So-called “transgenderism” and “gender-affirming care” are among the most hotly debated topics in recent years and were recently argued before the Supreme Court in U.S. v. Skrmetti.

Currently, any doctor in Britain who assists a patient to die prematurely could spend up to 14 years in prison (The Catholic Herald, December 2, 2024). However, two physicians and a judge may soon be able to give legal approval for an assisted suicide in the United Kingdom. This is concerning in a nation overseen by a national health care system that can benefit financially by prematurely terminating the lives of the very ill.

As Europe struggles politically and economically at home, it continues to reach out to nations around the globe to build stronger trade relationships. Some of these relationships may take years to pay off, but they have great potential. Just such a deal has now been struck between the EU and South American nations of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and—most recently—Bolivia (AP, December 6, 2024).

Much of the Western world is plagued by acts of violence. In cities large and small, surveillance cameras record assaults, murders, carjacking, purse snatching, looting, and shoplifting. Differences in political philosophies have erupted into physical altercations and death threats. Deadly school shootings shatter lives and families. Images of these violent acts fill television news programs and social media posts. Violence has become so prevalent that we are largely desensitized to it.