NEWS OF THE WEEK
This weekend marks the third anniversary of the conflict in Syria. Several humanitarian groups issued new reports about the devastating toll the war has taken, especially on children. An estimated 136,000 people have been killed, including more than 10,000 children, … More
Israeli lawmakers passed a controversial measure this week that will force many ultraorthodox Jews to serve in the army or do other civilian service. Since Israel’s founding, ultraorthodox Jews have been permitted to avoid the draft in order to attend … More
A prominent United Methodist pastor who officiated at his gay son’s wedding will no longer face a church trial. Reverend Thomas Ogletree, retired dean of Yale Divinity School, was set to be tried for violating the church’s ban on performing … More
The US Supreme Court declined to get involved in a longstanding property dispute between the Episcopal Church and a conservative breakaway congregation in Virginia. Eight years ago, the more than 2,000-member Falls Church voted to leave the denomination, in part … More
The 2014 Templeton Prize for Spiritual Progress has been awarded to Reverend Tomas Halik, a Roman Catholic priest and philosopher from the Czech Republic. The John Templeton Foundation recognized Halik as a bridge-builder among people of different faiths. The Templeton … More
Jews are celebrating Purim (March 15-16), where they retell the story of Queen Esther and the Jews’ deliverance from a plot to destroy them. On Monday (March 17), Hindus celebrate Holi, the joyous festival of colors. They throw colored water … More
As US officials responded to the events in Ukraine this week, American religious leaders called for continued prayers for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. The US Catholic bishops urged Catholics to pray that justice and human rights will prevail. … More
Christians around the world this week began observing Lent, the season of fasting and penitence that leads to Easter. At the Vatican, Pope Francis led traditional Ash Wednesday services, sprinkling ashes on parishioners’ heads as a symbol of human mortality. … More
This week, Francis once again raised eyebrows with an interview in a leading Italian newspaper. He suggested that the Catholic Church could tolerate some civil unions for practical reasons such as health care and property rights, although he repeated the … More
Pope Francis’s popularity continues to rise, especially here in the US. But new research says it’s less clear if the positive buzz is having a concrete impact, what some have termed “the Francis Effect.” According to the Pew Research Center, … More
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