Clemente Lisi
(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV’s playful balancing act between his papal neutrality and his enduring Villanova loyalties offered more than a lighthearted moment at the Vatican. The gathering of Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome demonstrated how sports can transcend school rivalries and national boundaries, bringing people together through shared traditions, faith and community.
Every day, Religion Unplugged covers stories about faith, culture and global religion that are often overlooked by larger news organizations. We believe these stories deserve careful, fair and deeply reported journalism — and we believe everyone should be able to read them without a paywall.
Religious participation in the United States is showing signs of stability following years of decline, but new research from Pew also suggests that reports of a religious revival among young adults may tell only part of the story. For now, these latest findings point to a recovery in religious attendance alongside continued long-term uncertainty about faith in America.
(REVIEW) Manga has always been a medium in which the ordinary and the extraordinary coexist. A playground can become a site of spiritual encounter, a forest can conceal ancient powers and a familiar creature can reveal a universe of supernatural possibilities.
Sharia, often called Islamic law, is a system of religious guidelines that inform how Muslims understand their responsibilities to God, themselves, their families and society. The Arabic word — sharia — is commonly translated as “the way” or “the path.” It refers to a way of life rooted in Islamic teachings rather than simply a collection of laws enforced by a government.
The latest grant round drew 466 applicants and includes the program’s first recipient in Arkansas, as historic houses of worship seek funding to preserve their buildings and community services.
(ANALYSIS) President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a planned Pentagon livestream of the execution of Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan illustrates the competing pressures that can shape his approach to controversial questions of punishment, national security and public morality. Although Trump supported broadcasting the execution, he reversed course after widespread criticism.
Long before scientists began tracking ocean temperatures with satellites, buoys and computer models, fishermen along the Pacific coast as far back as the 1600s were watching the seas for signs of change. They noticed that every few years, waters that were normally cool would become unusually warm.
Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday in Rome that confirmed he has lung cancer. Doctor’s removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung after tests confirmed the diagnosis. A Vatican statement made no mention of treatment going forward. The Vatican, however, said doctors were not currently speaking of chemotherapy or other therapies.
Leaders across the religious spectrum have condemned U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the firing-squad execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, warning that the decision risks turning state-sanctioned killing into public entertainment.
(ANALYSIS) It’s a fact that surprises people who don't follow the data and history very closely: Throughout the 1990s and even in the 2000 presidential election, a majority of Muslim Americans voted Republican. But now, most lean Democrat. Can the Democrats hold on to their new base in the 2026 elections?
The Houthis are both an armed political movement and a governing authority in parts of Yemen, as well as an organization designated as terrorist by the United States. Understanding these different dimensions is essential to assessing the movement and its impact on the Middle East. This weekend’s attack on Saudi Arabia sheds a spotlight on the militant group terrorizing the region.
(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV has spent his papacy carrying the enormous responsibilities of leading the Catholic Church, addressing a world troubled by conflict and division and offering spiritual guidance to millions of faithful. The 71-year-old pontiff now faces a personal challenge: Surgery to remove a small nodule discovered in his lung.
The actor’s new memoir, “The Steps,” revisits his journey from struggling actor to Oscar-winning star, framing his life alongside the enduring themes of “Rocky.” As the film nears its 50th anniversary, Stallone reflects on his Christian faith, insecurity, perseverance and the story’s deeper symbolism.
For more than five decades, Bakker embodied both the possibilities and the perils of American televangelism. He was a pioneering Christian broadcaster who understood that TV could turn a ministry into a mass-media enterprise. He was also a convicted felon whose career became an enduring cautionary tale about money, celebrity and religious power.
Notre Dame and Villanova will tip off the 2026-27 college basketball season nearly 4,500 miles from their home campuses, with the two schools’ men’s and women’s teams meeting in Rome on Nov. 1 in an international doubleheader billed as the “Eternal City Tip-Off.” The event will also feature an audience with Pope Leo, a Villanova grad and big sports fan.
The U.S. recently completed its military withdrawal from Iraq after a 12-year mission against ISIS. Iraq is more stable but remains shaped by powerful Shia parties, Iranian influence, armed militias, Sunni political recovery, Kurdish autonomy and lingering ISIS activity — raising questions about the country’s future.
(ANALYSIS) The frescoes, located in the Bardi Chapel of Florence’s Basilica of Santa Croce, take up a major place in Christian art relative to their physical footprint. Giotto is routinely credited as the artist who broke decisively from the flat conventions of medieval painting and introduced something recognizably modern.
The ultimate finding was consequential because recognition of a miracle is a major step in the process toward beatification. For Catholics, the episode provides a tangible connection between Sheen’s life and his continuing spiritual influence. It also illustrates how the church’s sainthood process operates.
Activist Malala Yousafzai returned to New York this week to discuss the paperback release of her memoir “Finding My Way” — but the conversation moved beyond her story of attending college and growing up. At the center was the issue that has defined much of Yousafzai’s public life: The Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women and girls and its use of religion to justify restrictions on their rights.
The milestone anniversary brought with it memorial rituals — wreath-laying, moments of silence, vigils and readings of victims’ names — in tribute to a day that about half of U.S. adults remember as the most historic event of their lifetime. For many, it was also an occasion for private reflection about the attack, when terrorists used four jetliners to kill nearly 3,000 people.
The 9/11 attacks are often remembered as a single event. That morning, 19 terrorists turned commercial airliners into weapons and the modern era of terrorism began. A total of 2,977 people died in the terrorist attacks, the deadliest to ever take place on U.S. soil. To understand 9/11, one need to take a look at the Islamic radicalization of a movement that few in the West took seriously.
(ESSAY) For millions, 9/11 divided life into a “before” and an “after.” From a Christian perspective, looking back on that day reminds us of the fragility of life. The events of 9/11 changed the world, but they did not change the character of God. He remains the God who sees the brokenhearted, strengthens the weary and promises that one day suffering will end.
(ANALYSIS) For New York, 25 years is enough time for a new generation to grow up knowing of the attacks only as history. It is enough time for neighborhoods to change, buildings to rise, children to become parents and memories to begin to fade around the edges.
(ANALYSIS) As Israel enters its third year of war on multiple fronts, the question of whether ultra-Orthodox men should be exempt from mandatory military service has become a much larger argument about citizenship itself: Who bears responsibility for defending the Jewish state?
Even at the height of his extraordinary 2025 season at Indiana — when he won the Heisman Trophy and transformed himself from an overlooked prospect into the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft — Mendoza repeatedly pointed somewhere beyond the gridiron: God. He enters the NFL this season as a top-rated rookie quarterback not afraid to talk about his faith.
(REVIEW) His crowning individual honors — the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 1993 — cemented the striker’s place among the game’s all-time best. But Baggio, who was born and raised a Catholic, found inner peace after his conversion to Buddhism.
(ANALYSIS) Parton died Tuesday at 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Her death has prompted the expected celebration of an extraordinary musical career, but it also offers the chance to understand something deeper about the woman behind the rhinestones: Her generosity was not simply celebrity philanthropy. It was an expression of the Christian idea of stewardship.
The Manchester City striker — long one the game’s most recognizable figures — went for a new look ahead of Sunday’s Premier League opening game against Bournemouth. Gone were his long blond locks. Instead, Haaland chopped off his hair for a buzz cut.
Americans head to the polls on Tuesday for Election Day, with voters across the country casting ballots in a pivotal midterm elections. From congressional contests and gubernatorial races to state and local elections, the results will help shape the political landscape and set the direction for the 2028 presidential election.