Police On High Alert, Common Core Promotes Islam, Gates Goes Bananas…

Archbishop of Seoul prays for reconciliation with North — The South Korean Archbishop of Seoul, Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, has prayed for reunification with North Korea so that “through trust and reconciliation, may we become one family again” 
CATHOLIC HERALD

"There are promising prospects for China-Holy See relations" — Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State 
VATICAN INSIDER

Man protests on roof of St. Peter’s — An Italian man evaded Vatican security for the fifth time to reach a high ledge on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica to protest against laws he says caused him to lose his business 
CHRISTIAN TODAY

How Pope Francis became the world’s BFF — The first Jesuit Pope has endeared himself to people not so much through his religion, but through his humane politics, which were forged in repressive Argentina 
TDB

Iran cites US-Cuba thaw as proof that sanctions do not work — Tehran says "defense of Cuban government of their revolutionary ideals shows that isolation policies and sanctions against independent nations are ineffective" 
YNET

Woman found stabbed in Rishon Lezion — A woman in her fifties was found stabbed to death in an apartment on Arnon street in Rishon Lezion south of Tel Aviv on Monday morning 
JERUSALEM POST

Belarusian independent news sites blocked — Several independent news websites have been blocked in the former Soviet republic of Belarus, where the government exerts close control of news media 
CBN

Brian Fraga addressed the matter of 
"Jihadist Attacks on the West" stating, "[Many] attacks [by Muslims] have been portrayed as "lone wolf" incidents perpetrated  by violent and mentally-unstable individuals who are usually estranged from society. However, Turzanski said ‘there are too many commonalities to ignore the broader threat of domestic jihad. It is very much their ideology,’ Turzanski said. ‘You start putting all this together and the first thing that’s obvious is that people who intend to do us harm lack the capacity for mass-casualty attacks. If ISIS and Al Qaeda had the capacity for mass-casualty attacks against us, they would do it. This shows they have changed their mindset." 
ALETEIA

The Canonry of St. Leopold’s message 
"Any Day Now" reflects on the need for us to take stock of the loads we carry (especially at this time of year) and encourages us to embrace Christ even as Mary embraced the calling upon her life, "We too are asked every day of our lives, and in a special way as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, if we are able and willing to accept [the Christ child] and all that comes with Him into our own arms and into our own lives." 
ALETEIA

The New Britain: 
"Heartless" council threatens to take Violet, 100, to court on Christmas Eve over nursing home fees 
DAILY MAIL

Justin Welby: "The only certainty in life is Christ" — (Lol, well it had to happen one day. Since Welby came to office there hasn’t been much about his Archbishopric that I have agreed with, but, his most recent comment is something with which I concur! Indeed I often say something similar with the phrase
"The only consistency in our lives, is the love of God." So, today Welby and I are on the same page
— and it is in acknowledging Christ that we find this unity — just as it should be!) 
CHRISTIAN TODAY

ISIS The Next Generation: 
"God willing" says jihadist widow in London as she posts photo of 4 year old posing with ISIS flag
DAILY MAIL

Britons behaving badly: Looking like a character out of Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" video, socialite 
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson is arrested by eight armed police officers at Heathrow after throwing tantrum because she was refused access to first-class lounge
DAILY MAIL

Britons in poverty: 
Poorest families in Britian more heavily taxed than wealthy — (As one reads Scripture it becomes clear how such injustices deeply offend our Lord)  
THE INDEPENDENT

First arrest in forex scandal: Former RBS trader held on suspicion of rigging £3.5trillion foreign exchange market — (Financial analysts as well as those intimately acquainted with trading practices on both sides of the Atlantic speculate that 2015 could witness the greatest fiscal fracture in recent modern history!) 
DAILY MAIL

Britons behaving badly: 
Scotland Yard is probing five VIP pedophile rings after Labour MP hands in dossier naming six serving politicians and Lords
DAILY MAIL

Arsonist sought in fire at Turkish Bible distribution center — Turkish authorities are searching for a suspected arsonist in connection with a fire that destroyed thousands of New Testaments and other Christian books (As I’ve mentioned many-a-time, watch out for the continuing militant "Islamification" of Turkey) 
CHRISTIAN NEWS

Islam in France: 
Islamic convert, 40, facing terrorism charges after he mows down 11 people in his car while shouting "God is great" in Arabic
DAILY MAIL

Horrific new Boko Haram video shows extremists killing civilian "infidels" — A new video from Nigeria’s home-grown Boko Haram extremists shows gunmen mowing down civilians lying face down in a dormitory while the Boko Haram leader explains they are being killed because they are "infidels" or non-believers. "We have made sure the floor of this hall is turned red with blood, and this is how it is going to be in all future attacks and arrests of infidels" 
NYDN

42 killed in Yemeni revenge attack — Dozens of Houthi rebels have been killed in central Yemen in a suspected revenge attack after at least 40 people from a rival tribe were kidnapped by the Shia group 
ALJAZEERA

Bill Gates’ human experimentation with GM bananas in Africa condemned by scientists — At least 124 food and outreach organizations, as well as 26 individual scientists, have signed a letter sent to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation protesting ongoing human trials of genetically modified (GM), beta-carotene-enriched bananas intended for Africa — (Unsatisfied with the numbers likely to be killed in Africa through their push for a new "lethal" contraceptive drug, the Gates Foundation now wants to use Africans us ‘human guinea pigs" for unproven science)  
GLOBAL RESEARCH

Christian politicians must abide by "Biblical values" — Lebanon Maronite Patriarch. The absence of a president exacerbates Lebanon’s already tense situation, Maronite
Patriarch Bechara Rai said Sunday, reiterating calls for Christians to stay in Lebanon and urging Christian leaders not to lose their "biblical values." 
THE LEBANON DAILY STAR

20 ISIS militants killed in failed airport attack — At least 20 Islamic State group members were killed in the second failed jihadist bid in a month to take over an air base in eastern Syria 
YAHOO NEWS

"American church is addicted to personal peace, comfort, and affluence," says US pastor in Iraq hoping to engage Islamic State 
CHRISTIAN POST

Hindu leader vows to continue conversions of Muslims and Christians — The head of India’s most powerful Hindu group has vowed to press ahead in defiance of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism 
CHRISTIAN TODAY

30 Christians converted by Vishva Hindu Parishad in Kerala: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) claimed to have converted at least 30 Christians on Sunday in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, adding that 150 more families would be returned into the Hindu fold in the run-up to Christmas. This is the first time Kerala has reported such a case of conversion. The incident comes just one day after the VHP claimed to have converted 225 tribal Christians in south Gujarat in a similar conversion drive 
HINDUSTAN TIMES

Christmas celebrations cancelled in Peshawar after school attack — "How can we celebrate and host parties when our city has been so devastated?" — Bishop Peters 
ACNS

Papuan bishop makes emergency appeal amid severe food shortage — Bishop Rolando Santos has launched an appeal during a severe food shortage following a cyclone engulfing the Catholic diocese 
CNA

The touching moment a Muslim bride takes a detour on her big day to lay her wedding bouquet at the shrine for Sydney siege victims — and hundreds of stunned onlookers break into applause 
DAILY MAIL

Between Two Synods: 
An analysis of the challenge of this Catholic "moment"
FIRST THINGS

HuffPo catches-up with Aleteia’s reporting from last week:  Pope Francis wrote a book in 1998 titled "Dialogues between John Paul II and Fidel Castro" 
HUFFINGTON POST