Government & Politics
UK Conservatives suspend a lawmaker after he accused London’s mayor of being controlled by Islamists
By Danica Kirka — February 26, 2024
LONDON (AP) — The controversy comes as the Israel-Hamas war fuels tensions in British society.
Catholics rally around Annunciation House after lawsuit
By Aleja Hertzler-McCain — February 23, 2024
RNS — 'Our church, our city and our country owe Annunciation House a deep debt of gratitude,' El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz wrote in a statement.
Georgia bill aims to protect religious liberty. Opponents say it’s a license to discriminate
By Jeff Amy — February 23, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — That religious protection bill resurfaced Thursday eight years after lawmakers passed a different version of the measure.
Belarus cracks down on clergy who supported protests of its authoritarian leader
By Yuras Karmanau — February 23, 2024
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — In the last three years, at least 74 clergy have been arrested, fined or deported, according to the Viasna human rights center, even before the new law took effect.
At National Cathedral, leaders of different parties, perspectives call for civility
By Adelle M. Banks — February 22, 2024
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke about their participation in the ‘Disagree Better’ project and noted their efforts to seek bipartisan solutions.
Texas attorney general moves to shut down Catholic migrant shelters
By Aleja Hertzler-McCain — February 21, 2024
RNS — The lawsuit from Ken Paxton’s office ‘seeks to revoke Annunciation House’s authorization to do business in Texas and asks the court to appoint a receiver to liquidate their assets.’
Amid protester demands, North Carolina city council calls for a Gaza cease-fire
By Yonat Shimron — February 20, 2024
(RNS) — Durham is the second city in North Carolina to vote for a cease-fire resolution and one of 70 nationwide, including Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit and Seattle.
Christian-nation idea fuels US conservative causes, but historians say it misreads founders’ intent
By Peter Smith — February 20, 2024
Many conservatives and Republicans embrace the idea of Christian national origins, even as many reject the “Christian nationalist” label.
A prayer for Evita: Here’s why many Argentines are devoted to a first lady who died in 1952
By MarÍa Teresa HernÁndez — February 19, 2024
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Many union members think of Evita as their patron or gaze at her photos with nostalgia, feeling that she and her husband, three-time President Juan Domingo Perón, brought prosperity to their country.
Lenten cease-fire campaign includes Ash Wednesday Mass outside White House
By Aleja Hertzler-McCain — February 14, 2024
WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘As there’s ashes on our head, there’s also blood on our hands because we cannot exempt ourselves from what this country is doing,’ said the Rev. Graylan Hagler, pastor emeritus of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ.
Nicaragua’s crackdown on Catholic Church spreads fear among the faithful, there and in exile
By Giovanna Dell'orto — February 12, 2024
MIAMI (AP) — Like several Latin American governments tracing their roots back to socialist revolutions, Nicaragua’s has had an uneven relationship with faith leaders for decades.
Indian town sets a curfew and orders police to shoot violators after deadly clashes over a mosque
By Biswajeet Banerjee — February 9, 2024
LUCKNOW, India (AP) — On Thursday, thousands of protesters tried to block government officials and police who arrived to demolish the seminary and mosque following a court order that the structures were being built on government land without local authorization, Anshuman said.
Faith-based organizations concerned about immigration policy landscape
By Aleja Hertzler-McCain — February 8, 2024
(RNS) — ‘You’re not going to solve anything at the border when you start from the premise that migration is a threat to our country or that migrants are people to be feared,’ said Dylan Corbett, executive director of Hope Border Institute.
Indian state passes uniform marriage legislation opposed by Muslims as a Hindu code applied to all
By Ashok Sharma and Biswajeet Banerjee — February 8, 2024
LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Muslims accuse Modi’s right-wing nationalist party of pursuing a Hindu agenda that discriminates against them and directly imposes laws interfering with their faith.
At National Prayer Breakfast, Biden speaks of praying, working for peace
By Adelle M. Banks — February 1, 2024
(RNS) — ‘We're all blessed to live in a nation where we can practice our many faiths and practice them freely,’ Biden said at the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall.
