NEWS STORY
RNS-Mary-Culture: Mary, mother of Jesus, returns as an icon for pop stars and social justice warriors
(RNS) — Religious figures are often (if scandalously) appropriated outside sacred settings, but the decontextualization of Mother Mary has been in hyperdrive of late. From guitar pedals to designer clothes to incendiary murals, Mary has become an icon to a younger generation of all faiths and no faith. By Whitney Bauck. 1,416 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Jonathan-Lotz: Billy Graham’s grandson Jonathan Lotz, son of Anne Graham Lotz, in hospital with COVID-19
(RNS) — Jonathan Lotz, the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham and son of Bible teacher Anne Graham Lotz, has been hospitalized in critical condition with COVID-19. By Adelle M. Banks. 450 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Vatican-Trial: High stakes loom ahead of historic Vatican trial
(RNS) – As Catholic prelates and laypeople prepare to answer charges of corruption and fraud before Vatican judges on Tuesday, questions remain about the intricate web of rivalries and relationships that ignited the institution’s financial scandals. By Claire Giangravè. 1,500 words. (category i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Church-Venice: Rolling Stone publisher planned to convert a Black church into his home, but these residents fought back to preserve it
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — A group of residents are pushing the city of Los Angeles to designate First Baptist Church of Venice into a historic cultural monument after Rolling Stone publisher Jay Penske, who purchased the church property in 2017, sought to convert it into a home. Residents called his plans “sacrilegious” because the church represents more than 100 years of Black history. By Alejandra Molina. 1,200 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Rudin-Oped: Bob Moses, civil rights leader, led us to imagine the end of racism
(RNS) — The death of Bob Moses on Sunday (July 25) at age 86 should make anyone who dares meddle with Americans’ voting rights in this country pause. The life of the great educator and civil rights leader in Mississippi during the turbulent and violent 1960s reminds us that there may be no more noble cause and that it attracts powerful champions. By A. James Rudin. 785 words. (category: k)
