(ANALYSIS) We are living in surreal times. The world as we knew it just over a week ago has been brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic. After the virus devastated China’s Wuhan province, it spread to Europe and now the rest of the world. Our daily lives have been disrupted in a way never seen in our lifetimes.
Read MoreHeartbreak and hope. It’s a combination our Weekend Plug-In columnist has witnessed repeatedly when covering catastrophes, from the Oklahoma City bombing to Hurricane Katrina to, most recently, the March 3 Tennessee tornadoes that killed 25 people and injured hundreds.
Read More(REVIEW) Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated with beer and parades, often neglecting the true meaning of the day. For Ireland and its largely Catholic population, Patrick is their patron saint. He is a man many people think they know. This new docudrama tries to get to the true story of a man who converted an entire country to Christianity.
Read MoreAs a noun, cloister means a covered walk in a convent with a wall on one side and a colonnade open on the other. As a verb, it means to go into seclusion. The connection between a monastery — during Lent no less — and self-isolation makes a place like The Met Cloisters in New York more relevant than ever.
Read More(OPINION) Argentina is a case study of the dwindling influence this pope has — even in his home country — when it comes to trying to influence the outcome of an issue that the Catholic church has seen as important for decades.
Read MoreThe best news stories start with a fantastic lede. Here are two fantastic ones from the world of religion news.
Read More(OPINION) Here’s a fact: Pope Francis, a day after shaking hands with the faithful on Ash Wednesday, did not get coronavirus, something the Vatican later confirmed. That didn’t stop some news outlets from speculating on whether the pope had been infected by the deadly virus.
Read More(OPINION) In December 2019, news began to filter out of Nigeria that a Daesh affiliated terror group has been responsible for the brutal murder of several Christians. The new wave of killings does not come as a surprise.
Read More(OPINION) Americans don’t consider Democratic presidential candidates to be particularly religious, a new study reveals. But at the end of this past Tuesday night’s two-hour debate in Charleston, S.C., guess what? Faith took center stage.
Read MoreA new documentary explores four current examples of movements that have embraced or pushed anti-Semitic tropes and attitudes.
Read MoreThe Bethel Christian Academy case illustrates the broader fight that often pits the government and taxpayer-funded programs with religiously-affiliated schools that adhere to a doctrinal covenant opposing same-sex marriage. The state calls it discrimination, while the school argues that its religious freedom has come under attack.
Read MorePlant-based products have unleashed a meaty debate in church pews and on message boards over whether products like the Impossible Burger can or can’t be eaten during Lent and if doing so is ultimately a sin.
Read MoreAs Democrats running for president prepare for a Super Tuesday contest that could very well determine a nominee, support among some segment of American Catholics for President Donald Trump is growing. Overall, the poll found that U.S. Catholics remain sharply divided when it comes to both the president and church teachings.
Read More(OPINION) “Weekend Plug-In” is a column by veteran religion writer Bobby Ross Jr. Look every Friday for analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. This week: a focus on the intersection between politics and religion in the news.
Read More(OPINION) Pope Francis — a week after the dust settled from his decision not to create an Amazonian rite that would have allowed married men to serve as priests and women as deacons — continues to garner news coverage as Catholic progressives and traditionalists debate what it all means.
Read More(OPINION) For the first time, the authoritative Mormon rules guidebook will be available to the public. It will be a historic breakthrough.
Read More(OPINION) “Weekend Plug-In” is a column by veteran religion writer Bobby Ross Jr. Look every Friday for analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. This week: veteran religion writer Adelle M. Banks reflects on her 25 years with Religion News Service.
Read MoreThe 2019 documentary, now airing on PBS, follows a Somali father’s quest to understand why his American-born son tried to join ISIS in Syria.
Read More(OPINION) In a surprise move, Francis rejected a proposal on Wednesday that had called for married men in remote areas of the Amazon to serve as priests, a decision widely seen as a victory for conservative Catholics who feared such an exception would eventually lift the celibacy requirement of clergy around the world.
Read MoreThe chocolates resemble the pilgrimage site in Lourdes, France where St. Bernadette is believed to have first seen the Virgin Mary on this day 162 years ago.
Read More
