Schools in India ordered closed for celebrating Christmas (Crux) A Christian school was ordered closed in India on Dec. 26 based on a charge of “trying to convert students and their parents” by celebrating Christmas, although the order was later rescinded…

Decline in religious practice “devastating” among Poles (Notes from Poland) There has been a “devastating” decline in religious practice among young people in Poland, says one of the country’s most senior church figures, Wojciech Polak, the archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland. He admits that the Catholic hierarchy’s failure to deal with sex abuse by clergy has been a primary cause, and has called for the church to continue the process of “purifying” itself. However, Marek Jędraszewski, the archbishop of Kraków, has questioned his colleague’s interpretation, arguing that in fact the church has been a “victim” of the pandemic and young people’s growing use of technology…

Pope prays for health of Argentine Nobel laureate (Vatican News) In the latest of his expressions of closeness to those suffering illness, Pope Francis sent a short note on Sunday to an Argentine peace activist as he recovers in hospital. Adolfo Perez Esquivel suffered an undiagnosed health scare at the start of the new year, and was admitted to hospital in the seaside resort of Mar del Plata, Argentina…

Suburban Chicago group lobbies for priests to be reinstated (Chicago Tribune) A curious trio of billboards went up across Rockford in November. They showed five men in Roman collars bracketed by angry red type: “Not one more penny! Until you reinstate our priests.” The appeal to withhold contributions from the collection plate was the latest in-your-face gesture from the Coalition for Canceled Priests, a group that formed in the Chicago suburbs last year to advocate for clerics it says have been unfairly removed from the Roman Catholic ministry by bishops…

Jonathan Morris talks about journey from priesthood to fatherhood (FOX News) Recently on the FOX News Rundown, Jonathan Morris joined host Chris Foster to discuss his journey from priesthood and fatherhood and how the faith of many people has been tested since the beginning of the pandemic. Morris also discussed the state of the Catholic church in America, and what changes he thinks could be made to improve it…