The Pakistani Taliban is taking credit for the NYC Times Square bomb scare, though U.S. officials are playing down the connection.
President Obama issued a National Day of Prayer proclamation, despite a federal district judge’s ruling last month that the day is unconstitutional. Obama also declared May Jewish American Heritage month.
It was a busy weekend for the Vatican, as Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday announced that he will name a delegate to run the scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ. Three Church of England bishops met with Vatican officials in Rome last week to find out more about Benedict invitation to join his church. Benedict on Sunday all but endorsed the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, saying the cloth is “written with the blood” of Jesus “in full accordance” with the Gospels.
Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson wrote an op-ed to Benedict urging the pontiff not to scapegoat gay priests for the sex scandal. Indian bishops drafted new sex abuse guidelines with a zero-tolerance policy for guilty priests. Boston Globe reporters inked a deal with movie producers to make a film about how they broke the stories that unleashed the sex abuse scandal in 2002. The story would be akin to “All the President’s Men,” say insiders (photo at top left).
The U.S. Catholic bishops say the Senate’s “framework” for an immigration bill needs some work, but is an important first step. Mormons are split on immigration and their church is decidedly neutral. The LDS has a new website for job seekers of all faiths.
More than 3,000 European Jews signed a petition protesting Israel’s settlements policy. Conservative European politicians are focusing a lot of legislative energy on the burqa, but polygamy is a lot more widespread, says the AP.
A committee asked to craft a “worldwide vision” for the United Methodist Church decided to leave alone the issue of gay and lesbian ministers. James Dobson is back on the airwaves with his new program today. The Unification Church is putting The Washington Times up for sale and has cut off most of its $35 million subsidy to the paper. An Albany bishop who left the Episcopal Church in 2007 to convert to Catholicism is now an Episcopalian again.
Theological schools are not seeing a rise in enrollments, despite a widespread notion that enrollment often increases when economic times get tough. A British street preacher was arrested for condemning homosexuality. An Irish bookmaker has paid 10,000 pounds to sponsor a new confessional at an Irish church. They call it the “Paddy Power Sin Bin.”
