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December 2015

December 4

Terrorist attacks pose challenge for all 'people of faith,' says imam

December 4, 2015

WASHINGTON - Atrocities committed in the name of Islam reverberate in a historic mosque in Washington.

Bishop-designate Vila preparing for a whole new world in Canada’s north

December 4, 2015

TORONTO - Growing up, Fr. Hector Vila never dreamed of visiting the Yukon. But now the Redemptoris Mater priest from Peru can’t stop thinking about making his first trip to northern Canada.

In Rome or at home, Catholics urged to take part in Year of Mercy

December 4, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Whether in Rome or at home, Catholics will have a variety of ways to take part in the Year of Mercy.

Africans seek climate accord that respects their concerns

December 4, 2015

CAIRO - Africa is among the world's regions most in need of a "just and clear" global accord to combat climate change, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi told the UN climate conference in Paris.

Federal government seeks six-month extension to assisted suicide ruling

December 4, 2015

OTTAWA - The federal government is seeking a six-month extension on the Carter decision that had struck down sections of the Criminal Code against assisted suicide.

December 5

‘Own it!’ Terrorism is an Islamic issue, say some Muslims

December 5, 2015

WASHINGTON - While details are still unfolding as to why a California Muslim couple turned to murder, Muslims in the West must step up and admit terrorism is rooted in extremist Islam, said four Muslim panelists speaking at a conservative think tank on Thursday (Dec. 3).

Covenant House recognized as one of Canada’s best working cultures

December 5, 2015

TORONTO - Canada’s largest shelter for homeless youth has been recognized for having one of the best workplace cultures in the country.

Synod was really about beauty of family

December 5, 2015

Family talk in the Church doesn’t start with all that can go wrong.

Spirituality is comforting in the aging process

December 5, 2015

TORONTO - Coming to terms with aging through spiritual discernment is critical to sound decision making in the second half of life, said Sr. Mary Rose Marrin.

Advent's focus is waiting for Christmas but it also includes lots of feasts

December 5, 2015

WASHINGTON - Although the four weeks of Advent focus on waiting for Christmas, the Church does not just sit around and wait for the main event. It celebrates plenty of major feasts with lots of customs, traditions and even special foods during the month of December.

December 6

Truth has been told, reconciliation comes next

December 6, 2015

TORONTO - The truth part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission process is done; now is the time for Canada to enter into reconciliation, said Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald.

Doctors will need to engage patients on their end-of-life decisions

December 6, 2015

Dr. Bill Sullivan — Catholic bioethicist, researcher and medical doctor — wants to counter demands for assisted suicide with conversation, care and relationships.

Our salvation depends on mercy, where we meet God

December 6, 2015

Papal bulls are serious, powerful documents that once commanded the kings and queens of Europe. It was a papal bull that started the Crusades.

My encounter with Dante

December 6, 2015

When the 750th birthday of Dante Aligheri (1265-1321) was celebrated in Italy in May, Pope Francis invited Catholics all over the world to take up and read one of the cornerstone works of Western and Christian civilization, The Divine Comedy, as an act of preparation for the extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy which launches Dec. 8. Francis says Dante “is a prophet of hope, herald of the possibility of redemption, liberation and the profound transformation of every man and woman, of all humanity.”

December 7

Stopping climate change, poverty go hand-in-hand, says Pope

December 7, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Heads of states at the U.N. climate change conference in Paris must do everything possible to mitigate the effects of both climate change and poverty "for the good of our common home," Pope Francis said.

Vatican officials to be called to testify at 'VatiLeaks' trial

December 7, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Vatican judges have granted a request by one of the defendants to have several prominent Vatican officials take the stand and testify in the so-called "VatiLeaks" trial regarding the leaking and publication of confidential documents.

Pope Francis to inaugurate Holy Year of Mercy amid security concerns

December 7, 2015

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis will open the Catholic Church’s jubilee on mercy on Tuesday, a nearly year-long event that is expected to bring millions of pilgrims to Rome despite security concerns and logistical challenges.

Activists say human rights, financing pose obstacles to climate accord

December 7, 2015

PARIS - Major hurdles stand in the way of a global accord on climate change, including over the questions of human rights and who pays the costs for poor countries to transition into using greener energy, said Catholic and other Church activists on the sidelines of the UN climate conference.

December 8

San Bernardino victim had clashed with shooter over Israel, Holocaust

December 8, 2015

One of the victims of the massacre in San Bernardino, Calif., was a Messianic Jew who had clashed with co-worker and shooter Syed Farook over religion and politics, including the Holocaust and the right of Israel to exist as a homeland for Jews.

Holy Year is a reminder to put mercy before judgment, Pope says

December 8, 2015

VATICAN CITY - On a cloudy, damp morning, Pope Francis' voice echoed in the atrium of St. Peter's Basilica: "Open the gates of justice." With five strong thrusts, the pope pushed open the Holy Door, a symbol of God's justice, which he said will always be exercised "in the light of his mercy."