Stories for January 2024

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Wednesday, Jan. 31

 Vatican office defines ‘vulnerable adult’ for abuse cases
 China: third new bishop installed in a week
 Christian population disappearing from Iraqi city
 Vatican News begins Mongolian-language service
 Pro-lifers face lengthy prison terms in Tennessee case
 APSA head named archbishop
 Nigerian cardinal fears country ‘unsafe for everyone’
 Pope, at general audience, reflects on wrath
 Vatican holds first-of-its-kind mental health conference
 Leading African cardinal says Fiducia has discredited Synod on synodality
 Archbishop Scicluna renews call for reconsideration of discipline of priestly celibacy
 Michigan bishop bars 2 priests from public ministry following AG’s report
 Belgium’s bishops have repeatedly asked Vatican to laicize abusive bishop
 Canadian bishops’ president responds to sexual assault allegations against Cardinal Lacroix
 Archbishop Paglia: The Church is not against AI

Released Tuesday, Jan. 30

 Central African bishops plead for peace in Democratic Republic of Congo
 Pakistani Christians forced to accept Islam under torture
 Argentine President Milei to meet with Pope
 European bishops not united on Fiducia Supplicans, conference leader reports
 Pope’s monthly prayer intention: for the terminally ill
 Vatican ratifies diplomatic pact with Sao Tome
 French lawmakers take up proposal to enshrine abortion rights
 Catholic University terminates professor who invited ‘abortion doula’
 DC archdiocese: Latin Mass in Capital was not authorized
 France’s bishops back farmers in their massive protest
 Papua New Guinea announces papal visit; Vatican counters visit is ‘under study’
 Catholic physicians discuss efforts against transgender ideology
 Researcher ponders demographic winter in Finland
 Retired priest among victims in Florida shooting spree
 Jerusalem cardinal urges ceasefire in Gaza, 2-state solution
 USCCB updates position papers on expedited removal, rapid expulsions at US-Mexican border
 Guinea-Bissau’s president meets with Pontiff
 Proximity, heart, responsibility: Pope encourages Italian bishops’ TV, radio networks

Released Monday, Jan. 29

 DDF regaining role as top Vatican office?
 Sport is dialogue, Pope tells Spanish tennis club
 Pope downplays opposition to Fiducia Supplicans
 Pope creates new Chinese diocese; bishop installed
 Church attacked in Istanbul during Mass; 1 dead
 ‘Wars destroy people and are defeat for humanity’: renewed papal plea for peace
 Christ came to free us from the chains Satan uses to shackle us, Pope tells pilgrims
 Central African Republic’s president meets with Pontiff
 Prayer, witness, charity: Pope upholds Blessed Carlo Acutis as example for confirmands
 Never forget the Rwandan genocide, Pope tells Italian charity
 The Knights of Malta are subject to the Holy See, Pope emphasizes
 UN migration leader lauds papal commitment to migrants
 Leading human rights official, Pontiff discuss conflicts, AI
 ‘Prayer is what gives meaning to the apostolate,’ Pope tells his worldwide prayer network

Released Friday, Jan. 26

 Pittsburgh Catholic schools hire armed guards
 British medical group asks members not to report illegal abortions
 Archbishop of Canterbury celebrates Anglican liturgy at Roman basilica
 Pope lauds ‘dialogue of charity’ with Oriental Orthodox
 Pope: bless the individuals, not the union
 Study of Germany’s Protestant church finds 9,355 sexual abuse victims since 1946
 German bishops express burning concern over rise of AfD
 28% of Americans are now religious ‘nones’
 Cardinal Lacroix, member of Pope’s Council of Cardinals, accused of sexual assault [updated]
 Catholic trade college receives Ohio certification
 Cardinal McElroy: Laudato si’ is an ‘important pillar’ for Catholic universities
 Pope concludes Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with call to prayer, neighborliness

Released Thursday, Jan. 25

 Pope tells tribunal judges: discern on your knees
 More US children living with two parents
 Kidnapped nuns released in Haiti
 Vatican announces consecration of Chinese bishop
 Canadian bishops applaud ‘missionary spirit’ of Catholic witness on social media
 Catholics in Massachusetts, New York urged to oppose assisted suicide bills
 Oklahoma archbishop hopes Supreme Court will reconsider death penalty
 Catholics request security after Hindu radicals assault churches in central India
 Federal court upholds Baltimore sign ordinance, in defeat for pro-life protestor
 Ohio lawmakers override governor’s veto, enact ban on ‘gender-affirming’ care for minors
 USCCB grants $8.7M to Church in formerly Communist nations

Released Wednesday, Jan. 24

 Court dismisses suit by former Vatican auditor general
 Belgian prime minister wants bishop laicized for abuse
 Vatican auditor sets up ‘whistleblower’ process
 Vatican court convicts priest of ‘corrupting minors’
 Cardinal Parolin declines to comment on Trump election prospects
 Canonization approved for Canadian nun
 Pope calls attention to Holocaust remembrance
 Papal message explores limits of artificial intelligence
 Pope, at general audience, warns against greed
 ‘Absolutely nauseating’: abuse survivors deeply troubled by Cardinal Fernández’s Mystical Passion
 5 Japanese, American bishops back Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
 Cardinal Müller pays tribute to late Cardinal Pell
 Pope launches new YOUCAT: ‘Christ is password for a joyful life’
 Traditional Latin Mass celebrated in US Capitol on anniversary of FBI memo
 EEOC: Catholic hospital unlawfully refused applicant’s religious exemption from flu shot
 USCCB committee chairman praises Congress for bipartisan Child Tax Credit agreement
 Vatican officials discuss plans for the Year of Prayer; Pope to set up ‘School of Prayer’

Released Tuesday, Jan. 23

 Cardinal Zen: Cardinal Fernandez should step down
 CatholicVote endorses Trump for GOP nomination
 Cardinal Fernandez named to Dicastery for Christian Unity
 Bach, Dante as doctors of the Church?
 The rigorous penances of the Synod of Elvira
 ‘Communicate the truth in love and without compromise,’ Bishop Burbidge preaches at National Prayer Vigil for Life
 Haitian bishop offers himself in place of kidnapped nuns, people
 Church in Belgium fights order to erase baptismal entry
 Cardinal O’Malley sees physician-assisted suicide as the next front of the pro-life cause
 Princeton digitizes African Marian art, stories
 Leading cardinal explains steps that led to African statement against blessing same-sex couples
 Church send tiny delegation to DR Congo president’s inauguration
 Thousands march for life in Los Angeles, San Francisco
 Papal tribute to Don Lorenzo Milani

Released Monday, Jan. 22

 Analylzing the Pope’s reliance on hasty canonical legislation
 10,000 children reported killed in Gaza fighting
 East Timor president meets with Pontiff
 Pope thanks Italian winemakers for support
 Biden, on Roe anniversary, redoubles support for abortion
 Pope thanks journalists for ‘delicacy’ in coverage of scandals
 Illinois lawmakers take aim at private schools
 Pope recalls Italian dam disaster, calls for care of creation
 Prayer, evangelization, communion: papal encouragement for Catholic charismatics
 Low birthrate threatens Italy’s future, Pope tells officials
 God’s word makes us hear the call of God and makes us missionaries, Pope Francis preaches
 6 nuns kidnapped in Haiti while traveling on bus; Pontiff pleads for their release
 Renewed papal prayer for peace
 ‘Today we begin the Year of Prayer,’ Pope Francis announces
 Christ involves us in the work of salvation, Pope tells pilgrims

Released Sunday, Jan. 21

 Background: Sunday of the Word of God

Released Friday, Jan. 19

 Most Americans favor some abortion restrictions, new poll shows
 Pope again curbs talk, citing health
 Pope raps ‘business’ approach for universities
 Veneration of saints can spur ecumenism, Pope says
 Indonesian bishop shifts Ash Wednesday service to avoid conflict with election
 Vatican conference focuses on informed consent in medical research
 Canadian study: assisted suicide saves health-care spending
 Colombia’s president meets with Pontiff
 Kazakh president meets with Pope
 Dutch bishops: no blessings for same-sex couples
 Cardinal: Same-sex couples welcome to request blessings at St. Peter’s Basilica
 Cardinal Parolin on blessings of same-sex couples: ‘In the Church there has always been change’
 Supreme Court declines to hear appeal of court decision on transgender bathrooms
 Law firm releases Religious Freedom Index 2023
 Typical new US religious: 36-year-old cradle Catholic devoted to Rosary, Eucharistic adoration
 Curator criticizes plan for contemporary stained glass in Notre-Dame restoration in Paris
 Pope meets Vietnam political delegation, wants to visit the country
 Vatican announces events for Consalvi bicentenary
 Pope encourages Verona Arena’s artists to offer love, charity, joy

Released Thursday, Jan. 18

 Pope Francis asks: was Paul VI a martyr?
 Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth now in single Russian-language volume
 Spanish university cancels plan for Rupnik chapel project
 Retired Togo archbishop, critic of government, dies in exile
 Police release retired Australian bishop without charges
 Cardinal reports ‘negative reactions from the ecumenical world’ to Fiducia Supplicans
 Kentucky diocese suspends two traditionalist priests
 At WEF forum, Cardinal Turkson calls for new economic model
 Pope appeals for restraint against escalating conflict in Middle East
 2.7 million take part in Venezuelan Marian procession
 Man who desecrated Tanzanian cathedral sentenced to 3 years in prison
 USCCB calls for ‘yes’ vote on Pregnant Students’ Rights Act
 Cardinal Fernández says Pope Francis knew about his book Mystical Passion
 Scholar sees ‘idée fixe’ in Cardinal Fernández’s writings
 US bishops’ pro-life chairman calls for renewed commitment to end abortion, assist mothers in need
 Background: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Released Wednesday, Jan. 17

 Arson attacks on churches rising in Canada
 Conservative prelate elected to head regional Italian bishops’ conference
 Pope encourages World Economic Forum
 Congress finds China withheld information on Covid virus
 Persecution of Christians growing worldwide, report shows
 War expanding into southern Lebanon
 Another Argentine bishop resigns, days before installation
 Police interrupt Mass at California parish, tell worshippers to put hands up
 Catholic philosophers critique Fiducia Supplicans
 Pope, at general audience, warns against lust
 Vatican approves new cathedral site for Wisconsin diocese
 Australian Catholic University apologizes for underpaying staff
 Ohio Byzantine bishop weighs in on blessings
 President Biden touts his administration’s support for religious freedom
 Bishops issue report on state of religious liberty in the US

Released Tuesday, Jan. 16

 Some Russian Orthodox priests seek to avoid prayers for war victory
 Christians in Gaza living in ‘extreme poverty,’ cardinal reports
 Italian Cardinal Sebastiani dead at 92
 New rules limit spending by Vatican offices
 Pope encourages personal retreats for Lent
 Vatican bars former OMV superior general from spiritual direction following allegations
 Greek bishops oppose same-sex marriage
 Australian police raid former home of ‘sexual predator’ bishop
 Cameroon bishop revokes decree prohibiting predecessor from celebrating Mass publicly
 USCCB’s pro-life novena begins
 Scandal-plagued Indian bishop steps down amid concerns for his life
 Pope Francis receives former Argentine president
 Migration problem has to be solved in Africa, Pope tells Canary Islands leader

Released Monday, Jan. 15

 Papal encouragement for Franciscan Scripture scholarship
 Papal condolences after deadly landslide in Colombia
 Pope, in new interview, suggests hell may be empty
 Pope’s approval rating sinks in new US poll
 Syro-Malabar dissidents reject compromise in liturgical battle
 San Diego diocese divests interests in fossil fuels
 Vatican preparing new document on human dignity
 Pennsylvania court upholds state regulation of Catholic schools
 Nicaragua releases and expels 2 jailed bishops, 15 priests, and 2 seminarians
 USCCB, Catholic Charities call for strengthened Child Tax Credit
 Pope Francis says war is in itself a crime against humanity
 ‘To seek Jesus, to stay with Jesus, and to proclaim Jesus’: Pontiff reflects on discipleship
 Pope weighs in on blessing same-sex couples: people are blessed, not sin
 Papal praise for values promoted by athletics
 Papal message for World Day of the Sick: ‘It is not good that man should be alone’

Released Friday, Jan. 12

 Pope stricken with bronchitis again
 Orthodox clerics studying in Rome seen as service to ecumenical unity
 In letter to Ukrainian prelate, Pope decries Russian missile strikes
 Take risks, Pope advises young people
 Torzi, convicted in Vatican trial, arrested on separate charges
 Pope backs effort to organize Vatican audiovisual archives
 Irish Medical Council removes language against deliberate killing of patients
 Argentine president formally invites Pope Francis to visit native land
 Cardinal Pell saved the Church in Australia from becoming a dying institution, prelate preaches
 Education publication: Connecticut Catholic college ‘fully embraces LGBTQ+ students’ needs’
 Pope, Anglican primate will send forth 25 pairs of prelates to pray and work together
 USCCB president pays tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
 We need saints like St. Rose of Viterbo, Pope tells sodality

Released Thursday, Jan. 11

 Vatican announces renovation of baldacchino in St. Peter’s basilica
 Biden administration reduces ‘conscience clause’ protections
 Myanmar: displaced clerics living among war refugees
 Spanish cardinal: priests must ‘fully apply’ Fiducia Supplicans
 French bishops’ conference: bless individuals, not unions
 Secularity is service to the Church, Pope says
 Conform yourselves to Mary, Pope encourages prayer network
 African bishops’ conferences unite against blessing same-sex couples
 Millions face hunger in Syria, archbishop warns
 Don’t listen to only one news outlet in preparing to vote, Texas bishop says
 Report: Over 130 Catholic priests and religious arrested, kidnapped, or murdered in 2023
 Washington archdiocese, Maryland attorney general spar over constitutionality of Child Victims Act
 Bishop says climate change affects farms, migrants in Washington state
 Plagiarism claims prove disastrous for priest’s new book
 Wisconsin judge rules McCarrick not competent to stand trial
 USCCB issues 2nd statement in support of Pope’s renewed condemnation of surrogacy

Released Wednesday, Jan. 10

 Pope encourages Marxist-Christian dialogue
 New leader recognized for Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
 Pope, at general audience, warns against gluttony
 AP reports on Cardinal Fernández’s 1998 book comparing sexuality, mysticism
 Peruvian bishops warn against Eucharistic sacrilege recommended by alleged visionary
 50 Indian priests allege that former bishop was victim of conspiracy
 Eastern Catholic bishop in US says no to same-sex blessings
 Nicaragua: new priests ordained as UN appeals for missing religious
 Ukrainian Catholic leader thanks Pope, Vatican for helping secure release of POWs

Released Tuesday, Jan. 9

 Troubled Syro-Malabar Church to elect new leader
 Archbishop Gänswein denies conspiracies prompted Benedict’s resignation
 Assisi archbishop named to head ‘Economy of Francesco’ effort
 Ukrainian leader’s top aide praises papal envoy
 Court tosses Notre Dame’s defamation suit against student newspaper
 Missouri priest found guilty of soliciting adult in confessional, remains in restricted ministry
 Michigan AG releases report on abuse allegations in Gaylord diocese; 3 in active ministry
 Cameroon bishop forbids predecessor to celebrate Mass publicly without permission
 US officials concerned by latest Nicaragua crackdown on Catholic Church
 Over 2 million Filipinos take part in annual Black Nazarene procession
 French region’s bishops instruct priests to refrain from blessing homosexual couples
 USCCB welcomes renewed papal condemnation of surrogacy

Released Monday, Jan. 8

 Pope decries warfare, civilian deaths, in ‘State of the World’ address
 Vatican lists diplomatic ties with 184 countries
 African bishop: lay Catholics must report priests with concubines
 Vatican doctrinal official recommends marriage for priests
 Book by Cardinal Fernandez compared sexuality, mysticism [updated]
 Cardinal Sarah lauds ‘firm opposition’ to Fiducia Supplicans
 Laicization granted for Alabama priest who fled with teenager
 Vatican investigation finds Archbishop Nienstedt’s behavior ‘imprudent’ but not canonical crime
 Pope encourages Italian cooperative to live active charity
 Papal prayer for victims of Iran terror attack and for peace in the world
 Worship Jesus in the Eucharist and spend time with children, Pope advises pilgrims
 Raised eyes, journeying feet, adoring hearts: papal homily for Epiphany
 Papal prayer for flood victims in DR Congo, appeal for release of Colombia hostages
 Pope, at Sunday Angelus, reflects on Christ’s Baptism—and our own
 Pope Francis baptizes 16 infants in the Sistine Chapel

Released Friday, Jan. 5

 Jimmy Lai defense lawyers suggest prosecution witness was tortured
 Nigerian cardinal sees ominous new pattern in killing of Christians
 Papal prayer for victims of Islamic State bombings in Iran
 Peruvian bishop delivers comprehensive critique of blessing same-sex couples
 Kenyan missionary found dead in Venezuela
 US watchdog calls for release of jailed Catholic leaders in Nicaragua
 The Incarnation changes even nonbelievers, Bishop Barron writes in Wall Street Journal
 Pope pays tribute to Pelé as famed Brazilian statue of Christ is illuminated with his soccer jersey
 Italian official, Pontiff discuss support for the needy
 Rome’s mayor meets with Pope, days after reprimand in year-end homily
 Bring Christ to every student, Pope tells delegation from Catholic University of Murcia

Released Thursday, Jan. 4

 Bring peace to troubled cities, Pope urges French group
 Pope warns German Synodal Path could ‘go astray’
 Maronite bishops warn: war is spreading into Lebanon
 Chinese bishop arrested again
 Vatican ‘clarifies’ Fiducia Supplicans [News Analysis]
 Parents of children with Trisomy 18 outraged over media’s false reporting
 Resistance to same-sex blessings grows in Africa, but bishops are divided globally
 Nearly 20,000 Catholic college students gather at FOCUS conference
 Cardinal Fernández criticizes German bishops’ Synodal Way
 Perinatal hospice, palliative care offer compassionate alternatives to abortion
 Mass attendance in Poland rises slightly to 29.5%
 US dioceses asked to hold Synod listening sessions during Lent

Released Wednesday, Jan. 3

 Italian priest excommunicated for calling Pope ‘usurper’
 Italian cardinal reports on suffering in war-torn Holy Land
 Jimmy Lai enters not-guilty plea in Hong Kong court
 Pope, at audience, renews pleas for peace
 Federal court rules ER doctors cannot be forced to do abortions
 Archbishop Gänswein meets with Pontiff
 Record number of pilgrims on the Camino in 2023
 Pope, at general audience, reflects on ‘the spiritual striving’
 Oregon archbishop ends Masses for Lutheran-Catholic community
 Ohio governor vetoes ban on ‘gender-affirming care’ and transgender athletes in girls’ sports
 German officials detain 5 suspects in connection with threat to attack Cologne Cathedral
 Cardinal Fernández insists that blessing same-sex couples does not ‘validate or justify anything’
 China’s population expected to plunge from 1.4 billion to 500 million by 2100
 Ukrainian prelates mourn following major Russian attack
 USCCB posts national pastoral plan for Hispanic ministry
 Papal calendar for 2024: not full, but puts spotlight on major events
 Pope, in video, praises diversity of charisms, liturgical traditions

Released Tuesday, Jan. 2

 Sudan’s bishops seek international help in drive for peace
 Twenty missionaries killed in 2023
 Peace requires conversion, says Jerusalem’s Catholic patriarch
 Pope offers condolences after deadly Japanese earthquake
 Same-sex couples applying for papal blessings
 Pope expresses ‘deep concern’ for Nicaragua following arrests of priests
 Seek refuge in Mary, the Mother of God, Pope preaches in New Year’s homily
 Year of Prayer begins in preparation for 2025 jubilee
 Pope Francis tells Rome to clean up its act before 2025 Holy Year
 Pope recalls Benedict XVI’s love and wisdom on anniversary of death, as secretary reflects on legacy
 ‘May those with a stake in conflicts heed their consciences’: year-end papal call for peace
 ‘May God free Nigeria from these atrocities’: Pope laments attack on Christian village
 ‘May Mary, Queen of the family, help us marvel,’ Pope tells pilgrims
 Joy, prayer, humility: papal encouragement for children’s choirs
 January 2024 papal prayer intention: for the gift of diversity in the Church

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