Archbishop Fulton Sheen was a riveting Catholic preacher who gained fame through mass media. RNS file photo
Need to know: Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Sainthood process for Fulton Sheen stalled
The beatification of late Catholic Archbishop Fulton Sheen was postponed this week, marking the latest setback on the road to sainthood for the beloved television and radio preacher.
Melissa Rogers envisions a better way forward for faith in the public square
Prompted by what she sees as a new push toward rewriting church-state laws and historic hostility to religious minorities, Rogers’ new book seeks to define the relationship between the government and religion.
‘Divine collision’ shaped the life of Jim Gash, Pepperdine’s new president
Jim Gash, who was recently named president of Pepperdine University, says a friendship he made with a young Ugandan man falsely accused of murder changed the course of his life.
Surge of new abuse claims threatens church like never before
The day the Catholic Church has long feared has come, with 15 states extending or suspending their statute of limitations to allow abuse claims stretching back decades.
Faith made Harriet Tubman fearless as she rescued slaves
Inspired by the pioneering AME evangelist Jarena Lee, Tubman came to understand that women could hold religious authority, writes Robert Gudmestad.
World’s ‘largest animal sacrifice’ starts in Nepal after ban ignored
Hindu worshippers have begun killing thousands of buffalo in what is reputed to be the world’s biggest animal sacrifice, held every five years in a remote corner of Nepal, despite efforts to end the bloodshed.
Latest news from RNS
Mexican-born bishop chosen to soon lead the Diocese of San Bernardino
Bishop Alberto Rojas is slated to lead the Diocese of San Bernardino — the nation’s fifth-largest Roman Catholic Diocese — as Bishop Gerald Barnes prepares for retirement.
At Bishop Barber’s NC church, Pete Buttigieg works to woo black voters
An active Episcopalian who has spoken at length about faith on the campaign trail, it was not clear Buttigieg succeeded.
Chief rabbi’s attack on anti-Semitism keys reckoning over faith in UK election
A Dec. 12 national election has brought denunciations from the country's top religious figures aimed at expunging discrimination based on faith, particularly anti-Semitism.
More views from RNS
I just paid my Mormon tithing. Why don’t I feel better about it?
(RNS) — I don't mind being held accountable in my giving, which I view as an important part of a Christian life. But I want the church to be accountable too.
Christian higher ed can’t win the LGBTQ debate unless it transforms
(RNS) — At Christian schools across the country, an eruption over LGBTQ policy may be only a day away.
My Mormon sabbatical
"I think it’s likely at this point that my sabbatical will simply become permanent, a new way to interact with Mormonism and Mormons, with less attachment and less pain," writes Mette Harrison.
