Christians violently beaten for singing Carols in India, US asks Vatican to “solve” Guantanamo, and more ..

VATICAN CITY

New Canadian ambassador seeks collaboration for "betterment of humanity" — Pope Francis received the new Canadian Ambassador to the Holy See, Dennis Savoie, on Monday. During an interview, Ambassador Savoie said his “first priority” is to establish a network within which to identify areas of collaboration between Canada and the Holy See 
RADIO VATICANA

Pope Francis meets Croatian member of Bosnia’s Presidency — In a statement following an audience in the Vatican, the Holy See press office said the two leaders talked about bilateral relations and other common concerns, particularly regarding the contribution that Catholics make towards society 
RADIO VATICANA

US asks Vatican to help relocate Guantanamo inmates 
CNA  VATICAN INSIDER

China will continue to hold constructive dialogue with the Holy See — "China is
always sincere about improving relations with Vatican," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang has said 
VATICAN INSIDER

Avoid the "sins of the media," Pope urges Italian journalists — Catholics in the media should have the 
“courage to speak directly, telling the truth and working to preserve it from all that distorts and twists it for other purposes.”  
CATHOLIC CULTURE  VATICAN INSIDER

People are more valuable than "hits"—Pope Francis 
CNA

Schönborn disturbed by bishops who wanted Putin-style leadership at family synod 
THE TABLET

"Count down to Christmas by counting your blessings"—Pope Francis 
CNS

Papal farm at Castel Gandolfo to be open to public 
ST LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

 

NORTH AMERICA

6 people dead as gunman goes on deadly shooting spree in Pennsylvania 
CHRON  CHRISTIAN POST

"I don’t understand why people want to take away our love of Christ": Indiana town fights atheists to keep Nativity scene  
CHRISTIAN TODAY

Cardinal Timothy Dolan cuts ties with anti-abortion crusader Frank Pavone 
RNS

Ramos: 
"Pressure from journalists may have changed Obama on Executive Amnesty" 
BREITBART

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is creating a new 
Office of Catholic Identity Assessment for Catholic high schools starting January 1st – an initiative that may be the first in the country 
PATHEOS

Arizona biology teacher mocks Christ’s Biblical creation in lecture 
CHRISTIAN NEWS

Jeb Bush urges Republicans to do more than just oppose Obama 
CHARISMA

Virginia attorney wants ALL public schools to stop renting to Churches — Attorney John Flannery, a former federal prosecutor and congressional chief of staff, recently wrote on the blog “Loudon Progress” that he found it problematic that 34 out of 87 schools in Loudoun County allow churches to host services on the premises each Sunday and is now seeking to have the practice stopped
 CHRISTIAN NEWS

Anti-religion bullies switch targets — Two atheists who recently targeted churches in Hawaii that rent space from public schools are continuing their assault on religious liberty—this time, in Michigan 
CHL

Is Obama about to destroy the cross? — President Obama’s signature is the only thing standing between the Mt. Soledad memorial cross in San Diego and its destruction 
CBN

Controversial candidate takes helm as ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom 
CNA

Job-seekers must explain faith to win anti-discrimination protection 
CHARISMA

McDonald’s and Starbucks resist calls for them to install "porn-free" filter on WiFi service 
CHL

Compassionate policing, 
Is it possible?   
FAITH IT

Payday loans are a mean holiday trap — Payday loans, and car title loans are quick ways to get money without the hassle of a credit check. But these popular loans are trapping many Americans in a crushing cycle of debt. (If you are reading this and considering a payday loan I encourage you to do 
all you can to avoid this option. You would rather speak with your family and arrange to participate in some special treat after the holidays once you’ve been able to accumulate sufficient funds. I cannot count the number of families I have counselled through debt issues in which payday loans were the proverbial "nail in the coffin." Please try and avoid them at all cost! Remember, Christmas is not about "stuff;" it’s about our love for each other, something Pope Francis recently emphasized) 
CBN

More attacks against US nativity scenes 
CHARISMA

Canada’s new prostitution law takes effect amid backlash from media, Ontario’s premier, and activists 
LIFE SITE

 

LATIN AMERICA

Dominican President using abortion for re-election: Priest resigning as Church’s presidential liaison 
LIFE SITE

 

ISRAEL

"Pregnant" suicide bomber plot thwarted in Israel 
BIN

Netanyahu applauds Christian IDF soldiers saying "We Are Brothers!" 
ISRAEL TODAY

Hamas attempts to hack IDF computers 
BIN

Netanyahu: European support for Palestinians "endangers Israel" 
YNET

Palestinian and Israeli kids play soccer match to mark 100th anniversary of "Christmas truce" 
JERUSALEM POST

Iranian militiaman-turned-Christian visits Israel 
ISRAEL TODAY

 

RUSSIA

Russia Hikes Interest Rate to 17%  
TDB

Obama administration says no decision yet on Russia sanctions bill 
JERUSALEM POST

 

RECOMMENDED ON ALETEIA

Tom Hoopes looks at Pope Francis and the 
"Year of Misunderstandings" and explains how the media managed to get
the wrong end of the stick time and again. "If it felt like 2014 was the year the media joined the Pope Francis misunderstanding-of-the-month club, that is probably because, well, they did."  
ALETEIA

 

If you want to brighten-up your day then I recommend you have a read of Jeff Ostrowski’s 
"Is There Any Hope For Modern Catholic Liturgical Music?" in which he sets out to identify the insipidness associated with some of today’s hymns. Jeff’s critique of wanting verse and hyper-linked evidence of modern melodic miscarriages is fair amusing! His piece ends with an invitation to participate in a project he is working on involving the development of a new hymnal. In the meantime, and recalling Tom’s advice that 
"the inherent qualities of the hymn are what should matter," I submit for your listening pleasure 
this music clip. 
Enjoy! 
ALETEIA 

 

BRITAIN & IRELAND

Cardinal introduces new Pope-Francis-inspired national evangelization initiative 
CCIEW

Duncan Smith defends benefit cuts criticized by Cardinal Nichols — (The strife with benefits will 
never be resolved, unless the government takes drastic steps towards stemming the tide of abuse which has swept over the entire system in recent decades) 
THE TABLET  

Msgr. John Armitage is appointed new rector of Walsingham 
CATHOLIC HERALD  CCIEW

Ireland’s former president Mary McAleese appointed professor at British Catholic university 
THE TABLET

Midwives’ ruling due on Wednesday — The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the conscientious objection to abortion case of the two Glasgow Catholic midwives on Wednesday 
SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER

WWI Christmas truce football match reenacted in Glasgow 
COS

 

EUROPE

Anti-immigration protests grow in Germany amid fears of Islamization 
JERUSALEM POST

 

AFRICA

South Sudan: 1st anniversary of war, people continue to suffer — 
South Sudan currently facing the world’s worst food crisis 
RADIO VATICANA

Kuwaiti ship and Egyptian fishing boat collide in Red Sea killing 13 
JERUSALEM POST

 

MIDDLE EAST

Chaldean Patriarch urges pre-Christmas fast for Iraqi Christian refugees (We 
should be fasting in any case in advent!) 
CATHOLIC CULTURE

ISIS, Assad, and what the West is failing to see about Syria — "If the  insurgents win the war, there will be no Christian churches in Syria any more (just as there aren’t in Saudi Arabia at the moment). Life will be similarly terrible for many of the ordinary Muslims who make up the great majority of the population" 
CWR

Al-Qaeda faction in Syria claims to have US-supplied anti-tank weapon 
THE WASHINGTON POST

ISIS guidelines of the treatment of women 
CHRISTIAN TODAY

Saudi police arrest woman for attending soccer match 
THE STAR

 

FAMILY MATTERS

Olympics now banned from any country restricting spread of homosexuality — A decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will apply new restrictive anti-family pressure on nations wanting to host the Olympic Games. On December 8, the IOC unanimously approved a wide-ranging package of 40 recommendations, the Olympic Agenda 2020, that includes a rewording of its anti-discrimination Principle 6 clause to include a reference to "sexual orientation" as a protected category 
LIFE SITE

Christian man asks 13 gay-owned bakeries to create pro-traditional marriage cakes to prove a point, all deny his request 
GOSPEL HERALD

Catholic charities adopt nearly 300 families for Christmas 
WOWT

The 28 internet acronyms EVERY parent should look out for 
DAILY MAIL

 

~ ~ ~

 

ADDITIONAL

Catholic rebel: 
Becoming a female priest 
DW

Church History: 
The consecration of Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli, in 340AD 
CHRISTIANITY