The Senate added attacks based on sexual orientation to the list of federal hate crimes and President Obama is expected to sign the bill. Meanwhile, House Democrats remain divided about whether health care reform will include federal funding for abortion and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., the late Ted Kennedy’s son, called Catholic bishops’ concerns about abortion “an absolute red herring.”

The Muslim member of Obama’s faith-based advisory council has become a celebrity among Muslims. A federal judge said a man accused of beating teenagers on Tony Alamo’s orders must pay $3 million in restitution, and the University of Minnesota has apologized after its mascot, Goldy Gopher, mocked a Penn State football player who was praying before a game.

The U.S. Catholic Bishops appointed a popular archbishop as “moderator of Jewish affairs.”

African bishops attending a meeting at the Vatican told corrupt African leaders to repent or quit. Pope Benedict, a conservative, has let a thousand liturgies bloom, and British Columbia’s Supreme Court will decide if polygamy is protected as religious freedom. Iraq’s top Shiite cleric says a delay in parliamentary elections could lead to (more) chaos.