News
Julian Edelman, the first Jewish football player named Super Bowl MVP, retires
By Bob Smietana — April 12, 2021
(RNS) — Edelman, whose parents didn’t practice any religion when he was growing up, embraced his Jewish identity during his NFL career.
Trial date set in sexual abuse case against La Luz del Mundo leader Naasón Joaquín García
By Alejandra Molina — April 12, 2021
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — A Superior Court judge ordered the trial date for García to begin Sept. 27, according to the California attorney general’s office and a statement from La Luz del Mundo.
Italian prosecutors request arrest warrant for Italian financier named in Vatican scandals
By Claire Giangravé — April 12, 2021
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Torzi’s legal team claimed to be 'perplexed' with Italian prosecutors' request for an arrest warrant, given that the Vatican's similar allegations were 'demolished' by a British judge only last month.
For interfaith couples, Ramadan can deepen ties to faith and each other
By Silma Suba — April 12, 2021
(Interfaith America) — Ramadan can be an opportunity for Muslims in interfaith relationships to introduce their partners to the core beliefs and teachings of Islam.
Huge gatherings at India’s Hindu festival as virus surges
By Neha Mehrotra and Sheikh Saaliq — April 12, 2021
NEW DELHI (AP) — The Kumbh Mela, or pitcher festival, is one of the most sacred pilgrimages in Hinduism.
Hillsong to ‘pause’ operations at Dallas campus, citing leadership failures
By Roxanne Stone — April 11, 2021
(RNS) — New revelations about the former Dallas pastors as well as pandemic woes have led the global behemoth to announce a shuttering of the Dallas location for now.
High court halts Calif. virus rules limiting home worship
By Jessica Gresko — April 10, 2021
(AP) — In November, the high court barred New York from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues in areas designated as hard-hit by the virus.
Islamic leaders battle misconception about vaccines, fasting
By Mariam Fam and David Sharp — April 10, 2021
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Islamic leaders are using social media, virtual town halls and face-to-face discussions to spread the word that it's acceptable to be vaccinated for the coronavirus during Ramadan.
Photos of the Week: Easter, Holocaust Remembrance
By Jessi Dodge — April 9, 2021
(RNS) — Each week Religion News Service presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. This week’s photo selection includes Easter, Ramadan preparations and more.
Martin Luther King III calls new voting legislation ‘greatest hypocrisy’
By Adelle M. Banks — April 9, 2021
(RNS) — ‘People came out and voted in every mechanism, and they want to stop people from voting,’ said the son of the civil rights leader. ‘That's unconscionable.’
Anglican convert and Pacific Island deity: 5 faith facts about Prince Philip
By Paul O'Donnell — April 9, 2021
(RNS) — Married for 73 years to the head of the Church of England, the prince consort built a religious profile that was more complicated than his official role might suggest.
Robert Lesslie, slain doctor, saw ‘Angels in the ER’ and wrote hopeful stories of faith in tragedy
By Bob Smietana — April 9, 2021
(RNS) — The longtime ER doctor and writer said he often saw God at work in tragedy and crisis.
Seventh and final Plowshares member sentenced to prison for nuclear base break-in
By Yonat Shimron — April 9, 2021
(RNS) — Mark Colville was part of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 who broke into a naval base on April 4, 2018. DePaul University in Chicago announced last month it would recognize the group with a Christian nonviolence award.
World Vision faces pandemic’s ‘perfect storm,’ seeks to meet US, global needs
By Adelle M. Banks — April 9, 2021
(RNS) — 'There's a real threat that 30 years of progress in our fight against extreme poverty could be reversed,' World Vision US President Edgar Sandoval Sr. said.
Why some Christians want Target to stop carrying a bestselling book of prayers
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 9, 2021
(RNS) — Editor Sarah Bessey and other contributors to 'A Rhythm of Prayer' responded to the backlash with a statement Thursday evening (April 8), saying critics are missing the point of the prayer.
