CNS photo/Lola GomezThe Christmas tree is lighted in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Monday, December 15. Christmas is a reminder that people can encounter God in ordinary, everyday places, Pope Leo XIV said on Saturday, December 13. Born as a baby in Bethlehem, God chose to “reveal himsel f in a human setting,” the pope said. “He does not use impressive scenery, but a simple home; he does not show himself from afar, but draws near; he does not remain in an inaccessible place in heaven, but reaches us in the very heart of our little stories.” Notre Dame Granted More Than $5 Million in Lilly Endowment Funds (OSV News) – In 1937, leaders of the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis established a philanthropic foundation created to support Christian seminaries. Lilly Endowment Inc. recently announced 45 recipients of its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which aims to help theological schools in the U.S. and Canada strengthen their abilities to prepare ordained and lay pastoral leaders. The University of Notre Dame was among the schools awarded grants, as it received more than $5 million to make two different forms of theological education accessible to future Church leaders, said Holy Cross Father Kevin Grove, associate professor of theology. “The master of divinity forms lay ecclesial ministers in person alongside Holy Cross seminarians and brothers,” he told OSV News. “The MA (provides) ministers who are already in the field and in need of continuing education the opportunity to take online courses during the year and spend modules at Notre Dame during the summers.” ‘Enough’ of Antisemitic Violence Pope Says after Australia Attack SYDNEY (OSV News) – After two gunmen targeted Jewish beachgoers at an event celebrating the first day of Hanukkah in terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Pope Leo XIV highlighted God’s closeness to humanity and called for prayers for those who suffer on account of war and violence, especially the victims from the Jewish community in Australia. “Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence!” Pope Leo said on Monday, December 15, speaking with the groups that donated this year’s Vatican Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts,” he highlighted. In a December 15 statement, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney called for an end to an “atmosphere of antisemitism” in Australia. He added that, as Christians, “an attack on the Jews is an attack on all of us.” Just hours after the shooting and an initial report of 12 dead, the death toll rose to 15. The Guardian reported a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi, and two Holocaust survivors were among victims. The second gunman, police confirmed, was in custody and in critical condition. According to authorities, more than 40 people were wounded and taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital. In the wake of the attack, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed the Church’s solidarity with the Jewish community in a letter to leaders of the Jewish community in the U.S. “The festival of Hanukkah begins this year for the Jewish community with a moment of profound sorrow,” Archbishop Coakley wrote. “The shooting in Sydney, Australia is a painful reminder that hatred remains a threat to our lives, our communities, and the bonds that unite us.” Rhode Island Bishop Offers Prayers in Wake of Shooting at Brown University PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (OSV News) – Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski of Providence offered prayers for “all affected by this tragedy” in the wake of a December 13 shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and nine others injured. Officials said on Sunday, December 14, that a person of interest in connection with the shooting was in police custody, but around 11 p.m., they announced evidence was pointing in a different direction, and early on December 15 they released the person being held. The manhunt continued for the suspected shooter. The shooting took place just after 4 p.m. on December 13 at the Barus and Holley building, which houses the university’s School of Engineering and its physics department, WCVB-TV reported. Students were attending a review session for the final exams. “As are many, I am deeply saddened and troubled by the senseless shooting today at Brown University in Providence,” Bishop Lewandowski said in a statement. “Let us unite in prayer for those who lost their lives, for the injured, for the Brown University community, and all affected by this tragedy.” “May God continue to guide our elected officials, law enforcement, and first responders as they work to keep everyone safe,” he added. Illinois Legalizes Assisted Suicide CHICAGO (OSV News) – Illinois has become the 12th state, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize assisted suicide, amid outcry among the state’s Catholic bishops and other pro-life and disability advocates. On Friday, December 12, Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 1950 into law, allowing terminally ill adults who are Illinois residents to end their lives through self-administered lethal drugs prescribed by a physician. Pritzker’s approval of the measure comes after a number of efforts to prevent the bill from becoming law. On December 10, the Illinois Catholic bishops sent a letter to Pritzker urging him to veto the bill and to instead ensure the state’s residents have “compassionate, loving care provided by trained professionals and/or loving family members” at the end of their lives. The following night, dozens of the measure’s opponents braved the damp chill to hold a vigil outside the governor’s downtown Chicago office. Doctors and advocates for persons with disabilities spoke out against the bill, pleading that Pritzker veto it. In their letter, the Illinois bishops said, “Real compassion demands we invest in and ensure access to excellent pain management and holistic support for the terminally ill, allowing them to live their final days in comfort and peace, surrounded by family, friends and other emotional supports.” They also predicted that the law “will also lead to more suicide in Illinois.” God Wants All People to Be Saved, Pope Says at Jubilee of Prisoners VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Even in difficult situations and harsh places, like prisons, when people focus on caring for one another, respecting each other, and offering forgiveness, “beautiful flowers spring forth from the ‘hard ground’ of sin and suffering,” Pope Leo XIV said. Dressed in rose vestments for Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, the pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday, December 15, for the Jubilee of Prisoners. Inmates and former inmates from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta, and Chile accompanied by guards and chaplains participated, as well as representatives from 85 other countries. It was the last of the major Jubilee events before Christmas and the closing of the Holy Year on January 6. Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai Convicted in ‘Farce’ National Security Trial HONG KONG (OSV News) – Hong Kong Catholic media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai has been convicted under the city’s sweeping national security law, a verdict critics are calling a political show trial. American theologian George Weigel told OSV News the outcome was expected, describing it as a display of authoritarian power rather than justice. “Everyone knew what the ‘verdict’ in this farce of a show trial would be,” Weigel told OSV News on Monday, December 15, right after the news of the conviction broke. Lai, founder of the now-shuttered “Apple Daily,” was arrested in 2020 after Beijing imposed the security law following mass pro-democracy protests. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious material. The conviction could carry a life sentence, with sentencing expected in early 2026. A British citizen and lifelong Catholic, Lai refused to flee Hong Kong, saying leaving would mean abandoning his faith. He has spent nearly five years in solitary confinement, creating religious artwork while imprisoned. U.S. officials, Catholic leaders, and international advocates have called for his release, framing his imprisonment as a test of religious freedom, press freedom, and human dignity. The post News Briefs: December 21, 2025 appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less