NEWS STORY
RNS-Poems-Viral: How two poems about the coronavirus went viral by addressing spiritual needs
(RNS) — “And the People Stayed Home,” by Kitty O’Meara and “Pandemic” by Lynn Ungar, both initially posted to Facebook, have become sensations online, reposted everywhere. The two poems address how to deal with the anxiety of the coronavirus outbreak and the imposition of stay-at-home orders. By Yonat Shimron. 750 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Census-BlackChurch: Black church leaders push for census participation despite coronavirus
(RNS) — Black religious and community leaders have joined in a multifaceted strategy to get often-undercounted African Americans to respond to the once-a-decade tally of the U.S. population in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. By Adelle M. Banks. 700 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Digital-Theology: As coronavirus keeps parishioners homebound, Christian clergy debate online communion
(RNS) — As Christian churches rush to embrace “virtual” communion, denominational leaders are starting to ask: is communion appropriate for cyberspace? By Jack Jenkins. 855 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Plant-Churches: Black and Latino start-up churches work to stay afloat during pandemic
(RNS) — As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, faith leaders have canceled worship services and shifted their ministries online to abide by social distancing guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19. While megachurches and more established congregations likely have the financial resources to weather this pandemic, start-up churches in working-class communities of color may not have the means to do so. By Alejandra Molina. 1250 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-UrbietOrbi-Homily: Pope Francis says ‘We are all in the same boat,’ during Urbi et Orbi ceremony
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — As the world grapples with the spread of the coronavirus, Pope Francis delivered a homily of hope on Friday (March 27), comparing the pandemic to a storm that can be overcome only by coming together in faith. By Claire Giangravé. 773 words. (category: i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Church-Fails: Clergy laugh off bloopers as the coronavirus forces churches online
(RNS) — Over the last couple weeks, more than 15,000 new churches have signed up for the Church Online Platform, a livestreaming service for churches. Many others have turned to livestreaming features available on social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. With so many using those tools for the first time, and the internet’s inability to forget, some hilarity was bound to follow. Here are a few online church fails that have gone viral. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 1,000 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Smith-Oped: COVID-19 could end church as we know it. And I feel fine.
(RNS) — With the restrictions forced on faith communities, which technological tools can best help us understand and reshape our identity and mission? By C. Christopher Smith. 850 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Singh-Oped: Afghanistan can’t protect its Sikhs from terror. It’s time for America to step up.
(RNS) — The U.S. needs to do more to acknowledge and bring attention to the deadly ongoing human rights crisis there, while accepting more families to our shores. In 2019, the U.S. government provided approximately $5 billion in aid to Afghanistan. Moving forward, some of that aid must be made contingent on protecting religious minorities in the country. By Simran Jeet Singh. 670 words. (category: k)
