Wishing you every blessing in the new year

Chris McDonnell shares his thoughts on a divided Bethlehem and his hope for the new year that may "see the removal of the many walls, both real and figurative, that still divide us."

Pope Francis' annual address to the Roman Curia.
"there is a need to be wary of the temptation to rigidity.  A rigidity born of the fear of change, which ends up erecting fences and obstacles on the terrain of the common good, turning it into a minefield of incomprehension and hatred.  Let us always remember that behind every form of rigidity lies some kind of imbalance.  Rigidity and imbalance feed one another in a vicious circle.  And today this temptation to rigidity has become very real."

Pope Francis on the meaning and importance of the nativity scene.

Fr. Peter Daly, writing in the National Catholic Reporter, has some stern remarks about ambition being "one of the worst and most destructive features of clericalism. If we are going to reform the priesthood, we need to tame the demon of ambition and substitute the idea of servant leadership"

 The Association of Catholic Priests is now on Twitter.
 @ACPinIreland

Seamus Ahearne is thinking about recent happenings and the season that's in it. "Beware. Be aware. We cannot set up an elitist version of faith where some belong and the rest don’t.  Faith is messy.  Advent is a search and an awareness of the presence of God in everyone and everywhere."

Tim Hazelwood reviews Ministry Among God’s Queer Folk, LGBTQ Pastoral Care by Bernard Schlage and David Kunitz.
Tim writes "I see it as a valuable textbook which should appeal to all sympathetic and interested caregivers in parishes, schools, hospitals, and other environments. I feel it would be of particularly helpful to Pastoral Supervisors. The named resources and explanations are of great value and the two sexual rating scales are enlightening and useful."
We are grateful to The Furrow for permission to re-publish this article.

Global Sisters Report, a project of the National Catholic Reporter, carries an article by Sarah Mac Donald about Sr. Carmel McEnroy who died recently in Galway.
Sr Carmel McEnroy was author of a groundbreaking work on the role of women in the Second Vatican Council,Guests in Their Own House: The Women of Vatican II.