With clouds of white smoke emanating from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel and to the loud cheers of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the 133-member conclave elected a new pope on Thursday — choosing Cardinal Robert Prevost. Following the closed-door process known as the conclave, the new pontiff chose the name Leo XIV as the 267th head of the Catholic Church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The big U.S. Supreme Court decisions due in the coming two months include three cases on the religion clauses in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. At issue: Can a state deny a tax benefit to religious charities it thinks are not “religious” enough, can parents withdraw public elementary children from classes on gender identity and whether the state can fund a religious charter school.
Read MoreThe Basilica of St. Mary Major is one of the four major papal basilicas located in Rome and the largest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the city. Its artistic splendor, architectural grandeur and storied past make it one of the most significant houses of worship in all of Christianity. It will now also serve as Pope Francis’ final resting spot.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Canadians are roused by the U.S. president's musings on Canada as America's 51st state and driven apoplectic by his imposition of tariffs on the country. Canada is also a very secular country, but Trump's asseverations have re-awakened these currents and revived memories of 19th century American moves to annex Canada. This renewed animosity is unlikely to end soon.
Read More(EXPLAINER) The funeral rites take place in three parts, called stations. The first takes place in the pope’s private chapel, after medical professionals have certified his death. Until recently, this stage had taken place at the pope’s bedside. After the body lies in rest in the chapel, the cardinal serving as the pope’s camerlengo — the pope’s chief of staff — will make the arrangements for the funeral.
Read MoreHere’s a fun fact many may not know: Most of the world’s Quakers live in Africa. Also known as the Religious Society of Friends, Quakers have a significant presence on the continent when it comes to building schools and hospitals. They are also involved in peacebuilding in a number of countries, including Kenya and other Central African countries, notably Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For many modern Christians, Sunday School is primarily seen as a children’s ministry – a place where kids are taught Bible stories while their parents attend the main worship service. Yet historically, Sunday Schools played a far greater role. They were not only centers of religious education but also powerful tools for evangelism and church planting.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Shakespeare’s works are, and have always been, profoundly theological — not because they provide answers but because they compel us to confront fundamental questions of existence. Is there justice in the universe? Do our actions have eternal consequences? Can the worst among us be saved? These questions not easily answered, if they can be answered at all. These are questions that still haunt us.
Read MoreAlthough a recent study reveals that Lent is largely ignored by many Christians in the United States, there is a trend among members of some conservative Protestant denominations to incorporate it in their Easter observances. Some who are members of conservative Presbyterian denominations have even taken up Lent in a break from tradition.
Read More(REVIEW) The book boldly gives a brave, honest and forceful account of the realities of the effect of colonialism on Anglicanism past and present, Percy critically examines how the Anglican Church, which served as both a spiritual arm and a moral justification for British imperial expansion, is now struggling with the enduring legacy of complicity in slavery and colonialism.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As a medievalist, I appreciate Francis’ contrasting approach: A religious leader who embraces history and scholarship, and encourages others to do the same — even as book bans and threats to academic freedom mount.
Read MoreUnder the direction of Trevor Nunn, “The Score” serves up a fascinating dynamic between the king, who harbors his own musical ambitions, and Bach. Over time, despite their contrasting personalities and roles, a mutual respect does develop — despite their religious differences, lifestyles, ambitions and motivations — between the men, culminating in Bach composing a musical offering inspired by Frederick.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The American comics industry was largely started by the children of Jewish immigrants. Like most publishing in the early 20th century, it was centered in New York, home to the country’s largest Jewish population. Though they were still a very small minority, immigration had swelled the United States’ Jewish population more than a thousandfold: from roughly 3,000 in 1820 to roughly 3,500,000 in 1920.
Read More(OPINION) “Poor wordy little Protestants” — as someone once said — have severed this connection between the church and its visual soul food. Bereft of beauty, Protestant churches have left us to the narcotizing effect of TV and social media, and a daily diet of pap, propaganda and rage. Could new generations and populations be inspired again to aspire to the heights to which those early artists aspired? If so, we'll surely need to get out more.
Read MoreSixty years after John Lewis and hundreds of civil rights activists were beaten by the Alabama State Police, thousands returned to Selma and the Edmund Pettus Bridge to remember one of the bloodiest campaigns of the 1960s.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pilgrims would journey across continents to light candles beneath their frescoed domes, whisper prayers into the cool stone walls, and gaze upon centuries-old icons bathed in flickering candlelight. These sites are much more than buildings. They are testaments to Greece’s spiritual, cultural and historical identity. Yet today, that serenity is under attack.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Five hundred years ago, in the winter of 1524-1525, bands of peasants roamed the German countryside seeking recruits. It was the start of the German Peasants’ War, the largest uprising in Europe before the French Revolution. The peasants’ goal was to overturn serfdom and create a fairer society grounded on the Christian Bible.
Read MoreLocated in the heart of Rome, this architectural wonder has stood the test of time as both a testament to the grandeur of Roman architecture and also a site of religious transformation. Over 2,000 years later, the Pantheon stands as a bridge between two worlds: The pagan Romans and the Christianized West. Its architectural brilliance and religious significance make it one of the most fascinating landmarks and a must-visit for Catholics traveling for the Jubilee.
Read More(EXPLAINER) You’ve seen the movie “Conclave” — but what does a real one look like? A papal conclave is one of the most unique and secretive processes in the world, bringing together cardinals who gather under intense pressure to choose a new pope. Unlike the film, the tradition is meant to ensure the election is conducted in an atmosphere of prayer and reflection.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In international law, territorial integrity would mean a country’s right to “sovereignty” over its entire territory, prohibiting external interference or attempts to alter its borders. In Manipur, the term refers to preserving the territory of the state as it existed at the end of the British Raj in 1947. Protecting a state’s “territorial integrity” is largely a political concern with little constitutional basis.
Read More
