(OPINION) In my childhood, Catholics were encouraged to âmake a visitâ to church to light a candle for the sick or say a prayer for some special intention. Though I (and many others) fell out of this practice over the years, I found myself once again âmaking a visitâ to churches when I began to study, teach and travel abroad.
Read MorePresident JosĂŠ Antonio Kast has elevated the Catholic chapel at La Moneda, expanding Masses to four times a week and regularly attending with First Lady MarĂa PĂa Adriasola. His visible faith marks a shift from predecessor Gabriel Boric, highlighting religionâs renewed prominence within Chileâs presidential palace and in public life.
Read MoreEl presidente JosĂŠ Antonio Kast ha elevado el perfil de la capilla catĂłlica de La Moneda, ampliando las misas a cuatro veces por semana y asistiendo regularmente junto a la primera dama MarĂa PĂa Adriasola. Su fe visible marca un cambio respecto a su predecesor, Gabriel Boric, destacando el renovado protagonismo de la religiĂłn dentro del palacio presidencial de Chile y en la vida pĂşblica.
Read MoreEarlier this year, a 15-year-old walked through the gates of her high school in Kenya, wearing her hijab. The student and her parents had been assured by the principal that she could continue wearing it, just as she had throughout primary school. A few weeks later, that assurance fell apart. It has become part of a broader fight regarding religious freedom in the country.
Read MoreThe Liberty Bell symbolizes American freedom, rooted in Scripture and shaped by Pennsylvaniaâs Quaker ideals. Its inscription from Leviticus reflects Jewish teachings on justice and freedom, while Quaker beliefs in equality and tolerance influenced the nationâs founding principles, leaving a lasting moral framework as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary.
Read More(ANALYSIS) While neither of the âDevil Wears Pradaâ movies revolve around Christianity, the invocation of the devil taps into an older moral rhetoric. For centuries, fashion was cast as the troublesome, if not villainous, enemy of a pure and spiritual Christianity â a symbol of putting material desires before holy ones. For example, 18th-century cleric and founder of Methodism John Wesley urged his followers to show their faith by dressing âplainly.â
Read MoreThe Big Idea for this podcast? The social-credits system shifted into high gear the year after China, in 2018, launched sweeping new regulations to crush religious activities that lacked formal government approval. Digital technology is at the heart of Chinaâs efforts to control the beliefs of its citizens.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For centuries, stargazers of many kinds have debated the meaning of unidentified objects in the heavens and encounters with mysterious beings on earth. âEach new discovery, even every new theory, is held at first to have the most wide-reaching theological and philosophical consequences.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Abortion has become a defining partisan issue, with Republicans generally anti-abortion and Democrats pro-abortion rights. Yet lawmakers like Charlie Baker, Susan Collins and Bob Casey show exceptions can succeed in some states. At the same time, long-term polling reveals growing support for abortion access across most religious groups.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The general admonition is the same in many faith communities: Try to marry someone who shares your faith background. Thatâs certainly a well-established norm in Jewish communities.
Read MoreFar from isolated, this case reflects a growing wave of church thefts across France targeting religious art. Last year, the French Interior Ministry recorded about 538 thefts of religious items â an 11% increase from the year before. People usually steal things like chalices, statues, paintings, relics and other religious items from churches and other places of worship.
Read More(ANALYSIS) When he was elected pope last May, Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, greeted the crowd with Christâs words to his disciples: âPeace be with you.â Peace has become a central theme of the pontificate of the first American pope. In recent months, opposing the war in the Middle East, Leo has said that the âworld is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.â
Read MoreWhile several books have been published about Leo, it seems the definitive biography of the Popeâs life is finally here.
Read MorePope Leo XIVâs first international apostolic journey was clouded by heated disputes with President Donald Trump, criticisms of appearing to appease the Islamist persecution of Christians and ongoing conflicts over homosexuality and polygamy among those who are members of the Catholic Church.
Read MoreIn a ballroom surrounded by fellow Godbeat pros, our columnist immediately thought this when he learned of the White House Correspondentsâ Dinner shooting: Thereâll be a religion angle. Why? There always is.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV, during his recent Africa visit, warned Catholics against mixing Christian faith with superstition or other religious practices. He emphasized fidelity to Church teachings amid rapid growth in African churches, while renewed attention to past imagery linked to Pachamama has sparked debate about syncretism and theological clarity.
Read More(ANALYSIS) After years of religious decline, itâs understandable that faith leaders would celebrate any indication of renewal. Yet the eagerness to tout young menâs religious interest and relatively muted discussion of young womenâs decreased attachment mirrors a current that has washed through many American churches for over a generation.
Read More(ANALYSIS) More questions remain. Will the Vatican seek to impose doctrine, potentially provoking further resistance from the West? Or will it allow a degree of local experimentation, accepting the risk of inconsistency in the name of pastoral responsiveness? Leoâs statements on the issue suggest a preference for the former.
Read MoreFive years after the pandemic upended life across the United States, a new national study shows that many churches are stabilizing â and in some cases rebounding â even as many challenges persist. In a report by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, which surveyed more than 80 denominations, found that most have either maintained or increased their level of engagement.
Read MoreThe Pew Research Center analysis, released on Thursday, based on surveys conducted in 24 countries, examined âreligious switchingâ â when people adopt a different religion than the one in which they were raised. The findings reveal a complex picture within Christianity, particularly between its two largest branches: Catholicism and Protestantism.
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