Monthly Archives: April 2013
A pope with a sense of humor
By Mark Silk — April 19, 2013
Francis offers an excuse for not being able to attend the 105th plenary assembly of the Argentine bishops conference
Boy Scouts Set to End Ban on Gay Members
By Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux — April 19, 2013
After months of contentious debate, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) seem poised to strike down their long-standing ban on openly gay scouts, although they will continue to prohibit gay adults from serving as leaders. Two-thirds (67%) of Americans repo...
Boston bombings bring chaplains into new ground
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald — April 19, 2013
BOSTON (RNS) In a week when Boston hospitals cared for more than 170 bomb victims, staff chaplains were suddenly in great demand. They moved calmly from emergency departments to waiting rooms and employee lounges, offering a compassionate ear and much-needed comfort.
We can’t save the world: An interview with Tyler Wigg-Stevenson
By Jonathan Merritt — April 19, 2013
After years of fighting, a prominent Christian activist concludes, "the world is not ours to save."
America’s rough week
By Oliver Thomas — April 19, 2013
(RNS) Taken together, it was a bruising week for a nation wearied by war and nagged by chronic unemployment.
What Separates the Real Writers from the Amateurs
By Jana Riess — April 19, 2013
If you're a real writer, you write. Every. Freakin'. Day. Even when you don't enjoy it, especially when you don't enjoy it, you write anyway.
Friday’s Religion News Roundup: Chechnya 101 * “Jew me down” * “God spray”
By Kevin Eckstrom — April 19, 2013
(RNS) A helpful primer on Chechnya as the Boston manhunt intensifies. Pope Francis meant it when he talked about "a poor church." And George Soros isn't dead yet.
Russia’s Chechnya: A breeding ground for terror
By Ray Locker — April 19, 2013
MOSCOW (RNS) Chechnya, the Russian republic believed to be connected to the two Boston Marathon bombing suspects, has been the scene of terrorism and related violence since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.
Quote of the Day: Tony Perkins, Family Research Council president
By Ron Ribiat — April 19, 2013
“Not only did Jesus tolerate weapons, he instructed His disciples to buy them!” – Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, in welcoming the Senate’s defeat of a move to expand background checks for gun purchases.
It’s the bishops, stupid!
By Mark Silk — April 18, 2013
Michael D'Antonio came to Trinity this week to talk about his new book Mortal Sins, the best account yet of the abuse scandal in the American Catholic Church. D'Antonio, who was part of the team at Newsday that won a Pulitzer in 1984 for coverage of the Baby Jane Doe case on Long Island, is a prolific author who likes taking the side of those who take on the system.
Atheists at prayer? Thoughts on Boston’s healing
By Michael J. O'Loughlin — April 18, 2013
A group of local religious leaders joined the President in Boston for prayer this morning. Atheists were left out.
Calling all Christian educators! CPI invites you to take its 2013 curriculum survey
By Wendy Gustofson — April 18, 2013
Goals: to Pinpoint Best Resources and Guide New Developments Morehouse Education Resources (MER), a division of Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI), is inviting anyone who is currently involved in Christian education to take its 2013 online curriculum survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DRFKZ36. The survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, will be used to determine those resources […]
After failed self-immolation, Tibetan says ‘I won’t repeat it’
By Vishal Arora — April 18, 2013
DHARAMSALA, India (RNS) Dawa Dhondup drank kerosene and poured it all over his body at a March 10 procession to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. As he was about to light a match, fellow Tibetans and police overpowered him.
Pope Francis redirects employee bonuses to charity
By Alessandro Speciale — April 18, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis apparently meant what he said when he spoke of a "poor church, for the poor": Vatican employees won't get the $1,300 bonus many were expecting with the election of a new pope.
Obama praises Boston for overcoming the ‘face of evil’
By Caleb K. Bell — April 18, 2013
President Obama praised Bostonians for standing up "in the face of evil" at an interfaith prayer service following Monday's Boston Marathon bombing.
