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December 2016

December 13

Warren Allmand, who died at 84, was a principled politician

December 13, 2016

MONTREAL – Warren Allmand is being mourned as an exceptional and principled Roman Catholic politician who, as solicitor general in Pierre Trudeau’s cabinet in 1976, introduced the bill which abolished capital punishment in Canada.

Ancient music sets stage for the Christmas season

December 13, 2016

There’s no better way to get ready for Christmas than to open your ears to a little Advent music — not the jingles in the mall but music that slows time down just enough to allow for some peace and reflection.

House of Commons' Health Committee to study impact of violent porn

December 13, 2016

OTTAWA – The House of Commons unanimously passed a Conservative MP’s motion Dec. 8 instructing the Commons’ Health Committee to study the impact of violent online pornography.

Indigenous leaders, Saskatchewan bishops invite Pope to Canada

December 13, 2016

OTTAWA – Pope Francis has said no to visiting Canada in 2017, but that hasn’t stopped Saskatchewan’s bishops and Indigenous leaders from planning a papal visit.

December 14

Knights help Christian tradition stay alive at Bethlehem school

December 14, 2016

Every December, a package from the Holy Land arrives on Hikmat Dandan’s doorstep. Inside are 65 hand-drawn Christmas cards in different shapes, sizes and colours.

Syrian refugees, agencies face obstacles a year after settlement

December 14, 2016

Will Month 13 unsettle thousands of Syrian refugees who have already settled in Canada?

Year of Mercy was especially needed in South Sudan, bishop notes

December 14, 2016

YAMBIO, South Sudan – The Jubilee Year of Mercy was observed throughout the world but one bishop in South Sudan, suffering from war and famine, said it was especially needed in his country.

Nigerian Christian group slams builders, regulators following church collapse

December 14, 2016

ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s national Christian umbrella group is criticizing lax enforcement of construction standards in the country following the collapse of a church during an ordination ceremony.

Texas bishops, cemeteries developing burial options for aborted children

December 14, 2016

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Catholic bishops and the state's Catholic cemeteries are working together on efforts to provide a proper burial for children lost to abortion.

Staff Arts brings out Toronto Catholic school board's artistic flair

December 14, 2016

TORONTO – September isn’t just the start of another school year.

Drop plans to expand death penalty, bishops ask Philippines

December 14, 2016

MANILA, Philippines – Catholic prayer and protests greeted proposals to expand the use of the death penalty in the Philippines, with the move drawing outspoken opposition from the country's bishops.

Germany's Catholic, Protestant churches denounce growing arms sales

December 14, 2016

OXFORD, England – Germany's churches denounced their country's growing arms sales to the Gulf states and demanded tighter export controls on weapons manufacturers.

Ohio governor signs 20-week abortion ban, vetoes 'heartbeat' measure

December 14, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a bill that bans abortion in the state after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but also vetoed a bill that would have made abortion illegal when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually at about the sixth week of pregnancy.

ISIS may be gone, but Mosul still faces a long winter ahead

December 14, 2016

MOSUL, Iraq – Christians, Muslims and other victims of ISIS feel relief over the terrorist group being pushed back from the Nineveh Plain area of Northern Iraq, but challenges remain for the region as winter sets in.

Movie Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

December 14, 2016

NEW YORK – With "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," last year's promising reignition of the iconic franchise, "The Force Awakens," gains a worthy – and equally family-friendly – companion.

Opinion: Atlantic bishops' reflection on assisted suicide fails in its approach

December 14, 2016

Earlier this fall, the bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories released guidelines to help priests offer pastoral care to individuals and families contemplating voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. The guidelines were fully Catholic, comprehensive, compassionate and courageous, as detailed then by Peter Stockland in these pages.

Brazilian Cardinal Arns, 95, remembered for his fight for human rights

December 14, 2016

SAO PAULO – Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, known as the "cardinal of the people" and one of the most active voices against Brazil's military dictatorship, died in Sao Paulo Dec. 14. The 95-year-old retired archbishop of Sao Paulo had been hospitalized since Nov. 28 with pneumonia.

December 15

Opinion: Don’t despair, there are real signs of hope

December 15, 2016

We all look for signs of hope. Many Catholics cling to anything that points away from secular smugness to a world in which the name “Christ” is not used as an expletive.

Priest encourages parish to make Marian consecration at Christmas

December 15, 2016

OTTAWA – An Ottawa priest is hoping a book made for children can deliver a very serious Christmas message for adults, too.

Speaking Out: The light of Christmas will shine through

December 15, 2016

I found myself rushing through a grocery store on a busy Friday afternoon at the end of an arduous week. There was Christmas music blaring throughout the store, my stomach was grumbling and I was frantically picking my way through the produce section before I had to be at work.