NEWS STORY
RNS- Vaccine-Minorities: Black clergy offer churches as COVID-19 vaccination sites, roll up their sleeves
(RNS) — Across the country, Black faith leaders and other clergy of color are engaging in educational forums, videotaping themselves getting vaccinated and are beginning to provide or offer their church properties for vaccine distribution. Their efforts continue as research has shown that people of color in the U.S. have died of COVID-19 at disproportionately higher rates than white Americans. By Adelle M. Banks. 1,150 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-March-Life: At March for Life, a pivot away from Trump and towards ‘unity’
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A mostly virtual version of a major annual anti-abortion gathering featured pre-recorded speeches from lawmakers, faith leaders and former football star Tim Tebow filled with appeals to President Biden to enact anti-abortion legislation — and little mention of his predecessor. By Jack Jenkins. 962 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Parolin-Interview: Cardinal Parolin addresses financial scandals, China and Iraq in new interview
(RNS) – In a recent interview, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the second highest official at the Vatican, addressed the institutions’ recent financial scandals, the pope’s upcoming trip to Iraq and the Vatican’s controversial deal with China. By Claire Giangravè. 1000 words. (categories c,i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Jezebel-Harris: Southern Baptist pastors are calling Kamala Harris ‘Jezebel.’ What do they mean?
(RNS) — Southern Baptist pastors are sharply critical of Vice President Kamala Harris. In the past week two Texas pastors have hurled racially incendiary rhetoric at her, calling her a “Jezebel.” What does it mean? By Yonat Shimron and Emily McFarlan Miller. 700 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Pope-Annulments: Pope Francis backs reform of marriage annulments with an emphasis on the good of children
(RNS) – Speaking to members of the Vatican’s highest appellate tribunal, Pope Francis called for greater attention to the consequences that marriage annulments may have on couples and especially children, while stressing the importance of promoting reforms aimed at facilitating marriage annulments. By Claire Giangravè. 630 words. (categories c,i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Sanctuary-Letter: Their hopes dashed by a Texas judge, immigrants living in church sanctuaries wait for a reprieve
(RNS) — Now that a Texas judge has barred part of President Biden’s deportation moratorium, immigrants living in church sanctuary are searching for solutions. Thirty lawmakers have stepped up to advocate on their behalf, sending a letter to President Biden asking him to sign private bills that would grant them permanent residency. By Yonat Shimron and Jack Jenkins. 1,000 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Church-Parking: Florida church says offering free beach parking is a religious act. Judge agrees
(RNS) — A federal district court judge in Tampa ruled this week that the city of St. Pete Beach could not stop a local church from allowing beachgoers to use its parking lot, calling the practice, which allowed youth group members to evangelize and collect donations from those who parked there, a legitimate ministry. By Paul O’Donnell. 864 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Burton-Oped: How QAnon infiltrated wellness culture on its way to the Capitol
(RNS) — The distance between QAnon’s MAGA-hatted reactionaries and Goopsters in yoga pants may seem wide, but it’s not so difficult to see how it has infiltrated wellness culture, which is not above indulging in conspiracy theories about Big Pharma and GMOs, and of course vaccines. By Tara Isabella Burton. 606 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Reese-Oped: Can Catholic bishops work with the Biden administration?
(RNS) — The media has fastened on reports that suggest the US bishops are ready to wage war on the new administration —and on each other — the Catholic president’s positions on abortion, gay rights and religious freedom. But there are many areas where the bishops’ and Biden’s agendas converge, from COVID-19 to immigration. By Thomas Reese. 1,050 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Riess-Oped: Mormon leaders and the erosion of traditional power
(RNS) — What’s at stake when conservative Latter-day Saints begin to see following the prophet as a matter of individual conscience on an issue-by-issue basis? By Jana Riess. 1,086 words (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Wallis-Oped: Reconciliation needs truth
(RNS) — White supremacy has always been the “Big Lie” of the United States — that some of God’s children are superior or inferior to other people, and that the former are therefore justified in dominating the latter by any means necessary. Reconciliation needs the truth; therefore, we can never reconcile with white supremacy. By Jim Wallis. 1,100 words. (category: k)