Stories for December 2018

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Monday, Dec. 17

 Former Archbishop Nienstedt prohibited from celebrating Mass
 Cardinal Nichols apologizes for withholding evidence of child abuse allegations
 Evangelical Protestant leaders discuss harassment, abuse in their communities
 Shredded documents, hundreds of files seized in Houston-area abuse investigation
 Gaza’s parish priest speaks out against Israeli policies on Christians visiting Bethlehem
 Cardinal Müller strongly criticizes ‘party spirit of progressivism’ in Church in Germany
 On Gaudete Sunday, Pope blesses statues of Child Jesus, invites pilgrims to joyful gratitude
 Papal Christmas greetings to Santa Marta dispensary
 Pope invites poor people to Christmas lunch
 National Year of the Laity concludes in Brazil
 Argentine bishops follow Pope’s lead with major interreligious declaration
 Spaniard wins world prize for mystical poetry
 Egyptian prosecutors investigate killing of two Coptic Christians by police sergeant
 Jihadist incursions in Niger cause over 50,000 to flee homes
 Pope Francis receives Italian Prime Minister Conte
 Pope accepts invitation to visit Slovakia
 Papal preacher devotes second Advent sermon to ‘the living God and the living Trinity’
 Pope emphasizes education of refugee children in address to Christmas concert artists
 Vatican delegation in China for ‘practical steps’ to implement bishop agreement
 Priest at Abu Dhabi’s cathedral looks forward to papal visit
 French police kill Strasbourg Christmas market shooting suspect
 USCCB approves $4M in grants to Church in Latin America

Released Friday, Dec. 14

 China: ‘underground’ bishop formally cedes role to government-appointed prelate
 Ecumenical Patriarch raps Moscow’s stand on Ukrainian Orthodox unity
 At audience, Pope thanks performers for Vatican Christmas concert
 Ukrainian Orthodox leaders to meet, plan autocephalous future
 Cardinal Nichols expresses ‘shock’ that vicar general had earlier sent abusive priests to US
 San Diego priest on trial for sexual assault of seminarian
 Recent study finds ‘baby bust’ in half of world’s nations
 African governments escalate fight against abortion giant Marie Stopes
 Jerusalem Patriarchate CEO emphasizes education, humanitarian aid in Christmas message
 Catholic Relief Services marks 75th anniversary
 Church renovation lifts Christmas spirit in Bethlehem
 Pope offers condolences following Brazil cathedral shooting
 Pope urges Telepace TV to avoid gossip, be voice of voiceless
 Bishop: UAE’s Christians enthusiastic about Pope’s upcoming visit
 Ohio senate approves pro-life ‘heartbeat bill’
 San Antonio archbishop says Catholics must lead on immigration
 Coalition releases ‘American Charter of Freedom of Religion and Conscience’
 Pope condemns Strasbourg terrorist attack, expresses compassion for victims
 Holy See delegate calls for ‘urgent action and urgent decisions’ at UN climate change conference
 US bishops’ committee, Catholic Charities back criminal justice reform bill
 USCCB grants $4M to Church in Eastern Europe

Released Thursday, Dec. 13

 Work for peace, Pope exhorts new ambassadors
 Papal message to FAO stresses concern for environment, poverty
 Pope will visit Bulgaria, Macedonia in 2019
 Alaska city settles with evangelists who were barred from sharing faith in park
 Judge sides with 6 religious colleges, groups in HHS contraceptive mandate decision
 Tuition tax credit unconstitutional because it benefits religious schools, Montana Supreme Court declares
 Pastor in India arrested for showing film about Jesus
 Holy Land tourism up 14% in 2018
 Pope prays for gift of children for childless families, respect for life in the womb
 In Paris, appeal launched for Christians in the Middle East
 Sicilian city honors its patroness, St. Lucy
 +Father Xavier Tilliette, SJ, 97
 Syrian monk, kidnapped by jihadists in 2015, recounts ordeal in book
 Vatican mission publication: Humanae Vitae offers strong defense of African values
 East African bishops appeal for prayer for South Sudan
 Bishops of 3 Southeast Asian nations declare ‘extraordinary mission year’
 Respect the human rights of migrants, Vatican Secretary of State says at UN migration conference
 ROCOR bishops: Constantinople’s recognition of Ukrainian Orthodox Church is ‘threat to the Church of Christ’
 Ecumenical Patriarch calls for ‘ascetic spirit of frugality and moderation’ in face of poverty
 Panama archbishop: World Youth Day will be a ‘great celebration of faith’
 Mary ‘walked and sang,’ Pope Francis preaches on feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
 UN: 250,000 Syrian refugees could return home next year
 English bishops ‘stand in solidarity with’ EU citizens living in UK
 Gunman attacks Christmas market in Strasbourg
 USCCB grants $9.5M to home mission dioceses

Released Wednesday, Dec. 12

 Irish archbishop: no duty to obey immoral law
 Putin honors Solzhenitsyn on 100th birthday
 Vatican releases full schedule for Pope’s February visit to Abu Dhabi
 Chinese priest: Vatican urged cooperation with Patriotic Association
 Three prelates removed from Council of Cardinals
 Cardinal Pell convicted?
 Catholic, Lutheran prelates pray at UN climate conference
 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: coverage from the basilica
 Pope continues reflections on the Lord’s Prayer, a ‘bold prayer’ to the Father
 Renovated ‘Polish chapel’ consecrated in Padua
 Vatican prelate laments lack of Christian ‘social and collective rebellion’ against prostitution
 In Indonesia, Vatican faces criticism for permitting bishop who resigned to resume pastoral work
 Report: police in Chinese city directed to arrest religious believers or be fired
 UK lawmakers’ report documents recent religious-freedom violations in 27 countries
 19 years after initial evangelization, Indian village builds parish for 2,000
 Survey finds 40% of European Jews no longer feel safe, may leave their countries
 Indonesia: Christian governor ‘Ahok’ set for early release from prison
 Let us allow ourselves to be consoled by God, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Cardinal Turkson: What has happened to international hopes for respect for human rights?
 Colleagues say new Congolese archbishop will defend human rights
 French bishops: lack of involvement in decision-making has fostered ‘yellow vest’ crisis
 EU prelate laments threats to religious freedom in Europe
 Vatican Secretary of State: Address migration’s root causes so that people may remain in their own countries
 Archbishop applauds enactment of Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act
 USCCB again calls for repeal of new federal ‘parking lot tax’ on churches, nonprofits

Released Tuesday, Dec. 11

 Gunman kills four, self at Brazil cathedral
 Church of England to offer ceremony to welcome transgenders
 German philosopher Robert Spaemann dead at 91
 Austrian diocese withholds results of investigation of bishop’s spending
 Chinese arrest 100 in Protestant underground church
 Los Angeles archdiocese will prosecute nuns for misappropriating funds
 Cambodia arrests, releases 32 women involved in surrogacy
 Utah priest charged in prostitution sting to receive new assignment
 India: nun who accused bishop of rape says she wants Church to admit she was wronged
 Pope visits families of cancer patients, home for intellectually disabled
 Prosecute priests who committed abuse, prize-winning journalist urges
 Vatican Secretary of State pays tribute to St. John XXIII’s military service
 Ecumenical Patriarch ‘not intimidated’ by critics of his decision to recognize Ukrainian Orthodox Church
 In victory for Planned Parenthood, Supreme Court declines to review Medicaid case
 Pope visits Italian newspaper and says, ‘This is the only newspaper I read’
 Leading Italian cardinal: Italy should not be on collision course with EU
 Human rights are not derived from governments, EU bishops’ commission says in statement
 Central African Republic: cardinal calls for international inquiry into November massacre
 As Venezuelans continue to flee nation, Jesuits promote hospitality, assistance
 Pakistani archbishop declares ‘year of peace and hope’
 Jordan: news website’s owner, editor arrested after publishing cartoon offensive to Catholics
 Israeli authorities deny Christmas travel permits to most Christian applicants from Gaza
 Kenyan priest murdered while taking Mass collection funds to the bank
 Bishop welcomes first papal visit to Arabian Peninsula
 ‘Prepare for Christmas with the courage of faith,’ Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 As ‘yellow vest’ protests continue, Normandy’s bishops appeal for calm
 Holy See offers praise as 164 nations adopt Global Compact on Migration
 On anniversary of landmark documents, Pope decries grave human rights violations
 Vatican conference considers human rights in the contemporary world

Released Monday, Dec. 10

 Council of Cardinals meeting this week
 Vatican establishes new office to work with charismatic renewal
 Lebanese bishops: country cannot support Syrian refugees
 Nuns reportedly misappropriated $500,000 to feed gambling habit
 Milan’s archbishop warns of Italian demographic crisis
 FBI engaged in wide-ranging probe of clergy sex abuse in Buffalo Diocese
 Vatican launches apostolic visitation of Chilean religious community
 Over 20 German prosecutors are investigating Church abuse scandal
 Adults are forgotten victims of sexual abuse by priests
 Chilean prosecutors look at rural Catholic diocese for evidence in abuse case
 ‘Sources Chrétiennes’ publishes 600th volume
 Ukrainian Catholic leader: for youth, the Church needs to be ‘primarily a community, not an institution’
 Moscow patriarch honors Russian Muslim leader
 Ecumenical Patriarch calls for honest interreligious dialogue for the sake of peace
 Remain firm in your faith in your homeland, Catholic patriarchs tell Middle East’s Christians
 Entrust yourself to God as Mary did, Pope says on feast of Immaculate Conception
 Pope prays for Rome in traditional homage to Immaculate Mary
 19 martyrs beatified in Algeria; Pope hails them as ‘great sign of brotherhood’ for the world
 Conversion is the way to wait for the Lord’s coming, Pope tells pilgrims
 English, Welsh bishops call for ‘ambitious action’ on climate change
 Vatican explains reorganization of Vatican City State’s government
 China reneges on its deals: the Vatican is learning that the hard way
 French bishops condemn violent protests
 Papal visit to United Arab Emirates is the culmination of decades of work by pioneering priests
 Myanmar persecutes Christians, too, reporter writes in op-ed

Released Friday, Dec. 7

 Los Angeles: nuns promise to repay funds diverted from Catholic school
 Papal preacher reflects on ‘constant and reassuring presence’ of God
 Amazon’s Bezos gives $15 million to Catholic Charities
 Retiring head of Catholic Health Association proud of role in promoting Obamacare
 Pope thanks donors of Vatican Christmas tree
 Vatican ‘foreign minister’ prods OSCE to recognize essential human rights
 Nicaragua: priest attacked in Managua’s cathedral with sulfuric acid
 Philippine president accuses leading bishop of drug abuse
 Kenyan bishops recall Sodom and Gomorrah, lament sexual abuse, promiscuity
 ‘Abortion cannot be supported,’ Irish bishops emphasize
 The Lord is the rock on which to build our lives, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Vatican publishes collection of Pope’s Latin-language tweets
 Vatican Secretary of State, at Mass, honors memory of Cardinal Tauran
 Pope reorganizes government of Vatican City State
 Pope receives French documentary producer
 Leading Canadian prelates meet with Pope
 International Observatory on the Family, launched at Vatican press conference, to focus on family poverty
 Spain’s new ambassador presents her credentials to Pope Francis
 Russian, Vatican foreign ministers meet in Vienna
 Eastern Orthodox leader visits South Korea
 British prelate: limit detention of refugees to 28 days
 Pope tells Mercedarians: live out your charism of redemptive service, ‘giving your life to save souls’
 CAFOD on climate change: ‘we need action and we need it quickly’

Released Thursday, Dec. 6

 Australian court overturns conviction of Archbishop Wilson
 Kill bishops, Filipino president suggests
 Pope’s December prayer intention: transmission of faith
 Pope Francis to visit United Arab Emirates to take part in interfaith meeting
 Prince Charles, Christian leaders pay tribute to Middle East’s persecuted Christians
 Report: 114 Christians arrested in Iran over past week
 What’s next for religious freedom in 2019? Faith leaders and policymakers weigh in
 Egypt’s government grants legal recognition to 168 Christian church buildings
 India’s current government is ‘unmitigated disaster’ human rights, says Jesuit spokesman
 Pope pays surprise visit to Vatican library
 Pope embraces man who lost family in flood
 ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ actor meets with Pope
 In Philippines, bishop leads planting of 2,000 trees
 Irish president honors 2 nuns
 Ukrainian Catholic leader counsels prayer, fasting on bread and water in response to Russian aggression
 Irish bishops publish ‘resource pack’ to help families meet challenges
 Numerous priestly, religious vocations reported in Pakistan
 South Korean bishops manifest their opposition to the death penalty
 Fulani Muslim group attacks Catholic ministry in Central African Republic
 Coptic Orthodox patriarch weighs in on regional politics, looks forward to visiting Saudi Arabia
 Caritas: UN climate conference ‘must deliver plan to save planet’
 Convey the beauty of eternity, Pope writes in message to pontifical academies
 More than 300 asylum-seeking migrants arriving daily at Texas Catholic center
 Philippines to deport wanted US priest
 Vatican newspaper cautions against misuse of sedation in care of terminally ill

Released Wednesday, Dec. 5

 Ukrainian Catholic bishops condemn Russian aggression
 Pope Francis offers prayers, condolences to President Bush’s family
 Pope begins new series of general audiences on the Lord’s Prayer
 Prison sentences possible for violating new Swiss law on discrimination and sexual orientation
 4 Algerian Christians charged with ‘inciting a Muslim to change his religion’
 Pakistani Christian asylum seekers in Thailand ask for help
 Ecumenical leader: ‘no more time to waste’ in facing ‘existential challenge’ of climate change
 +Father Ugo de Censi Scarafoni, SDB, 94
 Abuse victims in New Brunswick waiting years for compensation
 Archbishop Viganò denies he defrauded his brother
 Philippine bishops issue pastoral letter for Year of the Youth
 Indian Ocean islands: bishops discuss crisis of faith, family life
 Avvenire celebrates 50th anniversary
 Cardinal assesses attack on diocese in Central African Republic
 Church in Pakistan concludes Year of the Eucharist
 Missionary priest abducted in September is still alive, Niger bishop says
 Advent is a time to make peace, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Diplomats at Vatican back nuns in fight against human trafficking
 Catholic groups lobby for action at UN climate change conference

Released Tuesday, Dec. 4

 Archbishop in Benin suspends prayer group that disrupted Mass
 Italian birth, marriage rates in steep decline
 California Catholics to consecrate state to Virgin Mary
 Top Pennsylvania court: accused priests’ names will remain redacted in grand-jury report
 Paraguay’s bishops call for conversion, justice as violent crime rises
 Leading EU bishop: the Catholic Church supports the global migration treaty
 Resist individualism, care for others, Lithuanian bishops say in Advent message
 Abducted Christian students escape from Myanmar militia
 Advent is a time for purification, Pope preaches at weekday Mass
 Pope encourages Italian association in its work for peace
 Base yourselves in God, mature, and grow, Pope tells young Jesuits
 Ukrainian Catholic bishops of US issue Christmas letter
 Vatican Secretary of State, at UN climate conference, sees ‘urgent need for swift action’
 China’s underground priests warn of bleak future without religious freedom
 President Trump: Hannukah message
 Notorious Boston ex-priest again convicted
 Vatican unveils website for extraordinary missionary month
 +Father Lambert Greenan, OP, 101
 Kidnapped Claretian priests freed in Cameroon
 US bishops pay tribute to late President Bush

Released Monday, Dec. 3

 Palestinian leader meets with Pontiff
 Texas prosecutors seized Cardinal DiNardo’s computers
 Chicago archdiocese could close 100 churches in massive reconfiguration
 Bishop, other Christians blocked from voting in Indian state
 Pope combines 2 rural Canadian dioceses
 Advent calls for vigilance and prayer, Pope tells pilgrims
 Papal appeal for prayer for Syria’s Christians
 Pope Francis says he’s worried about homosexuality in the priesthood
 Alliances need to be created to face the abuse scandal, Vatican official says
 Jerusalem Patriarchate warns against desensitization to Palestinians’ plight
 Proclaim Jesus with your faith and witness, Pope preaches on St. Andrew’s Day
 Ecumenical leader laments killings of priests in Africa
 German mosques should forego foreign funding, interior minister says
 EWTN wins lawsuit over HHS contraception mandate
 In tribute to late Italian bishop, Pope reflects on bitterness, fear, and the newness of the Gospel
 Combat the ‘open wound’ of drug addiction, Pope tells conference participants
 At cathedral, Pittsburgh bishop listens to survivors recount their abuse
 Pray to your guardian angels, Pope says to child cancer victims
 Ohio priest sentenced to 12 years in prison
 Pope praises volunteerism based on the Gospel
 Pope encourages Pakistan’s Christians to respond to persecution with faith and love
 Op-ed praises prelate as ‘the bishop of Catholic social media’

Want more news? Visit the Archives.

Stay in Touch!
   
Subscribe to Insights
Stay on top of the latest Catholic news and analysis from CatholicCulture.org.