RNS Morning Report - Vatican report says church teaching bars women deacons, but stops short of final ruling

Top Stories Vatican report says church teaching bars women deacons, but stops short of final ruling (RNS) — A Vatican-appointed commission says current church teaching does not allow women to be ordained as Catholic deacons. Advocates for women deacons describe the decision as discouraging and warn it could push some women away from the church. In Minneapolis, clergy mobilize to manage expected ICE raids targeting Somali immigrants (RNS) — Preparing for ICE agents' presence in the city, an interfaith coalition shared best practices for dealing with law enforcement at houses of worship. Faith groups join other death penalty opponents in new campaign (RNS) — The new initiative points to an increase in the use of the death penalty over the past year as public support for it has fallen in the United States. Celebrating its first century, Xavier University of Louisiana perseveres as Catholic HBCU (RNS) — ‘Being rooted in faith is what leads us to be resilient,’ said the president of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on Xavier’s Founder’s Day. Skillet Christmas single gets controversy-driven Billboard boost (RNS) — The Christian rock band's version of 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel' has some critics calling the band 'demonic.' Opinion Vatican document on women deacons opens door to more confusion (RNS) — The opinion by the head of a commission charged with considering the question in effect states that the Catholic Church officially views women as 'other.' Stalin’s postwar terror targeted Soviet Jews – in the name of ‘anti-cosmopolitanism’ (The Conversation) — Thirteen Jewish leaders and artists were killed on the ‘Night of the Murdered Poets,’ one of the campaign’s most infamous examples of persecution. ICYMI Muslim students warn of spate of harassment by far-right Christian agitators (RNS) — Over the last two months, at least seven Muslim student groups in the U.S. have been harassed by right-wing Christian activists, said Mohamad Altabaa, a Texas student who is tracking harassment cases. Latinos are underrepresented in Catholic higher ed. These schools are trying to change that. AUSTIN (RNS) — Latinos’ absence on Catholic campuses, experts say, impacts their representation in church leadership as well as among influential Catholics in secular society. In Other News Dozens of Congress members urge court to allow Ten Commandments display in public schools Evanston church’s Nativity depicts baby Jesus zip-tied by ICE agents Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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