I nearly fell out of my chair when I opened The Catholic Register in November and saw the Letters to the Editor section in its full glory. It was refreshing to once again experience the beating pulse of the community that doubles as a barometer for all, and a compass to you. Can we do it again, please?

In one of those glorious paradoxes ubiquitous in Christian faith, instantaneous argy-bargy over the Vatican’s pre-Christmas document on blessing “irregular” relationships served to recall the supremacy of Christ among us.

Coming to an Ontario corner store near you: beer, wine, cocktails and other low-alcohol beverages, in whatever pack size you want. These libations will also be available in grocery stores, big-box locations  and some gas stations.

Angels are in the spotlight during Advent and Christmas. There is Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, the angels who came to Joseph in three separate dreams, the multitude of angels who appear to the shepherds and the angel’s warning for the wise men to avoid Herod. Then there is the plethora of angels who decorate our Christmas festivities, both secular and religious.

In a recent meeting in Rome with the International Theological Commission, Pope Francis spoke in an impromptu fashion, stating that “one of the great sins we have witnessed is ‘masculinizing’ of the Church... The Church is woman, and if we cannot understand what a woman is… we will never understand the Church... This is the job I ask of you, please: demasculinize the Church.”

When Pope Francis in 2019 declared the late Hungarian Cardinal József Mindszenty venerable, a step on the path to recognized sainthood, it marked long overdue recognition of the near-forgotten 20th-century shepherd’s Christian virtue. Earlier this year, Ignatius Press republished the Cardinal’s out-of-print Memoirs. This would be a worthy addition to reading lists over the holidays or in the coming new year.

Pope Benedict XVI resigned the papacy in a state of nervous exhaustion. Cardinal Pell died during routine surgery after imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. Cardinal Zen is languishing in a prison in Communist China. Bishop Strickland was stripped of his governance of Tyler, Texas.

The Vatican’s surprise — some might say bombshell — declaration that “irregular” domestic partnerships can be blessed by Catholic clergy will be welcomed like a Christmas gift by advocates and beneficiaries.

A statement on the persecution of Christians from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace.

It’s Advent — that special time of year when sleighbells ring, chestnuts roast and Christians of different persuasions argue about when to begin celebrating Christmas. Many Catholics adhere to the idea that one ought not decorate or sing Christmas carols before the Christmas liturgical season begins on Dec. 24. There’s only one problem with this: it presumes we ever stopped.