NYC sets vaccine mandate for religious, private school workers (The New York Times) New York City will require employees at yeshivas, Catholic schools and other private schools to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, in what is believed to be the largest effort in the nation to force religious schools to adhere to a vaccine mandate. The new directive, which was announced on Thursday, is expected to affect roughly 930 schools and 56,000 employees, city officials said. They will have to show proof they received the first dose of a vaccine by Dec. 20…
Pope laments “hostility and prejudice” dividing Catholics, Orthodox (AP) Pope Francis lamented centuries of hostility and prejudice that have divided Catholics and Orthodox as he met Friday with the leader of Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Church and pointed to works of charity as a means to help heal the rift between Catholic West and Orthodox East. Archbishop Chrysostomos II hosted Francis for private talks at his residence and then invited the pope to the brand new Orthodox Cathedral of St. Barnabas for an encounter with the Holy Synod, the highest decision-making body of the Greek Orthodox Church…
Cincinnati priest pleads guilty to child rape (WLWT) A handcuffed Geoff Drew was largely expressionless as he pleaded guilty to nine counts of rape in a Hamilton Co. courtroom Thursday…
Archbishop: Pope wants to visit Ukraine (Crux) According to the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Pope Francis might visit Ukraine in the near future. “Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to personally communicate with Pope Francis about Ukraine,” Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said at the Kyiv Security Forumv. “He is very worried about the fate of ordinary people. Those people who today may not be fully heard…”
Vatican Christmas stamps feature work of homeless artist (CNS) Adam Piekarski, a homeless man from Lódz, Poland, never imagined that the sketches he would draw in his free time while waiting for the public showers near Bernini’s Colonnade would lead to the opportunity of a lifetime. In November, the Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office announced that its 2021 set of commemorative Christmas stamps would feature images of the Magi and the Holy Family painted by Piekarski…
