Catholic Culture Trusted Commentary
Catholic Culture Trusted Commentary

Stories for December 2016

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Friday, Dec. 30

 Vatican Radio ending independent operation
 Cardinal Dolan to offer prayer at Trump inauguration
 Bishop rips lack of attention to bloodshed in South Sudan
 Catholic group files suit to block rule that could force doctors to perform sex-reassignment surgery
 Syria’s President Assad pays Christmas visit to convent
 Background: papal message for January 1, the World Day of Peace
 ‘Madonna of the Miracle’ to be displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica
 Nearly 4 million saw Pope at Vatican events in 2016
 Dominican Republic: bishops lament presidential veto of pro-life bill
 Los Angeles archbishop celebrates Christmas Mass at prison
 Panamanian prelate calls for solidarity with migrants
 Honduras: bishops discuss family, politics in message

Released Thursday, Dec. 29

 Leading Jesuit biblical scholar dead at 96
 Negotiations continue to secure release of priest kidnapped in Yemen
 Nigerian bishop describes new wave of Islamist terror; 16 churches destroyed since September
 Bangladesh: terrorist attack on parish foiled
 1st Christmas Mass in Mali city since 2012

Released Wednesday, Dec. 28

 No major changes at government-backed Chinese Catholic assembly
 Pope Francis reflects on Abraham’s hope
 Polish cardinal named archpriest of Roman basilica
 Cleveland bishop resigns
 Grenade explodes near Philippine church
 Patriarchs lament persecution of Middle East’s Christians
 Nepal restores Christmas as holiday
 Belarus government underreports church attendance, prelate charges
 Vermont diocese to observe ‘year of creation’
 Russian Orthodox Church sends Christmas message to Pope Francis, Protestant leaders
 Salesians: video of kidnapped priest is authentic

Released Tuesday, Dec. 27

 No public ‘correction’ of Pope, Cardinal Brandmüller says
 Ohio bishop urges Governor Kasich to end capital punishment
 Chinese official emphasizes importance of ‘independent and self-governing church’
 Romanian president will not approve Muslim prime minister
 Open the door to Christ and others, prelate preaches at Bethlehem
 Pope encourages Taizé youth to stand firm in Christian hope
 Malta’s leading prelate prays for continued respect for the unborn
 Cardinal Marx: Christmas inspires courage in midst of terrorism

Released Monday, Dec. 26

 Kidnapped priest pleads for help in video
 Knights of Malta say Vatican investigation is “unacceptable”
 Christianity’s role in Europe is service, not colonialism, Pope says
 Church-mediated Congo talks at impasse; cardinal appeals for calm
 Chaldean patriarch, in Christmas message, thanks Iraqi, Kurdish armies
 1st Mass in Aleppo cathedral since 2012
 Pope appeals for prayers for persecuted Christians
 Papal condolences following Russian plane crash

Released Sunday, Dec. 25

 Pope Francis: Christmas Message Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World)

Released Saturday, Dec. 24

 Pope Francis: Homily at Christmas Mass (with link to video of Mass)

Released Friday, Dec. 23

 French police on guard against Christmas terror incidents
 Knights of Malta linked to condom-distribution programs
 Papal charity delivering Christmas aid to Ukraine conflict region
 French public university names Catholic priest as president
 Massive volcano near Naples begins rumbling
 In Christmas message, Church leaders in Holy Land plead for peace
 Christmas celebrations banned in Brunei
 Cardinal calls on Italian lawmakers to confront life’s most important questions
 Moscow patriarch: godless society ‘destined to self-destruction’
 Ukrainian Church leader issues encyclical on gender ideology
 EU bishops criticize proposed changes to European asylum law
 Agreement reported in Church-mediated Congo talks
 Cardinal Mahony: churches may offer sanctuary to ‘DREAMers’ who face deportation

Released Thursday, Dec. 22

 Papal commission to investigate strife within Knights of Malta
 Italian lawmaker proposes marriage without fidelity vow
 Texas woman files religious-discrimination complaint after dismissal for refusing to endorse contraception
 Vatican staff workers receive papal thanks
 Pope rips ‘malicious’ resistance to Church reform
 In call to TV show, Pope says Christ’s birth overturned the world’s values
 8 sainthood, beatification causes advance
 Iraqi archbishop: ‘we pray that President Trump will help us’
 Veracruz bishops, vindicated in court, call on faithful to work for more just society
 Church seeks Congo agreement by Christmas

Released Wednesday, Dec. 21

 Indonesian police launch offensive against suspected terrorists before Christmas
 Nigerian priest kidnapped; diocese rejects ransom demand
 Pope goes shopping for new shoes
 Senator refers Planned Parenthood to FBI for potential criminal prosecution
 USCCB president issues Christmas message
 Pope laments ‘murderous folly of terrorism’ following Berlin attack
 Pope renews appeal for Congo peace
 Pope Francis: Christ’s Nativity is source of hope

Released Tuesday, Dec. 20

 Study claiming no emotional suffering after abortion was deeply flawed, analysis shows
 Controversy within Knights of Malta over dismissal of chancellor
 Jerusalem archbishop argues against restraints on mosque loudspeakers: ‘dangerous precedent’
 Vatican policy does not bar homosexual priests: L’Osservatore Romano analysis
 Laotian martyrs beatified: victims of Communism
 Vatican will not bar bishops from attending government-backed Assembly
 ‘Vatileaks’ convict receives papal clemency
 New director of Vatican Museums is first woman in that role
 Pope drops in unexpectedly on Vatican council that organized Jubillee
 Prelates’ ‘correction’ of Pontiff could come early next year: Cardinal Burke
 Pope offers condolences to Putin following ambassador’s assassination
 Jerusalem prelate: ‘Syria and Iraq are destroyed’
 Report: parish looted in Congo
 Vatican newspaper decries ‘xenophobic,’ ‘populist’ electoral gains in Europe
 Federal court: no conflict between practicing Christian faith, processing same-sex marriage licenses
 Pope, on 80th birthday, reflects on grace of memory

Released Monday, Dec. 19

 Colombian archbishop threatened by opponents of peace agreement
 Vatican restoration work nears completion on apartments of Pope Alexander VI
 Pope-emeritus Benedict praises Mother Angelica
 Venezuelan bishops: government actions aggravate economic crisis
 Vatican official speaks of intolerance of Christianity in Europe’s public life
 Share your joy—with grandparents—Pope urges young Italians
 Blood of St. Januarius does not liquefy; Naples residents see bad omen
 Papal tribute to Nomadelfia’s founder
 Malta’s president meets with Pope
 Pope to make pilgrimage to Fátima
 Pope emphasizes mercy to the poor in message to benefit concert
 Papal appeal for Congo
 Pope Francis: Virgin Mary, St. Joseph are models of trust in God

Released Friday, Dec. 16

 Skyrocketing crime rates make children, teens unsafe in Honduras
 Curb access to weapons of mass destruction, Vatican envoy urges UN
 3rd Advent Sermon: ‘the sober intoxication of the Spirit’
 Pope plans quiet 80th birthday celebration
 Pope meets with Colombian leaders to discuss peace accord with FARC rebels
 Notre Dame VP named to Vatican bank board
 Pope Francis: Cardinal Arns showed ‘path of truth in charity’
 Russian Orthodox spokesman: end mandatory abortion coverage
 Ghana’s bishops decry attacks following presidential election
 President Obama pays tribute to the Maccabees
 Congress strengthens international religious freedom law
 Court strikes down Louisiana governor’s LGBT executive order

Released Thursday, Dec. 15

 Italian priest will not install creche in cemetery; fears offending Muslims
 Egypt: top Islamic cleric visits Coptic Orthodox leader after Cairo church bombing
 Three new members named to Vatican bank board
 Anti-Christian ideology on the rise in Europe, Vatican envoy tells OSCE
 India: bishops decry contraception, offer incentives for large families
 Pope focuses on gratitude, self-giving in address to Bambino Gesu hospital staff and patients
 Cardinal Kasper says Catholic-Lutheran couples should be allowed to share Communion
 Leading Ukrainian prelate: Catholics suffer discrimination in Odessa
 Pope recalls Lourdes apparitions in message for World Day of the Sick
 Cultivate peace by promoting nonviolence, Pope tells ambassadors
 Pope recalls St. John of the Cross
 EU bishops issue statement on poverty and social exclusion
 Lithuanian prelate: ‘mentality of the Soviet empire is still alive’

Released Wednesday, Dec. 14

 Ohio Governor Kasich vetoes one pro-life bill, signs another into law
 Minnesota judge: archdiocese not responsible for legal fees in abuse victims’ appeal of court ruling
 US Church leaders, in joint statement, urge officials to reject coercive measures on gender identity
 Czech Catholic Church finds news sources of revenue as state compensations decrease
 Cardinal Zen: Chinese defiance shows failure of Vatican ‘ostpolitik’ approach
 Massachusetts reverses ruling that churches must accommodate transexuals
 Vatican finds founder of Institute of the Incarnate Word guilty of sexual misconduct
 Cardinal Arns, Brazilian social-justice warrior, dead at 95
 Council of Cardinals studies changes in Roman Curia
 Canadian bishops take different stands on sacraments for Catholics planning assisted suicide
 Prelate calls for action to mitigate civilian suffering in war
 Pope Francis: this Christmas, let us open our hearts to Christ
 At UN, Vatican diplomat emphasizes dignity of the elderly
 Pope says late Opus Dei prelate constantly served Church and souls
 Joint performance of Sistine, Russian Orthodox choirs
 USCCB president calls for prayers for persecuted Christians

Released Tuesday, Dec. 13

 German Cardinal Cordes backs plea for clarity on Amoris Laetitia
 Portuguese Catholic politician to be next UN secretary-general
 Two priests ordained in Kandhamal: site of India’s anti-Christian massacres
 ‘Clericalism is a very ugly thing,’ Pope says
 Opus Dei leader dies at 84
 Pope speaks with seminarians about the tabernacle, wearing oneself out in service
 Papal message to forum on migration, development
 80 mayors at Vatican meeting on refugees
 California bishop emphasizes he stands with Hispanics
 Nigeria: church collapse kills 160

Released Monday, Dec. 12

 Indian priest faces life sentence for abuse
 Archbishop Coleridge: dubia prompted by search for ‘false clarity’
 Bishop Conley reaffirms Church teaching on marriage, notes confusion on Amoris Laetitia
 Nonviolence is theme of Pope’s message for World Day of Peace
 Papal appeal to Assad for peace in Syria
 ‘We have a mother,’ Pope says, celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe
 Laos: 15 martyrs beatified
 25 dead in attack on Cairo church
 Pope laments plight of Aleppo
 On Gaudete Sunday, Pope emphasizes importance of joy
 Sudanese cardinal retires
 Leading Russian Orthodox official meets with Pope
 Pope addresses seminarians, discusses belonging, relationships, exclusion
 Pope warns against agribusiness models that eliminate biodiversity

Released Friday, Dec. 9

 Belarus denies permission for foreign-born Catholic priest’s appointment
 Beijing shows no willingness to accept papal authority, says Cardinal Zen
 Swiss bishop: no last rites for people planning assisted suicide
 Be mediators, not rigid ‘middlemen,’ Pope exhorts priests
 Vatican establishes diplomatic relations with Mauritania
 Christian refugees unlikely to return to Syria, Iraq, prelate fears
 Leading scholars urge Pope to clarify Amoris Laetitia
 Association approved for female Vatican employees
 New bishop of Rockville Centre named
 Cardinal Dziwisz retires; successor named
 Pope prays for Rome, world in traditional homage to Immaculate Mary
 Papal prayers for Indonesian earthquake victims
 Pope contrasts Adam’s ‘no,’ Virgin Mary’s ‘yes’

Released Wednesday, Dec. 7

 Church leaders press Venezuelan government on human rights
 Cardinal Turkson suggests open debate on Amoris Laetitia
 Christian governor to face blasphemy trial in Indonesia next week
 Pope notes link between fight against corruption, quest for human rights
 In new interview, Pope explains synodality, condemns media disinformation
 Bishop Schneider says ‘schism already exists’ following dispute on Amoris Laetitia
 Vatican confirms ban on homosexual candidates for priesthood
 Pope begins series of audiences on Christian hope
 Pope calls on Christian artists to create beautiful works as a ‘spark of hope’
 Uganda entrusts Caritas with care of 42,000 refugees
 Jewish leader decries genocide of Christians in Middle East
 Bishop helped broker ransom of 226 hostages from ISIS
 Swiss bishops ask pardon for sexual abuse
 Cardinal Koch: it is better to commemorate the Reformation than to celebrate it

Released Tuesday, Dec. 6

 Bishops work to bolster fragile peace in Democratic Republic of Congo
 Vatican hosting its first Rembrandt exhibition
 Sheen beatification cause delayed again as New York archdiocese appeals decision to transfer remains
 Promote ‘ethic of responsibility’ to replace nuclear deterrence: Vatican envoy
 Cemetery desecrated in Galilee
 Asian bishops discuss family life, consecrate families to the Holy Family
 John Kerry meets with Pope
 South Sudanese bishop warns of potential massacre
 EU court rules against Romanian Catholic parish that sought return of its property
 Cardinal Dolan welcomes papal statement on abortion and confession

Released Monday, Dec. 5

 Syrian Orthodox prelates denied visas to visit London
 Ecumenical Patriarch praises Amoris Laetitia in Vatican newspaper column
 Talmud scholar, Weigel meet with Pope
 US Jesuit discusses influence on Silence
 FBI: 59 anti-Catholic hate crimes in 2015
 USCCB: December 12 to be day of prayer for immigrant families
 Pope Francis: convert, for God’s kingdom is in our midst
 Promote economic inclusion and dignity of human person, Pope tells business leaders

Released Friday, Dec. 2

 Franciscan religious killed in Congo
 Indonesia: 200,000 Muslims demand arrest of Christian governor for blasphemy
 Uruguay’s president meets with Pontiff
 Russian Orthodox Patriarch to dedicate new cathedral in Paris
 Papal thanks for Piarists’ work in educating the poor
 Oklahoma priest recognized as first US martyr
 2 million pilgrims expected in Spanish town for jubilee year
 Ecumenical Patriarch points to areas of agreement with Pope
 Attack on Christians in Egyptian village
 Caritas: mixed review of UN climate conference
 Illinois bed & breakfast fined $81K for declining to host same-sex ceremony
 US bishops’ conference grants nearly $4M to assist Church in Latin America, Caribbean

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