Weekend Plug-in 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com.

(ANALYSIS) Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers!

The next generation is leaving the Christian faith faster than parents realize, Lifeway Research’s Aaron Earls writes.

Religion cases are notably absent from the U.S. Supreme Court’s fall schedule, the Deseret News’ Kelsey Dallas notes. The question: Is that a good thing?

And surprisingly, state-level pandemic restrictions had no measurable, lasting impact on American churches, according to data cited by Christianity Today’s Daniel Silliman.

This is our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith. We start with major news we previewed last week: the Catholic Church’s Synod of Bishops on Synodality.

What To Know: The Big Story

Blessing same-sex unions: Even before the synod opened Wednesday, a major earthquake shook the Catholic world, as ReligionUnplugged.com’s own Clemente Lisi explains:

In a move that would signal a seismic shift for the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said he’s open to blessing same-sex unions and to studying the possibility of ordaining women to the priesthood.

The comments came in an eight-page letter Francis penned this past July — and released by the Vatican on Monday — in response to five cardinals who had written to the pope expressing concern about a number of issues that will be discussed at a meeting of bishops set to start Wednesday at the Vatican.

“Pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or several people, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage,” Francis wrote.

A welcome for ‘everyone’: Lisi, a veteran journalist who has reported on the Vatican for years, offers additional insight in his coverage of the synod’s opening day:

Pope Francis opened a meeting of bishops at the Vatican on Wednesday by warning that the Catholic church needs to put aside “political calculations or ideological battles” and welcome “everyone” to dialogue about the faith.

During the Mass at St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said the church is a place of welcome for “everyone, everyone, everyone” ahead of a three-week series of meetings — part of a years-long process known as the Synod on Synodality — that has sparked hope of change among progressives and alarm by conservatives.

“We’re not here to create a parliament, but to walk together with the gaze of Jesus,” the pope added.

Everything you need to know: For those curious about the synod and the significance, check out this primer by Lisi.

Related coverage that caught my attention (I’ve provided gift links to the paywalled sites):

• ‘Two trains charging at each other’: A Texas bishop takes on the pope (Ruth Graham, New York Times)

• Pope Francis opens debate on LGBTQ inclusion, women’s ordination and celibacy (Francis X. Rocca, Wall Street Journal)

• In sequel to ‘green’ encyclical, pope urges rich to do their part to combat climate change (Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

• Conservative U.S. Catholics watch with dread as pope opens major meeting (Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post)

• German Cardinal Muller defies pope's request for confidentiality at synod with EWTN interview (Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter)

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. The Nones: “In many countries around the world, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people who are nonbelievers or unaffiliated with any organized religion. These so-called ‘nones’ — atheists, agnostics, or nothing in particular — comprise 30% or more of the adult population in the United States and Canada, as well as numerous European countries. Japan, Israel and Uruguay are among other nations where large numbers of people are secular.”

That’s how The Associated Press boils down what it describes as “a sweeping package of stories, photos and video” on “how this phenomenon is playing out in several of these countries.”

AP journalists — including award-winning Godbeat pros such as Deepa Bharath, Giovanna Dell’Orto, Luis Andres Henao, Mariam Fam, Peter Smith and Jessie Wardarski — traveled around the world to report these stories.

2. Mark Driscoll’s safe space: In an in-depth story for ReligionUnplugged.com, veteran journalist Chris Moody details how the embattled pastor built a new ministry in Arizona after the fall of Seattle’s Mars Hills Church in 2014.

This is a deeply reported and nuanced piece by a journalist highly adept at his craft.

3. Fight over Tibetan Buddhism: An 8-year-old boy “may have to defend the faith in Mongolia against pressure from China’s ruling Communist Party.”

New York Times China correspondent David Pierson reports on the conflict.

More Top Reads

A green card processing change means the U.S. could lose thousands of faith leaders from abroad, The Associated Press’ Giovanna Dell’Orto reports. … The cases of two pastors highlight accountability issues within the Presbyterian Church in America, The Tennessean’s Liam Adams writes. … Liberty University created ‘fear of reprisal” for sexual violence survivors, according to a federal investigation cited by USA Today’s Chris Quintana and the Washington Post’s Susan Svrluga. … The story of a killer’s — and Sister Helen Prejean’s — redemption has come to New York, as Meagan Saliashvili explains for Religion News Service. … Young Zoroastrians are reconnecting with their faith, Tori Luecking reports for RNS. … And the National Faith & Blue Weekend seeks to build bridges between cops and congregations, according to the Washington Times’ Mark A. Kellner.

Inside The Godbeat

I enjoyed seeing Frank Lockwood, religion editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, during a recent speaking engagement at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.

I appreciated Lockwood covering the presentation that my colleague Jeremie Beller did on The Christian Chronicle’s “Sacred Calling” series on the minister shortage in Churches of Christ.

Charging Station: ICYMI

Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from ReligionUnplugged.com.

What are African churches doing to better communicate with the deaf?

Zimbabwe-based journalist Cyril Zenda explores that question for ReligionUnplugged.com.

The Final Plug

My beloved Texas Rangers are playing in October for the first time in years. I’m excited!

Speaking of baseball (and check out this piece if you missed it), I enjoyed Marvin Olasky’s reflection on the “privately influential faith” of the late Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield.

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.

Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for ReligionUnplugged.com and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.