Catholic Culture Overview
Catholic Culture Overview

Stories for week of December 09, 2018

Ordered from most to least recent.

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

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