments, it would definitely affect us,” he told CNA. 

Jim Ennis, executive director of Catholic Rural Life (CRL), told CNA that many Catholic farmers use and support the programs, which are designed to encourage farmers to implement practices that not only benefit the environment but also ensure the continued productivity of their land. 

CRL is a Minnesota-based national membership organization that promotes Catholic life in rural areas. In talking to CRL’s members around the country, Ennis said he encountered surprise and concern among farmers who had already invested in the practices promoted by these programs and were expecting reimbursement from the government.

“A lot of farmers voted for this new administration. Now, with these funds frozen, it caught some people — some of the farmers — by surprise,” Ennis noted.

“I was just speaking with one farmer today, and he said he knows a couple of farmers who are stuck because they had these contracts, and now they’re not sure what’s going to happen.”

Ennis explained that these programs can incentivize farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices like reducing erosion and protecting water quality, practices that Catholic Rural Life strongly supports. By providing financial assistance and incentives, the programs make it easier for them to implement sustainable practices such as planting cover crops, which improve soil health.

The programs support farmers in their role as stewards, Ennis said, encouraging them to care for the land so they can pass it on to the next generation. Many farmers, including many who are Catholic, are conservation-conscious and view farming as a vocation with a responsibility to care for the land, he said.

Participating in these programs can also help farmers reduce risk by providing a financial safety net — particularly important for farming families when commodity prices are low or after a difficult crop year, he said. 

While the current disruptions do not put the food supply in danger, the current funding freezes create a financial burden for farmers committed to good stewardship, many of whom will likely continue to farm sustainability even without the financial incentives, Ennis continued.

He encouraged farmers and people of goodwill to contact their legislators to advocate for the continued funding of these programs. The administration, in an effort to cut waste, is actually “freezing really excellent programs and funding,” he said. 

“These cuts can have these unintended consequences, and there’s a lot of collateral damage that I don’t think is intended,” Ennis concluded. 

“I think the USDA and the administration will realize that they need to follow through with those contracts. It’s not waste. It’s actually very prudent, responsible agriculture.” 

In addition to the conservation program uncertainty, Catholic farmers have expressed concern in recent weeks over the new administration’s cuts to the 70-year-old Food for Peace program, a USAID initiative that buys up American surplus grain and ships it to developing nations. Millions of bushels of food aid are currently stuck in storage pending an investigation into alleged USAID mismanagement. 

Catholic farmers in Kansas recently told “EWTN News In Depth” that while they would like to see any abuse or corruption in the aid agency weeded out, the U.S. needs to continue to deliver aid and get the farmers’ excess grain to the people who need it.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- On his 21st day in Rome's Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis recorded a 27-second audio message thanking people for their prayers.

Played before the nightly recitation of the rosary in St. Peter's Square March 6, the pope said, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square; I accompany you from here. May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you."

The message in Spanish was recorded in the hospital earlier in the day, the Vatican press office said, offering no other details.

The 88-year-old pope, who has been battling double pneumonia, had obvious difficulty speaking in the recording, but it was the first time the public had heard his voice since he was hospitalized Feb. 14 for bronchitis and difficulty breathing. 

Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, listens to an audio message from Pope Francis before leading the rosary for the pope's health in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 6, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

The rosary was led by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, who announced the recording as "good news, a beautiful gift." The hundreds of people in the square applauded before and after listening to the pope.

Shortly before the audio was released, the pope's doctors had said in their evening bulletin that Pope Francis' condition remained stable, and he continued his respiratory and physical therapy "with benefit."

He had no fever, no episodes of "respiratory insufficiency" and his blood tests and "hemodynamic parameters," which measure heart health, "remained stable," the doctors said in the bulletin released by the Vatican.

"In view of the stable clinical picture, the next medical bulletin will be issued Saturday," March 8, the bulletin said. However, the doctors said they were maintaining their prognosis of the pope's condition as "guarded."

The was diagnosed with double pneumonia Feb. 18. He experienced breathing crises Feb. 22 and March 3, but the bulletins have described his condition as "stable" since then.

In addition to the medical information, the bulletin said the pope "devoted himself to some work activities during the morning and afternoon, alternating between rest and prayer. Before lunch he received the Eucharist." 

Votive candles and flowers are seen at the base of a statue of St. John Paul II outside Rome's Gemelli hospital March 6, 2025, where Pope Francis has been hospitalized since Feb. 14, receiving treatment for double pneumonia. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

Pope Francis continues to receive high-flow oxygen through a nasal cannula during the day and to use "noninvasive mechanical ventilation" to help him breathe through the night, a Vatican source said.

Retired Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, who served as St. John Paul II's personal secretary from 1966 until the pope's death in 2005, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica March 5 that he believed Pope Francis, like his Polish predecessor, continues to serve the church even from his hospital bed.

When St. John Paul II was bedridden, "voiceless, unable to speak, lacking strength," the cardinal said, he was "serving the church with heart, soul and clear mind. And I am sure that Pope Francis, for whose healing the whole world is praying, will do the same: he will lead the church as long as God wills, firmly embracing the cross, without any step backward."

And even though he is not speaking in public, Cardinal Dziwisz said, "his voice rises loud and clear over a world beset by clashes and conflicts," praying for peace, encouraging negotiations and even calling the pastor of the only Catholic parish in Gaza.

"Francis is not only our father, he is the highest moral figure who cares about the fate of all of humanity," the cardinal said. "The whole world needs him. Let us pray that God will grant him the gift of healing and preserve him for us for a long time."
 

Pope Francis thanks world for prayers

Pope Francis recorded a 27-second audio message thanking people for their prayers for his health. It was played before the recitation of the rosary in St. Peter's Square.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The infinite and inalienable dignity inherent in every human being has practical consequences which include protecting everyone's right to life from conception to a natural end and opposing the "technocratic" ideology of gender, said the head of the Vatican's doctrinal office.

"We don't want to be cruel and say that we don't understand people's conditioning and the deep suffering that exists in some cases of 'dysphoria' that manifests itself even from childhood," said Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Those experiencing profound dysphoria, which is a state of intense emotional discomfort or distress, are "exceptional situations (which) must be evaluated with great care," he said in a talk given during a conference in mid-February organized by Germany's Cologne University of Catholic Theology.

What the church opposes is "the ideology that usually accompanies so many sex-change decisions," which the cardinal said is an ideology that claims "omnipotence" and refuses to recognize the reality of one's body as a gift, he said in his talk, which was published on the dicastery's website in Italian and German.

The cardinal took part by video link in the conference, which was dedicated to Catholic teachings on human dignity. He presented a paper offering "some clarifications" regarding the meaning of the "infinite dignity" and the "ontological dignity" of the person as presented in "Dignitas Infinita" ("Infinite Dignity"), a document released in April 2024 by the dicastery and approved by Pope Francis.

The document had provoked some questions about the nature or source of infinite dignity and how it could be said to apply to finite beings while others had criticized the document's condemnation of gender theory and sex-change procedures. 

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, arrives in the Paul VI Audience Hall to attend a morning session of the synod at the Vatican Oct. 21, 2024. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

The cardinal sought to address those points by clarifying the Catholic Church's defense of the "ontological dignity" of the human person, which is a dignity that cannot be given or taken away and is immutable no matter the person's state, capacity or circumstances.

It is not to be confused with moral, social or existential dignity, which can be imperfect, lost or harmed, he said. For example, a human being does not lose his or her ontological dignity even when living an "undignified" life in a moral or social sense, such as in a state of sin or in extreme poverty.

Certain conditions are "not dignified," in that they do not correspond to the nature of the human person who is loved by God and called to love others, the cardinal said.

The "ontological reality" of a dignity, inherent in human nature and given by God, that "is not diminished or affected" by any circumstance, he said, is the basis for upholding and protecting the dignity of all human beings even if they are unconscious, unborn, differently abled, infirm or on death row.

This understanding of dignity is contrary to "the interpretation of a large part of current society and throughout history," he said, which prefers to ignore, remove or invent human rights at whim or as decided by the powerful.

While "Infinite Dignity" denounced discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and situations in which people are "imprisoned, tortured and even deprived of the good of life solely because of their sexual orientation," it also condemned "gender theory" as "extremely dangerous since it cancels differences in its claim to make everyone equal." It warned that sex-change interventions risk "threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception." 

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, takes notes during a news conference to present the dicastery's declaration, "Dignitas Infinita" ("Infinite Dignity") on human dignity, a copy of which is nearby, at the Vatican press office April 8, 2024. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

In his talk Feb. 17, the cardinal said the document invites the faithful to recognize the consequences of believing -- as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches -- that "the human body shares in the dignity of 'the image of God.'"

In that view, "sex change is not merely an external change or comparable to normal cosmetic surgery or surgery to cure a disease," he said. "It is about the demand for a change of identity, of wanting to be another person."

The document, he said, "does not exclude that there are cases outside the norm, such as severe dysphorias that can lead to an unbearable existence or even suicide," which demand evaluation "with great care."

"What we are saying is that the ideology that usually accompanies so many sex-change decisions includes the denial of the reality given as a gift, with the idea that bodily-sexual identity can be the object of radical change, always subject to one's desires and claims of freedom," he said.

Regarding the question of "infinite dignity" for finite beings and its source, the cardinal said human beings have been called to be God's children through Jesus. "This possibility was truly opened through the incarnation and redemption of Christ."

During a meeting with people with disabilities in Germany in 1980, St. John Paul II said, "With Jesus Christ, God has shown us in an unsurpassed way how he loves each human being and thereby bestows upon him infinite dignity."

This is how the late pope's statement about infinite dignity, and the document's title, should be understood, Cardinal Fernández said, "namely, that God's infinite love confers infinite dignity on every human being."

WASHINGTON – “The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act is commonsense legislation that would ensure fairness for female athletes,” said Bishop Robert E. Barron and Bishop David M. O’Connell, CM, in response to a failed procedural vote in the Senate earlier this week on S.9, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025. The Act, which already passed the House in January, would prevent federally funded sports programs under Title IX from permitting male students to participate in athletic programs designated for women and girls.

“The teaching of the Catholic Church calls us to advocate for the equal dignity of men and women, recognizing that God created us male and female. This legislation would ensure a level playing field for women and girls to compete in fairness and safety with other females. An ideological promotion of personal identity, detached from biological reality, undermines human dignity and the role sports play in true educational formation. We reiterate our long-standing support for this Act and encourage female student athletes nationwide to continue to strive to uphold fairness and equality in athletic competitions.”

Bishop Barron is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, and Bishop O’Connell is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Catholic Education. 

The chairmen urged Senate consideration and passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in a letter of support, which may be found here.

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Washington D.C., Mar 5, 2025 / 18:36 pm (CNA).

A Catholic Mass was reportedly celebrated for the staff at the White House today in observance of Ash Wednesday. 

An email from the White House Management Office informed staff that the Mass would take place in the Indian Treaty Room at 8:30 a.m. The Indian Treaty Room is located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, adjacent to the White House. 

“Staff who observe are welcome to attend,” the email stated. 

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump also issued a greeting for Ash Wednesday.

“This Ash Wednesday, we join in prayer with the tens of millions of American Catholics and other Christians beginning the holy season of Lent — a time of spiritual anticipation of the passion, death, and resurrection of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” the message reads.

“During the Lenten season, Christians spend 40 days and 40 nights praying, fasting, and giving alms to deepen our faith and strengthen our belief in the Gospel,” the statement continues. It further noted: “Today, followers of Christ wear crosses of ash on their foreheads — a sacred reminder of our mortality and our enduring need for Christ’s infinite mercy and redeeming love.”

The statement concluded with the president and the First Lady saying: “Let us prepare our souls for the coming glory of the Easter miracle,” adding: “May Almighty God bless you, and may he continue to bless the United States of America.”

Prior to the election, Trump had extended greetings to Catholics on feast days, taking to social media on Sept. 8, the Nativity of Mary, to post “Happy Birthday Mary!” along with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

He also tweeted the St. Michael Prayer marking the archangel’s feast day, accompanied by an image of St. Michael. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the most prominent Catholics occupying top positions in Trump’s second administration.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 5, 2025 / 17:25 pm (CNA).

A federal judge blocked the enforcement of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that restricts doctors from performing gender transition surgeries on minors or giving them drugs to chemically facilitate a gender transition.

The executive order, issued in January, rescinds federal funds for health care providers that perform surgeries or prescribe drugs to facilitate gender transitions for anyone under the age of 19.

United States District Judge Brendan A. Hurson on Tuesday, March 4, issued the sweeping order, which prevents the federal government from enforcing the president’s executive order in any part of the country as legal challenges against the policy are still ongoing.

The court’s decision is not a final ruling but rather puts enforcement on hold indefinitely until the case is settled. The lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order was brought by nonprofit organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), that represent Americans who have children who self-identify as transgender.

In October 2024, the medical watchdog group Do No Harm found nearly 14,000 instances in which doctors facilitated gender transitions for minors in the United States between 2019 and 2023, which included nearly 5,750 surgeries. The data is based on publicly available insurance claims, but the researchers warned that their dataset is likely incomplete and the actual number may be much higher.

In his 66-page opinion, Hurson explains that he issued the ruling because enforcement of the executive order is “likely to be found unconstitutional.” He states that the order classifies people “on the basis of transgender status” and characterizes it as a form of discrimination. The judge referenced previous court rulings that considered discrimination against a person’s transgender status as a form of illegal sex-based discrimination.

“To determine whether [a medical treatment] is permitted or restricted under the order, [it] necessarily requires the evaluation of a patient’s sex assigned at birth and then a determination of whether the treatment is sought to align the patient’s physical characteristics with that birth sex or with a different sex — one that aligns with the person’s identity,” the judge wrote.

Hurson also wrote in his ruling that Trump likely exceeded his presidential authority and that the executive order likely violates the separation of powers “because [it directs] agencies to withhold funding on a condition that Congress has not authorized.”

Some lower courts and some appellate courts have reached similar conclusions with respect to sex-based discrimination claims and have blocked state laws that prohibit transgender surgeries and drugs for minors.

However, the United States Supreme Court has not yet issued a ruling on whether such bans constitute a form of sex discrimination. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a lawsuit that challenges a Tennessee law banning gender transition drugs and surgeries for minors. The Supreme Court’s decision is expected within the next few months.

During oral arguments in December, many Republican-appointed justices — who make up six of the nine members of the court — appeared skeptical of the assertion that the law constitutes sex-based discrimination.

Hurson was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland in 2023 by former President Joe Biden.

The Department of Justice could appeal Hurson’s order to the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

Madrid, Spain, Mar 5, 2025 / 16:40 pm (CNA).

Spain’s minister of equality, Ana Redondo, said such an inclusion would be “a good way to protect sexual and reproductive rights and, above all, the freedom of women.”