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Yesterday, December 13, marked Pope Francis’ fifty third anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Happy anniversary, Pope Francis.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253064/pope-francis-celebrates-53-years-as-a-priest
The pope is inviting everyone to have “a more humble Christmas” this year. At the end of his weekly general audience on December 14, the pope asked people to consider spending less on gifts and parties in order to help the people of Ukraine. “It is good to celebrate Christmas, to have parties — but let’s lower the level of Christmas spending,” he encouraged. “Let’s send what we save to the Ukrainian people, who are in need, suffering so much; they go hungry, they feel the cold, and so many die because there are no doctors, nurses at hand." “Let’s have a more humble Christmas, with more humble gifts,” he said. He said the ongoing war in Ukraine does not mean we should forget about celebrating Christmas altogether, but we should do so “with Ukrainians in our hearts.” Pope Francis encouraged everyone to increase their spiritual preparation as Christmas quickly approaches.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253071/this-is-why-pope-francis-wants-you-to-spend-less-money-this-christmas
President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) into law Tuesday during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. The bill repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and recognizes same-sex marriages on a federal level. The bill has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders for not providing strong enough protections for those who believe marriage is between one man and one woman — a belief in line with Church teaching. While it would not require any state to allow same-sex couples to marry, the RFMA would require states to recognize any and all marriages — regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin” — performed in other states. In his remarks, Biden, a Catholic, noted that he had expressed support for same-sex marriage in 2012. Biden’s signature comes after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 258-169 to pass the RFMA on December 8.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253069/biden-signs-same-sex-marriage-bill-into-law-amid-catholic-bishops-concerns
Canadian food bank clients and disabled retirees facing financial insecurity are now considering doctor-assisted suicide to avoid living in poverty, several sources have reported. In 2021, over 10,000 Canadians died by euthanasia, also called medical aid in dying or doctor-assisted suicide. This is 10 times the number who died by euthanasia in 2016, when the procedure was first legalized. Canadian law allows people with nonterminal illnesses to seek assisted suicide, provided their medical condition is “grievous and irremediable.” The law requires two doctors to assess and approve assisted suicide requests. Archbishop J Michael Miller of Vancouver has called the country’s assisted suicide law “depraved.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253067/hungry-poor-and-disabled-canadians-seeking-assisted-suicide
The highest-ranking woman in the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops has said that the ordination of women as Catholic priests is “not an open question” at this time.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253063/synod-on-synodality-official-women-priests-not-an-open-question-for-the-church
Today, the Church celebrates Saint John of the Cross, a 16th century Carmelite priest best known for reforming his order together with Saint Teresa of Avila, and for writing the classic spiritual treatise “The Dark Night of the Soul.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-john-of-the-cross-84