Minneapolis was the flashpoint of much recent news and commentary, over the shooting by an ICE agent of Renee Good. Among items this week are religious reports of George Floyd-era faith networks reigniting, talk of the “theology of neighborliness,” and a secular report on “What to do if ICE invades your neighborhood.”
We find strong opinions in our search for wisdom this week. News and commentaries also take us to Venezuela, Gaza, Puerto Rico, Greenland and other world sites, and maybe to Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain. But we begin in Minneapolis where faith leaders say Renee Good “could have been any of us.”
ICE killing in Minneapolis
“She could have been any of us.” Faith leaders mourn Renee Good in Minneapolis. From Religion News Service.
Outside the White House, faith leaders mourn Renee Good and call for accountability. From Religion News Service.
Minneapolis clergy were exposed to pepper spray after rushing to scene of that deadly ICE shooting. From Religion News Service.
In Minneapolis, George Floyd-era faith networks reignite after Renee Good’s killing by ICE. The faith-based networks, which developed organizing infrastructure and relationships during the Floyd era, are joined by newcomers as resistance efforts have intensified since Good’s shooting. From Religion News Service.
OPINION Neighborliness is a lived theology in Minnesota. The simple concept of caring for those in your proximity holds religious resonance. From Religion News Service.
What to Do If ICE Invades Your Neighborhood. WIRED Magazine offers safety advice, pointing out, “With federal agents storming the streets of American communities, there’s no single right way to approach this dangerous moment. But there are steps you can take to stay safe—and have an impact.”
Tomorrow’s American Catholic
“[A]gainst a backdrop of brazen imperial overreach in Venezuela and another senseless act of state violence in Minneapolis, we watched as the College of Cardinals gathered in consistory in Rome. Moments like these test the newsworthiness of the church.” Tomorrow’s American Catholic quotes Pope Leo: “We want to be a Church that does not look only at itself, that is missionary, that looks beyond itself, at others. The raison d’être of the Church is not for cardinals, bishops or clergy. Its raison d’être is to proclaim the Gospel.”
Pro-life matters
OPINION. A writer published by Religion News Service responds to the Minneapolis shooting: “After Renee Good, are you really going to keep pretending Trump and Vance are pro-life?”
A major pro-life leader is urging the movement to continue to press for protection for the unborn, calling on advocates to demand more pro-life policy even as the Republican party shows signs of wavering. Catholic News Agency reports on the comments by Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
Venezuela
Venezuela strikes, takeover plans violate international law, says a Notre Dame scholar. From National Catholic Reporter.
Florida Venezuelans react with hope amid fast-moving developments back home. From National Catholic Reporter.
Venezuelan Nobel laureate urges pope to help free political prisoners. María Corina Machado seeks Pope Leo XIV’s support for Venezuela’s peaceful transition to democracy. From Union of Catholic Asian News.
The only parish priest in Greenland reacts
The Trump administration’s plans to acquire Greenland for the U.S. are being met with concern, sometimes fear and “a quiet strength” by residents, said the Arctic island’s only Catholic parish priest. From National Catholic Reporter.
Gaza: ‘The genocide has not ended’
The Israeli human rights organisation Btselem has issued a new report on the situation in Gaza. “Although the ‘ceasefire’ agreement was signed nearly three months ago, Israel continues to kill Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip, systematically demolishes buildings and infrastructure and restricts the entry of humanitarian aid.” From Independent Catholic News.
Pope Leo
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday lamented escalating violence in Iran and Syria and renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine, while also offering a special blessing for children receiving baptism and praying for those born into difficult circumstances. From National Catholic Register.
Pope Leo announces a second consistory, to be held in June. Religion News Service reports the pope is promising yearly gatherings of cardinals. It is a move widely seen as signaling a more collegial and consultative style of leadership at the Vatican.
Pope to Sagrada Familia? Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands are possible destinations for Pope Leo XIV in 2026, says the National Catholic Register. In addition to visiting the capital and largest city of the country, Pope Leo XIV’s presence in Barcelona could be related to the beatification process for the architect of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Basilica, Antoni Gaudí.
US foreign policy ‘a disaster’
“Trump’s foreign policy is a disaster for America and the world,” says a writer published by Baptist News Global. “Almost a quarter of a million more children are projected to have died in 2025 than in 2024 following a decline in global aid from the U.S. and other nations, reversing steady declines in child deaths dating back to 1990.”
OPINION Thomas Reese, SJ agrees: “Trump’s foreign policy is a disaster for America and the world.” At Religion News Service, Reese says the Trump administration does not even pretend to care about democracy, human rights, political refugees or victims of natural disasters.
State news
Baptist News Global reports that 160 faith leaders are urging Texas schools to reject forced prayer.
Baptist News Global also reports that “Anti-Muslim sentiments have crossed the Red River, with Oklahoma now joining Texas in public fights against Muslim building projects.”
New Communion rules in Charlotte
Religion News Service reports on the exposed divisions over liturgical authority, leadership style and worship practices in the Diocese of Charlotte. Among new rules: Pre-existing, permanent altar rails will not be removed, diocesan officials said. Only temporary or movable kneelers are set to leave churches.
Lack of Care for Creation
The United States is “abandoning its moral responsibility” with exit from bedrock climate treaty, Catholic groups say. The report from National Catholic Reporter.
Korean bishops warn against unauthorized Marian shrine
The promoters of a controversial shrine are accused of defying Church teachings and confusing people. The Union of Catholic Asian News reports on claimed apparitions, healing and a statue that sheds tears.
Personal profiles
Catholic Extension magazine profiles Bad Bunny: From church choir boy to global superstar. Various news reports indicate that Bad Bunny did his first-ever public singing in the parish choir. He also was an altar server. While not an outwardly practicing Catholic now, he admits that these experiences in the church shaped his life.
Catholic Extension also looks at Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks, a member of Catholic Extension Society’s Board of Governors, has been tapped as the Big Apple’s next shepherd. “But the only downside is that everyone so quickly wants to put the new archbishop in a box.” Whose “camp” does he belong to? Is he on “your team”?
Faith in action
JustFaith says, in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he poses questions that give us pause in 2026: “Will we be extremists for hate or for love? . . . Join us on Thursday, January 15 as professor Andrew Stone Porter illuminates Dr. King’s strategy for collective action as a force of love in opposition to policies of domination we face today.”
Faithful America claims to be “the largest online community of Christians putting faith into action for love and social justice. Our members — Catholic, Protestant, Exvangelical, and more — are sick of sitting by quietly while Jesus’ message of good news is hijacked by the religious right to serve a hateful political agenda.” Faithful America offers resources to help web visitors who are “resisting Christian Nationalism.”
Justice Bulletin Board
Pope Leo said, “communities that welcome [refugees and migrants] can also be a living witness to hope, one that is understood as the promise of a present and a future where the dignity of all as children of God is recognized.” Barbara Molinari Quinby, in this week’s Justice Bulletin Board, asks, “Are you a missionary of hope toward migrants and refugees?”
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