Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at Background Briefing.org.

I'm Ian Masters and today we'll look into a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin on this Christmas Day and go to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ,

whose parents were poor undocumented immigrants who could not afford housing,

and discuss how the Palestinians were the first Christians who kept the faith alive

for its first seven centuries until Christianity took hold in Europe

and eventually around the world. Joining us from Bethlehem is the Reverend Mitri Reheb, a prominent

theologian and the founder and president of the Da Al Kalima University in Bethlehem. Reverend Rehbert

Reheb served as the pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church

in Bethlehem from 1987 to 2017. His books include I am a Palestinian Christian and

Faith in the Face of Empire, the Bible through Palestinian eyes.

We will discuss his article at global ministries.org.

Christmas message from Bethlehem, do not be afraid.

Then we'll examine the outsized political influence of far-right Catholicism,

in particular on the Supreme Court and behind the scenes in putting forth the blueprint for the next Trump administration, Project 2025. Joining us is James Carroll,

founding member of writers for Democratic Action, and a fellow at the American Academy of Arts and

Sciences, and the author of 10 novels and eight works of non-fiction.

A former priest who has been a civil rights worker, an anti-war activist,

and a community organizer in Washington and New York.

Carroll served as Catholic chaplain at Boston University and then left the priesthood to become a writer.

He was named Best Columnist by the Catholic Press Association and received the first Thomas Merton Award.

His recent books include Christ actually,

...