Year in review: Reflect on 2024 throughout 12 days of Christmas

CV NEWS FEED // As 2024 draws to a close and the world celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace, Christians can look back over this year’s historic headlines, thank God for His providence, and ask His healing for this world’s ills. 

From Donald Trump’s political comeback after two assassination attempts and countless lawsuits to the debacle of Joe Biden’s dropping out of the presidential race and the Harris campaign; the prosecution, sentencing, and mistreatment of pro-life activists in Washington, D.C.; escalations in Ukraine; the declaration of genocide in Gaza; and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, 2024 will go down as one of the most dramatic and significant years of American and world politics.

Within the Church, the rejection of Fiducia supplicans by Catholic bishops throughout the world, the controversies surrounding the Synod on Synodality; the documented imprisonment of the underground Chinese Catholic bishops by the Chinese Communist Party; the martyrdom and exile of Christians in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Nicaragua; the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral; and the Jubilee restoration of the baldacchino of St. Peter’s Basilica have likewise left 2024 with no shortage of compelling news. 

Enjoy these highlights over these 12 days of Christmas.

Dec. 25, Christmas Day: Trump victory

1. ‘Greatest political comeback’ in U.S. history: Trump sweeps battleground states defeating Harris in a romp 
2. Elon Musk endorses Trump following failed assassination attempt 
3. Trump sits down for interview with Joe Rogan 
4. Trump named TIME Person of the Year 2024: He ‘remade American politics’ 
5. Roundup: Everyone Trump has picked for his 2nd term administration thus far

Dec. 26, St. Stephen, Protomartyr: Trump persecution

6. Trump injured in failed assassination attempt
7. Senate report outlines Secret Service ‘failures’ during July Trump assassination attempt 
8. Secret Service director resigns one day after being grilled in House hearing
9. Trump’s would-be assassin ‘egged on’ by Dem ‘rhetoric and lies,’ Trump camp says
10. Judge dismisses Trump classified documents case

Dec. 27, St. John the Apostle: Biden/Harris defeat

11. ‘He must resign’: Conservatives react to Biden dropping out of 2024 race
12. Biden endorses Harris to ‘save our democracy’ in first speech since dropping out
13. Support for Harris campaign pours in from leading abortion advocacy groups 
14. ‘Scandalous’: Catholics React to Biden’s State of the Union 
15. Who’s really running America? How Chevron supercharged the Administrative State

Dec. 28, Holy Innocents: Abortion, defense of the unborn

16. Sen. Cruz warns DC officials not to discard the bodies of five illegally aborted late-term babies
17. Texas congressman calls for the repeal of the pro-abortion FACE Act
18. New data reveals that 97% of FACE Act prosecutions have targeted pro-lifers
19. Trump’s Musk-led government efficiency dept. takes aim at Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding
20. Pro-life leaders react to SCOTUS chemical abortion ruling

Dec. 29, St. Thomas Becket: Persecuted Christian pro-lifers

21. Pro-life prisoner Heather Idoni suffers further mistreatment under U.S. Marshals
22. Lawmakers call for answers amid reports that pro-life women were denied crucial medical care in jail 
23. Judge chides elderly pro-life rescuer about dying in prison and her faith
24. Pro-life advocate’s sentence to 57 months in prison, 3 years supervision to be appealed
25. U.S. Army’s Fort Liberty has branded pro-life groups as terrorists for 7 years, officer reveals at hearing

Dec. 30, Holy Family: Rejection and acceptance of Fiducia supplicans

26. President of African Episcopate calls ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ a cultural imposition from the West 
27. Chaldean bishops join other Eastern Rite Catholics in officially rejecting Fiducia Supplicans 
28. Coptic Orthodox Church Suspends Ecumenical Dialogue with Catholic Church Over Fiducia Suplicans 
29. Liberal Swiss Catholic group hides behind Vatican document, publishes list of churches offering ‘gay blessings’ 
30. Catholic Leaders Call Bishops Around the World to Reject Fiducia Supplicans

Dec. 31, St. Sylvester, Pope: Vatican, Synod on Synodality

31. Pope Francis appoints 21 new Cardinals, setting record for number of electors 
32. Gay pilgrims to have special day during jubilee
33. Cardinals, Synod members attend pro-LGBT event in Rome hosted by Fr. James Martin
34. George Weigel on Synod: ‘underwhelming’ and ‘providentially heartening’
35. Cardinal Sarah says US can be ‘place of spiritual renewal,’ urges Catholics to reject ‘practical atheism’

Jan. 1, Mary, Mother of God: Catholic Church in China

36. Expert: New Anti-Freedom Hong Kong Law Threatens Seal of Sacramental Confession
37. Religious freedom expert: Don’t forget the Catholic bishops persecuted by China
38. First bishop to be ordained after Vatican renews controversial ‘agreement’ with CCP over episcopal appointments
39. Human Rights expert analyzes the ‘many problems’ with the Vatican-China Deal
40. Jimmy Lai trial: Catholic journalist testifies in Hong Kong hearing

Jan. 2, Holy Name of Jesus: Religious persecution worldwide, witness to Christ

41. Nicaraguan Dictatorship Surprisingly Releases, Exiles All Catholic Clergy in Prison
42. Nicaragua orders religious sisters to leave country
43. Pakistani Christian accused of ‘blasphemy’ murdered by extremist lynching mob
44. Islamist Fulani terrorists continue to kidnap, torture, kill Christians in Nigeria
45. Silent prayer will fall under scope of UK abortion ‘buffer zone’ law, BBC claims 

Jan. 3, St. Genevieve, Patron Saint of Paris: Catholic churches

46. Notre-Dame reawakens: Preceded by beautiful ceremony, first Mass takes place in Cathedral since 2019 fire
47. President-elect Trump to attend reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral
48. Pope Francis to unveil restored Bernini’s baldacchino at Vatican at end of October
49. Indianapolis Eucharistic Congress and procession a ‘small taste of Heaven’ for thousands of Catholics
50. Tracker: Over 400 Attacks on U.S. Catholic Churches Since May 2020

Jan. 4, St. Elizabeth Anne Seton: Transgenderism and defense of women and children

51. Cartoon Network Channel Embraces ‘Transgender’ Movement While Ignoring Easter
52. Female volleyball players sue Mountain West Conference in fallout of ‘transgender’ player controversy
53. Speaker Johnson: ‘transgender’ congressman-elect cannot use women’s Capitol bathroom 
54. Justices grill DOJ on challenge to Tennessee protections for children against ‘transgender’ mutilations and sterilizations
55. Rainbow Wolves: Catholic Accountability Project Releases New Ways Ministry Report 

Jan. 5, Epiphany, Kings worship the Christchild: Foreign wars

56. Following UN genocide report, Pope Francis demands investigation of crisis in Gaza
57. EXCLUSIVE: Jason Jones says Vulnerable People Project cannot get aid into Northern Gaza, Christians and civilians face starvation 
58. Russia says Ukraine’s use of American-made missiles signal a ‘new phase’ in war
59. Fall of Syrian regime marks dramatic turn for Middle East, raises concerns for Christians 
60. Parish priest calls for constitution ‘for all Syrians exhausted’ by the fallen regime