Catholic Culture Trusted Commentary
Catholic Culture Trusted Commentary

Stories for December 2012

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Monday, Dec. 31

 With solemn Vespers, Te Deum, Pope closes calendar year
 Michigan law, requiring licensing, could close abortion clinics
 Russian Orthodox Church backs ban on US adoptions
 A glimpse at the Pope's personal charities
 Vatican newspaper's political endorsement roils Italian campaign
 Pope to parents: see children as a gift to be guarded
 James Hitchcock introduces new history of Catholic Church
 Protesters occupy nuncio's office in Paris
 Hobby Lobby will defy mandate, risk fines; federal court blocks enforcement in separate case
 USCCB, CRS welcome defeat of Paul foreign-aid amendment
 Background: Papal message for January 1, the World Day of Peace
 12 priests, other pastoral workers killed in 2012

Released Friday, Dec. 28

 Vatican releases Pope's prayer intentions for January
 Vatican newspaper backs Monti's bid to form new Italian government
 Temple built in 750 B.C. found in Israel
 Campaign against Sunday shopping in Italy
 Report documents recent persecution of Pakistan’s religious minorities

Released Thursday, Dec. 27

 New nuncio in Dublin explains his optimism about the faith in Ireland
 Climate change threatens Central American farmers, warns Catholic Relief Services
 Nigeria: 2 churches attacked during Christmas services; 12 dead
 Supreme Court justice refuses to block HHS morning-after pill mandate

Released Wednesday, Dec. 26

 Vatican Museums to install new vacuum systems to clean dust from visitors
 Netanyahu claims Israel's Christian population is growing
 Pope prays for peace in Syria, Holy Land; religious freedom in China
 Christmas message from Newtown, Connecticut priest
 Irish cardinal urges Catholics to speak out on behalf of right to life
 Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem’s homily at Midnight Mass (full text)

Released Tuesday, Dec. 25

 Pope Benedict's Christmas Day Message Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) -- full text

Released Monday, Dec. 24

 Pope Benedict's homily at Midnight Mass (full text)
 Boston priest named Vatican's top sex-abuse prosecutor; victims' groups complain
 Hong Kong prelate wants vote for all, support for family life
 Old Testament meets New at Visitation, Pope tells Sunday audience
 European Parliament: secular holiday cards ignore Christmas
 Christmas trees welcome pilgrims to Jerusalem, irking some Orthodox Jews
 Newtown and the Holy Innocents: the darkness at Christmas time
 ‘Comatose since Christmas 1969: a tale of unconditional love and miracles’
 Former spokesman for Canadian bishops arrested on child-porn charges
 Syria: Christians fear for the future

Released Saturday, Dec. 22

 Pope issues pardon to former valet convicted on 'Vatileaks' charges

Released Friday, Dec. 21

 Gun control not the only approach to preventing mass murder, columnist argues
 Business journal editorial: Save Little Sisters of the Poor from HHS mandate
 Death threats against Irish archbishop in abortion-law debate
 FBI recorded 68 anti-Catholic ‘hate crimes’ in 2011
 US bishops back gun control, health-care access in response to Newtown shootings
 The world looks to Christ as source of joy: papal preacher
 Columnist argues US drone warfare is immoral
 Pope critiques 'gender ideology' in year-end address to Roman Curia
 USCCB, Orthodox diocese laud changes to children’s online privacy regulations
 US bishops: preserve child tax credit, charitable deduction, unemployment compensation
 Record ‘retweets’ for Pontiff; comparison with Bieber statistics provokes criticism
 Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem issues Christmas message
 Egypt: mob of 50,000 Muslims intimidated Christians before referendum

Released Thursday, Dec. 20

 American Protestant pastor imprisoned in Iran
 All joy comes through Jesus, Pope tells young Italians
 US court rules bankrupt diocese can continue paying accused priests
 Boston archdiocese declines to rent space for independent Catholic school
 Vatican nears approval for 'dot-Catholic' domain name in Chinese
 Danish study: 1 of 6 babies shows signs of life after late-term abortion
 Irish leader says allowing some abortion promotes 'culture of life'
 Cardinal Dolan pays homage to slain Newtown teacher
 Massachusetts priest who fled child-porn charges returns to face court
 Bethlehem's population swells as pilgrims arrive for Christmas celebration
 Now 'Venerable,' Paul VI moves closer to beatification
 Pope's op-ed on Christmas published in Financial Times
 California archdiocese emphasizes: January 1 is holy day of obligation
 England: new guidelines for Christian-Muslim marriages
 EU body approves taxes on commercial Church-affiliated institutions in Italy
 USCCB committee fears ‘unjustified and unwise’ military action against Iran
 Appeals court directs Obama administration to rewrite HHS mandate

Released Wednesday, Dec. 19

 Good News begins with the Annunciation, Pope tells audience
 Indian priest faces human-trafficking charge
 Filipino bishops vow to continue fight after Reproductive Health bill passes
 Weigel reviews the state of debate on the HHS mandate
 Robert Bork, focus of bitter Supreme Court nomination battle, dead at 85
 Louisiana bishops take issue with Gov. Jindal on contraceptive sales
 CDF prefect prods English Catholics to embrace Anglican ordinariate
 Green Bay, Norwich dioceses battle city officials over service to poor
 Patriarch of Iraq's ancient Chaldean Church resigns; Pope calls Synod to choose successor
 USCCB, CRS video: ‘cuts cost lives’
 In wake of Connecticut shooting, Canadian bishops’ conference president rues violent culture
 Archbishop Chaput discusses school shooting, presidential election, HHS mandate
 Notre Dame announces pastoral plan for gay, transgendered students, including student organization
 Prelates lament Irish government’s decision to draft legislation allowing some abortions

Released Tuesday, Dec. 18

 Vandal arrested after sledgehammer attacks on Louisiana churches
 Turkish bishops' spokesman denies saying Turkey is innocent of Armenian genocide
 Vatican official visits Iraqi mosque; Kurdish leader proclaims Christmas holiday
 Vatican working to increase financial transparency, reduce spending
 Vatican newspaper: elementary school shooting and the culture of death
 ‘The decline of evangelical America’
 USCCB: ‘action alert’ on fiscal cliff
 California bishop to apologize to Native American tribe
 Egypt: some Christians not permitted to cast ballots
 World population: 32% Christian, 23% Muslim

Released Monday, Dec. 17

 58 members of Parliament oppose government's bid to recognize same-sex marriage
 Pope's book reviewed by Esolen, McCloskey
 Vatican Radio cites seasonal alarm at thinning of reindeer population
 Vocational calls come from unexpected directions, Pope says in annual message
 Pope to athletes: be honest, humble, and drug-free models
 Pope visits Roman parish, preaches on Advent joy
 Prepare for Christ’s coming by honesty, care for others: Pope
 Anglican cleric declines appointment as bishop over female-bishops dispute
 Cardinal joins calls for new gun-control laws
 Young pro-life speaker makes waves in Canada
 Bombings in Kirkuk rattle Iraqi Christians
 Palestinian leader thanks Pope for diplomatic efforts
 Vatican accord with Taiwan on Catholic education
 Cardinals on 'Vatileaks' commission meet with Pope to discuss impact
 Pope’s Christmas card features Bassano painting
 Vatican cardinal challenges seminarians to be chaste men of prayer, evangelizers
 Vatican spokesman rues media ‘intimidation’ on same-sex marriage, coverage of Pope’s message
 Mourners flock to Connecticut parish for public, private prayer; evacuation follows threat
 Pope Benedict, Cardinal Dolan: grief, prayer after school shooting

Released Friday, Dec. 14

 Respect for human nature is key to peace, Pope writes in annual message
 Papal preacher: continuity is key to understanding Vatican II
 Pope Paul VI moving closer to beatification?
 Gov. Jindal endorses over-the-counter contraceptive sales
 Egypt’s Christian leaders encourage voters to join in constitutional referendum
 Cardinal Zen decries Chinese action against Bishop Ma
 Only an 'eccentric' society lacks respect for elderly: Archbishop of Canterbury
 Light from Bethlehem cannot be dimmed, Pope says as Vatican lights Christmas tree
 Catholic development agencies angry at inaction during UN climate talks
 UN committee reprimands Russia for law against promoting homosexuality
 Cardinal Dolan praises judge’s HHS mandate ruling, chides New York Times
 Cuba: 90% of major city’s churches damaged by Hurricane Sandy
 Cardinal pays tribute to missionaries who brought faith to Uganda
 Taizé youth to make pilgrimage to Rome, pray with Pope

Released Thursday, Dec. 13

 British weekly notices growing popularity of traditional Catholicism
 Baptist scholar raps Newsweek for essay questioning Christmas narrative
 French government plans crackdown on radical Muslims, militant Catholics
 Australian bishops appoint lay commission to coordinate response to sex-abuse scandal
 Syrian Christians in valley besieged by Islamic militia
 Education must respond to changes in ways of learning, Pope tells new ambassadors
 USCCB, CRS officials urge: call Congress on behalf of foreign aid for the poor
 Bollywood-style movie about Jesus to be shown on Indian TV
 Canadian cardinal rues Latin American immigrants’ loss of faith
 Egypt: bishops’ spokesman warns of possibility of Islamist ‘fascist dictatorship’
 FBI: 67 hate crimes against Catholics in 2011
 Papal legate urges Asia’s bishops to emphasize evangelization

Released Wednesday, Dec. 12

 Italian Catholic weekly decries Berlusconi comeback attempt
 Over Church objections, family-planning bill advances in Filipino legislature
 Vatican official reaffirms support for Chinese bishop
 Vatican astronomer rejects Mayan prophecy of world's end
 Mark Shea pans new book, The Testament of Mary
 Cardinal George: no signs of remaining cancer after chemotherapy
 God's presence gives meaning to human history, Pope tells audience
 Pope makes Twitter debut
 ‘How December 25 Became Christmas’
 Leading archeologist discusses evidence for biblical flood
 Archbishop Lori: US bishops must work with Latin American bishops to re-evangelize Americas
 North Carolina bishops rue judge’s decision on ‘choose life’ license plates
 Anglican bishops lament synod’s failure to approve women bishops
 Christian population of England, Wales falls to 59%

Released Tuesday, Dec. 11

 English bishops rap government's bid to legalize same-sex marriage
 Philippines: Cardinal Tagle leads prayer vigil for defeat of family-planning legislation
 Most US Catholic colleges no longer require theology courses
 Miami archdiocese sets prayer vigil to protest convict's execution
 Los Angeles archdiocese ordered to release accused priests' files
 Vatican reaffirms support for Chinese bishop under house arrest
 Wisconsin bishop bars retreats by 2 women religious, cites 'New Age' influence
 Right-to-work law is 'unjust,' says retired Michigan bishop
 Vatican post office issues annual commemorative Christmas envelope
 Coptic leader declines to join in Egypt's 'national dialogue'
 African prelates more prominent in Vatican under Pope Benedict
 USCCB, CRS to host webcast ‘celebrating advocacy efforts’
 ‘Why did Vatican II ignore Communism?’
 Vatican Museums bring Renaissance masterpieces to South Korea
 National collection will assist Hurricane Sandy victims
 Diocese begins Serra anniversary celebrations with Panetta talk
 State’s ‘choose life’ license plate declared unconstitutional

Released Monday, Dec. 10

 Court to schedule release of Los Angeles archdiocesan abuse files
 Pope speaks on St. John the Baptist
 America needs New Evangelization, Pope says
 China revokes title of bishop who left Patriotic Association
 Quebec court rejects Catholic school's religious-freedom plea
 Beloved Jasna Gora icon undamaged by attack
 Irish leader moving toward legal abortion
 Phoenix diocese denies bishop is headed for post in Roman Curia
 In the silence of the Immaculate Conception, God's victory proclaimed, Pope says on feast
 Slovenian archdiocese commemorates 550th anniversary
 Swiss Guards release Christmas CD
 Archbishop: Court’s decision to hear marriage cases is ‘significant moment’ for nation
 Nuncio to Ivory Coast dies in car accident
 Papal condolences upon death of Orthodox patriarch
 Holy See approves ordinariate jurisdiction in Canada

Released Friday, Dec. 7

 Contrary to rumor, Alfred Hitchcock died a devout Catholic
 British columnist sees media assault on Catholicism
 Don’t force Catholic viewers to pay for anti-Catholic cable-TV offerings
 Male sperm counts drop; the Pill to blame?
 Tamil refugees still face intimidation in Sri Lanka, bishop reports
 Will same-sex-marriage debate revive Catholic influence in France?
 Vatican delegate prods OSCE on protecting religious freedom
 Pope's head-on response to critics of Church teachings
 Cardinal pleads for international action to end fighting in Syria, Congo
 New 'popemobiles' arrive
 Pope's personal secretary raised to archbishop, prefect of pontifical household
 Bankruptcy court rules Milwaukee parish assets not included in settlement
 New book offers reasoned defense of marriage
 Pontiff’s portrait artist pens fairy tale
 Christmas tree set up in St. Peter’s Square
 Leading Orthodox prelate dead at 91; appealed for peace in Syria
 Vatican newspaper pays tribute to growth of US ordinariate
 US bishops announce prayer campaign for religious liberty, life, and marriage; encourage fast, abstinence on all Fridays

Released Thursday, Dec. 6

 New British legislation will end ban on Catholics in royal family
 Egyptian prelate: Church will not urge boycott of constitutional referendum
 Pope, German leader discuss economic crisis
 Jazz great, Catholic convert Dave Brubeck dead at 91; composed Mass setting
 Abortion advocates push for over-the-counter morning-after pills for minors
 Nearly 100 priests, religious from mainland China study theology in Taiwan
 Compulsory military service cripples Church in Eritrea
 Judge rules that Archdiocese of New York’s lawsuit against HHS mandate may proceed
 Prelate: US bishops will oppose immigration reform that does not offer path to citizenship

Released Wednesday, Dec. 5

 Delaware bankruptcy court blocks release of accused priests' personnel files
 Irish bishops rap government report on abortion law
 Vatican creche supplied by southern Italian region
 New biography explains for beatification cause for Tanzanian leader Julius Nyerere
 Report on Medjugorje is not imminent, Vatican says
 Pope pleads for peace in Congo
 Religious freedom is top priority for Church leaders in Middle East
 Pope speaks on living Advent in the Year of Faith
 Queens parishes continue to minister to Hurricane Sandy’s victims
 USCCB, CRS issue ‘action alert’ to preserve foreign aid for the poor
 US Senate fails to ratify controversial UN disabilities treaty
 Catholic college faculty donors overwhelmingly supported Obama
 Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to English seminary in Rome
 English Catholics observe day of prayer for Middle East, North Africa
 Vatican prelate emphasizes Church’s closeness to the disabled

Released Tuesday, Dec. 4

 Murder attempt on missionary in Pakistan
 Jesuit suspended after joining female 'priest' for liturgy
 Vatican conference to review Synod for the Americas
 National Catholic Reporter defies Vatican, calls for women's ordination
 Profile of Scottish composer of sacred music
 USCCB committee criticizes proposal to cut Palestinian aid
 Federal judge blocks California’s ban on therapy for youth with same-sex attractions
 USCCB blog features post by Cokie Roberts
 Bishop rues indifference to Congo crisis

Released Monday, Dec. 3

 Dropping birth rate seen as indicator of cultural decadence
 Prominent Episcopalian cleric enters Catholic Church
 Vatican report on Medjugorje due this month?
 Papal greetings for street entertainers
 Cardinal George ‘responding well’ to chemotherapy
 Pope exhorts English seminarians to stir up new faith
 Theologian says China will have world's largest Christian population
 Australian bishops establish council to work with government abuse investigation
 Church's mission is to replace materialism with culture of love, Pope says
 Vatican tribunal closes 2nd 'Vatileaks' case
 Vatican institutes new security procedures in reaction to 'Vatileaks' scandal
 Advent begins observance of salvation drama, Pope tells audience
 Pope issues new rules governing Church charitable agencies
 Kansas City priests divided over Bishop Finn
 In weekly editorial, Vatican spokesman discusses Advent hope
 Poll: Catholics strongly support more literal Mass translation
 Indian martyr beatified
 Report: 9 Christians detained in China
 3 churches burned down in Nigeria; 10 Christians brutally murdered

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