Asia Bibi listens to officials at a prison near Lahore, Pakistan, on Nov. 20, 2010. (AP Photo, File)
Need to know: Friday, May 10, 2019
Asia Bibi happy to be in Canada but ‘very tired’ after blasphemy ordeal, says friend
Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who was acquitted of blasphemy charges, was reunited this week with her family in Canada. The family's exact location remains secret due to concerns for her safety.
Did Jerry Falwell’s personal photos violate Christian sexual codes?
Many schools, such as Liberty University, have honor codes that spell out Christian standards for sexual conduct. Nude photos are not among them.
Anti-abortion billboards come down in Kenya, but the debate over legalization continues
An advertising company took a church's paid messages down after abortion-rights protesters marched on the offices of local officials.
Vatican law: Priests, nuns must report sex abuse, cover-up
Pope Francis issued a groundbreaking law Thursday requiring all Catholic priests and nuns around the world to report clergy sexual abuse and cover-up by their superiors to church authorities.
The success of Pope Francis’ new sex abuse reporting rules depends on enforcement
Only if the new norms are enforced well can the church’s credibility be rebuilt, writes Thomas Reese.
Former lawyer becomes first black female Episcopal bishop in the south
The Rev. Phoebe Roaf is only the fifth black woman to become a bishop in the history of the Episcopal Church.
Latest news from RNS
Rozella Haydée White on how ‘revolutionary’ relationships can heal the world
Rozella Haydée White talked to RNS about the work people need to do before healing is possible and why self-care isn’t selfish.
Swept up in Muslim genocide crisis, Hindu Rohingyas are stuck in Bangladesh
When the Bangladesh government prepared to return 2,000 Muslim refugees to Myanmar, Hindu Rohingya were hopeful they would be sent back, too. But no one came for them.
With her life on hold, an immigrant woman marks two years in sanctuary
Juana Luz Tobar Ortega will mark her two-year anniversary in sanctuary later this month. A new film documents her struggle.
More views from RNS
Will grace prevail as Tennessee execution looms?
(RNS) — The daughter of Don Johnson has taken up his case not only to save his life, but to set herself free from the violence that has kept her prisoner.
How Jean Vanier broke my heart and saved my life
(RNS) — Confronted by love and grace — the undeserved gift we cannot earn or merit, but that is given to all equally — the natural impulse is to pay it forward. To take a small risk or a leap of faith; to extend love to someone else. And to learn, as Vanier discovered, that a single act of kindness has the power to change your life — and the world.
Harsh punishments under Shariah are modern interpretations of an ancient tradition
(The Conversation_ — Islamic jurists have condemned sodomy, but they have also celebrated homoeroticism, that is, erotic love between members of the same sex.
