In Corsica, Pope Says Faith, Culture Need Not Clash AJACCIO, France (CNS) – Pope Francis became the first leader of the Catholic Church to set foot in Corsica, the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, praising the French island’s heritage of popular piety as a bridge between faith and secular culture. As people become increasingly indifferent toward God’s presence and word, particularly in Europe, the Church must avoid hasty and ideological judgments that “would pit Christian culture and secular culture against one another,” he said in a speech on Sunday, December 15, closing a conference on popular religiosity in the Mediterranean region. “Instead, it is important to acknowledge a mutual openness between these two horizons,” the pope said, noting that expressions of popular piety – devotional practices such as processions or praying the Rosary in common – evoke the Incarnation by expressing the Christian faith in a specific cultural context while engaging people “who are on the threshold of faith.” U.S. Bishops: Our Lady of Guadalupe Calls All to Unity WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) – At a time marked by division, several U.S. bishops wrote on Wednesday, December 11, that the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, is “a powerful reminder that we are all called to be one in Christ Jesus, beginning from the moment of our conception.” In a reflection released on the eve of the December 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, several committee chairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (representing the Committee on Migration, Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Subcommittee on the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers, and Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism) wrote about the particular significance that “La Virgen” holds for the country in these times – noting that the Virgin Mary carries a “special significance” for immigrants as well as the unborn. “With one clear voice, we reaffirm our unwavering and unqualified recognition of the fact that each and every human life is sacred, that all persons are imbued by God with an inviolable dignity, which no earthly power can deny,” they said. “The sinful ideologies of racism and xenophobia are antithetical to these core teachings of our Christian faith. No person formed by and committed to the Gospel of Life can harbor such views in good conscience.” Jesus’ Crown of Thorns Returns to Notre Dame Cathedral PARIS (OSV News) – On Friday, December 13, the Crown of Thorns was returned to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, marking a deeply moving moment for Parisians and pilgrims alike. The relic, which survived the devastating 2019 fire, had been stored at the Louvre since the blaze. The return procession, attended by more than 400 members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, saw the crown – held by a knight in full regalia – walk from the Louvre to Notre Dame, drawing crowds of onlookers. The crown, acquired by King Louis IX in 1239, was originally housed at Sainte-Chapelle before being moved to Notre Dame in 1806. Once inside the cathedral, it was placed on the new altar, designed by Sylvain Dubuisson. The reliquary, an altarpiece of marble and cedar wood, evokes the crown’s Byzantine history with its gilded bronze thorns and intricate design. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich led a prayer service, reflecting on the significance of the relic during Advent and the Passion. Beginning on January 10, 2025, the crown will be displayed every Friday, offering visitors a chance to venerate it in its new, radiant setting. Supreme Court to Hear Catholic Agency’s Religious Exemption Case WASHINGTON, D.C. (OSV News) – The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday, December 13, to hear a case involving the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, which argues that the Wisconsin Supreme Court wrongly denied it an exemption from the state’s unemployment insurance program. In March, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the Catholic Charities Bureau, while inspired by Catholic teachings, does not qualify as a religious entity under state law because its operations are “primarily charitable and secular,” not religious. The state court found that the organization’s services would be the same regardless of its religious motivation. The Catholic Charities Bureau is seeking the exemption to participate in the Church Unemployment Pay Program, a state-approved alternative established by Wisconsin’s bishops in 1986. They argue the program offers the same benefits as the state’s unemployment system but is more efficient. Officials with the group, supported by the religious liberty firm Becket, contend that penalizing it for its religious identity is unjust. Joshua Kaul, Wisconsin’s attorney general, argued against an exemption in documents filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, noting the Catholic Charities Bureau receives public funding, serves both Catholics and non-Catholics, and has paid the unemployment tax since 1972. The case is expected to be heard by the high court in the spring. New Catholic-Jewish Resource Released NEW YORK (OSV News) – Catholic and Jewish leaders have created a new tool to tackle record-high levels of antisemitism through education and awareness. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the American Jewish Committee have teamed up to release “Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition,” a resource that confronts antisemitism by cataloging anti-Jewish slurs, while providing Catholic teaching that counters such hatred. The document was unveiled on Wednesday, December 11, by Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, and Rabbi Noam Marans, the AJC’s director of interreligious affairs. The 61-page glossary of antisemitic terms and commentary, available in pdf format on the AJC’s website, builds on the AJC’s “Translate Hate” initiative, first released in 2019, said Rabbi Marans. Antisemitism has become a “three-headed monster” in recent years, he said, due to soaring polarization, the historical distance from the Shoah (the preferred Hebrew term for the Holocaust), and social media, which provides both anonymity and algorithmically driven incentive for toxicity. Bishop Bambera said that the new document, which is part of the USCCB’s broader efforts to promote Catholic-Jewish dialogue, is designed to shed light on the truth of the Gospel. “Our Jewish brothers and sisters,” he said, “are our partners. We share a patrimony. Our roots as Christians are in the Jewish tradition, and we need to know that. We need to be able to embrace that.” Man with Down Syndrome Named First ‘Angel of St. Pio’ TUCKAHOE, New York (OSV News) – A man with Down syndrome has been named the first “Angel of St. Pio” by the Saint Pio Foundation for his profound devotion to the beloved saint – and for his faithful perseverance in overcoming extraordinary challenges. Eric Latcheran received the inaugural honor on Thursday, December 5, at Casa Italiana in Washington, D.C. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, joined St. Pio Foundation founder and CEO Luciano Lamonarca in placing a white and gold sash on the 37-year-old Latcheran, investing him with the title. “Angels were always important in Padre Pio’s life,” said Lamonarca, speaking by phone to OSV News on Monday, December 9, noting that the saint had a particular devotion to guardian angels. Latcheran, who said in a news release issued by the foundation that he felt “very blessed” to have been selected for the honor, certainly can speak to the power of faith in the face of tremendous odds. Resuscitated after being delivered as stillborn, he was diagnosed at an early age with Down syndrome, heart and thyroid issues, and other medical challenges. Yet he and his mother, Gina, have resolutely turned to St. Pio to confront each hardship. “I am very active in my Knights of Columbus council and assembly, and I pray that my Brother Knights find peace in the teachings and prayers of St. Pio,” said Latcheran. “I will continue to participate in as many gatherings as possible dedicated to St. Pio and share my love of my patron saint, St. Pio of Pietrelcina.” Pilgrims arrive at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City Dec. 11, 2024, to participate in her Dec. 12 feast day celebrations. (OS V News photo/Quetzalli Nicte-Ha, Reuters) The post News Briefs: December 22, 2024 appeared first on Today's Catholic.