On a hot and humid Sunday morning in Panama City’s Metro Park, 700,000 young people heard a message loud and clear from Pope Francis, who said to them, “You, dear young people, are not the future but the now of God.” The word “now” can summarize the experience for the young people around the globe on the occasion of the 34th World Youth Day (WYD) held in the Central American country. It helped them realize “they are not the tomorrow, not the meantime but the now of God” in evangelizing the faith. From the Paterson Diocese, 12 pilgrims traveled to Panama hailing from Holy Trinity Parish in Passaic, St. Michael Parish in Paterson and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson.

No sooner had the ink dried on Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signing an abortion bill into law, effectively giving license to kill a child up to the moment of birth, than other states followed suit on such insanity. Last week, Democrats in the Virginia statehouse presented a bill to repeal restrictions on abortion, allowing terminations up until the moment of birth. Democratic Delegate Kathy Tran introduced the Repeal Act, which would allow a doctor to perform an abortion when a woman is dilating, moments before birth. It received support from Gov. Ralph Northam (D), a pediatrician, no less. Thankfully, the rest of the delegates came to their senses, and the measure failed to be voted out of subcommittee.