Christmas Greeting
As we cross the threshold from darkness to light, and say goodbye to 2025, we acknowledge this was a year of highs and lows, a year filled with both hope and concern. Concerned Lay Catholics ushered in this Jubilee Holy Year of Hope with an ambitious goal: to host a national synodal gathering. We did this in June at St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ontario in partnership with others committed to building a synodal church. The experience surpassed our highest expectations. We continue to unpack the riches of that gathering as we strive to embed the principles and practice of synodality in the Canadian church. In April we mourned the passing of Pope Francis, and in May we welcomed Pope Leo XIV, the first US pope in history. Leo quickly allayed any concerns we had when, in his first message as pope, he committed to continuing Francis’ vision of a synodal church. In October, a group of us participated in the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies in Rome, finding hope in the 2000+ synodal pilgrims from all over the world and from a deep and meaningful exchange with Pope Leo. At almost the same time, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors released its second annual report which revealed there is still much work to do to bring healing to survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
On the wider world stage, we watched with growing concern the rise of authoritarianism around the world, and particularly in the United States, which is causing deep disruption to our fragile world order, and exacerbating the suffering of millions. We felt hope when Pope Leo, and many bishops, religious orders and lay ecclesial organizations called upon government leaders to abandon war and violence, and to care for all people especially migrants and the most vulnerable. As the Holy Year Jubilee of Hope draws to a close and we move into 2026, we recognize that the message of love, solidarity and hope is still so desperately needed in our world. This is the Good News and is the heart of the Church’s mission. May we all do our part to proclaim this message of hope in the coming year and beyond.
God bless and Happy New Year!
From Concerned Lay Catholics