1. Don’t choose pets over children, Pope Francis says as birthrates drop, By Amy Cheng, The Washington Post, January 6, 2022, 5:38 AM Pope Francis lamented Wednesday that many couples are choosing to have more pets than more children, saying that a trend of forgoing child-rearing “takes some of our humanity away.” … The pope, who has called for the adoption process to become easier, said people who do not have children “are lacking something, something fundamental, something important.” … Wednesday’s address was not the first time the pope has spoken out against the preference for some smaller households to have more pets. He voiced his concerns as early as 2014, when he celebrated daily mass alongside 15 couples. Even then, the pope told the couples not to substitute children with house pets. “It might be better — more comfortable — to have a dog, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the dog. Is this true or not? Have you seen it?” Pope Francis said, according to Religion News Service. “Then, in the end this marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/06/pope-francis-pet-children-selfish/___________________________________________________________ 2. Christian world marks Epiphany with series of celebrations, By Frances D’Emilio and Mehmet Guzel, Associated Press, January 6, 2022, 8:06 AM Christians around the world on Thursday marked Epiphany, known as Three Kings Day for Catholics and the Baptism of Christ for the Orthodox, with a series of celebrations. Pope Francis used a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to decry consumerism, parades were held in Spain the night before, and Orthodox believers watched swimmers plunge into icy waters despite the pandemic to retrieve crosses. Francis encouraged people to shake off consumeristic “tyranny” and crises of faith in lives and societies and instead find the courage to work for justice and brotherhood in societies dominated by what he called the “sinister logic of power.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pope-marks-epiphany-by-decrying-consumerism/2022/01/06/e626ea52-6ee0-11ec-b1e2-0539da8f4451_story.html___________________________________________________________ 3. Pope Francis at Epiphany Mass: Let us adore Christ like the Magi, By Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency, January 6, 2022, 6:00 AM On the Solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Francis encouraged people to spend time in the presence of Christ in adoration, like the Magi. “Let us never forget this: the journey of faith finds renewed strength and fulfillment only when it is made in the presence of God,” Pope Francis said in St. Peter’s Basilica on Jan. 6. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250034/epiphany-2022-pope-francis-says-let-us-adore-christ-like-the-magi___________________________________________________________ 4. How Will Religious Freedom Fare This Year?, Advocates for religious liberty, without an ally in the White House, will turn once again to the Supreme Court for relief, By Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, National Catholic Register, January 5, 2022, Opinion By the end of its current term, the Supreme Court will have made historic decisions about the scope of religious freedom in America. It will have to settle disputes relating to state school choice, prayers said inside the execution chamber, and abortion in Mississippi. … Assaults on religious freedom are happening with greater frequency and severity. Advocates for religious liberty, without an ally in the White House, will be turning once again to the Supreme Court for relief. And given the Court’s current composition, they have a strong chance of prevailing. https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/how-will-religious-freedom-fare-this-year___________________________________________________________

TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association.
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