Paul O'Donnell
Paul O'Donnell is the editor in chief of Religion News Service.
All Stories by Paul O'Donnell
RNS Morning Report: COVID Hajj Restrictions; Promise Keepers; ‘God is Grey’ Cease and Desist
By Paul O'Donnell — August 3, 2020
Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as Mount Arafat, background, as they practice social distancing to protect against coronavirus during the annual hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, July 30, 2020. This year’s hajj was dramatically scaled down from 2.5 million pilgrims to as few as 1,000 due […]
RNS Updated Budget—Tuesday, June 9, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — June 9, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Gugino-Catholic: Martin Gugino is a Catholic peace activist, not an ‘Antifa provocateur,’ friends say (RNS) — Friends of the retired computer scientist described Martin Gugino as a devout Catholic and a graduate of Canisius High School, a private Jesuit school in Buffalo, who is a passionate advocate for multiple causes on behalf of the […]
Prominent pastor and author Tim Keller has pancreatic cancer
By Paul O'Donnell — June 7, 2020
(RNS) — ‘I feel great and have no symptoms,’ Keller, 69, wrote on Facebook and other social media posts. ‘It was what doctors call an incidental pickup.’
How not to get overwhelmed by the pandemic
By Paul O'Donnell — March 30, 2020
(RNS) — Thinking can become distorted in a crisis, causing us to fall into panic, denial or grief. A psychologist who studies resilience talks about how to keep perspective.
Washington National Cathedral donates 5,000 medical masks resurrected from crypts
By Paul O'Donnell — March 25, 2020
(RNS) — The 5,000 N95 respiratory masks had been forgotten until the cathedral’s chief stonemason, Joseph Alonso, stumbled on them in an unfinished area of the crypt level early this month.
RNS Updated Budget—Friday, March 20, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — March 20, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Chaplaincy-Coronavirus: In pandemic, health care chaplains address an “existential and spiritual crisis” (RNS) — Chaplains in hospitals and retirement homes are finding the nature of their ministry due to the coronavirus outbreak, when patients and medical staff alike are dealing with stress and isolation. By Alejandra Molina. 930 words. (category: a) NEWS STORY […]
RNS Opening Budget—Friday, March 20, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — March 20, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-CHAPLAINCY-CORONAVIRUS: In pandemic, health care chaplains address an “existential and spiritual crisis” (RNS) — Chaplains in hospitals and retirement homes are finding the nature of their ministry due to the coronavirus outbreak, when patients and medical staff alike are dealing with stress and isolation. By Alejandra Molina. 930 words. (category: a) COMMENTARY RNS-D’Souza-Oped: […]
RNS Opening Budget—Thursday, March 19, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — March 19, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Methodist-Postponed: United Methodist Church postpones General Conference amid coronavirus (RNS) — The United Methodist Church has postponed its 2020 General Conference, scheduled for early May in Minneapolis, where more than 800 delegates were expected to take up legislation to split the denomination. By Emily McFarlan Miller. 860 words. (categories: a, i) NEWS STORY […]
RNS Updated Budget—Wednesday, March 18, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — March 18, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Vatican-Easter: Coronavirus restrictions on Easter is a return to Vatican’s not-so-ancient rules VATICAN CITY (RNS) — For many Catholics in Rome and globally, attending Holy Week Masses in St. Peter’s with the presence of the pope is a yearly activity and the prospect of those being cancelled seems unprecedented. But if Pope Francis […]
RNS Opening Budget—Wednesday, March 18, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — March 18, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Vatican-Easter: Coronavirus restrictions on Easter is a return to Vatican’s not-so-ancient rules VATICAN CITY (RNS) — For many Catholics in Rome and globally, attending Holy Week Masses in St. Peter’s with the presence of the pope is a yearly activity and the prospect of those being cancelled seems unprecedented. But if Pope Francis […]
RNS Updated Budget—Tuesday, March 17, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — March 17, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Holiday-Roundup: What if Easter, Passover, and Ramadan get canceled? (RNS): The coronavirus outbreak could disrupt at least three major holidays: Easter, Passover, and the beginning of Ramadan. RNS asked faith leaders to weigh in on what this could mean. By Religion News Service. 1,200 words. (categories: a) NEWS STORY RNS-Digital-Services: As COVID-19 leads […]
RNS Opening Budget—Tuesday, March 17, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — March 17, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Italy-Community: Despite coronavirus, in Italy communion is stronger than quarantine ROME (RNS) – While the quarantine put in place in Italy to limit the spread of coronavirus might seem like an isolating prospect, Italians are finding a new community in their society and their faith. By Claire Giangravè. 1,000 words. (categories c,i) NEWS […]
RNS Updated Budget—Monday, March 16, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — March 16, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Vatican-Easter: Faithful may be banned from Easter celebrations with Pope, says Vatican VATICAN CITY (RNS) – As of Saturday night, Catholic faithful are no longer able to purchase tickets to attend the Holy Week celebrations in St. Peter’s as concerns about the coronavirus pandemic in Italy risk affecting Easter. By Claire Giangravé. 300 […]
RNS Opening Budget—Monday, February 17, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — February 17, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Germany-Women: German theologian spearheads transition to a gender-appropriate Catholic Church VATICAN CITY (RNS) – A woman is challenging the Catholic church’s position on female inclusion in Germany, where bishops have begun a two-year summit aimed at “newly assessing” long held Catholic beliefs on sexuality, love and priestly life. By Claire Giangravé. 1,160 words. […]
RNS Opening Budget—Friday, February 14, 2020
By Paul O'Donnell — February 14, 2020
NEWS STORY RNS-Tagle-Children: Filipino Cardinal starts new Vatican job by presenting a children’s book by Francis VATICAN CITY (RNS) – A cardinal from the Philippines who was recently appointed by Pope Francis to head the Vatican department for evangelization, kicked off his new position by attending a book presentation at the Bambino Gesu children’s hospital […]
