Daily Links, Dec. 8: Nuns, Christmas lights, and the force

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception [1], the day we celebrate Mary being born without original sin. For more information and a slideshow of artwork related to this day, click here [2].

Speaking of conception, CNN takes a look at the possible health benefits of allowing Catholic nuns to take birth control pills [3].

Speaking of nuns, Joan Chittister asks [4] today what happens to a society when wisdom and energy merge. She says: "I think the trajectory to justice may be straighter, shorter, clearer when the generations join together to make a new future out of the best ideals of the past." And, Blessed Marianne Cope, a Franciscan nun who lived in the 19th century, needs only Pope Benedict's approval [5] to become officially canonized after a second miracle was attributed to her intercession.

Speaking of Pope Benedict, today the pope lit the world's largest Christmas tree [6] with the simple touch of a Sony S Tablet. (Not an iPad?! [7]) And, are we sure that we shouldn't be calling that a holiday tree [8]?

Speaking of the importance of descriptive words (ok...I'm stretching it a bit now), were the new mass translations faithful to the Latin [9] when they translated "us men" in the Creed?

And, speaking of the new mass translations...

(Thanks to Catholics United [10] and Trevor Gundlach for that image!)