Catholic universities named in lawsuit alleging rigging of financial aid (CNA) The University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University are among 16 elite private universities and colleges facing a federal lawsuit that alleges they illegally conspired to reduce financial aid awards to students, in effect a form of price-fixing. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago Jan. 9, depicted these schools as a “cartel” that fixes prices and acts “not only to reduce the amount of total aid offered by each school, but also to reduce the total amount of aid offered to each prospective student at each defendant school…”
Vatican mandates COVID vaccines for all employees (CNS) The Vatican has updated its rules to stem the spread of COVID-19 and will require all its employees to be vaccinated against the virus or prove they have recently recovered from the disease. Also, starting Jan. 10, nonessential work-related travel is temporarily suspended, masking outdoors is required, high-filtering FFP2 masks must be worn indoors and quarantine rules for those who have had contact with a positive case are adjusted with no isolation required for those who are fully and recently vaccinated, including with the booster…
ND bishops oppose gender inclusion policy (AP) A group that represents North Dakota’s Roman Catholic bishops is contacting parents of students at the University of North Dakota and asking that they urge administrators to reject the school’s proposed “gender inclusion” policy. The policy, which is still in draft form, would require the use of a transgender person’s preferred pronouns and the use of locker rooms, bathrooms and other living facilities that align with a person’s gender identity…
Cordileone to celebrate pontifical high Mass in NYC (NCR) San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who revealed in a recent interview that he is not vaccinated for COVID-19, is scheduled to celebrate a pontifical high Mass this month in New York City, where the omicron variant has local hospitals filled to capacity. New York City has a strict vaccination mandate for many indoor public settings, such as restaurants, entertainment venues and recreation centers, but that requirement does not extend to churches and other houses of worship…
Indian priest goes on hunger strike to protest changes in liturgy (UCANews) A Catholic priest in India has launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding the legitimization of Eucharistic celebration while facing the congregation as against the synod’s decision to have uniformity while celebrating Mass. Father Babu Joseph Kalathil, the vicar of St. Mary’s Church Perumbavoor, who started his fast in the archbishop’s house in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly on Jan. 12, claimed to have the support of more than 450 priests belonging to India’s Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church…
