1. Vatican City
A new decree from Pope Francis allows women to be altar servers, distributors of Communion, and readers at liturgies â roles many women were already carrying out around the world but are now protected by the Code of Canon Law. Previously, a conservative bishop could bar women from serving in these roles. âThis codifies that women are equal to men in these roles and is big because in some cultures women are still considered unclean and cannot be near the sacred,â said Phyllis Zagano, a religion professor at Hofstra University in New York. Andrew Medichini/AP/File
Pope Francis, who recently codified rules expanding womenâs roles in the Roman Catholic Church, speaks during the Angelus noon prayer from his window at the Vatican on Dec. 8, 2020.
A good year for the Philippine eagle in 2020, but not for its supporters
The country’s pandemic lockdown, among the longest and strictest in the world, curtailed field expeditions in the southern Mindanao region, impacting the conservation of the critically endangered Philippine eagles (Phitecopaga jefferyi).
Despite the limitations, Philippine eagle conservationists and their partner agencies rescued seven eagles and sighted two new eagle families.
Conservationists note that more eagles have been seen in the wild in Mindanao, among the last remaining bastions of the species, which means that conservation drives to educate communities are working.
While 2020 was a productive year for eagle conservation, the pandemic crippled the steady stream of revenue coming from tourists visiting the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City.
Pandemic disrupts PH eagle protection inquirer.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inquirer.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.