(OPINION) There’s long-established history behind the practice of Christians during their earthly life praying to benefit fellow believers who are dead. This was commended by revered theologians of the early church.
Read More(OPINION) By count of the Death with Dignity organization — which devised Oregon’s pioneering 1997 law under which 1,905 lives have been ended as of Jan. 22 — 10 states plus the District of Columbia have legalized euthanasia. And assignment editor’s note: 14 more states are currently debating such proposals.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights four key religion trends to watch as the pandemic rages on. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) Whether Catholics who go against church doctrine should receive Holy Communion remained a hot topic as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops braced for its fall 2021 meetings this week (Nov. 15-18) in Baltimore. But the bishops know they have other problems that are affecting bottom-line issues in American parishes.
Read More(OPINION) In the 2002 race to become the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, critics noted that Bishop Michael Nariz-Ali was a strong evangelical leader in the global Anglican Communion. But more recently, Nariz-Ali stunned the Anglican world by announcing that he was returning to Roman Catholicism.
Read More(OPINION) With a controversial Catholic in the White House, there was no way for Cardinal Wilton Gregory to face a pack of Beltway journalists without fielding political questions. But he mainly praised the mainstream press for pushing issues linked to racism and social justice, and encouraged them to keep promoting civility.
Read MorePope Francis told the media aboard his papal plane that he has never denied Holy Communion to anyone and that he once gave the Eucharist to a Jewish woman in a nursing home. In Catholic Church law, only confirmed Catholics in good standing may receive Communion. But the pope found the encounter to be a positive mishap.
Read MoreThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced its cooperation with the U.S. government to organize and process the tens of thousands of Afghan refugees entering the country as the U.S. withdraws troops and the Taliban assumes control over Afghanistan.
Read More(ANALYSIS) White Christians were significantly more likely to get the vaccine than the general public between January and April. In the latest survey results, nearly 60% of White Catholics had been vaccinated and just about half of White evangelicals said the same. It was the religious “nones” that were lagging far behind, with only 31% indicating that they had received one dose.
Read More