From CNS:  Deacon Anselmo Hernandez received a call on a recent Saturday afternoon while walking down the main street of this indigenous community of Mexico’s southern Chiapas state, advising him of a neighbor who had died that afternoon. Within an hour, he had blessed the casket, led the family in prayers and read with them from the Bible. “There are not many priests here so we offer them assistance whenever possible,” Hernandez, 64, said of his role as a deacon... Read more

What did he do this time? He supported the permanence of marriage—and, as John Allen suggests, hinted that there are no sweeping changes coming on the issue of communion for the divorced and remarried: Pope Francis gave his annual address to the judges of the Roman Rota, the Vatican’s main working court, to mark the opening of the judicial year. Most cases the Rota hears involve petitions for annulment of a marriage, and the pope was speaking just ahead of a decision... Read more

From The Washington Post:  A dangerous and historic snowstorm is closing in on the D.C. area. It is one we will remember for years if not generations and will likely take many days to recover from. A blizzard warning takes effect at 3 p.m. and continues through early Sunday morning.  Light snow begins around midday and becomes heavier by the late afternoon.  Wherever you are by late afternoon, plan to be there until at least Sunday or Monday. Overnight, the snow really starts... Read more

Pope Francis met Apple’s CEO Tim Cook today—and also issued some strong words on the subject of social media:   Pope Francis spoke out Friday over the increasingly aggressive nature of much political discourse and the use of social media as a forum for personal abuse. In a message published on the same day that the Twitter-friendly pontiff met Apple boss Tim Cook, Francis said digital technology and the Internet could help bring people together but also had the potential... Read more

Inspiring news from United Arab Emirates, via CNA: Last week Catholics in Southern Arabia gathered in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the ordination of two Capuchin Franciscan priests by Bishop Paul Hinder, Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia. Fr. Darick Paul D’Souza and Fr. Arun Raj Manuel were ordained at a Mass in St. Joseph’s Cathedral in the capital of the United Arab Emirates Jan. 8, for the Holy Trinity (Karnataka) and St. Francis (Kerala) provinces of the Capuchins, respectively. The Vicariate... Read more

From AP:  A northern Virginia bishop is giving Catholics in his diocese the OK to stay home from Mass on Sunday, when the region is expected to be buried in snow. Most Rev. Paul Loverde, the bishop of Arlington, said in a statement released Thursday that Catholics in the diocese aren’t obligated to attend Mass this Sunday as usual because of serious concerns about travel conditions. The National Weather Service estimates a blizzard could bring 2 feet of snow to... Read more

The authorities in Washington are not taking this impending storm lightly:  Metro officials say the entire rail and bus systems will be closed this weekend due to the major snowstorm expected in the region. Officials said they believe it is the longest closing in the system’s more-than-40-year history. Buses will run only on major corridors throughout the day Friday and will stop running at 5 p.m. Trains will run normally during the day, then stop running at 11 p.m. Friday.... Read more

From Philly.com:  If you bought it new, the 500L Fiat retails for about $20,000, but a used version up for bid through the Philadelphia Auto Show will draw far more given its former owner – the pontiff. One of the four-door Fiats that Pope Francis cruised around in during his visit to Philadelphia will be auctioned off at the auto show’s Black Tie Tailgate on Jan. 29, and a second will be displayed at the show. Interested buyers can bid... Read more

A stunning must-read from Newsweek:  On October 9, 2015, a former Philadelphia altar boy reported to the office of Dr. Stephen Mechanick to undergo a court-ordered forensic psychiatric evaluation. It took nearly three hours because the two men had a lot of ground to cover. Daniel Gallagher is a slender 27-year-old with a wispy beard who is better known as “Billy Doe.” Under that pseudonym, he made national headlines in 2011 when he claimed to have been serially raped as... Read more