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December 2018

December 11

Calgary Catholic School Board faces anti-LGBT discrimination lawsuit from former principal

December 11, 2018

CALGARY – Amid continuing legal pressure against Catholic institutions in Canada, the Calgary Catholic School District faces a lawsuit from a former principal who has said she was pushed out due to discrimination on religious, marital, and anti-LGBT grounds.

Jesus gives us joy even in martyrdom, Pope Francis says

December 11, 2018

VATICAN – God sends his consolation to those in need of reassurance, even when they are facing death, Pope Francis said.

With migration, cooperation is better than isolationism, Cardinal Parolin says

December 11, 2018

VATICAN – The Vatican praised the adoption by more than 160 nations of a key agreement on global migration, saying today's migration challenges are better tackled together than with "isolationist" stances.

U.S. returns 'Balangiga Bells' to Philippines after more than 100 years

December 11, 2018

MANILA, Philippines – After more than a century, the United States government has returned three church bells swiped by American forces as war booty from the central Philippine town of Balangiga.

Readers Speak Out: December 9, 2018

December 11, 2018

Too much intrusion Re: Lay chaplains (Letter to the Editor, Dec. 2): There are two aspects of Mr. Klaassen’s letter which deserve comment. The first is his suggestion for lay chaplains is in direct contradiction of the Code of Canon Law c.564: “A chaplain is a priest to whom is entrusted in a stable manner the pastoral care . . . The second addresses his statement: “But the military chaplaincy ought to be civilian.” Submitting to this contradiction to the Church’s authority would be a weakening of the Church’s authority. There is far too much of that intrusion into and against the Church already, isn’t there? David A. Hogg Scarborough, Ont.

December 12

Changes to controversial Canada Summer Jobs attestation get mixed reviews

December 12, 2018

OTTAWA – Following months of protest and the launch of several court challenges, the federal government has dropped the so-called “values test” from the application for Canada Summer Jobs funding, but many faith groups remain uneasy about new wording.

New U.S. law will provide relief to genocide victims of Islamic State in Iraq, Syria

December 12, 2018

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has signed into law the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018, which will provide humanitarian relief to genocide victims in Iraq and Syria and hold accountable Islamic State perpetrators of genocide.

Three Roman Curia advisers end service on Pope's Council of Cardinals

December 12, 2018

VATICAN – Three members of Pope Francis' Council of Cardinals have officially ended their service as papal advisers on the reform of the Roman Curia.

Shooting in cathedral leaves five dead, four injured in Brazil

December 12, 2018

SAO PAOLO – A gunman opened fire inside a Brazilian church, killing four people and injuring four others before turning the gun on himself, police said.

Mary raises up the abandoned, Pope Francis says at Mass

December 12, 2018

VATICAN – Just as she did hundreds of years ago from a small hill in Tepeyac, Mexico, Mary accompanies the downtrodden and the lowly like a mother caring for her children.

Fr. Raymond J. De Souza: Four friends (and authors) offer nice Christmas gifts

December 12, 2018

An alumna of our Newman House chaplaincy at Queen’s University offers an inspiring model of reading — of actual books.

December 13

Needs Improvement: Educators make progress on Indigenous curriculum, but more work to do

December 13, 2018

In the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to include more study on Indigenous issues in school curriculum, it appears educators across the country are taking the recommendations to heart.

Canada's palliative care framework earns praise from advocates

December 13, 2018

OTTAWA – Palliative care advocates are applauding a new national framework document that has adopted an international definition of palliative care that excludes euthanasia and assisted suicide as elements of patient care.

Strasbourg bishop speaks of 'lucid madness' after terror attack at Christmas market

December 13, 2018

STRASBOURG, France – At noon Dec. 12, the bells of every Catholic church in Strasbourg rang for 10 minutes to honor the victims of a terror attack at a Christmas market the previous day.

Out of room at Out of the Cold: Toronto's homeless need more than just shelters

December 13, 2018

As Toronto’s city-run shelter system bulges with refugees and migrants, volunteer-run Out of the Cold programs are operating at capacity and wondering when governments are going to get serious about housing.

Protection of human dignity must be government priority, Pope Francis says

December 13, 2018

VATICAN – Protecting human dignity and human rights must always be at the heart of any action by world leaders to confront the many humanitarian crises afflicting today's world, Pope Francis said.

London diocese pledges $1 million to save church

December 13, 2018

WINDSOR, ONT. – The Diocese of London has pledged $1 million towards the restoration of Ontario’s most historic Roman Catholic Church, mothballed due to safety concerns over the past four years and not in active use since 2004.

Parents key in sex trafficking battle over young teen girls

December 13, 2018

Young teenage girls on their phones regularly put themselves at risk for sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, but those risks decrease for teens whose parents talk to them about avoiding strangers online, a new Ipsos study for Covenant House has found.

Cathy Majtenyi: Closure of Oshawa GM plant is a wake-up call

December 13, 2018

It’s a huge blow to the more than 2,500 workers, their families, the city of Oshawa and communities across Ontario. The closure of General Motors by the end of 2019 rips at the heart of generations of families with ties to the province’s auto manufacturing glory days.

Speaking Out: When it's hard to accept God's plan

December 13, 2018

Winter is here and I’m excited for the Advent season, but everyone who knows me knows that I love summer and I start counting down the days way too early.