NEWS STORY
RNS-Greear-Legacy: J.D. Greear’s legacy as Southern Baptist president: grappling with abuse, pushing diversity
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — It’s traditional for the Southern Baptist Convention president to serve two one-year terms. But J.D. Greear had a lengthy bonus round due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a look at his legacy as the SBC’s president from 2018 to 2021. By Adelle M. Banks. 700 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Catholics-Choice: Catholics for Choice looks to reach more Latinos with new Spanish-language platforms
(RNS) — The nonprofit Catholics for Choice, which supports abortion rights, is seeking to further reach U.S. Latino Catholics by launching Spanish-language social media platforms to amplify the organization’s campaigns and events. By Alejandra Molina. 600 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-LIRS-Omar: Rep. Ilhan Omar, others encourage U.S. to rebuild refugee resettlement ahead of World Refugee Day
(RNS) — Omar is just one of the lawmakers, religious leaders and former refugees who stressed the importance of restoring the United States’ longstanding commitment to resettling refugees Thursday on a virtual panel hosted by LIRS, one of nine agencies contracted with the U.S. government to do that work. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 800 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-SCOTUS-Fulton: Supreme Court rules in favor of Catholic foster-care agency, in narrow win for religious rights
(RNS) — A city-funded foster and adoption agency that opposes same-sex marriage on religious grounds can be exempted from serving such couples, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday (June 17). By Yonat Shimron. 700 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Boris-Johnson: Boris Johnson and Britain are having their own Catholic crisis
LONDON (RNS) — As the American Catholic bishops debate whether Joe Biden should receive Holy Communion given his support for women’s abortion rights, outrage has been building in the United Kingdom since the country’s chief executive, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who recently came out as Catholic, to the concern of British Catholics, some parish priests and parliamentarians. By Catherine Pepinster. 1,000 words. (category: i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Catholic-Sculptor: Catholic sculptor wishes to restore Catholic credibility amid modern evils
(RNS) – A Catholic sculptor wants to keep the church relevant with his art, but as mounting secularism and the Covid-19 pandemic challenge the institution, the artist claims the devil is in the details. By Claire Giangravè. 800 words. (category i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-USCCB-Presser: Bishops quick to debate Eucharist — and Joe Biden — at meeting
(RNS) — The opening day of the American Catholic bishops’ spring meeting on Wednesday (June 16) had nothing on the agenda about the controversial topic of Communion and President Joe Biden. But the first bishop to speak took the opportunity to rail against Biden and his abortion policies. By Jack Jenkins. 997 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-SBC-Resolutions: Southern Baptist Convention resolutions reflect passion on issues of race, abortion
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — The passions expressed before, during and after the adoption of the latest Southern Baptist Convention statement on race provided a window into a process that usually happens once a year — except during an interruption like the COVID-19 pandemic or a world war — and involves Southern Baptists commenting about some of the cultural controversies of their time. By Adelle M. Banks. 900 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-SBC-Abuse: Southern Baptists approve abuse task force, say abusive pastors should be banned
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Messengers to the SBC’s annual meeting directed President Ed Litton to set up a task force to address concerns Southern Baptist leaders have mistreated abuse victims and mishandled allegations of abuse. Concern over sexual abuse had dominated conversation leading up to the SBC’s annual meeting, which drew more than 21,000 people to Nashville’s Music City Center, including 15,726 messengers. By Bob Smietana. 768 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Lupfer-Oped: At annual meeting, Southern Baptists ‘turn their hearts to the right’
(RNS) — Southern Baptists avoided the worst outcome. But just barely. The 2021 annual meeting that ended Thursday did little to dissuade anyone of the SBC elite’s obsession with power, their insensitivity to the experiences of women and minorities, and lack of self-examination. 778 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Silk-Oped: The end of the oracular papacy
(RNS) — As the U.S. Catholic bishops conduct their semi-annual meeting virtually this week, the big question is whether they will approve a proposal to create a teaching document on the Eucharist that would deny the sacrament to politicians who support pro-choice policies. More significant than the proposal itself, however, is the fact that the leadership of the bishops conference has moved toward it in the face of Vatican opposition. By Mark Silk. 973 words. (category: k)
