Catholic News Service

 In mid-January, the law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl is scheduled to publish a report into the handling of clerical sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

On Dec. 29, Catholics in Kayah's Hpruso Township held a funeral for 35 civilians — all Catholic — killed by troops and their bodies set on fire Christmas Eve in Mo So village.

"Patients are always more important than their diseases, and for this reason, no therapeutic approach can disregard listening to the patient, his or her history, anxieties and fears," the pope wrote.

Proceedings before a criminal trial involving former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick will continue March 3 in Massachusetts, where he faces three counts of sexually assaulting a teenager in the 1970s. 

After a year at the head of the Archdiocese of Dublin, Archbishop Dermot Farrell said, "Radical change is coming in the church," which will see a renewal of energy and new forms of ministry.

As Catholics begin a new year contemplating the motherhood of Mary, they should be inspired not to let problems weaken their faith or prevent them from helping others grow, Pope Francis said.

Christians can rest assured that even when they feel unworthy, God is a good shepherd who goes in search of them, Pope Francis said.

A second diocese in Sicily, where the Mafia has had a significant presence for decades, announced a temporary ban on the naming of godparents for baptisms and confirmations.

The Taizé community's annual end-of-year ecumenical prayer gathering, which moved online Dec. 28-31 and was supported by prayers and messages from Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and other leaders.

In situations of extreme poverty, war or civil tensions, 22 Catholic church workers were murdered in 2021.

 Pope Francis this year invited Catholics both in the mainstream of church life and on the margins to express their dreams, ideas and concerns in preparation for the Synod of Bishops in 2023.

For most migrants and their supporters, 2021 looks as if it will end much like it started.

A retired priest of the Diocese of Arlington, who for seven years oversaw the diocese's program on protecting minors from clerical sexual abuse, was indicted shortly before Christmas on two counts of sexually abusing a minor.

A life-sized bronze sculpture of migrants and refugees crowded onto a boat has stood in St. Peter's Square, but just before Christmas a small QR code was placed on the boat's stern to give onlookers information about the work.

Richard H. Hirsch, a former secretary of communications for the U.S. bishops, died in his sleep Dec. 24 in his Florida home. 

Christians cannot close their eyes to the fact that too many people in the world today also feel forced to flee their homelands, Pope Francis said.

Patriarchs of the Middle East urged their faithful, overwhelmed with suffering, to hold on more tightly to hope this Christmas.

This past year was busy for the nation's high court, particularly with issues of interest to Catholics regarding abortion, religious liberty, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the death penalty.

The COVID-19 pandemic remained a significant concern for parishes and schools, as Catholics navigated changing policies and partisan views on mask and vaccine mandates. Despite the pope's urging, millions of Catholics have refused to get vaccinated.

Aid agencies including Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services responded this year to natural disasters including wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and winter storms.