- Supreme Court blocks New York restrictions on worship (US Supreme Court)
The US Supreme Court, in a key decision released late on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, blocked enforcement of New York regulations that restricted attendance at religious services. The Court’s sided with the Brooklyn Catholic diocese and two Orthodox synagogues, saying the restrictions appeared to discriminate against religion. - Pope backs Covid restrictions in NY Times op-ed (New York Times)
In a New York Times op-ed piece adapted from a new book, Pope Francis pays homage to health-care workers who care for Covid patients, describing them as “antibodies to the virus of indifference.” He decries protests against government restrictions, saying that the measures serve the common good. And he looks to the future: “We cannot return to the false securities of the political and economic systems we had before the crisis.” - Cardinal-designate Gregory: dialogue, not confrontation, with Biden (CNS)
“The kind of relationship that I hope we will have is a conversational relationship where we can discover areas where we can cooperate that reflect the social teachings of the Church, knowing full well that there are some areas where we won’t agree,” Archbishop Wilton Gregory said in an interview. He added that he would not “veer from” the practice of permitting Biden to receive Holy Communion. - English bishops pleased that worship will be opened (Crux)
The Catholic bishops of England have expressed their satisfaction with a government announcement that public worship will be allowed when a nationwide lockdown is lifted on December 2. On that date the country will move to a three-tiered set of restrictions, but worship will be allowed—albeit restricted—under all three tiers. - Kentucky bishops: public Masses to continue despite governor's request (CNA)
The Catholic bishops of Kentucky have announced that the public celebration of Mass will continue, turning down a request by Governor Andy Beshear for a temporary halt to public worship. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville said: “At this time, we will not be suspending public liturgies but encourage all to act in a responsible way.” - Swiss diocese rejects Pope's slate of candidates to be bishop (CNA)
The cathedral chapter of the Diocese of Chur, Switzerland, has reportedly rejected three Vatican candidates to become the next bishop of the diocese. The cathedral chapter in Chur, a traditionally conservative diocese, has retained the right to name a bishop, from a slate approved by the Pontiff. The members of the chapter found the three proposed candidates unacceptable. - Chinese government spokesman bristles after Pope decries plight of Uighurs (Wall Street Journal)
“I think often of persecuted peoples: the Rohingya, the poor Uighurs, the Yazidi—what ISIS did to them was truly cruel—or Christians in Egypt and Pakistan killed by bombs that went off while they prayed in church,” Pope Francis writes in a new book.“The remarks regarding Uighurs have no factual basis,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian responded. - Pope, at audience, speaks of prayer in early Church (Vatican Press Office)
At his regular weekly public audience on November 25, Pope Francis spoke on the prayers of the early Church. He pointed to four characteristics of the life of the Church, as depicted in the Acts of the Apostles: listening to the teaching of the apostles; fraternal communion; the Eucharist, and prayer, “which is the space of dialogue with the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit.” - Spanish Twitter campaign promotes violence against priests (Crux)
A campaign on Twitter in Spain, calling for priests to be burned alive, has prompted questions about why Twitter allowed the posts to remain online. The campaign was promoted by Marxists, who objected to the Church’s stand against legislation that would restrict Catholic schools. - Kentucky AG sues its governor over religious school closures (Religion Clause)
“The Governor’s school-closure order prohibits religious organizations from educating children consistent with and according to their faith,” said Attorney General Daniel Cameron. “The ability to provide and receive a private religious education is a core part of the freedoms protected by the First Amendment.” - New Vatican prefect calls for greater transparency in canonization process (Rome Reports)
“The main task is to propose authentic, clean and transparent models of sanctity, which are known and can speak to the people of today; that all processes are carried out in a more linear, more transparent and more dignified way,” said Cardinal-designate Marcello Semeraro. On October 15, Pope Francis named him prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, replacing Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu. - 8 beatification causes advance (Vatican News)
Pope Francis has approved a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Ven. Mario Ciceri (1900-45), an Italian diocesan priest, paving the way for his beatification. The Pontiff also recognized the martyrdom of 127 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), paving the way for their beatification. Finally, he recognized the heroic virtues of an Italian bishop, a Spanish priest, a French priest, and three Italian religious sisters, all of whom lived in the 20th century. - Detroit archdiocese removes priest who alleges he denounced harassment by prominent archdiocesan employee (Detroit Free Press)
In a statement, Father Michael Suhy alleges that he denounced a prominent archdiocesan employee’s sexual harassment and grooming of a young man. - French bishops, urged by laity, ask for eased restrictions on Mass (CNA)
The Catholic bishops of France are reportedly urging government officials to adopt a “realistic gauge” for Mass attendance, rather than the current emergency restriction limiting every church to a congregation of 30 or less. The restrictions have provoked mass protest from lay Catholics, who are pushing their bishops to return to public celebration of Mass. - Historic first: 2 new cardinals will not be present at November 28 consistory (Vatican News)
“For the first time in history, on 28 November 2020, not all the cardinals-designate chosen by Pope Francis will be present, in person, to receive their red hats,” according to Vatican News. Cardinal-designates from Brunei and the Philippines will not be present because of Covid travel restrictions. - Federal appeals court upholds Tennessee law against abortions on basis of race, sex, or Down syndrome (National Review)
“Every life is precious and every child has inherent human dignity,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “Our law prohibits abortion based on the race, gender, or diagnosis of Down syndrome of the child and the court’s decision will save lives. Protecting our most vulnerable Tennesseans is worth the fight.” - Middle Eastern Christian leaders deeply concerned about Christians in Nagorno-Karabakh (Middle East Council of Churches)
The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War began in September; a cease-fire took hold on November 10. Pope Francis has repeatedly appealed for peace there. - Chiapas bishop denounces paramilitary attacks; religious sister, humanitarian workers injured (Fides)
The state of Chiapas (map) is located in southern Mexico. - Hundreds injured in attack on Christians in India (AsiaNews)
Hundreds of Christians have been reported injured, and some may have been killed, when a mob attacked the village of Sindhwaram, in Chhattisgarh, in central India. The attack occurred as the Christian community was preparing for Advent observances. Local Christians in the isolated village had asked police for protection, fearing more serious violence after a series of recent attacks. - Cameroon: kidnapped cardinal refused pyschological pressure (Crux)
Cardinal Christian Tumi, the 90-year-old cardinal was kidnapped and then released by separatist rebels earlier this month, reports that he “refused to be tortured psychologically” by his captors. The cardinal said that he was able to stay calm, rejecting efforts to enter into debate about the rebels’ plans for independence. He said that he was abducted because of his high profile; the rebels wanted public attention.