Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday, the first edition of 2026, following our publication pause for Christmas. Items this week include an observation that “Saint Romero is coming to Manhattan,” and a conversation on the topic, “Is Confession Dead?” A few readers may remember Xavier Rynne, his “Letters From Vatican City” during the Second Vatican Council. The possibly unforgettable event of our current new year is the U.S. attack on Venezuela – our first two items.
Venezuela reaction
After the U.S. strike on Venezuela, Pope Leo urges respect for law, justice and peace. The report from National Catholic Reporter.
Venezuelan Bishop Calls for “Maintaining Serenity, Peace, and Above All, a Climate of Prayer.” The National Catholic Register reported the official diocesan statement.
Ukrainian bishop appeals to Americans
Ukrainian bishop issues letter to American people amid Trump-Zelenskyy talks, according to an article in the National Catholic Reporter. The bishop ministering in Ukraine’s only surviving Black Sea port has urged Americans to continue upholding truth and justice.
2026 World Day of Peace
In his Message for the 2026 World Day of Peace, Pope Leo XIV addresses the escalation of war, rearmament and fear in international relations, and reiterates the Church’s opposition to deterrence based on military force. From the Independent Catholic News.
Pope’s new year message
The new year is a time to usher in era of peace, friendship among all people, pope says. Celebrating Mass on New Year’s Day at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV urged the world to reject violence and begin a new era of peace and forgiveness. The report from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says the world is not saved by threatening violence or oppressing others, he said, but by understanding, forgiving and welcoming everyone.
Peace Sunday January 18, 2026
The two Co-Presidents of Pax Christi International, Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo and Sr Wamũyũ Teresia Wachira, have published a joint message on the occasion of the 2026 World Day of Peace. Published by the Independent Catholic News.
Call for sanctions on Israel
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has called on the European Union to impose sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel over what it described as a war of genocide in the Gaza Strip and violations against Palestinians in the West Bank, Middle East Monitor reports. Published by the Independent Catholic News.
Vatican II
Looking back to the writer using the pseudonym, Xavier Rynne, the National Catholic Reporter says the Redemptorist priest’s explosive dispatches revealed Vatican II’s hidden conflicts.
Women and the Diaconate: Inside the commission
Deacon Dominic Cerrato begins his article in the National Catholic Register, “In 2020, Pope Francis appointed me . . . to serve on the second Papal Commission on Women and the Diaconate.” He says the commission raised a question that touches the Catholic Church at her most intimate levels of identity.
Is confession dead?
The National Catholic Reporter offers a Q&A with a Catholic historian on the state of the sacrament – and you are invited to join in the conversation.
Bishop says ‘No’ to Communion rails
In a pastoral letter, Charlotte’s Bishop Martin ends altar rails for holy Communion. From National Catholic Reporter.
Mass obligation dispensed
Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, has granted a dispensation from Mass on Sundays and holy days, for those who reasonably fear ICE.
‘Saint Romero takes Manhattan’
For the first time in history, the coat of arms (or shield) of a major American prelate will contain an element allusive to St Oscar Romero when Bishop Ronald A Hicks is named Archbishop of New York, as exclusively reported earlier in the week by Religión Digital, the influential Spanish language religion portal. The report from Independent Catholic News.
Intrigue over Bishop Hicks
National Catholic Reporter digs into the news leak and why New York’s change in archbishops should trouble Catholics.
2026 The Year Ahead
For faith leaders supporting and ministering to anxious immigrants across the United States, 2025 was fraught with challenges and setbacks. For many in these religious circles, the coming year could be worse, says the National Catholic Reporter. The essence of their fears is President Donald Trump calling for “REVERSE MIGRATION.”
Looking back at 2025
Michael Sean Winters offers his reflection on 2025 in the life of the church. Baptist News Global’s most-read analysis articles in 2025 revealed strong reader interest in Christian nationalism, MAGA theology and conspiracies and controversies involving conservative and progressive religious figures, and Trump advisor’s sale of ‘Easter Blessings’ was the most-read news article for 2025.
Vatican visitors set record in 2025
The USCCB website includes a report: Vatican sees record number of visitors during Jubilee year, officials say.
Personality Profile
The National Catholic Register offers an item with the headline: “Indiana’s Star QB Fernando Mendoza: Meet the Heisman Trophy Winner Who Never Misses Sunday Mass.”
The First Amendment
OPINION from Baptist News Global: So, what’s the difference between the Kennedy Center and a wedding cake? The First Amendment rights of wedding cake decorators are more secure than those of the center’s performing artists.
American fears
SURVEY More Americans are worried about cost of raising a family, according to Baptist News Global. The percentage of Americans concerned about the cost of raising a family has jumped sharply during President Donald Trump’s first year back in office, according to the latest American Families Survey.
New York’s Muslim mayor
Mayor Zohran Mamdani took his midnight oath of office on a centuries-old Quran, marking the first time a mayor of New York City uses Islam’s holy text to be sworn in and underscoring a series of historic firsts for the city. From Religion News Service.
Bishop Barron expressed reservations about Mamdani. While some religious leaders joined multi-faith coalitions to support his vision, others expressed concern regarding his ‘socialist ideology’. Mamdani did meet with Cardinal Timothy Dolan in late 2025 to discuss shared concerns regarding immigration policies but has not met his successor. From the Independent Catholic News.
Will apologetics keep Catholics in Church?
As the number of people joining the Catholic Church in England and Wales continues to rise, the Archdiocese of Southwark is launching a landmark apologetics project to provide evidence-based answers to the burning questions of both new and practicing Catholics. Independent Catholic News reports on the project, named “Ambassadors for Christ.”
At the USCCB — Did you know?
The USCCB website includes an “Action Center” where visitors can find their national and state elected leaders, with addresses and phone numbers to contact them about your concerns and opinions on upcoming legislation. The Public Affair page also provides an on-line resource library – which includes a video report on the November 2025 Plenary Assembly.
Help and advice for the Vatican
OPINION from Thomas Reese: The Roman Curia needs American management practices. At Religion News service, Reese says strong departments of justice and finance are essential if the Vatican is going to operate effectively and efficiently without more scandals.
Po-Shen Loh, a U.S.-born mathematician and inventor wants to work with the Vatican. “I’m here because I’ve been running around the world trying to figure out how to help humanity survive AI,” said Loh, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. From Religion News Service.
How evangelical Christianity became a public spectacle
Videos on Christian Nightmares’ YouTube channel open with a figure wearing a chrome silver mask and looking silently at the camera. He wears a white T-shirt, sometimes scrawled with black Sharpie, sometimes blank, and a long gray wig that moves slightly as he raises a hand in an eerie wave. “Hi, I am Christian Nightmares,” on-screen text announces. Then the videos begin. From Religion News Service.
Justice Bulletin Board
Barbara Molinari Quinby begins with a personal reflection: “Then one day, when I was a mother and feeling God’s presence keenly, I realized that, like the love I had for my own children, God loved me just the way I am. This was undoubtedly the most liberating day in my life.”
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