Faith
Netanyahu uses Holocaust ceremony to brush off international pressure against Gaza offensive
By Melanie Lidman — May 6, 2024
JERUSALEM (AP) — The ceremony ushered in Israel’s first Holocaust remembrance day since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war, imbuing the already somber day with additional meaning.
Ukraine marks its third Easter at war as it comes under fire from Russian drones and troops
By Elise Morton and Susie Blann — May 6, 2024
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — In his Easter address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to be “united in one common prayer.”
Jewish students grapple with how to respond to pro-Palestinian campus protests
By Jesse Bedayn — May 6, 2024
(AP) — Jewish Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 are closely divided on whether Israel’s post-Oct. 7 military campaign has been acceptable, according to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in February.
‘A step back in time’: America’s Catholic Church sees an immense shift toward the old ways
By Tim Sullivan — May 6, 2024
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The shift, molded by plummeting church attendance, increasingly traditional priests and growing numbers of young Catholics searching for more orthodoxy, has reshaped parishes across the country.
With a final flourish, United Methodist conference eliminates all anti-LGBTQ policies
By Yonat Shimron — May 3, 2024
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (RNS) — The reversals came in the wake of a schism that saw the departure of a quarter of its US churches — more than 7,600 congregations — over the past five years.
Eastern Orthodox Church ordains Zimbabwean woman as its first deaconess
By Fiona André — May 3, 2024
(RNS) — For years, the Patriarchate of Alexandria and Africa has intensified its efforts to establish the female diaconate.
Churches tied to Civil Rights awarded National Park Service preservation funds
By Adelle M. Banks — May 3, 2024
(RNS) — Other grantees will use the NPS funding to conduct historical surveys, including one in Detroit that will explore 'the role of religion in the struggle for equality.’
The best way to honor Melissa Inouye’s memory is to be a kind and persistent badass
By Jana Riess — May 3, 2024
(RNS) — Melissa said it's not enough to memorialize our loved ones who die too young. We have to carry on their work.
Catholic Bishop joins cease-fire prayer vigil protesting weapons for Israel
By Jack Jenkins — May 3, 2024
(RNS) — Asked about student protests on college campuses, Bishop John Stowe said he appreciated their 'interest in the situation and their solidarity with the Palestinians' but stressed the need to act peacefully.
To save their movement, student protesters should break camp
By Andre Henry — May 3, 2024
(RNS) — 'A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.'
How ‘apocalypse’ became a secular as well as religious idea
By Erik Bleich and Christopher Star — May 3, 2024
(The Conversation) — Events that the media describe as ‘apocalyptic’ reflect changing anxieties about the future.
Damaged in war, a vibrant church in Ukraine rises as a symbol of the country’s faith and culture
By Jill Lawless — May 3, 2024
LYPIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — It’s one of 129 war-damaged Ukrainian religious sites recorded by UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural organization.
Since Oct. 7, we have been in an earthquake
By Jeffrey Salkin — May 3, 2024
(RNS) — More than 200 years ago, an earthquake shattered faith. We are living in similar times.
United Methodists redefine marriage, end official condemnation of homosexuality
By Yonat Shimron — May 2, 2024
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (RNS) — A condemnation of homosexuality that has riven the denomination for 52 years was eliminated from the United Methodist Church’s rule book.
Priests prepare to bring synodality from the Vatican to parishes around the world
By Claire Giangravé — May 2, 2024
(RNS) — Even as some Catholics look at the synod with skepticism, others don’t know what it means or haven’t heard of it at all. Pope Francis is tasking parish priests with changing that.
