Attorney General Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania speaks at a news conference in the state Capitol on Oct. 17, 2018, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
Need to know: Friday, October 19, 2018
Federal government launches investigation into Pennsylvania dioceses
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia told RNS it is aware of the inquiry and is cooperating with investigators — including handing over documents.
Judge dismisses sexual assault claims against Southern Baptist leader
The judge said the state’s statute of limitations had run out.
Clergywomen numbers increased significantly in two decades, sometimes equaling men
The two traditions with the highest percentages of women clergy were the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ.
As refugee admissions drop, fewer persecuted Christians admitted to US: World Relief
The drop comes despite Trump’s pledge that helping persecuted Christians overseas would be a priority for his administration.
An imam counseled a teen for years, but she says he was grooming her for sex
A young woman filed a lawsuit and a police report accusing a Texas imam of sexual misconduct. Those who know her say it’s a landmark moment for Muslims saying #MeToo.
The Religion Beat: From celebrations to scandals
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Latest news from RNS
Congolese Pentecostals see Denis Mukwege, Nobel Prize-winning doctor, as a ‘blessing’
(RNS) — The doctor has dedicated his award to women all over the world harmed by conflict and suffering violence every day.
Church abuse bill in limbo after hitting wall in Senate
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Legislation to respond to Pennsylvania's landmark grand jury report accusing hundreds of Roman Catholic priests of sexually abusing children over decades stalled on the Legislature's final scheduled voting day of 2018.
Water pollution in Iraq threatens Mandaean religious rites
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's soaring water pollution is threatening the religious rites of its tight-knit Mandaean community, already devastated by 15 years of war that has also affected the country's other minority sects.
More views from RNS
The sin and crime of plagiarism in Christian publishing
(RNS) — Too many authors are parading someone else's creativity as their own — a practice rooted in the cult of Christian celebrity that plagues the North American church.
The day I left the Left
Being a prophet is actually not all that much fun. It hurts.
Why suing Notre Dame over ‘secret’ birth control settlement isn’t kosher
(RNS) — If the lawsuit were over abortion, rather than simple contraceptives, would students and critics of the university's policy take the same line?
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The Religion Beat: From celebrations to scandals
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