Catholic Family News

December Edition, 2024

December 1, 2024

The First Sunday of Advent

Dear Friends of Catholic Tradition,

This month of December is a month of anticipation and fulfillment.  Throughout the season of Advent, we live in figure the four thousand years of expectation leading up to the birth of Our Lord.  In her liturgy the Church builds in us this great feeling of expectation.  As a good mother, after this liturgical period she fulfils that need by commemorating the birth of Our Savior on Christmas Day.  Thus, unlike the world with its false promises, the Church raises up our expectations in Advent only to fulfill them abundantly throughout the Christmas season. 

December 2024 is a time of expectation.  The world waits for the transition of power in the United States from the corrupt and persecuting regime of the past four years to President-Elect Donald Trump and his team.  Yet, unlike in the case of the Church, we must be realistic in our expectations since we know the world cannot provide the same peace as the King of Kings.  Worldly rulers can only satisfy our yearning to the extent that they conform themselves to the Prince of Peace.  Yet, we cannot deny the great feeling of expectation that awaits 2025.  Many feel this election was transformative and the world is transitioning to a new phase of history.  I tend to be a bit more cautious.  I think Archbishop Vigano’s assessment of Donald Trump in his first term is most accurate.  He is not a savior but rather a Katechon, someone who holds back or frustrates the plans of the devil and the son of perdition.   Only a truly integral Catholic leader firmly grounded in Catholic truth can lead us to a better society.  Otherwise, the most we can expect is to hold back or turn back the forces of chaos and disorder in our world.  Yet, even if this is all the new year will bring, we must be thankful to God that if the new administration acts as a Katechon to the evil one that is better than a co-conspirator. 

We have reason for great expectation at Catholic Family News as well.  This has been an extraordinary year of growth and transition.  Our online video and podcast apostolate has exploded, doubling in subscribers and viewership throughout the year.  We bid farewell to our managing editor Matt Gaspers after seven years of cooperation and were pleased to welcome full-time our Production Manager and Editor Murray Rundus who has done an incredible job in only a few short months to increase our reach to newer and younger audiences.  We also established our premium Locals channel through which supporters can access exclusive lectures, videos, news stories, and live Q&A sessions. 

We look forward to the return after five years of our annual conference, March 1 and 2.  We hope to see as many of you as possible in Orlando for what we hope will be an incredible conference.  Within the first 100 days of the Trump presidency, we will turn to the insightful work of Father Denis Fahey who so clearly diagnosed the great global struggle between Christ and Satan in his six-point plan.  We are assembling speakers from across the country to explain various aspects of this struggle so that we can fairly, intelligently, and prudently judge the successes and failures of the new administration in light of the wisdom of Father Fahey. 

As we look forward with expectation, we also pause in gratitude to thank all of those who support the work of Catholic Family News, both those who have gone before us and our current subscribers and online supporters.  We can continue only with the support of loyal subscribers like yourself.  Thank you for your continued support for our apostolate.  We wish you and your family a happy and holy Christmas.

In Christ the Newborn King,

Brian M. McCall

Editor-in-Chief

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Brian McCall

With degrees from Yale University, the University of London, and the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. McCall is a member of the faculty of the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Mr. McCall became Editor-in-Chief of Catholic Family News in 2018. He is the author of numerous books and articles on law, politics, and Catholic Social Teaching and has made frequent speaking appearances at academic and Catholic conferences on these topics. He and his wife are the parents of six children.

Brian McCall

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With degrees from Yale University, the University of London, and the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. McCall is a member of the faculty of the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Mr. McCall became Editor-in-Chief of Catholic Family News in 2018. He is the author of numerous books and articles on law, politics, and Catholic Social Teaching and has made frequent speaking appearances at academic and Catholic conferences on these topics. He and his wife are the parents of six children.