And we now enter into the month of December and the preparation for Christmas with the season of Advent...after the excitement of the Consistory the stories continue as previous...
...December 1st 2007 - World Aids Day, Pope: certainty of faith is the foundation of Christian hope, Pope has also hopes for atheists, Pope appoints Irish priest as spin doctor, Catholics say condom use is 'pro-life', Vatican Removes 2 From Priesthood...
Cardinal says Vatican's ice with Moscow church is thawing,
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...Catholic-Baptist Dialogue Moves Forward, Heed John the Baptist against our materialistic Christmas, says the Pope, Catholic coloring book warns US kids of pedophile priests, 'Fr' Dennis Ward - UPDATE...
...Pope promotes interfaith dialogue, but Christians divided, What does a dog collar represent?, Spanish archbishop sentenced in court for the first time, Gay row ‘harming talks with Vatican’, Christianity in Ireland 'disappearing from general knowledge',Archbishop's book tells of battles over control of liturgical reform, Archbishop of Canterbury names New Representative to Holy See, New plenary meeting (and little hope) in Holy See-Israel negotiations...
...Anyone who undermines the family undermines peace, says Pope, Giuliani Aligns Himself With Catholic Church on Gay Issues, New Vatican prayer campaign for priestly renewal, Portuguese priest 'ruined' by McCanns,Sex life that is not worth living,Church of England publishes full protocol and guidance on child protection...
...Churches used financial leverage to change BA uniform policy, Church of Sweden prepared to accept same-sex unions, Vatican Seeking Spiritual Moms for Priests, Say no to drugs say bishops, The Church has a duty to evangelize; it is also its inalienable right...
Ireland Steps Away From Catholic Schools, Catholic Schools Need Communion, Bishops call for fast and prayer to protest river project, Hans Kung: Moral moorings....and most important of all, Clerical Whispers celebrates its 1st Anniversary...and now into the second half of the month of December and of course we near closer to the Christmas joy...
...Israel recognises Patriarch, hate campaign results in attack on priest in Turkey, secret vows of Legionaries of Christ repealed, Il Papa on visit to 5th Roman parish, Irish theologian claims Advent should be time of prayerful waiting, Vatican asks Israel drop objections to papal visit...
...no papal visit to Israel in 2008, Italian Cardinal claims RC not seeking political power, alternative Lambeth Conference in 2008 (??), no manger in Vatican crib, Pope Pius XII sainthood tracks halted due to Holocaust...
...RC leader rejects Israel Jewish identity, Killaloe Diocese still in trouble with CSA, Dean of Christ Church Dublin dies, Uruguay yay to gay unions, exorcism centre opens in Poland, 6year old girl on track for sainthood, Opus Dei now in Russia...
...Il Papa blames sexual diseases on gay marriage (nothing to do with unfaithfulness then (??), Vatican & Beijing talk again, Sarkozy meets Il Papa, Anglican AB says Nativity is a 'legend' which is challenged by Pell who says otherwise, and then onwards to a very interesting piece...
...Bishop Pat Buckley gets mentioned due to a nasty piece of work by nastier pieces all named, AD of Chicago gets financial boost, no more gay masses in Westminster Cathedral and AD, cleric claims Polish hierarchy too conservative, reminder of papal 10 commandments of driving, Blair now RC, Irish Nuncio to go Down Under...
...€750million paid to victims of clerical CSA in Ireland, church to memoir JPII in financial straits, pews not as full as hoped throughout Europe, Holocaust bystanders, papal review of 2007...
... Patriarch rapped for anti-Israel remarks, Christmas Eve celebrations, Christmas Day Urbis et Orbis from Il Papa, Ms France in trouble, Mexico RC facing priest shortage, schismatic church born in Zambia, Muslims join Christians for Mass...
...liturgy reform not going backwards, Anglican Diocese backs legalisation of abortion, rival to Lambeth Conference announced, unholy row at monastery, painful journey of priest recounted, CSA plea from AB Martin...
...Il Papa to travel in 2008, Spanish Bishop at centre of homophobia allegations, exorcists to make a comeback, humbug attitude of clergy in Edenderry parish, Vatican vows to fight devil with force of exorcists, prayer to St Michael the Archangel, Hans Kung on road to peace, RC priest gave the Big Bang theory, Celtic Eucharist, Vatican No 2 to visit Cuba, retiring Irish bishop yes to travel no to memoirs...
And thus we end the year that was 2007...a year of many changes throughout not just the RC world but indeed in general, many for good but as many again not so good.
In 2007, Clerical Whispers has managed to publish over 4,600 postings on this site, and has at the moment of writing this post, just broken the 230,000 hits barrier...
No doubt 2008 will prove to be as busy and challenging but we will face this challenge together and I ask that we all pray for each other.
Let me at this moment in time, wish each and all of you a blessed and bountiful 2008.
Sotto Voce