In this week’s edition:

• Pope Francis names first woman prefect of a Vatican dicastery

• President Biden awards Pope Francis the nation’s highest honor

• Maine parents take issue with state laws exclusionary tuition-assistance policies

• and more!

Pope Appoints First Woman to Lead Vatican Department

Summary: Pope Francis has named Sister Simona Brambilla as the head of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (DICLSAL), the first woman to lead a Vatican dicastery.

Details:

• Sister Simona Brambilla, 59, has been appointed prefect of the dicastery overseeing religious orders and congregations.

• Brambilla previously served as superior general of the Missionary Sisters of Consolata and holds a licentiate in psychology.

• She will work alongside Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, who has been named pro-prefect of the same dicastery.

• This appointment is part of Pope Francis's broader effort to increase women's leadership roles in the Vatican.

Why we care: We believe any informed and involved Catholic would know how much women contribute to the Church, but it’s encouraging to see women being put in leadership roles and demonstrating to the world how much we value their talents. As sister was one of the first female members of DICLSAL, eventually becoming its (second female) secretary in fall of 2023, she seems a good fit to us. The article mentions a debate “…over the connection between sacramental ordination and the power of governance….” We’re certainly not canon lawyers here, but it seems as though ordination confers the capacity to govern but the capacity to govern is not restricted to the ordained. We certainly may be wrong, and we’re certainly not going to argue that lay people should be taking on significant roles, but a nun overseeing consecrated life seems perfectly sensible to us.

President Biden Awards Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Summary: President Biden presented Pope Francis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, marking the pope as the recipient of the highest civilian honor in the United States.

Details:

• The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest U.S. civilian honor, given for significant contributions to society, world peace, or public service.

• The award was presented to Pope Francis for his advocacy for peace, the poor, and marginalized communities, and his work in interfaith dialogue.

• The medal was awarded "with distinction," a rare recognition from President Biden.

• The announcement was made following a phone call between President Biden and Pope Francis on January 11, 2025.

Why we care: It honestly gets a bit tiresome watching President Biden “play Catholic", if you will. On the one hand he professes to be practicing; on the other his actions demonstrate nothing of the sort. Frankly we’re not sure who this is for. Certainly the Holy Father doesn’t need worldly praise; most informed Catholics are going to scoff at the notion of the president caring about faithful Catholicism. Is this patting one another on the back just part of global politics? Frankly we don’t see the point, but would love to hear from you if you have some thoughts.

Maine Parents and Catholic School Challenge Exclusion from Tuition Assistance

Summary: Catholic parents and St. Dominic Academy in Maine are challenging a state law that excludes faith-based schools from the state's tuition assistance program.

Details:

• A Maine law excludes most religious schools from the state's tuition assistance program, which helps families in rural areas attend private schools.

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that excluding religious schools from such programs constitutes religious discrimination.

• The state followed up this ruling with a new law that excluded many religious schools.

• Parents Kevin and Valori Radonis, along with St. Dominic Academy, are contesting the law in federal appeals court.

• The case involves the exclusion of religious schools from financial assistance available to other private institutions.

Why we care: This case in part highlights the double-edged sword of state tuition-assistance. On the one hand, families who want to send their children to Catholic schools feel “cheated”; on the other hand, participation in the program means that the state would be the final authority on certain curricula materials. There’s no such thing as a free lunch and it’s no surprise that “free” money would come with strings attached. This has been a concern of school voucher skeptics, and this Maine law certainly proves their point. As proponents of vouchers (or similar programs), we hope this case can be resolved in a satisfactory way that shows a path forward for other states to include religious schools in such programs without authoritarian oversight.

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Other Stories

• At home…

  • +Cordileone accused of withholding names of priests “credibly abused” of abuse by lawyer.

  • CA Dept. of Social Services directive requires foster families to “receive training on cultural sensitivity regarding sexual orientation and gender identity expression…'“

  • Kentucky judge blocks Biden DoEs title ix gender identity rule, citing overreach.

  • City of Lorain, OH sues Catholic hospital for refusing to perform cavity search for drugs on a suspect.

  • Experts give their take on what this year has in store for AI in Catholicism.

  • Cardinal McElroy gives opinion on potential mass deportations, calls them “incompatible with Catholic doctrine”.

• …and abroad…

  • French bishop who oversaw spike in vocations asked to resign following concerns over methodologies.

  • Number of pilgrims to the Camino de Santiago in Spain sets new record.

• …and on the pro-life front

  • Pro-abortion group aims to increase access to abortion pills by training pharmacists to prescribe, distribute the drugs.

  • Senate to vote on bill to protect babies who survive abortions.

  • Catholic doctors sue Biden administration over ER abortion protections.

  • Gov. DeSantis, others announced as speakers at 2025 March for Life.

• In memoriam

  • The oldest priest in China passed away at the age of 104.

Quote of the Week

What’s going on:

• A Respect Life Novena starts on Thursday, Jan. 16.

• Notable feast days:

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