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| THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20 |
| SEX ABUSE REPORT Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a preliminary report on clergy sex abuse that indicates that the state’s six Catholic dioceses have not released the names of least 500 clergy accused of sexually abusing minors. READ |
| CALIFORNIA BISHOP RESIGNS Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Salazar of Los Angeles after the archdiocese found a credible allegation of misconduct with a minor. READ |
| TRUMP: TROOPS TO LEAVE SYRIA President Trump announced victory over ISIS in Syria and said he would begin bringing home the 2,000 U.S. troops in the country. The announcement comes after the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces declared victory over ISIS in Hajin. But some lawmakers expressed concern over the sudden announcement, while others worried about Christian minorities in the country. READ |
| SENATE PASSES GOV’T FUNDING The Senate passed a two-month spending bill by voice vote. The House is also expected to quickly approve the funding bill. But President Trump has not said whether he would sign or veto it. The spending bill does not contain the $5 billion for a border wall that President Trump had demanded. READ |
| FED RAISES RATE AGAIN The stock market took a big hit as the Federal Reserve announced a quarter-point increase in the federal funds rate. While the increase was expected, investors were surprised that the Fed indicated that fewer rate hikes are in the pipeline. The Dow closed yesterday at its 2018 low. READ |
| ABUSE IN RELIGIOUS ORDERS The Cardinal Bea House on Gonzaga University’s campus has served as a retirement home for at least 20 Jesuit priests accused of sexual misconduct that mostly took place on Indian reservations across the Northwest, according to an investigation published in America magazine, a Jesuit publication. READ |
| SINGER THANKS GOD When his son got liver cancer, singer Michael Buble put his career on hold. The singer with 60 million albums sold said: “There was just, you know, come together as a family, put your head down, pray lots, and just survive… We just had the best doctors, and God, thank you, Jesus Christ.” READ |
| CLOSING DOWN Since 2000, more than 500 Catholic churches have closed in Germany, a third of which were demolished, while the remainder were sold or used for other purposes… More than 500 churches will close in the Netherlands over the next decade. A Vatican conference considers how to deal with decommissioning churches. READ |
| CATHOLICVOTE 2019 We’ve got an exciting new project coming in the New Year. And we know that our dedicated Loopers will want to be the first ones to find out what it is. SUBSCRIBE |
| SAINT OF THE DAY The connection between Saint Dominic of Silos and Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order, is a curious but interesting one. Separated by 1000 years, the two men were linked by a prophecy given by Saint Dominic of Silos to the mother of the other Dominic. READ |
| DAILY READINGS “Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.” (Ps 24:1) READ |
| TRADITIONS The beautiful Polish tradition of breaking bread on Christmas Eve. SHARE |