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Well, it turns out that President Donald Trump was not Time magazine's Person of the Year. Instead, the magazine (which was recently acquired by a company with connections to the conservative Koch brothers) chose the women who have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse and violence, whom they call "The Silence Breakers." So perhaps Trump was lying. (See why that's still a sin.)
We have a bit of a roundup of critiques of the president's recent moves:
- Among those speaking out against Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is Pope Francis, who expressed concern that the move could destabilize the Middle East.
- Catholic leaders also criticized the Trump administration's decision to pull out of United Nations-sponsored talks on migration and refugees, calling it a crisis of leadership.
- Clergy were among those protesting Trump's move to shrink two Utah national monuments, eliminating protective status for land that some Native Americans consider sacred.
- Also, the Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration's travel ban on residents from six mostly Muslim countries to stand.
If all that news gets you down, read this inspiring Advent blog post about Mary that speaks to our current political atmosphere.
In other news:
A new French translation of the Our Father has Catholics saying "Let us not enter into temptation" rather than the original wording, "Do not submit us to temptation."
"We live in dark times," said a panel at an event commemorating Sr. Maura Clarke, which noted similarities between current U.S. policy toward Latin American immigrants and our policy toward El Salvador during the 1980s, when Clarke was killed there with two other sisters and a laywoman.
For all those who are wondering: Yes, you have to go to church on Sunday, Dec. 24, and Monday, Dec. 25. No double-dipping.
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Opinion:
Actions speak louder than words, even when it comes to Pope Francis not saying "Rohingya" during his recent trip to Myanmar, says NCR columnist Michael Sean Winters.
Tom Reese says the GOP tax bills are motivated by ideology, not economics. (And in case you missed it: After initially saying Pope Francis' trip to Myanmar was a mistake, Reese says the pope pulled off being both a diplomat and a prophet and thinks the trip was a "net positive.")
This season, NCR is joining with our sister publications, Celebration and Global Sisters Report, to share Advent resources. Whether you're looking for Scripture study, some meditative reflections or an inspiring read, check out our Celebration of Advent page.
