Donald Trump Sworn in as 47th President WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) – Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday, January 20, as the nation’s 47th president, marking a historic return to the White House four years after his term as the 45th president. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, while JD Vance, the nation’s second Catholic vice president, was sworn in by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The inauguration, held in the Capitol Rotunda due to frigid weather, included an opening prayer by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who invoked the teachings of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and prayed for both Trump and outgoing President Joe Biden. Trump and Biden met earlier in the day at the White House, underscoring a peaceful transition despite past tensions. Pope to Trump: May U.S. Prosper, Shun Hatred, Discrimination VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis told U.S. President Donald Trump he hoped that the nation would prosper under his leadership and make no room for hatred, discrimination, or exclusion. The pope offered his “cordial greetings and the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you wisdom, strength, and protection in the exercise of your high duties,” in a January 20 message marking Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States. “Inspired by your nation’s ideals of being a land of opportunity and welcome for all, it is my hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is no room for hatred, discrimination, or exclusion,” the pope wrote. “At the same time, as our human family faces numerous challenges, not to mention the scourge of war, I also ask God to guide your efforts in promoting peace and reconciliation among peoples,” the message said. Pope Francis also invoked “upon you, your family, and the beloved American people an abundance of divine blessings.” Cuba to Release 553 Prisoners for Jubilee at Pope’s Request VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Taking up the spirit of the recently inaugurated Holy Year 2025, officials with the Cuban government announced the release of 553 people currently serving prison sentences. Cuban officials said the country would gradually release the prisoners “in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of the year 2025 declared by His Holiness” following a “thorough analysis” of the legal and humanitarian avenues to enact their release, officials with Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement on Tuesday, January 14. That same day, White House officials announced that the U.S. will no longer designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and that it would eliminate some restrictions on Cuba. The White House officials said the actions were steps “to support the Cuban people as part of an understanding with the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis and improve the livelihoods of Cubans.” Data Shows Clerical Abuse Allegations Down in U.S. WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) – A new report confirms OSV News’ previous finding that U.S. Catholic dioceses and eparchies have paid more than $5 billion to settle abuse claims filed during the past two decades – but credible allegations have declined significantly during the same period, with the majority of cases preceding a landmark set of anti-abuse protocols established by the U.S. bishops in 2002. Catholic dioceses, eparchies, and parishes in the U.S. have “changed how they do things” in terms of addressing and preventing abuse, said Jonathan L. Wiggins, sociologist and director of parish surveys at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. On Wednesday, January 15, CARA released a 20-year summary of annual data for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ yearly report on the implementation of the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” CARA’s two-decade review of the numbers indicates that the charter is working, and that the Catholic Church in the U.S. is making real progress in eradicating the scourge of clerical abuse, Wiggins said. The summary report said that “more than nine in 10 of all credible allegations occurred or began in 1989 or earlier (92 percent), 5 percent occurred or began in the 1990s, and 3 percent occurred or began since the year 2000.” Texas Cardinal DiNardo Retires; Bishop Vásquez Named His Successor WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) – Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and named as his successor Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas. Cardinal DiNardo has headed the Texas archdiocese since 2006, and a year later, Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the College of Cardinals. On May 23, 2024, he turned 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. The cardinal is a former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop Vásquez, 67, has headed the Diocese of Austin since 2010. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C., on Monday, January 20, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Vásquez will be installed as Gavleston-Houston’s ninth archbishop on March 25 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston. Of Mexican American descent, Archbishop Vásquez is one of 26 active Hispanic Catholic bishops in the United States. U.S. Catholics Urged to ‘Express Unity’ through Upcoming Collection WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) – By donating to the U.S. bishops’ national Collection for the Church in Latin America, U.S. Catholics have an opportunity to support the Church’s mission in countries affected by poverty, political instability, and natural disasters. Most dioceses will take this offering up in their parishes at Masses the weekend of January 25-26. The online giving site #iGiveCatholicTogether also accepts funds for the collection. The collection was founded in 1965 as a way for Catholics in the United States to express their unity and solidarity with Catholics in Central and South America and the islands of the Caribbean. “Inspired by the Second Vatican Council, it recognizes spiritual bonds rooted in shared faith and history,” officials with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a news release. People react in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 19, 2025, as they watch news coverage of the release of Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, three female hostages who have been held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as part of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. (OSV News photo/Shir Torem, Reuters) The post News Briefs: January 26, 2025 appeared first on Today's Catholic.