Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze at the gothic St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, in Nantes, western France, on July 18, 2020. The fire shattered stained-glass windows and sent black smoke spewing from between its two 15th century towers. (AP Photo/Laetitia Notarianni)
Need to know: Wednesday, July 29, 2020
For French Catholics, arson at Nantes cathedral shows their religion is under attack
French Catholics have felt both anger and profound sadness after seeing another beloved cathedral in flames, only to learn that the fire was deliberately set by one of their own.
Illinois imam resigns over sexist, racist social media posts
An imam at a suburban Chicago-area mosque has resigned after circulation of his social media posts using derogatory language toward Muslim women and a racial slur.
Investigation finds no evidence for recent allegations against Chris Heuertz
The investigation followed a public post signed by 33 men and women who wrote that Heuertz ‘has harmed many people.’ But none of the signers was willing to cooperate with the investigator.
Pilgrims arrive in Mecca for downsized hajj amid pandemic
Muslim pilgrims have started arriving in Mecca for a drastically scaled-down hajj, as Saudi authorities balance the kingdom's oversight of one of Islam's key pillars and the safety of visitors.
For white Christians, racial justice starts with telling the truth
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to white Christians’ full participation in the movement for racial equality is an unshakable commitment to our own innocence, writes Robert P. Jones.
The Vatican is said to be hacked from China before talks with Beijing
In one attack, the hackers weaponized an electronic file with a letter that had a note of condolence from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.
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Barbecue Baptist Church delivers meals, a message and a little levity amid pandemic
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Intergenerational reading group draws on legacy of Timbuktu to ‘rebuild a Black consciousness’
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Black Catholics’ history: Will US Catholic schools teach it?
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Can a forgotten Mormon leader teach us something about Donald Trump today?
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How John Lewis fought anti-Semitism
(RNS) — Everything that I do to fight the pervasive racism in this nation I will do as a kaddish for John Lewis.
