Bill 21

Deadly violence hit Christians in Africa Jan. 15, with a Catholic priest in northern Nigeria burned to death and as many as 17 Christians killed in a blast in eastern Congo.

The life journey of Toronto couple Mike Lattanzi and Susan Silveus has been largely defined by 22 years of cross-cultural service experiences in locales such as Cambodia and Jerusalem.

The United States' chief advocate for religious freedom expressed his "disappointment" in the Vatican over its provisional agreement with China on the appointment of bishops in the country.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Jan. 15 (Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34)

To whom is Isaiah’s prophecy addressed? Many of the prophetic texts of the Old Testament are difficult to follow, for the speaker and the addressee are often unclear. The ambiguity is at times deliberate, for a symbol can apply simultaneously to more than one person, situation or event. It appears that in this case the one given the divine mission of leading Jacob back to God was the mysterious and unnamed Suffering Servant. 

“Today we bury his remains in the earth as a seed of immortality — our hearts are full of sadness, yet at the same time of joyful hope and profound gratitude.” 

Hope springs

I wonder if there will be an editorial entitled “Hope for 2023?” 

Our paramount hope and prayer for 2023 is that the federal government’s pause in its rush to push medically assisted homicide brings sincere recognition of its folly on life issues generally.

It’s Jan. 5 — Christmas eve for Armenians — most of whom are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, an Orthodox Christian denomination that celebrates Christmas on Jan. 6.

In what looks like a continuation of pontifical legacy, Pope Benedict XVI was buried in the crypt where his Polish predecessor, St. John Paul II, was first buried. St. John XXIII also was buried there prior to his beatification.

When the coffin containing the remains of Pope Benedict XVI was carried into St. Peter’s Square, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi was among the 3,700 priests who concelebrated the funeral Mass Jan. 5.