By Chris Jackson, Hiraeth In Exile, (Complicit Clergy) – Leo XIV does not treat Vatican II as one council among many, held inside a long Catholic memory and judged by what the Church already received. He treats it like the hinge of history, the moment the Church “begins,” the point where the past becomes raw material and the future becomes mandate. He reads Lumen gentium as program, not as reference. He frames it as light. Then, almost immediately, he announces a whole catechesis series dedicated to Vatican II, presented as permanently relevant, permanently urgent, permanently required for reading the world.

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register – Participants in the Jan. 7-8 extraordinary consistory in Rome shared their thoughts with the Register Wednesday on Pope Leo XIV’s first major meeting with the College of Cardinals since his election in May… “It will be a moment of grace, of sharing, of deepening, and of listening on various topics,” predicted Cardinal Francis Leo of Toronto, as he walked from his Rome residence to the Synod Hall in the Paul VI Hall to attend the gathering’s opening session. “I’m going with an open heart, let’s see how it develops.”

By Matt Kittle, The Federalist – Assaults on ICE agents have exploded over the past year. In November, DHS reported that “sanctuary politicians’ rhetoric” fueled a 1,150 percent “increase in violence against ICE law enforcement.” In light of last month’s Operation Metro Surge, an ICE enforcement effort targeting “the worst of the worst who flock to Minnesota because they know sanctuary politicians will protect them,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the liberal politicians were only making things tougher for law enforcement officials.

By Dr. R. Jared Staudt, Catholic World Report – What would the collapse of civilization look like?… We might immediately think of cutoff utilities, disruptions in the supply chain, violence in the streets, and the lack of functional government. While it’s true these might serve as external indicators of a functioning modern society, they do not constitute the essence of civilization. A civilized person doesn’t just live in the city (the civitas that gives civilization its name) but conforms to an ideal of culture. A barbarian lives for immediate needs and wants …

By Craig Bannister, MRC TV – “I’ve issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard. We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed, if necessary,” Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz threatened Wednesday, denouncing the federal government’s efforts to enforce U.S. immigration law in his state… Gov. Walz made the apparent threat during a press conference following the death of a Minnesota anti-immigration enforcement protester who was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent as she, according to video of the incident, drove her vehicle into the agent. …

By Nancy Flanders, Live Action News – According to new reports, Canada is allowing prisoners to end their lives through assisted suicide despite having banned capital punishment decades ago… Canada fully banned capital punishment — the death penalty — in 1998… Medical Assistance in Dying was approved in Canada in 2016… From 2016 to 2025, at least 67 prisoners in Canada have requested assisted death, with at least 15 approved and killed. …

By M.C. Holbrook, Catholic Exchange – John the Evangelist begins his Gospel account of the wedding feast at Cana by pointing out first that Mother Mary is in attendance. That Jesus is also there is secondary. But isn’t Jesus always the most important character in any of the Gospel stories? Of course—which is perhaps the reason John references the Blessed Mother namelessly, pointing to her instead as “the mother of Jesus.” Still, the fact that John singles her out, all in her own

By Randall O’Bannon, Ph.D., LifeNews – Since the Dobbs decision, the Guttmacher Institute has been publishing monthly abortion estimates based on data submitted from a national sample of abortionists. In the last few weeks, it has compiled these monthly totals and published a new estimate for abortions in 2024 – 1,126,970… Guttmacher says this number reflects 1,050,660 abortions “provided by clinicians in U.S. states without a total ban in 2024″ plus an additional 76,310 “provided via telehealth to states with total bans in 2024,” according to estimates Guttmacher takes from the Society of Family Planning (SFP). …

By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal – When Rep. Mary Miller saw President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to ban large investors from buying single-family homes, she immediately volunteered to introduce a bill to codify it, she said… “It’s been an issue that the Family Caucus has been discussing, and I’m thrilled to see President Trump’s tweet and that he’s making this a priority,” Miller (said)… Miller expects Trump to sign an executive order banning large investors from buying single-family homes, and then her bill will codify that policy into law. ….

By Mark Alexander, Patriot Post – What an amazing year just passed, and the one ahead more so! I may be the last person wishing you a Happy New Year, but know this: I mean it from the heart!… It is fitting, with humility, that our 30th year advancing our mission “to support and defend” Freedom would fall on our nation’s 250th year in the eternal battle required to sustain American Liberty and extend it to the next generation… It did not occur to me on Constitution Day, 17 September 1996, when we launched The Patriot Post, that our 30th anniversary would coincide with such a magnificent moment in American history. …

By Veronique de Rugy, The American Spectator – Fraud is widespread and persistent… Growing national outrage over Minnesota’s welfare fraud is justified, but not because of where it took place or because it implicates members of any immigrant community. It’s much more than a “Minnesota” story… The outrage is justified because Americans are finally getting a concrete look at what happens when pushing public money out the door matters more than verifying the eligibility of the recipients, confirming services were delivered, or, ultimately, being a good steward of taxpayers’ money. …

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – Through the first eight months of his pontificate, Leo XIV has been a calming presence in Rome. There have been no shocking statements from the apostolic palace to prompt sensational headlines, no dramatic policy announcements to unveil grand new plans. Vatican-watchers are still waiting to see what sort of papacy this will be. The consistory of cardinals meeting this week— his first unexpected initiative— may answer their questions… To date Pope Leo has appeared content to continue along the path set by Pope Francis.

Franciscan Media – Some saints show marks of holiness very early. Not Angela! Born of a leading family in Foligno, Italy, she became immersed in the quest for wealth and social position. As a wife and mother, she continued this life of distraction.

By Eddie Scarry, The Federalist – That Tim Walz is abandoning his reelection campaign for Minnesota governor amid a maddening multibillion-dollar welfare fraud scandal should serve as a big reminder: Democrats are robbing you every day and hardly even trying to hide it… Recall Walz as the stereotypical self-abasing Democrat white male, presumably heterosexual, who was inexplicably chosen to be Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election. His stint in that role was the equivalent of a 300-pound belly flop into a pool full of sand ….

By Max Dublin, The American Spectator – South America is moving on from socialist fantasies, just as the North begins to embrace them… With all the hullabaloo relating to the extraction and arrest of Venezuelan narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro, it is easy to forget that in recent years — and even recent months — good things have been happening in the southern hemisphere without America’s helping hand… Shortly before the recent election in Chile, I visited that country to attend a wedding. …